I wish I could just.....!

Look out of the window and enjoy the view without a care.  But there is always something else to do.
Ann took Tara the cat to the vet in Rugeley.  Not by bus because there isn’t one but asked Dave on a boat called Thea we knew in the Marina.  Another helpful boater had taken Ann when Molly had to be taken to the vet.  Unfortunately the vet was unable to take a blood sample so we just got some pills to keep Tara going.  She has a thyroid problem. 

We spent a few days helping our friends with their ‘wooding’.  It is all chopped up and stored on their boat No Problem.  There is so much about here because British Waterways are cutting trees down. 

We have been in Great Haywood too long because I have been getting treatment for an infected cist.  “It was a nasty red lump on my back which after a few weeks is much better thanks to the excellent Nurses at the local Medical centre.”  Been going every day for treatment but now have a week off!  At last we can get away after getting Tesco to deliver the groceries.  Not too far because the Nurse wants to see me again.

Great Haywood

The National Trust is cutting down a lot of trees between the railway and the canal.  Apparently many are unstable due to bank erosion.  Their plan is to plant reed beds which will protect the bank from further erosion and provide habitat for nesting birds.

British Waterways are also cutting down trees but on the tow path side.  Many of the local boaters are chopping it up to burn on their fires.  Good for them during this cold winter.  The problem is that it is too ‘green’ to burn.  We think some of it is Elder.  The wood is quite red when first cut. 

The river Trent, not far away, is flowing quite fast but not into its flood plain.  James Brindley was appointed engineer in 1877 and had a ‘flood’ ditch lined with brick or stone built beside the canal.  This would prevent the Trent flooding into the canal, but the ditch has been filled in! 

Here are some views of this small but useful village. 

The Post Office

The Pub

The Shops

No Problem and its crew are heading this way so we walked down to Colwich Lock to help them through.  

Visitors

We got past Tixall Wide and stopped at Milford.  Tim and Lisa of Staffordshire Canopies are here and we asked them to do some modifications on our back cover.  While here we discovered Milford Common the other side of the railway line.  A wooded hill which is looked after by the National Trust and part of Cannock Chase; a popular spot for public with car parks but sadly rubbish all over the place.  “Why don’t they take their rubbish home in their cars?”  Strangely there are no bins for rubbish or dog bins for that matter.

We had been able to hang up our bird feeders on the hedge.  At first there came a selection birds to enjoy the winter feed but then this squirrel came for a snack.

Ann walked back to Tixall Wide to meet Geof and Mags on Seyella who had arrived there; they have been travelling with Sue n Vic on No Problem. 

Next day they stopped by for a drink and a chat.

A certain loss of freedom

We were unable to move out of Great Haywood Marina due to the thick ice and are feeling unhappy because we do not see birds in hedges and cannot hang up the feeders.  All we see are the sides of boats either side.  But we are getting to know a few boaters along out pontoon, like neighbours down the street.  One kind couple has taken Ann and Molly to the vet at Rugeley.  Now Molly is protected against Kennel Cough so we can meet Lucy and Meg later.  We have not seen our friends on No Problem since October last year.  Unable to make short term plans till the ice has gone.

It was cosy in the Marina but there were few places to walk.  The land line saved running the engine and proved cheaper to charge the batteries and we were able to claim diesel use for heating only.  But it was costing about £8 a night to stay in.  One boater made a desperate attempt to escape by breaking up the 2 inch thick ice with his boat pole.  It took him several hours to get away.  We got away a few days later when the ice melted.

We got a free bus ride into Stafford to stock up during a mild sunny day.  Wandering around the concrete jungle was not fun but we eventually found a supermarket near the edge of town.  There were busses taking people here there and everywhere if only we knew where that was.  Managed to get back to our bus stop and consumed a hot sausage roll while waiting for the hourly service.

It was quite strange once we had got moving after the Christmas and New Year break heading up the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal.

Frozen in the New Year

We have been away from our boat home for a while to celebrate Christmas and see our family.  Went first class by Cross country train with 3 bags, cat and dog.  Problems started with the taxi driver complaining about the cat.  He was not the driver we had called.  Then our train was an hour late, was to stop at Birmingham and cancelled so got on the next one.  Luckily we found seats as our reserved ones were on the cancelled train.  The train we were on then became packed full by passengers from the cancelled train at Birmingham.

Three hours later we arrived at our second home to stay with mum who will be 90 this year.  She still has a car which we can borrow to visit family members elsewhere.  But first to the medical centre for that annual check up, then to our grand children to deliver the all important presents.  Back at mum’s we set about trying to get food organised for that all important meal on Christmas day.  We had already had a Tesco delivery directly to the house.  Now it was off down the road to get the turkey meat and fresh vegetables.  Boxing day was spent with our grand children and playing with their new toys.  Their parents wanted to celebrate the New Year in with friends so we looked after the boys.  Then it was Ben’s birthday party a few days later.

It had got quite cold the day we returned to the boat.  The train was on time and we got the full first class service so by the time we arrived at the boat we were fed and watered.  On the way we saw that the canals and rivers were frozen.  So finding the boat stuck in ice was an expected sight.  We had of course put the boat to sleep before we left.  Everything off and water pumped out of the pipes.  First on with the power, boiler on and fire lit and water pumped back into the pipes.  The engine was started to charge the batteries after their rest.  The solar panels had been left connected so the batteries were in fact full.  Once the fire had got going we took our coat off and made a cup of tea.  Then we filled a hot water bottle for the bed.

It looks like we may well have to stay for a while till it warms up so we purchased some electricity and plugged in the shore line.  The diesel we have will then be used to keep us warm rather than charging batteries. 

The ice had formed a week ago and is quite thick so it will take several warmer days to melt away.  The village of Great Haywood has a farm shop, post office, Spar and Premier shops and a pharmacy.  An hourly bus service can get us to Stafford and back so we could not be better placed for facilities.

Turn left at Fradley

We are in Staffordshire and reached the end of the Coventry canal north of Birmingham and in Cannock. There is a British Waterways Office here which is open so we applied for next year’s licence. We now turn left on to the Trent and Mersey canal. There are locks going down to Derby and locks going up to Stafford. There are always many boats here and once again it was a squeeze getting through. Our friends Sue n Vic on No Problem were heading this way but the river Trent is in flood so they cannot move now.
Having travelled every day for a week we have time to relax over the weekend but it was windy and the fire went out. Thankfully our boiler kept us warm while the fire was cleaned out. Then it was time to change the oil in the engine........

Happy Christmas to all our readers.

Cold but sunny

Waiting for a Christmas 'event'.

We were moving at 9am after a breakfast of porridge and toast. The ropes were stiff with frost and there was ice on the cut. Why do we do it? We set ourselves a task to achieve each day.

An hour of crunching ice got us to Alvecote where the Canal Time boat hire fleet once operated. There we found Dot n Derek on their boat Gypsy Rover and invited them on board for a chat. Good to see them again after seeing them while on our river travels this year. They are going south while we continue north to stop at Hopwas. The warming sun melting the ice and encouraging our 4 hour trip. On approach to the locks at Glascote there were no less than two boats in front and one behind. A total of 4 on the move.

Atherstone

The decorations are up and someone dressed up in a red coat had a huge curly white beard was seen wandering the streets. The town was known for making hats of all types from Top to trilby, now celebrating the fact with this art work.

Unfortunately the old factory still has broken glass in its windows and is unused now.
We moved down and stopped before lock 6. While there for the weekend a goat came through the hedge from the farm.

It seemed friendly but while Ann was taking a picture it came up and butted her in the leg! Luckily not pushing her into the canal!
The battery monitor is in danger of providing too much information! On average we are only using about 10% of our battery capacity between charges. The engine is putting back about 50 Amp Hours in an hour twice a day. 100 AH a day at 13Volts is 1,300 watt hours or 1.3 kilowatts of electricity. That seems to be enough for our TV, computer, fridge, lights and radio.

Nuneaton surprise

How pleasant it was to cruise past Nuneaton. Tree cutting in progress making a clean clear passage with none of the usual rubbish in the canal. The tow path in excellent condition so Ann and Molly walked all the way through. After a few misty cold days this one was bright with sunshine adding to the pleasure while moving.
We stopped at Springwood Haven Marina. Kevin here is agent for Victron Energy and we had got our ‘Blue box’ inverter charger here some time ago. We decided to get a battery monitor. This device measures the current going in and out of the batteries. Now we know how much power we are using. Volts times Amps equals Watts. Up to now it was an educated guess based on experience. Our solar panels actually delivered 1.3 amps when the sun came out, wow, previously an unknown quantity. It has just proved that around 2 hours a day is about right. Various forms of lighting have been evaluated. Obviously the florescent light is better than bulbs but single tube and double tube types draw almost the same current. The fridge wants 4 amps when running, and the inverter uses 1 amp doing nothing! The computer sucks 4 and a half amps when charging as does the TV including the sky bit. At least now we know when the batteries are full and can turn off the engine.
After that stormy night the sun shone and we went out for a walk. Down the tow path and across the muddy fields, over and under the railway and saw the river Anker rushing along depositing rubbish on its bank. We followed part of the Quarrymans walk. There are a number of granite quarries in the area which have created holes in the ground and tall pointed hills.

Moving North

Spent a few days near Hawkesbury Junction, that is where the Oxford and Coventry canals join.

There is a marked contrast between the two in that the towpaths are so much better on the Coventry canal. We were waiting for the diesel supply boat Gosty Hill. Iain and Alison arrived in the dark evening just before 5.

They do seem to work hard and long with many more boats at the junction to serve with coal and diesel before they stop.
We turned right onto the Coventry next day, took on water and stopped just short of Nuneaton, passing the Warwickshire Canal Carrying Company, otherwise known as charity dock.

It is always a sight to see with many old boats, some of which are being restored. Then we saw that The Navigation Inn is now sadly closed. A dull cold day making us stop after less than 2 hours on the move.

River pictures update

Our tour of East Anglia this year is now well covered in pictures of the river Nene, Middle levels, the tidal Ouse and the river Ouse. Please feel free to visit our website www.moore2life.co.uk soon.

New cabinets

We have been living on Moore 2 Life now for many years. The galley has always lacked high storage space and the walls were just begging for cabinets. The existing cupboards have become stuffed. The time has come to fix the problem and we knew a man who can. He even has a van. Dave Bassett of www.dbassett.co.uk. We had originally used his services at Braunston when operating as D. B. Boat Builders. Dave was happy to find us as we moved along. He took about a week to make the units in his workshop and 2 days to fit in the boat.

The cabinets look as if they belong already. We have now spread things about reorganising the galley system. “Where did you put..........?”.

Preparations for a birthday

Ann made a Christmas cake and pudding some time ago which has become a tradition over the years. Brod took both back home after his visit.

Now is the time to think about gifts and cards. We have started by using the internet and getting goodies sent home. Plans have been made to get us home as well. Real shopping is ok so long as it is dry and not too cold. The town centres have the decorations hung up and we look forward to seeing the lights on. It gets dark early now so there is a good chance seeing them lit before we run out of energy! Any more gifts will be sent home by post.
We are slowly heading north now and hope to meet up with our friends on No Problem later. A stoppage at Atherstone will reopen hopefully early in December so there is no need to rush about yet. We came down through the locks at Hillmorton without needing to use any bollards on the way.

Is that a bollard up there by the road?

There has been some concern about British Waterways spending our licence money on unnecessary extra bollards being planted in the wrong places.

Brother’s visit

Last weekend was special because Brod came up from the south to see us. After parking his car, walking to the boat and a welcoming drink we explored Braunston. Up the hill past the church, encouraged by a dry sunny day we went on and visited the Autumn Fair in the village hall.

Then on down to the bottom lock and up to the Admiral Nelson for a social drink while watching a few boats through the lock. The Old Plough gave us all a meal in the evening at a table near a cheerful warm fire. Next day after breakfast he was gone. We had time to catch up with family news and events and swop a few pictures. He continues research into the family tree getting information off the internet.
Having filled the tank with water we went off north for 6 miles to turn at Tarry’s bridge.

Doves at Tarry's bridge

We had ordered a Tesco delivery at Willoughby and the return trip seemed to take forever as it turned colder. Another appointment in Daventry required that we were at least facing Braunston for a few days.

Diesel boat Bletchley

This supply boat passed through Braunston to day. Clearly showing the two prices of 72p and £1.15

Return to Braunston

We went down one lock to Calcutt Marina who are happy to fill our tank with diesel and allow us to declare our use for propulsion. Their prices were 66p for domestic use and £1.09 for propulsion. On our way back we noticed that Wigrams Turn Marina claimed to have no fuel for sale. Clifton Cruises will be selling diesel at the fixed rate of 98p based on a 60 / 40 % split. They will only sell at the low rate if you have a separate diesel tank for heating.
Molly is 4 years old this month. Ann got a special treat from the Braunston butcher, a bone to chew. Molly was lucky to be found by us and we have enjoyed her company while living on board. We had lots of help and advice while training her to be sociable. She is missing her friends Lucy & Meg at the moment while we travel a different way.
We saw Ernie & Rhonda on NB Ten Bob Note, but had to rush off to catch the bus to Daventry. They had moved on when we returned. The Christmas decorations are up in the Daventry streets and we started our seasonal shopping. There is a good selection of shops in this historic market town.

Winter snap

Having spent some time around Braunston and Daventry we moved south towards Napton. Our favoured mooring is just past Nimrod Bridge. We were expecting cold northerly winds so the trees and high hedges would provide shelter here. There is also a hard edge to cling to and a wide grass covered path, an opportunity to put out the bird feeders. British Waterways have actually managed to cut the grass! While out for a walk Gosty Hill, the diesel boat, passed by selling fuel for 70p in October. He was heading north to Ashby and plans to return in a few weeks.

It got very cold and the sleet turned to snow as we got back to the boat. The midlands got a covering of about 2 inches during that evening and caused some loss of TV signal spoiling our ‘comfort zone’ in the warm as the temperature dropped to zero outside. Thankfully the wind stayed away. The clocks have returned to GMT and we are now in the winter months. Despite the weather many boats are still very busy passing by in both directions from dawn to dusk. A busy week for the holiday boats with the school half term upon us.

We have booked our flu jabs in a few weeks time so are just moored up for a while. Need to stay near the diesel supply at Napton. November has arrived so our diesel fuel now has extra duty to pay but only if you use it for propulsion. The majority of our fuel is for heating and light so we should not have to pay too much more. We are required to declare the percentage used for propulsion so need to keep detailed records of use. You never know, some tax man may find us and ask for proof. If we are lucky the extra tax will find its way back to the waterways. The ‘Oxford Canal Walk’ between Coventry and Oxford would benefit greatly from the extra investment. Perhaps the Countryside Commission could offer to help out as many canal tow paths are public amenities.

Autumn leaves, heading ‘home’

While at our mooring near Heyford Wharf ‘Epiphany’ with John and Fiona arrived, now free to explore the waterways.

We had another blogger meeting with No Problem also nearby. They have left the Kennet & Avon wondering about its lack of care and maintenance that threatens its very existence. We had spent many years on that canal watching it improve dramatically after a huge donation from the lottery fund and it would be such a waste of that public money to let it fall apart.
A slow trip to Wilton through the autumn tints, the golden leaves falling in to the canal and clogging the prop while passing slowly many groups of moored boats on the way. Diesel at Wilton Marina was selling for 79 pence a litre and we also got some goodies from their well stocked chandlery. Then it was time to tackle all those wide locks all the way up to Norton. Some effort required to work the gates after being spoilt on the rivers where most locks were ‘push button’ operated! And then Moore 2 Life took us through Braunston tunnel while NoProblem took our friends Sue n Vic north with a plan to meet before Christmas.
Braunston has become our canal life ‘home’. We seem to start and end our annual adventures here. As soon as we had arrived, familiar faces walked by the boat. The ‘tow path telegraph’ was activated again. “How is so n so?” “Where have they been this year?” We saw our friends in the Marina and exchanged stories of our adventures.

Change of environment

We are back on the canal system. Through Northampton and up that flight of locks. Apparently British Waterways got called out to replace the water again as a queue of boats gathered at the bottom. Then one boat behind the other progressed through the narrow locks and shallow muddy ditch. Helping each other by opening the bottom paddle after leaving the lock so the next is empty.
We have our memories and pictures of the last 6 months touring the rivers of East Anglia to look back on. But now we look forward to rediscovering the canal system again while heading north and making plans for the next year’s adventures.

On our way again

The waters have calmed down and we are travelling every day now to get off the river Nene.

Wonderful bright sunny days to enjoy cruising up river, some starting off with a mist in the cool October mornings. There have been a few narrowboats moving down stream. The World Conker Championships were being held in Ashton as we left.

Our habit is to travel with No Problem in the mornings, covering around 10 lock miles a day and stopping at our favourite moorings on the way. The afternoon is then free to walk dogs, make jam, and catch up with emails, bloggers and the day’s pictures.
We have been sorting pictures of our travels on the rivers this year and adding them to our website pages. Just updated the ‘Middle Level’ with over 70 views sorted in order from Stanground to Salters Lode.
Thought for the week – What is money without trust? Value is what you pay for.