A good outing tonight with the closest we’ve come to M1 so far – M1.25 perhaps. John-the-coach did an excellent job on us for the first leg then p*ss*d off to the pub when it started raining, which was probably fair enough because it was a real English summer thunderstorm and we all got soaked. Fortunately those of us who grew up in the Andy Nicol school of rowing (you f*ck*ng well square up early and your blade stays 2″ above the saxboard whether the boat is down on your side or not) know enough to bring a change of clothes. And our first outing in the borrowed-for-the-bumps boat from First-and-Third; their M3 Black Prince, and very nice and stiff it was too. No speedcoach wiring so we’ll have to fix that. A pleasant pint or two (cider!) in the Old Spring afterwards (hello Mel!).

Duckling score: 0.

M says: you’ve not going to blog in a way that allows anyone to identify the people and I say “oh I’m not going to blog *that*.

Those hoping for more petrol thrown on the “foaming” fire will have to wait a day or two. Sorry.

In the meantime, you coud read something really boring (I warned you).