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man walking a sprightly Jack Russell and told Reg with tongue in cheek we should ask him for directions, as men with Russells were in the know. This had been a sort of family joke for a number of years as my son Robert has Jack Russells. Either I said it convincingly enough or Reg was desperate but after some disbelieving looks at me he pulled over and asked directions. Within five minutes we were at B & Q and loading the bricks. On our return journey we passed another man with two Jack Russells and I pressed the advantage by telling Reg had we asked him we would have got them from another yard even cheaper. On getting back to the boat the bricks were loaded and the day was ended with a short cruise down the Trent and mooring at the boat club.
A week later Faye and I decided to take Wingspread down to Shardlow Basin for a pub lunch. On reaching Lock number one I tied-up and wandered up to the lock with windlass in hand. Unfortunately the paddle seemed to be jammed and after some exertions I was about to give-up the trip as a bad job when a man with a Russell reached me on the tow path. Taking some of my own medicine I tentatively asked him if he knew if the paddle had been damaged.“ No mate” he replied he knew nothing about locks, but after a pause which seemed to last a long time, there was a knowing look between man and dog.“ Is there a safety catch” he asked? I felt such an idiot, in my hurry I had forgotten the catch – serves me right. Still my theory about men and Russells was still intact even if my pride was not.
Steve & Faye mooring 131
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