kpnut

I walked past the staithe just now and thought to myself it’d be a good idea if the reeds were removed from the ‘arm’ nearest the postbox. Another small boat could then fit in and it’d be sheltered for them. The view this lunchtime in the sunshine.

Yes, that’s about as far as they went. Not quite up to NeilB’s boat.

I’m hoping to be able to tell you in mid September, not much use now I’m afraid!!!

It looks beautiful. Amazing what an update does. Regarding that seat, I better not tell my son in law, he’s always moaning about my helm seat and if he knows you can get them with seatbelts, his risk averse nature will have me having to wear one😂

The relative I’m visiting lives right on the beach at westgate on sea, it’s a truly fabulous view from her first floor flat. So if raining, I could still get the icecream and we could sit on her balcony and watch the angry sea 😁 On the return to the boat, I was going to stop in a travelodge on the way to Dartford on the Saturday as I’ll have had a long day, Margate to Brighton, mum’s ashes ‘do’, family lunch, back to Margate. But maybe I’ll be better just leaving Margate about 6pm and getting straight on. I’ll think on it a while. Would rather not get stuck in a queue at the tunnel next morning. Be just my luck it’s brilliant sun and I’ll be wasting good boating time!

I have to be in Kent on a Thursday by mid afternoon, so hopefully about the quietest time for Dartford. I’ll make sure I have a good cd to listen to in case of a wait. I remember the Blackwell tunnel, last time I went through was New Year’s Day 2000 i the early hours on my way to the alps. years and years ago, did I used to be a ferry as I remember going by ferry to visit a relative in Dagenham from Sussex. Dad used to like finding obscure routes, or maybe that was the normal way to go in those days, the 60’s.

Is that about right for driving from north east Kent, Grendel? I have to go from the boat to Margate in September. I thought it would be quicker than that. I suppose the Kent stretch from the Dartford crossing is quite a long distance.

The pie man came to Neatishead about 5pm one afternoon when I was there recently. He said he's going every day except Friadys. You cant miss him as he call out and walks down both sides. We were eating in the pub for our last night so didn't buy anything but I will try things out next time I see him.

My apologies Malcolm, I didn’t intend to ‘bash’, was just in a cynical mood!!!!! But no, I didn’t realise it was the council in charge of rubbish. A shortsighted policy I’d say to expect visitors to take rubbish home from a holiday, but I certainly don’t condone the leaving of rubbish anywhere. On another note, I’m hoping to stop at North Cove on a trip south in September. I’ve only been down there twice before and could kick myself for not mooring at Langley Dyke before it closed.

Maybe they were giving the BA a gentle hint about providing facilities for the people they ‘serve’.

I’m gearing myself up to give mudweighting overnight with the dog a go. I’m going to try either Bridge Broad or South Walsham Broad, stay on the nearby moorings till as late as I dare before dark, let the dog out and then move over to the broad. In the morning, there’s sure to be space on the moorings to let the dog out again, he will last out till 9am or so. I use wild moorings a lot. And only ever once have I found a piece of rubbish, a disposable bbq hidden in the undergrowth. I put it on the boat and put in the skip at Richardsons. My thought was “why has someone bothered to moved it to hide it, rather than just moving it onto the boat to take with them to the next rubbish point”? Bizarre!

I have my emergency ladder at the front so it’s as far away from the prop as possible.

That's an interesting design. Maybe slightly more difficult than ladder rungs to wrap one leg round it and put your foot in from the other side to stop it swinging, but do-able. As you say, a loop (or a ladder rung for that matter) is easier to grab hold of than just a piece of rope.

I wonder if the design of some of the newer boats is an issue as regards speeding. The higher out of the water you are, and the less the visibility due to small windows, especially with their tinted glass, make you far less ‘at one’ with the river. I think some people just switch off from their surroundings. I suppose like someone mentioned, a bit like in a car, protected from the world, in you own little bubble, until all of a sudden you’re in the middle of an incident, wondering how it happened. And no, that’s not how I drive my car! And hopefully not the boat either, although I did own up to being distracted by talking too much to my guests on board last week and not noticing a few forumites passing me till they’d nearly gone by.

Number 1 rule of the bus if using for a walk. Catch it to the start of the walk, and walk back at your own pace with no worries about missing the bus back.

Just what I was going to write Gracie. Each week I’m out I see something on the less than social side, but always counterbalanced by far more incidents of downright kindness and friendliness. This week’s was a middle aged man (of a couple, playing loud music on the quay heading at Salhouse) telling the person who wanted to come in to moor next to them to **** off. I purposely made a point of going over to help the new arrivals moor up and give a friendly welcome, otherwise it might have ruined their evening. It happens, it’s life, especially when all cooped up together on moorings. Broads Control is there to report things to if necessary, especially dangerous actions that lead to injury.

Can I ask how much was the diesel at MarineTech? and is it normal stuff rather than GTL? it’s so easy to get into that I might start using it more often. I thought I’d asked when I went there for a pumpout, but can’t remember now if I did or not.

Beautiful scenery as always up there, but even more beautiful Herdwick sheep. They are just gorgeous, like teddy bears. And not to bad to handle when it comes to penning them.

Excellent. No wonder I was confused by the size, I read it in feet, not metres. It was only when Helen said it looked like a tardis that I delved further. 😂

I don’t recall that at all. You’re right, Sharp Edge on Blencathra;far more of a challenge than Striding or Swirral Edges on Helvellyn. I am trying to think of my favourite route. I have so many memories of different excursions when walking the Wainwrights, and the Cumbria Way, some on beautiful days, some in wild conditions, some a doddle, some very challenging with full wild camping packs on our backs. Bur the northern half of the Lake District certainly is more fun. With the bonus of a wet afternoon in Keswick planned into the itinerary!

Keswick, one of the best places to shop in the country, for someone like me who does ‘outdoor practical, rather than ‘street fashion’. And Pontefract cakes in the sweet shop! I’m glad it’s a favourite of yours too. Wonderful place. We used to spend every Christmas in self catering accommodation in Keswick when the kids were teenagers. Out walking for the whole of the daylight hours on Christmas Day, including a pub stop, more than likely in Rosthwaite, then back to make a start on the Christmas dinner which ended up being eaten about 7pm and always going down well with such an appetite built up.

At least you won’t worry about what you can’t see Neil. This morning he wasn’t up quite as far as you. We reckoned he does about the same yardage a day as a hedge layer, not many!!!!!

The email also mentioned alarms/personal lifelines etc that might not work anymore. It said to check with your alarm provider. Back to the argument of having to keep up with technology or get thrown out with the rubbish. I prefer using the landline where possible. I’d rather that all and sundry didn’t end up with my mobile phone number. Better to get the cold calls only at home on the landline, (not that we get many to be fair) rather than not being able to escape them on the mobile phone when out and about. I never get them on my mobile and I sort of assume it’s ‘cos I don’t often ring anyone other than personal calls from my mobile.

Tuesday 18th July Well, that’s another enjoyably sociable trip sadly over. Judith and I stopped in at Boulters for fuel on our way back from Salhouse to Stalham. We received a friendly wave from a boat before Horning but my apologies if it was from a fellow forumite, I’m not sure who it was. With company on board, I seem to often be driving along facing away from the far side of the river, missing folk passing me in the other direction. That sounds awful, I am looking where I’m going and do see the boats, just don’t register who they are! We stopped again at Ludham Bridge to walk down the mooring and over the bridge to see George at the boatyard. I’d promised him a pot of proper homemade strawberry jam for his girls to try. Ludham Bridge was surprisingly busy for a midweek late morning, especially considering the rivers are so quiet. I made a bit of a hash of mooring up to start with. It had been a last moment decision and I was facing the wrong way for the tide and not really focused on what I was doing. I ended up completely not where I wanted to be, so aborted that attempt, went upstream a bit and turned round and perfected the manoeuvre second time round. Other than that, a quiet cruise home in time for lunch and packing up Judith’s car. For anyone needing to know, the dredger is working right on the bend going up towards Stalham Staithe, meaning the channel is very narrow at the moment. I do like the nasturtiums and tomatoes the operator is growing on board. Very cheerful and colourful they look. I spent part of the afternoon cleaning windows and scraping out the gutters and drain holes, then sorting out cupboards/shelves so as to better utilise the new shelving unit Tony built me. Generally getting the boat ready for my next visit, not long to wait, only next week. Time to pop home with the washing and see to the allotments. I’m going to try and persuade Tony to come for part of the next trip!

I received an email today from BT, telling me my landline will be changing to something called a digital voice sometime in the next twelve months. It needs plugging into the broadband router instead of the phone socket. It went on to explain that if there was a power cut or the broadband was down, I won’t be able to receive or make phone calls, even 999 ones and therefore I need to keep a mobile phone handy and fully charged. What nonsense sort of service is that???????