This is the day after last years conference in tropical Liverpool taken as I sailed seawards down the Mersey like a million mariners and emigrants before me. It's posted just to test the system which is my neat little netbook which will, I hope enable me to keep in touch this summer. I leave tomorrow to negotiate the next door river,The Ribble whose delights I am sure I have bored you with before. High water is about noon and I am hoping the sun will shine.It does wonders for morale.

As always I get butterflies when setting off on another trip. I never seem to get used to it. It's always better when I actually get going. I hope the next transmission will be from some beautiful remote harbour in Ireland or Scotland.