Tag Archives: autumn

Au revoir

Finally we bid farewell to the Grand Union main line and turn back on the Leicester Line. How far we shall get with water shortages remains to be seen, but we are about 14th in the queue for Watford Locks. They are due to reopen at 10am on Monday for just a week, all beingContinue reading “Au revoir”

Enjoying a final flourish

It’s here, and it feels wonderful to embrace autumn, particularly this year after the long dry spring and summer, that turned everything to dust. Living and working on a boat brings nature and the changes of seasons to you in a way that living in bricks and mortar cannot. We are in and out intoContinue reading “Enjoying a final flourish”

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”

Celebrations, challenges and meeting Winston

We made it up to Langley Mill and through the first lock on the Cromford Canal, gaining our 10th IWA Silver Propellor Challenge location on my birthday to acquire the delightful present of a rather unique location plaque! Getting here up the Erewash was a challenge itself, to be honest, but one worth undertaking. ItContinue reading “Celebrations, challenges and meeting Winston”

New beginnings, a new challenge and a reboot

I feel like I’ve returned home to a parallel universe after my time away. I left just about 10 days ago in periodic warm summer days, but I’ve returned to what is clearly autumn. Uniforms and backpacks are taking over the early towpath from habitual dog walkers; leaves fluttering from hedgerows and trees like confettiContinue reading “New beginnings, a new challenge and a reboot”

Never look back? There are times it helps but not in anger

It can be tough to look back – this week we encountered Adrian Edmondson on his Berserker book tour. He was looking back as one does when launching a personal memoir. In part, Edmondson looked back at his time at a Yorkshire boarding school. It was a time he recalled feeling helpless; at the mercyContinue reading “Never look back? There are times it helps but not in anger”

A different view of our week wending and working our way from ‘up north’

We are now halfway along the length of the Rochdale with 44 locks and 16 miles of the canal still to go. Then it’s onto the Bridgewater, Trent & Mersey, Coventry, Birmingham & Fazeley, Coventry, North Oxford, Grand Union, and Leicester Line to our ultimate destination… a little way to go (191 miles and 143Continue reading “A different view of our week wending and working our way from ‘up north’”

Learning from other worlds

It was a delight this week to learn of an entire world far removed from the selfishness and greed of UK politics. A world that thrives by connecting, communicating and supporting itself and others, whether they look like it or look differently. I mean the world of… fungi. Going on a foraging course I reallyContinue reading “Learning from other worlds”

Silver linings and a reminder of what really matters

I know that many people working from home have found themselves viewing their home differently – some despairingly but many positively, learning about their home and community in a different way. I’ve had a new experience of our home this week too. I don’t do ill very often – I think the last time wasContinue reading “Silver linings and a reminder of what really matters”