Knackered!

Bloody hell what a busy day,I dont usually work on a Saturday or Sunday but as it is the Norbury festival I thought that I would show willing and come and give some support, It has been a fantastic day, everyone has worked flat out to get the boats turned around,deal with the thousands of visitors that we have seen today and also sort out the five breakdowns that have occured, thankfully not our boats, they were all private boats,far too much has happened today to mention here,so if you want to know than come down over the weekend and join us and i will tell you all about it.

Thats it from me for today
Simon

A Royal day

Its been a lovely day for a Royal wedding but given that the weather has been so good today it is a shame that it has been a relatively quiet day at Norbury, I didn't expect it to be busy at all as I suspect that the majority of the nation is glued to the TV, also given the fact that it is a turnaround day today it has still been a quiet day,we did however have the two day boats go out this morning so I dont think that the people were to concerned about the royal goings on, we have only had to of the shared boats turning around today and one for tomorrow, tomorrow promises to be a busy day, we have four boats going out plus a couple of day boats and it is the Norbury festival so lets hope that the weather stays good for that,

Freddie has pumped all of the boats this morning so that will save him a big job tomorrow, and has also blacked a boat, Ralph has been attending to the new flowers around the place, going through the boats for tomorrow, Mick has done an engine service, a boiler service, sorted some pipes out on a boat that had frozen in the winter, Steve has been putting a new floor down in a boat, Bernard has attended a breakdown, serviced a boat, fitted a new starter motor as well as re packing a stern tube and a bit of welding, all of the girls have got on top of the valets and the cleaning of the hire boats for tomorrow, David has been doing 'David' things and I have been doing 'Simon' things.

Nothing of real interest to say about today, but then with the Royal wedding taking place anything that I say wont be very interesting!

That's it until tomorrow
Simon

A scorching day

It’s been a scorcher here today, not that I am complaining!

The boats have been coming through thick and fast today. The cold winter and thick ice on the canal that meant that we didn’t see anyone come through by boat for six weeks seems such a long time ago now. Three months ago we were wearing as many clothes as we could get on and now we are down to shorts and shirt sleeves (shorts after work anyway!)…

I had arranged to go across the Mersey from Ellesmere Port to Liverpool on Tuesday (yes by narrow boat), but unfortunately I had a phone call from Sue last night to say that the trip had been cancelled and she would be crossing on Friday instead as the weather is due to change early next week. So, I’ll have to arrange to do something else on my days off and go across the Mersey another time L. I’m sure that I will get some pictures sent to me during the course of the weekend, so I will post them then.

Talking about the weekend, the Newport and Shrewsbury Canal Trust have their annual boat gathering at Norbury this weekend, with that and the Royal wedding celebrations I am sure that we will be having a busy time. There will be lots going on in and around Norbury, so it will be an ideal time to pay us a visit. We are open as usual during our normal hours (8.30am to 5.30pm).

The lads have all been busy about their daily tasks. Steve has replaced the tables out on the wharf during the course of the day as they were getting a bit tired.

Until tomorrow.

Regards,

David

Sunny Thursday

Its been a lovely day today although I have been out most of today buying stock so I presume that Norbury has had nice weather like I have had, I cant really make many comments about what has gone on today, I do know that Angela has been putting stock away all day and David has been sorting out the Internet, at long last it looks like we have a new connection speed which will make our lives soooooo much better and hopefully the thing wont keep crashing, time will tell!

I am not around tomorrow so David will be able to give you a much better idea of the the goings on at Norbury and if you are lucky there may even be some pictures, I have a date with the bottom of a big boat down in Southampton at 6 o'clock in the morning.

I am afraid that is it from me for today as I need to get off for my long drive down South.

Simon

The day after the Bank holiday

It has been a fantastic weekend, very busy with people everywhere and then, Nothing! It is like some one has switched the power off, We have been busy all day catching up from the weekend, re ordering stock, putting stock away and all the general stuff that needs doing but after the madness of the weekend it did seem quiet, yet I am still at work late and typing this!

Fred moaned at me this morning for not writing the blog up last night, sorry Fred it was after your bed time when I did write it up, he likes to see what he is up to the next day, well tomorrow Fred will mostly be pressure washing another boat in the dock! he has been busy today doing pump outs, blacking and strimming the moorings, Bernard has been sorting out a dodgy rudder on a boat in the dock and fitting anodes while Mick has attended a breakdown and he has been sorting out yet more water leaks on someones boat, Lee has been painting a brokerage boat and tidying up Ember before she goes out this coming weekend, this is the last chance we will have to do much to her as from this weekend onwards she will be out every week until September; we had several boats come in over the weekend for sale and I was chuffed today as I sold one of them, I only listed it yesterday, that Ain't bad going! all in all its been a good day, except its now raining, time to go home.

That's it from me for another day.

Simon

unusual for a bank holiday

It has been very unusual for a bank holiday to have such lovely weather all weekend, we have been so lucky and toady has been even better than yesterday, the wharf has been very busy with people coming out for an ice cream or a drink or looking at the boats, the boats have not been so busy though and we have not seen many at all, I think we have only had a hand full on the wharf all day today, you watch it will be manic later on in the week! We now need to really pull out all the stops as next weekend should be even busier as it is the Norbury festival, lets hope the weather stays like this for then, it will be superb if it is.

No pictures from today, I have taken a few but haven't had time to up load them, if I get chance I will do so tomorrow, We swapped a boat in the painting dock today so there is a picture to put on of the spanking new paint job that has just been finished, me and David have been up dating the brokerage information today and getting another boats paperwork all done, that's three boats this weekend that have come in and gone up for sale, Mayflower has now gone to a new home and I am sure it will look fantastic once the new owners have worked their magic on it.

That's it for today as I am taking Amanda out for dinner as she deserves it because she has been helping out at work all weekend (its the least i can do as she doesn't get paid)

Simon

Rare sight on a Sunday

It doesnt happen very often that I work on a Sunday but this week is a slight exception because it is Easter Sunday, expecting it to be really busy I thought I better show willing and help out, as it was I could have had the day off, it didnt really amount to much today, compared to yesterday and Friday it was a bit of a let down, the weather wasnt quite as good though, maybe tomorrow it will be busier!

Not much of interst to report about todays goings on, the two day boats went out and came back with out any issues, Ralph and Mick undocked two boats and then proceeded to dock two more, Mick then finished off a gas job while Ralph pressure washed the two on the dock, me and David have been looking after customers and doing promotional stuff to do with the new brokerage boats that came in yesterday, two done and one to go, its amazing just how long it takes to do all the paperwork and up load everything on to the net.

Me, David and Amanda (my partner) went to Elsmere port last night to see friends and have a look around the very good turn out of historic boats that had gathered their for the weekend, here is a picture of me and Amanda on one of my old working boats, it was the first time that she had been on to a butty boat and she was amazed that i used to live in that tiny little cabin, the boat is now a credit to Roger Fuller who owns it now, she is looking lovely, I feel privelaged to have owned the boat and loaded it as it would have been back in 1915. Thats it from me for tonight, I hope you all have a lovely evening.
Simon