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Wednesday 20 February 2013

A year out in 2012

I thought it time to bring the blog up to date. We did not update for 2012.

Travelodge.

We booked travelodge during their winter sale to travel around the country to explore. We set off on New years day for the south coast. Began in Brighton then worked our way west. Arrived Plymouth on the 9th.
We popped back to nbJubilee on the 12th. slept overnight on the boat and carried on to Yorkshire the following day.


February.

!st. to Oswestry leaving on the 4th.Whilst there we went to Chirk and Llangollen. On to Oxford for a few days and a family get together and party time. We then went back down south to Shoreham until 21st. and up north to Blackpool on the 24th. for  a sisterly meet or Coven gathering as it is known. Saturday went around Blackpool, Fleetwood and St. Annes and Party saturday evening. Weatherspoons on sunday. Back home 27th.




March.

1st. Walking in Melton woods.
4th. Travelodge Amesbury and visited Stonehenge. Weatherspoons Salisbury in the evening.
Following day on to Wood Henge Devises and on to the lock flight Caen hill. Carried on to Sarum castle and airport on the 6th. A good walk. Onwards to Winchester, High Cliffe on Sea and Boscombe down, but no experimental aircraft to be seen.
15th. grand daughter Lucy had bring and buy sale at school. Rest of month mostly DIY stuff at home.




April.

 Purchased a new bedhead, and a set of interior doors on the 28th.


May.

2nd. Off to Gosforth. View Angel of the North and on to Whitley Bay. Following day Beamish museum and Hadrians wall. On to Shildon railway museum, hamsterley moor and high force, Hartleypool and South Shields. Whoo!
Daughter and Husband Russ with dog arrived 6th.
Fitting doors, furniture, painting for a couple of weeks before :-
26th. Crick Boat Show for a few days. Bought a generator, bloody noisy smelly thing.
28th. Another family get together in Monmouth and back to Crick. Weather changed from excellent to very wet.







June.

Queens Jubilee on TV. Wet too.
left Crick on the 6th. after lunch at the Red Lion.
10th.to 15th. Onwards to the Norfolk Broads. Acle first, followed by Lowestoft and Capel St. Mary.
Checked my old boat in Wayford Bridge, what a state it is in. What to do with her?
Went to various museums, Halesworth, Suffolk and Norfolk Aviation Centre and Bungay. Carried on to Trolley and Tram museum. Culture called and we sought out Constable country. Flatford mill and dry dock. Walked along side the River Stour where the Captain fell and damaged her leg and wrist and a visit to the minor injuries unit at Clacton on Sea.
16th. Home and family to stay. Ate at The Mill at Scawsby.
19th. Hospital visit for Xrays and missed Braunston Historic Rally. Rest of the month both of us hospital visits, fracture clinic etc.  My tests all clear, Captains break plastered.






July.

2nd Wedding anniversary and Marr Lodge for celebratory meal. 46 years married, 49 years together.
8th. Back down to Shoreham. Son in law purchased another car 14th. I had puncture on 16th. due to visit to the tip after garden clearance duties.
17th. More doctors appointments for both. A lengthy period of treatment follows for both of us for months and months. Tests through August too.
22nd. At last went to Jubilee. Set off 4.30pm towards North Kilworth. Saw an otter swimming and a heron fishing. Next day we watched a vole swimming around the boat. How lucky to view these rare sights.
24th. Foxton locks, hard work and hot. Winding paddles, the captain struggled with one arm in plaster. She got an earful for leaving a paddle slightly open when moving to the next one. Oops, sorry. Dined at Black Bull on Harbro arm.Little shop here for supplies. Moored Grand Union Canal moorings. Harborough Basin full. Next day went on to bridge 73, moored and walked to Freckley. Enjoyed a long conversation with the farmer into the evening. Walked the fields and permitted paths.
26th. Set off 10.30am after a good breakfast. Winded at bridge 81. Walked to Newton Harcourt, a pretty village. Returned to Fleckley, where the captain put a foot in the water descending using arm in pot and low sugar levels. Late arrival 8.00pm
27th. Cruised on and moored in a quiet spot. No signal for phone and Satellite dish obscured so no TV. Batteries low too stangely after plenty of running. Trimmed the vegetation and picked litter. Thats better.
28th. Stayed put, rested and soaked up the sun. No Radio, or TV.
29th. moved to Foxton and lunch at Bridge 61 pub. Did Foxton Flight and cruised to a quiet spot. Next day rained heavily. Stayed put until 5.30pm. During the afternoon Ifor and Lee (nbAbigailJenna) stopped by and we enjoyed a natter and cuppa. When rain stopped we moved to the Welford Arm at 8.00pm.
31st. Raining hard but we carried on to Crick. three and a half hours. Supplies from Crick Co-op.
Started rubbing down the roof for a repaint between showers.



August.

1st. and 2nd. More work on the roof.
3rd Home. Washed car, weeded garden, cut grass. Only three times this year, tut tut. Climbed into a hot bath with a whisky.
4th. Shopping, library and minor injury unit Penicillin and Tetanus injection, redress leg for captain.
5th. Gardening again. Trip to Ambleside cancelled.
6th. Went to St. Annes after another trip to A and E for new dressings. Stayed in Ashton Court.
7th. Took mother out in morning. Afternoon visited sister in Bispham and her daughter.
8th. Breakfast in the square, went home via Ilkley.
9th. Doctors again.
10th. Fracture clinic, pot off.
20th. Went back to Crick. Lunch at Red lion. Set off and moor at bridge 30.
21st. Washed boat, polished brass, painted chimney and stove. Doctor phoned with lung results, need Asma puffer.
22nd. Returned to Crick.
23rd More cleaning and back home.
24th. Physio and redress leg. Shopping.
28th Hospital.
30th. Back to Jubilee with Ex work colleagues. Gareth, Leanna and Phil. Sausage sandwiches all round. Gareth despite safety talk and warning tries to fend boat off a bridge hole side with his shoulder. Bridge and boat won and beat him.
31st. Bits and bats on boats. Mostly talking and drinking with fellow moorers.







September.

2nd Returned home after watching F1 Belgian GP.

6th. Doncaster Air Museum.

Rest of month- Lots of doctor stuff, various.

11th.  Lunch at Red Lion. Off to bridge 27.
12th. Lunch at Welford. Up to Foxton bridge 60 and winded. Wet but waterproofs worked well. Saw Robin, Heron and two leaping fish.
13th. Up early, walked to Foxton locks. Ice cream and return to boat. Set off at 11.00am. Moored bridge 38.
14th. Walked, photos of Kingfishers. Cleaning, quiet day.
15th. lazy morning. Walked, more photos Kingfisher. Set off after lunch. Back to Crick.
16th. Home again.More doctor stuff, leg attention. Train into town for hair dresser for Captain.
21st. Blood Donor.
24th. Back for Jubilee Dry Dock.
25th.Blacking and new anodes. Stern Gland repacked.Home


October.

1st.Went back to Jubilee.
2nd. Crewed Johan through Watford and down to Wilton. Late return to boat.
3rd. Wilton Chandlery for Paints.
$th. CB Boats Engine Service.
7th. Home after FI GP.
11th. Funeral of good friend Barry Barton.
12th. Daughter, husband and dog arrived for a stay.
13th. Captain and Daughter shopping. Chaps around car showrooms.

More doctor stuff.

25th. Jubilee again. Very cold. Stove glowing. Webasto still not working yet again.
a few days maintenance, and painting. Not warm enough for painting, but hell.
30th. Home again.



November.

1st. Blackpool again.
Meeting of the sisters coven. Meal at Italian Bispham.
5th. Went to High Wrea Ambleside and then back home.
6th. Flu Jab at Skellow Hall.
8th. Down south to Shoreham, Tea at Teddies. Shepherds Pie by Russ that evening.
9th. Met Matt and Russ Harvesters pub Brighton Marina. A terrible meal, never again.
10th. Brighton Laines for shopping.
12th. Portsmouth for the day. Dined at Slug and lettuce.
13th. Worthing for day. Southwick too. On to Gay and Peter Saltdene.
14th. Eastbourne on 12 bus.
15th. Met Matt Churchill Square Xmas shopping.
16th. My birthday, lunch Kemp town Little Miss Piggy. Steak for evening meal.
17th. Walk Shoreham Harbour. Graham, Sarah, Lucy and Maisie came from London.
19th. Home via Jubilee.
30th. Spec Savers for both of us. Dined Red Lion Doncaster Market. Visited New Civic Centre.




December.

1st. Maplin Electronic store. Arrange leaving meet with staff for Zoe leaving do. Behaved this time. At my leaving do I arrived home at 2.00am in a police car. Oops again.
7th. Specs Savers for new glasses.
13th. Blackpool again. Tram ride to Tower. Looked at the comedy carpet on the promenade. Picked Joan up and went to Pat and Davids.
14th.Saw nativity at St. Cuthberts and dined at Golden Eagle.
15th. Saw Julia and Taw in St. Annes. Went to the county Lytham for lunch. Evening with Kathy, Steve, Jake, Pat and David.
16th. Viewed Flat at the Miners Home Bispham. A lovely place to live. Went to FreePort Fleetwood.
18th. Home once more.
26th. Christmas lunch in Wilmslow at Petes. Big, Big family do and spectacular.


And that was the year in brief. Missed out some stuff due to personal content or memory and old age.