Narrowboat 'Futurest'

The skipper is very busy at the moment working on a short story that he has in his head, so I thought I had better step in to continue this blog for him. He of course has no idea that I am helping out in this way and would be most upset if he was to find out. So please don’t let on will you. This is our little secret!

And move a bit closer to the screen, so nobody in the room behind you can read what I am saying! I don’t want this to get back; otherwise my life will be a misery. Okay? He definitely wouldn’t like it!

His trouble is that he takes on more than he can cope with. I’ve known him for about eighteen months now and in that time he has always been full of bright ideas. He’s had enough ideas to stock a shop with but unfortunately he doesn’t carry them through. The head is willing but the heart then gets weak, as the well known expression goes.... You know the one! He begins very enthusiastically, getting everybody worked up and excited but after a short time comes up with a better idea and so the first one gets sacrificed. We all then have to turn to another tack, which I plainly think is silly! Don’t you?

It’s not that he is lazy. Far from it, as he is always busy doing something and his life is very ordered. This I think probably has something to do with his navy training for he has log books all over, which he fills in studiously but irritatingly. And when we tie up, he is always going ashore. He has quite a thing about exercise and does enjoy walking. Back in July he bought himself a folding bike for cycling along the towpath; thought this would be a good idea. But this turned out like all the others; after using it for a few brief outings, it is now folded away permanently under his bunk collecting dust.

He has just returned back aboard after travelling to Banbury to stay with his old friends John and Maggie. They put him up for the night and I know he enjoyed himself. He’s told me often that he always gets treated wonderfully while he is there. He was away for about thirty six hours in all and as soon as he got back aboard he started rushing around like a mad thing lighting the fires that had gone out.

And it’s been bitterly cold while he’s been away so I think he was worried in case things had become frozen up in the meantime. But though it feels icy cold in the chill north easterly breeze, there has been no frost and the actual air temperature has only been around zero. So he’s been lucky!

And now he has his note book out.... Again!. As I said he is involved in thoughts about a short story. Luckily for me he doesn’t want the computer at the moment.

So I’ve decided to step in to help him out. I do hate all these loose ends that he leaves laying around always......  And he’s not a bad lad really.  He’s a good skipper and as we have to get on together in the same crew, I would hate to upset him.

So please don’t let on to him will you about my little bit of gossip. I know he doesn’t like gossip and my life would be sheer hell if he was to find out!

Who am I?

Of course I’m forgetting; you probably don’t know me.

My name is ‘Futurest’.