This is the blog of Norwyn & Sheila aboard their narrowboat Shell Bell.
With the news yesterday that our house move won’t happen for two or three weeks we have travelled back to Mercia Marina today to go back on board Shell Bell. We travelled up late morning arriving at the Marina around 3pm. The afternoon and evening was spent getting things ship shape, a nice walk up the towpath to Stenson and Norwyn did some fishing as well. John our neighbour on NB Perfect Harmony caught a fine mirror carp of around 20lb. Tomorrow we will plan our next trip but we won’t start until Saturday as we want to go to the I.W.A festival at Burton on Trent on Friday.
Well the last few days have been a mixture of packing, walking and fishing. We are nearly as far as we can go with the packing, but we still don’t have a date for exchange or moving.There seems to be a hold up with our purchaser’s sale. We hope to have more information tomorrow. Norwyn has done a bit of fishing with mixed success over the last few days, although he did get a lovely bowl of wild Blackberries on one of his fishing trips – it seems early for blackberries to be ready.
Blackberries earlythis year i think
If the news tomorrow doesn’t include an exchange date we will probably go back on board Shell Bell on Wednesday until we hear something more concrete about the move. Then we will decide where we go. The I.W.A festival at Burton on Fridayfor starters ,then probably a trip down the Coventry Canal
The weekend was wet and windy which was not good news for the thousands of people going to the Latitude festival which is only about 12 miles from where we live. Youngest son Ben was home this weekend so we were able to show him the bungalow in Beccles that we hope to move into soon, but alas still no news on when we will exchange contracts. It is now becoming a bit tiresome hearing the same retoric every week. This morning we went for a long walk and then Norwyn bought some fishing bait for his planned fishing trip tomorrow.
View across the Waveney Valley part of our walk today
The rest of the day was spent packing boxes and generally loafing around as the showers became heavy and more persistant this afternoon.
Well it has been a busy few days packing things away and generally getting ready to move house, including cutting the grass which had shot up whilst we were away. We were expecting to exchange contracts this week but so far no news on that front. Norwyn went fishing at Bennets gravel pit on Tuesday and had a good day catching roach, skimmer bream and a couple of large eels.
Bennets gravel pit
Wednesday was spent packing more stuff away and in the evening we had a nice walk by the river Waveney at Beccles.
Saturday would be spent travelling back home. We left Willington at 11.00, heading for Nottingham where we had to wait an hour for our connecting train to Norwich. A tedious journey, not nearly as good as travelling by narrowboat. We were thankful that Scott was waiting for us at the station (another bottle of wine for you) and took us home.
We will be at home for a few weeks now. Hopefully during this time we will move house.
Since we began our adventure we have travelled 271 miles and worked 148 locks. Can’t say how many eggs and loaves of bread we have consumed (like they do on the cruise ships) but we seem to eaten lots. We have kept a log of our journey.
Some people worry about their pets whilst on their boats, but Captain Norwyn has been concerned about his batteries. He has five – one starter battery which doesn’t get much attention – and four leisure batteries which have his undivided attention. Apparently we have to look after these. Even though they are new we must take care of them. We do this by running the engine everyday so they are full. Then we don’t hoover, use the hairdryer or straightners. We use the computer off it’s own battery and when that runs out we switch on the power and keep running to the back of the boat to check the battery management system and panic if it’s not looking good. The tele can be on if we are watching it and lights – well only one at a time if you please. phew!! I’m sure we have the most spoilt batteries around. Hope Captain Norwyn doesn’t get withdrawal symptoms while we are at home.
one of the 148 but what a setting
Another very wet morning as we slipped the moorings at Branston water park for our run up to Willington. The rain was a bit persistant as we made good headway spotting another famous bloggers boat at Horninglow basin in the shape of narrowboat Granny Buttons. With the last lock of the day at Burton done the clouds abaited and the sun came out. It was around 12:30 when we turned off the Trent and Mersey canal and into Mercia Marina. Soon Shell Bell was moored at the pontoon and the rest of the day was spent stowing stuff away and trying to book train tickets on line for our trip back to Bungay on Saturday.
safetly moored at Mercia Marina
The plan today was to go down the Coventry canal and make our way to Northampton, but with news from home about our house sale we have to return to Suffolk. So an early start this morning as we have decided to head back to Mercia marina and leave the boat there. We called them around 9am to book Shell Bell in. The journey today would be around 14 miles with twelve locks. The weather was changable to say the least. After a good start we came to the first lock -Woods End, and as Bruce from narrowboat ‘Sanity Again’ had stated in his blog yesterday, it was shut for repair. Joining the queue of three boats we were informed that the work had gone well and the lock would be open in around an hour. Well done to the guys from BW.
The offending log that had got jammed in the paddle
After that hold up our progress was good through Fradley then Alrewas where Sanity Again was moored we didn’t get a chance to say hello to Bruce and Sheila as the rain was coming down in buckets. Onward we went through thunder and lightning and a really heavy shower of rain by the time we reached our overnight mooring at Branston water park the sun had broken through and it has been a lovely evening. Willington tomorrow and make plans to return to Bungay on Saturday.
coming into Alrewas in the rain
what fish again
We awoke this morning to heavy rain and it looked like it was going to hang around, so after checking the engine oil and water,oh and of course the crayfish trap (yet again more fish than crays) we set off. Soon the first of what was to be five locks in total today came into view, We made good progress and stopped at Great Haywood for lunch, and to get a replacement gas bottle from the Anglo Welsh boatyard. Fed and re-gased we had a good steady trip with intermitant sunshine and showers into Rugeley, where we have moored on the visitors moorings. A quick trip into town to visit Morrisons and re-stock with food and of course Peroni. Tomorrow we make our way to the Coventry canal.
nice roach safetly returned to the water as was the solo crayfish
Burston village
A later start today, it was 10:30 when we set off from Barleston this morning. Although overcast it was warm. After about an hour we came to the Meaford flight of four locks. Our passage through was good with no issues and once through we headed for Stone. Coming into Stone we arrived at the first of four locks, after the second lock we stopped at the Britsh Waterways sanitary station for Elsan disposal and a water top up. We then moved on a couple of hundred yards to Stone boat building for diesel. Moorings were at a premium in Stone so we found ourselves on the outer edge before we could moor and make our trip into Stone for supplies. We left Stone and made our way to Burston for our night time stop, arriving around 17:30. We had tea and walked into the village. Although small it was lovely, the centre was set mainly round a pond.
views over open country from our moorings
the orange water
It was obviously not going to be a good day when we found the crayfish net contained four roach, four gudgeon and only one crayfish. All were released without harm.
Soon we had passed through hall green lock – a tiny one which only lowered the boat by one foot – compared to some which are twelve feet deep. The water colour changed an orange rusty colour indicating we where approaching the Harecastle Tunnel then it came into sight and we were beckoned straight through. Sheila had never liked the tunnel but having been through with Ben and Claire she was not dreading it so much and put on her jacket ready for the experience. As we trundled through, with ceiling lights aglow and a bright headlight showing off the very low roof which dripped water as we went along things seemed fine. It would only take forty five minutes to get through. But half way through the inside lights suddenly went out and we were left in the dark under ground. Sheila found the torch and rushed around shining it all over the place but not really doing anything constructive. Captain Norwyn, as cool as ever soon spotted the problem. The trip switch had blown. He carefully instructed his crew to switch off all lights, reset the trip and try again. Hey presto – lights again. Thus the tunnel experience came to an end and we were no worse for wear. Sheila has decided that since we plan to do the whole canal system there is no need at all to go throught the Harecastle Tunnel again!!!!! tonight we are are moored at Barleston.
Shell Bell in the Harecastle tunnel
Cap'n Norwyn in the dark again
