CHERTSEY

BOATS, BRIDGES, BOILERS ... IF IT'S GOT RIVETS, I'M RIVETTED
... feminist, atheist, autistic academic and historic narrowboater ...
Likes snooker, beer, tea, rivets and solitude, and is strangely fascinated by the cinema organ.
And there might be something about railways.
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Thursday 7 March 2013

Seven year itch

Right. Make or break time for the blog.

It's coming up for seven years since I started my Warrior blog, and never, not even in those early months, have I been so poor at updating it as I have been in the past six months. I really don't know why - it can't just be the change of job and of location, because that's happened twice before since I started blogging. It's not that life has got that much duller; OK, it's been winter, and I'm a long way from the boat, but again, that's hardly unprecedented. It's not that I've been too busy, nor that I have nothing to say, either. There are no negative reasons; nothing that has prevented me from blogging.  I can only say that I just haven't felt sufficiently strongly motivated to do it.

I've been engaging with the internet as a whole a lot less in recent months. I retired from CanalWorld well before Christmas, have only popped back once, very briefly (in the hope of discovering that Chertsey was made of Sheffield steel, but it was not to be), and I'm not missing it. I mean, I know there are things I'm missing out on by not looking at it, just as there are with TV, but in both cases I just can't face engaging with the whole thing just to avoid missing one or two nuggets.

I still read and enjoy the blogs in my blogroll - it's me clicking through that every day that's probably stopped my web ranking plummetting into double figures - but that's about it (in fact I'm missing hearing from Sickle and Darley...). It was starting to seem as if I'd just outgrown blogging; been there, done that, exhausted the possibilities... That the blog had come to the end of its natural life. Maybe there's a reason for the seven year itch; maybe things do go in natural seven year cycles... I was about to post to say as much. And yet, and yet...

Seven years is a long time. For a blog, it's pretty ancient. Granny Buttons (after a lot longer) has retired from the fray; many others, less long lived, have been and gone. But Warrior/Chertsey has been going for nearly seven years, making it, even if I say so myself, one of the longest established canal boating blogs. It almost feels as if that in itself is a reason to keep it going.

And, as the original title of this post was going to be, 'tis the season - starting with the HNBC AGM last Saturday - when we really start thinking about boating again after the winter. Indeed, in less than three weeks we'll be doing it again, as we head off up to the Port for Easter. Jim is already hard at work getting Chertsey ready whilst I'm sitting here at my desk in Sheffield. There's that to talk about, the AGM, the Lucky Ducks' new boat, and Jim's birthday treat this weekend... not to mention my latest Campaign for Decent Tea.

And I do enjoy it. I just need to get back into the habit. Keep reading....

9 comments:

  1. Please don't stop! Yours is a good'un and I would miss it. I notice quite a few of us have posted less lately (me included), maybe because it's winter and life slows down so there's not so much to write about. Hence me sitting at home buggering about with spreadsheets. We'll have more to say when we get moving.

    Neil

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  2. Keeping a boat blog going when you're not boating is hard , but do keep it up, I've missed your blog!

    There aren't a lot of us blogging about historic boats either. So, as HNBC Press Officer that's another reason to keep it up, in case you needed one!

    Amy

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  3. Also, which course is Jim booked into? They've got quite a list!

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  4. Fender making :-)
    Which did you think?

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  5. Well, I did think it was most likely that but who knows, perhaps he had suddenly got into knitting or rag rugging? Now I read that m=back it doesn't seem likely, but the thought of it has made me smile!

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  6. I enjoy reading your blog Sarah :)

    Don't you dare stop, have a little break if you must, but I expect you back to form as soon as possible ;)

    Kevin xx

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  7. Oh I did hope it was the crochet! :-) And was very disappointed when I saw what was on this weekend. But hope Jim enjoys it anyway, when does he start taking orders? Happy birthday Jim.
    Kath (nb Herbie)
    PS please don't stop blogging.

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  8. Sarah,

    I consider my blog my online public diary. I use it for reference and have gone back and entertained myself with some of the stuff I have done. I am having it slowly printed by year, so when I am in my nursing home my books will be in my carrier bag to read and reread with a tear in my eye for those long lost days of freedom from incapacity! Get the impression I am feeling sorry for myself? Anyhow do it for your reasons but don't miss the point a word and picture are forever, a thought is but for a moment (in my head anyhow) Take care, keep educating and keep boating.

    Nev NB Percy

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  9. "Keep reading", you say. I will, Sarah, if you keep writing. And please do - your blog is one of the best.

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