Hermione, Edie and I off to HMS Wales Napoleonic Demonstration at Whittington Castle for the day. On the way we spotted a car boot sale so decided to have a quick look before we went to the castle. I counted four cars! but I still managed to find a saucepan with three internal dividers that I liked.
I was surprised at the thickness of the castle walls and it is not surprising that great chunks of it are still standing. Edie was intrigued by the stocks and insisted on having a try. We did manage to stop her playing "Ding dong bell, Mabel's in the well".

Hermione and Edie off to Nantwich Floating Market for the day. I was on Mabel duty, walkies on the hour every hour.

Hermione and Edie took Iowner along to Frankton Junction, turned around and went to Ellesmere Arm where they moored up for the day. I came along for moral support in case anything went wrong but she coped admirably. Back to Dennis for six pm. The day had been a mixture of sunshine and cloud with the occasional spot of rain from time to time, much better for travelling than brilliant sunshine all day.

Hermione and Edie off to to Yorkshire to see their mum and grandma. As usual they have their activities planned out to occupy themselves fully.

The terrible two return after a trip to Yorkshire to see their mum and grandma. Got back about 7pm just in time to have a bite to eat and off to bed.

I said that they had a series of activities planned, well today is the The Legendary Llangollen Faery Festival, so they are spending the day there. Edie had a ball at the The Faery Market where hundreds of specialised artisan traders sell fairy gowns, wings, tiaras, crystals, and mystical wood carvings, most of which she bought, at least that's what it looked like when they returned to the boat.
Quite a treat for them as I believe they missed it last year. Meanwhile my No2 and I were being entertained by this most unusual queen buff-tailed bumble bee, the largest found in Britain.
Monday was Tŷ Mawr Country Park day and Tuesday was spent investigating BeWILDerwood.

My No2 and I were discussing the changing of the elsan cassette and I happened to be holding an electric chainsaw that I had found buried underneath the elsan cassette storage. Hermione made an innocuous enquiry at which point my No2 said "We're having a domestic." meaning we were discussing something that could be taken as a little distasteful. Seeing that I was holding the chainsaw Hermione retreated inside the boat. I did take time out to explain the situation later to her intense relief.
Hermione and Edie set off early (about 11am) for the long journey home via Oxford where they have arranged to view the eclipse.
We hadn't actually planned anything but as the day wore on I decided to try and make one of those pinhole camera things out of a laundry basket. I got a good image of the sun when I tried it out so was planning to use it when the eclipse occurred. We both equipped ourselves with a colander and a piece of white paper and waited patiently for the big event to occur. We both tried to hurry it up but all to no avail, it took it's own time.
As soon as it started to happen it became obvious that my pinhole camera was of no use whatsoever so I reverted to my colander and we both started viewing the eclipse like that perched on stools in a gap in the hedge where the sun was shining through. I looked up and lo and behold the sun was shining brightly on the front of Dennis, a perfect position to view everything. We sat on the gas locker holding a colander up to the sun and projecting the image on to a piece of paper fixed to the wall. Saw it all the way through.

My No2 expressed a desire for a loaf of olive bread for lunch and sausage and red cabbage for dinner tonight, just like Hermione cooked for us, much nicer that the version I had been dishing up. We discussed the difference and she sent me off to town to get some quality sausages. I had to go in to town anyway to the post office so combined the tasks. Called in to the post office, no parcels, off to Vermulens, no olive bread, passed the butchers on the way to Tesco and called in there and purchased some of his home made pepper sausages. Tesco provided the olive bread and the red cabbage along with some beetroot. Dinner sorted.
I was sitting at my desk playing (working) on my computer as usual when there was a knock on the side of the boat. Went to the front of the boat to see who wanted my attention and was confronted by some guy asking about the generator I was advertising for sale. A little discussion, showed him the manual and he offered £250. I accepted and he went off to the post office to get the cash. I didn't really expect him to return but he did, with the cash and a pair of wheels. Gave me the cash and asked for a receipt, which I promptly wrote out. We loaded the generator on to his wheels and off he went.
Filled with a little concern that he might not be able to get it working and would return for his money back I, nonetheless, went shopping in Tesco to get the baking potatoes to go with the sausage and red cabbage. As I went in the front doors I saw the guy also going in the front door from the direction of the Tesco car park, so I can only assume that his vehicle was in Tesco car park and that he was not on a boat, not that it matters really.

Well he hasn't come back asking for his money back so I guess he got it working and he should be delighted to have a brand new petrol generator for less than half price, I know I would be if I wanted one. Now all I have to do is organise somewhere to get the dual fuel, electric start version of the same generator delivered to, the one I really want. The upshot of the sale means that I got £250 for my old Diesel Generator.
I have been putting off ringing EE to cancel the three contracts the I don't want or need and today I plucked up the energy to try it. I knew it would no be easy but was determined to persist until the task was complete. The first time I rang I got mired in a whole series of Press 1 for this and 2 for that until I got to a dead end with no more options that applied to my enquiry. Tried again, this time I got to the point where I was directed to some sort of automated system, where I again got lost in the system. Tried again, got through to a real person who wanted either the last four digits of my bank account or the last four digits of my EE account to get me past security. It was a real struggle as it sounded as if he was talking through a bubble pipe. In the end, as I could not think quickly enough to obtain the information he wanted I told him I was going to ring off, find the relevant information and ring back.
This I did. This time I got a young lady who was very helpful, did not need any security information as I was, apparently, pre security checked before the call took place. She took all the details of the three contracts I want to discontinue and said that she would transfer me to someone who could actually cancel them. I waited and waited and waited and eventually the phone went dead. Not to be beaten I rang back again. Got through to another young lady who seemed to have all my information to hand and organised the cancellation of the three items quickly and easily. All I had to do was click on a link that she had sent and agree to the cancellations. Job Jobbed,
In to town for some more sausages to go with the red cabbage I have left. Got the sausages and, just on a whim, popped in to the charity shop in the middle of town and, hey presto, I found some boots that I didn't know I wanted. Wide fitting with room for my high instep. Purchased them and then wandered along to the computer shop to see if there was a USB CD,DVD player available. Yes, £18, more than I was prepared to pay for something I am not sure I need. Off to Tesco where I wandered around to see if I could find anything else that I didn't know I wanted. No, nothing. Back to the boat.
Chased Caldwell's up about the delivery of the window trim I had purchased. Apparently it has been delivered and the nice lady sent me a copy of the delivery photo, so I popped off to the post office to collect it. My No2 came with me and managed to find a rather good stainless steel kettle, a puzzle and a dress in the charity shop near the post office. Filled with enthusiasm she went to the other charity shop just to see if they had anything worthwhile. They did. Tesco on the way back to the boat but neither of us could find anything that we didn't know we wanted so came away from there empty handed.

Leek and potato soup livened up with a little chicken tonight so went shopping for some leeks. got some cheese while I was there as it seemed a waste not to get something other than just leeks. Need the cheese anyway and it was reduced. (Mind you cheese always seems to be reduced one way or another.)