What's For Lunch?

With summer just around the corner, I thought it was time to go down to the Boat For My Potplants and  put the covers back on the cushions, now that they've been washed and ironed by the lovely 'Erindoors.

Thank goodness she came with me, as I'm certainly no dab-hand when it comes to fabrics and foam - it was like squeezing a king-size duvet into a queen-size cover. Impossible for me. Easy for her.

Whilst there, I couldn't help noticing that the interior needs a good old wipe over and some painting here and there - so today's the day for me to get some work done.

And I may as well have some lunch on board, chosen from the extensive collection of Tesco tins I found languishing in the galley locker.

What will it be, I wonder? With no reference to horse jokes, I rather fancy a gourmet meal of beef curry, new potatoes and mixed vegetables - a great stable diet if ever there was one. 

A HiFi For My Boat

Back when I was sixteen I put together my first hi-fi. I ventured into deepest South London (from the top of the Northern Line) to buy a BSR record deck and plinth, that I eagerly put together with an arm and cartridge. I bought a Teleton amplifier from Tempo, and also some Wharfedale speakers - and it sounded oh so good.

I added some Koss headphones, and I was streets ahead of my game at school, with only a few other students having caught the stereo bug.

And then when Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life finally came out in September '76 'Songs to the tune of seven quid' (according to the headlines in Sounds), I rushed out to buy it and took it round to my school pal Jonathan's house, where we took it in turns to be mesmerised by the stereo vibes of Sir Duke on the cans.

Another pair of speakers on the rear cabin

From that moment I was truly hooked to the world of recorded and live music, and that LP then went on to become my all-time favourite - where it remains to this day.

Thirty seven years later, and I get the same buzz playing that track on my Boat For My Potplant's dedicated hifi system, comprising Grundig spherical 'Audiorama' speakers and Grundig R3003 receiver I used to work for the once mighty German company and managed to acquire some remnants of their old stock for just a few pounds - and I swear the sound is as good as some equipment costing many more arms and legs in today's money. I concede that maybe I should think about upgrading the Aldi deck (though good value at only £25!).

Down on the boat I can turn the amp up to eleven without pissing off the neighbours, so readers' suggestions of brilliantly produced music, played LOUD, to compliment my system would be most welcome.

Back To The Dogs

The conversation went like this at the lunch party:

Me (who doesn't own a dog): 'I've done this competition to find the Cutest Canine On A Boat, and out of the thousands of entries from the Norfolk Broads website forum, Tetley is the winner. I'd like to send a little something to Tetley to commemorate his new-found champion status, but I can't think what it could be.'
Wayne (who does own a dog): 'How about a dog-tag?'
Me: 'That's brilliant, Wayne - I'll get straight on to it.'

So I promptly sent off for a solid gold tag from the 'Solid Gold Dog Tag Company' and put my credit card through for the squillion quid that it cost, and hey presto it came in the post just a few days later. (The bit about the gold isn't quite true).

It's now winging it's way to its soon-to-be proud owner, and I hope it'll make him even more cute when he wears it.

He (and his owners, Mark and Julie) have an open invitation to come aboard my Boat For My Potplants anytime they happen to be near Wivenhoe. A dog bowl and biscuits await.

And if Mark and Julie aren't hungry, Tetley is more than welcome to have them instead.

Musical Ping-Pong

It's no secret that I like music, and I'm still a bit cross with my dad that he didn't whip me with a stick and force me to learn the piano when I was about knee-high. Instead I was too keen to go and watch Orlando or Robinson Crusoe on the old black and white telly, and so many years later and I still can't play a note.

The substitute now is to play CDs, records and iTunes - and where better than on the Boat For My Potplants.

The madness that was the World's Smallest Pirate Radio Station last summer has inspired me to make a weekly programme for Radio Wivenhoe that can be put out on the internet - so with a couple of free days next week I hope to start putting 'the studio' together. I guess I'm going to need some stuff like a mixer, a microphone, a laptop, maybe some recording device or whatever, so I'm going to need to do some research and pour over some eBay pages.

But I also want to hear what sounds do it for others, whether it be jazz, hip-hop, classical, R&B, gothic, rock, reggae. You name it, I want to hear it.

So I'll be inviting a different guest each week to join me for the craic, have some beers and play some musical ping-pong similar to the following...

Guest: Here's the latest by Rihanna

Me: But it's no contest to Harry Nilsson

There's Money In Old Boats

Spondoolics will soon be coming this way!

Thanks to you, dear bloggees, everytime a viewer of this 'ere blog expresses an interest in one of the adverts, those nice people at Google notch up a few pennies to pass in my direction.

Now, A Boat For My Potplants has never been intended for profit, but I did state a while back that if the blog ever amassed enough to reach the sixty quid threshold, then I'd donate that dosh to the Wivenhoe British Legion, whos building is a mere stone's throw along the quay from the Boat For My Potplants.

It gives me great pleasure and excitement to announce that the threshold has now been crossed and a celebratory party will be thrown onboard for the handing-over-of-the-cheque ceremony.

I just hope that the rain, wind and snow will have eased off by then.

There's money in old boats, you know.

CHEERS!

  

The Art Of Pottering (Part Two)

The lovely Mrs 'Erindoors has ventured West to visit her daughter for the weekend, leaving me to fend for myself.
So on Sunday morning I decided it was about time I got on with some more boat-pottering. This time, instead of gazing at my naval and not actually doing anything (see Part One of this duology), I got on with the v. important task of repositioning the Grundig amp from starboard to port in order to accommodate two people sitting at the table, and talking into a microphone for Radio Wivenhoe. More on those plans at a later date.

Some men (and women?) have a shed to potter in, but I don't. Instead, I have a Boat For My Potplants, and after setting the amp into the locker space, I put on some music (Captain Fantastic, one of Elton's better albums) to check out the old hifi.

Even I have to say that the acoustics from those spherical speakers were in fact the dog's b*ll*c*s. This 1970's boat, with all its wood, cushions and curtains, is the perfect environment for a 1970's bit of hifi kit.

My next task is to locate a suitable microphone and mixer desk and start building the 'studio'. But for today I was perfectly content to make myself a brew and soak up the sounds from the Seventies.

The Art Of Pottering On A Boat

It was a wonderful sunny afternoon yesterday and I'd finished work early, so a quick pop down to the Boat For My Potplants wouldn't go amiss.

I didn't want to do anything too taxing. I lit a candle on the rear deck and looked around, checking to make sure the two Snowy dogs were okay and weren't feeling too left out after the recent Cutest Canine shenanigans in which they weren't allowed to enter (as they were bound to have won). They seemed to be okay.

Then I wandered around the galley (kitchen), and found an almost full bottle of white wine left over from last year's Smallest Pirate Radio Station madness. I thought I'd better make sure it was still drinkable. It was.

After that I lifted up the ol' shagpile and checked the bilge. There was a wee bit of water there. 'No!', my mother would say. 'A bit goes in a horse's mouth.' Okay, mum, there was a wee drop of water there.

So I sponged it up, and looked around to see what else I could do, without actually doing anything. I opened the lockers to make sure that things were still there, and I moved the things around a bit. I switched on the lights and then off again. I turned on the radio and listened for a while, and made mental notes of the various jobs to be done during the coming days, weeks and months ahead.

But for now I was content with simply mastering the art of pottering on a boat and not doing very much at all. 

And The Winner Is...

I think Ian got the wrong end of the stick with his photo (above) and comment "I know he doesn't look like a dog but the man who sold it to us assured us that he is"
Well thanks a lot Ian. Keep taking the pills.

Anyway, back to the serious business of announcing the winner of the Cutest Canine-on-boat competition. After spending one of my most bizarre and surreal Sunday evenings ever, adding up doggie-votes, I can now reveal the results. Drumroll please...



Sniffing up the rear in fourth place we have Griff's MACIE with a cool 17.5% of the vote. And jolly well done Macie for wearing a jacket.






Closely laying in front of Macie, there's old BORIS, who pulled in a cool 20%, looking like he rules the waterways. 





In second place, in front of Boris, DYLAN got an impressive 25%, undoubtedly thanks to his cuddliness. 



But the heartiest congratulations go to the leader of the pack, also safety conscious, our number one Cutest Canine, with a massive 37.5% of the entire votes cast, please put your sea-legs together for Mark and Julie's TETLEY. 




I remember being five years old and the teacher making each of us in class stand up and say what we wanted to be when we grow up. 'Please Miss', I said. 'I'm going to have a Boat For My Potplants with dogs on it, and astroturf, winter pansies, and a hi-fi, and everything. And I'm going to be a judge for my own doggie competition'. 

'Don't be stupid, boy', Teacher said. 'Go and stand outside the Headmaster's study'.

And then I woke up.

Cutest Canine Competition

I can't believe this is happening!

I put some pics of the various doggies who had all been welcomed aboard my Boat For My Potplants. With my brain suffering from the effects of too much Christmas mulled wine, I had an idea to see if anyone else had some relevant pooch-on-boat photos.

So I enlisted the help from the wonderful Norfolk Broads website, being that my boat once resided in that beautiful location back in the '70s.

When I accepted the challenge of doing up an old boat, I never envisaged that one day I'd be judging my very own Cutest Canine Competition - especially as I'm not particularly a dog lover (or perhaps I am, and always have been, without realising it).

Anyway, enough of all that, and on with the show. A sort of Crufts Of The Waterways.

The trouble is - I can't decide on the winner just yet - they're all so cute. So out of all the entries, here are my Favourite Five, in no particular order.

You can email me, or post a comment with YOUR favourite from the shortlist below, so that I can award First Prize to the most popular.

Dylan

Macie

Brillo

Tetley

Boris

I'm not sure what the prize is - I'm still working on that - but it's bound to be something, er...well, er...something doggie and boat-related!

A Dog's Not Just For Christmas

Guard-dog Snowy, who lives permanently on board

On Christmas morning I grabbed a moment to dash down to the boat to check the bilge. It wasn't too bad, considering the recent heavy and persistant rain, but certainly in need of some attention. I was greeted as usual by Tin Tin's dog Snowy (who lives permanently on board while keeping guard) but this time he was looking rather damp and forlorn.

We spent a few peaceful moments together, looking forward to warmer and sunnier days to come.

We reflected on the several furry friends who have previously joined us aboard.

Harvey

First there was Harvey, who was happy to sleep overnight, but sadly his owners Lyn and Wayne couldn't hack it, and they left at three in the morning.

Then there was Desne's Hector, who loves the boat so much he recently came on board for a second time to enjoy the astroturf.

Hector

Ruby, belonging to my step-daughter Laura, stole my heart - and I hope she spends many more future doggy days with us in Wivenhoe.

Ruby

My sister's pooch positively enjoyed his trip down-river to Brightlingsea. And Dave and his wife's little darling felt very at home joining in with our picnic on the rear-deck last summer.

Sister's pooch

Dave and his wife's darling

So, it just goes to prove that a dog's not just for Christmas. On the Boat For My Potplants it's for any time of the year.














  

3xM (Magnificent, Magical, Merry) XMAS 2U

It's now proven that anyone who sets foot aboard the boat goes on to find that love is in the air.

Earlier this year Trish and Geoff came aboard and then promptly got married.

And now Nenah and Paul, who joined us for a Guy Fawkes party on the rear deck, recently announced their engagement. Paul also helped me with one of my expedition on the High Seas Of Wivenhoe.

Blimey, it's catching.

I'll have to bottle and sell this formula, and then make my future fortune with Boat-For-My-Potplants-Potion.

 So, while the loved-up couples are busy making their future plans and preparations, it only leaves me to wish all my blog's readers a truly Magnificent, Magical and Merry Christmas!

Frosty - NOT!

The date came for the Fundraiser evening at the Sailing Club, endeavouring to raise money for the community ferry from Wivenhoe to Rowhedge and Fingringhoe.

Up early, I scuttled down to the boat to collect my faithful old record deck (a bargain at £24.99 from Aldi) that I used on The World's Smallest Pirate Radio Station back in August.

Brrr! It was brass monkey weather - the first real frost of the winter - and I nearly came a cropper as I slipped along the side-deck and just managed to cling on in time.

Seven o'clock and the venue filled up with people eager to have a good time. It may have been frosty outside, but inside the reception was far from it.

Rowhedge on the other side of the Colne

What a result! Reggae, Motown and a bit of soul on the turntable with Jerry from Radio Wivenhoe helping to twiddle the knobs in all the right places. Many happy faces, and around fifteen hundred quid raised.

Not only that...did I really volunteer to get involved with helping to operate the ferry next year? Will I really want to go to Rowhedge? Of course I will. The Anchor's a pretty good pub you know.

And a bit of practise on the river certainly won't go amiss.

Eurekakaka

Being a humble painter and decorator I sometimes have lots of time to think while the paint-brushes are doing the work. I found my mind wandering towards 2013 and thoughts of what next year's adventures would be in store for me and my Boat For My Potplants.

Apart from going out on the river for the ocasional picnic, once again it is music that comes to the forefront.

Eurekakaka!!! The boat should be turned in to a studio so that I can record weekly radio programmes, and not only that, I can have guests being interviewed and playing their guitar, keyboard, ukelele or whetever the heck they like.

I can play other genres that I know nothing about, like gothic, hip-hop, jazz and reggae, and the boat can become the perfect platform from which to launch this voyage of discovery.

One favourite is Mama Rosin. They're first on my list. They're French speaking Swiss, playing Louisiana Cajun style punk. Wivenhoe has fallen in love with them and for some reason they've fallen in love with Wivenhoe - so much so that they've written a song about us.

Check this out...Mama Rosin: "Wivenhoe"
PS: Best played loud after a few pints.

 

One Thing Leads To Another...

I must have had a couple of drinks the other Sunday at the sailing club (of which I'm not a member, being the owner of a motorised Boat For My Potplants) when I was asked if I might recreate the golden age of Los Amigos's Pirate Radio days of yesteryear - or was it merely yestermonth?

I can't quite remember - it was all such a blur. But anyways, I said yes to the fundraising scheme to get some much-needed dosh for the ferry fund.

Yes, Sir-ree, we do indeed have a non-profit-making ferry that runs across the river when high tide permits, taking passengers from Wivenhoe to Fingringhoe and Rowhedge, all for the good of the local community. If one timed it right, one could even take a bike and cycle off to Mersea Island, go once round, and get back in time for the last return crossing.

So one thing has led to another, and I'm jolly well looking forward to spinning the discs yet again, I can tell you.

It's all go. All I need to do is dig out that smash hit chart-topper by Gerry And The Pacemakers "Ferry Cross To Mersey"                                                                                   
                                                                            
Did I hear a groan somewhere?

Cats And Dogs Opportunity

Finally I had a little time to spend some time on my Boat For My Potplants yesterday afternoon, and the geraniums were looking a bit sad. It's that time of the year again to be thinking about the winter pansies, so off I went to Deans Nurseries to get a load.

Not only that, the boat also needed a good old tidy up inside, and a clean on the outside. So, by the time I got round to doing the gardening, it was already dusk, and I may have looked a little eccentric going about my business in the dark infront of some pub-goers. Never mind, eh?

But when I popped down there this morning to admire my handywork, I couldn't help noticing how dirty the canopy was looking.

It was raining cats and dogs, and I saw that as a perfect opportunity to get the Fairy Liquid out and give it a good old scrubbing, hoping that the rain would do the rinsing off for me. I may be a little eccentric, but I'm not completely daft, you know.