Tonight's The Night

According to presenter of the Motorhome Channel, Andy Harris, the show that features Tallulah The T- Reg "looks good".

I can't wait to see it tonight at 8.30 pm. This could be a new beginning for me. A career in TV is beckoning.

I see it all...'Lights!', 'Sound!', 'Action!', 'Neil, will you get us a cup of tea? NOW!'

Apparently the programme can be viewed on Information TV which is aired on Sky 212 or Freesat 401. We don't have Sky, so I don't know what all that means.

But it can also be watched online by clicking the 'watch online' icon.

Simple.

Over To The Albion

Across the river from Wivenhoe is the beautifully proportioned village of Rowhedge, where lies Ye Olde Albion public house.

After working, yes WORKING, on a bank holiday Monday, 'Erindoors and I went down to sit on the Boat For My Potplants. We'd only been there a few minutes when we got itchy feet.

'Let's go over to The Albion for a pint, and let's go on the canoe', The Lovely Jane suggested.

Who was I to disagree? So off we went, had our pint of Shalford ( a local brew from my sister's village of - you guessed it - Shalford), and very nice it was too.

Then, it was a quick paddle back to Wivenhoe, another village that is even more beautifully proportioned.

Tallulah, The Star Of the Show

What a day it was on Thursday! Firstly, the wonderful and excitable Andy Harris from The Motorhome Channel and his cameraman, the cool and calm Julian, turned up at chez nous. From there The Lovely Jane ('Erindoors) and I set off to see Tallulah The T-Reg in its secret storage location. Once there, we spent TWO HOURS filming a five-minute segment that will be broadcast in just a couple of weeks.

When Andy interviewed 'Erindoors about what plans we had for the interior, she remarked how brown it all was, and that we were planning to paint the cupboards.

Andy (left) and Julian capture the action

'NO NO NO - YOU CAN'T DO THAT' was Andy's reaction. I thought he was going to blow a gasket. He was so enthusiastic about Tallulah's original '70's decor. He even described how he'd happily wrap the plastic shower curtain around himself.

I was quite disturbed by this image, despite the shower and curtain never being in contact with water for at least 29 years. Even so, there's only so much a man like me can take.

The day finished up with some links being filmed outside my Boat For My Potplants. After that we were all so hungry we could have eaten a horse, but we made do with simple fish 'n' chips.

To round things off, I returned to the boat later in the evening for a meeting with the lovely Alison Kent. Alison contributes a regular column in The Wivenhoe News, a most charming local rag, and she wanted to do a piece about yours truly under the guise of 'Workers Of Wivenhoe'.

Well, I can't honestly say I got much work done that day. But who wants to work when all this is going on?

Excited As An Excited Thing

I'm as excited as an excited thing about the prospect of Tallulah and me being filmed for the television on Thursday. Fame at last for the proverbial fifteen minutes? More likely to be fifteen seconds, but what the heck - it's all in the name of, well, I'm not quite sure.

So, my mate Ian and I went over to bring the old gal out of hibernation. And I'm not talking about 'Erindoors, no Sir-ree, I'm talking about our 36 year-old motorhome. With the battery reconnected, she fired up beautifully.

But most importantly, I made sure that Churchill The Nodding Dog was comfortable after being woken up - having been in slumberland since before Christmas.

Never A Dull Moment

A late and great night was had at the Wivenhoe Sailing Club, where our mate Simon did a sterling job as musical front-runner for the Ferry Fundraising event. The ferry that runs between Wivenhoe and Rowhedge needs costly maintenance, and Paul and Nenah Knew just how to raise it by putting on a night to remember.

At the beginning of my winning streak, my raffle ticket came up trumps.

Early this morning I went off to B&Q to get paint for a new job beginning tomorrow. My winning streak continued with the chance meeting in the car park of top chap and publisher, and writer of the outstanding Rock Atlas, David Roberts and his charming wife. We have arranged to meet on Wednesday to discuss my next 'project'.

At midday the sun shone and I enjoyed time on the Boat For My Potplants working on the windscreen, whilst admiring the gnomes. I thought I ought to try starting up the engine in preparation for a trip out on the river in a couple of weeks with boat-donor Neil Rowland and his squeeze Angela.
I think I'll spring that little surprise upon them just after they arrive.

Then this afternoon my mindset shifted towards Tallulah The T-Reg Motorhome with an out-of-the-blue phone call from Andy, presenter of the Motorhome Channel. My lips are sealed at the moment, but if I were to say the words 'filming', 'Tallulah', and 'television', you might get my drift.

There's never a dull moment here in Wivenhoe.

It's That Time Of Year Again

I busied myself yesterday with creating a new look for the planters on top of the Boat For My Potplants in preparation for its inclusion in this year's Wivenhoe Open Gardens, and I couldn't help noticing the state of the windscreen.

After all that damp weather over the winter, it is the time of year again to inspect what needs doing.

So I scraped off the loose paint, giving the timber a chance to breathe and dry out.

I seem to remember doing this all before - but this time I have a cunning plan up my nautical sleeve.

Shiver me timbers - why didn't I think of it before? Instead of painting with paint, this year I'll use woodstain and varnish.

It may not appear as a Eureka moment for you, dear blog-readers, by for me it is mind-liberating sensationalism.

Oh, and by the way, my suspicions were correct - it was indeed none other than Quay Character Andy Stollery who 'planted' the garden gnome on the deck. I found his business card under the gnome's bottom.

I've Been Hacked

Wivenhoe, last hour

Carcassonne market, last Saturday

Porto, last Wednesday

Blimey - I've only been away for a week. Something was drawing me to the waters of Porto. What a great city. And then on to the wonders of Carcassonne. And believe me, dear blog readers, it IS
truly wonderful.

But then back to the equally wonderful Wivenhoe, only to discover that my Boat For My Potplants was well-and-truly hacked by none other than Quay Character Andy Stollery (at least I think it was him!).

Quay Character Stollery

Why on earth would anyone think that a garden gnome should adorn the deck of Los Amigos? Dunno.