10 days in the Marina and 10 days in Suffolk – Blimey we weren’t expecting that!

Phew, a lot has happened since last I posted. Firstly during the first week that we were back in the marina we noticed that Brian had developed a bit of a stutter. Because we were going to Essex on 15th July we thought discretion would be the better part of valour and we took him in to Kam Servicing at Sawley for a check up.

They did a diagnostic check and it transpired that there had been water in the Electronic Control Unit which was causing this stutter. We contacted the warranty company to find out if we had to take the car to a Vauxhal main dealer for the work to be done but they were happy for Kam Servicing to do it.

About a week later the job was done which included replacement spark plugs and drying out the ECU. We have an extended warranty on the car and reluctantly they agreed to cough up for the repair although we had to pay for the diagnostic test. However due to an administration error on the part of the garage we have yet to receive the money!

Also during the first week we were in the marina the charging port on my phone decided to pack up and I took it into the Vodafone shop whereupon they sent it away for repair. I had to share with Ken for a fortnight which was a bit inconvenient especially as we were going away for 10 days and it wouldn’t be ready before we left.

And Ken went in to Boots Opticians to get a replacement pair of glasses for the ones he lost in Nuneaton. He did manage to get them for half price which was a bonus.

On the 15th July we went off to the Best Western Plus Epping Forest for 3 nights to see Ken’s family. The first thing we noticed was that the Napier Arms at the top of the road (where we were going to go for dinner) was closed for refurbishment, very inconvenient. We had a rather uninspiring meal in the hotel on the Friday night and a very good Chinese meal at Dynasty in South Woodford on the Saturday.

On the Saturday we did the trip over the Thames on the Emirates Cable Cars which was fun. Sunday morning after a nostalgic (4 mile) walk round some of Ken’s old haunts we went to Danbury for a BBQ at his cousin’s house which was lovely. Monday, off we went to Suffolk and stayed at my Dad’s for a week.

During our stay we had fish and chips (twice), took Peter out a couple of times, went to another BBQ (this time at my brother’s), got drowned by a thunder storm at Bungay Castle while watching A Midsummer’s Night Dream, saw Kenny and Vanessa (3 times!), visited Mum and Dave (second lot of fish and chips), had a Thai meal on the Friday night and finally we somehow managed to view and put an offer in on a 2 bedroomed flat in the same block where my Dad lives!

We were glad to get home for a rest! However we should not be resting we have loads of work to do on the boat but neither of us can seem to rake up the enthusiasm for it at the moment.

We have just had a few days at Trent Lock which has been nice. We were going to go down to Hazelford but we found out the Nottingham river festival is the weekend after next which is right when we would be wanting to come back.

We remember last year falling foul of the same festival and finding no where to moor at County Hall or in Nottingham on our way back from Gunthorpe so we are giving it a swerve this time. The weather is supposed to go tits up again tomorrow anyway so we are going back to Sawley.

We have to go home again at the beginning of August and then there is the Long Eaton river festival at Trent Lock the next weekend so we will go the other way when we get back I think.

 

Bridget Written by: