The Khayamanzi Narrowboat Weblog

The Big Freeze 2010

2010-01-09T14:06:00.000Z

Thought I'd post a few pics on here of the snow around my parts just for future posterity and interest!

A very merry Christmas to you all!

2009-12-24T13:25:00.001Z

Although posting has been somewhat infrequent lately, I felt I would take the time to wish all readers a very Mery Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I am now enjoying my annual visit back down to London for Christmas and appreciating the space and comfort of 'bricks and mortar' even more! Went last night to see 'Wicked' in the West End. A very different show; enjoyable with stunning lighting and effects and a very deep storyline - not a children's show really. We plan to see another show next week but not sure what yet. Tickets are already booked however for me to take my father to see 'Phantom of the Opera' on Monday 28th December as he would like to see it - it's part of his Christmas present but he does know about it!

Most of my regular posts are now via my Facebook account as I can do it easier and upload pictures then and there taken on my mobile device. Any regular readers who wish to keep up to date with my ramblings and boring life, please ask to be a 'Facebook friend' of mine - you may wish to identify yourself as a reader from my blog or I may deny the request!

Anyway, have a great Christmas and 2010 to you all.

Weekend walks

2009-12-15T17:32:00.003Z

Better late than never! This is the weekend post. The weekend saw some lovely weather on Saturday but the day was too busy with coal runs, cleaning, Christmas card writing, present buying and wrapping etc. On Sunday the weather was not quite as good but I did manage finally to go out for a walk and investigate the new towpath along the Oxford canal outside All Oaks Wood. A jolly smart job too as these pictures show.

The evening saw a glorious sunset over the marina.

Friday saw an internet crisis. My Ticalli modem packed in - it refused to switch on and no lights lit. I phoned them expecting a new modem to be sent out immediately. 40 minutes later and the guy in the Indian call centre informed me he would have to escelate it to the next level. Apparently the process is that another guy would ring me back and go through the same checks in case anything had been missed, then an engineer would be sent out to check it and the line, then a new modem would be sent out to me. Not surprisingly, I told them not to bother and rung Orange. They signed me up and told me my new equipment would be out by Monday and working immediately. Monday came and went and no equipment. I phoned and was told it was due to be sent out for connection on 21st December. I hit the roof - again!! I am now running through my very slow Orange dongle until my new equipment can be sent out and got up and running - is noone competent in this world any more!!??

Feeling Christmassy!

2009-12-05T17:11:00.002Z

After the stress of surviving Ofsted last week followed by the school discos last night, this morning was a relatively lazy day. I had to pop in to school this morning at 11.00 for an hour as we took part in the Tree O'Clock attempt to break the world record of the most number of trees planted at the same time across the country! Our effort planting 2 trees hopefully helped!

I then came home and began catching up with the many tasks oustanding on the boat: pump-out, water, (I haven't filled up for over 2 weeks!), hoovering, cleaning, washing etc.

I then decided it was time ofr Christmas to start so I put up the lights on the outside of the boat:

My little fibre optic Christmas tree was looking very sad so I decided it was time to buy another one. A quick visit to Homebase confirmed they had sold out so I decided to see what 'real' ones they had! I fell in love with such a cute little potted Norway Spruce - only about 2 foot high. £20 later and I had a tree, some lights, one strand of tinsel and a few baubles - doesn't it look fine!?

I can now start feeling Christmassy as I begin the endless cycle of Christmas concerts and shows at school this coming week.

OFSTED

2009-11-27T19:59:00.003Z

So I got into school this morning at my normal time of about 7.45. Got my toast and a cup of coffee. My paths crossed with the Head at around 8.00 and the conversation went as follows:

"Good morning - hey I had a dream last night and I never usually knowingly dream!"
"Oh yes, what was that about?"
"Well, I dreamed of school and I never normally do that either!!"
"Go on?"
"It was wierd, I dreamt that Ofsted phoned today and said they were coming in on Tuesday and it was so real, I woke up believing it!"
"Oh don't - we don't want that and anyway, they might not give us that much notice."

The day continued until half way through my maths lesson at around 10.30 when an ashen faced Headteacher beckopned me outside through the glass door.

"I'm not kidding you, I promise," He said, "Ofsted have just phoned - they're coming in on Tuesday and Wednesday next week!"

I was more spooked by my premonition than by the 'O' word!! To say I was shaking for a while was an understatement.

....but it's true - You can imagine the rest of the day, (well, those of you in education certainly can) Total panic as conference calls were had with the lead inspector, Timetables and staff lists collected and emailed through, Staff meetings were held and the Pre Inspection Briefing was scrutinised and copied for all relevant managers. Not to mention, the beginnings of endless lists being written of all that needs to be collected over the weekend.

The weekend is now officially a write off. In school all weekend to panic quietly until found gibbering incoherantly in the corner of the staffroom.

It's a strange sensation; I personally don't care about the outcome, (incidentally, I didn't dream that part unfortunately!) I don't care about the findings or subsequent action plans but I do care passionately about allowing our staff, parents and children to be part of something that is at least 'satisfactory' ideally 'good' or even 'excellent'! The whole staff give more than 100% to this school and their children. Every lesson is delivered with passion and enthusiasm, every child is cared for and nurtured, and the thought of someone who hasn't taught for years potentially condeming it as not good enough is so stressful words cannot explain.

Visit a school just pre an inspection and then support the current politicians and their new and whacky theories of teaching. If there is anything that squashes a creative curriculum - it's Ofsted: Christmas rehearsals, exciting DT lessons, the positive staff/pupil relationships - all out the window until the doom is over, our fate sealed and we can, once agian, begin to pick up the pieces, dust ourselves off and probably 'coast' to the end of term!!

Nothing to report!

2009-11-22T14:30:00.003Z

I'm sure many of the so called and self appointed blog experts would slate me for posting a blog entry with such a title that immediately denotes the importance of the subsequent text but hey I never have and never will conform to the 'conventions' imposed upon us in this mad world we live in! I am a non politically correct, non conformist, say it like it is blogger - and proud of it!

I simply felt that having not posted anything for such a long time, I ought to post something! As the title suggests thre is nothing to report however. For the last 5 weeks, my entire Saturdays have been spent in school catching up leaving Sunday as a manic day to catch up on boat chores. Getting home at 6.00 or later in the evenings and then spending an average of between 3 - 5 hours working, (I got to bed at 2.00 in the morning one day last week,) means that there hasn't been a lot of time for anything else right now!

Railway videos

2009-11-01T15:05:00.007Z

More for my own interest I have uploaded a few videos of Little Foxwood with three trains running. I spent much of the day in the village today as the wind and rain prevented anything outdoors happening. In fact, the wind has been howling all day and is extremely severe!

I've tidivated bits and added bits and then decided to take some mobile phone video of it all running to see how it came out. It's not great but it gives an idea!

Netbooks!

2009-10-31T20:22:00.002Z

Ever since seeing the launch of netbooks, I have wanted one! I am a bit of a self confessed gadget freak I have to admit and the thought of having a fully blown laptop small enough to take to school and on courses as well as when I go off to London or camping and not have to unplug, de-wrire and carry my full sized laptop with me, was something I have aspired to.

Last week, I saw one in action and had the chance to play with it and was very impressed. I have now bit the bullet and bought a very nice little Samsung NC10 netbook.
I have just about set it up and with the 160GB hard drive, I have been able to load most of the applications and files/documents that I need so I can now carry everything with me everywhere I need it!

Wonderful walking!

2009-10-29T18:29:00.003Z

Just returned from a fantastic few days of walking in the Yorkshire Dales. I love it there! No boating holiday this half term, the need to simply 'get away' and clear my head was just too much. We left on Saturday and returned today having conquored Penygent and Whernside and almost reached the summit of Ingleborough but the wind and fog was just too much and we weren't able to stand as we approached the scree slope so gave up and returned to base.

Believe it or not, the views here are stunning as we descend Penygent!
....and here on the summit!
....and here as well - this time on a beautiful scenic drive!However, with this view to return home to each evening it more than made up for things!We did stumble across this. A fascinating project of Hydro Electric Power in Settle. They have an excellent website and blog here. We stopped and took loads of pictures as we happened to stumble across it at the very time the 'screw' was being installed - very exciting!

We also stumbled across the most amazing pub/hotel/restaurant. The Harts Head Inn at Giggleswick. The food was outstanding and so reasonably priced that we returned each evening for our evening meal. Highly recommended if ever passing through!

Tomorrow, back to school for prep!!

Counting down!

2009-10-10T19:21:00.003+01:00

I know I've only just gone back to school from the summer but after a week of late evenings including one where the day lasted from 7.30 in the morning when I arrived in school to gone 10.00 in the evening when the Governors and Parent association meetings finished and having had no break whatsoever in between times - I feel I need a holiday! This week promises to be almost as bad with parents evenings on 2 nights and a course on another so I am looking forward to the half term in 2 weeks time.

Half term is a non boating affair this time with a caravan booked for a walking holiday in my favourite place - the North Yorkshire Moors.

In preparation for this, today I went shopping. A visit to Go Outdoors in Coventry allowed me to buy a new pair of walking boots...

...and a new sleeping bag!!

I also popped in to Castle Trains in Warwick to get a few more bits for my growing colliery scene in Little Foxwood.

Once finished I shall post some pictures of it.

Tomorrow - a huge pile of marking to get done as well as all next weeks planning!

BBQ and trains!

2009-10-04T16:18:00.003+01:00

Still recovering from a serious lack of sleep from as a result of our annual end of season BBQ here at Brinklow. The evening was a huge success and a great time was had by all. A good couple of hundred people attended and over £100 was raised for the Warwickshire Air Ambulance through donations. As usual Eric, one of the harbour masters, sang and entertained us accompanied by Pip on her drum and Ray on his harmonica. Wea were also treated to some awesome singing by Pete and his brother Dave.

My City of Sheffield that blew up the other week has now been returned from Hornby - fixed under warranty and sounding better than ever.

I also have the first parts of my colliery that have arrived. Here is the headstock ready to be positioned and that scene created once the winding house and other bits have all arrived.

....and a couple of general pictures of some of my local rolling stock.

Education, education, education!

2009-10-02T20:46:00.003+01:00

In the absence of anything 'boaty' to report on, (well, anything boaty and interesting at least,) I shall diversify this post to something education. Discussions this evening on 'The One Show' turned my thoughts to the topics of, 'who rules the classrooms these days?', 'should parents be held responsible for their chidren's actions?' and 'why is there so much youth crime?'

Well, one thing led to another and I have now joined the large number of educational professionals who have turned ta t'internet to express views and opinions and engage with others on relevant issues.

Headucate is the latest blog offering for teachers, social workers and others involved in the education and care of children - a profession that is rapidly expanding to include everything from surrogate parenting through to local policing!

The name 'Headucate' comes from the encouragement of educational professionals to think through and reason on educationally related issues and consider ideas and theories from the head rather than simply as emotional 'heart tuggers' or political 'vote winners'.

Stunning weather!

2009-09-20T15:46:00.002+01:00

This weekend the weather has been stunning! In fact, most people at the marina think it's been the best day of the year!

Friday evening gave us an amazing sunset and sky...

....with the rest of the weekend looking like this....

Still, cloudless blue skies with a very hot sun meaning a mass exodus of boats leaving for the weekend with a few venturing out to chance it for a week or more and equally as many people visiting their boats to simply sit outside or by the pond and use their boat as a base to enjoy the rolling countryside and the incredible array or colours beginning to be present in the surrounding trees and hedges.

As for me - I mowed the grass, (we have our end of season BBQ coming up soon and so we want to keep on top of the grounds,) and spent some time in Little Foxwood. Talking of railways, yesterday I had a loud bang and real smoke coming out of my City of Sheffield! Somehow the sound module managed to blow up. A quick phone call confirmed that it was still under warranty and so I took it back to the shop to be sent back to Hornby for repairs.

Becoming a habit!

2009-09-17T21:02:00.002+01:00

Not an everyday sight on my way home from work but I have to say it's becoming increasingly common!

Driving home from work the other day and I had to brake hard as my peripheral vision caught sight of a car on its side in the canal just up from All Oak's Wood.

You can see how it got in by looking at where I parked my car to photograph it. Obviously stolen and festooned with 'Police Aware' tape the 2004 Ford Focus Zetec was obviously crashed and then pushed into the canal in an attempt to get rid of all evidence. Let's just hope the little delinquents didn't succeed and are soon rounded up, (probably only to receive a little telling off by some pompous and out of touch QC!)

It was gone by the following day so someone must have received the bad news about their pride and joy.

Fed up with quangos!

2009-09-04T21:28:00.002+01:00

I don't know about anyone else but I am utterly fed up with Government quangos that have no purpose! My brother mentioned the frustrations of a rediculous canal related one in his last post relating to the Ashby Canal.

Here's my contribution relating to an educational one - The General Teaching Council, (no link given as they don't deserve it!) Huge amounts of money have just been spent setting up a Code of Conduct for teachers; a sort of playground charter for the people who manage the playground. I have just emailed them to ask them to clraify their status and the following extract sums up my frustrations.

I have scoured their website and contributed to the consultation of the 'code', (all of my comments were completely ignored incidentally,) and I am still totally at a loss as to what exactly the GTC does to enhance the professionalism of teaching. It would now seem quite evident that the GTC is yet another pointless Labour government initiated quango set up to further undermine the professionalism of the status of teaching in any way possible with little, if any, positive benefit to teachers or educators. Furthermore, subscription towards our own demise as a profession is forcibly taken from our salaries and registration is compulsory. I would suggest that the implementation of the new ‘code’ actually has implications that could soon be tested through the human rights courts and certainly leaves the readers and enforcers open to the widest interpretations that will inevitably lead to enforcement abuse.

I understand that the GTC has to fight to confirm the validity of its existence, indeed in this current economic climate the creation of any employment is an admirable notion however, having given the GTC evaluative time since its conception, it would now be quite apparent that its existence and worth is, at best totally pointless and at worst highly corrosive and detrimental to the last vestiges of teaching as a noble ‘profession’.

The biggest mistake the GTC do is to stamp 'GTC' across all the mail they send out to teachers - it gets put straight in the bin without even being opened - including my membership card! When they were set up, there was such an outcry amongst teachers that we all refused to pay our subscriptions - they now have a law that simply extracts the money from our salaries and there is nothing we can do about it!

I know there is a medical equivalent and has been for some time - perhaps someone from the medical profession could tell me how it is perceived for them. I guess I would have doubts as to the validity of that one too but that's not my field so I can't comment; all I know is that the GTC does nothing positive for my profession whatsoever!

RANT OVER!!

London calling!

2009-08-27T18:00:00.003+01:00

Monday saw me travel down to London to my father's house to spend some time with Fleur and catch some shows - our favourate past-time! I arrived on monday and early Tuesday morning my father travelled up to Rugby to spend a few days with my brother on K2, (I will leave his blog to tell you about that trip!) Tuesday evening saw us in town watching Sister Act - the musical.

A good show but not the greatest! I think Fleur enjoyed it more than me. The humour was less funny than in the films and at times quite slap-dashed but the acting was good, the stage set was spectacular and it was very entertaining none-the-less.

Last night we made up for it however! For all the theatre going we do, neither of us had ever seen Phantom of the Opera so we saw that last night!

WOW! The most mesmerising show we have ever seen. A 100% standing ovation at the end and I defy anyone to watch it and not be on their feet by the end. The storyline is, of course, fantastic, the stage scenes incredible, the effects amazing but the acting was phenomenal with such passion and energy - a total must see for everyone before they die!

Today we had a day off before tomorrow evening we go to see Stomp!

There's the possibility of seeing Les Miserables on Saturday but we're not sure yet if that will work!

Back to Little Foxwood!

2009-08-20T16:49:00.003+01:00

With the greatest apologies to my boating readers, (watch the ratings plummit again!) now I'm back home the railways will probably and generally take my blogging centre of attention once more I'm afraid. Today was a rare day that I didn't go in school at all. Partly because my brother was coming up to visit K2 and I wanted to see him and partly becuase the sun was attempting to shine once again and I've had a really good few days at school this week already. Instead, I spent the entire day in the railway shed. Some of the earlier buildings had the lighting wired in wrongly the result of which is that the bulbs have started blowing as they have had too much power fed to them. Today was the day for sorting that out. It looked drastic and there was a time I thought I had wrecked the grocers totally but I now have lighting again on the mainline station and in the grocer's shop as well as a dimmer installed onto the lock keepers cottage as at night it locked as if it was on fire! The trains are running well currently and the allottments are coming on nicely.

I have taken a few general pictures simply to keep this updated. First a mixed goods train passes behind the farm workers cottage with the entrance to Foxwood allottments to the right.

The Post Office and general stores with the ever watchful local bobby keeping an eye on things.

The daily milk churn collection taking place at the farm gate.

....and the postman collecting the mail from outside the newly re-lit grocer's shop.

I plan to go back at some point when it's dark to check the lighting properly. Tomorrow, I may go into school again or then again - I may not!!

Home at last!

2009-08-13T20:50:00.004+01:00

The final holiday cruise post! Off this morning at 09:00 to tackle the remaining Atherstone Locks. Fine progress until I reacher lock 5, then we all ground to a halt. The pound was out of water!

There we all were, breasted up and stuck ont he bottom - back on the Rochdale it seemed! It was OK, however, there were at least 8 BW officials mending a bridge just above the lock:

"Oh no Gov. - we don't know nothing about the water, we just mend the bridges!" Eventually a BW man did turn up and an hour later we were all able to move again. The reason? As usual, one boater coming down stream was told by BW that a boater had left the paddles up - here we go again. This is not true! Actually the lock keeper, (remember him? The chap witht he MBE for his dedication to the lock flight,) was on holiday sitting in his cottage and refused to come out and do anything and had clearly not told anyone how to manage the flight so as to keep water flowing. Now either his job is on the line and he's out to prove a point or BW have never trained their staff in succession management!

The rest of the trip back to Brinklow was slow due tot he intense amount of extreme traffic around and the very slow hire boats - at one point I was in a long line of 5 hire boats!

Still I'm home and the landline is getting the batteries back into top condition. Tomorrow I start the shopping, washing, cleaning etc as well as take my truck to the garage to have 4 new off road tyres put on - ouch!!

Almost home!

2009-08-12T20:12:00.003+01:00

Set off this morning at 6.00! The rain and rib injury I sustained whilst falling in the other week kept me awake. I wanted the get back home ASAP now so it seemed to make sense. I love slipping my moorings and creeping past everyone else still asleep! A very uninteresting day really. 6 boats queuing at Fradley but by the time I left the locks there was 8 behind me.

Is this the smallest traditional narrowboat in the country?

On to Glascotte Locks. Not to be outdone by Andrew Denny, I too got a guided tour of the fascinating history behind the lock cottage and even managed to get more than just a foot of the owner who is proudly holding his latest brick collection addition; I am proud to say, it's a London brick! I must apologies to Lesley who was very confused about this 'Mary Celeste' floating in the lock when I eventually emerged from the lock cottage - sorry for holding you up!

Anyway, I pushed on finally mooring at 7.00pm at Atherstone ready to tackle the flight tomorrow - I may even be home tomorrow!

A stunning day!

2009-08-11T18:12:00.007+01:00

Now my posts of late haven't often had a title like that!

The weather today has been stunning. Blue sky, puffy little white clouds, a gentle breeze, hot sun and cruising through some of the most gorgeous countryside there is - the Trent & Mersey between Stone and Great Haywood.

Passed the boat of Terry and Monica Darlington of 'Narrow dog to Carcassonne' fame whilst travelling through Stone;

....but far more interesting and exciting was seeing Jo and Keith from NB Hadar and having a long chat with them as I worked through the top lock in Stone - or rather they very kindly worked me through the lock. I only just about managed to grab this shot of NB Hadar unusually appearing very shy!

And on towards Great Haywood, giving Richard Fairhurst; editor of Waterways World Magazine, a cheery wave as we passed each other going in opposite directions.

As I passed through Great Haywood, I saw this glorious sight parked up alongside the canal.

I think Toad of Toad Hall got it right! I could do that you know - there is something magnificently elegant about these living waggons!

Finally mooring approximately 3 boats below my friends with the garden shed, (they seem to have found the throttle now,) at Shugborough. A beautiful spot.

Listening to the Buzzards screaching as the sun streams through the open side hatch.

Tomorrow on through Rugeley towards Armitage and then Fradley.

Crew lost!

2009-08-10T19:51:00.003+01:00

Set off this morning after a full fried breakfast and headed towards the end of the Macclesfield. En route, it was a pleasure as always to meet the crews of NB Caxton:

and NB Matilda Rose:

Eventually we arrived at Harecastle Tunnel as boat number 5. The BW tunnel keeper promptly instructed us to double breast up with NB Page - NB Page turned out to be our new 'friends' from yesterday!! How ironic. Anyway we made polite conversation and they reciprocated which broke the ice and determined an uncommunicated truce. We also discovered that they moor in Rugby and work in the town moving their boat every 14 days around the area - Ummmm! I wonder if the girls also attend one of the local secondary schools - I know almost all the deputies and heads of them!!

The passage was navigated without incident and the inside of Harecastle seemed positively cavenous after Standedge!

The arrival of Khayamanzi at Westport Lakes meant that my father 'jumped ship' but his friend Clive who had ferried my father's car up, (following?) came on board and helped crew me through Stoke to my fianl mooring hre at Barlaston just above the Plume of Feathers. Clive has now left me and I'm back to the rest of the trip on my own.

Oh boy! What a day!!

2009-08-09T19:57:00.005+01:00

Firstly the weather was fabulous! The sun shone all day and got positively hot at times. The scenery was incredible as we wound our way between rolling hills and quint villages like this

....and that's when things started to go wrong! Just as we were waiting to pull out the mooring pins a string of boats rounded the corner. Not wishing to be rude, I waited for them to pass, and waited, and waited, and waited. Eventually they passed us and I made cheery conversation about the weather through gritted teeth as it was clear that not only were they going excruciatingly slowly, they were bridge hoppers on the move with the 2nd boat even towing it's garden shed!

The continued on tick-over with me having to pull into reverse at every bridge as the steerer performed a lively 'back deck dance' attempting to see over his array of logs and flowers all over the roof. After a couple of hours of this, my father went off down the towpath and politely asked if we might pass at some point when convenient. "Wot, aint we going fast enough for yer?" came the Neanderthal reply. My father commented that it was a little slow for us and that we wanted to get through the Bosley lock flight today, (we were over 5 miles from the flight at this point!) "So do we" he replied and turned away from my father and ignored him. I picked my father back up and we continued following his 'shed' that was swaying back and forth across the cut. Here they are just in case anyone has the misfortune to ever meet them.

And by the way - both boats were travelling in convoy at the same speed with frequent yells between the millions of teenage kids that clambered over each boat.

Then the unthinkable happened! Amidst much revving and water sploshing, we realised they were grinding to a halt. I closed the gap as we looked to see what was happening and saw a swing bridge ahead. They set off crew who dutifully opened the swing bridge to let their 3 boats through, (2 if you don't count the shed!) and then this....

Look carefully! Yes - you see correctly. The 2 giggling teenage girls swung the bridge shut behind them narrowly missing the front of Khayamanzi and I just managed to snap them running giggling back to their boat as they saw me reverse hard and my father jump off the back to go and open it again!

I am getting more and more disheartened at the pond life creeping on to our canals and I have had the most serious discussions ever this holiday about selling up and moving back to a house - watch this space.

We continued on tickover keeping our mouths shut, (except a cheeky 'thank you' called out by me to the girls!) until we got to the start of Bosley Locks.

Lock 1 completed and we saw them moored up waiting at the next lock. "You're not going any further" says Mr. BW man - "Lock 5 has come off its hinges and it will be a couple of hours to get it sorted" - Great, there we were stuck in a short pound with a bunch of single celled organisms that would challenge even the mighty Bones and who had by this time, spilled out the entire contents of shed and boat onto the bank, found some chairs and water pistols so that the 'adults' could sit on the chairs whilst the teenage kids ran up and down screaming, shouting and squirting each other. We, however dodged the wasps that had been somewhat angered by the fact that the boat behind drove his pin into their nest! 2 hours passed and we were finally able to continue. The backup of boats enabled a good distance to be put between us and our new found waterway 'friends' and we eventually got out the locks with much fun and camaraderie between us and the rest of the boaters behind whilst strategically being 'busy' whenever we found ourselves coming up behind the 'shed pullers'. We moored up in a lovely little spot at 7.00pm having travelled one of the shortest distances of the whole trip in one of the longest times!

Ah well, tomorrow - Harecastle and Westport Lakes, drop off father who returns home and then onwards Brinklow Bound on my tod!

Saturday 8th August!

2009-08-09T19:41:00.002+01:00

The trouble with blogging a day late on the canals is that I can't remember a single thing! No telephone signal at all yesterday - what bliss! So the first post tonight is yesterdays!

Turned onto the Macclesfield to relax and enjoy the scenery of this beautiful canal.

Staleybridge is a beautiful place! Loads of lovely visitor moorings and such amazing flower displays. With the Tesco's right alongside - it was a boaters dream and too good an opportunity to miss so a shopping stop was in order before continuing.

We continued on enjoying such lovely views as this;

and this;

Oh no - sorry, that was some kind fellas high visability jacket that I spent half an hour pulling out of the weed hatch!

And here's the proof!

Nothing else exciting happened except that we moored in the most beautiful place and in enough time for a lovely BBQ!

The Standedge Tunnel Experience!

2009-08-07T18:39:00.004+01:00

What an amazing day!

First a picture of the tunnel office last night.

We were ready to set off for the tunnel from 8.00 this morning although our passage wasn't scheduled until 10.00. Just as well! The other 2 boats booked in first were apparently too smokey as they were hire boats with old Lister engines. As a result, we were pushed through first! This was great as it meant we had more time the other end to head on further. We filled up with water, removed the cratch cover, removed the navigation lights, signed 2 forms of disclaimers, kitted up and were off.

Just entering into the unknown with our first class chaperone, Terry, on board safe and sound and my little meter sitting on the hatch in front of me confidently monitoring levels of O2, Methane, CO2 and various other gases letting out reassuring bleeps and flashes every so often!

All was going well until the steam train went through in the adjacent tunnel!

From there on, we couldn't see a thing! In fact we had to stop in the middle at one of the emergency monitoring stations and switch the kettle off to allow the steam and smog to clear. We couldn't even see the front of the boat let alone the rocks sticking out everywhere!

....and here's Khayamanzi viewed from the adjacent redundant railway tunnel.

It was fascinating to see the marks where the old navvies drilled and filled with gunpowder to blast away the rock as well as the 'leggers' plates marking down the distances. Much of the view was this although it should be said that this was one of the wider and higher sections where I could take my eyes off the walls to grab a picture!

The support van was travelling in the adjacent tunnel and the 'shadow man' kept poppinghis head through to check all was OK while Terry had to radio through at specific points to check in. Eventually we popped out the Diggle end and into bright sunlight where upon we could re-assemble the boat and wash the sooty footprints out of the carpet.

The lock flight down from the end of the tunnel was through some stunning scenery.

It was a pleasure to meet an active team of Huddersfield Canal volunteers who were not only helpful and cheery but were undertaking a sterling task of repainting the locks and we quite willing to stop and help us lock through.

The rest of the journey was uneventful with a final mooring just below lock 11W and before Stalybridge. Tomorrow off the Huddersfield and through the Northern Peak Forest Canal to the Macclesfield and more familiar territory.

I have to say that the Standedge tunnel experience is one not to be missed although I am a little disappointed that I didn't get a single scratch on the boat to show for it!

A much better day and a sentiment shared!

2009-08-06T16:33:00.006+01:00

This morning at 9.30 am a knock on the door heralded the arrival of the local photographer and reported from the local rag. Shortly afterwards another knock saw the arrival of 'Nick'. Nick was the BW man who was so pleasant and helpful. In fact, Nick and Colin helped us through the locks to the summit and the tunnel entrance and could not have been more of a contrast to 'Rick' yesterday! They were pleasant, fun, helpful and so hard working. We kept them plied with drinks, cakes and chocolates and they kept us plied with tales of BW's total inneficiency. It appears we share the same sentiments and frustration relating to lack of funding here. Apparently this morning the dodgy old photocopier in the Leeds office finally gave up the ghost after many years of service and several weeks of strange noises. They made a phone call to request authorisation to purchase a new one and were told 'no' flatly - what hope is there to purchase a new set of lock gates then?

Off we went through the very stiff guillotine gate that was the scene of so much frustration yesterday.

Anyway, the sun was shining, the day was warm and dry and the scenery was stunning. Progress was slow which gave us time to enjoy our surroundings and the conversation with Colin and Nick.

Eventually we found ourselves at the BW owned reservior which was low although would have been much lower but for the quick thinking of Colin a week ago when the rain came down!

The final lock on the summit was a welcome relief to all concerned and the final gongoozlers were in place to watch any minor error of judgement - fortunately, there was none!

We were 'deposited' on the waiting area with the other 2 boats who are travelling through tomorrow.

Apparently we can move down to the visitor centre any time after 4.00 so we plan to go as soon as I've finished this post! We did walk down and pay a visit to take a few pictures.

All being well, tomorrow evening should be about the trip through the tunnel and onwards through the exit locks to wherever we get to moor tomorrow!

More B&Q than BW

2009-08-05T17:01:00.005+01:00

I'm afraid BW have today managed to single handedly convert me from an ardent BW supporter into the biggest BW cynic ever! BW are more B&Q than BW in 2 ways: their approach to customer service and their approach to canal maintenance - read on to find out more!

I shall begin with the journey so far. A fascinating trip through locks whose walls are adorned with the marks of their stone-masons.

Every mark is a fascinating reminder of a day when people took pride in their work - a passion and skill long since lost - especially within the lower ranks of BW!

Kirklees Borough Council still have the view of us being long haired tree hugging 'bargees' clearly! Maybe I'm over sensitive but I found this sign quite offensive.

On through Slaithwaite - a very pretty little town but sadly with no visitor moorings again.

And that's where the journey stopped and the adventure started!

Several locks back my father had met a BW 'operative' - a large, hairy chap who goes by the name of 'Rik' who got out of his truck, raked some rubbish from the weir, (leaving the bottles and debris still floating around,)made no attempt at conversation, got back in his truck for a swig of coffee from his flask and drove off again. As my father approached lock 24E, a guillotine lock, the same 'operative' got out of his truck, walked up to the gates, padlocked them in my fathers face and started to walk off. Naturally my father enquired as to what was happening given that we were told to report to BW at lock 34 and all paperwork emailed to me from the bookings office clearly states this; the 'operative' simply jingled the keys and told him we had to stop here until tomorrow when we would be met at 10.00 and escorted through. My father then enquired what we were to do and where we were to moor; his reply was, "just back up down there". This is what and where he meant!

Now there are no mooring rings, (the only 2 are taken by a boat we have been told has been there for at least 3 days,) the bushes and trees prevent getting near to the bank, the mud means mooring 3 feet out, the adjacent wall is approximately 2 feet high, we are outside industrial factories whose concrete yard prevents the use of mooring stakes and the front of the factories is a main thoroughfare for screaming cars and vans as well as walkers, dogs and the innevitable result of irresponsible dog owners - apart from that it's a lovely spot! On walking up above the lock there is a lovely lock waiting area that must be a quarter of a mile long with bollards, good depth of water, (in fact one of their BW workboats is moored there,) and which is much more tranquil and peaceful.

I phoned BW to seek clarification and was told that due to 'water restrictions' a new rule had been introduced that boaters had to seek escorted passage from lock 24 instead of 34. They also said that a note had been made on my account to say that the customer had been advised of this since booking - I clearly had not since we were making our merry way on towards lock 34! I asked about the water restrictions as I could clearly see water gushing round the by-weir. I was told that the shortage was due to boaters who had left the paddles open. Oh really? I have photographic evidence to the contrary!

Firstly please explain this sign!

Secondly please explain this! An obvious attempt at sealing a leaking lock gate with spray foam!

Thirdly, please explain this!

This is not just some random farmers boggy field. It is, in fact, canal water leaking from the Huddersfield Narrow Canal at lock 27E into an adjacent field. How can I be so sure? Firstly, the ark of water was from one corner of the entrance to the lock wall right out in a perfect line into the field and secondly on closer inspection this could be found all over the wall level with the water ark.

More B&Q special - spray foam! Totally inneffective as the leak shows and the innevitable result is this.

Still - we got it lucky, a boat up ahead phoned when they got to the lock with the sign that says 'no passage beyond here without BW' and were told to carry on to lock 32. When they got into one lock, they got stuck and phoned BW who sent out an 'operative' and told them that they shouldn't have got that far and they had to reverse out and moor in the pound below until next Tuesday when they were booked to go through the tunnel. We walked up to see them as their boat is listing at an alarming angle and they have to pole vault, (literally) to get on or off the boat - their pound is still leaking and they are worried about the night ahead! No amount of explaining our predicament or requesting that we might be allowed through to moor just above the next lock would make them budge so BW now have 2 very unhappy 'customers' sitting at a location we did not choose to be in for a period of time we have not chosen with facilities that are non existent. Having got through to the PA of Robin Evans and the regional manager we were promised that a BW official would arrive this afternoon to see for themselves the dreadful conditions that they have 'dumped' their customers in but noone has arrived.

So BW - please STOP blaming the boaters until you get your own house in order.

Apparently BW were given £2M to rejuvinate this area and the money was spent on the Marsden Standedge visitors centre where there is, unsurprisingly, plenty of water and lovely mooring and waiting areas. I have attempted to phone BW and ask if it is at all possible to be let through the one lock above so that we can get some decent moorings for the night but to no avail. It seems if their customer service is as much akin to B&Q as their approach to maintenance!

The locals walking the towpath are as frustrated as we are and one suggested/asked if we could contact the local press and provided us with a number. We have done so and they are very interested and are sending a photographer out tomorrow morning to photograph all the boats listing on the mud and the lack of facilities for us.

My advice to anyone contemplating doing this canal and through Standedge is simple - Don't do it! I am convinced that BW only spend money on the mainline Midlands system and the extremes of canal system are ignored and neglected. In fact, my father and I have been thinking and we have not passed a single visiting boat who has come through here and said they would return; the unanimous comments have been 'it's nice to have done it but never again' - a sentiment I would certainly echo!

***STOP PRESS***

The crew secretary and archivist of the President steam narrowboat, Richard Thomas, who also happens to give many talks on the waterways circuit has now moored in with us on his Shire Cruisers hire boat. He was told that he could proceed to above lock 26 this evening and was told this by a BW 'operative' this morning. The Shire Cruisers hire boat and crew that is coming up behind us is expecting to go through, as we were, to lock 34 - who knows what is going on; BW certainly don't!

Men behaving strangely!

2009-08-04T18:43:00.006+01:00

This trip gets more and more strange by the day and yet strangely interesting! I love cities; you get all sorts of bizarre people doing bizarre things!

Scrap metal I presume and this gentleman of Eastern European appearance was dangling a fishing rod in the water every so often except when I came along and then he turned his back to me - I guess supper was being sought! Mind you, by far the strangest thing was this scene at Coopers Bridge where at least 5 BW staff were engaged in the ludicrous task of raking and netting the floating fairy moss out. We tried to help by blasting the throttle as we left to push a load intot he lock chamber and they were all pleasant enough but really please, was it honestly a cost effective task to have 5 members of BW staff spending all day with 'tiddler' fishing nets? Before we had left the lock we'd designed a system of ropes and a plank to drag the stuff down which surely would have been better especially since the same quantity of weed was in the next 2 pounds!

Anyway, the Huddersfield Broad was interesting with more heavy lock gear but this interesting lift bridge to work out - 6 separate steps were required to operate this bridge!Then the biggest shock of all! The sheer short-sightedness of Huddersfield City Council. The town centre was dull and un interesting. We had hoped to stop a while and do a bit of shopping but this wasn't to be. Huddersfield, I proclaim, is the least visitor boating friendly place on the planet! At first, we thought we were in for a treat when we saw this beautiful new Sainsbury's complex complete with excellent moorings and decorative victorian style lighting.

But our mood soon changed when we realised that the whole frontage was permanent long term moorings and there was zero space anywhere for visitors passing through. In fact; high security railings and gates prevented anyone from accessing town from waterfront or waterfront from town - even though the windows in the alcoves along the wharf front housed Sainsbury's own restaurant. Clearly the town planners in this city have never ventured far enough south to reach Banbury and see how it should be done - no wonder the surrounding canalside is such a hostile place. Cruising through you get quite a feeling of being the 'Great Unwashed'! Indeed this was the only location on the whole trip where hostile youths were encountered and an incident narrowly averted. 3 ferrile creatures resembling young humans were leaning over a bridge right in the city centre and in full view of everyone picked up some very large rocks. One pulled his arm back to throw it at us and I hastilly grabbed the camera and pointed. They dropped their 'weapons of little distruction' and ran! We were still a little unnerved as we reached the first lock of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.

....and then the adventures really started!

After lock 5E there was no water in the pound. Well that's not strictly true as there were a few floundering fish flapping wildly in the inch or so present! We flushed some through but then realised that this was going to cause trouble in the next pound so BW were called. The lady in the office was so helpful and kind, thanking us for informing them and assuring us that engineers wouod be out soon. She even called me back later to check we were OK. 2 BW opeart6ives did arrive and I would liked to have shown you them - our 'knights in shining armour'. They arrived, flushed a few locks through, leaving a boat moored on the other side in an emergency as the man had a temperature of 102 stranded and listing severely - blamed the problem on the boaters who left paddles open, told us that locking was just common sense and implied that most boaters didn't have any, got back in their brand new shiny van which had BW related advertising all over it and screeched off!

We flushed through a few more locks above the now stranded lady on her boat to level her and made very slow progress through this!

This was BW's way of solving a problem clearly - we were disgusted!

Now - a question: what do you do when only one top paddle works, both bottom paddles are fully closed, the boat has stopped rising and there is still around 4 inches of water to go?

Answer - this!

Along with the short and long handled windlasses, anti vandal key, BW watermate key, Hand spike for the C & H, can of WD40 for the Rochdale, mallet to get the anti vandal locks open and release the jammed mechanisms on the Huddersfield Narrow, we have now added a small block of wood to our essential lock operation survival kit which you will see marketed on Dragon's Den packed in a handy shopping trolly, (which can be disposed of in the local waterway when it becomes life extinct,) very soon!

You see, you drive the boat at the gate and when it has openened a few inches, simply drop the wooden block between the gate and seal before the pressure of the water pushes the boat back and closes the gate again. After a few moments, the water has poured in and the gates can be opened fully allowing the skilled operator to retrieve the wooden block which will float into the lock chamber and proceed on their travels!Anyway, thanks to a tip off from the wife of the man who husband had a temperature, we are now moored here.Quite pleasant - just above lock 15E and about the only place with enough water to get the boat to the bank!

Calder & Hebble

2009-08-03T16:33:00.004+01:00

Off along the Calder and Hebble today agter a long walk up through Sowerby Bridge to Tesco for shopping! A very pleasant canal and probably the most remote in places that we've been all trip. Truth be told, we prefered the C & H to the Rochdale! A very interesting and varied canal. Unfortunately dads carefully wittled stick just wasn't man enough for the job and so te mooring spike was used.

Actually we found the mooring spike worked well and certainly well enough for all the locks we needed it to work for. Very strange paddle gear configurations and every lock seemed to be different.

I have to say, we're getting a bit fed up with wide locks though and won't be sorry to get back onto the narrow system after the tunnel!

Saltershebble Guillotine Lock proved uneventful and we managed to get through easily and without breaking it which was good!

I love passing the evidence of old industrial and historical architechture and this old wharf frontage proved particulalry attractive.

and out onto the River section which was a lovely break and gave the chance to 'exercise' the engine a bit.

Our final mooring for the day is just Kirklees Top Lock. We didn't fancy mooring in the middle of Huddersfield today so stopped at a pleasant section of visitors moorings just before the lock. The motorway hum is a constant reminder of how close we are to the city but the sun is shining, (and has been much of the day - wow!) and a BBQ is planned for this evening.

Tomorrow it is set to rain all day - perfect weather for city cruising as it keeps the hoodlums away! On through Huddersfield and either a mooring in the centre, (anyone know if there is safe and pleasantish visitor moorings or a basin in the centre of Huddersfield?) or on the other side somewhere before heading through the final locks on Wednesday and Thursday to report at the tunnel on Thursday for passage on Friday morning.

End of the Rochdale.

2009-08-02T20:48:00.005+01:00

So we're off the Rochdale. This evening moored in the basin of Shire Cruisers at Sowerby Bridge technically on the Calder and Hebble. Shire Cruisers were so helpful and even though they were really closed, they were so willing to serve us with diesel, pump-out, water etc. I can't congratulate them enough. We set off this morning to be greeted by a boat slewed across the cut that had come adrift of its moorings. Onwards to a demonstration of wonderful mooring!

And on through Hebdon Bridge where the first sunny day for ages combined with a Sunday afternoon and a vintage vehicle rally made the waterside, locks and the boats a very crowded attraction! It is interesting to note that miles of continuos moorers have already begun to invade this lower section of the canal, in one instance making mooring for the lock a physical impossibility. Is anything going to be done I wonder, to stamp this out early on or will the Rochdale soon become just anothe K & A?
The deepest lock in England soon beckoned! At around 20 foot, apparently this lock was built especially to be a few inches deeper than the bath lock and so, depending on exact water levels, can claim to be the deepest lock - anyway; we have the brass plaque that says so!

On through lock 1 and bridge 1 and off the Rochdale to our final mooring for the night.

A very pleasant evening was had meeting with 'Farmer James' and his lovely family. I used to work with James in my farming days and have kept in touch ever since. We have met up several times and his business 'St. Leonards Farm Park' in Esholt near Bradford is thriving and winning many tourism awards. It was lovely to meet up with them briefly for the evening.
Tomorrow - shopping and onwards.

Not the greatest day!

2009-08-01T20:12:00.004+01:00

So we set off this morning at 9.00 and it was pouring with rain - and I mean pouring! This continued all day long only stopping about 20 mins. before we moored up! It's not raining now but it's very greay and cloudy and everything is damp. Bruce and Hilary, our new found friends on NB Tree Sparrow, spent another day with us only peeling off just after the summit where we parted company, exchanged details and went on in the pouring rain. Eventually we arrived at the summit and worked our way through the 'highest broad lock in England'.

At one of the next locks I found this! I think it's meant to mean no overnight mooring but it did seem something of an oxymoron to me!

The scenery was beautiful on the summit - if it was sunshine and blue skies I guess it would be spectacular but the hills were only just visible in the clouds!

Just to prove we really are up here!

On towards interesting scenery and foreboding architechture.

Eventually we arrived at Todmorden where there is an interesting guillotine lock.

Now thereby tells a story! We managed to work through the lock and exit. I went on to the next lock to set it and my father didn't arrive! Eventually word came down that he had broken the electric mechanism! I allowed the lock to be taken and reversed up to see what was wrong. The guillotine gate refused to shut and made a loud grinding noise that drew the whole of Todmorden out to see! Just then a local gentleman arrived who lived in a canalside cottage and told us that this always happens! He keeps 5 spare keys at home and promptly organised us! We phoned BW and told them what had happened and that when they recover the key they were to drop it into this chaps house, the man gave us one of his spare keys which we tested on the nearby sanitary station before travelling on - cunning plan!

The following lock and the offside wall was thick with green slime. Dad had gone on to set the next lock, I brought the boat in, stepped off the boat, slipped on the green slime, fell back into my boat and gracefully slid between the boat and the lock wall into the canal! Wahey! I'm a proper boater now - I've fallen in!! Apart from winding myself, scraping my shin, bruising my knee and denting my pride I'm fine!

Tomorrow on towards Sowerby Bridge where we hope to Meet James and his family from Leeds. I used to farm with James and have kept in touch ever since and it would be good for them to visit the boat. En route we have to stop for food shopping as the cupboards are bare, and stop for diesel and a pump-out hopefully! 38.5 lock miles today - not bad!

A load of old rubbish again and again!

2009-07-31T17:36:00.003+01:00

OK, so the sun was shining as we set off from our mooring this morning and headed for the first of the 15 locks anticipated today. The scenery certainly deteriorated as we progressed! Stopping only for water and a cup of coffee at one lock we continued on while dad had the chance to start wittling his stick for the Calder and Hebble!

I had to stop to clear the weed hatch just before one lock and pulled out a large mass of plastic and a pair of boxer shorts! As I entered the lock, Hillary on NB Tree Sparrow who we have been paired up with for the past 2 days shouted at me as her engine stalled. I reversed out to help her, (our crew were the other side of the busy road preparing the locks!) I picked up something again and had to stop rather rapidly - it was the tracksuit bottoms to go with the boxers! Finally we managed to both moor up breated on the lock waiting area to clear things out. NB Tree Sparrow had picked up a large amount of rope that had wound very tightly round the shaft and even started to pull into the stern gland tube. Much cutting and sawing from us all and we managed to shift it one hour later.

We navigated the rest of the flight on tickover whilst dodging the amazing collection of bikes, trollies, pushchairs, wheelbarrows, road signs, pallets and other assorted unmentionable or unidentifiable objects!

The first glimpses of what look like hills and vaguely Pennineish scenery could be glimpsed at this point.

And yep! They still have water shortages - here's one example of todays lock to prove it!

Final mooring was at 4.30pm at Littleborough. One obvious liveaboard was taking up the entire, and what turned out to be the only deep, mooring with rings so we are both on the lock waiting area, NB Tree Sparrow in a tree; literally, and us moored about 3 foot from the bank listing on the mud - apparently it's quite a good lock waiting area which is well maintained and used!

Tomorrow we have 4 locks to do to meet the BW man at lock 44 who will escort us through the summit. Opinions of the Rochdale so far? Uninteresting, dull, filthy and hard work although we have had no local trouble whatsoever and everyone we've met has been extremely friendly - even the fishermen all smile, engage eye contact and say hello or start a conversation! We just hope the top part and the way down is significantly more rural, tranquil and interesting!

Every weather today!

2009-07-30T16:23:00.004+01:00

The title speaks for itself! Torrential horrendous rain much of the morning with temperatures as low as 10 degrees with breath billowing mist from our mouths. In between this was fierce squalling winds, ear shattering claps of thunder and very scary lightening and at one point even a hailstorm that left the roof of the boat white! Towards the middle of the afternoon the sun came out in patches which resulted in steam pouring off of the boat tops and us. Now moored up and although the sun is still out between the clouds, the wind is still fierce. In fact, we've been moored for some time but the phone refused to connect again due, I guess, to the amount of water that poured out of the socket at the base of the unit! It has only just dried out in the window.

You see, we had to book into the Rochdale due to water shortages as a result of the heatwave this summer. Water shortages in locks are dreadful things and cause all sorts of problems as seen in this picture I took of the lock just ahead of us!

Now I thought you might like tosee where we moored last night.

Set off this morning at around 7.45 with the BW man un padlocking all the chains in front of us as we headed through extremely rough looking areas. Truth be told, I think we had the best weather for this part of the journey as there wasn't a soul around. We were paired up with a couple from NB Tree Sparrow who turned out to be very experienced boaters and also extremely pleasant.

The time passed quickly and much amusement was had along the way despite the dreary weather and even drearier surroundings! The only interesting points were the run down old cotton mills:

....and vertical road lift bridge:

Oh! and what we constantly had to keep pulling out the weed hatch!

Our final mooring is just above the Rose of Lancaster where we plan to have a meal this evening and just before lock 63, (Walkmill Lock, Chadderton)

Tomorrow onwards it seems as if the locks spread out a little more and the countryside becomes a little more pleasant as we climb the Pennines.

It's OK anyway - father has just checked the guides and the log book twice now. We are on schedule so long as we maintain a steady 10 hours cruising per day from lock 44 to get to Standedge Tunnel!

Manchester here we are!

2009-07-29T16:28:00.004+01:00

A very interesting day! Set off this morning and although very cloudy it was, at least, dry. An hour into the journey and we arrived at Waters Meeting.

Fork left onto the Leeds and Liverpool or right onto the Rochdale. Past the closest point to the Manchester Ship Canal,

....and on past towerscrapers of containers awaiting trans shipment....

Old Trafford was the next point of interest in what was turning out to be a very interesting little trip.

On to the city centre of Manchester where this was the welcome!

Finally arriving at the first of the 9 wide locks on the Rochdale at Castle Quay.

These locks are certainly very eventful to navigate! They rival the Kennet and Avon quite easily. Several of them have only one top paddle working, all have anti-vandal locks and some of them are so stiff to undo that it's an impossibility. The water pouring over meant that a nudge by the bows of the boat was the only way to get out of them and the lock beams where room is restricted have a very cumbersome and awkward chain and block system which requires the windlass to open or close them. Cursed hydraulic paddles abound on all of them and the area they pass through are, to say the least, dodgy! This turned out to be our standard lock operating kit:

One lock took us 36 minutes to navigate from arriving to closing the gates as we left!

Eventually we arrived at the top and moored in Picadilly Basin amongst the sumptious surroundings of building sites and tower blocks.

It was nice to get an email as we landed from someone who worked in the offices at the top of the locks to say they saw my boat pass. Apparently they have a boat in Ventnor Farm and it turns out that one of their neighbours is now safely ensconced at Brinklow - what a small world the boating world is!

Tomorrow morning at 8.30 we need to be meeting the BW official who will lock us through lock 83 for some reason and then we head on towards the summit locks where we are to be escorted through lock 44 on Saturday morning.

Lazy dayz!

2009-07-28T17:41:00.002+01:00

A thoroughly enjoyable day and for once the weather didn't bother us one little bit. Somehow I feel rather smug in fact at having enjoyed the day so much without the constant heavy showers causing any stress: Edwards 1, British summer 0!

A very lazy start to the day and a lovely fried breakfast to set us up. We then toddled under the bridge and up the lane to Dunham Massey Hall, an imposing National Trust stately hall, parkland and gardens.

Thanks to all the local boaters and people who emailed to say that this was worth a visit. We had a fantastic time. Walked round the deer park before it rained and then went into the house as it rained! My father had left his National Trust memebership card at home but credit to the NT, one phone call to their offices confirmed that he was amember and tickets were duely and freely issued.

A fascinating look round the house and gardens together with the water mill and a very tasty scone and tea in the restaurant, more time wasted in the shop and then a stroll back to the boat. We have noticed that boats on the Bridgewater don't seem to slow down for moored craft and our front stake was almost out. Apart from that, all was safe and sound as we left it and Simba had obviously fulfilled his duty as guard dog by barking at everyone he heard walk past! Right now, the engine is topping up the batteries for the evening whilst the rain continues to lash; my father, (who was whipping a rope!) has come scuttling back in to read Canals and Rivers while I finish the blog before embarking on the dinner process. Tomorrow - up and off through Manchester to Picadilly Basin in readiness to be locked onto the Rochdale at 8.30 on Thursday morning.

Manchester!

2009-07-27T17:45:00.005+01:00

Some people go to the Bahamas for their holiday, some to Spain - I've gone to Manchester! Now there's nothing wrong with Manchester, (so far!) but it's not exactly my ideal holiday destination! Quite an enjoyable days cruising today as we started through Preston Brook Tunnel and then onto the Bridgewater - a whole day with only one little stop lock to worry about!

The Bridgewater is a very pleasant canal. Owned by the Manchester Ship Canal Company it is wide and easy to navigate with pleasant waterside frontages and interesting things to look at as one passes by.

Finally moored at the end of the day just before Dunham Town Bridge in time to sit down and relax.

...and yes - the observant people will notice that that is actually a sun umbrella with my father sitting under it however it must be noted that the minute I put my shorts on and went out to join him, the wind got up, the clouds gathered and threatened and it was time to go back in again - my father managed to sit out for approximately 10 minutes - I managed 0!!

We have a day in hand now as we have to meet the lock-keeper at lock 83 on the Rochdale to be escorted through at 8.30 on Thursday morning. This means we plan to stay here tomorrow and then cruise through the city of Manchester all day on Wednesday, (starting early to beat the hoodlums,) to arrive at Picadilly Basin to moor for the night on Wednesday night just before lock 83. There is a National Trust House nearby so we may go and visit that tomorrow but certainly tomorrow will be a non boating day, (cries of shock horror I hear from those who know me well!)

Nearer to Preston Brook

2009-07-26T18:43:00.004+01:00

Last nights BBQ was lovely! Only a few spots of rain but it didn't stop us and the end of the BBQ saw this scene!

It was getting chilly and in true boating style, the BBQ was being raised 'Pheonix like' into a brazier! It worked and this was the end result!

Rain, rain and more rain today! What a surprise!! Set off this morning in the rain and headed slowly towards King's Lock and Middlewich. Apart from queueing behind 3 boats at every lock en route, there was very little traffic about - probably due to the weather. Through Kings Lock and on towards the Anderton Boat Lift.

From here on, it was new territory for us and it was nice to see glimpses of the Anderton and Weaver as we passed on through. A very happy summer was spent in 2007 on the Weaver and we both agreed, we could quite happily make a return visit.

Our final mooring is just before bridge 211 almost Midway between Saltersford Tunnel and Preston Brook tunnel.

18 miles and 9 locks today - all in the rain. My brother phoned to inform me that he was watching the sun setting over the beach with a cool sea breeze blowing across the pool in 35 degree+ temperatures on holiday in Cyprus. To prove it, this phone picture arrived!

The caption read, "Thought you might like this"!

I returned this picture:

My caption read, "Thought you might like this - to cool you down!"

An interesting comparison to finish with! Zooming in on the River Weaver with my camera and on maximum digital zoom I took this picture from the back deck of Khayamanzi moored on the Trent & Mersey:

I knew I remembered it so hunted back through my 2007 pictures. Here is the same wreck taken in 2007 from Khayamanzi as we pased it on the River Weaver!

Harecastle or bust!

2009-07-25T16:10:00.003+01:00

7.30 this morning and a BW tunnel keeper knocks on the boat, "you're going through first - ready when you are!" Frantic slurping of coffee mixed with untying of ropes and calls of 'good morning' down the queue of boats ensued as we all readied ourselves to enter the tunnel.

Being the first boat through again, the mist hadn't quite cleared and yet again there was a patch where we couldn't see the front of the boat.

According to the tunnel keeper, the water level was at maximum height and this was born out by the fact that I have never seen the bottom part of the roof so close to the top part of the boat!

Clive, dads friend and the person who so kindly ferries dad to and from meeting me whenever we travel north, arrived during the first flight of locks and helped lock-wheel through all todays mammoth locks on this section of the T & M. True to the forecast, the weather was very warm and sunny all day which aided the mood of relaxation as we queued behind 2 boats at least at every lock!

It's interesting to see that whilst bollards are the big talking point of the Oxford Canal and the useless waste of money that installing them has been, around here the topic of conversation must surely turn to the condition of their bollards!

I'm not sure if the bollard was holding the boat secure or the boat rope holding the bollard secure!

26 locks and 7 miles later saw us arrive at bridge 157 just above Wheelock where a lovely little spot enticed us to moor. A quiet secluded spot with a wide tow path for the BBQ and open fields all round - perfect!

Tonight, Clive and his wife are joining us for a BBQ and then tomorrow onwards towards Middlewich and beyond.... in the rain!

Relaxed? Today was horizontal!

2009-07-24T15:18:00.007+01:00

Today I did nothing! Well that's not strictly true; I did wake up, cook a fried breakfast and then took my father on board to help me crew the next 2 weeks but that was about it! I didn't leave the lake until the afternoon and then motored the significant distance of about half a mile to the tunnel portal at Harecastle. Here we are sitting at the very back as directed by the tunnel keeper because we don't want to go through until tomorrow morning. ....and a close up of the action at the entrance!

Shortly after this boat appeared a hire boat came out and pulled up. The tunnel keeper went on board with a first aid kit and promptly came back out again to phone for an ambulance. It turned out that one of the kids was getting a little over excited in the tunnel, jumped up and smashed his head on a rock. Mother and small child were duly carted off to A & E in the ambulance leaving dad and the older boys to continue their journey as they had to get the boat back to Stone by 9.00 in the morning. It did leave me wondering how many of those types of accidents happen each year; and more significantly how many more it will take before we all have to wear hard hats in every tunnel we enter!?

The rest of the day was spent doing this:

(Or at least in between the thunder, lightening and rain downpours.) Tomorrow - through the tunnel at 8.30ish and on through as many of the 15+ locks as possible!

Westport Lake

2009-07-23T16:10:00.005+01:00

A lovely site this - a welcome breath of fresh air and rural tranquility after a long haul through Stoke!

Set off this morning in glorious sunshine with blue sky and puffy white clouds. This was brilliant:

The boat was called Wombat and was 55 ft long and it's owners were defintely antipodean! Always good to start the day with a chuckle and this certainly did the trick!

It was somewhat sad to pass by the 'old' Wedgewood factory. I took another shot of it as a kind of lament to its past.

Onwards through Stoke. An uneventful passage in the midst of several boats going up and several coming down. It was good to have the company to be honest as I negotiated kids on mini motorbikes and drunks.

I entered the top lock at Etruria in blue skies and hot sunshine and by the time I closed the gates, the rain was lashing down from a dark grey sky. This continued until I had almost reached my destination but as I passed the boatyard at Longport, the sun was once again in full force. I finally moored at the very civilised time of 15.30 at Westport Lake - the only boat there and I see why. Several came, attempted to make lines fit and left again - why do the people building these lovely moorings not ever do any research about boat lengths - the rings never fit. As I type this, I'm being bumped about intot he wall at every gust of wind as my lines have to be several miles long and even then the front one doesn't reach back onto the boat for a secure 'tie-off'.

Tomorrow - on to Harecastle, pick up my father and then either through the tunnel tomorrow or Saturday morning depending on the time.

The camera can lie!

2009-07-22T17:19:00.007+01:00

Another day of sunshine and showers; more of the latter than the former and most of them very heavy! The general mood on the cut is getting a bit more fed up now! People seem to be muttering more about 'property abroad' and 'jacking it in'! The on/off ritual of waterproofs and sunglasses is getting a tad irksome to say the least!

I often smile at the range of signs boaters post requesting, begging or demanding passing vessels to slow down. I tend to think that the more aggressive the notice, the least often the boat actually goes anywhere! This one made me laugh today.

What do they want - 2MPH or tickover: they are very different! If I passed them at 2MPH I would be a long way above tickover, especially on the shallow bit of canal that the moored boats were found. It really seems little more than a display of ignorance on the part of the continuous moorer but thanks for the chuckle anyway!

A little further along the Trent and Mersey and this was happening:

I guessed it was a new marina and the sign displayed proved I was right:

I fear for new marinas being just started now. There are so many of them popping up everywhere. The canal bubble will definately burst and only the established ones or those that have something special to offer will survive. A couple of years of recession together with several years of total lack of summer weather and the numbers of boats will start to drop again until the respectable level of the 80's - what will happen to all these 'prestigious developments of marina complexes' then I wonder? They'll all be snapped up at rock bottom prices by aspiring property developers I guess - you wait and see!

Onwards through Stone with a quick stop to pick up diesel and fill in the most complicated system of declaration I have ever seen! I declared 60/40 but was asked if I have a diesel heating system on board. When I replied in the affirmative, I was told that 60/40 was totally unrealistic and that I should declare 20/80 - who am I to argue? Apparently they had an undercover customs man in the shop a week ago and a customer wanted to declare 100% heating/generating. At this point the customs official showed his card and questioned the boater. "Absolutely no problem sir," he told the boater, "however is one side of your boat dirtier than the other?" Puzzled the boater replied, "no I clean it." "Ah then you must have turned it round using the engine to clean the offside and therefore you can't claim 100%!" He allowed 10/90 instead! How petty and rediculous this whole system is and what a total free-for-all. As one boater in the shop remarked, "they used to carry pistols and wear masks - at least that gave us a fighting clue as to what they were up to!" Yet again, good 'ol England shall bow her head in meek obedience to the bundling beurocrats of Brussels and then make a complete disaster of picking up her pieces!

Ah well, here is my mooring spot tonight:

Looks pleasant doesn't it! Everone caming up was telling me there was absolutely no room in Barlaston whatsover and that they had been searching for hours. With this in mind, I broke all my morals and moored here - don't be fooled, the camera DOES lie! I have a sewage works one side, railway line the other and the position is actually here:

I have to put up with the scowling faces of passing boats - I know it's a stupid place but I spent the last hour crawling through trees and overgrown undergrowth and dragging the back end through every bit of mud I could find with no success so when the stories of 'no moorings this side of Stoke' started propogating the towpath and lockside, I was just glad to find any little bit of space I could get into!

Tomorrow, I have 9 miles and 6 locks to get to Westport Lake for the night - should be comfortable. At least here, I have a good HSDPA signal and an excellent satellite signal for the new series of Midsomer Murders!!

Making good time.

2009-07-21T17:32:00.003+01:00

Yestrday I completed 21 lock miles, today 17.5. I need to take it easy a bit more or I'll be at Harecastle by Thursday! The weather was absolutely foul for most of the day with the rain only stopping as I moored up and then even the sun attempted to put in a show. It ranged from steady drizzle to heavy drizzle and back again all day long and the whole days cruising was viewed from under the rim of my umbrella. A fairly uninteresting days motoring. The most exciting point was passing Ilford at Shugborough!

Very little traffic moving due to the weather. A short stop at Great Heywood to get rid of rubbish and take on water and then onwards to find a mooring place. A passing boat advised that Weston on Trent was busy so I stopped just short at bridge 78. Another passing boat told me there was plenty of space at Weston and very little traffic moored there - oh well; it just goes to show you should never rely on towpath gossip!

The plan is to motor through Stone, (with a short stop to see if they have a new brass tunnel light in stock,) and on to Barlaston. Then Thursday on through Stoke, (any offers of 'heavies' for protection?) to the lakes just this side of the tunnel. Finally, Friday morning a short hop, skip and jump to the tunnel portal where I shall pick up dad to help crew the next leg up and over.

Better late than never!

2009-07-20T22:46:00.003+01:00

OK so it suddenly dawned on me! If my new HTC Touch 3G won't connect to the laptop - why not try my old HTC TyTn 11 handset and see if that works. If it does, then it MUST be the handset, if it doesn't then it's the laptop. Well it did! I know, I was a bit slow on this one but having swapped SIM cards over and reverted back to my old brick of a handset; not only are calls more stable but it connects and internet is fine! In fact I only got 2 bars of GPRS on my new handset whereas this one gives one bar of HSDPA!

So long as it continues - I'm back in business! Many thanks to all those people who suggested ideas or even thought about trying to get 'dongles' to me!

Well, just to satisfy my annoyance at the selfish people who pulled out in front of me: here they are!

'Puddleduck' the little blue Sea Otter was called and that was the one that actually pulled out parallel to me and then throttled up to get in front!

Now, here's Simba peering in at me through the side hatch!

Finally - my view out the back hatch last night after the storm cleared and the sun came out again.

According to the weather forecast this evening; today was the best day of the week! It all seems to go very pear shape from here on. Tomorrow; heavy rain and wind! Well, I did give you all enough warning that I was going away and you really should have taken heed and headed off to a safe mooring until I returned home - now, what website did I see that nice little French villa in?

Fradley.

2009-07-20T17:40:00.002+01:00

Left this morning at around 9.00 in an attempt at making up for lost time! Generally a very pleasant cruise. The occasional shower but by and large it was a warm day with plenty of sunshine and only a gentle breeze. 3 boats queueing at Glascote but we passed each other well. Generally everyoneve seems very pleasant and cheery - even the fishermen seem to be actually enjoying their hobby! Onwards through Hopwas, Fazeley and Fradley. Little traffic to bother me and a pain free passage through the locks to my final mooring for the night mid way between Shade House Lock and Woodend Lock as seen above! Tomorrow on through Rugeley and Great Haywood towardsa Stone and book 4!

Atherstone!

2009-07-19T18:38:00.003+01:00

Another mobile post as nothing I do will connect my little device to the laptop! The worst ever passage through Atherstone. Set off after a full fried breakfast at around 10.30 arrived at the locks behind a queue of 4 boats. It was a slow passage made worse by 2 little Sea Otters that pulled out in front of me from the pub half way down - in fact one pulled out beside me & then throttled hard to overtake. They then bow hauled them through and left paddles open as they went! 4 hours later & I got through. I was still celebrating clear cruising when the heavens opened! I'd had enough & pulled in just after bridge 50 on the Coventry Canal. I do have a TV signal tonight, (just) so not all bad. It is still raining hard but tomorrow I will need to push on regardless - I need to be at Harecastle by Friday to meet my crew! I think I have worked out how to publish pictures from my phone! you can see an exhausted and soggy Simba. Hopefully tomorrow it won't be raining & I'll attempt a post with a canal related picture!

Connection trouble!

2009-07-18T22:10:00.003+01:00

For Some strange reason my device totally refuses to connect to my Windows Mobile Device Centre despite changing the cable and restarting both device & laptop several times. This means that I can't connect and use the phone as a modem. Result - no blog posts for the next 4 weeks! If anyone has any idea why or what I can do about it there is a serious drink in it for them! Fortunately emails will still get through to my handheld but I'm really not posting regular blogs on this piddly thing so sorry; unless a genius comes forth or it wakes up, I shall vanish into the internet ether until I return! Bye, bye world!

School's out for summer!

2009-07-17T19:00:00.002+01:00

That's it - school is done for the academic year 2008/2009! The kids left yesterday amidst much crying and sobbing and many requests of, "can't I stay in your class for another year?"

Today was a day of tidying up, sorting out, meeting and handing on records for the next classes. Tomorrow I plan to leave although right now, I really don't want to go anywhere unless it involves an aeroplane and the need for a passport! The rain is lashing down, the wind is howling, I've shut all the windows and turned the radiators back on - it must be time for me to leave for my summer cruise soon!

My IWA membership pack arrived yesterday so I am now a fully paid up member and my new licence has, apparently, arrived at my fathers house in London. If all goes to plan, this should be my last land based post for the next 4+ weeks.

Made me chuckle!

2009-07-12T12:32:00.005+01:00

Having blogged recently and posted a third caption photograph on my main http://www.khayamanzi.com/ site, I was recently sitting reading the Environment Agency's 'River Views' magazine when I spotted this picture and caption competition.

I'm not normally gifted with flashes of inspiration but suddenly the following caption popped into my head:

Thus spake the Lord unto Noah, “I said a big ark not a kayark, and I specifically requested two of every species!”

I immediately emailed it off and got a reply saying "thanks - it's a good one!" but will wait and see if I win. I doubt it - I don't normally win anything but hey - it made me chuckle anyway!

A howling gale today seems to be the order of the day, coupled with intermittent showers. The forecast of a heatwave summer seems yet again to have condensed itself into a few days of fairly warm at a time that benefits no one! I remember earlier in the year, the met office appearing on TV saying that people should start painting their houses white to reflect the extreme heat of this summer in readiness for the 'heatwave' - it's a good job the programme host laughed at them and we didn't all start taking it seriously. I guess as my holidays approach, it was innevitable. Look back at my summer holiday posts from 2008, 2007 and 2006 - they all say the same. My knee jerk reaction to move out to France seems even more serious!

I have bitten the bullet and joined the IWA. With the plethora of waterway support groups there now is out there I wanted to ensure that I joined one that really did support primarilly the interests of boaters, was powerful enough to actually do something and not so PC or narrow minded that they missed the big issues entirely. There are still areas if the IWA I don't fully agree with or support but they seem to tick most boxes. So, finally, after around 2 years of research - they now get my support. Let's see if the delivery instructions can be followed now - deliver to my school address if before 17th July or my billing address if after that date; sounds simple. I wait and see.....

One week to go!

2009-07-11T20:08:00.003+01:00

So the final weekend before I leave is half way through. Having sufferred all week with severe stomach pains and even a fever and temperature mid week which resulted in my first day off work in 7 years I had come to the conclusion that I had pulled a muscle. Several tubs of 'Deep Heat', plenty of Ibuprofen but a chance conversation yesterday evening with my brother sorted it out once and for all! It wasn't a pulled muscle at all but a urinary infection of the upper urinary tract! Nothing more scientific than several litres of cranberry juice and this morning I am much better - WOW! I have been glugging cranberry juice all day like it's going out of fashion and for the first time in over a week - I feel fine!

This enabled me to crack on with all the necessary chores in readiness for my 'leaving'. Simba went to the grooming parlour this morning and now looks and smells lovely, (or at least he did before a massive and thoroughly enjoyable romp over the fields with Lyra,) I have managed to polish all the brass and both sides of the boat, washed the curtains, polished the windows, cleaned and tidied several cupboards and shelves and filled up with water.

Another busy week beckons. My final accordion lesson tomorrow night for the summer, the meeting planned for last Wednesday, (I was ill that day,) re-scheduled for this Wednesday, the final good-bye to our current children on Thursday, teacher training day on Friday and then off on Saturday.

I have now managed to partnership my new HTC phone to act as a modem whilst away cruising so that mobile blog posts may continue.....

English as she is spoke!

2009-07-06T19:42:00.003+01:00

I receive numerous requests for plugs or reciprocal links through this blog. Most are simply rejected, some are allowed and others; such as this one - are quite simply bizarre!

The Main objects of the company to be pursued by the company on its
incorporation are:To carry on business as operators, charters, ferry operators,
contractors, jetty operators, owners, hirers of yachts, boats, speedboats,
motorized water zed water vehicles canoeing apparatus and to provide services
relating to all types of yachting , boating sipping operations, contractors,
purchaser, seller,Traders, operatators, organizers, conductors, contractors,
purchaser, seller, traders, operators in all types of yachts, ships, boats and
related services.To establish and carry on in India or abroad he business to
acquire, Undertake, promote, run , manage , own ,lease, franchise, convert,
build ,commercialize, handle, operate, renovate , construct ,maintain , improve,
furnish, recondition, hire let on hire ,let on hire, develop, manufacturer,
design ,consolidate, subdivide, and organize yacht club, boat club, yacht cru
zing, charters, sail club house and to do all acts and things, necessary and
connected with the said business of yacht club, boat club, yacht cru zing,
clubhouse, health and recreation club including inviting life patrons, ordinary,
associate and other membership(s) and to provide to members all usual
privileges, advantages, convenience, accommodation including those of a
residential club and let out cottages and rooms on timeshare basis.

Now what you see is EXACTLY as it appeared in my email! There was a web link but I refuse to display it! In short, it's an expensive looking yacht club in a beautiful and sunny part of the world but if anyone could understand this email - please let me know!!

Another good day!

2009-07-05T18:57:00.003+01:00

but just as busy as yesterday!

I'm now another step closer to being ready to go in a fortnight. Today I have seriously de-cluttered the boat and been ruthless with what goes in the black sacks. I've also cleaned out the stove, blacked it and pollished the copper kettle that hangs above it, (that made it rain typically!)

Now I'm settling down for the evening to ready myself for the week ahead....

Another quest for the best caption!

2009-07-04T23:20:00.003+01:00

I have created another caption picture for fun on my main Khayamanzi website. Access it here. I know this one isn't directly canal related but it is water related and the picture struck me as being quite funny. I have so enjoyed the previous 2 captions that I want to keep it going periodically.

Penultimate weekend

2009-07-04T19:52:00.004+01:00

Next weekend will be my last weekend at home before leaving the following week! That made this week my penultimate weekend at home before my summer trip! Busy, busy, busy as I attempt to get Khayamanzi ready to go. You would think living aboard it would be a simple case of untying and starting the engine but I like the boat to be in good order before I leave for distant places.

This morning I took a trailer load of 'stuff' to the tip; things like my old fridge, my old door to the railway shed as well as a load of marina rubbish. I also accompanied John into town to get a summers worth of hayfever drugs, some more crickets for the lizard and spare light bulbs for the boat - oh the glamorous life I lead!!

My return and the rest of the day was spent mending a set of drawers that have fallen apart, mending my back step in the engine room, topping up the batteries, stocking up on cans of petrol for the generator, cleaning out the lizard tank and touching up some rust spots with rust killer.

I managed to feel good about myself this evening as I ticked off 5 jobs on my 12 strong list of jobs to do prior to the summer - and then promptly aded another 4!!

More to do tomorrow....

Next weekend is set to be even busier as I have Simba booked in for his summer grooming and nail clip at 9.00 on Saturday and then the car booked in at 9.30 for them to look at a very irritating and loud exhaust rattle that has developed. The week ahead sees me with very late evenings on several nights. I have induction day on Tuesday where my current class al go off to their secondary schools and I get to meet my next years class for the first time. In the evening is our open evenings so that prospective parents to the school can come and 'grill us' and parents of children in my next class can come and 'test me' to see just what I'm like!

On Wednesday evening I'm meeting with a guy, (another Andy!) who worked for his father building the marina here at Brinklow and is involved in the restoration of a steam loco, (a real life large one!) He wants to come and pick my brains and for me to help him set up a simple website for the project. Obviously this is a fascinating project and I am only to pleased to be able to help - I might even ask him to keep me in mind for a ride when the project is completed!

Thursday, and I have the year 6 leavers disco to run and on Friday we have our staff summer 'do' where we say goodbye to any staff leaving as well as herald the advance of the summer break!

I will leave tonight with a picture that my father took whilst I was in France. It's the back end of a grumpy Simba who now has a new green trellis to enable him to enjoy the fresh air on the pontoon without him escaping and causing general mayhem around the marina!

BW Reply - gee thanks!!

2009-07-01T20:22:00.004+01:00

So today I received a reply from BW as follows.

Hello

I’ve had a look at your file and can see that the only other option for you would be to pay for your licence over the phone with your card details, that way we could get the licence out to you sooner. However I see that you pay over instalments so you may not wish to do this.

If this causes problems every year clashing with your holidays/boating the best thing to do is to buy a 3 or 6 month licence now which would change your renewal date. By doing that we could take a card payment over the phone at the Customer Service Centre for 3 months (£228.43) or 6 months (£391.61).

Please ring me at Customer Services on 0XXXXXXXXXX (my direct line) between 8am to 4pm if you wish to pay over the phone and I will do my best to get it processed as speedily as possible for you.

Kind regards

Jean Hicks
Customer Service Advisor
Customer Service CentreBritish Waterways

Now I could pay for a 3 months licence and then start again but that would mean paying a higher price for one year plus all the hassle of cancelling the existing DD and then setting one up again in 3 months time. Is it really so impossible in this beaurocratic age to issue a licence a month earlier given that the DD has ben set up for the past 7 years and pretty much guarantees the payment?

Nope - my stubborn side says why should I go to all the trouble ; I'm the customer and they provide the service I pay for. Sorry but I will be cruising with a very blunt note in the window, (as per the previous years,) for the first month or so of my new licence.

....and the fridge is struggling but still working! Mind you, we're all struggling at the moment. Fortunately Simba has been well catered for in the marina but the back cabin read 43 degrees when I returned home today. I am sitting here with the A/C on full and directed at me and it is still having trouble getting the boat below 27 degrees at the moment. I took the A/C unit into school today so my class now really like me! (I have to do somehting to gain popularity in the world!) I have told them that I will only bring it in each day after I review their behaviour from the previous day - devious and blackmail it may be, but it's effective!

Are we drifting towards a dictatorship?

2009-06-30T20:22:00.006+01:00

It's not often I get political - I hate politics; in fact, I hate anything even vaguely political but I have an observation.

In what appears to be an increasingly desperate bid to stay politically popular in preparation for any future elections, it appears as if Gordon Brown and his labour crooners are drifting towards a dictatorship. Two examples:

I hear tonight that teachers are to be given an MOT style test every 5 years and kicked out if they fail. We already have procedures for incompetent teachers but only after layers and levels of support have been tried and failed. Surely that's better. Instant dismissal after a single failed 'test' is extremely draconian at best.
Watching the BBC London programme this evening I discover that anyone protesting against the Olympics are be be arrested and prosecuted during the Olympic Games. Even displaying an 'anti Olympic' poster could land you a fine of up to £20,000. The police have been given extra powers of forceful entry in order to gain access to any building that displays or is involved with any form of Olympic based protestation. I seem to remember huge discussions on Human Rights being had over the Beijing Olympics - it seems we are none better. I'm not normally on the side of the Human Rights bods but this one seems a step too far!

I wonder what will be next in the steps towards dictatorship. Ridiculous laws on drinking and boating imposed by Europe perhaps, laughable health and safety regulations insisting on dangerous bollards at locks and lethal 'guard rails' - who knows where this increasingly downward spiral might lead us?

BTW the fridge is working fantastically at present! This evening I even had a glass of apple juice that waso cold it burnt my throat as it went down - now that hasn't happened for years! The thermostat is set on no 3 and it holds consistently in the blue 'fridge' section of my thermometer, even in the 38 degree heat that my classroom registered this afternoon.

I notice that Andrew Denny has blogged regarding licence renewal. Well it is my annual battle with BW again. I pay for my licence by Direct Debit so the system is automated and I need do nothing but read the form, check the details and sit back and wait. The problem is that my licence expires end of July. The new licence is due to be sent out automatically around 15th July. I break up on 17th July and vanish immediately for the summer. Very close and quite likely that my licence won't get to me in time given that it is sent to my London address and then needs to be forwarded to my school by my father. A whole summer of cruising with an expired licence on display and many waterways officials at sites such as Harecastle and Standedge to explain to - quite apart from the scouring looks and audible 'tut tuts' at locks. I phone BW and explain. "Sorry", comes the reply, "the system is automated and there is nothign we can do". POPPYCOCK - press a button somewhere and help this law abiding licencee to remain within the law and BW rules please.

If my licence doesn't arrive on time, I would urge everyone to phone BW and report me - if they can't be bothered to help, then let's waste their time and force them to be more co-operative in the future or I will have the same battle next year and all future years!

Fridge - part 2!

2009-06-29T21:55:00.002+01:00

What great people in this marina! I got home from work tonight to discover that Norman next door had Simba running up and down his pontoon with his dog to keep him cool in the shade of his boat and used my dog gate to keep the 2 of them under control and John and Eric had not only collected my new fridge but installed it for me as well - all I had to do was change the food over and lift the old one outside the boat!

I am now the proud owner of an LEC fridge as seen above and on this page!

It is now cooling down, (or trying to in this stifling heat and humidity). My only worry now, (as pointed out by John,) is that I am running both my fridge and my small freezer from the same cable. I am a little concerned that this may have been the cause of some of my previous failures and the fact that the compressors failed to switch off. I am sure many people more wise than I will confirm, (or hopefully otherwise,) that this could be a problem. The fridge seems to be cooling down at the moment and the freezer spends most of its life shut with only occasional door opening and so the compressor rarely runs on the freezer; this makes me suspicious that it could cause a problem but the large note on the instructions saying "over 90% of service call outs are due to incorrect cabling sizes" makes me worry that I might be trying to get too much magic fairy dust through one small wire!

Anyone know anything about this and can advise?

I slept last night with the air conditioning running. Having shut all the doors and windows and shoved the exhaust pipe through into the engine room, the back cabin quickly cooled from a sultry 26 degrees to a more respectable 18 degrees and I slept wonderfully, only stirring to pull the covers over me at around 2.00am when I got chilly! This evening it is still struggling to get my saloon down much below 22 degrees even though it's running flat out!

A text from my father in London ths morning simply read "41.2 in the sun here! Dad" You should try 36 energy obsessed 11 year olds in one small classroom after an hour of playing football at lunchtime - I would guess that I quite regularly reach that! (Why is it that they still have to be forced to take jumpers off?!)

According to my accordion teacher this evening, I am 'back on track' after almost a month of no lessons due to meetings, courses and French trips. Ah, French - on Thursday we have our French reunion evening involving cheese and wine for the parents; funny how that't the best attended event in the school calendar!

The weekend needs to see me pollishing the boat, topping up and checking the batteries and tidying the engine room, cratch and just about every cupboard on board in readiness for the trip north in a little over 2 weeks, (that sounds better than just under 3 weeks!)

Fridge!

2009-06-28T18:05:00.004+01:00

Well, I got home this afternoon to discover that my fridge was around 15 degrees and all the food had gone off! I knew it was playing up. My old fridge gave up the ghost and this one was given to me by Eric when he upgraded. I don't think I should have scraped the ice off with a kitchen knife! My suspicions are that the gas has escaped and I've punctured it somwehere. John is going to get me a new one tomorrow and hopefully this will be one expensive mistake that I won't repeat.

My PDA software is popping up error message everywhere as I discover more and more software that doesn't register and is operating in demo mode. Tomorrow I have several phone calls to attempt and unlock various bits of software before my upgrade is fully complete. Why does nothing ever go simply!!??

3 more weeks before I break up and in that 3 weeks, I have to cram in more than I care to think about: leavers discos, sports days, induction days, first aid days, transition days, annual hike, open evenings, reports out, meeting my new class, saying goodbye to this one, teacher assessment levels to be entered and submitted, QCA results to be analysed, Sats results to be analysed and normal teaching and parent pacifying in between!

My summer route is now decided upon. Up through Harecastle, pick up my father north of the tunnel, head up through Standedge tunnel, over the Rochdale, (breaches permitting,) and back down again. Unfortunately right up and over the L&L looks just a little too optimistic for this year so the Bingley 5 rise will remain unconquered!

A very mixed day!

2009-06-27T23:29:00.006+01:00

Well this post comes from London - piggy backing courtesy of my father's lodger's internet connection! Woke up this morning with the anticipation of driving down to London for a 'show'! It was a surprise planned for Fleur so I couldn't say too much about it before but now I can confess publicly to the world - we went to see Britains Got Talent - the 2009 live tour! Very sad I know but great fun and something very different. Here is a grainy mobile picture, (yes mobile and camera pictures/videos were allowed!) showing Stavros Flatley bringing the house down!

The disaster of the day was discovering as I pulled out of the gate from the marina to embark on my daily adventure that my CoPilot Live software has yet again let me down and refused to migrate over correctly to my new handset. The programme works but all street level mapping data stubbornly refuses to be found. The technical helpline is closed for the weekend and emails appear not to be unanswered out of office hours. Thanks ALK technologies. The software is great but if considering it - don't expect an easy ride in any technical support or issues of upgrade. I have spent the day 'fumbling around' trying to find my way about and now have to attempt navigating through all the Warwickshire back roads tomorrow to find my little shortcuts that get me home again.

A very frustrating day tempered only by the enjoyment of the show this evening. I shall leave you now, (before my laptop batteries die completely!) with a little grainy movie of Diversity giving their final performance.

Good night!

Not an everyday sight!

2009-06-24T21:16:00.004+01:00

Leaving for school this morning and I spotted a police car sitting outside the car park at All Oaks Wood. I slowed down and glanced as I passed and found that during the night someone had 'placed' a red van in the North Oxford Canal!

I did get some good pictures from Keith of the crane lifting it out but unfortunately I've lost them due to the next paragraph!!

I decided to upgrade my old HTC TyTn11 to a new HTC touch 3G.

Was it worth it? I'll reserve judgement on that one for a few days! It's certainly smaller and sleeker looking but comes with almost no accessories, the mini USB plug is different so I have to buy completely new chargers and leads and it has taken me hours and hours to set it all up again!

Rare sense!

2009-06-23T19:14:00.009+01:00

OK, so our school gets broken into - we phone the police and several hours later a solitary PCSO wanders up the drive to 'take a look'.

My car gets vandalised and the police tell me 'it will be a waste of time to persue it'.

My father's camper van gets stolen and the police tell him it will be 'long gone and probably in another country by now'.

Yet this poor guy simply gives out leaflets inviting people to an Easter church service and gets this reaction!

Never mind your particular religious views, in a so called 'Christan' country, is it just me or has everyone else had their brains radiated out and I'm the last one left with any common sense? Why is it that common sense is becoming less and less common these days! I think it should be renamed 'rare sense' as of now!

BTW. Thanks Tony for pointing out that my lower lock gates are the wrong way round at Foxwood Lock - I shall change them this weekend sometime; just checking!

Foxwood Lock.

2009-06-20T19:21:00.003+01:00

So Foxwood lock is now well under way to becoming the next completed cameo in Little Foxwood village. Spend the afternoon working on it. The boat under the tunnel has his tunnel light lit as he exits, (more work on the water required still.)The lock keepers cottage is in place and illuminated as well as a canalside lamp so that the fly boaters can keep working!

The over view of the scene. A boat exits the lock lower chamber.

....and heads into the shorter tunnel that leads uner the railway and on to the mainline.

The concrete steps to aid pushing open the beams still needs work on it but the scene is coming on.

A close up of the boat exiting the tunnel. As you can see, more work is still needed and the tunnel needs a date on the keystone at the front. The crack above the portal is not serious and so the tunnel can remain in operation.

Another general view of the scene.

France 2009!

2009-06-19T22:51:00.004+01:00

A whole bunch of random pictures this evening!

Returned home from France at around 1.30 in the morning this morning. Quite a record: within 15 minutes, 73 children, 10 members of staff and 2 luxury coaches had arrived, unloaded and vanished!

France itself was amazing again. The kids were great - it was just the staff that caused the problems! (I have to say that as I discovered that some of the staff have found my blog and now read it!)

The weather was stunning for much of the time and the experiences and places visited again caused great memories and it was a privilege to be part of the memories that these kids will have probably for the rest of their lives.
Mussel tasting seemed a bit of a hit - at least for most but certainly not for me!

OK, so there is a soft side to me! We visited a goat farm and I asked one of the children to hold my camera while I held the goat, they took a picture and unfortunately it came out quite well!!

The visit to Honfleur so the children could all sit along the harbour wall and sketch was a lovely experience. One of the staff overheard an elderly gentleman and his wife sitting outside a cafe enjoying their beer and wine and commenting on the children saying, "It makes you proud to be British - those children are such a credit to their school." A great moment for any teacher!

A traditional French street market provided the children with a chance to buy gifts as well as see the sights and sounds. The colours always amaze me.

The more serious moments included a visit to the Bayeux cemetery. Looking beautiful, (if that's possible in a cemetery,) after the recent anniversary celebrations; graves and crosses were festooned with flowers and memories, including this one from Prince Charles.

This sign was spotted painted over an entire window of one of the shops.

A visit to Pegasus Bridge was a great experience for everyone....

....and a lucky chance to see the new Pegasus Bridge being raised fully to allow boats through.

Finally, a couple of water related pictures! First, the view off the top deck of the ferry on the way over.

...and passing the big boys as we sailed out of Portsmouth.

My father was busy back home looking after Simba but also managed to find time to install the lock and canal on Little Foxwood. I hope tomorrow to tidy some of the bits up around it and will post photos next time hopefully.

Sailing into the sunset.

2009-06-13T15:52:00.002+01:00

Passport - check
Euros - check
Toothbrush - check
Sick buckets - check!

Well here I am only a matter of 10 hours away from having to meet the kids and leave for France. An overnight journey down to Portsmouth for an 08:00 hours sailing to Caen. I have managed to pack everything into Eric's car and now only have my personal ruc-sacks and the paperwork folder to put in.

The picture above was taken on the beach where we stay last year and I am hoping for more lovely sunsets this year. The forecast is good for both the UK and Northern France so things are looking good. The alarm is set for 01:00.

A scorching day today so my new found best friend - my air conditioning unit has been working overtime and doing an amzing job.

My next posts will be on my return with news of France and hopefully news of a newly installed lock and canal in Little Foxwood!

The great Napster Con!

2009-06-08T20:56:00.003+01:00

Totally unrelated ramblings but I am very cross! Don't get caught in the Great Napster Con! I am trying to find a simple website for purchasing and downloading music. I don't want to sign up for £50/month for the next 300 years, I don't want to install 500MB of fancy software onto my computer that will organise, categorise and even mood arrange all my music, I don't want to have to download music as outdated WMA files that are no use to me and then spend hours conveerting them to intelligent MP3 files - I SIMPLY WANT TO PAY TO DOWNLOAD MP3 SONGS THAT I WANT!! Is that too much to ask in these days - apparently so.

I have used Napster light before and it seemed to work, (except that you have to convert songs from WMA to MP3 and that it is a nightmare to get the songs off from your fancy bit of software to a simple file format on the desktop), so I thought I would sign up to a free 7 day trial for Napster unlimited where you can download as many songs as you like for free. After the 7 day trial it will cost £9.99 per month. The very first song I downloaded I had to pay 79p for! Apparently some you do have to pay - so says the little man in India who I couldn't understand a word of; in fact, it sounded more like 'some song do have pay' ... but I got the gist after 3 times of asking.

Needless to say, my 'free' trial has been cancelled and I have removed Napster and all traces of it from my laptop. Now if anyone can tell me where I can buy the songs I want at a reasonable price and download them as simple MP3 files - I'd be very grateful to hear from you.

Leaks and kayaks.

2009-06-07T18:37:00.003+01:00

Firstly, the leak! Solved I hope. This afternoon I turned the boat round and ran a bead of sealant round all the windows on that side. I now need it to rain to check if I have done the job properly - I'm sure my wish will be granted before long. It's interesting to note that it seemed all the windows on that side were breaking their seals. This is the same side where the colour on the boat is more faded. The reason - simple, it's the prevailing wind direction as well as gets the highest point of sun full on it.

The sun eventually came out and so I went for a nice long kayak trip. Overtaking all the narrowboats that were out there queued along the North Oxford heading north or south - I lost count of the number of times someone shouted, "you want to get a proper boat" or "why don't you get an engine mate?"

It's funny to think that this time next week I'll be in France - only just but I'll be there! Eric in the marina has very kindly offered to take me to Sainsbury's at 1.45am next Sunday morning to meet the coaches. I insisted that he shouldn't but he was adamant and I must say, I'm extremely grateful for his kind offer as it saves me leaving the car around up there.

The week ahead looks to be a tough one! A dull course tomorrow all day and then the battle of keeping the children firmly on the ground and not too excited about the forthcoming trip.

Foxwood Lock.

2009-06-06T19:57:00.002+01:00

Is there one - I don't know but there soon will be. In one weeks time I travel to France and my father comes up here to 'Simba sit'. Hopefully he's going to install Foxwood Lock into Little Foxwood Village. The infrastructure is ready and in place - it just needs bedding in and the layers getting right.

The boat needs customising but I have laid it out to get a feel...

The lock keepers cottage is ready to be put in place with a pretty canalside garden.

The detail is great - the lock even comes with ground paddles and steps to aid opening/closing gates although I have never seen them in such good condition - they need serious weathering!!

The lockside walls are greened with algae and the safety ladder is ready for use to aid single handed boaters.

The top gate is closed as the lock is empty.

A closer view of the boat leaving the lock. The boat needs customising and personalising but I have to use it as it has to be the right scale.
This morning I finished my reports - yeehay! Well, I say finished - I finished all the bits I have to write but I still have to import set 2 comments, French, music, art and games - all subjects I don't teach and being written by other members of staff!

To celebrate I spent the rest of the day getting frustrated in the railway shed! One section of track kept throwing the express off so I replaced it - the same thing happened. I narrowed it down to an adjacent point so I tweaked it and tweaked it and snapped it! A quick trip to get a replacement and I think I have solved it however now the point motor doesn't work so I have to keep ducking under the layout to change the point. At that point, (no pun intended,) I gave up and returned home - I shall try again tomorrow.

The summer has ended and today has not only been cold and windy but raining all day as well. Last night I discovered a leak. Water was dripping down under one of my side windows just above the sofa. As soon as the weather improves, I will re seal the windows on that side and see if it cures it. Khayamanzi is really beginning to get tired!

Enquiries made to the Standedge tunnel people have confirmed that you are now allowed to take dogs through which is great. Several pages of pdf document provide all the details I need for my planned summer trip - most informative and, unusually for BW, very helpful!

Summer heat!

2009-06-02T20:38:00.003+01:00

Well the long term forecast is for a very hot summer; but then again, it was last year I seem to remember as well!

It certainly has been EXTREMELY hot lately with outside temperatures reading a maximum of 38 degrees in the sun on the roof of Khayamanzi and inside temperatures reaching 30+ The boat windows, hatches and cratches have been left open day and night with kind neighbours taking Simba out for exercise and fresh air regularly.

I'm afraid I hate the heat - I've never liked it. I'm more of a cold person and much prefer cool and cold. I did a lot of 'umming' and 'arring' last year when small portable air conditioning units started appearing in Homebase and the like. I have finally succumbed to this little beauty.

Actually it looks bigger in the picture than it is! It can cope with cooling up to 20m square area has 2 fan speeds and a temperature range of cooling that gets down to 18 degrees. It is also 'A' rated for power and consumes less than 700W in operation - pretty good! Oh, and it has a timer if you want it to shut down after a certain number of hours and a natty little remote control!
No more sleapless nights for me thank you!

With only one more full week after this before I take charge as party leader of 76 lively and excited 11 year olds on a weeks trip to France, the planning, meetings, paperwork and endless neceesary form filling is well under way. Th eheart stopped momentarilly when the office told me there was a call from the passport office with a query regarding my application as party leader for the group/collective passport. Another problematic jobsworth I thought, who can't cope with me registering my legal address some 200 miles from where I work but no, simply a child who had forgotten to sign their application form and another who has a different common name to their legal name. A sigh of relief all round!!

Final day.

2009-05-29T20:48:00.004+01:00

Wow - what a scorcher! Just as we all have to return to work and travel home, the sun comes out to play!

A final walk today returning to Gunnerside and Mucker which is one of our favourite areas for diversity. This time we played safe and followed the river up, across and then back again! Not technically difficult but lengthy anyway.

Beautiful banks of bluebells..

...and sheltered glades....

....returning over the hills for a final BBQ before the trip back home for pudding!

One final shot. I couldn't possibly end the holiday without a picture of these little critters...

They epitomise the Yorkshire Dales.

Tomorrow, back home and my next post will be from on board Khayamanzi hopefully!

More walking....

2009-05-28T21:45:00.003+01:00

So the weather wasn't great when we woke up this morning but the hills beckoned none the less. A quick stop at Ingleton for some BBQ meat and off towards Gunnerside for a magnificent walk over the hills with the cloud rolling in and large expanses of featureless moorland frequented only by the occaisonal grouse. Half way up, (1300ft above sea level to be precise,) and I saw this outside an old barn that was being converted into a luzury house.

I can only imagine that it houses an external mains hookup point amd that the unit was either bought or nicked from some part of the Leeds to Liverpool or Lancaster canal.

It was lovely to see old mine workings all over the place as we walked today. 'Lovely' for 3 reasons:

It made interesting punctuation marks on the route,
It was lovely to see British industry in previously successful days doing something well,
It was incredible to see buildoings and structures built to last even though the engineers must have always known they would be temporary.

One such example left unwanted after it had finished its job was this stone crusher.

Here is Simba contemplating if we really have to walk along all that winding track!

Although when we arrived back to the car it was 21 degrees and shorts and shirt sleeves were the order of the day, as we ascended into the hills for a BBQ, the clouds rolled in and the BBQ was forced to become a spag. bol. back at the caravan - we'll try again tomorrow on what is to be the last day of the holiday.

Real Yorkshire weather.

2009-05-27T17:50:00.005+01:00

VERY heavy rain overnight and during the first part of this morning accompanied by strong winds - not a day to be up in the hills so we decided to be a tourist!

A leisurely start this morning and on to visit Lancaster, (what a dump!) in order to buy some clothes and bits that I need for the new school term when I return. We then went to Hawes to visit the Dales Countryside Museum and had a walk around Hawes looking at the local shops during which time I bought a new pure wool throw for my sofa back on the boat!

A quick visit to the Wensleydale creamery only to find that the viewing gallery and museum was shut so we had to put up with a visit to the shop and the purchase of some amazing Wensleydale cheese with ginger - of which half was eaten by the time we returned back to the caravan!

Back home the sun was attempting to push through for the evening although the winds are still just as strong. The forecast for tomorrow is almost as bad as today with the impending heatwave beginning on the very day we plan to drive back home! We can't sit around and so we plan to go walking again for the final two days of our holiday regardless!

Another one in the bag!

2009-05-26T19:52:00.009+01:00

Another lovely day - very windy to say the least but lovely sunshine. A fried breakfast set the day up and off we went to Kettlewell for the start of our walk. A popular trail but one we had made up and tracked using Memory Map last night. I swear by my handheld GPS running Memory Map software. Although most of the trails are well trod, the summit of any peak can often get confusing and my GPS has made life simpler on many an occasion!

A steep climb up towards Hag Dyke at the start of the trip and then the short scramble to the summit of Great Whernside with the wind steadilly increasing until the arrival at the 'trig' point when it was a hard job standing still and jumpers and jackets were quickly unpacked. It makes you have a greater respect for these hills when you witness first hand just how quickly the weather can turn.

Lunch was had sitting in a totally wind-proof and very impressive sheep fold before the continuation on towards Black Dyke and along Starbotton Road returning back to Kettlewell via Top Mere Road and Cam Head.

The arrival back to the car park was greeted well and none less so than for Simba....
The day ended with another BBQ, (dodging the showers and using the car as shelter from the wind,) along a stunning litle beck with scenic views all round.

It's not hard to see why I find myself feeling so at home here - just take a look..

...it's so remote and rugged!

Typically, the weather is set to turn from tomorrow for the next 2 days so wlaking may be limited and we may have to become more of a tourist for a while. Another good day is forecast for Friday with temperatures set to soar for our return journey home on Saturday.

2 out of 3!

2009-05-25T20:08:00.005+01:00

Hardly the 3 peaks challenge but last time we were walking here in the Dales we ticked off Ingleborough and today we 'done' Pen-y-ghent. Tomorrow we plan to 'do' Whernside' weather permitting.

A very pleasant walk which was almost too hot today with only a gentle breeze as we scrambled up to the top, pausing for lunch by a lovely little moss covered beck.

The clouds gathered and the wind was blowing up by the time we reached the car in the car park at Horton in Ribblesdale. Undeterred, we made our way over a particularly scenic route that we had marked on an old imperial map from many moons ago for a BBQ.

....only just in time as the last mouthfulls were accompanied by the patter of rain and by the time packed away and started the return journey home, the rain was heavy and steady. A stop off at Ingleton to the late night Co-op for some provisions and to save us time tomorrow and then home for pudding!

A million miles away.....

2009-05-24T12:47:00.004+01:00

Well, this post comes from very sunny and warm Inleton in the Yorkshire Dales. Travelled up on Friday evening and had an excellent journey taking only 3 and a half hours. A short 10 mile walk yesterday to ease us into the swing of things - a walk that took us along the Carlisle to Settle railway line and the famous Ribblehead viaduct.

Not a particularly stunning walk with the only exciting feature being the viaduct and much of the walk along well used metal roads or tracks but good none the less. The next walks will be a little more 'off the beaten track' and up in the moors more!

The caravan is amazing! More luxury than my boat and wondeful scenery 360 degrees. Spectacular views out of every window including looking right across over Ingleborough.

Very little internet signal so posts may be erratic and pictures will certainly have to be small, (although they are a little larger when you click on them!)

Sunday roast lamb now before heading for the hills. This little lamb is for all those running around us who get under the caravan at night and keep us awake or who make us break sharply by leaping out of the roadside hedges in a Kamakazee fashion!

Simba has a new mate!

2009-05-17T20:39:00.005+01:00

Here she is....

.....her name is Lyra and she belongs to Andy, (or does Andy now belong to her?) from NB Hilton here at Brinklow. She is stunning and so full of life! Simba loves her and they play for ages 'pretending' to be tough with teeth snapping but it's all for show and they get on so well with each other. Hope you don't mind me 'stealing' the picture from your blog! I need to get some pictures next time they're playing together.

Today, I managed to finish mowing the grass, (although I did get wet at the end!) The weather has been foul but the forecast tells me there is a chance it will get warmer and dryer towards the very end of the week - they had better be right as I head off to the Yorkshire Dales for my walking holiday.

I have been looking for a chance to get a pump out this weekend but the wind has simply refused to subside. I will now need to look for the opportunity one evening when I get home. Another busy week beckons. I have to clean the boat before leaving on Friday, sort out the lizard ready to be left, do the washing etc etc. We have a Victorian day in school on Tuesday. Rugby Theatre have loaned us some awesome costumes and props! They loan things FOC to local schools and they have an absolute Alladin's Cave of a wardrobe and props department. It should be a great day with the whole day being 'in role'. Sadly I believe it is now illegal to cane children!

OK - start breathing again!

2009-05-16T17:00:00.002+01:00

I thought it was about to time to post an update! A whole 2 weeks with no post, but then nothing's happened. Work has been absolutely frantic, in fact Friday lunchtime was the first time I stopped and had any sort of break whatsoever in the whole week. It's that time of year where every teacher will know what I mean, especially if they teach Year 6 who are now well and truely the top of the school and ready to move on!

Sats all last week but hopefully they might be the last. Report writing every spare waking time other than. Spent the morning writing reports and I now have the teacher comment and a comment and grade for English and maths done - only another 9 subjects to do plus the targets!

This afternoon I attempted to mow the grass. Got the tractor out - it poured with rain so I waited, started the engine - it poured with rain so I waited, put the cutters into gear - it poured with rain so I waited, cut the first few rows - it poured with rain so I gave up and put the tractor away again and went up the railway shed!

Talking of which, I'm starting to think about the lock and canal scene! Here is the lock:

Hopefully, it will be installed during June by my father when he comes up to 'Simba sit' whilst I'm in France with the children.

Spent a lovely evening last night with Derek & Sheila on board NB Clarence. We put the world to rights and helped the British economy with the imports of fine wines in traditional boaters style. It was long overdue as the invitation came some time back but for one reason or another things just didn't work. It was a lovely evening but it did mean a slow start to this morning as I didn't return to Khayamanzi till around 2.00am!

Now, there will be another slight pause in posting unless I get a signal in a weeks time. Next Friday, I'm off to the Yorkshire Dales with my father for our annual non boating walking holiday. I love the Yorkshire Dales and given fine weather the holiday should be wonderful. The fine weather bit is a worry however as I type this with the rain lashing down and the wind buffetting Khayamanzi back and forth into the jetty!

Making up for it!

2009-05-04T18:23:00.005+01:00

Well a weekend of no blogs so I thought I'd make up for it tonight! Friday night and I, (eventually,) managed to get out of school and head down south to London for the weekend. Saturday saw me at the seaside! Well, where else will you see a seagull visiting the bird table?!
A great day with some lovely weather and a good weekend generally. I returned this afternoon to get jobs done and even managed to spend a short while in the railway shed.

Speaking of which, my father has completed a pair of railway workers cottages and I spent some time at the weekend building and painting a playground scene which now adorns the corner of the village green,

....as well as the cricket figures for a match of crisket which now takes place on the green.

My father has developed an amazing little diarama involving the post office and another corner shop. You will notice the people having a good old natter on the pavement whilst a pair of cheeky children have opened the window to reach out for a cat on the roof. The local policeman seems oblivious to the danger as he watches the passing traffic from underneath the street lamp

One of the railway workers cottages with the front garden developing slowly!

The back of the other railway workers cottage. Clearly water saving is important as the butt collects rain from the outhouse. A corner patch in the garden is being developed as a flower bed and has recently been dug over.

Eric came up to visit me as I was working and I mentioned to him that I needed a small vacuum with a pipe to suck up bits of scatter and flocking that have strayed into 'un glued' areas. Shortly after, he arrived at the shed with this little beauty...

Someone was throwing it out and it was down by the dustbins in the marina. A huge thanks to whoever it was but it has gone to a very good home!

One thing we did do at the weekend was plan all the walks that we want to do in the May half term, (only a few weeks time!) This year, my father and I are heading up to the Yorkshire Dales again as it's one of my favourate areas. The farm that we camped on last time we visited the area in 2006 have a static caravan for rent and so we are using that this year to save having to tow our own caravan. It means we should have a nicer and warmer place to stay with rooms, decent heating etc.

I use Memory Map software to plan my walks. An awesome bit of kit that runs on my laptop for planning and then I create and print off a route card as well as send the overlay of the route to my handeld Pocket PC. When using this for the walk, it is very simple to use and shows a little compass to tell me which direction to walk in! It was a life saver, (possible literally,) up Kinder Scout when the mist rolled in - we even helped to get a bunch of very lost D of E treckers off the top!

Wot no railway?

2009-04-26T19:37:00.003+01:00

Well not a lot anyway!

A very busy weekend and yet another weekend that I have successfully managed to avoid starting to write the 36 reports that need starting soon!

Almost every moment of the weekend has been spent working of some form or another except for a short period yesterday where I rewired some lighting on the railway.

Nothign else to report really. Looking forward to heading down London for the bank holiday weekend next week - oh another excuse not to write reports!

Back to routine!

2009-04-18T20:29:00.003+01:00

Life as normal again now! The 2nd load of washing is in the machine, the hoovering is done and I'm back to routine getting ready for work on Monday.

Spent the last couple of days on the railway fixing my birthday presents and the buildings that we made on holiday. The pub is now lit...
....and sits on the village green waiting for the cricket match to begin....
The roads and pavements have been laid; my father did an excellent and very patient job of laying every individual paving slab which has made it safe for the children to get too and from school....

....and the 9 street lights have been put in and connected. Here you see the early morning deliveries in Little Foxwood...
Today, I bought some dimmers so that I can lower the lighting to make it slightly less bright. I now have atoatl of 4 transformers running the lighting and I want to put each one on a separate dimmer pack to be adjustable.

Back home!

2009-04-16T18:39:00.003+01:00

Well, back in the marina now.

Arrived back in at around lunchtime after re-fuelling from Iain & Allison on NB Gosty Hill having met them half way between Rose Narrowboats and home. Just as we got in and completed our pump-out, the rain started and it's been miserable all day since! One of those days I'm glad we're snug and safe in the marina and not out cruising.

Popped in to Homebase for some electrical bits and then onto the railway shop this afternoon for some more bits. When we eventually arrived back we spent a while changing the lights in the railway shed so I now have spot lights and a dimmer switch. Just popped back for dinner before going back up to connect the lighting on the school and the pub - pictures to follow.

Tonight, the historical picture is Cropredy - also 1979.

Last day out!

2009-04-15T19:35:00.003+01:00

This morning was cold - very cold; grey and hazy to boot!
We set off for Atherstone and arrived in good time. Not a single boat on the entire flight and every lock was in our favour - the whole flight was completed in 1 hour and 50mins! Onwards and upwards with the plan to moor at Sutton's Stop for a roast chicken dinner - best laid plans again!

I have never in my life seen so many boats moored there! I realise now why we didn't pass a single boat from Atherstone to the turn - they were all moored at the turn! We were forced to continue and finally moored just before bridge 11 opposite a farm. We haven't got much water and need to use the blank as you can see and we have a constant roar of the M6 nearby but it will do us for the night and the roast chicken dinner more than made up for it!

Tomorrow we head back in. Only about an hour and a half and we're home. I then need to get a pump-out and lots of diesel, (unfortunately not at Wheaton Aston prices!) before settling back in and spending a day or two in the railway shed. Sorry boaters - the next few blogs will probably be railway based again!!

An finally for tonights historical offering. What was called 'Napton Marina' on the slide - 1979!

A long day!

2009-04-14T21:44:00.010+01:00

The title speaks for itself! Not all boating but today seems to have been a very long day! It's amazing what little secrets you find on the waterways. It turns out that last night we were moored right alongside this.
Amazing to see the way the tree has grown right over the archway. Closer inspection revealed a beautiful brick 'cave' which backed right out ontot he River Trent. A little historical detective work and we guessed it was once the boat house of nearby Bishton Hall before the compulsory act of parliament drove a canal right through the middle of their sweeping lawns thus cutting them off from the river. A fact proven by looking at the picture on the homepage of the website where you can clearly see how it used to look!

Onwards towards Rugeley where a coupel of hours saw us getting a mammoth load of shopping and having a pleasant stop and chat with Derek & Dot from NB Gypsy Rover again.

Our journey continued to Fradley Junction where traffic was light and the passage was made more pleasurable by meeting some interesting people. The ex-serviceman who had fitted his own 40ft boat out to a very high standard and who was having to hassle BW to get his licence due to the fact that his own morals wouldn't let him go off cruising without a valid licence dispalyed - how refreshing! Not to mention the passing 'hi' to Nev from NB Waterlily - meeting fellow bloggers seems a steady feature of this trip! Not a great picture but the best I could get as I grabbed the camera and avoided the moored boats!

As we approached Hopwas, the clouds loomed and our planned evening BBQ seemed more unlikely. It produced an amazing sky but only a few spots of rain. We finally managed to more just before Tamhorn Park Bridge opposite the military danger zone and exactly 7 days since mooring here on the way up! A BBQ was had, (a record - 2 in one Easter trip!) and a very pleasant evening.
Now for my historical pictures! A delightful image of Bourton Lock and cottage. I know this is a particular favourate of Bones and something she blogged about recently, (April 11th post - A cottage of dreams.)

This post was scanned by my father and given the title - 'cheer up, things could be better'! It redresses the balance by showing Steve doing some work and me just contemplating life in general, (as much as one does at age 7!)

Tomorrow, we hope to get through Atherstone and as far towards home as possible before mooring somewhere; anywhere ready for the return trip in on Thursday.

Q's!

2009-04-13T18:45:00.007+01:00

Well - what an interesting day! This morning was grey and cloudy as we set off. The plan was to get to Rugely, stop there for some shopping before heading towards Hopwas for the night. Best laid plans and all that! Just as we were about to set off, the innevitable happened and a flotilla of boats appeared. Holding onto the ropes and passing a cheery good morning was fine until the last boat decided to go past flat out!. A loud 'twang' and this was the result.....The loop from the mooring chain dropped into the water and this link was all that was left, except for me standing holding the end of a rope yelling at the oblivious idiot. We followed him to the lock and against all our instinct and usual friendliness, stayed on th eboat whilst they worked through. As they left the lock, my father wandered down to help close the last gates only to discover they had already closed them - right in the face of an uphill boat! Oh I love bank holidays with all those 'very experienced' boaters!

Anyway, the rest of the trip was pleasant and uneventful until passing through Heywood lock, stopping for water and picking up on the 'jungle drums' that the next lock had a hold-up! Some hold-up; 13 boats was being mentioned as we plodded slowly towards the infamous Colwhich Lock. Fortunately we stumbled upon Henk and Coby from NB Double Dutch and spent a very pleasant half hour or so chatting to pass time.

We eventually arrived at the lock to discover we were boat number 9 but the gathered crowd was interesting.

I pushed forward to see what the excitement was about....

3 BW workmen, (actually there were 4,) all digging, shoving, pushing, poking and fishing for something stuck in the lock seal; never mind the upstream paddle that wasn't working at all, at least the leaking lock gate meant that the lock filled quicker. Once they 'fixed' it, it was slow to both fill and empty - well done BW!!

3 hours later, we got through the lock and decided to give up for the night and moor between bridges 70 and 69.

Just in time for dad to start making the coaching inn for the railway!
Standing on the back of the boat last night and we spent a happy time taking a trip down memory lane and being all nostalgic over our early days of boating. In the late '70s and '80s it somehow seemed so much more 'pioneering' and adventurous. It did make me think. From time to time and more frequently when shore based and back home, I'm going to publish by way of a kind of online archive a selection of pictures from some of my earliest boating memories! I'll kick start the idea with 1979 and Claydon Top Lock. Notice Steve, (my brother,) of NB K2 hard at work on the roof while I bring the boat into the lock!
....and finally me tucking into a boaters breakfast of porridge before a hard day ahead!

...more to come!

Chilly post!

2009-04-12T20:20:00.004+01:00

No, no reference to the post content this evening; more a reference to where I am posting from - the sliding back hatch on the roof of Khayamanzi! Only a couple of bars of GPRS inside but up here on the roof I'm zipping along with 3 bars of 3G bordering an HSDPA connection!

So this evening you get full size pictures again!

Set off this morning and an hours run towards Autherley Junction and the turn onto the Staffs. and Worcester.

A chilly start to the day with the sun attempting to push through a very hazy sky. Wolverhampton Boat club were all out and so there was a huge amount of traffic around but spirits were high and queues at locks were all very pleasurable experiences with much merriment and laughter - just the way boating should be!

Queuing for one particular lock and a boat coming the opposite direction announced its arrival with a horn blast and an aim towards me! It wasn't long before it became clear to recognise the outline of Andrew Denny on NB Granny Buttons. It was great for him to be able to pull up and have a longer chat than the normal passing shout.

Onwards to our final mooring just after Acton Trussell. A beautiful evening with a bright sun and cloudless blue sky.
....so a BBQ just had to happen, (hence the late post this evening!)

Tomorrow, on through Great Haywood, (stopping for water,) past Tixell, (that's unusual for me,) and towards Rugely where we need to stop for shopping as supplies are running dangerously low.

Lovely day!

2009-04-11T18:44:00.015+01:00

WOW! What a beautiful day with the weather! It's days like this that boating was made for. Bright blue sky, no wind, hot sun. Most of the day was spent cruising along in shirt sleves - amazing. Apparently further south it's been overcast and drizzly - such a shame but as it's so rare that it works out that way for me; you'll forgive me if I gloat just a little.

Moored up this evening just before Autherley Junction again, having turned at mid day just after the famous bridge 39, (High Bridge,) in Grub Street Cutting - one of may favourates. Not only do we have no satellite signal as we're in a cutting but I also have next to nothing on the internet so I'm afraid very little pictures again if they'll upload at all! A short stop at Norbury Junction for supplies and an ice cream; as you can imagine, a hive of activity on a day like today!

Then onwards through more cuttings and wooded glades.

One feature of the canals I've noticed on this trip is the amazing amount of tree felling and clearance that BW have obviously done during the winter. We noticed it first along the Coventry but it's been everywhere. Hats off to BW for this as it only really benefits boaters and they get a lot of, (often justified,) bashing most of the time so it's nice to address the balance and give a little praise. The 'place' looks lovely and very tidy!

Right now - I'm off to light the BBQ!

Day 005

2009-04-10T18:44:00.007+01:00

OK, so the phone says 5 bars of GPRS but the laptop refuses to have any of it! Last night I got 3 bars of signal and I was zipping along and this evening 5 bars and no pictures are uploading so I've given up and am writing a text only post! If the pictures decide to upload - you'll see them otherwise this will simply be waffle. Thanks Orange and can anyone please explain how this can happen!!

Nope - nothing, zilch, not a dicky bird - I give up! Text only it is.

Set off this morning towards Autherley Junction and the turn onto the Shroppie. This is why I love the Shroppie!

I have reduced the pictures to almost nothing and they seem to be uploading now!

A long water stop at the junction before heading towards Wheaton Aston for diesel - 46p per litre!!! I don't know how he does it but he's totally legit and has a very fancy computer system used for registering you and your boat details and declaring the percentage directly to whovere needs to know; and you can declare the genuine and legally acurate percentage split for your boat and usage.

Onwards and upwards and it wasn't long before Khayamanzi ground to a shuddering stop with warning alarms going off everywhere and zero steering - heading straight for a very large bush! It was obvious something was round the prop and whatever it was - it was extremely large and very tough!

This is what it was!

An entire re-enforced Travis Perkins builders bag. Boy it took some cutting and the frontof the boat took a serious pounding from the bush! The chimney fell off, the front tunnel light smashed and the boat was littered with bits of branch, leaves and buds. Hats off to AJ canopies though as the cratch cover took the brunt of the force and stood up with no more than a few scratches.

Our final mooring between bridges 30 and 31 opposite a field of sheep and lambs.
Only a few showers and only one was hard so not a bad day. The bonus was that the wind has eased. Tomorrow they say it will be good and fine weather over the weekend.

Mixed day!

2009-04-09T17:48:00.003+01:00

A mixed day today! Woke up this morning and it was raining. A 'should we, shouldn't we' decision had to be made. A quick look at the forecast on the BBC website for the area sugested that today would be better than tomorrow so we set off. Sure enough the rain eased and only the occasional shower dampened spirits as we headed towards Autherly junction.

Finally mooring just after bridge 73, Latches Bridge on the Staffs. and Worcester. Not a bad spot; an acceptible satellite signal, a couple of bars of GPRS and a decent towpath.
Spotted at Gailey - worth noting the 'keep to the right' sign if you need to use the BW facilities. If you pee to the left you'll find it's actually the wash basin!!

The waterway landmark, (is that an oxymoron?) of The Roundhouse at Gailey.

Worth mentioning a couple of dampers to the day.

If you ever see this delightful pair, (probably still moored under the same bridge - Woodbank Lane Bridge; 87a) do say hello from me! Bless them, I think they spoke in English but it certainly wasn't a form of the Queen's language I was used to as I passed by on tickover. I did recognise the words 'slow down' amongst the rest of the somewhat limited vocabulary that was grunted from behind his fishing rod. It even stirred my frustratingly patient father's inner annoyance as he blurted out the fantastic one liner, 'you sad little people - are you boaters or do you just sit there all day?' Laugh? I nearly choked on my minestrone until I noticed the lock waiting area just beyond and realised we had to venture forth from the relative safety of our little steel floating shell!

Fortunately the passage passed with no further hindrance and the only other minor frustration was the elderly gentleman and his grand children who pulled out right in front of us, (I mean less than a boat length,) as we emerged from the top a lock. His actions were clear when we realised that the next lock was just round the corner and he was clearly in too much of a hurry to want to let us go first!

Ah, well - tomorrow Autherley and onto the Shroppie for a short trip before turnign for the journey home. We want to be back home by next Thursday ideally so that we have some time for work on the railway!

Many thanks to all those who wished me a happy birthday! I actually only put it on there to see if anyone responded as it would show me if anyone ever reads this drivel! I so enjoy playing little games and it massages my ego a tiny bit when I realise that people do!

Hapy birthday to me!

2009-04-08T17:59:00.005+01:00

I have a smart new door to my railway shed! I got a guy from the marina to replace the rotten wooden door and frame for me and this picture was texted to me this afternoon! It now just needs a lick of paint and it will be smart, in fact I plan to paint the whole shed a dark subdued green at some point to make it blend in a little more and weather permitting, these jobs may be done on my return.

Wow, 3 days in a row and an internet connection on the canals - this must be a record, especially as I've also had a satellite signal 3 days in a row!!

I see BW are taking unlicensed boats increasingly more seriously! Maybe this will, at last, take an effect on the shere numbers we've passed this past few days.....

Still, we have a beautiful mooring spot this evening - just past the wide at Tixell. Moored up in lovely sunshine.

We're making quite headway with our training to get Simba to start working for his living - he's beginning to be able to help push the gates open. The next task is to send him on ahead with a windlass.

It was good to see at Fradley Junction that we're being well looked after by the BW H&S department. I did tell the guy in the white van who was installing them that he'd got it wrong. I asked if he could flatten the tops of them so that my beer didn't fall off when I put the glass on them whilst locking through; I think he saw the funny side!!

Spring is here at last, (perhaps!) Although the weather stayed dry all day the wind was a fierce feature that meant steering was very hard and I have ended up very windswept! Apparently that's it though - we have torrential rain from here on. Still, I spotted the first family of ducklings.

Passing Streathay Wharf and a tip-off menat that I was ready with the camera to spot the back end of Granny Buttons! No Andrew Denny around but work was clearly happening on the 'good ship Granny'!

OK, well, now I'm off to get a birthday dinner - spag. bol. with an M&S birthday cake to follow. If the weather really is that bad tomorrow - we may just stay put and build some railway model buildings!

2 bloggers in one day!

2009-04-07T18:23:00.004+01:00

Our very pleasant final mooring just after Hopwas.

Set off this morning for a VERY slow trip through the Atherston flight! In fact, it took us only an hour less than the Caen Hill Flight to do just 11 locks!!

A very pleasant interruption half way down was the meeting with Bruce and Sheila from NB Sanity. It's always lovely to meet fellow bloggers and although the locks and the flow of traffic kept us moving, it was a welcome 'catchup'.

Onwards and battled through the wind which at times made for very challenging and interesting boating before arriving at Fazely Junction. Who should we meet there but Derek and Dot Canvin from NB Gypsy Rover. Another fleeting chat - this time, the wind prevented a longer stop given that we were rapidly being blown across and into the wharf!

The occasional spots of rain but generally the rain held off and the sun made fleeting appearances although the temperature did mean that we were glad to stop by the time we made it to Hopwas.

Tomorrow - on through Ravenshaw Wood and towards Tixell Wide to celebrate my birthday!

Day 001

2009-04-06T17:11:00.006+01:00

Due to the mobile connection images have been reduced - click on them if you wish to have a larger version.

First day! Set off this morning at around 10.30 after getting sorted and having a leisurely start. A clear run through with very little traffic moving at all. Finally moored just before Atherstone locks at bridge 33. A good satellite signal but only 3 bars of GPRS internet!

This made me laugh! I couldn't help wonder of the recession has bit hard with Railtrack and forced them to take desparate measures for any free electricity they can get hold of to help keep the trains running!

A while back British Waterways made a pledge to their share-holders. They were going to remove one online mooring for every 10 marina moorings created. A year back I phoned them to ask what happened to this pledge when I passed by the moorings along the bottom of Nettle Hill and by Les Wilson Narrowboats as it seemed that the farmer was embarking on the creation of another mile or so of moorings. Of course I never got anywhere but now plan to email them again with this picture and ask, as a share-holder, if this pledge is now officially worthless and defunct.

A dray day and really rather pleasant cruising but the rain is due in tomorrow for the next 3 days. We are planning at least one day of 'hunkering down' and not moving unless we get a miracle and the rain blows off course!

We did pass our 'fiends' on NB FUBB. We seem to pass them every Easter and it was great to get my annual barrage of insults from them - now I feel the holidays have really started!!

Last land based post for a while.

2009-04-05T16:07:00.005+01:00

Thanks to Tiscali, I've had no internet for the past 2 days so my apologies to anyone who has tried to email or contact me!

My father arrived yesterday morning to drop off his stuff ready for the cruise and then headed up north somewhere for meetings! He plans to arrive properly late this evening, (around 9.30-10.00 ish,) and then we head off tomorrow morning. Unless plans change, it seems that we will be heading towards the Shropshire Union. The weather forecast is not great next week which is somewhat typical given that this weekend has been glorious and I'm sitting here now with all the windows and doors wide open! In fact, the preceding few weeks have been fantastic so I guess it's about right to change now that I'm off on holiday.

Warning to boaters - NEVER, EVER book a cruise during the school holidays - you can guarantee that it will be wet, windy, cold and miserable as I'll be on holiday then!!

Spent yesterady and much of today getting ready to go. Cleaned the boat, filled up with diesel, water etc. even polished the brass and the outside! Tidied the engine room so I can now see the throttle, mowed the grass in the marina, (the first proper cut this year,) and visited the model shop to get pleanty of buildings and figures to make and paint on those wet, windy, cold evenings I expect to be getting.

Speaking of the railway, the Lord of the manor has built a folly on the hill! I now have the first of the terraced houses in place for the residents - only another 6 or so required!

The vicar is in the church as evidenced by the fact that his car is parked in the car park.

The farm is a hive of activity....

Whilst the farmer's wife has a good old natter over the fence.

The wagon wheels are just some of the painting I did over the past week in the evenings on board along with a lot of other farmyard junk!

The mail is being delivered to the farm workers cottage whilst the empty milk churns wait to be taken in for the afternoon milking.

The church now has people! The children run out from Sunday School and the adults sit in the sun and natter.

Many more people pay their respects to loved ones in the cemetry.

Enough of this fantasy! I think it's easier to lose yourself in a model railway than it is in boating and that IS saying something! Now to dinner.

Hopefully my next post will be from a mobile connection, (if I get a signal,) and to update you with more 'boaty' matters!

Buildings!

2009-03-29T17:55:00.003+01:00

A lot of hard building work has taken place this weekend!

As well as enjoying a great weekend with Fleur who came up to visit. I have also managed to find time to install the buildings that arrived and make a good start on much of the associated scenics.

The station is in place and just needs ramps or steps at the end as well as a little bit of bridge work over the top!

The farm is built and the pigs are feeling quite at home.

The farmhouse is looking good and the start of a front garden can be seen.

The engine shed is up and running and now waiting for some workers and bits of junk to complete the scene!

A water tower is in place and the coal bunker is stocked.

The church is in position on the hill and lit. It's amazing the speed that people die and get buried in 'Little Foxwood'!

This week, I have lots of painting of bits 'n' pieces to do and a few more scenery jobs if I get the time.

In between this, I have also managed to polis the boat and begin to get sorted for next week. Still not sure where we're going yet but I'll think about that during the week.

Awaiting collection!

2009-03-26T19:56:00.003Z

Much of the village is here - waiting to be collected and brought up to me! Fleur is coming up at the weekend to visit and is also acting as Pickfords Removals for me. She is bringing up this little lot for me to install over the next week in the evenings.

All very exciting!

Fridge!

2009-03-25T19:37:00.003Z

OK don't laugh, I know it's not much - it's silly really, hardly worth blogging about and certainly not very interesting but it's a big event for me. Really quite exciting, something new, something that works properly - I'm really quite over-joyed with it actually. I have a new fridge!

Well, I say 'new', it's Eric's old one. Eric is one of the harbour master team here at Brinklow and had a new fridge/freezer delivered today. Not being proud, I have his old one and it's much better than my old one!

For a start, it works reliably, then there's the freezer door that opens and closes and stays closed when told, then the space inside, it's almost silent, has an amazing alarm which sounds if anything goes wrong, a sensible dial to adjust the temperature and a great light so I can actually see the contents and finally, the door opens the other way round which is a big bonus as I can now get to the inside of the fridge without having to contort into weird shapes!!

Here it is, although the salad tray is still out and the water jug's not in the door holder!

See you mockers, Simba's impressed!

Back to the raliway.....

2009-03-22T17:36:00.005Z

...sorry!

Spent a bit more time this afternoon finishing off some bits on the railway. It's officially known as 'Little Foxwood' now! This was the name that won in my mind - sort of quite cute and rural sounding!!
The first buildings are due up next weekend and so today I have finished all the back bits that need me climbing on top of the layout to get too! Bits such as this cliff face to create the cutting for the railway to run through with the houses from the edge of the neighbouring village 'Greater Foxwood' just peeping round the edge. The cutting hides the gap that was previously visable below the backdrop!

I also cleare and painted the space ready for the engine shed.

Doesn't look much but it's ready for the shed and associated scenics in order to become a thriving busy engine yard.

A busy week ahead with a Governors meeting on Tuesday and Mock Sats week at school for the kids - lots and lots and lots of marking all week to fit in!!

So what's happened?

2009-03-21T20:05:00.003Z

....not a lot really!

Pump out this morning followed by the purchase of more coal and some diesel. I hope this might be my last lot of coal I need but then who knows!

Spent a little time in the railway shed this afternoon and modelled the cliff at the back of the layout to make the railway appear to go through a cutting. It also hides a nasty gap at the bottom of the background pictures!

No pictures today so I'll leave you with these two. Stu - one of my neighbours in Brinklow sent them to me during the week. He took them hasitly using his camera phone from his kitchen window early one morning. Not a bad view to wake up to and coming from London, I never take this for granted!

No railway news!

2009-03-15T17:25:00.003Z

A lovely evening last night with Steve and Julia - fantastic food, good wine and great company. Here's a picture this evening of the 2 'very similar' boats moored together over night. Steve and Julia set off this morning and I had a good day round the marina doing 'stuff'! I did spend an hour last thing on the railway but only running the trains round - no new developments, (I hear a mass sigh of relief!)

Stunning weather today. Glorious sunshine that was actually hot and at one point I was in shirt sleeves whilst working round the marina. Who would have thought around a month ago, we were all snowed in! The daffodils have started bursting out and long may spring continue. Parent's evenings again this week at school and another weekend in 5 days time!

Saturday

2009-03-14T23:33:00.005Z

So Saturday has been and gone - half way through a weekend already!
Another short trip to Castle Trains this morning to return something meant the innevitable purchase of more bits and bobs! A good day all in all with a lot achieved on the railway in a short space of time - due mainly tot he fact that things actually worked today!

An email from my father provided these 2 pictures of the island station finished, populated and lit up.
This unimpressive green patch that has now appeared is actually a hill! It's waiting for the parish church and graveyard to be built after Easter.

A 'pill-box' has also appeared which is a necessary addition to any post war model layout. In fcat more may be required eventually to protect strategic locations.

An a castle/monastry ruins has also materialised!

In addition to this, I managed to mechanise another point and wire up the transformer and switch ready for the scenic lighting such as buildings, street lights etc.

Just returned from a very pleasant evening with Steve and Julia from NB Even Balance who are my new 'one night only' neighbours on their way to the Ashby for a few days. Hopefully tomorrow, I'll get some pictures of the 2 almost identical boats moored side by side!

Engine shed

2009-03-13T22:09:00.003Z

So the next buiding is finished and ready for installation thanks to my sub contracted Dedicated Amenities Developer, (AKA dad!) The engine shed is complete and lit. The quality of the detail on these models is outstanding.

Tomorrow, a visit to Castle Trains in Warwick to take back a tunnel portal that doesn't fit and get some more little bits and bobs for the farmyard scene as well as bushes and grasses.

It was nice to hear today of someone I know from the Ashby Canal who made an enquiry at Brinklow. 'Pipistrelle' is only a short 30+ foot narrowboat and so it may be possible to find space somewhere for them if they decide to persue the idea. Brinklow is now full which is great although a waiting list is being held and certain size boats can be 'squeezed' in if wanting a 12 month contract or longer. The daffodils are looking great again, the weather is beginning to warm up and it finally looks as if next week spring might arrive. It won't be long and I'll be mowing the grass again!

Lights!

2009-03-11T19:26:00.003Z

So what do you think? It's amazing how a little light shafting through an open door and out onto the courtyard pavings can make the models come alive!

Keep in mind that these models are still in London at my father's house and not yet embedded into the layount, The gap under the pavement is down to the temporary wiring to get the lights working.

Hopefully these will be installed over Easter.

Bought the castle ruins today and so have that diorama to build at the weekend. Unfortunately everyone seems to be out of the trackside fencing I need to finish one little section so I have to wait for more to come into stock.

I also ordered an applicator yesterday that will enable me to add rust weathering to the edges of the tracks for increased realism. I'm hoping this will arrive in time for the weekend!

General ramblings!

2009-03-10T19:47:00.004Z

Wow! My 'Head of Building Construction' has been working hard! I now have not only an island station but also a farmhouse and workers cottage!

There is no doubt that these buildings look amazing and even better when lit up with little bulbs! I hope to get a picture of one lit up soon as the lights are going in at the building stage. This weekend, I plan to finish off a section of fencing, add a few more sheep and some monastry ruins with creepers growing up them - just to add a bit more character!

Talking of the weekend, I'm very much looking forward to a meet-up with Steve and Julia off NB Even Balance. Since we both left Trinity, we haven't kept up so much and it will be lovely to have a 'flying' visit from them with an overnight stop here at Brinklow. No doubt a bottle of wine or two might be shared!

I'm on a health drive! Well, not really but I have started ordering these:

I get one every Tuesday and Thursday and the contents are different each time according to my taste and preferences! Ordered from a brilliant company called Graze.com. Only £2.99, surprisingly filling, very tasty and healthy! It guarantees that I actually get a lunch although today one kind colleague did have to pin a sign to the staffroom door saying, 'Year 6, please leave Mr. Edwards at least 10 minutes to have his lunch!'

How often does that happen?

2009-03-07T18:57:00.006Z

A garage bill less than the original quote? That's unheard of surely?? The original quote for replacing a gearbox mounting was £109 for the whole job. This morning, I dropped the car down to Fosseway Vehicle Serives and an hour later the whole job was done at a total cost of £68 - WOW!

Picture the scene if you will - Friday morning, minus 3 degrees outside according to the outdoor thermometer by my bed, 6.00am and the alarm goes off as usual. That's funny, I think in my half woken state, no humming sound from the central heating - it hasn't come on! I leap out of bed and find the timer flashing as if there's been a power cut during the night. I press the manual over-ride to get it on quick and the whole thing resets itself and stubbornly refuses to fire up. Less than happy, I have a cold wash, get dressed in a very cold boat and head off to work moaning about the morning! John went to take a look while I was at work but could only go so far due the amount of vital clutter in the way! This morning, I pulled everything out for John to look properly and he quickly discovered a burnt out fuse holder and dodgy fuse that simply wouldn't cope with the required start-up power needed. He's so clever! I so admire people who can follow a problem and find a solution, ( I have to say that - he hasn't put the bill in yet!) Here is the offending item and the heating now works a treat. I was fearing the worst with the heating so it was good to have 2 bits of money saving news in one day. I celebrated by visiting the railway shop and spending the money I saved!!

More buildings to post to my father who has now become 'Head of building construction'! There is no doubt that the Metcalfe Models look stunning but I simply don't have the patience for them. My father, on the other hand, really quite enjoys them so it seems a perfect partnership! I now have the pub, the church, an engine shed and some cottages for him to make over the next few months or so! The layout is in need of a few buildings now. I spent some time this afternoon 'flocking' the fields and banks and sorting some bits out as well as painting the base board a lovely brown colour ready for things to happen on top!

A few pictures of the layout thus far! First the Pullman coaches with little table lights that light up as the City of Sheffield pulls them round the village.

In their sidings at the end of the day.

A general over view of the layout so far. Notice the large amount of, (still wet,) brown paint on the base board simply as a base colour so that chip board doesn't show through any subsequent scenics.

Sheffield passes through the fields....

...another general scene. The lower level is waiting to become the colliery with pit head, loading stage and wharfside canal and lock scene!