Thursday 19th May, 2022

D,D,M are our new best friends and all because of a water hose, a split one at that! Living next to the water taps is really quite exciting. You become a bit like the water police, seeing how long boaters manage to get away with leaving their boat on the water tap mooring, especially as its adjacent to the pub. It’s just too tempting not to stop for a pint or two before moving on.

Anyway, we had had a quiet morning, first off enjoying breakfast in our bow extension and then I had set to work fashioning blinds for the bow pvc windows that could be attached with velcro. Meanwhile R had the tricky task of reattaching the headlight to the bow which involved threading the two electrical wires through a tiny hole without touching each other to avoid shorting. We’ve put a sign up on our open hatch door saying ‘Tea and chat available here” just to see what happens and certainly R got involved in a lengthy conversation with a chatty chap who’s 2nd mate is his faithful dog. No tea needed but he was very friendly and informative about  the CRT and what to do if you want to outstay your welcome on a visitor’s mooring. Our mooring is only for 48 hrs and we’ve already exceeded that due to our battery issues. He suggested we contact CRT because they could issue us with a formal extension to our stay. The outcome is we can now legally remain here until next Wednesday although we very much hope to be on our way before then. As places go to break down, this isn’t a bad one! The pub even sells basic staples which is helpful as our milk is turning sour faster than we can drink it with a fridge that isn’t as cold as it should be.

Returning to DDM, they moored up and asked to borrow our hose as the hire boat they were on didn’t appear to have one. Filling up takes longer than usual when there’s a split so we had plenty of time to get to know one another. It has to be said they made an unusual threesome. They introduced themselves as “the unlikely lads from Tetsworth”!  One was a retired dentist, one a windscreen repairer and the third ran a computer business.  It transpired their common denominator was the village they all lived in and had done so for many years. A friendship developed which has led to them annually hiring a narrowboat for a few days and exploring the waterways. I got the feeling there was a lot of pub planning required beforehand and indeed we all ended up in the adjacent pub once the water tank was full – our recompense for lending them the hose, which was very much appreciated. They’d picked the boat up in Braunston and travelled through the mile long tunnel only to find their onward route was blocked so they had to retrace their steps back through the tunnel! By Wednesday they found themselves at The Folly pub, one of our favourites, where they had a great time enjoying the company of the jovial landlord and the local ukelele band! The thunderstorm took them by surprise en route back to their boat. We were already tucked up in bed when the thunder and lightning lit up our evening and took us rather by surprise. We hadn’t expected to find ourselves in the pub at lunchtime (trying to put in some boundaries with the pub literally on our doorstep!) having a good laugh but also interspersed with some serious conversation. It gave meaning to our day and reminded us of why we are on this journey – it’s all about the people.

DDM left as a rather disgruntled boater told them he’d seen them have at least two beers which was stretching their mooring time! As they were planning to return to the Folly it was suggested we meet up in the evening, which sounded a great plan till we realised it was a nine mile walk along the towpath – R’s knee just isn’t up to it. So sadly we forgo that pleasure.

An unexpected visit from K cheered our afternoon – she had returned to collect her car which had involved her in rather a lot of walking and a bus trip in order to do so. She thought she had moored conveniently close to a train station, little realising that to get to it she had to cross a river and there was no nearby bridge! Trying to juggle a car and a boat is no easy feat and takes alot of planning. As does just trying to return home ad hoc without a car to hand. Boating life can become a bit complex we are discovering.

A beautiful evening, a firepit on the wide towpath and the challenge of cooking supper on said firepit unexpectedly and managing to cook something edible is a joy in itself. I concocted red onions, olives, cooked diced potatoes and cherry tomatoes, with fresh thyme from my herb garden, adding a couple of eggs and  cheese, thus making a sort of frittata. Two sweet potatoes baked in tinfoil in the embers worked a treat. I baked some cookie dough which I wrapped in tinfoil (bought in error – I thought it was already cooked! Didn’t want to waste an oven worth of gas so this seemed a good alternative) which meant we even had dessert! R adds it was a little burnt, as was the cardboard box it sat in. Second burning of the day – R put a wicker basket atop the stove little realising the gas was still on from my earlier heated frothy coffee milk.  Such is the dimness of the flame, it’s a reminder of how vigilant we need to be with a gas cooker.

It was very pleasant sitting on the low wall, softened by our boat cushions, the warmth of the firepit enabling us to sit outside as the sun set. A couple from Coventry and their friend had come for a meal in the pub and when passing us stopped to chat.  R lived in Coventry when we met so stories were exchanged. We even discovered that the couple’s son had got married on 30th April like our son G and Mi. The lady remarked how brave we were living on a narrowboat and I asked her why she thought brave. It transpired the only boats she liked to go on were cruise ships. I could not believe how many cruises this couple had been on over the years and how much of the world they had seen.  Their last cruise was 12 years ago due to looking after a parent who recently died aged 104, but they are excited to be going on a cruise to the Caribbean later this year. Their friend wryly said she was just going to Lanzarote! We’ve done a couple of  cruises in the past but the ships were so big, I think I prefer my narrowboat!