26th May 2017
Stayed on our quiet mooring for the morning in the very hot sun. We were in no hurry to take up our allocated berth for the Crick Show as it was in the heavily tree lined cut, three boat lengths short of the dark mouth of the tunnel! We knew it was going to be shaded and dark there, so we pootled off around 2pm to arrive about 4, stopping for water again as we wouldn't be moving for three nights.
Anna and Steve passed us going in the opposite direction to the Welford arm. Perhaps our paths will cross again some day.
As we approached Crick, decorated and spruced boats started to appear, 2 abreast along the canal. A mooring warden saw us into our space alongside John on Living Water and next door to Tony and Sue and their ship's cat Lex. Jolly friendly neighbours - you have to be when moored this close. We set off for the marina and show ground at 6 to inspect the beer tent with it's vast selection of 66 beers and to get a preview of the site. Some very posh narrowboats on show, seems new ones are all equipped with solar panels and bow thrusters these days and hybrid engines (?) Pete will explain. And there are an awful lot of wide beams being shown - some huge and we cannot believe anyone would consider buying one for our narrow waterways, the Thames maybe. I may be biased but they are not boats to me, they look like boxes on water with their blunt sterns, so far removed from the original narrowboat shape and design they cannot be compared. The 6 traditional carrier boats moored up alongside with their colourful paintwork and signage were like rainbows beside these heavy black clumsy things. And who uses a steering wheel to drive a canal boat?? Oh dear, I am a snob.
I am also a dipstick. Whilst viewing the boats which were having their finishing touches applied, I thought to myself 'oh that's a nice touch to have a picnic displayed on the back locker to show how the stern could be used'. On second look, I realised it was a sponge and a green cleaning cloth I had mistaken for a specialist cheese and some lettuce! Must get my eyes tested again soon.
Beer was good, bands were promising with their covers of our age music: CCR, Cream and Jimi! So inkeeping with the boating community too. The side stalls were just stocking up, so tomorrow promises to be more interesting still as we find all sorts of bits to buy for Ani. Her fairy lights are looped around her bow, her baskets of flowers cheerily colourful on the roof and she is the cleanest she has been in a long while. She is just as pretty as the other painted and polished and bunting-dressed boats all around her. It's a jolly scene.
Going to rain tonight and tomorrow morning though - we will all be a little less spruced then.
Stayed on our quiet mooring for the morning in the very hot sun. We were in no hurry to take up our allocated berth for the Crick Show as it was in the heavily tree lined cut, three boat lengths short of the dark mouth of the tunnel! We knew it was going to be shaded and dark there, so we pootled off around 2pm to arrive about 4, stopping for water again as we wouldn't be moving for three nights.
Anna and Steve passed us going in the opposite direction to the Welford arm. Perhaps our paths will cross again some day.
As we approached Crick, decorated and spruced boats started to appear, 2 abreast along the canal. A mooring warden saw us into our space alongside John on Living Water and next door to Tony and Sue and their ship's cat Lex. Jolly friendly neighbours - you have to be when moored this close. We set off for the marina and show ground at 6 to inspect the beer tent with it's vast selection of 66 beers and to get a preview of the site. Some very posh narrowboats on show, seems new ones are all equipped with solar panels and bow thrusters these days and hybrid engines (?) Pete will explain. And there are an awful lot of wide beams being shown - some huge and we cannot believe anyone would consider buying one for our narrow waterways, the Thames maybe. I may be biased but they are not boats to me, they look like boxes on water with their blunt sterns, so far removed from the original narrowboat shape and design they cannot be compared. The 6 traditional carrier boats moored up alongside with their colourful paintwork and signage were like rainbows beside these heavy black clumsy things. And who uses a steering wheel to drive a canal boat?? Oh dear, I am a snob.
I am also a dipstick. Whilst viewing the boats which were having their finishing touches applied, I thought to myself 'oh that's a nice touch to have a picnic displayed on the back locker to show how the stern could be used'. On second look, I realised it was a sponge and a green cleaning cloth I had mistaken for a specialist cheese and some lettuce! Must get my eyes tested again soon.
Beer was good, bands were promising with their covers of our age music: CCR, Cream and Jimi! So inkeeping with the boating community too. The side stalls were just stocking up, so tomorrow promises to be more interesting still as we find all sorts of bits to buy for Ani. Her fairy lights are looped around her bow, her baskets of flowers cheerily colourful on the roof and she is the cleanest she has been in a long while. She is just as pretty as the other painted and polished and bunting-dressed boats all around her. It's a jolly scene.
Going to rain tonight and tomorrow morning though - we will all be a little less spruced then.
boats breasted up moored to visit the show
rainbows!
black menacing wide beam!
the story behind these ducks on the roof is that the owners decided a yellow bath duck would be a good and amusing alert to stick on top of a mooring pin to prevent anyone tripping over it - once their friends knew of this idea they started to send them all sorts of ducks ( far too many!) but still, they get to have their day as a display on the roof instead!
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