War at Wansford and a key day today for No Problem

Wansford Rail Station to Elton, River Nene, 5 miles 3 locks

We enjoyed our moorings at Wansford Station.  There was plenty going on with a 1940’s Weekend to entertain us.  On Saturday we moored on the meadow, and I took the girls for a long walk while Vic picked the blackberries.  He had done well, a good couple of pounds all washed and ready to be turned into jam.

A rude awakening on Sunday morning, there was a fishing match and we were moored across one of the pegs!  “What do you want us to do” enquired Vic.. out came a short answer “Move”..

Rubbing my eyes and pulling on some jeans I pulled the pins and put No Problem into reverse.  There was nothing for it but to reverse about 50 yards under the railway bridge to the new Environment Agency moorings.  I was glad that there was no wind, it made it much easier to go round the curve.  Asda were to deliver my ‘jam pots’ this morning, so I needed to stay near here.

So the intense fishing match started.. oh so serious these fishermen..

This guy was on the bank opposite No Problem.. not the one who came out with just the one word!

We were approached by some paratroopers “We are going to blow up the bridge at 2.30, just to warn you”.. OK, right, fine.  Apparently a war was on, Wansford Bridge was to become a German bridge for a while!  I made a decision to take Meg and Lucy out.  Well we were very close to the bridge as you can see..

There was going to be a lot of explosions and gunfire while the Germans tried to defend it.. So off I went about 2ish this time walking towards Wansford village.  I could hear it all going on at the bridge, and wondered if No Problem would also be blown up.. Then I saw the lancaster flanked by a merlin and a spitfire fly over.. I knew she would be OK now!!

Ah but on my walk I spied some wood!  I checked if we could get into the side close to the find, and it looked debatable, but no doubt we would try..

Returning back to the battle ground, I was upset that the Germans had fought off the Brits, and the bridge was still standing.. but also pleased that No Problem was also in one piece!

Today was a key day for us.  After Mr Asda brought the jars we pulled the pins and made for that stack of wood, and yep we could get into the side just about, so our first good hoard of wood this winter, we need to cut it up though.. will do that later.. Ya missed it Mo!!

Our first lock of the day, Wansford Lock.  The wind was high and it was difficult to turn out of the lock and get somewhere near the lock landing!  It took us an age to get tied up.  We have to tie up outside the lock having gone through because we need to empty these Nene locks to keep the flow correct..

Anyway on arrival at the next lock, Yarwell, Vic realised he has left his bunch of keys at the previous lock!  No worry, just Meg and Lucy got an extra walk today, and we set off crosscountry along the Nene Valley Way back to Wansford Lock, a very pleasant walk it was too!

Having retrieved the keys we could now work through Yarwell..

The caravan site here does not welcome boaters..

There is a new water tap on the upper lock landing here.  This time the wind helped the boat on to the lock landing so no struggle.. Vic went back to close the top gates and raise the guillotine while I set about filling with water.. but Vic had the key to open the door to get at the water tap!

I sent Lucy (The most intelligent collie dog) over to Vic, and shouted and threw my arms about to give him some idea of what I wanted.  He saw Lucy coming and put two and two together, and Lucy duly brought me the key, then she took it back to Vic so he could shut the power box after the guilly was raised!

Pins have gone in at Elton tonight.  It is much quieter here than it was in the war zone over the weekend..

Water Newton has the prettiest lock on the Nene

Ferry Meadows to Wansford Rail Station, 5 miles 2 locks

We said goodbye to our friends Mo and Ness this morning as NB Balmaha left it’s mooring next to us at Ferry Meadows..

Mo had spent quite some time fixing my camera system on No Problem during the last few days, and when he left it was working.. now it is not!!.. The switch at the back that turns on the power to the monitor broke in my hand as I turned it on when we left ourselves later.. Unbelievable!!  I have a cunning plan to fix that though, so don’t worry Mo!

It was very misty this morning first thing as you can see in the pic of Balmaha above, but by the time I had given No Problem a bit of a wash and shine, and done some bookwork which had been put to one side during the last weeks travels, the sun broke through the mist.  We will see Mo and Ness again as we plan to cruise the Leicester line of the Grand Union Canal in November.. they are heading that way too.

So pins pulled and No Problem heads out across the lake to the exit by Bluebell Bridge..

Just the two locks today, Alwalton Lock first, and once the guillotine is down there is no need to open the paddles of the top gates as the water is piling over the top of them and filling the lock quite quickly.. time for Vic to reflect on life..

The girls are enjoying a bit of TLC while waiting for the lock to fill.  Sometimes we have moored here just the other side of where Vic is sitting, it is very handy for a bus into Peterborough at the end of the road in the village, and it’s close to the East Of England Showground too.  Not only that, but there is a super shop in the village that doubles trebles up as a post office as well as a tea room and grocery store.  Fresh bread too, and buns and the like…

Just a bit more to go to enable the gates to open, then onward to Water Newton.  There is never any doubt on the arrival to this lock.. the old mill now beautifully turned into housing with the lock on the right..

Look carefully, you can see the water piling over the top gates in the lock.  This is quite normal on Nene locks, in fact the river is a little lower than normal summer flow at the moment.. It’s amazing after all the floods of a couple of weeks ago when this river was shut to navigation!

Not only the lower side of this lock is pretty, but looking back after leaving the lock, what a delightful sight..

Onward then to Wansford Bridge and station, our destination this evening.  It was nice to see that the Environment Agency moorings next to the station are now fully open and usable.  When we passed on the way downstream to the fens they were fenced off, not quite ready for visitors to moor.

We prefer the meadow just upstream of the railway bridge, here Lucy and Meg can enjoy being outside without me having to keep watching for people and traffic etc.

There are tons of excellent blackberries on the bushes here.. a bumper crop.  In fact I have not see so many blackberries on one bush as there are here.  I really did think that the crop had finished, for the last few days all I have seen are shriveled up bits of fruit, but tomorrow is going to be major pick blackberries day!

I still have a load of apples from a week ago when I managed to pick some real beauties (Permission given).  The only problem I have is that I don’t have that many jam jars to put all the blackberry and apple jam in that I intend to make now.  I have homemade piccalilli on the go as well as chutneys and onions too at the moment.

Jam jars to buy are so expensive, and anyway getting them to No Problem would be a logistical nightmare.. so I thought where else can I get some.. teehee, of course, Mr Tesco, and Mr Asda!..

Yep, jam pot jackpot!.. Curry Sauce though…  Well I suppose we COULD eat curry all this week..

Lids will be done with bicarb, that should take the curry smell away, or milton.  Whatever it takes at 4p a pot I simply can’t resist!  Just a matter of how many now!

A morning in Peterborough then off to Ferry Meadows

Stanground Lock to Ferry Meadows, River Nene, 4 miles 1 lock

We were lucky last night, the lock keeper stayed a bit late to lock us through, then as he shut the gates for the night, the electric motor burnt out.. He managed to shut the gates by hand, but this morning when engineers arrived, it was unsure whether the lock would be open today or not.. Luck on our side!

I took the girls, Lucy and Meg for a walk across the wetlands.. well they are dry at the moment!  There a seal around there so I was told, but no sighting today. 

Pulling the pins shortly afterwards, we joined Mo and Vanessa with NB Balmaha on the Peterborough embankment, and set off to HSBC Bank to sort out a small problem with the account that could not be resolved on the phone or at the HSBC bank in March!

With that done and some other bits and bobs sorted, it was off at full speed up the Nene towards Orton Lock.  It’s nice to be back on the Nene, although I do love the River Great Ouse and it’s tributaries the best. 

On through the lock and into Orton Lake to moor at the pontoons at the Nene Park Trust at Ferry Meadows..

I do hope the geese are not too noisy in the morning, there are hundreds of them here, and I remember the last time we moored at this spot a couple of years ago, they woke me early!

I emailed Tom Crossley of Narrowboatworld a couple of weeks ago when I saw a picture on his website of someone else who drilled a hole in the drain lip by the diesel cap to hold a padlock like we did.. remember this?

It was on this blog – linky – Well there was a comment from Mark saying that this may not pass the BSS (British Safety Scheme that all narrowboats have to have).  Well Tom emailed a friend of his who is a BSS examiner and showed him my picture.  Tom said “Just heard from the BSS people and your diesel cap locking device is okay, and will pass the BSS examination”  So that is great news.  And also good news for the two ‘Es’ with NB Bendigedig who have done much the same.

Our BSS is due in November, I am glad we waited before sealing it back up again.  I just hope the Boat Safety Scheme man we get agrees!

The Banks are so annoying, but on we go on the Middle Levels

March to Stanground Lock, Middle Levels and River Nene, 15 miles 2 locks

Not the high banks of the middle level drains, but the High STREET Banks in March.. those where you put money in, or at least try to!  “Sorry you can’t open an account as we don’t have anyone free to see you today, you need to make an appointment and come back next week”… “What!!!”  Barclays Bank.. I couldn’t believe I couldn’t just open an account!.. Explaining that I was only in March for one day, I was instructed to return later.. “The Manager will be at the bank at 10” she said..

So off then to HSBC where I had a query to be sorted.  I was getting nowhere on the phone to them about it, and the cost of phoning their call centre is high on a mobile phone.. “Sorry we don’t have anyone in this branch that can sort that for you.  We have a visiting manager coming next Tuesday”.. Sheeeeeeesh!! “Oh don’t worry about it, I will go to Peterborough tomorrow”.. Out I stomped.

Back then to Barclays.. “The manager is in a meeting”.. “I don’t believe this!”  Well I was entitled to be a tad upset don’t you think!

I was just about to walk out when I was summoned to a seat, and out came the manager.. ah he wanted our account after all!

It then took 55 minutes to open two savings accounts!!!

That was enough of March for one day, so we pulled the pins and headed off to cross the other half of the 27.8 mile stretch of the Middle Levels that joins The Nene with The Great Ouse.. Kevin was out on the bank at Fox Narrowboats just outside March where he keeps his own narrowboat, and I got a pic of him taking a pic!!..

Once outside of March it was evident that the wind was still high.  We were very sheltered overnight in the town.  Vic and I took turns at the tiller, and we opened the throttle as much as we dared.  Homemade tomato soup for lunch this time, and it warmed and cheered us as we chugged along.

One of the most annoying things about this half of the trip is the numbered fishing posts that you can’t help but notice along the way.. it starts with Number One, and ends in Number 299 just before the one and only lock along the way at Ashline Lock.  The numbers are on sticks and occur every 15–20 mtrs or so, and they become really addictive to watch.  I think I will get a pair of blinkers next time I come this way!

Ashline Lock was ready for us to go in with the gates welcomingly open..

It took us a good half hour to do this lock.. it needs to be emptied after we had gone up, and it takes an age to fill and empty.  Also after leaving the lock, something managed to wind itself round the prop, so we were a while clearing that.  I phoned the lock keeper at Stanground and left a message on the answer phone that we were delayed and would not be there until after 4pm.. the latest time to lock through.  We planned to stay on the lock landing till the morning, before locking through then.

Whittlesea 90 degree turn between concrete walls took a bit of push and shove.. I wasn’t about to leave No Problem’s paint on the walls.. there was enough graffiti around today without me adding to it.. so gently does it with Vic working with a pole on the front and round she went.

There are stretches on the Levels that are really very shallow.. much more so this year than in any year before, and our trip eventually took just on 4 3/4 hours, although we had a problem at the lock..

The lock keeper was still at Stanground when we arrived at 4.15, and he locked us through which was great.  In fact it was the relief lock keeper today, not the normal locky Tina.. funnily enough it was the same relief keeper that let us out at Salters Lock and onto the Great Ouse in May on our way to the fens!

We are on the Nene side lock landing tonight, and will move to Peterborough tomorrow.. Let’s hope HSBC are a little more helpful there!!

Windy windy Middle Levels today

Denver to March, River Great Ouse and Middle Levels, 14 miles 3 locks

With pins pulled early this morning we cruised the short distance from Silt Fen Visitor moorings to the Denver complex to fill with water and do the other services before making ourselves ready for the trip to Salters Lode and the Middle Levels via the tidal River Ouse.

We sat in the lock at Denver with the guillotine open to the tidal section for what seemed an age.  Waiting and waiting for the ideal moment when we would be able to enter the Salters Lock some half mile downstream at the precise moment that the waters from the tide are level with those on the Middle Levels.

No Problem is too long to fit in the lock at Salters, you see, so the bottom and top lock gates have to be open at the same time.  The tide was right out, and just on the turn, so it was easy to enter the dog legged gap leading to the lock, but the tide was out just a bit too far, and No Problem scraped over the sand at full throttle to get into the lock.. phew only just today.. Thanks Paul for locking us through….

See you again next year all being well!

Oh it was so windy across the open fenland of the Middle Levels.  I was pleased that I had made some soup this morning.. I knew we would not be stopping for lunch.. lunch on the run today.  Down came the chimney to go under the low bridges of Nordelph, then Outwell next…

Through this tunnel like bridge to a 90 degree bend which No Problem can’t get round in one hit, then just as I straightened up a narrowboat appeared.. good job I didn’t meet him 5 minutes earlier, it would have been at the bridge in the picture above!

Next came daughter Wendie’s favourite chip shop, which I do a pic for her each time we pass..

Here you go Wends.. just for you!! . Reason – Fond memories of many years ago when the family used to visit this area competing locally to this chip shop with junior showjumping ponies.. Onward to the next village, Upwell..

Gosh that bridge is low, just about cleared the flowers!.. I like Upwell, but we didn’t stop today.. As you can see another 10 miles to March, but that is by road!

Actually, we did stop just after this at a little postage stamp bit of wood and landing.  I popped into the local garden centre.. well it wasn’t a garden centre like normal.. an amazing place just on the outskirts of Upwell.. Round the back is amazing, all full of huge growing indoor places for plants.. I got some winter pansies and a few just picked runner beans.  Vic held No Problem with middle and back ropes.. Away from there and on to Marmount Priory Lock.  The wind was strong and we struggled to get No Problem on to the lock landing.. well only about half of No Problem would fit on it!  Then I was off again down the lane to the house that sells the eggs..

“Oh I don’t know if I got any, hang on a minute”… Then after about 5 minutes this guy appeared from the side of the house with a few eggs cradled in his t shirt! “I’ll put them in a tray”.. Ho Hum.. “Here you go, the chickens have gone off laying a bit.. They are my son’s pets you know”  I was delighted to get 6 special eggs so newly laid.  2 of them are really small.. I took enough money for two dozen eggs.. well the sign said £1.20 a dozen, so I thought there would be a lot of them.. I bet they are going to taste good!

We came through the Denver complex well before NB Balmaha.. but…

They catch us up at the lock, I been doing stuff!!

The wind turbines needed controlling today for sure…

You can see how windy it is.. but we are in March now.  Fish and chips tonight followed by a visit from Kevin.. he brought me some cabling for the front camera.. always lovely to see Kevin of course, and Ness and Mo of NB Balmaha, who are moored in front of us this evening, popped in too, so plenty of socialising tonight!

4 hours tomorrow will see us back on the River Nene.. but not before we visit the market here in March.

Out and about with the girls by the Little Ouse

Hockwold Fens to Silt Fen, Rivers Little and Great Ouse, 13.5 miles 0 locks

Louise caught the train from Brandon on Friday, and I managed to turn No Problem with ease by backing into the lock entrance as suggested by a couple of GOBA members on their forum.  We moored outside of Brandon the night before, still not sure if it is entirely safe to moor at the end.  In 2005 when we moored by the lock there were a load of youngsters binge drinking on the parkland.  I noticed there were allotments there this time, but talking to a couple of local boaters it is still not the best place to be at the weekends..

Just by our mooring close to Brandon these two deer decide to chance a crossing of the railway..

They had the right idea, there are some lovely walks on the otherside, I was very tempted to do the same myself!

I popped into Brandon town for milk then we pulled the pins and made our way back to Hockwold Fen and the GOBA moorings there.  The two boats that had passed yesterday were already there, and room was short, so I moored No Problem just off the moorings.. good enough for us.. out went the plank!

What a grand weekend then and what a lovely place this is.. a view across the fen..

On Saturday, I couldn’t resist it, out I went with Lucy and Meg across this wonderful countryside, we were to do 7 miles along the flood banks and droves.  There was plenty going on, with the farmers frantically getting the last of the corn in while the sun shone hot..

In fact there were three combines in this field, and the dust they were creating blew for miles.  Look at these then…

I say these, there were a load of them in the pasture close to the river.. I think they are Parasol mushrooms, no doubt someone out there will know..  Didn’t pick any for eating this time as I wasn’t certain..

I put No Problem into the bushes on Friday afternoon.. a very narrow bit of river as I cruised downstream near Brandon it was.  Two of the largest hire boats from Ely came round the corner, and I moved to the outside of the bend to let them through, but the river was running quite fast as it was narrow, and the speed of the water pushed me to the outside of the bend and into the trees.. Not the fault of the hire boat crews, they did their best, and there was nothing I could do about it.. the river rules..

Anyway it was for that reason that we decided to move on Sunday.. it was a lovely day anyway, and we very much enjoyed the 13 mile cruise to get us close to Denver.  I knew I could do some work on the scratches from the trees on the hard edged moorings of the Environment Agency, and this morning after washing the boat down I set about making scratches disappear.. Armed with a bottle of T Cut and a couple of soft rags I rubbed and polished .. Looks OK now.. well looks much better than it was. 

Oh, does anyone know that this flower is?  Saw it while walking one of the droves, it’s not the best of pics..

It’s sort of like a cowslip, but it can’t be..

Sad day tomorrow then when we go through the complex at Denver, down the tidal river to the Middle Levels to make our way back to the Nene.  I shall, as usual, be sorry to leave the fens. We have had a great summer over here and revisited favourite places from previous years. We will be back!!

River Little Ouse.. delightful of course..

Brandon to GOBA moorings at Hockwold Fens, River Little Ouse, 6.5 miles 0 locks

I have been busy sorting out some travelling arrangements for Chas and Ann of NB Moore2Life.. and with a very slow connection, this has taken me most of this evening!..

But we are moored in good company tonight, with a couple of boats from the Hilgay Club on the GOBA Moorings in the middle of nowhere!..

So I will leave you with the sun going down and will catch you all up with todays news tomorrow!

Now the Little Ouse revisited..

Junction Little Ouse to close Brandon, River Little Ouse, 12 miles o locks

Just as laid back as it was when we visited in 2006.  And the weather was glorious, giving us warm sunshine with just a hint of a breeze in our faces.

So we pulled the pins fairly early this morning after breakfast and after Lucy and Meg had their morning stroll.  I had spied a nice apple tree in a makeshift car park the night before, and hoped that someone would be working on the bank this morning so I could see who owned the tree.  I knew people would be working on the banks of the Little Ouse because machines were there.

They are building a long stretch of moorings at the beginning of the river, and by long, I mean long!  Must be almost three quarters of a mile of moorings soon available.  There are signs up for the Little Ouse Moorings…

Well there was someone working, the owner of the new moorings!  And I had a chat to Danny, not only about the moorings but also the apples.. I arrived back to No Problem with a good few pockets full.. thanks Danny!

A very seemingly remote stretch between the high flood banks on each side of the narrow river, this is the road bridge to the village of Little Ouse..

I have spied a place to stop, and just might do that to have a look at this little village that takes it’s name from the river.. or maybe it’s the other way around!..

The GOBA moorings are in a delightful area, although they are nearly an mile further than shown in the Imray Guide.  We stopped for lunch and both K9s took the opportunity to splash and play in the river with the very low bank, and shallow side.

Has anyone lost a narrowboat?..

Yes there really is one in there.. thanks to Louise, Vic’s daughter, for grabbing my camera and snapping this one for me while I was playing galley slave!

Soon the high flood banks disappeared as we cruised upstream..

Over to the left there is a huge lake system with hundreds of swans on them, you can see how different the river has become.. laid back it is for sure, and so were these two..

The pins were put in tonight just short of Brandon, the end of the navigable part of this river.. ‘tis a nice mooring here..

Up ahead, that was just one of two boats we saw today, and yesterday we only 3 boats..

Louise goes home tomorrow from Brandon Station after her week aboard No Problem.  We have had a great time, and she has really enjoyed her time with us.  Our original plan was to pick her up from St Neots and cruise to Ely, but the recent floods put paid to that.. but what we have done has been really lovely, and it has given Vic and I the chance to cruise these two rivers again, which we might not have done, before making our way back to the canal system for the winter.

Back down the Wissey is just as good..

Stoke Ferry to Junction with River Little Ouse, 15 miles 0 locks

Just a very brief blog tonight as only just arrived back from The Ship at the junction of the Great Ouse with the Little Ouse.  A good meal out here tonight!

How can you not like the River Wissey?…

But hey, what is this then?

Does anybody know what is behind these Canada Geese?

And what about this fella?  What is he guarding?

For sure it just might be the bushes behind with all those berries on.. hard winter to come or what?

But then just round the corner is this beautiful ‘weed’..

Then the heron, after having missed the kingfisher just sitting watching No Problem go past, this once again in some glorious fauna..

Tomorrow is the Little Ouse for the day.. I called it laid back when I was here last, I hope tomorrow to feel the same about it.

The wonderful River Wissey revisited

Brandon Creek Junction to Stoke Ferry, River Great Ouse and River Wissey, 17 miles 0 locks

I had not forgotten how beautiful the River Wissey is. 

Each time I come down here I feel it is the best river in the fens, but then when I go somewhere else, that turns out to be the best one.  But for today this is the best one.  The weather was overcast as we pulled the pins early this morning, and with the easterly wind in our hair we all set off down the Ouse towards the turn off for the Wissey…

Louise is First Mate for the day, and her Dad enjoys a smooth ride!  Louise is visiting this week, and has been very lucky so far with the weather.

We stopped at Hilgay briefly for lunch and I took Lucy and Meg around the local parkland close to the moorings while the others put soup and a warm loaf on the table.

Thanks to Louise for this pic from her camera, it’s not often you blog readers get a snap of me!!

So a lot of pics for you this evening rather than words for once.. Herons galore on this river…

Much narrower is this River, much narrower than we have been used to over the last few months, and it was glorious to cruise along between the intermingerling various types of red berries, blackberry, elderberries and rose hips seemingly all in the one bush.  That along with the newly emerging white flowers of the bind weed gave the the whole river bank a stunning view for a good while along the way..

Soon the works of British Sugar’s bio fuel plant came into view..

A huge place this.  And after passing it at close quarters the river gives a surprise to those who visit for the first time..

Suddenly the river opens up into a massive lake with little lagoons breaking off to the right.  A haven for wildlife with many kingfishers and wildfowl skirting the banks.  No supprise to us of course, we were looking forward to seeing this place again.. if you like Tixhall Wide then this place is even more magnificant.

Onward..

Through the guiloteen gate that would be dropped if the river flooded and water diverted to the relief channel and out to sea on the other side of the gate.  If you are interested how ‘the relief channel works, have a look here.

A bird on a wire.. couldn’t resist this one!

We winded (turned) at the end of the Wissey navigation with ease, and made our way back to the caravan park to moor for the evening.. I enjoyed this little van on the narrowboat..

Moored tonight then at the Caravan Park.. cost was £4, but a fairly nice mooring.

Thanks to Louise for this nice pic.  However, the owner of the park has a lot of rules.. no dogs off leads, don’t feed the ducks, don’t play with a ball, don’t climb the bank to the road.. sigh.  And watchout, he has spies out who phone him up!!  I missed the sign for dogs on leads you see, when I took Meg and Lucy for their walk tonight and walked along the ‘riverside walk’ away from the caravan park.  A narrowboater along there asked me to put the dogs on a lead, which I did, he then snitched on me and phoned the owner of the caravan park.. I got told off later when I went to pay my £4!

A busy weekend and we head north through Ely

Weekend and Today, Lazy Otter to Ely, Ely to Brandon Creek, River Great Ouse, 15 miles 0 locks

The weather was cloudy when I peeped out of the curtains on Saturday morning, but by lunchtime the sun had managed to burn through the clouds and hooray, a lovely day.  Kevin and Debbie had been at their narrowboat moored in March for the weekend and decided to pop over during the evening.  We wined and dined at the Otter, this time I had the halibut, yummy it was too!  Good restaurant this is you know.

“Is the manager in?” “He might be, it depends what it is you want”  I knew then that I was actually talking to the manager!!.. “Ah well I want something he has” “OK then try me”.. “Apples, on the tree by the bottle bank in the corner of the car park.. can I have some?”.. Well if you don’t ask etc.. “Yeah sure.. take them before the wasps get to them all”  Great stuff, so plenty of apples to last this week.. more jam to come me thinks!

Dave Wood left an interesting comment on the last blog about this boat, so I will put a better picture here of Anna Rose, perhaps there are others who know something about this boat too.  It sounds like it has a very interesting history.. it is such a shame to see it like this..

On Sunday I fixed up my forward facing camera.. it is a wireless camera with a monitor at the back so that I can see in front of me.. well with the back canopy up and the wood and coal on top it is difficult to see over the top of everything so I got a ‘reversing’ camera to see ahead!  I had used it a few times, but not over the last couple of months.  Anyway it wouldn’t work.. no picture on the monitor.  After having checked all the wiring I was pulling my hair out.. Mo.. I need Mo.  I could offer apples, blackberries, and a jar of jam in exchange for Mr Sparks.. Mo of Balmaha is a dab hand at electrics!

Oh, gotta show you these, laid back or what!

So Sunday afternoon saw us pull the pins and head for Ely.. I knew Balmaha was there you see, and I wanted my camera fixed!  But even Mo couldn’t find the fault insitu, and later Vic and I walked to the other side of Ely where they were moored and joined them for yet another lovely evening.. this time chatting about a possible crossing of the wash to Boston.. now that would be fun for next year!

Mo suggested that I give him the complete system to check out as we were to part company this morning, and with everything undone and packed into a bag I passed it over as they came alongside on their way past us. This is a special ‘Mo wave’ as Balmaha leaves to explore the Cam..

We will see them later when they catch us up on the way back to the canal system.. bye for now you two

This afternoon Louise, Vic’s daughter, arrived to join us for a cruise for the week.  After putting in diesel and filling the water tank we pulled the pins late in the afternoon making for the River Wissey.  By tea time we had almost reached Brandon Creek, so put the pins in there for the evening.  News has arrived that the camera is broken.. grrrrrrrrr

A Short move to The Lazy Otter in calm weather

Stretham to Lazy Otter, River Great Ouse, 1 mile 0 locks

Just a trickle upstream today to the GOBA moorings near The Lazy Otter.  There is a marina here too, and the whole setting is lovely.  Here the pub in the distance with the river going off under the bridge on the left..

Here is where we are moored looking from the other side of the river…

Just look how calm it is today, not a breath of wind.  This is only the second day since the beginning of August that the wind has not blown hard.  The half sunken boat behind No Problem, Anna Rose, I believe was moved out of the Marina and pulled round to the GOBA moorings when the new owners took over.  It’s owners not paying for their mooring.. well that is what I have heard, there may well be a different reason.  It is such a shame, a lovely wooden boat going to rack and ruin.

Today I have finished working out our itinerary for cruising before Christmas, and it has ended up as 220 miles and 158 locks.. phew that sounds a lot, but it will be over 3 months so lots of ‘days off’ and ‘not too long at the tiller’ days.  In a way it is helpful to know that information.. I shall be able to accurately proportion our cruising against our heating over the next 3 months.

Lots of reference books needed as well as the downloaded British Waterways Winter Stoppage List!  

I am really looking forward to this cruise which will take in some of the glorious countryside in Leicestershire.

Meanwhile…

Yep, it got cold and rimy this morning before we pulled the pins, so the fire was lit for only the second time this year.. Now apparently.. with fingers crossed the weekend is going to be nice.. I shall peep out of the curtains when I wake in the morning before I will believe that!

Right then, off now to test out another of the many wonderful beers that are kept on draught at the Lazy Otter

Diesel Decisions made - 40-60 Split will be standard

Waterways News

Here is what we have been waiting for, announced at the Southampton Boat Show this morning, the decision by the powers above about our split on domestic and cruising fuel costs…

“Britain's motorboaters got some good news this morning with the announcement that from 1 November a split of 60/40 for propulsion and 'domestic use' diesel will become the accepted standard at the pump.

Put simply, for every 100 litres purchased, 40 litres will be subject to the current rate of duty - 9.69 pence per litre (ppl) at 5% VAT - and 60 litres will be subject to full duty - 50.35ppl at 17.5% VAT.

This news comes after months of intense lobbying by the British Marine Federation (BMF) and RYA over an acceptable apportionment that satisfies all parties, including HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and fuel vendors.”

We are going to be able to self declare on that, which I am pleased about because I would prefer to work out my own split being a continuous cruiser obviously I do not use as much fuel for propulsion as hire boats or people that just use their boats at the weekend.

“Continuous cruisers may not declare 0% under these arrangements, even if they reside permanently on their craft, they must declare their actual intended usage for propulsion.”

Rest of the article here from Motor Boats Website

Bit more bookwork for me to have to do, but I don’t mind that.

I look forward now to reading all the debates about this once it has filtered onto the newsgroups and forums.  Now we have the figures we will obviously want to know how this is actually going to work when buying fuel.  Will we have to claim back if our proportion is different to the standard I wonder will be one of the major questions I think.

Winter planning in place while waiting at Stretham

Moored Stretham, Old West River bit of Great Ouse

It is becoming frustrating for us with the river still closed upstream from where we are.  We can’t do much at the moment except potter around again.

Vic’s daughter Louise is coming to see us on Monday though, so that will break the frustration, and I hope that next week the weather will be kinder.  We might go have a look at the Wissey or even the Little Ouse.  I won’t make any decisions on that until Monday comes along though..

Today I have sat down and done our winter 2008 pre christmas plan.. with all this rain no doubt that will probably change a bit, but plans are made to be changed so we will have to wait and see.  Pre Christmas will see us return via the Nene to Gayton by mid October then on up the Leicester line of the Grand Union Canal to the Trent hoping not to meet floods along the Soar on the way, then the Trent and Mersey Canal to the Great Haywood Junction area around Christmas time.

We hope to be on the move much more this winter, we have itchy feet now with all this hanging around, and we are quite excited with our planned itinerary.

I didn’t put this pic on the blog last week.. and I didn’t get a pic today!  Hey can’t have a blog with no pic!!

This reminds me, frustrated though I am, what a wonderful area this is for cruising and the reasons I come back here year after year.

I have been out and about though with Lucy and Meg, and walking around near the Stretham Old Engine has been great.  I have found lots of walks, and a walk to Stretham village itself is very pleasant across the fields, the paths have been mown neatly and pass through well looked after kissing gates and the like.

I have time too at the moment to think about the diesel hike that is almost upon us.. I wonder how low I dare let the tank go before filling to the brim on 31^st October!

I agree with the comments on the Boating Business website that the government is really leaving it very late to make their decision on how it is to be implemented…

Howard Pridding, executive director of the BMF, told BB: ‘Along with the RYA and IWA we are still in constant negotiations with HMRC. The price of diesel will rise on 1 November and not before, however we are continually fighting hard on behalf of boaters and the industry and are awaiting the announcement regarding the implementation and the percentage split.’

Ho hum, and also quoted on there..

Some experts say the combined effect will be to raise the cost of the fuel from 70p a litre to about £1.27

But we are paying £1 or so a litre at the moment… Eek, my guess then £1.50!

Wet days around Ely and the coal is on top..

Weekend – Little Thetford to Ely to Stretham Old Engine, River Great Ouse, 8.5 miles

We had a quiet weekend, in fact on one day I spent the entire day doing bookwork of some sort or another.. now my filing cabinet is looking much better, and my brain has been emptied of ‘must remember to to thats’.  It has been helpful that the weather has been wet to keep me in doors.. Here the skies are full of angry clouds as we sit on the moorings at Little Thetford..

Lucy and Meg still got their walks though, but not quiet as far as normal!

I ordered some coal for delivery further upstream on Wednesday, and it was a good job that we decided to go to Ely on Monday to top up the freezer after defrosting over the weekend and to use the services.  I say it was a good job because the coal company phoned and said our delivery would be here today..

I popped into Ely to change my new walking boots which had been leaking on one of the boots.  This time I went for the suede type walking boots instead of the leather ones that I normally get.. I didn’t have too much of a fight to get them changed, although the shop wanted to send them back to the manufacturer for testing.  This would have left me with no walking boots.. tut tut I wasn’t going to have that!  “But my contract is with you, not the manufacturer, I need another pair of boots right now”.  That seemed to do the trick, and I walked out with a leather pair.

Over the weekend too I had a call from Annie of NB Moore2Life, our travelling companions of late.  They have now gone back across the Middle Levels and are making their way back up the Nene… Well I say making their way.. For sure, not at the moment as they are stuck on the river waiting for all that flood water to come down the river.. read about it here on their latest blog.

On the way out of Ely a rather unusual sight which made me smile..

We decided to stop at Hundred Acres Moorings just upstream from Popes Corner.. well we had to stop really, because, right on the end of the mooring was NB Balmaha. 

So an evening aboard No Problem, and we all enjoyed putting the world to right, or at least trying to, and also interestingly, it may well be that Mo’s father and my father might have been at the same RAF base during the war.. Some investigation will follow.. watch this space..

Away this morning to Stretham Old Engine about a mile or so up river from the overnight mooring.. Here we stopped to wait for the coalman.  It was only a few minutes after we put the pins in that he arrived and the chap kindly carried all 10 bags down the bank and straight on the top of No Problem for us.  He earned a pint from me for doing that.. smashing.

Pulling the pins from there, we went through the bridge and moored on the 48hour EA moorings on the other side of the river..

You can see the top of No Problem is covered in coal as well as flowers and herbs..

Here a pic of the Stretham Old Engine taken this evening just as we saw a bit of sun at the end of the day.. the sky in the background is absolutely black!..

You can see where we were moored along where those fishermen are now.  You can also see the slope that the coalman had to go down, AND he carried two bags at once!

Lots of blackberries around now, and this afternoon I made a couple of pots of blackberry and apply jam, I am now trying to keep Vic away from it!  Tis very much a favourite of his, and he is suppose to be on a diet!

I was delighted to see the news that Bletchley Park has received some money from the USA.  I visited this place a few months ago and noted that it was in a very poor state of repair.  And while I welcome that funding from the US, it’s a pity that the UK Lottery Funding people have not come forth with money from the UK for this very unique and important place.  Let’s hope that this may make them think again, Bletchley Park needs looking after..

Pottering around the Great Ouse with my Dad and Sylvia

Pottering, River Great Ouse

Gosh it was windy yesterday, but undeterred, we cruised to the Lazy Otter on the Old West River for a superb meal.. the fish and chips were fantastic.. “Blimey I gotta whale on my plate” said my Dad as his plate of guiness soaked battered cod and chips arrived.. He loves cod and chips, the second plateful he has had in four days!!

I fetched a taxi to take Dad and Sylvia, my step mum, off to their B&B close by, and I guess Dad had a brilliant day as Sylvia told me he crashed out not long after 9.30pm!!

Pulling the pins from there at 8am ourselves this morning, we set off for Little Thetford ready to pick them up from the village, and after a quick photshoot…

It was onward gently to Ely..

Would you believe, I got exactly the mooring I was hoping for, making it the shortest distance to the town from anywhere on the quay.. So Ely Cathedral today, but not before a browse around the market and a lovely lunch at one of the many super eating places.  They enjoyed the cathedral, and my Dad was very interested in the memorial for the RAF and the stained glass windows depicting the Lancaster Bombers as he was stationed here at the makeshift airbase close to Ely for a few weeks during the war..

They are off home tomorrow, I am certain they have enjoyed themselves, for sure I have absolutely loved having them here.. Discussions this evening too about a visit in the spring.. now that would be nice..

Fond Farewells and Happy Hellos on the River Great Ouse

Pottering River Great Ouse

Our travelling companions Ann and Chas on NB Moore2Life made a decision to return to the canal system a bit earlier than we had planned for ourselves, so it was a fond farewell to them both for now..

We will catch up with them at some stage before Christmas for sure….

My Dad arrived on Monday, with my step Mum Sylvia..  He is 85 you know.. all the way up from the south coast on the train.. Here is Sylvia getting to know the local inhabitants..

My Mum died some 30 years ago, and Sylvia has given my Dad many, many years of happiness.. that makes me happy too..

We have all been pottering along these lovely rivers, today popping into the Five Miles From Anywhere pub on the River Cam for lunch.. hey our first venture this year on that river.. We need to try fit in Ely Cathedral and the wonderful Lazy Otter before they go back.. then there is the Little Ouse.. blogs from me are going to be a bit thin on the ground this week..