Living in the State of Gracie

We enter our third week of official continuous Cruising; having spent a lovely week in Whaley Bridge and continuing our  theme of shopping locally where we can; found the most fabulous butchers and pet shop. We notice that people are more relaxed out of the cities - do they have more time?  I don't think so; they just use it in a different way - we are so lucky to be living this life, it is so much more gentle - canal time!

The New Cratch Cover

We have finally had the Cratch Cover; Dodger & tonneau fitted - We knew it would make a difference, but had no idea how much until yesterday. Cover-It fitted it and also built a drop-down table, so we can use the well as a small dining room & sitting area. The window is immense & provides a stunning view out through the bow; but it is the tonneau that has caused us the most excitement! We now have a tent on the stern and so a huge storage area, sheltered from the elements,

The Cratch Cover

This week they are coming to fit the cover/board/Dodger & tonneau in stone - cannot wait as we will finally have cover on the bow & a cover for the stern. We're travelling pinto Whaley Bridge so Chris can move Gracie to Bugsworth Basin on Wednesday so they can get close with the van - it'll be nice to be able to have our meals at a proper table again as they are also fitting a drop down table to the cratch board.

Continuously Cruising

We have decided to give notice at Macclesfield Canal Centre and continuously cruise - this is comparatively easy to do around here & still enable me to go to work four days a week,  we came up to Marple on Friday and decided that we won't be returning to Macclesfield any time soon - moral of story - listen to  Chris's inner voice and buy a PO Box number. We are currently moored on the Peak Forest Canal just down from Marple Canal Basin

Bollington on the Macclesfield Canal

Since moving onto Gracie, we have made a conscious effort to buy locally and use the shops and services "on the cut" - we came up to Bollington last night because there is a Fish & Chip restaurant /takeaway - The Plaice, which comes highly recommended - if you get the chance to go = do try the Bollington Pudding - it is divine. Anyway, as I said we are trying to shop locally and therefore I went into Bollington and bought meat & veg from the butchers and then went into the bakery. The smell of freshly made vanilla/custard slices meant I had to purchase some - they were divine. However, no-one;s tills were working, so no chip & pin for those with cards. Then this afternoon, NB Alton (coal boat) came down the canal, sp we bought coal and her chip & pin wouldn't work properly either - it did the second time as I held it over my head - however, is Bollington in a dead spot? (it's an extremely pretty town with lovely shops though)
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and the day has arrived - still some packing (and getting rid of rubbish to da) It's raining; fortunstely everything in boxes. Tonight we'll be aboard our new home!

On 16th August 1819, 15 people were killed and up to 700 injured when troops waded into a demo calling for the vote at St Peter's Field in Manchester. On the anniversary this year, there's an event being held at the Radisson Hotel on Peter Street, featuring speakers, poets and bands, including Salford rap collective Class Actions, recently returned from a tour of Austria.

Amongst those events in history that are ingrained into consciousness from school or elsewhere is the Peterloo Massacre which happened almost around the corner in Manchester.

It's now 194 years since around 80,000 people meeting at St Peter's Field, to demand Parliamentary reform and the vote, were attacked by the cavalry, leaving 15 dead and up to 700 injured. The massacre was named after the Battle of Waterloo which had happened four years earlier.

The community and trade unions have been determined that this horrid event in working class history is never to be forgotten, and in recent years there's been an annual event to show respect. This year's Peterloo Massacre Anniversary Event looks set to be the biggest yet.

On stage at the Radisson Hotel on Peter Street in Manchester will be speakers plus ace radical singer songwriter, Claire Mooney, political poet Dave Puller and Salford rap collective Class Actions.

Class Actions have recently completed a debut European tour, which took in Austriaand Germany, playing venues in Vienna, Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Graz, taking the Salford attitude to new audiences supported by radical publisher, Bahoe Books, and on stage by The Unknown Hip Hop Artist from Budapest.

.In Munich, Class Actions' Aslan AK and Mike F posed with an Anti-Fascist Action flag inside the very beer hall where Hitler attempted the Munich Putsch in 1923, and in Austria their shows featured a localised variation of their trade mark song Rip Up the Sun, which involved the audience burning copies of Austria's two most infamous tabloids the Kronen Zeitung and the Österreich.
Friday 16th August 7:30pm £3/£1
Radisson Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester

"It was an honour to be invited to tour such a beautiful country as well as play a bonus show in Munich" says frontman Aslan AK "I felt proud to export the radical socialist and anarchist tradition of Class Actions' adopted city to a continental audience. I hope our legacy is that more people in Austria will show the red card to the tabloids we used as firewood, I wish more venues in England would let us burn the Sun!"

Mike F, Class Actions' producer adds "It was a brilliant feeling to play in front of our first international audiences and the support from Bahoe Books was incredible. We've been lucky enough to meet some really great people and perform with some inspiring artists. It was an amazing experience."

You can see Class Actions closer to home on August 16th, along with guests Andy Carrington and Freddie Engels, plus some other top artists, at the Peterloo Massacre Anniversary…

Peterloo Massacre Anniversary Event 

http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=1901


On the 16 August 2013 - we start a new life aboard Gracie - we remember those that died to give us the freedom which this present government is fast taking away from people; when will people wake up? Your rights at work are being stripped away - did the people at Peterloo die in vain - I fear so, as people sleep-walk into a fascist state