Well another weekend and another early start. We set off bright and early to head south for the boat show. Last year we were on the hunt for ideas and to choose our builders, this year our intention was to look for a sofa manufacturer and other bits and bobs for the boat and any new ideas that were about that we might be able to incorporate into Oleanna.
My it was busy, the good weather compared to last year had brought everyone out. We did a circuit of the show picking out boats that we wanted to look round. Carefree had a wide beam on show and the new shareboat Solstice. So we went along to say hello to the chaps and welcome Paul back into the Carefree clan. The sign writing hadn't been done on Solstice but by lunchtime it had been.
We tried out various sofas and armchairs on show, none of which were both comfortable and nice looking. Eventually in one of the marquees I spotted a red sofa bed which looked a bit more like it. Whether it was just the colour that attracted me or the style I can only guess. We had a sit down and a bit of a lie down and it was quite comfy. We were told that they did a different mattress which would be even better and we'd be welcome to go to their showrooms to try it out. Here we go more miles, but no they are based in Bradford, so not too far for us. So sofa ticked we carried on around the show.
There was a possible couple interested in our share on WD, fingers crossed, but unfortunately that came to nothing.
We popped to see my friend Lizzie who was helping man the Crick marina office. Arranged that evening to go for a meal on Panda.
Bearboating were offering a show discount on their helmsman courses, so that was our next port of call. After our first trip together on a narrowboat I've avoided the steering having no confidence in it other than on a long straight. I also really enjoy working the locks, but our last trip out on WD showed that it really would be good for us to share everything. So we booked ourselves in for a weekend course on one of their hire boats heading to Leeds and back.
After looking at windows and a few more boats we headed for our hotel for the night and checked in and had a good look through the literature we'd picked up. Then back to Crick for dinner at Lizzies. We took our scale model along with us to show what our boat would be like, Lizzie and friends were impressed and suggested that we should have a look at a boat that was for sale the following day for a few storage ideas.
A lovely lasagna later we were heading back to the hotel.
Sunday was also hot, we bumped into the occasional other CCC member and looked round a few more boats, certainly not as many as last year. We decided to go along to a seminar on buying a boat and having one made, this was quite good, but we had already picked up on most the the points ourselves, so we decided not to bother with any more seminars.
One boat on hard standing had the exact colour I'd been hunting for for Oleanna. So when we asked the builders what it was they said "Oh lots of people have been asking that, it's a Rylard paint but we're not sure what colour". Well at least that was a start. Unfortunately no-one had a colour chart for Rylard paints. The colour is a dark blue which has a hint or purple to it, very nice.
We went to see the boat that had been suggested the night before, very nice, well except it was quite sparkly! We remembered it from last year when it had been a show boat. It did have some good ideas for storage, a pull out coal draw by the stove, under gunwale shelves for storage for small things. But all in all it made us more confident as to our layout and solutions.
We picked up a couple of life jackets that were on special offer at Midlands chandlers, well paid for them to be sent to us as they were selling like hot cakes. Another wander around and it was time to head to the food marquee to stock up on goodies to take home. Not so much choice this year, but we did get quite a bit of cheese!
A quick goodbye to Lizzie and check on mooring rates at Crick should we need somewhere to moor for a little while whilst we sort Oleanna and home out before we head off into the sunset.
Then the long trip back home to a hungry Houdini!
