I've met a few....and a bit of fame

This blogging lark does allow you to make friends and offer opportunities outside of the canals. I know there is a little group who formed a team (albeit seemingly out of a common kinship against their winter marinas rules) that meet up in Southern Spain and are planning adventures further afield this winter.

Other bloggers have ventured to India to meet up with friends made on the cut. How special is that.

I have met some of the serial bloggers, some I'd class as royalty of the canal blogging community and now a new and entertaining Vlogger has been helped through Fradley - well one lock.

Journey with Jono  click here is a very entertaining and inspiring vlog about a sailaway but rather than opting for a marina or hard standing to fit it out Jono has started the big tour before and while doing the work on the boat. A bit like the Guy Marin series but with skill and ability - on the fit out and the boat handling.

Jono was spotted waiting at keepers lock the other week, so I went over and introduced myself and locked him through on his way to Nottingham to have a focussed period on the boat fit out. He has done more rivers in a few months than I have done all my boating and I have been on and off boats now for what must be pushing 20 years !

What interested me was the different kit he had to film with. We all watch the Vloggers now but it takes a lot more work to get something on Youtube than it does to get a post like this up. Then again I do not do it for any sort of income (not saying Jono does) but some do so it is a return on investment I guess.

Anyhow he was a really nice fella and I look forward to his on going videos of his fit out and paint job.

The picture was as I left Jono filming the Keepers lock he had just left.

I have just seen Jono's latest vlog and its the best yet, I am a little biased as I am in it.

A little embarrassed  as he is past a location that I have yet to get to but will be a landmark for my cruising. Shardlow or rather the last lock before Derwent mouth  was a favourite conker spot for me and my lads and it was also a place my dad took us to to do the same when I was a lad. It was also a place where my mum and dad used to go fishing before they were married - they used to cycle to it of course, no one in my family owned a car then.

Its part of the Leicester ring of course, see previous post here ..... click me