Hurrah !!!!!!!!!!

When we went down towards the arm 10 days ago we passed this boat and it was intact, in fact it had wood on the roof and clothes hanging up at the window. It is so sad to see decent boats ending up like this of course we don't know what happened, was it arson or more scary a boat fire. I only hope we don't come across any more of these in the future.

Yes we have finally broken free from the ice and the Paddington Arm and I wont be sorry to see the back of it. That section of canal is so filthy the tow path is full of cans and bottles and I think everyone must throw their rubbish (in the black sacks) straight into the canal. Where we were moored near Southall we had been there a couple of days when one evening a work boat went down, Paul lent out of the window to say hello and the guy on the helm said "you don't want to moor there mate the place is full of druggies and Alcoholics" as we hadn't had a problem we were grateful for his comments and planned to move the next day but then the ice came and we couldn't have moved if we wanted too. While Paul was looking for wood he came across a hidey hole that was littered with used needles and crack pipes, and while I was walking the dogs there was a "den" by the tow path, carpet laid out for sitting on and about 20 empty vodka bottles laying around. This place must be a nightmare in the summer when the evenings are light. It is amazing that about a mile from Southall is Willowtree park which looks nice but then again is it?

We had planned to stop at Cowley for a few days but the moorings were all taken so we went through the lock and decided to water up etc and then head up to Uxbridge which is where we are now. Had a long chat with a young lady who was on a tug pushing a barge she was telling us she does a lot of dredging work in fact I remember seeing her in the summer at Lower Heyford.

It is so nice to be back on a safe mooring perhaps tonight I will have a decent night sleep. The sand barge will be passing around 7.30am so an early night is called for. Paul rang Jason about our solar panel it is due next week, so the 2 day delivery date has turned into 2 weeks never mind, Paul can play with it while I go to Kent for Toms 4th birthday.

What is up with this weather?

I thought when I went to bed last night that I would wake to a partial thaw but no, I woke to every thing being covered in a dusting of snow as the pictures show. I made the trip to Somerfield on the high street while Paul was foragging in the wood pile for more logs. It was absolutely freezing walking up to the shops, by the time I returned the roof of the boat had plenty more logs on it, they still have to be sawn up but at least we have some. In his infinate wisdom Paul decided that the dogs needed some fresh air so left them on the tow path for a while as you can see by the photo they werent at all impressed, they were probably thinking, "why should we have fresh air when you are sitting in front of the fire"

As the day has progressed it looks as if the ice is thawing a bit.

I have resigned myself to staying here until Monday when according to the weather it is going to rain. Hopefully by then Pauls flu will have more or less gone, at least he had a decent nights sleep, obviously all the medication is working now. Had an email from friends in Spain a bit concerned as they had seen pictures on the TV of the weather here and the shot had shown a narrowboat iced in. Were we okay they asked and were we iced in IF ONLY THEY KNEW, I shall be emailing them later with pictures to show them just how iced in we are.

Warmer today dont be deceived

Still here I'm afraid, only saving grace is the fact that shops are near by. Paul is still wheezing so I can't see us moving until Sunday when according to the weather forecasters it will be milder. Today looks lovely with sunshine and clear skies but it is still bitter and the canal although it looks as if it has melted certainly hasn't in fact the ice is about one and a half inches thick. I'm hoping that by the weekend Paul will feel well enough to move on and the ice will have thawed enough to let us move. At least I dont feel guilty about sitting and reading a book, Paul is catching up with all the old movies he has recorded. I will need to get bread and milk (no bread maker for me Ernie must think about getting one though) so will have to wander to Somerfield in the morning.

How wrong am I?

Well we are still here, the canal is still frozen although it does seem to be thawing a little bit. I'm getting bored now I want to turn round and get back to Cowley. No word from Jason at Denham Marina so must get Paul to ring him to see when the solar panel is arriving.

Yesterday Paul went down with the dreaded bug and spent the night coughing and wheezing. Luckily I am over my bout and I'm pleased to say I didn't get the chesty cough just a head cold, probably because Paul is a smoker and I am not. We paid a visit to the local pharmacy this morning and now have a bag of cold remedies for the patient.

2 jobs can be crossed off the list as the CB is sorted now just need a battery for the mic. The boat batteries have been checked out and all is OK in that region.

Hopefully someone will pass us tomorrow and break the ice but then I keep saying this, every one has moored up to protect their paintwork don't blame them. As I have said we are getting the bottom blacked this spring but still Paul doesn't want to push ice and damage the boat.

Hurrah a BW work boat is just coming past the noise it is making is horrendous, but with Paul feeling so rough we wont be pulling the pins and following him up the canal. Perhaps one day very soon like tomorrow!!!!!!

So cold!

This is what we woke up to this morning so it looks like we will stay here for today at least. It is quiet here but it isn't the most idyllic spot on the cut. One boat went down early on and broke the ice but as we had made the decision to stay we did just that. Around 11 we wandered up to the main road just to get out. Paul needed distilled water for the batteries and a new wooden broom handle (diesel dipper) his previous dipper has proved to be inaccurate so he has to mark up a new one.

We found a shop for the distilled water but at £8 for 4 litres we didn't buy it no sign of a broom handle could have bought a sari and plenty of Indian shoes and jewelry but no broom handle. On our return towards the canal we spied a Halfords so got the Distilled water £3.69 for 5 litres that's better. That's another job to be done now.

Paul also popped into Maplins to buy a new CB ariel, many years ago he was a keen CBer and kept his rig but had a problem getting it to work on the boat he put it down to the ariel which was an old one given to him by a passing boater any way that is something else to add to "the to do list" (six pages long now)

Forgot to mention yesterday, while at Denham getting our diesel I got chatting to a guy who had turned up with 4 jerry cans to be topped up, transpired he worked on boats and his own boat was moored at Reading apparently on the Thames the marinas by him only sell diesel at the plus duty and vat price there is no split so most boat owners there buy their fuel from out of area boatyards didn't think marinas could do that but there you are, so beware if you are planning a trip on the Thames this year.

Two boats have passed by this afternoon so we are definitely moving tomorrow, even if we leave here around lunch time, we are only a couple of miles from the park so if it is icy in the morning by lunch time it should be okay to travel. At the moment it is cloudy the moorhens are swimming not skating so fingers crossed the temperature wont drop too much overnight.

At Last!!!!!!!

Yesterday we finally managed to get away from Uxbridge albeit for a few days. We stopped at Denham Marina for diesel and coal, the diesel was only 59p a litre we declared 80/20 split as we are not going too far at the moment we had to wait at the marina as there was a wide beam on the pump so we never really got away until 11. When we got to Cowley we spent another couple of hours filling up as the water was nearly empty (did 2 loads of washing on the way down) and the fact that Paul was talking to the 2 other boats at the water point didn't speed things up. When we finally got through the lock (sharing it with another boat) it was 1.30 so I suggested stopping but no Paul said lets get Tesco over with and then go up the arm to the log store.

By this time we were making headway through broken ice the boat we shared the lock with was in front of us but he pulled over to let us go in front (how kind) now there was three of us all in a line but when we got to Tesco the others were no where to be seen. Needless to say Paul stayed on the boat while I went shopping, of course the world and his wife were there too so I spent longer than anticipated in the store finally getting back to the boat at 4 with a trolley full of food and nearly all my nails broken due to packing everything in bags.

We made it to the mooring just as it was getting dark we had been struggling to make headway from the time we got onto the arm we were going so slow that a BW barge overtook us Paul said I think there must be something round the prop. At least the barge broke the ice for us. When we finally got the canopy up with lots of swearing as we were so cold it was pitch black first time we have been that late.

This morning Paul investigated the weed hatch and found what he thinks is a brick pallet wrapper around the prop, his poor little pinkies were absolutely frozen by the time he had wrestled the polythene free. The polythene was the thick industrial stuff so was not easy to tear but easy to wrap itself round our prop.

We then walked to the log store which was very depleted since our last visit but we found enough to keep us going for a bit longer, took over the tow path while Paul got the chain saw out to cut it all up. I then swept up after him as usual. The BW barge came back down breaking the ice which was nearly an inch thick we didn't intend moving today so weren't too worried but hopefully tomorrow will be okay although I cant see it somehow. At least we are on our own again.

Rung our friends Paul and Heather on nb Roxanne they had been away for 2 weeks and returned to the boat yesterday which had been left in Willowtree Marina about a mile from us. They are iced in too but have to move to Kensal as their son is coming over from Australia tomorrow, he will certainly notice a bit of a difference in the temperature between there and here. As the BW barge came from Willowtree they will have a slow journey to Kensal breaking ice.

We are looking forward to a few peaceful days , hopefully we will be able to get to Willowtree park as it will be nice for the dogs. Still, we have food, the water is full up, coal and logs are on the roof so who cares where we are.

Belated Happy New Year one and all.

Well we are still at Uxbridge but the good news is the solar panel is going to be ordered. The chandlery at Denham Marina didnt open until today so Paul walked down and spoke to Jason. Needless to say the factory is shut so the panel wont be ordered until Monday Jason will then give us a ring with a delivery date, so!!!!! (although I shouldnt say this) we are planning to move up to the arm tomorrow stopping at Cowley lock for W. T. R. and then go onto to Tesco to get the store cupoard topped up and get dog food. Then will go up the arm and maybe go to Kensal and wait for Jason to call then it will back here again. Paul is now busy planning how he is going to install the panel so that it can be put on a mounting to allow him to get optimum sunlight on the panel at all times.

Had a nice surprise on New Years eve our friends Steve and Angelique paid us an unexpected visit and stayed overnight was nice to have company although I have the beginings of a cold I think the alcohol may have nipped it in the bud. But the weather has been bitter and feeling a bit under the weather as well hasnt helped. There has been a bit more traffic on the canal this past few days I suppose those going North were hoping to dodge the stoppages.

We hope you all have a good 2009 with all you wish for.