Publisher's Synopsis
Look out - they're at it again!
The narrowboaters of Watergrove Marina have come up with another scheme - a Senior Olympic Games.Welcome to Operation Boomer. It began with three boaters, in varying degrees of decay, chatting in the pub. They realized that many people's sporting ambitions go unfulfilled due to prime of life work or family commitments.
'Competitive spirit doesn't wane, ' they reasoned, 'so let's build them a stage worthy of their efforts and give them a shot.' Judy, matriarch and self-elected Field Marshal, heard their initial concept and declared with disdain, 'Ridiculous. Old people moving very slowly? I can stay at home and watch that!' Following an hour of reasoned debate: 'Don't know why I didn't think of it earlier ...' After much discussion 'The Renaissance Games' was born - 100 amateur athletes (50 of each gender), all past their sixtieth birthday, will compete in 9 events over 4 days. It won't be easy ... two years after Operation Vegetable our creaking battalion has lost focus. Belts have been loosened a notch and they've drifted back into a sedentary existence. But, with a new purpose and the Games looming large, two questions emerge. Can Judy galvanize her troops? Can the troops be galvanized? Our cast of colourful characters is supplemented by Harry Stottle, The Rochdale Philosopher. Lumbered with the tagline 'Never has a truer word been spoken in a vest', he dispenses northern wisdom and wit to, according to his friend Roger, 'whoever manages to stay awake.'
