C.L. Peache's Blog, page 26

Time to find a launderette…

Friday 10th November – Day 117

We faff around in the morning and I crack on with my novel as we wait for the car hire company to arrive. Can you believe it’s cheaper to hire a car than to go by train! Firstly, because it’s so expensive and secondly because you cannot rely on public transport here and they say they want us to help the environment… erm, me thinks that is not really a serious item on our governments agenda! But that’s by the by… ((Okay, I agree but less ranting please Peachy!))

We collect the car and then go back to the boat, parking in a nearby farmshop carpark which is near the junction at Great Haywood where we have moored the boat. We then grab all our washing, ((or laundry)) as we have towels, bedding and clothes to wash and our twin tub isn’t really up to towels and bedding. We find this amazing launderette not too far away with wonderful staff.

The chap who runs it tells me he used to live in Kenya and ran a business which hired out tractors to farmers and how he’d been now running this launderette in Stafford for 30 years! That’s one of the things I love about this life, you just meet so many interesting people you would just never normally meet living in one area for a long time.

I’m lucky as I kept some change from selling my books back in July as the machines only take coins. Something to remember when using some laundrettes. Once done we nip to the shops and make the most of having a car to ferry things back to the boat. Just as it’s about to go dark we trudge over the bridge and back down the towpath to deposit everything back at the boat.

It’s so satisfying to get all these jobs done. I manage to sneak in a bit more writing in the evening and finally passed the 40k mark on the jersey novel so very happy with that.

Wordcount 1,527 total 14,763

A little cruise and a cracking wordcount!

Thursday 9th November – Day 116

Cruising day, which doesn’t take very long and we are at the boat services again. The flood water has receded a huge amount, I’m totally guessing maybe 3 or 4 feet since we last came through. It looks like it’s following its normal channel through the countryside now, whereas before, the fields looked like marshlands.

We take the opportunity to get some coal and kindling as we try to stoke the fire up at night, we are getting through the bags of coal now. The couple we were chatting to back at Penkridge are waiting for the fuel boat which sounds like it about £5 cheaper for a bag of coal so next time we need to stock up we will try and time it with when the fuel boat is coming through.

Chris does an amazing reversing job the boat from the service point and back along the canal as we need to pass four moored boat and we don’t have bow thrusters and it’s windy! But then we look like complete amateur’s trying to moor the boat as for some reason it just would not tie up properly! ((I wish you’d filmed that. Maybe you should start doing ‘re-enactments so we can enjoy your mishaps!))

Anyway, we finally manage it and then we gear ourselves up for a big Ebay selling session to try and get rid of the stuff we sorted out when we ‘faffed’ on the boat.

I emailed the manager at Waterstones to find out about the possibly of doing a book launch/signing for the Jersey mystery book so we will see what response I receive. It would be equally exciting and bloomin terrifying. I have done a book signing before at a very supportive gaming café in Newark called Letsxcape but I had lots of friends pop in to buy them as well as a few people I didn’t know during the Newark Book Festival weekend but to do one in Waterstones… eekkk!

Until tomorrow… x

Miles: 0.7 0r 6 furlongs ((from the dictionary… Old Englishfurlang, from furh ‘furrow’ + lang ‘long’. The word originally denoted the length of a furrow in a common field (formally regarded as a square of ten acres. It was also used as the equivalent of the Roman stadium, one eighth of a Roman mile, whence the current sense. Compare with stadium.))  Locks: 0

Wordcount:      1,877         Total: 13,234 ((good word count Peachy!))

Wet and windy boat day.

Wednesday 8th November – Day 115

It’s a wet and windy morning so it’s back to the dinette to get some all-important writing done whilst drinking coffee and the time soon disappears but I promised to make some sweet potato and coconut milk soup; which goes down well. Nice to have warming soup this time of year.

Finally, the weather plays nice so we have a walk into Great Haywood for important supplies ((Not sure teacakes class as important supplies)) Hey, they are needed. I mean who can have afternoon coffee without something to snack on!

There is not much else to report today. Tomorrow will be a cruising day as we need the boat services and to get the boat moved near Great Haywood as we’ve hired a car for a few days as I need to go back to Newark. Can you believe it was cheaper to hire a car than go by train! Although I do have to travel back by train as Chris will be returning the car and I have plans to see all my friends whilst back in Newark. Also, it’s an annual Christmas Chatsworth visit with a friend which should be on YouTube by the time you read this. We are also going to try and find a launderette whilst we have the car.

Until tomorrow. x

Wordcount: 1,688 Total: 11,357

Click here to watch…

Time to cruise. Keeping warm on the boat!

Tuesday 7th November – Day 114

Today it’s up early and a cruise to our old favourite, Tixall Wide and we only have 1 lock to contend with where we encounter another queue the same as on our way up. There is a huge log which would have stopped the gates opening so I called on the muscle to drag it out. It was a massive log and could potentially have done some damage so good to get it out of the canal and out of the way on the grass verge so it wasn’t blocking or causing a problem on the tow path either. If we had a chain saw we could have cut it down for the fire but it would have had to have been dried first!

Really loved the cruise today. It is really such a treat to enjoy this time of year. It’s much colder obviously and you can really feel the temperature drop at about 3pm in the afternoon. We have now started putting the heating on for an hour before bed to get the boat fully warm. The fire is great but it doesn’t really warm the air in the bedroom. Then the heating goes on in the morning to get it toasty as we relight the fire for the day. All in all, very cosy though as the nights draw in.

I knuckle down once we’ve moored up and because I’m starting some new chapters, I mange to exceed the target wordcount today! ((Well done, that’s more like it. If you want this book out next year you better crack on!))

Miles: 3 Locks: 1 / Wordcount: 1,808 Total: 9,669

until tomorrow… x

Writing time and autumnal days…

Monday 6th November – Day 113

This morning I cracked on with my novel as I really need to make some headway with the Jersey story. By the end of the day, I felt like I’d finally made some real progress. I’ve mentioned before that it’s very tricky when you’ve already written a story to try and expand it and add to it and there is always that massive moment of doubt when you think it’s a complete load of rubbish, but then slowly the characters take over and show the way. ((Do you ever wonder if your characters are lying to you?))

In the afternoon we make the most of the clear autumnal skies and wander to the shops nearby. It really is a wonderful time of year as the leaves change colour and you feel the crunch of them beneath your feet; on the non muddy parts of the towpath that is! We intend to cruise tomorrow so need to stock up whilst we can.

I think I mentioned we are on our way back ((for goodness sake. You spend most of your time cruising backwards! How about moving forwards for a change)) We will, we will! I must admit we didn’t expect to be hanging about this area for so long although we have cruised quite a chunk if you look at the map considering we’ve had places to be and things to do.

Right, back to the dinette. Until tomorrow… x

Wordcount: 1,100 : Total: 7,681 ((getting better Peachy!))

Narrowboat adventures… Day 113 – 119 Mon 6th Nov – Sun 12th Nov

Monday 6th November – Day 113

This morning I cracked on with my novel as I really need to make some headway with the Jersey story. By the end of the day, I felt like I’d finally made some real progress. I’ve mentioned before that it’s very tricky when you’ve already written a story to try and expand it and add to it and there is always that massive moment of doubt when you think it’s a complete load of rubbish, but then slowly the characters take over and show the way. ((Do you ever wonder if your characters are lying to you?))

In the afternoon we make the most of the clear autumnal skies and wander to the shops nearby. It really is a wonderful time of year as the leaves change colour and you feel the crunch of them beneath your feet; on the non muddy parts of the towpath that is! We intend to cruise tomorrow so need to stock up whilst we can.

I think I mentioned we are on our way back ((for goodness sake. You spend most of your time cruising backwards! How about moving forwards for a change)) We will, we will! I must admit we didn’t expect to be hanging about this area for so long although we have cruised quite a chunk if you look at the map considering we’ve had places to be and things to do.

Right, back to the dinette. Until tomorrow… x

Wordcount: 1,100 : Total: 7,681 ((getting better Peachy!))

Tuesday 7th November – Day 114

Today it’s up early and a cruise to our old favourite, Tixall Wide and we only have 1 lock to contend with where we encounter another queue the same as on our way up. There is a huge log which would have stopped the gates opening so I called on the muscle to drag it out. It was a massive log and could potentially have done some damage so good to get it out of the canal and out of the way on the grass verge so it wasn’t blocking or causing a problem on the tow path either. If we had a chain saw we could have cut it down for the fire but it would have had to have been dried first!

Really loved the cruise today. It is really such a treat to enjoy this time of year. It’s much colder obviously and you can really feel the temperature drop at about 3pm in the afternoon. We have now started putting the heating on for an hour before bed to get the boat fully warm. The fire is great but it doesn’t really warm the air in the bedroom. Then the heating goes on in the morning to get it toasty as we relight the fire for the day. All in all, very cosy though as the nights draw in.

I knuckle down once we’ve moored up and because I’m starting some new chapters, I mange to exceed the target wordcount today! ((Well done, that’s more like it. If you want this book out next year you better crack on!))

Miles: 3 Locks: 1

Wordcount: 1,808 Total: 9,669

Wednesday 8th November – Day 115

It’s a wet and windy morning so it’s back to the dinette to get some all-important writing done whilst drinking coffee and the time soon disappears but I promised to make some sweet potato and coconut milk soup; which goes down well. Nice to have warming soup this time of year.

Finally, the weather plays nice so we have a walk into Great Haywood for important supplies ((Not sure teacakes class as important supplies)) Hey, they are needed. I mean who can have afternoon coffee without something to snack on!

There is not much else to report today. Tomorrow will be a cruising day as we need the boat services and to get the boat moved near Great Haywood as we’ve hired a car for a few days as I need to go back to Newark. Can you believe it was cheaper to hire a car than go by train! Although I do have to travel back by train as Chris will be returning the car and I have plans to see all my friends whilst back in Newark. Also, it’s an annual Christmas Chatsworth visit with a friend which should by now be on YouTube. We are also going to try and find a laundrette whilst we have the car.

Until tomorrow. x

Wordcount: 1,688 Total: 11,357

Thursday 9th November – Day 116

Cruising day, which doesn’t take very long and we are at the boat services again. The flood water has receded a huge amount, I’m totally guessing maybe 3 or 4 feet since we last came through. It looks like it’s following its normal channel through the countryside now, whereas before, the fields looked like marshlands.

We take the opportunity to get some coal and kindling as we try to stoke the fire up at night, we are getting through the bags of coal now. The couple we were chatting to back at Penkridge are waiting for the fuel boat which sounds like it about £5 cheaper for a bag of coal so next time we need to stock up we will try and time it with when the fuel boat is coming through.

Chris does an amazing reversing job the boat from the service point and back along the canal as we need to pass four moored boat and we don’t have bow thrusters and it’s windy! But then we look like complete amateur’s trying to moor the boat as for some reason it just would not tie up properly! ((I wish you’d filmed that. Maybe you should start doing ‘re-enactments so we can enjoy your mishaps!))

Anyway, we finally manage it and then we gear ourselves up for a big Ebay selling session to try and get rid of the stuff we sorted out when we ‘faffed’ on the boat.

I emailed the manager at Waterstones to find out about the possibly of doing a book launch/signing for the Jersey mystery book so we will see what response I receive. It would be equally exciting and bloomin terrifying. I have done a book signing before at a very supportive gaming café in Newark called Letsxcape but I had lots of friends pop in to buy them as well as a few people I didn’t know during the Newark Book Festival weekend but to do one in Waterstones… eekkk!

Until tomorrow… x

Miles: 0.7 0r 6 furlongs ((from the dictionary… Old Englishfurlang, from furh ‘furrow’ + lang ‘long’. The word originally denoted the length of a furrow in a common field (formally regarded as a square of ten acres. It was also used as the equivalent of the Roman stadium, one eighth of a Roman mile, whence the current sense. Compare with stadium.))  Locks: 0

Wordcount:      1,877         Total: 13,234 ((good word count Peachy!))

Friday 10th November – Day 117

We faff around in the morning and I crack on with my novel as we wait for the car hire company to arrive. Can you believe it’s cheaper to hire a car than to go by train! Firstly, because it’s so expensive and secondly because you cannot rely on public transport here and they say they want us to help the environment… erm, me thinks that is not really a serious item on our governments agenda! But that’s by the by… ((Okay, I agree but less ranting please Peachy!))

We collect the car and then go back to the boat, parking in a nearby farmshop carpark which is near the junction at Great Haywood where we have moored the boat. We then grab all our washing, ((or laundry)) as we have towels, bedding and clothes to wash and our twin tub isn’t really up to towels and bedding. We find this amazing launderette not too far away with wonderful staff.

The chap who runs it tells me he used to live in Kenya and ran a business which hired out tractors to farmers and how he’d been now running this laundrette in Stafford for 30 years! That’s one of the things I love about this life, you just meet so many interesting people you would just never normally meet living in one area for a long time.

I’m lucky as I kept some change from selling my books back in July as the machines only take coins. Something to remember when using some laundrettes. Once done we nip to the shops and make the most of having a car to ferry things back to the boat. Just as it’s about to go dark we trudge over the bridge and back down the towpath to deposit everything back at the boat.

It’s so satisfying to get all these jobs done. I manage to sneak in a bit more writing in the evening and finally passed the 40k mark on the jersey novel so very happy with that.

Wordcount 1,527 total 14,763

Saturday 11th November – Day 118

It’s up early again today as we make the most of having the car to go on an early morning car cruise through the Cannock chase area. It’s simply stunning with all the beautiful autumnal bracken and trees and we are lucky enough to spot some of the deer and it was wonderful to stop and enjoy that. I did get a little video I will pop on my Youtube vlog at some point.

We also pop to the postoffice as after having the declutter we’ve sold some bits and bobs and it’s a lot easier taking them in the car. Then we put the boat to bed and switch everything off bar the fridge/freezer after running the engine for 30 mins just to top up the batteries as we are both away overnight. Chris is back tomorrow but I’m heading to Derby to see friends and then to Newark to catch up with mates and as mentioned before the very important annual visit to Chatsworth House, by then I will officially declare it Christmas.

I’ve writing this at my friend’s house, in my pjs at 2pm! I know! So indulgent, but she had to pop out for a bit and so I indulged in a bath! OMG so good to finally enjoy a hot bath rather than a shower. It’s the one thing I really miss about living in a house. I originally said I would have a bath on the boat but now I’m not so sure it would work. The cost to heat up the water and making sure you are near a water point to refill, I’m not sure we will now.

Right, that’s me done. I’m going to get some wordcount added to my Jersey novel before my friend gets back and we eat, drink and catch up. Another fabulous day.

Wordcount: 768 total 15,531

Sunday 12th November – Day 119

Today I achieve the grand total of zero words ((erm!)) I know, I know but I’ve been socialising ((That is not a valid excuse Peachy. You need to take this seriously if you’re going to make it as an author. Not just gallivanting around the country pretending you have friends! And don’t go telling me it’s ‘research’ or you’re developing characters through interactions with others because I’m not accepting that as an acceptable excuse!)) oh…

We go back to our Newark and visit some of our pals at the marina. We lived on the boat for a year in the marina which I would highly recommend for anyone thinking about getting a boat. It made things much easier getting used to boat life.

We catch up with Chris’s folks before Chris leaves me in Newark and returns to the boat at Great Haywood and I meet a friend at Costa. As most will know who read my blogs, I love socialising and I’m very lucky to have a lot of friends so it’s wonderful to be back and catching up with them.

Right that’s it for this week. Next week will be mostly about catching up with friends and then back to the boat at the end of the week and a cruise onto new water!

Until next week… xx

Wordcount: ((00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000)) hey don’t add so many zero’s! total wordcount: 15,531

5am writing and a beautiful canal cruise..

Sunday 5th November – Day 112

It’s up early for me as I wake up at 5am and it’s one of those rare times where I felt refreshed and decide… well why not, so I got up and cracked on with writing. I managed about 1k so was pretty happy with that as I’m also editing as I go along. It lovely to watch the day dawn as the moon is still bright in the sky and the wispy red clouds of dawn make way for a beautiful day to cruise.

First job, is to take the Elsan to the services on the trusty electric bike as we intend to stop at Stafford for a few days and the next boat services point is Great Haywood once again! ((Don’t forget to tell everyone how you forgot to put the lid on the blue liquid you use for the toilet so it leaked into the carrier bag)) Yes, yes, you don’t have to tell everyone every mistake I make! I wonder if it will be like this every year as we approach winter, that we end up loitering in one area for a while before setting off for a new canal and a new stretch when the weather changes.

We then pop to the boat moored behind us as Chris got talking to the couple and she is writing a canal book so we got chatting and exchanged emails so I can hopefully help her ((She does really she will never be a success if she listens to you…)) Hey… ((well to be fair you did advertise your fantasy series and sold one book so you know… next stop…)) we end up chatting for an hour and then at 10am it’s off we go.

First up of four locks today on the Staffordshire and Worcester canal is Longford Lock after only a few minutes and then in short order Park Gate Lock and Shutt Hill Lock. In between doing locks I have the washing machine on the go to make the most of generating electric whilst cruising. I pop in to finish off the washing and then make us a coffee and some toast as by this point we have been cruising for an hour and a half and since I was up early I want food.

Food and coffee consumed I stay outside to enjoy the beautiful blue skies and views. It’s a little chilly but we will take this kind of cruising weather any day of the week.

Before too long we arrive at Deptmore lock – this is the deep one if you remember from the way up. Stunning views from this high up. Once out we cruise past the fields which flooded on the way up. I’m going to try and show some before and afters on the vlog when I get around to editing it. ((That will be out in like 2026 so don’t hold your breath!)) Actually, it should be vlog number 47 which will be live on Sunday 10th December! (Ohhh, get you being all organised. Remember whose telling you this people, don’t hold your breath!))

We arrive at our mooring spot near Radford Bridge and then it’s a quick visit to Aldi for essentials and then I treat myself to a power nap since I was up so early. Then the afternoon is filled with making a Sunday dinner, editing my novels, writing this blog and just possibly a film.

Right, that’s it for this week. Don’t forget the vlog is alive and last week I put a vlog up about the cost of the narrowboat and then one each night so plenty to binge watch on a rainy day.

Miles: 5 Locks: 4

Until next week… xx

Wordcount: 1,202 total: 6,751 ((Down on the wordcount again Peachy! Tut Tut!))

YouTube link… https://youtu.be/RpFzn0FUGUA?si=MyNmdg1acvQA8WGB

Blogging, writing and canal life.

Saturday 4th Nov – Day 111

We have a nice relaxed late morning lay in ((Due to the alcohol consumed! And late morning Peachy means 1pm)) I watch a bit of Peaky Blinders in bed before we fill ourselves with a veggie sausage and onion sandwich and tackle the unit to put the new feet on. As you can imagine the whole boat in an absolute tip as we have to move everything out and then I decide to also give the kitchen a really good clean. But hey ho, by then end of the day we have sorted it, put everything back and the boat is looking fab.

I sit down to update this blog as I need to get my wordcount in and I’m not quite ready to get started on the novel my publisher has now sent me. It’s not straight forward as I have to read the edit notes and the amend and add as I go along which takes a bit more thought ((50,000 words woohoo)) Wow, you’re right Brackets. I’ve just past 50,000 words on this blog since I set off on Wednesday 19th July! ((Tell you what, your year in a life living on the canals is going to take some editing when this is only 4 months into a 12 month adventure! Good luck with that Peachy!)) I think I will need it. Do you think I waffle too much?((Saying not one thing!))

Tomorrow we are hoping to cruise to Stafford. It’s funny really that you get the feeling to move. Apparently, there is some link to the canals with Chris’s family which we will have to find more about so maybe it is like coming home to him. I never thought I would live on a boat but I’ve always been up for adventure!

Wordcount: 844 total: 5,549 ((Is that all?? You have literally had all day!)) Yeah I know but I have editing and stuff today which takes up the time. ((I suggest you get on with if you’re going to have a few days off next week to see friends!)) Yes Boss!

Until tomorrow… x

Boat faffing &problems charging our power bank!

Friday 3rd Nov – Day 110

It’s been a beautiful bright day today and we cannot get enough of the solar so we get out the portable solar panel to charge the power bank so we are harnessing the as much sun as we can. It doesn’t provide much charge but it’s free! We’ve also noticed that the power bank will not charge to its maximum efficiency when it’s cold, they don’t tell you that on the info so we now put it somewhere near the fire to warm up before we charge it and that seems to work. Obviously not too close to the fire!

Today we decided the tackle the large unit we have in the living area. It’s a beast of a piece of furniture but is great storage and looks good on the boat. We want to try and lift the unit so it sits on the gunnels. That will then give a few precious extra inches ((I’m saying nothing)) in the main area. We also want to have a declutter as now we are way into our adventure, we know what we need and what we don’t need and a boat can feel cluttered very easily!

The boat has to be a mixture of practical and homely and requires a clever use of the spaces. Like creating any home, it all takes time and I’ve talked before about how we use the boat differently depending on our location, especially the difference between being in a marina and cruising the cut. When in a marina the boat is plugged into the mains so the items we have like the power bank we use to run the tv and the solar panel and various other bits and bobs we don’t need but they still need a place somewhere on the boat.

Anyway, the unit fits, hurrah, so we then order some new legs for it to match the cherrywood. Not only have we gained extra space in the main area but we now have room for baskets underneath the unit for things like kindling, logs etc for the fire which we means we can get rid of the drawer unit we were using – again creating space and getting rid of clutter. We also move the coat hangers around a bit to make that area look a bit better. Still more to do but every time we faff it becomes more homely ((Again… you’re just trying to clear the other unit so you have space for a Christmas tree!)) Shhhh, Brackets. Don’t tell Chris about my cunning plan!

I manage to get some writing done before I start on the wine after visiting the postoffice to collect the feet for the unit ((She has a few too many to drink…)) and we listen to some music to the odd firework going off. We were going to go to the bonfire do in Penkridge tomorrow but the weather looks suitably terrible for tomorrow so we will see!

Wordcount: 1,211 total: 4,705 before you say anything Brackets we were boat faffing all day!

Book update!

Thursday 2nd Nov – Day 109

We are moored up in nice spot and decide to stay here for a few days as there is another storm incoming and since we used the services yesterday, we are okay to loiter for a few days.

I spend the morning uploading more vlogs and trying to get them up to date and then it’s time to crack on with my book. I’m trying to upload and create the vlog within a few days of filming so I can vaguely remember what happened but also clear storage on my phone. Sadly, I didn’t receive my novel back from my publisher which I was waiting for so I decided to crack on with my psychological thriller. For those who don’t know. This was the first book I wrote back in April 2018 and it’s been faffed with so many times over the years but the time has never seemed quite right ((Just get on with it Peachy. We are all sick of waiting and your mum is going go apocalyptic on you soon if you don’t publish it)) I know, I know.

There are few reasons for the delay, ((5 years is more than a delay)) there have been other books to write, life has got in the way. I’ve set it to one side as I needed to decide on who were my target audience, I faffed about with tense and first person, third person and everything else in between as I’ve tried to make the book what I want it to be. This is the one book my beta readers are always asking me about 5 years on. They all still ask me about it now so it shows how well the characters and stories resonated with people. It’s going to be a series of I don’t know how many yet. I’ve written 2 and started on the third.

Now I feel it’s the right time and I can do it justice. I feel like I’ve developed enough as a writer and whilst I’m sure the editor will pick up many mistakes, my writing is now at a point where I feel ready to get this book done!

So, during NaNoWriMo the aim is to work on two projects. One the editing and changing the point of view of the main characters and adding more description and detail to the psychological thriller and then when I receive my book back from the publisher, I will work on that which is more of the same! ((and some people say you don’t work hard!)) I know right, I’ve never worked so hard.

We have a wander into Penkridge for supplies before the heavy rain arrives and then spend the day faffing and re-arranging stuff on the boat. We are near a charity shop so are having a good clear out. It’s amazing how much stuff you can fit on a boat and it was feeling cluttered. ((We know you’re only doing it so you have more space for your Christmas decs!)) shhh Brackets!

Until tomorrow…x

Wordcount: 1,699  Total:  3,494