This is the blog of Norwyn & Sheila aboard their narrowboat Shell Bell.
Well it has at last happened!!!! After a little over 6 months since we sold our house we have finally exchanged contracts. We move into the bungalow in Beccles on November 11th 2011. We plan to go up to Shell Bell tomorrow and catch up with the work Adele has been doing and also to discuss the next project with her- laminating the floor. While we are up there we plan to go into the dales and visit Bakewell and just chill out. It will be a short trip as we need to be back in Suffolk by Friday evening, but never mind it will be nice to be back on board.
Well it doesn’t seem a week ago that Scott and myself left shell bell to head back to suffolk, time really does pass quickly. So what have we been up to over the past week, well very little if I am honest. We are still in limbo with the house move but saying that, we do hope to get some definite dates from our solicitor this week. Fingers crossed after all it has only taken six months!!!! I have been fishing a few times with mixed success but on Saturday I managed to break two sections of my fishing pole, an expensive error as it will probably cost around £150 to get replacement sections. Thursday was an interesting day; I went tree felling with a couple of other fishing club members (one of which is a tree surgeon), which helped. Our task to get rid of some dead trees on an island in the middle of the lake and a right boys adventure it was cutting and towing the trees with a dinghy back to the main land to be logged and disposed of. Sheila has been busy quilting and walking and looking after our grand daughter Leila. Today we went for a nice circular walk round Thorpeness famous for its house in the clouds and its wonderful mere. It was a lovely walk in glorious autumn sunshine.
The iconic House in the clouds Thorpeness
Thorpeness mere
beach front holiday houses and chalets Thorpeness
the new low energy led outside light
The planned weekend on board for Norwyn and Scott to do some odd jobs went well. Leaving Bungay around 07:30 on Saturday they had a good trip and were onboard Shell Bell around 10:45. With plenty of odd jobs to do they got stuck in and by 18:00 they had completed a pretty extensive list
1) dripping shower tap cured
2) new door on shower cubicle
3) plank, pole, broom and mop all painted
4) horn moved from the back of the boat to the front; this involved leading a wire the whole 58ft length of the boat
5) LED light fitted on cruiser stern for outside lighting and also tidying up of the electric panel.
6) new TV arial connections and removing old U\S arial from the roof
The evening was spent having a nice meal and pint down The Dragon inn, Adele and Bob joined them later for a drink.
After a good nights sleep Sunday morning we went for breakfast at the tea rooms on the marina site- great value for money.The job we were dreading was moving the sette from the boat but it went well and we soon had it transferred from boat to van. This will allow us to buy two new reclining chairs and foot stools as replacements. After that we had a good tidy up of the boat and a short trip out on the canal for Scott – he has done a lot of work on the boat but this was his first trip out. All to soon we back on the moorings and saying goodbye to the neighbours and heading back to Bungay.The following pictures show some of the work including the work being done by Adele Banks.
the new wardrobe great work Adele
new shower door
Scott relaxing in the space made by the removal of the settee
The week comes to a close and still no news on when we will exchange contracts on our house move it is becoming a real pain now. This weekend Norwyn and Scott are going on board Shell bell to do some odd jobs and bring back the leather settee, because with the new L shaped seating it will be too large. They also plan to catch up with Adele Banks who is doing the modifications so they should be able to take some up to date photographs of the changes.Today is Norwyn’s mums birthday 89 today happy birthday mum. The next blog will be Monday after the weekend of odd jobs on board plus a little alchohol to help with the thinking process.
L shaped dinette taking shape
As planned the modifications started on Shell Bell last week. The L shaped dinette is taking shape and work has also started on the wardrobe, Adele is keeping us up to date and has even sent a couple of photographs. The news on the house move is that we could possibly exchange contracts this Friday and move the Friday after, (fingers crossed). This week will be spent finishing the sorting and packing with a good helping of fishing for Norwyn. Norwyn and Scott plan to go up to Shell bell on Saturday and remove the leather settee as this will be surplus to requirements with the new L shaped seating area. They will also measure up the shower for a replacement shower cubical door, do the checks on the amount of anti- freeze that is in the engine and central heating. Generally getting ready for the cold weather. Sheila is busying herself making a new quilt for the bed on Shell Bell.
l shaped dinette can be made into a bed
Well October has burst upon us with glorious weather, we really should be cruising but alas we have to try and sort the house move out. It is still up in the air at the moment but hopefully we will have some concrete information next week !!! (about time- fingers crossed the news is good).Today we did one of our favorite walks from Hen reed beds following the river into Southwold. We walked around the harbour and along the beach stopping at gun hill for our sandwich lunch, all in glorious sunshine. With lunch completed we carried on into the town and a bit of shop browsing including of course the very fine Adnams brewery shop, then back the way we came to Hen reed beds. A walk of about 5 miles.
the estuary at hen reed beds
The view fron gun hill
Well what glorious weather we are having ,should be on the boat but alas we had to come back to Bungay and try and sort out our house move. Plus next week the modifications start on the boat. The house move is still up in the air; we thought it was sorted and that we would be moving in about a month but there may be another problem. Will update on the blog when we know !!!!. The past couple of days Norwyn has been fishing and generally catching some rays. Sheila has been catching up with friends and family so all in all just chilling out. The picture today is from our last trip Ben took this as we travelled between woods end lock and Fradley junction.
Bens picture
Ben got up early today to do a spot of fishing in the marina,the rest of us arose about an hour and a half later. Ben had some success, catching a few small roach. It was then time to pack Ben and Claire’s gear in the car ready for there departure. Before they left we all went to the willow tea rooms on the marina for a late breakfast – very good it was too. After saying farewell to the kids we made busy tidying the boat as next week Adele Banks is coming on board to do the modifications, putting in an L shaped dinnette,wardrobe and shelf unit. With the new blinds in place this should really make Shell Bell more homely.With everything sorted we set off in the car for suffolk . A journey that normally takes 3 hours took over 4 as the A14 was blocked. The photographs today are of shell bell’s new blinds.
shell bell new blinds
shell bells new blinds
The Rain was falling as we pulled away this morning. There was a queue at the lock, the first of two that would get us through Alrewas. Ben and Claire took the helm again today and we made steady progress. Lunchtime soon came and we moored at Barton under-needwood. After lunch the sky cleared a little and the rain eased off. By the time we reached Burton it had brightened up and it was quite pleasant as we approached Willington. Ben was going to steer shell bell into Mercia marina and put her on the mooring pontoon. No easy task with a 58 ft narrowboat but he did it like a real pro. It was around 17:30 that shell bell was tied up on her moorings. Ben and Claire then spent sometime fishing whilst Norwyn and Sheila chilled. The evening was spent down The Dragon in Willington for an end of cruise meal and excellent it was too. Arriving back on shell bell a game of Scrabble ended with Sheila and Claire winning, making it 2-2 over the trip.
- Claire holding shell bell at the locks
We got away from Handsacre around 10:30 with Ben at the helm, the weather was bright but a little breezy and we made good progress. Our destination for the day was Alrewas. Ben and Claire were steering with Norwyn and Sheila on lock duty. The first lock of the day was woods end lock and the steerers did a great job of taking Shell Bell into the lock. Next it was the locks at Fradley Junction, all managed well by captain Ben. Ben moored Shell bell on the services in Fradley and took on water then moved her to the other side of the canal so we could have lunch and Claire could visit the candy boat!!!! With lunch complete we carried on to Alrewas, found good moorings and made ready to meet up with Bob whom we had met down near Leicester where we all had fun !! with the water restrictions. Bob was also bringing Adele Banks(watercolour property solutions) who is doing the carpentry work altering Shell Bell’s Dinette to an L shaped version and adding a wardrobe at the stern. It was nice to meet up with the both of them and also make the final arrangements with Adele. All being well work will start the first week of October.
Ben & Claire at the helm