Last night we had a Chinese meal with Pete and Bev, and Neil - who is moored a few boats down the marina.
It was a lovely evening and a nice way to say goodbye.
This morning was bright - but not too bright, in fact it was perfect boating weather.
We filled up with water,had more than one cup of tea, unhooked and set off.
The weather forecast is good so let's hope that it's right.
I steered us through Foulridge tunnel - much better than last time, although I'm still not keen on tunnels.
We got stuck once because Harvey was in need of a 'little walk' - we pulled in to get him off and got the back end well and truly stuck - just as I did the other day getting back on my mooring!! The experience had taught me something tho' so we were not stuck for long. I admit that the bow thrusters came into play, but I make no apologies. I paid for them - I'll use them!!
We're now moored up and watching 'Planet Earth' on DVD - almost ready to get some sleep.
Catch you later
L x
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Saturday, 3 April 2010
The first Mama Don't event
As I was saying..
I talked Alan and Penny into letting me do an evening. At first I thought of doing it solo - then I realised that this would be a great chance to try out an acoustic evening. If I could arrange venues then I could help a lot more musicians.
I got in touch with everyone I could, musicians and friends alike, the local paper was a great help too, but I could not do too much in the way of advertising as the cellar bar is only small and too much audience can be worse than not enough!
Rehearsals were a must and it was good to spend a bit of time on Bernulf with Heather, Elaine and Sarah May. Pete came along to my boat a couple of times and we worked through a few numbers. All very enjoyable.
I heard from Elrieke and Poldy in Holland who said that they would be coming over - that was great news. Everything seemed to be falling into place - I was just nervous about how many would turn up.
In the event it was just right - I could not have wished for more!!
The write-up for the evening will be on the web site when I get all the photos sorted out.... it was a great evening.
With the gig over it was time to say goodbye to everyone and set off for Skipton to re- black the bottom of my boat.
Tony had said he would help and he turned up on the Monday evening - we set off on the Tuesday and took two days to do the trip - it would only have been 15 minutes on the bus!! Pete came along on the 2nd day and, apart from the engine cutting out in a lock, caused by water in the diesel, it was a pleasant journey.
We had a day in Skipton on Thursday and then set off the following day to the dry dock. It was really windy and the boat was going all over the place. It was also really cold and we struggled to get down to the winding hole and back.
When we eventually reached the dry dock we were fighting the wind again. I could see that it was shallow under the bridge, and I had my wellies on, so I stepped off the boat to help pull her in. Of course the bit I was standing on was the only shallow bit so I ended up with my wellies full of water. Tony thought that I had fallen in (again) but when I explained what had happened he laughed his head off and said - "That's worse".
Once in the shed they lifted the boat out of the water until it was level with the floor of the dry dock. That meant having to have a ladder to get on and off. Harvey was not impressed. In fact he was so stressed out with it that I had to ask Chris to have him. Luckily that was possible and Harvey was more than relieved to leave us to it.
The blacking part was OK - Jonathan came and gave us a hand on the 2nd day. I kept missing bits - and Jonathan plastered it on - I don't think Tony was terribly impressed with either of us but there will be another chance to do a better job in two years time.
We took the boat back out when she was finished and moored up at the back of Herriots. Tony went home the following day and I spent my first night alone on the tow path - it was a great feeling. I cleaned the boat up and then sat in the bows on a sunny evening with a beer in my hand. It felt as if the world belonged to me.
I was still waiting for my boat builders to come and fix some problems so after a few days in Skipton, realising that they would be able to do a better job if they had mains power,I decided to go back to my moorings.
They were due to come on the Wed/Thur or Friday, and snow had been forecast for early in the week so I asked Chris Davey if he could help me. He said yes and turned up on Sunday morning. Again it was really windy and I was grateful to have him there because I wasn't used to steering under windy conditions.
Harvey and I walked the tow path, opening swing bridges and then operating the locks until we reached Bank Newton. By then the wind had dropped and so Chris asked if I wanted to change places so that I could go into the lock on my own for the first time.
It had to be done sooner or later - so I said yes. He gave me some helpful hints and it all went well - apart from getting it a bit wrong when I had to pass another boat .. but we won't talk about that.
We carried on until we got to where Chris' boat is moored (Chris Simpson that is), Chris was on deck and Harvey spotted him. Poor Harvey, he ran inside the boat to get a present for Chris and was most disconcerted when we simply sailed past.
Having decided that we couldn't make it all the way back to my moorings we stopped after the next bridge and Chris was able to come and see Harvey, which seemed to do the trick.
Helen came to pick up her husband (thanks for lending him to me Helen) and once again it was just Harvey and me.
We went for a little walk and then settled down for the evening.
Monday morning it was spitting a little but the wind had died down. It was cold and I had also woken up later than intended ... something to do with the hour we'd lost on Saturday night I guess. Harvey had a little walk, I checked the oil and water, undid the mooring pins, and off we went. My first time doing it on my own.
At one point I almost hit a boat who was moored a little too close to a bridge on a 90 degree bend - but apart from that it was a lovely trip.
My biggest fear was being able to moor up but I didn't have a problem.
Sarah May and Heather came to wind the final set of locks for me. At one point I was blown around a bit but it was OK - I was very glad that I had done it the day before or I think I would have been very nervous indeed.
Back at the mooring Sarah May came out to help. I'm glad she did because I grounded myself and it was a struggle to get the boat in. By that time it was throwing it down and I was frozen. Once we were tied up and plugged back in it was just so nice to get into a hot shower, light the fire and sit down with a brew. Harvey was also out for the count, after all the walking he had done the previous day, so we curled up on the couch together - and had a snooze for a couple of hours....heaven.
The boat builder called on Tuesday to say that the joiner was ill and they couldn't do Wednesday. We re-scheduled for Friday. That was yesterday and they didn't turn up,
Not only that but they didn't bother to call either until I left a voicemail to tell them I was not amused.
At least I have had time to work on the web-site this week.
My eyes are square - but it's almost finished.
Next step is to have some albums made up. I haven't recorded anything new yet, but I need something to sell to keep the project going, so I'm going to make a compilation of tracks recorded with Magna Carta. I know that all the Magna fans will have them already - but they will be new to anyone else and I have to generate some income until I'm ready to record my own stuff ... which will probably be in autumn.
Everyone has been asking if I will still be singing - the answer is yes.
Now it's time to have another brew and get ready to go out this evening. Harvey is with Chris so I can have a night out without having to leave him alone on the boat - I hate doing that.
Back soon
Lx
I talked Alan and Penny into letting me do an evening. At first I thought of doing it solo - then I realised that this would be a great chance to try out an acoustic evening. If I could arrange venues then I could help a lot more musicians.
I got in touch with everyone I could, musicians and friends alike, the local paper was a great help too, but I could not do too much in the way of advertising as the cellar bar is only small and too much audience can be worse than not enough!
Rehearsals were a must and it was good to spend a bit of time on Bernulf with Heather, Elaine and Sarah May. Pete came along to my boat a couple of times and we worked through a few numbers. All very enjoyable.
I heard from Elrieke and Poldy in Holland who said that they would be coming over - that was great news. Everything seemed to be falling into place - I was just nervous about how many would turn up.
In the event it was just right - I could not have wished for more!!
The write-up for the evening will be on the web site when I get all the photos sorted out.... it was a great evening.
With the gig over it was time to say goodbye to everyone and set off for Skipton to re- black the bottom of my boat.
Tony had said he would help and he turned up on the Monday evening - we set off on the Tuesday and took two days to do the trip - it would only have been 15 minutes on the bus!! Pete came along on the 2nd day and, apart from the engine cutting out in a lock, caused by water in the diesel, it was a pleasant journey.
We had a day in Skipton on Thursday and then set off the following day to the dry dock. It was really windy and the boat was going all over the place. It was also really cold and we struggled to get down to the winding hole and back.
When we eventually reached the dry dock we were fighting the wind again. I could see that it was shallow under the bridge, and I had my wellies on, so I stepped off the boat to help pull her in. Of course the bit I was standing on was the only shallow bit so I ended up with my wellies full of water. Tony thought that I had fallen in (again) but when I explained what had happened he laughed his head off and said - "That's worse".
Once in the shed they lifted the boat out of the water until it was level with the floor of the dry dock. That meant having to have a ladder to get on and off. Harvey was not impressed. In fact he was so stressed out with it that I had to ask Chris to have him. Luckily that was possible and Harvey was more than relieved to leave us to it.
The blacking part was OK - Jonathan came and gave us a hand on the 2nd day. I kept missing bits - and Jonathan plastered it on - I don't think Tony was terribly impressed with either of us but there will be another chance to do a better job in two years time.
We took the boat back out when she was finished and moored up at the back of Herriots. Tony went home the following day and I spent my first night alone on the tow path - it was a great feeling. I cleaned the boat up and then sat in the bows on a sunny evening with a beer in my hand. It felt as if the world belonged to me.
I was still waiting for my boat builders to come and fix some problems so after a few days in Skipton, realising that they would be able to do a better job if they had mains power,I decided to go back to my moorings.
They were due to come on the Wed/Thur or Friday, and snow had been forecast for early in the week so I asked Chris Davey if he could help me. He said yes and turned up on Sunday morning. Again it was really windy and I was grateful to have him there because I wasn't used to steering under windy conditions.
Harvey and I walked the tow path, opening swing bridges and then operating the locks until we reached Bank Newton. By then the wind had dropped and so Chris asked if I wanted to change places so that I could go into the lock on my own for the first time.
It had to be done sooner or later - so I said yes. He gave me some helpful hints and it all went well - apart from getting it a bit wrong when I had to pass another boat .. but we won't talk about that.
We carried on until we got to where Chris' boat is moored (Chris Simpson that is), Chris was on deck and Harvey spotted him. Poor Harvey, he ran inside the boat to get a present for Chris and was most disconcerted when we simply sailed past.
Having decided that we couldn't make it all the way back to my moorings we stopped after the next bridge and Chris was able to come and see Harvey, which seemed to do the trick.
Helen came to pick up her husband (thanks for lending him to me Helen) and once again it was just Harvey and me.
We went for a little walk and then settled down for the evening.
Monday morning it was spitting a little but the wind had died down. It was cold and I had also woken up later than intended ... something to do with the hour we'd lost on Saturday night I guess. Harvey had a little walk, I checked the oil and water, undid the mooring pins, and off we went. My first time doing it on my own.
At one point I almost hit a boat who was moored a little too close to a bridge on a 90 degree bend - but apart from that it was a lovely trip.
My biggest fear was being able to moor up but I didn't have a problem.
Sarah May and Heather came to wind the final set of locks for me. At one point I was blown around a bit but it was OK - I was very glad that I had done it the day before or I think I would have been very nervous indeed.
Back at the mooring Sarah May came out to help. I'm glad she did because I grounded myself and it was a struggle to get the boat in. By that time it was throwing it down and I was frozen. Once we were tied up and plugged back in it was just so nice to get into a hot shower, light the fire and sit down with a brew. Harvey was also out for the count, after all the walking he had done the previous day, so we curled up on the couch together - and had a snooze for a couple of hours....heaven.
The boat builder called on Tuesday to say that the joiner was ill and they couldn't do Wednesday. We re-scheduled for Friday. That was yesterday and they didn't turn up,
Not only that but they didn't bother to call either until I left a voicemail to tell them I was not amused.
At least I have had time to work on the web-site this week.
My eyes are square - but it's almost finished.
Next step is to have some albums made up. I haven't recorded anything new yet, but I need something to sell to keep the project going, so I'm going to make a compilation of tracks recorded with Magna Carta. I know that all the Magna fans will have them already - but they will be new to anyone else and I have to generate some income until I'm ready to record my own stuff ... which will probably be in autumn.
Everyone has been asking if I will still be singing - the answer is yes.
Now it's time to have another brew and get ready to go out this evening. Harvey is with Chris so I can have a night out without having to leave him alone on the boat - I hate doing that.
Back soon
Lx
Friday, 2 April 2010
Spring is in the air
Sorry it has been so long; it has been a bit of a crazy time.
First came the final gig with Magna Carta at The Theatre Carre in Amsterdam on the 5th of May 2009; a week later I moved out of the cottage into a bedsit (thank you Andrew and Angela for putting a roof over my head).
I used the time there to get rid of all the things that would not fit on the boat (that was quite a bit of stuff I can tell you) and get together the things I would need for my new project.
In August my boat was supposedly ready. By that time, everything I owned fit into a small transit van - and even then I knew that more would have to go!
Chris and Heather helped me to load up and off we went.
When we arrived the boat wasn't ready and so everything went into Paul's garage (thank you for coming to our rescue). Chris left and Heather and I made ourselves as comfortable as possible for the first night aboard.
Having never had anything to do with narrow boats in my life; I was suddenly living on one!
I had long since decided that the boat was going to be a big part of my new project - but I soon realised that there was no way that I could have three young musicians permanently on board, someone would have been thrown in the canal within a week. I was going to have to rethink the whole thing.
As the boat wasn't ready I had to stay in the marina for several weeks, in the end I simply had to leave so, even though there were still a few problems there was no choice, I had to find someone to help me to get from Northwich to Lancashire.
Chris Davey and Ivan Sangster had both given their time to help me to get used to the boat - but there was no way I could go it alone!! I was introduced to Derek by a mutual friend and he came along for the first couple of days.
Sadly the headlamp, which had supposedly been fixed twice, failed in the second tunnel. Bang, scrape, panicking dog, scrambling for torch, more banging and scraping .... by the time we emerged we looked like a battle ship after 14 years of active service. My brand new cover on the cratch was a mess and the paintwork was scratched .... she was no longer a shiny new boat!! In a way it was a relief because it meant I didn't have to worry about the first scratch any more - I now had lots to choose from!
We were almost at the Wigan flight when Derek went home and Tony joined us to do the rest of the trip. We met Heather (another Heather) that evening, she gets around single-handed and told me that it wasn't so difficult once you got used to it. It was so good to hear that as I was starting to think that perhaps I had done the wrong thing.
Heather, who reminds me of the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland, and will probably never speak to me again if she reads this, said she would give us a hand. Neville said he would come along too and between us I thought we did a pretty good job. We teamed up with a boat full of strapping lads who hit their first Guinness at about 10:30am and spun themselves into most of the locks thereafter.
Harvey was having none of it - he had decided that he hated locks and so walked along with me the whole time. He got into a good rhythm ... laying down on a comfortable patch of warm grass in the sun as we got the boat through a lock and then ambling along to the next one. There's no rush ... not when you're the most handsome Labrador in the whole world.
There was much fun aboard as we twice lost all the hot water ... first time because we thought we had a leak, second time because we didn't investigate the sound of running water and later found that the hot water tap had been running for some time. All we seemed to eat was chips and curry and I can't remember the last time I laughed so much.
Ben joined us for a day - he was a total natural as regards steering the boat - why can't I do that?
His Mum and Dad came to pick him up that evening - along with a very pregnant, and glowing, Naomi. Harvey went crazy when he saw Sheila - he so loves her, and the love is not misplaced.
[Naomi has now had a lovely bouncing baby boy, Alfie, he's a great little character]
Jet was coming over for a week and I had got the dates wrong so poor Pete and Bev came to the rescue again - they collected Jet and brought her along the day after, by which time we had made it to the moorings in Lancashire.
Tony stayed an extra day so that Jet could go out on the boat, and it was sad to say goodbye to him ... but great when I found that he had enjoyed himself too and we became firm friends ... so much so that he's going to be coming along to help me to put this project together.
A week with Jet on the boat - getting used to the new surroundings. We had a lot of fun despite the fact that it was rather chaotic; then she was gone and I had to get ready to go to Holland myself.
I was missing all my Dutch friends and so made up a list and contacted everyone to see if we could get together.... It wasn't possible to see everyone but I hope to be able to do it again maybe later this year.
It was a great time, catching up with wonderful people, doing my first solo gig and taking in a S.L.Y. presentation before going with Matt, to meet 'The Eeks' to see Fleetwood Mac ... what a night that was!
Every day I managed to see someone - sometimes I saw two lots of people in one day but it was a really happy time. I'm so lucky to have so many great friends and I do appreciate it, even though it's impossible to stay in constant touch!
My final night was spent in The Cantina at the Eekhoornnest where we had a wonderful jam session - it was so special, everyone was on top form and I think we could have gone on forever if life hadn't got in the way! It couldn't have ended on a higher note!
Back home it was starting to get cold, very cold.
I spent a lot of time thinking about this project - how was I going to be able to do anything meaningful if I couldn't have musicians on board?
There were other musicians on the marina; we got together and played a little. I went to the music night at the pub across the canal. They all played so well that they frightened me to death! Then I went to the Victoria Cafe with Joan (she owns East End in Skipton ... more about that later) and we bumped into a friend of hers who said I should go to Rainhall Drinks Company as they had music in the cellar bar there.
I don't know why but it felt right. I got in touch with Alan and Penny and convinced them to let me put an evening together. To be fair I conned them a bit because by that time I had a seed of an idea and I wanted to see if I could do it.
To be continued......
First came the final gig with Magna Carta at The Theatre Carre in Amsterdam on the 5th of May 2009; a week later I moved out of the cottage into a bedsit (thank you Andrew and Angela for putting a roof over my head).
I used the time there to get rid of all the things that would not fit on the boat (that was quite a bit of stuff I can tell you) and get together the things I would need for my new project.
In August my boat was supposedly ready. By that time, everything I owned fit into a small transit van - and even then I knew that more would have to go!
Chris and Heather helped me to load up and off we went.
When we arrived the boat wasn't ready and so everything went into Paul's garage (thank you for coming to our rescue). Chris left and Heather and I made ourselves as comfortable as possible for the first night aboard.
Having never had anything to do with narrow boats in my life; I was suddenly living on one!
I had long since decided that the boat was going to be a big part of my new project - but I soon realised that there was no way that I could have three young musicians permanently on board, someone would have been thrown in the canal within a week. I was going to have to rethink the whole thing.
As the boat wasn't ready I had to stay in the marina for several weeks, in the end I simply had to leave so, even though there were still a few problems there was no choice, I had to find someone to help me to get from Northwich to Lancashire.
Chris Davey and Ivan Sangster had both given their time to help me to get used to the boat - but there was no way I could go it alone!! I was introduced to Derek by a mutual friend and he came along for the first couple of days.
Sadly the headlamp, which had supposedly been fixed twice, failed in the second tunnel. Bang, scrape, panicking dog, scrambling for torch, more banging and scraping .... by the time we emerged we looked like a battle ship after 14 years of active service. My brand new cover on the cratch was a mess and the paintwork was scratched .... she was no longer a shiny new boat!! In a way it was a relief because it meant I didn't have to worry about the first scratch any more - I now had lots to choose from!
We were almost at the Wigan flight when Derek went home and Tony joined us to do the rest of the trip. We met Heather (another Heather) that evening, she gets around single-handed and told me that it wasn't so difficult once you got used to it. It was so good to hear that as I was starting to think that perhaps I had done the wrong thing.
Heather, who reminds me of the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland, and will probably never speak to me again if she reads this, said she would give us a hand. Neville said he would come along too and between us I thought we did a pretty good job. We teamed up with a boat full of strapping lads who hit their first Guinness at about 10:30am and spun themselves into most of the locks thereafter.
Harvey was having none of it - he had decided that he hated locks and so walked along with me the whole time. He got into a good rhythm ... laying down on a comfortable patch of warm grass in the sun as we got the boat through a lock and then ambling along to the next one. There's no rush ... not when you're the most handsome Labrador in the whole world.
There was much fun aboard as we twice lost all the hot water ... first time because we thought we had a leak, second time because we didn't investigate the sound of running water and later found that the hot water tap had been running for some time. All we seemed to eat was chips and curry and I can't remember the last time I laughed so much.
Ben joined us for a day - he was a total natural as regards steering the boat - why can't I do that?
His Mum and Dad came to pick him up that evening - along with a very pregnant, and glowing, Naomi. Harvey went crazy when he saw Sheila - he so loves her, and the love is not misplaced.
[Naomi has now had a lovely bouncing baby boy, Alfie, he's a great little character]
Jet was coming over for a week and I had got the dates wrong so poor Pete and Bev came to the rescue again - they collected Jet and brought her along the day after, by which time we had made it to the moorings in Lancashire.
Tony stayed an extra day so that Jet could go out on the boat, and it was sad to say goodbye to him ... but great when I found that he had enjoyed himself too and we became firm friends ... so much so that he's going to be coming along to help me to put this project together.
A week with Jet on the boat - getting used to the new surroundings. We had a lot of fun despite the fact that it was rather chaotic; then she was gone and I had to get ready to go to Holland myself.
I was missing all my Dutch friends and so made up a list and contacted everyone to see if we could get together.... It wasn't possible to see everyone but I hope to be able to do it again maybe later this year.
It was a great time, catching up with wonderful people, doing my first solo gig and taking in a S.L.Y. presentation before going with Matt, to meet 'The Eeks' to see Fleetwood Mac ... what a night that was!
Every day I managed to see someone - sometimes I saw two lots of people in one day but it was a really happy time. I'm so lucky to have so many great friends and I do appreciate it, even though it's impossible to stay in constant touch!
My final night was spent in The Cantina at the Eekhoornnest where we had a wonderful jam session - it was so special, everyone was on top form and I think we could have gone on forever if life hadn't got in the way! It couldn't have ended on a higher note!
Back home it was starting to get cold, very cold.
I spent a lot of time thinking about this project - how was I going to be able to do anything meaningful if I couldn't have musicians on board?
There were other musicians on the marina; we got together and played a little. I went to the music night at the pub across the canal. They all played so well that they frightened me to death! Then I went to the Victoria Cafe with Joan (she owns East End in Skipton ... more about that later) and we bumped into a friend of hers who said I should go to Rainhall Drinks Company as they had music in the cellar bar there.
I don't know why but it felt right. I got in touch with Alan and Penny and convinced them to let me put an evening together. To be fair I conned them a bit because by that time I had a seed of an idea and I wanted to see if I could do it.
To be continued......
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