Seven things that make a great narrowboat mooring

We were pootling along the canal this week, heading in a generally southern direction. I was lacking energy, having just recovered from some rather unpleasant food poisoning, so was moving even slower than usual and beginning to think of stopping for the night. Then around a bend we came across a perfect spot. So I pulled up and we stayed for a few days. What made this such a great mooring?

Beautiful views. This mooring is on a slight embankment, with views in all directions. Mandy particularly liked the mornings, lying in bed and watching the day wake up.
Peace and quiet. Most of the time there was just one other boat around, and there was no road noise. The only thing disturbing the peace was a couple of geese that seemed to be having a massive argument one morning.
A firm towpath. At this time of year many of the towpaths are quite muddy, but this one had dried out nicely in the sunshine.
Armco. Traditionally boaters would moor by hammering two foot metal “pins” into the ground and tying the boat to them. It is much easier and more reliable when there is Armco along the edge, because we can attach our “nappy pin” hooks and tie up to them. The only thing better is where we find hoops or bollards, but that is rarely in the countryside.
Good solar. In the summer there are so many hours of daylight that charging the batteries is rarely a problem, but in March we need to make the most of the sunshine we have. This week has been ideal weather, and this mooring had no trees or hills to shadow my panels.
Good Internet. It may sound a little incongruous to an off grid boating life, but we do like fast WiFi. That way we can sit in our lounge in the beautiful countryside, binge watching a box set (currently Poirot). We have a mobile router with an external aerial and in this spot it was perfect.
Access to a great walk with the dogs. From the narrowboat there was a lovely circular walk along the canal and then through the grounds of Sandon Hall, up to a monument to William Pitt, and affording expansive views across Staffordshire. The only downside was when we were chased across a field by a flock of inquisitive sheep.

Of course we also love variety. Sometimes it is nice to moor in a city centre. Or next to a wonderful pub. Or close to a supermarket. Or nearby a stately home. But for us this week, I cannot think of a better mooring. Simply lovely.

March 14, 2025 1

Is it too cold to live on a narrowboat?

I think this week’s weather has been about as perfect as it can get. Each morning I have woken up to a hard frost, with ice coating the roof of the boat. The sunrises have been stunning, with the light glittering across the fields and the water. During the day the sun has warmed us to T Shirt temperatures, and then in the evening as the light fades, it has got cold again, very quickly, with amazing skies full of stars and planets.

We have been able to heat the boat with our bubble stove (a diesel stove rather like a wood burner) or with our Webasto diesel boiler. The Webasto was 14 years old and beginning to fail, so we had that replaced this week with a brand new one with a three year warranty. It was expensive (BOAT stands for “bung on another thousand”) but will keep our central heating and water hot for years to come.

The air space in a narrowboat is really small and so heats up quickly, despite the single glazing, single skinned walls, and drafts. We have spent many happy hours this week feeling toasty warm in the boat, while the world outside freezes.

Most of this week we have been moored back in our marina, where we have access to a car and so have been able to get things done, but tomorrow we are back on our Spring journeys, heading north through the industrial centre of Stoke on Trent. I am looking forward to seeing the old kilns and factories, as well as the beautiful Staffordshire Countryside.

I hope it is sunny and cold.

March 7, 2025 0

Back on the narrowboat

We came back to our narrowboat this week. We stayed a few nights in the marina, checking we had everything we need, and then set off to one of our favourite moorings – Tixall Wide, on the Staffordshire and Worcester canal.

Tixall Wide is a beautiful place. When the canal was built, the wealthy landowner would only allow it to go through his estate, so long as it looked like a lake. Now, nearly three hundred years later, the fancy house is long gone, but the lake remains. It is home to all sorts of birds, including a couple of pairs of kingfishers, which I am hoping to see.

It is also a perfect first trip out from the marina in Stone because it is just four hours away. That is long enough to properly test the boat and the engine to make sure nothing has broken over winter, and it is short enough that if there is a problem we can limp back.

The good news is that we have not found any problems so far, and the work we had done while we were away seems to have been done well. The engine has been serviced and the rocker head gasket replaced. The shower has been regrouted and sealed. A fuse for the batteries has ben replaced. And we have a lovely new front button fender. The only issues are an ageing Webasto water heater that we will have to replace soon, and a joint in the central heating plumbing that leaks in cold weather.

I was itching to come travelling again and I have loved it. The canal locks feel a little stiff but that is probably caused by my windlass muscles needing to be built up again. The dogs have settled straight back in. Lulu in particular likes to sit on the rear deck and watch the world go round.

Right. Tea won’t cook itself. Pork chops cooked in stuffing tonight, with baked potatoes, cabbage and carrots. Traditional hearty food for narrowboaters in February. It is good to be back.

February 28, 2025 2

Are families like fish?

Benjamin Franklin said that “guests, like fish, start to smell after three days”. Last weekend we had both sons and girlfriends staying with us for just over three days. Did they start to smell?

Firstly it is worth saying that I had the very best time, with the whole family. For various reasons we were not together at Christmas. We saw Tin and Cheryl at New Year but we have not seen Rob and Alessa for months. It felt very special to be all together at our new house in Lancashire. We went for walks, played games and ate so much food, from amazing onion soup at a fancy French gastropub to foot long eclairs from St Anne’s Pier.

The boys got on well, with fewer arguments than normal. And Cheryl & Alessa are both our favourite girlfriends/fiancées ever. In some ways they remind me of Mandy, because it is very clear who is in charge, and they suffer no nonsense from their menfolk, while staying kind, generous and patient to our many foibles.

So did the guests start to smell? Tin took me to one side on our final walk on Beacon Fell, before they set off for home. He said “I know you have had a wonderful time this weekend Dad, but if I said to you that we had decided to come back to the house now I know your face would fall.” He is right. Mandy would have been very happy, but that was not my plan. And as readers of this blog know, I do love a plan. Later this year we are hoping to spend a week with each couple in the Outer Hebrides, so I have no problem exceeding the 3 day rule, but only if that is the plan.

So no, they did not start to smell, but maybe I did. I love it when we have visitors. And I love it when it is just the two of us.

Do you feel the same or do you just love being with friends and family?

February 20, 2025 1

What is luxury?

Mandy and I spent a couple of nights this week in our favourite hotel – Swinton Park in North Yorkshire, For us this was total luxury.

For a start, the hotel is a castle, owned by the Earl and Countess of Swinton. We were upgraded to a suite, and when not in our room there are multiple reception rooms with open fires and sofas to lounge around. There is even a Billiard Room with a full sized snooker table. There is the formal Samuel’s Restaurant and the more relaxed Terrace, both serving amazing food. On the second night we shared a Cote de Boeuf which was simply perfect.

As well as the hotel, there are extensive grounds with woodland, a deer park and lakes to walk the dogs. And a large Spa has pools, saunas and a steam room, to wash away the troubles of the world. I was even given a personal history tour of the hotel with someone who has been working there for 40 years and knew just about everything about the estate.

We have returned much relaxed and ready for our next adventure. But I wonder if this would be luxury for everyone. The rich and famous must live like this all the time. I wonder if luxury for King Charles is to kick his shoes off and watch Coronation Street with beans and toast on his lap. I wonder if luxury for Bill Gates is a day with no meetings.

I am not sure I would like to live in such opulence all the time, but for a couple of days it was my luxury.

I am a lucky man.

February 14, 2025 0

Am I too boring to write a blog?

I was thinking about what to write this week and realised that the highlight has been a visit to the dental hygienist. I wonder if I am becoming too boring to write a blog. I know some of my fellow retirees, including my wife, will say that this is part of what retirement is about. As well as providing opportunity to do exciting new things for which I would never have time when I was working, it provides opportunity to chill, relax and enjoy a slower pace of life.

I do understand the argument. I have read a couple of books this week, after it was pointed out to me that I never read anymore. I know that Mandy really loves sitting in a corner, doing cross-stitch and watching NCIS. I have no problem with others slowing down. But it is not the person I want to be.

I see myself as a lucky young retiree, enjoying the adventure that life provides. That is why I love being on the narrowboat. That is why I loved spending a month on trains in Europe. That is why I want to go back to the outer Hebrides for a month this autumn. There is so much to do!

And maybe I am wrong about the hygienist being the only highlight this week. We had my god-daughter Kelsey to stay with her mum, my friend Marion. We found a local upholsterer and spent a happy hour with him, looking at options for our dining room chairs. I went for a walk with my brother in law to see the snowdrops in Lytham Hall. I have cooked Baklava for a Greek meal with my cousins tonight. They may not be the most exciting things for a blog, but they have kept me busy.

But I still want to find a new adventure for next week. Slowing down is for old folk. And I ain’t old.

February 7, 2025 0

Is Lanzarote Spanish, African or British?

I have had a wonderful holiday this week on the island of Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands. The weather has been low twenties – perfect. The food and drink has been plentiful – perfect. I have had adventures with my wife, brother in law and sister in law. I have had adventures by myself. Perfect.

The Canaries are in many ways a perfect holiday destination for this time of year. Lower prices than peak season, but still guaranteed sunshine. And because it is term time we have not been disturbed by rowdy children; just by rowdy pensioners.

But the Canaries, and Lanzarote in particular are a bit odd. If it wasn’t for tourism there would be very few people living here. It is a big volcanic rock, and the uncultivated ground is black and rocky. The islands are just 60 miles from Africa, but are part of the European Union, governed by Spain. So you see very little evidence of being so close to Africa except the weather. Signs are in Spanish but there is so much tourism that it is just as common to hear English, from Brits and Irish. The seaside resorts feel like a warmer Blackpool, with a huge promenade, and hundreds of bars and cafés. A little bit of the UK in Spain, close to Morocco.

I wonder how I would feel if parts of Britain were so Spanish. Not surprisingly I know some Canarians resent it and I have seen some signs saying “No to Mass Tourism”. But I have also seen lots of other signs “Lanzarote Loves Tourism”. I guess it is hard when the economy is so dependent.

Whatever the rights and wrongs I have had a wonderful break and would happily return, whether African, Spanish or British.

January 31, 2025 0

What should I do at the airport first thing in the morning?

I appreciate that followers of this blog probably think that all my life is a holiday. Since I retired I have been able to fulfil many of my bucket list wishes. We spend our summers on a narrowboat and have travelled most of the canals of England. We have spent a month in Orkney and a month in the Outer Hebrides. I interrailed all over Europe for a month. We have skied. We have stayed in castles. I am a very lucky chap.

This week we are having a proper holiday in Lanzarote. Mandy’s brother and his wife invited us to join them for a week. A free holiday in the sun, after weeks of cold, wet, dark, was too much to miss.

We are flying from Manchester and have arrived hours early. I always arrive early when I fly. I panic (unnecessarily) about hold ups in security and missing boarding. In my 60 years of life I have never missed a flight so perhaps I need to relax more. Or maybe the reason I have never missed a flight is because I am obsessive about it.

Either way, it means I always have hours to kill at the airport. What should I do?

The traditional way to use up airport time in the UK is to drink lager. There are only two times it is socially acceptable to get drunk first thing in the morning – Christmas Day and at the airport. There are an awful lot of people here with pints in front of them. But I can’t face that.

We could book an airport lounge. We always used to do that. We could sit on sofas with plenty of space, drinking “free” coffee and reading the newspapers. It is a comfortable way to fly. But prices have recently got ridiculous. It used to cost about £15 a person, but the price here for two of us would have been nearly £100. That is not good value for money.

We could go to the gate early. That would certainly mitigate my lateness paranoia. But the seats are always uncomfortable. They often change the gate. And it is boring.

We could have breakfast. T2 at Manchester has been recently refurbished and there are a wealth of restaurant options. They are pricey at around £17 for a full English, but it’s a lot cheaper than a lounge. I think that is a good choice.

And I still have time to add another option. What better choice for using time at the airport than writing a blog. You should try it.

January 24, 2025 0

Remembering phone cards

As we continue to go through all out chattels, having recently moved house, we come across all sorts of things. This week I found an air pistol, all my old work ID cards, about 400 pens (mostly dry), a picture of an ancient relative. And phone cards.

Anyone under 30 will not recognise these, but in the 1980s and 90s they were the thing to have – almost a status symbol. Coin operated phone boxes seemed so old fashioned, and if you were one of the many whose house did not have a landline, they were the best way to stay in touch.

The original cards (the bright green ones), used 1980s state of the art optical technology. Sounds great but in reality that meant they had a strip on one side that got steadily burnt away as you made a call. In 1996 they were replaced by the other ones with chips, and we thought they would go on forever. After all, mobile phones were huge bricks, only used by market traders and rich people.

Now I keep my life on my phone. The world seems very distant when we had phone cards, cheque books, filofaxes, cameras with films, portable TVs, paper memos at work, encyclopaedias. Technology evolves so quickly that even my iPhone is beginning to feel old hat. I wonder what the next breakthrough will be. Gartner suggests “Agentic AI” as the big thing for 2025, where AIs think for themselves. I wonder if the robots will know how to use a phone card.

January 17, 2025 0

Am I just keeping that for sentimental reasons?

By the end of last week our new house was well organised and tidy. Everything had been deboxed and put away. Pictures were up on walls. The fridge and cupboards had been stocked. We had even put up a few blinds ad curtain rails. We had a dinner party on Sunday and I was proud of the house.

So why this morning was everything in a mess again?

The answer is the elephant in the garage. Readers of this blog may remember the photo I posted when we moved in, with the garage stacked floor to ceiling, front to back with boxes and furniture. This week I opened every box and moved the contents into piles for charity, for the tip, to keep in the garage and for the house.

What I discovered was that we have literally hundreds of things we do not use but which we carry round from house to house, loft to loft, shed to shed. It all takes up space. It all needs looking after. We just keep it for sentimental reasons. Pictures that the boys painted when they were toddlers. A table and chairs that Mandy’s Dad made. My own Dad’s collection of antique newspapers. Robert’s expensive coffee machine that is never used. Martin’s weights set that gathers dust under a bed. Mandy’s exercise bike from when she had her knees replaced during Covid. My golf clubs that I kid myself I will get back to one day.

I give myself the excuse that one day these things will come in useful. And hey, maybe I am right. But this week I have certainly got more pleasure from giving things away. Our oak bench seats have gone to my brother in law to be made into a seat and shoe rack for his hall. The golf clubs to my sporty great nephew. The old cutlery drawers have gone to “Save the children” to go in their window. A fridge, freezer, table and packing boxes are going to a friend’s daughter who is about to move house. Hundreds of puzzles, games and CDs are going to charity. An old leather chesterfield sofa and chair will hopefully be fetched by the British Heart Foundation.

I have felt ruthless and proud of what we have done. And still, the garage still hosts those old newspapers. And my old model railway in boxes. And Martin’s old snooker cue. And a table tennis table that went in the charity pile and somehow returned to the garage.

Maybe they will come in useful.

January 10, 2025 0