We like to be able to offer a good discount to our customers as and when possible. Today is no exception... We have reduced the hire fees for Monarch by 18% for both short breaks and weekly hire during 2012. Please find an up-to-date price list on our website.

Simon has been getting on well again with the plating work on Bounty, that was until we had torrential rain. I checked the forecast and it was due to last all day, so he rigged up a bit of shelter. Unfortunately the high winds caused havoc with this and still managed to get him soaking wet! It's impossible to weld in that situation so we decided that he would call it a day and make the hours up on Monday - let's hope the weather is better on Monday...

TFI

I am always glad when Friday comes around as I usually get the weekend off but not this week as I am working this Sunday, but I am still off tomorrow though, Its been a very busy day today as we have had several boats turnaround and some of the hire boats go out as well, the tea room and shop have been really busy as well, it hasn't helped by the fact that we have had several large stock orders come in today which Angela and Loraine have had to price up and put out on the shelves.

As you can imagine all of the lads have been really busy today, far too much has gone on to try and keep you up to date with, to be honest even I don't know what everyone has been up to, with the exception of Simon, I know what he has been doing, he has been plating on the day boat, and he has nearly finished, and he has also made a cracking job of it! David has been a bit elusive today as he has been on every boat out side today checking to make sure all is done and sorted, he has only just come in to the office so we will have some catching up to do now.

Not really much more I can add so that's it from me for this week, I hope you all have a good weekend.
Simon

Coming and going

Some days you just don't know if you are coming or going, its been a manic sort of day today, one minute as dead as a Dodo and the next its been as lively as a lit fire cracker, we have not really stopped all day, Angela has been backwards and forwards between the tea room and the office while I have been dealing with customers, emails and the phone all day as well as looking after Fred and the other lads when they have needed something!

The weather this morning was glorious, the birds where on the wharf first thing, I reckon they thought that spring had definitely arrived early, the sun was coming up and as I was opening up this morning I looked around the wharf and thought how luck I was to be working in such a lovely place, as I write this blog its still light and it is lovely to drive home in the light and get home in the light, it wont be long now before its light at 6, then 7, then 10, wonderful and we will still be seeing boats moving until late, roll on them balmy summer days.

Until tomorrow.
Simon

The power of the written word!

David has mentioned recently how much more time both myself and David are spending doing promotional work for Norbury, this is being done in conjunction with a friend and customer of ours, Peter. Well it just goes to show that at last we have hit fame, well not literally, our new 'Norbury news letter' that we are publishing monthly is now being followed on Twitter by Timothy Spall, I am chuffed that he is following our news and blog, I think that the series that he did recently about his voyages around our coast in his barge was excellent!

I have finally removed my coat! At long last the temperatures are back up again and some warmth has arrived at Norbury, albeit a bit of warmth but none the less its better than the cold! Its been a bright day out on the wharf and the sun did put in an appearance at one stage, roll on spring time, not long now!

Its been a busy one today, I think that we have been blessed as we seem to be the only stretch of canal that isn't frozen solid, we have eight boats out in all and we have had reports that there is ice on the Staffs and Worcs canal but I have heard nothing form the other boats so they must have found some free water elsewhere, or are they all stuck out side the Anchor?

The lads have been busy, Simon plating the day boat as well as a few minor jobs here and there on other boats, Mick has had his head stuck in Pippin doing gas, Matt, well guess what, he has been painting another boat, Fred has been blacking and tidying up in the dock while Joyce has been spring cleaning and me and Angela have kept our eye on the shop and tea room, well I haven't relly been involved in the tea room, can you see me in a pinny!!

That's it from me for today.
Simon

Hanging around

Hire boaters and share boaters heading out from Norbury for a couple of weeks will often head north to try the Cheshire ring, passing through Manchester.

One of the highlights is the Marple Aqueduct – a Grade One listed structure that carries the Peak Forest Canal as it links with the Huddersfield Narrow and the Ashton and on into central Manchester – and now you might to get to see more of it than in the past.

Specialist contractors with a head for heights are helping the aqueduct to shrug off the trees, bushes and clinging ivy that have obscured it from view.

They will abseil around 100 feet from the Marple Aqueduct – also known as the Grand Aqueduct - to carefully remove years of vegetation which has taken hold and has been undermining the structure’s masonry.

Marple Aqueduct is an impressive feature of the Peak Forest and is also designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument site. It carries the canal high above the River Goyt, on three stone arches and was built between 1794 -1801.

British Waterways’ national vegetation contractors will be carrying out the works which will take up to one week to complete.

Mark Ashton, contracts manager, British Waterways, said: “It will be a rare opportunity to watch the contractors hanging over this magnificent aqueduct to remove the overgrown vegetation which has built up over several years.

“The work that we are doing today will be the first step in safeguarding this important piece of local and national heritage for generations to come and visually it will make a huge difference to its overall appearance.”

An application to Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to carry our further works to underpin the structural integrity of the aqueduct is being considered in the near future.

It’s an endless job moving boats…

It’s an endless job moving boats… We spend hours in a week moving boats around so we can swap the boats on both the Dry dock and the Painting dock. The ice makes the job even longer at this time of the year, especially when your fingers feel like they are going to drop off. The other alternative is to put layers of clothes on, but then the fear of falling in to the icy cold water and floundering around like a drowned rat does concern me. Not only is it easier moving boats with two people, it is also a lot safer if one of you slips or gets into some sort of trouble. I gave Fred a hand on Thursday and the following pictures set the scene!

Starting Reflections engine.

Using Reflection to break the ice up down the arm.

Nearly at the dock!

That's Fred enjoying moving boats!

When I went home last night it was freezing hard and I was shocked to awake to it being a lot milder today, although only 2 or 3 degrees. Subsequently it made shifting boats a lot easier. We docked a boat this morning for survey and then swapped it for a boat called Envoy which is on the dock for pressure washing and blacking. This boat has spent many years at Shebdon and is a boat that I’ve got a real soft spot for. Although she was built in the early seventies, a recent survey showed that there was very minimal wear on year hull. The good thing about older boats is that they tend to have lovely lines and they steer like a dream, which is more than true about Envoy.

Lets hope that the weather is going to warm up a bit now…

Best regards,

David.

It's been a busy day today. We have had four hire boats go out, three shared boats and new occupants in Wharf Cottage that has kept everyone busy. Billy has been in today to give us a hand whilst Fred has been on his favourite duty of pumpouts, Mick has done the internals and Simon has been checking the engines over.

Bill has given Simon an taste of what show rounds on the hire boats are all about. Lorraine has been busy in the tea room and Ange has been looking after the customers and oncoming hirers in the shop.

It looks like it is going to be another cold one tonight. He froze hard again last night, apparently it went down to about -15°C here at Norbury! Although it's been nice having the sun out today, it has still been cold - it doesn't look like it is going to let up yet...

Hope you all have a good evening.

Until tomorrow.

Regards

David