The Boxes arrive from Australia

The freight company rang yesterday to say that  they would be delivering our boxes of belongings from Australia between 8-9am this morning.
We got up early and Elaine's brother Trevor picked us up in his car as it was raining.
The boxes were delivered at  9.00am and we spent the rest of the day sorting out, stuff to be taken to the boat, stuff to be stored at Elaine's dads house and just stuff, including all my motorcycle gear and snow skis!
Most importantly (El will disagree) my tools were also delivered plus various spare parts for the boat.  We have been living on the boat for nearly 2 months and all I have had is a couple of screw drivers! Touch wood (which is pretty easy in a narrowboat) Caxton has performed faultlessly although I still don't think the mastervolt panel is reading correctly.
We pick up a hire car tomorrow so we can collect the stuff from Elaine's dad's house and bring it to the boat, plus we need a car to go to Crick on Saturday plus drive to a few Jubilee events.
So mid to late next week we will leave Macclesfield and start moving again; I quite fancy going to Bugsworth again and doing some maintenance on the boat, it is a good spot to do it.
After that we will head towards Manchester and probably Liverpool, but we really don't have anything set in stone and don't want to.
The Olympic flame also passed 100metres from Elaine's dad's house so we went and had a look.

Finally Bombo would like to thank all the readers for their kind words on his first blog; the little shit, his head is so big it wont go through the hatch door!

He forgot to put this photo on, just after we took it Sam jumped into the fountain because it was hot unfortunately Bombo fell in, he wasn't amused, he really doesn't like water! 

Bombo and Sam's Excellent Adventure To London

Hi!  Bombo here ...

We were up early yesterday as we were taking our owners to London for a big day out.

We walked down to the railway station at Macclesfield. weeing as much as possible as we were going to be on the train for 1.45 hours.  The Virgin train was half an hour late but, no worries, we just walked around Macclesfield station and completely emptied our bladders on the station pot plants.

We had a great trip down and were most impressed by the Virgin train, it was very quiet and smooth...

We jumped onto a double decker which took us straight to Trafalgar Square...

Sam watched as I did my Lion impersonation! 

Elaine held on to us because we didn't know how close we could get to the guard, this one seems to have lost his horse!

I got a bit closer to him and he nearly cracked a smile ...

We sat on the wall in Whitehall and checked out the The Cenotaph ...

Apparently some bloke lives here who runs the country.  He must be important, the coppers protecting him had bloody machine guns!

Sam wasn't interested and was still looking at the cenotaph ...

Whoever this chap was he seemed to like Range Rovers ...

Behind Sam is where this Downing Street chap works

We were going to ring up our mates back in Oz and tell them what a great time we were having and how we were allowed to travel on all public transport free, but we couldn't reach the bloody receiver :-(

I was checking out the river and didn't even notice some bloody big Grandfather clock behind me.

Sam said, "quick, get here - there is a narrowboat going underneath us".  It wasn't, but I did tell him that one day we would be going down the rather large large canal below us ...

Mum tried to show us this big mousewheel thingy but we weren't interested ...

We  don't give  a s**t we are not looking at it. 

By now we needed some grass, man - so they took us to St James park where we had some very close encounters with some funny looking rats that can climb trees. Apparently they are grey squirrels, we both went mental at them and wanted to kill the bloody things!

Whilst we were in the park Elaine rang her niece Josie, who lives in London....blow me down - she was sun bathing in St James Park...

We met with Josie and she loved us and we loved her, she said  that an old Queen lived down the road and that we should go down the road and check her house out as it was much better than the bloke that runs the country's place!
Plus, she had been an old Queen for 60 years and there was a bit of a party going on.  Now we know why mum and dad has made us wear these bloody Union Jack cravats around our necks all day, plus lots of tourists had been taking photos of us!
They were erecting this huge stage outside her house, we asked about tickets and apparently its corgis only, bloody short arses!   

We were getting a bit hot by now so the old man and Josie had to carry us a bit, I also think that the old man was gagging for a beer!

This is The Queen's pad behind me, she was having a garden party around the back and we saw lots of very well dressed people some had lots of chains around their necks; I thought that we were the only ones that wore bling.  

Sam was shocked that we couldn't get tickets for the concert or go to the garden party  ...

We even spotted an older London bus but is was going the wrong way!

By now the old man had now been joined by Elaine and Josie and they were all whinging that they wanted a beer - what's wrong with water?!! Josie suggested Camden which is pretty close to Euston, to get the train home 

We ended up in a nice little pub called The Engineer, where they all had a few pints, we had a little sleep and then people came and made a big fuss of us!

It was getting close to 9pm so we left the pub and caught the tube; apparently lots of people travel on these hot and sweaty things every morning and night going to work....stuff that!  We had to laugh because every time that we came to the escalators we had to be carried - wish I was a St Bernard :-)

We hugged and kissed Josie at the station, we said that she can stay on our floating kennel anytime and help Elaine with the locks.



As soon as we got on the train, that was it - I crashed out under the seat ...

Sam crashed out on mum, who crashed out as well - as for the old man, well he just sat there and drunk a bottle of red on his own!



When we got off the train it was a quick 20 min walk back to the boat.
We had a good night cuppa and were in bed at midnight  It was such a fantastic day, they reckon they might take us down there again because there is something going on where people run in circles and have swimming races etc. They said that they had been to one of these Olympic things before in Sydney in 2000, we wern't born then. They said that the atmosphere was great!  Also they have hired a car for this long weekend coming up as it seems like there are a few parties going on for this Queen bird - and as a special treat we we are going to the Crick boatshow on Saturday to look at lots of Sardine cans and bits that go in them.

Love Bombo xx    

Back to Macc!

Elaine here ...

On Friday we left Marple and headed back to Bollington again - making a quick stop at the Elsan in Marple and a water stop in Poynton on the way !  It was another brilliantly sunny day - we had to keep the dogs down below while we were on the move because they got too hot and bothered on the roof (I think they thought they were back in Sydney !).

Passed the Goyt Mill again !

Obligatory photo of Heron !

We passed some other wild life on the way though ... we really were beginning to think we were back in Aus !

We moored up this time just past the Adelphi Mill in Bollington - in a nice, cool, shady spot ...

The Adelphi Mill and a chappie reading his paper !

 The dogs were glad to get off the boat and go for a stroll - so we went to check out our dinner destination - The Bulls's Head at Kerridge ... what beautiful scenery along the way !  The boys came face to face with some cows too :) 

So - in the evening we set off again to meet our mates, Jane and Andy and their dog, Pip, at the Bull's Head - where we had lovely Tapas !! 

 The beer garden at the back of the pub had some sheep and lambs in it ... poor Sammy was beside himself !

 

 

At the back of the garden was a pig shed also - so Jane and I went up for a visit - they were so beautiful !

And so, the sun set on another lovely day ...

On Saturday, we moved to Sutton - on the other side of Macc.  We had to pass by Mr Grumpy's house (by the water point) - but there was no sign of him !

Hovis Mill and Macc Marina

Work continuing along Macc Canal...

AND NOW FOR THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK .... LAST NIGHT WE WENT TO SEE GEORGE BOROWSKI AND THE FABUOUS WONDERFULS AT SUTTON SCOUT HUT !   (You can follow the link highlighted if you want more info / listen to some of their music).   It was a show to raise funds in support of Sutton Scouts going to Denmark!  GB was supported by a brilliant R&B band called the Mannatees and also Jimmy Lynch and Liam Ward...



The Manatees in action with guest star on guitar - 15 year old lad - just brilliant !

George Borowski and the Fabs

Towards the end of the show Pipe Major, James Gray, played 3 songs with them - which was absolutely amazing !  There was a slight pause in the show whilst they tuned their guitars to the pipes and then away they went !  Fantastic !

Surprise piper !

 They all looked like they were having so much fun !

The 'noise curfew' had been reached (and I suspect over-reached- by about midnight) so the band unplugged and serenaded the crowd for one last song with their acoustic guitars - truly live and unplugged !!!

As we were in a Scout Hut, for some reason we kept finding this sign on the notice board amusing ...   

... and there was some stuff on the notice board to also make us feel 'at home' !

There's no escaping Julia Gillard - she featured there too !

Jane and Paul by the notice board featuring Australia !

  My favourite picture of the whole year (yes, Trev and I are long term George Borowski fans).  We had a chat with him after the show (and inspected the jewellery that he also makes !) - he is such a lovely, generous and talented man !
If you ever get the chance to see him, do it !

That's it then - having a rest today after all that excitement !!!

Loving This Life

Its now two months since we left Australia, what can we say....we are just loving this life, it keeps getting better and better every day, probably due to getting used to living on a boat plus now this fantastic weather. If it ended now I would have to say it has been the best holiday we have ever had!
Without a doubt we took a big risk in selling up everything and travelling to the other side planet with 2 dogs and 3 cats but I would have to say the outcome has been well worth it.

There is one strange feeling that we both have and this is a feeling of guilt that we are enjoying this most relaxing lifestyle with no immediate plans to go back to work and having a perpetual holiday lifestyle.

We still don't think that living on a narrowboat will be a long term proposition, but then again!

So onto today, we left Bugsworth Basin after filling the water tank, we would loved to have stayed there longer but we have to get back to Macclesfield before Saturday.
I 

Some kids were having some fun in the sun on their canoe catamarans

 

We passed this boat, Elaine's Bella Bunny died last August! The dogs and cats were scared of her, she was bit of a bruiser. 

 

Only in England do blokes wear socks and sandals, but PINK socks! 

Just love this railway viaduct at New Mills

 One for the girls....It nearly got to hot to steer the boat and Elaine certainly got a bit of a sweat on opening the swing and lift bridges, thankfully there were no locks.

 

Houses in the hills

Very nice canalside cottage

We had a very friendly duck fly aboard for a ride and a feed 

 

 

Didn't even seem to fussed to have a cuddle, now where is that orange!

Cant get enough of these views

Tonight's view from the side hatch 

We are moored up just outside of Marple, another thing I am enjoying about this neck of the woods is that there are very few boats about, we passed 2 boats today! Mind you we are not early starters.
Tomorrow we will travel to Bollington as we are going to  Tapas
restaurant Friday night, the "holiday" continues.