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April 2004 update

Firstly, just a little reminder that thanks to Freeserve, we lost our email address book so, a quick email from everyone will help us to create a new one. Our NEW e-mail address is: david@ross-craft.com

Our first picture was taken back in November and is of "Bendigo" which belongs to our friend Bill Holdsworth and sports a wheelhouse designed by Bill.

"Bendigo" on trial...

Many thanks to Keith Chester for the "tender" he gave us (for those who may not know, a tender is a small boat). With a bit of rubbing down and painting it looks great.

Lea Crest's "tender" on trial...

We nipped over to Lancashire for Christmas and stayed with Pamela's sister Pat. A great Christmas with good friends and of course very good food.

Pat...

Noel...

My dinner...

We then spent a couple of days back at Aspley Marina, Huddersfield, before returning to Pat's on New Years Eve. We took this next picture as we came back to Aspley between Christmas and the New Year.

Mist over Hebden Bridge...

This is our local pub, the Aspley, a Whitbread "Brewers Fayre" place.

The Aspley...

Just managed to squeeze in amongst the other boats.

Just squeezed in...

 

Caught this next chap checking to see how much was in his piggy bank.

Looks heavy to me...

In January, we decided to take a ski-ing holiday in France and took the next picture as we were driving past Annecy.

One of my favourite shops...

We arrived in Bourg Saint Maurice mid week and spent a few days in this hotel which is a nice and friendly family run hotel with a very reasonable evening meal menu.

Hostellerie du Petit Saint Bernard...

The next picture shows the funicular railway which takes you from the village to the ski slopes at Les Arcs. It was built for the last winter Olympics held in France.

Funicular...

Driver's view with a passing place ahead...

We woke up to a car topped with snow most mornings and skiing in these conditions is never pleasant, so just enjoying the scenery was often the order of the day. Looks like organised chaos and remembering where you left your car doesn't always help

Organised chaos...

Around here somewhere ?

Spotted this stall on the Saturday market. Horse meat is apparently still very popular in France.

Shergar -  8.0 per kilo...

We called in at a small bar before going back to the apartment we had rented for a couple of weeks. The café's cat could be related to "Gromit" as it seemed to have no trouble finding somewhere to doze off.

Cat nap?..

This is the view from our balcony. Plenty of snow and a strange cloud formation.

A strange cloud formation...

Someone built this igloo outside the apartments and as it was on the shaded side it is probably still there! Notice the sign inside.

Don't eat yellow snow!

France is also suffering from the "celeb" disease and one evening after dinner we settled down to watch "Who wants to be a Celebrity Millionaire"

Charles Aznavour still going strong...

The next five pictures were taken above "Arc 2000", at around 2600 metres. I've got to say it's nice and quiet compared to Christmas week when you need eyes in the back of your head.

Pamela...

David...

Ice ridge...

Setting off down to Arc 2000...

A quiet run down to Arc 1800...

We left Bourg Saint Maurice a day early so we could call at Saint Jean de Losne, a major town on the river Saone as far as the canal system is concerned. We had visited this town in the past when the idea of living on a boat in France was still just an idea. Although it has always been out of season for boating, you can imagine the activity. Friends we met last summer at Clarence Dock, Leeds, and who also intend living in France (afloat) are hoping to get to Saint Jean around the same time as we do. Hopefully we can all reach St. Jean by mid June 2004, as there is a boating festival here during the third week in June.

View of Saint Jean de Losne from our hotel room...

Local filling station...

Floating hotel...

We managed to get back by the 3rd of February and returned to our winter hibernation at Aspley Marina.

Back at Aspley Marina...

Hope you all had a great Christmas and like us, are looking forward to some better weather. Don't forget, if you haven't sent an e-mail to david@ross-craft.com we may have lost your e-mail address. A quick hello will sort the problem.

Many thanks

STOP PRESS
After initial investigations on the best way to get us and our boat to France, we decided to get it lifted onto a lorry at Aspley, by road to Dover, over the Channel on the ferry, then put back in at a marina in Calais. Indeed, we should have been moving to France on the 18th of April. But due to a technical hitch at the French end (it is apparently going to take yet another 4 weeks to get official permission for the lorry to travel the 1 mile we need to get to the canal in Calais!), we will now not be going for another few weeks. Frustrating or what! Still, they do say that the best things come to those who wait.

All the best for now

David and Pamela