January
We started the year as we ended the last year - on board. There is my brass lantern, a Christmas present
My Christmas present to myself, a bike sat nav, sign of intention !
This is it installed on my 700 Honda Deauville
First test was a trip out to blow away the cobwebs, somewhere at a greasy spoon near Mansfield with a couple of lads from the Deauville owners club.
I ended the month visiting Waterlily to sort out the tiller bearings, it should of been done when we had her painted but got missed. There was also a lot of cold weather about as you may recall in the early part of the month.
February
Good start to our cruising plans - a smooth operating tiller arm. Shame about the nipple
We always try an be on our boat on our anniversary (14th February) and this year was no different with a few days aboard moored past Woodend lock, really peaceful. We had a few walks, one being passed the Ownashare base near Kings Bromley
Leia did some relaxing at home with the telly !
Finished the month with a ride out to a heritage train yard somewhere near Chesterfield with the Deauville owners club
March
It was towards the middle of the month we had a stop over on Waterlily. This is a moonlight shot looking down our moortings from Hunts lock.
Leia got relaxed on the bed !
March
The middle of the month saw me on my own on the boat as Rachel was in Wales with her father. On a walk up to Woodend lock I collected the discarded full poo bags left fro A.N. Idiot to collect - seen right on the new bench at Shadehouse lock.
Just a little video of our walk. Leia was spooked by the guns going off, or it could have been crow scarers?
I also replaced the batteries on Waterlily - I recon the old ones were a mixture of ages going back five years.
We finished the month celebrating the loss of the leaning silver birch poo platform. No more bird poo on the boat and fuel I have subsequently been burning aboard Waterlily over Christmas
April
The start of the good weather....... and I went all over the place !!
I traded in my 700 Deauville.....
.....for a 1300 Pan European. Ever the optimist. It's a big heavy bike but Ihave always wanted one and thought sod it you are a long time dead so got it. Bloody brilliant is all I can say.
We went on our first cruise of the year.... to the Ashby Canal
Proof we made it (we were short last time) this is Shakerstone tunnel. The Ashby is a great canal
We found and rehomed this little fella... he now lives on Ghosty Hill the coal boat
Returning we saw our first fully owner boat - Comet, still very much in use as a livaboard just near Fazely junction.
We had to move the boat at 10pm on one mooring when there was a large fire above us and the boat got covered in soot...Grrrrrrr
The day after we got back from the Ashby (16th April) I was on my bike around Derbyshire and up to Squires Cafe in Yorkshire. Here is Gary Bob Alan & Jane. Good friends met from the Deauville forum who now ride, FJR, Pan, FJR (bikers will know)
I even did some DIY on the flat roof and painted the facias I recall it was very very hot and just the middle of April.
The 24th saw us back on the boat and we took a nice walk around Alrewas, one on the list for next house location !
26th and I was on the bike for a day to Barmouth via the Pontyc.....you know aqueduct. Great roads for a bike
I ended the month with a run up to Scotland to visit our good friends John and Carrie. Up on the 29th and back on the 30th as I had something planned for May......
May
May day Sunday is a gathering of the Deauville owners club and they have a run out.... this time we ended up at the Cheddleton railway, well worth a visit.
Then later that week I was told by BW they had broken my window cutting grass !!
On the 8th I was in Bridlington for the day. I started off for a cooked breakfast as Clay Cross and ended up having ice cream on the harbour wall.
I don't seem to have any photo's but we did take Waterlily to Willington to have the window replaced , I think I single handed down and we brought her back just before we went to......
......Scotland on the bike (John always gives me beer ) . This time I took Rachel as we were going over to......
.......Ireland once again with the Deauville ow=ners. We had four great days over there with a real good group of people. Great rides great company great bike.
We spent another day with John and Carrie in Scotland before returning on the Tuesday, I think it was the 31st May. Busy month.
June
On the way back from Scotland, in Scotch corner services as I recall I got a call from Mandy and a text from Chris both boaters on Hunts telling me BW had broken another window....!!!!! We only dropped it off on the Wednesday and they bust another on the Friday!
It gave us an excuse to get an overnight and an early start on the 4th June to wind Waterlily at the junction and take her back to Mercia for another window replacement. This was taken just after 6am.
On the 9th (Rachel's Birthday) we had a day in the Peak District walking the newly opened Monsal Dale railway tunnels coming back by the river vally, it was a fantastic day.
July
Early July I went to some local lakes off the boat to catch the carp(s) that alluded me when on the two week trip of which a considerable effort was undertaken at various locations
The end of the month saw me tripping to the Humber bridge for Pan style entertainment
August
We had a great weekend on the bike meeting up in Leeds on the Friday evening for a trip around north Yorkshire on the Saturday and a run around Derbyshire on the Sunday. We met up with more bikes at CMC in Chesterfield where I took the pic of an FS1E (fizzy) my first bike. Ended up at the pork pie pub near Waterhouses
My birthday in the middle of the month saw the arrival of my captains chair (it does not live there now) and a stay aboard
We then did a charity motorcycle ride to Skegness - air ambulance There was well over 150 bikes quite impressive
The end of the month was a planning visit to the boat to replace the calorifier
September
Scotland again .......
Went to Dunoon this time with a couple of other bikes. Great great biking roads and great company. just a long weekend and plenty of miles.
Next weekend we were back on the boat again for an overnighter.
Middle of the month we were in Cormwall (in the car because of hurricane something or other) fantastic hotel great scenary
We came back and added a couple of days on the boat to fit the calorifier and a trip to Alrewas arboretum on the pedal bikes
Finished the month on the bike again back into Wales for a canal fix, can you guess?
October
Final bit of boating improvements was the addition of a solar panel and controller
This is Barmouth in October !!
Then back on the baat towards the end of October with some nice walking ...picnicking in late October, can't complain can we?
November
I was on the boat myself as Rachel was working a weekend in early November and helped a fellow bloggers boat beat the stoppages... Chertsey
While aboard I sorted out the rolls from the tree that came down in April.... half burnt already
In the middle of the month we had a short break and went to Stenson and back. I think I overdosed on wood smoke - lovely
At the end of the month we (I) went looking at other boats.... I am still tempted by this one so am not giving more details.
My goldfish of 17 years died in November, he deserves his place on the internet, RIP little fish (his name as his mate big fish dies about three years earlier)
December
Another overnighter for me with Rachel joining me as she was working. This is the Hunts stoppage
This is how we ended 2011 and brought in 2012, aboard Waterlily enjoying all that is good about boating.
All in all a great year, lots done, some lows that balance out the positives but as I have said on a few occasions its one life live it.......
March
It was towards the middle of the month we had a stop over on Waterlily. This is a moonlight shot looking down our moortings from Hunts lock.
Leia got relaxed on the bed !
March
The middle of the month saw me on my own on the boat as Rachel was in Wales with her father. On a walk up to Woodend lock I collected the discarded full poo bags left fro A.N. Idiot to collect - seen right on the new bench at Shadehouse lock.
Just a little video of our walk. Leia was spooked by the guns going off, or it could have been crow scarers?
I also replaced the batteries on Waterlily - I recon the old ones were a mixture of ages going back five years.
We finished the month celebrating the loss of the leaning silver birch poo platform. No more bird poo on the boat and fuel I have subsequently been burning aboard Waterlily over Christmas
April
The start of the good weather....... and I went all over the place !!
I traded in my 700 Deauville.....
.....for a 1300 Pan European. Ever the optimist. It's a big heavy bike but Ihave always wanted one and thought sod it you are a long time dead so got it. Bloody brilliant is all I can say.
We went on our first cruise of the year.... to the Ashby Canal
Proof we made it (we were short last time) this is Shakerstone tunnel. The Ashby is a great canal
We found and rehomed this little fella... he now lives on Ghosty Hill the coal boat
Returning we saw our first fully owner boat - Comet, still very much in use as a livaboard just near Fazely junction.
We had to move the boat at 10pm on one mooring when there was a large fire above us and the boat got covered in soot...Grrrrrrr
The day after we got back from the Ashby (16th April) I was on my bike around Derbyshire and up to Squires Cafe in Yorkshire. Here is Gary Bob Alan & Jane. Good friends met from the Deauville forum who now ride, FJR, Pan, FJR (bikers will know)
I even did some DIY on the flat roof and painted the facias I recall it was very very hot and just the middle of April.
The 24th saw us back on the boat and we took a nice walk around Alrewas, one on the list for next house location !
26th and I was on the bike for a day to Barmouth via the Pontyc.....you know aqueduct. Great roads for a bike
I ended the month with a run up to Scotland to visit our good friends John and Carrie. Up on the 29th and back on the 30th as I had something planned for May......
May
May day Sunday is a gathering of the Deauville owners club and they have a run out.... this time we ended up at the Cheddleton railway, well worth a visit.
Then later that week I was told by BW they had broken my window cutting grass !!
On the 8th I was in Bridlington for the day. I started off for a cooked breakfast as Clay Cross and ended up having ice cream on the harbour wall.
I don't seem to have any photo's but we did take Waterlily to Willington to have the window replaced , I think I single handed down and we brought her back just before we went to......
......Scotland on the bike (John always gives me beer ) . This time I took Rachel as we were going over to......
.......Ireland once again with the Deauville ow=ners. We had four great days over there with a real good group of people. Great rides great company great bike.
We spent another day with John and Carrie in Scotland before returning on the Tuesday, I think it was the 31st May. Busy month.
June
On the way back from Scotland, in Scotch corner services as I recall I got a call from Mandy and a text from Chris both boaters on Hunts telling me BW had broken another window....!!!!! We only dropped it off on the Wednesday and they bust another on the Friday!
It gave us an excuse to get an overnight and an early start on the 4th June to wind Waterlily at the junction and take her back to Mercia for another window replacement. This was taken just after 6am.
On the 9th (Rachel's Birthday) we had a day in the Peak District walking the newly opened Monsal Dale railway tunnels coming back by the river vally, it was a fantastic day.
July
Early July I went to some local lakes off the boat to catch the carp(s) that alluded me when on the two week trip of which a considerable effort was undertaken at various locations
Mid July it was the bike to Stone and surrounding areas in the wet, can't get enough of this bike
The end of the month saw me tripping to the Humber bridge for Pan style entertainment
August
We had a great weekend on the bike meeting up in Leeds on the Friday evening for a trip around north Yorkshire on the Saturday and a run around Derbyshire on the Sunday. We met up with more bikes at CMC in Chesterfield where I took the pic of an FS1E (fizzy) my first bike. Ended up at the pork pie pub near Waterhouses
My birthday in the middle of the month saw the arrival of my captains chair (it does not live there now) and a stay aboard
We then did a charity motorcycle ride to Skegness - air ambulance There was well over 150 bikes quite impressive
The end of the month was a planning visit to the boat to replace the calorifier
September
Scotland again .......
Went to Dunoon this time with a couple of other bikes. Great great biking roads and great company. just a long weekend and plenty of miles.
Next weekend we were back on the boat again for an overnighter.
Middle of the month we were in Cormwall (in the car because of hurricane something or other) fantastic hotel great scenary
We came back and added a couple of days on the boat to fit the calorifier and a trip to Alrewas arboretum on the pedal bikes
Finished the month on the bike again back into Wales for a canal fix, can you guess?
October
Final bit of boating improvements was the addition of a solar panel and controller
This is Barmouth in October !!
Then back on the baat towards the end of October with some nice walking ...picnicking in late October, can't complain can we?
November
I was on the boat myself as Rachel was working a weekend in early November and helped a fellow bloggers boat beat the stoppages... Chertsey
While aboard I sorted out the rolls from the tree that came down in April.... half burnt already
In the middle of the month we had a short break and went to Stenson and back. I think I overdosed on wood smoke - lovely
At the end of the month we (I) went looking at other boats.... I am still tempted by this one so am not giving more details.
My goldfish of 17 years died in November, he deserves his place on the internet, RIP little fish (his name as his mate big fish dies about three years earlier)
December
Another overnighter for me with Rachel joining me as she was working. This is the Hunts stoppage
This is how we ended 2011 and brought in 2012, aboard Waterlily enjoying all that is good about boating.
All in all a great year, lots done, some lows that balance out the positives but as I have said on a few occasions its one life live it.......
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2 comments:
it seems, wherever you went last year, I was there either the month before, or the month after you. This has got to stop! We can't go on not meeting like this.
Lots of love to you and Rachel, and all the very best for 2012 hon.
Sue,
Thanks for the comment and the best wishes. We return them to you and Dick. Shame we missed you. I can tell you I will be with the Deauville lot again in late May in Mid Wales. Does Dick still have his 700?
Take care
Nev
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