Good Day

Hi again

Interesting day today, everyone knows I have a passion for the canal and all the associated art that go's with it, most people know that I do a bit of painting myself. To that end I have struck a deal with the marina to buy all my paintings, today I set out my stall in the outside cafe area and demonstrated the Canal Art, most people were interested and it was a very nice day( I love it when a plan comes together)

Some of my work

up date on the invalid

I have just returned from the hospital visiting "our kid" He is not a happy chappy, everyone are trying their best but he is suffering from physiotherapists that are physco, nurses that cannot get a line in and doctors who seem to be very elusive, also having a family in Hyde and being in hospital in Southport dose not help matters, all in all he is suffering hospital blues. The initial injury is coming along well and should have a 100% recovery from it, I think the problem is being in hospital.

Other than our kid being in hospital I have no other news from the canal, now that the autumn has arrived things are getting very quiet, most people here are getting the boats ready for the ravages of winter, making sure all bear metal is primed and painted, chimneys swept. hinges greased, winter can cause havoc to an unprotected boat.

It is very autumnal now down on the canal the mornings are very still with a slight mist on the water slowly clearing as the sun rises, evening are even now full of Swifts darting on the water collecting the last of the flying insects before heading off for the winter. As the evenings get colder we get the smell of wood fires being lit as people return from work, the moorings get a very ruralistic medieval feeling of a community settling down for the night, in a very odd way it is a very comforting feeling, It is a feeling that I have not felt since I was a lad in the middle of Manchester that tight knit community existed there were you felt comfortable and safe.

Enough of my ramblings

tight lines

The Marina at Night

In praise of the Ambulance service

I know a lot of you are awaiting the outcome of the fishing competition but I am afraid that I am going to have to disappoint you, The competition has been cancelled.

You will under why when you hear our tale of sorrow. Yesterday the first day of the comp Keith arrived at lunchtime, we had a light lunch followed by a relaxing chat about the forthcoming tournament sat on the cratch (thats the pointed covered bit at the front. as it was raining we were relaxing and chilling out. Keith decided that he required something from the rear of the boat then it happened he was coming down the steps out of the engine missed one step and fell (come on we have all done it) anyway I recognised the sound of a bone breaking break and Keith felt it Yes his leg was broke there was no mistake about that; I of course rang for the white van with the flashing blue light. the crew arrived within minutes, then the fun started. anyone who has been on the boat would know the precarious situation we were in Keith had fallen between the bed and the bulk head a gap of about 18 inches Keith's leg by the way was broke about 2 inches from the hip moving him into any position for extraction from the boat was going to difficult and for Keith painful, The Medics were great but because of the restricted space only one medic at a time was able to work on our kid I on the other had had to escort the other around the boat they were very interested in the design and layout, I like them digress, Keith was soon under the influence of some good "stuff" and feeling more relaxed I think this was due to the female medic Jenny having to keep striding over him rather than the "Stuff" having strapped his legs together which brought a flood of profanities from his lips which Jenny shouted back we were ready to get him off the boat, Next problem stretcher 24 inches doors 18 inches Dave the medic decided we would drag him to the lounge area this meant more of the good Stuff, he certainly got his monies worth. when he was eventually comfortable in the lounge we then transversed him to the scoop board Keith was then unceremoniously carried out of the boat along the gang way then we placed the Keith still on the scoop board onto a trolley we use for carrying gas bottles and dragged it all to the ambulance. The whole episode took about three hours all through which Keith remained calm and philosophical about the whole episode only complaining that he would now miss the fishing.

Today he had a op they have placed a rod into the femur and pinned it all together, at the moment he looks a bit rough but I am sure that tomorrow he will look better.

I would like to say how grateful we are to the Ambulance service they were fantastic even when we were in A&E they returned three times to check on his condition wonderful people.

I will keep you informed of his condition

God speed his recovery

In prais of the Ambulance Service

In praise of the ambulance Service

Firstly I know that everyone is anxiously awaiting new of the fishing competition but unfortunately I am going to have to disappoint you all, It has had to be cancelled. AWE!!!!!

Keith arrived yesterday, we had a bit of lunch then sat in the cratch (thats the front covered bit of the boat) discussing the forthcoming tournament, as it was raining we took a leisurely time over it
Keith then decided to get some of his gear ready for the start. to the rear of the boat there are two steps into the engine room, when stepping out Keith was stood on the top one but imagined he was on the bottom (now come on we have all done it) unfortunately for our kid the fall he took conspired in him receiving a broken leg. As he took a spectacular dive we both heard the leg break it was awful but worse was to come.
Keith managed to fall between the outer bulk head and the bed this is a gap of 18 inches max.
I managed to get him into a position were there was slightly more room but not knowing the extent of the injury I left the bugger were he was. The ambulance arrived in minutes and soon confirmed a break. Now the fun started poor Keith was soon pumped with morphine and was feeling quite merry even though still in terrific pain, Because of the constricted space only one medic at a time could work on Keith I was subjected to giving the other one a guided tour of the boat and discussing the eventual extraction of him from the boat. the extraction was going to be very difficult no one present had ever done it or even trained of it. I will not dwell to much on the antics that took place Jenny the medic had to keep climbing over our kid which to put it mildly was interesting Jenny was a star a really comedian. needless to say we managed to get him off the boat 2 hours it took.
Anyway he is now in Southport Hospital he has broken his femur 2 inches below the hip socket hopefully he will have his op today, they will insert a rod into the femur and pin it.

I must say the through all this Keith remained calm and philosophical only upset that the competition has to be canceled, there was a bit of swearing when the medics had to set the leg in the splint but Jenny swore back like a trooper, as I said she was great both medics were, I do not believe we give them enough praise, even when we were in A&E the medics came three time to see how he was getting on.

God give you a quick recover our kid

Pics of Herby

Herby in saying se-yah

Herby admiring himself

My Mate Herby

Though things here are very quiet and we are not traveling around there are still things of consequence going on, like the arrival of my new mate Herby, now Herby is not another boater or a neighbour he is a Heron, just an ordinary common Heron.

Now Herby comes to see me most mornings just for a chat and maybe a small piece of biscuit ( not like his other friends the Ducks who through no fault of their own, maybe it is there upbringing they are greedy and rather rood) Herby is quiet, calm never rushes and is never rood. he has never admitted his age but I put him around 18 months , he says he is not yet attached and is in no rush to do so; but I reckon being such a good looking lad it will not be long before he is bringing a young lady home. As you can see by the photo he enjoys looking at himself in the window and can sometimes become quite angry that another heron is in his spot. So far I have seen him take frogs, a newt and some very small fish as I said he is not greedy or rood.

I will keep you inform of his visits and hope in the spring he brings his young lady to see us.

FISHING COMPETITION

Twice a year my younger brother go away for three days to fight it out over the Ken Hodgkinson fishing trophy (named after our late father) this competition is the hardest fought over competition I know of. over the past few years we have been hit by hurricanes, floods, snow, lightening, gastric flue, and one year I even forgot to take my fishing gear. BUT we did it.

This year BUGGERLUGS was to be the venue, However I have just received this com unique from the Angling Times


! STOP PRESS !

KEN HODGKINSON TROPHY POSTPONED FOR ONE WEEK!

THE BI-ANNUAL KEN HODGKINSON TROPHY HAS BEEN POSTPONED FOR ONE WEEK DUE TO THE FAVOURITE OF THE COMPETITION, PIP HODGKINSON, SUFFERING FROM A CONDITION KNOWN AS "GLASS BACK-ITUS".

WHEN ASKED BY ANGLING TIMES HE STATED THAT HE "WASN'T TOO BOTHERED", BECAUSE IT WILL GIVE HIS BROTHER ALAN A CHANCE TO PRACTICE ON HIS HOME VENUE.

THE COMPETITION IS VERY CLOSE AS KEITH HAS WON FIVE TIMES AND ALAN HAS WON FOUR, BIG WEIGHTS ARE EXPECTED.

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR RESULTS!

Happenings in the marina

Now we are in the Marina things have started to settle down, Although yesterday we had a special visitor, we had lunch with John Major (ex PM if any one can remember him) well when I said we had lunch with him I meant was we had lunch in the same room.
Apparently he has a friend who has a boat here he is a EMP he will be the one who is putting up the price of diesel in Brussels, anyway that is the news from here not very exciting I admit but next week our Keith and I are having a fishing competition for three days so stand by for sparks will fly

Alan