Pillings Lock Marina 2010 #15

Hi, on a very bright Sunday morning of August 8th. This will, in all probability, be the final blog from Pillings as we’ll be moving on to Mercia next Thursday or Friday, depending on the weather.

My legs are feeling very much better and I even allowed my good wife to drive me into Quorn yesterday morning. What a treat to be home and to get about again. Mind you I’m not getting a lot of sleep at night, mainly because of the interminable ache in the legs; and neither is Sheila for that matter; and I’m suffering from swollen legs and feet. This latter malady I put down to the painkillers, a problem I had a while ago and managed to almost eliminate by stopping the use of one particular drug. On Wednesday I will be going into Quorn to have my staples removed and will ask Claire our Practice Nurse, if there’s anything that can be done to reduce the swelling. It really is becoming a nuisance and I am still spending more time sleeping in the armchair than in bed.

Tuesday 10th August and what a wet night we had here, cats and dogs does not do it justice, it really pelted down and not for a short shower either.

The week is almost half way through and Brian and Marian will be back on Monday, they are currently enjoying temperatures in the mid 80’s, so they will look more like Greeks than the Greeks when they get back. Following on from their return they will be doing a bit of cruising and then, around the 27th, which is Marian’s birthday, they’ll be stopping by to escort us to Mercia Marina. So it will be goodbye Pillings and hello Mercia.

We are quite looking forward to the move, where we will enjoy full security, a small store and café on site and a chandlery that is open 24/7. Mercia Marina is also somewhat cheaper to moor at, despite its greater size and obvious more expensive upkeep.

Electricity is charged at cost, plus an annual service charge and the mooring fees are considerably less. We will even enjoy a 10% discount at several of the commercial establishments in Willington, the nearby village, which is only a short walk from the marina. Our mail will also be delivered to the store by the local Post Office for about the same as Paul charges here for a Box Number, £5 per month. And they don’t charge more for parcels, whereas a charge of £1 per parcel is now having to be paid here at Pillings.

In addition there are several WiFi posts around the site and so, if reception is poor through the dongle, we can pay the subscription fee of £85 per annum and enjoy speedy Internet access.

We will be moored next door to Brian and Marian, with side hatches facing each other. I have severe reservations about this arrangement because I have visions of Sheila and Marian giggling at each other across the gap like a pair of fish wives. There is also the fact that Marian is well into 60’s music and likes the volume high rather than low. Should be fun!!

Wednesday 11th August and I have to say, what with the much cooler and wetter weather we’ve had of late, it doesn’t seem like high summer. However, even though the sun has yet to rise over the trees by the canal, it looks like a bright start to the day is in the offing.

So there we were yesterday evening, relaxing in front of the telly at about half past eight, when my phone rang. This is not so unusual when you consider Alan, Carole, Barbara and even Brian or Marian, all of whom are apt to call me or Sheila on occasion.

The very last person I would have expected to call was Brian, who is supposed to be enjoying a holiday in Corfu. But, sure enough, that’s who it was. After the usual banter where Brian pretends to be in a pub, knowing full well I was not, I asked what the hell he was doing phoning us from there. It seems that Corfu is about two hours ahead of UK, so they were just getting ready for bed and, since he had nothing better to do, he thought he’d give us a bit of a surprise.

There aren’t too many new and very good friends that would telephone from holiday abroad, most folks would have more sense than to waste their money on such long-distance calls. But that’s Brian and Marian for you, always expect the unexpected from them.

Happily, instead of going off cruising as soon as they get home, they’re going to drop in on us first. Now, that conversation, especially between Sheila and Marian, could take a while.

Sorry to say I had a very uncomfortable night last night, all aches and pains again and I finally went to bed with quite badly swollen calves and feet. This is probably because, having taken a walk out to the car and back, after our trip to Tesco yesterday morning, I didn’t spend any time in a horizontal position, which I should have done on a couple of occasions in order to encourage circulation.

Still, I’m off to have the staples removed this afternoon, so I will be able to ask Claire, the Practice Nurse, if there’s anything to be done about the swelling. It could be that the Co-codomol painkillers are having that effect, in which case I may have to see the doctor with a view to changing them. (Echo! Echo!).

I am really suffering the effects of old age and seem to be repeating myself but, having quickly scanned the earlier pages of this entry, I don’t think I mentioned that I’ll be going in to Glenfields Hospital on Friday for some more physio. Personally I think it’s a little too soon after the op, but they should know best. I also have an appointment with the Surgeon, Mr Power, for Tuesday 14th September to assess my progress.

Sunday 15th August and, although overcast, it has started out as a calm day.

With the lousy weather we’ve had of late, I’ve not been off the boat for two days. Hopefully, if the forecasters are right, it will brighten up later and I will get my Sunday lunchtime drink. Obviously, being somewhat limited in my ability to get about, I didn’t make it last week. And, since they don’t run any kind of pub run from the hospital; more’s the pity; I missed out on the Sunday before, so I have some catching up to do.

I should have paid a visit to Glenfields Hospital on Friday for a physio session. Unfortunately I spent a great deal of Thursday night sitting in the little room. The result of that, and I won’t go into the sordid details, was more problems with the loo.

So, on Friday morning I phoned Chris Williams – the boat safety man – and asked if he knew of anyone who could help, having first discovered that Ashley was away on holiday. He suggested the boatyard at Foxton and an engineer named Sam Matts.

Good old Sam turned up later and fixed the problem and, during our chat over a cuppa, we touched upon the boat safety certificate. According to Chris Williams it is essential to have a cut-off valve between the fuel tank and the heater system. But, on mentioning that Chris had failed our boat for that reason, Sam said he was sure this was not a requirement.

To cut a long story short, he phoned Webasto, the manufacturers of our system and asked them about it. They in turn assured him the valve was not necessary and sent him an email to confirm this, which Sam sent on to me. I am now waiting until tomorrow morning, to phone Chris and ask for our certificate, which he kept until we had rectified the problem.

It’s strange is this, because The New Boat Company, who supplied the boat from new, would surely have included such a valve when they fitted the boat out. Hopefully Chris will check what I tell him and issue us with our certificate, saving us a few quid in the process. We don’t want to upset the man, because he carried out a couple of small jobs for us, also to do with boat safety, without charging us extra.

Monday 16th August and, although it started out as a fine and sunny morning, it is now, at 07.00 and heavily overcast. Not to worry though because, apart from a visit to the local quack followed by a bit of shopping, we have no plans for anywhere exciting to visit.

To the doctors this morning because I really must try to find a way to reduce the swelling in my calves and feet, some evenings the situation is almost unbearable and I simply don’t know what to do to enjoy a bit of comfort. Aaah!!

I have no doubt that, if Brian has his mobile with him, he’ll give us a bell from the airport when they land. If not, then it won’t be long after they get back to Mercia.

Now, as we have less than a fortnight to go before we leave for Mercia Marina, I will keep this blog going for another week or so. Of course, this means it may be rather long and so it will give you all something to keep you busy for a while.

Tuesday 17th August and the sun is taking much longer to rise these days. Pretty soon I’ll be getting up in total darkness.

I phoned Chris Williams about the shut-off valve for the heater system and he promised to look into it. He phoned Webasto and received the same info as I did but, on checking with the boat safety people was informed that the valve is necessary. So, we’ll be trundling off to Sileby Marina to pick one up. Since I’ll find it rather difficult to climb down into the engine bay, our other neighbour Clive has offered to do the honours.

Brian eventually phoned yesterday evening to say they would be paying us a visit today at around lunchtime.

Thursday 19th August and yesterday marked the fourth week since the op. I though Tuesday night was bad in terms of aches and pains keeping me awake, but last night now has that honour. It seems that the discomfort pops up in different parts of my legs every night and last night was the turn of my right foot to show its displeasure. I think I managed about three hours in the armchair and have dozed in bed since then. It is now just gone 05.00 and I’m tapping away at this thing when I should still be asleep. I suppose I must have tossed and turned for about another three hours in bed, so Wifey didn’t get much sleep either. It was unlike her to doze off in the armchair yesterday evening whilst watching telly, but that’s what she did.

Anyway, Brian and Marian finally turned up yesterday afternoon, having first to get his new car checked over. Upon their arrival at the airport the car wouldn’t start due to a flat battery. They then discovered the exhaust was blowing and had to stop off to get that checked. Naturally our pair of reprobates arrived bearing gifts; a T-shirt for me and a mug for Sheila; as if we don’t already have enough mugs on the boat, and I don’t mean us two.

My T-shirt reads ‘Not a day goes by without me meeting someone to p… me off’. And the mug for Sheila? When she removed the tissue paper inside, she was faced with a rather beautifully crafted phallus. Hmmm! Typically Greek I suppose and an indication as to the state of mind of our new friends.

Friday 20th August and we’ve just suffered another night of rain. We are supposed to be moving the boat to Mercia Marina next Thursday/Friday but, if we get much more of this, the Soar will be in flood and we’ll be stuck somewhere along the canal. We will still have to go though, because we have now cancelled our Standing Order for this place. Hallelujah!!

Today, just for a change, we’re going to Morrison’s to shop. We haven’t been there for several weeks now, but we do need petrol and they are the cheapest around. I don’t know that I’ll be able to walk round the store with Wifey, so I’ll probably have to sit in the car. Still, with me out of the way she probably won’t spend as much.

Ivan came to the rescue yesterday and fitted our shut-off valve to the diesel line that feeds the heater. We timed him and it took him about seven minutes. He also gave us his opinion as to why Chris Williams has insisted on one being fitted.

Apparently the Webasto heating system was designed for trucks, where the fuel supply would be drawn from the top of the tank. Therefore, if a fracture occurred in the feed line the system would automatically shut itself off and any fuel in the pipe would siphon back into the tank.

This is not the case with the boat, because the fuel pipe comes horizontally from near the top of the tank and, should a fracture occur, all the fuel in the tank above the pipe would dribble out into the engine bay. So, why didn’t Chris tell us that?

Saturday 21st August and yet more rain is falling. Will it never end?

Eight pages later and I think it’s time I posted this blog. Ooops, and sorry, Internet access is a bit slow today, so this posting will have to wait.

Monday 23rd August and yet more rain, absolutely chucked it down last night and has been raining on and off for most of today.

I have now decided to wait until Wednesday or Thursday before posting this blog. Well, hell, that’s only a couple of days away, so there seems no point posting just yet and besides, I still have a bit to say about this place.

You will notice dear reader, that I have refrained from mentioning anything to do with this marina. There’s a very good reason for this, I simply can’t be bothered and the situation is becoming rather boring. So, instead of a 15 page blog, it will now boil down to 10 or 11 pages.

So, all we’re waiting for is to get my appointment with the Physiotherapists out of the way on Wednesday and, assuming it’s not pouring with rain again and the river is not in flood, we’ll be out of her in the afternoon. With luck and a following wind we’ll be miles away from here come tea time. The only time we’ll have to come back is for the car and any mail.

Tuesday 24th August and, with a little luck, our final full day here. Tomorrow, after seeing the physios and, if it is a fine enough day, we will, at long last, be making our way to Mercia Marina. I know I keep harping on about this and I’m sure you are all bored to bits, but the mere thought of getting away from here and the atmosphere is enough to put a big cheesy grin on my face.

Unfortunately I don’t think the physio is going to be too pleased with my progress. Sadly, because of the swollen calves and feet, I am unable to progress through the exercises they gave me and my movements are somewhat restricted. Perhaps they can come up with an answer to this problem, I don’t think that one water tablet a day is doing much to alleviate the problem.

Before going on holiday Marian gave me a small bowl to paint for her. Now, as much as I would like to have done this in time for her birthday, with all the painkillers I’m taking my hands are just not steady enough. There are other items I want to paint also, but they too will have to wait until I lose the dt’s.

Tomorrow, whatever happens, I will be posting this blog, the longest one yet.

3pm the same day.

Sheila and I have decided to move the car to Mercia tomorrow, immediately after my physio session, we just don’t feel safe leaving it here. To this end Brian will be fetching us back from Mercia and, assuming the weather is fine and not blowing a gale, we will be on our way and thank goodness for that.

Wednesday 25th August. This is it folks, the last day but one at Pillings Lock Marina.

My main objective today is to satisfy the Physiotherapist about my progress. The only problem with this objective is the fact that my legs are still swollen and are therefore impeding that progress. As a result of this swelling I am unable to carry out some of the exercises I have been told to do. No matter, all will be well eventually.

This morning before we go off to the hospital, we will need to turn the boat around so as to make easy our escape on Thursday morning. Yesterday was far too windy for us to carry out that manoeuvre but, as it is calm right now, I am hopeful it will stay that way until later this morning.

Tomorrow morning we will take the car to Mercia Marina, as early as possible so as to avoid heavy traffic. We had intended doing so later today, but the timing would have made it difficult for Brian to get to work on time. He will bring us back here and we will then be on our way, never to return. All that will be left to do then is pay for the last pump-out. However, rather than go through the niceties of a farewell chat with Paul and his staff, we have decided to put the cash and invoice in an envelope with a covering letter.

Thursday 26th August and despite the overnight rain, once we have taken the car to Mercia we will be on our way. If the river is in flood we’ll spend a few days moored up at whatever place we reach and we’ll decide with Brian and Marian, what to de next. It is still raining now and I rather think the river Soar at least will be a little high. We’ll either have to leave our departure until later today, or even tomorrow morning and, if we do that we’ll miss Marian’s birthday.

Not to worry, I will now try to post this and, if necessary, text everybody concerned as to what’s happening.

Cheers for now.

Dave, Sheila and Rusty