Again, Retribution and Vixen were the only vessels to show an interest in the Autumn Cruise but, undaunted, they met up at Somerleyton on the Friday afternoon.  Here, a few early beers in the Duke's Head were followed by a Safari Dinner, with beef stew on board the rather chilly Vixen, followed by a delicious cheesecake inside the heated Retribution.  Wines to accompany, of course.

After a leisurely start to Saturday morning, both vessels motored up to Beccles, arriving within quarter of an hour of each other, popping on the covers and then going for a gentle stroll into town.  After a little shopping, somehow we all found ourselves sitting in the beer garden of the King's Head.  The available ales didn't quite hit the spot, we thought, so after sampling those, out came the cocktail menu.  With price reductions applying when two drinks were purchased and with three of us present, this had all the makings of a slippery slide into several cocktails, followed by shots....

However, having had the foresight to make a table booking at the curry house, we were saved from a descent into total oblivion and hastened down the road to our table at the Bombay.  Here, the VC was greeted like an old friend and early attention was effusive, dying away only as we made several attempts to get someone to take our food order.  Eventually, we were satisfactorily fed and watered, but not so satisfied that another foray into the cocktail menu at Wetherspoons could be resisted.....

Sunday dawned sunny, but with the threat of rain later, so an early start was made, with all onboard Vixen just after 10 o'clock for a trip up to Geldeston.  We were first into the Locks, where their excellent beer was enjoyed, along with sausage rolls for lunch - cleverly spotted on the bar by Jan.  It was then decided that we should also visit the Wherry, so Vixen was motored around there and the short stroll to the pub undertaken.  Here, we found little room at the inn, having to perch on stools at the bar to consume our drinks, while all around us was a reverent hush as other patrons waited for, or consumed their Sunday lunches.  With the bar staff seeming very unsure about both Jan's tea tray and the presence of Pigsters on the bar top, we slid out after one drink and returned to Vixen.

We didn't quite beat the rain, with it gently drizzling as we returned to Beccles.  Here, Margaret tried for some time to scrub and scrape the weed off Vixen's rudder (highly visible in the very clear water - we could see the bottom of the yacht basin, even 30 feet out) before it started to rain in earnest and a racing-trim finish was given up as a bad job.  At six o'clock it was still raining, but the cocktail menu beckoned and we diligently returned to the King's Head to partake.  Food was also consumed here and the odd bottle of wine before a stroll back to the boats in dry, but worsening weather conditions.

It was 'proper blowing' on Monday morning and an early decision was made to stay put.  In theory, the official YSC cruise endeth here, but mention must be made of the lengthy attempts to moor Vixen safely, which had the VC arranging matters so that she was several feet off the quay at a jaunty angle.  Not damaging herself, but also not accessible to the crew!  Some shopping ensued and then, mid-afternoon, Michelle arrived by train to join Vixen (now moored neatly stern on, but taking up about 30 feet of quay space with her lines).  Investigatory beers were had in the garden of the Bear and Bells, which the staff told us was sheltered, but the pub umbrellas seemed in imminent danger of taking off like helicopters.

After repairing to Retribution for afternoon tea, we then all headed back to the King's Head for pre-prandials before taking a Chinese meal back to Retribution to round off the long weekend.  On Tuesday Anthony and Jan headed off back to Brundall (with the wind still blowing hard, but not quite as bad as the previous day) and Vixen headed to Loddon where Michelle and Margaret indulged in beer, cake and dominoes but were undone by a sausage roll.  However, that's another cruise and another story.