Thursday 6th March
It seems we have been titting about all week trying to get our jobs done! Sunday it was quite windy so we decided to stay at Hempsted Bridge and walked into Gloucester for a few bits of shopping to tide us over.
Monday we had to take the boat to Gloucester because we needed water and to empty the loo. We also needed to go to Sainsbury’s for a huge stock up shop. When we got to Gloucester we phoned the boat yard at Hempsted to find out the state of play with regards to our gas regulator. They said the gas man would come on Thursday afternoon but they still wanted us to be there Tuesday to have the inverter fitted.
As the bridges are still closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays this meant we had to go back to Hempsted after we had done our shopping etc so we would be the right side of the bridge to get to the boat yard on Tuesday. We returned and moored in the space we had just vacated. We went to The Avenue where I beat Ken at pool 2-1 hoorah!
The next day we moved across the canal to the boat yard and breasted up to the sunken boat again. It was a lovely day weather wise so we once again walked in to Gloucester via a couple of car parts places to enquire about a new starter battery. We have really become familiar with the Bristol Rd!
When we got back we discovered that the inverter had been fitted but was missing a fuse. One had been ordered to arrive on Wednesday and would be fitted on Thursday when we returned once more for the gas man to fit the regulator. Are you still with me?
So Wednesday we went off to Rea Bridge via Sellars Bridge for water. But the bridges are shut on Wednesdays aren’t they? Well, Simms, Rea and Sellars Bridges are high enough to get under without them being opened so the fact that the bridges are shut on Wednesdays doesn’t matter for this trip.
After we moored at Rea Bridge we went off to Tesco’s for a paper and a few other bits including a personalised mug for Ken (see photo). Then we went to the pub.
So to today, we have once more returned to the boat yard and once more breasted up to the sunken boat. We went to Unipart and ordered a starter battery for delivery this afternoon. Then we walked in to Gloucester again. The 35 minute walk is nothing to us now we have done it so many times!
When we got back we walked back up to Unipart to pay for the battery and as they could only fit one of us in the delivery van I walked back to the boat yard while Ken got a lift! Well he is old!
The inverter was fitted and we got it up and running (as I type it is still working so that’s an improvement on the last one) and waited for the gas man to come. At 5-45pm we had a message to say he was stuck in traffic in Bath so we still don’t know when we are having the regulator fitted. Good job we’re not in a hurry to get away!
