Monday 27th November Day 128
Today we decided to head to Manchester on the train. It’s a bit of a faff as we are at Stone at the moment so have to jump on a train to Stoke on Trent which takes 8 mins and then change for Manchester. I don’t think we have ever visited Manchester and one of the reasons for visiting was to check out the canals and see if this is somewhere we will visit next year.
I loved the canal area, it has sort of a sadness to it of times gone by and you can visualise how busy it must have been at the height of it’s popularity. It has that edge to it now as graffiti covers a lot of the dark tunnels and areas but it still has a majestic nod to its history and pride to times gone by.
Standing next to the canal as water dripped from the busy train bridge; which ultimately replaced the dominance of the canals and it seems like a hidden world. We did the usual wander around the Christmas markets and visit the science museum but what we really love to do is wander down the side streets. Look for the non-tourist areas if you like, completely avoiding all the usual shops as neither of us enjoy shopping. It’s a bit like in London, you can be on Oxford Street, probably one of the busiest streets in the world and if you just walk onto a street parallel it’s almost a ghost town and it’s amazing how many blue plaques there are which have info of someone famous/important who has lived there. That for me, is what visiting a new place is all about.
Brilliant day out and cannot wait to visit on the boat, who knows it might be first on the list next year. As a consequence, I didn’t get any word count at all ((Call yourself a writer!)) I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m not going to reach 50k and I’ve made my peace with it. I’m still going to be over 30k so that’s not bad in a month and since we will be in the marina soon, I’m going to have to knuckle down to get my jersey novel as complete as I can so I know exactly what I want to look at when I visit at the end of next month. This novel has to go back to my publisher for editing mid Jan so I do need to get a move on. It currently sits at just short of 46k and I think my original plan was approx. 70k although my publisher hasn’t put an exact wordcount on it so we will see! ((Oh only another 23k then you can manage that in a month!)) of course I can. I need one of my special writing days where I write 5-7k in one sitting!
Until tomorrow… x
((Notice how Peachy doesn’t put the wordcount total at the end??))
Tuesday 28th November Day 129
A trip to derby where I lived for 16 years to catch up with my friend’s who’s flat, I’m looking after in Jersey. She’s on a visit home so worked out well ((So, what you’re saying is another ‘non’ writing day!! Peachy come on now!)) I know but I had to pick up the key from her and the main reason for the visit to Jersey is to do the final pieces of research for the book and make contact with some of the bookshops.
It’s an interesting trip on the train and a wait for 45 mins on one of the connections but for a change they are on time! On one of them there are a bunch of kids, i would say 16-18 year olds drinking, shouting and if i’m not very much mistaken doing something that shouldn’t in the toilets! The train guard tried to bring them into order but he’s wasting his time. To be fair, they are noisy but not actually trying to cause trouble. Just kids, being kids ((Baring the toilet malarkey!))
Tomorrow is a cruising day and it’s supposed to not get above 4 degrees so I think the heated top will be coming out!
Until tomorrow… x
((And again. Calls herself an Author!!))
Wednesday 29th November Day 130
It’s a last wander into Stone this morning and finally the postoffice is open. Then it’s into Bear for our final coffee and then last bits of shopping from Morrisons we will need for the next few days until we are back in a marina and can have a supermarket shop delivered. It showed how cold it was as the ropes on the roof were stiff and frozen this morning and this afternoon. The temperature is somewhere between 0 and 4 degrees today and will be the coldest we have cruised in…
Fast forward and it’s now 14.19pm and we are moored up just near Sandon Lock. We set off about 11.45 and only had one lock to do which was Aston lock just near the marina. It’s certainly welcome doing the locks when it’s cold although we have wrapped up warm so we actually really enjoy the cruise. To be honest I think as long as it’s not raining, I cannot imagine not loving a cruise. It’s a beautiful clear day with a fabulous blue sky. Despite being wrapped up we have sunglasses on against the glare of the winter sun.
I was planning on having a writing afternoon but we have an amazing signal here and I have about 70 videos to check, edit, file and upload to create the vlogs so I decided to crack on with these. As you know from previous blogs sometimes they can take so long to do. A strong, fast signal is like winning the online lottery lol.
Until tomorrow… x
((At the risk of repeating myself…))
Thursday 30th November Day 131
Wow it was a cold one last night and we wake up to a partially frozen canal and our windows on the inside are well and truly frost bitten! It didn’t feel too bad in the night as we stoked up the fire but I do remember turning over at one point and thinking, do not move. If I move, I will disturb the cold air which is lurking on top of the duvet waiting to strike, so it was best to stay still lol.
Coffee in bed and social media caught up with we then do the morning ritual of taking out the insulated covers we put in the window which have to be prised off due to the ice and then it’s taking a cloth to the windows and wiping off the condensation and ice. This will be an ongoing ritual throughout the day as condensation builds. The trick is to catch it before it drips into the boat!
I’m at the dinette with the gloves my friend crotchet’d for me for writing and I’m trying to get the rest of the videos sorted and uploaded to YouTube whilst the signal is so good. Once we’ve had our final cruise this afternoon, I will probably have a break from filming for a bit. I’ve been filming, editing and creating vlogs pretty much non-stop since we left the marina in July ((OH poor you. It’s a good job I kept out my tiny violin!)) Don’t get me wrong I love doing them but writing has to become my focus once we are in the comfort of the marina and don’t have to think about the usual things like getting water, toilet, bins etc as they are all there on site. Same as shopping, most days we have to find a shop as we can only carry so much and store so much on the boat.
((Tell them the bit you’re most excited about…)) I can have my coffee machine on all the time so that will save me a fortune in coffee shops! The planet killer as Chris calls it, is back. ((Don’t tell Peachy but her machine is about to break!))
Right, I have a break from updating this as we get ready and go for a cold walk up to the lock to check out how iced in the canal is for cruising later as we do so another boat comes into view – they are trailing blazing through the ice and doing a nice job of breaking it. We decide if they can get through, then we will be okay. We have the standard shouty convo from boat to towpath – ((I always thought boatlife was quiet but you boaters are a noisy bunch!)) we then head back to the boat and start faffing but then realise we don’t have much coal left. The stove is on 24/7 so we are using plenty of coal. We should have been more prepared but we didn’t account for the canal freezing over and being a bit of a distance both ways for any services ((Amateurs)) so, we decide to leave it thirty minutes and then we follow in the trailblazer’s wake. We end up chatting them a few times as our paths crisscross over the next few days.
It’s not too bad as we set off but already the ice is reforming where they cruised and the ice breaks against the bow but hopefully the ice is not deep enough to do much damage to the bow. We soon arrive at the lock and all goes smoothly. I take my time as obviously everywhere is slippy and locks are places to be careful whatever the weather. Despite the cold we still have our sunglasses on as it’s a beautiful but cold day with lovely blue skies.
We miss cruising straight into a lock by about 1 minute as the boater had just closed the gate and set off but no matter. I set it and we meet our friend from the other day – think it’s a Muscovy duck so we hand out some well needed birdseed to keep them going in the cold. Lock done it’s onto the next. Three to do today before we get to the marina.
Oh I forgot to say. I rang the marina just to check we could go in a day early and they said that was all fine but their water pipes had frozen so they suggested we try the services at Great Haywood before coming into the marina.
At the last lock of the day, Hoo Mill Lock I’m just about to start filling the lock and a robin lands on the bow and watches my technique. This could possibly be the last lock we do this year and I don’t know if I’m really into signs and things like that, but it does feel like it means something. We put a little bit of bird seed onto the lock side for the robin to enjoy at its leisure. On route we had an email from the marina to say the water is back on so we don’t need to go to the services.
We’d set off at about 11.45ish and finally arrive at the marina at 2.30pm. Wouldn’t you know it the trailblazing boat is on the service point at the marina and just as we come in the entrance another boat comes speeding out from their pontoon in front of us. Turns out he having a pump out ((The boat not the actual person just to be clear!)) so we are third in line. The chap I’ve been chatting to at the marina comes out and signals for us to moor at the side whilst we wait rather than hovering in the marina. Typically, he says they haven’t seen a boat all day. That’s the way it goes.
I pop into the office to sort out the paperwork and get our key fobs and info as well as buying some well needed coal. Chris empties the Elsan whilst we wait for the other boaters finish their jobs then finally it’s our turn. We decided to fill up with diesel and then as the sunsets it’s to cruise onto our home pontoon for the next few months, we could not have timed it more perfectly. Now it’s time to get the boat in order for marina life.
All this has meant that I finished my wordcount on 30,877, which is way short of the planned 50k but I’m still happy with the wordcount as I suspect if I hadn’t have taken part in NaNoWriMo it would have been a lot less and fingers crossed now we are in the marina I will have more time to write. I might even just put out a weekly blog so that will save your inboxes filling up and give me more time to write. I also won’t be videoing as much so that will give me some well needed time back.
Until tomorrow… x
Friday 1st December Day 132
Well, thank goodness we made the decision to come into the marina yesterday as the canal is frozen over this morning and we wouldn’t have been able to get in today or in fact as it transpires for the next few days. I mean it wouldn’t have been the worst case as we would have been on the cut outside the marina but we wouldn’t have had the luxury of electric hook up! We have gone mad on the boat with the electric fire on at night, electric blanket on the bed and the ultimate I can make a proper coffee whenever I want. My life is complete! ((saddo))
It also means we don’t have to think about charging the power bank and can literally watch tv for hours and hours and hours so all those things I’ve been saving up to binge watch I can crack on with.
Today we nip to the marina office and buy some tokens for the washing/Laundry. It cost £30 for four washes/dry which is probably mid-range in prices we have paid elsewhere and is quite a big expense really but I still don’t know if that’s more expensive/cost effective to use these rather than have a proper washing machine on board. It’s a nice feeling as we wander up to wash all the bedding, towels and clothes we have been saving up knowing we were going into the marina.
We also place an online shopping delivery with Tesco, although we didn’t realise because this marina isn’t residential, so we can have deliveries we collect on arrival but cannot have post which the marina takes in ((Wait, does that mean no xmas cards!!!!!!!???????????????!!!!!!!!!!!)), yes. I know. I’m sad. I love cards but someone very kindly bought me a coffee via my website instead of a card so you know, not all bad!
Next job was to sort out a replacement coffee machine as ours is on its last legs as something has broken on the steamer. Amazon customer service was excellent as usual. In the end it was easier to have the cost refunded and then we ordered another one. Although we realised it’s going to be a faff to return it as we don’t have the facility to print labels and some post offices won’t print the labels but we will cross that bridge when we have received the new one and have a box to send it back in.
I faff about on the boat and put the twin tub away behind the bin the kitchen for its winter storage now we won’t be using it. It’s done a grand job so far. Dinner consumed we decide to have a well-earned wander into Great Haywood to visit the pub we like there. It’s very cold but nice and toasty in the pub as they have a real fire blazing and we chat to the owners of the marina who are propping up the bar.
Back to the boat we settle down to listen to some music and chat about what an adventure we have had so far!
Until tomorrow… x
Saturday 2nd December Day 133
We finished the washing job this morning and then tried to fill up with water as the pipes unfroze for a little while but rookie mistake as we left the hosepipe on the roof so that’s frozen! We did fill up a little bit when we were filling with diesel when we arrived at the marina but as the sun was setting, we wanted to moor before it went dark. So, the hosepipe goes into the shower to thaw out. We have enough water for now so can wait for everything to thaw out.
In the afternoon I chuck Chris out ((Charming!)) as I decide I want to have a writing afternoon which I thoroughly enjoy in front of a blazing fire and the Christmas tree lights twinkling. I know I keep saying this but I have finally, finally settled on the structure for the novel after another plot line has slotted into place. So, once I’ve caught up on blogging and vlogging I can proper get stuck in which I need to do as I probably have another 25-30k to write before I hand back to my publisher mid Jan and I need to add description when I go to Jersey.
Nothing else to report for today. You might be pleased to hear that the blogs will likely be much shorter and you won’t need to eat a three-course meal whilst reading! ((thank goodness!))
Until tomorrow… x
Sunday 3rd December day 134
I wake up at 3am. The result of being a woman of a certain age but… when I look out the window it has snowed heavily in the night! I cannot contain my excitement so stay up a little bit and build up the fire with wood and coal to keep it going then at normal wake up time it will still be alight and warming the boat.
Eventually when I go back to bed I listen to my audio book to try and nod off again. ((Honestly you’re like a child when it comes to Christmas and snow!)) I know, I would rather be like that than being miserable though, being excited about the little things in life is very important.
Our Amazon delivery is due today, my new coffee machine so I make sure we are up at 8am. The delivery is estimated between 9-10.45 so we have brekkie, great ready and then decide to walk to the farm shop to get some milk and veggies as the food delivery is not due until tomorrow and I want a walk in the snow!
It’s wonderful and properly deep snow! We crunch through it and down the lane to the farmshop which is probably about 5 mins walk from the marina, we planned it perfectly as we spot the Amazon delivery van and take the coffee machine from him before getting the supplies from the farmshop and then it’s back to the boat.
I’m now sitting in front of the fire with a toasty log burning updating this. The plan is to go for a walk after lunch and then settle down to an afternoon Christmas film and then after that, finish writing my xmas cards so I can post them tomorrow and add a few chapters to my novel.
Until later…
Plan done. It’s a good job we have a dvd player as the wi-fi signal is a little dodgy so it’s a good job we have a backup. We are hoping to be able to fill up with water tomorrow as the marina have switched it off due to the pipes freezing and chance of leaks. As with most things on the boat the water tank doesn’t have a gauge so the way we work out how much water we have is by looking at the level the boat is sitting at the bow. Technical or what. You can buy an attachment which means we can measure the amount of water going into the tank which attaches to the hose so we might get one of those at some point.
Right, that’s another week done. I think we have learnt that we need to be more organised when it comes to winter! Hopefully next week I will have an update on my book for those who read my blog for the writing updates. ((Literally people only read your blog for my sarcasm and there hasn’t been nearly enough this week))
Until next week… xx ((Or tomorrow if you’re reading the daily blogs))
C.L. Peache 