Ange

Thanks for all the kind words folks, I get a bit maudlin sometimes, self pity isn't helpful so thanks for pulling me out of it. You're all correct - I need to be grateful for the seven wonderful years we had living full time on the canals and exploring a good amount of the system (though there are many miles we wanted to do but didn't get round to). We took a huge gamble doing it when we did, but if we'd waited till we had more savings and pensions coming in it would have been too late and we'd have missed out completely. Friends and family thought we were mad giving up our jobs and relying on me getting temporary work in the winter, but it worked out beautifully. If you've got a dream don't put it off. Thanks folks 🙂

When we bought the boat we'd decided on a 7 year plan. We let out our house which paid our living costs. We rai0 from personal loans which bought our gorgeous Doug Moore boat. The first winter we were iced in, our water tank failed, we spent hours walking water barrels up and down the towpath. Dave cut the water tank out - he did it with an angle grinder - he had a breather tube on the front deck that I had to be careful not to tread on. I remember saying if we can get through this we can live this life forever. We got over all that, I suppose what I'm coming to is. We decided we were going to live on a boat till we were too old I let the side down. I got too poorly to live on I'd love to get that back I'm still cross. We decided we'd be on the boat till Dave couldn't lift gas bottles. Dave tells me it's ok. It isn't. I let him down

The person who constantly talks about virtue signalling clearly has no idea about the real meaning. It's not about people stepping forward to help others (obviously what Nick thinks is virtue signalling). It's about people pretending to help Glad to be of help 🙂

It was a different world. I used to babysit my little sister when I was 12 and she was 6. Nowadays I would have been too young. Mum and dad needed to work and couldn't afford childminders. A different world. We did ok. We lived on a council estate full of aunties and uncles. Mum and dad knew we'd be looked after if anything went wrong. The worst was needing a shilling for the meter. Taken care of by one of my aunties.

One of my first idols, I might even have had a poster 🙂 (bought from Woollies of course). Followed later by Martin Shaw. Happy memories. RIP

Gosh, let's hope Manchester isn't about to be the next slum! There'd be some broken hearts if it joined London Personally I'd avoid Manchester, contaminated by the Cheshire set. Birmingham would be my choice of an honest city populated by good people every day of the week.

Happy New Year!! 🎊🎉

I've no idea whether this is the right thread but here we are My favourite memory when we were cruising was when we did the Droitwich canal. When we reached the town centre there were a few lift bridges where I had to stop pedestrian passage to let boats go by. Our past experience of stopping people or cars wasn't good, we were used to being a nuisance. But, the good people of Droitwich welcomed us, they'd lived with a stagnant ditch for many years and rejoiced in boats

Thank you 😊

When people say can't you sell your work I fall on the floor laughing. The time and materials add up to hundreds of pounds. No one's going to pay that sort of money for a bit of embroidery.

My thing is cross stitch embroidery. I've stitched a few dogs Freya, Lilli and Lottie I can't paint, can't draw. I'm very lucky that I can run a photo through a piece of software which provides me with a chart so I'm just painting by numbers It does take a lot of patience though 🙂 I do love sewing It's kept me sane when I've been unable to work This is my favourite. My husband made the frame out of driftwood. I still can't believe I stitched my wolf.

I'm envious. Have a lovely Christmas. Are you on the boat for the New Year as well or are you going home for Hogmanay?