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Marjorie

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Everything posted by Marjorie

  1. Really? Maybe my version of clean is less so than yours
  2. I found this: http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=66757&hl=%2Bbirmingham+%2Bmooring#entry1315489 and this: http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=66353&hl=+birmingham%20+mooring Ignore me, I should have checked first.
  3. That would be excellent, thank you That's a good idea, that for some reason didn't occur to me. Doing it now (well, once the coffee's done).
  4. HA! I've taken note of the silver ballast from the top o the thread. Hope it's sterling. Much easier to work with... (edit: I meant that as a reply to MtB, but I can't work my phone properly) Shame. Was toying with the possibility of breaking in to yours to see the safety disco in action.
  5. I know it's not at all the same as living on the cut, but on our Marina you're encouraged *not* to lock doors, so someone can get onto your boat quickly if they spot you listing/ sinking/ burning/ something else terrible. Takes a bit of getting used to, that's for sure.
  6. I didn't know any of that (I've never actually been there) - literally only thought of it as an option this afternoon, when I happened to be chatting to someone about Hatton Garden and the Birmingham JQ - so thanks (I didn't think to look at a sensible canal map as a start, rather than Google maps, which knows precious little about waterways). We'll go do a proper reccie in a couple of weeks, but as you say, I'm more interested in the possibility of a commute to the Quarter rather than necessarily being within spitting distance (I take it it's not as congested as the canals in London, despite being a city?). I've got my bike, as well as my feet... Although no sense of the scale f things north of the Watford Gap...
  7. Well, I never knew that. Pallet checking on tomorrow's to do list...
  8. Thanks - on the places to visit list My geography is dreadful, I don't know my way around Birmingham at all (but there's always time to learn!).
  9. Hiya Some of you know I'm a jeweller already, I have been trying to think of (practical) ways to keep working if I move onto a narrowboat. Pretty sure we'll go for the CC option, and I wondered what people's experience of the stretch of canal around Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter are - I'm thinking I could perhaps rent a bench there, and conveniently be slap bang in the middle of a canal-rich bit of the country. Before I get told off for asking questions and not doing the legwork, we're going up there in a couple of weeks to look at a boat, but I wondered what your experiences were of the quality of cruising, services, spots to moor, how busy it is... Here's a link to a map of where the Jewellery Quarter is in relation to the canals: https://goo.gl/maps/I5Rr8
  10. They make fab kindling though, if you can be arsed to chop 'em up (we don't bother taking the nails out, they just drop through the grate).
  11. One of my absolute favourite things, that I didn't know until we were on the boat and got a stove, is that you can use ash on a bit of damp newspaper to clean the glass in the stove door with almost no effort. I like that you can clean the thing with the muck it creates. Astoundingly easily pleased, me.
  12. I found that going out into Google and searching there usually finds me a pertinent thread or two that I couldn't find by using the internal search function.
  13. I'm a newbie, so I know you're not really asking me, but maybe this is useful: It's not massively easy to find relevant things using the search function on here, I've found (maybe there's some knack to it that I haven't cracked) - but some of you oldies (in experience, not years) have somehow found links to previous threads for me that didn't come up when I thought I was putting relevant words into the search. I don't think anyone who is asking a question that has been asked before would mind a steer in the direction of a previous similar thread or two - I certainly don't. The thing about a lot of the 'standard' questions is that it depends on your frame of reference (of course) - for me, living on a boat is WAY cheaper than living in a house, but that's because my house was in London with a considerable mortgage. I also spend a fair amount less on energy (although more on maintenance, and now I have a car which I didn't before, so that make it different again). Maybe sometimes, because you've answered the same question a gazillion times, you get a bit shorthand about it, and then when newbies respond they sound like what they are saying is "I only want to hear you if you confirm what I already think", but what they mean is "Let me give you a bit more information about me specifically so you know where I'm coming from". I can see why that would be annoying - again, a prod in the direction of a similar thread, or even a hint as to a good phrase to search for might work (it would for me). Whichever way, you are all clearly kind, helpful people, which makes it especially unpleasant to feel the sharp end of your frustration, or to feel like you've overstepped a mark you didn't realise was there.
  14. I hear ya. Same here. Mostly, I've always found there's someone close who is wiling to help, if you don't mind asking.
  15. For what it's worth: I don't live on a narrowboat, but do live on a boat. I don't have children, but several of my neighbours do, of varying ages. All of us manage our boats and our lifestyles in slightly different ways, and it's all basically fine. OP, you sound self sufficient, and adaptable - those are the best ingredients for a life afloat I think (and a sound hull and well serviced engine, thinking about it). If you fancy the K&A, do it. If you don't like it, move. From your other thread - give scavenging for wood a try. If it doesn't work out, go buy coal. Listen to the people on these forums with bags of experience (although not always quite as much patience!), but make your own decisions. It's not like there's only one way to skin a cat. Above all: don't panic, and don't overthink things (I'm not particularly good at following my own advice).
  16. I don't think we do actually - well, not advertised, but I'm sure they'd do it if asked. Generally here, if you see a boat being cleaned, it's up and out of the water and being prepped for repainting.
  17. *eeep!* If you do it the river route, I'd love to know how you go. We live in that bit of estuary just by Rochester on your map there (not on a narrowboat though, a converted lighter), and we get WEATHER (obviously you're not going to attempt anything in adverse conditions though). Some of our neighbours have moved larger boats up and out (a couple of converted tugs and a lighter that I can think of), always crewed with a professional crew, and each time successfully.
  18. Yeah, it's a presawash. I like it so much, I'm thinking of giving it a name. A distinct lack of blood, sweat or tears though, I must say - and it's very kind to my knitwear (the majority of which I spent hours and hours knitting myself - there are few things as upsetting as the washing machine messing with the jumper you laboured over for months!).
  19. That was moored close to where we are now for quite some time. They spent a FORTUNE on it, didn't they. Money not at all well spent in that particular case...
  20. We're in Kent too (on the Medway)- and live on a residential marina full of all different kinds of boats (only 3 narrowboats, but also 3 decommissioned lightships - which is pretty cool - and many more in between). Come hang out if you like. There's usually a barbecue to gatecrash during the summer, and lots of different people with lots of different experiences of lots of different types of boat Hear hear!
  21. I reckon that's the simplest way, if you are 'all Apple' - doesn't require any extra kit, which is nice.
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