With no prospect of going anywhere, we drove down to Cow Roast, and visited Les and Jaq on Valerie. It was great to see them again (and for Adrian to meet them for the first time), and especially to see Lee feeling so much better, and stronger every day. We spent an hour and a half or so there, being plied with tea and excellent cake, and chatting about all sorts of things. On the way back we stopped at the Grand Junction pub at Bulbourne for lunch. It's opposite the old waterways workshops, and we got a nice table right by the fire.
By the time time we got back to the marina it had warmed up a little. The ice on the canal looked well broken, and someone had either left or entered the marina, as the entrance was similarly broken up. We decided we'd attempt to spend a night out on the cut. Getting out of the marina wasn't too bad (although it wasn't as clear as it looked, as there was still ice under the water). A few yards out of the marina we decided it was madness, so went back in and back to our berth. At least it checked that the engine still worked.
This evening we've got a nice bit of lamb so we'll have a nice roast dinner, and do our best to stay awake until midnight. Happy New Year!