The long wait is over.

Finally....after 51 days of hanging about at Langley Mill, the time has come for us to jet off for new adventures across the pond.... Australia and New Zealand here we come!!!

Not been completely idle whist waiting. Wednesday 7th September we took work boat Pentland down the Erewash to Long Eaton to be left at one of the societies members mooring. Her final destination was to Shardlow Inland Port festival for the 10th and 11th; two of ECP&DA Friday work party bods took her the rest of the way on the Friday

Down the weed hatch. Norman was on hand to wheel lock

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Hiding a marijuana plant??? It could only be seen from the water.

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Of course there was a lot of visiting friends and family before we left. Lovely because it broke the monotony of twiddling thumbs and wondering why the hours in the day went by so slowly.

The final few weeks were a bit manic with me trying to organise a surprise 70th birthday party for Ian on the 15th October. His birthday was actually on the 12th, told him as I woke that morning that he's now got his wish of being with a younger women, also he is now officially a grumpy old man! 😉 Anyway I'm going off on a tangent again, so let's get back to the party.... Talk about stressful! Secretly sending WhatsApp messages, getting replies and then having to make up stories of why the phone was bleeping continuously. Then the actual day itself when I was on tenterhooks wondering if everyone would arrive at the Old Beam pub in Milton Keynes at the allotted time of 1pm! Needn't have worried because it all went brilliantly. Everyone invited turned up, and it was better than I had hoped. Ian was completely taken aback, he loved the surprise, and it made for a very memorable day.   

Cake made by our daughter Christine.

 

So today we leave at 8pm on a Qantas flight from Heathrow. 7 hours later we arrive in Dubai. Unfortunately it's a 5-hour wait there before we can board the connecting flight to Australia. Then another 14 hours in the air before landing at Sydney. Ian is lucky, as soon as the plane starts to taxi he falls asleep. Me???.... Not a chance. I think I'm going to be somewhat broken at the end of our journey!