The cygnets are almost full size, the smaller wildlife well into their second crop – we frequently saw several moorhen families with mum, teenager and baby – and the forecast is for cold wet and windy weather. There were other strange portents: normally solitary except on the roost, we saw two herons, standing quietly a foot apart in the middle of a very large grass field well away from any water. Very odd. Things are on the change: must be time for our summer holiday in downtown Devon.

Eschewing our quiet urban mooring, and braving the torrential rain, we moved Song & Dance into Becket’s Park marina, ready to bed her down for a couple of weeks R&R while we went home to catch up on the mail and washing before heading off to SIdmouth Festival. The bosun’s mate caught a handy lift to the station, to head down home and fetch some transport for The Captain and all his dirty washing.

Meanwhile, with severe grumps at the indignity of ear drops and the rain lashing down all day, The Captain decided to audition for the part of Yoda in the next Star Wars movie.