I'm back

After a well earned break of nearly two weeks away I am back here at the fun factory and raring to go, although only for a short while. One day in the office and I've got another two off - now that's good planning! It makes a pleasant change as for the first six years after I started working at Norbury I was working six to seven days a week...

Who on earth is charge of the stoppage notices on Waterscape? I had this one come through this afternoon.

"SHEARMILL LOCK - River Stort. Monday 2nd July 2012 until further notice. Due to a serious hydraulic oil leak Shearmill Lock is closed until further notice while emergancy repairs are underway."

Amazingly enough there is no such place... So, the only lock that I can imagine they are on about is Sheering Mill Lock just downstream of Sawbridgeworth which has hydraulically operated bottom gates and paddles as when the bridge immediately below the lock was widened it actually over hangs the bottom gates thus meaning that it is totally impossible to fit balance beams to the gates, hence the need for fitting hydraulics. Oh... and I forgot to mention that they can't spell emergency - it really doesn't give you much confidence does it?

I know the River Stort very well as my parent's kept our boats on it during the early days of my boating career. In the Spring we used to head north to explore pastures new, before heading closer to home and to the safe haven of the Stort for the winter. Although saying that it could be quiet entertaining at times if there was a drop of water running on it.

I've got some fond memories of the Stort and we didn't half have some good music sessions in those days. Mike; a good friend of my parent's, is a fantastic guitarist (in actual fact he can play anything you let him get his hands on) and he can get a session going wherever he starts playing. We could be heard singing our hearts out to songs like "The Wild Rover" and "Black Velvet" band well into the early hours of the morning until a guitar string would snap due to the damp night air! Nowadays I have to be encouraged to have a sing song - maybe it's about time to get some impromptu music sessions going (now let me think...).

Anyway, it's been a damp old day here at Norbury today. I sent Simon home early as he was getting under our feet. Bernard has blacked the boat on the dock whilst Jake has been doing some jobs on a private boat, as has Mick. Matt has started to prep the boat in the painting dock whilst the girls have been getting on top of their jobs. We've also had one hire boat go out.

Well that's it from me today. Back over to Simon tomorrow.

Regards,

David