The freeze has started

[Chickadee]

We had rubbish snow then it rained icey rain and washed it all away. Still iced in though. The only thing that moved yesterday by us was what looks like a large trip boat from Poole.

Someone managed to stick their car in the hedge after going over the bridge by us. I'm suprised the bridge keepers don't grit as soon as we get weather like this. It's not like they've got much else to do. Apparently someone gritted after this car went off the road.

[Barry]

Couple of inches of snow here, south of Lincoln. A bit misty and the skies are very heavy. It is amazingly quiet and peaceful. The planned walk with the walking group I belong to has been cancelled so I think I might go for a walk by myself later on

[Pykebird]

We got about 2-3 inches here, let the guys out last night at 10.30 and had real trouble getting them back in, they wanted to roll and play in it! But it was lovely and bright almost like daylight. And according to a canadian friend of mine it was "a 3 dog night", no change there then!!

[headjog]

Three inches in total last night; thawing rapidly now & down to one. Pity - went to the pub last night to celebrate two birthdays, yesterday & today, and left 'Snow angels' as presents for my neighbours on several front gardens on the way home- they wont get to see them now

[Doorman]

Last Sunday morning at Audlem.......

 

 

This morning........

 

 

The dog loves the snow as much as we do. Have to feel sorry for the poor ewes who are nearly ready to hatch their precious cargoes though!

 

We've placed a sandwich board outside the boat with the answers to so many of the 'winter' questions from the many folk who pass us by on the tow path.

 

Yes, we are as warm on here as you are in your house.

We do have a cosy bed to sleep on.

 

We even enjoy Freeview TV!

 

Which is the one that usually astounds them, together with the fact that we're connected to cyberspace via our freezing cold dongle (that has to have a sort of willy warmer sock over it on very cold nights).

 

It never tires me of the expression on the faces of inquisitive gongoozlers and their reaction to our bohemian lifestyle. What does appear to surprise them is the

fact that so many ex-professional type people inhabit the boats in their quest for a happier lifestyle.

Edited February 5, 2012 by Doorman

[owen]

Postmen still in shorts up here in Tod. No sign of any freeze around these parts.

yep they are doing it for charity wearing shorts for a year so maybe ask him for his sponsorship form if you feel like helping him

[bizzard]

Up at 3am clearing the bank of snow a bit so that Satchidanander ships cat could go to the toilet,he doesn't like sitting on my Cassette one. 5''of snow here,not thawing.

[blackrose]

 

We've placed a sandwich board outside the boat with the answers to so many of the 'winter' questions from the many folk who pass us by on the tow path.

 

Yes, we are as warm on here as you are in your house.

We do have a cosy bed to sleep on.

 

We even enjoy Freeview TV!

 

Perhaps some people might find the sandwich board notice a tad patronising? Doesn't that sort of thing just perpetuate the "us & them" mentality? I have no problem talking to passers-by, even if they tend to ask the same questions. (Remember that they're only asking once even though you may have heard it several times before.) I can't help thinking that your notice gives the underlying message "We are fed up of talking to non-boaters".

Edited February 5, 2012 by blackrose

[Chris Pink]

Exactly. There's a boat I passed recently with "yes, we do have jobs" in a notice in the window. I was tempted to add "and a big chip on our shoulders too".

 

The curiousity shown "is it cold in winter" is entirely benign. And it's rather pleasant to live somewhere that excites it.

[Guest]

Perhaps some people might find the sandwich board notice a tad patronising? Doesn't that sort of thing just perpetuate the "us & them" mentality? I have no problem talking to passers-by, even if they tend to ask the same questions. (Remember that they're only asking once even though you may have heard it several times before from others.) I can't help thinking that your notice gives the underlying message "We are fed up of talking to non-boaters".

 

If I had a pound for every time somebody asked me 'are you always in it?' when somebody clocks our boat name I'd be extremely rich, and whilst it can get a bit wearing sometimes when folk think they are being original with the question we just laugh along with them. It's a great conversation starter usually so we live with it.

 

The other one is 'have you really come all the way from Somerset???'

 

- we will have to get around to having the panel painted at some point.

 

 

 

 

..

Edited February 5, 2012 by MJG

[Guest wanted]

Exactly. There's a boat I passed recently with "yes, we do have jobs" in a notice in the window. I was tempted to add "and a big chip on our shoulders too".

 

The curiousity shown "is it cold in winter" is entirely benign. And it's rather pleasant to live somewhere that excites it.

 

Spot on, I love talking to people about how we live, and I have never met anyone who is nothing but curious. I am curious about other subjects and ask as many questions as I can. It's how we learn.

[liberty.viner]

Just taken the rubbish down to the bins and saw the Ice-breaker go through

[blackrose]

Just watching the news on TV. Scores of motorists having to be rescued from their vehicles around the country by the emergency services. Of course these conditions are unprecedented and they had no way of knowing it was going to snow heavily...

[mykaskin]

I've turned the boat there before in the summer and at the widest point of the winding hole it is still very tight to turn the 65ft boat with the pair breasted up on the offside of the winding hole. Add another 6ft to the length of the boat turning and it would be very hard not to at least clip those moored boats.

They have a legitimate BW mooring but it's unfortunate positioning. If they were breasted up 10ft to the left and there'd be plenty of room but there are other moorers there.

 

I've not had any problems with Victoria getting around there, didn't touch at either end I seem to remember.

 

Mike

[Tiny]

Last Sunday morning at Audlem.......

 

 

This morning........

 

 

The dog loves the snow as much as we do. Have to feel sorry for the poor ewes who are nearly ready to hatch their precious cargoes though!

 

We've placed a sandwich board outside the boat with the answers to so many of the 'winter' questions from the many folk who pass us by on the tow path.

 

Yes, we are as warm on here as you are in your house.

We do have a cosy bed to sleep on.

 

We even enjoy Freeview TV!

 

Which is the one that usually astounds them, together with the fact that we're connected to cyberspace via our freezing cold dongle (that has to have a sort of willy warmer sock over it on very cold nights).

 

It never tires me of the expression on the faces of inquisitive gongoozlers and their reaction to our bohemian lifestyle. What does appear to surprise them is the

fact that so many ex-professional type people inhabit the boats in their quest for a happier lifestyle.

 

As usual our part of the country (not far from here in the photo ) got a slight covering as it got dark yesterday - which turned icy. But its melted now. Mind you one winter we had feet of snow - according to the Beeb - but one national reporter complained that he (we) had had none. This time there isn't even snow on higher ground round here and the birds water was not frozen this morning for the first time in a week. On the other hand if we get a high north or east wind then it gets cold! On the other hand Shawbury (near Norbury) - the place the training helicopters come from if you wonder - holds a lot of English coldest records as the winds blow in from the Urals.

Edited February 5, 2012 by Tiny

[koukouvagia]

I've turned the boat there before in the summer and at the widest point of the winding hole it is still very tight to turn the 65ft boat with the pair breasted up on the offside of the winding hole. Add another 6ft to the length of the boat turning and it would be very hard not to at least clip those moored boats.

They have a legitimate BW mooring but it's unfortunate positioning. If they were breasted up 10ft to the left and there'd be plenty of room but there are other moorers there.

 

I've not had any problems with Victoria getting around there, didn't touch at either end I seem to remember.

 

Mike

 

As Mike says, there's plenty of room –watch how effortlessly local BW man Ian Tyler does it with a full length boat. However, there are one or two points to bear in mind:

 

1. Make sure you aim for the Winding Hole notice. This is bang smack at the widest point. A few feet either side will cause problems.
2. Don't approach the winding hole at too shallow an angle. The piling has no wooden or rubber rim to grip your stem post and it will slide.
3. The widest part of the winding hole is just north of the two breasted boats
4. Don't try to wind stern first. When this happens I brace myself for the bang.
5. Allow for the wind. Cowroast seems to be one of the breeziest spots on the system. It is not unknown for boats to be blown nearly to the lock as they are hit broadside on by the wind from the north.

Admittedly, it's a bit awkward if someone's moored in the winding hole and I suspect that trying to cope with ice made it tricky yesterday.

[luctor et emergo]

The freeze has ended.

[matty40s]

Just watching the news on TV. Scores of motorists having to be rescued from their vehicles around the country by the emergency services. Of course these conditions are unprecedented and they had no way of knowing it was going to snow heavily...

 

 

They must all have been listening to your post on my Winter is given the Go Ahead Thread,,,,

 

_{I've heard this too, but what evidence is there for that? I tend not to take medium or long-range forecasts seriously as they rarely prove to be correct. Wasn't this meant to be a very cold winter? (It still could be of course but thus far it's one of the warmest on record). Indeed, because of the inherent unreliability of long-range forecasts I thought the met office given up with them? They can generally forecast up to about 5 days with a reasonable accuracy, but beyond that it just gets too unpredictable. The cold might set in, but next week could just as easily be a cold snap which quickly passes as we return to mild weather.}

[bizzard]

They must all have been listening to your post on my Winter is given the Go Ahead Thread,,,,

 

_{I've heard this too, but what evidence is there for that? I tend not to take medium or long-range forecasts seriously as they rarely prove to be correct. Wasn't this meant to be a very cold winter? (It still could be of course but thus far it's one of the warmest on record). Indeed, because of the inherent unreliability of long-range forecasts I thought the met office given up with them? They can generally forecast up to about 5 days with a reasonable accuracy, but beyond that it just gets too unpredictable. The cold might set in, but next week could just as easily be a cold snap which quickly passes as we return to mild weather.}

_{Bitterly cold schnaps usually last as long as heatwaves do during the summer caused by high pressure,clear skies which let all the warmth out.It seems to do the opposite. High in the winter (cold snap)high in the summer (heatwave).}

[Chickadee]

Image by Fireside Fortune, on Flickr

 

The ice was pretty thin by the time they came past but it was the first boat i've seen go past for a while so fun all the same.

 

Swans are stood out on it now so maybe its got a bit thicker again.

[BlueStringPudding]

I've not had any problems with Victoria getting around there, didn't touch at either end I seem to remember.

 

Mike

 

Coming into it from the south for some reason I found harder than coming in from the north. Also in the summer boats were moored on the towpath side of the winding hole too, often leaving the minimum gap to get your bow into and which doesn't always line up with the widest part of the winding hole. The one time I've turned the boat without moored boats on the towpath side, I was icebreaking instead! Have yet to see it in optimum conditions!

[blackrose]

They must all have been listening to your post on my Winter is given the Go Ahead Thread,,,,

 

_{I've heard this too, but what evidence is there for that? I tend not to take medium or long-range forecasts seriously as they rarely prove to be correct. Wasn't this meant to be a very cold winter? (It still could be of course but thus far it's one of the warmest on record). Indeed, because of the inherent unreliability of long-range forecasts I thought the met office given up with them? They can generally forecast up to about 5 days with a reasonable accuracy, but beyond that it just gets too unpredictable. The cold might set in, but next week could just as easily be a cold snap which quickly passes as we return to mild weather.}

 

_{The point of which was to highlight the difference between an inaccurate long range forecast and a much more reliable 5 day forecast. The Met Office had provided accurate predictions and weather warnings for heavy snowfall on Saturday for at least the previous 2 or 3 days.}

 

_{Since you've gone to all the trouble of quoting me from another thread then I hope I've managed to clear up any ambiguity for you.}

Edited February 5, 2012 by blackrose

[Ange]

The other one is 'have you really come all the way from Somerset???'

 

- we will have to get around to having the panel painted at some point.

 

 

Ah yes - we still have Johnsons Hillock on the side of our boat - I've lost count of the number of times I've been asked where that is, or, when we were up north during the L&L water shortage, asked the opening times of the Wigan Flight with the assumption that we're locals and therefore must know! When we first bought the boat we didn't have a clue where Johnsons Hillock was and felt rather foolish when asked - at least now we've been there. Must get that panel painted though

 

Back to the weather - we've just spent the weekend in Kent where 4-6 inches of snow were predicted overnight Saturday. Mother-in-law kept looking out of the window expectantly - amazing how a bit of snow can turn a 72 year old into a little girl again We reckon we had more like 8 inches overnight - woke up to a winter wonderland.

 

Arrived back in Nottingham to just a few inches, mostly slush now, but the roads near the marina are quite perilous. Mother-in-law wanted us to put a shovel and sleeping bags in the car but we decided (correctly) that the motorways would be clear by the time we set off early afternoon. An uneventful journey despite all the dire warnings (though the M1 was shut between junctions 14 & 15 so we took the A1M and were held up when we joined it because a car had somehow ended up on it's roof, so not everyone's journey was uneventful)

 

The boat was chaters when we got back but we'd left the stove all ready to go and warmed up in no time. Now sitting in t-shirt, nice and snug.

 

Sorry - waffling

[Doorman]

Perhaps some people might find the sandwich board notice a tad patronising? Doesn't that sort of thing just perpetuate the "us & them" mentality? I have no problem talking to passers-by, even if they tend to ask the same questions. (Remember that they're only asking once even though you may have heard it several times before.) I can't help thinking that your notice gives the underlying message "We are fed up of talking to non-boaters".

 

I think you may have taken my statement about the sandwich board too literally (there's little enough spare space on our boat without storing such a device). If you read the first sentence of the last paragraph, it sums up how we really feel about people and their questions.

 

It's not that long ago that we were also gongoozlers and when I reflect upon some of the daft questions that we asked, I can sympathise with the simple curiosity of non-boaters. As a naturally affable person, I relish the conversations that we have on the tow path with local and non-local visitors to our temporary stretch of the canal. In fact, Mrs Doorman regularly rollocks me for being so friendly, when there are so many other things that I could fill my time with.

 

One of the attractions of life on board our boat is the interaction we have with people from all walks of life. In particular, the locals here don't appear to suffer the same class or age distinction that we experienced back up norf on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Something that we find quite enlightening.

 

Apologies if my post was misleading and somewhat patronising, it certainly wasn't meant to be that way.

 

Mike

[Flocal]

Supposed to be frost in Wiltshire tonight.

 

KnA by Pewsey was 2.5 inches thick outside my boat, steadily dissapearing though.