The Second week of Advent

Let's get all the bad news out of the way first.

You will recall I finished off the last post with a fervent plea that Fulham would do well against Watford last Friday evening. My plan was simple. Meet Pam for a couple in the Lamb, down to the Goat to watch the game then back to the Cowroast to meet Roy and see how the pub was after  the change of tenant on the Thursday.
Good plan.

Well, even those of you with no interest in football will work out that if a team has its goalkeeper sent off after 15 minutes having already conceded one goal and then another through the resultant penalty it is unlikely that anything other than a rout will ensue. 0-5 it finished. And we were lucky to get 0. By half time and three goals down I was very pleased to get a text from Roy offering to collect me when the game was over.  Sadly for Fulham the game was over after 15 minutes.. Next to the Cowroast Inn. On entering it was like a trip down Memory Lane. Unfortunately it was all bad memories. One scan of the bar showed at least three  people barred by the previous tenant (and they weren't that fussy) complete with numerous dogs, music blaring, a totally empty restaurant and that smell that makes you wonder if someone has set light to some lilac leaves. Dreadful. To think how good this pub used to be....we even held our boaters' balls there.
We left without refreshment and went to the Greyhound, Wigginton for a drink-the second best part of the evening; my drink with Pam being the best.

Chris turns Eulalie

Blimey!. You don't want an audience when carrying out such a manouvre but it looks like Chris has sold tickets

TO MARSWORTH.

Chris and Gill on Eulalie left on Friday for Marsworth and Budgie and Jan on Venose also went down a day early. With Roy and I intending to travel on the Saturday it looks like only four boats this year. Ill health has taken its toll and the closure of the Aylsebury Arm for repairs has stopped others.

Saturday 6th December.

Another simple plan. Crew in the shape of Ady due to arrive at 10. Set off 10. 30 in tandem with Panther and boat down to Marsworth 7 locks away ready for the party in the evening.

Bye bye

We had to leave without Ady as due to an accident on the A41 it took the poor chap over 4 hours to reach us by which time we were three locks down the flight thanks to some athletic( bordering on balletic) lockworking by Roy whilst I swanned about trying not to make my back hurt. It was a cold but sparkling day and once underway I really enjoyed the trip Eventually we arrived in Marsworth and after a bowl of chicken stew-stunning- and a siesta adjourned to the pub. 35 turned up, a bit down on last year but more comfortable. Plenty to eat and agood atmosphere. The raffle went well (thanks Lesley) and raised £182 which meant that combined with donations and the profit on the grub a total of £300 for DENS   http://www.dens.org.uk/ the local charity for the homeless.

In addition everybody was asked to bring tinned or dried food for their Foodbank collection and a very good response meant I was able to rattle my way to the DENS store on Monday with a very fine array of goodies. In fact I'm still rattling because one rogue tin of Chill con Carne escaped and is still rolling round under my passenger seat.

I was very impressed with what I saw at DENS; such a worthwhile cause and a matter of shame for a country with our resources. We have returned to the 30's for some people. Even after the war we didn't have foodbanks!

Now I feel guilty about that tin of Chilli co Carne

I was also very impressed with the speed with which DENS acknowledged the £300. Very professional.

The return trip on Sunday was less pleasant weatherwise but had some sunny bits. A good breakfast on board Panther and off we set with Ady in top form on the locks.

A very enjoyable and successful weekend. Thank you everybody.

This week's weather has been dominated by talk of a weather bomb whatever that is coming , of course, from America. The BBC man phrased it well. This weather bomb is what we call December. The wind was strong enough yet again to dislodge my satellite dish so that has now been screwed to a heavy bit of wood and clamped to the roof. If that blows over then I wont be watching tv anyway. I'll be in a pub.

Today I got the Christmas lights out and strung them on the big tree by my shed. Although I had packed them away neatly after last Christmas it appears that during the year the sodding Rothschildian Glis Glis have unpacked them knotted them in unmanageable lumps and put them back in the box.Once untangled they all worked beautifully when tested but, of course, hung on the tree half the buggers went out. A trip to Homebase methinks. I see that I've already been outdone by Budgie whose display further up the mooring can be seen and admired by Easyjet passengers flying out of Luton. Pictures next time.

A tree half lit

Whilst struggling with the multifarious cables I spotted two policemen photographing the "No Fishing" notices on the towpath side. We've had a couple of worm drowners fishing on and off there for a while and perhaps the police are taking an interest. 

Off to Lancs next week for a stay with my sister and bro in law. Fingers crossed that the weather behaves....and the car....and the back.....
Before that Pam's brother Mac is down for the weekend, friend Carrie has a birthday on Monday and we're off to see Mr Turner at the wonderful Rex and I'm overnighting in Bakewell on Tuesday to do Christmas shopping and stuff en route ooop north.

Enough for now. Off to Homebase. Bye bye.