Hi Folks

            We are here again        I now intend to start writing my blog again, its extremely difficult when very little is happening and other people have so much interesting things to say. I must say though that whilst I have not been writing my blog I have been raging a one man campaign against this Imbecilic Government  that seem to think themselves above and beyond the Law and general Morality. I intend to write to every single one of them expressing my contempt for all of them. I found it a very easy process. I go on line and see what lies and idiotic plans each one comes up with. Then I correspond with them giving them in a clear precise and logical reasoning why 90% of the general public considers then Bone Heads. They just do not relate to the real world. Anyway that’s how I spend the evening when I am not painting or at meetings.

Since my webpage was launched I have been rather busy I am not going to become a millionaire but it pays for the expensive paints I have to use, Breaking news is that on Tues 19^th I am doing a Painting workshop at Scarisbrick Marina, the coffee shop, I will be there most of the day so pop in have a brew a chat everyone is welcome, anything ordered on Tue will be ready before I start this years cruise.

Before we go out this year I have decided to make Buggerlugs legal and have applied for a trading licence, Its not as bad as I thought and in reality its not much more that the ordinary licence, it now means that I can set up shop legally.

I have doing quite well with the Celtic art I know its not traditional but People do seem to like it I do not do a lot but it breaks up the stall display

Sorry I can not stand it up????????

My shed has come into its own in the last month the weather has been so unpredictable I need a minimum of three hours dry when spraying so now I have the advantage of beating the weather

Talking of this years cruise, as a precaution I contacted Anglia water authority  just to see what licences I would require if any WELL its going to cost us £197 for a 30 day licence, that will cover the River Nene, Great Ouse, River Cam and river and the Old West. I find it absurd that I pay £2.35 (with my early payment discount ) a day for my licence. And then because I want to travel on a river outside the remit of The Canal River Trust they want £6.56 a day off me WHY do they not want us foreigners on their rivers I would hate to live down there that would make my annual licence £2394.00 I have no idea about early payment discount. Anyway after great deliberation we have decided to bite the bullet and go, even though they cannot guarantee enough water to sail in It will be a one off we will not be going again ????????      

Just a quick one here I had to take Noreen to Hospital yesterday morning as she had great difficulty in standing up, I know what your saying “tell her to take more water with it” No even I was worried  she couldn’t walk in a straight line really dizzy Southport General were great they did a good job (but how many times do you have to repeat your date of birth ???? Noreen had all the relevant blood tests (we now know her Heart, Kidney, Liver and Pancreas are all doing well, as she banged her head the day before they even did a full scan all clear after about 6 doctors they decided that she had a bad case of  “Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo” anyway the out out come is Noreen has Vertigo they gave her an injection and tablets today she is fine

And the prognosis is if it comes back take the pills. Luckily you do get warnings when it is coming on so she can still do the locks (Well you don’t think I am doing them!)  So in the true tradition of this family 24 hours sympathy is all you get ???

Noreen’s Dad had another fall last week he’s 90 and he only got 36 hours in a hospital bed no one can blame us for being a drain on the NHS.

Life at the moment is really good everything is going to Gods plan (not mine but he seems to know best) 

Well folks that’s your lot

Wherever this year takes you, may you find happiness along the way.

Stay Good

God Bless

Big Al 

So what happened to the snow then????
We were all set for some sort of white out but it never happened. if by now in your location you are suffering with a big White Out I am sorry  I have suffered enough in the past its nice to get away with it for a change

Not much snow but very nice

Hi Everyone

HAPPY NEW YEAR to Everyone

We as everyone else are hoping and praying for a trouble free 2013 no matter what the government, the environment or the weather might through at us. We will shrug it off and carry on, I love this stiff upper lip attitude it really makes me smile??

Now some catch up news??

My shed (as we live on a posh marina it’s now called a cabin) whatever it is, it’s now finished. I now have a dry place to spray and paint my Canal Art Talking of art. And doing lots of other little jobs, Marquetry, tying my fishing fly’s and all those repair and restoration jobs people bring me in. It’s very small but I have equipped it like a little work shop and I love it.

I have just spent two weeks designing my web page buggerlugscanalart.com hopefully now the orders will flow in???? I wouldn’t call it a work of art or anything spectacular but it says what I wanted it to say. I have also been busy working with my mate John on his boat Orion just a few tidy up jobs for the coming season. Just got that done before this cold snap started. At last today I got my car in the garage. It became very sick with a very poorly gearbox I eventually tracked down a gear box and with everything crossed it should be done by Friday. I am not a car person really if it starts and stops when I tell it too I am quite happy. I understand engines and cars but that’s as far as I goes anyone asks what car I have I say a blue one, just a metal box with an engine that gets me from A to B is that too simplistic a view point??

Even though the winter is still here I feel that Spring is not too far away at least the days are getting longer, We have decided that this year we will head off towards Cambridge we lived there in the late sixties Our first Married home. Ahhhhhhhh.

It would mean going south to the River Nene then north to Peterborough at that point we join the Angian Water Authority most of the trip from Peterborough to Cambridge is mostly by river and tidal rivers at that, now that should be fun??

I will publish the actual route when I have more info though if anyone has done it and got some tip I would love to hear them.
My social calender has been packed this week, Monday was Noreen's birthday, yesterday we went to lunch with Sylvia and Alan great lunch and catch up, tomorrow I have Bob and Norma visiting from NI they are also bringing Noreen's dad and Shirley that should be a great day for everyone if the snows stays away.
and today well! As you all know I have a lot to say on many subjects and never afraid to voice them???? In the past I have done a few interviews on local radio mainly with ref to the canal. Yesterday I had a call from Alison Butterworth Radio Lancashire wanting to come along to the boat and talk about the 50^th anniversary of the big freeze and how I remembered it ( I must now be looking my age ) anyway she arrived we had a good old chin wag and subsequently spoke with her and Ted Robins about how we cope on the canal in the winter all very boring as I really told it as it was. “just like living in a house YOU PREPARE stoke up the fire and relax. Anyway not 30 mins after that was broadcasted the phone rang and it was BBC local TV who wanted to come and conduct the same interview which they did I have no idea what I said or what questions she asked it all now seems very blurred ???? Out of the two Alison was best she was really taken with my new workshop ?????

On my paintings now I can say “as seen on TV”

Ok folks that’s your lot

God Bless

Big Al

Being interviewed by Alison 

My very small but usable workshop

(That's not a toilet roll its for cleaning my brushes)

Lifes like that, But I am still here

Hi everyone

I was reminded last night that my Blogg is very very short of both humour and content this year. That maybe true but comparing this year with the previous year this one has been very quiet and if you think I am going to repeat that years antics to to please you lot “think again”

I don’t know about you but here winter has announced its arrival with minus 4/5 temperatures the Marina has already got its first covering on Ice. Last week we received the gale force winds when poor old Buggerlugs was tossed about like a cork in a bottle and this week she is frozen in and stuck solid, But who cares!! No matter what the weather brings we cannot change it, so I suggest we just get on with it!

And for once its something I cannot blame on the government though I would surly love to prove them at fault that would make my day.  I have been warned not to go off on another rant. I have sent that many letters to the House of Commons ranting about everything from immigration, Policing Policy, The Economy, Why we can not

 repatriate criminals, Education and My Bl---- pension I could go on but I won’t

I would not be surprised if my emails were not monitored, and I am on some list in MI5 as a Dissident. To be correct I have just looked up the definition of Dissidenter in Thesaurus “it would appear that I could be a “nonconformist, unorthodox, rebellious protester.

Now to me I have been aiming for a title like that ever since my Commanding officer said to me “Sergeant Major someone of your rank should not be arriving to work on a motor bike” to which I relied “then you buy me a car or better still send your car and staff driver for me” Promotion always came to me on merit not by conformity.

I Digress I was talking about the winter, Its Sunday afternoon, Just returned from Salford and church, feeling rather virtuous? the fire is blazing, the boat is like a sauna, Snooker on the tele Bliss, all is well with the world, Looking out of the window I see this years ducks out with mum for a afternoon skating lesson, from the few occupied boats, little plumes of smoke are drifting skyward through the very still air its such a tranquil scene. I have a good mind to start the engine and go for a spin around the Marina just to wake everyone up.

Winter problems have started early The gear box on the car is very sick, I think that the gremlins have built a home in there, nobody can decide the actual problem so my conclusion is “if its not broke don’t mend it”, I will leave the noise to either get worse or get better either way we will wait and see. The Calorifier on the boat has sprung a leek, again some disagreement on cause so again I will monitor the situation and when I find the cause I will implement a remedy, until then leave well alone.

We had a very busy day yesterday with a 6.30am start (we did hot Christmas lunch on a bun we first have to cook all the meats) for the school Christmas fete then we were at a Ladies Dinner Night last night arriving back at 00.30am Out by 07.45 this morning to get Noreen’s dad to church in Salford.  I am now a little weary, whilst typing this I have nodded off and typed 5 pages of the letter “a” I think its time to pack in

This was really only to say that I have not yet succumbed to any serious winter illness and am still pottering about trying to spread a little goodness doing what I can for anyone who needs a hand though at times I remember the adage we used when I was in the Army

We the unknowing lead by the ungrateful have done so much with so little for so long We are now capable to doing anything with nothing for anyone at anytime

As regards to my last blog and the boaters Pets and wild life on the Marina.We have had no more swans hitting the overhead power lines and I thank everyone for their concerns. We have a boaters cat that is climbing the evolution ladder by eating the bird feed, thanks to the very cold weather the Parrot is staying indoors and I no longer have to listen to the Incessant squawking. it looks and sounds as if the Mink has found  better accommodation for the winter as there has been no signs for three weeks Now I have a garden I am considering keeping chickens just to add to the Marina's Managerie.???

  

God Bless

Big Al 

THE ONSET OF WINTER

I have had a few emails asking am I still in the land of the living or did the summer cruise do for me. Well I can assure all that I am still quite well I realise that the blog has been very quiet its just that time of year when very little is happening. Its also my favourite time the colours are spectacular here on the marina we have so many different trees that the variety give a dramatic display of colour. Also were we are we are in the migration path of birds arriving and departing for Europe the morning can be filled with a thousand waders, ducks, game birds but mainly very noisy geese at time it’s a bewildering sight. Unfortunately on Sunday night we had a large blue flash followed by a power cut, the blackout was caused by one of this years young swans flying into a power line that passes over the marina, as it was about 22.00hrs  I can only assume it had been spooked by a fox or some other nocturnal hunter, alas for the swan death was instantaneous we waited until morning fished it out of the water and buried it I hate to see animals floating down the canal it reminds me of the bad days of the 50s and 60s as a boy our canal (the Stockport branch of the Ashton canal was always full of dead animals I remember if you fell in it was a quick trip to Ancoats Hospital and a compulsory stomach pump, How we have progressed.

Buggerlugs is having its safety check done on Saturday I think I have got everything sorted the problem is every year they bring out another rule or change an old one so you never really know how it will end up, however I have been boating long enough now not to let little things like that bother me what will be will be.

I have started I new art form I am creating hatch doors with marquetry and inlay panels so far its been very experimental but I have two very nice panels, something new for the winter nights, painting on the boat in such a confined space is a no no especially with the sign writing enamels that I use that is reserved for the out doors on dry days, Or hopefully I will find enough room in my shed when it arrives???

I am afraid no photo’s again this time because I have lost my camera, I remember taking it with me to bring Dannie’s boat back from Swanley but have not seen it since

I don’t think I am destined to be a camera artist, I have an artist’s eye for a good photo but can never find the camera in time to take it I believe its my age.

My constant ranting and letter writing to the CRT must have paid off for the Rufford branch is closed for repair at long last they have condescended to repair lock five and the pound between it band lock 4 there has been a leak there for years. Or they have discovered what happens when you ignore a small leak that eventually escalates into the catastrophic breach at Dutton

I am afraid that’s your lot for now, very boring and mundane really but hey the winter can’t last for too long

May your God Bless you

Bi Al

Hi Everyone

Since we returned I have been trying in vain to do a few minor repairs and

Get her ready for the winter six months out on the cut takes its toll on paintwork and moving parts???  BUT like the rest of you I am awaiting to have a dry day

Last week I have managed to do a quick trip to Swanley Marina to pick up Danny's Boat and help with crewing it back here to Rufford. We managed it without incident in a total of three days.  I was really surprised to see the system so busy as we came out of Hurlston lock there was 6 boats waiting to go up, and had just pasted four boats going up, these going up were leaving locks into almost dry pounds. If only people would listen to advice and just slow things down and give the water time to recover the pounds are not empty because of the lack of water its just they are not allowed to recover between emptying’s. As we came back at the end of the season I noticed that almost every bridge hole, winding hole, movable bridge had one or two boats moored up for the winter. Please don’t get me wrong I uphold the right for everyone to use the canal to there advantage and permanent cruisers also have that same right. However that right should not impose on the rights of the rest of us to have an trouble free cruise when mooring please moor with the adage “for the greater good” a little more consideration would not go amiss. That rants over.

So!  We are all waiting for the rain to stop. Here on the marina we have been lucky last night the river Douglas came inches from breaking its bank though this morning with the ebbing tide it has dropped a few feet, Even if it does break through have the railway is between us and the river, even though I have my boat now on a long rope ???? Just watched the news and seen the moorings I use on the Weaver ten foot under water I have been on the Weaver when its in flood its not a very forgiving river I'm glad we came back early it appears nowhere is safe from flooding the worry now is not about too little water but having too much. Let’s hope that the new volunteers o f the Canal River Trust manage to keep the water levels correct, though lets face it BW never managed it. 

Keep a weather eye out

Stay Safe

BigAl

The Trains were suspended between Ormskirk and Preston 

As the river was threatening the Bridge

The danger has passed for now 

lets hope the next high tide leaves us alone??

I usually fish under this bridge.

back on our Mooring

Thomas and Granddad

Noreen found our first car, we had one in 1970

a Bond Mini Car 250 villiars engine no reverse

we traveled Cambridge to Manchester once a month

Good days ????????

Thomas is now ready to start studying for his GCSEs

He says if they mess my results up 

I'm going after them

Home again

Noreen and I are now back in our Marina after having a really good cruising season.

The trip back from Manchester was uneventful Keith came along to help swing those awful locks in Wigan all boaters note that I am starting a campaign to renovate those locks out, they have been in that deplorable state now for four years to my knowledge.

How do they expect boaters to visit Liverpool when the first have to run the gauntlet of Wigan anyone who is not 6ft, 18stone and built like a brick sh—h----  can not possibly work those locks. They are dirty, full of rubbish, nothing works. To think in the centre of those locks is the North West Head office for waterways, how ironic is that,  If I worked there I would be ashamed to go to work.

To those who are regularly reading  the blog  ( Sad People) It may have sounded that I was not having a good time, those who know me better will know I am happy when moaning ??????????????

This season has been quite an achievement for me; and Noreen as she is the one that has to calm and control my enthusiasm for jumping on and off the boat, and all the other athletic things I once did! but now have to think twice about it.

The Boat Log states:

560   Miles

395   Locks

  21   Tunnels

  43   Swing Bridges

As I said before on a previous blog “ not bad for two pensioners”. I also know full well that there are many others just like us who have done more, cruising the system and enjoying life, Personally I am just so pleased that I have been able to do it; as last year it was feared that I would not be able to go cruising again. But by the grace of God here I am.

I am now sat hear watching the para Olympics that makes my little mishap and subsequent recovery dissolves into insignificance against those athletes, the guts and determination of those athletes is so awe inspiring.

So we now settle down for the winter I have a few projects on I want a shed, sort out the garden, give the engine a full service I have heard some knocking though its more annoying than dangerous but it needs sorting, then there is the inevitable painting after six moths cruising. I also want to do a lot more writing I must finish my book. Iys called “A Kit Bag Full of Rubbish” obviously antidotes of 22 years in the army don’t worry all my old comrades names will be changed to protect the guilty?

Its strange to be sat again on the mooring I keep wanting to start the engine and check the battery levels. Wondering how many locks tomorrow or what time to start off. Looking were the next pump out, diesel, or water point is. OH the simple joys of boating I will really miss it

I will still be writing the blog just to keep you all amused over the dark nights ahead

God Bless

Buggerlugs