Another exciting week at Riley Green Marina!

We’ve been extremely busy since I last wrote; so much seems to have happened in such a short time.

 Eventually finalised the purchase of our new boat Romance, she is a 58 foot by 12 foot luxury passenger boat and we are expecting delivery this week.

  

 This is a totally new concept for us but I’m really looking forward to the challenge.  We will be operating daily cruises to Wheelton and Johnson Hillocks and cruise and dine trips on Saturdays and Sundays.

I’ve also celebrated my birthday this week and I’ve had an absolute ball, I feel so fortunate to have such a wonderful family and great friends to share these happy times with, long may it continue. My father in law Eddy has reliably informed me that children born in the sixties are very likely to live until they are 100!  Wow can you see me running up and down the locks and dragging boats about when I’m 100, mmm I think not.

We have had two, yes two BBQ’s in two weeks and the newly completed lodge overlooking the lake has been fabulous, the deck is a real suntrap and we all managed to stay out until the early hours of the morning enjoying good wine, food, friends and very silly conversations!

I have been looking closely for our Kingfisher this spring and he or she did not disappoint and was spotted on Thurday nesting near the lake, I thought we may have lost them over the winter.  Anyhow the cheeky little buggers have eluded my camera and I have not been able to photograph them, but I will keep trying.

An eventful week so far….

An eventful week so far…. Tuesday we received a call from Mark and Dee our customers on Boston Belle, they had caught the boat on the cill half way down Wigan flight, fortunately the rudder was caught which then bent at 45 degrees and the boat slipped off!

On arrival at the scene it was clear that the boat could not be manoeuvred on its own steam. I made a frantic phone call to Denise Bradshaw at BW; who arranged for the dry dock to be opened up.

Another piece of luck a passing boat offered to tow Boston Belle down the flight and to the BW dry dock. The boat was narrowboat “Busker” whose owners we met the previous year; Linda along with her partner Tony. I believe Linda is a musician and has a website or blog, should you know how I can get in touch with them please let me know.

9.00 a.m. Wednesday morning Boston Belle is floated into dry dock, John and Louis (my son) start on the repairs with the help of Mark and Dee (real troopers). It’s a godsend that John’s an accomplished engineer, has been tinkering with, building things and boating since he was knee high to a grasshopper (which I must admit usually gets on my nerves, you can imagine what the garage looks like). 3.00 p.m. boat repaired and re-floated, Mark and Dee on their way.

How different the story could have been?

I want to thank Denise Bradshaw and the guys on the ground at British Waterways; who should be applauded, they do come in for some bad press but not on this occasion.

Despite the mishaps, the ups and the downs, I just love boating and have met some truly inspiring people on my four year journey from my executive life!

Pancake Day!

Jersey Wanderer our ongoing project

Hope you like the pictures above of our lovely Riley Green Marina in the snow!

Phew it’s been a hectic 10 days since my last post, so much seems to have happened.

Louis’s 21st went down a storm I am reliably informed, had all the family round and plied them all with chicken curry washed down with lots of the vino.  Again I did my usual disappearing trick at around 11 ish, the youngsters all decided to decend on Liquid (local nightspot), John said he found himself in the minibus having been hijacked by the eager nightclubbers, but just managed to escape before it departed!  Anyhow a good night was had by all.  I must get round to taking the decorations down before the cleaner arrives tomorrow morning.

Had a meeting on Saturday 6th Feb, at Cafe Cargo next to the Foulridge Tunnel, with the Leeds Liverpool Canal Society regarding Friends of Kennet, Kennet is one of the last remaining Leeds Liverpool short boats and is leased by the Society from British Waterways, we are trying to raise funds and grants from the Lottery Commission etc to renovate Kennet so she can be used as a floating museum/educational centre.  It’s a really great project and the guys from the Society gave a brilliant presentation.  I will be on the working committee to help with the grant application and heading the PR offensive, watch out twitter and buzz here we come bringing the old world into the new!

Leeds Liverpool Canal Society www.llcs.org.uk

If you’re ever passing through Foulridge please call in at Cafe Cargo, the food is just scrummy.

I’ve recently been selected to benefit from a mentoring programme run by Business Venture Group and I believe funded by the North West Regional Development Fund.  I had my first meeting with my mentor on Thursday which was really beneficial, my mentor Greg Heath from Derbyshire Booth gave me some great ideas and feedback,  I’m really positive and think the programme is going to be good for me.  I’ll keep you posted.

Having said this I had a bit of a bad doooo! (as we say in Lancashire) on Thursday, 9 am Bridie (my daughter) and I set off for the Trafford Centre in search of our perfect party dresses for Louis’s official birthday bash on the 27th, all going smoothly down the M66 onto the M61 or 60 never know which is which, when traffic at a standstill for half an hour and for what seemed to be no particular reason, why does this happen, is there some sort of little devil who decided to play havoc on us air polluting motorists?   Arrived at there and after an hour had a phone call to say I’d missed an appointment at 10.30 and coffee with my old friend Jacqui some hour later.  Oh dear not a good start to the day at all!  Some hours later, after trying to squeeze myself into a few size 8 dresses, yeh I know, get a grip Lesley, I left with no dress – there must be a god though, I found the dress I had been trying to squeeze myself  into on ebay in my size and 30 quid cheaper than in the shops.  The lovely dress is now in my possesion, along with the shoes I have been admiring since Christmas (30 quid in the sale at Shudoo), so full outfit for wedding this Friday and Louis’s do for £50 – bargain!

The start of the season seems to be creeeping up on us rather quickly, boats are booked out of the water early March for their hull inspection and blacking, I am not participating this year, honestly I’m not.  New seating and flooring has been ordered and before you know it Easter will be upon us.

We are off to Amsterdam on Monday for a few days to admire the barges, they really are fabulous over there, I’ll post some pictures when we get back.

Catch you later

Hello world!

Well hello world!  Today I have decided to start my blog. 

Just to introduce myself I’m Lesley Yates from Canal Boat Cruises of Riley Green, we run a small canal boat hire business and lovely secluded marina on the Leeds Liverpool Canal.

You will all have to go easy on me as this is all new to me so bear with me until I get the hang of it.  I’m looking forward to posting interesting topics about me, my family, my business and anything else really which catches my mind.

As today I have to finish the v.a.t  returns I won’t be posting much, already half a day behind because I’ve spent all morning trying to get the best deal on an iphone and it’s an absolute minefield!