Well this, as they say, is it.

Five years in the offing and finally the day arrives when we embark on a landmark phase of our lives. The world of regular paid work was concluded last wednesday and we start lives as proto pensioners - proto because The Captain, whilst being in receipt of a pension remains in denial about the passage of time and prefers to see it as a downshifting sort of career change. But who is he kidding?

The Jam Butty is loaded down with over 2000 jars of preserve, Wand'ring Bark is fully refitted and loaded with both preserve making kits and the essentials of a comfortable life, and we set sail tomorrow calling at all points south of Birmingham.

To help us on our way Dan will be with us as far as Kidderminster, providing some much needed muscle to see us through and out of the Black Country. hen we are on our own as we take a few days to reach Worcester and meet up with Sandra and Barry before attending Droitwich Festival over the May Bank Holiday.

Maybe this is a good time to reflect on the journey which brought us to this point. Its just over 5 years ago that Helen had an accident damaging her face, an incident which led directly to the first tentative steps into the world of foraging and preserve making. The early efforts selling from the stern of Wand'ring Bark proved the concept of the business and then about a year later the idea for the Jam Butty was concieved resulting in the delivery of the basic shell three years ago. Of course, the plan was to take the Butty out on its first summer season last year, but ill health again intervened which resulted in a one year hiatus.

The encounter with the dreaded C galvanised us into action and retirement plans were accelerated which brings us to today.

So off we go, on the face of it into the sunset. But here is the rub, its not really goodbye because we will be back at the end of the summer and in the meantime there seem to be long schedule of friends and family coming to visit, so we will hardly be starved of company.

Lets raise a glass to fair weather, good trading, a bountiful harvest and, as narrowboaters say "a clear road" ahead.

Hopefully we will see you out there.