Spring into action

Signs of Spring on the moorings keep coming and going which, to be fair, is how things usually are in April. But the signs are there and joyous to behold.

Time for a tidy up on the mooring getting ready for 23rd April

Tidier now

St George's Day next weekend coming at the end of a week of great significance as on Thursday HMQ celebrates her 90th birthday. Rejoice! This weekend is also the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death and  also of Cervantes' demise. Truly amazing that two such literary greats should both live at the same time and pop off on the same date .

I emphasise date because they probably died on different days. Work that one out-I'll explain later if you're still here.

Some more Spring pictures from the mooring

Pretty aint he. Harry the Heron

Jim fixes the shed roof

Roy can't remember what he was going to do

and Danny Spring cleans

We always have an auction on St George's Day and this year I am more impressed than before (wouldn't be hard) by the quality of goods coming in for sale. The trouble is the forecast is for cold weather, the Almighty having forgotten we're doing this for charity and revisiting Winter on us. Cold bidders are not happy bidders. To warm everyone up we're having a selection of stews and curries and stuff. Plus I think we'll be lighting the odd brazier.

Talking of Winter.....Pam and I went to see Nigel Kennedy on Tuesday with the Oxford Philharmonic. Stupendous.  Kennedy's arrangement of the Four Seasons might not be everybody's cup of Vivaldi but I loved it as I did the four Dedications in the first half and the Hendrix number. Great entertainment.

Returning to the matter of Shakespeare and Cervantes-what a cultural blog we're having today boys and girls-if they died on the same date (April 23rd 1616) they certainly did not die on the same day. The English were still using the Julian calendar whereas Spain was using the newfangled Gregorian calendar So whilst they can be commemorated on the same date they actually died 11 days apart.

I've had a pay rise! £3.35 a month on my State pension. I blew it on one glass of Prosecco (adding £1.15 to make it up to the necessary) I toasted the (private) health of Mr Odious Osborne, I need all the mazoola I can muster at the mo what with over £200 worth of MOT today and boat bottom blacking and dreaded survey next week. Plus we're going on holiday! Yippee - just a few days in the sun near Malaga coming up soon though I shall probably pay for that with my male modelling fees.Also my pen has run out so I've applied for Ink Capacity Benefit! Geddit. Perhaps I need a holiday.

But first St George's Day.  First job (Thursday) is fly the Union Jack for HMQ then find the Cross of St George and the Spanish flag for flying on Friday.

The boat needs a wash before she goes into dry dock-I had hoped to get the sides painted beforehand but lousy weather, bad backs etc buggered that plan so that must wait till (and if) she goes back in the water.


 As for now it is a beautiful evening with duck stir fry on the menu Not this one, of course. She is nesting on top of a nearby boat. Fortunately they (the boat) don't move much but I will be interested to see how she gets the newbies down to the water. At least they are safe from the the ermine vermin (mink) I saw wandering up the path this week.

Tonight (Wed) on the mooring by the lock in the moonlight. Why I love Cowroast. Not many enjoy a view like this on their way home from the shops.

Now talking of shopping  I was saddened tohear on the News last Friday that " today is the Official start of 10 weeks campaigning up to the Europe referendum". So why have I had the backside bored off me for the last 6 weeks? ! I don't think I can take 10 weeks if we've only had the warm up. Head in custard time.  I'm having trouble deciding which way to vote and at the moment my view is very much governed by the Johnson choice. Boris who has never had a thought in his life relating to my wellbeing or Alan who in my opinion should be leader of the Labour Party and talks like he has thought about what he was going to say before saying it. In fact generally speaking those for coming out are not my sort anyway. But then some for staying in aren't either ( Osborne for starters) Hmmmm. We'll leave that for now. Make up my mind after Malaga.

Time to wash the boat and clear the roof, the moorings and my mind.

I've just been shopping. Nothing remarkable about that except not a thing in the supermarkets relating either to HMQ being 90 or St George's forthcoming feast; let alone Shakespeare or Cervantes. A cultural desert. To add insult to injury my flag blew off its stick -one of those flags that fit on the car window. Very  proud of it I was. Now I've just got the stick. It's so hard being patriotic.

Enjoy St George's Day and wear a red rose. It's a great country......as long as you dress up warm.

😨

Morning all

Seven hours ago I was sat. Looking out of a window. Wondering what denture care involved. And I was happy.
Now I am sad. Seven hours later I am sat. Just. It is 4.20 a m. There is nothing to see outside. It is black. As is my mood.
Let me explain.
I am in pain. No. I am in a lot of pain. I have been awake since 2 a m. A pain arches across the top of my right buttock. It is impossible to get comfortable, sitting, lying or standing. This pain was not there seven hours ago. Seven hours and six minutes now to be exact. It was not  there when I was happy. Happy to be with Pam and Ollie in the Akash Restaurant eating Chicken Madras and looking out of the window at the sign "Denture Care" and wondering what it involved that required High St premises in Berkhamsted. Happy because I had just finished a near perfect week. Perfect except for a funeral of which more anon.
 And this pain.

We have been to Kent. To visit Caz, Philip and Florence.
We stayed in a house near the centre of Faversham. We spent the time entertaining Florence, or perhaps it was the other way round.

Wednesday. We went to Mount Ephraim (which the locals pronounce "E Frame" or at least one of them did) which is a house and gardens  http://www.mountephraimgardens.co.uk/   in Hernehill near Faversham. We didn't bother with the house figuring it would probably be too boring for Florence and certainly for Pam. The gardens are wonderful. The best man made gardens I've ever seen in terms of not looking man made if you see what I mean. 
Here's some photos.

I think I was left on my own for a while and got bored and did my impersonation of Ephraim 

Ephraim /ˈiːfriːəm/; was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph and Asenath. Asenath was an Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph as wife, and the daughter of Potipherah, a priest of On. 

Pam does her Easter Bunny impersonation with Florence's soggy shoes

 Time for Tai Chi-a perfect setting.

And we had cake.
And Pam did some Tai Chi
And Florence got her feet (and shoes) wet, fortunately not on my watch.

In the evening we went to Chilham. "What's the way to Chilham?"
"Shut 'em in the fridge"

Chilham is a beautiful village with a wonderful pub The White Horse where we dined, Philip drove which was kind so I had an extra half. .... Or two. It also has Chilham Castle owned by Stuart Wheeler, UKIP  moneybags. Worth a look.    http://www.chilham-castle.co.uk/

Thursday. We went to Whitstable. It was glorious. I like Whitstable and I especially like it when the sun shines and we can picnic and play in the groynes. They can't touch you for it. (Groyne: a low wall or sturdy timber barrier built out into the sea from a beach to check erosion and drifting) You were thinking of the other one.

Some more photos.

In the evening we had an early drink with C,P and F and dined in The Sun in Faversham. It turned out that the couple at the next table were farm owning neighbours of Mount Ephraim. They had come to the Sun because of a power outage at home, apparently a regular event. When the Gentleman farmer asked imperiously "where have you come from" I was highly amused by Pam's response. "Hertfordshire, where power cuts hardly ever happen" Hee hee . Game set and match.

We broke our return journey on Friday to attend a funeral in Enfield. I mentioned the passing of John Gerber last time(see below) especially what a kind bloke he was. The tributes at the funeral only confirmed this in all aspects of his life.  I was grateful to Pam for coming with me as I was more overcome than I'd expected. I'm a soft sod on such occasions and the sight of John's small coffin in the hearse before the service got me going. A wimpering condition exacerbated by the picture of John (below) by his narrowboat "Kingfisher" at one of our gatherings.
I was greatly saddened to hear that John had gone to that Great Marina in the Sky, aged 81. For the last few years John had been in a flat in Northchurch and we kept in touch usually by chance meetings in Waitrose, birthday and Christmas cards and the odd phone call.

 There has always been a high level of camaraderie amongst boaters and John exemplified this. He would help anybody in any way he could and his more than adequate carpentry skills were in great demand and of greater benefit to me in my early Cowroast days. He had a great sense of fun-who could forget his wing nut ears worn for his impersonation of Prince Charles when we celebrated HMQ's Silver Jubilee? I must dig out the photo sometime.

Although short in stature "Little John" was a giant to me for one major reason. In his former life he had been a steam engine drive. Enough said. He was a God for that reason alone but I think his kindness, sense of humour and gentlemanly demeanour confirmed his position as a top bloke. RIP John.

John's funeral is at 11.45 at Enfield Crematorium 
Great Cambridge Road
Enfield
Greater London
EN1 4DS

His son David tells me that  donations to  either of the following would be welcome.

http://www.chilternsdogrescue.org.uk/

or

http://www.stfrancis.org.uk/

I have David Gerber's address if anyone needs it.

It was a non-religious send off as so many are these days. I wondered if John remembered how much I disliked "Strangers on the Shore" (Acker Bilk). It featured in the service.
A nice touch; the floral tributes included a Kingfisher... from the grandchildren I think.
It was a lovely send off and I drank to John's memory that evening before hitting the Akash and wondering about Denture Care. And waking up with this ****ing pain.