(Where the floating harbour road joined to the land)

Yes, they did assemble it!

When they finished on the third day after the date on the calendar with the big D, there was a floating road leading out from the shallow beach all the way to the deep water and the galleons with the weapons and food and horses and bandages and headache potions. And another floating road going back to the shallow beach. (In this way it is thought Prince Winston may have invented the one-way street system we have in towns and cities today).

 

(The floating harbour (code name Mulberry B) from the sky, 1944)

He had done it, the portable floating harbour was complete and the pretend fog worked. Now the galleons with knights and wagons and weapons and supplies could land and help all the people in the beautiful land.

But ten days later, just as Prince Winston’s advisors were starting to think it had been their idea all along, disaster struck.

 

(Heavy rain – File Photo)

A huge storm hit the coast right at the shallow beach. The floating harbour was hit again and again by monstrous waves. For three days the storm raged. The advisors began to mumble again. But Prince Winston held strong. After the third day, the sun came out and the rebuilding began. The floating harbour was badly damaged but had survived and was soon back working as intended by the Prince.

 

(They nicknamed the port after the man who followed his heart….)

It took nine more months to stop the bad boss but all that time Prince Winston’s floating harbour worked day and night bringing supplies and knights. Everyone agreed it was what won against the bad boss (at least at the museum they did).

 

(The flag of a united Europe with a caisson in the background)

After that, in the kingdom when parents heard their children say “but I can’t do that, it’s just too hard”, they’d say “What would Prince Winston of Church Hill do? And of course the children would shout out in delight, “Just do the first thing and stop thinking so much!”. Oh how their parents laughed…. well…. maybe not.

These days we say “How do you eat an elephant?”, “One bite at a time.”

 

(Monument outside the museum)

Oh and I forgot to tell you there is a post-script to this story. I might not have told you that Prince Winston had a code word for this dream of his – Blackberry B. There was also a Blackberry A. Yes…. But that’s another story…… for tomorrow.

By now I’m home in my own bed having a sleep in. But in a few hours I’m off to Enniskillen for the weekend, via motorbike, camping. Hoping for sunshine 🙂

 

Home Sweet Home, Mairead.