6th & 7th October
I wasn't due at the hospital until ten yesterday, and although I wasn't absolutely certain how long it would take to walk from Shobnall, not having done it from that location before, I knew it couldn't be more than three quarters of an hour. This made for a very lazy start, which was very nice.
In fact it turned out to be just half an hour, including time to buy a paper, so I got there very early. Eye clinics can be very late running indeed, but in the event I was seen early for my bit of hi-techery, and was soon on my way back to the boat.
Meanwhile Sheila had been entertaining Lesley Love from Kala, which is moored in Shobnall marina. Her husband, Dan, has had a real bit of bad luck this year – he has a high risk lifestyle as a motorway cop for Derbyshire, but injured himself falling off his push bike, just like any of us could. He broke his arm, and has then had some complications which have kept him in hospital for several weeks.
Lesley told us that he should be out this week, so all the best of luck, mate, and here's hoping you'll soon be out and about again.
Sheila had also had time to polish her easy chair. Peter Mason at Braidbar used to be in the leather trade, and had recommended good old shoe polish as treatment for the inevitable staining that's occurred over the last four and a half years. I must say that a dose of Cherry Blossom has done it as much good as any of the fancy and expensive treatments would have. The Cherry Blossom was 49 pence for the tin.
After lunch, I started a job I'd planned the last time we were down this way, namely splitting the switch control of the lights in the galley. Sanity's through galley has three 20 watt halogen spots over each side, and as built, these were switched by one switch on each side, so that the choice was to have no, three or six lights on.
Over time, this seemed a bit extravagant of our available battery power, especially if you were just making a cup of tea, or pouring a glass of wine. Fortunately, all three wires had been brought from the individual lights to the back of the switch, so in theory it was easy enough to get a double switch for each side and rewire.
Six months ago I got the switches, and finally yesterday started work on the port side. The new switch fitted onto the same backing plate as the old, so the main challenge was to enlarge the hole in the lining behind it to take the double switch where it poked through the backing plate.
It was a bit of a struggle; Braidbars are lined with solid ash tongue and groove, and it's not like trimming a bit of pine. but in the end I managed it. Then it was a matter of finding out by trial and error which lead led to which spot, and wiring it so that I can now switch on either the spot over the cooker or the two spots over the sink unit and worktop, or both, of course.
After I'd done, I'd run out of the crimp on connectors for attaching the leads to the spade terminals on the switch, which gave me an excuse to pop into the chandlery. For once, I came out with just the pack of connectors at five for £1.05; this must be the least I've ever spent in a chandlery in one go. I did have a good look at the widening range of multiple LED lights that potentially could replace the halogen spots, but that's for another time.
Today I was due at the clinic a bit earlier, and it was possible that I would be anointed with the pupil dilating drops which make it quite hard walking back if it's sunny. For this reason Sheila came with me. In the event, it was a dark and gloomy morning, to go with the dark and gloomy financial news, and I didn't have the dilation anyway, but it was still good to have her company.
We were a bit early again, and again I got into see the man ahead of time. All was well, and we were on our way back to the boat before half nine, the original time of my appointment.
We made a quick trip to the council tip near the marina, to get rid of the recycling, then set off in worsening weather for the Morrison's mooring. Sheila did her usual excellent job of winding by the marina entrance, despite a gusty wind, and half an hour later we were tied up ready to go shopping.
Having got back just before lunch, we decided not to go onto Branston Water Park as we'd originally intended, but to sit tight here; the weather is due to improve tomorrow. There's some doubt as to whether the river section below Alrewas Lock will be navigable, after the rain over the weekend, but we'll just have to see what it's like when we get to Wychnor.
Meanwhile, the data connection is immeasurably better here, so I've been able to order Sheila's Sony Reader form Waterstones.com at last, and to put in an order to Lakeland for kitchen bits and bobs. I have also done the starboard side galley light switch, so now I can have any number from one to six lights on in there.
All in all, a productive couple of days, methinks.
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