About Us

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In 1977 we hired our first narrowboat from Anglo Welsh at Market Harborough.From that moment our destiny was set. In 2006 we finally purchased our own brand new 57' narrowboat which we named 'Free Spirit'. Our aim is to travel the length and breadth of all the navigable rivers and canals of the UK. This will be our story as it unfolds.

Friday 25 July 2008

Moorings outside Tewitfield


We knew the moorings were bad the further up the canal we went but this was ridiculous. None of us got anywhere near the bank and it was with a bit of courage that we could leap of the boat. Judy and Jade wondered what all the fuss was about.

I still managed a spot of fishing although I only managed to hook one small roach and even that fell of the hook when I was bringing it in. After this was taken the sky grew really dark and we had a magnificant thunder storm. Shame for the dogs who cowered under our bed and refused to come out. There gun dogs for goodness sake!!!!
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Dave on the swing bridge

Heather couldn't get the boat of the bank ( due to the wind) while Dave was operating the swing bridge. Dennis and Margaret came to her rescue.

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View fdrom the canal

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Ian and me with dogs Hest Bank


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Judy and Jade in the sea



The dogs loved the sea. Shame there were no waves for them to play in.
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Hest Bank


We managed to get moored with a bit of shuffling about. "Icing" breasted up with us while "Bracken" had to moor a good 100yds away. Still we got to the beach. I decided that I wanted a picture of all of us and asked Ian to put the camera on timer. After two attempts he finally managed it!

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Lune Aquaduct


The views from here is spectacular. Shame I didnt get any pictures. The river Lune runs under here and it is a well known beauty spot on the way to Tewitfield .















We all stopped to have a photo shoot.

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Garage in the canal

How on earth would a car get into this garage?
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Lancaster


We made good time to Lancaster after leaving Galtang and stopped to water up, empty loo's etc. While we waited there this nice BW man came and told us that the moorings at Hest Bank were nigh on impossible but with any luck we might just be able to moor before it. I would be very disappointed if I couldn't moor there because I wanted to take the dogs to the beach.














Lancaster sanitary station.

















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Thursday 24 July 2008

The three wise men (or if preferred the grumpy old gits)


Finally a decent day to have a BBQ. Again we met on Icing as this is definitely a party boat, and not only that, but Dennis seems to have an endless supply of beer!
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Please can I have some.

Dennis was busy taking the meat of of his chop bone. Jade, ever hopeful, was looking longingly at his plate.
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Galtang

After a very early start ( 11.30am ) we arrived at Gartang at 3.30pm. I went fishing agaCheck Spellingin but didn't catch any eels this time thank goodness. We decided on another BBQ seeing as this was the first decent day we have had in ages. The signpost is at the junction of the Glasson Branch which takes you down to the docks.
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View from the canal

On the move again after staying in Bilsborrow for two weeks. As we head further North the scenery gets better. We are heading towards Lancaster and then onto Tewitfield which is the end of the navigation.
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Another family visit


Christine and Kev paid us a visit last weekend at Bilsborrow. They arrived with quilt and fishing gear for a sleepover and a spot of night fishing. Having made up a makeshift bed in the saloon area were our dogs normally sleep, Judy decided that this must be a new basket for her and promptly took the bed over. Jade and Echo (Chris and Kev's dog) decided that it looked to comfy for just one dog and jumped on as well. Quite where Christine and Kev was to sleep is any ones guess!

One story I must tell about this visit. Kev is into Pike fishing so after catching a small roach he decided to use it as bait. He placed it on the hook and cast it out across the canal. Now opposite us is a sanitary station for all the boats and there just happened to be a wide beam boat moored waiting to fill up with water. On casting the bait he somehow managed to land the fish onto the roof of the widebeam. Pulling the rod back quickly the fish came of of the hook and landed down the entry hatch of the boat. Well we all fell about laughing and pretended it was nothing to do with us. When the owner of the boat returned he kept looking at this fish scratching his head and looking to the sky as if it had come from heaven. This was definitely one of our more memorable memory's of our trip.

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