The last fortnight has been a bit of a blur — equal parts soggy, sparkly, musical, and mildly chaotic — so, you know… standard AndAway life.
First up: solar!
We finally had our panels fitted, and honestly, Matt and Gary from OnboardSolar.co.uk deserve medals… or at the very least a dry pair of socks. They worked through relentless cold rain while I kept them fuelled with endless mugs of tea and a steady rotation of biscuits. Troopers, the pair of them. By the time they were done, we were officially sun-powered (well… UK-sun powered, so let’s manage expectations).
The WiFi guy also reappeared, armed with more power, and more gigabytes to try and drag our stubborn little corner of the marina into the 21st century. We’re learning that being tucked into this particular spot means we’re very dependent on mobile signal — which depending on which way the wind is blowing- we could be running on full power or down for hours! but hey, things are steadily improving.
With winter creeping in, I decided it was time to get AndAway decorated for Christmas. Now, considering I once had a full basement store cupboard in Knoxville bursting with decorations (including two full-sized trees!), my current arsenal is… humble. Picture a 7″x7″ box, a 2ft tree, and the sheer determination of someone who refuses to have a sad boat Christmas. And you know what? It actually looks pretty cute. Minimalist, but festive enough that AndAway feels warm and homely every time we walk in.
But the real highlight of the last two weeks?
Wembley Arena. The Reytons. And an insanely long day.
We were up at 6:30am — quick cuppa, clothes on, Uber into Manchester (45 minutes), breakfast, and then onto a coach packed with fellow fans. The Reytons themselves had organised the coaches down to London, which made the whole thing feel like a giant school trip with better music and more tattoos.
London was a whirlwind: pub meal, mooch around a Christmas market, then into Wembley for the show. And honestly? They were fantastic. Completely worth it.
The journey home… was less so. Coach back to Manchester, peering out the window at the pitch-black motorway wondering if time was still real, and finally arriving at 4am. Then another Uber back to our floating bed. Loved the experience, not entirely sure we’d do that marathon again — might be getting a bit too old for 21-hour concert days!
If you want to hear some of the gig click here
Back onboard, AndAway is really starting to feel like home now. Next up on the job list:
- New fridge, hopefully arriving tomorrow (fingers crossed).
- Pram cover for the stern — extra shelter and much-needed storage.
- And the big one: sorting the engine, because we’ve somehow ended up with water in the diesel. Hoping (and mildly praying) that’ll be fixed tomorrow as well.
Then on Friday, we’re heading down to Devon to see my mum, my sister, and her family for an early Christmas celebration — the first time in years we’ll all have been together. I’m excited, but thinking of my children too, missing them in that quiet, achey way that sneaks up at this time of year.
After a long weekend there, we’re off to St Leonards-on-Sea to spend some time at the flat, see Chris’s daughter Stephanie, and catch up with friends. Then it’s back to AndAway for Christmas proper.
And who knows — if the fridge behaves, the pram cover fits, and the engine decides to stop drinking water — we might even get to take AndAway out onto the canals for the very first time. Imagine that.
Speak to you all in a couple of weeks, in the meantime dont for get to check our vlog ! Next edition is our trip on the Queen Mary 2 !
And Away... 
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