Offgrid living on UK waterways
Only moving down a little bit.
This is the place closest to work, so I’m here until after Christmas to make things easier.
It’s roughly a four mile drive to Amazon from here.
16 miles less than the same time last year.
I went to the pub/restaurant, the Walnut Tree the other night.
They had a band on, which was quite entertaining. Just playing some soul/pop covers.
Free to get in.
No problems.
Is quite noisy. Continue reading “Gayton Junction -> Blisworth”
Where the dear and the antelope play…
Not so much as closer to the bin/toilet, town, coal merchants, motorway, supermarkets etc.
All the things you’re going to want to be close to as the weather closes in.
You can see Bonnie here on the right.
A problem round here is the lack of Post Offices wanting to do Post Restanté. The staff in Towcester seemed particular awkward. They get described as ‘miserable and un-helpful’ in reviews online.
That’s certainly the impression I got.
The woman starting trying to tell me what it was that post restanté was, and shift responsibility elsewhere, “you need to check with them check with that, check online etc“.
I put it clearer ‘I’ve been doing it for years. I’m not asking you what it is or how it works, I’m asking you whether you’ll receive my mail under the scheme‘, to which she grudgingly shrugged. I don’t expect much. They’re awkward twats at the best of times.
Continue reading “Weedon Bec -> Gayton Junction”To look at the photo’s, you’d think there’s not a lot there.
In fact, the canal is on an embankment which curves across the Nene Valley at canopy level.
There are in fact other things in the village.
Here are some of the other things in the village of Weedon.
Handy Tesco about 300 yards from the canal at it’s closest point.
Stock up on your beer and rolls here. Continue reading “Round and about Weedon”
Weedon Central. Or Weedon Bec as some people call it.
So… The new bypass opened next to my lovely spot in Dodford. Come 6am, I could feel the rumbling of artic’s, and couldn’t get back to sleep.
Here’s a picture of the new Weedon – Upper Heyford bypass.
As you can see, it’s probably about 300 yards from my boat at it’s closest point.
Didn’t fancy sticking around. I like my beauty sleep. It wasn’t the sound either, it was the vibrations from the road, which makes it slightly worse.
I’ve cut my losses, and moved down here to Weedon. Continue reading “Dodford -> Weedon”
I was here earlier on in the year opposite Cannah Mead Wharf, where they do the occasional bit of work.
It’s kind of a nice spot, opposite the meadow.
There are many birds in the hedges here.
Solar is good. Phone signal is strong. When I got here, the C03 alarm was going off in one of the boats opposite and there was a couple of work boats moored behind me.
It had been raining. When I arrived, the owners of the work-boats weren’t aboard so I got the genny out and ran it for a little while to boost the batteries up a bit.
At about 7.30pm, I get a bang on the roof, so I pop my head out. It’s the owner of the work-boats, who’s obviously arrived home and says in a rather surly fashion, ‘Do you mind if you turn that generator off’. So I looks at my watch and says, ‘sure’, ‘it’s not 8 O’clock yet’. To which he says, ‘just a simple request’.
So, I said ‘fine’. ‘When it gets to 8, I’ll turn it off’. And got back on the boat.
It had been raining all day. I was hardly running it for the good of my health. Continue reading “Muscott -> Dodford”
