Tuesday 15 March 2011

Some you win, some you lose

My bike got nicked :-( It was a folding bike and had done me proud for my 5 years afloat. That'll teach me to use only D-locks in future, as even thick bendy wire locks get cut through like licorice by boltcroppers.
But as I was trudging home again, I spotted some pine legs protruding from the canal. My first thought was of firewood, but when I pulled, up came a kicthen sheving unit! It was half-covered with a bin-bag so I guess it had been put out for rubbish and someone had chucked it in the canal. It had castors and a tiled worktop which unfortunately didn't fit the space I had mentally allocated it, but I hacked it about a bit and am very happy with my find!


The tiled top has become a useful part of my workdesk so I can splash paint and water about as much as I usually do, but with less guilt :-)


I'm moored in a busy industrial area at the moment with a lot of towpath walkers. There was a knock on the boat at 4 this morning and I was very slow to get up and look. I could see a man sitting a few yards away but not looking anxious to contact me in particular and he'd only tried knocking once. I went through that thought process of wondering if he needed anything, was homeless, or was checking out if my boat was empty before breaking in.. I dressed and stuck my head out to ask what he wanted and he said there'd been a car broken into in the nearby car-park and was it mine cos he knew who'd done it. "I've knocked at all the other boats too" he said. Bet they were equally pleased! But I was shamed because he'd been motivated by a kind impulse and not the needy or negative ones I'd assumed.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Neil suggests you put the castors back on and fit some pedals....... or we have a Peppa Pig tricycle going begging :-)
Seriously, we do feel for you, what rotten luck. You would think that people would only pinch the nice smart bikes wouldn't you?
Kath (nb Herbie)

Anonymous said...

:-O
I'll have you know that was a very smart, shiny bike indeed! Well, maybe a tad scuffed and ok, maybe I had painted the odd star and heart on it, but still!
You aren't alone in suggesting adapting the kitchen unit - on my way back to the boat, driving the shelves along the towpath, a boater called out "you want to fit a saddle on that!"
See you next week I hope,
Carrie x

Jo Lodge said...

Love the shelving, that was a real find.
I hope the person who knicked your bike, ends up falling in the canal as they cycle along the towpath. People like them deserve all the bad luck this world can offer.

Glad to hear your ok though, despite being woken up in the early hours. ;0)xx