Saturday 22nd
March to Tuesday 1st April
Sunday 23rd March
We decided to leave early for
the Family Bash and set off just a little after 9am. However, with the amount
of traffic on the road; much more than we would have expected for a Sunday morning;
we took the scenic route through Milton Keynes, Bedford, Sandy, and on to the
A10 and straight down through Ware. This took us much longer than the M1 would
have, but our timing was just right, because it gave us time to put the car
through the car-wash and grab a cup of coffee at the café in The Stow.
We arrived at The Fox at
about 12.15, after picking Alan and Val up who, much to our surprise, were
ready and waiting at the door. Well done you two. Luv Ya!! It was then just
down to me to welcome our guests and ply them with drinks, prior to sitting
down for our meal and a good old chinwag.
The event went really well,
the meal was good and the chatter kept everything moving quite pleasantly, I
thought. After the meal, Bob started organising the photo-shoot, which just
about everybody took part in, and just about everybody posed for. We even had
one of the staff members taking photos with our cameras. Eventually it was left
to Sheila and me to make the move to leave; else they all would have stood chatting
until they were eventually asked to leave. I would say the day went well.
After dropping Aland Val off
home, we repaired to the Premier Inn at Harlow Mill, where we rested up and
read the Mail until Al and Val turned up later, when we enjoyed a few more
drinks together.
We arranged to pick them up
again on Monday morning for breakfast at The Stow café, after which we took
them shopping. I think we eventually tore ourselves away at about 10.30 or
11.00 and made our way home to Crick. But, as with travelling the M1 on a
Monday, we were obliged to leave the motorway and head for the A5. It seems
there had been an ‘incident’ between junctions 11 and 12, which is well before
the point at which we would have left it.
We eventually arrived home at
about 12.15 or so and, after a quick cuppa, we set to and cleaned our chimney.
We do this just as soon as we are in a position to let the fire go out, such as
when the weather hots up or, like Sunday, when we leave the boat for a couple
of days. If we don’t do so on a regular basis, the main stack inside the boat
is prone to clogging up and, as proved to us last year, it can take an age to
unclog, using a long piece of iron rod.
So, that’s the family bash
for another year but, unlike this year we won’t be saving to pay for it. Bob
and Steve; Gill’s partner; both offered to put something in the pot, but Wifey
had set her heart on paying this year, so we had to refuse the offers. Thank
you both, but they do say it is better to give than receive, and we both
enjoyed your company, if only for a short while. See you all again in 2015.
Now, while I think of it,
does anybody out there have any idea how we can get in touch with Ian? If you
have an email for his sisters, or if Ian has a new one that we aren’t aware of,
please do email me with them.
We now have just one week
before we set off for another enjoyable seven months of cruising. This year
we’ll be taking a week through part of the Birmingham Canal System, along with
19 other boats. Several stopovers have been arranged and the week ends with a
festival at Titford, after which we’ll be heading for Liverpool. After that,
perhaps we’ll make our way to the River Weaver via the Anderton Lift, but this
will depend on the weather. Any more flooding and we may have to forget it,
again!
Friday 28th March
Yesterday we took the bus
into Rugby, only to do a wee bit of shopping and enjoy a coffee and scone; one
of the local, back street café’s make their own scones and they are really
something. I have asked one of the staff girl’s there to let me have the
recipe, but she reckons that, if she did so then she would have to kill me.
Shame, they are really great.
Anyway, sad to say, after
faffing around and wandering into several different shops, we didn’t have time
for the coffee and scone. However, since we’ll be going into Rugby again on
Monday, we’ll make sure we have our coffee/scone fix; it will be the last
chance we get, because we’ll be off on Tuesday morning.
Today we have to see the
nurse and arrange our prescriptions, prior to leaving. At this surgery, which
has its own pharmacy, they are happy to give us three months’ supply and,
whilst cruising we only have to phone or email with a request, along with
address of the chemist at which we would like to collect our medication, and
they will post the prescriptions direct. Magic!
After seeing the nurse we’ll
do our main shopping at Sainsbury’s and then, any odds and sods we need before
leaving, we’ll pick up at the Co-op in Crick.
Roll on Tuesday!!
Saturday 29th
March
We both had a medication
review with Nurse Sharon yesterday morning, along with blood pressure checks
and blood sample from me. We collect our medication on Monday, which will be
three months’ worth and which will have to be stored under the bed. Goodness knows
how we’ll find enough space for my Insulin. Ah well, we’ll soon be on our way.
Tuesday 1st April
Today’s the day we’ll be on
our way, but first we have to settle our electricity bill and buy some more
coal.
Sunday was, as Sundays go,
much of a muchness, with the usual lunchtime drinky-poohs at the club. After
which we said our goodbyes until November.
Yesterday afternoon we had a
visit from another boater, whose name is Peter and who was on his first day as
a boater. Peter lives in Thailand, and is married to a local lady. He’s 69 and
has decided to give boating a couple of years and he’s hoping his missus will
be agreeable to the lifestyle.
Anyway, he popped along to
get some information about boating, such as diesel and gas usage, WiFi; which
he called MiFi for some reason. So, realising that we would need a couple of
hours to chat, he came back later in the evening and we went through a few
things. We ended up with a guided tour of his boat; which is 57 feet in length
and is about 20 years old. I must say, we were pretty much impressed with the
condition of the boat, especially since he only paid £38K for it. He’s promised
to come and see us before we go, although, once we’ve sorted our own business
out, we’ll only be mooring up outside the marina, but only until tomorrow
morning, when we’ll be making our way through Crick tunnel and heading towards
Braunston.
So, that’s it for this year’s
winter moorings. I have to say it’s been pretty peaceful here, so we’ll be back
here in November again this year.
Toodle pip for now.
Dave and Sheila
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