Family – Narrowboat Firecrest

Emerging from Hibernation

At the end of November we, packed up and waved goodbye to Firecrest. Headed home to the security of firm foundations that bricks and mortar provide. We relished spending time visiting friends and family, pavements that weren’t muddy, cupboards that didnt need checking for mildew, and a dishwasher, yet every time the sun shone, (which admittedly hasn’t been very often) a sense of restlessness and the muttered refrain, “its a good day to cruise” could be heard. Being home is indeed a mixed blessing, I value the space and security more than Eric. I have more friends that I like to meet up with for girly giggles, cake and coffee. Eric enjoys being able to pick up his DIY tools from their convenient shelf in the garage without having to unpack storage boxes to find the right one on the boat. But we miss the peaceful simplicity of life afloat. Admittedly Eric is still running his own design business, so during the winter months he has plenty to keep him occupied, whereas I miss the opportunities to be outside exploring, and simply soaking up the ambience of the canals. We have just under 2 weeks left of marina life. Eric is now back on board making Firecrest shipshape and I am taking final advantage of being able to use our car to travel further afield visiting family. 3 months, a whole quarter of a year, doesn’t half fly past quickly these days. I’m not going to promise how often I’ll post our progress but hopefully this year won’t be as fraught with closures as 2025. We are looking forward to moving again in just a few weeks.

Just some of the people and places we have enjoyed over winter

Castles, Beaches, and Family fun

Several of the family have springtime birthdays, so it’s not uncommon for us to gather together to celebrate a “royal birthday,” mine was the significant one this year so I got to choose the location.

One place we’ll never get to on board Firecrest is Northumbria, and a place I’ve always heard good things about is the Northumbrian coast. I chose to rent a house in Alnwick. (Of course when we made this choice we thought we’d be cruising over the leeds and liverpool canal, which meant it wasnt quite such a long drive, but there you go, plans change) The Physicians House in Alnwick sleeps 10 so plenty of room for my closest family and friends and ideally located for us go off and do our own things during the day and gather to eat drink and make merry in the evenings.

This was just the start of the merriment, I can’t post photos of what came next

Alnwick itself is a perfect little market town, protected by its castle,

And birthplace of Henry Percy, who became known as Harry Hotspur, because of his speed when it came to doing battle with the marauding Scots. (also known for his part in the downfall of Richard II, his part in Shakespear’s Henry IV part 1, and for his family lands being the site of a certain London based football club.)

The castle is open to the public, but our packed weekend meant we just didn’t have enough time to visit it. Instead we took a short drive out to Craster and walked along the beach to see the dramatic Dunstanburgh castle. Turner had a similar idea but he thought it needed to be a bit more dramatic when he painted in in 1798

I’m not sure that I agree.

Due to its isolated location, it wasn’t maintained and fell into ruins after the war of the Roses (1455-1487)
Nowadays it’s home to the seabirds.

I’ve always loved being by the sea, and one of my favourite childhood pastimes was playing French Cricket on the beach. In those days it was usually with a pieces of driftwood, but Amanda had come prepared.

The Alnmouth Beach French Cricket Team 2025

Diana and Chris had also come prepared with some silly races

I think we provided entertainment for the whole beach

But we generally just enjoyed being a family all together

We went on wild walks through the rock pools

Bamburgh castle was magical

Sea mist rising from the hot sand in front of the castle

I even learnt to fly, albeit only for a few seconds

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks

Whilst we couldn’t squeeze in a look inside Alnwick castle, we did go into the gardens with its amazing water features and scary poison garden

It was hot enough to eat lots of icecream but we were too full of maltezer birthday cake,

It was a truly memorable weekend, and I wish I could have included so many more of my friends and family

Eric and I will return to Northumbria, in a smaller property for a proper explore in years to come but for now, I am a happy 60 year old and I have a rail card.

Many many happy memories, thanks everyone.

A brief change of scene

I had an unexpected call from my cousin, whilst we were having our breakfast…… “what are you doing this weekend?…. “
Di lives in Sussex had been given tickets for Glynbourne. It’s not often all our stars align so perfectly. Eric was tinkering with the boat and trainline provided an affordable off peak return, 6 hours later I was sipping something chilled in Di’s back garden.

What a giggle, we were teenagers all over again, and of course ending the day sitting in bed with Chris Martin headline at Glastonbury,

Sunday morning walk along the downs

Di forgot I wasn’t used to climbing hills on the towpath,

Followed by brunch with family and friends before we went to get our glad rags on for the afternoons performance. I have to confess that whilst I enjoy most classical music, opera isn’t anywhere near the top of my musical choices. But experiences rate highly and Glynbourne is certainly an experience.

Everything about Glynbourne is spectacular

I don’t keep a ready supply of evening gowns on-board Firecrest, but that didn’t stop us enjoying our champagne garden picnic in during the interval. Glynbourne really is an experience. The 16th century manor house is impressive in its own rights, but in 1934 the Christie family’s amateur musical soirees became the professional Glynbourne Festival Opera. John Christie added an extension to his home to accommodate a stage, a symphony orchestra and an audience of 300. In 1994 a whole new theatre complex was designed and built. It’s size allows for some truly impressive productions. Di and I were treated to a mind boggling performance of Mozart’s Magic Flute -thankyou Helen. And I can honestly say i thoroughly enjoyed it.

The next day Di and I treated ourselves to a girly trip to Brighton. We saw the sea, played the slot machines on the pier, shopped in the Lanes, drank cocktails and came home and slept soundly.

I promise we did a lot more than pose for selfies with a glass in our hands

Eric came to meet me on Firecrest on my homeward journey back to the canal, as the station at Wilmcote was a little closer to the canal than the station at Wootton Wawen. And what a spectacular station, looks like Agatha Christie might be waiting in the wings

Continuing my theatrical experiences, next stop Stratford….

Fun Firsts and Firm Favourites

Whilst I was off on my puffin adventure with Amanda, I took advantage of being close to family and friends and ticked off a few “firsts” for me,

Always good to see my favourite daughter and her favourite chicken, (my favourite son wasn’t around for a photo) And to spend a day at one of my favourite places with my bestie,

Before heading to Amanda’s and my favourite furballs

Where she took me to see her favourite team, Posh

Yes Posh had just taken the lead with their 3rd goal of the match

Admittedly Peterborough United isn’t my favourite team, but as Amanda has a season ticket and I’d never been to a real live match before, I did enjoy the experience and I can understand why so many pay good money to stand in the cold for 90 minutes every Saturday. The atmosphere was buzzing and it was exciting to be part of the crowd. Completely off the scale compared to watching a match on the telly.
And whilst I was feeling sporty, Amanda is also a race horse owner. Admittedly only the whisker on his nose, as part of a syndicate, but never the less Lilkian was due to run and she had owners tickets so off we ran to Chelmsford for the race. Another first for me and good fun being wined and dined, and allowed to stand in the paddock to discuss tactics with the trainer and jockey…

but alas Lilkian came home last

Video

And then it was time for me to come home, to my favourite hubby and favourite narrowboat

and look what was waiting for me

Addendum to Iceland part 2, the main event

Today was the day we had been looking forward to for several months.

We were going to land on Skomer Island and go puffin hunting. Clad in our most waterproof clothes we set off on our 15 minute boat trip, determined to enjoy our day.

No sooner had we left the boat when the puffins were hopping up the stone steps with us. Posing for photos.

We were welcomed onto the island by the assistant warden, who told us it was a good day to see puffins because, unlike us, they enjoy a bit of wild weather. Our main instruction was to stick to the paths because most of the birds on the island live in burrows only a few inches under the ground, and whilst they didn’t want any twisted broken ankles, they really didn’t want any squashed puffins. It was roughly 4 miles to walk around the island,

Skomer had been inhabited by farming families up until 1950s. The earliest archeology dates back to the iron age and there was clearly some historical structures still standing.

Nowadays there’s a year round warden and seasonal researchers studying the wildlife. Most people visit the island on a day trip. The puffins are also just visiting, and make their annual visit between April and July. And we were treated to far more than just the puffins, the island was covered in beautiful bluebells and I imagine there will be more flowers and heathers throughout the season

And the scenery was spectacular

But it was the puffins we really wanted to see

There are roughly 40,000 puffins visiting Skomer each year and I think we saw most of them

We were given clear instructions to stick to the paths so we didn’t damage the puffins burrows, the puffins were free to wander, and we really did have to be careful not to tread on them.

It was fascinating to get so close to these comical little birds

It was build a nest day for the puffins so they were hopping around collecting bits of vegetation

We didn’t just see puffins, but guillemots as well,

I wasn’t going to risk getting any closer to check which bird they were

And razor bills, I think

One reason the birds thrive on skomer, is because there are no rats, we left the island very happy even though we felt like drowned rats at times.

some information sites we used for our trip

there is a live webcam for puffin watching on skomer.

some interesting facts about puffins

boat trips to skomer

Welsh wildlife Trust

Addendum to last years trip to Iceland, part one

After the disappointment last June when Amanda (my sister in law) and I had our whale and puffin watching excursion cancelled,

All togged up but our trip was cancelled at the very last minute

we promised ourselves we’d go to see some British puffins this year. And oh boy did we see puffins, we felt like mini David Attenboroughs.

And as we can see this little puffin is busy lining their nest with bracken

We booked ourselves an AirBnB in Milford Haven. Not your usual chocolate box seaside holiday destination, but actually there’s a very nice promenade overlooking the harbour that draws the eye away from the oil and gas refinery. Its all newly built and above the shops and fancy restaurants there’s some rather nice apartments.

The view from our appartment

We were all set for our trip to Skomer Island. We’d booked 2 trips, the first was a sunset cruise around the island. We togged up very well cause although the sun was shining, the wind was also competing for supremacy.

We were amazed by the number of puffins we saw both flying and bobbing around. My camera skills and equipment doesn’t quite make BBC standards for wildlife photography so you’ll just have to believe me that there were not hundreds, but thousands of these comical little birds, entertaining us, crash landing into the sea, cause they arent the most graceful fliers.

And we didn’t just see puffins, but many other seabirds as well, kitiwakes, manx shearwater, gannets, gulls, storm petrel, fulmar, guillemots and razorbills. Or at least according to our very informative guide we saw them all. We also saw a peregrine falcon, a blackbird and a Robin.

Puffins in the water and I think kitiwakes on the cliff

And we saw common grey seals and harbour porpoise

Apparently the week before there were over 200 seals on this beach

It was an exhilarating trip

We got what we wanted, we saw puffins the sunset and Wales

The next morning our beautiful view was somewhat obscured,

But it didn’t dampen our spirits because one of us had a birthday to celebrate

One thing we discovered, that as a tourist, the Pembrokeshire coast is heavily geared towards outdoor attraction (and quite rightly so) we drove over to St David’s and enjoyed the cathedral but the rain was coming down in barrel fulls and even exploring the little streets wasn’t much fun. Outdoor attractions need sunshine, cause despite there being lots of castles in the area, non of them still have a roof.

And of course as soon as we called it quits and trudged home for a nice meal in one of the fancy restaurants,

the sun came out and provided a bit of a sunset

And we went to bed looking forward to the night day tomorrow

Mooching the Macc and Peak

The past 2 months have been somewhat frustrating. Having the culvert collapse somewhere around Scholar’s Green just a few days before we about to cruise past, somewhat put a halt to our plans. Instead of spending the New Year in Stone, we were stuck on the Macc and our first cruise of 2024 was made heading north not south as planned.

Heading out of Bollington, past Clarence Mill,

New Year’s day 2024, going north past Clarence Mill

Stopping for fuel at Baileys trading post,

And whilst Eric tried to stiffle his cat allergy sneezes, our new friend tried to work out how to get off Firecrest to return to their own ship

Not knowing how long the breach was going to take to repair we settled down to await the delivery of more updates from CRT

Hearing that the next update wouldn’t be until end of January, we packed up and went home to see the family for a belated Christmas

We had to cut short our visit home because the forecast changed drastically and temperatures plummeted,

And the next day the snow arrived

One of the good things about a big freeze, is that Ice makes for some fascinating patterns

And the ground is solid so going for walks is a treat, not a muddy quagmire.

We thawed out eventually and made it up to Marple

Looking towards the junction onto the Peak Forest

We were getting quite annoyed now, updates from CRT telling us what they were doing to fix the breach, but nothing about how long they expected the work to take. Should we turn around here or go onto the Peak forest Canal. We emailed CRT and got quite an apologetic reply acknowledging their oversight in not giving a predicted completion – it should be done by END of March… oh my goodness, that would be over 3 months to fill the hole. At least we could pace our meanderings, Whaley Bridge, here we come.

Looking back towards New Mills from Furness Vale

Through the lifts bridges

Past the swizzles factory,

We walked from Furness Vale back into New Mills, admiring the amazing skill of the people who built the bridges

and finally we cruised into Bugsworth Basin

One of our favourite destinations, Bugsworth Basin.

Christmas on the Macc

With all our commitments complete, it was time to consider our cruising plans. We’d like to explore East Anglia next summer, which means moving south. CRT”s planned winter maintenance on the locks around Etruria meant we needed to off the Macc and beyond that point by New Year. Or we’d get caught by the stoppage till end of January. Fate had other plans. Making good progress, we stopped off in Macclesfield on 13th December to pick up provisions, only to recieve the notification that same day that there was a leaking culvert at Kents Green Bridge, (South of Congleton). Stop planks had been installed to stop the leak and navigation was closed from the Bosley locks. But was it fate? If we had been one day earlier, we would have been stranded on a rural section with no facilities nearby to keep us fed and watered. Updates were promised on the 18th December so we sort permission to overstay on the Macclesfield pontoon. A friend sent us this image from a FB post, it didnt look good.

And that was just the surface…. who knows what lies below.

With some potentially some grim cold, wet and windy weather on its way, we already knew in our hearts that the likelihood of the repair being complete was slim. Although technically possible to cruise 20 or so miles in 2 days to reach Etruria, it wasn’t going to be a fun challenge. We braced ourselves for the worst scenario. We were stuck. Instead of feeling glum, we made the most of Macclesfield and set about decorating the boat for Christmas.

I think our lights were outshone by the sunset

And I took advantage of the quick train into Manchester to meet up with Mum and Aunty for the day.

The promised update arrived on the 18th and alas as we feared, the repair was still ongoing. Our decision was made: we’d turn around and stay put -OK not actually stay put, but stay north of Macclesfield on the Macc and Peak Forest canals until we were able to cruise freely at our own pace. Even if that wouldn’t be until February. We considered the practicality of buying ourselves a house, this one had a certain appeal.

But first, Christmas in Bollington. A place we always enjoy returning to.

We were lucky to get a mooring on the aqueduct looking towards Clarence Mill. Although the view wasn’t always quite this tranquil as storms hit us and most of our 14 day stay was wet and windy, though thankfully not cold. And whilst we didn’t see that much sun, we did enjoy another spectacular moonbow

We enjoyed some good food at the Vale Inn, washed down with beer from their own brewery – well worth returning to.

that’s a Christmas dinner burger, yes it even included gravy in the bun.

We joined the community singing carols around the tree on Christmas eve.

the singing enhanced by mulled wine and a brass band

A scrumptious turkey for Christmas day thanks to Heathcotes butchers, -definitely a place we’ll return to

We decided to spend New Year’s Eve on the boat and thanks to the aqueducts elevation, thought we’d enjoy the towns fireworks at midnight. The weather got the better of us and it was just too wet to be outside although as the celebrations continued for over an our not everyone was bothered. Personally I prefer early mornings to late nights.

New Year’s Day 2024 didn’t disappoint.

What better way to start a new year than a cruise.

The latest CRT update came through yesterday. The canal is still closed at Bridge 85 and the next update is on 10th January.

Happy New Year,

Goodbye Autumn Hello Winter

Autumn seemed to arrive late and disappear early this year, or at least we think so. But what we did see of it was worth it.

With several more commitments off the boat we needed good access to public transport. Half way between Middlewood and High Lane provided us with good options, and a lovely walking route.

We couldn’t resist a cruise down memory lane either as we decided to go onto the Peak Forest canal for a week or two.

And we managed to get a perfect view of the Halo Moon

But of course clear skies make for a frosty morning

Our neice has just moved to the area so she came to see us and enjoyed the cruise into Bugsworth Basin

We took the opportunity to catch up with several friends that we made in 2017 when we’d moved onto Firecrest but weren’t able to leave the Braidbar

We said our goodbyes to Buggy and the Sunny,

And before we knew it winter had arrived

The canal was frozen for a week and the only boat daft enough to break the ice was a CRT work boat travelling at speed. We were livid, and wish we’d thought to take a number down to complain. The snow didn’t last long, unlike the snow that fell at mum’s up in the Lake District, they got 12 inches most of it falling in just an hour or two. No wonder it took them by surprise. I caught the train up a few days after and although most had gone, the views remained spectacular

and going back to wake up to my favourite view from my teenage bedroom

Back onto the Bridgewater

As we couldn’t trust being able to cruise the full length of Leeds and Liverpool, we’ve opted to meander towards Chester. We’re going to stay in the northwest with the hope that we can cruise east next spring. But watch this space things could change. So for now we’ve booked ourselves 7 nights on the Bridgewater, to unlock the rest of our summer

Its scary seeing the size of lock gates out of the canal

Our RHS tickets were valid until the end of the month so we stopped off for the night outside RHS Bridgewater Garden

Its just over two months since we were last here, and the plants had magically transformed from a mass of purple iris and alliums into a hot bed of oranges and yellows. Hard to say which season I prefer. RHS Bridgewater is very much a 21st century garden where nature has been embraced and encouraged. Several potentially formal herbaceous borders were scattered with wild flowers seeds and the rewards were worthy of Monnet’s painting skills, or perhaps Jackson Pollock could splatter some colour like this.

Our meanderings into the art world took us into the heart of Manchester, as we took a detour and turned left at Stretford for a night moored in Castlefields. We were lucky to be able to meet up with Rito and overwhelmed by the choice of what to do in the city, we opted for the Manchester Art Gallery

You can never quite tell what impact an art gallery is going to make. Some are stuffed with halls and halls of old masters which beyond appreciating the detail and talent of the artist, leave me a bit bored. Manchester hit the nail on the head by mixing up the periods, giving them context, and celebrating local art in all shapes and forms, and really made us stop and wonder

We saw a fair few Lowry’s, but outside I had to pay homage to a hero of mine, Emmeline Pankhurst who came from Manchester, thankyou.

Cruising through Manchester has a bit of a reputation, and it wasn’t certain that we would be able to get a mooring in Castlefields but we were lucky, we found a space and it felt safe enough. Interesting being surrounded by the old and modern buildings, ( although I think the planning board need to consider the aesthetic impact of the high rises)

Castlefields by day evening and early morning

Rito went home to sleep in his own bed overnight, but joined us again as we cruised back out of central Manchester. Past the start (or end) of the Rochdale canal,

Im not sure I fancy going through that lock

And some very impressive arches carrying the transport infrastructure that helped make Manchester the thriving city it is.

Past some impressive street art, and some bad graffiti,

the city of Manchester adopted the image of of the worker bee over 150 years ago because it encompasses the ethic of hard work and a hive of activity

Past the famous football ground,

And back into the “country side”