Monday 25th to Sunday 31st October 2010.
Guess who left 68p on the lecky meter at Pillings Lock Marina yesterday.
Took me a whole day to get over it.
We spent Sunday night on the cut, then wandered down to the boat basin for water and a spot of shopping.
We arrived as two guys started fitting a new Yale lock to the water point. It took them two hours and would have taken twice that if I hadnt lent them the tools. Fancy trying to cut brass screws with a lump hammer and bolster chisel. Those locks are fiddly and you need tiny hands to get the screws in from the back but Id love to see what they wrote on their time sheets for fitting a lock.
By the time wed settled-down the basin was full of boats, not an inch to spare. The same thing happened later in the week when we walked into town, boats shoved in every conceivable hole, tis lovely to see the basin getting used.
The market was open three days this week, slightly different stalls each day but with the same guy shouting bowl of lemons a pound in the sort of voice you wouldnt want to live next door to in a terraced house. Having said that, when he handed over the goods and the change his voice went as quiet as a mouse, almost a whisper. Lovely fella, very useful at the bar in a crowded pub.
Visitors this week (Tuesday) were Mike and Jo off Sarah-Kate, so lovely to see them again. This meant I got to eat proper food at lunchtime, none of your sandwich and an apple for me, oh no, it was red wine (thanks both) and one of Jamies little numbers and very nice too.
Did some cruise planning for next year and youll have to wait to find out what that might be.
All I can say is it will be new ground for us and close enough to smell the salty water. Cant wait.
This week we mostly hung around the Albion Inn which I got to visit on Wednesday when my mate Graham called over with magazines from his mate Keith. Thanks Keith, I very much appreciate the Radcoms.
Thursday was a laugh, V and me wandered up town and popped in to the cinema to watch Toy Story 3 at kids club prices.
£1 each, brilliant.
We noticed the £1 offer on the door was gone by the time we got out and someone had changed it to OAPs for £4. Was someone trying to tell us something?
Did town again on Friday, not the cinema this time but the Middle Eastern café. Interesting menu but horrendous prices for the tiny portions you get. Spent £19 and came out hungry.
Saturday is Mayors Parade, or Uni’ Rag Week as it used to be called.
Some effort spent on the costumes but a rather casual attitude to performance and a lazy way of collecting dosh. You had to attract attention to get a bucket or walk across the busy road to drop cash onto the trucks.
Some clever boater in the Loughborough Boat Basin has discovered that the electrical cabinet at the bottom of the steps next to the pontoons can be opened and a boats shoreline plugged in. Its not one of BWs lecky points so I have no idea who is losing-out.
Fireworks were heard but hardly seen over the weekend and Im pleased to say that although we heard them we havent been troubled by gangs of witches with beer cans.
Were off on Monday, pointing south, with several stops along the way. Now that Ive said that just you watch the weather change, to wall to wall sunshine of course.
Your coal awaits your arrival. Great about Loughborough basin being used, when we came up that way we were the only boat there, so we didn’t stay for the night! Regards Keith.
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We used Loughborough basin last year when we went that way. There were only two boats in there then, just us and a narrowboat. Suprising really as the place is lovely and very convenient for the pubs and shops. We will certainly be using it again.
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