addicted

Oh I can well see the need for a dishwasher but not for the wine glasses they don't stay out of use for long enough to last a full dishwasher cycle . regards, Carole

Oh Alan We wish! We swopped the Jag for a 4x4 because the potholes are such a challenge. An enquiry in the office produces the answer that they will be working on it soon. Such work, from experience, involves filing In the holes in the first section in such a way that, we will all be walking in tar on the first warm day.( I all but ruined a new pair of Chathams last summer, a very patient husband and a bottle of white spirit saved the day not to mention the white carpets on the boat) then re-distributing the shale in the second section. both very temporary solutions. As for asking when they will re-surface, You make Christine faint if you want to! I'm not brave enough! regards, Carole

we.ve always found Ting Dene to be very good with matters relating to the electricity. Some time ago they altered the tariff to facilitate a small rise in the cost of electricity after which we found we seemed to be using rather more than the increase would account for. We took it up with with Mark who promised to check the meter which they promptly did and he also gave us some cards which more than covered the amount we felt we had overpaid by .We've always had the best service from this marina in every aspect. Just wish they'd do something about the awful road! Regards, Carole

Our experience with being off our mooring for any length of time is that marina owners want to let it to someone else in our absence. While we were moored at Ely marina we were actually asked by the then owners to let them know if we were going to be off our mooring for a planned trip so that they could let to someone else on a temporary basis during our absence. on another occasion the present owners mistakenly thought we were away for 2 weeks and we returned to our mooring and found a narrow boat on it which kindly left a load of bitumen on our static fenders. So I think it is unlikely that marina owners would approve of a share Scheme which we have often thought would be a good idea. but it seems that marina owners take the view that the mooring remains their property to do with as they wish regardless of whether it is let on a yearly basis or not, thus if they get an opportunity to let it again for a short period that is a bonus. I think it has precious little to do with insurance it's pure opportunism. regards, Carole

This business of running engines is a bit of a conundrum. Of course needing something fairly basic like hot water is not unreasonable. I think most antipathy towards folk who run their engines stems from being the victims of inconsiderate incidents such as the hire boat moored near to us at Loddon the weekend before last who started his engine at 9.00 pm and ran it for a considerable time and then again at 7.15am. Had he been moored next to us without doubt we would have "had a word" which would probably not have been very well received. It mostly takes a bit of common sense and consideration for it not to be a problem. I don't think there is a solution to the problem of the smelly engine. That's a pain whatever time it is running. regards, Carole

Our first boat was a Shetland 760. one of only 3 made. Perfect size for us two and the occasional pair of guests. What should be considered is that if you choose to buy a boat you're not just buying a boat you re buying into a completely different style of life. Because boat ownership is life changing. Boating is like Marmite you either love it or hate it! if it's the former, it takes priority over practically everything else. Don't even consider it if you are not reasonably handy at routine maintenance. If you have to pay someone to do the most minor things like winterising , oil changes etc. it will be eye-wateringly expensive. Just think of a boat as a hole in the river into which you continually pour your dosh! Surprisingly, if you love your boat you won't mind the cost a bit. If they want virtually instant friends,( there's no-one nicer than the boating fraternity), an ever-changing fascinating environment and instant sanity tell them to go for it!! Regards Carole

Sshhh! don't tell everybody or we'll be crowded out. Regards, Carole

So very sorry to read about the loss of your "golden girl" as has a!ready been said s if she had to leave you she started her journey from the best possible station. Regards Carole

that's all very well Iain, but in addition to eyes one needs a sense of direction and as my husband will tell you, when they gave those out I got called to the phone! regards Carole

I remember faithfully following the sat nav and finding myself on a private driveway in Hendon while trying to find the back way into Brent Cross in an effort to avoid the dreaded north circular. regards, Carole

that was the intention!!! regards Carole

We did this trip in 2006. Hired a boat from Connoiseur in Narbonne, It wasn't until we were crossing the Etang de Thau in a very strong wind that we discovered that the fridges mounted one on top of the other were not secured and they were powered by gas! my friend and myself were obliged to hold them in place for the duration of the crossing as they started to fall forwards out of the housing. I count that as one of the best holidays we have ever had and your photos brought back just how magical it was. I was recovering from 6 months of arduous chemo therapy at the time so particularly special memories for me. I vividly remember the "fun" of coming in to moor in Marseillan ( we promptly christened it Marzipan) in a howling gale in a very large boat with next to no power to get us out of the difficulties the narrow channel combined with the wind put us in. My admiration of my husband at the helm knew no bounds, one of his finest moments! regards, Carole

Back in the 1970s I was running the office of a small building company, Although fairly run of the mill now, in those days Velux windows were not that common and we had had some on order for quite a long time and their lack of arrival was causing a considerable delay on a job. When I received notification that they had come in, I immediately sent a couple of men with a truck to collect them. On their way back to the site they had somehow managed to lose the box containing all the seals. So it fell to me to phone all the police stations covering the areas that they had driven through in the hope that someone had found the box when it had bounced off the back of the truck and handed it in. The last place I phoned was Cheshunt police station. "Has anyone handed in a large cardboard box?" I enquired, "what's in it?" asked the policeman who answered the phone. Knowing Cheshunt police station had a reputation in those days for being a bit whacky (which was why I had left them till last to phone) I dreaded that question .and I tried to avoid giving him an answer but he insisted." It's a flashing kit" I said. Although he put his hand over the receiver I was still able to hear him call out "has anyone had a dirty raincoat handed in?" There was a happy outcome, I got call from a police station I had rung earlier to say it had been handed in so we got it.back. Regards, Carole

Cork Balls? Monkeys' Fists surely? regards, Carole

Early last Thursday evening, while on our way back to Brundall Bay from a trip over to the Northern broads, we saw who I presume to be the same chap, who, having overtaken us at some speed was checking his nets, We assumed he was an eel catcher as he looked very much the same as those that were a familiar sight when we were on the Great Ouse and as we are aware that eel catching is very much on the decline we asked him how he was faring and the answer was "not too well these days" It has never occurred to me that there may be a closed season for eel catching as there is with fishing. Is there? regards, Carole

Just got back from our annual trip over to the Northern Broads .So lucky with the weaather, moorings too. went over Sunday midday stayed at the acle bridge moorings .Ate at the Acle Bridge Sunday night.first time we've been there since it changed hands very nice people, disappointed with the greatly reduced and rather ordinary menu. But that said,what we had was very nice. Went to Horning next morning, couldn't believe our luck got a mooring on Horning staithe,with electric hook up. Cruised to Wroxham, next morning,passed Friday Girl on the way, then turned round at Wroxham and headed for my favourite mooring Womack Water arrived about midday and actually had a choice of moorings unbelievable! Weather fabulous.had dinner in the pub in Ludham Had the largest bowl of mussels I've ever been served. Wonderful! Left Tuesday morning cruised through Ranworth on to Horning no moorings available there' sadly, returned to Acle,stayed overnight and through till about 1.30p next day took a very slow cruise back to G. Yarmouth,Managed to creep under the bridges with a massive 3 inches to spare about 4.15pm and. Back to Brundall arriving 7.30pm.great trip can't wait to do it again! Regards, Carole

Summer days spent at my grandparents holiday cottage at Dobbs Weir Hertfordshire. River at the bottom of the garden. Swimming in the little used lock in summer and skating on it in winter. Gathering blackberries by the bucket load in the surrounding hedgerows. Nan's car invariably broke down on the way there from her home in North London, I recall one memorable occasion when the fire brigade needed to be summoned ( having been persuaded to give up her much loved Matchless motor bike aged 70 Nan bought herself a( Leeman?) Singer sport. Beautiful car, convertible, Black coachwork, red leather upholstery, wire wheels but unfortunately somewhat temperamental -a bit ;like Nan really! Although she held a full driving licence which entitled her to drive just about anything (bought in the post office in the 1930s) she never learnt to drive in reverse and therefore when needing to make this manoeuvre Granddad was obliged to get out and push.Happy times, Regards, Carole

Mia culpa I'm afraid Iain. The moment I decided to opt for a long stay on the boat the weather was doomed. Regards Carole

While watching the tennis this afternoon (great antedote to being esconced on the boat in the pouring rain so don't knock it) it was a real pleasure to see Cliff Richard looking very much his old self, I was a bit concerned that he might struggle to make a recovery from what must have been a truly horrible time. Regards Carole

Setting boats adrift during the night became a fairly regular occurrence a few years back when we were on the Ouse. We had a personal alarm that made an extremely loud screeching noise if you pulled the cord out of the bottom of it.my husband used to fix it in the cock pit and attach a very fine line to the cord and the other end to the mooring ring/cleet thus if the boat moved away from the bank it would pull the cord out and sound the alarm. It help us to sleep more soundly without worrying.

What for ? To attach to a zimmer frame if the time comes for me to need one? Regards Carole

Well you certainly know how to tempt a girl off the straight and narrow! Bad lad!! I can 't begin to imagine the consequences of following that advice.In the event of the divorce ,I probably wouldn' t need anyone to help with the boat as he indoors would insist he got custody of it!! Just one bit of advice from me to you ,don'thunk of offering your services to Relate any time soon. I may be jumping to conclusions but I have a strong suspicion you may be a tad counterproductive. Regards Carole

Whatt I can't work out is why doesn't their running engine drive them bonkers like it does the rest of us? Regards Carole

To make it plain my post had no political motive at all it is purely personal in that a friend has decided to give up boating in favour of a Spanish holiday home and his beautiful boat is going up for sale. However it has two engines that cough politely as soon as they smell a Fuel pump ,which means that he indoors will not even consider the purchase of this boat while diesel is at its present level of cost. I would love this boat but know it's a lost cause as things are. Hence purely personal! Regards Carole