Still afloat though it’s not all been plain sailing

We took a boat 34 years ago to our wedding not a narrowboat but a ferry boat with Jimmy the ferryman at the helm. I wore white with white wellies.

The waters were not a canal but those of Loch Linnhe. Our destination was the Cathedral Church of St Moluag on the Scottish Island of Lismore. Ours, on The Glorious Twelfth, was the first marriage that year in the register.

Since that amazing day we’ve been blessed with two amazing daughters, their delightful partners and a fantastic grandson who is now five. We’ve shared our life together living in England, France, Switzerland and now on a narrowboat crusiing GB waters. We’ve walked companionable miles with our canine companions who over the years have included working cocker and clumber spaniels , a dachshund, a Cairnish terrier, a lab cross collie and now a cockerpoo.

We’ve climbed career ladders and chosen to step off them, realising that living life to the full means much more than living to work.

We’ve learned much – about each other ourselves, formal and informal knowledge, and now know…

1. Compromise isn’t the end of the world and can earn you brownie points for the future.
2. Keep doing new things together and having adventures together
3. Give in sometimes
4. Keep separate tubes of toothpaste
5. Particularly living on a 50ft narrowboat 24/7 – take walks together and separately – the therapy of walking puts things in perspective and its easier, less confrontational, to have difficult conversations when you’re side by side
6. Ask yourself- does it really really matter to stick to whatever your point is? Will the world end if you back down?
7. Keep some of your own interests – relish time apart
8. Remind yourself regularly what you loved about your partner in the beginning and see it anew
9. Invest in each other- with the things that really matter- time and shared experiences
10. We married for better and for worse. We know we couldn’t have done better but we also know we could have done a hell of a lot worse!

We gave ourselves a real treat to celebrate our anniversary this year – a night in an historic hotel with a big bed we could exit on both sides and a BATH. Boaters will understand our delight!

It really was a wonderfulway to celebrate 34 years together.