Thursday 27 January 2011

What a year.... lots of photos but worth a read

I have been reviewing our year last year.

I think it was one of the busiest for a while. Photo's are a great way of reminding you what you did, so keep that camera handy, it is a great pictorial diary.

January



Egypt on the Nile

February

25th Wedding anniversary aboard Waterlily just below Kings Bromley marina

March

Sweep the roads clean first group ride out across Derbyshire

We had a lot of work done on our Garden to make it easier to use.maintain - this is a before shot


Last trip on Waterlily in her old colours. Second photo is her stripped ready to go into the dock !

April


The boat painting was well underway


We went to Scotland to stay with Friends in their lovely farm house over Easter

We did a couple of cycle rides over to the boat to check progress

May
First inaugural trip on our P&J newly painted, from Willington to Fradley


Started our summer cruise in May and my youngest had his 19th Birthday aboard so we go him drunk good times

Dropped off Callum in Stoke and John and Tony at Barbridge then it was just me Rachel and Leia for the remainder of the trip.

Just time to join the May Derbyshire Deauville rider annual ride out. Fantastic day covering some great roads

June

The annual Buxton to Derby cycle ride in perfect weather

July


A few more days on the boat - not moving anywhere just relaxing

Then a few days in North Wales with my Father in Law

August


Out with a mix of bikes for a great trip around the North Yorks Moors


First part (!) of my birthday celebrations was a trip out to our favourite short hop mooring just below Kings Bromley marina, we watched Chertsey chug by....


Then a real nostalgia trip to Sutton on Sea on the bike on my birthday (16th August for future info) It has not changed much at all. I used to go here with a good friends family when a young teenager

Back to the boat after the bike ride for some fishing.

At the end of August we (or it could have been just me) we aboard again I recall fishing at dawn which was beautiful.

September

Can you believe I have no photos for this month !!

October
Early October saw us out to Great Heywood for a long weekend. The early start was rewarded with a great sunrise. This was a sublime few days.


Mid October and I was out on the bike again - this time a 330 mile round trip to the North East with the highlight being a trip on the Middlesborough transported bridge.


Late October and we were back on the boat to get it topped up Diesel, coal, gas and a pump out, About £135 as I recall. It was a great trip with some very welcome late October sunshine.

We have a fancy to do the Sea2Sea this year and it will either be on Solo's or a tandem. So we went out one Sunday in late October to Waterhouses and hired a tandem. Good fun it was - however Rachel could not pilot it, no doubt not helped by me on the back trying to turn the fixed handlebars to get balance !!


I grew hair on the 30th October and drank loads of beer - can you tell !!

November


November saw us back in Scotland putting in the foundations for 2 wind turbines with my good friend John and a couple of others with Rachel being chief cook and cleanerupper. Much hard work beer and laughter was included.

I got my 'Ride to work' bike in late November and broke it in with a nice ride to Willington and back via Findern. It is the bike I hope to do the sea2sea and Lands end to John O'Groates this year for the former and next year before I am 50 for the latter - you have to have plans !

The frosts came in late November and the trips to the boat were frequent, not sure how many times we stopped over.

December



December took its toll !!
Many trip to the boat to light the fire and keep the frost damage at bay. Beer helped this was in the Swan at Fradley warming up with some Pedigree while the fire took the chill off the boat.


Even on the boat Christmas day to light the fire. Rachel was working so I took Leia for a Christmas walk up the canal - blimey it was cold !

Between Christmas and New Year we went for a walk from Willington to the Marina for afternoon tea. The ice looks like it is going but it is water on top that subsequently froze.
The 29th December saw me with Leia walking the canal again this time from Findern to to Stenson and back in a freezing fog, very eerie but quite enjoyable all the same.
We ended the year for an over-nighter on board, cosy and warm together just perfect !!

Well what a year, I can't believe we did so much. There were other work and personal things that went on that filled the gaps !!

Get out there and live this life.

2 comments:

Les Biggs said...

Hi Nev
I just loved that April/Easter pic. What a view.

Nev Wells said...

Les,

They have a beautiful location, somewhere I'd like to spend more time. Main house there boat on the canals - perfect !

Nev