nickcred
Well-Known Member
Saturday arrive at mooring late afternoon and prepare to set off early Sunday Morning.
The o so morose son whoi turns 17 on Thursday, has even deigned to join his mum, me and little brother for our 4 or 5 day first real trip of the season.
Feeling quite good about life, boat all cleaned and polished, boys getting on (why is the morose one being so nice) arr his Birthday and the hoped for driving lessons are keeping him pleasant.
Sunday Dawns (well for me anyhow as they decide to sleep in until 10.30am) grey and cold, a typical bank holiday weekend. Metcheck in changing the following 4 days by the hour but who cares, back on board the old girl and all is right in my world.
Set off at 11.30 am headed for our normal afternoon stop for a drink at the Bounty, Bourne End. On our way we spot a boat called No regrets whose Birchwood 25 has morphed into a strange long thing with net curtains, fortunately I mean unfortunately he is headed downstream but we exchange a friendly wave and shout. As normal our one drink turns into "just one more" and we end up with the familiar cry "Sod it, lets stay here tonight." The weather and respect for the residents of Bourne end means no generator so a night in the Marina, as the good lady wants heating (hmmm time for hot water and heating on Tristan this year I think.)
Monday dawns, well for me anyway, a little grey but with a warmth in the air that gives me hope, we head off from Bourne End to Marlow for lunch, shopping and football in the park. The skies lighten, grey clouds become white and blue sky starts to appear, SWMBO smiles for the first time since boarding, the boys play nicely in the park, dad eats lunch and drinks a beer, shopping involves toy shops, dvd's and cd's (well it is their holiday says SWMBO as my wallet groans in pain.
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Head off to Henley to moor overnight, find a lovely spot without scaring any rowers or they us for a change and the mooring man in his boat as efficient as ever is with us within 30 minutes (where is that CCTV he must be watching) anyway as usual he is so friendly paying the £6.00 is a pleasure, the generator is burbling away quietly in a bush, and its strangely quiet. We put this down to the weather and the return to work on Tuesday for many (lucky us with a whole week off)
It's a cold night but snug in the old girl and the day dawns (well for me anyway) bright and sunny with a lovely mist on the water.
I answer the first email from work on the blackberry just so I can say I am sitting in the sun at Henley Eating bacon sandwhiches. I wont post the reply here so as not to offend. Suffice to say it seems they did not care to know what fun I was having /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
We walk into town and find the riding equipment shop or saddlery as I have recently rediscovered my love for riding from my polo groom days in my youth. Now I wonder will a horse be happy sat in the old Birchwood /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif or should I be happy with my new boots and weekly hacks rather than buying a horse again lol.
My good friend Richard Branson popped over to say hello
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After a long lazy breakfast, a good walk and some time in the sun we say good bye to Richard as he heads off to see Byron
and we head off to visit Harleyford Marina to see if we want to move further up for a while, unfortunately no riverside moorings with power and water available and dont like the thought of a pontoon as we have such a lovely mooring with room for the b-b-q's and space to play, albeit lacking power and water.
Head back to you guessed it Bourne End and have a meal in the Bounty enough to fill us all up for a good few hours and the inevitable cry is heard again " sod it let's stay here the night" the boys in the Marina ask why we don't just moor there and we say again, pontoons, we like a little space to play and to be on the river. Great people though and we always feel welcome when we arrive.
We head off in the morning for the mooring as the weather is predicted to be not so good on Thursday and its required we are at home for the morose one's Birthday so we can have a house full of wanna be morose middle class anarchists happily eating me out of house and home and borrowing money lol
As we come out of Romney lock the alternator belt squeals and there is a clunk as the bracket snaps and it hangs on by one piece. Luckily we make the mooring, its under warranty and the galant boys from Kris crusiers come to take her away to be fixed with a new one and the promise it will be back with us for Saturday, well they have never let us down yet and we would not go anywhere else, so a perfect few days just slightly marred by the mechanical issue at the end, but hey we were within 1,000 yrds of the mooring and the pick her up within the hour, great service guys, thanks
And yes a new cover is being fitted in a week or so lol I know the current one looks tat /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Hope you all had a great weekend and remember if not it could be worse remember this in 2006
The o so morose son whoi turns 17 on Thursday, has even deigned to join his mum, me and little brother for our 4 or 5 day first real trip of the season.
Feeling quite good about life, boat all cleaned and polished, boys getting on (why is the morose one being so nice) arr his Birthday and the hoped for driving lessons are keeping him pleasant.
Sunday Dawns (well for me anyhow as they decide to sleep in until 10.30am) grey and cold, a typical bank holiday weekend. Metcheck in changing the following 4 days by the hour but who cares, back on board the old girl and all is right in my world.
Set off at 11.30 am headed for our normal afternoon stop for a drink at the Bounty, Bourne End. On our way we spot a boat called No regrets whose Birchwood 25 has morphed into a strange long thing with net curtains, fortunately I mean unfortunately he is headed downstream but we exchange a friendly wave and shout. As normal our one drink turns into "just one more" and we end up with the familiar cry "Sod it, lets stay here tonight." The weather and respect for the residents of Bourne end means no generator so a night in the Marina, as the good lady wants heating (hmmm time for hot water and heating on Tristan this year I think.)
Monday dawns, well for me anyway, a little grey but with a warmth in the air that gives me hope, we head off from Bourne End to Marlow for lunch, shopping and football in the park. The skies lighten, grey clouds become white and blue sky starts to appear, SWMBO smiles for the first time since boarding, the boys play nicely in the park, dad eats lunch and drinks a beer, shopping involves toy shops, dvd's and cd's (well it is their holiday says SWMBO as my wallet groans in pain.
[image]
Head off to Henley to moor overnight, find a lovely spot without scaring any rowers or they us for a change and the mooring man in his boat as efficient as ever is with us within 30 minutes (where is that CCTV he must be watching) anyway as usual he is so friendly paying the £6.00 is a pleasure, the generator is burbling away quietly in a bush, and its strangely quiet. We put this down to the weather and the return to work on Tuesday for many (lucky us with a whole week off)
It's a cold night but snug in the old girl and the day dawns (well for me anyway) bright and sunny with a lovely mist on the water.
I answer the first email from work on the blackberry just so I can say I am sitting in the sun at Henley Eating bacon sandwhiches. I wont post the reply here so as not to offend. Suffice to say it seems they did not care to know what fun I was having /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
We walk into town and find the riding equipment shop or saddlery as I have recently rediscovered my love for riding from my polo groom days in my youth. Now I wonder will a horse be happy sat in the old Birchwood /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif or should I be happy with my new boots and weekly hacks rather than buying a horse again lol.
My good friend Richard Branson popped over to say hello
[image]
After a long lazy breakfast, a good walk and some time in the sun we say good bye to Richard as he heads off to see Byron
and we head off to visit Harleyford Marina to see if we want to move further up for a while, unfortunately no riverside moorings with power and water available and dont like the thought of a pontoon as we have such a lovely mooring with room for the b-b-q's and space to play, albeit lacking power and water.
Head back to you guessed it Bourne End and have a meal in the Bounty enough to fill us all up for a good few hours and the inevitable cry is heard again " sod it let's stay here the night" the boys in the Marina ask why we don't just moor there and we say again, pontoons, we like a little space to play and to be on the river. Great people though and we always feel welcome when we arrive.
We head off in the morning for the mooring as the weather is predicted to be not so good on Thursday and its required we are at home for the morose one's Birthday so we can have a house full of wanna be morose middle class anarchists happily eating me out of house and home and borrowing money lol
As we come out of Romney lock the alternator belt squeals and there is a clunk as the bracket snaps and it hangs on by one piece. Luckily we make the mooring, its under warranty and the galant boys from Kris crusiers come to take her away to be fixed with a new one and the promise it will be back with us for Saturday, well they have never let us down yet and we would not go anywhere else, so a perfect few days just slightly marred by the mechanical issue at the end, but hey we were within 1,000 yrds of the mooring and the pick her up within the hour, great service guys, thanks
And yes a new cover is being fitted in a week or so lol I know the current one looks tat /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Hope you all had a great weekend and remember if not it could be worse remember this in 2006
The Lockies seemed on good form though.
