Narrow Boat Albert

Established in 2005: Blog of Steve & Maggie Parkin's 60ft narrowboat based on the Grand Union Canal; includes Steve's reviews of old waterways books

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Steve & Maggie

Posted by Steve Parkin at Wednesday, December 24, 2014

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Boating Blogs

NB Alton

Essential Guide To Safe Well Water Maintenance - If your home relies on well water, ensuring its safety and quality is your direct responsibility. Contaminated well water can harbor harmful bacteria, vi...
1 hour ago
Jameison's Afloat

A castle to remember - It may have been quiet last night, but by 6 am the Monday rush hour had started! The dog walkers also arrived in droves, so maybe not the idyllic place ...
3 hours ago
NB Harnser

Rugeley - A couple of boats went by earlier so we decided to set off just before 10 before any more came along. The Weston ASBO Swan was waiting for me on the offs...
3 hours ago
NB Oleanna

The Three P’s. 20th April - Pickering’s Bridge to Longacre Wood Trent and Mersey Canal Another pretty frosty morning, no photo sorry as I actually wanted a bit more sleep before havin...
12 hours ago
Adventures Aboard AreandAre

Cruising From Blackburn to Burnley With A Couple Of Kiwis - Our previous two experiences on this section of the canal, are of travelling swiftly to get through quickly. This time was vastly different. Join us to d...
2 days ago
NB Herbie

Work and play at Cropredy - I'm glad to report that Herbie is still afloat - well you never know these days with all the weather we're having; there's a 40-odd mph wind outside as ...
1 week ago
NB Briar Rose

Curiosity on test - The May *Canal Boat* is out, and includes my boat test on *Curiosity*, by Boating Leisure Services. This boat will also be at the Crick Boat Show at the...
1 week ago
NB Holderness

Make and Mend. - Well we arrived at Calcutt Marina yesterday, and moored where we had been told to. I later went up to the office to check in and they asked if we could mo...
1 week ago
NB Percy

Kathleen batters Percy - Seems we have a new storm and therefore a new name 'Kathleen' is hitting us as we are aboard Percy for an unprecedented long weekend after only just bei...
2 weeks ago
Narrowboats Chalkhill Blue & Chalkhill Blue 2

Flecknoe (missing being on board) - Before we left France at the end of November last year, we’d already decided to spend more time in the UK during 2024 than we've done in recent years. T...
3 weeks ago
NB Burnt Oak

Heading southwards and new adventures - Our journey around the six locks at the bottom of Wigan was a whizz as Liz and Hector came along to give us a hand. The super thing about the bonkers ...
3 weeks ago
NB Gabriel

Postscript - We arrived back in time for some August events: Sandra Kibble’s funeral on 4 th August, Joyce’s 90th birthday on 12th August. She had asked us to sing, so...
4 months ago
Captain Ahab's Watery Tales

Parker Branch Canal - *Parker Branch Canal* October 2023 The Parker Branch is little more than a long basin which left the Mainline to the west at Bromford Junction serving ...
6 months ago
NB Hadar

Boat Painting part 13 - Before lunch I started to paint the white lining around the fleet number until rain stopped play 🌧 I have just finished it off this afternoon. This sid...
7 months ago
NB Zindagi

De-Bugged? – We Hope So ! - It has been a long time since we posted anything on this blog, so you may have thought that we have disappeared! Well, we are not living on board any more...
8 months ago
Wide Beam - Still Rockin'

Great-grandchild ... number 4 ... - George and I are overjoyed to announce that our fourth great-grandchild is on the way. Very many congratulations to Louise and Rob, a brother or sister t...
10 months ago
NB AmyJo

135 Pigging Out -
1 year ago
NB Chertsey

Back on the rails - I've just spent a most enjoyable long weekend down in Newhaven, and I'm very pleased to say that the train journey, both ways, went without a hitch (and...
1 year ago
NB Seyella

- An interesting 6 months... Well, it's been a while since I last put electronic pen to paper, and a lot has happened. I last posted as we arrived at Pill...
1 year ago
NB Festina Lente

Sunshine and Ice - Stop planks at Aston lock. Canal is frozen solid with 3" thick ice. During last weeks cold snap we had a little frost forming on the inside of the bath...
1 year ago
NB Triskaideka

Summer trip to Llangollen - Our FB page is updated with this summers trip to Llangollen with lots more photos Link to Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Blogger/...
1 year ago
NB Hadar (Boatwoman)

Time to move on. - Hi Everyone. Yes it is time to move on. I have been blogging one way or another since coming onto the water in 2005. This blog began in 2010 after my o...
1 year ago
nb Chuffed

Moving on! - SO…. the final payment on our new (to us) boat has been made, Her name is currently *NB Bonjour*, but that may change. Our new adventures start *HERE*....
1 year ago
Narrowboat Ellis

A Long Gap - Yes I know - it's been AGES. Why? - well to be honest, I've just not felt like it... when life throws curve ball after curve ball at you, sometimes it...
1 year ago
Darley's Daily Dawdle

- HANGING UP PLATES I don’t think anything looks nicer than a properly dressed back cabin with all its brass, lace and especially hanging up plates. ...
1 year ago
Halfie

Meeting friends on the cut; nearly losing an Elsan cassette - Oh dear - no blogging for three days. Various reasons, mostly that it got too late in the evening and I was too tired. Now we are on a lock-free stretch an...
1 year ago
NB Serafina

2021 - Another Cruising Season Written Off - Well who knew? I thought the pandemic would be over in a few months, before I knew what a pandemic was really about! Now we're into our second year and t...
2 years ago
NB Valerie

London 2014: All Hallows by the Tower; The Oldest Church in Londan has Links to America! - *WARNING: HISTORY AHEAD!! A LONG NARROW DIP INTO 19 CENTURIES OF A TINY SQUARE BIT OF LAND NEAR THE THAMES. MAKE YOUR TEA, GRAB A BISCUIT, AND SETTLE IN OR...
2 years ago
NB Derwent6

Back to our Lockdown Base - We were up early as we had been to bed early the night before and Del showered and went to pull the boat back onto the water point so we were full to th...
3 years ago
NB Cyan – Narrowboat Blog

Westham Couchtisch Tisch Möbel Wert Stadt Coffee Table City Furniture - [image: Westham Couchtisch Tisch Möbel Wert Stadt Coffee Table City Furniture]
3 years ago
NB Wharram Percy

Fremont Peak - It’s hard to say who treated the Native Californians worse, the Spanish missionaries who enslaved them in the name of converting them to christianity or th...
3 years ago
NB Stronghold

My Maiden Voyage on an Historic Pair. 7 - 22nd May 2011 Heavy rain preceded another sunny day. I had previously collected the car from across the cut to go in the official car park and was able t...
3 years ago
The Floating Home

Talking Sh*t #2 - They always say that if you get boaters together it won’t be long before they start talking about toilets. Warning; this blog may contain graphic descripti...
3 years ago
NB No Problem

The girls learn social distancing and the River is shut - Moored Bourne End, River Thames It’s been a while I know but we are both just fine here at Bourne End. Our days are full of little jobs, keeping the girls...
4 years ago
These Rolling Waves

March 2020 – Lockdown on the locks - What a weird month I’m sure you’d agree! When we started the month the challenge was going to be getting used to new jobs, new offices and new colleagues...
4 years ago
nb Waiouru

60% Completed - Here in the jones household we have been discussing the status of the security screen on the front door. It’s quite a strong metal screen with three poi...
4 years ago
Narrow Boats SICKLE and FLAMINGO

A straightforward day. - *(Boat Flamingo - posted by Alan)* *(Post for Thursday 29 August)* Atmospheric morning.We were away from Newbold before 9:00 am, I think - about as good ...
4 years ago
NB Epiphany

Epiphany has been Sold - Epiphany has been *sold. *I wish the buyer as much happiness as we had in owning her. For the time being, this resource-full website will still be avail...
4 years ago
M. B. Willow

A’s First Voyage: Day 14 - Rickmansworth – Iver We shared the first few locks with Janet & Steve then said a fond farewell as they were only going to Denham. Then it was on through U...
5 years ago
NB The Puzzler

September 2018. A final summary of nine and a half years of living on our narrowboat, The Puzzler. - We moved to live on our narrowboat, The Puzzler, in April 2009, having sold our jigsaw and toy manufacturing business. We spent the first two years cruisin...
5 years ago
NB Bendigedig

My Blog Has Been Plagiarised - I have just found the total contents of my blog has been copied using everything on the site other than my bloglist. It has a different www. address and ...
5 years ago
NB Chance

A Wonderful Cruise to the Baltics! - We no longer seem to have time to blog these days, but our good friends Peter and Margaret did post this for us. https://www.nb-kelly-louise.com/2018/0...
5 years ago
Narrowboat Inca

Inca for sale - A sad day for us as we put Inca up for sale. I will do a catch up blog sometime in the future . https://rugbyboats.co.uk/listings/inca-58-gj-reeves-semi-t...
5 years ago
GUCCC Former Working Boat Sculptor

A day with CountryFile - We do most of our *Sculptor* communication these days on FaceBook but where we wish to share information about wider issues then this medium remains probab...
6 years ago
QISMA

Last Post - We are on our Autumn cruise. The title is slow and steady. So far living up to the billing. We are pottering on Lower Lough Erne. Saying our 2017 farewells...
6 years ago
old waterway books

Cards and a couple of Cans (At Auction 2017). - *Some fine vintage cards have appeared at auction recently. Probably more popular than book collecting - rare vintage cards attract much attention and ap...
7 years ago
NB Song of the Waterways

Original Mountain Marathon Oct 2016 - Galloway, SW Scotland - *Original Mountain Marathon Oct 2016 - Glentrool, Galloway* *Day 2 - Sunday 7.15am Start* By Galloway standards, the weather was kind - not that cold and no...
7 years ago
NB Leo No 2

Oh Dear - Perhaps I could have been a little more forthright! I attended Northampton General Hospital (NGH) after requesting an appointment. The X-Rays, which were...
7 years ago
NB Bones

Still on holiday. - I am sure you are all on the edge of your seats awaiting the update from the scintillating travels of the Great Holiday day whatever. Somerton Deep is as ...
7 years ago
NB Mervyn

- We've Moved! Living on a 62′ narrowboat, we are no strangers to moving our home around. This time it is our blog that has relocated. To make it quicker an...
7 years ago
NB Futurest

Farewell - *It is a fact of life that we cannot predict the future, even the near future. The things we take for granted today could all be different tomorrow. It’s...
8 years ago
NB Yarwood

Post lunch on a sandbank - So we have lunched and celebrated our arrival on the sandbank in the Wash and as the tide turns; we came out of Boston on a falling tide and it is now risi...
8 years ago
NB Matilda Rose

Mouzay - We loved it outside the sleepy village of Mouzay and ended up staying for a week. Unfortunately, we haven’t had an internet signal since we left there so I...
9 years ago
NB Northern Pride

Come and visit us on Wordpress - our new blog! - We had an email recently from a blog follower saying he hadn't realised we'd moved our blog somewhere else - he'd been wondering why we hadn't posted on th...
9 years ago
NB Tacet

The Tale of Tacet - [image: P1000304] Hi, nb Tacet here. I see this blog has had no postings for a while, it seems the Skipper and his First Mate have disappeared off, goo...
10 years ago
NB Lucky Duck

Archive Blog - This blog is the archive of our five years of adventures on narrowboat Lucky Duck from looking for a boat to buying, living on, cruising, doing up, and fin...
10 years ago
NB Pickles no.2

My fridge door - I appreciate the need to blame someone for the ills of our society during an economic downturn. History is littered with examples and it's a well documente...
10 years ago
NB Willawaw

The Surge of the Sea - New Book and Sequel - Work on the sequel to 'The Pull of The Tide' has fared rather better than expected and the Kindle edition will be available this month rather than April as...
11 years ago
NB Driftwood

Driftwood has been sold - Today we said 'goodbye' to Driftwood. She actually changed ownership last Friday 23 November 2012 but the new owner wasn't moving her until today the 29t...
11 years ago
Granny Buttons

Grandma Briefs blogs granny buttons - What is it about grandmothers and buttons? Grandma’s Briefs is a lovely blog from America, from a self-described “long-distance grandma navigating the wate...
11 years ago
NB Poppy

Back on the Leeds Liverpool - As expected, we didn't do the Ribble Link on Saturday & we were told it would probably be Monday or Tuesday but there was an 20% chance that it could be Su...
11 years ago
NB Caxton

Farewell Caxton - Yesterday we finished winterising Caxton in order to leave her safely for her new owners Paul and Elaine. So that's it, the end of our Caxton adventures an...
12 years ago
NB Lazydays

The adventure ends - One adventure ends, another begins. On 15 December we delivered NB Lazy Days to Hilperton where she is up for sale. On 17 December we moved into our new ho...
12 years ago
NB Dove

Finishing off bits - The little bits that make a boat looked lived in always seem to take ages to make, like the rail to hang the oil bottles on. Forgeing the ends flat and ben...
12 years ago
NB Wilshamstead

Moving on from Weedon, tackling tunnels with a 60 watt bulb & apologies to the Jaguar owner... - The trees are changing colour and it has been noticably colder when we've been cruising lately, autumn must be here. Let's hope it doesn't bring the dreade...
13 years ago

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Blog Labels

About Albert (96) Aire and Calder Navigations (5) Ashby Canal (6) Ashton Canal (3) Avon Navigation (2) Aylesbury Arm (6) Beeston Canal (1) Birmingham Canal Navigations (9) Birmingham Fazeley Canal (5) Boating Blogs (13) Bridgewater and Taunton Canal (1) Bridgewater Canal (12) Buckby Cans (9) Buckingham Canal (2) Bude Canal (1) Caldon Canal (10) Caledonian Canal (3) Canal Museum (26) Cardiff Bay (2) Chesterfield Canal (2) Cornwall (14) Coventry Canal (25) Crinan Canal (1) Droitwich Barge Canal (2) Droitwich Junction Canal (1) Dudley No. 1 Canal (2) Electric Traction (2) Estonia (1) Falkirk Wheel (2) Ferries (2) Forth & Clyde Canal (1) Fossdyke Navigation (1) Gloucester Sharpness Canal (4) Grand Union Canal (322) Grand Western Canal (3) Grantham Canal (1) Great Ouse (14) Hereford and Gloucester Canal (1) History (50) Houseboats (1) Hydrofoil (1) Inside Passage (1) Irish Waterways (3) Isle of Wight (1) Italy (1) IWA (10) Kennet and Avon (5) Knottingley and Goole Canal (2) Knoydart (1) Lake Garda (1) Leeds and Liverpool Canal (19) Leicester Arm (28) Limehouse Cut (1) Lion (4) Llangollen Canal (13) Lydney Canal (3) Macclesfield Canal (14) Market Harborough Arm (2) Middle Level (8) Middlewich Branch (2) Model Boat (1) Narrow Dog (1) New Junction Canal (2) North Oxford Canal (23) Nottingham Canal (1) Old Aerial Images (2) Oxford Canal (58) Peak Forest Canal (7) Regents canal (6) River Aire (4) River Avon (6) River Cam (7) River Lee Navigation (4) River Nene (42) River Ouse (2) River Rhone (2) River Severn (9) River Soar (5) River Stort (2) River Taff (1) River Thames (57) River Trent (8) River Vltava (1) River Wear (1) River Weaver (5) River Wey (8) River Wissey (2) River Witham (1) River Wye (1) River Yukon (1) Rochdale Canal (2) Rowing (16) Ruston and Hornsby (19) Shipping (1) Short Narrowboats (2) Shropshire Union Canal (17) Springer Waterbug (1) Staffs and Worcester Canal (20) Stainforth and Keadby Canal (4) Stourbridge Canal (2) Stratford Canal (11) Suffolk Coast (1) Switzerland (1) Tideway (1) Trent and Mersey Canal (68) Video (9) Wardle Canal (1) Waterways Books (82) Wendover Arm (4) Weston Canal (1) William Bliss (7) Worcester and Birmingham Canal (7)

"Roses" border decoration by Maggie Parkin - taken from Albert's back cabin doors

Banner image taken at Thrupp Wharf, Oxford Canal, April, 2010

Blog established in March 2005

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