Tuesday 11 December 2012

Firmly in the grips

… of the ice this morning - it was minus 7 a 6am and as I write (10:52) it still only minus point 6, but George informs me that down at Wardle Lock and in the T & M basin the ice has melted in the once again brilliant sunshine.  Temperatures below freezing are expected again tonight and tomorrow but lots of rain is forecast for Thursday night/Friday so it's ‘ration water’ time until we can reverse down the lock to refill the tank before moving on.

Narrowboat Elizabeth - update

This morning George chanced to speak to our over the water neighbour about his boat (click here) for yesterday’s posting where I stated that I’d love to have a peek.  George told him how interested I was in his boat and was told to look on the web for NB Elizabeth in France and all the pictures posted here are from that website - 


(Click on translate once on the website)
Well worth a read - written in French and translated into ‘pigeon’ English!


Buttes, Namours, France 2001.  NB Elizabeth has travelled the canals of England, France, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg.

Considered by the author (of the website) to be the 'oldest narrowboat on still water', and he’s probably right - built around 1860 and still going strong today - 152 years!


Elizabeth’s owner Jimmy McDonald on-board in the galley/dining area ...


… and at his piano


Elizabeth’s bathroom is the bow.

Jimmy was telling George that for 47 years he operated a boat wharf in Watford but then found out that some idiot one had planned to run a railway straight through his business.  He moved from there to a house here in Middlewich just 2-months ago where Elizabeth is moored at the bottom of his garden.  He added that he’s made more friends in those 2 months than in all those years in Watford!

NB Elizabeth was certainly attracting lots of attention from towpath walkers over the weekend being so new to the area.

4 comments:

  1. Did I hear the words "iced in"? Oh what a shame. Cruising along the River Lark in glorious sunshine with only a Barn Owl and Kingfisher to keep us company. Oooh, Graham has just accused me of being a bitch xx Jill

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    Replies
    1. So sincere! Glad to hear that there’s some ‘free’ water out there!!

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  2. Received via e-mail
    Hi Carol,
    At risk of being labelled a pedant I think you will find that Jim was at Watford not Hartford.....

    Still enjoying your blog-I was on the T and M ( and Macclesfield and P Forest) earlier this year and had a grand time.
    Frozen in at Cowroast at the moment but jumping ship and going walking in Derbyshire next week.
    Stay warm
    Regards
    Mike Wall
    nb Independence

    Thanks for correcting me Mike - George must have misheard Hartford for Watford!!

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  3. Sounds cold where you are right now. Hopefully not so bad today. though. We've got torrential rain and it's been like this for days now with no end in sight! J's off to UK next week for a few days and is hoping for some respite! Doesn't sound likely. Love the piano on the boat!

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