The end of the line .....

How is it that we get such attachment to 'things'. Is it because they have associated memories or give good value?

Well I have such a possession that hold great sentimental value and has taken me to some truly stunning places.

Now before you all start thinking I am joining the seemingly ever increasing defection off the canal  - relax. My ambition is to fill your web browsing with drivel and boat stories for a few more years to come yet - health willing of course.

No this possession is a lot cheaper and more basic. It should very eloquently introduced by this well known phrase attributed to Lao Tzu .....

A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step

Well my trusty and well travelled walking boots have literally taken their last step.

These beauties have supported me on many hundreds if not thousands of miles of walking . They took me up the highest three peaks in England Scotland and Wales two years in succession. They have walked all over Scotland and Wales and walked and many many miles of English canals.

Sad but they will retire tucked away to slowly dissolve on my mooring most probably holding a few daff bulbs so they can indicate when I should be dusting down my Nicolson's in the future to plan my adventures !

Timed almost to perfection.

.... that is getting back onto the boat.

We are privileged to have access to house and boat and while the house is undergoing a full repaint and re-carpet  I am back aboard NB Percy. Got here late afternoon and set to with the vacuum and other cleaning products. I had called at the co-op for tea after having a lovely lunch at the Yew tree in Ednaston  - on the way to Ashbourne with Ashbourne being the gateway to the Peak district. We did reflect on how lucky we are to live where we do..... for the time being !

Now don't go thinking it is an easy life because to get he house the the paint ready state it is took an enormous effort that included gutting and fitting a complete new bathroom along with all four walls wall to ceiling tiled.... now that was a job. I also took out built in wardrobes and made good with studding, plasterboard and finally plastering - it is not such a dark art.

Last weekend we were out rebuilding a wall and yesterday I was tidying up where we removed a large shed last year with a rotavator, feather edging board, and 1,000 litres of bark !

So yes I am looking forward to a few days rest before we start again that will see such homely locations as Derby, London, Chichester, Leeds and France  - all before mid June..... and there is work to fit in between all that !

PS - had to light the fire, I need to be warm !

PPS written Sunday evening

C&RT Complaint - full and final resolution

You may remember this ......click me for the initial post 

This is what my good neighbours called me about the day after I brought Percy back from a back to metal repaint in October last year. If you search for complaint on my blog you will see I have updated a few times on the progress of a formal complaint I made to C&RT.

I have now settled the complaint with C&RT.

My observations.... I'll not give the full detail of the final settlement other than to say C&RT have accepted their contractors did indeed damage the newly painted boat. On my suggestion C&RT paid for a surveyor to inspect the paintwork, I asked for my surveyor Balliol Fowden who has surveyed all my boats and he did the inspection with myself and a C&RT representative and his report concluded there were stone chips, albeit superficial on the side that was peppered and not so on the other side.

This was independent professional proof Fountains had damaged my boat.

I then left it to C&RT to speak with their contractors as to how they might address this and with the help of two very professional members of the C&RT management and directorate I received an offer I have accepted.

After a slow start and some confusion on the responsibilities of contractors and contracts C&RT have been very professional and I'd say supportive. They have followed stage 1 and stage 2 of their complaints procedures very carefully and I have received polite and effective communications for which C&RT should be proud.

I think this has been a learning exercise for them and I am aware of positive discussions at director level between C&RT and Fountains to progress this complaint but also thankfully address the risk assessments and method statements associated with grass cuttings adjacent to boats.

My learning is be patient and professional, I have never been rude or lost my temper, I have been frustrated and angry but not taken this out on the people dealing with the complaint.

All in an a frustration and I have damage to my boat that I'll monitor and repair as and when it is needed but I have faith in C&RT. So it is a well done C&RT and hopefully Fountains can start matching the professionalism of their contracting trust.

One final important note to me is I only accepted the C&RT offer on the condition the financial side was recovered from Fountains and C&RT were not financially disadvantaged  - I have received this assurance. C&RT's costs are in the learning process that I think is a good return however painful it was for me.

I genuinely do not know what to think .....

I have just watched this film for action Youtube video. It is about the families and others who are being taken off the system for not cruising enough and not having a home mooring.

Click here for the video ....

Their lifestyle is so far removed from the conformity of my approach to life I do not even know if I should be using my life as a guide to having an opinion on the issue of live aboards who do not engage in a 'bona fide' journey around the system.

I was going to type I have the luxury of a home mooring, but then it occurred to me I also have a job that pays for that luxury. My job also pays for the luxury of a mortgage and a home and an asset. But that makes me more confused.

I did feel for the little boy called Cub who was selling his toys and having to live in a van....(which I doubt)  but then I have brought up my sons and in doing so had an absolute responsibility to do the best for and by them.

I guess that is the real difference - I conform(d) to the normal approach to living.

• Should I be critical of those that do not ?
• Am I envious of the those that do not ?
• Is there anything I can learn from my reaction to the issues in the video?
• How do I feel about the C&RT response and or actions to reduce/remove those moorers who use the canal just as a home.

On reflection there are people who pay for a linear mooring or marina mooring and live aboard unmolested by C&RT. The difference is the group being pursued do not pay for a mooring but as evidenced in the video do pay for a license. 

So I guess the question is are C&RT social landlords with all that comes to support the less advantaged - well the (my) answer is no they are not. So I am rounding on the idea those who cannot pay and abide by the rules to keep moving should not be on the canals. How harsh is that? In making that call I concern myself with the issue of where does the discretion start and stop? If discretion is used then do C&RT not become that social landlord?

I feel for C&RT,  as a parallel they are like the hospitals being forced to hold onto social care cases because the social system is so dysfunctional. But the comparison is not quite the same as these people have choices I guess and the health care people have not the same choices.

So on the balance of review I feel for the people who want to live an a boat but not cruise a bona fide route and will not/cannot pay for a home mooring. But I support C&RT in their endeavor to enforce the  principals of living (and working) on the canals. I support them as this is the principal for how the canals are used and C&RT are doing the right job, however hard that is.

Work lawns tiling , repeat .....plus locking info

It's my record to look back on of course, but that is what I have been doing. The lawns bit is a boating lawn - or grass on a mooring that saw me over to Percy to clear off this job.

I picked up some interesting info from NB Valerie - the C&RT locking report. Click here  

It shows how busy my stretch of the canal is  - with Woodend lock being the 6th busiest on the system. However it also shows the impact of the ceasing of the Shakespeare fleet out of Mercia and the running down of the CanalTime out of Sawley that both targeted Fradley as a destination. Locks such as Wychnor  and Stenson are down 8% on use showing the reduction in holiday boating in my areas.

This time last year of course I was resident on the boat and planning for an imminent return to bricks and mortar prior to taking Percy to be painted.... where did that year go ? Now I am planning the reverse move .... even got my rod license sorted.

Hard slog....stove and CART complain updates

Missing the boat at the moment. Not helped by reading all of your blogging adventures. A combination of extreme studying and lots of work on the house to get it ready for someone else.... means at the moment there is little Percy Action.

I will be there next week as the grass will need a cut and this weekend sees me back on Watery Lane  - literally. Boy did it rain on Friday.

A real contrast to last Sunday morning when I did get out on the Pan for a coffee and a wander around all sorts of P&J's at the bike shop in Chesterfield.

I have drawn a blank on my stove search.... I have an option, someone in the railway 'scene' who may know someone .... And the CART complaint is still ongoing... I'll update on that in a separate email as once again it is getting tedious.

Keep the blogs coming I need my canal fix for the next few weeks  !  

Back on the boat is getting closer - one back four away

The target is the Middle of May, which will be about 6 weeks earlier that the year before when I recall it was the beginning of July that I took residency of the boat for 10 months whilst my son and his wife took residency of the house. The publishable plans are very loose at the moment for numerous reasons.

As to this weekend it has been down south but not before a stop by the boat to pass on a card and drink for my neighbour Mandy who is off on her adventure of an early retirement cruise of the system. Other moorers Jan and Graham have returned to land after 11 years living afloat. Two more boats have or will be moving on shortly - watch the mooring auctions for some decent moorings if you want an off grid off line mooring with some great cruising routes?

Back to this weekend I was spannering on the bike mainly then 'test riding'  - over to Portsdown Hill

Sunday and it was a ride into the Surry hills to meet up with friends for a Sunday 'salad' of eggs, bacon sausage  - etc ! A decent 120 mile catch up with like minded bikers. 

Tomorrow is the early start and back to the work and home work  - tiling will be the evening entertainment now for the next couple weeks - joy !

That is what my bathroom looks like at the moment, good job we have an ensuite !