Of Cancer, Chemo and Cruising

[Big John]

a ‘brown leather hat’ appeared

the ‘brown leather hat’ abandoned his boat and, smelling of excessive beer

In the end the owner returned and took control of his boat saying ‘these things happen’.

No word of thanks just a ‘you’ll of learnt your lesson, always keep an eye on your boat’ to Mo, as if the blame was Mo’s!! She was, and still is seathing. So if you see a single-handed narrowboat in green with a Celtic design on the front (and ‘SORTED’ in small letters on the side) driven by a ‘brown leather hat’ – watch out for the fun and games (and the smell of stale beer and stagnant water).

That sounds about right.

We met Brian at Pewsey Waterfront.

Say no more!

[TeeELL]

Good evening dear reader, I’m afraid that today’s report is going to be notable for it’s lack of content. Having moved off at half nine we progressed along the K&A passing through a variety of locks until, at 12.30 we arrived at Widmead lock. At this point our cruise plans suddenly changed!! A BW lengthsman was at the lock and by chance we discussed our plans at which point he told us that County lock was closing on Monday for an unknown period of time – he walked away and disappeared!! We have had so many ‘things’ trying to prevent us from doing the K&A – from the Oncologist Consultant through, now, to this.

This has taken the edge off our adventure, at least for now – if we had been aware of the closure we could have continued up the Thames to Oxford. Anyway, we continued to Newbury and wound, so now we are returning the way we came. We are presently moored just above Midgham lock with plans for an early start to make it to the Thames and up to Oxford for Monday. We will have a rethink on where to go next.

[churchward]

Good evening dear reader, I’m afraid that today’s report is going to be notable for it’s lack of content. Having moved off at half nine we progressed along the K&A passing through a variety of locks until, at 12.30 we arrived at Widmead lock. At this point our cruise plans suddenly changed!! A BW lengthsman was at the lock and by chance we discussed our plans at which point he told us that County lock was closing on Monday for an unknown period of time – he walked away and disappeared!! We have had so many ‘things’ trying to prevent us from doing the K&A – from the Oncologist Consultant through, now, to this.

This has taken the edge off our adventure, at least for now – if we had been aware of the closure we could have continued up the Thames to Oxford. Anyway, we continued to Newbury and wound, so now we are returning the way we came. We are presently moored just above Midgham lock with plans for an early start to make it to the Thames and up to Oxford for Monday. We will have a rethink on where to go next.

 

.....The Waterscape website says the following:

 

29 Sep 2008 - 24 Oct 2008 Stoppage: County Lock 106

 

Associated Regional Office: BW South-West

 

Lock gate replacement and associated lock structure repairs

This is an early stoppage to allow for high water levels with may occur post September. It also enables the full stoppage programme to be achieved with the available resources before half-term.

 

(Enquiries: 01452 318000)....

 

It could be worth ringing that number to get up to date info but it looks like it will be out for a month.

Edited September 25, 2008 by churchward

[TeeELL]

Hi folks, today we decided to do our best to exit the K&A so we can find somewhere else to cruise, our plan – to make it back to the Thames. We determined a need for an early start and set off at 07.50 in thick mist with the promise of a sunny day. We entered Midgham lock 5 mins later. Midgham is one of the K&A ‘colander’ locks. At 9 we were back at Woolhampton lock (the one with the boat covered in tyres!) another boater walked down and shadowed Mo as she opened the bridge before I exited the tail of the lock – he expressed concern about the procedure but was reassured by Mo (whether me coming out of the lock and through the bridge at warp speed helped – I don’t know!!).

We stopped at Aldermaston Wharf and then Tyle Mill sanitation point leaving the latter at 1PM. As we passed through Burghfield lock a SLUg (sorry wide beam) moved off behind us and followed. We locked down through Southcot and on to Fobney lock. Now I have mentioned that the locks on the K&A are anything but ‘standard’ and, having got ‘ELLIE’ in, we realised that there was room for the SL – er wide beam, so we waited. Thus we had a 57ft narrowboat and a 45ft wide beam in a lock. Initially, believe it or not, the 2 boats were side by side but we realised that the lock tapered as the water levels dropped so moved the wide beam back to sit behind. We were able to fit both boats in County lock as well although one behind the other. We locked through Blakes (the EA lock) at 17.50 with 2 boats on the lock moorings because they didn’t have EA temporary licences and the lockie had knocked off for the day.

We entered the Thames and turned upstream to see if any of the moorings adjacent to Tesco were vacant, no chance so we turned down stream and found a mooring. As ever, Mo disappeared to the supermarket returning with significantly more than the very basic shopping list she set out with. I’m afraid that tonight we had a ‘ping’ meal (except we don’t have a microwave). We start the second part of the cruise up the Thames tomorrow but with blood tests and chemo next week we plan to moor around Oxford and hire a car to get home (we have been promised temporary moorings on the Oxford canal, at the bottom of the garden of a friend). So we will be able to have a leisurely cruise up the Thames over the next 3 days. To our surprise we have not encountered the ‘brown leather hat’ and his nearly submarine.

[TeeELL]

Sat 27 Sep. Today we start our run to Oxford leaving the vagaries of the K&A behind us. Although somewhat disenchanted at the moment, because we had so many people to see and places we wanted to see on the K&A, we may well include it in next years cruise. For those of you who haven’t ventured onto the K&A do it before it collapses back to 20 years ago.

Before I give you a rundown on today I must tell you about a cruiser we encountered at County lock. The cruiser entered the lock coming up stream from the Thames and did a fairly impressive ‘in off’ entry. Mo was at the lock and, with the cruiser tied up in the lock with copious amounts of string (well it didn’t look thick enough to be described as rope!) the skipper got off his craft and walked forward to the upper gates calling to Mo to ask her to open the paddles. Mo, at this point was on her way to the tail of the lock to close the gate – you are probably ahead of me!! When Mo returned, the skipper realised he needed a ‘windy thing’. If you have read Neil Dudmans comment on our lock competition you will know that Mo would be finding out all she could. Turns out the skipper (probably in his late 60’s) had bought the boat only that week and was on his way to South Wales! In conversation Mo asked him if he had his BW key? Why? says he – “well apart from access to water points and sanitation stations you will need the key to operate the electric swing bridges” says Mo. As he passed me he asked where he could get a BW key – so I let him know and off he went. As a final point, his wife – who had been hiding below decks – popped up and thanked us. They were very, very well spoken and I know they don’t know what they have let themselves in for. Both the skippers and his wife are at the start of a very steep learning curve (I fear their experience of lockies doing the work on the Thames is going to be a shock when they face the K&A locks alone).

We left Reading just after 9AM with fog the order of the day, boats that passed had their nav lights on. We arrived a Caversham lock (I half expected the lockie to tell me I needed nav lights on) to find a lock keeper that we had met twice before on our journey up the Thames. With fog persisting and no sign of the 20deg high – or the sun to burn it off we continued, encountering a variety of rowing craft. We even had some canoeists paddle along in our bow wave.

The plan was to meet some friends at Goring at 2PM and we arrived at the public mooring at 1330 so moored and waited. Up by the lock a couple of punts and a motor boat were decked out in flowers and, later, we saw the Bride and Groom enter the lock in the punts en-route to the reception further up the Thames. As part of our social obligation we took our visitors up through the lock, bad them farewell and continued on our way. At Cleeve lock we had to wait for some boats coming down, one of the boats was a rowing boat with an oar and a paddle and it took some little while for them to get to the tail of the lock. In the meantime, a narrowboat was coming upstream towards the lock, making all possible speed – the exhaust was a continuous blue smoke trail. The lockie had signalled for us to wait but this other boat came flashing past us straight into the lock!! NB ‘PHOENIX’ with a couple of scallies on board clearly on the wrong side of an excess of booze!! Where do we find them? We exited the lock to the water point and let them rush off on their way.

Up stream at Wallingford there was a major long distance rowing event with 500 boats participating (probably not all at once!!!) I daresay that NB PHOENIX thinned the numbers out a bit. In fact, by the time we reached Wallingford the event was over apart from the prize giving celebrations that were taking place across the river from our mooring. That, dear reader concludes our day on the Thames we will plan to arrive in Oxford Mon morning to give us time to book a hire car. If anyone can recommend suitably secure moorings I would be most grateful.

[Bones]

There is a safe mooring near to Maffi in Abingdon and my car is there too which you are welcome to for the week (or so (for free)). Maffi has the keys.

[Maffi]

Tony

 

There is a good mooring near me at Abingdon and a car awaits you arrival.

 

Maffi

[Janet S]

Tony,

 

Please take Bones and Maffi up on the offer of a car, and save yourself some money and hassle. Having just spent a week with these two idiots on a narrowboat on the Rochdale Canal, for what it's worth, I can vouch for them as being of good character, and this is a genuine offer from a couple of very decent people.

 

Hope all goes well. We'll all be thinking of you.

 

Janet

[TeeELL]

Firstly, before I post my update for yesterday, I would like to thank Maffi and Bones for their very kind offers. Unfortunately, I only picked up the posts this morning (monday) together with Maffi's text. Ho hum!! Janet, how you survived a week with those two is beyond me, Mo and I keep encountering them on our travels even though we try to look the other way and hide the name of the boat But seriously, we know them fairly well now and your comments about them we fully endorse.

 

And now.......... what you have all been waiting for ........... Sundays cruise report:

 

G’day, today we are making our run up to Oxford – doable if we encounter no problems. Ha, ha, ha no problems!! Well, of course the first issue was the thick fog we edged into when we left our mooring at 09.20. Thick enough to focus my attention to peering ahead to try and stay on the Thames. We had only just passed the Walingford bridge when a powered twin hulled canoe thing overtook us and told me there were 4 ‘8’s’ coming back down river to look out for! We managed to miss the ‘8’s’ as they appeared out of the gloom. 10 o’clock saw us at Benson lock still in thick gloom but an hour and a half later, at Day’s lock, the sun started to break through and some of the layers of clothing could be removed. We had shared both locks with NB ‘APOLLO’ who had appeared out of the gloom with tunnel light on.

With the visibility improving we could increase revs and make better time, we arrived at Clifton lock just before 1PM catching the lock keeper just as he was about to go for lunch. As we left the lock he mentioned that the lockie at Culham would be on lunch break until 2PM, we arrived at 10 past. A while later and Abingdon appeared in the distance and I was positioning for the bridge when I realised I was passing ‘MILLY – M’, she looked all locked up (I wondered if Maffi was yet returned from his adventures ‘oop north’). At half 3 we negotiated Abingdon lock and paused for water, our arrival time in Oxford was starting to look late. I pushed the revs up to 2000 and achieved 4MPH making Sandford lock at 17.30 (still being overtaken by cruisers running for home after their last cruise of the year), Iffley lock we negotiated at 1800 but, with the lockies finishing at 18.30 it looked as though we would be working Osney lock ourselves. As luck would have it a blown bulb on the operating consul at Osney meant the lockie was still there – now that would have been interesting – no light to indicate power means reverting to the hand pumped hydraulics, but would they have worked with power available? Anyway, the lockie sorted us out. Through Oxford where the river narrows our speed with 2000RPM dropped to just 2MPH. We turned off the river up Sheepwash with ‘dark’ being the order of the day, we were trying to make a ‘garden mooring’ of a friend. With tunnel light on we cruised the last couple of hundred yards and tied up. Our friend works in Lechlade so will take us home tomorrow – we loose a days cruising but have the convenience of a ‘safe’ mooring (I hope) and wheels. So it is fingers crossed that my bone marrow has done it’s stuff and my blood count is OK for chemo on Wed.

I’ll try and upload the photo’s promised, at home. ‘Till next time….

[Sue1946]

Fingers tightly crossed for you, Tony.

Look forward to hearing it has all gone as you hope!

[TeeELL]

Had a Doh! day today. We had a list of things to take home - we completed the list and our friend drove us home - brilliant. We had been in the house for 15 mins before I realised I didn't have the keys to my flat and Mo didn't have her keys either (Mo's daughter was at home so that is why we got in). So it was borrow Mo's daughters car and drive straight back to Oxford and the boat to to collect the keys - not an auspicious start.

[TeeELL]

Home broadband rather than mobile bb seems to have done the trick

 

 

 

The above to photos show the 'drinks' shelves I made whilst at home for chemo a couple of weeks ago. Fed up with tea, coffee and beer etc spilling when rested on the curve roof I guessed that the height of the hand rail and the height of the roof curve at the hatch would be similar so I shaped some marine ply and here is the result.

 

 

 

 

 

These four photos show some of the craft encountered on the Thames with the last 2 showing why there can be delays as one barge takes over the whole lock. The Stern Wheeler in shot 3 gave the game away at this lock, the boat uses water thrusters, giving it superb manoeuvrability and the stern wheels just rotate in the water and thruster flow.

 

 

Neil Dudman at Reading.

 

 

 

 

Thes 3 photos are shots of K&A turf sided locks in operation.

 

 

A K&A Colander lock!

 

 

 

Woolhampton bridge, cross flow and lock, requiring preparation before negotiation. These 2 photos show the narrowboat moored at the bottom of the lock - so why doesn't the owner move it elsewhere I wonder?

 

 

Two Black swans at Reading.

[Yoda]

I was thinking of having a couple of black swans, from a friend who breeds them. Trouble is that I would have to dig my pond out deeper than four feet.

[Neildudman]

DAMN!!!!!!...

 

Cover blown after all those years......

[TeeELL]

Having passed 'MILLY-M' yesterday at Abingdon, received a text off Maffi earlier this evening to say that he had just passed 'ELEMIAH' en-route to his new mooring. It is shaping up to a mini banter on thursday (or wednesday if I don't get chemo'd). Note to self: Must buy more beer and wine.

[Bones]

Having passed 'MILLY-M' yesterday at Abingdon, received a text off Maffi earlier this evening to say that he had just passed 'ELEMIAH' en-route to his new mooring. It is shaping up to a mini banter on thursday (or wednesday if I don't get chemo'd). Note to self: Must buy more beer and wine.

 

And what about on Saturday?! Jelunga will be aboard the great ship Bones on Saturday...... and we are coming up to Oxford.......

 

I am GUTTED to have missed you!

[TeeELL]

My dear Bones, we too are gutted that we will almost certainly be long gone from Oxford by Saturday. We have rescheduled our journey but cannot make a precise decision as to where we will go when we arrive at Napton Jn. Unfortunately, having lost the equivalent of 2 weeks cruising out of our overall cruise (due to hospital appointments) we no longer have the luxury of being able to dally. Fear ye not - we will catch up with you - although that sounds illogical as you are behind us! Pray tell - where has your boat been moored - did we pass it (and miss seeing it) or are you lurking up stream on the Thames from Oxford?

[TeeELL]

Well, it looks like our policy of drinking to excess and eating lots of Cadbury's chocolate (other chocolates are available - but we don't like them!!) has paid off. My bone marrow has risen to the occasion and supplied enough platelets and neuro-things for me to pass the blood test, so it is chemo tomorrow. That means we will be back at the boat (subject to the efficiency of the NHS) late afternoon tomorrow. So Maffi, if we get there with some daylight remaining we will cruise up to you for a beer or 3.

[Bones]

My dear Bones, we too are gutted that we will almost certainly be long gone from Oxford by Saturday. We have rescheduled our journey but cannot make a precise decision as to where we will go when we arrive at Napton Jn. Unfortunately, having lost the equivalent of 2 weeks cruising out of our overall cruise (due to hospital appointments) we no longer have the luxury of being able to dally. Fear ye not - we will catch up with you - although that sounds illogical as you are behind us! Pray tell - where has your boat been moored - did we pass it (and miss seeing it) or are you lurking up stream on the Thames from Oxford?

 

You passed it, but it was off the main river, so you wouldn't have seen it! I am looking forward to catching up with you SOOOON it has been AGES! I have car, and can travel!

 

 

Well, it looks like our policy of drinking to excess and eating lots of Cadbury's chocolate (other chocolates are available - but we don't like them!!) has paid off. My bone marrow has risen to the occasion and supplied enough platelets and neuro-things for me to pass the blood test, so it is chemo tomorrow. That means we will be back at the boat (subject to the efficiency of the NHS) late afternoon tomorrow. So Maffi, if we get there with some daylight remaining we will cruise up to you for a beer or 3.

 

Hurrah! That is GREAT news.

[TeeELL]

Bones that is excellent - such good news that you may need to teach me how to skip the ragadoon. We hope to be back at the boat in sufficient time this evening to be able to cruise the short distance to MILLY - M and partake of a few beers with Maffi (as already mentioned). It is subject to our convoluted transport plan - which includes catching a bus from Carterton!! All part of lifes adventure.

We are under threat from Neil D joining us again tomorrow!! But seriously, we are looking forward to 'Cuddles' being available to help (Mo assures me that she meant a 'cuddly personality' in her description of him). We have a few lock to negotiate so an extra pair of hands will be welcome. It came as quite a surprise when we saw Isis lock, having spent the last 3 weeks negotiating BIG locks and BIGGER locks, we wondered if we could squeeze in!!

So Bones if you can join us this evening that would be cool (Maffi mentioned 'The Anchor' pub). I will be texting Maffi if we arrive in good time to get to him.

[TeeELL]

Oh, whilst I remember: our plan now is to divert up to Foxton (from where Mo and I hired 'RICHMOND TOO' 30 years ago) then back to Stratford on Avon, down to Tewksbury, up to Diglis and the W&B to Alvechurch, meet some friends (it will be a chemo date as well) then we will have to start wending our way back to the boat club and home mooring

[Bones]

Bones that is excellent - such good news that you may need to teach me how to skip the ragadoon. We hope to be back at the boat in sufficient time this evening to be able to cruise the short distance to MILLY - M and partake of a few beers with Maffi (as already mentioned). It is subject to our convoluted transport plan - which includes catching a bus from Carterton!! All part of lifes adventure.

We are under threat from Neil D joining us again tomorrow!! But seriously, we are looking forward to 'Cuddles' being available to help (Mo assures me that she meant a 'cuddly personality' in her description of him). We have a few lock to negotiate so an extra pair of hands will be welcome. It came as quite a surprise when we saw Isis lock, having spent the last 3 weeks negotiating BIG locks and BIGGER locks, we wondered if we could squeeze in!!

So Bones if you can join us this evening that would be cool (Maffi mentioned 'The Anchor' pub). I will be texting Maffi if we arrive in good time to get to him.

 

 

cant join you - I am in durham still. I hope you are having fun.

[harleyj]

 

We are under threat from Neil D joining us again tomorrow!! But seriously, we are looking forward to 'Cuddles' being available to help (Mo assures me that she meant a 'cuddly personality' in her description of him).

 

 

 

From the photo we thought "Cuddles" had lost weight, marvelous what photo-shop can do these days.

Edited October 2, 2008 by harleyj

[Neildudman]

From the photo we thought "Cuddles" had lost weight, marvelous what photo-shop can do these days.

 

I have lost weight!....nothing to do with Photoshop.... plus I was breathing in!.......typical abuse from and the 'Convicts!'

Edited October 2, 2008 by Neildudman

[Neildudman]

Another decent day of cruising with Tony and Mo......if you have not met them yet you really must, such and generous, honest and caring couple you could ever wish to meet .

 

Called Tony at 9.15am as I was heading up the A34 Oxford bound.....he said they'd just said there goodbyes to Maffi at the Anchor and where heading up to Dukes Cut and then up the rest of the South Oxford Canal. It was established that we'd rendezvous at Wolvercote Lock at around 10.00am. I found the lock and went and parked the car outside the community centre (via a stop to the local shop for Wine and Biscuits - stample diet of any cruise!!!).

 

Luckily for me, Elemliah was rising in the lock and with all the lock work done I handed over the B&B (Booze and Biscuits), shook Tony's hand and planted a big kiss on Mo!. Out of the lock coffee was hurried up from the galley and our (my) day on the boat had begun!.

 

I have to say sorry for dropping the centre line in cut, much to Tony's tears..........bless him..... I've started to write my 50 lines: Thou shall not drop rope in cut, Thou shall not drop rope in cut............. Also I had a lesson is 'Hose Management' today.......I'll leave Tony to explain.....

 

The rest of the trip was filled up with much laughs, giggles, serious chats and swinging (I'll leave Mo to explain the swinging!!!)....a serious good day. Highlights have to be a fantastic lentil and tomato soup with french bread topped with lashings of Luuuurpak creamy butter. After numerous lift bridges, locks (not to mention Tony spilt ANOTHER OF MY ALE'S in the cut) and wine later it was time to depart!.

 

Tony and Mo dropped me at the Rock pub and I awaited my taxi back to Wolvercote.

 

Just a word of warning, as I waited for the taxi I thought i'd have a quick Coke in the pub - I went in and ordered my coke just as the pub phone rang. The Landlord got my glass and filed it with ice and then entered into a long conversation in Greek.....I waited.....waited.....waited . I timed 3 minutes and still no coke poured into a ready glass. I got off the bar stool and walked out. I hope the service for our patrons isnt this bad otherwise the Greeks maybe leaving!..........................

 

Right, I'm off to buy me some Pampas Grass!!!!!!!!!!!!