autumn newsletter september 2010 blisworth marina · 2014-08-08 · winter newsletter. judging by...
TRANSCRIPT
We have sadly become accustomed to
our resident ducks producing four or five
ducklings but losing a few to pike and
other predators before they became full-
grown.
So it was with some sentiment that we
watched as the weeks passed when one
Mother Duck brought a full complement
of 12 ducklings to adulthood.
Whenever she was seen with them we’d
all be anxiously head-counting to check
that they were all present and correct and
word would be passed around the Marina
that all was well.
It was suggested that perhaps some of the
12 Apostles (as they came to be known)
were just adopted, but regardless of that it
was some feat that they grew to the stage
where we couldn’t tell them apart from
the adults and they have been absorbed
into the large paddling of ducks in the
Marina.
Mother of the Year Award
In the meantime, get
yourself a warming cup of
tea (or something stronger
if you prefer) and settle
yourself down to read the
Marina news and what we
have planned for the winter
season.
Many people have offered
ideas for events and the
newsletter. If you have a
story to tell or photos to
contribute about your
cruising this year, please do
send them to us and we
will include them in the
Winter newsletter.
Judging by the sudden cold
snap we have been
experiencing perhaps we
can safely assume that
summer is over. For
wimpy/sensible (delete as
applicable) boaters it is
time to winterise boats and
hibernate. But we are
planning a number of
events at the Marina which
will hopefully give you an
excuse to visit your boat
over winter and to socialise
with us and other Moorers.
It was a busy summer at
the Marina with many
Moorers joining us for
barbecues on Friday and
Saturday evenings. These
were casual affairs with
everyone bringing their
own food and drinks – no
invitations necessary. We
will try to hold some more
during autumn whenever
the weather is favourable.
September 2010
Autumn Newsletter
Blisworth Marina
Blisworth Marina
Blisworth Arm
Blisworth
NN7 3FG
Northamptonshire
England
Telephone: 01604-879827
E-mail: [email protected]
www.blisworthmarina.co.uk
We have compiled a Welcome
Pack for new Moorers which
gives a wealth of local
information.
If you would like one please
pick up a copy from the office
any length of time, please
provide the registration
number to the Marina
office with length of stay
so that we can ensure we
keep an eye on these
vehicles.
Whilst on the subject of
guests and friends, kindly
let us know if someone else
is taking your boat out,
including for repairs.
Sometimes boats go out
with strangers on board and
we have no way of
knowing whether you have
authorised the use of your
boat and naturally our
primary concern is the
We are aware that parking
spaces are sometimes at a
premium. In order to
ensure that the maximum
amount of parking is
available to Moorers we
will be making some minor
changes.
The parking in the rough
semi-circle from the
Marina office around to
�B Penelope’s stern will
be allocated for Moorers’
use only.
We will be marking
parking spaces out on the
curb to make the most of
available space.
New & Used Boat
Company staff and visitors
will be encouraged to park
alongside the fence.
Visitors and disabled
parking will be signposted
in front of the building.
If you arrive and a spot in
our Moorers’ area is not
open you are completely
free to moor (sorry - park)
wherever you wish. We
aren’t intending to make
this something that is cast
in stone.
If you are leaving your car
long term or you have
guests leaving a vehicle for
Parking
Blisworth Marina Page 2
Recycling Amongst items left was an
old but perfectly
serviceable Henry vacuum
cleaner.
We are keeping him for the
use of Moorers who may
not have a vacuum cleaner
on board. Please let us
know if you would like to
use him and he will be at
your service.
The recycling basket has
been a source of
amusement and amazement
- many and varied items
have passed through,
anything and everything
from two Father Xmas
hats, vases, salt and pepper
sets to a DVD Recorder.
They all came … and they
all went. So five stars to
all our Moorers who so
happily gave and received.
Worthy of special mention
is the diligent Moorer who
left a single plastic
coathanger in the recycling
basket and equally worthy
of special mention is the
Moorer who took it.
Now that’s what we call
entering into the true spirit
of things!
Our thanks to Brian and Ann (NB Free Thyme) for
the DAB radio and Ian and Alison (NB Nobby) for the
CD Player. We will be putting the radio in the
laundry room so that we can be serenaded while we
do our washing. The CD Player will provide us with
a far better selection of music at barbecues than the
old tape deck did. Needless to say the tape deck
was left in the recycling basket and duly disappeared
to a new home, along with the box of tapes!
Thanks also go to John (WB Octo Mariniii) for the
small fridge in the office - handy for keeping beers
cold when we are barbecuing!
The process of getting the grassed areas to look great does take
time. After only two treatments a high percentage of the weeds
have gone and we aim to keep it that way so that the Marina
looks attractive to us all. Some of the larger weeds such as the
thistles do leave gaps where they have been but in time these
will fill in.
The next treatment will be in autumn. This helps the grass
become greener, toughens the grass to withstand the harshness
of the winter months and inhibits the development of moss.
After that, the next treatment won’t be until next spring since
grass and weeds don’t grow over the winter months. In spring it
will have a good feed to help it grow green and healthily. Any
emerging weeds will also be treated.
It must be stressed that all the products used by Green Thumb
are not harmful in any way to humans, wildlife or pets.
Patchy Banks
Local Events • 1st to 3rd October - Britcar 24 hours at Silverstone
• 2nd and 3rd October - Stoke Bruerne Village at War
• 3rd October - Banbury Canal Festival
• 12th October at 8pm - Northampton IWA Branch
Meeting. Talk by Roger Butler on “Up the Mac”. All
IWA events are held at the Walnut Tree Inn
• 14th October at 8pm - Friends of the Canal Museum -
talk by Liam D’Arcy Brown on “The Grand Canal of
China”
• 29th October at 7.30pm - Friends of the Canal Museum
- Auction of Promises at The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne.
Can you promise to do something or give something
which can be auctioned to raise funds to help the
Museum?
• 6th to 7th November -Walter Hayes Trophy at
Silverstone
• 9th November at 8pm - Northampton IWA Branch
Meeting - talk by Liam D-Arcy Brown on “China’s
Grand Canal”
• 18th November at 8pm- Friends of the Canal Museum -
talk - speaker to be confirmed
• 11th December, 5pm onwards - Friends of the Canal
Museum - Christmas Carols and Illuminated Boats.
Hot food and beverages, lantern procession, carol
singing on the Museum Green, village gift shops open
and prizes awarded to the best illuminated boat
• 14th December, Northampton Branch Meeting -
Christmas Social and Quiz with Mick and Catriona
Butler
September to November 2010 Page 3
We will be holding a Hot Dog Bonfire Night on Saturday
6th November at 7pm in the cleared area. A bonfire will be
lit in a 45 gallon drum and
the barbecues will be going
strong. Please bring your
sausages, rolls, drinks and a
few fireworks. No banging
fireworks please! We don’t
want to upset any animals.
Bonfire Night
Paul (�B Trojan) has trained as a Caller and is
running traditional American Barn Dances weekly
in Blisworth. This dancing is fantastic fun and a
really great way to get fit. You don’t need to be a
dancing expert or go with a partner either because
partners change with every dance. Don’t be shy -
get on the floor and have a go!
Blisworth Marina Page 4
Arrival 7.00pm
Meal served 7.30pm
Music starts 9.30pm
and finishes at 12 midnight
Bar closes 12.30am
Christmas Party! To Start
Roasted butternut squash and ginger soup (V)
finished with coriander oil
Chef’s homemade coarse pork, walnut and apricot paté
served with a plum and apple chutney and toast
Chilled honeydew melon (V) with a cinnamon scented wild berry compote
Crab and smoked trout roulade
with a lime marinated fennel and caper berry salad
Main Course
Roast Turkey Served with the traditional accompaniments
of bacon roll, chipolata, walnut, celery and apricot stuffing and roast gravy
Roast rump of Herefordshire beef
with a caramelised shallot and green pepper sauce
Baked fillet of salmon topped with a roasted garlic and basil crust,
served with a white butter sauce
Butter roasted breast of guinea fowl filled with a herb mousseline, served with a smoked bacon and wild mushroom jus
Spinach, goats cheese and chestnut pie (V) finished with a sun dried tomato dressing
Roasted Mediterranean vegetable stack (V)
with tomato and garlic sauce
Main course served with chef’s selection of seasonal vegetables and potatoes
To Finish (V)
Fresh fruit salad with a cinnamon and cranberry syrup
Rich chocolate torte
with a compote of black cherries
Deep filled lemon tart with chantilly cream
Chef’s home made traditional Christmas pudding
with brandy sauce
A selection of English and Continental cheeses with biscuits, grapes and celery
Coffee/Tea
Join us on the 18th of December for the Marina Chistmas Party
at the Walnut Tree Inn.
The cost is £31.50 per person and includes dancing.
Please let us know by Friday, 8th October if you would like to
attend so that we can make a provisional booking. We will then
need a deposit of £10 per person by Friday, 14th October to
confirm the booking and menu selections, any special dietary
meals and full payment by Friday, 3rd December. Cancellations
or non-arrivals after this time are non-refundable and non-
transferable by the hotel.
We can arrange a people carrier taxi service at a cost of £3.75
per person from the Marina at 6.30pm and returning to the
Marina at 12.00am. This would apply for a minimum of eight
people. Please add this to your payment if you would prefer not
to walk or drive.
Weekly Check
• Electric meter and top up
cards (cards to be paid
for)
• Batteries charging from
shore power
• Heaters left on over
winter
• Tightness of mooring
ropes
• Water ingress, leaks and
condensation in cabin
• Visual safety check on
shore line
Monthly Check
• Start engine and leave
running until normal
operating temperature
reached
• Batteries charging from
engine
• Top up batteries as
required
• Condition of ropes,
fenders and fixings
• Check engine bilge for
leaks
If you won’t be able to
come over to your boat
regularly during the winter,
please remember our
Narrowboat Nanny
Maintenance and
Monitoring service only
costs £25 a month.
Over-Wintering Your Boat
the event of a fire? They
recommend that you make
sure you know the location
of the nearest road
whenever you moor up.
If you haven’t cleaned your
fire or chimney out recently
please keep in mind that
Ben Taylor is our local
Chimney Sweep and is a
Fireman as well. He will
gladly clean, inspect and
repair wood-burning and
multi-fuel stoves.
Better safe than sorry!
Now that the colder
weather is upon us and the
smell of wood fires is in
the air, telling us that
boaters are lighting up their
fires, please remember that
the Northamptonshire Fire
& Rescue Service offer a
boat safety check and
advice on:
• How to make your boat
safer
• What to do in the event
of a fire
• What to do if you are
trapped by a fire
They will also fit a free
smoke and carbon
monoxide alarm and
explain how to maintain
them correctly.
Boaters who took
advantage of this service
earlier in the year were
very impressed with the
advice and it is well worth
having them on board.
For instance, did you ever
think that the nearest
bridge number isn’t
necessarily the best way to
give them your location in
Fire - is your boat safe?
The Cheese Boat is in the
Marina until Thursday.
The Fudge Boat will stop by on
their way to Stoke Bruerne on
Wednesday.
Make sure you don’t miss out
on their delicious goodies!
Blisworth Marina Page 5
Funds for the planned pocket park
have been boosted by funding from the
Northampton IWA of £1,000 and at
least that amount from the 2010 Canal
Festival.
Plans are being made to start work
clearing shrubs, burning and
replanting during November,
December and January. Blisworth
Canal Partnership will be organizing
clearing weekends and volunteers to
help will be gladly welcomed. We
will let you know when they set dates
for the clearing weekends.
Blisworth Pocket Park
Are there any green-fingered Moorers who would like to
form a garden club to transform the large piece of land
that was cleared during the summer?
Very slowly the grass is coming through the weeds now
and this is a lovely opportunity to convert what is
currently a blank slate from the Garden of Weedon to the
Garden of Eden. (Sorry, couldn’t resist that!)
Some of the suggestions we have had are for a herb
garden, a wildflower meadow, a garden games space and a
barbecue area. Please let us know if you would like to
join up with other gardening enthusiasts in the Marina to
plan and bring about a transformation.
Gardening anyone?
Blisworth Marina
Former moorers, temporary moorers or simply just friends of the Marina are welcome to
come along and join us at our events.
If we have you on our mailing list and you would prefer not to receive our newsletter and
updates, please call us or email [email protected] and we will remove you from
our list.
If you are receiving our newsletter by post and you have an email address please let us
know so that we can send the newsletter by email - we want to do our best to save trees!
And on that note, we wish you pleasant cruising for what is left of the year and look
forward to seeing you at the Marina.
Kind regards,
Peter Moore
Mike Bragg
Steve & Claire Williams
John Smith
Hand Signals
Are you always able to
communicate with each
other when going through
the locks? Learn some
useful hand signals.
Tunnel Safety
What would you do if
someone fell off the boat in
the tunnel? Learn how to
deal with every eventuality
when travelling through
tunnels.
Our winter newsletter will
give you dates and costs.
If you have any ideas for
other events or get-
togethers please do let us
know.
We are planning the
following events for
January and February:
Make-Over Day
Ladies, let Barbie (�B
Adagio), a lecturer in hair
and beauty, give you a
make-over and then David
(�B Blue Moon), a
professional photographer,
will take a picture you will
be proud to show everyone.
This will be a real ladies
day accompanied by wine
and snacks.
First Aid
How confident are you in
your first aid skills? Every
year nearly 150,000 people
die in situations where first
aid could have given them
a chance to live. Basic first
aid can be the difference
between a life lost and a
life saved.
We will be running a first
aid course enabling you to
learn these vital skills or
brush up on your
knowledge.
Knot Tuition
Improve your knotting
skills and learn to splice.
At the heart of the canals,
with your boat at heart
Blisworth Marina
Blisworth Arm
Blisworth
Telephone: 01604-879827
E-mail:
www.blisworthmarina.co.uk
Winter Events
If you need a winter scarf
call in at the office - we
have hand knitted scarves
on sale for £3 each
Proceeds are in aid of the
British Kidney Foundation
to enable patients to have
dialysis at home