Well of course we are reeling from the shock of this week's news. It all makes me very depressed. How can people be so stupid? I mean who would think Toblerone would do a thing like that?
Well we all need cheering up, and nothing beats a bit of schadenfreude so feel free to read on and enjoy my misfortune.
Now that the weather has at last taken a turn for the worse and the nights have drawn in, we decided to spend a week or so on Herbie. On the first morning we looked out of the boat window and the gale lashing across the marina and decided to stay put. On the second morning it was cold but the wind had dropped so we disconnected the shore power, got out the ropes from their dry storage, took in the fenders, checked the oil and water, put on our hats and gloves and switched on the engine. Or tried to. The starter battery was dead despite having been on charge all night. Drat!
I wasn't too surprised as last time out I noticed it was struggling a bit and we have had it for several years. Anway, I jumped in the car and headed off to Halfords in Banbury, only fifteen minutes away where I bought a shiny new one that looked about the right size and the right number of Cold Cranking Amps. So, off back to the boat to remove the old battery and slide in the new one. Simples. Well the new battery fitted the space OK, but I hadn't noticed in the shop that the plus and minus connecting posts were the other way round. "Oh bother" I exclaimed (well words to that effect anyway). The cables in the battery compartment are thick and short and no way would they stretch to the right place. So back to the nice man at Halfords who found me a different battery with posts the right way round.
This one fitted, but not without some skinned knuckles trying to fit the clamps over the posts at fingertip length in the semi dark. By now we had gone off the idea of boating for the day so we retired to the cabin as several very heavy showers soaked my nice dry centre ropes. This is all beginning to sound like one of Bones's Tillergraph articles don't you think?
So this morning we awoke to blue skies and warmish sun and set off towards Banbury. Apart from moored boats, the canal is desolate. We soon realised the reason for this. We are cut off from the rest of the canal system by winter stoppages, a closed lock in the Napton flight and a bridge repair below Aynho. Even if the hire boat companies had any customers, they couldn't send them here, so we arrived in Banbury with oodles of free mooring space. At last something to cheer me up. I'm thinking of going into Poundland and buying their entire stock of £1 Toblerone before the new skinny ones arrive.
A leaflet dropped on the boat tells us there is to be a historical reenactment outside the library tomorrow. Apparently people will be firing muskets on the lift bridge outside the shopping centre. Things are looking up.
Well we all need cheering up, and nothing beats a bit of schadenfreude so feel free to read on and enjoy my misfortune.
Now that the weather has at last taken a turn for the worse and the nights have drawn in, we decided to spend a week or so on Herbie. On the first morning we looked out of the boat window and the gale lashing across the marina and decided to stay put. On the second morning it was cold but the wind had dropped so we disconnected the shore power, got out the ropes from their dry storage, took in the fenders, checked the oil and water, put on our hats and gloves and switched on the engine. Or tried to. The starter battery was dead despite having been on charge all night. Drat!
I wasn't too surprised as last time out I noticed it was struggling a bit and we have had it for several years. Anway, I jumped in the car and headed off to Halfords in Banbury, only fifteen minutes away where I bought a shiny new one that looked about the right size and the right number of Cold Cranking Amps. So, off back to the boat to remove the old battery and slide in the new one. Simples. Well the new battery fitted the space OK, but I hadn't noticed in the shop that the plus and minus connecting posts were the other way round. "Oh bother" I exclaimed (well words to that effect anyway). The cables in the battery compartment are thick and short and no way would they stretch to the right place. So back to the nice man at Halfords who found me a different battery with posts the right way round.
This one fitted, but not without some skinned knuckles trying to fit the clamps over the posts at fingertip length in the semi dark. By now we had gone off the idea of boating for the day so we retired to the cabin as several very heavy showers soaked my nice dry centre ropes. This is all beginning to sound like one of Bones's Tillergraph articles don't you think?
So this morning we awoke to blue skies and warmish sun and set off towards Banbury. Apart from moored boats, the canal is desolate. We soon realised the reason for this. We are cut off from the rest of the canal system by winter stoppages, a closed lock in the Napton flight and a bridge repair below Aynho. Even if the hire boat companies had any customers, they couldn't send them here, so we arrived in Banbury with oodles of free mooring space. At last something to cheer me up. I'm thinking of going into Poundland and buying their entire stock of £1 Toblerone before the new skinny ones arrive.
A leaflet dropped on the boat tells us there is to be a historical reenactment outside the library tomorrow. Apparently people will be firing muskets on the lift bridge outside the shopping centre. Things are looking up.
1 comment:
Oh Neil, the best laid plans and all that...never mind. At least you are on Herbie. The best place to be!
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