Alnwick Castle

I have a very poor connection and have also managed to corrupt my computer, hopefully when I get back to the boat I will be able to restore it to its former glory. We are having a great time up here visiting family and staying by the sea.

On Saturday we visited Alnwick castle, definately worth a visit with lots of things going on. We watched the birds of prey and walked around the gardens. Absolutely no chance of uploading photos.

A little rain today so Frances is off doing some retail therapy while I entertain my father who is drinking his home made nettle beer.

Holiday

I spent the day clearing up the back cabin; we had accumulated an enormous amount of unnecessary junk since we started off in June. So I did a Frances and trimmed it right down and we can now get in and out without clambering over the clutter.

Tomorrow we are off up north (Northumberland) visiting family. So the painting will be on hold for a week or two, just when I had got going as well, well such is life. We are looking forward to the holiday break, but some would ask how do you tell, and this would be a good point. I guess the main difference will be that the floor will not be moving beneath our feet. Otherwise it is business as usual.

Statistics so far:-

514.99 Miles, 404 Locks, 46 Swing Bridges, 27 Lift Bridge, 6 Tunnels. 3 batteries!! 1 Alternator

Old Friends

Well the paint work is progressing well; I have my daughter-in-law here helping. We could get a job on the local council with all of the tea break experience that we are gaining. Okay the weather is most suitable for painting but not necessarily for the painters, they need some shade and a nice long cool drink. We have the red oxide on and I will do the top coat tomorrow.

We went out last night for a curry with Brian and Liz. I worked with Brian over twenty years ago and have not seen him since. It was good to get together; you wonder where the time goes and how easy it is to lose touch.

Statistics so far:-

514.99 Miles, 404 Locks, 46 Swing Bridges, 27 Lift Bridge, 6 Tunnels. 3 batteries!! 1 Alternator

Cow Roast

We decided to move down to Cow Roast as it had better parking facilities and a slightly wider tow path, needed for our roof contents.

Last night we had a meal at the Greyhound in Aldbury with our friends Pete and Wendy, the food was excellent and we had a very enjoyable night out. I have not been doing the GRPS for some time and in fact may give it up for similar reasons as Ernie on Ten bob note. These places change all of the time and it also often depends on your mood. Having said that, if I was still doing it, I would give “The Greyhound” a GRPS of 4.0, definitely worth a visit.

We disgorged the roof contents onto the tow path and after sanding the roof down it has a nice new coat. It is a pity that we have to put things back up there. We probably have too much stuff but at the present time I cannot see how we can reduce our stuff. I could let Frances loose…that would probably do it.

Current location

Freshly painted roof

Today we did 0.46 miles (actually it was yesterday after I posted the blog)

Statistics so far:-

514.99 Miles, 404 Locks, 46 Swing Bridges, 27 Lift Bridge, 6 Tunnels. 3 batteries!! 1 Alternator

Cow Roast, almost

Up very early this morning (for us at any rate). We reversed up through the bridge to the turning point at the Aylesbury junction and then on through the locks with Paul and Steve from Weston Lady.

They continued on and we stopped at Bulbourne to fill up with water. Frances walked back to the car and I continued on solo. I knew that there was a good chance to see Kingfishers along this stretch, particularly after the Tring station bridge so I made sure that I had the camera with me. And sure enough my luck was in as there were two along this stretch, not only that they sat still as I went past. The following pictures were of the second one using a telephoto lens, I took a photo of the first one with the standard lens and then frantically changed the lens as I drifted along hoping that there would be a second.

Kingfisher

Kingfisher

We are now moored up just before Cow Roast preparing to get down to some serious paint work.

Today we did 3.57 miles and 7 Locks

Statistics so far:-

514.53 Miles, 404 Locks, 46 Swing Bridges, 27 Lift Bridge, 6 Tunnels. 3 batteries!! 1 Alternator

Painting opportunity looming

The weather forecast over the next few days is sun, sun and sun so it will be out with the painting paraphernalia and down to some serious tarting up, we may even work on the boat as well.

We will head down towards Cow Roast first thing in the morning and then let the work begin.

Today we nipped down for a Ralphy fix and some food shopping. This is our current mooring, and quite nice it has been too.

Current location

Statistics so far:-

510.96 Miles, 397 Locks, 46 Swing Bridges, 27 Lift Bridge, 6 Tunnels. 3 batteries!! 1 Alternator

Pottering

Not much to blog about today, come to think of it is there ever anything any day? I have mainly bashed away on the piano and played around with the Perspex window for our hatch. Frances has been at work. I did speak briefly with my work, still waiting for funding to continue my project otherwise no work activity; it will probably start next month.

Seriously wondering about full retirement, everyone else seems to manage it alright, so why not us? I am not sure how I will cope with a full 4 hours every day again, when the work picks up. I have loved having the last couple of months off, pottering about reading and playing piano. And of course when we can get some consecutive dry days, there is always boat touch up painting.

Statistics so far:-

510.96 Miles, 397 Locks, 46 Swing Bridges, 27 Lift Bridge, 6 Tunnels. 3 batteries!! 1 Alternator

Easter Monday

Yesterday we had Mick and Celeste over for Sunday Lunch and a walk around the reservoirs. No sunshine but at least it didn’t rain.

Today gorgeous sun so out came the bikes and we cycled down to Cow Roast to get some stuff from the chandlery. On the way there we met up with some old friends from the Marina on Hadrian and had a long chat with them.

This has been the busiest day so far this year, with lots of boats moving around and plenty of walkers and cyclists; it is a pity that it is the last day of the Easter break, well for some at any rate.

Weston Lady has now moored up beside us so no doubt we will be having some drinks and chats with them over the coming week. We have known Paul, Carol and Steve since we brought the boat down to Cow Roast over four years ago.

Statistics so far:-

510.96 Miles, 397 Locks, 46 Swing Bridges, 27 Lift Bridge, 6 Tunnels. 3 batteries!! 1 Alternator

Marsworth again

An early start today as we were high and dry with a low pound. I got out to go up and run some water into the pound but was met by a BW man marching up towards the gate and saying that he was doing something about it. And boy was he ever, all the locks were set and open all the way up until we met a boat just below the staircase two at the top. So thank you BW.

We needed to pump out and fortunately a boat was just leaving so our timing was perfect. While we were doing this, up popped Paul from Weston Lady, we had gone down to Aylesbury to find them so it was quite fortuitous of him to have turned up when he did. We exchanged phone numbers and email addresses, unfortunately we were doing a rather unpleasant job and he left us to it only to return with Carol and we exchanged pleasantries over our pump out. We will meet up with them later at Cow Roast.

Today we did 1.52 miles and 8 Locks

Statistics so far:-

510.96 Miles, 397 Locks, 46 Swing Bridges, 27 Lift Bridge, 6 Tunnels. 3 batteries!! 1 Alternator

Wilstone

What a miserable day, but there was nothing for it we had to move back to Marsworth. So we travelled in the rain on a typical bank holiday. Aylesbury is a funny old place, we thought that we would go out for a curry and could we find a restaurant, well yes after walking around and around for ages. I can honestly say that I do not know of any where else so deplete of places to eat, we did eventually find an Indian which happened to serve very good food, the chicken was succulent and the lamb very tender. For anyone interested it was the Golden Bengal.

Despite the rain we did have a beautiful trip through the most gorgeous countryside, we enjoyed the lines and curves of the canal side and the stunning colours, which all made it worthwhile, the trip down to Aylesbury that is.

Unfortunately I did not have my camera out until after passing the most inspirational section, my excuse was that it was raining and I did not really think that there would be photographic opportunities.

Reeds

Blossoms

And to complete the collection, one of Frances going through a lock.

Frances in a lock

We are now moored up at Wilstone

Today we did 5.47 miles and 8 Locks

Statistics so far:-

509.44 Miles, 389 Locks, 46 Swing Bridges, 27 Lift Bridge, 6 Tunnels. 3 batteries!! 1 Alternator