It’s peak season: everyone, who owns a boat, is on the river and those that don’t are walking along the river wall. It’s a fantastic summer, and wonderful to see so many of our friends and customers making the most of these long languid days afloat. The river looks delightful and invites you to ‘come aboard’, with its picture perfect views and yet – in equal measures it seems to encourage you to sit on the bank and stare at its beauty for hours.  Then, as any boat owner will know, suddenly you have to be there, she has winked at you in with her sparkling eyes and you get that irresistible urge to ‘take the boat out’ and enjoy her myriad of challenges and delights.  The wind whispers her soft breath and off you sail – life on the river seems idyllic and endless.

Not surprisingly, Life of the yard is not as idyllic as it may seem to the passing public on these sun beaten days.  Jobs take longer, seem harder and sweat pours out faster than we can drink. Cups of tea have been replaced with pints of orange squash and it seems harder than ever to step out of the shade to get the work done.  Sun protection is our daily coating mixed with sweat and dust,  blacking shirtless bodies and creating an uncomfortable gritty feel to skin.