After a week of wet and windy weather, Sunday lived up to expectations and the sun came out. Fiona, David, Hannah and Rachael were visiting for the weekend after a holiday in Stratford, so it seemed a good opportunity to take them out on the boat for the day. We made easy passage out of the marina and once on the canal, Fiona took the helm. A veteran of numerous boating holidays, she soon got back into the swing of things as we headed up the Ashby. By the time we reached the first turning point at bridge 22, we realised that the children would be alright with the extended cruise to Sutton Cheney. We stopped for lunch near Stoke Golding and after refuelling on Pizza and Chicken nuggets, we carried on to the next turning point. On the way back, Sue and I sat at the front, something that we have never done before because we have never been out with anyone who could steer the boat for us. We played I-spy with the girls, although we didn’t realise that in Rachael’s version of the game, most things begin with “b “ and the answer could be a sound rather than an object. We all had a good time and on checking that Fiona and David were alright for drinks, I discovered that in fact there was a masterclass in steering going on at the back. All too soon and the Triumph factory appeared on the horizon, signalling the end of the trip and half an hour later we were back in the marina, tied up on berth D4. All in all, a good day out.