Many things...
Jun. 18th, 2002 10:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alixandreaI had a fabulous weekend. Went down to Stortford Saturday morning, thence (with Stef and Jonno the boata) to just east of Newbury to meet Lock Jon on his 70ft narrowboat! His lady had hurt her leg a week before and he needed help with locks and bridges. The leg was still very swollen and looked infected, but Jackie wouldn't have it that she was going to hospital. Oh Gods, here we go again...
We decided to keep on to Reading, where she could go to A&E. Time spent Saturday afternoon in a gorgeous little pub, Jonno and Jon watching the footie, Stef joining in every now and then, talking about how much he loves Beckham for having a mowy and tatts (strage boi...!) I sat and drank vodka and orange, talking to Jackie, sunbathing and generally relaxing, glad to be finally out of Cambridge at last.
The Kennet and Avon has more swing bridges than you can shake a stick at. Its as if they couldn't be bothered to build the bridges up and over the river, they simply built them straight across and put in a swing (round or raised) system, each of which is slightly different and so posts a new challenge. I was happy enough to help tie up at the side while someone else went to close off the gates and open the bridge. I learnt the knot to tie to a mooring pin to stop the boat from pulling away, as it pulls on its own tension, thus tightening the rope. Its so easy too, just two turns and done.
The Kennet and Avon also has a stupid amount of locks... ;-)
The best of these was one of the ones with an old pillbox on the side of it. Stef and I went inside to find it had all been beautifully painted with some great grafitti. The second room had a white wall with black eyes, hint of a nose and mouth painted (female) I've seen the picture before somewhere but I can't remember where from. Either way I wish I'd had my camera there.
Time not on locks and bridges was spent either learning to steer the boat (weave I mean... ;-) ) and sunbathing on the roof at the front, watching the beautiful scenery go past at a leisurely and almost silent pace. The engine was only noisy at the back...
We moored up for the night a little way out of Reading in a little hamlet the had a huge Harvester pub. Said pub was expensive, and served crap food and drinks. Jon and Jackie had the arguement that had apperently been long coming. There were things about Jackie he hadn't known until recently. We listened to each of their complaints and offered advice.
Jackie left early the next morning.
Stef and I staggered back, where he passed out in the middle of the bed we'd been given. I slept on the edge all night. I won't be letting him forget _that_ in a hurry... ;-) Woke up eventually and set off again towards Reading.
Stopped for a while at the join with the river Thames, as we had to get a pass to travel on it. There were geese nearby and I managed to pick up a handful of feathers, which I intend to try and bleach/dye...
Reading had a huge shopping centre either side of the river, all metal and glass and capitalism... The houses one side of the centre were far more interesting, big old Victorian 3/4 level terraces with gardens leading right down onto the water, jetties and hammocks and a few canoes.
Gorgeous. :-)
The Thames was a bit of a culture shock, having been used to being on smaller rivers. This was all bustle and life, with huge cruisers making even Jon's boat look tiny. Very rich, but generally nice people. We moored up near a Tesco to get brekkie, and Stef set off back to the pub where we had left the car. National Rail suck, but he managed somehow to get back and meet us a few locks up the river. Thence back home and only a 1/2 hour late for rehearsal. Sarah had said she wasn't coming, but changed her mind. We started work on a new song together, worked back over the sampler song and recorded my two pieces for college (on a dictaphone unfortunately, never mind.)
Just about ready to kill Steve Lockwood, I managed instead to somehow get through my solo performance and put the live performance part of our video on one of the college computers. Just a little writing up to do now, then I'm finally finished. I must hurry though, as I don't know how long I'm going to be in the westcountry for/after the Solstice.
Its very strange watching someone you care about prepare themselves for the possibility (however small) that they might be about to die. Disturbing and sobering.
*Sigh*
We decided to keep on to Reading, where she could go to A&E. Time spent Saturday afternoon in a gorgeous little pub, Jonno and Jon watching the footie, Stef joining in every now and then, talking about how much he loves Beckham for having a mowy and tatts (strage boi...!) I sat and drank vodka and orange, talking to Jackie, sunbathing and generally relaxing, glad to be finally out of Cambridge at last.
The Kennet and Avon has more swing bridges than you can shake a stick at. Its as if they couldn't be bothered to build the bridges up and over the river, they simply built them straight across and put in a swing (round or raised) system, each of which is slightly different and so posts a new challenge. I was happy enough to help tie up at the side while someone else went to close off the gates and open the bridge. I learnt the knot to tie to a mooring pin to stop the boat from pulling away, as it pulls on its own tension, thus tightening the rope. Its so easy too, just two turns and done.
The Kennet and Avon also has a stupid amount of locks... ;-)
The best of these was one of the ones with an old pillbox on the side of it. Stef and I went inside to find it had all been beautifully painted with some great grafitti. The second room had a white wall with black eyes, hint of a nose and mouth painted (female) I've seen the picture before somewhere but I can't remember where from. Either way I wish I'd had my camera there.
Time not on locks and bridges was spent either learning to steer the boat (weave I mean... ;-) ) and sunbathing on the roof at the front, watching the beautiful scenery go past at a leisurely and almost silent pace. The engine was only noisy at the back...
We moored up for the night a little way out of Reading in a little hamlet the had a huge Harvester pub. Said pub was expensive, and served crap food and drinks. Jon and Jackie had the arguement that had apperently been long coming. There were things about Jackie he hadn't known until recently. We listened to each of their complaints and offered advice.
Jackie left early the next morning.
Stef and I staggered back, where he passed out in the middle of the bed we'd been given. I slept on the edge all night. I won't be letting him forget _that_ in a hurry... ;-) Woke up eventually and set off again towards Reading.
Stopped for a while at the join with the river Thames, as we had to get a pass to travel on it. There were geese nearby and I managed to pick up a handful of feathers, which I intend to try and bleach/dye...
Reading had a huge shopping centre either side of the river, all metal and glass and capitalism... The houses one side of the centre were far more interesting, big old Victorian 3/4 level terraces with gardens leading right down onto the water, jetties and hammocks and a few canoes.
Gorgeous. :-)
The Thames was a bit of a culture shock, having been used to being on smaller rivers. This was all bustle and life, with huge cruisers making even Jon's boat look tiny. Very rich, but generally nice people. We moored up near a Tesco to get brekkie, and Stef set off back to the pub where we had left the car. National Rail suck, but he managed somehow to get back and meet us a few locks up the river. Thence back home and only a 1/2 hour late for rehearsal. Sarah had said she wasn't coming, but changed her mind. We started work on a new song together, worked back over the sampler song and recorded my two pieces for college (on a dictaphone unfortunately, never mind.)
Just about ready to kill Steve Lockwood, I managed instead to somehow get through my solo performance and put the live performance part of our video on one of the college computers. Just a little writing up to do now, then I'm finally finished. I must hurry though, as I don't know how long I'm going to be in the westcountry for/after the Solstice.
Its very strange watching someone you care about prepare themselves for the possibility (however small) that they might be about to die. Disturbing and sobering.
*Sigh*
