Winter Woolies.

Hello Friends.

The day has come when it is time to say cheerio to the shorts and skimpy t-shirts and say hello to the fleeces and Winter trousers.
Last night we both slept really well, I am sure it had something to do with the fact that the back cabin was still warm when we went to bed, as the stove had only been out for a short while. It was wonderful to snuggle down under a warm duvet and then not wake up until 7.45am. The back cabin was not to cold when we woke up, but a nice hot cuppa certainly helped to start the day off.
In my head I had a list of jobs to do, which all started with walking Paddy. It was actually more like a sprint, because he was off across the field like a scared rabbit. Somedays I really wonder about him, because more often than not he cannot really be bothered to go out and yet this past few days he has had a new spring in his step. Anyway he had a lovely run, whilst I strolled behind. That was job one acheived, the second job was to relight the back cabin stove, after that I started up the generator and put the washing machine on. It was then time for a coffee before thinking about the next task. With the weather becoming much cooler, I decided that it was time to put away the Summer clothing and bring out the Winter woolies. Firstly I had to empty our two cupboards and draws. We do not have any hanging space in the back cabin. We have a cupbard each and two drawers each, so there is no room for lots of clothes, shoes or handbags. Just as well I am not into handbags and shoes. I keep my clothing simple as does Keith. With the Summer stuff all sorted out, we then opened up the hold sheeting, so I could climb in and start sorting the boxes out. I started off by putting away all our Spring and Summer sales items, as we would not be putting our stall out anymore this year, now that we are on the coal run. Next the Winter clothing came out of the box and the Summer Clothing went into hibernation, which is such a shame, because we have had the most fantastic Summer this year. I then took the chance to tidy the hold a little, as it was getting in a right pickle at the bow. As we are full up with coal, there is very little room to move and our other items on the boat tend to get dumped in at the front of the hold, when really we should put things away properly. I felt really chuffed once it was all done. I love it when I get things done. Keith was wonderful going to and fro from the boat collecting things for me to put away. We work so well as a team. having put lots of stuff away, there is now loads of room inside the boat. We can now move in the saloon and see the saloon stove, which is ready for lighting should we require some extra heat. Jobs all done, it was time for some lunch and a well earned coffee. I will now have to start a new list of jobs to be done.
My signal here is so hit and miss that I am going now before it dies once again. Have a wonderful day.

Strong winds and first fire.

Hi Folks.

Ohhhh dear the day has come when I have lit the back cabin stove. We woke up to a very chilly back cabin this morning. It was so chilly that I think neither of us wanted to get out from under the duvet. But Paddy does not walk himself and things on the boat do not get done unless I get out of bed. So I had to get up as did Keith who had to go for blood tests.

I see the lighting of the back cabin stove as an indication that Autumn is clearly drawing ever closer. I pulled the Winter chimney out of the hold and removed the Summer chimney from the fire, where it had been all Summer. We have two chimneys. The Winter one is a double skinned chimney and the Summer one is just a single skin. Having a double skin chimney for the Winter, , means that the tar and soot from the fire does not run down the side of the boat, which can be very messy. Every year when I light up the back cabin stove, I do get quite excited, because I actually love having the back stove to cook on all through the Autumn and Winter. I also keep a kettle on there ready for cups of coffee and who knows we may get people calling by for a coffee and a piece of cake. Talking of cake, I have made a Victoria Sandwich and a Bread and Butter Pudding, this is a sure indication that the temperate has dropped lol. I am a huge fan of the back cabin stove for cooking on and in. There is nothing more wonderful than cooking a casserole whilst on the move, although the smell coming from the oven does make us feel hungry as we are cruising along. So stove lit and it was not long before the cabin was nice and cosy. So cosy infact that Paddy and Marmite moved into the cabin and lounged on the side bed.

Whilst Keith was off having his blood tests done, I prepared a coal order for a boater friend. I was just about to unload the coal from the hold when Keith came back, so he gave me a hand to get the coal off, I then put it on the sack trolley and wheeled it up to their boat. It is wonderful to see our regular customers and to catch up on all their news from the past few months.

I have no plans to do much this afternoon as it is still rather windy outside. Although I should be sorting the hold out really. It is time to put the Summer clothing away and to get the Winter clothing out. Time to pack away the shorts and T-shirts I think.

Tesco delivery

Hiya Friends.


I was woken this morning by barking dogs. There is a house opposite our ovdernight mooring and the dogs enjoy continually barking when they are outside, it must drive the neighbours mad. The morning began very damp and overcast. Infact as I took Paddy out for his walk it was drizzling. The highlight of our morning was going to be the Tesco food delivery. I know I have an exciting life ha ha ha. My concern was that despite placing the order last week, we had not received a confirmation e-mail and by 9.30am this morning I had not been texted telling me the delivery time, so there was I beginning to think that maybe we were not getting our delivery at all. I had checked on their webiste and it had said that the delivery was being packed, but to be sure I thought I should ring Tesco to make sure we had not been forgotten. I spoke to a lovely lady who could not find our postcode on the system, so alarm bells were beginning to ring. I gave her the order number and that showed up that we were getting a delivery. She then put me on hold, whilst she went and checked something else. I guess she was contacting the driver of the van. I was entertained by some music whilst I waited for her to return, with thankfully good news. Our food order was on the road and would be with us at 11.30am approximately phew, I could breath again. I had visions of it going off somewhere else, or not being on the van at all. I thank the lady for all her help and a smile returned to my face. We never normally have problems with Tesco deliveries, but because it is at a new address, I was unsure whether this would cause an issue. I need not have worried because having stood on the corner of North Lane for 45 minutes, a Tesco van with lights flashing came down the hill. It was Donny who we had met before when we were stuck in Market Harborough Basin last Winter. Thankfully Donny knew exactly where he was going as he had delivered to friends here previously. Thank you Donny, you are a saint.
Whilst I put the shopping away, the contractors for British Waterway's came along the towpath, strimming and mowing the grass. We always love it when they keep the grass short, but it does annoy me when they strim alongside the boat and cover the side of the boat with grass. The mower then kicks up stones, which does not do much for the paintwork. But like everyone they have a job to do, so after they had gone, I went out and washed the side of the boat down with the mop. In some areas I know that the guys will not cut the grass when boats are moored, clearly that does not apply here.
With the shopping all safely stashed away, we left the mooring and winded the boat below Foxton Locks. We gave all those eating their lunch in the Foxton Locks Inn something to watch as they tucked into their meals. I guess for many of them, they would never have seen a boat winding before. Some waved at us as we spun around and moored up on the water point to supply a customer with Toilet Blue. I noticed that Margaret and Dave on NB Adrastea were moored up on the stretch towards Debdale, so I hot footed it down the towpath to go and say hello to them both but only Dave was at home. It was nice to catch up with him and we hope to see them at The Village at War weekend. Time was pressing and we wanted to be back near Market Harborough, so I said my goodbye's and we were on our way once more. It was just typical as we headed off the drizzle began to fall and the wind was getting stronger. By the time we reached bridge 14 and moored up opposite the Union Canal Society moorings, it was blowing a hooley and the rain was beginning to lash down. With a fair amount of haste, we moored up and dived inside for cover. As the afternoon passed into the evening the rain stopped but the wind was still blowing, which did nothing for a decent TV signal once I managed to get the ariel up and in the right position, so we had to watch bits of programs, because either picture or sound would faulter.
We are staying here for a few days, as Keith has to have blood tests done and we need to wait for the results.

Brasso and Vaseline.

Hi Friends.

This morning seemed so dark when I woke up at 6.30am. I think I would have slept on, but someone was running past the boat which what seemed like hobnailed boots on and a dog in tow. Having had my sleep disturbed there was nothing for it, but to get up and make a cup of tea. This was of course a wake up call for Marmite who decided that Paddy should wake up as well and play with her. There was the pair of them racing up and down the boat chasing each other. I am sure that daft cat thinks she is a dog. Keith was still beneath the duvet not feeling his best this morning. He had a sore throat and a cold some 6 weeks ago, and although the sore throat went as did the cold, he has been left with a dodgy throat, which is causing him pain when he swallows. Having enjoyed my cuppa, I got up and dressed and took the mutt out for his walk along the towpath. There is nothing very exciting to look at along the Market Harborough towpath, just houses, gardens and more houses and gardens. Although you may on the odd occasion see a squirrel, fox or rabbit pottering around the gardens. There was no such luck this morning. So no sooner Pad had done was was needed, he hot footed it back to the boat for his breakfast, which consists of two small dog buscuits. Marmite however gets her meat and biscuits for breakfast.

Keith once up rang the doctors to see if he could get an appointment, and was walking down the town for a 9.30am appointment with a practice nurse. I stayed on board because I had a coal delivery to make to one of the moored boats. Whilst I waited for the guy to come and select his coal, I got on with polishing the Brass. This time of the year is dreadful for keeping the Brass clean and shiny, because of the moisture in the air and more wet weather, so after polishing the Brass to within and inch of its life, I give it a coating of Vaseline to protect it, this will mean I do not have to clean it so often, because any water will just run off of, instead of staining it, making my life so much easier.

The gentleman wanting the coal, came calling with some money and I delivered his coal to his boat whilst he and his wife headed down into the town. Now that the weather is turning cooler, coal sales should pick up and we will be much busier. Keith was back from the doctor's and he had to go back at 11.30am to see a GP, because the nurse was concerned it had been going on for so long. So she wanted him to see a doctor, which he did and guess what?
He has to go back on Wednesday for a blood test and then see another doctor the following Friday. It never rains unless it pours does it?
It looks like we will be making a dash for The Village at War weekend at this rate.
With lunch sorted out, we then decided to move off to Foxton Village again, because tomorrow we are having a Tesco delivery to the boat. It is great because I can order large items and have them delivered instead of hauling them up the hill in Market Harborough in my rucksack. Tesco are very good at delivering groceries to boats, all's you need is a postcode. It has made our lives easier. So having moved in the rain, we are now at Foxton Village with a wonderful digital TV signal and a good mooring, so all is now good in my world lol.

A update on a couple of events we have been to in the past couple of days. The Quids for Kids event raised over £500 for two schools, which is fantastic and the Arts Fresco event had over 30,000 people attend, which is truly amazing.

Art Fresco.

Good evening folks.

Having had a our lunch, we strolled down to check out the Arts Fresco Event in Market Harborough. It was the second year for this event and there were acts from all over the country and Europe. What was also wonderful, was the fact that the whole town got involved. Shops, restaurants, cafe's and much more opened for the day, making it a splendid affair for all. It was hoped that they would top the 20,000 who turned up last year. The hope was more than 25,000 would turn up to support the towns efforts. Keith and I caught up with a few of the people from Hfm again. Moley was very busy blowing up balloons at one point.
Lord of the Bins..... This was quite ironic because the litter bins provided were all full of rubbish. They really needed someone to come around and empty them at certain times, during the fabulous event. The crowds of people were treated to some wonderful street entertainers. Some a little stranger than others. This mechanical Elephant paraded through the town and look magnificent. It was well worth the stroll.

The Morning after the night before.

Hiya Friends.

Firstly may I say a huge thank you to everyone for the Anniversary messages not just here, but also on Facebook. After a wonderful day yesterday, we finished it off with a fantastic meal at The Shoulder of Mutton in Foxton Village. The Shoulder of Mutton is a traditional country inn with a twist. Not only is it a country pub, it also serves delicious Chinese food, that really is sublime. We had an excellent meal there. It is advisable to book a table, because it was packed last night. When we arrived all the tables were reserved. I was so pleased I had book in the week. We plummed for a set Banquet meal and loved ever morsel. Keith and I have eaten quite a few Chinese meals and this was up with the best. So if your in Foxton Village, go and sample their food, you will not be disappointed.

Back on the boat, we settled down with a cup of tea and watched X-Factor, which is great viewing every Autumn. There was some clear talent again last night, but oh boy there were also some disasters. What was it with Bun 'nd Cheese?

The three girls had a silly name for their band, which would never have taken off. I think they spent to long on thinking up a name for the band and less time on learning the lyrics to their song.

Why would you queue all day so unprepared?

On the other hand Paije Richardson could turn out to be very good, having sung a Frank Sinatra song, only Louie liked him and almost begged the other judges to put him through. Thankfully paije was given a second chance to impress the judges. This time Paije sang a James brown song and was very good. He is not a big band singer, but could certainly be a good soul singer and I think that is why Louie fought his corner. Now he just has to get through boot camp.

After the X-Factor, we saw the first part of a new Adventure of a lifetime programme with 10 celebrities (I hate that word). 71 degrees North is set amongst the icy glaciers and snowy landscape of Norway. Inside the Arctic Circle, this eight-part adventure series stars 10 celebrities, fighting their way to the most northern part of mainland Europe. Each week they must complete tasks to stay on the challenge. They are split into two teams and they really have to work together to survive the challenges, because at the end of the day in this icy wilderness, dreaful things could happen to them if they do not look out for each other. Last night they had to dog sled and swim in an icy lake and the first to go home was Lauren Socha, who to be honest was a pain in the butt and got up most people's noses. Gavin Henson, was immune from being sent home after winning the swimming challenge. He maybe one to watch for the title.

So here we are on a Sunday morning and I have no idea what we have planned for the day. We may move today away from the village, but we shall see.

Happy Anniversary.

Hi Friends.

Doesn't time fly when you are having fun?

Today is our 6th Wedding Anniversary (iron). Wonders if this means I will get a boat for my pressie?
I actually know there will be no pressies, because we do not both with them. Instead we go out and have a meal instead. Presents are very over rated and we just don't have the room for them on the boat.

Of course 9/11 is also remembered for a more somber reason, because it was when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City were attacked by terrorists. It is a memory which is forever etched on my mind, because on that day Keith and I were online hosting in an American chatroom. We watched the news reports and were chatting to American friends as the tragedy unfolded. Both of us were not only hosting, we were also offering support and in some cases councilling.
When we were deciding on when to get married, this date was offered to us by the Registry Office and it seemed right to get married on this day, as it was a new start in many ways.

So here we are on our 6th Wedding Anniversary and it is grey, wet and miserable. Thankfully we are none of these, we are very happy.

I woke up at 6.45am and lay awake listening to an Owl and a Wood Pigeon talking away. it was almost as if they were having a conversation with each other. If they had been , they would have been chatting about the miserable weather. I got up and made us a morning cuppa and we lay in bed listening to the world outside of our back cabin. Once up and about Paddy got his usual morning walk. It was all very uneventful as far as morning walks goes. And as yet there is nothing of interest happening, but it is only 9.22am.
Going back to last night. It was an absolute pleasure to see Paul O'Grady back on our screens. Paul has a new live chat show on ITV 9pm Friday nights. Last nights guests were Dawn French, Sir Tom Jones, Spellbound and JLS. It was a fantastic show and I am looking forward to watching him every Friday night. It was a shame when his C4 show ended, but this has opened a new door for him, even though he said he would never work for ITV again after they fell out. Sometimes life is to short to hold grudges. On the other side C4's Big Brother finally ended (Deep Joy). I really do not know why it lasted as long as it did. From the bits I have seen of the program, it was pure trash with a capital T. I am sure some of the people who went into the house should have been in institutions for the crazy.Sadly it also bought out the worst in some people and humiliated others. So it is goodbye to a show which should never see the light of day again.

Back to the real world and we got invited to Quids for Kids, which is organised by Dave Irving a radio presenter at Hfm. He is the gentleman kneeling in this photo. Quids for Kids is in its second year and raises money for local school.

Also in this photo are Myles and Polly from Paws 4 Walking . Myles and Polly look after pets in their own homes and offer a fantastic dog walking service. We went to the event after being offered a lift by Kendall and Stu who are also presenters at Hfm an excellent local radio station. I can honestly say it is the best radio station I have ever listened to and I have listened to a lot of radio stations. For a £1 you could have a cuppa and a cake or biscuit, that was a bargain as the Chocolate cake was yummy. It was nice to catch up with people from the radio and Paws 4 Walking.

We got back to the boat and could hear a piper piping in the lane. I could not resist going for a sneaky peek. It turned out to be a lone piper playing in the front garden of a house where there was a wedding reception taking place. He was piping in the guests as they arrived. That is so romantic and made me think of Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Back on board we are now watching TV until we head out for our Anniversary meal, which we are both looking forward to. I will update you further later on.

Foggy Morning's and No Connection.

Hi Friends.

I have not been online for a couple of days, because we had no connection.
Note to self: No connection near Saddington.
Nope there was not a glimmer of a connection, so we had two days of no online action, which I have to say was rather nice. We did however have a TV signal, so that was a plus. Mind you there was nothing much to watch.
We have had a couple of very foggy mornings, which to me annouces that Autumn is on its way. Once the sun did come out it soon burnt the fog off though and the days were actually really warm.

When we arrived at Saddington. The first thing we saw was this Grass Snake (Natrix natrix) swimming in the water. It really was very stunning. Grass Snakes are usually 70-140cm. Females tend to be longer than males. They can live up to 25 years. Their diet consists of Tadpoles, frogs, toads, fish and very occasionally mice and small birds. The Grass snake is the larger of three British Snakes.Yesterday we walked up to Saddington Reservior. It is down by at least two and half metre's, but have been told today that it is actually not bad, it has been a lot lower than this.

We are now at Black Horse Bridge, Foxton and will be here for the weekend.