Winter Crick 2015 16 10

Friday 15^th April to Friday 29^th April

 Friday 15^th April

 This will be the final blog from Crick. I’ll start a new, Summer 2016 after this one, probably starting from 1^st of May.

 Saturday 16^th April

 I contacted Bosworth Marina on Thursday, using their online enquiry form, and received their automated response the same day. But, since they hadn’t actually contacted me personally by yesterday, I decided to phone them, and it’s just as well I did, because they appear to be having problems with their automated response system. Anyway, I spoke to Chris and we’ve been assured of a welcome, should we decide to pay them a visit this weekend.

 We might just do that today but, alternatively we could go tomorrow. At present we have drizzly rain, so I’m hoping it will clear by 9 am, which will make for a much more pleasant drive. I’ve been told that it’s only about half an hour from here, up the A5, so we won’t have to suffer the rain for long.

 On Monday will be popping over to Daventry, to collect my new specs from Boot’s Opticians. I should have collected them on Wednesday, but they hadn’t arrived. However, they texted me yesterday and I can now go there on Monday.

 Also, if this pesky loose tooth doesn’t fall out by then, I’ll be calling in to the dentist there as well. Oh, the joys of being diabetic!!

 Later…….

 Although the weather didn’t look too promising, we decided to take a run up to Market Bosworth and pay a visit to the new marina. It still has much to be done before it’s completed, but we like the look of the place. Chris, the owner, gave us the guided tour of the offices – plush is the only word to describe it – and pointed out the various pontoon areas. We have chosen one near to the office, simply because it will also be close to the coal, gas and log storage areas, thus limiting the lugging of same to our boat. We’ve paid a deposit and will probably take up our moorings on 1^st November.

 The drive down from Market Bosworth will only take an extra half hour, so I’m OK with that. I’m still debating whether or not to trade the Alfa in for something sturdier, but will worry about that when we get to Bosworth Marina for the winter.

 Monday 18^th April

 I received a text message from Boot’s Opticians on Friday and have arranged to collect my new specs today, so we’ll do our shopping in Daventry at the same time.

 We’re still sticking to the diet but, for some unaccountable reason, we’re not losing as much weight as we would like. We both weighed ourselves on Thursday morning and, whilst Wifey had lost a pound, my weight was the same as last week. Now, at those times when I feel a bit peckish, I do tend to dip into our pot of nuts. Wifey suggested that this may be the problem, so I’ve stashed them away in the cupboard – out of site and out of mind. We’ll probably weigh in again on Wednesday or Thursday and see how we’ve done this week.

 We’re now in the eighth week and final week of the diet, but I’ve only lost 11lb so far. Yes, it’s good. But I really do need to lose more, so we’ll probably continue with it for a while more.

 Being on this diet has had a beneficial side effect, in that we now draw up a shopping list on Sunday for the coming week, and we only list what we need for the diet. This means that we don’t buy things we don’t really need and, as a consequence of that we are saving money on our shopping bill. Ta da!!

 Friday 22^nd April

 Well, we are now just eight days away from leaving Crick Marina for good. Hellelujah!!!

 A short while ago I mentioned the notice that had gone up outside Noel’s alternative office. This read something like, ‘please keep your dog off this area as it is now a nature reserve’. That ‘nature reserve’ is just a few square feet in area. Anyway, Wifey took Alex for a short walk yesterday evening and, in this short walk, she passed the ‘nature reserve’. She returned to the boat with a huge grin on her face and, when I asked what was so funny, she explained that the nature reserve now had a pond in it.

 “A pond?”, said I, “That piece of grass doesn’t have room for a pond. How big is it?”

 “Oh, about six foot by four foot”.

 “Blimey, that’s just about big enough for a couple of ducks. Do you think we should find a small, fisherman type gnome for it?” At which point we cracked up.

 The world’s gone mad!!

 Tomorrow I shall make the last of my Harlow visits before setting off for our World cruise of the Inland Waterways of England and Wales. With a bit of luck my Sister Carole and my Aunt Barbara and cousin Karen will also be there. The latter two I haven’t seen for some years. Indeed, it must be two or three years since I last saw Carole, so it should be a very pleasant day.

 Later…….

 We took a run over to the Chandlery in Braunston and bought some last minute items for use on our travels. We have just eight more days until we have to leave Crick marina and, to be honest, it can’t come soon enough. We’ve spent three winters here and, although we feel we have been poorly treated of late, three years is long enough at one marina, so we’re looking forward to our first winter at Market Bosworth. But first, summer cruising beckons!!

 Saturday 23^rd April

 This morning is looking good for my drive down to Harlow, the sun will be up pretty soon and my car will defrost – I hope. The only problem will be the sun in my eyes on the way there.

 Tuesday 26^th April

 For several months I suffered a loose tooth, which finally fell out of its own accord. It didn’t take long for another one to come loose, this one right next door to the first one. However, this so and so would not fall out, and it soon became really troublesome. I soon found it almost impossible to eat properly, because my top teeth would crash down on the loose one and give me a sharp reminder that it was still there.

 So, sometime last week, while we were in Daventry, I booked an appointment to have it removed. Unfortunately, for reasons of another health issue, I had to cancel that appointment and, as a consequence had to wait until yesterday to have the offending tooth removed. Happy days at last, now I can eat without fearing a clash of teeth upsetting my meal.

 This morning, on the advice of the very nice young dentist who removed that tooth, I’ll be popping back to see the hygienist for a good clean up. I now have a rather wide gap at the front and bottom line of teeth. Not a pretty sight but, since we have to vacate our spot in the marina by Saturday, there’s no time to have a plate made.

 We now have a new plank for mooring up in those odd spots, where the stern is too far from the bank and we need to bridge the gap. Thanks Bruv, you did a fine job. Now, all I have to do is stain it and affix some non-slip pads to it. Hopefully, as it has started off bright and sunny this morning, I’ll get that job out of the way today.

 Wednesday 27^th April

 On Mon, after having that loose tooth removed, I made an appointment to see the Hygienist for the next day – yesterday. How blooming annoying to arrive there at the allotted time, only to be told she had called in sick. Of course, the receptionist sought to re-book the appointment for the following week, but, having already explained that we would be gone by this weekend, and that there would be no way to get there without the car, I had to accept a refund. Yes, I did pay for all the treatment the day before! Unfortunately, refunds can only be issued from their head office, so we’ll have to wait for that to be sent to Alan and for him to post it on to us, wherever we might be.

 I had thought to keep this dental practice, even if it meant a half hour drive if needed in the future. But I no longer think that’s a good idea and we’ll see what we find at Market Bosworth.

 Now, we don’t have all the bells and whistles of Sky or BT television, just Freeview, so we’re rather limited in what we are able to watch and, for the most part, that’s a load of rubbish. So, on our cruise this year, the tv set will be packed away and out will come the new Hi Fi unit and we’ll be recording as many of our old vinyl records onto cds. We should have been doing so whilst here at Crick, but we never got around to it. However, in view of the aforementioned rubbish now being shown on Freeview, we feel this would be an ideal time to get onto it.

 We’re hoping the weather stays calm enough for us to take the boat around for a top up of diesel today. We’ll probably leave here on Saturday and will be taking the car up to the garage for safe keeping in Friday. Whether we stay for the weekend is still an open option. It would be nice to spend a final hour at the club on Sunday, but if it’s a fine day, we might just go on our way.

 Incidentally, since starting on my low calorie diet, I have lost a stone in weight. It has taken me eight weeks so far, so I still have some way to go before I’m free of diabetes. However, I’ve not been following Dr Mosley’s book to the letter – his recipes are hardly inviting. Shei and I have been using recipes from two of the Hairy Bikers books, which are far more appealing and do give calorie contents for them.

 When I paid a visit to the nurse last week, she applauded my efforts thus far; I’ve managed to leave out the three daily doses of Insulin and am just taking the late night one; but she insisted I would not be able to get rid of my diabetes altogether. Well, I’m not one to argue unnecessarily, but I’ve read several reports about people who have done just that and under medical supervision, so I’m still going to try.

 There’s also a suggestion that, in order to keep weight off permanently, it is necessary to keep to the diet for a year, at last. With the Hairy Bikers recipes, we’re both happy to do so.

 Friday 29^th April

 As you all know, we’re due to leave here tomorrow, the last day of our stay at Crick Marina. So, since we’ll have no Internet signal once we get ourselves outside, I’ll make this my last entry. On Sunday I’ll start a new blog for our 2016 cruise.

 Of course, being outside the marina also means no mobile signal, so those who have my number, please don’t expect any contact from me until we’re well away from here.

 Up until the news that our fees were going up here, we had enjoyed our stay. But now? Well, we’ll be happy to leave, as much as we love the village and the people in it.

 We don’t know where we’ll be heading for, as we haven’t made any proper plans. But you’ll be the first to know. Quite possibly we’ll head for the Llangollen Canal, simply because we didn’t get to it last year.

 Today I’ll be taking the car up to the garage for safe keeping. While it’s there I’m hoping Malcolm will have a few faults fixed, so that I can put it up for sale when we get to Market Bosworth in November.

 And that’s about it, apart from wishing you all a very pleasant summer.

 Take care.

Dave, Sheila and Alex.

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Crick 2015 16 9

Saturday 26^th March to Friday 15^th April

 Sunday 27^th March

 Having retired to bed at the usual 10 pm last night, and getting up at 06.00 this morning, also as usual, I found it dark and cold out there with Alex. Still, it is now officially Summer time.

 This morning I received an email from Mr Langer, the owner of Crick Marina, who assured me that there are several marinas that do operate a two tier system of fees. He also said that his decision was, in part, as a result of complaints by long-term moorers. Now, having already submitted a cheque for three months’ stay, we’re on the horns of a dilemma; do we stay for the full three months’, or go at the end of April, which Mr Langer is amenable to?

 In the meantime, we still have lots of work to do on the boat, which is easier done whilst in the marina, so…….!!

 Monday 28^th March

 We had a chat yesterday about when to leave Crick, and we both agree that the end of April would be best. Since Mr Langer has OK’d this and Noel must still have our cheque – it is a Bank Holiday – we’ll be at the office sometime this morning in order to change our leave date.

 Now, I received another appointment from Northampton General Hospital yesterday. Once again they have taken no notice of my cancellation, a cancellation, incidentally, that was necessary because, despite the surgeon telling me there was no need for a follow-up appointment, one was actually made.

 However, I do have an email address for the department concerned, so I’ve now advised the lovely Maureen of our current situation.

 We now have emails out to three separate marinas and are awaiting their replies. The nearest one, at Barby, would probably suit us best, since the area around it is served by our current GP. However, there are two more that we like the look of, and they are Market Bosworth – a new addition on the Ashby Canal – and Fenny Compton, which lies on the South Oxford Canal. The latter of these would only add about 20 minutes to my Harlow trips, which is no big deal, whereas Market Bosworth might be a little tricky time-wise.

 Last night we had some really heavy rain, resulting in me having to slacken off our bow line. I’m hoping this won’t be an ongoing thing today.

 Tuesday 5^th April

 Apologies for such a lengthy delay in topping up the blog. Time seems to have got away from me. Although, in mitigation, we have been rather busy of late, what with putting the top box together, shopping and hospital appointments. But that’s just me, finding excuses. The truth is, I’ve had this problem with the marina and it’s increase in fees, and nothing else seems to matter in such circumstances.

 Yesterday we took a ride over to Daventry for some cupboard rail end supports, which will be used to hold the corner posts on our new top box. Luckily I already have a broom handle that I can cut to size, so I won’t have to go hunting for that. The weather should be dry today, so we’ll get to sorting that out – we hope!

 Now, since we don’t know where we’ll be next winter, I had considered leaving the car with Alan, in Harlow. But that would mean asking someone other than Alan to bring me back to the boat. So, we’ll probably leave it with Malcolm at the garage, and worry about collecting it when we’re settled in another marina.

 Thursday 7^th April

 No luck with the weather so far this week, so we’re no nearer finishing our top box. Hopefully today will brighten up enough to get on with it, but it’s not looking good so far, with heavy clouds and strong wind.

 Today we’ll go over to Daventry, to get some shoes for Wifey, otherwise not much to do.

 I had thought to try my hand at drop-shipping online and found a company that did all sorts of prints. However, there was no sign of any advertising material and the prices they would have charged me for the stuff, was almost as high as some of those, similar prints on eBay, so I’ve decided against that one. Still, I can keep looking. It’s not so much for the money; although that would be useful; it’s more for something to do in my spare time.

Friday 8^th April

 We took a drive over to Daventry, initially to buy Sheila a pair of new shoes, but we also called in to Boot’s Opticians to clarify when my new specs would be in. I should be able to pick them up next Wednesday.

 We’re waiting for Peter to give us a call, to let us know when the coal barge will be coming through. At which time we’ll take the boat out and meet him for coal and diesel. After which we’ll return to the marina.

 Now, we should be staying here until the end of this month, but we might just leave a little earlier. If I can leave the car with Alan, in Harlow and get his son Darren to fetch me back here, then it won’t matter where we end up for the winter, because Alan will be able to deliver it to us. If we leave it with Malcolm at the local garage, then I’ll have the problem of getting to him to collect it.

 Today, hopefully, the weather will stay dry and we can concentrate on finishing the new top box.

 Saturday 9^th April

 Yesterday, for the most part, it was fairly dry, I’m pleased to say. So, Late in the afternoon, after returning from walking Alex around the village, I grabbed a tin of undercoat and gave the base of our top box a heavy coat. That should save it from wilting in the next rainfall. Mind you, it is about half inch thick, so it would take quite some time – which we don’t have – for it to start distorting. Anyway, that’s done now. All that remains to do is fit the corner rests and stain those, then put the box on the roof, transfer all the stuff from the old one, and put the cover on.

 Actually I still have the corners to trim down and the lashing points to fit for the cover. I also need to find some suitable timber, with which to make a “Shiralee” sign for the two outer facing sides. If, when this current bout of rain stops, maybe we’ll get something done. But, according to the forecast, tomorrow will be the drier of the two days.

 Tomorrow, apart from any work on the top box, we’ll spend a leisurely hour at the club at lunchtime. Monday is planned as shopping at Sainsbury’s, whilst Tuesday should be a run into town on the bus.

 Now, on the 23^rd of the month, I will be driving down to Harlow, for the last time this year. I’ve decided to leave the car with Alan and also put it up for sale. If he manages to sell it; and I can see no reason why he shouldn’t; he won’t have to bring it to wherever we end up for winter and, with the cash I already have, plus anything else we save while we’re cruising, we should have enough to buy a newer car. To be honest and although I do like the Alfa, it’s becoming expensive to keep on the road. I don’t know what we’ll be getting; I’ve looked at Jags, Mercs and Saabs; I haven’t decided yet. It all depends on price and other things. We’ll see in due course.

 Sunday 10^th April

 Well, Wifey has now decided she would like us to moor up in the new marina at Market Bosworth. And, I have to say, I wholeheartedly agree. It looks to be a great place and we’ve seen it whilst cruising up the Ashby canal. The town is about a mile away and, as I’ve mentioned before, mostly uphill. However, it does have a bus service, which stops just a short walk from the main gate and goes all the way to Leicester.

 The mooring fees for our length of boat is £2600 per annum, or £650 per quarter; about £75 less than Crick; so would suit us well. The Ashby canal is about 22 miles long and has no locks. Indeed, it’s possible to cruise for about 35 miles without locks, taking in Atherstone and Hawkesbury Junction. In fact, taking in Coventry and Hillmorton; including the stop-lock at Hawkesbury Junction could add a further 25 miles.

 The town of Market Bosworth has all the usual amenities, including Co-op, butcher, greengrocer, doctor and vet and we usually manage to get all our groceries there without any problem. Well worth a look methinks. We’ll probably head straight there when we leave Crick, which, at the speed we travel, will take about three weeks.

 I’ve now finished staining the top box supports, so it’s now a case of waiting for them to dry, when we’ll have the arduous task of emptying the old and disposing of the old one, lift the new and heavier one onto the roof and filling it with what came out of the old one. Get me??

 Wednesday 13^th April

 To catch up………Monday, shopping at Sainsbury’s, finished off top box and sat it on the roof. Tuesday, took a bus ride into Rugby and enjoyed a Latte and toasted tea cake at Brooke’s café, along with a few odds and ends of shopping, that’s the cheapy stuff from B&M.

 Today we have earmarked for collecting my new specs from Boot’s Opticians in Daventry. Hopefully, if it stays dry today, we’ll clean up our engine cover and give it a coat of black paint. Also, since said cover tends to bend up at each end when the sun gets on it, I’ll try to attach a thick length of timber to the underside; running front to back; which should alleviate that problem. Come the winter time, we’ll try to find a new cover.

 Yesterday, as a result of the Latte and tea cake, my blood glucose reading shot up to 12.5. This is not unusual and, because it was so high, I took a reduced amount of Insulin. Later in the afternoon, as I was sitting at this laptop, I started to get a wee bit shaky. This is a sign that my blood sugar level has dropped, quite dramatically, almost to hypo level at 3.3.

 Of course I chewed a couple of Dextrose tablets, which soon put it right. However, the mere fact that my reading fell to such a low level, tells me that my diet is working and, it may well be, that my pancreas has started to work again. As it is I am now down to just my late jab, but am now; very tentatively; cutting that one down, but ever so slightly.

 I’ll be seeing the practice nurse on the 19^th and, whilst she will be pleased with my weight loss, I’m not so sure about her reaction to the news that I’ve almost eliminated the need for Insulin.

 I received an email from Tony at Barby Moorings yesterday morning-which was in reply to my email asking about visiting the marina-telling me we would be welcome anytime. So, we’ll pop along there tomorrow. Most marinas now ask for a £400 deposit when booking winter moorings. This, of course, comes off the first quarterly payment. So, as soon as we’ve decided whether or not to spend next winter there, we cough up the necessary readies.

 Friday 15^th April

 We took a run over to Barby Marina yesterday and had a long chat with one of the female moorers there. The upshot of this chat was that we would go away and give the marina some serious consideration, this despite the fact that Kim, our local driving instructor, had given us cause for concern about the place.

 Anyway, when we returned to Crick marina, we found our boat engineer in the car park. Well, no sooner had we mentioned the fact that we had been to Barby, he immediately threw his hands in the air and said, “Don’t even think about it!” Wow, now that’s a reaction. He moors his own boat nearby, actually along the cut, and won’t even go into the marina to carry out work on boats there. He then gave his opinion on both the owners of the place, amongst many other detrimental remarks. Knowing him as we do; he’s taken care of our problems for the past three years; we tend to take his advice and, after due consideration, we’re now leaning towards Market Bosworth.

 Talking of which, I emailed them again yesterday, with a view to making it our permanent home. I haven’t heard back from them yet, except for an automatic response to my email, so we’re going to phone and see if we can make a visit there this weekend.

 As for the car, well, we’ve now decided to keep it. I know, I know!! I’ve said I want a newer one, and I do. But, having spent so much on it over the years, I doubt if there’s much more that can go wrong with it. Yeah! I know………!!

 Anyway, the reason for leaving it here is that, after speaking to Dave, our engineer, and telling him about our plans for Market Bosworth, he agreed to pick me up there; if and when we get moored there; and take me to Crick to pick the car up again. Problem solved!!

There are a couple of things that need doing before it will pass another MOT, but I’ll get Malcolm to fix those before we get to Market Bosworth for the winter.

 So, that’s it for this blog.

 Have a great weekend folks.

 Dave, Sheila and Alex.

 

 

 

Winter Crick 2015 16 8

Monday 14^th March to Saturday 26^th March

 Monday 14^th March

 Surprisingly for us we found the cottage without losing our way or missing a turning. First impressions, a great little place to stay, with easy access to Rutland Water. Economy 7 electricity does not keep the cottage as warm as we would like, but then we do have a solid fuel burner on the boat and diesel powered radiators, so we’re not used to a cooler atmosphere. Which is why we’ll be taking a drive into Oakham so that I can buy a warm cardigan.

 We were far too early for the cottage; although it was already open when we arrived at half eleven; so we stopped off at a car park and had a stroll around, eventually finding a café that was open. We ordered a coffee and slice of carrot cake, which came to £13.00p. Yes, folks, you read that right, £13.00p for coffee and slice of cake each. Now that is taking the wee, wee!!

 Still, we’re only here for three days and the nearby hotel boasts of being dog friendly. So, if we’re caught in bad weather, we can always dine there.

 Tuesday 15^th March

 This is a lovely little cottage and, along with a second one of similar proportions, has a short, private drive down to it. Also, and apart from the lack of warmth for this time of year, we didn’t have any hot water for washing up or washing ourselves. So, when it came to dirty dishes after dinner, we had to boil the kettle up. Then, just after I had done the washing up, my phone rang and, who should it be but Rebecca, the owner of the cottages. She’d phoned me instead of the person she should have phone and I told her about the lack of hot water. Apparently this is an ongoing problem, but it was soon solved by switching on the immersion heater.

 As it happens, as I mentioned earlier, we drove into Oakham; instead of walking to the nearest village; where I found a really comfortable, warm’ zip-up cardigan and Wifey popped into the local Tesco for a few odds and ends.

 This morning we’ll probably take a walk to the aforementioned village, just for the sake of doing so and to enjoy some more of the stunning views around the area.

Wednesday 16^th March

 Yesterday morning was pretty cold in the cottage, despite the radiators and, although we went out with the intention of taking a long walk by the water, we took a trip into Oakham and bought a fan heater instead. We then went straight back to the cottage and switched it on. It seems a pity that we had to resort to such a move, but I’m afraid it was absolutely necessary in this instance. Perhaps we’ve been spoilt with our solid fuel burner and 3 radiators on the boat. We’ll probably leave a note for Rebecca before we leave.

 Also yesterday morning, I found I was unable to log on to the Internet. Initially I thought it was because the WiFi had switched itself off, but this wasn’t the case. It was simply because I had connected the WiFi unit to the mains, rather than directly to the laptop. As a result of this the WiFi then wanted my security details, which I couldn’t enter, simply because I hadn’t brought the card with me. The problem was soon solved by connecting to the laptop via an extension lead which, luckily, I had brought with me.

 This morning, however, I have been unable to download my messages using Outlook, and it’s not because the WiFi is off. So, rather than waste time fiddling, I accessed my Absolute account online. Strange that I can access the Internet, but not Outlook. Hmmm!

 Thursday 17^th March

 Well, we’ll be on our way back to Crick this morning, having spent a very pleasant three days by the side of Rutland Water.

 Yesterday we simply chilled out, having first walked along to Edith Weston; the nearest village; for the Mail. After which we did nothing in particular, except take Alex out for a couple of longish walks. The cottage has been pretty comfortable since we included a fan heater.

 So, what next for our future moorings? Well, I have drafted a letter to Tim Langer, voicing our concerns and have toned it down somewhat in order not to offend. I’m pretty good in that regard.

 As we see it, we have two choices. We pay the man his new fees throughout the year – not likely. Or we simply look at alternative marinas for next winter. The third option would be to hope we can return here, but we’re not sure that that’s a good idea, as we’ll be leaving under a cloud. We’ll just have to see.

Friday 18^th March

 Returning to the rise in mooring fees at Crick Marina. Sheila and I are quite puzzled as to why we received that letter. After all, we normally only winter over, wherever it may be, and then get out for more cruising by the beginning of April. The fact that we paid for the whole of 2015, was simply to guarantee a mooring spot for this winter. Had we not done so I would have missed several hospital appointments and diabetes checks. So it was essential that we come back here. Now, as far as the hospital is concerned, I no longer need to return at six monthly intervals, so I can just as easily make an appointment at another hospital. My diabetes checks can also be carried out locally, wherever we may be.

 Saturday 20^th March

 Well, after a heated discussion about our commitment to this marina, i.e., the payment of a termination fee, we have decided to pay up and use the additional time here working on the boat. Nuff said!!

 Today is the long-awaited Kennett family bash, which starts at midday, for a sit down meal at 1.0 pm. As far as we are aware we’ll be at The fox at Matching, but nobody has confirmed this. Won’t it be a surprise when we turn up, only to find nobody there? Nah! Carole would have told us of a different venue – wouldn’t she??

 Alex, as usual, will stay with his bestest pal, Tommy and his owner, Peter, for the day. Peter is the one person that Alex took to as soon as they met. He was very wary of other men, but took to Peter as if he’s known him all his life. Tommy is also a Jack Russell, although much smaller than Alex. And he has a tail and a full set of kit, if you know what I mean.

 Monday 21^st March

 The Kennett family bash went well yesterday, although there were far fewer attendees this time. Still, the food was good and the conversation brought quite a few laughs, especially from Michael, Sheila’s brother. Next year we’re hoping to change the seating arrangements. Thus far we’ve been separated into two distinct groups but, if we can join tables together next time, we can all natter across the table and generate more noise. Lovely!

 So, everything is back to normal, with shopping our first priority today. Alex was very pleased to see us again, although he does enjoy his stay with Peter and Tommy.

 We’ve now decided to stay here until the end of June, so that we can carry out more work on the boat; mostly painting, but there’s also the top-box to put together. Of course this means paying the increased fees for that quarter, but saves us carrying out the paintwork out there on the cut. In order to do so when cruising, it’s necessary to have a spell of dry weather, It’s also important to find a mooring spot that’s near a turning point, or winding hole, as it’s known in the trade, so that the boat can be turned around as and when necessary.

 Tuesday 22^nd March

 Yesterday was just another one of those non-days, in that, apart from a bit of shopping at Sainsbury’s, we did nothing of any account. Although, the following might give you a chuckle.

 Yesterday evening, at about seven of the clock, Wifey took Alex for his evening stroll, as is her wont. Between our marina and the next; there are three altogether here at Crick; there’s an alternative office, which sports a WiFi aerial. This log cabin sits on a small hillock, along with a few trees. On passing the office Wifey spotted a notice and, being the Nosy Parker that she is, went to investigate.

 Now, bearing in mind that the hillock upon which this office sits is only a few square yards in area, she was most surprised to find the words, ‘This area is a wildlife preserve and dogs must not be allowed on it’. Had it stated that some owners were allowing their dogs to use the area as a toilet, we wouldn’t have thought if very funny. But, what do we know, we’re only a couple of unwanted boaters?

 Friday 25^th March (Good Friday)

 I received a return email from RBOA this morning, having asked for their comments regarding the new structure here at Crick. Their comments were as I expected and I was reminded that the owner of Crick Marina can do as he pleases where fees are concerned. Well, I had already stated that obvious fact in my email to the owner, so we feel that the situation is what it is, and we’ll vote with our feet, or boat in this case. It’s a real shame though, as we quite like Crick and the surrounding area. Unfortunately, Noel’s offer of seven months’ moorings at the end of this year, with payment up front, is not something we can contemplate at this time. We’ve had the expense of the boat blacking and the enforced three-day break whilst that was being done, so we’re hardly in a position to find such a sum right now. We also had the additional expense of having our engine serviced.

 Ah well, that’s life, etc, etc.

 I’m due for a kidney scan on 2^nd April, a Saturday, would you believe? So, we now have to go out and find me a decent housecoat. This is to preserve my modesty when walking across the waiting room in one of those soppy gowns. Those ridiculous thingies’ that tie up at the back and show your bum. We’ll probably pop over to Sainsbury’s for that little item.

 Hopefully, this Bank Holiday won’t be the total washout that the forecasters would have us believe.

 Saturday 26^th March

 Didn’t bother with Sainsbury’s yesterday as we’ll be going there on Tuesday, so I can get my housecoat then, if they have one.

 Yesterday was great weather-wise. We took a walk over to the office and paid our ‘dues’, so we’re officially here until the end of June. Of course, we won’t spend all the intervening weeks here, but will g out for a week or two here and there.  This morning we’ll be putting our postal forwarding address in to the Post Office.

 We have yet to receive replies from the two marinas we emailed about winter moorings for this coming November, but it’s early days yet. As soon as we know, you too will know.

 

So, with no further ado, I'll post this blog.

 

Have a great Bank Holiday

 

Dave, Sheila and Alex

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Crick 2015 16 7

Friday February 26^th to Monday 14^th March

Saturday 27^th February

 Yesterday seemed to be one of those days when we’re constantly on the go. At first we intended to catch the 09.40 bus to Rugby, but due to circumstances beyond my control, we took the one an hour later.

 Rugby itself was OK, but what with it being a Friday and very busy, we had no hope of catching the next bus bac, so we ended up at our usual coffee shop and the wandered around the charity shops, where we bought four books.

 Upon our return to Crick marina; on a packed and very warm bus; Alex needed to go out, which fell to me whilst Wifey made the tea. After which I emptied the decking from the car so that we could get some coal. We then had to take a walk up to the Co-op for some eggs for dinner; which we had already highlighted as scrambled eggs, bacon and mushrooms, as part of our 800 calories a day diet.

 During all this kerfuffle, I fell to talking to another couple of boaters, following on from which we dipped the fuel tank and then walked around to the garden centre for those eggs; which we didn’t get from the Co-op after all, because they were too small.

 Eventually we settled down and watched TV for a couple of hours and then had dinner, followed by more TV, which included Wilhelmina, the film with Judie Dench. We also have the book of the same name. All in all, a pretty hectic day, well, for us anyway.

 Today I have some printing to do and then a copy of Wendy’s family cartoon portrait.

 Tuesday 1^st March

 I had an appointment with the NHS Optician yesterday, to assess the state of my cataract and, after a thorough examination and questions as to whether I have any problems with my eyesight, it was decided that no action needs to be taken at this time. Goody, goody!

 Saturday 5^th March

So far everything seems to be going well with the 8-week diet. We’re taking at least one long walk a day, sometimes two, although I don’t feel as if I’ve lost weight this week. I’ll know for sure on Monday morning, which is when we usually weigh ourselves.

 I’m now in the process of building our new top-box, having drilled all the necessary holes in the base. Wifey will be taking the bus into Northampton on Tuesday, so I’ll probably do some more while she’s out of the way.

 Sunday 6^th March

 I have finally finished Wendy’s Cartoon Portrait, but (sorry Bruv), I only used short shadows. I tried several variations of longer shadows, but they just didn’t seem to fit with a cartoon.

 Tomorrow morning will tell me if I’ve lost any more weight, because, despite Dr Mosley’s assertion that we should weigh ourselves more often, we’re of the opinion that, if we find we’re not going down, it’s more likely to disappoint us and, just maybe, put us off the diet. I’m hoping to have cracked the 14 stone mark.

 Today we’ll be visiting the club as usual, but it’s had a bit of a makeover this past week, with new pumps, furniture and bar, so it should look pretty good.

 Monday 7^th March

 This morning has to be the coldest this year; very thick frost out there. Hopefully it won’t be like this next week, when we take our three-day break while Shiralee’s hull is being blacked. We’ll be spending those three days in a small cottage by the side of Rutland Water and are hoping for some interesting walks.

 Today we’ll be driving over to Sainsbury’s for our weekly shop. Unlike most men I rather enjoy our shopping trips. Perhaps that’s because Wifey doesn’t dither and we don’t always shop at the same place. We sometimes use Asda in Rugby and we sometimes shop in Daventry.

 I weighed myself this morning and found I had lost another 2 lb. I am now at 14 stone 3 lb, which means I have now cracked the 200lb mark.

 Next Monday our boat goes in for hull blacking; a necessary evil every two to three years; and, since paint is far cheaper than rust, needs must when the Devil drives. So, since we aren’t able to stay on the boat whilst it’s in dry dock, we’ll be renting a cottage right on the edge of Rutland Water. Unfortunately, we can’t arrive before 3 pm, so we’ll have to poodle around the Water for a while, or visit Oakham. There are a few cafes scattered around the Water, so we’ll be able to break our daily walks. There’s also a pub about a mile away and so, if they allow dogs in; which most pubs in this neck of the woods do; we could enjoy a lunchtime break. We’re both quite looking forward to the break.

 Tuesday 8^th March

 So, there was I at about 06.00 yesterday morning, girding my loins all ready to get stuck in to a new Cartoon Portrait, when the programme took it upon itself to stop working. It seemed to get through part of the setup, but stalled at finding the fonts. So, having checked that all the fonts were where they should be, I then, with great hesitation, pressed ahead and installed the programme again. At first this didn’t do much, so I tried again, and again, and finally the programme loaded. Just to be sure, I then ran a scan for bugs, but none showed up.

 Sheila is taking the bus into Northampton this morning; probably to browse clothing and such; while I soldier on with building our new Top-Box, which is now showing signs of wear after almost 10 years sitting on top of the boat in all kinds of weather.

 I bought the timber when I last went down to see Alan and, after having it all cut to length by the nice man at Wicke’s, brought it all home, along with some thick, exterior ply that Alan supplied. With Alex watching over me I’m pretty sure I won’t make any boo-boos.

 Wednesday 9^th March

 Wifey came to me after her morning wash and brush up, to show me, what she called, a wonky face. It seems she has an abscess under a tooth. So, no bus trip to Northampton and she had to visit the quack for anti-biotics. That trip will now take place on Thursday as she’s having her Barnet cut today.

 This was good for me, because she was then able to help me partly assemble the new Top-Box. We’ll finish assembling it before we go off cruising. The old one will be broken up for firewood. Well, it is nearly ten years old and rather flimsy now.

 This morning has started with heavy rain, something Alex doesn’t think much of when I take him for his morning pee. But, needs must when the Devil drives. I don’t much like it either, but…….

 Saturday 12^th March

 Apart from a trip into town and having more work done on the car, not a lot has happened since Wednesday. Except that we won’t be coming back to Crick this coming winter.

 We received a letter from the owner of this marina Mr M. T. Langer, in which he states, “We are writing to you, as a Crick Marina moorer whom we believe uses their narrowboat as a residence on at least a part-time basis.” All of which is true, of course. However, he also states that Crick Marina Ltd provides moorings primarily for leisure moorers, i.e., those who do not live on board, but leave their boats here when not in use.

 This is, of course, a load of nonsense, because they have quite a lot of boats here whose owners do live on their boats, but pay a premium for the privilege of doing so. The only reason we can think of that has prompted him to do this, is greed, pure and simple. In order for us to continue mooring here he has increased our fees by 15%, leaving us with an extra £400 per year to pay.

 We wintered over here for the first time during the winter of 2014/15 and those five months cost us £912.66. Since then the fees have increased a couple of times. But using that period as an example, we would now be looking at £1049.60.

 The only reason we agreed to pay throughout the whole year; rather than just the winter period; was so that we could guarantee a mooring when we came back. This has cost us dear, but we really didn’t want to find another marina every winter, which means registering with a different doctor, to say the least.

 So, since this prize greedy-guts insists upon this extra 15%, we’ll be finding somewhere new next winter.

 Later…

 I mentioned the above to a fellow boater this morning, but he hadn’t received his letter yet. He did say though, that if the fees are going up by 15%, he would also leave. Later in the day we saw him with two other boaters holding, what looked like an envelope.

 Methinks Mr Langer has shot himself in the foot.

 Monday 14^th March

 This situation regarding the rise in fees quite interesting. We’ve spoken to more boaters about this and, without a doubt many of them will leave. You see, most boaters, whether they live on board or not, do like to spend quite a lot of time cruising. Not everybody goes off for seven months, like we do. However, when we do leave the marina, for whatever length of time, we are required to leave our car keys, so that, should an emergency arise while we’re away, our cars can be moved. And, where the Crick Boat Show is concerned, our cars must be left in the big car park, so they can be moved to make way for the people arranging the show rents and such can park their cars.

 So, why all that info? Well, while we are away enjoying the scenery, our mooring bays can be used for other boaters wishing to spend a day or two here, in the safety of a marina. This means that, while we’re away Mr Langer is earning even more money from our vacant pontoons. All marinas do this, but it still rankles that we’re paying for him to make more money.

 Anyway, whatever the case, we’ll be leaving sometime in April, never to return.

 Incidentally, the boater I spoke to earlier has already given in his notice to leave. And he’s just the tip of the iceberg. Like I said, nobody likes being held to ransom.

 Now, on a much lighter note, we’ll be able to get into our cottage by noon today, so we have no need to wander around Oakham with Alex in tow. This is great news, because it will give us the afternoon in which to wander around the Water instead.

 And that, as they say, is that. Let’s get on with posting this blog.

 Have a good week folks.

 Dave, Sheila and Alex.