Stratford upon Avon

Sam (dog) got a close shave yesterday when she fell into the engine backwards and got shaved by the alternator belt. It actually shaved a small banana shaped and sized area from her rear end. It could have been a lot worst than it was. I must get the engine more closed up than it is as this has the possibility of happening again if we're not careful.

Several grams of cute versus 20 tons of steel. Cute always wins. We were crossing over Edestone Aquetuct when half way across we came across a couple of mallards with their newly hatched brood. In fact they were barely several hours old by the look of them. Well they couldn't get out of the way as the aqueduct was as wide as the boat and they can't fly, if they jumped over the edge they would fall and they couldn't move any faster than they were. What's a boat to do. They were going slower than tick over so I could only stop and let them get on with it. Five minutes later they reached the other side and we could move on again.

The journey here was in lovely weather and the last 17 (16) locks were completed without mishap except that one half of the locking crew didn't leave the boat and opted to watch telly all day. Well it's her holiday after all.

We visited a town centre bar last night and one would have thought that at £1.75 a pint, I would have been singing its praises but this would not be the case. Weasel Wee would be the only way to describe the beer. Pubs shouldn't be allowed to sell beer for this cheap a price anyway as it doesn't keep them open and is a short term measure at getting punters through the door. They were actually trying every trick in the book, cheap beer, live acts (soul and Reggie???) and cheap food (well the former was off and the signs around the place declaring that, 'At present we are unable to supply food. We apologise for any inconvenience.' Have the H&S people been involved here? Looking at it now, probably).

If narrowboating was cool (and we all know it's not) then my entrance into the basin was mega cool beyond belief. With the world and their dog watching, we entered the basin and Lisa stepped off the front, tied up and I pivoted the boat and lined up for a reversing maneuver to back into the berth. It worked absolutely perfectly and we were moored in no time. But the slightest breeze would have changed everything. The only spider in the ointment was that when I pulled in to let Lisa off, I accidentally hit and broke a wooden electrical junction box on the side of the basin. Ooops! I hope it wasn't a historical Shakespearian one. Silly place to build one anyway.

The basin is quite spectacular in the middle of the town in front of the main Royal Shakespeare Company, beside the River Avon and in amongst the throngs of visitors. The works on the side are a distraction from the rest. I cannot imagine why it is taking so long as they only seem to be landscaping the gardens.

We came to Stratford for a bit of culture but the theaters are closed due to it being Easter. The exploitation of this geezer called Shakespeare is appalling but the tourists seem to lap it up. Queues to visit his birth place, death place, eating place, drinking place, father's place, dog's place, friend's place, and many other places. Dreadful. I'm not buying any more of his books in protest.

17 done & 16 (17) left

17 more done today which means (if my sums are correct) leaves 16 for tomorrow although I've just checked my Nicholson's and there seems to be 17 left (so my sums are obviously not correct). But what's another lock. Well my locking crew see things quite differently and were quite literally revolting this morning. More correctly, I should say 50% of them. There was much mutterings of missed breakfasts, lack of sleep and fatigue. There was also several incidents of throwing windlasses into the long grass. I thought it may be better to stop sooner rather than later for sustenance before I was assaulted at the tiller.

One calorie intake later and the crew were once again up-and-at-'em much to the Captain's relief. Hell we'd only moved as our hierarchy of needs started of with the need to empty the Elsan at Kingswood Junction above all others. Breakfast was well down the list. I may have to rethink our hierarchy of needs list. I don't think it's the same as Maslow's.

We are now moored in the middle of nowhere after several miscalculated attempts at mooring which resulted in groundings and subsequent poleing offs. The locks are slower to fill and to empty than I had imagined although the lockgear is well used.

It rained all day today and although that in itself is not necessarily a problem, it did prevent me from getting the camera out. We also visited the Fleur de Lys in Lowsonford for a pint just as we had eleven years ago when we last did the journey.

21 today, 33 left.

Another 21 locks today, well the Hatton flight. That means there are 33 left to do, but they're only tiddlers (at least that's what I've told the locking crew). The crew are tired but in good spirits and getting into their groove. We could do it in one go but we won't and are planning to take our time. This is supposed to be holiday after all. Terri has relaxed a little from when she screamed on the first day, “I'm so stressed. This is all so slow. I want to go back to London.”

Only one or two more to go.

We chased a hire boat up the flight today but they weren't stopping. We actually had to catch them up seven locks up and be in the same pound as them before they let us join them. Weird. No sharing tomorrow.

So what is the etiquette when there are two boats emerging from the upper double lock and two from the lower into pound no longer than a full length boat. We tried several methods, sitting in the lock for the others to decide what to do, coming out into the pound and hoping they will come through us and trying to be pro active and making the decisions. Nothing seems to work. We may even have to resort to communication in the future. I'm sure the boatmen of old would have had a procedure.

We have had the best meal we have had for a long time this evening at the 'Tom o' the Wood' near Kingswood Junction in Turners Green. Everything was absolutely stunningly cooked and with good pub prices, there was nothing to complain about. Highly recommended if you're passing.

21 down 54 left

Terri winding

Cape of Good Hope

21 locks done today and only 54 to go. My locking crew are revolting (the old ones are always the best). Hatton flight tomorrow morning. Lets hope we get a decent crew to share with. We are currently outside the Cape of Good Hope pub at Cape Locks in Warwick. We had a couple of pints there this evening and I can say with some conviction that the beer is in good nick. A good pub all round.

Terri on Roof

There are many more hire boats about but that very much to be expected with the Easter school holidays. We and a good crew with us today for Stockton Locks and made it in no time. Terri was very useful but her dress sense leaves much to be desired. I think it's the the acting student in her or the act that she just doesn't care. Anyone who wears pyjamas bottoms with wellys and a sweat top whilst locking should be avoided at all costs, especially when swinging a “turney thing.”

Wood on roof

We found a good selection of timber that we (I) will turn into firewood when we (I) get round to it.

'fraid it's all Terri today. I find that the viewings go up when she's on the photos. I wonder why?

I'm really getting sick of blogger now. Anyone know a free alternative?

3 gone, 75 to go.

We set off late today as we had to do the car shuffle, shopping (we're off to Stratford, not the moon) and the usual time wasting. I say time wasting but we also had a couple of pints at the newly opened Admiral Nelson in Braunston. The beer was average and we didn't taste the food but as they are renovating and newly opened I would most definitely give them another chance. It is a superb location if a little difficult to find by car. They need some more advertising in the village to attract passing car trade. I knew it was there but took several wrong turns in order to find it.

Well we eventually got off mid afternoon and are now at Stockton Top Lock with Terri and Lisa having done the three locks at Calcutt. Only 75 to go. Terri is so out of practice she was seen wandering the lock side waving a windlass about saying, “What should I do with this?” By the end of tomorrow I think I know where she'll want to stick it, so I'd best keep a low profile around tea time.

When we were leaving Terri's car at Stratford we passed the Bancroft Basin but it was difficult to recognize as it had changed so much in the intervening ten or so years since our last visit. There was some work taking place around the area but not as much as I had been led to believe. We'll get a better look in a couple of days.

Stratford, 'ere we come.

Several bloggers were spotted en route. Nb Rock n Roll seen near Brinklow on Sunday, nb Piston Broke seen at Rugby on Monday and I spoke to Del and Al on nb Derwent 6 when we arrived at Braunston.

Lisa working. Very unusual.

Paul from Piston Broke was spotted wearing what can only be described as a nautical cap. He obviously thinks he's Captain Canal. Well I've got news for you Paul, I'm Captain Canal and there will be no imposters.

Just what we like to see. A boat leaving just as we arrive.

As I have already said, we are at Branston after a night at Newbold. I seem to have been proved wrong about the water point at Newbold so far(I predicted that it would be kicked over and that the area would be saturated with wat er as there is no drain) but I'll be keeping an eye on it with a future hope of being able to say, 'I told you so'. We are waiting for Terri to arrive so as to start our trip in the morning. I hear that Bancroft Basin in Stratford is a building site at present but that there is winding available in the basin. Tomorrow morning we have to do the car shuffle as Terri will be leaving us when we get to Stratford.

Another welcome sight. Braunston Spire.

I think I've been a little ambitious with the layout on this blog. It's all a little prescriptive with Blogger.

Washing and sails

We've dug out the main sail and spinnaker and are preparing for our trip to Stratford. Well there'sactually no preparation going on at all but Terri's here and telly hasn't been off since she arrived.

People wanted photos and this is as exciting as the photos get. Washing out the back of Pickles No 2. But it's easier doing the domestic duties when the sun is shining and the washing is dried within hours.

Is there something happening and no one has asked my permission? There have been several ex-working boats passing over the last couple of days, some hauling butties and some not. There has also been a hotel pair come past. I'll have to get myself a butty to feel like I belong.

Celebrities and alienated readership

I passed Moore 2 Life, fellow bloggers, on Thursday afternoon just south of Sutton Stop as I was on the way back from watering up, turning around and emptying the unmentionables. I didn't stop as I was on a mission to meet Lisa several miles further on and it's more than my life's worth to miss an RV with Lisa. Granny Buttons also passed the other day, he stopped and we had a chat. Andrew is the nearest thing we have to a celebrity around these parts, apart from Timothy West, Prunella Scales and David Suchet.

I seem to have alienated most of my readership with just one post. Was it my use of one particular word? The Audience Numbers went down from 52 to 22 overnight. Well lets get rid of the rest. Bloody, bloody, bloody. There you go. On the other hand, maybe I should just post more pictures to make it more interesting.

Lisa and I went to a restaurant the other night. This is an unusual event as we much prefer pubs to dine in as restaurants tend to lack atmosphere, are over expensive and in many cases, their food is no better that pubs. But we braved the downside and ate at a local restaurant and it was, as we always assumed, absolutely appalling. Pubs for us in the future then. It was so quiet we felt that we could not talk and were like a little old couple who had been married for years and not communicating (verbally at least). As soon as we walked outside we were talking again, arguing, debating and disagreeing (or more unusually, agreeing). It must have something to do with restaurants.

BSC and banks

"He's dead you know.”

“No I'm bloody not.” I'm very much alive and well and signing autographs somewhere near Coventry.

I was parking our car the other day and a woman approached me and shouted that I was blocking disabled access.

“Sorry.”

“You're blocking wheelchair access to the canal”.

“Where exactly am I blocking.” Says me, confused.

“You park there all the time.”

“But there are no signs to say that this is disabled access and there are dozens of access points to the canal around here.”

“But I use this one and my husband's in a wheelchair.” (I've never seen a wheelchair user on the towpath. Maybe it's because I have parked here a few times. But then again, Lisa also uses the car to get to work every day).

“Well if it was such a problem you could have placed a note on my windscreen.” Says I, politely.

“Yea, well I'm telling you now.” Says she, impolitely.

“Thank you very much for the information. I'll bare it in mind.”

I don't think she likes boaters. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that we can live in her village and don't pay the same extortionate Council Tax fees that they do. I almost feel sorry for her. I'm such a liar.

I'm now the proud owner of a Boat Safety Certificate and can get my BW licence that is slightly overdue. It's all in the post, honest Govn'r.

Banks have always been dreadful places but lately they have become even worse. Since they have found that they have no money (although why an organisation whose sole purpose is to hold other people's money, has no money is beyond me) they will bend over backwards to help. I was in the other day trying to make an international money transfer and I had a bank employee wearing a blue sash (aka Miss World - but she wasn't) telling me jokes whilst in the queue for the internal ATM and they offered me a cup of tea while I was waiting for the transfer. They couldn't have been nicer. It's all a bit sinister and their competence levels haven't improved as they took out the transferred money twice but only sent one lot overseas (obviously hoping I wouldn't notice).

We are off to Stratford over the Easter school holidays with Pickles as we haven't been down that way for ten years or so. Although we may change our minds. Hey, it's up to us.

BSS and postgres SQL Server

The visit from the BSS geezer went swimmingly. I've got a few small jobs to do at very little extra cost and then give him a call and he'll come down, check it out and write the certificate. At least I'm doing something right. I can then renew my licence before the end of the month when the £150 fine starts getting levied for late licence applications. And I am a little late.

After having installed Linux on my old laptop I am now reading up all I can on the subject. My current volume is about Linux in general and my current chapter is called, ' Processes and Environmental variables'. The last chapter was, 'Streams and sed – The stream Editor'. Riveting stuff I'm sure you'll agree if you use your imagination. Only forty three chapters to go including, 'DNS and Name Resolution', 'smbd – Samba NT Server' and 'postgres SQL Server'. I can hardly contain myself. It must be a man thing.

Stolen boats and BSS

This week has been very uneventful with only one blogger passing (at least only one that I saw). nbDebdale was on their mad dash around the east midlands and every time I read their blog, they are miles from where they were last. Pickles No 2 has only been around the Leicester rings since October. This is a ten day trip for some people.

I've got a BSS geezer coming around on Wednesday for a look at Pickles with the aim of getting it through the MOT. There's no gas on board but I fitted it out from the start and I'm not entirely sure it will come up to specs. We'll see on Wednesday. I must remember to get rid of the petrol generator before he arrives. And all the other illegal things.

I'm on the lookout for the stolen narrowboat Que Sera Sera at the moment as it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that it may be heading this way if the sightings are to be believed. I've been keeping an eye on the Canal World Forum for regular updates on this. There are some really nasty, vindictive, intolerant people on that forum and this may have something to with the reason why I refuse to contribute to it. I wonder if they would be so nasty if they were face to face with their victims. I very much doubt it. Well I wouldn't anyway.

Debbie of MySingleFriend.com fame came for a quiet Sunday lunch and we all went up to the Rose and Castle again. It wasn't quite as good as the last time were were there a week ago but not bad nevertheless. They serve a good pint.

Mooring and Ansty

Well it very much looks like Brinklow Marina's off the radar for the summer. I had several slightly strange telephone conversation with someone who, after putting me through a thorough interrogation, which I had revealed that we were constant cruisers, said that he would get back to me. When he did, it was to say that he had been through the bookings and that there would be no spaces during the summer. Strangely when we were visiting the place, one third to a half of the moorings were empty. They must be expecting a rush in the next three months. Or maybe their moorers were all out cruising at the end of February. Or maybe they just wanted to keep scum like us out of their pristine marina. Who could blame them. Your guess is as good as mine. Although I think mine is better.

We like this mooring in Ansty. There is nothing in the village (except a pub that wants to be a restaurant) but it is very pleasant. There is an area along the canal on the 'No Mooring' area that is opposite a house and has signs every three metres that say 'Strictly No Mooring'. So what's the difference between 'No Mooring' and 'Strictly No Mooring'? Are the occupants of the adjacent house anything to do with this profusion of signage? Your guess is as good as mine. Although I think mine is better.

We had a very palatable meal at the Rose and Castle here at Ansty. A bit more than we are used to paying but well worth it in our opinion.

Linux

I've always wanted to be a geek. I believe that I would have been an ideal candidate for geekyness except that I am neither intelligent enough or dedicated to anything in any way (except Lisa of course) nor do I have any form of autism (a prerequisite for some forms of geekyness). I have dabbled in the past with Linux, a computer operating system, but the last time I tried it, about six years ago, I couldn't get USB to work or an Internet connection nor various other aspects of it so give it up as a bad job.

(Stop reading now if you are either a technophobe or think computers are Microsoft. Your head might explode)

I have tried again with the latest version of one of the distros (distributions) namely Ubuntu Linux (or rather the lightweight version called Xubuntu Linux). This is brilliant. Everything I have tried is plug 'n play including usb, mouse, camera, printer, dongle, kettle (ok, ok, not the kettle). Everything just works. On this old laptop (Compaq Presario 1200XL), I was using Windows ME and it kept locking up, crashing, was slow, was fragile beyond belief with many features that didn't even work anymore. The laptop is now fast, stable, efficient and capable of much more than it was ever capable of under MS Windows. Linux really is ready for the mainstream this time and best of all, it's absolutely free. Since the laptop is now not going to the great laptop graveyard in the sky, I've even ordered a new battery from ebay. When I installed the software, it told me my battery was old and would not hold a charge. I already knew this but was amazed when it mentioned it.

Maybe this is why Microsoft have now got all those ads ('I'm a PC') running on the telly. Scared that people may wise up and not actually buy their overpriced products. I'm now proud to say that I am a Linux user and I don't even need to be a geek.

More bloggers, water points and pubs

Ten Bob Note with Ernie and Archie aboard were just behind us at Newbold. More bloggers. We spoke on Saturday morning and again in the evening. I'd never seen a picture of Ernie as he does all the photography for his blog but Archie takes no part in this activity. There's always lots of pictures of Archie though.

Ernie mentions on this blog the new water point at Newbold but misses out the most important aspect of it's location. It is adjacent to one of those stile type things that are supposed to keep motorbikes off the towpath. The use of this tap ensures that there is a constant puddle around this stile because of the way the stile funnels pedestrians through. This area will perpetually be muddy as there is also no drainage. The usual muddy thinking at BW. It looks like the location has been changed before as there is another channel dug through the Barley Mow property (I'd be having words with BW if they did the filling in of the trench to that standard on my property) through the hedge that was in an even worse location just after the bridge 'ole. I vaguely remember reading on another blog about this work. The box is made of plastic and one good kick will have it smashed.

We were in The Boat pub on Thursday night. The Boat is the little known pub beside the popular Barley Mow at Newbold. We decided to give it a try as it's newly opened and the Barley Mow tends to be much busier than we normally enjoy. Anyway it's always good to try a new pub. Someone I was talking to had a bad experience with the Barley Mow on the Friday night as it was full of drunken local yobs. Maybe it's become a victim of it's own success. Anyway, The Boat was a very pleasant experience and they're currently being inspected in order to do food in the future. One to watch.

Talking of pubs, we visited the Raglan Arms in Rugby which is local CAMRA's Pub of the Year. Brilliant pint and good atmosphere only slightly spoiled by the large video screen and the rugby match (in Rugby). It's just a shame it's not by the canal.

Today I moved the boat down to Ansty when Lisa went to work. A pleasant day that started very cold. As I was approaching Bricklow Marina (more later) I eyed a boat that I recognised. It was Ralph who I know from our time on the Ashby Canal who plays the accordian. His winter mooring was up over the weekend and he was heading up to Market Harborough for a jolly. By the time we get on the Ashby he'll be back there again (maybe). Ralph's got a life and doesn't blog nor even use the interweb from his boat so he'll never read this.

We had visited Brinkl0w Marina over the weekend with a view to mooring there when we have to put Pickles into a marina over the summer. It's very different to Hinckley where we were last summer (and Lisa wasn't altogether happy) but Lisa says that she would be quite content at Brinklow and liked the feel of the place so we'll find out if we can get a mooring. We walked passed Andy Edwards' (from nbKhayamanzi) model train trailer which seemed like the centre of all activity at the marina. You know what these train spotters are like, so we didn't poke our nose in.

I also passed Brian and Diana (I'm writing this as if I know them. I've never met them before) on nbHansar who are also bloggers. Well I presume it was them. It could just as easily have been another couple who had stolen their boat since Hansar's last blog entry. I shouted that I think I read their blog and they said that they read mine. Who'd have thought it. Narrowboat bloggers reading each others blogs and feeding each others egos.