Hi Everyone

That long awaited day has arrived because tomorrow morning we are off. Come hell or high water (though the weather looks good) I never bother about the weather as far as I am concerned the weather is like life you play the cards you are dealt what ever will be will be

The Breach at Preston Brook has been repaired has been repaired, so that means we will not have to face going through Manchester and up the Rochdale 9 I was dreading those locks???? Then it’s a nice long leisurely cruise to Cambridge. I know we have had some nice weather in the past few weeks and the forecast is good until the end of June, my only fear is that by the time we get to Peterborough to cross country through the middle levels we will be in a drought with hose pipe bans and low water

I will be checking with the water authorities before purchasing my short term licence I am not parting with £290 to get grounded if the worst happens I will go up the river and cross the  wash ????????

Everyone has now booked there hols with our floating hotel and it looks as though we will be getting time to ourselves and plenty of fishing time. This time we are going out legal as Buggerlugs is now legally a trading boat with my painting and Noreen’s

Biscuits we are hoping for a bumper year

Here we are ALL jobs now done I even had time to renew all the fender ropes with ropes that I platted,  and headed with Turks heads they now look the business, as well as painting, blacking, engine serviced, new stern button and as you know a thousand other little jobs but we are ready to face the riggers of 6 months cruising ??

Keep an Eye on the blogg I will try and post every other day

See Yah

Big Al

Hi Folks

Really sad news to start with, two weeks ago my Father-in-Law died, Tom had a fantastic life and died very peacefully in hospital Noreen and I were with him and he had received the sacraments. Tom was one of those all too rare characters a legend in his own time, Loved and Respected over 70 years in the scouting movement of which I spent about 30 with him on various teams and projects he was not just my Father-in Law he was one of my best mates and I will miss him.    

Only a couple of weeks now before we set sail for  ?????????  Leaving that bit blank as who knows were we will end up. As I have said before travelling the system is one of those operations when its not the destination but the journey that counts.

I have attached a pi of me at my last Work Shop I did at Scaeisbrick it was a really good day I managed to raise £52.00 for Air Ambulance that cant be bad can it I hope to fit another one in before we move off. Its frantic now getting things ready I would like it to be a little warmer as I need to paint the gunnels and so blacking I also have quite a lot of varnishing to do and of course the engine needs a service. Today I have redesigned my TV aerial this time I believe that I have cracked it, only being out on the cut will prove or disprove my new design.

Before I go let me indulge myself in a little RANT.

In the past few months I have done quite a lot of motorway driving, not great distances only 40 miles at a time, now before I start my rant,  I must say that I was an HGV class two driver (Army) so I do speak from the heart, But I have become more aware of practice of HGVs overtaking other HGVs  Why oh Why do they do it? One  wagon cruising at 58mph attracts other HGVs like bees to a honey pot they just cannot resist the thrill of overtaking whilst doing an extra 5 mph more now my calculation is that it would take aprox 20 mins to complete that manoeuvre  (my maths are not good but you get the picture ) Is it machoism that makes these idiots block two lanes of a busy motorway just to prove that  his engine can pull 5pmh more that the other and lets face it 90% of the time they have to pull back in because they start to go down hill. I find the whole thing bloody annoying that our motorway system is being choked up by morons who for no other reason, other than they can because there is no law against it, irritate everyone around them  by pathetic egotistical stupidity and showing disrespect and discourtesy to other road users

Because they are big they consider themselves better, more important, and above the normal rules of common sense. Lets have a new road law that prohibits HGVs overtaking unless they can do it in a reasonable distance that does not hinder the flow of normal traffic

Rant Over

God Bless

Big Al

New design Celtic art is In

Barrels were a commission Job

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