A MIXED MONTH and a short blog

For those many people who read this blog hungry for tales of life on the canals I'm afraid this posting is short on life afloat. A duff back has meant that for the last few weeks my time on the cut has been restricted. Various quacks, fizzios and psychosteopaths have had a prod, poke and pull and the situation was pain stopped play.

Buggeration thricefold.

However......some good news
The bridge at Cowroast has been tarted up with brickwork replaced and railings painted. Good to see and fitting as the bridge was built in 1914

As I have commented before probably some of the men who built the original were dead within the next four years.

The mooring by my boat looked like an absolute sodden tip. A couple of weeks ago because of my back I paid somebody to empty my shed of crap assuming that I would soon be fit enough to transport all the junk to the tip....sorry Civic Amenity Site. Well that hasn't happened and it's rained enthusiastically and the aforementioned crap became  a very soggy and depressing pile of junk. Similarly the boat has been untended for at least five weeks and is cold, damp and sad. 

But things are looking up.

On the back front (eh? how's that for an Oxymoron) the osteopath has been giving me a going over paying no heed to my wimpish and delicate nature and has wrought some improvement. It is by no means perfect but compared to a fortnight ago is definitely moving in the right direction. The G P has referred me to the hospital so we wait for an appointment. Onward and upward.....fingers crossed.

We had a very pleasant visit from Pam's sister Tricia and bro in law Tony During which time we managed a dinner at the newly opened Bill's in Berko.Which was pretty good.
Plus a trip to College Lake where Autumn is at its best

On the boat front the wonderful Nicklinettes, Natalie, Ollie with Grandson Joseph arrived at the mooring last weekend and beavered away to tidy the shed, mooring and surroundings plus filling coal scuttles, stowing coal and tidying roof and front well. Oh and Joseph installed my lovely new microwave. I can now function comfortably on board as Winter tightens its grip.

And for entertainment the swans had a punch up over territorial rights

What a fine bunch-soooooo grateful

                                                                                                                  

The things some people collect!

And for dinner a tartiflette by Ollie and a salad by Natalie. Brilliant!

Sadly since my last blog I have lost my dear friend, Lucky, who was known and admired by many of my boating friends. I wasn't sure whether to include his demise on the blog but it happened and he warrants a mention. A lovely, gentle man, with a lovely family. Pali Mali Lachman -no wonder we all called you Lucky-it was a pleasure and an honour to have known you.

On a happier note an old boater friend, John Gerber or Little John as he is generally known reached the 80 mark on 19th November and I publish this photo in his honour.
Until recently John lived on his narrowboat, Kingfisher at the moorings at Bourne End and before that in Cowroast Marina. He moved ashore in Northchurch.
Here he is seen dressed as Prince Charles at a party to celebrate HMQ's 25th Anniversary. Unfortunately the photo does not do justice to the giant,false ears he was wearing. Well, he told us they were false.

Happy Birthday John!!

And here's a picture of Ollie just before his second and final (we hope) knee operation. This time it was at the Chesterfield Hospital in Bristol-private hospital but on the NHS-the world's gone mad.
What is important is that the last I heard he is doing well . Cheers Ollie and thanks again to you, Natalie and Joseph for your great help at the mooring
STOP PRESS

I've just heard that Ollie is bored in hospital so he must be making progress. Anyway if he was bored before wait till he's read this rubbish.

Arrangenments for the Cowroast Lock Boaters' Christmas Gathering are coming together with my hopes for a slight reduction in numbers being in vain. I'm afraid it's going to be as full as last year but that's better than nobody turning up.This year I've suggested that the money raised (assuming there is some) be donated to DENS the local charity for the homeless. 

So it's next stop Christmas...now where did I put that penguin?.....

Future to the Back

Autumn colours abound. I was particularly taken with the tree next to the little work men's hut by Cowroast lock.I haven't been to the boat much of late thanks to the back (of which more later) but was lucky enough to have the camera with me for a brief visit snapping the tree and viewing the work which has commenced to the bridge to repair the parapets and titivate the railings. All much needed to restore the Cowroast Lock area to its former glory.

When I say its next to the little Workman's hut I don't mean a hut for little workmen......it is just a little hut used by CaRT employees of all sizes and shapes

The walls of the parapets are in rather poor nick but as the bridge was built in 1914 it is fitting to renovate it this year. Quite probably some the men who built it, no matter what shape or size, were dead within the next four years.

The back continues to cause concern with lots of pain and foul language. Off to the quack again next week as progress is imperceptively slow and walking and standing are off the agenda......most of the time. Though just like when you call the tv repair man the bally tv behaves perfectly so it is with backs. Last week we spent time in Kent visiting Caz, Phillip and Florence. We stayed in a cottage in Rodmersham Green near Faversham where they live. Most of the time the back was rubbish but on the day we visited Whitstable I was able to walk for some distance totally pain free.Inexplicable. And extremely frustrating.

Pam, Joseph and I arrived on the Tuesday and in the evening with Caz, Phillip and Florence went to the Three Mariners at Oare for an excellent dinner. I had spiced whitebait followed by skate wings both wonderful and a place well worth a return visit. 

www.thethreemarinersoare.co.uk/

On Wednesday whilst Pam and Joseph laboured in Caz's back garden I did some shopping for dinner and had a ride down to look at the Thames barges on Faversham Creek. Unfortunately it was a foul day for looking, photography, walking....and gardening and so I vowed to return when the gods are on my side (rather than in my ****ing back)

Standard Quay

I returned to Rodmersham and rested up till the gang returned. After a drink in the local, the Fruiterer's Arms, Joseph cooked fahitas for dinner and very good they were too.

Candy Cottage-our Rodmersham home for a few days

 Pre-fahita drinks in the Fuiterers Arms

With Phillip, Joe, Pam, Caz and a disappering Florence

these fahitas are definitely faheating

The Fruiterer's Arms-at least 40 feet away from home

The following day we collected Florence and went to Whitstable. Such fun. Such wonderful weather for the end of October. Such a lovely, interesting place.

We had a marvellous time with a walk along the coast to the Old Neptune pub ( an establishment I wish to revisit when carless). The back was pretty grotty going but the walk back was brilliant. 

A rare sighting of a Kentish Crumbsnuffler

After the walk we stopped in the fish market where the others had fish or scampi with chips and I luxuriated in a bowl of cockles much to the disgust of both Joseph and Florence. Children are so unlucky to grow up in a world void of shellfish.

Florence does not like either cockles or the smell of a fish market!

Grandma and Florence tackle the scampi

My new chum

The Fish Market

That evening we dined at the Fruiterer's Arms where I had salmon to complete a fishy few days. I also decided the back needed dousing in alcohol and got a little squiffy. It did the back no good at all but i felt better for a while. A good day
The Friday saw us back in Herts after a sunny drive home.


I mentioned last time the problem with wasps. By careful observation (in that, because of the sodding back I had nothing better to do) I established that the wasps were coming, slowly, one at a time from the fireplace. Their intention was to get to the window and what they perceived as the outside world. Many made it no further then the intervening carpet or died on the window sill. The lucky ones arrived at the window when Pam was in Bhuddist mode and let them out to whatever fate awaited. A bit like the illegals hovering in Calais waiting for a gap in security 

Joseph and I on one of his visits to the Sick of the Parish (me-thanks Joe-much appreciated) were discussing the age old question of what use are wasps. We had a look at what the internet world had to offer and the main benefit seemed to be that they cleared away the bodies of other dead insects. Well, what are the local council for-why do we need sodding wasps. And then, Eureka! 

 What are they really good for? 

Wine-making, for one thing. Scientists say that wine drinkers can thank wasps and hornets for the complex aroma and taste of their favourite vino,  The insects help by biting grapes on the vine and leaving behind yeast from their guts that spurs fermentation. This is partly why winemakers have planted flowers near their vines since Roman times—to attract various insects.

Anyway they got despatched on Friday by the wasp man who found a gap in the chimney and discombobulated the blighters.
Next week if I can make some progress with my back then I'll return to the boat. If not then the next posting will be another one about me banging on about my back. Your prayers please gentle people.