Never take life for granted

Like the English weather, we were reminded this week that life can turn on its head in a split second or even be extinguished as fast. 

Four years ago this week, we sold up, moved life and work onto a 50ft narrowboat saying: “We’ll try this for two years and see how it goes.” We’re still going, and since that initial moment of casting off our mooring ropes, we’ve travelled a total of 3,530 miles on our boat through 2,328 locks. (I can feel the effort of every one!!!)

This past year has been hard for us. Caring responsibilities have meant for a good portion of the year we’ve lived apart, and the boat has been stationary, but still, we’ve explored 613 miles of waterways and worked 359 locks.

This year, we have new windows in the boat; I broke my nose when a step gave way; we’ve been to Liverpool and finally made it along the length of the beautiful Rochdale Canal. We launched a new business, Moving Crafts, and are hugely grateful to everyone who’s bought craftwork from us. We’ve also experienced one of the most glorious,  joyous family weddings ever! 

We’ve just finished lockwheeling 48 locks over 3 days for the steam narrowboat Tixall, helping get her and her owner Matt to a steam rally in Cheshire on the Macclesfield Canal.

The bulk of the locks were Heartbreak Hill or the Cheshire Flight which includes 31 locks taking boats and boaters from the Middlewich plain up to Stoke-on-Trent (or the other way round if you’re leaving Staffordshire for Cheshire). To speed the passage of commercial boats, many of the locks were doubled, but now most are sadly reduced to single passage again through dereliction and disrepair.

The 1987 steam narrowboat Tixall is now in place at Bosley to delight visitors at the North Rode Transport Show this weekend, 14-15th September. Moving a steam narrowboat is a unique opportunity, unlike moving our own boat. We don’t have to keep disappearing to shovel coal into the boiler for one thing, keep an eye on our psi continuously, have to rapidly lower a towering funnel at bridges or delight those we pass with the unmistakable sound of a Gresley steam whistle.

So we set off mid afternoon, the first day and somehow a gentle jaunt was in our minds…we should have factored in the boundless energy of our much younger and hugely enthusiastic skipper. After 15 miles and our 9th lock, we were definitely night boating. At this point, just after 11.30pm, I was VERY HUNGRY, happily weary and grateful we’d stopped for a drink and loo break before closing time!

The final paddle closed, the last top gate swung behind Tixall as she headed off to moor for the night,  and Boatdog and I crossed back over the lock to start walking home. Boatdog crossed fine onto the lock landing but in the dark (no headtorches because we hadn’t expected to be night boating but we couldn’t abandon ship!), I stepped from the walkway into thin air and then into deep water, walloping my left thigh on the concrete side of the lock on the way down into the canal beyond the lock.

What followed involved lots of struggling, tugging and expletives but finally, caked in green slime with a liberal hand covering of collar grease and shivering from head to toe, I emerged from the deep thanks to the determined efforts of Steve and the bemused if silent encouragement of Boatdog.

It’s a lesson in never taking anything or anyone for granted. This life can be idyllic, but it can also be dangerous and sometimes deadly. Reminders are always chastening and valuable. Being cautious, more careful, and remembering the risks of being tired or ill equipped is essential for us all – whatever we do or however we live.

I have dried out now. The car key remarkably still works. I’m immensely grateful that there was a positive ending to that night, even if it was costly. I am sporting bruises from my waist to my knee, a new phone (gulp), and I’ve had to buy a new windlass for Tixall.

So I start our 5th year living and working  afloat (our 7th owning our narrowboat) a bit battered, but hopefully wiser.

We’re treating ourselves by heading into a waterway new to us this week, one we’ve been longing to travel – the Caldon. It moves through the beautiful Staffordshire Moorlands with some breathtaking moments and seems a good place to be glad to be alive.