Only a Short Visit

It was only a short visit and we have done almost none of the things we had thought about doing! Yesterday saw an even slower start - about the only reason for leaving the warmth of the boat was for Mike to empty the elsan and that is quite close.

After lunch we went out to look for a few items - Christine thought we were headed for Worcester but Mike went first to the Homebase out the other side of Droitwich. One of the items we were thinking about was a small electric free standing radiator to put in the font bedroom. Although there is an under-bed radiator fed from the main boiler (which keeps the main cabin really cosy, helped by massive output from the solid fuel stove) the bedroom is still rather chilly and it is not even frosty yet. Our weather station did indicate about 1C outside and only around 10C inside at times.

When the sun came out - which was really bright today - this bedroom was actually much warmer than the main cabin - we have not been keeping the stove in all day.

Christine had looked around on the internet and we had seen what might be useful on the Homebase web site - just a low power item as we were not sure about the effect that a 1.5 kW one would have on our electrics. The commonest seem to be 2 kW which is really pushing the limits of our shoreline when taking into account everything else.

The Homebase in Droitwich had a selection but not the low power ones. A very helpful sales assistant checked with Worcester. Even though their stock level showed six, the person at the other site offered to do a physical check and eventually returned to say that she could not find any at all! As result we at least saved ourselves another wasted journey.

After picking up a couple of items from Aldi next door (including a ready made pizza for the evening meal) we then went across the road to the B&M shed but no luck there with a radiator although we did find a thin floor mat which we are thinking about trying as alternative insulating layer above the freezer. Although it is fully enclosed we have found that it encourages condensation which makes the dinette cushion that lies on top sometimes a bit damp. We have been using newspaper but that has a tendency to go everywhere.

Back into town as nowhere out here sold newspapers so we had to brace ourselves to pay another 50p for car parking outside Morrisons. However, we first went into Wilko and this was fortunate as they did have a small 750w oil filled radiator that is small enough to fit under the bed when it is pulled out.

Shopping over we returned to the marina and back onto the boat where we stayed until morning! The pizza was quite OK - at £1.76 we could not really have lost much! At least Christine was impressed - more so than with Mike's mixed salad accompaniment! The cheesecake from Morrisons was a great but quite heavy so most of it was put back into the fridge to go home!

Another bright and sunny morning today but probably quite cold - not yet ventured further than looking through the windows! We are leaving this morning - must not linger too much as Mike has a meeting at 4.30 to help set up Egloshayle Church projector ready for tomorrow morning and the team have asked for a sight variation on our norm so it needs checking out.

It has only been a short visit but we have enjoyed the chance (excuse) to do very little! But we have finished the books we were reading!