Preparing For Glastonbury

Today we took Tallulah to the Little D

ragons Pre-School Summer Fayre. We saw a bouncy castle, a shiny red fire engine, some dancing children and bales of straw. There were burgers in buns and cups of tea. And lots of rain.

And next Wednesday we are setting off for our biggest motorhome adventure yet - a round trip to Lincoln for Jane's cousin's civil ceremony. It's gonna be a blast being there, it's gonna be a blast getting there, and it's gonna be a blast coming back too.

We're allowing three days for the journey there, averaging 50 or so miles each day, staying at Thetford Forest and Wisbech en route, and I'm looking forward to finding out how the awning works, if indeed it actually does.


I'm sure that 'Erindoors and I will become happy campers.

And what's more, I've been invited by top motorhome journal MMM to write something in their mag, so our mammoth voyage will be an excellent way for me to finally get the hang of the gear changing. It really is like stirring pea soup.

Who knows? If this trip goes well we could well be looking at Glastonbury for next year, being the old hippies that we are. But in the meantime I am lucky enough to have a new co-driver, Beatrice.

More Tea Vicar? Not Likely When There's Some Wine About

If someone had told me five years ago that five years after moving to Wivenhoe we'd be invited to the vicar's garden party for wine and sandwiches, I would have laughed at them.

Ha ha ha ha, I would have gone. But today it came true, thanks to the gorilla (named curiously by Jane's cousin Melanie as Vasco de Gama! Huh? What on earth was she on??) who adorned the Boat For My Potplants for the Wivenhoe Open Gardens.

Today the cheques were presented to the church and local charities benefitting from the record £4000 raised during that weekend, and participants were thanked for their gardening efforts, including 'Erindoors and yours truly.

I particularly enjoyed the very agreeable refreshments today.

Or did I particularly agree with the very enjoyable refreshments?

Whatever. Hic.

Never A Dull Moment

I'm so sorry, dear blog readers, to have been away from there 'ere pages for so long. I've been a busy bee with lots of things 'appenin'.

'What might they be?', I hear you ask.

Well, to start with, there's been a fair amount of painting and decorating work to be getting on with. That pays the bills, so has to take pole position.

Then on Wednesday evenings I've been meeting up with my mentor David, who's helping me write my first novel, Muddy Water, and in between our meetings I have been enthusiastically putting pen to paper (well, fingers to keyboard these days), sometimes at two or three in the morning. Sad old me.

And our friends Vinny and Jay held their Silver Anniversary celebrations in Mersea, and they let us park Tallulah outside their house. It was great catching up with old friends like Pat West from where I used to live in North London.

What's more, preparations are now under way for the next World's Smallest Pirate Radio Station outside the Rose And Crown on the day after the Wivenhoe Regatta, on August 3rd. Jerry and I will be spinning the discs, pop-pickers. I'm waiting to hear back from Tony Blackburn, but I guess I may still be waiting a little longer.

And as well as all that I've slept on the Boat for My Potplants on not just one, but two occasions in as many weeks. It sure was a glorious sight looking up at the sky through the hatch in the early hours.

So, it's all been go, go, go. There's never a dull moment around these parts.


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Writers' Retreat

Last week I rushed out and bought the Colchester Gazette. Actually I bought all four copies that were in our local Wivenhoe newsagent. You see, I'd had a tip-off from those in the know that 'Erindoors and I would be featuring in the Home and Living section within the hallowed pages of the paper.

And sure enough we were! It was a nicely written piece explaining how we'd turned our boat into a 'roof-top garden'.

If only the paper had seen us in action at the weekend - they could have written about the roof-top garden being taken out on the river under the power of the Suzuki motor - which I have to say performed most magnificently. It didn't cut out once, and just purred along very nicely thank you.

But on the subject of all things prose, I godda tell you folks, an' I mean this most sincerely - the Boat For My Potplants will most definitely be featuring in the novel what I'm writing.

I'm already up to Chapter Three, and I only have another twenty seven to go before the mighty publicity machine will kick in and kick ass.

I can already see the headlines in the Gazette..."Murder on board potplant boat in Wivenhoe"

Woops! I'm giving away the story! I'd better go and make a cuppa coffee before I spill any more beans.

In All The Excitement I Forgot To Ask His Name

I stepped off the Boat For My Potplants and a kindly gentleman approached me.

'Excuse me', he said. 'Are you the man who writes the blog?' He explained that he was from Loughborogh, and had recently discovered the delights of Wivenhoe, gone home to learn more on this thing called the internet, and came across my blog, which he then read from start to finish.

How nice of him. But sadly, in all the excitement I forgot to ask him his name.

Now, you may ask 'What excitement can there be in tending a roof-top garden on a boat?'

Well, you see, dear blog readers - I went out with the boat ON THE RIVER!!!

With enormous thanks to Paul and Mike who persuaded me to overcome my fears, we actually went a-sailing. And not only that, upon our return (thankfully with no crashes, bangs or even wallops), Paul helped me to bring round my new little old boat to its new home at the stern of my old old big boat.

So now I can truly say I HAVE A LITTLE TENDER BEHIND.

It's a crap joke, I know, but I love it!