Shoreside work set to commence

Hi all,
Whilst things are still quiet on the AmyJo front the same cannot be said here at home.

As of 1st January I became a Shell pensioner!  Shame I did not stop working, but I need 3 more years in before I can turn off my works PC for the last time so will continue working for my new bosses, Essar UK LTD, who bought our refinery here at Stanlow.  Those of you reading Epiphany's blog will know this is a stones throw from the Ellesmere Port Canal boat Museum where they had been staying.  Fiona has posted a fascinating history of all the boats there, well worth a read.

The retirement package has given us the money to take the opportunity to do some much needed work on the house.

First up tomorrow, Monday, we are having all our windows and doors replaced with new high efficiency UPVC windows and glass. We had our bathroom window replaced already so the bathroom make over could take place and what a difference.  The old windows are double grazed but putting your hand on the glass of the old and then the new you certainly can feel a difference!  The new window has much better thermal properties than the old so we're hoping when all the windows are done this will help with the heating bill.  We're also quite relieved the weather is warming up too!  Fingers crossed it stays dry (for us and for those suffering the floods).

A week later our bathroom is getting a much needed make over.  It is OK and usable, but is seriously in need of sorting out.  We discovered damp on the dinning room wall the other day and on investigation we found the seal between bath and wall was non existent (it had always been that way by the look of it).  There is a plastic edging on top of the bath fixed to the wall (or so we thought).  Each time the shower was used water was getting behind the plastic trim soaking the wall behind it and that is just one of many reasons to get the work done.

We'll post an update of before and after when the work is done.

You may be wondering if I visited Alexander boats as planned?  Well no I did not.  I've been quite ill this last week and have not been able to do anything.  I've lost all energy feeling completely drained and weak, together with really bad headaches with a touch of nausea.  Blood tests are indicating high levels of iron in my liver (too much red vino collapso I guess) and so am to under go further tests.  I keep you informed of how I get on.

Winter Visitors

Hi all,
There is not much to report on AmyJo's progress at the moment.  With the Christmas holidays not far behind I doubt Jim will have done much to her.  I am hoping to visit next Saturday so hopefully I'll have something to report.

In the mean time with the dark evenings I've taken to reading the blogs on a regular basis and realized John and Fiona on Epiphany were heading our way.  Now I read Fiona's article in Canal Boat magazine so with a bit of cheek I arranged to meet them in Chester.

John and Fiona aboard Epiphany

I do wander if I am taking liberties sometimes doing this and do hope my requests to feet up are not too forward but it is nice to actually meet the people whose blogs I read.

I want to thank John and Fiona for their hospitality as we chatted for some time about various aspects of boating and I have to say they are a mine of information which if you ever visit their blog will be apparent.  Their blog is full of very useful information and is well worth a visit,  they obviously have gone to a lot of trouble to make the information available for us all to make use of.