Sheila, Dave and Rusty

Hi from Shiralee at Mercia Marina on Friday 5th November.

The good news is, Sam will be coming along to fit our new cassette toilet. First he has to remove the pump-out unit, but I suppose we will have to dispose of it and the tank that goes with it.

Even more good news is the fact that, by removing the pump-out and tank we will save about £400 a year on emptying fees and we’ll have even more storage space.

Even more good news!! We won’t have to suffer the smell when the wind is in the wrong direction and the tank is almost full.

The bad news is that, after all we owe Sam for his valiant efforts at repairing the pump-out unit, plus the cost of the new cassette toilet, we’re a wee bit skint. Hopefully we’ll have no more big bills for a while.

Tomorrow evening the powers-that-be at Mercia Marina are throwing a Bonfire Night celebration, at which there will be food and drink, the obligatory fireworks and some music. Just for a change we are going to join in those celebrations, although I don’t suppose our wee pooch will enjoy it as much. In recent years, and despite being close to some of the noise on this night, Rusty seems to have become inured to it and tends to sleep through it all. Perhaps she’s going a little deaf in her old age.

There has been absolutely no improvement in my mobility of late. Indeed, even after sitting down for a short period, I am finding it more and more difficult to get moving again. In truth I now find myself in a similar situation to before I had the knee replacement operations. I am told that it could take up to a year for my mobility to improve to an acceptable level although, it has also been said that only about 80% of normal mobility is likely to be achieved. It is now well over three months since the op, and I think I should be walking a lot better by now and without so much pain and discomfort. I have therefore booked an appointment with my local GP for Monday morning.

Thursday 11th November

Wow! It is almost a week since I wrote to the blog, and that’s because not much has happened since Guy Fawkes Night. Actually we had planned to gather round the bonfire here but, since the pooch is not fond of loud noises, we decided against it. However, sitting here watching TV, with all the noise going on, our Rusty didn’t even murmur. We’ll know better next year, assuming the marina we stay in has a bonfire night celebration.

We have finally moved the boat and are now moored just around the corner, outside the nearest facilities block. This is one of the reasons we moved. I’m still not too clever on the legs and, when it rains or is icy, the wooden pontoons are pretty dodgy for me. Being nearer to the facilities and having to take only a few steps on the pontoon is a much safer proposition. The other reason for moving you already know about. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes.

As promised by the weather lady on Midlands Today, it is now raining. From what they tell us, we’re in for stormy weather for the next couple of days. This is a shame really because our friends Alan and Chris are paying us a visit tomorrow. We were going to pick them up at their flat but, as Derby is nearer, they are going to catch the train instead.
The plan is to bring them back to the boat then take them to lunch at the big eatery by the A50/A38 junction. We were there a few Sundays ago and, although it was very busy and a bit warm, it certainly looks the business.

We have now emptied the old waste tank and part filled it with water, plus the addition of some “Blue”. We’ve done this so as to disinfect the tank prior to ripping it out and disposing of it. We took the old toilet basin down to the amenities centre in Burton on Tuesday.

I really can’t imagine why we insisted on having a pump-out unit installed when we bought the boat. Not only is it an inconvenience when cruising, having to find a marina or BW site to empty it, it can also be rather expensive. On our cruise during 2009 we paid as much as £20 to have it emptied. With a cassette loo, which needs emptying every 2 or 3 days, there is no expense because almost all BW sites have a disposal unit that costs nothing to use. Now, having paid £300 for the cassette, it will pay for itself within a year and we could save as much as £400.

I paid a visit to the doctor on Monday and discovered I have a skin infection in my lower legs. I am now on anti-b’s for a week. But, when I told the nice Dr. Gibbs about my sleeping arrangements; spending more time in the armchair than the bed; she said I must stay in bed if at all possible. (Easier said than done!!) This is because, in order to reduce the water retention, I need to adopt the horizontal position. If I don’t do so then the water simply follows the laws of gravity and accumulates in my valves and ankles.

So, I’m still on the water tablets, diuretics to initiated, and I’m on antibiotics and I’m on painkillers and I’m getting pretty fed up with the whole shebang. Still, I suppose I really shouldn’t complain, at least my legs are on the mend and I’m walking much better. Shopping and walking around the market at Burton are not too difficult now, which is just as well because we’ll be taking Alan and Chris around the markets at Derby tomorrow.

Friday 12th November. What a dreadful night that was, with nothing but wind and rain all the way. Hopefully it will calm down later for when Alan and Chris arrive. This is a really beautiful marina and it would be nice if they could see it in favourable conditions.

Last night, for me at least, was not too uncomfortable. I still have to leave the bed a couple of times during the night, but only for a few minutes, after which I can settle in for another hour or two, eventually getting up at about 5.15.

Saturday 13th November

Had a really good day with Alan and Chris yesterday. Of course, when we arrived at Derby station, we parked in the short stay car park on one side of the station – as you do – and they were on the other side; a sign of things to come perhaps? Having sorted out that small problem we then went off and parked in the Westfield Centre basement car park.

First thing first after all that travelling, a cup of coffee and a scone; a scone for me because I had to ensure adequate sugar in my system for the long walk to come, well, that’s my excuse.

After about an hour and a half of walking around both markets, Derby Market being the second of the two, we came away with a loaf of bread. Hmmm! Must remember to visit Derby more often, we could save a fortune over our visits to Burton.

From there we headed on back to Willington and the pub at the junction of the A38 and A50, (and, yes, I’ve forgotten the name of that place too), where the two girls and myself enjoyed Cajun Chicken for lunch, whilst Alan, being the difficult one, chose the Steak and Guinness Pie.

On returning to the boat the girls took a long walk with Rusty, leaving Alan and me to put the world to rights and discuss our individual aches and pains. Goodness knows what the girls talked about, but then who knows?

We had intended to drive Alan and Chris back to Derby for the train and, in hindsight that would have been best because, having chosen instead to take the bus, they eventually arrived home about three hours later. How do they do it, I wonder? They managed to find a noisy bus full of school-kids and were held up in heavy traffic, thus missing their train.

Hopefully, within the next three weeks or so; they are due to fly back home on 6th December; we’ll be able to squeeze in another visit, at which time we will probably drive up to their place, but this time we’ll follow the proper routs and not get lost.

All in all a pretty good day I think.

Monday 15th November

Well, it finally happened, as we knew it would eventually, Sheila came face to face with her “Bestest Mate” yesterday.

As I have already explained within the pages of this blog, when we thought perhaps, that we may have upset Brian and/or Marian in any way, because she seemed to be avoiding us, I challenged Brian about it. He assured me there was nothing wrong.

Yesterday, just a few days after we moved the boat, and a couple of weeks since we had enjoyed so much as a smile from either of them, Marian asked Sheila if “We have done something to upset you?”

To say Sheila was gobsmacked would be an understatement, and then some. I don’t suppose the ensuing conversation was very pleasant, but I feel sure, from Wifey’s explanation of said conversation, that they are no longer “Bestest Mates”

From my point of view, this is a great pity, I hate losing friends, for any reason. Still, having suffered several weeks where we might just as well have had the whole marina to ourselves, we now have a whole host of folks to get to know and to talk to. The end of an era!!

Today is Morrison’s shopping day. Whooppeee!!!

Wednesday 17th November

It had to happen eventually. Sheila and Marian came face to face and, for a change, Marian didn’t try to avoid Sheila. Instead she had the temerity to stop and ask if THEY had done something to upset US! Wow! Now, that takes some beating, especially after I had asked Brian the same thing a few weeks ago. And especially since they had been avoiding us for a couple of weeks.

This might all seem pretty petty to you lot, but I hate to lose friends, especially friends of such short standing. Some years ago, when we were living at Vicarage Wood in Harlow, I made friends with a gas fitter by the name of Charlie Hunt. We drank together, made wine and beer together and I even took him out with me on some of my jobs with Chubb Fire. We were friends for quite a few years and Sheila became good friends with Charlie’s wife Sharon.

One day whilst I was visiting and they had other friends round, and completely out of the blue, Charlie accused me of ‘having it off’ with Sharon. A total lie of course. Anyway, a couple of months later we discovered that my good friend Charlie had been molesting his step-daughter and had been reported to the police. We figured that our friendship was not strong enough for Charlie to face me once he’d been found out and sent to prison for a year. Did he think I would drop him as a friend because of it?

We now have to wonder if a similar problem is the cause of our latest friend’s attitude towards us. But, to ask Sheila that question when I had already asked the same thing of Brian, seems to me a strange way to act.

Not wishing for a confrontation with Brian if he happens to read this blog, you will notice that I have changed the title, just this once. At my age I need scarcely add that any kind of confrontation with Brian would be completely anathema in my current physical condition.

Today we will probably head off to Burton for a wander around the markets.

Thursday 18th November

We changed our minds about Burton yesterday, rain stopped play, so to speak, so we’ll probably go this morning.

I now have 17 books listed on eBay and have sold just one. It seems Joe Public is not too interested in what I have to offer. No matter, if they don’t sell on eBay, I will list them on Amazon and, if that doesn’t work, take them to a charity shop, which is what I probably should have done in the first place.

As you all know, much like everybody living an average life, nothing of any moment happens to us two. Today however has quite rocked my equilibrium and in the form of one of the greatest voluntary societies in the country, The British Red Cross.

When I left the hospital in July, having just had both knees replaced, this organisation delivered a toilet frame to the boat. As you can imagine, at that time I needed all the help I could get.

Last week, finding myself perfectly capable of sitting on the loo by myself, I telephoned the Red Cross to have the frame collected this Friday.

Just a few minutes ago I received a call from them to say that, because I now live out of their area, they would not now be able to collect it.

The following conversation will probably annoy you as much as it has annoyed me, so much so that I immediately emailed their head office to complain.

Me: “Hello”
BRC: “Mr Chamberlain?”
Me: “Yes”
BRC: “Hello Mr Chamberlain, I believe we have arranged to collect a toilet frame from you tomorrow?”
Me: “That’s right”
BRC: “I’m sorry Mr Chamberlain, but we will not be able to collect the frame from you, because you are now outside our area” (We are now in Derbyshire)
Me: “OK. Can you tell me what I should do now please?”
BRC: “Well, you could just dump it or even sell it!!”
Me: “What? You think I should dump a piece of equipment just like that, surely somebody else from another branch could collect it?”
BRC: “Well, you could try Nottingham. Just a minute, let me ask my supervisor”
BRC: “Yes, you could try Nottingham, would you like their number?”

And so on and so forth.

I now await a reply from BRC Head Office, but I’m not holding my breath. What is it with these people? Just what kind of people are they using nowadays? I really am astonished at the attitude.

And, on that unhappy note, I shall try to post this blog.

All abreast from:

Dave, Sheila and Rusty.