Retirement with No Problem

Moored Stretham, Old West River bit of Great Ouse

It is becoming frustrating for us with the river still closed upstream from where we are.  We can’t do much at the moment except potter around again.

Vic’s daughter Louise is coming to see us on Monday though, so that will break the frustration, and I hope that next week the weather will be kinder.  We might go have a look at the Wissey or even the Little Ouse.  I won’t make any decisions on that until Monday comes along though..

Today I have sat down and done our winter 2008 pre christmas plan.. with all this rain no doubt that will probably change a bit, but plans are made to be changed so we will have to wait and see.  Pre Christmas will see us return via the Nene to Gayton by mid October then on up the Leicester line of the Grand Union Canal to the Trent hoping not to meet floods along the Soar on the way, then the Trent and Mersey Canal to the Great Haywood Junction area around Christmas time.

We hope to be on the move much more this winter, we have itchy feet now with all this hanging around, and we are quite excited with our planned itinerary.

I didn’t put this pic on the blog last week.. and I didn’t get a pic today!  Hey can’t have a blog with no pic!!

This reminds me, frustrated though I am, what a wonderful area this is for cruising and the reasons I come back here year after year.

I have been out and about though with Lucy and Meg, and walking around near the Stretham Old Engine has been great.  I have found lots of walks, and a walk to Stretham village itself is very pleasant across the fields, the paths have been mown neatly and pass through well looked after kissing gates and the like.

I have time too at the moment to think about the diesel hike that is almost upon us.. I wonder how low I dare let the tank go before filling to the brim on 31^st October!

I agree with the comments on the Boating Business website that the government is really leaving it very late to make their decision on how it is to be implemented…

Howard Pridding, executive director of the BMF, told BB: ‘Along with the RYA and IWA we are still in constant negotiations with HMRC. The price of diesel will rise on 1 November and not before, however we are continually fighting hard on behalf of boaters and the industry and are awaiting the announcement regarding the implementation and the percentage split.’

Ho hum, and also quoted on there..

Some experts say the combined effect will be to raise the cost of the fuel from 70p a litre to about £1.27

But we are paying £1 or so a litre at the moment… Eek, my guess then £1.50!