Happy New Year
After all the festivities are over life can go back to a steady pace on the canals.
We are all looking forward to longer days and the signs of new life in the spring.
With weather warnings of snow and ice we know that winter is far from over yet.
The blessing this year is the water levels are high and so our 2020 cruising should be easier and less restricted than last spring.

Christmas is here and we are all busy getting ready and meeting up with friends.
Just take a moment to consider those you may be far from their friends and families or are on their own and offer a hand of friendship this is equally applicable to boaters.
As a group of people boaters generally are friendly but because we only go on holiday our boats don't forget those who live onboard and may be very pleased just for a chat.
I wish all of those who visit this blog a Very Merry Christmas.

Currently I am in the midst of our boats annual meetings, this is a great time for everyone to get together and enjoy each others company.
It is always a pleasure to see owners who I have maybe only spoken to on the phone, they too can put a face to the name.
It would not be much fun without the forever present talk of toilets, I do not think I have ever had a chat about boating without it ending up on the subject of toilets.
Either we are all taken back to our childhoods when lavatorial chat was king?

Spring and Autumn are some of the most enjoyable times to be out on the canals.
Lovely sunny, crisp mornings and glorious days with cool evenings to snuggle by a lovely warm fire.
What more could you wish for to let your mind and body recover from modern life.
Now is the perfect time to look out for fungi be aware what maybe under your feet!

What boating fun we have had this year.
Either we have to little water, with restrictions on lock flights and then we have too much water and the river locks are closed.
As boaters and used to our quirky weather this is something to work with.
Our cruising this year showed some very poor mooring options as the canal banks were falling into the canal and I have written to CRT to request attention to the North Oxford.
If you note poor conditions please do report them, it is the only way that boaters concerns can be heard.

Having just returned from a week on the North Oxford.
Our friends with teenagers joined us the the day and a first trip on the canals.
Great fun was had even through the rain.
This is a perfect antidote to the electronic world, everyone enjoyed taking the helm and mastered the tiller with success.
What a wonderful activity holiday for bored young adults and less young too.

Crick this year was very vibrant and with lots of my shares changing hand over the weekend and many more still to be finalised it must be one of the busiest to date.
The weekend was generally warm and bright and lots of the familiar stalls and a few new faces offering anything from footcare (and after a busy day we all need that) to the swankiest boat on the waterways.
Added to that the music and top of the bill was a Dolly Parton tribute, suitably lubricated with good cider or ale and you have a great boating event.

May has arrived and the lovely warm weather seems to have gone into hiding.
This is a wonderful to time to pick up a bargain share and enable you to enjoy holidays afloat at value for money costs.
Have a look around my website and then ring me to find out what offers are going to be available at Crick.
Most shares will be offered at reduced prices at the show!

Spring is certainly offering all seasons at once.
The canals are now starting to see more boats cruising and what a fantastic time to boat.
Flora and fauna are coming to life after the winter and what a wonderful sight to behold with the new pea green shoots to the deafening bird song and the playful lambs in the fields.
Have a taste of a true English Spring and take to the canals.

With the February summer like weather and now the storms boating is always interesting.
Please remember as from April all boats need to be fitted with a CO2 alarm.
This is a fantastic piece of news and I do hope everyone embraces this to prevent those awful headlines of "Boater dies"