Sales And Shows

Every room has boxes in it! The lounge looks like a saleroom! We have started on the boxes that we had stored in the roof! Craig (our son) is due home this week to finally decide about his 20 boxes of toys, books, school stuff etc.

What is this sudden flurry of activity for? I have had my last day at work and we are planning a sale next Saturday to see if anyone wants to take anything off our hands before it goes on EBay, or to the dump or charity! We have some full sets of china to dispose off, including Poole Pottery and Noritake sets!

One room has "boat stuff". It will be fun stowing this away. We have some empty cupboards and lockers on Epiphany waiting to be filled! There is some space on the saloon shelves, galley drawers and stern cabin. We are also planning to use our roof box so Epiphany will really begin to look like a liveaboard. The bow, under the cratch needs sorting out and we hope to store some of this on the roof too!

I have a quick trip up to Epiphany next week for a couple of interviews for potential work so I am sure I will have a car full! Moving up is coming very quickly, particularly if I get a job!

We will need a holiday after all this so plan to have a break - starting with Crick! Will that be a rest? No! We hope to be on the Bath Narrowboat's stand. We have seen the boat they are fitting out for the show and she has some unusual details. I am not going to let on, but the boat is of a very high standard. So don't forget to come and find us and have a look at LB08.

We usually bump into someone we know at the show and I am sure there will be some of the "blogging community" there too. After Crick we will be back on the Kennet and Avon canal and get out on the cut with Epiphany at last! Oh joy.

Recycle, Reuse, or Rubbish

Getting rid of 33 years of accumulated "stuff" hard decisions have to be made. The question is asked "can we recycle this", "can someone else use or reuse it", "do we need it on the boat", "can we find room for it on the boat", "can we sell it" and finally the death knell - "is it rubbish"!

We are fortunate in having a kerb-side recycling collection here in Cornwall, which will take most things that can be recycled. We are making full use of this and I am sure the fortnightly collectors are cursing us for bags and bags of paper, magazines, cardboard and material over and above our usual bottles, cans, plastic etc!

However a trip to the dump is a 30 mile round drive including a return trip across the River Fal on the ferry! Almost an outing. The dump is primitive compared to the highly organised one in Devizes - worth a visit to marvel at its organisation and level of use. Roll on living on a narrowboat when one cannot accumulate - we hope!

Rubbish is very topical on the news - fortnightly collections for all eventually I suspect. How much of the uncollected or unwanted will end up in our canals? Reading the article in Canal Boat today about the trip into the BCN brought back memories of our trip on the BCN (Birmingham Canal Navigations) 2 or 3 years ago. Our tally was only some rope, wire and finally somebody's waterproof jacket at Tipton locks, bringing us to a standstill, or should it be "floatstill". Down the weed hatch went BJ. His calls for "scissors" then "bread knife" and last but not least "screwdriver" had me occupied but also an observer of grunts and groans as it gradually came free.

The worst and the best on the BCN? The top is Tipton Junction. I am not sure about the second photo. Can anyone identify it please?

Some may say I am now writing rubbish so I shall stop. A garage cum house sale - here we go and plenty of time spent on EBay!

Moorings For All

Perhaps this blog should be entitled "Moorings Not for All". How many of you have picked up the latest idea from BW (British Waterways)? It seems they have a proposal for auctioning canal moorings in the future. There is an article on narrowboatworld in its breaking news section, so have a look at this for details.

As we are moving on to the water, (Kennet and Avon canal) this obviously concerns us. There seems to be a trend to price low to middle income boaters out of the market. Hardly non - discriminatory! Our so-called "market economy" is causing a marked divide in the population, let alone the boaters.

Needless to say BJ has added our "voice" to the debate, writing to the RBOA and BW about our concerns. How can BW penalise the very people who are campaigning to help them keep the canals maintained and who are minority users of a very public asset?

Here is just a flavour of his letter.
"Eugene Baston says that "the trial is viewed as an independent (from British Waterways) means of setting prices and prices will be determined by the level of demand for a mooring in a particular location and the value that boaters are prepared to attach to having a particular mooring." I would replace "are prepared to attach" with "can afford to attach". Thankfully he says that the auction process is /still being discussed/ with boating-related interest groups, so I am writing to strengthen your voice, (if possible)."

"Is it necessary to repeat the fact that boaters are statistically a minority group of canal users, yet one of their highest value assets? Capping mooring inflation and increasing the supply of moorings is one way BW can help boaters, and therefore themselves. For the good of the canals, and therefore in their best business interests, BW cannot afford to squeeze us indefinitely."

"So I say to British Waterways, and I hope the RBOA will say it too, let's forget this proposed divisive trial completely. Save the money that it would take to administer it, let alone consult on it. Increase mooring fees only in line with inflation. Find other ways to increase your income and *maintain* the canals."

So dear readers get your fingers typing - yet again!

Our Own Marathon

Our own marathon is to downsize! BJ has taken the car to the dump this afternoon, full to the gunnels, as they say. We finished turning out my study, old course notes, job applications, magazines (Canal Boat and Waterways World mainly) and unused keyboard, printers (2) and scanner. All are to go in our "house sale". We now can walk through the garage too. There is still no room for a car. We could just get the small car in when we first moved here!

On the marathon theme - Watching some of the London Marathon today I have to admit, London looks good on the telly, doesn't it? - When the sun shines I am proud to be "A Londoner"! I am looking forward to seeing the developments for the Olympics and wonder if we will ever get Epiphany there. I would like to think so! There is a definite appeal to sailing our own boat down the Thames, past all the familiar sights.

I spent 20 of my formative years in South London, but Cornwall is my adopted home despite leaving it soon. A visit a couple of years ago, staying with a friend in Westminster gave us an opportunity to do some sightseeing.


Again I saw London in a new light - as a tourist! This is the Green, where all the TV interviews with MPs take place. you may recognise it! We were also privileged to visit the House of Lords and have personal tour from our friend. We also dined in the Peers dining room!

Another ambition was to visit the London Eye, comparatively new in comparison to most of the sights. Here is a selection of views!

At the top of the Eye, this is looking toward South London and the rim of the "bowl" that London sits in. You can just make out the 2 TV masts. The one on the left is Crystal Palace (BBC), or just "The Palace" to locals and the other is the ITV mast. My parents moved to a house very near the bottom of this when I had left home.


I think Epiphany would be rather lost in this view across to Parliament and Big Ben. She is more at home on the Kennet and Avon canal! These tourist boats buzz backwards and forwards all the time. We caught one from the Embankment to Greenwich. That takes us neatly back to the Marathon as the runners ran along the Embankment and the course includes Greenwich and the Cutty Sark (under repair and behind hoardings).

Save Our Waterways

The fight goes on, the debate in parliament goes on too! An Adjournment Debate is imminent on The Funding of British Waterways - next wednesday 24th April.

Michael Fabricant MP for Lichfield secured the debate.

Our current MP in Cornwall, Matthew Taylor has been active in supporting the inland waterways lobby. BJ has written to him a few times on the subject of the cuts and the "SNAMU" at DEFRA. (I have cleaned the acronym up for those of you know it or who can work it out!)

Please do write to you MP or use the web

Here is the content of BJ's email if you would like to use it as an example.

"As I am sure you know there is another Adjournment Debate on the Inland Waterways.

Michael Fabricant MP, (Member of Parliament for Lichfield]) has secured a Westminster Hall adjournment debate, due to take place from 9.30 am to 11.00 am on Wednesday 25th April on "Funding of British Waterways"

I am very grateful to you and the party for your support of the waterways campaign. Can I encourage you and your fellow MPs to attend and take part. The numbers attending the previous debates secured by Sir Peter Soulsby MP and Charlotte Atkins MP have maintained the pressure on this government. Barry Gardiner MP's answers on this topic show an almost complete ignorance of the real issues.

For example, the Rochdale Canal's reopening in recent years has been intermittent with several long-term stoppages. The funding to reopen the canal was there, but the money to prevent recurrent expensive repairs is not there. It is only a matter of time before one of these breaches
causes fatalities.

Although you do not have canals in your constituency, this does affect some of your constituents - us included. I know of several other constituents who either holiday on or own canal boats who will not risk going on the Rochdale, Huddersfield and Ashton Canals, to name just some, because of the danger of getting stranded.

The Minister states that BW has caught up on safety issues, but that is to ignore the point.Our own home canal, the Kennet and Avon, (nearest to Truro) has isolated us and all other boaters during the past months, and British Waterways had to find £300,000 to repair the weir - an
non-budgeted expense. Because the canal system is some 200 years old, many similar structures cannot but fail in the coming years, costing far more than preventative maintenance would.

I do hope you might take the opportunity to attend, and perhaps speak on our behalf."

Gradually Shrinking Our Possessions

Nearer to the end now. An update and photos of Easter on the water.

We are working through the house room by room! BJ has sorted the utility room, we have done the dining room and I have begun on my clothes! All the boxes are down from the roof. Most of these are our son's possessions so we hope he will come home to help sort them!

I am applying for jobs. I had forgotten how taxing application forms are! I have only another two weeks in my present job and am beginning to feel "demob happy". I shall miss it and the people though.

Once again we have pictures to upload to our gallery on the web site. You will have to wait for them as BJ has more ideas for updating the website. We will have to have a virtual launch party when it goes live!

Meanwhile I will blog on. Here are a few pictures of our Easter cruise from Devizes to Crofton Top Lock (again!) to wet your appetite. A two day trip out and back on the Kennet and Avon canal. It involves 2 swing bridges and 4 locks, and some well known places on the canal.

Horton Chain Swing Bridge and a queue!

Honey Street Moorings. The wharf here (Gibsons Boat Services) has diesel.


Lady's Bridge. The nesting swan is just through this bridge on the right at the edge of Wilcot Wide Water. There was no sign of the partner swan on the way up but on our return it was there. Sometimes swans can be very aggressive when they are nesting. We were attacked by one on the Leeds and Liverpool canal. It was rather frightening for the helmsman as the swan flew right at him. However no such attack this time thank goodness.

Pewsey Wharf Boat Club moorings. Pewsey Wharf and the Waterfront Pub and cafe are after these on the right.

Burbage Wharf with its famous crane. As you see the crane is being renovated, not sure how long it will be covered with scaffolding!

And finally, just to prove that I do get off the boat!

Boo Hoo - End Of Easter Break

As they say all good things come to an end. Epiphany is back at her mooring, we are back to our life briefly, before it changes and we move on to Epiphany.

Today was overcast as we returned from Pewsey, but still warm. We passed quite a few boats that seemed newly moored up on the stretch. This once again made it a slow section - four hours this time. Four or five hire boats were also enjoying the scenery. Mostly from Alvechurch at Hilperton although we passed Golden Oriel, an Anglo Welsh boat from Sydney Wharf in Bath - managed by Bath Narrowboats. They were going the opposite way so must be out for a while longer.

We called in at Broad Lane Farm, Sells Green (Bath Narrowboats workshop) on our way home. They have 4 boats in build. One is due to go in the water next week. They are all Colecraft shells and are being fitted to owner specification and the usual high standard acheived by Bath Narrowboats. The so called "Crick Boat" looks interesting and we are looking forward to seeing it finished at Crick. Make sure you come and see the stand - we hope to be there some of the time as "Owners"!

Oh What a Perfect Day!

"I'm glad I shared it with you" - is that how the song goes? I hope you had the weather we did. Sun, sun and more sun, lots of factor 30 for me. The Kennet and Avon canal is fairly sheltered in this stretch and there was not a breath of wind.

We had a lazy get up and breakfast and finally got underway at about 11am. We took our time through the locks towards Crofton. BJ has to do Wootton Rivers Bottom Lock as I struggle with the paddle gear and gate here. The rest are OK so we took it in turns. They were all set against us except Cadley Lock which is left empty. However once we get going we have a well established routine that runs smoothly and gets us through at a reasonable speed.

There is a lot of debris in the canal, whole logs, trees and lots of reeds. Maybe BW have been cutting the "informal moorings", it certainly looked like that in places. Epiphany was pushing a huge collection of reeds at her bow at times.

We moored up for lunch just above Crofton Top Lock and then winded to return down the 4 locks to Wootton Rivers again. We met a hire boat coming up at Brimslade Lock but apart from that we had no trouble.

We are moored for the night at Pewsey and will make our usual visit to the Waterfront Inn in a few minutes!

Free From "The Ties That Bind Us"

We are out of the Marina! It is good to be cruising, feel the sun and the breeze, see the countryside, see and hear the birds and enjoy the canal more alive with boats. Some of them covered in spring flowers.

There are still a considerable number still in the same place as they have been all winter, many of them still looking sad and deserted. It is great though to see boats and people we recognise – a whole list today. Chris and “Blake”, Trevor and Dale on "Dragonwyke" at Ladybridge, John and Elaine and “Sunseeker”, Adrian and “Unity”, and “Clara Louisa” with her owner and Loenie amongst others!

Wildlife encountered included these chaps

and a dead badger floating in the canal. We thought we saw a badger’s den in the bank so maybe this is now unoccupied.

And what is this sign doing on the canal?!

I couldn’t see any yellow monstrosities so I think we were fairly safe from a brown envelope on our doormat! (In any case we slow down on tick over for moorings)

We decided to moor up before Wootton Rivers and relax with books and laptops! BJ is cooking tonight I think, so washing up is my job!

Did Someone Say It Is Easter Sunday?

Easter Sunday – this has been the most unusual Easter Sunday for years! I am used to going to church, a family meal and then a zzzzzz! Today it was an earlyish start and I had breakfast with my sister. I managed to create Vesuvius in the microwave. The porridge boiled over everywhere! Lois started washing up and I deserted her for some convivial conversation with Sue from No Problem. I was privileged to get a viewing of the livery of NP2 and very smart she looks.

Lois left about 11ish and then I relaxed, ha ha! Actually the truth is I cleared up, made beds, and then settled down to lunch and an hour of “Sweet Baby James”. For some reason we cannot get ITV on the satellite system so I had to forgo seeing F1. Still I caught the result on the Beeb news – a good one for an Alonso fan (regardless of team), and now a Lewis Hamilton fan!

I finally decided that being lazy inside was not a good idea on a warm sunny afternoon so got out the sugar soap to clean off the tar from the chimney. I was then into a cleaning mode so polished the cream on the roof and the stern doors. Sue took a picture that I can prove it by!

So it was then off to Westbury to pick up best beloved. We are now both now watching the Masters and multi tasking with our laptops! We will be off towards Pewsey on the Kennet and Avon canal (by boat, not car) tomorrow for a couple of days. The weather looks good so we will have the opportunity to cruise all day if we want.

New Mooring for Epiphany

This a long post as it covers 3 days! No pictures today because I am on limited mobile Internet connection!

Arrived at the Marina on Thursday lunch time – looked to see if Epiphany had been moved to her new mooring and no, she was being moved in the afternoon! I off loaded, we always seem to have a boot full of stuff to bring up and began to potter.

The sun was shining, no wind and everything was how it should be! It was so lovely to be back and my sister was joining me on Good Friday. Alex (from the marina) and I moved Epiphany to her new mooring. I was quite proud of myself, as it was the first time I had manoeuvred her in the marina. It is a tight squeeze to get past the residential moorings and I managed it without touching at all. It took a few backward and forwards to get her into the new space, but again I managed without bumping. There was no wind so I didn’t have to worry about the boat acting like a big sail.

I moored her bows in, as I did not want to tempt fate and reverse in. We plan to be bows out once we have been out after the weekend as then we have a view of the marina, not the bank and the chandlery!

I gave up on positioning the sat dish, as it is more difficult without someone inside telling me what is happening on the TV! So I spent a relaxing evening cooking and reading and turned in fairly early.

I planned to be up to see the canoes pass the marina. So Friday morning the Webasto came on at 6.20. It acts as an alarm as it is quite noisy when it starts up! I kept a look out but must have missed the race passing, as I was ready for breakfast by 7.30! So no photos, but I gather it did start and must have passed at some time. I decided I wouldn’t bother for the Saturday start!

My sister, Lois, arrived Friday lunchtime, having got stuck in the traffic caused by a pile up on the M3. By which time I had swept and washed the floor, washed the windows outside, cleaned of the bird s***, and wiped off the paintwork. All was looking spic and span to show off!

The weather was so lovely we took the car to the Caen flight and walked down and up and then down to the café again. I was surprised that there were so few boats. Only 2 going up and a broad beam Dutch barge going down. Maybe the hire boats hadn’t arrived yet or most were being picked up today for the Easter week. We got the sat signal sorted and had TV in the evening. So we can watch sport and Dr Who. I am the Who fan – David Tennant is my almost best Doctor! Actually probably equal with Hartnell and Baker!

So to what we do today! The weather is a bit cooler, but still sunny. We decided to go into Marlborough to do some window-shopping and have lunch. It was fairly busy, no room for on-street parking, but lots of room in the car park.

Lois is looking for curtain material and we popped into Laura Ashley. I spotted some I thought would be great in her new flat. Expensive of course, but reduced in the sale. It was too busy to ask an assistant so she will look again in her local shop. Anyway there may be other materials she likes.

We were both rather tired so decided that the call of live Davis Cup tennis was too strong and came back to watch it and relax! Maybe the mix of old and new players will get us back into the World group we dropped out of last time. So here we are talking to the telly – ooing and aahing. Both of us were keen tennis players in our “youth” and played for our school. The last time I played tennis was about 6 years ago. BJ has played more recently but at a more sedate pace than he used to. He has a terrifying serve being so tall!

Talking of BJ. He is coming up tomorrow so we will be off out of the marina either in the evening or more likely on Monday morning. Lois is off home tomorrow. Now shw knows what a narrowboat is like, next time she comes we will give her a real taste of life afloat out on the Kennet and Avon canal. I will blog again once we get out cruising.

Canoe Canoe?

Say the title quickly and the answer is "yes I can". See below.

I am heading up to the Kennet and Avon canal and our boat tomorrow, on my tod! Actually my sister is joining me for the Easter weekend. She has never been on a narrowboat and certainly never on a canal. This will be a whole new experience for her and I plan to "break her in" gently. I think she is afraid she will find it claustrophobic and that there will be a lot of movement, I have assured her it is nothing like going to sea! However her desire to see where I shall be living has overcome her trepidation!

I don't think we will cruise as we may visit some of the touristy things around Devizes.

I quite fancy visiting Avebury

Marlborough for some retail therapy and maybe

Bath for some history and shopping too.

Of course I expect everywhere will be busy, especially as the forecast looks reasonable.

Good Friday morning just has to be an early wake up call as I would like to see the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race as they come past the Marina, about 7.10 am we reckon. There are various races during the weekend, but apparently this one is the most spectacular. I will have my holiday lie-in the next day!

Years ago in my teens I learnt to canoe, first on a duck pond then in the sea. It is great fun in the sea but I was rather put off by the times I spent upside down thanks to the lads in my group. Eskimo rolls were the order of the day. Sometimes I wish I had kept it up but there were not the facilities near where I lived.

We may cruise after the weekend when BJ joins me and my sister leaves me - they do get on, its just all in the timing!