Tuesday 30 July 2013

A riotous afternoon aboard No Problem and an eviction from Paddington

Sunday saw the Sunday lunch club reconvened for one of Sirs renowned Sunday dinners on No Problem plus Les and Jaq from NB Valerie. Actually, Les and Jaq were actually invited - we just muttered, 'apple crumble' and turned up!
 Jaq giggles as we  I rib her unmercifully about her inability to speak English like wot we do
 We all seem to be looking a bit worse for wear by this stage
Sue wearing the only possible expression when you're eating one of Jaq's Angel Bars - and yes Vic; I did spot you hiding the last two!

 Sadly we could only stop the one day so yesterday morning we pulled pins getting to Northolt ish about 2.pm. I stayed with MR whilst G walked to his Aunt's for a quick visit and to collect our fuel filters we'd had delivered there. We pulled pins as soon as he returned, eating supper on the hoof, and arrived in Paddington Basin about 8.30. The last available space was outside the M & S Cafe and I promised myself a treat of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs in the morning - little did I know!
 We tied the front of MR to the last of the bollards and the back to a pontoony bit at the end of the basin
 and then let Daisy out to play for a while
I was just crawling, exhausted, into bed when there was a knock on the boat from the local security blokes (not C &RT).
 10.45pm, "you can't moor that barge here mate".
"Why not?"
"Because that pontoon is private property"
"We'll untie it then"
"Then I'll report you to C & R T for blocking the navigation"
"please do, because we're not blocking anything"
"You can't stay here"
"Where do you expect us to go at this time of night?"
"you can't moor that barge here"
"why didn't you tell us earlier?"
"you can't moor that here"

Bored with the circular 'jobs worth' conversation, G untied the stern rope from Mr Stroppy knickers' pontoon and slung a mud weight out and we went to bed. There was another knock 15 minutes later but we ignored it.
 7.00 am this morning I was woken to the bleep bleep of a reversing lorry and there's another knock on the boat - this lorry with a dredger on was parallel to MR waiting to be put in the water where we were moored - why didn't the bloody idiot tell us that the night before. These guys were very pleasant and gave us 5 mins to drag on clothes and get MR out of the way - so much for smoked salmon and scrambled eggs - we didn't even get a cup of tea or clean our teeth!
With no other moorings available (we could hardly breast up on someone at that time of day - and anyway signs say it's forbidden) we had no choice but to continue on towards Camden Locks. It was, of course, chucking it down with rain. Two soggy, thirsty, hungry and unhappy bunnies

15 comments:

  1. I think you're being a bit hard on Vic... he did produce, by all accounts, a fabulous Sunday lunch. Surely that should entitle him to an extra pudding? LOL

    BTW, sorry to have a mini-moan, but could you have a look at your blog background settings please? My tired old eyes are really struggling to read the text on the 'blue cloud' background... didn't the text originally have a white background?

    Oh and can you please post a little more frequently, some us don't have a life and get lonely... LOL

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    1. Don't understand the 'blue cloud' thing Kevin, unless you mean where the x-large pictures go over the side bar - in which case I haven't typed anything anyway. I suggest you
      a. go to Specsavers
      b. put more tonic in your gin
      As for posting more frequently, some of us are busy living our lives and run out of time... LOL xxx
      PS How are the French plans coming along?

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    2. Hi Tiller Girl Jill,

      I apologise, I didn't explain that very well, sorry :(

      a) All of the text in this column used to have a white background and was easy to read, even for me with my Vision Express bi-focal glasses and cataract in my right eye (any chance I could borrow Mutley to be my guide dog?). But some while ago the white background packed its bags and went on holiday and just left the full screen blue clouds background.

      b) Espresso coffee will be fine thanks :)

      I’m happy that you have such a busy and enjoyable great life, but please share a bit more with us poor old wage slaves tied to our desk all day :)

      PS I thought you were going to France, or are you suggesting I should leave the country for being such a PITA ? LOL

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    3. Ah Kevin TOO. Firstly my apologies for being so rude, I thought I was abusing Avalon Kevin (your excellent senses of humour are quite similar). Perhaps you should just call me 'Bluebell' and then I'll know the difference!!!

      I've checked the blog lay out and am still confused - a normal state of affairs for me.
      My main script area is standard black on white. Only the side bars have a pale blue cloudy background underneath. I even looked on G's computer and the background is plain white. I know I'm not technical but I don't know what else to do? Have you been taking something dodgy?

      By way of apology, another blog will go up today unless I have a technical meltdown

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    4. PS You are so not a PITA and we go to France week com 05/05/14

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    5. Hi again Tiller Girl :)

      You were not rude at all, you never are :)

      I think this must be one those infamous "it's alright on my computer" issues. LOL
      If I get some free time one day I'll bring you my laptop so you can see what I see, if you see what I mean??

      Thanks for pointing out that I was causing confusion with my name yet again, I've changed my Google username, you're right Kevin is SO COMMON...LOL

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    6. You are welcome with or without your laptop anytime. Kevin is not a common name; it just so happens that there are TWO of you dear to my heart.
      Loving the 'tiller girl' label - I only hope I can grow to deserve it

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  2. What an adventure, so lovely to follow your travels. I would love to go through London on a boat. Enjoy your adventures, Missing the kindle recommendations kind regards
    Larraine B

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    Replies
    1. Larraine it is amazing through London and I'm glad you enjoy our shennanigans. I haven't published many kindle reviews through G's facebook (is that where you mean?) recently as most of what I've read has been, frankly, disappointing plus I've had little time to read. Just started the longer edition of Stephen King's The Stand - should last me well into August.

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  3. Well that's a bugger as it is such a good spot.
    Paul

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    Replies
    1. We never got to find out really - actually arrived at 9.10pm (I now realise) and was kicked out at 7 am!
      I'm storing away your dog friendly pub recomendations

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  4. You could have just rafted up.

    We have had to raft up to people at more unearthly hours than 7am!!

    Often they dont even realise until they get up later in the morning!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Mr jobsworth pointed out all the signs saying not to raft. I bet they'd have realised if I (rather than G) had done the rafting - I'd probably have knocked them off toilets and out of showers!!!
      It all turned out well in the end.

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  5. Gosh we do all look a little worse for wear there for sure!

    Wends phoned tonight and asked just how much we had in the glasses over 'lunch time'.. It was a bit wasn't it? She asked if we all ended up slurring.. I said "If we were, we all were so nobody would have noticed if anyone else was" at which point she dropped the phone in total laughter!

    Gawd what a disappointment at Paddington, I know how much you were both looking forward to that..

    Oh well once in Teddington, you could come back down the tideway to Brentford and go round again eh? ;)

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    Replies
    1. Don't know about you but I just felt high on the laughter but can't remember what was so funny now!!!!
      See you tomorrow xxx

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