It had been very boring year in the basket. It had been the worst season for
diving that Mank had ever remembered (and he had been around for a few!) with
loads of wind and surge. Shorty and Spotty were well miffed as they had been
out in the new motorhome (another Pinky!) in their specially adapted mobile
basket transportation device (aka a roof box) and had come home all dry and
clean – not good!
The two new boats Razorbill and Puffin had had a great year playing in the surf
and tipping J&K out onto the sand and getting them soaked. Pinky the
motorhome groaned when she saw them being loaded up, as they always tickled
her back all the way down to Pembrokeshire.
It had been a busy year with the school and Chub, Sticky, Mix’n’Match, Geek,
Titch and Blackcurrant had been out to the pool and the quarry a lot with the
students. J had had a very smart new drysuit for his birthday and Juicy was not
amused! He had done hundreds of dives with J and yes ok he did leak (in
embarrassing places) and had had new seals, boots and a zip and was pretty
manky now but that wasn’t the point! What was this shiny newcomer doing in the
basket? The new drysuit was called Stumpy (he had been made to measure and
was a bit short!) and was Slinky’s cousin. Slinky was very pleased to meet him
and they went off for a dive together to celebrate.
Soon in was the end of the season and the basket inhabitants were settling
down for hibernation. Then suddenly one day they were woken up by J taking
the roof off the basket! Then the sides came off and they were left shivering
in the cold – what was going on?
They then got moved all the way to the other side of the garden and then the
basket was put back together – what an upheaval! They all settled down again
and the semi’s decided it was time for a house warming party! Yippee!