Booking lunch on a boat on the river has become a regular annual feature on The Group’s calendar. A tranquil afternoon cruising through the Bedfordshire countryside, good company, a sunny afternoon, a pleasant afternoon and a glass of fine wine.

In 2019 unfortunately, the river was running so low that the boat could not float away from the dock. But we were able to have the meal on the beached non-transport.

2020 and 2021 the dreaded covid19 virus struck and all plans had to be abandoned, shipwrecked and locked down.

But have no fears! 2022 was the new beginning. The sun was shining, covid in retreat and we were determined to enjoy our traditional floating meal on the river at Bedford, until…

Message from the boat company: Key members of the crew had been hit by sickness and the boat was once more confined to the docks. The coach had been booked, tickets distributed, appetites whetted. Tradition must be upheld! Thanks to John, who transferred the booking to The Beefeater Restaurant, the day was saved and we all had an extremely pleasant land locked lunch together, moving to the gardens to extend the merriment and, of course, hold the raffle.

But, in 2023, we cracked it! Our boat trip took place on the Grand Union Canal, this time from a base at Hemel Hempstead – the boat actually moved and an enjoyable three hour trip ensued.

For our 2024 boat trip, we returned to Bedford and although the boat trip and on-board lunch was  successful, we had an issue with the coach having to park in a location resulting in our members having to walk an excessive distance to board the boat.   This has been resolved and we are looking forward to another boat trip in July, 2025, again from the Priory Marina in Bedford, full details can be found on our Forthcoming Events page.