One of our earliest, most regular and most enthusiastic email correspondents Rose Philpott and her husband Barry have at last realised the first part of a dream - to own their own boat, Tickly Two, which is moored at Lady Bridge on the Kennet and Avon.  The second part of the dream? They hope to retire soon and cruise the system.  Here's their story in Rose's own words. 

 

 

 

Rose and Baz visit us at Lechlade in 2004

"As planned we took ownership of her on the agreed date last Friday evening, April 9. The previous owners had left her on a mooring which was very convenient for unloading the cars. They had also left the stove on for us which was very welcome as a frost was forecast  .We spent all next day finding nooks and crannies for our belongings and having a good look around. We watched the Royal Wedding from the comfort of our warm and sun drenched cabin feeling very pleased with ourselves indeed.   

After walking further along the canal with the dog, we decided to stay in the same location overnight and move the boat to her home mooring on Sunday. The smell of smokey bacon in the morning and having a relaxed and happy breakfast was just the sort of thing we had dreamed about doing, and in no time at all we were chugging along with the birds singing, thinking 'This is the life'. On the way we passed a few fellow boaters who had no idea at all it was our first cruise and we exchanged greetings with beaming smiles all over our faces!  

We stopped to take on fuel, water and a gas bottle and have our first pump-out. The Boat Services owner was very helpful and warned us that we should never pretend to know anything as if we did we would be found out and the laugh would be on us. He reminded us that on the Cut everyone knew everyone, but the greatest thing of all was that it was the best community in the world. He had a biscuit in his pocket for our dog and sure to see us again wished us well. The boat came to rest on the new home mooring and immediately two fellow moorers introduced themselves to us and made us very welcome.We kept having to pinch ourselves to realize our dream had come true. We are looking forward to going back this weekend to do some varnishing and lay some new carpet tiles in the back cabin. We cannot wait.  

We have been researching narrowboating for two years after falling in love with canals and narrowboats while caravaning and made up our minds a year ago to sell our Cotswold cottage to buy a small flat as our bolthole.  Over a couple of years we had become more and more obsessed about looking and yearning for a canal boat.  One weekend at a canal festival in July 2003, we just looked at each other and decided it was no good dreaming but doing nothing about it. We then began to seriously research the whole thing with the idea of selling up and retiring on a narrowboat as many people do. When it boiled down to it we became nervous of dropping out of home ownership completely. Then,  while still in this quandary we saw some small affordable flats for sale in town right next to the 'soon to be restored' local canal. At that time we were a few years away from retirement and were not at all thinking of moving house, but we had a vision that if we did seriously downsize it would be possible to have a home and a boat. We rushed off to look at the newly built flats , but could not secure one as our cottage was not even on the market yet! After giving it thought for just 24 hrs we put our cottage up for sale. We were suprised by how it had appreciated and our dream was becoming a possibility. We then received an offer from a cash buyer almost straight away, and within two weeks we were able to put a deposit down on the flat. We then had the peace of mind that we did not have to give up everything. It was also nice to know that at the end of our boating lives we will be able to look out of our flat window and see boats going by or sit outside and say hello to the boaters.  

When we eventually retire we plan to spend the best eight months of the year on the system, returning home for the winter months.  We plan to rename the boat,  which you can see below. 

 

 

 

Our much loved cottage that we sold was called Tickly Cottage so it will live on in the boat name of Tickly Two -  a five-year-old, 60ft Heron boat with a  Lister Canal Star engine." 

 

 

 

After several visits to their boat for maintenance and repair work, Rose and Baz have had their first cruise since buying Tickly Two.  Here is  Rose's account.

 

 

We had a fabulous weekend, cruising as far as Wootton Rivers overnight and on to the  Burbage Wharf before turning and going back to Bishops Cannings and turning at Devizes, back to our mooring at Lady's Bridge.  We accomplished eight locks, four swing bridges and lots of windings, had to moor on a bank using a gangplank and went to the Bridge Inn at Horton and enjoyed a pint of smooth Henry (Wadworth)  The weekend was not without its "shouting at each other sessions" such as when we just sailed by a critical winding hole so had to go on miles out of our way to the next one.  The word prat or stronger was used many times!  We also lost our small pole overboard to be lost for ever - to be added to a list with Barry's spare glasses that went overboard last week, when also the dog got a ducking, but it wasn't very deep so it was only her back legs really. So you see we are having fun!  

 

The triumphs were that I managed to be able to work out doing the locks on my own (last time was 10 yrs ago), and also being able to steer through a bridge hole and jump for the bank etc. We are getting there.  Another high was when we moored up at Wootton Rivers.  We walked up into the village that was full of thatched, boarded cottages and so pretty, and later made a brief friendship with another couple who were on their way to "do the system". Later we enjoyed eating our evening meal and glass of wine in the bow. The lock cottage also has freshly laid eggs for sale which we enjoyed for breakfast, and the sound of the cockerel, so familiar in our last house, woke us up that morning.  

 

Our dog is no problem at all throughout all of this, but she did give us one fright when she jumped off when we went  very close to a bridge hole path, and all of a sudden she was on the bankside and we were in the middle of the canal. From then on we made sure we kept her clipped on until we were well on our way after locking!   

 

I don't know how many times we said "good morning/afternoon",  to cyclists, walkers and boaters, and passed many people on the second day that we had passed on the first day. 

 

So, we are very happy and enjoying the boat. This next weekend we are going to carry on with DIY and will have some relatives coming to "have a look at her" on the Sunday.  Now it is back to reality and to work.  Funny thing is that when you are on the boat you don't think it undulates very much, but I could swear I am gently swaying from side to side as I sit here at the computer. 

 

April/May 2005