The River Thames

September 5th   

For the past 15 years we have hosted a small friends and family regatta on our stretch of the
Thames.  It's a hands on weekend for everyone involved and everyone from the youngest to the oldest takes ownership and is involved in either food prep, organising, running the event, entertainment, tidying up, safety, communications etc, you name it and someone within the group has to do it.  The week end belongs to everyone and although it takes place at our home, it is not our regatta but every ones.  It is one of my favourite if not 'the' favourite weekend of my year.  It has to be said not all take part in the water activities, but there is so much going on over the weekend that there is something for everyone.  Long may this regatta continue and I hope the younger generation continue it, it's looking good so far...

Want a glimpse?

It all begins with the invite.  Last year saw the first video invite and we decided to carry on with it again this year...


Regatta Invite 2016 click on the below link :  

https://youtu.be/ARpLllawjOo

A visit to the local lock keeper to purchase boat licenses

I managed to complete the boat garland
for more info:  Boat garland

Cocktail prep for 30 ;)

One family arrived with printed t-shirts after
protesting at a prize giving judgement last year...
'We woz robbed'

Not everyone makes the Friday night meal
and we always eat outside

The youngest at 2 and the oldest at 80, it's a weekend for everyone

Proper Swallow and Amazon boats,
two of them made by our friends

Some of us dress the part

Buoyancy aides are a must requirement for the children,
adults are allowed to choose whether to wear them or not

We swim, boat, windsurf, kayak, canoe and row

Each year we seem to add more 'kit'

There is the odd entertainment, different each year

The family rowing race has become a tad raucous over the years

The forecast was not great so we
brought a fire pit to keep us warm

Warm popcorn served on returning from the river

We always begin the Saturday
eating with Rosie's tit bits

We watched the latest Brimble boat video

We couldn't all fit in to watch the video

Prize giving is generally outside too
but not this year, it poured with rain!

Prizes range from medals to moose heads!

Everyone who is presented with a F.O.C (Friends of the Classics)
 medal is required to wear it to prize-giving.  Some years
the odd person forgets, here a little ditty had been composed
to apologise and beg forgiveness!

After the prize giving we have main dinner.
Due to the weather for the first time in
15 years we had to eat the BBQ indoors :(

We chat till the wee hours in the morning when someone else is giving the task of cooking breakfast for the masses before everyone departs for another year...

Until next year...

♥  Regatta 2016  ♥

Boats and bunting

August 30th  

The coming weekend heralds the 15th year we host a family and friends boating regatta on our stretch of the Thames, it is chaotic, boisterous, full of energy, fun and laughter.  

The regatta, as we grandly call it,  does require much effort in organising and getting everything ready and with four days to go what have I started... but crocheting boats to make into bunting.  I must need my head seeing to I really must!   And what on earth am I doing sitting here at the computer writing and blogging about it when it's not even finished.  If you don't hear from me until after the weekend you know where I am, recovering from the week end or burying my head in the sand as I was not quite ready for everyone but the bunting was finished...

So I'm doing this...

So quick to whip up, wish me luck in finishing it
and everything else that needs to be done by Friday...

 instead of more of this...

With 30 people staying with us from Friday
to Sunday, there's a lot of food planning
that needs thinking about...

and I'm still playing...

Children's foam play mats make excellent blocking boards

Such an effective pattern

The bunting pattern is not mine, did not have time to think something up as well, but the tutorial and instructions from Jacqueline are brilliantly clear, go see for your self.  I shall be using this pattern again I  am sure:        Boat bunting

Each year I make up a photo book from the previous years
regatta, it's incredible to see how everyone changes...

♥  Being very selfish, wish me well...   ♥