RIP Ziggy

Our dog Ziggy passed away this week. I thought long and hard about whether to write about her in this blog. It is not really the cheery vibe I am used to. Some people will question why it is such a big deal. She was only a dog. Other people will object to having their own sad memories triggered. But I have decided that writing about something else would be disrespectful to Ziggy. She deserves a few words.

We chose Ziggy and her sister Lulu from a litter of Cairn Terriers born in Doncaster in August 2014. Actually, she chose us, walking over to ask to be picked up and cuddled. She was never the most elegant of dogs. She had a broken leg as a puppy because her bones grew too fast, and always walked with a strange gait, rather like muffin the mule. She had big brown eyes that frankly could get her anything she wanted. And what she usually wanted was sausages.

Lulu was our mad dog – chasing squirrels and snarling at the world. Ziggy on the other hand was quiet and loyal. There was nothing she enjoyed more than a “Ziggy cuddle”, where she lay on her back in my arms, with her head dangling to one side.

I would take the dogs on long walks. They particularly enjoyed the West Highland Way and the Southern Upland Way. Lulu would charge ahead till she got tired, and Ziggy would stay close to heel, hoping for treats. We went on long holidays to Scottish islands – Skye, Orkney, Islay and Uist. They loved beaches where they could run a round like mad things.

And both dogs have always liked being on Narrowboat Thuis, their home from home. Ziggy would sit on the back deck of the boat, watching the world go by, while Lulu scanned the towpath for something to bark at. In the evening Ziggy would try to push her luck, asking for an early tea because she was sooooo hungry.

Two years ago she was diagnosed with multiple cancers and given three months to live. The vets have been amazed how our miracle dog in fact survived nearly two years, and had such a happy time. The last few months were more difficult. She was dosed up with pain killers and couldn’t come on those long walks with her sister anymore. But until a couple of weeks ago she was still clearly a contented and happy dog. In the end I think she had finally had enough but obviously it has been very sad to let her go.

But I refuse to leave Ziggy with sad thoughts. My phone screen saver provides random photographs of the dogs and I was worried seeing Ziggy would upset me. But as I see her again, I am reminded of so very many happy memories. She was the best.

Rest in peace my wonderful, loyal, cuddly dog Ziggy.

July 24, 2026 0

Ten reasons I am so happy to be back in Scotland

We are having a week’s holiday in a cottage in Linlithgow this week. The cottage is sadly quite run down, which is disappointing, but despite that we are having a really wonderful time. Here are ten reasons I am so happy to be back in Scotland.

It feels like home. As soon as we crossed the border there was an intangible feeling of relaxation. And as we got closer to where we used to live in West Lothian, we kept seeing memories that reminded us what a great place this is.
The countryside is stunning. Our bricks and mortar house is on the Fylde and these are many pretty areas, including the beach and the Trough of Bowland. But Scotland is simply more dramatic, with hills and lochs. We love it.
We like the Scots. While many of them may have incorrectly supported Argentina in the recent football game, we find Scottish people friendly and helpful. I am not surprised the Americans loved them so much in that same football competition.
Our son and family live here. The main reason to spend a week here this time, was to spend time with Martin, Cheryl, Leah and Nathan. We have the challenge that one of our sons lives near Brighton, and the other in Scotland. We live half way between them, but the trouble is that means we are too far from both of them. It has been lovely to share time with M, C, L, N this week, and we hope to have proper time with Robbie and Alessa in a few week’s time.
Leah and Nathan are the closest thing to grandchildren we are likely to find. Unfortunately Robbie and Tin (Martin) are unlikely to have their own children, but Cheryl’s kids are wonderful to send time with. Leah (16) is turning into a proper artist, with every type of craft, from yarn to paint. Nathan (12) is passionate about football. We have loved spending time with them.
We lived in Uphall for nearly ten years, and made some good friends. This week we also went up to the farm in Fife, to have fish and chips with our niece Rachel, her husband Rob and children Fred and Thomas. We always love their company.
It is cooler than England. The UK is in the middle of yet another heat wave, but Scotland is further north and has been pleasant rather than oppressive. Still warm enough for shorts and t shirts but not so hot we have to seek out shops with air con.
It has the infrastructure of a large country, but the population of a small one. That means you can find anything here that you want to see or do, but the roads are quiet, the footpaths are quiet and no-one seems to be in a hurry.
I love the history. Whether it is remembering the English defeat in the interactive museum at Banockburn. Or trying to visualise what it would have been like in a mining village in Lothian. Or admiring the fine streets of Edinburgh or Glasgow. There is always something to engage the brain cells.
It is a nation of many identities. Every town or area of Scotland seems to have its own accent and own culture. Edinburgh is quite different from Glasgow, despite being a few miles apart. The islands are different from the mainland. The Hebrides are different from the Northern Isles. The Outer Hebrides are different than the Inner Hebrides. Lewis & Harris are quite different from Uist and Eriksay. Round every corner there are new people to meet and new things to learn.

I am not saying the Scotland is perfect. The diet for instance is not the most healthy, but once in a while a battered mac ‘n’ cheese pie roll is just what you want. And why not?

We are back down to England next week, but will return to Scotland in the Autumn for a month near Pitlochry. I think one day, when we no longer use Narrowboat Thuis, we may move back for good. What a lovely place.

July 17, 2026 0

What do you do when your “to do” list is empty?

We came back to the house from the boat on Monday, and as always there was a long list of jobs for me to do. I love a “to do” list. There is something very satisfying about ticking them off one by one.

The car has been washed, the shopping done, the garden has been pruned and tidied. I have been on some lovely walks, digitised my great uncle’s military records, paid my outstanding tax from last year (£1.80!) . I have spent too much money on things I needed from Amazon, drilled some holes with my new drill, deleted old clips from my dashcam. I knew I was scraping the barrel on my list when I even tidied the freezer.

As of today, there are just three things left – book a boiler service for the central heating, book a skiing holiday for January, and learn to fly my drone. The first of these can’t be done for a couple of weeks because I set up a service contract (it was on my list) and it does not start till 21st. The second is a problem because I think Mandy is not keen on going, and I am nervous of poor snow. Learning to fly my drone has been on the list since I was gifted it three years ago but the one time I tried I crashed it, so am not sure what to do.

The best solution is to add more to the list. I can even cheat by including things that require no work. For instance I am going to an outdoor play this evening at Lytham Hall. That can go on the list. We are going to Scotland next week, to spend time with our son Tiny and his family. That should generate multiple list entries.

I do love being retired. When I was working, my home “to do” list had too be squeezed into evenings and weekends. Now I have so much flexibility I can choose pretty much anything I want to do. My work “to do” list used to make me feel important. “Find half a million pounds of cost savings” sounds better than “tidy freezer” but in a strange way is not really more satisfying.

But I do still love my list. I think today I will start with “write my blog”.

What about you? Do you like to live by a list or is that just for weird people like me?

July 10, 2026 0

Is finishing a Narrowboat trip an end, a beginning, or just a pause?

I am writing this while eating a wonderful cooked breakfast at the Saracens Head in Weston, Staffordshire. As we have travelled the UK navigations over the past five years we have found certain places where we always moor for favourites. Weston for breakfast or a pub quiz. High Offley for beer. Rugeley for Tescos. Tixall Wide for the birds and Shugborough Hall. Middlewich for Fish and Chips. It has become less about exploring the new and more about reprising what we love.

The latest trip over the past two months has been a good example of this. We have done the Four Counties Ring many times, and the Caldon canal a couple of years ago. It has been lovely to go back and see so many old haunts. I discovered new places such as the Flint Mill Museum in Cheddleton, and Congleton Town hall. And of course no day is ever the same on a boat. But it has still been a comfort blanket of a trip this time.

And now we re heading back to the Marina and then onwards to bricks and mortar for a month. The end of a trip always gives us mixed feelings. Should we feel sad because this is the end of our latest adventure? Or should we be excited because we are going back to a holiday in Scotland, dentist and doctor appointments, neighbourhood barbecue, car service, three visits to the cricket and our Ruby Wedding party? Or is this just a pause on our Narrowboat life? In just a few weeks we will be back and probably heading down to Gloucester.

I think all three are valid emotions. We are just so very lucky to be able to have such a retirement. The breakfast is pretty good too.

July 3, 2026 0