Summer Holiday Narrowboating

When one of my sisters invited the entire family on a narrowboating trip this summer I was the first to say yes. I've always marvelled at canals and canal boats, but a week before, fear set in. We've never been on an extended family holiday and 11 of us were about to live in eachother's pockets in the most squashed conditions imaginable and hey this is Britain, rain was inevitable. All of a sudden I wanted to abandon ship before I'd even boarded - was this going to be the worst holiday ever?

With scenes this stunning...NEVER!

The week we picked was one of those magical summer weeks where England really is a green and pleasant land (unlike the conditions under which I am writing this - grey skies and it's tipping it down!)  

I felt at home straight away. Ok it was a bit rustic (we ran out of water twice, electricity also had a tendency to reduce in the evenings and the bed reserved for me was the kitchen table (which converted rather impressively)...but that stuff was minor when the rest of the experience was so much fun.

For a start I never knew cows drank canal water.....something you'd only know if you were living the canal life.

Other than having to moor up frequently as locks approached,

and having to open and close locks,

....there was nothing much to do other than relax.

Here's what we got up to whilst doing just that ...

Country walks

Lots and lots of geocaching

(Finding treasures like this)

Picking blackberries directly off the the canal route - (our version of foraging)

Which we turned into yummy dessert (ok, one of my sisters did - not me, I just ate it!)

I thought I'd knit more but actually the views were so incredible I was occupied just looking out and taking it all in.

We went on duck watch and duck count...

...make that dog watch too - there are so many dogs aboard canal boats.

On one of our stop off day trips we met a mini pig. 

Charlie our family monkey felt at home too and we  encountering quite a few of his relatives on route - turns out monkeys love canal holidays.

We also saw a few knitted Rosie & Jims - the ultimate canal mascot.

Played board games aplenty.

Found a secret garden,

and managed some outdoor fitness.

 I also lay on top of the boat one midnight and watched meteor showers - a seriously cosmic experience and something I'd never be able to do in London.

By the end of the week no one has killed eachother - (obviously there was the odd bits of annoyance but no major arguments.) It wasn't exactly 'family bonding' but it was nice to spend time together and not just the few hours at birthday parties, which we normally manage. I had a chance to talk to everyone - nieces, nephews, brother-in-laws, sisters....that in itself made the experience one to treasure.

As for how I feel about canals and narrowboating now...I love them even more. Not sure if I'll have the opportunity again (apart from holidaying in Kerala's backwaters which is on my bucket list), but it truly was a worthwhile experience and a fun summer holiday. 

We picked up the boat (from a company called Anglo Welsh) from Great Harwood and spent a week exploring the East Midlands, a part of the UK I've not been to before. We did the 'Out & Back' route, which meant we travelled a certain distance and then travelled back on ourselves, this was recommended for beginners (no one had driven a narrow boat before). It was a learning experience; the first thing you learn is that you won't get as far as you think you will - canal life is slow but that's something to embrace rather than stress about.

There were several bedrooms on board, two toilets, a shower, fully equipped kitchen, two areas that converted into beds, a TV, DVD and CD player, even towels so it's easy to feel at home. We cooked on board every evening and took picnics out at lunch . 

It was a holiday of simple pleasures but then simple things are usually the best.

Fancy trying a narrow boat holiday? I'm happy to answer any questions, leave me a comment or check out the company -we got our boat from here.

Happy August Bank Holiday everyone!

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside....

If only...

No this isn't my Beach Hut, but I am photographed in beach hut heaven, aka Whitstable; a quaint little seaside resort on the Kent coast. I first came here in 2001 and remember thinking this was a place that had a personality like no other. I returned in 2005 to do a photoshoot for a magazine. We shot inside a beautiful home that was a refurbished school. I also travelled through briefly when I was camping on the Kent coast in 2009 but a fortnight ago when the sun was shining, I went on a daytrip, to properly reminisce over that first trip, enjoy the sights and indulge in being a tourist.

Beach hut paradise

Beach huts are the backdrop to Whistable in bright, bold colours, all with different themes. Looking inside them and seeing how people use them is fascinating - some people have beds, kitchens, children's buckets and spades or they really go to town with elaborate themes; most look like they belong in the pages of an interiors magazine. If I had one I wouldn't know where to start - there's so many possible design ideas and obviously I would love a crafty one where I could keep my sewing machine and make things whilst looking out to the sea. This photo was taken while I was standing in the water looking back at the huts. It was very shallow in parts, you could walk right out and from a distance it seemed like people could walk out to the horizon.

Fresh oysters

Whitstable has an international reputation for being the best place to eat oysters in the UK. I had never tried an oyster in my life as I don't get the concept of eating oysters and champagne indoors...outside with sea air, feels so much more natural. And so here I was in the land of oysters, it was time to finally eat one! Bought from a stall on the harbour, the woman there explained if I'd never had one before I could pick it out with a fork and swallow if I didn't want to chew. Nah...I wanted to do it properly so I tilted my head back poured it in and chewed it up! It was incredibly fresh and creamy in texture and so fun to eat that I immediately ordered another one. They were 60p each and as I went through town I noticed the prices varied - this was the best deal by far.

No they aren't all my shells!

They certainly get through their oysters here! Shells were randomly piled up all over the place, though I didn't work out what they do with them...

Shell art

Apart from that some people use them for their art. I thought these miniature paintings were a brilliant idea. I spotted them in amongst the market stall huts on the harbour; a hive of crafty goodness and  fresh treats to eat.

Crafty shopping

I bought some pretty beads from this bead hut, 1/2 the price of what they are in London!

Fab window display

And it the main town centre was intrigued by the fancy window displays left over from a recent competition.

Knit-tastic bike

These knitted bikes however topped off the day. Parked outside an amazing store called Taking The Plunge filled with all sorts of handmade loveliness they were made a group calling themselve Incogknito. I don't know anything about them as their website doesn't work and all I found whilst researching was other people who photographed the bikes for their blogs. However I did find out that the artists involved are called Dropzitch, Beat-Knit, Knit-Nurse, K.1. P.1, Ann Gora, 2 ply, Sal Paca, Knit Whit...I would love friends with names like that!

Yummy bike

I also visited the exhibition space inside The Horsebridge Arts Centre. It was filled with beautiful works, many of which were made my local people. I was most drawn to this...well who wouldn't be? It's just the kind of bike I want!

What's that smell?

And if you think you've seen it all when it comes to lavender, you need to pop to Whitstable Lavender - a whole shop selling lavender products, I picked up some fragrant lavender fudge (I have a thing for lavender in food) and a wheat bag since my two at home have been mauled through by mice. 

I also managed to have a relaxing nap in the sun, watch boules in the castle gardens and stop off for fish and chips which is compulsory when you're visiting the British seaside. The trip was made even more special because I was tweeted some tips of what to do and see by Catriona Campbell who runs creative workshops and breaks in Whitstable called 'Escape to Create.' It certainly was an escape and reminded me of the power just a few hours visiting somewhere can have. A good daytrip gives you the same relaxed energy as if you've been away for a few weeks whilst knowing it was so much cheaper! Whitstable differs from other parts of the coast because it has a genuine creative energy with a focus on the natural beauty and local produce rather than chain shops, arcades and tourist tat. It's warm and welcoming and very relaxing, even if you can only pop here for a couple of hours, do!