Between Nell Bridge and Tarver’s Lock

Having a look at happenings since I last posted. Maybe 2-3 weeks ago.

I’ve decided to start making more youtube video’s, partly to pass the time, partly because there are some things which can only be expressed in video’s.

I noticed that when that guy pulled the machete on me a couple on months ago now. The police have still not got back to me on that. Useless.

Video never lies

Well, it does. Quite a lot in todays age of deepfake and photoshop manipulation.

My video’s never lie, is what I mean to say.

They are good and wholesome.

You can subscribe to my youtube channel here.

Premier rush

Is the Adobe software I am learning to use to edit and arrange video’s, titles and text.

I’ve done a lot of work with Adobe products over the years. I used to use the Dreamweaver and Photoshop pretty much all the working day back in the ‘naughties.

Since that career faded, I’ve not done much with them, but my Adobe account remains active and this Premiere Rush got good reviews as a starter video creation software for youtube, so why not give it a go? The full version is called Adobe Premiere.

So far, I’ve done a couple of videos. I’m kind of pleased as I am learning to do different things and achieve the effects that I want to, (if slowly), but it’s all coming along.

Chanterelles on the towpath

It is often, living along the canal, that you find forage-able goods, there to be gathered along the banks of the canal.

These chanterelles, I found on the side of the towpath between the canal and the river Cherwell near Nell Bridge Lock.

Chanterelle from the towpath
Chanterelle from the Towpath

It’s kind of big. It looks tasty. To me. I had some chanterelle mushrooms in the past. They were worthwhile.

Continue reading “Between Nell Bridge and Tarver’s Lock”

Things are going down…

Like me on the Oxford canal, heading in a southward direction.

Not only that, but in many other areas of life in and across the world.

My life as a trader

You may or may not know that I spend a lot of my spare time looking at markets, reading economic journals and placing occasional trades on conventional and crypto assets. A day trader, you might say.

Taking in some of the moves in those markets, and predictions for the future leads me conclude that things are definitely moving, in a downward direction.🔻

I believe that life in the UK and the economy under the current prime minister is not viable, and given time will implode. Even in the last few days I read posts about Crispen Odey, one of Kwasi Kwarteng’s close friends, making 145% on UK bond crash, (below).

Relying on ‘trickle down economics‘ at a time of financial tsunami? It’s supplying those at the top with more incentive. Doesn’t make sense unless you want the top 5% to benefit significantly more at a time when they really don’t need any more.

This is the value of government 10 year gilts (debt bonds) going back to 2004

Even if you don’t understand this graph, (which I’m not going to explain), you can see the movements are pretty drastic.

Continue reading “Things are going down…”

It’s been a while…

Hello from Crop and the Fairport Convention.

And I’ve been busy at Cropredy’s ‘Fairport Convention’.

Not an intentional stopover in as much as more of a co-ordinated arrival.

Due down

This way after my engine stop up in the Northern reaches. Cropredy is kind of the first real stop on the section of canal that I now habit.

Crabridy

Or Cropredy is some people call it.

It has many things to recommend it, especially if you happen to drop in when the festival is on, which I did.

Being on the boat, I was able to enjoy it from start to finish without charge, or accommodation charge, to be more clear.

Continue reading “It’s been a while…”

A birthday nightmare at Calcutt Boats

A happy birthday to me from the people at Calcutt Boats.

Not really what I was expecting when I agreed to book my boat in for blacking.

During my stay:

  • Booking was recorded as just hull blacking: On the phone I asked for a blacking, service and mooring. I confirmed this by email, to which there was no reply. When I arrived, I was told there were no moorings available, despite the fact I’d organised to have the carpets cleaned which meant moving all the furniture around and some of it off the boat. It was claimed they ‘hadn’t received the email’. I had asked for the service on the phone and confirmed it all by email. They claimed they didn’t receive that.
  • Washing up was stolen from communal area: Not a big thing you might think. When the boat was on the crane and I wasn’t allowed to do any washing or release of grey water from the sides of the boat, I did a bit of washing up in the communal area. Within the space of 2 hours, I had the only 2 mugs I own stolen plus 3 sharp veg. knives and some spoons. I don’t have any more mugs. Now I will have to go out and buy some more.
Damaged wheel hub
Damaged wheel hub
  • Car vandalised in the carpark. Parked my car under the tree in the carpark overnight. The next morning I arrived to drive off the following morning, and noticed the wheel had been damaged.
    As the car was parked directly next to a piece of derelict machinery on the side that was damaged. No vehicles were able to come alongside and I have difficulty looking at the way that damage comes from the inner wheel to the outer wheel, how such damage could be caused.
  • Negligent engine service by boatyard. The boat was returned to me after the engineer had said it was ‘good-to-go’. This was after he had had problems completing the service on it. He left the engine half done after starting work at 4.30pm. Not turning up the following day like he had promised when he did a turn up, he did about 1/2 an hours work on it and said the boat was fine and ready to take away. It wasn’t. Bonnie made it 300 yards before it broke down.

What a birthday treat from Calcutt Boats! I was in some trepidation about spending my birthday up on stilts on the boat. Now I know it was a bad idea.

Letter of complaint

I had to write a letter of complaint to the owner, Roger.

Broken down after a service at Calcutt
Broken down after a service at Calcutt – Here’s a picture of where my boat had broken down at the top lock.

To be fair. Work on Bonnie was given priority over some of the other jobs that needed to be done by the boatyard.

It took roughly 1.5 days to sort it out completely.

Continue reading “A birthday nightmare at Calcutt Boats”

Tysoe windmill

Is located on the Northern stretch of the Cotswolds. In Warwickshire.

It was a hilly ride and the wind was against me on the way out.

By the time I was coming back, the wind had died. That’s the thing about wind, unlike the hills, rewards for effort put in against it are often stolen. There is no pay-back.

Today was one of those cases. In my face, then gone, more or less, for the return journey.

Still… The sun was out. Cycling in the Cotswolds is something people pay money for.

In this case it’s right on my doorstep.

Be a shame not to take advantage on my one real day off.

Tysoe Windmill
Tysoe Windmill
Cotswold in the distance Compton Wynyates house on the left
Cotswold in the distance. Compton Wynyates house on the left
Cellar door is the best word combination in the English language according to Donnie Darko
Cellar door is the best word combination in the English language according to the film Donnie Darko
What stands behind me is a machine
What stands behind me is a machine
View out across the Cotswolds
View out across the Cotswolds
Tysoe Windmill
Tysoe Windmill
Tysoe Windmill
Tysoe Windmill
Twyford Wharf
Twyford Wharf