A blast from the past

new New Year, new Blogger, new blog, a whole new world for me to be moving into so please bear with me. I was so impressed with some of the blogs that I read (most I have read simply leave me flat, utter twaddle) that I have decided to have a blog of my own. Hurrah I hear a few say, well the odd one perhaps. Especially after a comment passed by a long established Blogger, Chertsey nee Warrior Woman who said that there were not many blogs about working boats and restoration of same so I thought right we must put that right and followed links from her site to build my site, and here it is. All this was done without even thinking about what a blog actually was or what I was going to write about especially this time of the year when my Ex FMC motorboat MINNOW is sat at her mooring at Kings Bromley Wharf on the Trent and Mersey Canal, with little chance of ‘anything to report’ for a few months regarding trips, movements, visits, gatherings etc. and so I am just writing whatever comes into my head and see what happens if anything!
One of the things missing from my life, as far as MINNOW is concerned is something , apart from my gob, for pre-warning peoples of our approach ( if the Bolinder isn’t loud enough he he) as a result I have been avidly watching Fleebay for Klaxon’s over the last twelve months hoping to pick up a bargain – huh- can’t believe the prices that they have been fetching averaging around £100 - £200 for just plain simple rusty/bent/broke examples. A few months ago, one came up with a buy it now price of £175 and so as usual I added it to my watching list just out of interest, but after its allotted time there had been no bids. A week later it was re listed with a starting price of £65 and again I watched it and thought if it is still that price at the end I will put a bid on it. But as usual, for me, I missed the end of the auction and no body had bid on it. Oh bugger I could have had it for that price.
Low and behold, just before Christmas and due to finish on Christmas eve night it was again re listed but this time I put a bid on it straight away. I’m no good at this sort of thing as I get far too anxious at the end. I get panic attacks and my stomach churns (I’m the same with auctions of any description – and also Bingo when your waiting for just a couple of numbers, that’s why I detest Bingo and don’t play) Anyway by the end it was mine and for only £65 – bargain. The only problem now was that due to the holiday post it was going to take ages to arrive. But arrive it did on the last day of my Christmas holiday.

When Dawn came home from work that evening she saw the cardboard box in the kitchen and looked inside. “Oh your horns come then, does it work”?
I carefully removed it from its packing, held it high and gave the handle a smart turn. Dawn did not speak to me for hours! The noise it generates is deafening but terrific and can’t wait to carry out a couple of modification to the handle arrangement and make a nice bracket to mount it on MINNOW’S slide and of cause give it a paint job. I will post further pictures when it’s ‘restoration’ is complete. Well to say that I did not what to write about, I think I have done enough for my first post