Six Months On

It seems incredible that in just a few days it will have been half a year since we rounded the break water into the port of Lowestoft, to start a new chapter of our lives. There is something poetic about a small boat coming in from the sea after a long journey. It was truly a leap of faith because turning that boat around in order to return back, for weather reasons alone, was not an option at that point. We had made the break. As I look back now I can remember our high expectations of what might lie before us, but I couldn't have predicted what I know now. We had with hindsight taken the very first weather window available and this paid huge dividends. The seasons seem so vibrant here and it was lovely to arrive just as Spring was starting. It feels like we arrived at the beginning - rather than half way through. We knew nobody then so getting to know our environment just as it was coming alive was a welcome in its own way. The children and the dog are effective ways of getting to know people and we made full use of all the kids' group activities going on in the area. Living on a boat with two children and a guide dog is always fertile ground for conversation and the people of Beccles seemed genuinely interested and supportive. We discovered the Catholic church and got to know some lovely families there. The priest (a Downside monk), was especially welcoming and soon we felt like we’d been in the parish for years. We just made the effort to meet people and get involved, but we were unaware of how much we'd integrated into the local community until Hilary put on her musical in the village hall. We asked everyone we knew if they wanted to come - and they all turned up. It was encouraging to see about 60 people, all of whom we had only known for a few months. We are starting to become established here and it’s a good feeling. If you were standing on a lonely headland on 6th April you might have noticed a little sailing boat heading north. Don’t worry about not seeing it return South, they've found a new home port.