Electric dad

I've been having problems with my batteries, which admittedly are rather old. To cut a long story short, my dad made me a panel with a volt meter and switch, and a cigarette charger plug socket and switch. So now I can check the charge on either battery, and charge either battery with a charger (when I'm not charging it with the engine).
It made a huge difference to confident we felt going on our trip two weekends ago. Here's a picture. He made the panel out of a piece of sheet aluminium. Thanks Dad!

To Windsor and back

It took 3 days to get to Windsor from Hambleden and back again. We were so lucky that it rained heavily but only at night!

We moored at Cookham the first night and visited the tiny but interesting Stanley Spencer gallery. Only when we walked out did I realise that we are both Art Fund members and could have saved the £5 entry fee...

We filled up with diesel (well, put £80s worth in - god knows how much it costs to actually fill up), arriving in Windsor at about 5pm.

Windsor is very strange place - completely rammed full of stereotypical foreign tourists. We were too late to go into the castle, but just walking around the outside makes you realise how HUGE it is. And it's only one of the Queen's palaces. That woman has some money!

The back entrance to the palace.

Over the other side of the bridge is Eton. It's almost exactly like the old bits of Oxford or Cambridge, ensuring a smooth transition for their pupils no doubt. The high street was lined with gentleman's outfitters and even the high st bank was Coutts. I believe you need £1m liquid to open an account with them.
One of the most spectacular parts of the river is when it passes through Cliveden - famous for its role in the Profumo affair. Beech trees line the steep banks and the golden tower of the building peeps through.

About an hour from Hambleden is Marlow. Although it's a small town it has an impressive suspension bridge.

Two birds

Some pictures of two birds we saw yesterday. The swan hung around for ages hoping we'd feed it.

Thank you Marjorie

Marjorie of Moonsilk Stitches made me the most beautiful boat bag for my 30th birthday. It's going to come in so handy, and will look just amazing on the boat. She is so talented! And I am so touched. Thank you Marjorie!

A day off that was busier than work

What a day yesterday.

Firstly to Uxbridge Boat Centre. What a great place. Spent far too much money and was charmed by the lovely woman who works there. It's fascinating to see all the boats in the yard too.

Then to my boat for sanding, rust converting, lunch and red oxiding. Balancing precariously on a gunwhale I turned to see a swan a foot away looking at me earnestly.

Then back to London, and South London at that, to the first day of a new photography course. It's run by the brilliant Zoom In. I did their basic photography course last year, and this is the follow on. I've got to shoot two rolls on specific things and get the photos developed before next Thurs. I think I will do some on the theme of shopping as I am going to a jumble sale with my granny in Berkshire tomorrow.

Then in Paddington I apprehended three men who had stolen another man's bike (he was running down the road after them). I asked one of them how he would feel if someone stole his bike (he was riding one). He gave me the finger in response, and then they all cycled off the wrong way down a one way street. I reported them to the police. Seems doubtful they will get caught,but you never know.

I should take the day off work more often!

Thanks to the boating community

I was impressed at the speedy and helpful responses from Towpath Townie and the kindly folks at Just Canals to my questions about boat driving (sailing?) tuition and painting.

I only posted the questions this morning!

Secret getaway

I love this house with its direct access to the river. I imagine it would be useful if you needed to make a moonlight flit.

Three days free

Was supposed to go to Disneyland Paris with my nephew yesterday until Wed, but bad weather meant we had to cancel. He's only 8 and was very disappointed of course. To try and make it up to him we took him to the IMAX at the Science Museum. We watched a palm-tingling film about astro- and cosmonauts in some space shuttle or other. My other nephew, aged 4, was sitting next to me. We watched the shuttle take off from Earth in a HUGE blast of fire. He turned to inform me that "it is going to Norbert, or the moon".

Anyway, the result of not going to Disney is that I have Monday-Wed off work! I'm keen to go to the boat today, tidy things up, measure some things etc. Alternatively I may go to a gallery or concert and make the most of living in London. Going to try and avoid spending money as I have n-o-n-e.

Why do I always think I know best?

A couple of friends came to the boat on 2nd Jan for a New Year outing. We decided not to bother heeding the sign posted to the lock that warned: "danger - fast currents" and made our way out of the mill stream and on to the Thames.

For the first 10 minutes it was fabulous. We sped along, the winter sunshine warming our windblown faces (see pics below). It was only when we got to a fork and had to turn left that we encountered problems. Before we knew it, the current had ploughed us straight into an island's dead-branched trees at what felt like 10mph (prob more like 4 or 5). Fast enough to rid the boat of its pole and gangplank, break another piece off the back doors and break the boat hook in half.

We turned around and made it shakily back to the marina, pausing to see a brown furry creature, the size of a very small cat (a weasel?) swimming past. Some more friends arrived and we spent the rest of the afternoon squeezed in to the saloon around the fire, reassuring ourselves with wine, cheese and some foie gras F's mum had given him for Xmas. The simple pleasures eh.

A man's coming to quote for new doors a week on Wed. He comes recommended by Mortimer Bones - the only female contributor to one of the narrowboat magazines I read on occasion.

Love the boat. Here we are having fun before the crash! F looks quite arresting in my sunglasses I think.

Africa and the East End

I went to a fantastic Lebanese cafe today called Le Comptoir Libanais that had great North African decor. The walls are covered in huge pictures of Lebanese sweets, and the knives and forks are held in old chilli tins.

The boat is also going to be African themed (South, North, whatever, I'm not fussy), and here are two cushions and a curtain I made today for it. The Obama one is from some fabric my brilliant sistaire bought me in our favourite shop in Cape Town. The next pic shows the back with the limo. The red rectangle is a lovely Algerian picture frame Frank bought me. He put in the picture of me, which was taken in Bulgaria.

The floral fabric I bought in a great shop just off Brick Lane in East London. It's run by a Jewish family who have owned it for about 100 years. They have a huge black and white pic of their whole family standing outside the shop in about 1925. It's really near where my granny was born in 1906. She's ill in hospital at the moment. We don't know if she'll make her 104th birthday on 13th Feb.

5 minutes to speak

With my new job, and with Co-op and boat duties I seem to have no time whatsoever to do anything except rush around worrying about things.

How do people manage to lead interesting lives and have a decent job, without completely wearing themselves ragged? And how do people with children do anything at all?

Anyway, on a more positive note - the boat is officially mine! I've signed all the paperwork and here are some pictures.

Here's the outside. Mine is the one in the middle. I like to think of it as "down to earth".



Here's the inside - any ideas about decorating welcome...


Here's the weir by the marina.

Bought the narrowboat

Wow.

Feeling pretty strange. Agreed to buy the boat in Henley. Have just paid £10,000 out of my savings and the rest to follow tomorrow.

I have never spent that kind of money in my life. And there is more money to come for the doors, the blacking, and the insurance.

Thank goodness I'm getting a pay rise!

Can't really imagine what it's going to be like taking my own boat out on to the river. God I hope I enjoy it, and that everyone else enjoys it too.

I can see a lot of weekends sanding, painting, sawing, sewing and so on coming up. And several mornings waking early, and venturing out on to the stern to watch the waterbirds as I drink a steaming mug of fresh coffee and munch on a croissant. WOW!