The Water Rats Jazz Band
OUR PRIVATE TOUR DIARY 2007
Day Seven - Friday July 27th
Lunchtime: New Inn, Rockland St MAry
Friday morning, nice weather, everybody trying to get a mooring space in the tiny harbour of Rockland St Mary. We arrive at a crowded "New Inn". The band plays pretty swingin', and even Tony, our Jersey girl, seems to be well off again after last nights bloody experience. Beer seems to be tasty again, and can there be any better proof of being okay? Well, it can. Look at Brian Lawrence, aka "The Lewisham Lark". Should wellness be a question of the size of tummy, he must have been pretty well this year.
Evening: Coldham Hall, Surlingham
O My God, you may think, what happened to Jim? Well, we tell you. After everybody had left Rockland St Mary for Coldham Hall, we finally left the place, too. We crossed Rockland Broad, and when turning into River Yare, the Rats' boat lost Jim, who was standing on the back of the boat. He fell into the river, unheard by his Rats friends, who were sitting in the boat's saloon listening to some jazz, or sleeping in their cabins. Whatever: nobody sees Jim fall in, nobody sees him fighting for has life, as he does not swim at all. "I touched the ground with my feet", he told us later, "my head went out of the water, but I was under the surface again a second later." He remained in this horrible situation for several minutes, until another boat came by and spotted Jim by chance. He was helped out of the water be these people, put into a blanket and delivered to Coldham Hall, where the Rat's boat has moored, still unaware of lost Jim. "It was a very nasty experience", Jim said later, "I never ever want to get in a situation like that again". We think that Jim's picture, taken a few hours later, speaks a clear language. And it is absolutely not true that he caught a big pike while in the water.
Finally, we show you a few pics of more happy people. You see Dr. Bunty G. and Cath, Susan and Karin, Jeannie and Tony, And Markiss from Jersey, who had a pretty good time this year.
The final session this Friday night is full of a certain melancholy of it's very own, which only the Water Rats can produce. It's partly because the tour has come to an end, but mainly because many people still believe in Barry's word, that this was the Rats' final tour.
But at least one thing you've learned this year: never, ever trust Uncle Barry when he's saying "This could be the last time".