Pleased to say we have a residential mooring at Freedom Boats in the middle of Macclesfield, not far from the Railway Station - the Universe is conspiring to make things happen. We have arranged with CoverIt to have both a Cratch Cover and board built over the bow and a fold-down Pram Hood over the stern 

This will give us the extra room we will need to dry wet dogs, as well as the ability to go under the bridges on the Macclesfield Canal (low,so you need to fold the hood down)
We have the contract signed ready to drop off at the solicitors and now we await a completion date after the 10th August - i hope the weather holds whilst we bring Gracie up from Chester to Macclesfield - although rain would be truly a baptism - in more ways than one!

Chris is excited to go to Norway next weekend for Theresa (his youngest daughter) and Steven's wedding - the ceremony is in a place called Valle and looks beautiful - they are marrying in the open air next to the lake called Honnevje (resting place) and then using a farmhouse called a Nomelandshus. The forecast for the wedding is 24C & sunny and it looks as though Chris is going to have warm weather while he is there. I wish I was going; but when we booked it we hadn't sold the house and logisitics of cats/dogs and selling a house was a bit much - we have agreed that Steven and Theresa will come here for a holiday and we will repeat the wedding for the family here! 

Then we have the delights of an ATOS Assessment ( so the govt will continue to pay his MI Stamp) and hospital appointments on his return to see if they can get rid of the kidney stone using Lithotripsy to break the stone up in his left kidney and so that he can start life on the boat with a little more energy. At present, he struggles to walk anywhere or do anything - although yesterday he made a fruit cake and it is very nice!

Things to do before we move

1. downsize the kitchen - do we NEED 3 casserole dishes!
2. go through the cupboard in the dining room
3. do car boot sales - we have stuff stored in a garage so will get that gone
4. find homes for furniture or arrange to take to the tip (not much left - bed, chest of drawers, dining table and 2 settees)

So if anyone knows anyone who wants anything let me know

Links below: 

 http://www.freedomboats.co.uk/contact.html 

http://www.coverit.co.uk/

I shall have to be more diligent about updating this - potted history from March 2013 - (and a moral) never sell to a footballer - they try and drive the price down ; which is what happened to us and then we had the most wonderful surprise from the fabulous savings scheme the banks have going - I am sure you have heard of it - called PPI! Anyway, they paid enough for us to completely redecorate, re-carpet and then have our own structural survey done

 We started with the hall, stairs & landing and re-carpeted and then realised that in fact the whole house needed repainting! It took us a month and then we put the house back on the market and it sold in 18 days for nearly our asking price.

Of  course, we thought Gracie would have sold in this time; although, I always felt she was waiting for us; however, we embarked on a reasonably fruitless search for a longer boat - going all the way to Northampton to scour a marina. There was one boat (which, when we thought about it) was a longer version of Gracie; but she needed work doing and they couldn't bring her out of the water until the end of August and we wouldn't have been able to move before the end of September. On the 2 hour drive back, I said, "I saw Gracie on Apollo Duck, she's still available" and Chris said "I know, we're going to buy her aren't we", so a phone call was made and that was that!

We cannot get her until the middle of August as her owners are away visiting family; but as we have signed the contract and the Deed of Title today; we feel as though it is moving apace and we are counting the weeks now - the light at the end of the tunnel isn't a train coming towards us anymore!

So, the next few weeks will be busy - Chris is off to his youngest daughter's  wedding in Norway next week; then he has the ATOS medical to see if they will continue to pay his stamp (no benefits, but still has to go for a medical - this Government is insane). Following that, he has three Lithotripsy appointments to go to; plus we have to unpack, take out half of our stuff, sell it and then repack - a bit like an extended holiday!

Should find out the date for completion soon - I just hope this wonderful weather holds out, so we get a few nice weeks to start our new life. 

The dogs love swimming in the Bridgewater - Shiva's favourite game is to to drop his ball in the canal and dive in to get it out! So, we have booked a company who will fit a cratch cover, fold-down table and pram hood and then we had an e-mail yesterday to say there is a 52 foot mooring coming up in Macclesfield (right near the train station) so with a bit if luck, we will be living in Macclesfield from September. 
Maybe, we will see you "on the cut"

  

Waiting is a very hard thing to do when you are wanting to be somewhere else. We are not moving before Easter - the buyer is now saying next week although he has now decided he wants a survey done after a fortnight; of waiting to exchange contracts! So next week we should be aboard Gracie - maybe just as well looking at the weather forecast for the next week .  still out gives us the weekend to get the house properly cleared - more things to the tip today and means less to do next week when I'm back at work!

Will the buyer EVER exchange contracts? His solicitor was unavailable today - hopefully still complete on Wednesday - house emptying, but feels as though there is SO much still to clear!

we went shopping today, for those that know Chris, this is a one off - we bought him a mobile phone and a notebook (a nexus), plus a MiFi unit for Gracie - very 21C! I looked for new quilts but decided to wait until we are settled and get a new one then.

the washing machine, table, chest of drawers and wardrobe goes tomorrow - Leanne came round tonight to pick up old photos and there was general oohs and aahhs over old stuff - which reminds me, I have their (hers and Fiona's time capsules from 2000 - DO NOT THROW AWAY!

I looked at the kitchen tonight and there seems to still be so much stuff - loads of tip trips tomorrow I think!

G (gracie) minus 3

Monday morning - the bookcase went to its new home last night - we have packed a small box of books to take aboard - the rest are going into crates and will be stored - I hate getting rid of books; however, I will go through them today and earmark those that i will take to the charity shop. Clothes are going to the bin for Francis House and we are selling some. I have started to pack the kitchen up. Sold the wardrobe, but the person picking up didn't read the advert properly and wanted to pick up over Easter (answer, no; either today or tomorrow). 

Took the rugs and the wall hanging to a friend's last night - Washing machine, computer table, computer, double bed & dining table go tonight - house slowly emptying - trips to the tip today and youngest is coming round to help (how to tell I found more photos!)

So busy washing the last few things ahead of no washing machine. Will get a MiFi unit today and a new phone for Chris - then there is the rest of the clothes to clear and sort as well as the last of the books. Then the dining room cupboard plus the bedroom to finish packing - entire life now in boxes - will seem strange to leave this house after 30 years - all the children left home.

A new adventure beginning - the weather here is sunny and we haven't the snow, although I believe where Gracie is moored they have had quite a bit - that should make our first days interesting - there were lots of boats on the Bridgewater Canal yesterday - I think, hat, coat, gloves and scarves are going to be essential - the wind is a piercing lazy northerly, so bitterly cold although not frosty. Wind chill is about -6C - great for getting rest of washing dry!
 

Saturday - took the coffee table, curio table and the dragon hanging to Salford this morning - a lovely young lady giving them a new home - Filled the car up, so all ready to drive to the boat - we have also arranged to sell the wahing machine, the computer and table and the bookshelf in the lounge. The house is slowly emptying - its funny the things you find, that you had forgotten about - old photos are the best things - next on the shopping list is a scanner to scan all in so we have a record.
It is still trying to snow here - going to Stockport Market later - this will be the thing - we won't have a freezer (although the weather outside means we can probably store things outside and they'll freeze anyway!)
A shot of Shiva posing to finish

The State of Gracie

This is our story – we have been led to this through both a desire to lead a more sustainable lifestyle and economic necessity.  One thing we have always believed is that the Lord provides what we need (not necessarily what we want) and that to have faith is all important – it seems as though this will be tested over the next week,

Living on a narrowboat – well, for Stella, this is going back to her roots, her maternal grandfather was born on a narrowboat and his father owned a fleet, travelling between Shropshire & Cheshire. We wanted to travel and our original plan was to go to New Zealand via rail. Unfortunately, Chris’s health took a nosedive and two kidney stones & three years later, we are still awaiting resolution

 We decided to sell the house due to economic neccesity and the fact that, although the house is an end terrace , it is like a tardis and goes on forever. It was simply too big. The decision by ATOS to declare Chris fit for work and then the DWP deciding that after 365 days his benefits would stop meant that our income dropped in half and our ability to pay the mortgage (taken out to buy Stella's first husband out of the house)stopped.. We tried, but it meant that we were existing; so this galvanised us; we put the house on the market and sought free legal advice and although the solicitor wasn't available, spoke to a housing officer and told him our plan - sell the house and buy a narrowboat outright. He did tell us that we would probably qualify for association housing as there was income, which surprised us. Fortunately, we didn't get the chance to find out if this was actually correct. 

Anyway, in the meantime we had numerous views; however, our real estate agent wasn't telling us the true picture and so when he phoned to tell us someone had made a cash offer (£13k below what we were asking) but that they could complete in a fortnight, our initial thought was no. However, we had seen a boat - Gracie- she had a licence and was sound and so we went to see her. 




Needless to say, 


we fell in love and the contract was sealed with a handshake and  Gracie was ours (subject to payment). We then agreed the price with the buyer and completed the sale pack.  


However, we said we needed to complete within two weeks (as per original offer) - the buyers solicitors said they couldn't omplete by Monday 25th; however, we know the buyer needs to complete and so am applying that pressure so we should be on board on Wednesday 27th March