A Week boating

I have just returned from a weeks cruising along the Trent and Mersey canal. we have had rain, hail and thunder, frozen ropes and chance meetings with other bloggers. First of all, we met Lesley and Joe from NB Yarwood and another couple from NB Damper van at Great Heywood, it is nice to meet in the flesh writers of the blogs you read. Damper van is planning a blog, so I will be watching out for that one to read. Then later on in the day we cruised past Seyellas Journey at the waterpoint, Geoff once helped me and some friends up the Audlem flight in a particularly unloved hire boat, I tooted to say hello, but they were busy as no-one came out, but Meg was out and gave us a little look.

Later on the ducks made us laugh, I had some meal worms I had bought for the Robins and they made quick work of those, after we closed the hatch doors they pecked at the side of the boat until late into the night wanting more. Cheeky buggers

We spent my birthday at Alrewas and had a lovely Chinese from there, we also met the crew of another Aqua boat, Aqua life. I was so pooped, I ended up going to bed at 8pm!! We did take advantage of Coates the butchers the next day and got a beef stew on the go to cook while we cruised.

I faced my nemesis at Great Haywood, I turned the boat AND reversed into the water point without hitting a thing despite the man from Anglo Welsh watching!! Hahahahaha. I must admit, I am much more confident now, that's experience I suppose and now I am teaching my friend Susan to steer so I can have a breather sometimes. I always learn something new each trip and the Aqua staff give us a fantastic handover. They had an open day the day after we left the marina so had some of the boats they had built in the berths next to us, must say I am very impressed with their boat building. Privately owned Aida was alongside and looked very very nice

Here are some pics of the trip

Reflections at our overnight mooring just past Kings Bromley Marina

Me taking it easy at Bartons Turn Locks

Misty sunrise at Great Haywood

Work

You know, work is a funny old place. In the past 4 years I have had 2 managers leave, both grade 7 and they think I can carry off their work load and still remain a lowly grade 5. I now have someone standing in, for the last 6 months he keeps telling me we must go through my HERA form.

HERA is a form we have to fill in, they say it takes 2 days, but it is more like 2 weeks. We fill it in giving examples of the work we do under different headings. Communications, team management etc. It is so complicated that our HR department, unlike other university HR departments, apply what they want. So far my stand in manager has told me: It's not about how many staff you manage, but about the type of work they do. Quite insulting I reckon for a team of excellent telephonists who know everything about every department in the university and are the first port of call for the irate callers who need to fume because another department doesn't do something correctly! HERA guide lines, kindly supplied to me by the union, do not say this at all. Their only comment on managing a team, is that anything over 2 staff is considered a team. Not a thing about the work they don't or do do!

Monthly, I provide a report, that gets presented to the executive group, I don't present it, but I do produce it. I added that to my HERA form, the stand in manager says I have 'Over egged the pudding' because I also have to present this report, BUT, that's not what the HERA guide lines tell me. They say nothing about presenting it........So it seems, the current (temporary) manager wants me to put what he wants rather than what I actually do, because, god forbid, I may get a pay upgrade and he can't have that because telecoms is an easy target to claw money back for the areas they have overspent on. So, because I have told him if it is not included I will no longer do it, he stalls and stalls actually getting around to filling in  the HERA form.

Yesterday, my Dad had a accident with a bus door. Anyone else would get a bruise, but because he has very thin skin, the bus door tore his skin back exposing all the fat and what muscle he has. Understandably, he is in some discomfort and using the arm is difficult for him, so bearing in mind I can take 4 days paid family emergency leave, I phoned my manager to ask if I could work from home for a few days. You'd thinks I'd asked for a years paid leave! I must call him today to see 'how the situation is'. My Dad is almost 89 so doesn't have super human healing powers and until I am sure he can use his arm and has a new dressing to make sure it is healing o.k, how that is going to change?

I despair, perhaps he judges me on what he does when he is 'working from home'. In my case if I don't it will pile up until I am in the office so it doesn't benefit me at all being at home! The only luxury of working from home is I get is to go make up free, which I am finding a chore on a daily basis these days.

Benefits Street

I touched on this Channel 4 program yesterday. Did you see it? Benefits Street? It made me very very angry as a working tax payer, but probably not for the reasons you think.

This pile of crap, which was meant to be a  'factual' T.V program, angered me because I was supposed to think that it represented a typical person on benefits. The people involved were told it was about community spirit. It was one sided and biased, made by idiots who wants us to believe the hype that all people on benefits are just like them. Let me tell you, they are not. Here are some figures widely available to all who care to Google them.

£1.6bn of the benefits budget is lost to fraud, while £16bn lies unclaimed by people who are entitled to claim it. 0.7% is lost to fraud of the TOTAL benefits bill

1.35 million people claim unemployment benefit, only 190 of those people have 10 kids or more.

Wealthy tax dodgers cost the exchequer £25bn a year

About 40% of the benefits bill is paid to OAP's who have paid into the system all their working lives.

Most benefits are paid to working low income families because the bosses are allowed to pay rock bottom wages

If we used the money saved by the bedroom tax, it would take a 1000 years (Yes a 1000 years) to pay back what the government lost selling off the Post Office cheaply to their chums.

Benefits Street caused outrage to people who really should know better. I sat and listened to LBC yesterday as all these 'outraged taxpayers' condemmed people on benefits, so think on this

In the 1930's Hitler convinced the German people that all their financial ails were the fault of the Jews and we all know how that turned out don't we? Remember, the media need to keep to a sensational agenda so their ratings go up or those poor priviliged producers/editors may just find themselves in the very place they try to trash.

Time and money wasting

Some time ago, I blogged about my daughter, Christine, and the fact that she has developed a long term chronic illness. For over a year now she has been immobile and as time has progressed has been told that she will likely remain this way for the next 2-5 years as it has been brought on by a virus. She is waiting for a clinical appointment at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. In that time she has been referred, by them, to Newham adult social services to get assessed at home and in the meantime agonised and then decided to apply for Personal Independence Payment which is the new benefit replacing Disability Living Allowance. She applied in July 2013.

13 weeks passed before she was given an appointment to go to Earlsfield, which is just past Wandsworth. She is unable to use public transport, can't travel long distances in a car, and as she lives in East London, travelling from one side of London to the other, during a week day is a long journey. A few days before that appointment, they cancelled and offered her another 2 days later at the same place, to be there for 9am , there was no way she would possibly be able to go to that appointment, it would mean getting up at 5am (it takes her a long time to get ready, all part of her condition) to leave at 7am to drive through rush hour traffic across central London. They would pay taxi fares, so they gave her another appointment at Clerkenwell for the 28 of November.

On the 28th of November, she took at taxi to Clerkenwell at the cost to herself of £34 (It takes 14 working days to reimburse taxi fares) all the time she has little money as her husband has been put on half pay by his very understanding employer. She arrived in time, to be asked why she was there as the assessment had been cancelled. Understandably she was upset, fatigued and angry. When her husband called, they said they had called the evening before on their home number, he informed them the land line phone wasn't working and gave them his mobile number and checked that they had hers which they did, so why they didn't call that too is incomprehensible. They promised her an urgent appointment. That appointment was made for today back at Earlsfield.

Today, Christine and her husband, took a taxi (£64) to the other side of London to be told ,when she got there, that ATOS had cancelled the appointment again! She phoned me on the verge of tears so I phoned ATOS for her.

I actually spoke to very nice lady, who told me they had called her the evening before to cancel the appointment, I asked what number they had used, she said she didn't make the call, but the first number was...then quoted her land line number. I pointed out that they had been informed before not to use the number and checked they had both her and her husbands mobile, they only had hers, so the previous phone call had fallen on deaf ears! She admitted to me that there were notes on her file to say this was the 4th appointment that had been cancelled and suggested  they cancel someone else. She also told me that the previous payment for the taxi fare hadn't been processed until the 17th of December and that after that it would take 14 working days to reach her account, so we can assume that the £64 she paid out today will take over a month to be reimbursed. Do the sums, that is £98 wasted by ATOS through their incompetency. More than a 'shirker' gets for a weeks unemployment benefit. There are assessment centres just 1 and 3 miles away, but they deem she needs to see a physiotherapist. If her own GP cannot fathom the effects of her illness how the hell willl a physiotherapist?

I feel angry and powerless, the image the government would like you to believe is that all benefit claimants are like  the pile of shit Channel 4 broadcast called Benefits street. Don't even get me started on that. I emailed customer services at ATOS today and told them they weren't fit for purpose and have made a complaint to my MP for all the good it will do!

Is it a ploy to wear people down so they give up? 'Save' the working tax payer some money. Let's face it, by awarding a contract to such a negligent company costs us thousands already.

Today, I really thought, at last, she would get assessed and then hopefully life will be a little better for her, but all that has happened is their apathetic attitude has left me speechless.

Fine Friday

Yesterday I went for a visit to see Les and Jaq. I left nice and early in some quite windy and wet weather. As I neared my turn off on the M25, up ahead I could see what looked like smoke. It was very dark and hazy as I drove into a hail storm. To say the driving conditions were horrendous would about sum it up, in an instant, visibility went from a good view up the motorway to about 3 feet as well as turning from day to night, just like that. I slowed to a safe speed (50) the lorry behind loomed into my rear view mirror, cars whizzed past continuing to do 70+. Why do drivers do this? Eventually the lorry overtook and I took my turn off for the A41. While waiting at the roundabout lights, a police car came tearing down the turn off, blue lights flashing, then a police car queuing at the lights pulled out, blue lights flashing, as the lights turned green, 3 fire engines came speeding from my right, I stopped to allow them to pass, then I turned onto the A41.

It was like driving on a melting ice rink, water had pooled in large areas, making the cars brake to avoid aquaplaning. it really wasn't nice driving weather. About 5 minutes in, the traffic came to a halt. Now I knew where all those emergency vehicles were going and really I should have known shouldn't I?. Way up ahead there had been an accident. There was no traffic coming along the opposite carriage way and that is where I stayed for the next hour and a half. I text Les and Jaq to let them know what had happened but I had no idea how long it was going to take. 2 ambulances pushed their way in between the stationary cars and lorries. All we could do was wait and wait and wait. I listened to the traffic news, who was telling us that the heli amblance was in attendance. Someone was probably fighting for their life so I had no cause to complain.

After 45 minutes, I started to need the toilet, oh doesn't that always happen? the banks of the A41 were steep, I started to go through a mental list of possibilities. Did I have any type of container in the car? Nope only bottles, no good for us ladies. I really must get on Dragons Den to invent a pop up tent that us ladies can station over a convenient drain! Luckily I got moving before it go too bad. I was 10 minutes from Les and Jaq's mooring, how frustrating.

It was lovely to see them, Les has been ill and is currently recovering from an operation to remove a tumour, and I am please to say, recovering well now. Jaq cooked the most perfect Minestrone soup, the recipe of which you can find on their blog on the link above. Then dessert, which was fab too. Jaq originates from Alaska and has spent most of her life in the U.S before meeting Les and sweeping him off of his feet. Les and I both agree, she is weird because she says apple pie and custard is two desserts, in the states, custard is a dessert, well I am sorry, they are just plain wrong, custard is a topping to be used at every opportunity. It was fantastic to spend some time with them, even though I made them wait for their lunch! I highly recommend the soup and the Italian bread pudding, they were both delicious, along with her Ginger cake and the cream cakes I took along. It was a very cakeful, happy visit, and I am so glad they let me visit them on the boat, even though Les tells me I am not a real boater! (Yet, Les, Yet) For me, it was a relaxing start to the new year and I am glad to say, no fatalities in the traffic accident.

Christmas and a revelation

Christmas went quite well this year, I had six of us for dinner, which is an accomplishment if you read the previous blog. It certainly makes me feel confident about cooking Christmas dinner on a boat, when I get it, that is. instead of piling our plates with food, I set it all out on the table and let people help themselves. result? 6 people around the table with nice full stomachs, but not bursting to the point that they couldn't find room for dessert! Dessert was a spectacular cheat I bought from M & S. The largest dish of profiteroles 6 can gorge eat on a layer of chocolate mousse. Plus a gluten free meringue and Christmas pud for Dad (He is the only one who eats it and is still cutting chunks off as I type!)

Anyway, now to the relevlation, I got lots of Amazon vouchers from my family and money from my Dad for Christmas, so I bought myself a Kindle Paperwhite. I have resisted for a long time, I love my books, my favorite place to be is a bookshop or a library, browsing through and looking at covers. Lately though, I have noticed that my thumbs and wrists start to really hurt when I hold a book, the type is getting smaller despite glasses and they are starting to clutter up the already cluttered house. You know what? I love it, I can lay it down so I don't make my thumbs sore and just turn the page by running my finger across the page. I can read 3 books at a time without losing my page, words I am not sure of their meaning (there aren't many) I can hi-light and a dictionary pops up and tells me what they mean. Some books come with X-Ray, so if I have forgotten a character, I can hi-light the name and get a recap, I can increase the font size, I can read it in the dark and it will slip beautifully into my bag for my journeys to work. I have loaded 8 books already and actually spent the whole day reading it yesterday. I should have bought one a long time ago. I am not really a gadget person, but I adore this gadget most definitely.

Anyway people/person that's my last post for 2013. I am going to  try to be a better blogger next year. Happy New Year

In a void and don't know who to turn to

Words spoken at Nelson Mandelas funeral by his dear friend and fellow prisoner Ahmed Kathrada. Those words just about sum up how I have been feeling of late

I am feeling the loss of Sharon greatly, to the point of verging on depression. I visited her Mum in September and didn't realise how stressed going to Crewe would make me feel. I have yet to go to my house, which is within spitting distance of where she used to live. The thought of going there has been churning my stomach, but at some point I have to go. I think I have decided to sell. I say I think, because one minute it seems the best idea so that I can make a very healthy start to my boat fund, then a new tenant signs up and I think I will leave it for a bit longer. It would certainly make sense to sell because while I am living cheaply with my Dad I can add to my fund as if I were still paying my mortgage and get that boat a bit quicker than anticipated. On the other hand, they don't sell as quickly up there and while I have a tenant covering costs I may as well take advantage of it and see if the housing market is stable.

There have  been some major problems with my Dads house this year too. For a long time there has been what we thought was blown plaster on one of the internal walls, but then I noticed a crack going right through the bathroom wall upstairs and then a massive crack in the corner of the back room. it took ages to try and persuade my Dad to call in a surveyor, but after checking his buildings insurance policy and then showing some photos to a building engineer from work I took the decision away from him and called the insurance company. They sent in a surveyor and what we thought was blown plaster was actually a massive crack. The back of the house is pulling away from the front due to subsidence. They have drilled bore holes and put cameras down the drains and it seems that for a very long time the drain has been cracked and leaking moisture into the ground making the corner of the house twist. They have fixed the drain with a liner and work to do the subsidence repairs will start in January. I have told my Dad he also needs to modernise. I cook in a kitchen roughly the size of a narrow boat galley, which is fine if you live on a narrow boat. It is a nasty grotty old kitchen and there is plenty of scope to come backwards into the back living room and make it bigger, cleaner and modern. I have put my foot down, he doesn't do the cooking, I do! The thought of all that mess and building work is very stressful, with the added problem of where will my Dad go during it. He could go to my sister in Devon, but he doesn't want to and I don't think she wants him to either.

Next week I have to take my daughter to see her Dad. She hasn't had any contact with him since she was 19 and she will be 34 next week. Before that, the contact with her Dad was sporadic and then non existent after the age of 9. I have always tried to be dignified about her Dad. What he did to me isn't anything to do with her and I have always tried to balance my Mums view that he is a bastard. He was, to me, not to Chris. In the past he has had some major drug issues, I am sure he thinks she doesn't know and it sounds as if he is not proud of his life, but he remarried and had 4 sons and Christine wants to get to know them and her father now she is in the right frame of mind to do so. She has a chronic illness which is going to be long term, she is unable to travel on a train so it is me who will have to deliver her to his house. After the last time I saw him, I saw a pitiful human being and made a conscious decision to forgive, but I am worried. She has expectations, her brothers have expectations and I don't want anyone to get hurt. I will just have to stand back and let her make her own choices.

In all I can't say 2013 has been a good year. I have lost a dear friend, then a lovely colleague from work. I can only hope that 2014 is much better. Now I have it all written down I have decided it is time to move forward. Merry Christmas everyone and a happy New Year.

Sharon

Clank, you have been a dear friend for the last 40 years. We met on the 262 bus coming home one night from Plaistow Grammar school, you sat behind me and said: Have you got a light? and I replied: Have you got a fag? That was the start of a fabulous friendship.

At 17 you became pregnant and was terrified of telling your parents so didn't. The day you gave birth to Paul was a terrible shock for your Mum and Dad, but your Mum held fast and told your Dad, you were going home with the baby. They ran around getting second hand baby things so you could go home, and so life with Paul began. At 6 months you discovered he would be what was then termed as 'handicapped' but it made you love him more. You got a job and through that job you met Svend, got married and went to live in Norway.

While you lived there we must have exchanged thousands of letters, putting messages on the back of the envelopes for the postmen. By that time I was divorced and had Christine and was working too. Christine and I came to Norway to visit you. I have wonderful memories of going out to Park Dancing, the fjords, the taxi queue at Drammen. As your marriage to Svend sadly crumbled and died, you discovered you were pregnant with Inge-Lise. You stayed in Norway, Paul was thriving, you had made yourself a good life there and loved the country and it's people. Those letters contained some of our brightest days and darkest nights.

By the time you returned to England, you had another beautiful daughter, Linn-Marie. You tried living in Eastbourne, returned to Norway, then came again to Manchester. You were in a relationship with a monster and finally got the strength to end it and moved into a house in Crewe. You showed me the delights of the area and I ended up buying a house close to you, going there at weekends.

Just before I moved up I got a call from your then partner, Richard. You had had some health problems and his words to me were: Sharon has lost most of her bowel, she is in the high dependancy unit and they are not sure she will make it through the night. Can you go and tell her Mum as she has no idea she was even ill. I went to your Mum, borrowed my dads car and drove to Crewe through all kinds of horrendous traffic. I felt sick to the pit of my stomach hoping hoping hoping we would get there in time. We arrived late and Richard took us straight to the hospital, what greeted us was a nightmare. You had tubes coming out of everywhere, a stoma bag attached to your stomach. As I leaned over to give you a kiss, the stoma bag gurgled and you smiled and said: Hear that? That's me farting and that got me laughing and crying all at the same time.

From that moment, you began to get better. Your spirit and desire to live overcame all the following disabilities you had to live with. Having to go onto TPN for the rest of your life didn't stop you doing anything. You did everything you wanted to do, even when people were telling you you shouldn't. Holidays, days out. You liked nothing better than being out in the sunshine. No matter how bad a day it was for you you battled through it and did exactly what you wanted.

You adored your kids, loved your animals, when Tilda came along, she was the apple of your eye. You were strong, funny. Your outrageous laugh that doubled you over made everyone around you laugh. You never judged, always had sound advice, talked for England. Loved people, loved life.

In the early hours of Thurday morning I went with your family to your bedside and sat while you fought your last battle. I sat and held your hand and told you how much I loved you and what a fantastic friend you have been. I left because I didn't want to stay to the very end. But I am oh so happy that I had the chance to say goodbye.

So now, this is one darkest night I cannot share with you and I will miss you so much. Life without you in it seems very dark indeed. But you have left me with some of the best memories I will ever have. You leave behind, your Mum Sheila, Paul, Lise, Linn-Marie, Tilda and a host of people who shared your life on-line and off line, some very close, some not. I love you my dear friend and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything we shared throughout our lives. Where ever you are, I wish you peace, I hope you are  bent over double laughing that laugh, talking non stop and dancing your socks off.

Sharon Jacobsen 1st Sept 1960-16th May 2013

Dads Memories

Dad tells me so many stories about his childhood and younger years I have started to write them down here

All change?

Well it has been a horrible week. A big meeting at work last week gave us the news that they were 'looking into' outsourcing various departments, namely HR recruitment and payroll, procurement and ISS (Or IT to most people). My department, telecoms, comes under ISS. I have been there and done that. In the past I have worked for 2 companies, but was paid by  different ones. Apart from the university not having to pay salaries, pension and N.I I cannot see how outsourcing will be cheaper. Firstly there is the 20% VAT, then the company has to put their mark up on, which is usually in the region of 15% to 20%. The decision is going to the board on the 28th of September, because obviously, ISS needs to be kept sweet for the most important period, clearing.

I don't actually know how I feel. I so wanted to get to the minimum retirement age of 55 with the uni, the pension is good, not massive like most people believe, because I earn an average of £7000 less a year than the private sector, but good enough. On the other hand, I still have a mortgage and have been paying it down to clear it early so I at least have some security. I have a lot of equity in it, but I didn't particularly want to sell it so soon. The minimum retirement is 2 years away and would have given me a safety blanket.

Course, I have been hearing this since we merged in 2001, so the tendency is to be a bit dismissive of it. The trouble is, the head honcho does not listen to advice. He pretends to listen but then does his own thing anyway and quite honestly he doesn't have time for 'administrators' he seems to think a lecturer can carry on without them. The staff not affected say 'well at least you will have a job' and this is true, but having been on the outsourced side, it doesn't garner any loyalty to the company you work for. One company I worked for didn't really have a clue about the business needs it was servicing. It was an environment (merchant banking) that was very fast paced, where everything was wanted yesterday. Their idea of trouble shooting was to have  meetings over a period of weeks to 'identyfy' the problem when really the problem was, we didn't provide it yesterday!!

I will just have to see what happens and in the meantime keep my eye on the job market, I seem to be the wrong side of 50, but you never know do you? To be honest, the thought of not working unsettles me as I have always worked since I left school (apart from a  year off to have my daughter) But I have paid my required 35 years of NI (And the rest) so my OAP pension will pay me out (When I am 66). Exciting times perhaps? I will know soon enough.

A busy week and a nice visit

April is turning out to be a month of conferences and courses. Wednesday saw me at Moorgate, I didn't particularly want to go into the city due to 'that' funeral, but Moorgate was quiet and strangely, the course quite interesting. Thursday I had a course on 'managing attendance'.

When my daughter worked at TFL any sick was always followed up by a 'return to work interview' I really didn't see the point of this because if you are sick, you are sick. Even if you think the person is swinging the lead, what can you do, apart from accuse them of outright lying? But I did find it useful. Luckily for me, I do have excellent staff who really don't go sick much, but should it ever happen, I am happy about asking in a constructive way, rather than all guns blazing!!. We had to stop during the course as a bloody great shower of hailstones came down, smashing against the windows making it impossible to hear the trainer!! Personally  think it would have been more appropriate for the morning of the day before as we had a few loud claps of thunder as well, except some mighty fine service personnel would have got wet.

Then, I went on a lovely visit yesterday to Paddington Basin to catch up with Les and Jaq. It must be coming up for a year since we last met and the afternoon was spent getting a lesson on single handed boating, laughing at Les's mishaps as a single handed boater and generally putting the world to rights and yes, there was cake involved. I really enjoy catching up with them, when you see them together it always puts the world to right for me!! Thank you Les and Jaq, it is always fab catching up with you both and  I hope you enjoy your trip up the Lea.

This morning, however, I have to make a trip to the optician. My glasses fell onto the floor overnight and I got out of bed this morning and stepped right on them, snapping them in two. I do have a spare pair, but I did need my eyes tested anyway so I will have to get to the optician. He is great but always let him manages to talk me into expensive frames.

It looks likely to be a pleasant day today, so it's in with the washing and off for a shower.

Some Snow Cruise Photo's



Cruising by





Sue, the intrepid explorer



Looking out of the window to discover it's snowed

Branston Water Park



Going through the lock



A week off

I have taken this week off, I had the kids for 3 days to take them out, with Mum being ill at the moment, they are stuck in doors a lot of the time. It also gave me the opportunity to get the house in order, as Dad does little now when I am away. It all needed a good vacuum and polish and yes, today, finally I have managed to get washing out on the line.

There is something really good about being able to dry the washing outside, I hate the onset of winter because clothes are just not the same dried indoors. Simple pleasures are always the best ones.

I stocked up the food cupboard earlier and all I have to do this weekend is relax and get my mind set ready to go back to work on Monday. I am grateful I have a job but I have come to actually hate it. I never was one for being lazy, but a lot of the time I find myself thinking of excuses as to why I cannot go in!! (I always DO go in though)

I have a lot of work to catch up with when I get back as there is no one to cover my job at the moment. No doubt I will go back to a whole load of support jobs but it will at least make my day go quicker.

Right, I am off to finish the washing seeing as it is drying in record time. I must then get my potato seeds planted in the bags. Have a good weekend all

Music

I so love music, I have quite a varied taste which doesn't extend to really heavy metal or country, but a hotchpotch all the same.

Today I have been listening to some old David Bowie and Life On Mars. Immediately 2 friends spring to mind, sadly both dead. The first was

Terry
Terry was a handsome little chap, really cute looking at the tender age of 15. We used to meet him in Greengate cafe during school lunch breaks or truanting time!! He went to a different school to us but was always smiling and had a real mischievious streak. The minute Life on Mars came on the cafe radio, he came alive and began miming with gusto, he also played air drums to I love you, love me, love'. He was into banger racing and absolutely adored David Bowie. Once he left school we didn't see him except for him driving a moped down Prince Regents lane where he happily tooted and waved. Eventually he married and had 3 kids, built up his own business and moved out to Essex. About 8 or 9 years ago I came across him on Friends Reunited. His business had gone to the wall due to a business partner running off with the money. He'd lost a lot, a house in Florida, almost his house in Essex. But his family had stuck by him. We swapped numbers and spoke occassionally. He was still a smiler and mischievious. After not speaking to him for 18 months I sent him a text: Oye Terry! Are you dead?' a few days later he called. 'No' he said 'but I have been diagnosed with cancer. They have no idea where it has origniated from but it is a secondary. I am having Chemo and feel great' That was the last conversation I had with him. I got a call from his wife 18 months later telling me he had died. She said, positive and smiling till the day before he died, when the reality sunk in and he went off peacefully. Terry was 53

Peter
I had known Peter from his childhood, he was 8 years younger than me, but hung around with a friends brother. He was much the same as Terry. Always smiling and michievious. After I divorced and moved into my own flat with Christine I started working. Money was tight and my confidence was low. Peter kept me sane by popping in on a regular basis and updating me with all the local goings on. One night he went through my record collection and came across a Bowie album 'Please play Life on Mars' he begged and so I did and there he sat mining away. Deja Vue. One night, as a joke, he went into the local shop and having known the previous shop keeper who knew how micheivious he was, picked up a box of mushrooms saying yum yum and walked out of the shop with them as a joke. He never got back inside the shop. the 3 brothers who ran the shop chased him outside and started beating him with crowbars, one finally held him in a headlock that snapped his hyoid bone. He died out on the street, in front of 50 witnesses who had come out to see what the disturbance was. It took police 40 minutes to get there and by that time Peter was already dead. He was taken to hospital and put on life support. Later the hospital admitted a junior doctor had taken the decision, had a more experienced doctor seen him she would have declared him dead on arrival. Peter was 22.

So when I play 'Life on Mars'  it always makes me smile. I am not a religious  person, but I like to think that when I play it they pop down to visit me and are happily mining away together. I have great memories of 2 nice people no longer here but hopefully bopping away somewhere.

I did it

This is the proof. Today I took the grand children on the Emirates Airline. It was a little breezy but I utterly crapped myself quite enjoyed it. The sun was shining, it wasn't very warm but it made a great photo. It goes up 290ft. Going backwards isn't as enjoyable as going forwards. Surprisingly the queues were small. As we were queueing to come back a plane flew over it coming in to land at City airport. Glad I wasn't on it then!!





Before boarding



Kai



O2 Arena




Some of the swish flats eastenders can't afford.



Trent and Mersey in the snow

Well, we went cruising as planned on Saturday the 23rd of March for my birthday cruise. The M1 was almost deserted because of an amber warning for snow, certainly not the weather we had at the same time last year. We arrived at Mercia Marina a little earlier than anticipated and Justin from Aqua Narrowboats allowed us to take the boat early as we were the only idiots customers taking a boat out.

We had our tuition, wrapped up with thick sweaters and waterproofs and set off on our way. The strong easterly was behind us as we decided to cruise to Branston for the night. I have never cruised in the snow before and must admit, the thought of icy locks scared me a little but we got through them and moored for the night with a take away pizza. We woke the next morning to see we had had snow overnight, covering the tow path and the boat with about 3inches of snow. It looked utterly beautiful and didn't put me off one bit. The boat was toasty warm, we had facilities in the villiage so decided that instead of aiming for Stone, we would spend the day there. A really lovely couple in a boat in front (which was called Norma Jean) came and chatted to us and even went and got a paper for us. Sadly I never got their names. Sue and I had a walk around Branston villiage and the waterpark and then came back to cook a nice roast dinner.

On Monday we took the executive decisions to go as far as Alrewas only as I was worried that the river section might close once we were past it. Once again we set off and with good waterproof clothing and some snazzy knitted hats were quite warm on the back of the boat. This year I decided to let Susan do a lot of  the steering while I helped out my friend Christine with the locks.

In the wooded section just past Barton Marina we came upon another hire boat crewed by 3 men, as we approached they suddenly veered over the canal and motioned for us to get back, I put the boat in reverse and then slowly approached them on tick over as they pointed for us to go on the inside of the them close to the tow path. As we drew level one of them lifted the deck board up and lots and lots of black smoke started coming up from the engine, this was the reason they had veered across the canal, they had suddenly lost all engine power. Thinking they were on fire, we offered them help and then grounded ourselves on the bank!! Luckily it wasn't on fire and eventually we reversed off and went around them while they called the hire base. I made a mental note to not hire from Shakespeare, hiring from Aqua has spoilt us!! :-)

Finally we got to the dreaded river section, and although it was running fast the board had indicated that it was open as normal, a couple had locked us through the previous lock and had warned us that the wind coming across the flat landscape made it near on impossible to land at the lock landing so they had left the gates open, as we approaced Alrewas lock, the gates were still open so we were able to go straight in. I used the ladders to get up and lock us through, it's the first time I have used the ladders but as I plan to buy my own boat and cruise solo, it's something I may have to do more often. After going through Alrewas to the turning point, we found a mooring spot along from the water point and moored there.

I often read from other boaters blogs about how good the chinese is, so that night we had a chinese and I must say, it was the best I have ever had. Yummy

Some friends we made in Alrewas

On Tuesday we went to the National Memorial Arboretum. Derbyshire council no longer run a daily bus service, a decision I think, that is very sad and utterly stupid. The long (safest) walk is mostly on grass verges beside a busy dual carriageway with traffic whizzing past at 70 mph, crossing over 2 roundabouts and then into the arboretum. Totally unsuitable for people with children or disabilities, the alternative (Which we did on the way back) is even worse, by crossing the A38 without the aid of a bridge, underpass or even lights. That was a terrifying experience.

Very Poignant words

It was a bitterly cold day, so we only stayed for a few hours, the ground was waterlogged too. I am glad I have seen it, it is a reminder of how lucky I am, no matter what goes wrong in my life. The shop is fantastic and I managed to get a bottle of Pussers Rum for my Dad, which is the only thing my Dad liked about the navy after being transferred to the Fleet Air arm after being demobbbed from the RAF. I really hope that at some point the bus service is restored, I would imagine without it a lot of people won't visit.                         

We stayed at Alrewas until Wednesday then crusied back to Branston for the night. Thursday saw us getting a bus to Burton and doing what girls like doing best, shopping!! I really liked Burton, it was great for shopping and at the Market I bought another snazzy hat!    

Despite the snow, I have loved it. I even took the boat back into the marina through the ice on Saturday  morning. I have always has a fear of tight turns but as I got some practice at the waterpoint in Horninglow basin decided to go for it. It was the first ice we had encountered all week but I managed, much to the relief of Lyndon, to bring Aqua Bwywd into the fuel berth. (Secretly, I think he wanted me to be the icebreaker!!)

Yes I have now boated in all weathers and I love it as much now as I did when I first hired a narrow boat.

Never rains.....

It pours. My daughter has been really quite ill recently, she has been under the care of a cardiologist, although her problem isn't really a heart one, he has been very thorough and arranged for her to have a stress test. This involves a treatmill, or as a friend who has done one calls it, a dreadmill. But as she is in the middle of quite a serious flare up she has been dreading it.

To add insult to injury, the Brompton hospital where she had a tilt test, has contacted her and her GP and advised that she needs to wear surgical stockings up to her waist, but the GP has refused to treat her until she sees the cardiologist at the end of April. This is the same GP who insisted I didn't have gallstones until 18 months later, I ended up in hospital with one blocking my bile duct, and who had told me all through the previous 18 months that there was nothing wrong with me, despite horrendous acid and vomitting. Who when my Mum was diagnosed with cancer, refused to give her a referral to Macmillan. Something that horrified the hospital doctor when she was dying. As a consequence, Christine has started going to the drop in centre, where she has found a doctor willing to prescribe muscle relaxants and pain killers to help her cope with the symptoms she is suffering with the POTS.

Last week, P, her husband, got a large swelling in his calf. A trip to A & E revealed a clot in a varicose vein, so not life threatening, but he too needs to rest his leg. Nanny (me) has been on hand to take the kids to school and pick them once or twice, and being Nanny, a trip to eat out after school. Thankfully I have a sympathetic boss, but I did contact HR first to make sure they were aware of the situation.

This week, Christine went for her appointment for the 'dreadmill'. She could hardly stand long enough to wait for the lift, but got to the hospital where the cardiologist could see she would not be able to participate. One of her symptoms make her exercise intolerant, so thankfully he refused to do the test and has arranged for her to have a dye test and MRI scan instead. He is just playing it safe to make absolutely sure that the condition isn't a heart one, which is very reassuring.. He seemed quite non plussed that her GP has refused to offer any treatment, so is going to arrange the test quickly and see if he is able to bring his appointment forward.

I am pleased to say, Dads health is o.k so I don't have any pressure there. But I am feeling as if I am being pulled in all directions at the moment.

Slowly slowly things are moving forward.

In 2 weeks I am off on a canal boat holiday with 2 friends. We will be travelling up the Trent and Mersey canal hoping to get to Penkridge. I don't for one minute think we will be as lucky with the weather as we were last March, but what are waterproofs for anyway? Besides, I think there is something really comforting about being able to cruise in the countryside in wet/cold weather and then relax in a warm toasty boat, with all mod cons at the end of a days cruise. I need to relax and although at times, it is hard work, I do find boating very relaxing. And that, at the moment, is just what I need.

Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

My daughter has just been diagnosed with  POTS. She has been suffering for quite a few months, but as a lot of the symptoms are similar to stress and anxiety this is what she has been treated for, but all to no avail.

She has had a brain scan, a camera down her throat, numerous ECG's, because she looks at things on the internet. To be honest, I had to tell her to stop as the doctor was getting fed up with her and once that happens, then they dismiss you at the door. Finally she was sent to a cardiologist, who recommended a tilt test. This is how she got her diagnosis. It is not life threatening, but it is debilitating and will come as flare ups. In all it has been a pretty stressful time for her and that doesn't help the condition either.

She is hoping to get a referral to a specialist who will be able to offer her advice, hope and coping mechanisms because during a bad day she cannot stand up. Exercise is out and surprisingly she has to drink lots of water and eat extra salt, so salt isn't all bad then.

Here's hoping she gets some answers soon.

Ahhh

Today I have come across some boating blogs I haven't seen before. It is like getting a new book in the post. The anticipation gives me a warm glow inside. I have added them to my blog roll, but somehow can't fathom how I get the links the same colours as the older ones.

I am somewhat technically challenged when it comes to blogging because quite honestly my blogging is hit and miss. Recently I have blogged a lot, but as the time goes on I don't feel I have much to say so it gets left untouched for months. So if someone can tell me how to get the fonts on the blog roll the same colours I would be ever so grateful. In the meantime I have some reading to do.

Fear



London Eye

Heights. That is one of my big fears. This photo was taken from the Thames Clipper service when we left the London Marathon last year. About 10 years ago, I was persuaded to go on the London eye. That was when it was £7.80 (it's now £31.50) a ride and fairly new, a staff member travelled with us and I  had to sit down as we climbed higher and higher. The boats on the Thames below looked about 6 inches long. I asked the guy how we would get out if we got stuck up there as I eyed a trap door in the floor suspiciously. He told me I didn't want to know, but actually I did, I had to know, he told me and then I hoped we wouldn't get stuck. While all my friends oohed and ahhhed at the view of London from god knows what height, I sat on the bench in the middle, struggling off an impending panic attack. My legs felt like jelly and I was breathing rapidly, but as we reached the top and started the slow descent I began to relax and stood up to look out. Slowly slowly the ground came towards us and it was with a huge sigh of relief, I stepped off onto terra firma. I have never been on it since.

Fast forward a few years, and a conference at the BT Tower in Euston. The conference lasted all day, and was really quite interesting. Afterwards, 'a treat'. A buffet supper up in the revolving restaurant. Waiting for the lift was agony. As it came down the shaft to the ground floor, it was like a tube train coming into the station. The doors rattled and a loud whooshing noise came from under the doors. On the way up I had to grip my managers hand. At the top it took all my will to step out into the restaurant with it's floor to ceiling windows. It felt unnatural, I was standing in a revolving room that dangled at the top of a stick. Supper went untouched as I felt too sick to eat. I drank water, although, on reflexion, I shoud have drunk wine. I was very happy when the manager suggested we leave. Stepping into the lift, which, surprisingly, didn't flip your stomach, I was sure the brakes would fail and we would plunge to the ground.  We didn't.

Fast forward a year, to Jamaica. I was determined I was going to go parasailing. Everyday I asked the parasailing man a question. How high being the most important. He promised me that as I was so scared he would get them to winch me out half way. Finally, after a lot of goading, me and my friends sister went out on the parasailing boat. I had to go first or I would never have done it. I was harnessed in and winched out, below me was sea, it held no fear for me and it was so quiet up in the sky. They winched me out the full amount and the boat below looked 2 inches long!! I really loved it and when I landed back on the boat was very proud of myself for doing it. Sadly it didn't cure my fear of heights. I will walk across a high lock gate, but I don't like it.

My next challenge is the cable car across the Thames. My grandchildren want to go, so, so must I