To America and Beyond (well just a little bit past the start)

Monday 30th January to Saturday 11th February 2012


I am sure that I have mentioned this before, that her indoors has been very industrious in the past and has not only cutback the paintwork to remove the oxide layer but has now twice polished the boat.

We have been told on a number of occasions, the latest of these being Mo (nb Balmaha) when we saw them last week that you can use some baby oil to maintain the shine to the appearance.

As you get older I have found that it can become a bit of an ordeal to ask a young female shop assistant where the baby oil is, and so it came to pass this week that I needed to leave that easy transferrable task to the good lady wife.

How to fit in things to do into an already reasonably busy week (lesson 1) – throw in a football match with ManU v Stoke where Rory DeLap may be playing and then “she who must be obeyed” will be asking for tickets and making plans on how we will get there.

Man United and Stoke on the way out - as close as it was all night

Tickets acquired – check off the list
Car arranged – check off the list
Plans sorted and dog being dog-sat – check off the list

It was actually a very good idea to do this as we needed to sort out a better way to see mid-week matches than trying on the train – there is literally no way to get home at that time of night. So now we have found a safe decent place to park; right near a decent pub; within easy walk of Old Trafford; and relatively easy to drive away from after the match – we were back on the boat by midnight, safe with the knowledge that the “reds” had won again and that the blue side of Manchester would be crying in their beers with an ex-Red (Darron Gibson) scoring for Everton to beat City.

Dog was disposed of the following day – not literally - but driven to the kennels – he doesn’t like change and hates being away from Diane, but he is not able to come with us; which just left Diane with the packing – mine was done in about 2 minutes flat – she was just a little bit longer than that.

We headed off on Thursday to Stafford to catch the train down to Gatwick – as we had an 11:30am departure on Friday – the trip down was very good with no problems – managed to find our way through London to Victoria via Euston.

We very much liked the twilight check-in that Virgin Atlantic have – so we were able to deposit our luggage there and then; fixed up the boarding passes and so then we were off to the Ibis and able to relax a bit.

Friday morning was no problem whatsoever – knowing that we didn’t have to particularly rush – with no bags to have to worry about. We were there in plenty of time but not too early.

The flight was not long by our standards – just 9hrs and 30 minutes – pity that it was an older style plane with the older entertainment system – the controls were fixed into the side of the chair arm – I really couldn’t get at them – so didn’t bother.

We touched down in Orlando about 20 minutes early, so we then needed to clear US Customs and Immigration – as nice as Americans try to make you feel welcome, it really didn’t work for me – I think the process is designed to make you feel intimidated and the officials don’t raise a smile at all. Coming out of the shuttle train into an area leading to the general airport concourse, gave me the feel of being under close scrutiny all of the way – way too many officers and officials on one side and the other was glass with people lined up to look in at you the whole way – not having had the experience, it felt a bit like what I would describe as the arrival at a prison as a new inmate.

However, once through all of that it was very relaxed.

The kids soon arrived – Mitch from Las Vegas and Sam from Los Angeles – sorted out a taxi to take us to the resort which was very nice and much larger than we have seen in our past exchanges.

The two munchkins - Mitch and Sam

Of course, we found out about all of the wintry conditions that have beset all of Britain, and then found out that if we had been a day later in setting off, we may not have made – a train derailment on the line into London and the conditions could have combined to prevent us getting away in time – but we did make it out.

An email from Gill and Malcolm (nb Shoehorn) advised us that there was 6” of snow on the boat, so we have some disappointment at missing the snow, but we do feel a few degrees warmer at the moment.

Look what we have left behind

and this too looks cold - even from here

Hope you are all coping OK with the conditions and that there are no problems there.

Getting familiar with new surroundings is always a bit of a time consuming job, but the staff here made it much easier and we felt a bit easier after a short while – even though we were all very tired from our travels for the day.

One of the outdoor guests where we first stayed

Saturday turned out to be a bit of a sleep in day for Diane and I – well at least for me – not up until 830. We had a relaxed breakfast before tackling Day 1 of Disney.

Off to Magic Kingdom – despite everything seeming to be around the area it still takes a fair while to get to anywhere – we used the facilities of the shuttle bus (at a cost).

Magic Kingdom - Disney day 1

Three of the four of us on one of the rides

The hat maketh the man ?

It turned out to be a particularly long day as we didn’t read early enough the times that the bus returned for pick up – no way we could get to the 17:30 bus and the next was at 22:45 – so another late night.

It was a great day at Magic Kingdom and we enjoyed it immensely – I have completed Sam’s need to drag me onto some roller-coaster rides, so I can sit back and pick and choose a little bit from now on.

Sunday is Super-Bowl day here in America and all the news and talk is about who will win and who will play well.

Mitch was a long-time follower of the Patriots and naturally he needed someone to take the other side as their own – which I did – expecting to have some of his jokes directed at me as to their worthiness to be there.

Well, always pleased to say that the underdog won the day – 21-17 result for the Giants.

Monday was back on the Disney trail with a trip to Epcot – which was originally designed to be a showcase for what the future would hold – it has however not worn well and is a bit dated.

Just a big kid at heart

The international area with an insight into many different countries was a change and one that was pleasing to visit – although on this day we restricted ourselves to Canada and England – having lunch in the English pub – the beer was OK and lunch was fine – the price however was a bit on the high side.

We have to say that what we are seeing here at Disney and surrounds (including where we are staying) would not / could not be construed as anywhere near to being representative of America – it is very much skewed to the more well-off of the population.

Tuesday was a “relaxation” day for three of us – Sam in her infinite enthusiasm for all things Disney went solo for the day to Animal Kingdom; the remaining three of us (well me at least) stayed behind for a truly relaxing day.

Gorilla(s) of the forest - no mist to be found

Please smile for the camera

Birds of a feather - all these one-legged flamingoes
The drumsticks must be quite tasty.

Amongst my many definitions of pastimes and fun, I do not include shopping as meaning anything remotely associated with rest and recuperation.

Diane on the other hand found it a perfect day to capture the talents of Mitch and I at carrying around packages.

Wednesday we returned to the fold with a trip to Hollywood Studios land – having completed my allowance for rides involving free-falling I opted away from the Hollywood Tower of Terror with its promised 100 feet fall and the intensity of the screams of young (and older) women, and most likely a number of boys and men.

The weather has been what many would describe as perfect – sunny, warm and with a light breeze (mine would be a slightly different description, but it was nice).

We have gone again to visit Animal Kingdom, been back to Magic kingdom and re-done Epcot – to see parts that we missed the first time; to re-do things that we have already enjoyed; and to have a good time.

A local at Epcot

The three Cabaleros - plus a mate

Balou and King Louie with friends

and Tigger too !

Everything we have seen and encountered and everywhere we have been, everyone of the people we have come across, whether it be in the hotels and resorts, the buses, the restaurants and cafes, the parks and attractions, has come out to be without imperfection.
Oh how I am craving for something not to go just perfectly – a little bit of not quite right will do me just fine, as will a dose of practicality and improvisation – anything resembling true life.

Saturday started off brilliantly – the Man United v Liverpool game was on live (7:45am) – of course a 2-1 win makes it worthwhile; Diane and Sam were off to the parks again – their last day – Mitch had left yesterday for New York so we couldn’t sit down quietly for a couple of beers – but we have already had done this – just the two of us together.

I had a chance to complete all of this for the blog update and just to sit and watch everyone else for a change – without being part of the cast.

I have not warmed to America, but I have enjoyed the efficiency of what people do; there are many aspects of life here which I have so-far found to be what I would imagine that I couldn’t tolerate for a long time – I do enjoy the Australian ability to find fault with oneself and to enjoy a bit of a laugh at your own expense – it just doesn’t feel like something that people here would be able to cope with – I have found far too much seriousness amongst people.

Trains, Planes and Automobiles - 2 out of 3 ain't bad

Monday 23rd January to Sunday 29th January 2012



No travelling this week

This has been about our busiest week since we have moved into the marina back in early November.

We had been in touch with Vanessa and Mo (nb Balmaha) since arriving here and had hoped that we could catch up with earlier, but sadly it didn’t happen. We knew that they were going to be on the move earlier than usual and heading our way, so it was a happy surprise when we got an email to say they were on our back door (in relative terms) and we were able to catch up at Rugeley – they were heading off at Great Haywood down the Staffs and Worcester canal and we wanted to have the boat to stay put in preparation of the US trip.

The train to Rugeley was just 2 stops and everything was fine.

A great day was spent catching up on everything since we had last met, which was way back in May 2008 when we were less than novices only having just completed our 6-week stint with a hire boat and still planning all that we are now doing.

Lunch with Vanessa and Mo

Lunch was wonderful – thanks guys – we wish you a pleasant time cruising and already looking forward to seeing you both again.

Our earlier exploits from cruising last year had finally taken its toll on our front button and we knew it was time to replace it – Diane had been in contact with nb Alton (Brian) about a new one – they were not that far away on the Macclesfield and we only needed to work out travelling there.

As is usually the case, it seems, something always comes along and Diane was talking to Ruth and Peter on nb Kathryn – just 3 berths down from us and they were explaining that they needed to replace both the front and back buttons. Diane contacted Brian again to ask about other sizes.

Peter was very pleased that some of the work had been taken out of the exercise and with Peter driving we made the necessary purchases and within an hour of return all three old buttons had been removed and replaced with the new ones – very impressive they all were indeed.

We are pretty happy with the finished article - the new bow button

Next in line was a spot of boat-sitting – well actually it was keeping an eye on the fire and keeping it well stoked.

Jean and Andy (nb Josephine) – about a dozen berths from us – needed to return home to decide what they were going to do with the house – sell it or rent it – and asked if we could keep the fire going for them whilst they were away – just one night.

With all of the instructions we kept it cosy and warm inside for them so that their return was not so cold.

We didn’t even have enough time to put the boat on e-Bay for them!!

It was the time to almost strike a line through one of the last two items on our list – to get the tractor seats installed onto the rear deck. We had also been talking with Jean and Andy and they decided that they would talk with him when he came over. Jon was a friendly guy and easily understood what each of us needed – measurements taken, prices agreed, dates set for installation – just way too easy – a nice guy for an Everton supporter.

The finished article for the cratch cover

and the pram hood cover - I realised that I hadn't shown any
decent pictures of them

Fine weather - just perfect for talking -
she was talking to her mum and dad back home

All that was left for us to take care of this weekend was to take the boat over for a pumpout and fill with diesel – checking on the weather including the winds gave us a timeframe of about 10am Sunday morning – no problem for me, but Diane had seen that the Mens Final of the Australian Open was on BBC from 8:15am – now she hasn’t seen a single match of the tennis and it being one of her favourites I wanted her to be able to sit down and enjoy it – well at least she saw the 1st set before deciding that we must go – she only missed the second set, but the boat had one tank filled and another emptied and all was well with the world again.

The weather this week has been superb (on the whole) and sunrise
this Sunday morning was particularly colourful

A particularly busy week for most days – but items crossed from the list, good times enjoyed, and preparations made – can’t be much busier again can it?

You just never know what is likely to come up

Well things do come up which can change plans for the week ahead and that has been the case for the week ahead – more than we had originally planned for.

The Quiet Week - before the Storm

Wednesday 11th January to Sunday 22nd January 2012



No travelling this week

It has been back to marina life for us, but it could not be described as boring or dull. There seems to be something to do all of the time. This week we have concentrated on removing a few of the damp spots that appear when the moisture levels are high. Diane read in the January edition of Canal Boat, that putting up some carpet onto those areas where the moisture appears should have the effect of insulating and the moisture will not appear.

So into a couple of cupboards, attached to the inner side of the boat’s outer walls have been carpeted (wall and cupboard ceiling) – both successful; so then it was onto the lounge where one side was damp and the other not – of course we knew why one was not – it had the central heating pipes behind it.

Nevertheless we have carpeted halfway up the wall on the other side and problem gone.

In addition, the windows continue to be remarkably dry – both inside and out – a bonus and another success for Diane – I may have to keep her on for a bit longer.

The outer side of the boat has been attended to as well with some elbow grease and polishing – looks much better as well - she really is quite a marvel.

Celebrations abounded for a 40th birthday for Stella, as friends and family descended from down south (or should that be “ascended from down”) and we went along to help – for both lunch and dinner – afraid that we couldn’t keep up the pace when mention of the pub was made after dinner – it was just a wee bit too late for both of us.

We have had a trip into Stafford by bus (first time) – now we know where it leaves from and how to get back – more trips are already being planned – we both need to go because the nature of things is such that one gets to spend and the other gets to carry (I know my place).

The weather has been very up and down during the last 10 days – we have a mixture of sun, rain, wind but alas the temperatures are (as they say on the reports) – mild – so no snow yet again. Latest reports were that this was, so far, one of the mildest winters on record.

We have now finalised the last of the bookings for our upcoming US trip. We were going to fly between Orlando and Washington, but have now decided to go by overnight train and have found a very nice B&B in Washington.



Stafford park - still with the heavy frost - even in the afternoon

Whilst we were in Stafford we managed to book our train travel to Gatwick and the return from Heathrow – the advanced purchase has saved about ₤60, so another win with that.

This week ahead is looking rather busy with a number of things coming up – I suspect that by the end of it we will be exhausted again – will have to wait and see.

Gone with the Wind

Friday 30th December 2011 to Tuesday 10th January 2012


38 Miles, 18 Locks – for these 12 days


Totals: 1011 Miles, 824 Locks, 28 Tunnels, 18 Lift Bridges, 20 Swing Bridges


We have really taken advantage of this very unseasonable weather and had a decent cruise – down to Penkridge and return.



The outward journey - who would believe that it would be so great

A visit to the markets on Wednesday whilst we were there allowed "she who must be obeyed" to lighten my wallet a little bit.

We found a printing place in Penkridge and the people have said that they should be able to do the lettering for the new name for the boat as well as few other bits and pieces which we want to add - stay tuned for further updates.

You just never know what you might find in some of the towns along the way.

A few days each way at Tixall Wide – we had been expecting many more boats here given the conditions but there has been no more than 3 or 4 at any one time.

Moving into Tixall Wide and not another boat in sight
Just could not believe the weather could be this good

Admittedly the towpath is a little bit muddy but no problems in getting back to Great Haywood for a pint at the Clifford Arms – a favourite for us as we can take Banjo inside and they even have doggy treats for any of the canines in there at the time.

Dare I say it again, but this weather has been mostly very good – even sunshine on a lot of the days out – some of it was quite warming.

A lovely morning for cruising - no wind, sunshine and beautiful scenery

Even though it was leisurely cruising time we still were making sure about the weather in case it suddenly turned bad and we needed to get back, but (touch wood) apart from one or two days it has been ideal.

Look at that sunshine - definitely time for the sunnies - maybe
time for the deck chairs and suntan lotion

One of the worst days we could cruise was the day we decided to move from Penkridge back to Baswich – a brute of a day – extremely windy and with a bit of rain early on.

No this is not a disused canal in need of restoration - just a very
muddy towpath, which I am pleased to say was the exception
rather than the rule

We can now say that cruising in the wind holds no great fears for us – the boat handled very well and even though there were many gusts we didn’t move off course – however the same couldn’t be said of Diane’s cap which flew off back into the water – she wasn’t giving up it – not a $30 cap.

Reuntied with her cap.
This is the lady with whom I have been in love with for 30 years
- and now as much as ever

We had an email come through from Gill and Malcolm on nb Shoehorn in the marina that things had indeed been very rough – the winds had been extremely bad and there were items being blown off the roof – for quite a few of the boats.

We seemed to have none of this – we knew that it was very windy overnight and of course on that day of wind cruising, but it really didn’t seem quite so bad. Looking back on where we had moored, we seemed to have naturally taken the safe option of protection from the housing and trees around.

I think this is what BW mean for you not to do - running your
engine in gear - who knows how much damage is being done
to the bank

We later saw Andy and Jean from nb Josephine and they related the very windy conditions again – they had lost the Satellite dish off the roof – as Andy has said – it takes a lot of struggling with both hands to remove it from the roof (so strong is the magnet) – but to have the dish blow off, means the wind was STRONG !

It just felt so very very good to be out and moving over this time and to re-establish the feel for being on the move.

Brilliant sunshine, cool air and "stern" concentration

We took an extra day and went up into Stone, winded and moored on the 48 hour moorings below the bottom lock. It gave us a chance to go to the supermarket and not have a long walk back to the boat in the marina; a chance to have dinner out without needing to get a taxi back.

If this is winter cruising then I am all for it – but I feel that it has been just a time of very unseasonable weather – in a perfectly good and enjoyable way – the turn will be on the way.

Even the crew enjoyed being out and about - Banjo in his
favourite spot out the back

Xmas and New Year - our first in the UK

Monday 19th December to Thursday 29th December 2011


With it being Christmas week, naturally it is a busy time of the year, and it was to be for us as well.

A slightly smaller tree than usual

Of course there is the usual shopping that has to be done and we spent an inordinate amount of time needing to shop – there are just so many times that it is possible to fill the fridge – I think we managed to fit twice its volume inside.

We have a really dumb dog – on one of our shopping expeditions we decided to walk into Stone via the towpath and whilst it was a bit muddy and wet in places it really wasn’t any real problem at all – until Banjo decided to walk a bit too close to the edge and simply slid into the water. He clung to the edge waiting for a hand to drag him out – interestingly, he had one of his coats on, which was completely saturated, but he was not – maybe, because of his many ventures into the canal, he might be picking up some of the protective oils from the swans.

Lazy good-for-nothing dog - doing what he does best - SLEEP!!

As it was the walk into Stone he remained that way until we got back, after which he was bathed – the bath may never be white again.

We decided to hire a car for the holiday weekend as we had a visit down to Watford planned and not wanting to or having to rely on public transport was just a little bit of a luxury.

The finished pram-hood cover - her indoors refers to it as the conservatory

So as to not waste having the car we then had to make sure that we got use out of it – a visit to Stoke to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie – again an enjoyable film to see; a bit of Toy’R’Us shopping; into Stone on Xmas eve to catch up with Howard and Janet (nb Compass Rose); there was also a Stafford visit on the day we picked the car up, so that ASDA didn’t miss on any further profits

We had Xmas lunch with Mike and Stella – so nice was the meal that it remains one of the great highlights of this last week – roast duck with an apricot-based stuffing and a blackcurrant-spiced gravy – very very nice indeed.

wouldn't trust these two where there are drinks around



Stella and Mike and some interloper

Xmas lunch - very very nice indeed

The usual post-xmas day of getting over too much sparkling wine (and the crook prawns).

A further trip into Stafford for a better look around the town – fortunately not too many shops open and my stomach felt decidedly better than in the morning.

We found plenty of time to catch up with everyone at Watford.

a new olympic sport - synchronised something or other - Debbie and Pam

never trust a Liverpool supporter - Jonathon with Emma (brother and sister)

or a Chelsea supporter - Phil with his smart look on

And the other great thing to happen was the completion of the pram-hood cover for the back of the boat – it makes getting in and out much better and easier – putting on and taking off coats and shoes when it is raining or just plain cold outside is a breeze, as of course is the extra benefit of minimising the draught in through the back doors. The finish is as we wanted and the amount of light we now get in when the internal back doors are open is really good.

The weather has been a mixture of nearly everything – sunshine, wind, rain, cold and warm – only missing some snow – but that will come soon enough.

It has been so mild that we are planning to go out for a cruise for a few days – it is all nice and good with the marina, but you do start to get itchy for some movement – so we will be off (if it is not too cold or wet or if there isn’t something good on the TV or some other excuse – getting a bit soft we are).

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Thursday 8th December to Sunday 18th December 2011

We had our first snow of the winter on Thursday (15th) and then again (snow – not the 1st snow) today – 18th.

Ice on the water in the marina - a sure sign that winter is here

The snow last Thursday barely touched the ground before it melted and of course we were out there to take photos and enjoy it – after all we don’t see it very often – and now doubt by the end of January we might be fed up with it – but not anywhere near that stage yet.

About as much covering of snow as we were to get

The frozen puddles and the crunching of ice and snow beneath the feet are all strange to us – the sliding down the icy incline is something we have quickly learned to avoid.

1st snow of the winter - we may not be smiling in January
but for now it is still new to us

no hot dogs here - Banjo has taken the changes in his stride

It is particularly enjoyable when we are out walking the dog and the sun is also out and with no wind it actually is quite mild.

We have had very interesting 10 days.

Diane has finished the double glazing and it works a treat – still a little moisture on the cabin side of the windows and she does take them out occasionally to dry between them but nowhere near as much water as we had been experiencing – and all for the bargain price of less than ₤150 compared to an estimated ₤3000 to replace all of the windows.

The pram-hood cover is nearing completion – a final fitting on Wednesday last and all looks very good – hoping that this will be finished and up something early this week. The new cratch cover was marked up ready for the completion and final fitting – again, it should be done this week.

The pram-hood cover nearly there -
Diane and Banjo making themselves at home inside

We were down at The Swan Inn last Monday night for the Karaoke final, but sadly Mike didn’t win it – I think he was handicapped in being the 12th out of 16 to get up on stage and whilst the other 11 were doing their stuff we were a bit too busy sampling the ales; we managed to get home OK (thanks to the pre-booked taxi), but we were a bit the worse for wear after that.

A great night out

I am blaming the massive swaying of the boat as I was getting off onto the pontoon for suddenly finding one foot and the lower leg in the water and being spreadeagled across the wooden pontoon – it had nothing to do with the 12 pints that seemed to vanish down at The Swan. I was quite happy to just sleep there – others decided not.

Tuesday morning was a hoot (not really) and it took until 11 until I was anywhere near ready to be anywhere near capable of being able to start doing any work (or being able to bring the computer screen into focus) – yet I can say that no matter how bad I was from the night before, I still made it into work the next day – about 10 feet to the dinette.

We took the train yesterday into Birmingham to meet up with Debbie and James and the girls and take a look around the German markets in New Street – now into their 21st year it has become a Brum tradition and their were so many people about – despite the weather not being that great – a bit of rain throughout the afternoon.

We can now cross off on the bucket list, going to the Birmingham Womens Institute Christmas Carol Service – and so glad I am that we can.

It does still count as attending if you pop in to see the last 10 minutes – which we did – D&J had to pick up daughters Kat and Rachel who were in the choir – but we attended.

An interesting thing with the train fares – we were going from Stone to New Street with a change at Stafford – apparently with some, the fare is cheaper if you buy it in stages – so we asked for Stone to Stafford and then Stafford to New Street (return naturally) and saved ₤3.80 - very glad that the conductor told us about it – they really are very good on London Midland – even able to give full details of the next train to catch from Stafford.

Being Sunday we are trying a new locality for our traditional Sunday roast – Diane has decided that we need to do one for ourselves.

Tastes as good as it looks - these two didn't get a look in!

I have to say that as usual it was well cooked and very very tasty (wouldn’t say anything else – would I?)

We are now awaiting the next fall of snow and seeing all of the surrounding fields covered in a blanket of white.

To the Land where you can’t buy a vowel

Monday 14th November to Wednesday 7th December 2011


No travel for these three weeks if you discount the two movements for pump out and for fuel – which seemed a bit like cruising for half a day as we exited from the marina and up the canal to the entrance and back onto the mooring.

Reversing is definitely an art that we have yet to master as on both occasions we (read that as I) made a complete hash of it – the second time it took 5 attempts to get the boat back in properly – at least I didn’t hit any other boats.

Life in the marina is certainly very different to being out on the canal proper and there are vastly different priorities – with power and water on tap there is no need to really have to watch after these things, so life becomes more about the things to do on the boat and the things that are going on around the marina and the town.

Diane has continued with the job of double-glazing the windows – she is a marvel with a doggedness sadly lacking in her other half – there are just two windows left to be done and it is merely waiting for that to come in after being ordered.

She has even taken them out again and improved on the sealing of each. Whilst there is now some condensation on the boat-inside of each window – there is none between the glazing and vastly less than appears on the two remaining windows – and it is much colder than we have had earlier in this task.

On the evening of the 21st we ventured down to The Swan Inn in Stone along with Mike and Stella, (nb Isobel) for an evening of Karaoke – it was Mike who had entered a competition who took the microphone for that part, although Stella was up as well during the non-competition part of the evening – the beer was flowing quite well and we all needed the taxi to get back to the boats.

Diane has finally resolved the doctor problem – now registered and seen a doctor here in Stone – all is going well.

We have also managed to purchase some tractor seats from Old 20 Tractor Sales in Derby. Now we just need to get someone to put them on the back.

Work started on putting on the pram-hood cover that we ordered about 6 weeks ago back in Atherstone – the frame is up – well it was before it was put down again, but it is still fixed onto the boat – the cover is due to come soon.

About 6 weeks ago the Daily Mirror had a promotion running which meant that you could have a night away for £10 with a token – we collected 3 and have had three nights away in SouthWales – a return to the land of the missus.

Ross-on-Wye - I think they sell just about everything - but what about a kitchen sink?

I understand the desire for the Welsh to retain their own language and admire them for that, but by golly it is difficult at the best of times, but when they start abbreviating the place names and some of them do not appear any different in English or Welsh; the markings on the road start wearing away and suddenly you have no idea where you are heading – for Cardiff (or Caerdydd) they abbreviated it to C’Dydd – huh!!! – where am I again.

You have to hand it to the Welsh - they are all about protecting the wild life
My mother-in-law will be in good hands

We visited Ponty markets for her faggots and peas – so much has changed since our first visit together almost 20 years ago; a visit to her grandparents grave and to where she was born – she couldn’t exactly remember the house, but it was narrowed down to two (or three).

We caught the last 20 minutes of the Wales v Australia game – the send off for Shane Williams – he scored a try in the 81st minute – a great way to send off a great player – what is important though is that the Wallabys won.

Sunday was trip into Cardyff, Caerdiff, Cardeydd, Cardiff (that’s the one) and a walk around the city following one of the tourist trails that visitor information invariably set up was as usual informative and showed us a bit more of the city.

It's about time for a new Time Lord (or is that Time Lady)

A visit to Ross-on-Wye on the way there and to Gloucester (and the docks) on the way back completed the trip.

part of Gloucester docks - plenty of craft of all shapes and sizes

We wanted to be back for around 4:30 to pick up Banjo from the kennels – we were trialling them for our US trip in February – and found them to be very good, so another problem solved

It's a mighty big lock down Gloucester way - this leads onto the River Severn

Now back on the boat and the cold weather has started to hit and very happily the boat is quite warm inside during the day even without the heating on – so that is good.

We are expecting it to get even colder and I guess it will not be too long before the snow starts.

Xmas decorations and tree all up and carols on Classic FM – all feels very seasonal.

Aston or Bust - wait up we are here

Monday 7th November to Sunday 13th November 2011



5 Miles, 9 Locks – for this week


Totals: 973 Miles, 806 Locks, 28 Tunnels, 18 Lift Bridges, 20 Swing Bridges

This week has seen our last travel for a while as we enter into Aston Marina for the winter.

We are not as experienced in the trials and tribulations of English winters as most other boaters would be and decided a while ago that we would make sure that we had a few creature comforts over the colder months – like electricity and water.

We spent a few days in Stone after cruising along from Barlaston and made sure to stock up on the heavier grocery items – like tinned goods and extra dog food and on some of the alcoholic beverages.

Thursday was our pre-determined day to go down the last two locks and the last mile.

We moved into the marina; moored up on the visitor moorings whilst we sorted out access to the pontoon; some pump out tokens and I think there was some payment of money as well in there somewhere.

I am not going to regale anyone with stories of perfection with the reversing into the space between pontoon and neighbouring boat – mainly because it didn’t happen.

The smallest of cross-winds seemed to move the front right around and we ended up having to pull the boat in most of the way – Diane making sure to limit the bumping with the other boat to a minimum.

Banjo had found himself on the pontoon – Diane was on the boat – naturally he wasn’t happy being separated from his mistress – and he really doesn’t have this distance perception licked yet – not even close to leaping onto the boat, so whilst I was with rope in hand hauling the boat, I suddenly needed to keep control of that and also fetch the dog out of the water (yet again).

All settled finally; dog bathed and shampooed; electricity plugged in and cosily inside and time for lunch.

We have reaffirmed the reasons why we selected Aston Marina – coffee on the deck or inside; a beer and lunch as we see appropriate; perusal through the farm shop with purchase of a few selections and many temptations yet to come.

We have continued with the self-double glazing and another window in place – this time a porthole and working very well and very dry – the amount of hand-cutting is justified when it works and works well.

So only another 9 to go – leaving the bathroom porthole out of the equation as we do open this regularly.

Sunday lunch at The Three Crowns was a bit of a disappointment – not from the taste of the meal – a bit from the value, with an attempt at traditional fayre at a new-age restaurant interpretation. But we did enjoy it none-the-less and part of that was enjoying the company of a new friend – Stella from nb Isobel – we had met Stella and partner Mike a few weeks ago when we popped in to deliver documents to the marina and started chatting – very nice people they are – unfortunately Mike is down south with work – earning enough to keep Stella in the manner…

Banjo enjoys the open space here and the longer walks that it affords – also a half kilometre walk for the paper – so some good exercise for both of us – she remains in the warmth under the doona whilst we battle the cold and winds and rain and sleet and snow – OK, not quite that bad just yet.

apologies for being a bit late in posting this.

Winded, Winding, Windest (I winded, I am winding, I have wind)

Monday 24th October to Sunday 6th November 2011


33 Miles, 24 Locks – for this fortnight


Totals: 968 Miles, 797 Locks, 28 Tunnels, 18 Lift Bridges, 20 Swing Bridges

We left Tixall Wide on the Monday as we had intended to do and Diane had made up her mind that she would wind the boat as practice – winding at Tixall Wide, as people will know, is not at all any practice – it is wide enough to be able to turn the Queen Mary around – but she did it smoothly and confidently and we were on our way.

Our intention was to head for Stone, but we first of all wanted to stop off at Bridge 86 and visit the pub – The Greyhound Inn at Burston - which had been spoken of in glowing terms. Using the GPS in Diane’s phone, we soon found that we needed to ask directions and with local guidance we found the pub.

Diane reconnoitred the establishment – yes they were dog friendly in the bar which only had bar snacks, but not dog friendly in the restaurant which was well appointed – we would return to visit without the dog.

When we did return it was mid-afternoon and it became apparent the she had not asked enough questions – they were closed until 6:30.

Alas we moved on the following day to Stone – I am sure that I have mentioned that we both like Stone very much – this is where our canal experiences started.

We needed water and we had some time on our hands so before any of the closures we thought we might head on up to Stoke for a week and get a bit of cruising in as well.

With a lot of time available to us we only went very slowly, stopping at Barlaston for a night and then to Stoke – mooring down from the marina for 3 nights during which time we decided that we would do a pumpout at the BW station at Etruria Junction – we of course still had cards from our Llangollen journey earlier in the year.

She who must be obeyed – oops, I mean the Captain - had thought that we would wind at the marina, come back down and wind at the winding hole on the Caldon before the pumpout and that she would handle both – more practice.

Which some guidance the first winding went well – the boat was a bit slow in turning but we were around; down to the junction, then around onto the Caldon; after that there was just the simple matter of winding at the corner – there was no new world record set for handing control of the boat back when things didn’t quite go right, but it was fairly quick.
We moored up at the pumpout point – would have liked to have been a bit further on to be able to fill the water tank at the same time, but there was however another boat there who were doing a self-pumpout - this of course got ‘er indoors thinking and that usually, no always, means work for moi. “Why don’t we try the self pumpout next week?” – she was right, but don’t tell her that – we had the gear, but we had not taken it out to even try it at all – I was fearful of connecting everything up and messing up the line and it wouldn’t work properly or we couldn’t work it properly.

Anyway the BW pumpout completed and water tank full we set off.

In amongst all of this, we had pursued another of her intentions – in talking to Paul and Lynne on Piston Broke a few weeks back – to make push in windows to create double glazing.

We visited the B&Q, bought the materials and tried cutting the Perspex – first with the jigsaw – blade too coarse – then with the finer blade – jigsaw too fast – then by hand – template too big. Adjusting the width and the height allowed the piece to fit perfectly into the space and the clear tubing around the outside along with some BluTac to fill the small gaps gave a double glazed window, which surprisingly works very well.

Now only 11 to go – could be spring by the time they are finished.

We decided to spend a night at Westport, which of course meant that we would need to wind again – more practice – and as they say it does make perfect – she is such a delight when it all goes well for her and so modest as well.

Back to Stoke to moor for a few more nights – in amongst all of this we had visited the Toby Carvery for a Sunday lunch – excellent meal – but much better value if you go through the week for the carvery.

By now it was Saturday again and we were off to Barlaston – when we went through last week a notice caught her eye – Fireworks – Free – Cricket Club – 5th November.

We would have been off sooner if not for the fact that we needed to fill the water tank again – so back around Etruria Junction and to wind again – more practice – but this time the boat didn’t respond – no amount of coaxing would help it move quickly – even slowly would have been good. Eventually we got her to the BW station.

Whilst Diane looked after the water tank I was down the hatch to remove whatever was around the prop – from the feel of it, it was some type of garment – shirt I thought at first, but it wouldn’t budge – the large knife was called for – bit like taking to the 1 wood – and after a good 15-20 minutes it gave up the fight, just before I was preparing to call it a draw.

Someone’s dress – well we can restrict it to a little over half the population – but it was free.

After all of that struggle I heard those less than magic words – “remember last week when we decided we would try the self pumpout – we could do it now” – there was no deciding on anything last week – it was a majority of one that did that, and after the struggle I was less receptive to trying something new. But as all good and cowering men do – we did it her way.

Pleasing to say that despite the time factor for our first try – it all went very very well.

The situation here of seeing fireworks for sale here there and everywhere is a bit strange for us as the sale of fireworks to the public is banned in Australia – has been for 40 years – there were far too many injuries (and deaths) through misuse. We haven’t bought any as we don’t see the need for us and anyway the dog doesn’t like the explosions.

But seeing a display is a different thing – we trudged along the designated route – using the phone GPS again – until it stopped working because there was no signal – through the dark and the dark and more dark we found the nominated place – we opted to stay outside with the throng of people – moving every so often to get away from the metal fumes of the sparklers (affects she) – standing in the cold is not so bad – so long as the coat is warm and it isn’t too long – an hour was too long by the time the display had finished – which I have to say was well done – thanks to the Barlaston CC.

The back was excruciatingly sore and the walk back down to the boat eased some of it, but I was ever so glad to get inside where it was warm and even more so to go to bed and lie down.

Next day was Sunday and of course it was Sunday roast again – the Plume of Feathers is a favourite of ours, but I will resist the idea that she had – “we could walk the 5 miles from the marina for the roast” – on your own.

The meal was, as usual, very good and despite being a perfect afternoon for cruising back to Stone, we opted for the sit down and do nothing exercise regime.

No husbands were harmed in the writing of this; management has approved the content.