22 July 2018 Canal Boat canalboat.co.uk
ME & MY BOATS
WIN
£100
Tell us about your boat [email protected]
There is not a lot of use trying to watch
any TV programme which lasts longer than
an hour as by 9pm we are both asleep in
front of the roaring log stove after a full day
of activity. But we have rediscovered the
joys of reading and charity shops are a boon
for new books. An added advantage is the
purchase of a new wardrobe whilst in the
shop. No need for clothes which will last us
for the next 20 years!
The contents of our sponge bags now owe
more to the pharmacy counter than the
cosmetic area at the chemists. Hair
colouring is out – I have found that with
white hair and a helpless look when
struggling with locks, there is usually help at
hand for an elderly hapless female. John
unfortunately doesn’t get quite the same
attention. He looks – and is – completely
capable so is left to his own devices.
Painting the boat exterior is not a
favourite occupation but it must be done in
spite of creaking knees and aching backs.
The lower part of the boat down to the
waterline takes the most time, interspersed
with numerous cups of tea and grumbles
about the 60ft to cover, but the end result is
worth the effort. Obviously the celebratory
glass of wine at the end is a sheer necessity.
Nowadays we are in less of a hurry to get
somewhere by a certain time. We have found
that starting before 8am and mooring up by
3pm we usually have the pick of mooring
spots and still have time to explore and walk
the dog. We do try to moor up somewhere
near civilisation, a paper shop within a
10-minute walk is a bonus and as all our
groceries have to be carried in a rucksack or
trundled behind us in a shopping trolley, thesame can be said for buying provisions. We
held out for years from buying the said
trolley – “Only for old people!” said John,
him being an independent sort of guy. So I
gave him the haversack to carry... when it
was very full and very heavy of course! Very
quickly we jointly decided we were old
people and swallowed our pride accordingly.Bags of dog biscuits travel much better on
wheels than on backs!
Having said all that, we are now planning
our next trip. We plan to be away from April
to October so who knows where we will end
up. The next big occasion is our diamond
anniversary in 2018, where will we go to
celebrate it? The Seine perhaps...The bridge won this particular encounterBack on the paintbrush