3030/1010/2009200920092009 by admin.

Hi everyone it has been a while since I posted the article about the coal boxes. We have since survived a visit from our Eldest Daughter and Son in law together three of our grandchildren. and I have put a selection of photos below for you all. They arrived last Friday and we left to travel up river Saturday morning. Passing first through Caversham lock in rain we went on to Maple Durham Lock which was manned and on to Whitchurch to find the self service sign out. Now this is one of the two locks on the Thames not to have public power so it meant operating the lock by hand. This would not have been too bad except for the fact that the Hotel barge African Queen was just entering and there was a boat above with a crew that did not know how to work the locks. Steve and myself took turns winding the lock gear first to open and close gates and then to lift the paddles for all three craft. After about half an hour we emerged above the lock. On Then to Beale Park where we moored outside the Reserve. After Lunch we went into the park with the family and we can fully recommend the experience. We had a great afternoon and all thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The following Morning we moved to Wallingford where we spent Sunday evening. Monday saw us turn around to head downriver to Pangbourne again we experienced a hold up at Whitchurch lock for as we arrived we saw a work-boat moored in the entrance and a Diver down working in the lock mouth. It turned out they were uncovering a ducting pipe so that a new cable could be threaded through it for the later works to install public power. Eventually we were waved through a gap just big enough and into the lock finally mooring at Pangbourne meadow just after lunchtime. A shopping excursion found the butcher and Delicatessen  closed so after discussion it was decided tea would be a visit to the Indian Restaurant for a meal. Tuesday saw the two girls off to the shops while Myself Steve and the grandchildren spent the morning playing with the Ships tender . Finaly we returned to the Marina Tuesday evening. The next two days were spent cleaning and preparing the boat for our next visiters arriving tonight Friday.

Steve at the helm

Emma, Woried about the nails!

Louis next to the Train at Beal Park

Simple’s

Beky and Georgia on the swings

Early morning at Wallingford

I used to have a Parrot

Steady on Dad

Ohh Sh!!

Three monkey’s

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0909/1010/2009200920092009 by admin.

Friday 9th october we are at Pangbourne again for the week-end as I now have two Coal/storage boxes to make for the front of the boat. If all goes to plan I should be able to post a photo on Monday. We could not build them in the Marina due to the amount of dust and noise I am likely to cause.

15th October after spending the weekend working on the boxes I only managed to finish one Sunday was wet so we ended up returning to the marina to wait for the weather to paint the box. I know have a topcoat on the outside and the box is full of coal ,Carol is now waiting for me to finish the next one

The Finished Box

Box with Coal

Ships Dog relaxing at the helm

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0505/1010/2009200920092009 by admin.

hello again to all our friends.

Woke up on the 25th of September to find glorious sunshine so we decided to take the boat out on to the river for a few days. We went to Gooring where I found a great little hardware store where I managed to buy some stainless steel hinges to attach to the radar mounting so that I can have the unit horizontal when the mast is lowered. The following day we came back down to Pangbourne spending a very relaxing day there taking in the sun, after dinner that evening and while we were settling down to watch Strictly there was a very loud bang from outside. Thinking that a gas bottle on one of the other boats that were moored had exploded we both rushed outside. There we found a man lying on the bank next to our centre mooring line and on the gun-well of the boat was a mobile phone and a can of cider. On approaching the groaning heap who was by now clutching his groin and asking the question why does it hurt so much? I began to work out what had happened. He was very very drunk and had apparently after talking to our neighbours who were moored up behind us having a quiet BBQ had walked in an arc which brought him unfortunately to our boat and the river with one foot each side of our centre line. Here after stepping off the edge of the bank he plummeted in a downward direction until being stopped abruptly by the rope which was now between his legs which were in the river to about mid calf, the loud noise we had heard was his head and body contacting the side of the boat just before the very taught rope took him in an upward direction depositing back on to the bank. I was now able to answer his question. It hurts because! ** He did not seem to be able to grasp this and we took him into the boat to recover and to explain, this was a mistake for now he wanted me to have a look and tell him why it hurt. At this point not wanting to make this sort of examination and having now ascertained where he lived we suggested he went to Pangbourne to get a Taxi home which was about 5miles down river. he set off in that direction but was then seen by our neighbours to walk in a another large arc and head off down river. We all agreed that he was now a danger to himself because if he fell into the river we all thought he would be unable to get out. So a call was made by our neighbour to the Police. A cautionary note should be made here, do not try the new mobile phone  number for the Police as the person who made the call was told that there were no Police available at the moment and was put on hold with music playing. Finally contact was made and half an hour later two constables arrived. They agreed with our observations and called the helicopter out this searched for some time but was unable to find anything. The Police searched on foot for about an hour but eventualy gave up, having heard nothing on the news we assume that he made it home. 

After joining with some other boaters to buy coal ,on  Tuesday it arrived Three and a half ton on a lorry thats 143- 25 kilo bags (we had been told it would arrive by boat which would have delivered to the boats ) this required unloading by hand this we did with about four others, now bear in mind that we had only ordered 10 bags. We ended  up mooving our 10 and another 40 besides down the jetty all 380 yards each way and loading it on to two other boats as well as our own.

On Thursday 1st October we travelled back to Shenstone to support Sue Calder and her two sons Ian and Stuart and their family for the funeral and Thanksgiving Service for Jim . It was a measure of the way that Jim was regarded as the attendance showed with  no room left at either the Crematorium or the Church. Though tragically taken from his family and friends when they should all have enjoyed his retirement. Jim was a man who enjoyed life was always smiling and lifted the spirits of anyone he met, he did an enormous amount for the village and would help anyone. His family can be proud of what he achieved in his life. We will both miss Jims company and hope that Sue and the boys will be able to join us on the boat. 

Jim pictured with his beloved Steam Bread Van  

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