Fame at last!!….

We have had a message from Paul on Waterway Routes to say that the new DVD on the Caldon Canal has been released and we have a few moments of fame, moored at the end of the Leek branch – we must buy a copy!!  Look out for us if you watch the DVD.

Full Circle

We set off on Saturday morning in the hope that boats were still being let through the stoppage at Sawley flood lock, and yes, we got through ok.  Then on to the Trent, which was high, but ‘in the green’.  The Trent in November – we must be mad, it was freezing!!

Sawley Lock

 

The Trent

We were planning on getting to Kegworth, where we knew there were decent moorings above the Otter, but we were so cold by lunch-time that we stopped a little short, just above Kegworth Deep Lock.  We had just got ourselves sorted when we found that we were surrounded by rowers!  They were everywhere, doing time-trials, and we found out that there was a big race going on a little further up-river, so it’s a good thing that we stopped when we did!  They crews were mostly university students, but there were a few ‘oldies’ and also a few youngsters too.  They all looked freezing as they queued alongside us waiting their turn.  They were all good natured though, we could have flogged hot soup through the side-hatch and made a fortune!

We continued on to Loughborough on Sunday morning.  After some heavy rain first thing, it became a beautiful morning and the Soar was looking at it’s best.

Our friends Karen and Ian on nb Serenity moor at Kegworth, and they were standing at the rivers’ edge to wave as we went by.

We stopped in Loughborough to do a quick shop in Sainsbury’s and then continued on to Pillings Lock Marina, where we launched in June,  so we have come full circle.  We will be resident here for the next two or three months.  The work is due to start on the dinette in early January, and then, in early February I shall be going down to High Wycombe to help out with our two granddaughters when Emma goes into hospital to have the baby.

There won’t be many posts over the next few months I’m afraid – there won’t be much to blog about, but I will do one from time to time to let all our fans out there know that we are still alive and kicking.

Beacon Boats Open Weekend

Beacon Boats will be holding another Open Weekend at their workshop on Saturday 12th and Sunday the 13th of December, between 10am and 4 pm both days. They will be showing 'Singing Hinny', their most recently completed narrowboat, before launching the week after. All welcome, and please note this is inside the workshop, on dry land, so will not be adversely effected by any bad weather. 'Singing Hinny' is a 57' Semi-trad, reverse layout, fitted in Maple and Oak. Come and have a look at her, meet the builders, and also Mark Clamp, (Of Stem to Stern Narrowboat painters) and take the opportunity to talk about your requirements if you are also looking for a boat in the future. Previous and present customers are usually available to talk with also.   The address is:

The Outbuildings

147 Melton Road

Burton on the Wolds

Leicestershire LE12 5 TQ

Tel. 07949 984656

Email enquiries@beaconboats.co.uk

There is a GoogleMap on Beacon’s website for those who need it – link on the left of Windsong’s blog page.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Beacon Babies – from left to right  - Windsong, Merryweather, and Serenity

A quick update….

It was a lovely morning so we decided to make our way to Shardlow in the hope of finding a mooring, and to be close to Sawley Flood lock for when it opens.  We had a nasty moment when we met another boat (I think the boat name was nb Sapphire) who is also bound for Pillings Lock Marina.  They were going the opposite way, searching for a mooring where they could leave their boat for a week as BW had told them that the stoppage would be on for a further week!!  When I had scraped Rog off the ceiling, I phoned Dave, the Sawley Locky, who told me that it was a load of rubbish, and BW didn’t know what they were talking about!!  The lock would be open to boats this afternoon, and the Trent was down!  I leapt off the boat and ran (well, almost ran – I don’t do running!) back down the towpath and caught them up and gave them the good news, and Dave’s phone number.  They immediately turned around and headed back through Shardlow.  They also took our phone number and promised to call us and let us know how things stood when they got there, which they have just done.  Hoorahhh – it’s all systems go!!!  Although the work hasn’t finished, they are letting boats through as they turn up.  Another instance of BW not knowing their arse from their elbow!!!  We are nice and cosy in the boat now, all snuggled up for the rest of the day, so we will continue through the flood lock tomorrow – keep you fingers crossed, everybody, that nobody does a rain-dance tonight and brings the river levels up again!

I took Cassie’s bandage off today, as she seemed to be limping a bit worse and I wanted to see if there was any infection in her foot.  It looks fine to me.  There is still a little bit of claw left, so she must have split it rather than pulled it completely out, and it’s been chopped off right near where it enters her paw.  I think the bandage must have been pressing on the raw end of her claw, because the limp has completely disappeared now.  I’m sure it will heal quickly now the air can get too it.  Not sure whether it will grow again – we shall have to wait and see.

A week later!!…….

Last Saturday Ali and John, who have booked a build slot with Beacon for boat No 13 (!) came over to visit. We had lunch in the Bubble Inn, and a lovely afternoon gossiping and discussing the plans for their boat. The weather was foul when they left at about 5 o’clock, and they didn’t have a very good journey home. On Sunday, Karen and Ian from nb Serenity (Beacon’s No 6) came over to see us, and again we had a very good carvery lunch in the pub. The Bubble Inn is a converted barn, and is very large. Unfortunately it was almost empty every time we went in, apart from Sunday lunchtime when there were a few more people. The food, each time we have eaten there has been first class, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it closes before too long. Just a few little things that add up to the fact that it may be in trouble financially, apart from the fact that it is almost always empty. Items on the menu not available, the gas had run out and not been replaced on the coke/lemonade thingy, the central heating oil had run out so it was cold, and ‘technical difficulties’ meaning that they were only accepting cash and not debit or credit cards! It will be a shame if it does have to close as the staff were all very friendly and as I said, the food was very good.

We had some drama on Monday – Cassie ripped out a claw! She clambered up the steps to the temporary bridge in the photo, despite being told a definite ‘NO’, and then, as it was so steep, made an extremely fast, uncontrolled decent.

She scampered off quite happily and we continued our walk, and it was only when we got back to the boat and I attempted to clean her up a bit (she was horrendously muddy) that I discovered her paw was bleeding and one of her claws was hanging by a thread. We knew there was a vet back at Willington, so we phoned around the taxi companies until we found one that would take us, and off we went. Twenty quid for the taxi there and back, and £110 for the vet to sedate her, remove the claw, give her an antidote to the sedative and an antibiotic injection, dress her foot, and 5 days worth of antibiotic tablets, and we were back on the boat with a ‘very sorry for herself’ wounded soldier!

She’s still very sorry for herself and keeps showing us her paw – unbelievably the bandage is still in place, only a little nibbled at the top. I think she’ll be happier when I can take it off, tomorrow or Saturday probably.

Our son Russ arrived for a few days on Tuesday, (if only Cassie had waited until then, we would have had a car to take us to the vet!) and immediately took us to Asda to do a big shop (there aren’t a lot of shops along this stretch of the T & M.) We didn’t cruise far, as the weather was still foul, just back to Willington yesterday to service the boat, and back to Stenson again.

Russ treated us to lunch in the pub yesterday and he and I went into Derby in the afternoon for a look around the shops, but all we bought was some Christmas cards. He left just before lunch this morning, and we decided that as it was not a bad day, weather-wise, that we would move on a bit – we were getting fed up with the scenery at Stenson, as we’d been there over a week. We are now moored on the visitor moorings at Swarkstone. The stoppage at Sawley Flood Lock is due to finish tomorrow, so we will head for Shardlow and wait around there as the Trent is in flood, and closed to navigation. We spoke to Dave, the Sawley locky, today and he says that the water level is 8 inches into the red, but going down, so hopefully, as long as we don’t get too much more heavy rain over the next few days we should be able to get to the Soar over the weekend, or early next week. Will keep you all posted.

PS - Yes, I know I said the weather was foul, and I've just noticed that the sky behind Russ in the photo is bright blue! Take my word for it - it had been raining heavily just before we set out, rained again not long after the photo was taken, and the wind was icy!!

Foul weather boaters?….not if we can help it!!!!!

We had to move from opposite Mercia Marina yesterday as we were getting desperate for water and to empty the loos so we retraced our steps twenty minutes back to Willington.  It was a foul morning, driving rain and high winds, but, needs must.  We also popped down to the little Co-Op to replenish a few supplies, although their shelves were not what you would call ’well stocked’                                                           

We also needed to top up with fuel so after shopping we winded the boat and returned the way we had come, just about 45 minutes eastwards.  We stopped at Stenson’s Boatyard and filled with diesel.  By this time we were both wet through,cold  and fed-up, and there was a mooring spot just opposite the Marina so we grabbed it.  We rewarded ourselves with a bacon and egg bap and a latte for lunch in the cafe beside the lock, which lifted our spirits, and then lit the fire and snuggled down for the afternoon.

This morning we were undecided as to whether to move  on to Shardlow or not, as the weather, although windy, was dry.  A phone call to Dobson’s Boatyard later, the decision to stay where we are was made.  Shardlow visitor moorings are chock full to bursting, probably due to the stoppage at Sawley Flood Lock.  We popped over the canal to Stenson’s and were told that we could use their Elsan, and could fill up with water if we need to, so we are set to stay here, at least over the weekend as the weather is set to be foul again tomorrow and Saturday.  So, Ali and John, if you are reading this, we are at Stenson Lock, if you still want to come out and visit us on Saturday, and Karen and Ian, there is a pub here for Sunday lunch, but will speak to you all on the phone before then.

Extortion or what!!….

While in Willington over the weekend we thought we might take the train into Derby for a look around.  It’s only a 10 minute journey.  We looked up the times on the internet, and discovered that there is only one train that stops here on a Saturday, and that’s at lunch time, then we looked up the price.  Eight quid!!  Yes, you heard right, eight quid.  Well, that decided us, no way were we paying eight quid each for a 10 minute journey.  And while we are on the subject of train fares, we’ve been looking up how much it will be for me to get down to High Wycombe to go and keep daughter Emma company while Ben is away in December.  That one is £75!!!  I know it’s been  a while since I had to travel anywhere by train, but I had no idea that fares had gone up so much.  We managed to get the price down to about £41 by looking on a site where you book early, but can’t do it yet as I don’t know the exact dates yet.  I’m not surprised that people don’t want to use the trains.

We have been moored just outside the entrance to Mercia Marina since Sunday, and we went to have a look at it yesterday.  Although huge, it seems very well appointed.  There is a shop which sells a small amount of provisions, plus chandlery, gifts and newspapers, sweets etc, and a small cafe, where we had a really nice latte.  There is a building being built at the moment which will house Midland Chandlers, and there will be a pub built beside that before too long.  All the normal services are available, diesel, water, pump-out etc, plus there is a boat-fitter on site who will do alterations.  Also there is a nature reserve just outside the Marina for dog walking.  We were quite impressed at the set-up.

We will go back to Willington tomorrow to fill with water and empty loos, and then move on a bit and go to Stenson’s to fill with diesel, then moor up and head on to Shardlow on Thursday or Friday.

Next week we will return to Willington to collect No1 son (Russ), who is coming to spend a couple of days with us.  There is a good car park there where he can leave the car.