The Narrow Way

New Blog

2011-07-02T12:19:00.000+01:00

Ha Ha! I've got a new blog - it was much easier than I thought. The website address is:
www.dontpanic-loneboating.blogspot.com
So I expect to see you all become my followers again very soon!
Mandy

The End of the Narrow Way

2011-07-02T11:23:00.001+01:00

I have just received an email about this website, The Narrow Way, saying that as I have not renewed my domain name the site will be closed in 7 days! I went to the link they gave me – somewhere in Australia - in order to re-register it but they then asked for my account details. That is a problem because my friend Maggie, who died last month, set up the site for me and she was the only one who knew the passwords etc for the domain name. Unfortunately she has taken them to the grave with her.

I could try to phone them and jump through various hoops to try and recover it, but I’m not going to. The reason is not that I’m fed up of blogging, although I do go through phases. No, it is more to do with the name. Maggie set it up for me shortly after I left the Church as I had the bright view to using it to advertise my boat as a venue for retreats and quiet days. The name was a play on both narrow boats and the Biblical verse stating that it is the narrow way that leads to salvation.

It seemed a good idea at the time but various things happened which stopped the business from taking off. Looking back, I am very pleased it didn’t work out. I could not have led retreats while my own spiritual life was going through such upheavals. I would have been using it to keep half a foot in my old life, but one of the quotes I keep on my wall is from Andre Gide and says “One does not discover new lands unless one consents to lose sight of the shore” I had to leave my old life entirely in order to discover new shores. Lastly, the boat would never had felt like a proper home while strangers had access to it.

The name, for me, still has strong Christian connections and since I no longer have those links, it seems now is a good time to let the last of my old life go. In fact if you search the web under the Narrow Way you have to plough through an awful lot of (mostly American) evangelical sites before you reach anything to do with boats!

I don’t want to entirely give up blogging though, so I am going to see if it is possible to start a new blog with my boat name in the title. Ideally I would like it to be called Don’t Panic with a subtitle ‘To live is to risk’ or ‘to risk is to live’ – not sure which yet.

If you are interested in continuing to follow my meanderings and know my email address then drop me a line and I’ll let you know when I set up the new blog. If you don’t know my email, I can’t really post it here without being avalanched with offers to extend the size of my parts etc. so all I can suggest is that you do a search in a few weeks for ‘don’t panic’ and see what happens! If I manage to set it up before this one closes, then I’ll post the new website address.

Thank you to my readers for your interest and occasional comments – it’s been fun recording this journey into my new life. Perhaps the next blog will be more about learning to live in contentment with this life I have made rather than a journey towards something else? Bye!

Ups and Downs

2011-06-30T11:52:00.001+01:00

I guess I should expect life to be full of ups and downs considering I live on water, but this month the contrasts have been particularly marked.

My best friend Maggie died of cancer, having only been diagnosed a few months ago. She was the best person I knew. She was a Christian as Christians were always meant to be. I mean that she was kind, hopeful, forgiving, sensible and sensitive to others, as well as being generous and modest with a lovely subtle sense of humour. She helped people but kept quiet about her good deeds. She had a straightforward and deep faith but did not pressure anyone into believing what she believed and was extremely understanding of me when I quit my ministry and turned my back on the Church. She was honestly unafraid of her impending death as she believed she was going to be with her God and that faith gave her immense comfort. I shall miss her more than I can say.

The upside of my month came when my stepmother decided to give some of her money away. Thanks to her generosity I now have a certain level of financial security that I haven’t had since I left land living. I also have a car that works! She is a bright yellow Peugeot 107 and is now adorned with eyelashes (she has a face) and some hippy style flowers and butterflies – I am revisiting the 60’s as I was too young to enjoy them first time round!

On Monday I cruised in the boiling heat from Fradley to Shobnall boatyard in Burton Upon Trent. It was worth a truly sweaty day as, on Tuesday, they fitted a brand new, shiny 135w solar panel! It is so exciting – I am currently at work and I know that back on the boat, as the fridge slowly runs the batteries down, the sun will be filling them up again – and it’s free power! Well, it will be when I recoup £600 odd pounds in diesal costs. It is also totally clean energy which is a bonus. It will take some experimenting but I think I will be able to run my engine for half as long as I do at present. If true, then I will have recouped the initial expense in just over a year!

I want to post photos of both the car and the panel but I haven’t figured out how to load my camera software on my laptop yet!

Pictures at last

2011-06-09T11:16:00.001+01:00

I have finally managed to transfer my pictures to my new laptop so I thought I’d give you a bit of a flavour of the area of my mooring…

This is Alrewas – the next village from Fradley Junction and our nearest winding hole (for turning the boat round). The river Trent runs through it and the canal actually crosses the river – see the weir in the next picture…

We have some great walks on our doorstep…

We are surrounded by farmland and there are footpaths everywhere. Bonny loves racing down this path as rabbits live just the other side of the ruined barn!

And of course a lunchtime walk wouldn’t be complete without popping into our local – The Swan – locally known as The Mucky Duck

Now, I haven’t figured out how to shrink my pics on my new laptop so they don’t take ages to upload, so I better stop there and see what happens.

flash new blog tool

2011-06-05T11:29:00.001+01:00

I have finally bought myself a laptop computer and within its programme I have discovered a tool that lets me write a blog entry and include photos etc while I am offline. Then I only have to go online long enough to post it up. This is great for me as I only have 500mb a month on my dongle and it will save me using any of it while I am writing. Hopefully it will also encourage me to write more often, as well as post some photos! We will see….

to Adverc or not to Adverc, that is the question

2011-05-28T15:58:00.000+01:00

Sorry, this is going to be a bit of a nerdy techy blog entry but I am confused. I have an Adverc battery management system which up to now has worked beautifully - optimising the charge my batteries receive from the alternator. Recently my alternator died a natural death and so, being a member of River and Canal Rescue (the waterways version of AA or RAC), I called them out. A very nice young man came and fitted a new alternator. However he neglected to tell me that he had disconnected my Adverc.

Over the next couple of weeks I noticed that the performance of the alternator was disappointing, especially considering they replaced a 55amp with a 70amp alternator. I contacted RCR and another, not so young man came out and replaced the first alternator but also mentioned that the Adverc had been disconnected by the first chap. When I asked him to reconnect it he refused, saying it would void my alternator's warranty. He then went into great detail as to why Advercs are a bad idea and would shorten the life of my alternator by a third. He said if I really wanted it reconnected I would have to take my boat to a boatyard and pay.

I accepted his explanation, but was disappointed as I am not getting as good a charge into my batteries without it. A couple more weeks went past and then I received the RCR newsletter. Blow me down with a feather; there on the front page was a whole article praising Adverc to the skies and saying that their engineers were now trained to diagnose many common Adverc faults!

I got on the phone to RCR and was first told that 'our engineers don't deal with Advercs'. When I drew their attention to the article in their newsletter, I was swiftly passed on to someone else. He told me that they do like Advercs and that their engineers are being trained to diagnose problems, but that they still couldn't reconnect my Adverc as it was 'too complicated to do on the bankside and needed boatyard services'. That confused me further as their engineer had told me that it was a simple matter of reconnecting one wire, but that it needed soldering.

I have a horrible feeling that I am being given the run around to avoid them having to come out to me again - even though I have just renewed my membership at the cost of around £150. So my next step will be to contact Adverc and see what they have to say about all this.

Boats... who would have them?!

Ashby and Coventry Cruise

2011-05-18T12:50:00.000+01:00

Sorry I'm yet again going to write an entry without accompanying photos. I will get my computer out at some point and update the pictures.

Friends Roger and Shirley Ann Andrews came for a visit and we took the boat out for a blissful 8 days cruise. We left Fradley on the Monday and made the entrance to the extremely rural Ashby Canal within two days. Mind you my usual pattern of cruising for 4 hours or so and then stopping to explore was replaced by the Andrews' preferred habit of cruising all day and so we made more progress than I would have made alone. I had forgotten how lovely the Coventry Canal is from Fradley down to its junction with the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. In fact the Coventry becomes the Birmingham and Fazeley for a while and then changes back into the Coventry - all to do with competing canal companies when they were first being built. You can tell the B & F section as bridge numbers are replaced by the much more fascinating bridge names.

The Ashby Canal is so extremely rural that even I started to crave the sight of a building or person to interrupt the isolation. However it is very beautiful, lock free and of great interest to anybody interested in the English civil war. We moored for the night at the Bosworth Battlefield Moorings and had a BBQ whilst Bonny ran madly around in the woods and refused to come back until the burgers were cooked! We cruised to the current end of the Ashby Canal, where we met a lovely lady who was fundraising for its continued restoration and viewed the first pound to be refilled with water - all very exciting.

Because of our rapid progress, the decision was made to return down the Ashby and then continue on to Coventry city centre. I wasn't that keen as I hate cities but I was persuaded as the Andrews said that if I wasn't happy in the canal basin, we could come back out to Hawksbury Junction to moor overnight. I'm afraid my city prejudice was confirmed as we approached the city and the rubbish content of the canal grew to ridiculous levels. We had to avoid - among other things - two three seater sofas, three doors and countless lesser objects floating in the water. I took off nearly a bin bag full of carrier bags and plastic that were wound around my propeller. Interestingly, the water itself was very clear compared with other canals but I think that was because so few boats had ventured down its length that the silt had settled on the bottom.

The canal basin itself was quite smart but surrounded by high rise tower blocks and it was all I could do to leave my boat and Bonny for a couple of hours to explore the city. The only highlight for me was the visit to the old and new Coventry Cathedrals. The bombed one had a lovely altar with a cross made from burned timbers and the legend 'Father Forgive' written behind. The new one looked to me like a multi storey car park from the outside, but had the most beautiful etched glass doors and stained glass windows.

I was relieved to leave the city and moor at the beautiful Hawksbury Junction where Bonny and I explored the heathland which used to be a series of coal mines. We eventually wended our way back home via the stunningly lovely area of Hopwas where we ate in the Tame Otter - highly recommended as a great pub to eat in with helpful and friendly staff. Only one criticism - the area is hugely popular with dog walkers and yet no dogs are allowed in the pub.But Bonny was quite content to be left behind on the boat to catch up on her sleep. As usual she was brilliant while we were cruising and spent long hours happily patrolling the roof.

I got back on Tuesday evening and am back into work today - tannned, happy but very tired!

boatyard

2011-04-20T10:58:00.000+01:00

On Monday I took Don't Panic up to Fradley Services which is a tiny boatyard at the junction of the Trent and Mersey and Coventry canals. You know how you can have a pain for ages and then you visit the doctor and as soon as he asks where it hurts, you can't tell him because it has mysteriously disappeared? Well it was much the same when I ran the engine so the mechanic could hear the strange noise that has worried me for quite a while. No noise! All was normal! How embarrassing! Still, he still had my water leak and stuck filters to play with. He thought he had mended the water leak but when I ran the engine that evening it promptly overheated and filled the boat with smoke! The header tank was bone dry so the leak wasn't fixed after all! Mind you if you ever have to stay in a boatyard overnight, I highly recommend this one. It is set on a little island at the junction surrounded by grass and with a great view of the lock and the pub so lots to watch and listen to. The pub is The Swan (or to locals, the Mucky Duck) and is not only the best pub ever but also apparently one of the most photographed pubs in England!

Bonny loved being at the yard and was very well behaved; sitting at the edge of the water watching the world go by for hours whilst I took advantage of my position in the dock and painted my gunwales. The cost of the repairs wasn't as frightening as I had anticipated but has still left me on rations for the rest of the month! Unfortunately, although I am working on Easter Saturday and Sunday, I don't get paid any more and also do not get any advantage from the bank holidays as Friday and Monday are my normal days off. I feel a bit hard done by, but at least I have a job. As far as the strange noise is concerned, the best guess is that I might have bashed my prop at some point and knocked it out of alignment, which would cause the sort of noise I heard. Apparently it is possible for the prop to vibrate its way back into alignment and so recover. Still, whatever the truth of the matter, there isn't a noise currently and I am very grateful for that as it would have taken 2 hours labour just to check the alignment and that's before any repairing of the problem.

I hope my readers have a lovely and meaning filled Easter and enjoy all this beautiful sunshine.

Spring Itch

2011-04-17T11:12:00.000+01:00

I know it has been a month since I lasted posted anything. This is partly because I haven't had anything to say and partly because life has speeded up with the blossoming of Spring. The days are longer, the sun is brighter and the nettles are energetic! So when I get home from work I spend time pottering around cutting back weeds and planting vegetables rather than diving straight into the boat to light the fire and close the curtains - bliss! Bonny is really enjoying it too, despite being on a tight training regime at present! I've decided it is time to put an end to her disappearing off for hours, so we are working hard on sitting and staying and on recall. Meanwhile she is on the lead for the majority of her time outside.

Spring has also brought me a bout of itchy feet. I have been chatting to boaters passing through the lock flight who are off out cruising from now till October or November. I ask them where they are going and most of them don't have a plan - they will wander the system as the whim takes them. How fantastic to have such a length of time to be free! Free to stop where they want, explore the area, do a bit of essential shopping or laundry and then drift off, not knowing where they will be washing their knickers next!

I only have a week here or there because of my work and the temptation to chuck it all in and just go comes over me in waves. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint, the desire to eat and pay my bills keeps me tethered to the garden centre. In February I had the sniff of a possibility of a job with a boat yard shop which would have suited me very well. It was only a seasonal job - running from March to the end of October and so I had initially rejected the idea. But then I did my sums and worked out that since I would have been working a 5 day week rather than my current 4 days, I would only have had to find around 6 weeks work in the winter to have the same annual income. Temporary work around Christmas time is easy to come by and that would leave me with nearly 3 months of freedom! Yes it would be winter and the chances are I would be frozen to the spot for at least some of that time, but still, the idea of being mistress of my own destiny for at least part of the year, was hugely attractive. Unfortunately the job didn't materialise, but it would definitely be something I would consider in future. After all, I only have to last for nine and three quarter years and then, with my various pensions, I will be considerably better off than I am now and free for ever!

For the time being I will have to live with my itchy feet and take the boat out whenever I can. That is if next week's visit to the boatyard to investigate a strange noise in the engine doesn't finish me off entirely! My boat seems to have phases of being absolutely fine and other times where things go wrong all at once. My alternator died a couple of weeks ago and needed replacing. (Frightened the pants off me when I started the engine as normal, to be met with flashing lights and an alarm!) I have an engine water leak and when I did my first solo service last week, I found both my oil and fuel filters were stuck on. So another boatyard bill is scarily imminent.

But it is Spring time. The leaves on the trees are freshly green from their seed wombs, the baby rabbits are playing chicken with Bonny and this season of new beginnings holds fresh hope and excitement. All is well.

alarm clock society

2011-03-13T12:30:00.000Z

This was a phrase I heard on the radio this morning. It came from William Hague and he was saying that he wants an encourage an 'alarm clock culture'. I think he meant by this that people are to be encouraged to spring out of bed in the morning and rush to work, there to busy themselves in the infernal machine in order to generate income for the country.

An alarm clock is so named because its strident ringing alarms us enough to wake us up. So its function is to disturb the natural rhythm of our sleep and to wake us suddenly in a way that shocks our body into action. So we wake alarmed, we then travel to work and in that commute to are probably subjected to further stress. The majority of us then strive for our 8, 9 or more hours and then face the same alarming trip home. And this is the sort of society that the Tories are aspiring to. At the same time, they are trying to discover how happy our society is. Other surveys have already identified our children as being the unhappiest in Europe and I would be surprised if adults are much cheerier - I wonder why!

The boating way of life seems to me to be much more in tune with our natural rhythms - especially if we are relying on battery power rather than mains electricity. I tend to wake when it gets light, so in the cold dark winters I sleep later and in the light summers, I am awake and ready for the day much earlier. I haven't used an alarm clock since I moved aboard and haven't yet been late for my 9-5 job. Because of my power constrictions, I watch less TV and go to bed earlier than I did when I lived in a house. This means I am getting the amount of sleep I need and very rarely feel over tired. There is quite a lot of hard physical work involved in living aboard and that keeps me healthy, but also gives me a good excuse to regularly sit down and rest - something that is positively frowned on in this hurry up world these days. Even cruising seems to fit in with a more natural pace of life as we move so slowly and create little disturbance - so much so that I get to see wildlife that would have hidden itself from me had I been walking or cycling on the towpath.

Alarm clock society? You can keep it thanks - I will continue to belong to the floating society!

sorted!

2011-02-23T10:56:00.001Z

I think I have finally sorted out the problem I had with people not being able to leave comments. There is now a pop up window that allows you to leave a comment without having to jump through impossible hoops first!
So now if nobody leaves comments I will know that either I am being impossibly boring or I have a bunch of mute followers!!
Despite the blog itself gagging people, I have had several interesting conversations with people regarding my philosophising (if there is such a word?) I had expected some argument - but no, I think people are increasingly waking up to the fact that the way we have organised our society does not bring happiness to the vast majority of people. The news yesterday reported that 6 million people in this country suffer from high blood pressure - 6 million!! I don't know of many boaters that suffer from that particular problem. I guess the combination of travelling very slowly and being surrounded by both beauty and people enjoying themselves helps keep our black bile to a minimum!
Oh and welcome to our second reader from South Africa - Tony.

2011-02-16T11:06:00.001Z

I have discovered I can't comment on my own blog! It keeps asking me which profile I want to choose, but then gives me no choices and so I can't post a comment - Grrr! If anybody knows about these things, please tell me what to do. I've even altered the settings so even anonymous people can comment - but no joy for me!

What I wanted to comment on was Chris' comment and so this is what I wanted to say:

I've done the clock - finding out all sorts with the settings. It also occured to me that maybe wisdom + contentment = happiness and so does away with the need for success?

thought I was being ignored!!

2011-02-16T10:33:00.001Z

For ages I have not received any comments on my various blog entries and I started to think nobody was reading it and so was wondering whether I should continue to write. Then yesterday I had a chat with a fellow boater from my mooring and he told me that he had tried to post a comment but that the site wouldn't let him.

So I have investigated my settings and I think I may have solved the problem. So if there is anybody out there panting to leave a comment - have a go!

Talking about comments, I had a read of my last posting and it struck me that a) it is a bit sermon like and b) it sounds as if I've got it all sorted and you poor slobs haven't a clue! Well, I can't help the sermon tone - it's a style I learnt when I actually was preaching sermons! As far as the second point, I certainly don't have it sorted. But I am experimenting with living another way and also living with a lot of cynicism about the great 'truths' this society holds. But, as I used to regularly tell my congregations - I could be wrong!!!

success?

2011-02-10T10:32:00.000Z

I have been pondering on what it means to have a successful life. What markers do we look for when we judge a life? It seems to me that on all the markers our society recognise, my life is currently spectacularly unsuccessful!

I am single and haven't had a partner since the mid 90's - a cardinal failure in our world.
I am fairly impressively downwardly mobile in my career and I am, on most scales, judged as poor as far as income is concerned. I do not have a house and have few possessions.
I don't care a jot for my appearance, as long as I am clean. I have saggy bits and the odd wrinkle and I haven't worn make up since I moved aboard the boat. I have even let the dye grow out of my hair and can now see a fair amount of grey!
As a water gypsy I have no status and am regarded as just above the level of a land gypsy by a lot of people.
Having been 'a leader of men' in both my previous careers, I now have no influence or power over anybody except my dog - and not that much over her!
Spiritually, I have walked away from a privileged position in the Church and am now homeless as far as a faith position is concerned.
I have no ambition to 'better myself' as far as any of the above is concerned!

So I should be deeply unhappy if not suicidal! But what if we as a society used different indicators of success. Would we be a happier people?

Instead of narrow romantic / sexual relationships, what if we judged ourselves on the quality of our wider relationships - with family, friends, our neighbours. For example I know the first names of all my neighbours and there are at least 20 boats on my mooring. How many neighbours are you on first name terms with? And what about strangers; I make a point of smiling at or greeting everyone I pass (unless I'm in town where it is pretty difficult!) If I'm waiting in a queue, I try and chat to the person next to me. I refuse to buy into the myth that strangers are dangerous and not to be looked at, let alone spoken to. What would our society look like if civility returned? If we smiled and nodded, doffed our hats and said, 'No, after you' occasionally?
What if, instead of judging people on the number of things they own, we rated ourselves on how interesting we are, how much wisdom we have accrued, how kind we are, how closely we are living to our ideals? On this scale I have to admit I have a way to travel, but at least I've started on the road.
And in our career, what if we were appraised on how much we helped our fellow workers, rather than trying to beat them up the greasy pole. What if the quality of what we did was judged, not on how much money or power we have accrued for the company but on how much the world was a better place because of what we have done? What if we judged our work, not on how much we earn or how far we have risen but on how closely our work matches our skills, our personality, our dreams?
Instead of the cult of beauty / slimness / celebrity, what if we judged ourselves on how happy and content we are in our own skins. What if we looked at different types of faces, bodies, abilities or colours as part of the amazing variety of life and to be celebrated rather than trying to force everybody to conform into some sort of media induced ideal?
As far as faith in concerned, what if instead of defending our beliefs against all comers, insisting on whatever we believe is the only way, we developed the quality of curiosity about other beliefs. What if we could look at something very different from what we believe and ask 'what can we learn from this?'
What if, instead of focusing on how successful we are, instead we looked at how happy and fulfilled we are? Then, on this scale, I would be successful indeed! What about you?

cruising plans

2011-01-23T10:07:00.000Z

I have 20.5 days holiday this year. That doesn't sound much, but only working four days a week means that when I take 4 days holiday, I can have nine days off in a row. Just as well as there are several people who want to visit and go out on the boat. Funnily enough they all want to come in April - can't think why they don't want to come now!!!

So I have the pleasant job of working out when and where I'm cruising this year. I want to have at least one trip out alone, but the others can be with company. One cruise is already planned - to go up the Ashby Canal with Roger and Shirleyann Andrews. Shirleyann is the generous lady who made all my new curtains and seat covers, so the least I can do is to take them out cruising. My brother James will hopefully be visiting. If he is on his own we can go out cruising for as long as he has free. But if his lovely family come, then space is an issue as they can't all sleep on the boat overnight, so although we can still take the boat out, it can only be a day trip. Then there is my friend Mary who joined me for part of my Great Shroppie Cruise. She also wants to visit and go out somewhere. I love Great Haywood and Tixall Wide, so we will probably go there as it only takes one longish day or two shorter ones to get there.

I haven't yet decided where I will go for my lone cruise. I am toying with the idea of a challenge. Either by going out to the River Soar and so tackling my first broad locks and first river (with the exception of my boat handling course where I had a day on the Severn). Or by going up the Trent and Mersey towards Manchester and tackling the Harecastle Tunnel (very long) and large flights of locks, as well as cruising through urban areas like Stoke on Trent. Alternatively I am tempted to go down the Coventry and on to the Oxford Canal. So many choices and so little time!

I also want to visit my stepmother in Beaulieu for the last time before she moves house as that has been our family home since 1976! So if any of my other readers were planning a visit, you better let me know soon - or wait till 2012!

Belated Happy New Year

2011-01-12T10:10:00.000Z

Sorry I haven't updated my blog for a while; my excuse is that merely surviving has been taking all my time and energy since November!

This winter has felt harder so far than either of the other winters I have spent on the boat. I think this is due in part to the freeze happening much earlier than usual and also that I am usually disgustingly healthy but have had 2 nasty colds in a row since my birthday. The current one is taking a long time to work through and I am not patient with my own illnesses or anyone else's for that matter either!

I finally managed to move the boat yesterday, for the first time since November 17th. It was such a relief to pump out and take on diesal and water. I was also delighted to turn around and so to be moored the 'proper way round' on my mooring. There is no right way of course, but for some reason I much prefer being moored facing Alrewas than Fradley - I don't know why, it just feels right!

Bonny has outdone herself by smashing her personal best for refusing to come back on a walk. Her previous record was six and a half hours, but Sunday before last she ran off at 7.45am at the beginning of our morning walk and returned at 6.30pm! I say returned, but she only got near home when I finally caught her; I don't know if she would have crossed the lock alone and come all the way back to the boat. What made it infinitely worse was this was a working day! So I had to take unpaid leave at a time when I really can't afford it. Usually when she run off she barks or pops out of the bushes every so often so I know she is OK. This time she utterly disappeared for all 10 and a half hours! So she is now permanently in bondage and I have made a vow to keep her on the lead until her second birthday in May. Meanwhile I will do loads of training with her. I don't know why I hate having to keep her on the lead so much. Apart from loving seeing her racing at full stretch after a rabbit / squirrel / anything that moves, I think it is because freedom is such a high value for me at the present. However her safety and my sanity are even more important to me so bondage it is!

On a brighter note, having filled up with diesel and done my sums I can now officially announce that my new fridge has just about cut my diesel bills in half! I now rarely have to run my engine in the morning and as long as I run it in the evening when I am drawing the most load - with cooking, washing and telly watching, then I am using around a litre and a half a day as opposed to just under 3! Just as well, as the EU has interfered again and we now have to use a different sort of diesel in our boats and surprise, surprise, it's more expensive. That coupled with the rise in fuel costs generally means my bills are rising uncomfortably, especially as pay rises are unknown in the company I am working for. What with VAT going up to 20%, my annual mooring fee due in February and my car heading towards senile dementia, life is challenging at present. But then, what would life be without challenge and risk?

Happy Christmas to all my readers!

2010-12-23T10:10:00.000Z

We have been frozen in here at Fradley since the third week in November. There was a brief thaw for my birthday (thank you birthday angel) but now, like the rest of the country we are back in the deep freeze.

Because of being unable to move the boat for such a long time, I was forced to complete the most disgusting task that I have undertaken on the boat so far. That of manually pumping out my black tank - known to most of you as a poo tank! The hardest part was pushing containers full of effluent all the way to the BW station where there are facilities for disposal of said excrement. I managed to do around 100 litres and I was wasted afterwards! However I can now pee and poo in peace for the next few weeks. I have a tank full of diesel thanks to 'Mayflower Graham' who sells diesel in a can. Water is increasingly becoming an issue as all the remaining taps have started to ice up and stop working. As long as I don't use my shower, I can stretch to another week before I run dry. I'm not sure what I'll do then.

I was due to drive to Sevenoaks on Christmas Eve to spend Christmas with my family but a combination of 9 inches of snow here and temperatures forecast to drop to around -10 means I can't leave the boat without risking damage to the water system and engine, not to mention a scary drive around the M25 on Friday! So, with regret I have had to cancel those plans and stay aboard instead. However I won't be alone as my friends on narrowboat Huff n' Puff have invited me to Christmas Lunch with them. Bonny will be delighted to spend time with her boyfriend!

I hope you all get where you are hoping to be for Christmas and that you receive all you want.

photos as promised

2010-12-07T15:24:00.000Z

Photos rarely do a scene justice and these are no exception. I awoke this morning to a scene from Narnia! As you can see we have had a fair amount of snow and even more ice.

Bonny loves the snow and burrows her head into it, but she is less keen on the ice as she gets sore paws! At present we have ice like glass on our mooring path and so it feels like a risky adventure everytime we leave the boat. But isn't it beautiful?!

Winter Challenges and Opportunities

2010-12-01T10:48:00.000Z

I can't believe it was only a few weeks ago I posted those benign autumn photos! It is suddenly winter here, as it is nationwide and everything has changed. The colours have been bleached out of the landscape and everything is beautifully monochrome - photos to follow.

It is the change in my day to day routine that really marks the change of season for me. At present the canal is frozen and no movement of the boat is possible. So instead of cruising up to the water point, sticking a hose in my water hole and then effortlessly reversing back (well, generally), I now have to barrow a couple of plastic containers across the lock either to our tap, or if it is frozen, all the way to the BW water point. Then back to the boat where, with the aid of a funnel, I carefully transfer every precious drop into my tank. If the freeze lasts for more than a week or so, this will be a daily chore and in the dark as well if it's a working day.

Then there is the business of keeping warm. At present I am using nearly 2 bags of coal a week and of course they need to be lugged down to the mooring as well as regular supplies of logs and kindling. I know some people cope with coal alone, but I find it difficult to keep the fire going all night without a log or two in there with the coal. If the fire goes out in the wee small hours, the tip of my nose usually informs me pretty quickly! Then I have to decide whether to get out of a warm bed to rebuild the fire or to leave it and risk frostbite when I get up in the morning! It has got down to -7 here at night so I have moved my bed through to the saloon, to be close to the stove.

I am still managing to get into work, although it is getting harder as our road doesn't ever get cleared or gritted. But if I don't make it in, I don't get paid and so I have to trek in somehow.

You would think it is a pretty miserable existence at present, but I do not find it so. For a start, I love the stunningly beautiful scenery, together with that special sort of silence we only get when there is thick lying snow. I also find that life focuses down to the basic essentials of survival and that relieves my mind of all the ordinary worries and anxieties that normally niggle at me. There is also a feeling of achievement in coping in the extreme weather, together with a real community feel among all the live aboard boaters! We smugly smile as we pass each other as if to say 'look at us, aren't we tough!'

I guess it is like every other part of life, it all depends on how you look at it. If I focus on my fears (like being snowed in at work - looking out of the window, very possible today) then life is hard and uncomfortable. But if I see it as an adventure and a way to get in touch with my natural, instinctive / animal self, then it is all good!

fradley pics

2010-11-19T14:53:00.000Z

I thought I'd post a couple more pictures of our mooring in the autumn as it is so beautiful. I love this time of year. Yes, it can be damp, cold and muddy, but with all the hire boats gone and very few other boats moving, it feels like the canal is all ours.

It is also a treat to wander up to the junction of the two canals and pop into our local, which in my opinion is pretty much the perfect pub! This is where I will be having lunch with my whole family (almost) on my 50th birthday next month. They are visiting my mooring for the first time after a couple of nights in a cottage in the Dales, courtesy of my brother James - bless him! I'm so looking forward to the holiday cottage as I will be able to have my second bath this year!!

My friend Shirleyann sent me a whole set of new curtains and seat covers for the boat. She picked a perfect pattern and made them beautifully. Here is Bonny showing her approval of the seat covers!!

And lastly I thought you would like to see Bonny flirting with her boyfriend Bernie. He is very patient with her, but sometimes she is rather exhausting to be with, especially as he is ten years old and she isn't two yet!

rocking and rolling

2010-11-12T10:55:00.000Z

I had an interesting day yesterday. On my way to work I had to drive through a bit of a puddle and on reaching the dreadfully busy A38 in rush hour, my engine started coughing like a 40 a day smoker. I knew it was going to cut out and so I tried to get off the dual carriageway. I just reached a short slip road and got round the corner when my car died half way over a canal bridge. there I was, in the rain, on a blind bend, that people coming off the A38 usually take at some speed. I left Bonny in the car and I stood in the rain directing cars around mine. The reactions were interesting. several drivers (all men) shook their fists or made other rude gestures as if I had chosen to stop there for fun! Others looked quite terrified as they swerved round me, including a coach driver. By then I was convinced it was only a matter of time before someone hit us and was fairly terrified. One man stopped to see if he could help, but with no tow rope between us, he gave up and left. after the longest 15 minutes of my life, 2 retired men in a 4 wheel drive stopped. They offered to tow me, showed me where my tow point was - no, I had no idea! I was so shaken that one of them drove my car for me and they towed me all the way to Barton Marina and wouldn't accept anything in return. I was so effusive in my thanks that I think I quite embarrassed them! So, thanks again to my Good Samaritans - you may well have saved my life, or at least my car!

During the day my car recovered from its asthma attack but the wind started to get up and by the time Bonny and I returned home, it was blowing a gale. All the boats on the mooring were rocking and rolling and the trees were bending right over. I spent some time anxiously watching the trees and wondering what would happen if one fell on my boat. However, probably due to the rocking sensation, coupled with my emotional exhaustion after the fright in the morning, I slept like a log. I woke to a world scrubbed clean and the sun creeping above the horizon. All the boats were still firmly tethered and upright and I celebrated seeing another dawn!

still happy

2010-10-31T16:03:00.000Z

It's been a couple of weeks since I bought my fridge and I couldn't be happier with it. So happy that I even emailed Midland Chandlers to tell them how impressed I was with their product and service. Well, I think that if we are prepared to give feedback when we are unhappy with something, we should also let them know when we are particularly happy with their service.

My fridge is quite amazing in its power consumption - or lack of it. I go to work all day, leaving it on and when I come home it has only used .1 of a volt. It is averaging 2 amps per hour which is really, really good. It is so nice to be able to watch TV with a light on and the fridge working without fretting!

Bonny and I had a mini cruise down the Coventry Canal a couple of weeks ago. We found a wonderful mooring in Hopwas Woods. It looked like an ancient woodland with huge native species trees. When the army aren't using it for their war games, it is the most beautiful place to walk, especially in the autumn. There is also a lovely pub in the village called The Tame Otter. The food there is particularly good but they don't allow dogs in which I think is very short sighted considering it is on the canal and in prime walking territory.

My friend, Shirleyann Andrews has made me a complete set of new curtains for my boat, as well as matching seat covers - all for free! How generous is that? She and her husband are hoping to come for a cruise up the Ashby Canal next April and I'll be delighted to take them!

Happy Bunny

2010-10-14T10:32:00.000+01:00

I couldn't cope with the old fridge any more so last Tuesday I went to Willington and bought a Shoreline 12 volt fridge. It is a thing of beauty and it even fitted in my car. I used my mooring money, saved for next year to buy it, but I am fortunate to have a generous family as they are going to pay for it as a combined 50th birthday and Christmas present. So, although I'll be sending them cards, I will say a slightly premature thank you to my step mother Eileen, my brothers James, Douglas and Peter and my sisters Romy and Penny. It is also lovely as I feel they are involved in the boat now in a way they haven't been previously. I could almost take it as a sign of approval although I know that most of them think I am as mad as a box of frogs for making the decisions I have!

I had to rest the fridge for 24 hours so I only got it wired in last night and then spent a sleepless night worrying about how much power it was taking. This morning I leapt out of bed to check my volt meter and thought the fridge must not be working as all night I had only dropped .1 of a volt! But my joy was unconfined when my fridge thermometer showed a healthy blue level and even the ice box was icy! I will be even happier if I get home from work today to find the same sort of power use as that will mean my power issues are finally resolved.

As if that wasn't enough, my friend Shirleyann had decided to make me some curtains for the boat to thank me for a visit. She sent me the porthole sets yesterday and they are lovely. I trusted her to choose the material and she couldn't have chosen better! What would we do without friends or family? The Bible got it right - they are more precious than gold or jewels!

Fradley in Autumn

2010-10-11T14:07:00.001+01:00

I haven't posted any pictures for a while so I thought I'd show you what our home looks like in Autumn...

The above picture is of Fradley Nature Reserve. Bonny and I walk round this every day - either on our way to a bigger walk in the morning, or when we return from work.

Spiders are absolutely everywhere at present but at least they make a lovely home!

One of the many reasons I love living here is that there are so many fantastic walks on our doorstep. Once we leave the back of the nature reserve, these are the sorts of views that greet us, and because there is little livestock farming, there are few restrictions on where we can walk.

Here is an Autumn picture of our mooring taken from Hunts Lock. What a great place to live!!

half full or half empty?

2010-10-10T10:16:00.000+01:00

Having got the borrowed 12v fridge on board the boat and thinking that this will be so much better, I have been disappointed. The thermostat doesn't work so I have to turn it off when I'm away from the boat for any length of time. Yesterday I forgot and was at work all day. I came back to find my batteries at 11.7v which isn't good at all! Fortunately, prior to this they had been really well charged and so they recovered as I ran the engine all evening. So, I could choose to feel really annoyed and frustrated that yet another fridge solution isn't working out, or feel grateful that the batteries coped with my oversight.

Then on Friday I was really looking forward to having a lazy day off as I haven't been able to veg for ages. A fellow boater mentioned he had bought a machine to test the input / output of his batteries and offered to bring it to test mine. When I opened the engine compartment I found my engine bilge full of water and antifreeze. A hose leading from the engine header tank to the skin tank had split and emptied my engine of coolant. I had to go to a chandlers to buy what I needed and then, with Chris the boater's help, I spent the rest of the day with my head in my engine compartment repairing the leak and then removing most of the water from under my engine. I ended my day off exhausted and filthy.

My choice was to feel really upset that I had no rest 0n my day off, I had incurred extra expense and had burnt my ear on the engine (not many people can boast of that!) Or I could be really grateful that Chris was there to help me and even more that I hadn't run the engine with no water in it! Normally I would have turned it on before I took Bonny for a walk and so would not have known the engine was overheating, but because Chris was going to test my batteries, I had delayed running the engine and also I opened up the engine compartment and so spotted the problem.

It's been really quiet week at work. In fact on Wednesday I took 40p and that was only because I bought a packet of crisps! I find it very boring sometimes and could choose to be miserable about that and look back to the times when my work was fulfilling and exciting and when I had status and it mattered whether I was there or not. Or I could be grateful to have a job that is easy and doesn't take much out of me; a job where I have time to pass the time of day with customers and boaters in lovely surroundings. Also a job where the owner leaves me to it and I have no one telling me what to do (or giving me any praise, criticism or feedback - very good for the continuing death of my ego).

I would like to say that in each of these situations I chose to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. I would like to say this, but it would be a lie! I find it very easy to feel sorry for myself or to lose my temper and swear at the offending fridge / engine / situation. But indulging in the negative emotions doesn't, in the long term, make me feel any better and can even make me resent the life I have chosen. But when I focus on the positive (and I find there always is some positive aspect to any situation), then I am more likely to appreciate the gifts in this new life and that makes me feel happy and grateful. I just wish I could remember this as I throw my toys out again (and again) rather than some time later!

power issues resolving

2010-09-30T10:25:00.000+01:00

Isn't it so often the case that once you get an answer to a problem, it seems blindingly obvious?
I had been trying to work out why my batteries weren't behaving as expected, considering they were new this year. I had blamed it on my old 12v fridge, which certainly was dying. Then I blamed it on my new 240v fridge which has to run in conjunction with an inverter and it is true that this was taking too much power to sustain it long term. But it was only when I talked to a knowledgable fellow moorer at Fradley that the light dawned.

There is no book to tell you how long to run your engine for in order to fully charge the batteries because it depends on so many variables from the size of your alternator, to how much power you actually use. So I had listened to various people telling me how long they run their engines for and then did similar. But what I hadn't asked was how much power they use or what size their alternators were or even whether they were usually attached to shore power or not. Chris, the knowledgable moorer, was the first to suggest that I just wasn't running my engine for long enough. I had thought that when my volt meter hit 12.8 that meant the batteries were fully charged, but no! When I started running the engine for an extra hour a day I immediately spotted that the volt meter started ticking down much slower, in other words, it would stay on 12.8 for much longer once the engine was off. I can now watch the tv for a couple of hours and only lose .2 of a volt However, Chris also pointed out that a volt meter only told part of the story; I also need an amp meter, but that costs well over £100 and will have to wait. - but all this is very exciting for me, but probably dreadfully boring to read about!!

Of course I'm running without a fridge at present, but tomorrow I am hopefully swapping my 240v fridge for an older 12v one. If this works out well, then my family have generously agreed to club together and buy me a new 12v fridge as a combined 50th birthday and Christmas present.

Meanwhile, for those who are not into the technical details of my life, last week I returned to the wigwams of Wolferow to meet up with some friends for a couple of days of meditation, discussion and whisky round the bonfire. I brought an extract of a poem to share with them which reflects where I feel I am spiritually at present, so I thought I'd reproduce it here. It is an extract from a poem by Walt Whitman called 'Song of the Open Road':

'Afoot and lighthearted, I take to the open road.

Healthy, free, the world before me,

the long brown path before me,

leading wherever I choose.

Henceforth I ask not good fortune,

I myself am good fortune.

Henceforth I whimper no more,

postpone no more, need nothing.

Strong and content I travel the open road...

From this hour, Freedom!

From this hour I ordain myself

loos'd of limits and imaginary lines.

Going where I list; my own master

total and absolute.

Listening to others and considering well what they say.

Pausing, searching, receiving, contemplating,

gently but with undeniable will.

Divesting myself of all the holds that hold me.

I inhale great draughts of space;

The east and the west are mine,

the north and the south are mine...

All seems beautiful to me.'

power issues continued...

2010-09-12T12:19:00.000+01:00

Just to prove that living on a boat isn't all peaceful cruising through idylic landscapes, my boat has decided to take me onto the next level of testing and learning.

I have already mentioned that I am finding it difficult to keep my batteries in a healthy state now I'm off shore (mains) power. Well, I had blamed it on my dying 12 volt fridge. It took me a couple of months of nursing the fridge before I could afford to replace it, but only with a 240v one. That means (for the uninitiated) that I have to use another machine (an inverter) to change the 12volt power coming out of my batteries to 240volt that the fridge (and TV) works on. This machine also takes power to work.

Once I got my shiny new fridge and settled down to watch TV in the evening, I quickly discovered that power flowed alarmingly out of my batteries and within a couple of hours they were down below 50% charge - which is not good for them. Within a week, I found myself sitting in the dark - worried about even putting a light on - and crying with frustration and anxiety.

My real lesson through this though was not about managing power, but managing priorities. I could choose to have the fridge on (at least some of the time) or the TV but not both and neither for any length of time. You would think the choice was easy, but it wasn't. On the evening when the power consumption was really bad and I sat in the dark, I realised how much I use my TV to stave off any feelings of loneliness. During the day I never notice the fact that I am alone, but at night, especially as the evenings are getting darker and on this day, the rain was coming down, I suddenly felt very isolated and alone. I also felt quite scared - not of the Bogie Man, but of my vast ignorance when it comes to the inner workings of my boat and the feeling that it's all down to me.

In the morning, as is usually the case, nothing looked quite as bad. I also was reminded that I'm not alone as one boater lent me a cooler box to use and offered to swap my 240v fridge for his older but servicable 12v one when he returns from being away. Another helped me wire the cooler box in and a third couple from my mooring - who have become good friends, lent me their sympathetic shoulders to cry on!

I think the biggest lesson to take from all this is that I need to face my fears and issues rather than distracting myself from them by using TV or hobbies or alcohol. None of these things are bad in themselves and I'm quite happy to indulge in them all some of the time, but I've got to learn not to rely on them to hide from the more difficult parts of life.

It seems to me that this living on a boat lark is all about letting things go and travelling light. I've already let go of things like the security of having a house and the support of being part of society (mains power, water etc provided for me). I have given up lots of possessions because firstly of the downsizing from house to boat and then because of financial circumstances. This is just another giving up and although all these letting go's have been painful or difficult, I believe they have all been good for my soul and that's the important thing!

last photos

2010-09-07T16:35:00.000+01:00

Sorry about the delay in posting the last photos of the cruise - the reason was power issues, but more of that later. Here are pictures relating to my last post...

This is the Gatehouse to Shugborough Hall and a lovely view to wake up to when moored at Tixall Wide on the Staffs and Worcester.

I couldn't resist just one more picture of Tixall Wide - one of my top three mooring sites so far!

As we left Great Haywood and cruised the last leg of our journey, we pass very close to Cannock Chase. You can just see the woods and hills of the chase rising in the distance.

Home at last. This was the lovely sunset that greeted us when we returned home. The view is one I wake up to every morning and is seen through my bedroom porthole!

I mentioned power issues. I have had to learn a lot about battery management since living here at Fradley and being off shore power. I got myself a meter that tells me exactly what is happening with my batteries 24 hours a day. Thanks to that, I discovered that my 12 volt fridge was dying and taking lots more power than it should do, whilst not keeping my food very cold. Buying another 12 volt fridge was way too expensive for me (around £500 as compared with £120 for a comparable 240 volt fridge.) So with help from a generous friend, I bought a 240 volt fridge which is A rated for energy efficiency. I was very excited as I expected not to have to run my engine nearly as much as I would be using less power. Well, much to my disappointment that has not proved to be the case. In fact the new fridge is taking more power than the old one, although the insulation is better and it actually works which is an improvement on the last one. But I'm having to run my engine just as much and having to keep my inverter on 24/7. Oh well, at least I won't die from food poisoning!!

slower and slower

2010-08-18T11:11:00.000+01:00

We left Norbury Junction the next morning and wended our way back to the splendid mooring between bridges 7 and 8 on the Shroppie. We arrived just after lunch and were fortunate to find a space on the mooring rings. Having moved at an increasingly snail like pace, we ground to a halt entirely here and stayed for 2 days. I walked, sunbathed (no clouds in the sky for both days) and chatted to the other boaters. One couple in particular were very friendly and had a great Staffie dog called Wallace, whom Bonny fell totally in love with. They played together for hours.

I was wholly into holiday mode by now and had no problem vegging out for 2 days. It also helped to rest my muscles before facing the run up the Staffs and Worcester to Penkridge with all those locks. We left the Shroppie with some regret - I will definitely return and highly recommend it as a cruising destination.

We cruised for about 6 hours and stopped at Gailey Wharf for the night. This is situated at the top of the lock flight running into Penkridge and is a lovely mooring; lots of rings and a good little shop, as well as water and rubbish disposal. However it is close to the motorway (M6) which chased us from here, all the way past Penkridge, roaring and snarling as if threatened in some way by this alternative and so much more civilised water road.

I think the locks had shrunk since we last passed through as they didn't seem half as scary on our return descent. It was harder work though as I didn't meet another boat for the first 4 which meant setting the locks myself and closing all the gates after me. This means balancing 'Don't Panic' in the tail of the lock, climbing back up to close both gates and then slipping my way back down to the boat, hoping she hadn't taken off up the canal without me!

The weather on the Staffs and Worcester took a turn for the worse and it was a very soggy dog and crew that tied up after a long day, past Penkridge. I was going to stop in the town but then remembered that England were playing in the World Cup that night and so thought discretion was probably the better part of valour and instead tied up uncomfortably close to the M6. I didn't mind though because I knew the next day I would be back at Tixall Wide and this time we were stopping for 2 days!

The mooring angel was with us again as I found a prime mooring site waiting for us at Tixall Wide, overlooking the gatehouse and a family of herons. (Pictures to follow) We had some lovely neighbours of both the human and canine variety. Bonny also learnt to swim as the Trent River flows alongside the canal here and as the hot sun had returned, we both took a dip and I held her as she experienced being out of her depth for the first time. She swam well but doesn't really enjoy it. She loves the water but likes to feel the land beneath her feet.

We moved the next day just round the corner onto the Trent and Mersey as there was much needed shade overlooking Shugborough Hall. We were joined there by Graham and Jan and their boat Huff n Puff, as well as Bonny's boyfriend, Bernie the Westie. They live on our mooring at Fradley and it was lovely to see them.

As we moved off towards Rugeley, I was a little sad to know this was the last leg of our voyage. I had been worried that I would so love cruising that it would make me dissatisfied with our home at Fradley, but actually although it had been great being out and about, I was also looking forward to being back at a mooring that was mine and was there waiting for me.

We spent our last night at Kings Bromley, before pumping out, filling with water and diesal at the marina, and then skipping down the Fradley lock flight - so easy after some of the big locks we had encountered. Bonny was getting very excited and looked rather concerned as we cruised straight past our mooring. But in order to be facing the right way for our next pump out / diesal, we needed to travel to Alrewas in order to turn round and finally after 18 blissful days, tie up at our home mooring. Bonny celebrated by running the entire length of the mooring barking hysterically, just to let everybody know she was home!

Since returning, I have been planning our next cruise, but I am in the happy situation that I love being out cruising but I also love our mooring and so, as they say, it's all good!

Thank you for showing such an interest in our travels - I shall be posting the last lot of photos from our cruise soon.

a few more pics

2010-08-02T10:01:00.000+01:00

This is my mobile veggie patch! I have been growing lettuces, carrots, spring onions, tomatoes, radishes and herbs on my mooring. They wouldn't survive 18 days without water so I took them with me on my roof. The only problem was that the higher the tomato plants grew, the harder it was to see over the top of them! This is our mooring in the middle of nowhere as mentioned in the last entry. Bonny is a mere dot on the tow path!

We saw these strange beasts near Norbury Junction. They look like a cross between ducks and geese and are the colour of turkeys!! If anyone can identify them, please let me know! Here we are at Norbury Junction. Hopefully my next entry will cover the remainder of the cruise, before I forget it!

part 3 - The Return - in stages

2010-07-24T11:53:00.000+01:00

I felt much more relaxed on leaving Market Drayton, as at least I knew what was in front of me as I retraced my wake. The weather, which at the beginning of my journey would have suited Noah and his ark, had steadily improved and as I left Market Drayton, the sky was blue, the temperature was climbing and all was right with the world.

We skipped up the Tyrley lock flight, without unfortunately pausing to take a photo . The only challenge at these locks was presented by water gushing out at great speed from about 3 feet up the cliff wall as we approached the bottom lock. This had the effect of pushing the boat to the left, spoiling my line to enter the lock. The only way to negotiate the lock entrance was barreling through at speed and hoping I had judged it correctly. Fortunately I managed it with my paintwork intact.

Next we faced the infamous Woodseaves cutting for a second time. I felt more anxious on this return trip as I knew exactly what was coming! This time the fates were not so kind as I met 3 different boats coming towards me, two of whom decided that I would be much better at reversing than they would! On the first occasion I managed to back into what was laughingly called a passing place, which I would describe as a mere niche in the cliff. The second time the boat approached was on a bend and my reversing skills were tested beyond their limit. I had to grab my rope, jump over 5 foot high nettles onto the tow path and stern haul her to the gap. I was unbelievably grateful to the final boat when its skipper waved me forward as he neatly slipped his boat into the undergrowth which concealed a passing place. As the light returned and the canal widened, it felt a bit like escaping from the River Styx!

I moored about a mile on, near absolutely nowhere, for a late lunch. After giving Bonny a well deserved run, my appetite for moving on waned and since we were no longer on a timetable I decided to stay for the rest of the day and explore the countryside. It was a lovely feeling not being under any time pressure. The rest of the day was spent mooching about and sunbathing whilst sipping a cold glass of wine - perfection!

One of my more inspired ideas came in handy the next morning. It had got really hot and Bonny was finding it difficult on the roof, but really didn't want to go below. Before I left I had thought about this and had brought the weighted bottom of my parasol, together with a large golf umbrella - a gift from my golfing brother. I popped the brolly into the parasol base and Bonny had a shady area to lie in. The only downside was that the brolly was just a bit too tall for some of the Lilliputian bridges which meant I needed to remember to whip it out of the base before we reached each bridge. I only forgot once, but that was enough to almost dislodge both the base and Bonny from the roof - my brolly hasn't been the same since.

By this time, we had slowed to an absolute crawl and after only 3 hours cruising I tied up for the day back at Norton Junction to enjoy doing absolutely nothing, bar watching the water world go by!

pictures for part 2 of the cruise

2010-07-23T13:56:00.000+01:00

I know it is a little odd posting pictures seperately from the narrative, but I am tending to write when I have nothing to do at work and then wait till I'm home before posting the pics. Anyway, here are a few more...

This is the old wharf of the Cadbury's factory when all the sugar used to be brought in by boat.

This is Mary looking down the Mighty Shelmore Embankment near Norbury Junction. It may not look very mighty, but the next picture shows the view from one side of it...

This is an extraordinary bridge at the entrance to the Grubb Street Cutting. As you can see, it has an old telegraph pole built in under the top span. The bridges on this part of the Shroppie were very impressive - tall and old!

Here is an even taller bridge - so tall that you may not be able to spot it!

I will be writing about my solo return trip soon!

Part 2 of the cruise

2010-07-14T13:41:00.000+01:00

We reluctantly left the beautiful mooring by bridge 7 and travelled on through the increasingly remote and beautiful countryside of Staffordshire and Shropshire. A brief stop for water at Wheaton Aston gave Mary her first testing moment as she momentarily lost control of her steering and only missed a moored boat by a cigarette paper (as we used to say in a more free speaking era).

Bonny had by this time well and truly found her sea legs, so to speak. She took her position on the roof right at the bow, rather like a hood ornament. She hardly slept during the day - there were just too many intriguing smells wafting past and occasionally the maddeningly exciting sight of a squirrel leaping from tree to tree, just out of reach, above her head.

So we drifted on at 3 mph, lockless now, at until mid afternoon when we reached Norton Junction, via the Shelmore Embankment. In the Nicholson Guide this is described as 'The Mighty Shelmore Embankment'. Mary and I were just a little cynical about how mighty an embankment can be, imagining some sort of largish ditch by the side of the canal. However we were put in our place as the land fell away on one side and then the other, revealing views reaching to The Wrekin (a large hill near the Welsh Border) on one side and woods on the other that seemed to sink into the ground so that we were level with the treetops. Mighty indeed! Norton Junction proved to be an ideal mooring spot as it was not only very attractive but had a shop, tea room and pub! So tea and ice creams followed by a pub supper was the order for the rest of the day.

The last day of Mary's cruise came all too soon as we left Norton Junction (I had already decided to stop here again on my return journey) for Market Drayton where she had left her car. This leg of the journey really raised our pulses as we entered the innocuous sounding 'Woodseaves Cutting'. This was an amazing engineering feat in the 18th century, where 'navvies' (navigators) cut straight through the middle of a hill for a mile and a half using only hand tools and animals. Obviously they didn't want to do any more than absolutely necessary, so they only cut enough room for one narrowboat - just! The cliff sides of the cutting towered above our heads and we brushed vegetation on both sides of the boat. As we penetrated further the trees met above us and so it felt like navigating a giant green tunnel. We rather expected to see Amazonian creatures swimming below and perhaps Tarzan swinging above! What really brought the sweat to the brow was the possibility of meeting another boat, as there were only occasional passing places dug out of the cliff. However the flow of the universe was merciful on this occasion and we passed unimpeded, both of us as high as kites when we reached the end of the cutting unscathed.

From there it was a straight forward run into Market Drayton via the impossibly picturesque Tyrley flight of locks. Finding a mooring in town was remarkable easy but it was a little harder to say goodbye to my sturdy crew as I walked with Mary through town to her car. It is amazing how fast everybody seems to travel when not on the cut. Even the pedestrians seemed to be moving at top speed and as for the cars, well, I was very pleased to retreat back to paradise after a pit stop at Netto's for essential supplies.

I then had a decision to make. So far the journey had felt like quite hard work as we were working to Mary's timetable and so had to reach first Penkridge and then Market Drayton by certain times. I had passed several places that I would have liked to stop and explore had we had the time. I also found cruising with no locks actually more tiring as I found standing in one place, hanging onto the tiller for hours on end quite a strain. Whereas if there are regular locks, one has a chance to stretch one's legs and use different muscles. So I decided that, rather than continuing on and struggling down the Adderley and Audlem flight of locks - 20 locks in all - only then to turn round and climb them again, I would instead turn at Market Drayton and amble back.

Pictures and Part 3 to follow...

pics of cruise story so far

2010-07-09T10:50:00.000+01:00

This is our first mooring near Kings Bromley marina. very isolated with lots of Rhodedendrons.Second pic of King's Bromley mooring - I love being the only boat in sight when I moor, but this was the only time it happened on the whole trip.

This is Tixall wide looking towards the Gatehouse of Shugborough Hall.

This is my first mate with my best mate! You can work out which is which. I think Mary is looking very relaxed considering she hasn't that much experience at steering a narrowboat.

This the point we turned off the Staffs and Worcester and entered the Shropshire Union - very exciting!

More pics after part two! By the way, if you click on the pics they get bigger!

The Great Cruise Part 1

2010-07-03T11:22:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the long pause between posts. We have been off on our cruise up the Shropshire Union Canal and then when we reurned, Bonny finally got spayed and is now recovering.

I will be posting photos of our cruise but they will have to wait as I am not on my own computer at present.

We left in the rain on Monday 7th June from our home mooring at Fradley. The first day was only as far as King's Bromley, where we moored among the Rhodedendrons overnight before going into the marina to pump out, diesal and water. There is something immensely satisfying about taking on the liquid you need and getting rid of that which you don't! Tuesday was the only day when it rained without ceasing. So I dripped my way from Kings Bromley to Great Haywood where we moored at Tixall Wide on the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal. This is a beautiful spot where the canal widens into a lake - made in the distant past by the occupants of Shugborough Hall in order to improve their view!

The next day we faced our first challenge - deep locks. The first one was 10'2" and as we approached from the bottom, the gates looked like the very entrance to hell! It's funny how quickly we adjust to things though as, on our return leg, having done many of these locks, I looked at this one and wondered what all the fuss was about - it wasn't that big! It was a hard cruising day this day as I needed to reach Penkridge in order to pick up my friend Mary that evening and there were a fair few locks and miles between Tixall and Penkridge.

By the way, I have learnt a really helpful way of knowing how long a stretch of canal should take to cruise single handed. I count the number of miles and add that to the number of locks and then divide by three and that gives me the number of hours it should take. So, for example, if there are five locks and ten miles between two points, then 5 + 10 = 15 / 3 = 5 hours. It turned out to be remarkably accurate.

Mary had her own journey to make to reach the boat which included dropping her car in Market Drayton and then being on a bus that broke down, followed by another bus that got caught in a mega traffic jam, so she was relieved to finally reach Penkridge and join me in the pub for a late supper!

The next day I set off with human crew! Just as well, as I wanted to get all the way through to Wolverhampton and turn onto the Shropshire Union Canal before stopping for the day, as I much prefer to moor in the countryside than in town. Mary and Bonny did really well as we cruised non stop for six and a half hours, finally stopping between bridges 7 and 8 on the Shroppie. This is a wonderful mooring. A voluntary group - The Shropshire Union Canal Society - go around installing mooring rings in lovely rural locations on this canal, unheard of on our stretch of the Trent and Mersey. So we had a secure mooring in lovely countryside, with fantastic walks for Bonny through ancient woodland and farmland.

To be continued...

simple life and smiling

2010-05-20T09:15:00.000+01:00

I watched the second episode of the programme I was talking about in my last post. Two things from it: The vicar took to the road with no money and begged outside shops for food and knocked on people's door for a bed for the night. I felt hugely uncomfortable watching this and realised that I have too much pride to beg and that my ego is still in control of most of my responses.
The second gem was that he had noticed that most people seemed to be afraid of being approached by a stranger; in fact fear and suspicion seems to be society's default position. Peter said "In a world of frightened people, always be the first to smile". I am aware that I generally wait for people to smile at me first before I make contact with them. If I do smile first and they don't respond, then I feel really irritated. On reflection I realise that a fear of rejection is at the base of this, driven by my ego. So, for the last few days I have been grinning like a maniac at everyone I pass. Most people have responded, if a little nervously. I have also noticed that, when they blank me, I am no longer irritated. I think it is because I have decided to do this and having done what I set out to do, I am satisfied and so their response is less important. I wonder if more people smiled or greeted each other, would we become less afraid of strangers?

On another subject entirely, I took Bonny to be spayed on Monday morning. I had spent a sleepless night worrying about it, had starved her for the operation and had got up very early on my day off to get to the vet on time. I bade her a fond goodbye and left her there, only to have the vet phone within 10 minutes telling me to return. It transpired that Bonny was in the midst of a phantom pregnancy and so couldn't be spayed! She is producing milk and everything. I knew my dog was clever, but I didn't realise that she would find a way to wriggle out of her operation! So, anybody want to buy a phantom Cairn pup? They don't take up any room and eat very little!
I have to take Bonny back on Friday for a check up and then, if she is over it, she will be spayed next week. If not, then I will have to wait till after our cruise and possibly until after her next season. Oh the joys of dog owning!

The simple life

2010-05-12T10:40:00.000+01:00

Thank you to all of you who have been getting in touch. I didn't realise how many invisible 'followers' of this blog existed and I feel very affirmed!

I watched the first episode of a new series on BBC2 last week called 'How to live a simple life', presented by a lovely, though barking mad vicar called Peter Owen Jones. If you didn't see it, I would recommend a look. The first episode explored our dependence on 'things' and money to give us status, self esteem etc. He had a go at living with no money at all. Next week he's taking to the road a la St Francis of Assisi and I assume will be begging.

The reason I mention it is that it rang bells for me as it touches on this new life I am creating. I too was fairly dependant on 'things' and money. My things mostly had to go when I downsized from a 3 bed house to a 50 foot narrowboat and sorting out what had to go was a painful but cathartic experience. In fact, I described it to people as similar to the feeling you get, having been constipated for a while, having your first really good dump!!

However my ego only really got involved when I started running out of money. Friends and relatives generously gave me gifts of money and I felt, although very grateful, also like a charity case or beggar. I hated receiving - I much prefer to be the one giving. That sounds very virtuous (better to give than to receive) but virtue had little to do with it. It was more about pride and control. If I am the giver then I have the control - I choose what to give and who to and I can feel superior over the poor person / cause I am giving to. That makes me then feel proud of myself. But here I was, feeling like the underdog and I really struggled. It made me recognise that having money meant much more to me than merely keeping the wolf from the door. It meant I was in control of my life. It meant I was worth something and it meant I was secure.

Coming out of the other end of that experience, I realise that I had swallowed the lies peddled to us by the 'consumer society' ('because you are worth it!') I am not what I buy. Security is a myth - money won't stop me getting sick, dying of a stress related illness or getting run over by a bus. It won't buy me status or self esteem because the genius of this retail world is that it keeps us dissatisfied - as soon as we buy what we really thought we needed, something else is then held up as the goal. The real goal, I believe, is to keep us working longer and harder than ever (good for the economy - as if the economy is more importan than the quality of people's lives), then they encourage us to spend all our hard earned money on stuff we don't need and that won't bring lasting happiness and if we can't afford the latest thing, then we are encouraged to go into debt, which will then drive us to work even harder and longer in order to keep ahead in the financial race. The mythical reward held out for all this effort is a prosperous retirement - a sort of secular Heaven. But this is also a perversion of the truth - more and more people aren't reaching retirement in any sort of health to enjoy it because of the stress filled, work obsessed lives they live. If we do manage to reaching the finish line in one piece we find a) they have moved the line (I now won't get my state pension until I am 67 - 7 years later than I was originally promised) or b) our pension fund has shrunk through no fault of our own and an old age of poverty beckons.

So I am trying to reject all those glittering promises and not so subtle threats and instead to live a life free of slavery. Yes, I am working, but I am only working enough in order to live simply. Of course, if you love your work; if your heart leaps with excitement at the prospect of Monday morning; if work fulfils you, then there is no need to slow down - but most of us are not in that happy place. When working I try to consciously look for what is good and joyful in it - sometimes just a smile from a customer or seeing the sun shine through the willow tree will do it. Then, when I receive my pay, I live to a budget. It sounds boring, but I find it helps me resist the blandishments of the advertising industry - if it's not budgeted for, then I can't buy it. Of course my budget includes the important things like having a drink with mates or having enough diesal to go for a cruise etc. I don't listen to or watch adverts and I only go to the shops if I have a list - it stops impulse buying. It all sounds a bit dull, but it's not. Instead of relying on shopping / money to make me happy, I have freed up lots of time by only working 4 days a week for things that really bring me joy - walking with Bonny, meeting strangers and having time for a chat, sitting and watching the birds and the bees.

I could go on, but I've already gone on so much that those who encouraged me to continue with this blog might now be regretting it! I guess what I am saying is that I have discovered rather late in life that it doesn't cost much to live a content, peaceful and joyful life - but it takes a lot of self discipline, ego killing and truth seeking to find that life!

OK

2010-05-03T16:24:00.000+01:00

Thanks to some lovely feedback both on this comments page and via email, I have decided to continue to write this blog. I do enjoy posting photos and perhaps if I widen my writing subjects a bit, I will recapture the buzz of writing it! Also I look forward to writing about my cruise in June when I will be exploring the Shropshire Union Canal by way of the Trent and Mersey and the Staffordshire and Worcester canals.

Meanwhile I saw my first ducklings and first bluebells of the season today - late due to the dreadful winter. here they are:

I am looking forward to May 6th - no, not because of the election - liars all - but because it is Bonny's first birthday. I can't believe she has grown up - it seems only weeks ago that I was posting my first photos of this little scrap of a pup! I am not looking forward to 17th May as, reluctantly, I will be taking her to the vet to be spayed. I agonised over the decision, but it is the only sensible course of action. I shall worry until I have her home safely again!

to continue or not?

2010-04-26T14:32:00.001+01:00

Bonny and I went out for a 4 day cruise last week and tied up on the first day between Fradley and Kings Bromley. This is the mooring and as you can see, spring has finally sprung! When we returned the field to the right of our mooring had changed colours from a rather dull brown to this rape seed glory!The title of this entry relates to whether I should continue to write this blog. I haven't written for a while because I have been too busy living to remember it! I also find I bore myself a little bit with it sometimes. I also don't know whether it is worth it to anybody else as I receive very little feedback (except from Lynda and my unknown Chinese friend!) I suppose I have lost sight of the reason for doing it. To begin with I started writing a blog to advertise my new 'Narrow Way' venture, but that went the way of all flesh. Then I was writing it as a sort of diary as I struggled through the mooring saga. It also helped me feel less alone whilst I was homeless! Additionally I found it an easier way of updating people who were interested, rather than writing to all individually (the lazy way of keeping in touch!).
But now I am settled at my lovely mooring. I am working for 4 days a week which means I am finally solvent financially and I suspect life is going to be quite calm for a while. (I know - how's that for tempting fate!?) I'm not sure I'll have much to write about. Although in June Bonny and I are going on our first proper cruise up the Shropshire Union canal and possibly completing the 'Four Counties Ring', so it would be good to write about our experiences - possibly.
Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts about whether I should continue to write or not, please let me know!

settling in to our new mooring

2010-03-22T11:03:00.000Z

I haven't written recently as I have been busy settling into the new mooring and generally enjoying myself! However, my conscience got the better of me so I thought I'd share a few pics of the mooring...
This one is looking towards Hunts Lock, the bottom lock of the Fradley Flight.

The next is the view across the canal - there are fields both sides of my boat.

This is the only access to the mooring. As you can see it's a pretty narrow path which leads to the lock which I then need to cross before reaching the towpath. Therefore the most important piece of equipment here is a wheelbarrow!

The last picture shows how well Bonny is settling in here. She loves being able to mooch about on the grass and now knows where she is allowed to go, so a lot of the time she is off the lead which is lovely for her.

There is a risk of me becoming just a little suburban as so far I have bought a container that doubles as a bench, a fat ball holder for the many birds here and a couple of pots to grow veggies! However, I still love going out on the boat so I think I will retain the gypsy spirit - at least I hope I do! But it makes such a huge difference to know I am returning to a space that is 'mine'.

My challenge now is to learn to live with contentment. All my life it seems I have always been striving for something - looking for that which would make me happy and then, having found it, becoming discontented and looking for something else. In some ways I have thrived on overcoming difficulties and battling to make my own way in the world, but now, it seems to me, it is time to practice being content with the life I have chosen. And this new phase in my life really was chosen by me without outside influence. Every other major decision I have made about the direction of my life were influenced by my need to please others or my need to escape an intolerable situation. My decisions, it seems to me, were driven by the unhealthy part of myself whereas this one seems to come from a good and whole place. Still, I have been so used to looking to the next problem or next opportunity, that it will take some practice to relax and fully be here.
But it's a lovely challenge to have in a place that feels pretty much like paradise!

mooring - a post script

2010-03-04T16:45:00.000Z

Sandie the mooring officer came to see me today. The very good news is that BW is refunding my mooring fees between 8th December and 1st March. Not only that but they have reduced my mooring fees for the next three years as they judge this mooring to be worth less than than the amount I was paying for the auctioned mooring. The difference is just over £300 a year!!!

The not such good news is that the owner of one of the boats I moved has made a complaint. Apparantly he is complaining about having to move at all, rather than the fact that I moved his boat rather than BW. He apparantly has visited his boat and hasn't touched the way I tied it up, so he obviously hasn't got a problem with that. He just thinks that someone else should have moved rather than him! Sandie said I shouldn't worry about it. It is clear in the mooring agreement that BW can request boats be moved at any time. She also said she would back my actions as I had waited a reasonable amount of time before taking action.

I'm really glad I did take action as it seems that neither of the boat owners were planning to move their boats any time soon and I could have been sitting on visitors moorings for months more!! It's just a shame that I seem to have a stroppy neighbour - I hope when I meet him, I can build bridges, so that we can get on.

But the best thing is that both Bonny and I absolutely love our new mooring!
Lastly a message to the nice person leaving comments about my blog. I love to hear from you, but unfortunately I can't read Chinese - if that indeed is the language you are writing in!

The First Day of Spring

2010-03-01T16:15:00.001Z

It is the first day of spring, the sun is shining and I am finally on my new mooring!!! See picture...
I had left Fradley with BW promising that when I returned the mooring would be available. So I went off to Burton to get my boat's bottom blacked and engine serviced. While she was in dry dock, Bonny and I spoiled ourselves by going to a dog friendly guest house in the Dales (Bentley Brook Guest House - I highly recommend it!) I had my first bath in over a year - bliss! Bonny and I walked until we were on our knees and loved it! It was still snowy, but that didn't stop us. Here are some snaps...

One is Carsington water - looking like a scene from the arctic! Then there is Thorpe Cloud and the third is Bonny in her element!

We returned to Burton last Thursday to find the boat all done, so we moved her back to Fradley on Friday. It was a wet and windy day which made for some pretty hard cruising. I had a friend who helped but it was still really tiring and stressful - especially since I didn't want to bash my new blacking. By the time I arrived in Fradley I couldn't wait to tie up at our new mooring, but when I got there, the two boats still hadn't been moved along to make space for me. I was absolutely gutted. I felt what little patience I had left suddenly snap and so I left 'Don't Panic' on the lock bollards and dragged Charlie (my helpful friend) over to the mooring. We then moved both boats ourselves. They only needed to shift backwards about 10 feet and I made sure I tied them up securely - even using one of my own mooring chains on one of the boats as it had to move away from a mooring ring. I then emailed BW to tell them what I had done and asking them to contact the owners and tell them. I really hope I don't get any grief from them, but I just couldn't face waiting any longer.

So here I am on my new mooring. It is lovely - looking over fields in both directions. There are some lovely people here and I even have excellent reception for my phone and dongle. Bonny is fairly exhausted after such an exciting week but I know she is going to love her new home.

So this lengthy saga appears finally to have come to an end. It's been an enlightening time and I feel I have learned a lot through the experience, but I'm very glad it's over!

And now Spring is coming...

more patience required

2010-02-13T10:16:00.000Z

I may have been a little optimistic in my last post. I really thought I was on the verge of moving to my new mooring, but now another week has passed and I am still moorless! (I don't think that is a word, but it's the closest to homeless that I could get!) I am trying to convince myself that the reason is that I still have lessons to learn from this experience, but my patience has run out like sand from an hour glass. Not that my running out of patience will affect anything one way or another, only my reactions to events.
I am sending weekly emails to British Waterways and Sandie, the moorings officer is sending lovely sympathetic emails back, but still no mooring. Still, when I pointed out I had paid a full 2 months now for a non existent mooring and would expect BW to either refund that money or add the time to my mooring permit, she did not argue, so I guess I should be grateful that I have been able to moor for 2 months for free. Well, I'll be grateful when I actually receive a refund!

Next week I'm off to get my bottom blacked at Shobnall (Burton on Trent). In case you think I have an extreme medical condition or possibly am doing a reverse Michael Jackson, I hasten to add that it is a protective coat of tar based paint applied to the bottom of my boat! With an engine service as well, it will cost me £500 or so. However it is so worth it, as, if you don't look after your bottom, disaster will surely follow!

I've just paused from writing as I have received a visit from a kind boater. He had heard I was looking to buy a wooden pallet to keep my coal off the roof of the boat (not good to have it lying directly on the steel as it can cause rust). He has found one exactly the right size, brought it up for me and won't take a penny for it. Isn't that kind? He is my second angel of the week, as Jan - she of the Hunt's Lock mooring - has also visited to tell me where I can buy a replacement toilet (don't ask) much cheaper than any shop. This is one of the best things about boating - there is still a real sense of community - particularly among the live aboards - and people, even strangers, help each other. It is a timely reminder for me that my blessings in this new life far outweigh the curses!

progress at last

2010-02-06T09:51:00.000Z

The mooring epic, as it now is, might just be coming to an end. As last reported, there were two sites identified for me to make my new mooring. One was just below Shadehouse Lock in the woods and I loved the look of it, but it needed dredging. The other was below Hunts Lock (both at Fradley Junction) in a line of boats, only accessible by crossing the lock and going down a very thin path. I had set my heart on the first option and Sandie Dunstan, the mooring officer, said that it should be possible to dredge it, but it might not happen for a few weeks. So I have been mooching about on the visitors moorings on the Trent and Mersey and Coventry canals waiting for a dredger.

Then, earlier this week, I was informed by BW that the mooring would not be dredged because of a backlog of 'important' work. I was fairly gutted, especially since to access the Hunt's Lock mooring would mean several boats having to move up to create a space for me. I really didn't want to go somewhere where I had managed to upset the neighbours before even arriving!

So I moored up on the visitors moorings at Shadehouse to enjoy it while I could, whilst waiting for Sandie to contact the boaters and get them to move to make space for me. I was not a happy bunny. Then, yesterday, as I was pottering about in unaccustomed sunshine, a lady came past and stopped to chat. She was a lovely person called Jan and she and her husband have been moored at Hunts Lock for the last 6 years and love it. She made me feel really welcome and said the other boaters shouldn't mind moving up to make space for me as they only spread out after another boat left. She said people are friendly and helpful to one another whilst still giving each other space. She also has a little Westie dog and no one has a problem with it. Jan chatted to me over a cup of tea on my boat for most of the afternoon and when she left, I felt so much better about mooring there, I was very grateful.

Hopefully I will be able to move there soon as, come Monday, I will have been paying for a mooring I haven't got for a full 2 months. I have pointed this out to BW and have asked for a refund or an extension to my mooring permit. I guess how long it takes rather depends on where the boaters who will have to move their boats live and when they can come down to move them. I am so glad all this has happened in the winter, because had this been happening during the height of the season, I would have really struggled to find visitors moorings to stay on for this amount of time.

I am also grateful for the lessons I am learning through this - lessons of patience, and trust that it will all work out as it should. I am also getting better at understanding that my home is my boat and not the piece of land I happened to be moored to. This takes quite a mind shift as most of us are so used to our homes being a static point; a piece of land; a particular place. But as I grow into the idea that my boat is home, it gives me an increased sense of freedom. I can moor anywhere and still be home. I can hold lightly to the need to have a place that is mine and instead I can regard the whole canal and river network as being, in some sense, home. It also means letting go of another security; another thing that I thought I needed to keep safe and secure.
It's scary but liberating!

episode 10000 of mooring saga!

2010-01-22T10:19:00.000Z

I haven't posted a pic of Bonny for a while so here she is just before we left Barton Marina. She is 8 months old now and is testing her limits in every way. If I say come, she goes, say no and she does it, etc. But she is a wonderful boat dog; totally fearless and loves nothing more than chasing squirrels on the tow path.

The nice lady from BW came to visit this week. We looked at two possible alternative mooring sites for me at Fradley. The one I would be happy with is silted up and needs dredging. BW's attitude seems to have softened as Sandie was very apologetic about all they had put me through and said that she would do her best to make the mooring habitable. She said she would see if they could, not only dredge it, but cut back the rampant vegetation and put a couple of mooring pins in. Meanwhile she has said I can stay on the visitors mooring for as long as necessary. Of course 'seeing if they can do it' is a long way from actually making it happen, so more waiting...

Meanwhile yesterday, after 23 days, I finally managed to move my boat in order to pump out my toilet tank (Oh blessed relief) and fill up with diesel and water. It took a 5 hour round trip and so I need to factor that into my life. I was a little anxious coming back as, with boats moving again, there was no guarantee that there would still be a space on the visitors moorings at Fradley. There was on this occasion, but the sooner I have a permanent mooring again, the better.

Fradley pics

2010-01-12T16:13:00.000Z

I've been using lots of words recently, but not so many pictures, so here are a few of Fradley in the snow. The first shows a little of how thick the ice is on the canal at present. The lumps lying on top are around 4" thick.

The second is the beautiful sunrise that Bonny and I see most mornings on our walk before work.

The last is the view out of my window at present!

Oh, and good news - thanks to boaters working together yesterday, we managed to join 4 hoses together, stretch it across the frozen canal and water all the boats in this pound. What a relief! I had my first shower on my boat this year to celebrate! (Note, I have showered this year - just not on my boat!)

arctic life and message to the snoop...

2010-01-08T14:31:00.001Z

Well, I'm still alive! As anyone who lives in Britain will know, it has been snowy and freezing since before the New Year. In fact I last managed to fill up with water on 30th December. All the boats are now frozen to the spot and I am reduced to using two 5 litre containers to fill up with water at work every day. Diesal wise I'm fine at present and I can get coal and wood from a friendly boat moored at Fradley. My loo tank is getting full (I know, too much information), but I have a porta potty that I can use. I have had to start sleeping in the saloon as the back cabin gets too cold by morning, but that's OK.
I've had to alter my working hours to 10-4, rather than 9-5 as the road from Fradley is snow and ice covered and I have to wait for some of the 4x4's to use it before I can get through. I also don't want to risk the return journey in the dark, hence leaving at 4pm. I get paid less of course, but at least I feel safer.

I write this blog thinking that I am writing to my friends, but an incident today reminded me that anyone can read this - not all with kind motives! So... to the person who read this blog and then made an anonymous phone call to Barton Marina and complained to Lorraine that I am using the showers without paying (5the January blog), I have a message for you. Firstly, get a life! Secondly, I am actually using the BW shower at Fradley, using the word marina was a slip of the keyboard and thirdly, thank you, you did me a favour, as Lorraine and I had a good chat and cleared up a misunderstanding between us. We also expressed sympathy for the sad person who has nothing better to do than to report on other people's blogs and toiletry habits!! I wonder if you are the same person that reported my autumn conversation with friends about fences and rules to the marina office? If so, please come and see me in the shop and tell me in what way I have upset you.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T13:57:00.000Z

I hope 2010 is a great year for all of you and I hope nobody is too cold at present!
It's icy and snowy here and it is impossible to move the boat to get water or diesal. However, I have bought myself a generator (thanks to generous Christmas contributions from my brothers James and Douglas), which means that I can charge my batteries and therefore have power even if I run out of diesal. I have coal and wood to keep the woodburning stove going, although I have been shocked to find that I am using over 2 bags of coal a week. Water has been trickier as I need to fill up every week. But until a better solution presents itself I have bought two 5 litre bottles of water from the supermarket and I think that if I fill them every day at work and take showers in the marina, then I should be OK as long as I'm careful.

The mooring saga has entered a new phase. I have moved off the chains as on my second day there I slipped trying to board the boat and bruised my leg quite badly. The other boaters here say the mooring is not safe and that's why no one uses it, except as an overnight visitor mooring. I have moved on the visitors moorings opposite and it is bliss. I can now step, in a lady like way, on and off my boat, rather than launching myself into space and hoping I land in the boat. I am also back in daylight which is nice and since I am now above ground, I don't have dogs peeing against my windows!! Bonny loves it too, a bit too much as she has discovered how easy it is to get off the boat! I have had to chase her around the nature reserve on a couple of occasions.

British Waterways know I have moved off the chains and 'Rob' has said that they will see what they can do to sort the problem out. I obviously can't stay on the visitors moorings forever as there is a 48 hour limit on them and even if I was allowed to stay permanently on them, if I moved the boat to get water or diesal or to go on a trip, the likelyhood would be that there would be no space for me to moor on my return.

Spiritually, the experience has been very good for me as I am learning to let go of the security of having my own space to be in. I am also practising enjoying the present moment - ie the pleasure of being moored here today, without worrying too much about where I'll be moored next week or next month. I say I am practising - that's because I'm not that good at it yet! There is also something quite elemental about my major concerns being heat, water and power. It is putting all the other things I fret about into perspective. It is also amazingly beautiful here- especially in the frosty mornings, and so peaceful after having been moored next to the A38.

So, today, all is well! I hope it is also well with you.

another new beginning

2009-12-30T14:41:00.000Z

On 28th December, amid freezing fog and icy towpaths, I moved Don't Panic from Barton Marina to Fradley Junction. Not to the mooring I actually bid and paid for, but to a mooring a little way up, tying to chains rather than mooring rings. That makes it interesting in a lock flight, since the water level is constantly changing and so I could come back to find the boat hung up on the wall if I tie her too tight. But having the ropes loose means that every time I move about on the boat, she rocks and thumps against the side. It is also dark on board because the wall is quite high which makes getting off and on interesting! However I am at least here and not in the marina any more and Fradley is lovely - even in freezing fog.

I managed to speak to the senior moorings manager, who has visited the site. It was like pulling teeth, but eventually he did admit that the description of the mooring site 'contained inaccuracies'. He refused to admit that it was actually a different mooring they had been advertising, and when I pointed out that the boat on that mooring had an expired mooring permit, he said he wouldn't know anything about that! Strange, considering he is the 'senior moorings manager'. I won't bore you with our tediously drawn out conversation, but the result of it was that I will be provided with temporary free parking while I am on the chain mooring. If I don't feel safe there, I am allowed to go onto the visitors moorings opposite, on a temporary basis. Then he has agreed to look for a more suitable mooring in the New Year. I was happy with that, until he said that if they find another mooring, I will have to pay the guide price for it, rather than the amount I won the bid with, which is likely to be more money. I pointed out that it would effectively mean I would be paying for British Waterways' mistake. Still, one argument at a time. I will wait to see what, if anything, they offer me and then negotiate the price. They are amazing though. He wouldn't budge an inch to start with - even trying to make out that they couldn't give me free parking as they weren't in control of the car park. When I pointed out it was a BW car park, he said 'Oh, well I mean it's not my department'.

So I am off the umbilical cord of the Marina. It's quite scary really. If I run out of diesal, I won't have any power (because I wouldn't be able to charge the batteries) In normal weather that's not really an issue, but we have had frozen canals here recently and if I can't move her, then I would be without water as well as power. It also crossed my mind that if I slipped and injured myself - or worse - nobody would know and it could be days before anybody noticed! So I need to keep reminding myself not to panic and to remember one of my favourite sayings - 'Don't let your fear stand in the way of your dreams'.

Having calmed my fears somewhat, I commuted to work for the first time today and my car broke down!! That hadn't been a worry of mine until it happened. Fortunately I had reached Barton when it happened, but I had a horrible picture of Bonny and I having to walk the two hours home in the dark and pouring rain. But helpful people helped me at Barton and it turned out that all the water on the road had temporarily drowned my engine. At least I hope that's it - I'll find out in a couple of hours when I return home.

Despite the difficulties and anxieties, I am still sure this is the right next move for me. It is refreshing in a way to worry about such basic requirements as warmth, power and water. It puts other anxieties into perspective and in a strange way it makes me feel more alive!

So, at the dawn of another new year, I face another new start. I hope for all my readers that 2010 will be a great year of challenges overcome and hopes realised. Happy New Year!

Happy Christmas

2009-12-21T11:40:00.001Z

A happy Christmas to all my readers! It's lovely to have people interested enough to read my ramblings and even get in touch with me about them. This icy picture was actually taken last year when I was trying to escape from Crick, but it could just as easily have been taken today as we are all iced in here. I'm hoping to move my boat on the 28th to my 'sort of' new mooring, so I'm rather hoping for a thaw!

Talking of mooring matters, the saga drags on. The initial person I have been talking to in British Waterways has gone off for Christmas now and so has passed me on to the 'senior moorings manager'. This is apparently the man who published the details of the mooring in the first place and is where the buck stops. Sandie told me that he was inspecting the site last Friday morning to see if my complaint has any merit. Naively, I thought he might actually be in touch with me to explain what's going on, but no. All I have received so far are 'I'm out of the office' messages. I suspect I will hear nothing now through the Christmas period. This is not helping my temper! I have bent over backwards to be reasonable, but there is nothing more annoying than being ignored! I have sent another email saying that I will wait it out until 4th January when the world goes back to work, but if I haven't heard anything by then, I shall be contacting Trading Standards and / or a solicitor. Happy days!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and if, I like me, you are travelling anywhere, you arrive safely. Bonny and I are going to the New Forest to spend Christmas with family. I only have 3 days off, so we have to travel down on Christmas Eve and back on Boxing Day - Oh Joy!

mooring saga update

2009-12-08T12:12:00.000Z

Well, I have discovered that British Waterways are not an organisation to be trusted!
After my last blog entry, they got back to me the same day to say that it was my mistake - the mooring I thought I had bid for wasn't actually in the location I thought it was! She told me where the mooring actually was and agreed to meet me there on the 8th (the day I officially start my mooring agreement) to show me.

I went there the day before for a look and wondered how on earth they thought they were going to get away with it. The mooring is totally different from the details given on the auction site. There are no mooring rings (only a rather dodgy looking chain) to tie to. There is no car access at all, let alone an access road and free car parking as advertised. Instead of being by grass at the top of a lock, it is on concrete at the bottom of another lock. The picture and map on the website don't even show this part of the site, let alone this specific mooring! I also noticed that the boat moored on the spot I did bid and pay for is showing a 3 year mooring permit that is due to expire this month!

So I met up with the mooring officer today. I let her show me the 'new' mooring and then I produced a print out of the details given in the auction, including the photo of the mooring and the map. I pointed out all the differences between the two moorings and the 'coincidence' that the permit on boat moored in the correct mooring was about to run out. I was quite proud of myself - I was calm, friendly, polite but firm - as opposed to spitting mad and emotional which I could easily have been! I suggested to her that they had advertised the mooring thinking the current boat was going to vacate and when it didn't, rather than informing me and not taking my money, they thought they would just stick me somewhere else! She wouldn't confirm this but just said that she was new to the post and that her predecessor told her that the details given were 'just a general guide' and that they were meant to refer to the second mooring. We then walked to that one and she couldn't conceal her shock at the differences. She even said that she was a boater and she wouldn't be at all happy to tie up at the chain. She conceded that this mooring was indeed very different in detail to the paperwork, as well as conceding that it was her name on the documents and not her predecessor's.

I then said that I was prepared to accept this mooring on a temporary basis on condition that she would provide in writing an acknowledgement that it was temporary and giving the approximate date that I would be able to move on to the mooring I paid for. In the meantime, since there was no parking at this mooring, I would expect a permit to park for free in the pay and display car park under their control. She said she thought that was reasonable but had to go back and talk to her manager. I said that, if this was not sorted out satisfactorily, I would have no choice but to go to Trading Standards and possibly a solicitor. I said that if BW had taken my money for something they knew wasn't available, it could constitute fraud and that the police might even be interested. I also said that I would write to the various waterway publications with the story, which wouldn't help BW's auctioning process. If people didn't trust that the mooring they were bidding for was the one they would end up with, they might well end up with a lot less customers!

I said all this with a pleasant smile on my face. I was quite pleased with myself because when in situations of potential conflict, I often get stressed and emotional and then I don't get my point across. But today I remained calm and assertive. The only mistake I made was not getting a date from her when I would hear from them. But I shall keep on top of it. I won't be moving the boat until after Christmas, so there is no pressure as yet. I also got her to agree that I could pick the spot I moored at the new site as I noticed that on one part of the chain, there were rings I think I could tie to.

The story continues...

nothing comes easily

2009-12-04T11:04:00.000Z

It is a universally acknowledged fact that nothing that is worthwhile comes to us easily. If this is in fact true, then the mooring at Fradley must be really worthwhile!
I phoned British Waterways this morning to arrange to meet someone at Fradley so they could show me exactly where the mooring and facilities are. I commented that I had been down already but there seems to be boats moored all along the stretch where my mooring is to be. The woman I was speaking to said 'yes, there are'. I asked which one was moving and she replied 'it looks like none of them'! I pointed out that BW had advertised the mooring, let us bid for it and have now taken my money for it and I couldn't believe they would do that without actually having a mooring available! Her only reply was that she had only just taken over the job from someone else and she would have to talk to them about it.
I have extracted a promise from her to meet me at Fradley on the 8th - the day I start paying for the mooring. If there is no mooring on that date then surely they will have to refund my money or find me another mooring? After all I have now given notice at Barton so I can't stay there after the end of the month.
How do I feel about all this? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!
I'll keep you posted!

Fradley here I come...

2009-12-02T13:55:00.000Z

Yes, I'm off to my new mooring at Fradley Junction at the end of the month / year. British Waterways sent me my mooring permit this morning. The mooring is available from the 8th but I have paid here until the end of the year so I might as well use their electricity for as long as possible! Having said that, I'm dying to start this new chapter of my life and if it wasn't for the fact that I shall be working full time for the next month, I would probably be on my way at dawn on the 8th!
Mind you, it was around this time last year that I last tried to move from one mooring to another and thanks to weather, ice and stoppages, it took me 6 weeks! But at least I'm only travelling 5 miles to my new mooring so hopefully it will be easier this time - at least I won't have to ask my friends to help me move!

waiting with baited breath...

2009-12-01T09:47:00.000Z

Just a quick update on the mooring situation. I have filled out the form and sent it in and am now waiting with baited breath to hear from British Waterways that all is well.

I was going to wait till I had heard before informing the marina staff, but I needn't have worried - someone else helpfully did it for me! It's another reason I can't wait to leave the marina, it's so much like a small village - everybody wants to know your business and if you tell one person something, it's around the entire marina by nightfall! I can't blame them though - it's my fault for not keeping my mouth shut, a curse that has been with me all my life! I was so pleased to have won the auction that I went and told at least three people. So yesterday the marina staff member phoned me and said that I should have given 3 months notice! 3 months - I hardly know what I'm going to do next week, let alone in 3 months time. Still, she graciously said that they would accept one month, but then went on to ask some very pointed questions about my next mooring and why I was leaving the marina. I really hope she doesn't decide to make life difficult for me - until I definitely have the mooring, she could mess things up for me.

I have to keep reminding myself that if it is meant to be, then I will get the Fradley mooring. If something happens to stop me taking up the mooring, then I really don't think I could stay in the marina. If I have to, I'll just take off and hope I find somewhere to live and work before I starve!! Yes, my freedom is that important to me now. It has sort of crept up on me, I never used to be particularly conscious of restrictions to my freedom - it was the price I paid to be in 'mainstream' society, with a career, house, church etc. But now, the mere fact of having to unlock a gate every day to get out irks me and when I am told by the marina where I can and can't walk and what I can and can't say to my friends, then a feeling of screaming claustrophobia comes over me!

So - anxious times, but not for long as the mooring agreement is due to start on the 8th, so I should here before that.

I've got it!!!

2009-11-23T15:00:00.000Z

Having sweated my way through the last few days and hours, I am delighted to report that I have secured the mooring at Fradley and only had to go £55 over my ideal annual budget to get it. It will cost me nearly £800 less than Barton (although of course I will be using much more diesal as there is no electricity at Fradley). It is also a fixed amount for 3 years and vat inclusive so I know exactly how much I need to budget for which is excellent.
But most important to me is that there will be no more fences, gates, signs or people telling me what to do, how to live and how to look after my dog!! Yes, the practicalities of life will take more working at, but I am so sure it will be worth it.
It is not a residential mooring, so from 1st January, when my mooring at Barton runs out, my address will be c/o a friend in Devon. If you want that address, let me know.
Happy Days! I'm going to be a 'proper' boater!

aaah

2009-11-20T15:57:00.001Z

I spoke too soon. At lunchtime today another person entered a bid for the Fradley mooring. I have decided on a maximum I can go to and will not go over that. So I have entered another bid and am hoping and praying the other person wasn't that keen!
It's only now that I may not get the mooring, I realise how much I want it!

3 days to go!

2009-11-20T10:15:00.000Z

There are only three days left on the bidding for the mooring at Fradley and so far, no one else has put a bid in, so I am still in line to get it for it's reserve price! However I have heard that, with auctions, people generally only bid near the closing time so I have to hold my breath until 1300 hours on Monday 23rd.
I have been checking out the possibility of getting a generator to help me maintain my batteries out on the canal. It would mean I would have to run my engine less often which would save me money. However the cost of a generator that has the right specs is around £300 so I may have to wait a while as the priorities money wise are paying for the mooring, getting the boat's bottom blacked and engine serviced in January and also saving for the BW licence due in the Spring. Still, it's definitely something worth keeping in mind.
I have to say that, apart from being excited about the prospect of moving, I am also quite nervous. It is so safe and secure in the marina. I don't have to worry about where the power is coming from and life has settled into a calm routine. I also don't have to commute to work! But I have changed so much in the last year that I need to be somewhere that fits with the person I am becoming, even if that means life gets a little more difficult. When I arrived, the fences, gates and busy-ness of this place didn't bother me really. But now every time I unlock a gate or trip over yet another prohibition sign or get yet another comment about dogs and leads from the marina office, my frustration levels rise and the feeling of claustrophobia gets worse.
Out on the canal, I will be responsible for all parts of my life, from the practicalities of power and disposing of poo, to how I will settle in to this new place, learning I hope from the mistakes I made when I arrived here at Barton. It will be a new challenge but I believe it is right for me at this stage of my development. If I am wrong I only have to stay for 6 months and then, as long as I give 2 months notice, I can leave the canal side mooring and perhaps scuttle back to the womb of a marina!

cancellation of website

2009-11-16T15:29:00.000Z

I've just received a call from British Waterways. They have been 'tipped off' by someone that I am running a business (The Narrow Way) without obtaining a BW commercial licence. I explained that, so far, I have had no customers and so could not afford to get a commercial licence (which costs around double the standard licence) He was a nice man and said that it's a difficult thing to set up a business with all the costs involved without any income. However, he was clear that, if I am advertising The Narrow Way, then I must, not only get a commercial licence, but also have to adhere to the same rules and regulations as the 'big boys' like the hire companies. He directed me to a website with all the rules on it and having looked at it, I'm reluctantly having to withdraw the Narrow Way website and stop offering the boat for paid quiet days.
I'm not going to waste time wondering who the 'tip off' came from, although it's tempting to speculate. Suffice to say I'm fairly gutted - particularly as my friend Maggie has spent so much time assisting me in setting it up. Thanks Maggie! I'll just have to find another way to make some money I guess.

a possible possibility of real freedom

2009-11-16T14:41:00.000Z

I periodically check the British Waterways web site for moorings coming up for tender (you have to bid for them). Well, I checked yesterday and much to my surprise and excitement I found there is a mooring at Fradley Junction being advertised. Fradley is at the junction of the Trent and Mersey and the Coventry canals. It is a beautiful place, well away from the A38! It has water, pump out (for the loo) and a really good pub - what more does one need in life! Well, electricity and there isn't any of that, but more important than any of the above is that there are no fences, no stupid notices and nobody to tell me what to do! It is about 5 miles from Barton and so work would be within commuting distance by bus or cycle and it's close to Lichfield for shopping. It would be a lovely place to run quiet days from because of its peace and beauty.

So, in a fit of excitement I have put a bid in - the only one so far. It would be a not so minor miracle if I got it at the price I have bid, but then if I get it, I'll know it was meant to be and if I don't - well, ditto. If I do get it, I'll have to pay the annual price up front and then, as long as I pay up each year, it will be mine for the same price for the next 3 years.

Bonny and I visited the mooring this afternoon and even in the rain, it looked wonderful! It is opposite a nature reserve with a circular walk and the towpath in both directions offer lovely walks too. There is the pub I mentioned, but also a cafe and little shop. The mooring is on the canal and not tucked away from canal life in a marina. it is within the flight of 6 locks and so there's always something to watch!

I'll have to wait to see if I get it, but not for long; the bidding closes on 23rd November and the mooring agreement would start on 8th December! I must admit that I really hope that it is meant to be!

I haven't got a picture of the mooring, but here is a picture of don't Panic moored in Fradley woods, just above the flight of locks.

friends

2009-11-13T14:08:00.000Z

Yes, Bonny is spoilt!! Here she is in my bed and enjoying a walk (off lead!) around the lake. It's hard to believe that she is already 6 months old.

I've had two visits recently that reminded me how great it is to have friends. Nigel and Jacquie from Devon happened to be driving up to Derbyshire and decided to drop in for a surprise visit - lovely. They even treated me to tea and cake.

Then Lynda, a very encouraging friend who actually leaves comments on my blog! came for an overnight stay. We used to share a house whilst we were training with Church Army in Sheffield. We haven't seen each other in ages, but as soon as we met it was as if no time had passed at all. We went out on the boat for the day. It was rather drizzly weather but Lynda was so busy learning how to steer the boat, she didn't let it bother her. She was a natural boat woman and took to it like a duck to water. It was great to catch up with all three friends and it reminded me how much I enjoy teaching people the arcane art of narrowboat operation.

Good news on the work front; firstly because my work colleague is going to Australia for a month and I am going to be covering his hours, which will really help with my finances over Christmas. Also, up to now I have been employed on a 'casual, temporary basis'. But from 1st January I shall be a proper employee with things like paid holiday days! It still only means 3 days a week, but they will be more secure days.

I hope all my readers are having a good Friday 13th!

price reduction and radio interviews

2009-11-05T14:23:00.000Z

I have decided to reduce the price of a day out on my boat between now and the 1st March 2010. It is usually £100 for up to 2 people. It is now £70 for a full day or £50 for half a day, so do please spread the word!
I've just got back from Derby where, apart from getting hopelessly lost and consequently very stressed, I have been interviewed by BBC Radio Derby. It is for their Sunday morning 'religion and ethics' programme. They were particularly interested in why I changed lives from Church Army evangelist to narrowboat resident. I was fairly kind about Church Army and the work it does (Neil take note!) but less kind about my perception of where the Church's current focus lies, and how it pours all it's energies into getting people in through the front door, but shows little or no interest in those disappearing out the back door! I also talked a bit about my life pre-church as well as getting an advert in for 'The Narrow Way'.
It is likely to be broadcasted on 22nd November between 6am and 9am. For those who, for whatever reason, actually want to hear it, but don't want to wake up early, it will be on the BBC i player for 7 days after the broadcast.

sore legs

2009-10-28T09:51:00.000Z

Just a quick note: Bonny and I made it into work but it was a good hour of brisk walking. I didn't think that would be a problem, but oh my hips ache now! It's a lovely walk - inland so away from the A38, across fields, but it is further by quite a way than if we use the towpath, so going back tonight I think we will brave the A38 racket and go back via the towpath. I just hope 'Don't Panic' is still there, safe and sound, to meet us. It's the first time I've left her on the towpath!

living out on the cut

2009-10-27T11:35:00.000Z

This week Bonny and I are having our first experience of living out on the canal. Oh, we have been out before of course, but on our other trips we have travelled every day and stopped for the evenings. This time we are moored near Alrewas, only about 45 minutes from the marina. I am moored on the towpath on a section where we can stay for up to two weeks. We will have little trips probably, but I wanted to discover how easy or difficult it is to carry on 'normal' life whilst apart from the umbilical cord of the marina.

Power is obviously the first issue. In the marina I am attached to a landline which means I have mains electricity. Here, I am wholly reliant on my batteries. I have 5 batteries plus a starter one which is a lot for a 50 foot boat. The advantage is that I have power for longer, the downside is that it takes longer to charge them back up. On a journey that's not an issue as they charge while I'm travelling, but here I need to remember to run the engine once or perhaps twice a day. I filled up with water before leaving the marina so that should last me a week and anyway, there is a water point in Alrewas. I shopped as well and so food won't be an issue.

Obviously I still have to work, so tomorrow Bonny and I are going to commute for the first time. I think it will take us just under an hour to walk it - we will see. We will need to return at the end of the week as next week we will need the car. Bonny has a vet's appointment and I have been asked to go in to Radio Derby to give an interview about my change in life!

But at present, life is all about living free. Bonny has the run of the towpath. She knows not to go out of sight of the boat and is becoming relaxed about the lack of restrictions; today for the first time she chose to come back on board for a nap, rather than me having to lock her in to force her to rest. I love it here. I am answerable to nobody and the full responsibility for living, keeping warm and safe is mine alone. There are no fences, no rules (except for the time I can remain here) and no visible road, although the A38 is still rumbling along in the background.

Here are some pictures taken near our mooring (if you look very closely you can just see Bonny running along the towpath):

wonderful wigwams

2009-10-17T10:18:00.000+01:00

Bonny and I have just returned from 3 days in the wilds of Worcestershire. We met up with some Church Army friends to practice 'mindfullness', talk together about our spiritual journeys and drink wine. We stayed in 'wigwams' (actually small chalet type huts) on farmland and Bonny had utter freedom for the first time in her young life! She made friends with a 12 year old sheepdog, Jed, and followed him around slavishly. He tolerated her and when she got a bit too excited, he taught her some manners in a more effective way than I ever could.
The weather was glorious and we spent a lot of time outside - even having a bonfire one evening which Bonny was fascinated by.
I love belonging to this group. Although we all have Church Army in common, our paths have diverged and so now, although some are still working as Church Army evangelists, others have been ordained as priests, some have not been able to secure posts and have had to return to secular jobs and one is going through the process of retirement (and then there is me!). Our spiritual lives are equally rich in variety, and yet we have developed the ability to listen to each other without judging, without trying to convert the other to our way of thinking, but still with much empathy. We can also argue passionately for something one day and then change our minds the very next day without censure. I also laugh more when I am with these people than anywhere else. We also spend some time in silence - being mindful of the present moment - the current breath in our bodies, and allowing our minds to quieten. The experience of being silent in a group feels deeper and more rich to me than being silent alone.
All in all it was a precious time, the first time I have been off the boat since February! I am now back in the marina and back in work and Bonny is back on the lead, but the experience will stay with and shape both of us for some time to come.

freedom, responsibility and ownership

2009-10-09T11:43:00.001+01:00

Bonny is growing - 5 months old now - here is the latest pic.

There's been some trouble in paradise and it has made me think again about how much we can exercise freedom without impinging on other people and whether owning property is indeed theft!

Bonny and I enjoy a walk every morning around two lakes which are part of this site which includes the marina and shops. The whole site is owned by one business man. Up until last week we could walk around both lakes using a circular path. We would meet lots of other dog walkers, most of whom let their dogs run off the lead. Bonny has been excellently socialised through these walks and I have made some friends. Cyclists and joggers also used the well maintained paths.

Recently, the owner decided to stock the lakes with trout and sell permits to fishermen. As soon as this took off, signs started to spring up around the site. First there were warning signs advising walkers to look out for back casts. Then, one day a fence appeared, stopping anyone using the circular walk. You could walk all the way round but then you had to turn back and retrace your steps. Then the next day more signs - 'Anglers only beyond this point', banning the rest of us from most of one lake, and finally 'all dogs must be kept on leads at all times' everywhere around both lakes. All of these innovations happened within one week. (oh and an additional fence stopping us walking through the woods to the lock, towpath and local pub!)

Needless to say the dog walkers, cyclists and joggers are most peeved. We all have a good whinge when meeting each other and most of the dog walkers are ignoring the instructions. I decided to obey the 'Anglers only past this point' sign but not 'the leads on at all times' one. Bonny is really good now at coming when she is called and has to spend the rest of the day on a lead when outside, so this was her only 'free time'.

I also had a conversation with the two bailiffs who have suddenly appeared, wearing day glow jackets and camouflage trousers. Both men live on the same pier as me and I would call them friends. They said that the owner could do whatever he wanted and that he was only protecting the fishermen from being bothered by dogs - after all the fishermen pay, the rest of the community don't. I pointed out that not everything should come down to money and that the owner has managed to spoil the enjoyment of hundreds of people, not to mention upsetting most of the village at the very time he is applying for planning permission. We had a lively discussion and parted agreeing to disagree. I thought that was that. But the next day I was summoned to the Marina office to be given a dressing down by the person who works there. I was told that a dog walker (or two) had been into the office to report I had been moaning about the new regime, and the marina staff member told me I was to stop talking in this way to villagers and to direct any complaints to management! I enquired whether freedom of speech has also been banned and pointed out that I was having a conversation with friends which was very different from wanting to make any formal complaint! I also said that I suspected it wasn't a dog walker who had dobbed me in, but one of the bailiffs, after our conversation (denied). I was reminded that, according to my mooring agreement, if I caused any trouble, they could require me to leave.

I was really upset. I felt as if all my freedom had been removed at one fell swoop. I also couldn't help looking at the other dog walkers and my bailiff friends with suspicion, wondering who it was that reported me. This is my home and yet I cannot walk or even talk in peace and freedom. The facts of course are clear. The owner of the site can do whatever he wants to do and can impose any rules as this is private property. He even owns the water under my boat and can chuck me out whenever he feels like it.

I suddenly felt really claustrophobic. My mooring spot is directly outside both the marina office and my workplace and the bailiffs walk past my boat every day. I am surrounded by fences and feel like I am being watched. So I have moved. I can't move out of the marina as there are no other live aboard moorings within striking distance of work. But I have moved piers to the most remote spot of the marina and it is lovely. Most of the boats on this pier are not lived on and so there aren't many people about. I am surrounded by grass rather than fences and car parks and although I am closer to the A38, it is actually less noisy here. Bonny loves it - especially as we seem to be living in Watership Down rabbit country!

But have I wimped out? I feel I have run away from the fight rather than standing my ground. But then was I right to fight in the first place or am I becoming an anarchist; rejecting all rules imposed from 'above'? I still refuse to keep Bonny on a lead all the time- but only let her off on our early morning walls when no fishermen or bailiffs are around. It doesn't feel right to me that one man can declare a whole area his and then directly affect the lives of many people he hasn't even met! And all in the name of profit. Then again, if he hadn't developed this old gravel pit into the marina it is today, I wouldn't have a home here.

Here is the lake - before the trouble...

a little enlightenment

2009-10-03T10:18:00.000+01:00

I took Bonny and the boat to Branston Water Park last week for an overnight escape from the marina. We had two beautiful autumn days - sunny and warm during the day and cooler at night. The water park itself is a large lake with walks around it and many different water birds to watch.

We had spent a peaceful night on board (you can hardly hear the A38 from there!) and after breakfast we went for a walk around the lake. Bonny was being perfectly behaved, the sun was shining and all was well with the world. Then I caught myself thinking 'it will be good to get back to the boat and have a sit down in the sun.' A perfectly innocent little thought, you might say, but a little light flashed on from wherever wisdom originates and I had a small epiphany.

I realised that I am always looking for something better. The present is never good enough, I'm always looking to improve on it. Instead of entering fully into that present moment of the walk, I was thinking about what comes next. I realised that I am always saying to myself 'once I have this or once I become that, then I'll be content'. Then when I get this or become that, I think 'well, that's good...but it's not perfect...but once I get this or become that, then I'll be content - then I'll really be able to live.' It occured to me on that walk that I will still be thinking this on my death bed. In the meantime, I will have missed out on so many small pleasures at my feet because my gaze is fixed further down the road. So I have resolved to practice short sightedness!

When I returned I went to the talk by Tom Hodgkinson that I mentioned a blog or two ago. He was excellent and what he said helped me fix my resolve both to practice contentment and to take time to stand and stare. I had a chat with him afterwards and the upshot of that is that he has asked me to write a piece (3000 words!) about my life change from land to boat and from career girl to practising idler! If it's good enough he will publish it in The Idler Magazine. If not then hopefully I will get some feedback about my writing style.

The most recent blessing I am counting is a phone call from Lloyds. I'm still not sure whether to believe it, but the lady who called was really nice and understanding. At the end of repeating my situation (again!) she said the bank would stop charging interest and charges for a few months - in effect freezing my loan - to see if I can get more work and start paying them again. In the meantime I can give them whatever I can manage, whenever I can manage it, but they won't hold me to a regular payment at this time. It will ruin my credit rating for 6 years, but since I have no intention of ever getting into debt again, I'm not worried. I will wait with interest to see if she was telling the truth... No I won't, I'll enjoy the present moment of reprieve!!

mindfulness

2009-09-23T10:15:00.000+01:00

Next month I shall join some Church Army colleagues for a 3 day get together. It will be the first contact I have had with the Church since I left at the end of last year. We are a small group of like minded individuals who are travelling a similar spiritual path. We meet twice a year and spend time in silence together, share insights from our journeys and down the odd bottle of wine together. For the last few meetings, we have gathered in a field near Worcester and slept in wigwams!

We will have an extra member this time in the form of Bonny. I'm not sure she will cope with the times of silence, but then again, I don't know how well I shall cope either! It's not so much the silence, but the liturgy we use to lead into the silence. Although I am feeling more positive now about matters of faith, I still have big issues with the Church and react strongly against any sense of it telling me how to connect with God, or what is an acceptable belief and what is not. For me, the Church has lost so much credibility and integrity in recent years that I'm no longer sure it has the moral / spiritual authority to speak at all.
However I respect my colleagues and the way they choose to express their faith and so I shall enter into it as much as I am able. I am really looking forward to being with them and hearing how each person is travelling, especially as I missed our last gathering. There is also something about being silent in company that touches me at a deep level. We are not merely silent, the aim is to be mindful - mindful of our deepest selves, mindful of each breath we take, and as we stop and just 'be', I find my soul and deeper emotions opening up and invariably I come away with some new insight. I generally spend a fair proportion of the time giggling helplessly as well!

I didn't think I was missing anything about being in ministry, but last night I watched the BBC2 programme about a choir master who helped draw a whole community together through music and in doing so, significantly changed some of the people's lives. I found myself crying by the end of the programme and as I reflected on why, I realised I was seeing how my ministry could have been if I had not been so confused by 'right beliefs' v helping people live full lives and connect with the Spirit of God in whichever way is right for them. I guess I miss having a significant effect on other people's lives, or maybe I just miss being significant! I hope to explore this area further at the wigwams.

Bonny the Boat Dog!

2009-09-21T10:23:00.000+01:00

Sorry about the longish silence; I've had a bit of a virus problem with my computer, but I'm well on the way to sorting it out.

Last week Bonny and I went out for a whole 4 days on the boat (thanks to my kind work mate swapping days off). Bonny wore her new life jacket, much to the amusement of passing boaters and their pets, but it made me less anxious and having the handle on top meant I could easily lift her on and off the boat and also carry her, rather like a briefcase, across the locks!

She took to the whole experience like a duck to water, if you know what I mean! She rode on the roof and patrolled up and down it's length, only coming back to me if startled. I had been told that some dogs get frightened if left on the boat in locks, but not Bonny. She was fantastic! We did the Fradley flight on the first day and moored for the night in Fradley Woods. Bonny loved having the freedom of the tow path after having to be constantly on a lead in the marina.

I was worried that if I let her get off and on the boat at will, she will do the same in the marina when we returned, which would be a no no. I got over the problem by using the gang plank. She quickly learnt that if the gang plank was there, she could get off and on. If it wasn't, she had to wait for me to lift her off - Perfect!

We went on to Handsacre the second night and tied up by Bridge 56 which is a lovely secluded mooring, with room for only one boat. The only downside was there was a little road nearby and quite a few walkers and their dogs - great for my friendly pup, but it meant Ihad to keep a close eye all the time. So we returned to Fradley Woods for our last night. I have found a great little mooring in the woods which isn't near anybody else so Bonny can run free. While she explored, I did some polishing and now 'Don't Panic' gleams!

As I've said before, I love being out on the canal and my heart sinks when I return to the Marina. However, I am very fortunate to be able to do this at all, pre-retirement, and have decided to make the most of it by not resenting the time in the marina, but rather appreciating the electricity on tap and the facilities on my doorstep. But to prevent Marina fever setting in, I shall take the boat out and moor overnight on the cut all lot more often. In fact, once Bonny is introduced to my cycle, there is nothing to stop us mooring for a week on the cut and cycling in to work. Branston Water Park is just up the canal and would be a lovely place to walk Bonny.

On the downside of life, Lloyds are getting nasty over my loan and are sending threatening letters and making odd phone calls, using people whose accents are so extreme that I struggle to understand them - not being from India myself. This is despite the fact that I have kept them informed every step of the way and have done everything they have told me to do so far! The Debt Counselling Service, that they insisted I spoke to, were brilliant and have helped me sort out a budget and have told me what banks are allowed to do, what they are not allowed to do and what they will try to get away with! Lloyds are following the script of 'what they will try to get away with' almost to the letter. The most important advice I received was 'don't let them bully you into agreeing to pay them more than you can afford'. Lloyds have alreaady tried to do just that and that's only their opening salvo. They are now apparantly passing my case on to their debt recovery unit, but as long as I follow the instructions given by the DCS, I should be OK.

I think I've mentioned Tom Hodgkinson before - a brilliant author who wrote 'How to be Free', my current manual for life! Well, he is coming to the Marina at the end of the month to do a talk on how Dr Johnson influenced his life and I will be able to listen to him live! What are the chances of that - a fairly obscure author, living in Devon, who has helped me significantly, coming to the very marina I am living at in the West Midlands! I take it as a sign that I am still on the right track. I highly recommend this book and indeed 'How to be Idle' and for parents 'Idle Parenting' if you want to release some pressures from your life.

response to fear

2009-09-12T10:56:00.000+01:00

I love writing my blog but sometimes I wonder if I'm just talking to myself, so it was lovely to receive an email from my friend Kristina Petersen, commenting on my blog about fear. I so appreciated what she said that I got her permission to repeat some of her email here:

I think you are so right with what you're saying about life slowing down for you and about freedom from various things (including savings but also the need to consume). I think a lot of people would nod their head in agreement but carry on with their busy life, while you have actually had the courage to do something about it and lead a different sort of life. I also agree that a life without fear seems attractive but I wonder whether it’s not actually a life without worry that we could be aiming for. When you stand on a rail track and a train is approaching fast and you don’t have time to think about it, it’s fear that gives you the adrenaline to jump to the side. Worry is useful only if it propels us into action – if it doesn’t, maybe because we can’t do anything or we worry about something that isn’t actually a problem, it just makes us miserable. By the way, my cat, which has a happy life, still feels fear, so I wonder whether it’s innate. The cat is afraid of moving wheels (a good things, gets him to avoid moving cars) and loud noises, like the Hoover (not so useful). He doesn’t worry, though – animals don’t because they live in the present. Which ties in nicely with your point about slowing down as that helps you to live in the present and enjoy each moment. You’re definitely on the right track.

I agree with Kristina that perhaps I should have been talking about worry rather than fear. Thanks Kristina!
Oh, and thanks to you too Lynda, it's good of you to leave encouraging comments!
My next blog will be about the welcome visit of my family to the boat, but I have a virus problem on my computer at present which means I can't post the photos!

Visit from my brother

2009-09-01T12:11:00.000+01:00

My brother Peter came all the way from Australia to see my boat! Well alright, he had other things to do as well, but we went out on the boat together yesterday and he loved it! He also kept an eye on Bonny as she had her first experience of riding on the roof without her crate! You will have to wait for photos of that, as my brother took some great ones and will hopefully pass some on to me.

He was so enthusiastic about the boat and Bonny and it made me feel really good. I have made all my recent decisions without many expressions of approval from others and mostly I can cope OK with that, but to have my big brother say that my decisions make sense and are right means a lot. Here is a picture of us together...

Bonny coped brilliantly as a boat dog. She would occasionally peer over the side of the boat which stopped my heart on a couple of occasions. She also got a fright when we passed a herd of cows, but when she felt insecure she just ran either to Pete at one end of the boat or me at the other. She fell in love with Pete at first sight and as long as she was sitting near him, she coped with all the new sights, sounds and smells just fine. I was so proud of her!

Pictures of life on 'The Cut'

2009-08-27T15:35:00.001+01:00

Since there were no pictures in my last entry, I thought I'd make up for it in this one. The first is me with the boat at Alrewas - a lovely little village near here. The second is a picture of Don't Panic moored at Great Hayward -a lovely peaceful place on the edge of Cannock Chase.

The third is a picture of the bridge at Great Hayward - a much photographed scene!

The last is of some visitors I had earlier this year.

If anyone wants a set of cards made with photos I have taken over the last 8 months do let me know. They are blank inside and I can do sets of 5 or 10 for a very reasonable price!

narrowboating as a lifestyle

2009-08-26T10:33:00.000+01:00

I first considered living on a boat for purely practical purposes. I couldn't afford even a deposit on a home of my own and I really didn't fancy renting a flat somewhere, finding a job and then giving my landlord most of my wages. Getting a loan for the boat was so much easier than trying to get a mortgage (and a lot less money involved) and so it seemed a good way to put a roof over my head. Had I not been a sailor in my youth, I doubt I would have thought of this possibility, but almost all my holidays growing up were on boats of various shapes and I loved life on the water. Well, I loved most of it; having up to 6 brothers and sisters, all crammed together for a couple of weeks with no escape does hold its challenges! I remember when one of us misbehaved, Dad used to put us in the dinghy and tow us behind the boat on our own!

So the seeds were there, but I didn't realise when I set out on this adventure that living on a narrowboat is so much more than a shelter from the storm. It is like stepping into a whole different universe; one that reminds me what it must have been like in a past, more civilised age.

The pace of life is the first major difference. Somehow, the fact of only travelling at 4mph affects life even when I'm not out on the canal. It's strange, but when I travel at a slower pace, I seem to have more time. On the cut, people are passing slowly and so have time to call out a greeting or pass on some news. If someone gets into a bit of trouble, others seem much happier to stop and lend a hand, or at least they don't seem to get impatient if they have to wait while you sort yourself out. After all, if it takes an hour to travel under 4 miles, how is another few minutes going to matter? I wonder if it was like this before the advent of the metal isolation box or speedy killing machine otherwise known as the car?

Off the canal, I am not trying to fit 25 hours worth of things into 24 hours. This is partly because I am working less hours, but also because I am not buying stuff like I used to, and if I'm not filling time buying and using things, there is time instead to cloud gaze or read or write a blog or learn a new craft. I am finally working out that life is more than work and more than consuming or being consumed by our consumer culture.

The second value I am discovering is that of generosity. I had not realised that I had become quite miserly and a bit of a horder once the money started to run out. But now I am surrounded by people who also don't have very much, but what they do have, they share. A couple of examples: I am struggling with a hot water problem and so far two different boaters have given up significant amounts of time helping me sort the problem out whilst asking for nothing in return. When I got Bonny, I mentioned that I would need anyone's spare newspaper - for obvious toilet reasons - and so far I haven't had to get one paper myself as people are visiting my boat on a daily basis to drop off their Mirrors, Mails and Telegraphs. Another couple dropped off a lovely pair of dog bowls - sadly not needed by them any more - because they thought Bonny would like them. In return I gave them a hand painted tea pot I no longer use.
I started making cards with the idea of making some money, but I am finding it much more satisfying to give them away or send them to friends and relatives. The general idea here seems to be that if you've got something you don't need, don't throw it away or sell it, but give it away to your neighbours and they will do the same. If you have a skill to offer, then offer it and others will offer their talents to you. I believe that given enough like minded people, it would be possible to live on a barter system and do away with money almost entirely!

The last value I'll write about today (or this entry will become impossibly long) is what I will call a closer connection with life. By life I mean nature, the weather, the seasons and all that is natural - even my own rhythms of being. When it's windy I feel it through the souls of my feet as the boat rocks gently. I go to sleep when I'm tired and wake when I'm ready to, rather than to the shriek of the alarm clock and find this way that I need less sleep, not more (mind you, these days it's more about Bonny's rhythm than mine!). I have different birds visiting my boat at different but set times of day and recently my boat has served as a launching pad for baby swallows learning to fly. I love this connection and realisation of my dependance on the natural world. I even celebrate rain as the canals wouldn't exist without it; just as well during this summer!

I know all these things are there for people who don't live on boats, but for me, I had to be here, living in this way, to recognise and appreciate it.

Bonny the boat dog!

2009-08-24T16:13:00.001+01:00

Bonny had her first trip out on the boat today. It wasn't a long trip - we pumped out at the dock and then went as far as the winding hole at Wychnor. She rode in her crate on the roof. She was very alert and interested in everything around her, but no sign of distress at all. We were out for just over an hour and she only whined a little bit when we re-entered the marina. I am so pleased with her! As soon as I receive her doggy life jacket, we will be out again and I'll see how she copes riding on the roof without her crate! It was so nice to be out - even for a short time. As soon as holidays are over and there is room to breathe on the canal, I will go out for a few days. I've already checked with my very helpful and kind workmate and he is happy to swap the odd day off to allow me 4 days in a row. Of course I wish he wanted two days off together all the time and then I could have my 3 working days together - at present I work each the weekend and on Wednesdays, which means I only have 2 days off in a row. That means I can only really go as far as Fradley or Willington on the boat. But I'm not complaining - I am very well aware how fortunate I am to be able to be on this boat and take her out whenever I feel like it!

I haven't had any bookings for my venture yet, which is a shame, both financially but also because I just love showing people how wonderful it is on the canals! However, it has given me time to familiarise Bonny with the boat (not to mention making great strides in house training - 6 dry nights in a row!) I am also pretty busy sorting out my finances, trying to sell my car and trying to ensure that I don't stuff every day full of things to do. So I'm happy to have bookings and content at present not to have any. Thanks to my very good friends Maggie and David, I have some rather smart brochures which I am circulating around - if anybody reading this wants one, or a lot, let me know. Some people have said it is difficult to leave a message; if clicking on the comment tab after each entry doesn't work, then feel free to email me at dontpanic1@live.co.uk

Marina Fever

2009-08-15T10:12:00.000+01:00

Why is it that when you think things are perfect, the perfection only lasts a very short time and then you are wanting something else? Or perhaps I should say I rather than you - is it just me? I have my wonderful life afloat, I have Bonny and I'm well on my way to managing to live within my means, but now I yearn to be out on the canal!
I have not been out for nearly a month - the longest since I got the boat. August isn't a particularly good month for cruising anyway as the world and his wife are out there at present which makes finding moorings, queuing for locks and avoiding wildly controlled hire boats that much more challenging.
But life has a whole different flavour when I'm out on the cut. I feel free, relaxed and fulfilled. I also can't wait to introduce Bonny to the pleasures of the canal, although I need to address some safety issues first.
I would like to become the sort of person who is content with what they have, where they are and who they are, but, so far in my life, I have always been driven to look for more, have more, be more. If anybody out there knows the secret of being content, then do share it with us all!

A Bonny Life

2009-08-11T10:48:00.000+01:00

Bonny update:

It is now the 6th day of life with Bonny and as Michael Buble is currently singing: 'I'm feeling good'! She recovered very quickly from her bad tummy and is now eating and drinking (and pooing) fine!

She is a complete joy. She is so bright and completely unafraid of anything. She has so far met swans, Boxer dogs and people and hasn't turned a hair. I have started the engine briefly on the boat as I thought the noise and vibration might be a bit of a fright for her - no, she cocked her head for a bit and then carried on playing. She came to work with me on the weekend and I was rather worried, especially for the Sunday when the boss was in, but I needn't have fretted. She bounced about the shop while there was no one around and when I needed to shut her in her crate, she promptly fell asleep. She has charmed my co-worker - so much so, that he looked after her yesterday when I needed to go out! The shop is quickly becoming a second home to her. Last night we managed our first uninterrupted night's sleep - thank goodness! House training, or should I say boat training is going to take a while, but she is already confining herself to two patches of newspaper at either end of the boat.

Fearlessness:

It made me think again about fear; is it natural and inborn or is it learnt? My other two dogs were both rescue adults and had already a whole set of fears each. But Bonny has been loved and safe from birth. Since nothing has yet hurt her, she doesn't seem to feel fear. Will she continue to be unafraid? What if then something happens to her (like falling in the cut!) will she then be fearful of other things? Once a creature has known fear, can it go back to being unafraid?

And what about us human beings? Can we choose to put aside old fears and decide to live unafraid lives? People will say that a certain amount of fear is good; it helps in our survival, but I wonder? I don't have to be afraid of standing on a railway line as a train approaches to know it's dangerous. Now I am an adult I know what will hurt me and what won't, so is it possible to live without fear?

Think of the freedom we would enjoy if it were so. No fears for the future, no fear of death, no fear of rejection, of strangers, of crime or of illness. Yes, we will suffer some or all of these things but the suffering will be limited to the time of it's arrival; we would no longer be suffering in advance of any struggle. After all, most of us waste vast amounts of useless emotion on 'what if's'; on fear of things that don't actually come to pass.

Another question - if we lost all fear, would that turn us into 'bad' people? 'Fear of The Lord', the Bible says 'is the beginning of wisdom'. If we no longer feared God or feared punishment for our sins, would we then sin more? I'm not so sure. After all, we may be afraid of punishment as we are now, but it still doesn't stop us doing things wrong, so not having fear probably wouldn't make that much difference to our level of 'badness'. Of course what we wouldn't any longer be able to do is frighten people into faith. No more - believe what I believe or be damned / rejected by God / cast out of our community etc etc. No more 'turn or burn'!

So what would we look like without fear? How would we live differently, believe differently? What would happen to our society if we could look strangers in the eye and be unafraid. How would the government govern without being able to use fear to manipulate us. What sort of people of faith would we be if we followed our God out of love and a lust for life, rather than fear of the alternative? Would we treat our planet and the poorest on it any better if we did not fear that someone else might be getting a bigger slice of the cake than we have? What would happen if instead of living safely by avoiding what frightens us, we threw ourselves into life, sucking the marrow out of it and valuing it as the miraculous gift it is?

One downside I can immediately think of - those two fear masters, Health and Safety, might be out of a job!

the first 24 hours

2009-08-07T11:06:00.000+01:00

Well, I've had Bonny for just over 24 hours now and it's been fairly traumatic! She was a little bundle of energy yesterday and I probably let her do too much. Also, every time I took her out to do a wee, she managed to find and eat rabbit poo. Then last night, she had to spend her first night without her mum and siblings and she was a very sad little pup. All of which probably explains why she has been going from both ends since 5am! She won't eat or drink - although I have managed to get a little water into her - dehydration in puppies can be very serious. She is sleeping now and the breeder (who I rang early this morning) said to try her with an ice cube when she wakes up as she might lick that.
I have had about 3 hours sleep and tomorrow I have to take her into work with me!
She really didn't sleep much at all yesterday, so I'm hoping if she sleeps a lot today, it might help.
I just hope she feels better very soon. How on earth to mothers cope with human babies? It must be terrifying - especially with the first!
I'm sorry, I started this blog to write about living on a narrowboat and all I can write about at the moment is puppies!

Puppies and Penury

2009-08-04T13:00:00.000+01:00

This is Bonny... all together now, "aaah, isn't she sweet!" I am due to become her mother on Thursday. I am full of excitement, but also nerves - what if she falls in the water? What if I can't train her? What if she is impossible at work? But then, as I have written elsewhere, 'what if's' are no reason not to do something!

The last of my savings are going to pay for her (and for vet's insurance!). Once that cheque is cashed, then I shall be writing to my bank to 're-negotiate' my loan payments. The CAB have been really helpful in showing me how to write to the bank in such a way that they will have no choice but to reduce my boat loan payments by a whacking amount. Yes, it means I'll be in hock to the powers that be forever, but it also means that I will be able to (just) live within my means, while only working 3 days a week!

I refuse to feel even an iota of guilt over shrinking my loan payments to the bank. All banks are evil! Up to the end of the Middle Ages, usurers (people who take interest on money loaned) were regarded as sinners who were destined for hell. Merchants on their death bed would regularly pay back all the interest they had taken in a lifetime, to save their souls. But the Church's attitude changed through the centuries until it seems to have become regarded as a sign of God's favour to be rich and somehow the sin of usury disappeared from the Christian conscience - probably replaced by an increased interest in sex! (Or should I say sexual sins?)

These days the banks charge obscene interest for money borrowed and then whack massive charges on top if you dare to risk missing a payment. They have brought the world's economies to their knees in one year and yet, just the other night, two banks posted massive half yearly profits - profits obtained from the pain of those poorer than them. Bank bonuses are still being paid out in their millions to people who have gambled the savings and pensions of ordinary folk.

So if you are in debt, don't lose sleep over it. The banks certainly won't. In fact they love us being in debt because then they can really make money from us. I have known people driven into depression or worse because of debt. But debt doesn't really exist. It is just a number on a computer screen. The same as my savings were when they disappeared from Kaupthing Edge (see previous post). They are not worth losing our happiness for. They are not worth anything in fact! I will endevour to eventually pay back what I owe, because that is what my own conscience tells me is right. But I refuse to let the bank bully me over it. I refuse to let it darken my life and I will make sure I have enough to live on before paying money to an organisation that is destined for hell!

Meanwhile the next 'freedom' that I will experience, will be the 'freedom' of having no savings. I suspect I shall learn some hard lessons, but worthwhile ones. "Blessed are the poor" said Jesus. Maybe he had a point.

quote of the day

2009-07-30T10:29:00.000+01:00

This is a picture of a neighbour of mine. He is a begger and will lean in my window for food. He is pretty obsessive about it, even though several other boats also feed him. I thought he would be a fitting subject to sit alongside a quote I have just taken to heart. It is from Richard Byrd (no pun intended) a polar explorer:

"No man can be completely free who lingers within the reach of familiar habits and urgencies".

freedom seeker?

2009-07-29T14:20:00.000+01:00

No photo of Bonny yet - I couldn't get her to stay still long enough to take one! Maybe on my next visit.
Somebody has asked what I meant when I said I was a freedom seeker (in my profile) and since it is a very good question, I shall try to explain myself.
I have been reading an excellent book by Tom Hodgkinson called 'How to be Free' and he asserts that we are all free already, the only reason we do not exercise our freedom is because of our 'mind forg'd manacles'. In other words, we are free to do and be whatever we choose and the only things that stop us are the voices inside our own heads.
So I had a listen to some of my voices. Some are disguised to sound like my parents, some sound like the government and some like the Church. An example from the recent past: 'You can't throw in your job and go live on a boat - it's not the adult thing to do, it's not as if you are 20 anymore and how will you afford it? You can't expect anybody to bail you out if you get into trouble. It's not safe on your own, what if you fall in, get attacked, sink. How selfish of you to follow your own desires - it shouldn't be about what you want.' (I'm sure you can work out for yourselves which voice is which, although of course, they were all my voices!)
What all these statements have in common is that they have fear at their core; fear of how I will look to other people, fear for my own safety, fear of being seen to be selfish or foolhardy, and fear of being monetarily poor.
But I then had a choice - do I let my fear stand in the way of my dreams (to quote an advert)? Do I let fear be my 'mind forg'd manacle', imprisoning me in a life that was slowly strangling me to death? Or do I acknowledge the fear, but do it anyway? On this occasion, I followed the scent of freedom, yes in fear and trembling, but I took the leap into the unknown.
Now before you label me either a hero or a boastful fool, I have recognised since then, that this move was only the first of many manacles to be cast off in my quest to be free. I still feel trapped by many things - by debt, by what people think of me, by expectations I lay on myself, and of course by the whole weight of should's and ought's that I took with me from the Church. But I now recognise that these things that make us feel trapped are phantoms - only real in our own minds, and so can be overcome. And that is how I am seeking to be free; I am confronting, one by one, my inner voices as well as, when necessary the outer forces that seek to enslave me (like the bank at present - usurers all - they are hell bound!)
I share this (if anybody actually reads my blog!) because I suspect I am not the only one who has felt trapped or powerless or fearful. If anybody wants to leave a comment about the above, or about their own experience / wisdom, then feel free. You just click on the 'comment' green button.

Leading or Coincidence?

2009-07-27T12:19:00.000+01:00

Having just decided on the breed of dog I wanted, I happened to bump into a friend from another boat who has a Boxer dog. He walks around the lake every morning and has got to know other dog walkers. When I mentioned I had decided on a Cairn Terrier, he said he knew someone who walks around the lake who knows a breeder of Cairns. He said that she walks her Border Terrier each morning and that I should recognise her because her terrier swims round the lake on the end of her lead! I thanked him and decided to have a stroll. Since it was 3pm I didn't expect any dog walkers around as they all tend to walk early mornings or evenings.

But yes, just as I rounded the end of the lake, there was a little terrier swimming towards me, on her lead. I spoke to the lady and yes, she was Jane and yes, she knew a woman who breeds Cairns just up the road. She also knew that she currently has a litter ready to go but was pretty sure they were all reserved for buyers. She helped me memorize the breeder's phone number and I raced back to the boat before I forgot it. I got hold of the breeder and yes, she had a litter and although they were all reserved, a buyer had just dropped out, leaving one female pup available!

Two nights later I visited the breeder who turned out to be a lovely lady who also rescues both Cairn Terriers and Tortoises! I then met the canine family - Dad, Mum, Grandma and six lively ten week old puppies. They were all gorgeous! All the puppies were healthy and happy and both their parents were lovely. The puppy's forebears were long lived (Great Grandma lived till 18!) and several have been champions. The bitch available is a brindle colour with a little black face. Not surprisingly it was love at first sight! So I'm going to have her. She still needs one more injection and because I haven't anywhere private to exercise her, we have decided that she will stay with the breeder for another 2 weeks, so any danger of catching something nasty from strange dogs will be well past. Meanwhile I can visit her to get to know her and the breeder has offered to bring her to the boat so we can see how she reacts and also to give any advice I need. She has also said that if I need any advice she will be happy to help any time. So, it couldn't have worked out better. Yes, she is expensive to purchase, but I am going to sell my car so I'll have the money and anyway, for me, having a healthy, happy pup to love is priceless!

The way things worked out made me think about coincidence /fate /God. A lot of Christians believe that God is concerned and active in our every day lives, even to the extent of arranging for me to find a puppy. I've met some who even believe that if they pray, God will find them a parking space! Others believe that if something is meant to be, it will happen; either because I was moving in the right direction to merge with the flow of the universe and so it was all going to work out, or that it was fated. Others believe in coincidences; that each event just happened to dovetail with the next, but it could just as easily not have worked out.

I am not convinced that God intervenes when I need a parking space or even when I need a puppy. In fact, I wonder now how much God intervenes with the natural order of things at all? I wonder if it is not more that when we are moving in the flow of the Spirit of God, then things will work out as they should, but when we have stepped out of that flow, or are actively fighting against it, then things go awry? Either way, I am very grateful for the opportunity to care for a living creature again and to love. When I visit the pup, who I am almost sure I am going to call Bonny or Bonny Lass again, I will get a photo to share on this blog.

Brandy

2009-07-23T15:21:00.000+01:00

The idea of getting a new dog has made me feel a bit guilty - as if I am forgetting my last beautiful boy. So I thought I'd post a picture of him...

decisions

2009-07-22T10:07:00.000+01:00

I am trying to strike a balance between living sensibly and living well. Obviously I don't have money to waste on anything non essential and I have to see where I can make cutbacks. So in that light, I have decided to sell my car. It sits in the carpark for six days out of seven and I just can't justify the expense. However, I have not been without a car for the last 30 years! I find it gives a great sense of both security and independence to know that I can just get in and go wherever I want.

Sensibly...

I used to love driving, just for driving's sake, but now that enjoyment is gone. The roads are so crowded and everybody else seem to be in such a hurry and so angry! And it is infectious. If someone makes a minor error in driving near me, I find myself raging at them, and yet in any other sphere of life, I would just let it go. I suspect most drivers aren't so much angry as terrified! How did we all get to live such hurried and fearful lives? Why is getting somewhere quickly more important than being courteous and forgiving or even safe? This has helped me in my decision to sell the car. I don't like the person I become behind the wheel but I do like the person I am when I have a tiller in my hand! I also like the people I meet on the towpath and on the canal much more than those on our highways. People smile and wave. They have time to say 'good morning' and if I make a mistake, other boaters just smile or comment that they also have made mistakes and not to worry about it. There is a courtesy and friendliness on the cut (canal) that I thought was only confined these days to tiny rural hamlets.

Having made the decision, I went straight out and bought a folding bike. I need something to go to the shops with and to carry my shopping home, but also I had forgotten what fun cycling can be. It also feels like it fits this new life; connected to the environment in a way that driving in a metal box can never be. I don't have to worry about parking or getting petrol and the running costs are almost nothing.

Well...

My second decision is to do with the living well rather than economically; in fact sensible people will almost certainly scold me for it. It is 7 months since my beloved labrador died and there is a hole in my heart. I feel I've got all this love to give and nobody to lavish it on, so I'm going to buy a dog. My last two dogs were of the rescue variety and although I loved them both, my regret was that I never knew either of them as puppies. I am also aware that bringing a dog onto a boat has its challenges and it will be a lot easier for both of us if the dog is trained to it from the beginning. I have been researching breeds for a while - although I loved both my Collie and Labrador, I have decided a smaller dog will fit better into my smaller living space. Finally I have narrowed the choice down to a Cairn Terrier. Now I just need to find one. I will use what I get for the car to pay for both the bike and the dog. Here ( I hope) is a picture of a Cairn terrier...

Isn't he gorgeous? Hopefully mine will be too.

jobs or lack thereof

2009-07-20T16:06:00.000+01:00

I have never been on the open job market. I have only had two careers in my life and both I just walked into. In my arrogance I assumed that, when I left the Church, as long as I was prepared to do anything and accept minimum wage, I would easily find a job. I hadn't bargained on two things; the recession and my CV.

The recession really started to hit before I left Devon. But by the time I seriously started to look for something, the job situation in the West Midlands had become dire. I only really woke up to this when I applied for a washing up job and got knocked back in favour of someone else and then heard about a cleaning job being advertised and 200 people applying for it!

I thought my CV would help as I have worked with the public all my life and have been in responsible, leadership roles where I have had to use my own initiative. But no! Apparantly my cv scared employers off. The idea of employing an ex detective sergeant and an ex evangelist was just too much for them!

But, just as I was starting to really worry, I was offered a 'part time casual' job in the marina. It sounded great. I was to 'show out' hire boats to clients - in other words, explain how everything worked and then take them through a lock and give them basic instruction. Then when the boats returned, I was to clean them and ready them for the next guests. I was told the job wouldn't start until the season did, which would be just before Easter, but I didn't mind. I had savings still and as long as I worked 4 days a week - as promised, everything would be fine. So I didn't look for anything else, but just enjoyed the leisure time up till Easter.

To begin with it all went swimmingly. I loved working on the boats and the two men I worked with were lovely. However, within a month it became clear that the boss had over estimated the amount of work available. He gave me less and less hours, but didn't explain why. Finally, he started giving the hours that there were to someone else without telling me or explaining why. Eventually I took the hint and reluctantly returned to the souless hell that is the job centre.

Again, in my naivity, I thought the job centre was there to help you find work. No, it's there to make sure you tick the right boxes so they can hand over the pitifully small sum you are expected to live on and sneer at you while they do it.

I was running out of savings fast. The upside to that was, for the first time in my life, I really had to count the pennies and choose what to spend them on. Being broke really does sort out your priorities! Then, in June a new garden centre opened up right opposite my boat in an empty unit in the marina. A friend from another boat (fascinating 75 year old who lives on his boat and won a bronze medal in the Olympics for fast walking) went in while they were still putting the shop together, ascertained they needed staff and dragged me over there one evening, without telling me what for! He presented me to them and said "here you are then, you can employ her; she needs a job" It was hard to know who was more taken aback - me or the employer. But a couple of days later he and a couple of others interviewed me on my boat and I got the job. Only 3 days a week unfortunately, but at least it is regular money coming in.

So, I have been working there for 6 weeks and have been learning what it is like to run a shop. For 2 of my 3 days a week I'm on my own and I haven't really been taught anything - I just pick things up as I go along. I am surprised how much I enjoy it - particularly the plants. I also love the fact that, when I lock up and go home, that's it. I don't have to think about it again until my next days work. I have never had a job like that before. I also love only working three days a week. There is something very satisfying about having more days to yourself than as a wage slave! However, I'm still spending more than I'm earning (the boat loan taking a huge chunk). So that's primarily why I set up The Narrow Way. Although the idea of helping people slow down and connect with their God and themselves on a boat has been a dream for a while before I got 'Don't Panic', the need for some income has certainly spurred me on. The bad news is that I have yet to receive my first booking! Ah well, I guess these things take time.

single handed cruising

2009-07-18T11:19:00.000+01:00

I had two priorities in these first months -to learn how to handle my boat single handed and to find a job. Economically, these priorities should be reversed, but the boat came first for me. My first tentative trips out were pretty scary! I knew how to operate locks (grew up on boats and have also done a narrowboat helmsman course), but I was always with others and so the jobs got shared out. Now I had to moor the boat, prepare the lock, bring her in, operate the lock, take her out and then go back and close the gates. To begin with, the complication of it all nearly defeated me. For instance, how do you get the boat to stay in one place once you are in the lock? With two people, one stays at the tiller and uses the engine to keep her still while the other operates the paddles of the lock. I had to do both. Initially I tried to hold her with a rope whilst winding, but all that happened was that I was constantly tripping over the rope, or, because it was a centre rope, catching it up in my boat hook or pole, depositing both in the water more than once!

Then I learnt not to use any ropes in the lock. Instead I bring her in, leave the engine on tickover, with my tiller held in a central position with tiller strings. That holds her up against the front gate, and as long as I'm careful how quickly the water comes in, she will pretty much stay there. Going downhill, I leave her in neutral, because the water flowing out keeps her at the front gate. When the water levels equalise, she magically backs off the gate all on her own! Of course this works in narrow locks, I haven't braved wide locks as yet.

Learning to moor, particularly in windy conditions, was another challenge. But gradually, as I kept going out for a day or two at a time, my confidence increased. each journey brought new challenges and new skills learnt. By June, I was confident enough to take her out for a whole week and explore places that were new to me. I loved it! Somehow the boat only really makes sense when she's out of the marina, on the canal. I still find it amazing that, in order to move my home, I just disconnect the line to the electricity, undo 2 ropes and I'm free!

I also find myself in a new spiritual place when I'm cruising. It's hard to explain but I feel connected to my boat, to the water, to the wildlife - in fact connected to everything. I feel God is in all and is all - a Spirit which flows through and energises everything. I also find it possible to truly live in the present moment. I still need to concentrate when I'm steering and so my mind focuses on that and on the experience of the moment, rather than dwelling constantly on either the past or the future. And once I truly exist in the present moment, then all the worries, all the needs, all the should's and ought's disappear and I am content.

This experience has also released a creative spirit in me. I experiment with crafts, with writing and with photography. But again, it only flows when I am out with the boat. Somehow, when I connect back into the marina, I feel disconnected from the flow. If I could do anything, it would be to go on a long voyage - perhaps a forever voyage and not call anywhere other than my boat home. However, everyday life intrudes and the need to reverse the flow of money out of my account was becoming really pressing - the subject of my next blog!

Starting life at Barton

2009-07-17T13:22:00.000+01:00

Barton Marina

At last the boat was my own. I was hugely grateful to those who had helped me, housed me and allowed me to use their washing machines and baths, but it was only now that I felt I was actually starting this new life. What I hadn't bargained for was how much mental and emotional energy it takes to redesign a life!

lack of should's and ought's: I spent the first 16 years of my working life as a police officer, I then lived on community in a Christian holiday centre (Lee Abbey) and then I went into the Church as a minister. Everyone of these jobs / ways of life carries with it a huge amount of, what I call, should's and ought's. 'You should work very hard all the time.' 'You should have a very clear idea of what is right and what is wrong.' You should have a quiet time every day.' You ought to exercise every day, eat less, drink less, earn money immediately, stay safe, go to church etc etc etc.

Here I was, for the first time in my life, in a position where there was absolutely nobody telling me what to do or not to do. There was no 'usual routine' and more worryingly, there was no job. Having worked all my adult life, I found it actually quite hard to have days and days where I didn't have to do anything. I also found myself battling guilt , particularly on Sundays. I had experienced a bit of a savaging in my last post, and as a result I really needed a break from Church, for the sake of my soul! I knew this, and yet when the church bells rang on a Sunday, I felt like a naughty schoolgirl skipping class!

I did cautiously check out one church but the result of that visit was enough to convince me that God was fine with the idea of my taking a holiday from corporate worship!

Worry, worry, worry: I found within only a few weeks, that I was failing to appreciate the beauty around me and the freedom given to me, because I was filling my head with worries; how was I going to find a job? Did people like me here? How am I going to learn everything I need to know about my boat? How am I going to manage single handed? I believe now that had I had absolutely nothing to worry about, I would have worried about not having anything to worry about! Fortunately I had a good friend and counsellor who reassured me that whatever I was feeling was normal. Making massive life changes will stir up all sorts of feelings and reactions and I needed to be gentle with myself.

So I walked a lot; there is a beautiful lake here with lots of wildlife around. I took up cross stitch and eventually stopped feeling like I was 'wasting time'. Then I started looking for a job.

finally moving...

2009-07-15T11:13:00.000+01:00

Unfortunately Nigel and Jacquie weren't available to help me in February, so some equally good friends - Roger and Shirley-Ann Andrews made the journey from Devon. This time I had checked the stoppages and checked the canal was clear of ice. When they arrived we celebrated by going off to a lovely little pub in Crick. A merry evening passed and when we eventually wandered back to the boat, I did notice the temperature had dropped and there was a little snow in the air. But as we crossed the bridge to the marina the water was well, still water, so I didn't worry.
The next morning we woke to find that the country was blanketed in the thickest layer of snow that had fallen in the last 18 years. Worst still, the canal had frozen overnight and yet again, I was stuck! (to have a look at just how snowy it was, scroll down to my second post and you'll see a picture of my boat the morning after the snow started falling)
We waited for a several days but the ice just got thicker, the tank to my toilet got full and I couldn't move the boat to get it pumped out. One night, the toilet overflowed - I won't go into detail, but suffice to say, the next day Roger and Shirley-Ann took me off the boat and made the fairly hazardous journey back to Devon.
They put me up there for a long and frustrating week. We followed the weather forecast on an almost a minute by minute basis. I prayed daily that if I could just get out of purgatory I would be a good girl forever!
Eventually the whole country had thawed and so we returned to Crick. I always thought purgatory would be very hot, but in Crick's case it was the opposite - ice still lay thick upon the canal. We passed a day or two bashing it with sticks to try and break it up! Much more effectively, a British Waterways work boat came through and finally, on 14th February, Don't Panic left Crick Marina and dashed (if 4mph can be described as dashing) up to Barton, on the Trent and Mersey, before the weather turned once again or the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse arrived! On 17th February, 6 weeks after my first attempt, I finally cruised into the heaven that was Barton Marina.

2009-07-13T15:40:00.000+01:00

Starting my new life - or at least trying to start...
As you can see from the photo accompanying the last post, things did not go smoothly once I had moved aboard. Don't Panic was moored where I bought her - at Crick Marina on the Grand Union canal, next to junction 18 of the M1. I had to get her to my new marina at Barton on the Trent and Mersey. It takes 50 minutes to drive a car between the two (I know, I did it often enough!). It takes around 4 days to do it by boat.
Since I was so inexperienced, I had asked a couple of friends from Devon to help me move her. Nigel and Jacquie had lots of experience boating and kindly agreed to try boating in January. They drove all the way over, but once they arrived, it was clear we were going nowhere - the canal had frozen solid. We tried our best; Nigel even tried moving the boat backwards by breaking the ice with a pole and then moving into the space left. We moved 9 feet in 90 minutes and then admitted defeat (with other boaters looking on and laughing!) It was obvious that the ice wasn't going to melt any time soon and so Nigel and Jacquie regretfully left to go home. I stayed on the boat to get acquainted. I certainly got acquainted with the cold as my diesal boiler refused to work and so all I had was my woodburner. That was fine during the day, but once I retired for the night, the fire died and in the morning I was scraping ice off the inside of the portholes and opening the fridge to get some warmth on the boat!
Eventually the ice melted and Nigel and Jacquie returned. We cruised out of the marina entrance with hearts full of joy and with the January sun shining down on us. At last, I was going to Barton and could finally feel I had arrived in this new life. The good mood lasted down the Watford Flight (of locks) and all the way to Norton Junction where we found an insignificant little piece of paper informing us that the canal was closed at Braunston and would be until the end of January! I couldn't believe it. I had checked stoppages on the internet and hadn't seen this one. The harbour master at Crick hadn't said anything either. I stood on the towpath and wept. Would I ever get to Barton? Would I ever be able to pick up my post or be able to start looking for a job? Or would I be stuck in what felt like purgatory forever?
Poor Nigel and Jacquie had driven the width of the country twice and still hadn't had a cruise, so we decided to go the other way for a couple of days and try and enjoy ourselves before returning to Crick.
I was really glad we did, right up to the point when the boat started to sink! Although I had had a full survey, the surveyor had failed to spot that my weedhatch had no seal and consequently when we were going along, water was leaking into the engine compartment. He also failed to spot that the float switch to the bilge pump wasn't working and so the bilge did not turn on automatically. The first I knew of trouble was when the battery alarm went off as the engine disappeared under water and electricity started to arc across the water. I ran to the stern to find my rear cabin floor was under a couple of inches of water. We stopped just in time and managed to operate the bilge by hand. I stood watching as the boat started to lift itself from the water and thought "That's enough, I want to go home". But this was home and a home that was capable of sinking. I was distraught, exhausted and frightened. We limped back to Crick and then I was on my own again, waiting for the canal to open and spending money on necessary repairs.
January passed very slowly, but at least it gave me a chance to rest.
February came and with it renewed optimism, surely this time nothing could go wrong? Ha! wait till the next episode...

2009-07-07T14:58:00.000+01:00

problems to come...

the story continues

2009-07-07T14:30:00.000+01:00

Panic!I had the longest 10 days in my life as my money floated about in the ether, but on the 11th day much to my relief it appeared in my home account. That experience taught me 2 important lessons; one was that it was ridiculous to take risks with all the money I had just for the sake of a few more pounds interest. The other was that money itself doesn't really exist - it's just numbers on a screen which can disappear at the stroke of a key. So it is a waste of our precious lives to spend almost all of our time chasing after it.
I say I learnt that lesson; it would be more accurate to say I recognised the truth of it, because I can still get obsessive about money, particularly as I haven't got very much now.
Anyway, back to the story:
Don't Panic My search for a boat took on an added urgency as I realised that, as banks were crashing down around my ears, I would only be safe once I had converted my cash into wood and steel. Eventually I found the right boat. She is 12 years old, 50 feet long, 6'10 wide and was built by Tim Tyler, a very well known boat builder. She had won an award for her interior (fit out) when she was built and her name seemed to fit very well! On 17th December, (with two weeks to spare before homelessness set in) after some anxious bargaining, Don't Panic was mine. All I had to do now was to downsize my possessions from fitting nicely into a 3 bedroomed house to a 50' boat.
Downsizing: If you have never gone through all the things you own and decided whether you need it or not, I would highly recommend the exercise as it feels very cleansing. I had heard that you keep nothing on your boat that isn't either useful or beautiful and so with very little available space I had to be pretty ruthless. I started easily with stuff I never used and had forgotten I had. Then it was things I liked having 'just in case'. Then it got harder with items that were useful but not absolutely necessary. The hardest were the more sentimental objects. For instance I had 15 (pre digital) photo albums and had to weed the photos to fit into one book. Finally I sold, gave away or threw away most of my possessions and all my furniture. I only kept what seemed essential and yet, 6 months on, I have a shelf of things that are waiting for a car boot sale! I haven't missed any of my stuff and I feel much lighter without them. I discovered for the first time that it is true that possessions don't make you happy - or at least they don't keep you happy!
On 10th January 2009 I moved aboard my new home, and that was when the problems really started!

how I got from house to boat

2009-07-06T10:51:00.000+01:00

I have been asked how I got from house to boat, so here we go:
What I was going from:
I was working for the Church of England as a Church Army evangelist in Devon. The Church had given me a very nice house to live in and a good standard of living but they don't pay enough to allow you to save serious money. So when I decided that I needed to leave, I was faced with the prospect of not only being jobless but also homeless. I had some savings, but not enough for even a tiny house deposit. So I was facing the prospect of renting a flat somewhere and then looking for a job. It didn't feel like much to look forward to!
Why a boat:Then in January 2008 I saw a programme about narrowboats and was immediately attracted to the idea of living afloat. I was no stanger to boats having almost been born on one and then having every family holiday one one as I was growing up. However this time would be different as, firstly I would be living on it full time and secondly I would be operating her single handedly. So I took myself off to a boat handling course in Stourport where an RYA accredited instructer and all round good egg, Rod Fox, put me through my paces and where I earned my helmsman certificate. Having established that it was possible to handle a boat alone, I then travelled the country talking to loads of friendly and helpful boaters, and listening to their advice with regard to choosing and buying a boat.
Looking: In the February I got a fairly whopping bank loan so that from then on I was committed to doing it. Very scary but very exciting! I visited many boatyards and marinas looking for both a boat (of which there are many) and a residential mooring (of which there are few I could afford). I decided that, since I was new to all this, living in a marina to begin with would be sensible and eventually I found Barton Marina on the Trent and Mersey. They could not have been more helpful and welcoming and the price of mooring was much cheaper than any of the British Waterways tendered moorings.
Scary credit crunch: Then in the summer, the credit crunch struck. I had put all my bank loan and savings into a lovely bank that was giving me oodles of interest, a nice bank in... Iceland! As soon as I got a whiff of trouble, I moved my money to a British Bank. However the bank in Iceland crashed on the day after I asked for the money to be transferred and that day, when I checked my balance it showed nil in Kaupthing Edge and nil in my home account! I can't tell you how terrified I was - my money had disappeared.
Find out what happened next when I post again!

managed that!

2009-07-03T12:32:00.000+01:00

Well, I managed to work out how to post a photo, so things are going well!

I started this new life in January, during the coldest and snowiest winter in 18 years. I moved onto the boat in the middle of nowhere with the heating out of action and without knowing really anything about living on a boat. I was frozen in until Feb 17th, when I finally made it to my current mooring at Barton Marina. In the first month I also nearly sunk the boat due to a leaky weedhatch, I had friends come up from Devon 3 times to try to help me move the boat, only to give up because of the weather and stoppages on the canal. I did wonder whether I had made a huge mistake! But even with this start, it was better than the life I had just left. More of that another day.

my new blog

2009-07-03T12:17:00.000+01:00

I live on my narrowboat called 'Don't Panic'. I have just started a new venture, offering quiet days and de-stress days on my boat. See www.narrow-way.co.uk So I thought I'd start writing about what it's like to live on a narrowboat. First though I've got to figure out how to put a picture of my boat onto this site so betterget to it...