Narrowboat Just Heaven

Up earlyish as we had arranged to meet Heddi’s sister Pauline at 11:30 at Hempstead bridge. She lives in the Forest of Dean so nearer Gloucester is more convenient. Also we wanted to start back up the river early on Saturday morning so being near Gloucester would make that easier.
After a some confusion regarding how to find us she arrived a bit late. We took a short cruise into the docks and moored up on one of the finger pontoons for lunch. Again the weather was really lovely and warm. We dropped her off back by her car and then walked into the Gloucester Quays shopping centre. This is marketed as a “designer outlet”, but it is full of the usual clothing shops you find everywhere. Heddi bought some tee shirts and we walked back.

I got a call from Andrew (aka Capt Beeky) about 5:30 to say that he and Sheila were on their way down the M5 and would be with us in about 20mins. They duly arrived and we all sat out in the evening sunshine nattering for about an hour before they had to depart for home in Dorset.

We had our evening meal with just the two of us, the first time since we set out over a week ago.

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Rachel, Steve, Penny & Phil arrived at about 10:30. We showed Penny & Phil around, they hadn’t been on a narrowboat before, and seemed to be impressed. It was a lovely, clear, warm sunny day and we set off northwards with the three men at the back and the three women at the front. There was quite a long delay before we could get going as the bridge keeper was having problems with the bridge. We cruised on to a spot just past Saul Junction where we knew the towpath was wide enough to accomodate us all for picnic lunch. After lunch, washed down with Bucks Fizz and cider (not together!), we chugged back with this time the women at the back & the men at the front. They left about 3 o’clock and we went back up to Splatt bridge and moored up in exactly the same place as before, even putting the pins back in the same holes!

We thought that Jan, Mike, Teresa & Lindsay would all be coming together in one car, but we got a text msg implying that J&M would be coming first with T&L following on later. But no, they all came together in two cars!

Where are the others

We had been planning the barbecue for quite a while and had settled on a pork only menu. Which is odd as normally Heddi doesn’t like pork! We had spare ribs in a spicy chilli sauce to start with, then tenderloin of pork with a lemon, prosciutto and sage coating together with freshly baked bread and salad. As on Sunday the new barbecue worked brilliantly.

The weather stayed warm, which was good as there isn’t really room for six to eat indoors, so we sat out until about 10:00.

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The day started off cold & grey, but we thought that we would go for a walk anyway as we hadn’t been very active over the last few days. So with Izzy in the buggy we set off up the towpath to Fretherne bridge and back through the village. The rest of the morning was spent with Izzy feeding the ducks and then they left after lunch.

We had arranged to meet freinds Jim and Mo at Patch bridge this evening and also some of Heddi’s school collegues were coming to see us the next day. Patch bridge woulkd be easier for them to find as all you have to do is follow the signs for the Wildfowl & Wetlands trust. So we chugged the couple of miles down to find a mooring. We needed somewhere easy to get on and off as Rachel isnt very mobile. When we got there it was packed with boats, mostly large GRP cruisers. The most accessible moorings here are on the east bank, the west bank has quite a slope and no firm edge to moor up to. There was one space on the east bank, but it appeared to be a water point. We asked some local boaters who said that there was another, official water point up nearer the bridge, and that it was OK to moor by the other one, so we did.

By now the weather had improved a lot and we sat outside with a glass of Pimms awaiting the arrival of Jim & Mo.

They came just after 7:00 bearing a take-away pizza as arranged. We sat outside until well after sunset and even when they left at around 10:00 it wasnt completly dark.

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Nikki & Izzy surprised us by arriving about 10:30, we weren’t expecting them until lunchtime. We decided to pop up to Saul to use the DIY pumpout machine. The tank wasn’t full, but we have a week  with various guests visiting each day and it could be a bit awkward if the loo is out of action due to a full tank.

The weather was a bit variable today with cold and wet spells. Izzy loved feeding the ducks and swans (which she called ducks). If it was raining then she fed them through the window.

We took advantage of having Nik’s car available and we all went on a trip to the new Sainsbury’s in Dursley to stock up and to get a few thing for the barbecue planned for Thursday. By the evening the the weather had improved a little bit, but still not enough to sit outside so we had to eat in. Nikki & Izzy stayed overnight.

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This morning I fitted a new leisure battery, supplied by the very helpful people at Bristol Batteries. It took me nearly two hours as the access is difficult working down in the engine ‘ole. We have three leisure batteries but the one that needed replacing was the most difficult to get at. It entailed removing the starter battery and two of the leisure batteries to get at it. This meant that I had to disconnect all the wiring and then reconnect it again at the end. Hopefully this will mean that we dont run out of energy by the evening. Whilst I was struggling with batteries Heddi washed, polished and waxed one side of the boat.

In the afternoon Pam & Mark our son-in-law Simon’s parents came for a visit. We took them for a short cruise to Patch bridge & back. Pam had never been on a narrowboat before and the last time Mark had was in the 1970s.

Jan & Mike visited in the evening and we went to The Bell in Frampton where I had an excellent meal of belly pork.

The swan family are providing us with hours of entertainment. The little ones are gorgeous, how can anyone call them “ugly ducklings” ?

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We moved down to Splatt bridge during the morning as we had arranged to meet all the family there for barbecue in the afternoon. Nik, Paul & Izzy arrived first shortly followed by the Davies’s and great grandad.

Ahhh...

On the way down to Frampton we saw a group of cygnets riding on mum’s back. We were to become very familiar with this little family by the end of the week.

The weather was good and it’s a great spot for a gathering as there is plenty of room and it’s not so busy with walkers, cyclists etc.

The new barbecue worked well and everone had a great time. The two little girls in particular really enjoyed themselves. After everyone had left we had a quiet evening to ourselves. It would be almost a week before that happened again as we had arranged a succession of visitors.

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An early start at 6:15! Josh stayed in bed until about 8:30. To start with the weather wasn’t too bad, but it got worse. As we were coming down river to Worcester it was very cold and raining hard.
We stopped at Worcester for a cooked breakfast and I lit the fire to warm the boat up and dry us out. As the afternoon wore on the weather improved, and by the time we arrived at Gloucester lock at about 6 o’clock it had stopped raining and warmed up a bit. I went to call the lock keeper and discovered that my phone, which had been in my pocket, had been ruined by the rainwater that had filled my pocket!
We had to wait for the lock as they were operating restricted hours due to the low river levels. We stopped at the new Sainsbury’s to get some food for the barbecue on Sunday. By the time we had finished shopping it was after 19:00 so the bridge keepers were off duty, but we found a mooring just up from Hempstead bridge.
Josh found the trip down river rather boring as there isnt anything to do.

A bored & Grumpy Josh

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We walked back into the docks in the morning and met Teresa (who was queueing to see Gok Wan !). We wandered round to the area by the lock and found Jim with his cannon. He was all dressed up in authentic clothing of the era.

We got a text from Nikki to say that they were coming to Gloucester as well and would be there in about 40mins so we decided to walk back to Hempstead, get the boat and come back up to Llanthony pontoons where we could have a pumpout and top up the water whilst waiting for them.

They arrived while we were still pumping out. After we had finished we arranged to moor breasted up with another boat across the other side of the channel. Meanwhile Jim had fired his gun with a tremendous bang, which frightened Izzy!

We wandered around a bit more with Nik & Paul, showed them where the Gloucester Quays was and then decided that we ought to start back up the river.

I checked with the Llanthony bridge keeper that it was OK to go through and he said he would clear it with the lock keeper and we set off. Coming through the docks with all the activity was very different! We hovered in the centre for a while waiting for the lock to open, but it didn’t. I called the keeper and he said to wait 20mins as there was a boat coming up. It was difficult to wait in the wind, so we moored up temporarily right by Jim’s cannon.

We intended to overnight at Lower Lode but there was no room, or at any of the other mooring spots below upper lode lock. So we went through upper lode and up the Avon to below the lock. It was busy with both narrowboats & cruisers and by 8 o’clock there wasnt any room and some late comers had to moor up three abreast. The weather was still hot and after a meal we went for a longish walk along the Avon and back through the town of Tewkesbury.

Saw a Mandarin duck on the way up the river to Tewkesbury.

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Another gloriously sunny day. We moved back up to Hempstead as we knew there would be no space in the docks, but we wanted to be within walking distance.
In the morning we walked into town and had a look around the new Gloucester Quays “designer outlet” shopping centre. Heddi spent quite a while choosing an outfit for next weeks outing to Worcester races.

We walked back to the boat for lunch and during the afternoon two more tall ships came passed.

Yesterday Pauline brought us some “Blakeney Red Sider perry” as a present. We sat in the lovely evening sunshine drinking it - really scrummy!

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Sister in law Pauline was due to visit for lunch. As she would be coming via Gloucester and we would also be heading that way on Friday we decided go part way to meet her today, so we went up to Parkend bridge. Pauline arrived mid morning and we took her on a short trip down to Saul to top up with diesel. She even had a go at the helm!

We came back and had lunch on the canalside in the sunshine. Just as we had finished lunch we saw coming up the canal one of the boats for the Tall Ships event, followed by an old lifeboat.

The weather was still really warm and in the late afternoon we went for a walk across the fields to Epney on the banks of the Severn and then back again across the fields by a different route.

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