Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The Big Society????

The snowdrops and crocuses are out, we've had some sunshine at last; it must be the start of the cruising season. And where are they? Sitting on a peaceful hillside with no sound but the birds, looking out across the Avon Valley and down onto the golden glint of avenues of Bath stone that is the city of Bath illuminated by bright sunshine from a brilliant blue and cloudless sky. Paradise; and only a fifteen minute walk from home!

Now herself, who is known for her declaration "I don't do hills, bus up, walk down", has had a change of heart. "I need to try and get fitter. I'm going to start to walk up." And here she is, gasping for breath (himself not breathless at her side) having made it from the 50 to the 150 metre contour, triumphant and crying, "This is beautiful!" And so it is. A delightful walk part way up Bathwick Hill then across the Tyning to Widcombe, up Church Lane past the fishponds of Prior Park and the scramble up the footpath to this idyllic spot with Claverton Down rising gently to the East and the panorama of the historic city spread out before us as we gaze northward towards the tower of Saint Stephen’s Church on the other side of the valley.

And what of Avon Rose? She has come through a freezing winter, quietly in the marina at Brinklow. Two weekends ago we paid a second visit to her; freezing of water in the carbon filter to her drinking water tap had ruptured the fitting so himself needed to fit a replacement unit. Otherwise she appears to have come through the winter in fine fettle. It was nice to get the fire blazing away and sit in the warm and cogitate, remembering times past. The old boaters are revelling in their new life ashore, the convenience, the culture, friends, the squeals of delight when “my Granny” appears on the doorstep. Another season of cruising would be travelling roads we have travelled several times before and is less appealing.

This probably says a lot about us. It was the “Explore and Discover” of our motto that drove us. It was the travelling and finding new waterways and structures that excited us. In general we never stayed more than a few days in most places. The only long pauses were due to illness or herself going off somewhere. If we were to live on the boat in a locality we would need the convenience of the facilities provided by a residential mooring in a marina. We want to be in Bath and that does not exist here. So we have decided to sell. Not that this is the end of boating. There are some far flung places we would like to go; the Lancaster canal and the Flakirk Wheel which we would do by hire boat. Himself thinks a return to shared ownership is also on the cards. It would be good to buy into a brand new boat which we can invite friends to come and cruise with us. One of the disappointments of Avon Rose was that we did not really have the facilities to comfortably accommodate friends. When a boat is your home you need much more space than if it is just for holidays.

When a chap puts his name down for an allotment, you know he has no intention of moving soon. With the Amphletts of Ombersley having been yeoman farmers for centuries and the Lees’s on the maternal side the same, it is hardly surprising he feels the need to get his hands in the soil and grow stuff. On the second floor, Granny’s garden (see pic) is a bit limiting. You can tell a woman is revelling in the shorelife as well. Forget showers, we now have a bath and herself wallows in it at the slightest provocation. "Thank goodness she doesn't sing in it," himself was heard to mutter. Not only that, she has taken up ironing! Now that is dedication to the land-based life.

We are putting down roots. As always for us, the serendipity of life works in our favour. With our lovely daughter's recent diagnosis of breast cancer Granny is now well placed to dash off at a moment’s notice to give help and support, if and when required, during the long months of chemotherapy ahead. All things work for good – himself ever the optimist (mostly).

What’s all this “Big Society” about then? “We are the Big Society,” she said as she wielded her litter picker and plastic sack. With the boys in blue becoming an endangered species because of cuts in government grant and the move towards the transformation into charitable status and possibly becoming “The National Trust for Waterways” or suchlike, volunteering is the order of the day, and please note, Mr Cameron, our intrepid boaters are doing their bit! BW, as it still is, are organising monthly working parties along the canal and theirselves have joined up with the Bath team (fourth Thursday of the month) on the good old K&A. Himself was there, wielding his loppers and secateurs to remove ivy and brambles on Baptist Chapel Bridge 194 where the canal emerges into the river. Then they labour at Bath Bottom Lock (7) trimming edges, removing weeds and clearing rubbish and so on up towards Bath Deep lock (8-9). Four hours hard graft, but good to give something back to a facility that has given us so much pleasure. It looks great. Herself is hoping next month to be wielding a paintbrush (less strenuous she thinks).

Himself has finally removed his model boat from the box and started the plank and frame construction of HMS Sherbourne , a 1:64 scale model of a 1763 cutter which was a revenue vessel for the customs service. She’s not perfect but the lessons learnt are destined to be used in the construction of another. Not only that but the astronomical telescope has been taken out of its case and now waits by the window ready for lunar observations - cloud permitting! Our valiant pair are also delighting in regular ringing again; himself pleased at having rung in six quarter peals since his arrival in October 2010. Good as well to be a regular part of a church community and to start to get involved in it’s corporate life.

So what next? Well our intrepid pair have discovered that their favourite and oft referred to canal guide author, Mr Pearson, does the same for railways. Inspired by Michael Portillo’s “Great Railway Journeys” series on the television plans are afoot to explore Scotland by rail (8 in 15 day rover cards look like the way to go). So with Mr Pearson’s “Iron Road to the Isles” in hand, possibilities are being explored. Himself feels the muse upon him; perhaps a blog of another feather could emerge. So is this the end of the Avon Rose blog? Nothing’s over till it’s finished. There may be tales yet to tell.......