Original Curtains would you believe and a wardrobe does the trick at last!

Moored Devizes, K & A Canal

It can be slow going all this refitting lark.. but then that is what life is like in general anyway on the waterways.. but I want it to be quicker, I want to move aboard and go to pastures new.. “Well it ain’t gonna happen yet” I keep telling myself!

Mark from the States actually had the 2003 brochure from Black Prince Holidays.. and he very kindly sent it to me.. many thanks indeed Mark .  Anyway inside I was intrigued to see our new No Problem with pictures.. most of the interior was as is, and even the curtains are the original set.. Hey they are not too bad given it was a hire boat…

But I shall be measuring up tomorrow for new curtains.. and I shall change the rail at the top and the rail at the bottom that hold them back.  I am not the sort of person to have fancy curtains and tie backs… I like cottagey looks and ‘non straight lines’.  I hate uniform forms if you see what I mean.

It is very fortunate that the family business is actually a curtain and fabric specialist.. our family are a family of curtain makers!!… Ah but a cobbler is poorly shod they say.. but I phoned daughter Wendie today to discuss the furnishings, and already she has all my foam sorted for the various parts of No Problem that need foam and the grades, and has suggested some fabrics for me.. I shall be off to Swindon to have a look at fabrics then relay back to her my choices and my measurements!

The dinette is nearly finished now.. it has been a bit of a problem.. well not so much the building it, but the location of wood for it. Impossible in or around Devizes to find any wood.  In fact there is no decent wood at at all.  Plenty of ply of all grades at Jewsons, non at all at Focus, unless you are fond of MDF.. banned in a lot of European countries so Ron was telling me when he visited a few days ago.. Apparently what is in it made a lot of countries ban it.. so we won’t have that aboard if we can help it.  In the end a shop soiled wardrobe from Focus was the best we could come up with to finish off the dinette!..

I wanted better wood, but there just is none around here.. So now you see the next stage in the development.. two drawers underneath the dinette which will have ‘tops’ on, and will also double up as foot rests for anyone sitting on the dinette facing the saloon.  Inside these drawers will go the grandchildren's toys, books, paint, crayons etc.. they will be able to pull them out and play.. and hopefully we can just simply put the top down and shove em back out the way!!   Well that is the theory anyway!

If you look carefully on the top, you can just about see the slots that the backrest of the dinette will sit in.. both back and front so the seating can be facing either the table or saloon.  Tis my job tomorrow to set in all the trims.. I found some nice ones to go round the bookcase bit.. then it is the rub down and varnish phase.. phew, this all takes time!

Meanwhile!..

Chas of NB Moore2Life is installing all the electrics.  The boat used to be on a residential mooring, and was wired as such.. so there is quite a lot of alteration to do.  He sure is doing a grand job for us.  Chas is very articulate when it comes to wiring.. just how I like it!