On our way to Windmill End

Day 1: Kings Bromley to Great Haywood

I'm writing this on returning from the pub (so what's new?), the pub in question being the Fox and Hounds in Great Haywood, where the new landlord very kindly produced four roast beef dinners for us and Blossom and Dawn, despite not officially doing food on Sunday nights. Not only that but they had London Pride at £2 a pint, and Bass, as well as Bombardier and some northern stuff (Tetleys).

So it was a good ending to the day which was probably rather frustrating for Blossom as Minnow's engine required stripping down. For us there was the excitement of trying to keep up with them this morning (definitely getting faster!), only getting stuck on the bottom a couple of times.

Time for bed now I think.

Change from a Shilling

Yesterday we finally managed to catch up with Michelle and Bill on their boat Shilling. This is harder than it sounds as Michelle and Bill actually live in North Carolina and are only in Britain for a few weeks two or three times a year. This was our third or fourth attempt to make contact this trip. Firstly we were going to meet them in London, but electrical problems meant that they didn't make it there. Then we were going to catch up with them on the way back from Stretton - but Fang broke down and we ended up getting a lift and the train to get home. Then we planned to visit on Sunday and give Tufty a trial run - fortunate that we did as it was still overheating and we had to abort that mission (we had done all we could over the bank holiday weekend; first thing this morning we went and got a new radiator and all is now fine, huzzah!). So finally we said that we would get there by hook or by crook and we would go by train, and meet up with Shilling at Wolverton.

So that's what we did. Michelle and Bill always make us so welcome and are great company, sharing a deep love of boats and beer. As Wolverton itself is none too appealing (although it is a very interesting place) we set off by boat to Cosgrove to have lunch at the Navigation. It was nice to be boating again and steering the 31' Shilling made quite a contrast from Tarporley and even Warrior. Despite initially being a bit nervous, I managed it fine. Jim also enjoyed having a go and (of course) getting up a bit of speed. He even spun it right round in the middle of the canal, just because he could!

On the whole though we took it nice and steady and tied up at the bottom of the Navigation's beer garden in time for a late lunch. Not the cheapest pub food, but pretty good, and a choice of four beers. We were amazed to find that by the time we got back to Wolverton it was half past six, and not long before we had to leave to catch the train(s) back. We had just been talking the whole time. We find so much to talk about, especially things like comparing the health and education systems in our respective countries. Also, Michelle does the most marvellous patchwork, and was interested to know why, unlike crocheting and rag rug making, patchwork had never become a comon practice (at least not sufficiently to be considered 'traditional') on canal boats. I'm afraid I didn't know the answer... does anyone?

After I got back Michelle read yesterday's post about the boring calendar - inadvertently not so boring with its May picture. Jim had already suggested that the boat featured might be the one belonging to the chap who writes for NarrowboatWorld, as a couple of comments on yesterday's post have also pointed out. Michelle sent me a text to say this too - and that he was the original owner of Shilling! Not only that, but just after he had sold it, but long before they bought it, they shared a lock with him. Another one of the strange coincidences that we had been discussing only that afternoon.

Bright as new paint (and wet too)

We had a lovely day yesterday in Little Venice, at the Cavalcade. Among other delights we saw three boats - two of them former working boats - in their magnificent new paint schemes, and how many photos did I take? A grand total of one. Pathetic isn't it, so overwhelmed was I by the sight of Baldock resplendent in Willow Wren livery, and Victoria - finished only last week - absolutely glorious in Associated Canal Carriers colours that I just stood and gawped rather than getting the camera out. Sorry. But here's the one:

Aside from that failing on my part, and a rather unpleasant lunch (of which more later) it was a splendid day out, up to and including the final downpour that accompanied us on our way back to Paddington.

We were delighted to meet and spend much of the day with Carrie (Blackbird), Simon (Tortoise) and Neil and Kath (Herbie), fellow bloggers and all lovely people. We found the beer tent (and somehow seemed to have trouble shaking it off...) and sat for a long while watching the world go by, including waving to Mike as he steered Prince Regent past us.

Then I went off to collect Chertsey's new (indeed, only) stove chimney, very handsome and handmade, which I proceeded to carry around like a (rather shiny and cylindrical) baby for the rest of the afternoon. We went back for a tour of Tortoise, then back down to the visitor moorings to see Herbie's fantastic new paintwork and have a cup of tea, and then, as we were on the verge of leaving, were persuaded to return to Tortoise for a curry cooked by Simon, which was really lovely.

Now, Simon and Carrie are both vegans, as I used (briefly) to be and know in my heart that I really should be. Having been moved from being (lacto-)vegetarian to being vegan, and then having lapsed from that, I never really went back to being veggie; as far as I'm concerned there's no real moral or practical difference between using animals for meat, milk or eggs - in the latter cases the exploitation and environmental damage is probably actually more protracted. A work friend of mine has a friend who rears organic pigs; she says, 'the way I look at it, they have one bad day in their entire lives' - whereas for an intensively reared chicken or an industrialised dairy cow, every day is pretty miserable. So while I mainly ate a veggie diet, I didn't define myself by it, and didn't feel too bad about consuming the odd bit of meat. It was, however, always something of a disappointment (except for the very expensive organic dry cured bacon, mmmm). So it was pretty bad luck, or bad judgement, on my part that they should find me in the queue for the 'hog roast', having briefly quelled my conscience and an even stronger sense of self-preservation. However, the £5 bap filled with a few bits of stringy meat and a large quantity of very soggy flavourless 'stuffing' was punishment enough, and it wasn't held against me. I am however inspired to get back on the vegan path again (after all, it does make not having a fridge so much less of a pain) and make a bit more of an effort. Especially if Carrie will give me the recipe for that absolutely lovely banana cake.....

Late night report

Made it back just in time from our jaunt to the Little Venice Cavalcade, where we had a most enjoyable day, saw some old friends, met some new ones, got wet, and collected a chimney... More about that tomorrow. And when I got home, another treat - the copy of Roger Alsop's Working Boats that I'd ordered through AbeBooks for the princely sum of 65p had arrived, complete with wonderful photo of Chertsey in 1970.

First Blossom of spring!

Yesterday looked as it was going to be very unexciting, if industrious - very much a case of watching paint dry. We loaded all the engine bits onto the trailer, then settled down to painting, Jim in the hold, and me in the engine hole (and when you're in there without the floors it is very much a hole, believe me! Ladders are at a premium round Chertsey at the moment.) Only a small space but fiddly; it took the best part of the day. I also painted both sides of the cabin top which has been removed. Then Jim made a start on emptying the diesel tank that was nearly full - and fuller and we'd not have got the inspection hatch off without taking some out first, though I don't know how we'd have known until it was too late.

And anyway, we thought that was it, and were just relaxing with a very well-earned beer and sophisticated BLT rolls when who should come strolling across the site than Blossom and Dawn, caught up with us at last. We enjoyed a long chat, first outside, and then we retired to the warmth of Chertsey's cabin to continue our conversation. Hopefully it will be the first of many.