I’ve been watching Canal Boat Diaries. They are very relaxing, though I’m glad it’s not me having to work the locks, unravel weed from the propellor, or live in cramped conditions. My last boating holiday was over 40 years ago, it was along the Thames, all the locks were done for us and I till mainly remember folding myself into the toilet cubicle. It was not comfortable and in those days I was (a) smaller and (b) more flexible.

Harlow Carr Gardens

It was one of those thing I always meant to do again, but never got round to it. I just took a quick look at boating holidays on the Norfolk Broads.  I could get used to it with these nice modern boats with heating and all sorts of modern conveniences, though I do wonder exactly how much cruising you could do in a week. Probably not a lot, as half of it would be retracing your steps to get back to where you left the car.

I’m feeling the urge to start getting out a bit more. Covid, as I said before, made me stop travelling so much and being ill at the start of the year means I have hardly been out so far this year. It’s about time I started.

I wonder if I could do the same for bungalows as he has done for canals. It is, I suppose, a possibility, though the travel aspects of a show based in a bungalow will be limited. On the other hand, it will be warmer and I won’t get weed tangled round my propellor.

I’m going to Stamford on Wednesday. It’s 15 miles away, which is a modest start. It used to be one of the largest towns in England.  OK, it was at its height in 1086, so it was a while ago. It’s currently 441 on the list by population, though it does have a lot of history crammed in compared to some of the others.

Beech Leaf Harlow Carr

Photos are from May 2019.