Tuesday, 4 March 2008

Serious boating for once

3rd & 4th March

It was a bright morning, but a bitterly cold wind. Having topped up the water tank, we set off at around 9.15, getting to Penkridge by lunch time. Sheila's toothache was getting worse, especially in the cold wind, so we decided to make a long day of it and boat right through to Tixall, thus getting to Alrewas a day earlier than planned.

We made another brief stop below Park Gate Lock to pop into Midland Chandlers. We found a replacement roll flat hose, and I got another oil filter – I don't like not having a spare in the engine hole, and I'd used my last doing the last oil change.

Then it was a case of steadily on and on, arriving at Tixall at 5.15, after a day's boating that reminded us of our hire boat days. On the way I discovered that nbsanity.net had gone down again, although it had seemed to be working yesterday (thanks to John Campbell for alerting me to its vanishing trick).

Some research in its control panel today demonstrated that the whole configuration for the website has disappeared, although the email is still working. I sent an email to their support people yesterday, but just got one back today to say that everything should be OK, when it patently wasn't.

So I sent another, in the circs quite restrained, email giving the current symptoms, and got this in reply:

The email response was sent out to everyone who has been affected by this issue. Mainly to filter out those who still have an issue and those that are resolved.

It does say in the email "If you have any questions or queries, please call us on 08710 624 888"

Can you give the guys in support a call and they will able to put a final resolve in place for you.


Must say I don't see why I should have to phone an 08 number from my mobile (no landline on a boat, of course) when I've told them exactly what's happening. In any event, I haven't had a chance to try it, as by the time we stopped boating today it was after 5, and they don't man their suppport phone outside working hours.

You can see why I'm changing my provider. Meantime, please use the new domain, nbsanity.me.uk, both to visit the website and for email.

Meanwhile, we made another reasonably prompt start today, getting away by nine on another cold day. The wind had at least dropped a bit, and indeed the weather continued to improve all day. There wasn't much moving as we worked down Haywood and Colwich locks – it's be very different there in a couple of weeks' time when the hordes are out for Easter.

We got to Rugeley by 11; just before we arrived, Elanor rang with some bad news. Her cat, Anrheg, has been under treatment for a stubborn fur ball, and today they did an X-ray, planning to intervene to sort it once and for all. Only it wasn't a fur ball, it was a tumour which proved to be inoperable.

So suddenly, out of the blue, Elanor is missing her favourite cat – she was called Anrheg because she was a birthday present from us to her nine years ago. We did what we could to console her over the phone – at least we will be in reach for visits for the next few weeks while she gets over her loss.

We did the usual shop/lunch/shop routine at Rugeley, and then set off again for Woodend and points East. By 3.30 we were in sight of Woodend Lock, and decided to go on down and look for a mooring above Shade House, ready to make the run into Alrewas tomorrow. Mistake – Shade House moorings were completely full, so on we went to below Junction Lock, where we found a solitary mooring left at the end of the 48 hour ones, finishing at 4.45,making it another long day by our standards.

Tomorrow, Alrewas and hopefully Sheila will get in to see the dentist and get some relief from her aching jaw.

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