Kitchen Monkey

15 February 2008

AhOy there, have you done this before!!

Have the roads been quite this week did you notice??
Well if you didn’t know it has been half term for the schools, colleges and universities this week.

Have they driven you made yet with’ I’m bored’, or the fact that they have sat in front of the play station for hours without a word, only game speak. Or the loud music from the bedroom as Emily try’s to master the latest dance routine with her friends and Tommy try’s out his half learnt guns & roses track he’s been trying to master on his electric guitar, which your sister thought might be fun to buy him for Christmas! Shame she’s not here, to ‘hear’ the wonderful noises too!

Yes I have both boys & girls. Well with half term for the schools etc nearly over, alot of people’s thoughts start turning now to holidays. I find it quite amazing how we have half term in February, yet most tourist attractions are still closed and do not open until Easter.

Talking with my bestest friend she was recalling our adventure on the canals, how simple it was and how much fun all of us had, and you guessed it, it turned into a night of it, if you get my meaning.

We went on a canal holiday in April, I had been planning my daughter’s wedding and that’s another story for another day. I was exhausted and really looking forward to a break. We planned a holiday for 7 whole days on a narrow boat on the Llangollen canal. Having only been on trips on boats before, and had the odd day boat on the Norfolk broads plus the school canal trip; this was something none of us had done before.

My son was less than enthusiastic, no TV he said, no plugs for my play station, no gym for me to train in, you could see the panic in his eyes, ’I’m stuck with the old biddies for a whole week’. I on the other hand kept thinking ‘peace and quiet’, but if he wasn’t going to enjoy it, did make me apprehensive.

Well we had a 58’ narrow boat and I have to say it was like home from home. The boat had heating, fully fitted kitchen and bathroom and space surprisingly. We were all given a quick guide on what to do along with a manual and code to the laws of the canal etc. We had been reading up on this from literature which the narrow boat company had sent to us with our booking material http://www.black-prince.com/
So off we went, it was cold we were all wrapped up and standing at the stern at the helm (where you steer), and the boat looked huge from here. I have towed caravans for years and some of them very long, but having all this boat in front of you somehow made the boat look even longer. http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/
I suppose it’s like driving a lorry or bus, but with water you cannot stop. The flow of the water still allows you to travel, even if you wanted to stop instantly, something alot of people forget when boating.

I had my elderly mum and teenage son who incidentally sprung into action to become captain. We didn’t go far that first day having picked a week route appropriate for beginners. We moored outside of a canal side public house, another first our first mooring. But like everything, once you have done it once you have a routine and your away. We had a meal in the pub that night with other boaters and had a marvellous night. In fact to paint the picture properly, all of us laughed that much listening to tales of boating, even the landlord had joined in, that we had stitch.

The next day was glorious sun, but cold you needed layers on. Out and about we mastered our first individual lock my son ran down the tow path to open the lock and watched me steer in as he opened and closed them in order to manoeuvre this huge boat through the lock. We stopped for a break and to eat, it was so quite. We had seen so many things and met so many nice people. Everyone spoke to you as you passed them, whether another boater or someone out walking the dog on the tow path. I can remember when caravanning was like this too.

We all loved the experience and hadn’t missed any TV etc as I thought my son would. We were having fun with board games and cards, listening to the radio which brought back alot of memories for my mother, and talking to people we met each day and night.

We travelled up and down the Llangollen canal, if you ever get the chance to do this please do. The views are spectacular. We saw so much wild life, kingfishers, squirrels, buzzards allsorts, I nearly had my head took off by a barn owl while at the helm one evening before mooring; they have such a wing span.

We crossed the famous aqueduct which Thomas Telford built in 1805. This via duct is 38m (126’) in the air the width of a single narrow boat (the canal part is literally only this with inches each side) and a small walk way for people to walk across in single file, http://www.horsedrawnboats.co.uk/aqueduct-cruises.asp My mother was petrified and hid inside the narrow boat, my son and I Ioved it and would not have missed the views for anything.

We had a fabulous 7 days on the canal, we were all so relaxed, no traffic or noise, the pace of life is so relaxing, my son found a new found love for running, which we did every morning and night along the canal paths. He had forgot how much fun you can have without the TV etc and to actually talk and have a conversation and play cards and board games. The fresh air had done all of us the world of good and we actually looked like we had been away abroad, despite how cold it had been. We had every weather possible and in one particular day at one set of locks, we had been out in the sun, rain and then the snow. We had woken up to everywhere being white over and frozen on more than one occasion. One thing we all said was how every single view out of boat, every minute was different like watching a painting change continually. Oh and the characters and people we met were fantastic and very memorable.

If you thinking about a holiday like this, give it a go! It might surprise you and even hook you. Don’t forget we at kitchenmonkey.co.uk can help you still further by delivering your order to your boat for you, for everyone to while your all enjoying your holiday further. Happy holiday planning!