Retirement with No Problem

Moored Norbury Junction, Shropshire Union Canal

Well the refit of the bedroom and bunkroom walls and ceiling has gone really well over the weekend.  All the tongue and groove is on the walls and the wood panels on the ceiling.  It’s looking good!  My job of varnishing is going well, and my efforts are looking about right.

But it’s not been all work, there was plenty of play on Saturday night when we partied at the invitation of Simon and his team here at the boatyard.  A delicious supper of roast hog warmed us on a cool evening and in the marquees many guests enjoyed the barn dancing… I decided to give that a miss, anyway the beer was just as enjoyable!

The atmosphere was great with the floodlights playing on the working boats who had visited for the weekend..

Sunday lunch at the Junction Inn was superb.  A carvery meant very full plates for us both.. gosh we were stuffed, and not enough room for a pud either!  If you are passing Norbury on a Sunday then that is definitely worth stopping for.

A couple of bits some of you boaters might be interested in, and with thanks to John Slee from NB Epiphany who pointed out to me that the NABO consultation that is linked to in the left hand column has now come to an end, but there is another that closes in a couple of weeks.. link to that is ———> here! It’s about half way down the page

Also British Waterways have announced a consultation about moorings.. visitor as well as residential and general long term.. that is linked ——-> here.. So that will give you something to do while the weather turns a bit wet!

Continuing back to my recollections of 2004, our return to the canals from Ripon was very exciting.. our trip back along the River Ouse was like dodgems, dodge the tree trunks and huge gas canisters.. there was so much debris due to heavy flooding in the Humber area, and battling against the tide at one point we were very lucky not to have something hit us.. then the most amazing entry to Selby Lock, having to turn No Problem right round to come down with the now turned tide backwards!

Once past the lock entrance backwards it was then full throttle against the flow to try to turn into the lock.. I was really shaking.. but managed it with some help from the locky shouting from above me.. No Problem slid in beautifully.. a double lock, so you might think that it would be a piece of doddle, but there was already one boat in there, so I only had 7ft to aim at!

I was delighted to say the least, moreso because there were a lot of gongoozlers all clapping as I settled inside the lock.. Vic disappeared for a moment once we were in and fetched me up a treble b&c!  I needed that!

Plenty of larger craft around this area too..

But our fun wasn’t over yet.. returning included the River Trent on the tidal section on a spring tide.. through Gainsborough was really hairy.. I guess we were doing a good 15–20mph with the tide.. going round the corners felt as if we could do with a huge camber literally ‘bending’ round the bends.. not for the faint hearted I’ll tell you!

But much later in the year, October it was, saw us well back on the canals and enjoying a quiet weekend on the Oxford Canal when we were treated to a wonderful spectacle as working boats passed us one after another..

It was the re-enactment of the Jam ‘ole Run.. 7 days to do some 240 miles and almost 200 locks.. I have written a page all about that, with some wonderful pictures that I took as they passed, do have a look ——> linky

Ho hum, more varnishing for me tomorrow..