How long does it take to put down roots, to feel a sense of belonging, to feel part of a community? Being a nomad, I reckon a couple of days often does it for me, but I am aware it’s different for each individual. For the first time for a very long time, we haveContinue reading “Belonging as boat people and walking with royalty”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Small matters
Living and working afloat is rich in small moments. Small things that make days special. Small moments of pause. Small moments of reflection. Small moments of calm or small moments of excitement and drama. I believe we have more of these revitalising moments every day than we did when we lived in bricks and mortar.Continue reading “Small matters”
Steeling ourselves for the future
Trust is vital when you let someone cut out a chunk of your floating home with an angle grinder while you’re on the water… Trust we had but I still feel glad the dramatic work is over, and we are still afloat! It was something that had to happen. So why did we need toContinue reading “Steeling ourselves for the future”
Results from an experiment in living differently
Our “Let’s give it 2 years and see what happens” experiment in living and working afloat has just passed 5 years! In that time with our 50ft floating home/office/workshop we have travelled 3,530 miles, worked her through 2,328 locks (counting locks we’ve officially lock wheeled for others in that time we have worked 3,043 locks).Continue reading “Results from an experiment in living differently”
Free food and well-being
There is little as rewarding for mind and body as a foraging stroll, ideally for me with a dog, along towpath hedgerows. This year despite the drought, many fruits are early and so plentiful boughs are groaning under the weight and sweet scents accompany every walk. Gleams of orange, red and purply black signal ripenessContinue reading “Free food and well-being”
By narrowboat to America for world guidance
Travelling to the United States of America by narrowboat is not something I ever thought we would be able to do, but this summer, we did just that. We travelled down the River Thames to the Berkshire/Surrey border, moored our boat home with the help of a handy English oak, and set off on footContinue reading “By narrowboat to America for world guidance”
Historical perspectives and Operation Sanctuary result
We did it. The fable of the tortoise and the hare proved valid for (certain) narrowboats and their crews in 2025. Slow, dogged determination won the day against The Drought and The Closure of Locks to Preserve Water (capitals all mine!). Slow it may have been but stressfree it was not. We left Thatcham outsideContinue reading “Historical perspectives and Operation Sanctuary result”
When a marathon is also a sprint
This time last week we were in West Berkshire, tootling along the Kennet and Avon determined to cross the Thames and Tidal Thames and see how far up the Grand Union we could get before the closures of canals due to low water levels which Canal and River Trust announced would happen on 26 August.Continue reading “When a marathon is also a sprint”
Drought forces Operation Sanctuary
As waterways are closing around the country through lack of water including England’s inland artery, the Grand Union, we are now on a race to get to somewhere we can live, work, and safely access water and waste disposal. According to the National Drought Group this has been the driest year bar 1976 since recordsContinue reading “Drought forces Operation Sanctuary”
Regrets aren’t always necessary
On Wednesday BBC Womans Hour featured women narrowboaters during their Listener Week. Back in late June when they first asked for suggestions for topics to cover, I proposed a segment about women narrowboaters, particularly about Charlotte Ashman, a talented artist, mum, and skipper of not just one, but two boats. This is what I toldContinue reading “Regrets aren’t always necessary”
Pickingupducks 