Clean Up Day

As it was such a nice dry day we decided to give Caxton a good clean.

I did the outside, so we spun the boat around so both sides got a good scrub, the roof was also cleaned.

Meanwhile Elaine gave the inside a good clean she  started at the pointy end and went right through to the blunt end.

Exciting day eh!



There that's much better.

 

Weekend in Macclesfield and Balancing The Books

We left the marina in the early hours of Saturday morning, about 10.30am!  After travelling all of five miles we stopped for a smoko, but not too much for Elaine to chose from as she is a veg head!

Sam enjoys being the co-pilot in the motorhome ...

It makes him laugh a lot!

Bombo travels in the back enjoying the countryside views ...

We park at the back of Elaine's dads house - this pic was taken from his kitchen window.  The land is at the end of a cul de sac and is deserted at weekends.  There are just two houses at the end of the cul de sac ...

On Saturday night we met up with some friends at a local pub, where a good night was had by all. Elaine's dad, Burt looked after the doggies, whilst we left the three cats in the van.  We take the cats with us as it saves us the cost and hassle of a cattery - plus they really love being in the van!
We could sleep in a lovely bed in Burt's house but Elaine insists we sleep in the van to keep the cats company!!

We went to bed in the early hours and thought it was strange that a car was parked right next to us!  A little while later we heard loud noises of people leaving a party at one of the houses at the end of the cul de sac.  No big deal, but they were leaving the party every few hours, one chap was chundering all the way up the road ... the sound was amazing, it must have been a dodgy prawn.

At 06.00 four very very loud people sat in the car next to us with the engine running, they must have been keeping warm waiting for a cab to take their pissed arses home.  Now I swear a little bit but these two girls and guys were going off!!!  We were keeping quiet in the van as they sounded very aggressive, the cab came for them at 07.00, so at least they don't drink and drive!  Amazingly the dogs slept through the whole thing and didn't bark at all....good boys!

When we took the dogs for a walk later in the morning I checked out the car, it was surrounded by discarded drink bottles and syringes!!!  Nice !

On Sunday afternoon we went for lunch at a lovely pub in Bollington with some other friends. 

Whilst we were out pubbing and lunching Elaine's brother Trevor had been sorting out my laptop plus having a look at the drop down TV monitor from the motorhome which has been showing a blank white screen. The laptop is much better but the TV looks like it is a terminal case :(

We drove back to the boat on Monday morning, having a smoko at the Little Chef on the way.  This afternoon I went to the Monday boaters tea/drink!  Elaine and Diane passed on their apologies to today's 'meeting'!!


The Cost of Living Aboard

 I have noticed that sometimes bloggers do a 'how much does it cost to live on a narrowboat' type post, so I thought I would also do one ...

Before we left Oz I was budgeting on about £250 a week, but by the time I had finished adding up all the costs of the last couple of years I realised that I was deluded!  Mind you we have bought a car and a motorhome plus been on a couple of trips to Europe ... it was just too hard to try and separate the narrowboat part.

In saying that we were going quite good financially, we had gone to a pub most nights but mostly whilst walking the dogs and 'popping in' for a swift pint.  We had been to over 100 different pubs in the first six months!  IMHO going to a pub and meeting the locals is one of the quintessential parts of traveling around the canal system and the UK in general.

 The finances went a bit pear shaped whilst spending a month in London in July last year.  We got a bit carried away and have never really recovered from that.  No regrets though, 'one life' and all that! 

We I have always been pretty crap at trying to run a life according to a budget.  I am one of the 'she'll be right mate attitude', and enjoying life for the moment.  If I spend too much I could always get a JOB!  This dream has been a chance in a lifetime so if it means spending too much so be it.

THE BUDGET STARTS TOMORROW :-)

Life in a Northern Marina

This is the second year that we have wintered in Aston Marina, it seems a lot more bearable this time ... why is this you ask?

I reckon it is because we have made so many good friends amongst  the marina boating fraternity, they are such a helpful, friendly bunch.  I reckon it is a lot harder to meet good friends when you get older, but we have met so many new friends here, I think they will become life long friends.  This is my opinion of course, they probably think I am a wanker!  It certainly makes it a lot more bearable being confined to barracks. 

 Last year was very different as you can read here from last year's blog entry.

Yesterday Elaine had a appointment in Manchester so it was up at 05.00 to get up there before the morning rush hour kicked off!

On the way back down the M6 the traffic slowed very quickly, and this was the reason......

.....Two trucks had collided and this one ended upside down with its wheels in the air and very badly damaged ...

The accident had just happened so the emergency vehicles were just starting to arrive.  We passed 8 fire trucks, numerous police cars and ambulances.  I read later that it took three hours to get the driver out - he is in a serious but stable condition.  The M6 was blocked for hours. 

I have always said that without a doubt the poms are the best drivers in the world. but when it goes wrong it does so in spectacular fashion.  I put it down to the sheer amount of traffic and generally high speeds that the traffic is travelling at.

Once clear of the smash we soon ran into an amazing scene, it was pouring with rain yet sunny ... it looked so black and white!   

Once we got back aboard we found the animals in a very relaxed state - we have William and Geoffrey on the bean bag, Sammie upside down in a chair, Jaffa next to the radiator and finally Bombo in the other chair!  No room for us:)

Thanks again to Diane from NB Ferndale for looking after and walking the doggies whilst we were out all day!

Quarantined!!

The alarm went off at the ridiculous time of 07.00 ... we even spotted a strange glowing ball rising from the horizon.

The reason for the early hour was because we were picking up Lesley from her hotel and giving her a lift to Stone railway station; she was off back to Australia via Klosters.

I can feel the start of a serious case of man flu coming on plus Elaine had a common cold so we took our leave of the Monday Aston Marina Escape Committee Meeting at the unlit and unheated Nissen Hut.

So we have quarantined ourselves on the boat all day where it is lovely and warm and Elaine can try out her witchcraft naturopathic herbalism on me.

For those doubters out there I found this on the net re Man Flu....

 Man Flu

A rare strain of flu so powerful and so deadly it can only be matched by the Bubonic Plague and Aids. A incurable virus which has adapted to only effect the "XY" gene found in men. The virus attacks the immune system 10,000 times harder than the average flu virus, causing excruciating pain for the victim. Man Flu has no cure and prayers can save the forsaken life of the infected. The often deadly virus is mostly laughed at by women who sadly cannot contract "Man Flu".

The Chip Butty!

We took our Aussie visitor, Lesley down to the Stone farmers market on Saturday morning.  It was much smaller than usual but we did have one of the nicest coffees ever from one of the stalls.



Whilst walking around the market we bumped into lots of Aston Marina boaters on day release!  Now this is what I love about the boaty life and is something that never used to happen when we lived a normal life back in Oz.....basically you have a quick chat which very quickly turns into ... lets go to the pub!  I love it, spur of the moment stuff and  no one says I have to go shopping / got to go and weed the garden / going to get my hair done etc.

So very quickly ten of us were sat around the window seat in the exchange (again!)

Lesley was fascinated by the choice of lunchtime grub......chip buttys all round.  She had never seen or heard of such a delicacy.

Lesley has been living in Klosters, Switzerland for the last two years, but she reckons that the mulled wine (Gluhwein) served up in The Exchange is the best she has ever tasted, not bad eh! 

It was a lovely little impromptu lunchtime gathering.

Today we took her to Trentham Gardens and had a brisk walk around the lake.

We finished up the day up the Spoons for a superb Sunday roast, it was a cracker.

Up at sparrows tomorrow as we are taking Lesley to the station..

The Manly Ferry lives up to its name!

Firstly back to New Years Eve ... Diane from NB Ferndale blagged us some tickets for the New Year's Eve do up at The Exchange in Stone.  I have to say I was a bit apprehensive as most of the previous pub New Year dos I have been to have been massively over subscribed and consequently you end up whafting smelly armpits and can't get near the bar because of the crowd.  The Exchange do was fantastic, just the right crowd!  We had the premium seat by the window plus getting a pint or 2,3,4,5...was a piece of cake.  They even supplied plates of free nosh ... we polished off the first plate in seconds then another punter, realising we were starving refugees from Camp Aston Marina, offered us their plate of rations, which were also gulped down in gusto.

We stayed at the pub till after midnight then headed back to Caxton for the official Stone firework display.

We had a bit of trouble lighting the left over sparklers from firework night ... I think they had gotten damp in one of our cupboards!

Light you B**tard ...


Dot and Gordon sported trendy new hair styles ...

There you go, Sydney and London eat your heart out!

We finished up the night back on board Caxton for a cuppa and some of Diane's brownies!  It was a really great News Year's Eve ... thanks guys!

On New Year's day we had friends from Manly Australia arrive for a few days; they stayed at a local hotel in Stone.

Graham soon met one of the Stone locals ...

Where to take Aussie visitors in Stone on New Years Day?
Up to the exchange for a real ale ... although Graham would have none of it and stuck to the lager!

January 2nd started off a treat....

.....we  were up early to meet another friend from Manly Australia (Lesley) who was arriving at Stone railway station at the unbelievably early hour of 9.50am!  She too was staying at the same hotel as Graham and Andrea.

As the title says this was the day the Manly Ferry lived up to its name as we had three passengers from Manly aboard, five if you include us!

It was such a fantastic day we all went on a mini cruise from Stone back to the marina, we had to go through Stone to wind (turn) so all up we did eight locks.

Lesley got right into it even though she was jet lagged ...

Pull girls pull ...

Aston Lock, the last one of the day ...

Graham and Andrea left today, heading back down south via the Peak district.  It was really good to have a catch up.

In the afternoon Elaine, Lesley, me and the doggies went for a good walk up the Downs, which were incredibly muddy but still very beautiful in its winter glory.

This tree had shed a load of apples, pears, beetroot, spuds stuff on the ground ...

Lesley is an avid photographer and was loving the winter vistas ...

Elaine, Lesley and the muddy boys ...

We finished up the walk down by a deluxe chook shed.....

.....with some very happy and contented, free range chooks.

We are having a quiet night tonight and will carry on showing Lesley the delights of Staffordshire tomorrow.

Cruisin Into 2014!!

It is really nice to be moored up in Stone (The Centre of the Canal Universe).  Yesterday we nipped over to the Co-Op to buy a few bits and bobs for New Years Eve as we are having pre pub nibblies on board the good ship Caxton.

Yesterday I met up with the hardcore Aston Marina drinkers boaters for early doors at The Exchange and tonight we will be back at The  Exchange to see in the New Year.

Talking of the New Year, what lies ahead for the mighty NB Caxton......?

Well she will be out cruising again soon but before we head back out on the cut we shall head south in the motorhome to Spain and the South of France for some sunshine.  The plan is that once we are out on the canal system we will put the motorhome in storage then every few weeks take a break from the boat and see different parts of the UK and Scotland from a different perspective etc.  We are both very happy with this plan as we will get the best of both worlds, plus having bought a property back in Oz we feel secure that we won't get left out of the property explosion back there.  We know one day that we will return down under but we are not ready to go just yet.

We don't know where we will store the motorhome yet in between trips ... any suggestions would be welcome, or if any one has a spare piece of land or garden to rent or swap for motorhome usage would also be most welcome!!

So here is looking forward to a prosperous and healthy 2014 and once again I thank the people that read my twaddle, of course this is the real reason to carry on cruising ... so I can carry on blogging!

I love youz all xxxxx

Finally a few random pics from the last year ...

... phew !  Too many pics, so little space !  That's it!   See you next year xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx