Bookings, and a sad day!

I have just retuned after a couple of days away, and only a fleeting visit as I am off again from tonight, nothing as glamorous as holidays abroad or anything like that, so sorry for the lack of blogs in my absence I do know that David and the gang have been very busy, and that brings me nicely on to the topic of bookings, before I went last week we had an influx of hire bookings at the last minute which gave the guys and gals some headaches in getting all of the boats turned around for Saturday but they managed nicely, the bookings for the boats have quietened down since then but the bookings for the trip boat have gone bananas, we are currently doing a promotion on the trip boat for a Friday night fish-n-chip supper and that kept us all very busy in the office today, we are only doing the Friday night trips at the moment for this month and August, but if the current interest in these trips carries on then we will extend these trough September and maybe beyond. Its been another quiet day here on the canal, not many boats about at all but that doesn’t stop us being busy, Richard has been doing a cracking job on the boat that is currently in for painting and that is not far off being finished, its being sign written tomorrow and then it will be coming out of the dock on Sunday, hopefully David will get a photo when it emerges, Lee has been busy blacking and pumping boats out, while Mick has been doing electrics on a private owned boat and Simon has also being working on the same boat fitting anodes, new rudder bearings and engine servicing. The title says a 'sad day' and today is a sad day as an old friend of mine and also a friend of many at Norbury and the wider canal community passed away yesterday, so my thoughts are with their family, I will write about him in another blog. Simon

I don't know where the past week has gone. It only feels like yesterday that I was sat here at the computer writing the a blog last Sunday. I took my own boat down to Audlem on Wednesday and I was surprised to see how quiet the canal is. Even at prime locations there was plenty of room to tie up. Where are all the boats? Has the recession really hit that hard? It's been the Transport Festival in Audlem today, hence the reason why I took my boat down. I didn't get chance to see it in full swing but I understand that there were some 200 vehicles there today and a good selection of at least 40 old boats. It's been a busy day here at Norbury too, hence the short blog for tonight! Regards, David

It's been a bit cooler here at Norbury today, although I believe the humidity is high. It's about time we had a storm to clear the air! We did have a little drop of rain in the night, but nowhere near enough as the ground is crying out for.

The trip boat has been well patronised again today during the four 1-hour long trips that we operate each Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday (11:00, 12:30, 14:00 and 15:00).

Sylvia has been busy in the kitchen today, assisted by both Kelly and Tasha, whilst Lynn has been cleaning boats and catching up with the laundry off of the hire boats. Ange has been in the office and shop most of the day and Mick has been doing some work on a private boat in the dry dock.

I was sat outside the Junction Inn last night enjoying a cool pint after a busy day at work and heard the lovely kerchug kerchug of an old engine. I turned round and to my amazement immediately recognised the converted wooden motor boat Gort. She was built by Nursers of Braunston in 1939. She is built of timber and has a beautiful Gardner 2L2 diesel engine. She was built as a working boat at Braunston for Samuel Barlow. She was converted to a houseboat in 1960 by her new owners, Tony and Helen Newman and sold to Lord Catto in 1965 and lived in by Innes Catto from 1969 to 1975. Vandalised and sunk in 1976, she was sold to Mr Dumlow. Eventually, she was bought by her present owner and ongoing conservation has taken place since 1986. The boat has been painted in her original colours by Ron Hough who was a crew member in her working days. I managed to snap a photograph just before she disappeared under the bridge.

She's a real beauty and is a credit to her owner. Notice the lack of wash - that's wooden boats for you, they swim like fish!

Talking about old boats (I hope I am not boring you?), I've just heard that my good friend; Michael Pinnock, has just been awarded the Alfred Richie trophy for the best presented working boat at the IWA's National Waterways Festival at Cassiobury Park with his pair of boats - Clover and Fazeley. I am really pleased for him and it is well deserved as you will see from the short video below. This is the pair heading south last week loaded with domestic coal bound for the London area.

That's it from me today.

Regards,

David

I'm back! I've been away for a few days boating with friends on the Grand Union canal down to the IWA's National Waterways Festival which is being held; as I write, in Cassiobury Park. The weather was just fantastic, although a little too hot to cope with at times, especially when we loading in excess of 30 tonnes of prepacked coal on Tuesday morning at Stoke Bruerne.

I had a quick walk round the festival site yesterday before I returned. I saw many familiar faces and if I didn't get chance to have a chat with you I do apologise, but I had to get back to Norbury as we had a Fish and Chip cruise on the trip boat departing at 7pm. Steve picked me up from Stafford station and thankfully Simon had virtually prepared the boat ready for our departure. Will steered for the duration of the trip whilst Alex and I worked the bar, served the Fish and Chips and looked after the full boat load of passengers. We returned to Norbury at about 10.30pm and enjoyed a cool drink sat outside the Junction until about 1am this morning with friends off of the working boats Whitby and Darley.

These Fish and Chip evenings are growing in popularity. We are running every Friday throughout July, August and September departing at 19:00 hours. Booking is essential, but just give the office a call to reserve your space :-)

It's the transport festival in Audlem next weekend, so there are quite a few old boats heading in that direction. It's well worth a visit. I am hoping on having my boat there, but work always takes priority and plans may have to change, but we will see...

It's been a busy day here today. The sun has shone once again, although there has been a slight breeze which has made it feel a bit cooler. We had three day boats out first thing as the hire boats were returning and we have turned five boats round along with Wharf Cottage.

That's it from me today. Until tomorrow.

Best regards, David.

Too hot to handle!

I am not referring to me in the title, rather the boats in the wharf, I had to walk down the gunwales of a boat today and I could not put my hands on the hand rails it was that hot and it has remained over 30 degrees all day long, I have been ok this week in the heat except today it has finally got to me and I don't mind admitting that come 4.30 I am starting to flag a bit, I feel sorry for Simon who has been welding today and Mick who has been in engine rooms today, they both deserve a cool beer as does Sylvia who has beavered away in the very hot tea room and also the girls who have been cleaning boats.

Two day boats out today and they returned with very happy customers aboard, one hire boat turned around and we have had a couple of hire boats come back a bit early, but that is about it for today except we have a fish-n-trip supper on the trip boat, that will be a hot boat as it has a full 42 seats booked, so I have been out today and bought several bags of ice, put the drinks chillers on so that at least our customers will be able to enjoy a really cool drink while they glide down the canal on this wonderful summer evening, i really quite fancy that myself!

That's it from me for this week, David is back so no doubt he will have something to say over the weekend
Simon

Another scourcher!

I don't really need to mention the fact that today has been another scorcher, but it seems to have been a bit warmer than yesterday, I spoke with my mom earlier and she said that it was getting a bit much, I Said don't be so daft its superb and looooooooong may it continue, although I am not a fan of really hot weather I do think that this is just bearable,but after the last few poor summers its really wonderful.

Its been busy down here today, not many boats moving but the place has been busy and the phone has been relentless all day long, lots of boats being booked and work being booked in, A possible new hire boat for us to operate, and some details of a boat that someone wants us to sell, plus many more enquiries that have kept Ange, Me and Joyce going all day, the lads have all been busy today Simon making new lockers, Lee and Mick removing windows and cleaning steel work up prior to refitting the windows, whilst Richard has been applying paint to the boat in the wet dock, three day boats went out first thing this morning and as yet only two have come back, the third cant be far away (I hope)

We are running another Wowcher deal shortly so you need to register with Wowcher to see what we are offering, but by the way these offers are being taken up and the professionalism that the people at Wowcher have I suspect that we will be doing many more offers with them and some unusual ones too.

That's it from me for today except that I have to go and sort out a ladies gas BBQ on the way home, and no its not an excuse for a sneaky beer ion the way home!

Simon

Whats going on?

Mondays come around far too quick, as I sit here tying today's blog I wonder what happened to the weekend, and what a weekend it was, weather wise I mean, Saturday the hottest day so far this year, I don't know where you were but up here it was seriously hot, Even given how hot it was and is now it doesn't seem to be bringing people out with their boats, after the last couple of years of poor weather you would think that the canal would be thronging with people itching to use their boats, yet it still seems very quiet indeed on the 'cut' maybe everyone is saving themselves for August!

A very busy morning this morning, everyone descended on us first thing for about two hours then it quietened down to a steady day, two day boats out first thing, one hire boat returned with happy folk aboard and one boat out this afternoon for a week. Mick saw to the boats going out and then carried on with odd jobs on private boats around the yard, Richard has been painting as per usual, Lee has been turning hire boats around and then working on the yard and grounds, there is always something to do to keep busy in between pump outs and diesel on the wharf, the tea room has kept Sylvia busy and at times with help off Lynn, David has gone off boating for the week,

The trip boat is off out on a charter again tonight, tonight it is full of Beavers, I will leave that one to your imagination! and that's yer lot for a Monday!

Simon