Of woes and toes.

Let us start with the woes. This is about as far up the Welsh canal as we got, Grindley Brook staircase.
Since mid January we had noticed water in the cabin bilge. We have a nicely designed hole in the floor of the wardrobe which I occasionally glance down, normally dry and fine but now damp. Since then, by a process of elimination, we have worked out it has to be a leak in the fresh water system. One give away is the way the water pump has now started cycling. A brief run every one hour and twenty minutes.
So I started searching for the leak. Around the pump, dry. All connections under the kitchen cupboards, dry. Around the calorifier under the bed, dry. This left one further area, under the shower room. This is a swine of a place to get at, involving dismantling an ungetatable cupboard. After much bad language and effusion of blood it was achieved.

Quelle horreur!
It was a boaters worst nightmare. Water had obviously been collecting in this inaccessible spot for some time but of the leak itself there was no sign. Pipes to the shower head were dry, no sign of water around the shower pump or the base of the shower tray. To put it politely, I was stumped. Outside help was needed. Local boatyards proved less than helpful so a quick 'phone to call to our friends at Norbury Wharf and we were retracing our steps.
With one all day stay at Nantwich, shopping and the Welsh Open Snooker final, we made it back in five days. It had taken us that many weeks going out, shows how fast we normally travel.
So here we are, back where we started from about six weeks ago. Inspection of system by Mick tomorrow. I have a horrid feeling that the entire shower is going to have to come out.
And on to toes. A few days back my dear lady opened one of the store cupboards and a kamikaze jar of Pataks finest Madras hurled itself onto her left ankle leaving a nasty bruise. The jar was given a stern talking to and restored to its rightful abode but the wily oriental was not giving up yet. A couple of days later it once again launched a vicious attack, this time achieving martyrdom and leaving broken glass and curry sauce all over the carpet and Jill with a horribly bruised left big toe and a black toenail. She is hobbling yet. Luckily she has not lost the nail.
I shall attempt to keep posting updates but Norbury Junction is not noted for signal strength.

Watch this space.........