Looking back....years back.

It always surprises me how folk can remember where they were when a certain non personal event took place. Events like the passing of Elvis, John Lennon or perhaps a political  figure like Thatcher or JFK.

Some folk can quote you places for all or at least 50% of not just these but a large number of memorable dates over the past 2,3 or 4 decades.

Personally I can quote only one, perhaps because it was so horrific an event that took place in my adult life that it stuck in the memory bank. It was 9/11, September 11th 2001. I was in Tenerife on holiday with some of the family less than a year after Valerie passed away. We were in an electrical store and took some convincing by the staff that the TV images were real and not some Hollywood film.

So I just thought of reminding myself where I was back not decades but within my years afloat and it turned into a blog post.  January 26th or as close as can be is the chosen date.

Andy and Tina

Starting in 2007 as the boat was still under construction in Jan. 2006. I was in Apsley 2007 travelling with good friends of 8 years now, Andy and Tina. Some talk in the comments as to suitable pictures to publish. Looking back to the post before I had just received my
boat licence at a cost of £572($858). I mention this as we have just received our Licence for 2015 and it cost £856($1284). In 2007 that worked out to £11($17) not the figure I quoted in a comment on that post. Nowadays that weekly amount is just above £16($24). I suppose for a continuous cruiser like us that is our weekly rent. Also I note we were heading for Llangollen in Wales and the journey details in that `before` post might interest you.

Next look back is 2009 and I am heading north through Leighton Buzzard on my own having parted in November from Andy and Tina, after two and a half years cruising together; they were off on a new boat related venture. Again earlier posts around this time showed my being moored 18 days in Berkhamsted having dental work. In those days there was a local mooring warden who was happy for me to overstay having seen my appointment card.

 We now come to 2011 and I am moored in Rugby . This post sees me hanging around waiting to fly back early February to the USA and propose to Jaq.  The post by coincidence has me looking back and there are a lot of pictures of my travels including a pair of newborn's hitching a ride. Again looking at previous posts to this date I have just about finished laying a new floor.

January 2013 sees us frozen in at Stoke Breurne. Well at this point I will enter what is up in my top ten of pictures.

It`s January 2013 and we are heading to London and onwards to the Lea and Stort then onto the River Thames. Look at the pair of us married 18 months--not a care in the world, just living what still is now a fun filled, laughter fuelled life.
Now why I publish this picture is because as regular blog readers know 2013 was not going to be a good year for us. Mr. C. showed his face half way through the year. I can say the laughter has now returned and uncontrollable giggling is a regular on Nb Valerie.
Remember folks you only have one life--make your dreams reality whatever they may be. You have no idea of what lies ahead; look at the picture. We had no idea.

Ok January 26th 2015, we are in Cow Roast and in 4 days we will be leaving the prison marina and heading in a northerly direction, no other plans at the moment.

Nash and Apsley, then and now

On the left is the loading dock that was built over in the 1960`s. The dock did go further into the site as can be seen on the Google picture (right) taken during demolition. Above, the loading dock entrance is marked by the concrete piles. There has been a watermill here on the River Gade since the 11th century, now it will just be housing. Sad that so much history is being wiped out. Just one building will remain converted into flats and that is Nash House former home of John Dickinson used in later times as offices.
A lot of reading containing diagrams and illustrations about Nash Mills can be found HERE.
Another interesting page showing the developers culverting and diverting the dock and opening up the below ground water channels is HERE. Money well spent as the new `waterside` housing will command premium prices. They will have canal side housing and by exposing the river they have even more money making sites. Architect has earnt his money on this site.

These boats, held up by lock gate repairs, are waiting to enter lock 67 to the right. Nowadays Apsley marina is just out of sight around the bend along the towpath.

The same view today and the only surviving building is on the right and a footbridge has been added probably to give access to the train station for the vast housing alongside and around the marina.

The same scene pictured looking towards the lock. Perhaps this way of breasting up the three boats is to prevent any queue jumpers when the lock re-opens.

Today and that one building is all that remains.

Chillin'!

"Light be the earth upon you, lightly rest." ~Euripides, 484 BCE - 406 BCE

Library books in hand, Kings Langley towpath

   Slowly, slowly we head North once more, leaving the crazy pressure and press of humanity in our wake. We've cruised in this way, staying a week or 10 days when stopping, to fill time while waiting for Les' consultation with the surgeon regarding next steps to reverse the Ileostomy.  It was June 6th and he's blogged about that so I won't.

Palouse photo and Big Love Tray

    We made friends with Susan and Colin on NB Carrie Ann while moored in Cassiobury Park last month. They are new live-aboards and really lovely folk, whose company we've enjoyed immensely. Our paths have crossed since then as we leap frog past one another along our way toward the summit.
   Les and I spent a week moored at Home Park near King's Langley, walking the local footpath into town for lunch and making several visits to the library to look at old Ordinance survey maps and check out historical books about the area and began a slow spring cleaning, washing all the curtains, cleaning out cupboards and drawers, making space on our wall for a Big Love Tray by Emma Bridgewater potteries--a gift from friends Lael and Larry in Idaho and in so doing, finally freeing up the perfect spot for our wedding gift from friends Karen and Jim Barron in Pullman, Washington--a photo of the Palouse in flower. The tray matches our Big Love mug--another lovely gift from dear friends Sue and Ken Deveson of NB Cleddau; we have a decor theme going!
   We puttered up to Apsley for water, caught up with NB Carrie Ann once more and spent a delightful evening aboard their lovely boat chatting, laughing, and drinking wine. The craic was grand!
   We moved on to Bourne End for a week, moored up across from Pix's Farm--a delightful pocket of countryside surrounded by the growing babble of London's ex-urbs. We discovered at the Hemel Hempstead library, that Pix's Farm Lane is an old roman Road! Imagine Romans walking along that old lane 1900 years ago!

Pix's Farm at 5 am, Bourne End, Grand Union Canal

Continuing the view around to Sharpes Lane Bridge, Bourne End

   On our first day there we saw: 4 horses and 2 goats in the field across from us; 36 Canada Geese and 6 goslings; a swan bathing in the early morning light, magpies, wrens, a mated pair of Cormorants, 4 Herons also in the field, waiting for frogs maybe??
   We watched a Moor hen make its way along followed by 8 feathery babies all looking like miniature escapees from Fraggle Rock, and a mother duck with three new babies. She sunned herself on the bank directly across from our bow while we watched for nearly an hour as one by one, her babies each figured out how to escape the water and settle beside their mother. The smallest chick was last, making several mock running attempts toward the bank, grabbing at leaves with its beak as it finally hoiked itself out of the canal.
   As the afternoon wore on were privy to a continual parade of Martins swooping and diving for sips of water, snatching insects on the wing. A walk up to the bridge allowed us to spy thousands of tiddlers (small fry) basking in a spot of sun warmed water. Later we spotted 15 Bream cruising slowly along the bank looking for spawning places. Bees hummed in the hedgerows, and life began to feel like the deep breath before bursting into glorious song.
   We spent two hectic days in Berkhamsted catching up with our wonderful friend Angela, whose home we moored in back of, checking out her neighborhood and the local market, walking along the streets of Berko with A. who played tour guide and generous hostess. We chatted about anything and everything as we three enjoyed the BEST Maple Cured, free range, Gammon (Ham) Rib Eye steak of our lives at The Old Mill Inn (Aubrey Allen--the Queen's butcher supplies the Mill Inn with cuts of meat). If its good enough for The Queen--its good enough for the three of us!
   While we were moored there another boating friend passed on her way to the Big Smoke. We were pleased as punch to see Kath on NB Bobcat coming our way. She pulled over and stopped for a cuppa and a slice of blueberry Lemon Drizzle cake while we caught up. It had been almost two years to the date since we saw Kath last in person up at Tixall Wide. Thanks for stopping. Enjoy the rest of your journey south and we look forward to seeing you again sooner than later! 
  We left on a sunny morning with a poesy of flowers resting on our bow--a sweet and thoughtful present from Ang as we headed out for Dudswell Lock where the donkeys are penned near the towpath in a huge, well manicured yard. Along the way I took the opportunity to manually haul the boat into a lock without using the lock ladders. I want to continue practising in and out, going up and down until I feel totally confident in my skills at single handing--at least in practice. 
   Moored up now in the quiet before the summit, I finally feel like I can breathe again. Five months of cruising south to London, waiting two weeks at Cassiobury in Watford, and making our way north again left my soul feeling pinched and strangled.
  On our anniversary Les took me to the Tring library, where we checked out some books and wandered around the village.
   We shared a delicious meal at Pizza Express in Berko, toasting to three amazing years of married life. We wanted to eat at Francesco's Italian Restaurant in Tring--a family affair with truly delicious food--but it didn't open until 6 pm and by the time we ate it would be difficult to catch of the final two buses of the evening back to Dudswell.
   Never mind, not only did we enjoy our pizza in Berko, we met up with another lovely friend on his way to dinner as well--Mike Wall of NB Independence. He is one of my two knights in shining armor who provided rides to Watford Hospital and the grocery store while Les was in hospital last Autumn.
  We walked up to Cow Roast Chandlery and picked up a Towpath Talk, stopping to sit on the lock gates and visit with Mike Griffin (our other shining knight). It is always a gift to see the face of a friend. As we walked back to the boat I took the opportunity to pick some Comfrey leaves from plants that had not yet set blossom, to tincture in olive oil for the making of salve later in the summer.
   We took advantage of the sunshine and washed three loads of clothes and hung it all out to dry, airing our pillows and down comforter as well. Sitting in the sun, reading our library books and eating lunch, we indulged in a bit of bank side gongoozling as we watched the hire boats and weekender's from the marina too-ing and froe-ing up and down the pound.
   Les has engaged in some handiwork, removing our Sky dish and repainting our satellite pole, cleaning up the tangle of wires on the bow and tidying things up. I whipped up wok of Kung Pao chicken with rice for dinner and we howled with laughter over Graham Norton's season finale show with comedians John Bishop, and  Brendan O'Carroll (Mrs. Brown). We've stayed up reading until 1:30 am, slept in, and finally chilled out! 

Looking down from the sky

I came across these pictures by chance when researching for a blog post. Details and link to the site is further down the page. So looking at the picture below you can see a canal but as the shot dates back to 1938 there are not many clues as to the location.

With my overwriting on the image and my saying it`s Leighton Buzzard all has become clear. I guess at this point I must apologise to those who have no idea of  the area. If you have never been to Leighton Buzzard this post will have no interest but the canal makes it a suitable subject for a blog post.

Zooming in on the same image.

 

Zoom in even more. Brantoms wharf, now filled in although the bridge remains, could hold three full length working boats. I guess the wharf was the reason the winding hole came about.

 

Now looking from the opposite bank. Notice the very small arm, roughly opposite the pedestrian gate from the towpath into Tesco. This section was called Whichello`s Wharf.

 

Same shot zoomed in

 

Back across to the opposite bank and the arm is to the left. The buildings at the bottom of the page are on the road into L. Buzz. next to the bridge over the canal.

The site to view aerial photos of the UK is Britain From Above. The `browse by  map` link shows the UK as a mass of markers but you can zoom in to your required area as in my screen shot on the right.  The Blue flags are images that can be viewed. You will only get the photo as taken. See first 2 images above.
To zoom in you must register. NO CHARGE just click register and you will see they want almost nothing from you by way of information.

 Another very old (1949) view of Apsley and many boaters will have walked across the bridge to shop at Sainsburys. All the buildings in the picture were the John Dickenson works. Just one small brick building remains the rest fell to make way for a retail park.(Mall)

Notice the bottle kilns to the right of bridge 8. Stoke on Trent. There are about 8 visible on the zoomed in image. Also to the left are more kilns and 4/5 tall chimneys. During the heyday of pottery making it is estimated up to 4,000 kilns were in use. On the lower left is the electricity generating works. Image taken 1933.

With luck you might get an aerial shot of your home or a canal you are familiar with but to get a good view with the zoom feature remember to register.
This post came about from searching for information on the `cargo of sand` blog post. Then Jaq and I spent a couple of hours in the local library looking for answers to other questions that arose from  the Internet search. Jaq so loves libraries and always has since her first library card in Alaska at the age of six.  "A universe of ideas and knowledge is available for free to anyone with a library card" is how she explains it to me. We both hold library cards.
I remember when Jaq first stepped foot on English soil before we went to the U.S. to marry. She turned down my offer to see the usual touristy places like Buckingham Palace etc saying plenty of time for that, just take me into an English library!
So now I have some more snippets for my next blog post.