Loving Life.

 I have been living back onboard for a year now! I can't believe how fast that has flown by. Lots of changes but good ones. 

First big change was finally getting a dog back in my life again. I have always wanted another dog since losing my lovely Bobby some years back. I decided to go down the rescue route rather than a puppy as there are so many dogs out there needing a good home. Once I googled rescue dogs I was inundated with dogs popping up all over the place on my feed. Then a picture of a dog came up that I instantly wanted.

Kona was in Romania! I messaged the rescue, Kiki's Paw, straightaway to enquire about fostering this little girl. I wanted to foster first to make sure it was right for both of us, especially Kona.

Kiki's Paw couldn't have been more helpful, everybody I dealt with were so lovely. They had never had anyone who lived on a narrowboat applying to rescue so it was all new to both sides. They had lots of questions as I did and it was lovely that they didn't just turn me down because I lived on a boat!

I had to give them lots of information about the boat and the surrounding area to ensure Kona would be safe. I had to send videos of the boat and the marina. Their screening was very thourough and rightly so, the welfare for Kona was paramount. This is what really impressed me abot Kiki's they really wanted to know everything to ensure Kona would be coming to a home that was safe.

I in the meantime was beyond excited! I was nervous wondering if I was doing the right thing but I couldn't wait to meet her and was keeping everything crossed that my application would be successful.

The day I got the message to say I could foster Kona with a view to adopting her I was ecstatic and terrified all at the same time! I had to wait a few weeks for transport and all her paperwork to be put in order, I then got a date that she would be arriving, 20th August! For me it couldn't come quick enough!

I was advised that Kiki's couldn't give an exact arrival time as Kona wasn't the only dog being brought over from Romania. There was a possibility that she could arrive early hours in the morning and she did. Kona arrived at 1:30 am I met the van at the marina gate and Kona was passed to me with all her paperwork. I thanked the lovely people who had brought her and carried a very shutdown Kona to the boat.

Kona was everything I hoped she would be, she was adorable. My heart went out to her as she was so nervous and apprehensive. I gave her space and let her go at her pace. I had laid training pads out all through the boat for any accidents. It was just as well I did as Kona did the biggest wee and poo, she must have been holding it all in for hours but from that night she has never ever made a mess in the boat, bless her.

So life with Kona began. I knew more or less immediately that she was going to be a foster fail as I was never letting her go. I could see the potential in her to be a very special little dog and she hasn't disappointed! 

It's been nine months now since I got Kona and I have to say as nervous as I was about my decision to get another dog I couldn't be happier! She has been a work in progress as to begin with she was so nervous of everything. It made me really sad to see her tail tucked right under her she was so scared of everything that was new to her.

Fast forward to today and she has come on in leaps and bounds! No more tucked tail it's held high like a furry flag! She is absolutely loving life as I am with her. She has taken to her new home on the boat amazingly well as if she was born to it. I have to say adopting her has been the best decision ever. She has a cheeky side which I love and she is hell bent on catching a duck!! We go on lots of walks which is good for her and for me!

The Marina and surrounding countryside is perfect for a dog and Kona is a happy little girl and loves her 4 walks a day especially through the nearby woodland which we are so lucky to have on our doorstep. I had never really explored the woods before I got Kona but it's so lovely following the paths through the trees especially this time of year with all the trees bursting into life, the bluebells and the carpet of wild garlic in full flower it's magical. We also have Southport to explore with it's parks and seafront so all in all it's lovely having everything so close.

I have slotted back into boat life quite easily as it is a lifestyle I love, being retired too makes it even better. I can't believe how many people said I would be bored being retired! Not one day to date have I been bored! There is so much to do but doing it at my own pace makes it all the more special. Being able to spend more days out with my Mum and family is lovely and socialising with friends.

I have found since being retired I forget what day it is quite often which I think is really funny but then everyday feels like a weekend! The Marina and boat have always given me the feeling of being on holiday and that feeling has never really faded which is lovely. When I come through the electric gates into the marina I immediatley relax. It's so peaceful and laid back here. Once I drive through those gates and they close behind me all the hustle and bustle is left behind and I can fully unwind. 

Life is really good right now. It was hard for a while all things considered but I am truly happy again. Alan has been coming to the boat and helping me with jobs which I am very grateful for and we are getting on really well with lots of laughs along the way and after all that's as life should be. Kona has taken to Alan too which is good, could be due to the fact he spoils her! We have always cared deeply for each other and still do, so lookng forward instead of back is the way to go.

I haven't written a blog for a while but a certain person keeps asking me to, so Judy I dedicate this blog to you!

Not sure how long it will be before I write another as I am busy enjoying life, but never say never....

All Change!

 Well, life has a funny way of completely changing in the blink of an eye.

Without going into lots of detail Alan and I have sadly parted ways. I never ever thought this would ever happen but it has. We moved into a beautiful Bungalow and we started to make it into a lovely home but things just didn't feel right.

I think deep down we both knew it wasn't working but we clung on in there hoping things would improve but we just grew further and further apart. The realisation that we both want completely different things out of life gave me the courage, all be it very hard, to walk away.

I was going to sell Tickety Boo and had all but made up my mind she was definitely going, but thankfully when we parted I moved back onboard. I thought it would feel strange after the bungalow but surprisingly it didn't.

As sad as I am just now I really want Al to be happy and follow his dream of becoming a Cruise Ship Dance host, I wish him all the luck in the world to pursue his ambition in life. I really wish we had worked out because we did get on well together when things were good. I have all the amazing memories locked in my memory bank of all the fabulous things we did. I really hope we can remain friends as I do think a lot of him, maybe too much but that's just me..

Another big event in my life is my retirement! I have finally nearly reached the age of 66 so I can get my pension! So retiring and moving on the boat again both came together really. It's been a bit of an eye opener trying to squeeze all my stuff back on the boat but after having a ruthless clear out I have managed, just! It was quite emotional leaving work and saying bye to the kids and their families, made even more so by the gifts and the really lovely sentiments in the thank you cards I got. I hadn't realised how much they appreciated what I did and it was lovely of them all to say so.

I still want to do my crafts and have collected quite a stash of supplies. It's been a real challenge finding space for it all but I am getting there! I must admit the boat looks like a whirlwind has blown through when I start crafting but it's soon cleared away.

So now I am free from work, such an odd feeling knowing I don't have to go anymore! I have loved the last three or so years being an assistant to special needs children, taking them to school and back each day. I was so lucky to get four great kids who made me laugh every day even if they drove me nuts at times! It was such a worthwhile job though and it was lovely working with their families to make sure they enjoyed there trips to school and back. I will admit though I am so ready for retirement!

I have a list as long as two arms of the jobs that need doing but instead of overwhelming myself I will do a little at a time and won't be putting myself under pressure to get huge amounts done in one go.

Alan and I did get some work done so that has helped hugely, I just need to keep on top of it now. Tickety really needs to come out of the water for blacking but I doubt very much it will be this year. She is over due but hopefully will be fine till next year.

I want to treat rust spots, which is an ongoing job in boat life, and get her looking presentable again. I would also love her name finally on her as it's been too long that she has been without so that's another goal I will pursue.

I have lost my nerve a little bit taking the boat out, not so much taking her out on the cut but bringing her in and out of the Marina, My pontoon is on a bit of an angle which can make it a bit awkward to bring her in. I will get my courage back again once I have taken her out a few times. I was never afraid of taking her out on my own for short cruises so I am really looking forward to doing that again!

I am hoping the boat club will have a few outings I can go along on too. I need to get more involved in boat life again. I neglected my passion for the boat sadly but happily it has come back which is lovely. I feel so lucky that I still had her to come back to and didn't hastily sell her!

So now a whole new chapter at the ripe age of 66! I really don't feel my age apart from dodgy feet!! I do feel incredibly lucky that I have got to this age though and I still have the desire to enjoy life.

The older I have got the more I have realised I really do like the simple things in life. Daft things make me happy, small things make me happy. I had lovely times with Alan, lovely holidays, trips to the theatre, dancing and dance weekends away, meals out etc all of which I really enjoyed but the things that will stick in my mind more than anything are the really little things that meant the world. Things I will no doubt talk about in future posts!

Another thing I have realised I am such a homebird! I love the Hygge style, all about comfort and that really cosy safe feeling of being home. I can adapt to living anywhere as long as I am happy and feel at home in my surroundings. That to me is a gift as a lot of people don't like change. I embrace it as it stops life being mundane! Variety is the spice of life. I don't like being repetitive and doing the same things over and over that's why I delve in to new hobbies and interests a lot, and always looking to do something different! I am a Gemini after all! A bit of a flibbertigibbet! I love that description sums me up really and my maiden name is in that saying too!

 I suppose that's why 21 years ago I decided I wanted to live on a boat and here I am...BACK AGAIN!

 

Happiness Tinged With Sadness..

 In my last post, I told you all about the new phase in our lives.

Al and I are settling in nicely on Tickety Boo and the marina where she is moored is lovely. Unfortunately, I have recently lost another close friend who played a huge part at the Marina.

Mark was one of a kind and the mold was definitely broken once he was made! He was a once-in-a-lifetime character. Slightly bonkers, unique, funny, stubborn, wacky sense of humor with a heart of absolute gold.

He was taken suddenly totally out of the blue and if I am being honest I am still reeling from the shock, and finding it hard to accept he has gone. We go way back and at one time we were an item but we both very soon realized we would never make it as a couple and we were far better as close friends and we were. We could go weeks or even months not seeing or hearing from each other but always picked up where we left off.

Mark was really happy for Al and me and he was pleased to see me settled with someone at long last! He had lots of girlfriends but never managed to settle down, his first loves were his family, boat, and his dog. Sadly he had recently had his dream boat built and he had so many plans for the future I find it incredibly sad that he never got to see those plans through.

The Marina holds so many memories of Mark, everywhere you look his handiwork is evident, he loved working at the Marina and was always about with a cheery wave and that mischievous grin! I know he is missed by us all.

Mark always gave everybody a nickname, mine was Dooey short for Debbie Dolittle, he thought that was hilarious, me not so much but it grew on me! I got my own back by giving him the nickname Scooby, he just reminded me of the gangly cartoon character all legs and goofiness. Alan didn't get away with it either Mark called him Haircut as he always has his hair neatly cut.

Mark's woodworking skills were excellent he took pride in his work and it shows. He made a lovely cratch frame for Tickety Boo and made it exactly as I asked. I am really happy we have that to remember him by.

The Marina will never be the same again but when we chat about Mark with other boaters it always makes us smile remembering him. I will miss him a lot as we all will. More than anything I will miss his voice bellowing Doooooooeeeeey over the Marina!

The only thing that gives me some comfort in losing my friend at such a young age is that he packed so much into his short life, more than most people do living to a ripe old age. Mark will always be remembered forever young and full of beans taking the micky out of people but not in a nasty way.

I am in touch with Marks's Mum and Dad on a regular basis and as you can imagine they are devastated but we often laugh at memories of him we recall. My heart goes out to them.

I have lots of fond memories of my wacky friend and I know for certain he wouldn't want any of us to be sad he would tell us we were being silly buggers!  As time passes the sadness will lift but he will never ever be forgotten...

  

RIP Scooby xxx

Back On Water!

 Well, where do I begin? Before I start this post I want to thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Quite a few people have asked when will I write another so here we go!

It's been a hectic year really but in a nice kind of way. Al put his house on the market as he wants to downsize. A four-bedroom family house was a tad too big for both of us. It was hard for him and I will never underestimate how tough it was for him to sell his lovely home but as I pointed out to him all the lovely memories that were made in that home would travel with him in his head and heart, and there were truly lots over the thirty odd years he lived there. He had toyed with the idea for some years to downsize so the fact that he took that leap of faith makes me really proud of him.

The bungalow we were hoping to move into has not been vacated as of yet as the sellers haven't found a suitable new home. Luckily we have Tickety Boo to live on while we wait. I can think of a lot worse places to stay! I love being on board again because as you all know I love my boat, I just hope Al will cope with living on her for a while! I am sure he will be fine and seems to be settling in well. It's not completely new to him as he has stayed on the boat lots of times.

As you all know if you have moved house, it's really stressful and hard work! Made even more stressful by the fact the property we were hoping to move into won't be available for a while. In the meantime, Al is leaving his options open. Everything is safely in storage so it will still be there for us when we move into our new abode.

We went on a two-week cruise at the end of July it was a much-needed holiday before the onslaught of packing and moving which was imminent. The break was nice but the new P+O ship we went on was not our cup of tea at all, it was huge, and had far too many people on board. Lots of queues for everything which we really didn't like, so in future we will stick to the smaller more personal ships. The break did however recharge our batteries. Unfortunately, our calorie intake went through the roof, we all but bounced off the ship at the end of the cruise!! We have however been really good since being home and the pounds gained are coming off slowly. Running up and down stairs dozens of times while moving helped too!

It took a while to decide just what to bring to the boat as she is already equipped for living on so we just had to choose carefully which of our many clothes and shoes to bring as storage on the boat is minuscule compared to a four-bedroom house with lots of wardrobe space! My Mum has kindly let us put a huge clothes rail in her spare bedroom so we can get to our clothes if need be. My little "Noddy Car" (Fiat 500) has now become a mobile shoe caddy as I have all my shoes in a suitcase in the boot, a kind of Fiat Emelda Marcos! We need to have our dancing shoes at hand too as we still love to dance.

I took a whole day to unpack the numerous bags we brought to the boat as everything had to have an allotted space tidy and out of the way. I spent most of the time juggling and swapping about to make space, I am proud to say I did it..eventually. I like to keep the boat tidy so I won, just!

So now we will just enjoy living on the boat and wonder where we will end up living as there is a possibility that the owners of the bungalow may not find a suitable new home and even though Al put in an offer that was accepted they may have no choice than to back out on the deal but we will see.

Al enjoying a pint on the cruise in Barcelona.

I loved it there beautiful place.

One of the highlights of the cruise

was this fabulous Horse show that Al surprised me with, The horses were stunning I loved every minute. We then went on to a Sherry tasting which was lovely too. 

Big Sherry glass needed!

Another lovely highlight was my 64th Birthday gorgeous flowers from Al and a lovely meal plus money to treat myself, I am so bloody spoilt! It was also lovely to be treated to another lovely meal with Mum, my two Daughters Kirsty and Heather,  Charlotte, my Son Dean, and my fabulous Granddaughters Phoebe and Darcy. So lovely having them all together! 

The Gang!

My lovely flowers.

We have lots of little jobs to do on the boat that will keep us busy at the weekends. I only have two more weeks in work before we break up for our 6-week school summer holiday, I can't wait!

Hopefully, I won't leave it too long before I write another blog but I can't promise! Life is wonderfully busy at the minute so as much as I like waffling to you all I just can't believe where the time goes!

We have lots to look forward to finding a new place to live but I will let you into a secret, my home is wherever Al is so I will adapt to any choice he makes for our new home.  Happiness is being with the one who means everything.

Well, What A Year That Was!

 Finally got around to another post!

Well, 2021 flew by, I can't keep up with how fast time is going! It was a fabulous year all be it a bit restricted but lots of nice things happened for me regardless!

We now have two new rooms on Tickety boo, We have had two new recreational spaces added to the boat. To say I am thrilled would be a total understatement! I have longed for bow and stern covers for years but it was just a distant dream until now, thanks to a certain somebody!

We decided to go with Amtrim boat covers and what an excellent choice that was. Their attention to detail is superb and the advice and suggestions to make the covers look their best was outstanding, to say the least. We had to wait for a while as they were very busy but in my book that's the best advert a company can have, it means they are in demand for an excellent service!

 After waiting a couple of months the two lovely guys came out and measured, they then got back to us with a price and in no time the covers were ready to be fitted. I was blown away at just how lovely the boat looked. We decided to go for black with green trim to match the boat. I must add at this stage I much prefer to see boats without covers, aesthetically I think they just look better without but I was pleasantly surprised at how Tickety boo suited them, especially with the matching green trim! The company come highly recommended and couldn't have been more helpful.

                                                     T Boo in her new cratch cover.

                                                 Our new conservatory/garden room.

                                                 ( Oh ok it's the back deck but I quite like the new names)

                               We were really surprised at how roomy the cruiser stern is undercover.

                                There has always been a bistro table and two chairs on the back deck

                                 but now we can eat out there even when it's raining instead of just on a

                                 sunny day!

    

                               The bow is cute too. Al has laid astroturf  bow and stern. I wasn't 

                               sure about the turf but I like it now it's down.

                                        So two more little rooms to use. I am just in the middle 

                                        of cosying up both bow and stern to make them a bit more 

                                           comfortable but all in all we are really pleased!

                                         A big bonus is the engine bay will stay dry!

            

                                                         My little gateleg table in the bow

                              

                                                Astroturf and cushions!       

    

That was the first exciting thing of the year. Al and I are still dancing our little legs off! It's good fun.

We also had a fabulous holiday to look forward to...

Al surprised me with a two-week Christmas and New Years' cruise on the beautiful Queen Elizabeth!

There was a lot of protocol to go through to sail but it was so worth it. The Christmas decorations onboard were stunning! What a truly beautiful ship. We had a ball lots of dancing, eating, drinking and theatre. We had some lovely excursions my favourite being Madeira.

We docked in Madeira on new years eve so spent the day touring the breathtaking private gardens we then took the cable car and when we got to the top we took a toboggan ride back down again, it was hysterical! It's a wooden sledge type thing that is steered by two men down the sloping streets of Madeira. I have never seen anything like it but it was a great experience.

The highlight of the holiday for me was New years eve. The ship moved away from the port so we had a full view of the island ready for the firework display at midnight. It was one of the most breathtaking things I have ever seen, it was spectacular watching the whole island light up with a fantastic display.

           The fabulous Toboggan ride down the streets of Madeira, great fun!

  The stunning gardens in Madeira 

         

  

    New Years' firework display, the photo doesn’t do it justice it was stunning!

The whole cruise was fantastic until a couple of days before it was due to end. All the passengers on board had to have a Covid test before we sailed back home and guess who tested positive, ME!

I couldn't believe it I had worked in retail all through the pandemic and managed not to catch it!

We were shocked to be told that anybody with Covid would have to leave the ship so we were escorted off by men in white suits and masks. We had to be wheeled off in wheelchairs so we didn't touch anything and there was a person following us with a spray to kill any germs. All we were short of was a little bell to ring and to shout out that we were unclean! Luckily they closed the floor off to other passengers so we had at least a little dignity while being turfed off!

The hotel we were put up in was ok but the food left a lot to be desired especially after the gorgeous food on the ship. We had to stay in the hotel room for 6 days! Poor Al had tested negative but still had to isolate with me bless him. Now Al and I get on really well we have a pretty carefree happy relationship so we got on fine over the six days locked up together we did a lot of laughing and just looked forward to being set free from our prison in Spain! There were other couples in the hotel who had left the ship too I just hope they all coped with being locked in together as well as Al and I otherwise they would have been ripping strips off each other!! The only food I kind of enjoyed was eggs benedict that we had for breakfast but after six days of it I would be quite happy to never see another one as long as I live!!

We were so happy to leave that hotel and get our two flights home. We arrived at Manchester tired but happy to be home only to find they had lost our luggage!!! Could things get any worse?? Thankfully they found our luggage eventually, it was still in Spain! It was delivered to us a couple of days later.

To be fair to Cunard they treated us well, they paid for the hotel and the two flights home, reimbursed us for the days we lost on the cruise and sent us a beautiful hamper! Thankfully it was at the end of the cruise so we didn't miss much!

So, this year is well on it's way too! It's flying by with amazing speed! We had a lovely visit with an old school friend of mine and his wife who were visiting from Australia. We had a day out on the boat and we all really enjoyed a  nice meal in a Canalside pub with lots of chatting and laughs, Brian and Lorraine were great company. We have some nice dance weekends away coming up and a  wedding abroad. In the meantime, we are still loving our dancing especially when we had a day at the Blackpool ballroom a lovely place we love dancing there.

            

                                               The lovely Blackpool Ballroom.

I went to the boat yesterday it was lovely weather cool but sunny the space we have to sit in on the back deck is so lovely and really warm, like I have said the addition of the covers on the boat has made a vast difference to how we utilise the space we cane dine out there in all weathers now too!

             I would like to say a big hello to Judy Grange who has been kind enough to read my blogs and often gives me a gentle reminder to write another! I can't think why she enjoys my waffleings but apparently, she does so thank you to her and anybody else who takes the time to read them. I hopefully won't leave it too long this time before I write another! I am living my best life at the minute I have a lovely partner and a beautiful place to live plus we have the boat whenever we wish to just escape for a while. All this I am truly grateful for and just makes me a really happy bunny! Catch you all soon!        

Up Up And Away!

 Last December I wanted to buy Al a really unusual Birthday present so after wondering for a while I decided on a hot air balloon ride!

Unfortunately due to the lockdown, we couldn't go until now, so on the 23rd of August we took to the skies and it was brilliant! I had to ring after 2pm to make sure the flight was going ahead because obviously if the weather was bad we wouldn't be able to fly. The weather was excellent so the flight was going ahead at 5:30 that evening

We had to meet at the Boar's Head pub in Nantwich, the balloon would be taking off in the field next to the pub. I have to admit I was feeling a bit nervous as well as excited. I needn't have worried it was great! The pilot and ground crew turned up at 5pm unloaded the basket and balloon and started filling the balloon with air from big fans, once it was semi-inflated they lit the gas and the balloon rose up, it was huge a lot bigger than I expected! We had all been told which compartment we were to climb into so as soon as the pilot gave us the go-ahead we all had to climb in. There were 4 compartments for the passengers and one for the pilot, 4 people in each and the pilot in the one in the middle with the controls I was amazed that there were so many in the basket, 17 in all! No wonder the Balloon was huge it would have to be to carry us lot! 

The Balloon starting to inflate!

Looking up into the huge cavity of the balloon! 

Once the balloon was fully inflated the gas jet shot a huge flame into the balloon to enable us to fly and fly we did! It took off gently and floated up and up It was the most surreal feeling the views were stunning, we were so lucky with the weather too. Once the balloon reached a good height the gas was turned off and on intermittently, when it was off it was so peaceful and tranquil. I said to Al it must be the nearest you could ever get to feeling like a bird.

                                                                               

                                        

                                                           We were off!

We could see for miles, even the Liverpool skyline could be seen in the distance. The patchwork farmers' fields stretched for miles and miles it was breathtaking. The farmhouses and animals all in miniature it was like looking down on model villages. All the vehicles were tiny, tractors, cars, and the ground crew in their jeeps all looked like dinky cars on a child's playmat!

We flew across the Cheshire countryside for just over an hour. when we were low we could see people waving which was lovely and of course, we all waved back and shouted hello.

The whole of the flight was fantastic but one of the highlights for me was flying over a marina filled with boats, it was a lovely sight. I wasn't sure which marina it was until I found out later it was Overwater Marina at Audlem. I posted pictures on a boaters Facebook page in the hope that people would be able to spot their boats from the unusual aerial view. I was thrilled when not only did people spot their boats one lovely boater snapped a picture of our balloon and was kind enough to post it. That was lovely for us to see what we looked like from the ground.

                                                                              

                                                            Us in the air!

Another lady messaged me from the marina asking if they could use my photos on the marina Facebook page, of course, I was honored that they wanted to and said yes of course they could.

                                                                          

                                            The lovely aerial view of  Overwater Marina at Audlem.                             

Once we were coming to the end of our flight the pilot had to look for a suitable landing site. The thought hadn't really occurred to me that he wouldn't have a clue where we would land as it depended on which direction the balloon would take us. Once a suitable landing spot was decided he opened a huge vent at the top of the balloon to let the air out so the balloon would fall gently towards the ground. We then had to all hold tight to the looped hand ropes bend our knees and prepare for landing! We were told on the odd occasion the basket would tip on landing so we would all be on our backs but it only tilted precariously then popped upright again, we were down safe. The pilot was great and looked after us all so well.

I was fascinated to learn that wherever the balloon landed we would have to stay put until the ground crew contacted the farmer that owned the field to get permission to be there, once permission was granted then, and only then could we disembark. In the rare and unlikely case that the farmer wouldn't grant permission, we would have to take off again and find a kinder farmer! We were told most farmers were amenable and would be thanked and gifted a bottle of whiskey. Once landed we all mucked in rolling the balloon up so it could be loaded onto the trailer we were then all driven back to the pub in the landrover's to pick up our cars. We hadn't realized just how far we had travelled in the balloon until we saw how long it took to drive us back to the pub!

All in all, it was an amazing experience and I urge anybody to try it. Al and I loved every minute it was magic!

                                 

The lovely Balloon we went in.

                                                                                 

                        The little yellow balloon in the photo above was our pilot's son who was training to be a pilot himself.  We flew with Wickers World and the pilot and crew were lovely!

                                                                                              

 Liverpool And Sink!

No, we didn't sink in Liverpool!

We had a fab few days in the Salthouse Dock, weather was amazingly kind, long sunny days! The fifth trip through on the link for me. First time for Al and he really enjoyed it even after having to do all the bridges and a few locks too! It's just lovely to relax in different surroundings for a few days made even better by the lovely weather.

                                                                      

                                                     

                               Tickety Boo nestled into the bank for the night before heading to

                                the Melling bridge the next morning.                                 

                                             

Mr and Mrs Canadian goose and brood and Al waiting to go down the locks at the Eldonian village.

                I love going through to Liverpool, it's

                such a lovely trip.

             

                                              The dock was like a mill pond and the weather was glorious!

It has always been lovely going through to Liverpool on the boat but I loved the fact that Tickety Boo is all newly decorated and spic and span I am so pleased with her new look, she is once again my, or should I say our, pride and joy! To top it all Al has now fitted a new sink in the bathroom, to say I am thrilled is an understatement. I have mentioned before that for 16/17 years I have put up with a sink in there that I have never really liked, a stainless steel oval salad bowl! Having a new enamel sink set in a new vanity unit has given the bathroom the overhaul it desperately needed. Plus Al has finished off the trim in there, installed new lights and new flooring that was left over from the galley. The lights are Led now and are so much brighter. We have plastic paneling in the bathroom and would highly recommend it after 17 years it still looks good and is so easy to keep clean.

                                No room for hand soap on the new sink so a soap dispenser instead.

                          

                                  

                                            Vast improvement from this! 

To say fitting the sink was a bugger of a job is putting it mildly, poor Al had to build a plinth to raise the sink so it would self drain. The new unit was in and out like a fiddler's elbow but Al being Al sorted it and it looks great! If I had half of Al's patience I would be blessed! So now the bathroom matches the rest of the revamp in the boat and just to finish off nicely I bought a new microwave as the old one was well past its best. The microwave being for the Galley, not the bathroom!

               I didn't want to spend too much on the microwave. This was just £57 in B+Q. Bargain!                       

                                  

                                            

We did the old dock tour while we were at the Salthouse, I have done it before so I knew Al would like it too. It's under Liverpool One and is fascinating so I recommend it for anybody going through to Liverpool on their boat, you can book it online and can be booked for a party of six or under. It was the first functioning dock in Liverpool and was what helped Liverpool thrive and become the great city it is today.  As you walk from the Albert Dock towards Liverpool One past the fountains you will see a well-like structure which is a window looking down into the old dock, I often wondered what it was so now I know!

We really look forward to doing the journey again. We had some lovely meals while in Liverpool and of course some retail therapy! Looking forward to our next venture out on the boat!