on the change!

The narrow shop is changing for the better! Watch this space!

Our On Line Shop

http://www.thenarrowshop.com/ Pay us a visit. xxx

New stock just in

I love our new products for this year. New preserves and painted ware. The painted ware im doing myself. I know traditional canalware is supposed to be so colourful and full of flowers and dots etc, but I find it over the top, so now my new wares are a played down version. Still traditional, but to my own taste. Cheap too! I sell it from just £2.99 and have NOTHING over a tenner. I think I have something to suit every pocket and taste!.

Barge ware, canal ware, narrowboat roses and castles. The Narrow Shop

I sell my canal ware from my boat now. Whilst I am undergoing hospital treatment, I am finding it a pleasent escape. It keeps me occupied for hours and hours! Im not charging much as one, its a hobby and I love doing it, and two, the chandlerys charge such a lot for them. A lot of which are not hand painted at all! .

Summer has arrived!

Its great! the outdoor life has begun! Fantastic!!!!!!!. bring on the BBQ,s. yey
Maybe have a bbq tonight! then I know its SUMMER! even if it is only April!. Loads of folk have told me we are in for a record summer this year as far as tempretures go! Lets hope so!.

Many faces of the canal!

In just one day on our narrowboat, we meet so many different people, with different wants,needs, beliefs and attitudes!. One boat may be filled with boat hirers, loving every minute of thier holiday. The next hire boat could be filled with people wishing they had took that holiday they saw on offer to sunny Spain!. Then there are the boat owners. Again, happy, chirpy and full of smiles. Then you get the moaners, the ones that moan about the odd thing (which we are all guilty off from time to time) to those that moan about EVERYTHING!!. You know who you are! in fact they probebly dont, as they are the perfect ones, the ones who NEVER do anything wrong!. They also seem to own the canal and no-one else is allowed to do anything. They hate walkers, cyclists, fishermen and of course always have a long sermon for the poor hirer!. I met a lady on her boat a few weeks ago. We were helping her through her lock. In the distance was the m6, roaring traffic, shooting by. The lady in question said "what a terrible row" pointing to the cars and lorries, "im on my boat for peace and quiet, not to lsten to that row!". Well, i could not hold it in, i simply said, "well it could be worse, you could be on the motorway!". She then went quiet. You see I never forget how lucky I am to live on my boat!. most of those people on the motorway were most likley rushing to work. Here we were, tinkering away on our boats and about to rush away at four miles an hour!. Appreciate what you have as tomorrow it could all be gone!. There, thats my sermon!. Have a good day yall! xxxx

Health on a narrowboat

i live on my narrowboat and enjoy the everyday litte chalenges that the boat and cut throws at me. I always say i would never go back to land, but I wonder if eventually my health will force me back to land!.
I suffer from fybromyalgia and prolapsed disks in my back and other things!. Some days, something as simple as a lock can seem as tough as climbing a mountain! My fybromyalgia mainly affects my muscles and my memory (which is embarresing because i rarley remember faces!).
At the moment we manage everything between the two of us. But i do worry, what if i get worse?. Im not someone that can sit back and watch him do everything?. We share the chores, the driving and the locking. I have another hospital appointment looming and hope they are not going to find anything else to add to my list of ailments. I love the canals and boats so much, but wonder, if i get too immobile, i will have 3 choices. Sit back and watch tutha half do all the work (he would gladly do it, but for me, no, not an option). Sit still on a mooring and never move?. no thanks, or 3, back to land! er no not that either. Best try n think healthy n keep taken plenty of painkillers and anti inflamitory pills me thinks! night all. xxx