Alvecote Marina

The 25tog duvet kept us warm last night, maybe even a little bit too warm! Time for some porridge, except we didn’t have any golden syrup. That was soon rectified.

Just gone 9am there was a knock on the front door, on the Arctic side of the house. One of several reasons for this trip to the house. A surveyor had come to give us a free EPC inspection and recommend what we might be able to do to improve our insulation, windows and if solar panels might be possible. This would then be reported to someone else who would decided what assistance we may get as our income is very low.

The chap was a very jolly soul from West Yorkshire, he’d surveyed numerous houses like ours and it would take him a couple of hours. That was until I showed him into the kitchen and then through into the other side of the house! Yep it would take him longer, he’d be late to the next house in Whitby.

He measured windows, asked questions, checked roof spaces, looked outside, took photos. After three hours he was done and had a list of recommendations. One of which is to add insulation on the insides of the external walls. This will take 4 inches out of the rooms but may be worth while as we don’t have cavity walls. Two of the rooms in question I’d planned on redecorating this winter, I may hold off doing that until we know what assistance we may get. Well worth both of us being about for.

Sadly something had disagreed with my system. The most likely candidate, last nights fish and chips, even though they were meant to be gluten free! Or can it take a couple of days for it to have an effect and have been caused by the Chinese takeaway? This did mean my return journey back to Tamworth looked a little bit iffy.

We both walked up to the station. Decision made, I’d sit near to the toilet and hope for the best. Tilly needed feeding and I’ve some work to do. So I waved goodbye to Mick, he’s staying to see the plumber, I retraced the journey from yesterday. The sun shone over the Wolds, I got to see the sea, big boats were two deep in Goole and by the time we reached Doncaster the light was fading fast, the moorings still chocka.

Todays trains worked very well, only a few minutes to wait for one to arrive, then a cab back to the marina.

Tilly was waiting for me, the magic food bowl totally empty, the day before’s dingding also finished off, some biscuits left over just in case. After a big hug the heating was turned up, then the fire laid and lit. We had another big hug for good measure. Soon we were pushing back the chill inside Oleanna and getting cosy in front of the fire.

0 locks, 0 miles, 3 trains, 3 hour free survey, 2 weeks to hear,1 broken downpipe, 1 cuddly Tilly, 1 stove, 1 bowl of roast chicken pasta, 1 cosy boat.