200 years must mean something.

Everyone has heard of Tooley's Boatyard, haven't they? Anyone passing through Banbury cannot miss it. The canal narrows at the entrance to the dry dock and Rosamund the Fair- Oxfordshire's cruising restaurant gets in the way of the lift bridge when single handed boaters attempt to stop on the operating side of the canal.

Well, if it was good enough to be in continuous operation for 200 years, it's good enough for me. Being my local boatyard and being a firm believer in supporting the local canal trades (use them or lose them!), it was an easy decision to have Sonflower's bottom blacked here. We did enquire at a dry dock on the GU near Milton Keynes but the price was about the same and the distances involved did not make any sense.

So, on Monday morning, Sonflower is heading for a wash and brush up.

I'll keep you up to date.