Tuesday 30th June 2009
Hasn’t it been hot. Haven’t we been sneezing.
Just finishing breakfast when there was a knock on the boat. Who could this be so early in the morning. It’s Mike off Sarah-Kate brandishing a cake with a candle. Ahhh, it must be my birthday. On his way back to his boat he dropped by to offer food and a lift to the shops, very kind, thanks Jo for letting him out.
And so it came to be, with cards and greetings coming in from all over the country I was allowed to do what I pleased and helped to celebrate another year down the pan, thank you everyone.
Birthday or not there was still the matter of a shower pump to attend to (anything but watch tennis). The Johnson pump works sometimes but often goes silent when it’s time to empty the bath. I’ve tinkered with it on and off for weeks but it refuses to perform at embarrassing moments. Once again I checked the hoses were clear and the impeller free to turn, bled the air from the housing and primed it with water. It always works when it goes back together, but it just doesn’t last.
Enough, time to sit down and eat. Our brother and sister came over to share a meal with us (they’re married, legally of course, I’ll explain one day) at a nearby Italian restaurant. It’s brilliant eating Italian with chips instead of pasta, can’t stop dreaming of chips when you live on a boat can you. But must have been mad eating spicy lamb in a room packed with people on the hottest day of the year.
Wednesday 1st July
Another hot, sticky day and more socialising as Graham (G8LUV) and Sue pop onboard for a spot of lunch. Don’t know what the girls talked about but the real business of wireless on boats was discussed in the easy chairs and I’m back in the market for a 12 volt HF rig if anyone is selling.
Graham left me with a few Radcom magazines to read, they’re always welcome especially during the tennis season. They also left us with drinks, chocolates and ice cubes, a huge bag of them. Brilliant, thanks, perfect during hot weather on a boat with no freezer.
No sooner had Graham and Sue left than number one son David arrived. Staying onboard for a few days we shall extract his news bit by bit and find out something of what he’s been up to by the time he leaves on Sunday. Girls are different aren’t they, there’s no keeping them quiet, while boys can put the lot into one sentence and it’s all done in a couple of minutes.
Thursday
Shower pump refused to work again so V baled out the bath. I noticed that the pump worked again when I slackened off the impeller cover so I sanded down the rubber thing to reduce the friction on the end cover. This seems to have done the trick.
Seeing as how David has wheels we shall mostly be doing the shops today. V’s got blood tests at the quacks and I’ve seen a bigger hard drive that I want for the computer. And to cap it all we shall eat at brother and sister’s on the other side of town. Yummy.
Friday
I traded off another trip to town against fixing electric problems on D’s car. I prefer the fixing bit any day, shops appear to offer much but I often come away empty handed and I have to say I feel the whole shopping experience is generally a waste of time. I don’t think V agrees.
Met Mr and Mrs Loxley, that’s not their real name but I don’t like to ask now that we’ve crossed paths so many times. Nb.Loxley is about the same age as Balmaha, give or take, but theirs is still new while ours is looking somewhat hammered. Marinas do have some benefits you know.
Anyway, they’ve been up north where we’re hoping to go this summer so we gathered notes on tide tables and Trent maps and to help them we passed on info for the Nene and Fens for when they go east.
Thinking that was enough excitement for one day we then had the surprise of meeting nb.Clarence, a boat we’d last seen under construction at Brauston before Christmas. After hearing the stories of her launch and completion it will be good to get onboard and see how she’s made.
Saturday
The shops are within easy reach with busses every hour so I lost V for a couple of hours which gave David and I time to do a cooked breakfast. I’ve taken to frying sliced spuds before adding bacon and eggs and toast for a decent start to the day. Hunger sets in again by eleven o’clock but V should be back with pastries by then. Perhaps Mum was right, I must have worms.
I did have them once, after a trip to Moscow, but that’s yet another story.
Didn’t get chance to worry about the tummy because we had visitors again - number one daughter Kass and Joe. He’s going to have to change his name because we already know dozens of Jos. They stayed for half a day eating and drinking us dry (not really) before returning home. Joe came prepared for a cruise with captain’s hat and fishing net but logistics didn’t permit which basically means I wasn’t prepared to do the 4 hours to the nearest winding hole and back on a busy weekend with boats racing each other for the moorings.
Never mind, I’m sure we’ll go for a cruise next time they come to see us.
That night we toured Derek and Sheila’s new home and admired the fit-out and colours on this gleaming 65 foot trad style narrowboat. Derek was true to his words when he said we could empty his drinks cupboard and we sat chatting and nibbling cheese and salami well after my bedtime. Thank you both, lovely hosts, lovely boat.
Sunday 5th July 2009
Clear of kids we are free to cruise again so when Derek said he was thinking of making a start on the journey through Leicester we suggested we share locks as far as Blaby.
Cooler after a shower of rain we motored down to Blaby Bridge and pulled over for the night.
On the way down we passed Forever Young coming t’other way and quickly exchanged greetings before we were out of earshot. Last time we saw them was at the festival in Leicester, June 2008. Their boat still looks extremely smart.
Clear skies and bright sunshine met us at Blaby so when Derek called us over to share some space on his barbeque we broke out the burgers and fold up chairs. Sitting on the towpath we opened a bottle and had just started eating when a cloud zoomed in and deposited its contents. But within minutes we were back in the sun and umbrellas were stowed away just as cyclists made their presence known with their rush of wheels and the odd quip about us dining out.
Totally bushed for some reason we could hardly keep our eyes open so hit the sack in what turned out to be a quiet spot in Leicester’s suburbs. I think it was the culmination of hot sweaty and sometimes sleepless nights that did it so apologies to Derek and Sheila. We have pencilled in a return session when we catch up with you.
A couple of days alongside should see us done in these parts and all being well we hope to follow Clarence through the city towards Nottingham and the River Trent. Weather forecasts of a week of rain may affect our Soar and Trent transits but we’re determined to go north this year and not repeat 2007’s diversion onto the Trent & Mersey canal.
Hi Both
Forever Young still looks quite smart because it had been out of the water for a repaint just before Easter (twas some thing on the steel under the paint.
It looks a bit less smart now as we are on our way for Oxford - we will be back to new home waters in Sept (Barrow) so hope to catch you as we return.
Maggie and Mark.