Having catered to his every whim since Easter, the Captain allowed us some time off at Sidmouth. So after a few days at home catching up with washing, dentists, vets etc. we left Sir in the capable hands of our friends from Windsor, and headed off for the annual gathering of the clans. SWMBO requested some photos, so those with Morris-o-phobia should look away now.

The chief navigator works at Sidmouth Folk Week, so, as requested, some photos from the office.

Here’s Johnny McCusker, Heidi Talbot, Kris Drever and chums sound checking, then doing their thing…

… and here’s someone telling the audience where the oxygen masks, ice creams and toilets are to be found. (Whatever you do, don’t click on that one, it’s too horrific. And “thanks” – if that’s the word – to John Dowell, a former director of the festival, for the picture),

Sunday lunchtime, and it’s a tradition of some 35 years or more that SWMBO frightens the natives on the Esplanade outside the Mocha café.

Earlsdon Morris (followers may remember our previous encounter in Long Scratchington) have a hat decoration contest… here’s the judging in progress, and the winning titfer.

Here’s Earlsdon getting airborne, rather uncomfortably by the looks of it.

Here’s Berkshire Bedlam getting airborne rather more effortlessly.

And we’ve absolutely no idea who the clog dancing cowboy and pantomime horse were. Roy Rogers and Trigger, maybe.

A few weeks ago, the canal/narrowboat blogs and boards were awash with a story about someone stealing a narrowboat from a marina in the Midlands, and making off with a slow-footed getaway. The idea of making your getaway from a major crime at 3mph sounds bizarre to us. Anyway, it was some days before it was noticed that the boat was missing, and sometime later before we realised we knew the owners! The boat was part owned by the musician and one of the aerial dancers in the first Berkshire Bedlam picture. It’s a small world.

Anyway, the boat was soon located, and the only significant damage was that the criminals had painted over the boat name.

Anyway, that’s quite enough music and dance… time to get back to the water.