Another great year...2011 in pictures

Checking back at what I was blogging about this time last year, I read with much joy our previous year. So I am repeating this just so in these dark winter nights I can reflect on what we did and where we went to give some reassurances there is a whole range of things to do when the nights get longer and the sun a bit warmer.

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

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.......

The new Packhorse bridge - lots of pictures

On Sunday we were busy doing house stuff. no way will anyone tell me living on a boat is more work that a house - certainly not our house. I suppose the fact there are two of us now living in what used to easily cater for four (plus girlfriends) shows it is too big for us now....

Anyhow our reward for hard work was a walk in the afternoon and I chose Shardlow to get my canal fix. Shardlow is on my doorstep but I don't have an affinity for the east side of Derby, but it is still a good alternative to the local parks for walking Leia on a Sunday afternoon. I also had reason to visit in that I wanted to see the new bridge put in to effectively link Sawley with Shardlow via food or cycle or horse looked.

There is a good free car park by Bridge 2 that we use and we set off walking boot clad in expectation of a muddy towpath.

Lock 1 is quite special as it is a place we used to bring our lads conkering when they were little. This was long before we had a boat. It was also the place my mum and dad used to cycle to on their tandem to fish  - even in the middle of winter. My mum tells me that used to break the ice to fish, very keen !

The new bridge soon came into view. Very purposeful but nothing like as characterful as the old bridge. The contractors had had to  build a new path to it, which was being used by walkers and horse riders alike. We stuck (literally) to the towpath.

After crossing - better pic later, I took this shot of the entrance to the Trent & Mersey. You can just see the remnants of the old packhorse bridge. You can also see a lovely obstacle for those poor boaters coming downstream from Shardlow marina - no easy turn in or out of the T&M for them.

The new bridge opens up a great walk to Sawley marina. We did not go all the way due to time restrictions but here are a few photos...

 There were some boats moving. These two cruisers we headed upstream, not sure if they were T&M bound or Shardlow marina bound. It was getting late so they must have had home close by.

The safety of Sawley cut was in stark contrast to the wide river Trent 

The Sawley cut flood lock was open you can see, I have never travelled this way so I am unsure of the correct procedure  - I am sure it is detailed on a board by the lock. As you can see this bit taken you under the M1 and is a little noisy, but still great walking.

The sun was setting on the return so I was able to get a couple of nice (by my standards) shots.

 

The new bridge in perhaps its best pose?

 Even as the sun was setting there were boat(s) moving. This little NB was seemingly scuttling back to Sawley

Ok, just trying to add some framing to my pictures !!

Can't resist a sunset

I doubt this one goes very far but it is no doubt someones sanctuary

....and finally if my numbers come up I might be knocking on his door (although there is a nicer place like this near Barleston)

All in all a great walk and one we will do again  - might be on bikes next time doing a large circular route taking in Trent Lock and other local attractions.

Nev

Consistency

I started writing this a little while ago but for my record......

We had a really nice few days on the boat over the New Year. I don't like New Years for personal reasons so I am always happy to receive the New Year and look forward....

One thing I have been contemplating is having my blog printed. I have seen others having done the same. I'd like it as a permanent memory of our first few years of proper boat ownership. Its expensive but what price memories?

The reason for the title is on reviewing my blog I notices the consistency of postings per year.

I made no effort to have the same number of postings in 2011 & 2010 and I was within a few more of less for the other years. it works out at about 3 posts a week.

Not NB  In Sanity Again (I wish Bruce and Sheila had called it More Insanity.... ) performance but better than Granny Buttons now does ! It is all about quality of course and most of my posts are ramblings but they are my ramblings and the longer I keep blogging the better as I am able to compare year by year what I am doing and what I have done.

Nev

Being unfaithful

Got your interest, not of the marital I should clarify but boating as I have a visit planned for later today to look at another boat. It's not the first time as I had eyes for another boat a few weeks ago, but Rachel was not keen. If it is meant.....

Nev

Shobnall ceases trading

Picked this up here

This is a real shame for the people involved and those loyal customers as with some exceptions I considered myself to be one. We used them for pump outs gas and coal plus the chandlery whenever we needed stuff.

It says so much about the way we do our buying business as well as the state of the waterways and how boaters are fairing in the recession. Unless you live aboard it is a significant luxury and for this reason it would be intolerable and short sighted if there is a thought boaters can be bled some more to support the waterways.

I liked going in there, there was good knowledge and it was a small but friendly operation. I hope those affected do not suffer financially too much, suppliers included. It would appear no boat owners are impacted. I understand the marina is still operating as normal and I'm sure it will be resurrected as a cut down operation, pump outs gas coal etc in the future.

Nev

Life isn’t a dress rehearsal

I have recently subscribed to narrowboat Waiouru blog. I recall they were the poor souls who experienced boatbuilders at their worst.

Tom blogs today about the passing of Dennis who was doing his steel work. I don't know either but was touched and saddened by the speed which Dennis seemed to have be taken. Tom was blogging late into December about particualr problems with the gas lockers that Dennis has thought about overnight and come back with solutions. All small stuff but most certainly so much so how we live our lives and then ........

RIP Dennis I'm just sorry you never got the chance to enjoy a retirement.

Lessons for us all, just that we don't always heed them,

Take care

Nev

Vote Andy Tidy for CART boaters representative

Andy is Capt Ahab and will be getting my vote for one of the four CART boating representatives.

I want someone who is not a full time committee member but someone who has a boat and uses it. Combine this with Andy's day job experience gives me absolute confidence Andy will do the job.

It's a large committee with a small boater representation. We want people on it with a voice as I fear we could be the unheard majority. My biggest fear it the canals can exist to support many users cheaply  - its the big linked infrastructure costs that allow us to carry on using the canals as they were designed for - boats.

I don't want to end up a static attraction I want to be a moving one

Vote Andy Tidy for our CART boaters representative.


Click here for his mini manifesto

Granny in the dark

Just got the curry going on New Years eve when I heard a boat passing about 7pm and then a knock on the roof. It was Andrew on a delayed start to a winter four counties cruise.

I felt bad leaving him to the final two locks of what must have been a frustrating day so I nipped out and helped him though Hunts and Keepers.

Always good to meet Andrew and I think this is three times at New Year we have met. Not sure I'd take on the four counties in the middle of winter but I guess that was makes a real boater.

Nev