Water Gypsies

The marina has been interesting over the bank holiday weekend, hire boats and day boats a plenty, coming in and out, with all the fuss over loading them etc and over excited children running around. Having listened to one of the " instruction talks "given to a day boat and who's plan judging by the amount of booze and snacks going aboard were pretty clear, we are better off tied up here me thinks!!

My brother Chris and his partner Dawn, kindly took us around the area looking for a garden centre that sells cocoa bean shells for our composting loo, we tried three without success, we are starting to think that this could be a weak spot in the new system ( don't panic yet Baz ) Ali's sister Chrissie has ordered some from the net, mind you they are down in the Oxford area, full steam ahead for Oxford then!

Another day boat loaded and ready to go.

Hire boats, lining up for prep prior to going out, good fun for all.

Chris and Dawn took us to a local ice cream maker, who by chance were prepared to sell some of their luxury product to a " reluctant  " Ali. Chris and Dawn regularly come here when they don't have the children with them. ( Gotcha )

Ali tries to be brave in the face of so many ice cream choices.

Little Moreton Hall.

We took the dogs for a nice walk to Little Morton Hall, on of the finest examples of black and white timbered buildings in the u.k, complete with moat,but alas the builders forgot to bring their levels to work.

Built between 1559 and 1580, no rush job.

Shot from the side showing some of the moat.

While we were at Little Moreton Hall we again encountered a case of 'canal dweller spotting'. A lady of a certain age, with a rather official looking lanyard strung around her neck, stared at us and announced (it wasn't a question!) " I bet you're from the boats". Rather taken aback Ali replied "yes, but how do you know?" disconcertingly the woman then just snorted and mumbled something that may have been " I always know...." 

As I said this is not the first time we have come across this, although our previous experiences have mainly been at Launderettes and the occasional pub.............I promise we do wash regularly, have not yet succumbed to tattoos or piercings, Baz has not grown a ponytail or Ali a beard.

Plans for tomorrow include a trip through the Harecastle tunnel on the Trent and Mersey. It will be Ali's birthday but she has already sussed out that her special day will be spent getting up early to pull mooring pins, getting wet during the cruise as rain is forecast and feeling spooked for half an hour in the pitch black of the tunnel (doesn't much like enclosed spaces). Happy days!

Bye for now

Ali and Baz