Hello again family and friends.
When I was a small person in a village primary school, my class was told that the area where we lived in North Bucks was to be built into a new and very modern city called Milton Keynes. We were given a chance to draw what we thought it would be like and I remember that my contribution was a design for a multi-story cow shed! Now here I am, 50 years later, moored up in my narrow boat to visit my family who still live in what became the city of Milton Keynes.
My daughter Jane was still with me for most of the week, STILL on Christmas hols from university and enjoying with me a great time visiting my dad and brothers, eating lots of home cooked food and having them visit the boat along with nieces and a nephew.
Daughter, Jenny with her husband and little Edith and Thomas also visited for a family "fish and chips" evening. These are wonderful relaxing times.
I've really enjoyed exploring this city which is built around big parks and nature reserves, cycleways and footpaths. Bunty has had a week's intensive training on a lead and socialising with other dogs, and we've visited all kinds of brilliant art installations and sculptures, such as concrete cows, giant dinosaurs and a peace pagoda- its very different from other cities, but there's no multi-story cow shed!
I've spent time alone here too, which has given me my first taste of living aboard and not travelling. I feel that I'm part of the canal community as fellow boaters are always chatty and ready to help each other. It’s been a cold week with Therapy being iced in for part of the week, but today Ewan visited and we moved her like Titanic through the icebergs to Simpson.
Philippa, a close friend from school is my next crewmember and although she now lives in the Channel Islands, her family home is beside the canal in Simpson. It was with joy that we hugged each other on the towpath outside her mum's house- I know that we will have fun this week.
Thank you for lots of encouraging messages,
Love and warm wishes to all,
Sally
X