I cannot remember a more brilliant time!  Uncompromising days with my Daughter, my Twin, the weather and the Cut.

NB Willawaw’s electronic bilge monitor beeped at an ungodly hour (3am!) which found Lottie summoning me to the Helm;  even at that hour the birds were cheeping but the perimeters of Bath were still and ghostly.  Upon checking the ‘bilge’ it was found to be predominantly dry but I guess the small amount of water swilling around in the swell found its way under the contacts setting the alarm off.  I’ll need to situate the alarm about an inch off the bilge floor!

Of course, after checking and finding nothing of any moment I spent the next few hours worrying that we were going to sink.  :lol:

Having gone from worrying because I had no indication, to worrying because I had indication, I was in a bit of a quandary

What I will say is this; I’ve had the time of my life… and contrary to a few acerbic comments I’ve received on this blog that haven’t been given the light of day I’ll confirm this… a) I don’t moan at everything; quite the contrary.  b) Rachel and her sycophants (or,  most likely, alter-egos) need to get a life because you’re behaving like a complete in-breed  c)  Life could not be better :w00t:

Big cruise soon…. the Mediterranean!!

PS:  Who ever stole my box of 12 bottles of Naked Wine from the Marina should feel ashamed.  What goes around comes around you thieving fucking tea-leaf!  Luckily I didn’t suffer financial loss but it’s the last time I’ll order something from a company that do not require a signature!  What fucked me off the most is that some *@n% is enjoying the spoils of my vintner’s palate AT NO EXPENSE!  Beware!  I will be checking the marina bins for the next two weeks!  I hope you end up with renal colic and liver failure :lol:

PPS:  The widebeam’s on the canal are a bit of a pain… yes, they look lovely and expect they’re great to live on but god, don’t they take up a lot of the canal if it’s not a big one!

This weekend was a top weekend.

A full day with my Daughter, and her besty-mate, at the famed Thorpe Park.  Not a tiresome day enveloped by dull people looking for cheap (or should I say expensive) thrills, but a day hugged by fellow human beings who were on the same wave length as we were – happy and positive.  The tiredness at the end of the day was appropriate and worth it.

A knock, a nudge… apologies and smiles… things that are so frivolous and freely available ,yet kept so close by most as though they’re worth a million dollars, were given away at Thorpe Park as though they were worth naff all.  Was it because I grinned widely at everyone?  Was it because I didn’t flinch at the collisions that occurred? Who knows… it was uplifting!

A smile is infectious; a good mood even more so.  The girls and boys that served us all day asked if we were having a good time… I’m sure if we weren’t they would have ‘read’ that… they were more than happy to ask and we were more than happy to confirm affirmatively!

It was warm, busy and soooo exciting!

That was Saturday done and dusted.  Come Sunday, my Twinny and her Man arrived from Bournemouth and prior to casting off we had Cappuccino’s and a chat.  This gave Lottie and Sorcha time to shower and dress!  Lazy mares!

We headed off in the direction of Bath (with previous knowledge of heading in the other direction and not finding a winding hole nearer than 2 fucking days) :lol:

A couple of brief showers were a bugbear but apart from that the weather was fabulous.  Warm and clear.  Sarah (my Tiwn) and I drank wine.  Lottie & Sorcha  worked the boat and Alec just sat there

We hit the Bradford on Avon Lock where a boat full of ‘noobs’ were struggling.  As I arrived I asked where they were up to.  A man said ‘we’re waiting to come up’ and as I looked at the lock that was completely full I looked at another guy with a windlass attached to the top paddles and asked ‘where are you up to?’  He said ‘we’ve no idea and we’re glad you’re here’… god, immediately I felt I needed to take control and sort everyone out as no-one knew what they were doing.  I noted bottom paddles shut, top paddles open, lock nigh on full…

The man who was waiting to come up was told ‘the locks full, we’ll come in and down, then you can come in and up’… Like a midwife to a birthing mother I instructed the noobs and we doubled up in the lock… It felt wrong because I’m a noob but it felt right because I knew what to do and they were grateful and co-operative.  The perfect unison!

Thank you Terry,  T R Boathandling; I remembered everything you taught me!

We missed the first pub situated just before the Dundas Aqueduct because the signage wasn’t good enough… and after passing it, it dawned on us that it was pointless stopping as the towpath was on the opposite side of the pub!   So, we continued!

It wasn’t long before we stumble across another sign for a pub.  The Hop Pole Inn.

We moored at Limpley Stoke just before the bridge and walked (right from the canal and first left before the bridge) along the road and into the back entrance of the pub through their garden.  Opposite a quaint railway station.

We were met by a young girl who enquired if we were looking to eat.  YES!  Starvin’ Marvin!  The only complaint was the ‘draught’ cola.  Flimsy in colour, taste and fizzyness.  Remedied by a return of that glass and a replacement with a bottled Orange and Passion Fruit beverage.   No fuss, no nonsense… perfect.

All of us bar Lottie chose the Sunday Roast.  Beef!  I thought fuck, it’s going to be shite.  How wrong was I?  The beef was hot, thick, and oh so beautifully pink… the vegetables were steaming hot ‘steamed’ and very crisp and tasty.  The creamed buttered swede was sublime.  One proud batter pudding floated in a pool of good tasting gravy and their horseradish sauce was bloody amazing.  Not sure if it was home-made but you could dine out on the chunky bits and that was just lubbly!

We had 4 completely clean plates other than Lottie who left a small piece of gammon and pineapple.  It was a large piece of gammon though with 4 pieces of pineapple so she did extremely well.

The Staff were so lovely.  Not in you face but there if you summoned them.  Would I visit again?  YES!  Even their wine list was good and I’m currently enjoying the spoils of my patronage – a La Campagne 2009 Sauvignon Blanc

At one point Lottie said she was bored ‘driving’ and summoned me to the Helm… I made such a mash of it she took over again… reverse psychology is a brilliant tool isn’t it?

If every day were like this weekend eh! … however, the past 6 months have been fantastic, which means I won’t be happy going back to work again in July.  Still, that’s over half a year off so I can’t complain.  It’s been BRILLIANT!

Now, I’m on holiday at the end of may so can someone in Iceland stick a big fucking cork in that hole please? :lol:

My Daughter’s a very keen photographer but since being uprooted (that coincided with a new boyfriend) she’s not picked up her camera in around 5 months and stewed in the grasp of young love… last night she transformed her cabin into a photo-shoot set and showed me the spoils of her imagination once again.

A self portrait (that is her trademark) which I believe marks the end of her relationship with Mr X and the reignition of her imagination and creativity.  Welcome back Lottie

Coming soon… sign-writing and helmsman seating!