Making the most of things

 Hand Made.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Real-English-Hawthorn-Natural-Wood-Tea-Light-Candle-Holder-Canal-Craft-Wicca-Art-/381441198790?hash=item58cfaacac6:g:y50AAOSw~bFWIoCj

Over the last year we have been making the most of things.  It is now apparent that we will be living on the boat until the children are at lest "School Ready" so we have took to the towpath and the wilds by storm.  We have been making candle holders and syrups that we are looking at selling more of in the futre.

We have already had a buyer for some of our candle holders that we have made.  They were based in London.  So we are looking at making more.  If only we had more space then we would look at making jewelry holders too.  This was something that we were asked to make about two years ago now.

But anyone who lives on a boat can tell you space is every thing, and with two children on board we can not have the equipment on board that we would really need to under take this challenge.  So at the moment we are only making candle holders but watch this space.

Raising a child in a foreign country?

Although I have never brought  up a child in a foreign country, living on the water ways in a boat with my two children feels like just that.  To move away from a "normal" way of life and start a family was the biggest decision I have ever had to make in my life.
Now that my oldest son Callan is 20 months old the biggest thing that has been going though my mind is how to get him "school ready".  Like most children who are born on the water we have no fixed abode with a postcode and therefore no attachment area to fit into when it comes to mainstream schooling.

A lot of boat families chose to home school their children due to this.  Others are simply not happy with the Educational Authority's way of teaching.
Being a full-time mum, I would be more than happy to home school my children, however, by doing so would I not be completely  cutting them off from society and making them "foreigners" in there home Country? 

Or would I be offering them life changing opportunities that they would not receive if they were integrated into a main stream school and taught the basic National Curriculum.
Knowing how important Education, Training, Communication and Interpersonal relationship skills are.  I have enrolled on a 10 week course at a local children's center in my home town Nuneaton.    The course is based around helping adults improve their Learning and Communication Skills such that they can teach their own children to read and write at home. 

On the course,  I am one of the only parents whose first language is English.
Like most of my friends and family,  a lot of people within the EU and other countries have chosen to live in the UK so that their children can be offered a "FREE" education up until the age of 18 years old.

When I asked some of them why they wanted to bring up their child in the UK their response was "so that they can receive a good education and better employment opportunity", however at the same time none of them wanted their children to lose their heritage or cultural background.  Many of the mothers that I spoke to mentioned that at home they speak their native tongue to their children and teach them native traditions.  Some of the mothers mentioned that they could speak up to two different languages, whereas others like myself, being a 3rd generation Polish immigrant, confessed that they knew very little about the teachings of their "fore fathers" before them.

This, personally, is something that upsets me.  A question I feel that one must ask is "How does one integrate and learn to adapt to life in a foreign Country, but yet maintain their own little part of what previous generations could offer them?"

Living in the UK,  I have noticed how many British Traditions have now been lost due to the UK becoming a mulch-cultural and bilingual society.  This is why I love the thought of home schooling my children and teaching them some British Traditions that are becoming lost.  E.g how to recognize plants along the towpath that are safe to eat, how to weave a basket.

But how practical are these skills in today's society?

Although many traditional skills are slowly making a come back, they are mainly done by women as a hobby as opposed to making a living and making money .  Eg knitting, crocheting and cooking. 

Many local groups can be found in my home town, that are now encouraging the younger generations to learn skills like knitting, that would have originally been taught in a home environment and passed on from mother to daughter.

Today it is having a strong foundation in education that is helping to shape the future generations.  To help them find employment that will hopefully enable them to support themselves and one day there own families.

Yet with out having strong communication skills and being able to speak the language of the country that you chose as your home, it makes education and employment opportunities virtually impossible.

This is something that I personally discovered when I took a gap year to work in the South of France when I was 18 years old.  That just having a basic understanding of High School French was not enough to get me by, when working with people that did not speak a word of English.

What the course which I am currently on has taught us is that children have the amazing ability to adapt and pick up new languages from a very young age compared to adults.  Bearing this in mind in some ways, bringing up a child in a foreign country should not effect any current children that you may have if you were to emigrate with children, instead of waiting to have children once you do so.

This is now something a lot of people are choosing to do, with many schools still having to educate children from a young age who's first language is not English.  Yet can be easily picked up from a young age if encouraged to speak English not just in the class room but at home too.

Living in America
 
Having the 'once in a life' changing opportunity to move to the USA, 15 years ago, my partners brother and his wife  did so before starting a family of their own.  Not knowing what the future held of them they bided their time before having two sons who are now in their teens. both of whom will hopefully pass their SATS and look at attending college, as opposed to GCSE's that we study in the UK.

Uncertanties of employment, which was sponsored by his employer, often left them guessing how long they would be in the USA.  If the work visa lapsed they would literally have been on the next flight home to England.

Knowing that at any time, until a Green Card was issued that they may have to return to the UK.  This made the decision to have a family before a Green card was issued not only a risky one but also an expensive one.  Due to the cost of moving back to the UK being expensive and knowing that if they ever had to do so, it would mean losing a better way of life.

Not just for themselves but for any children that they have in the future.  This is due to the great opportunities that living in the USA has to offer.

E.G. The opportunity to own a bigger house, with land that could enable you to become more self sufficient, with more of a community feel to the area.  This would enable your children to gain key skills in communication, interpersonal relationships and integrate within society.

Compared to the same prices as a semi-detached house in the UK you could have a 5 bedroom house, with 5 acres of land and a barn in the USA.  (depending on location and current property market).

But that does not mean that everyone in the USA is fit, well, healthy, on 30K salaries per year and living in the house of their dreams.  Just like any country in the world there are key underlying issues that one must take into acount when when looking at raising a child in any country.

In the USA they have to worry about things like gun crime, compared to knife attacks in the UK.  They are able to drive from a much younger age than children in the UK, but the drinking age is 21.

Almost every home in the USA has at least one gun if not more in their home.
With Alan's brother he is part of a gun club, shoots in competitions and has taught his two sons from a young age about guns and to have respect and understanding when handling them.  (This is a personal choice)  They also go to scouts and camp where they learn key skills that will help them to become more independent and self sufficient in the future. 

This is something that I want for my two sons, the ablilty to be able to take care of themselves.  In the USA they have 12 weeks off in the Summer that enables them to go to camp(s), if their parents can afford it unlike the 6 weeks we get in the UK.  The other things that are very diffrent in the USA compaired to the UK is the educational and health care that you can receive.

Like any where in the world "You get what you pay for/can afford"  or "What ever the Government can provide/offer you."

When health and wellbeing are so important, I am glad that I live in a country where support is given to the sick, at almost no cost to the indivdual.  But due to this charitable notion massive strains are being put on the NHS.  Now quality and the level of care that can be provided within the UK is being affected and different depending on where in the UK you live. 

E.G You can sometimes get different Cancer treatments in Scotland compared to England due to Scotland being able to pick their own way of providing medical treatment to the public.

The waiting times for accesssing services such as mental health is almost up to three months to receive any support or guidance.  Most of the services that are provided are ran by charities like MIND, who again will only offer support to people that live in a certain catchment area only due to the funding that they receive from the Governerment or other avenues like the National Lottery Funding.

In the USA if you can afford to pay you can be seen by a doctor or therapest ASAP.  All medical bills must be paid including bringing a child into the world, before they are even able to raise them.  That is one of the benefits of living in the UK that I am glad of.  Due to still having the NHS, no matter how Privatised parts of it have become.  If I had, any complications during my pregnancies, E.G like needing a caesarian I would have had to have paid for it.  At present, the cost of a Caesarian would cost around £5,000 which in the States you would be expected to cover all of that cost yourself.

This is why when Alan's Brother moved to the USA, he was relieved that the company that he worked for offered, a health benefit package, that covered things like dental costs and braces for the children.  Most companies/employers in the USA will offer certain medical cover and insurances with your wages, but things like JSA, and family support are limited and vary, depending on what state you live in.

This is why some of my friends and family from Poland have chosen to live in the UK and raise a family.  In order to receive better health benefits for their children and enable them to be educated in a SEN School. (Specai Educational Needs)  I have learned recentley that in Poland that children tend to start school when they are around 7 years old as opposed to 5 years old in the UK.

Personally I do not have a problem with this, or feel that it many hinder their ablity to learn, since most education is normally done in the home and not necessarily in the classroom when you look at the amount of holidays that children at schools age take anually and home work that they are expected to do.

With regards to children that require SEN support, in Poland it is something that is limited, with some disabilities not recognised like Autism.  My friend's son will soon be in his teens tried to explain to me that by living in the UK despite the level of racism that she receives on her door step it is her sons well being that she works to provide for.  With charities and SEN schooling in the UK, the amount of doors that have been opened to her son to imporove his development goals are more than what he would have received if they lived in Poland.

Hopefully enabling him in time, to choose further education, with additional support in the classroom provided or to gain employment in the future.  This is something that the UK have been pushing for a number of years now, to get people into work where ever possible despite any disabilities they may have.

Bringing up children has become a lot more easier to do now that the UK is part of the EU.  The ablity to to find employment in low paid zero hours is currently on the rise, paying more in pounds than in Euros.  The ability to own a home in Poland is cheaper than in the UK, so some of my firends have chosen to rent a room in a shared house and ship the money back to Poland to help pay for their mortgage whilst claiming benefits though the Inland Revenue due to the current laws that we have in the UK that allow them to do this.
This is another reason why I have looked at moving overseas when my children are "school ready", or possibly buying a house abroad due to the cost of owning a home in the UK currently impossible, it woud be a strong nest egg for the future if the ability to become a home owner could become a reality.  For once you own your own home the cost of living becomes cheaper and less stressful. 

Living on the boat means that we are technically "homeowners", you can not get a boat mortgage, so most people buy outright unless they choose to boat share.  We have chosen this way of life in the hope that one day we will own our own home and that our children will learn something by doing this.

As a parent I would love my children to achive greatness and to not work in a low paid and under privileged job, but to aspire to do more with their lives.  So having a strong education will help to achieve this.

But with the constant changes in the educational system and technology replacing things like books (kindle), I phones replacing the ability to write and text messaging changing the English language ( u cumin out 2 nite?)  I worry about what the future may have install for my children.

So would where they are brought up really effect their way of life?
I guess only time will tell,  After all the future is in their hands.

Telephone Call With Canal & River Trust

"999"/"111" "Hello what service do you require?"

I would have to say that one of the most difficult things about living on the cut is accessing emergence services.

Due to living on the water it is not like you are able to receive door to door service form any emergency service that you may require.

This is some thing that I personal had to deal with nice living on the cut and have alway insured that we have moored near a main road if possible or a bridge that is near a road.

When you have children aboard and are pregnant there health must come first.

However people always tend to forget how import it is to keep them selves safe and how mooring next to other boaters, near roads, bridges, pubs and built up areas etc could be the matter between life and death.

Not to mention knowing your surroundings and which hospital you many end up and how you will get home once you are discharged so carrying some money with you, knowing a cash machine, taxi number or having someone pick you up is something that you seriously need to think of.

I know a lot of what I have said is common sense, how ever when you constantly move around and are not tied to one particular area it is surprising how much things can change in such a short space of time especially Publish Services e.g

Local Bus Services
Shops available
Post Offices
Leisure Services

I have found this a lot since traveling in an around Warwickshire that most dissension that are  made within Warwickshire are agreed by Warwickshire Country Council.  There has even been talks that all decisions for places like Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council many be made and go though Warwick direct.

You may be thinking how dose this effect me?  Especially when you live on the cut, but it would effect any one wishing to claim benefit sure as Housing Benefits to help pay for there Boat Licence.  It would mean having to travel to Warwick and apply for your licence there.

One of the main things that I personal have breathed a sire of relief of is that the Maternity Unit is currently being refurbished at George Eliot Hospital.  This means that I should have no problem having my second child there IF we are in the area when my baby desired to enter this world.

http://www.geh.nhs.uk/

A few years ago George Eliot use to have a children's ward called "Catrina Ward", which as now closed.  There still have facilities at A&E for child but for any thing major you must take your children to Coventry University Hospital.

To my knowledge if you were to phone 999 for your child it would be Coventry University Hospital that you would be taken too.

http://www.uhcw.nhs.uk/

At present you can get between George Eliot Hospital and Coventry University Hospital  it is a service that is provided by Travel De Courcey

http://www.traveldecourcey.com/default.aspx

At present the estimated cost in a taxi from Coventry University Hospital to Nuneaton is about £70.00 one way.

At present the estimated cost in a taxi from Atherstone to George Eliot Hospital Nuneaton is about £40.00 one way.

When my son took ill in November 2014 we were moored at the Anchor Pub it cost me £40.00 in total.

With myself I ended up have to make around 8 calls to 999 and be admitted to A&E at George Eliot Hospital lucky I was only moored in Atherstone of very local to the Hospital so was able to walk home or stay with friends and family that live local to the area.

With regards to doctors surgery I still use a families address for my son and myself and use the GP Lead Health Center in Nuneaton that was set up to relive pressure off the Local hospital by also being a Walk in and out of hours surgery.

http://www.gpledhealthcentre.warwickshire.nhs.uk/

For the past 5 years or so this as been great and there needs to be more surgery in the UK like this.

I choose this surgery because it is open 8.00-20.00 7 days open week and 365(6) days of the year.  I got in trouble with a lot of employers over this who refused to believe that I could see a GP on a Saturday or Sunday morning when I was so sick a few years back that I ended up being bed ridden for almost a month sold.

Living on a Narrow boat, it has helped to be linked to a surgery like this and able to use a hospital so close to the cut, I would recommend both of these NHS Service to any boater especially one with a long term illness, disability, long term treatment or possibly needing an operation.

It is a shame that both George Eliot Hospital and the GP Lead Health Center are always facing budget cuts, being Privatized and being given negative feed back in the press from time to time.

I am able to travel along the Coventry Canal for my medical appointments when I am required to do so for both myself and my son.  We are lucky to get all of our appointments either on the same day or in the same week.

At times we have used public transports if moored too far away or have a medical emergency, that way Alan can take his time to move the boat if required and meet use there later on in the day or week.


Below I have put some local news reports that may interested in reading.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/283778/WalkInCentreFinalReportFeb14.pdf

"STILL WATERS RUN DEEP"

Between about the 11th April 2015-14th April 2015 we were probable the most HATE people on the cut and the most talked about after I posted a phone conversation on my You Tube count between Mr Alan Baxter and a member of the Canal and River Trust.

Some of the comment that we revived were unbelievable and the post finally was take down by "Narrowboat Users Group" after being posted by Mr N Brown Founder, Legal Officer, Secretary at the National Bargee Travelers Association.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Bargee-Travellers-Association/344120208964161?pnref=lhc

www.bargee-traveller.org.uk

With in one day we had over 1,000 people view the conversation that can be found at the below link.

https://youtu.be/4u5k9DCiyXU

The You Tube link was shared at the following Face book Sites listed below.

Canal Dwellers R Us
Boating Families
K & A Boaters
London Boaters
NBTA Users Group
Oxford Narrowboat Engineering
Lock 88
River Lea & Stort Boaters
Rickmansworth and Watford Boaters.

Below are some of the comments that were made.  I have tried to remove personal details.

• Fabulous, we should all record our phone calls to them 

  12 April at 14:09 · Like · 4
•  Nice one! Did you get a letter?

  12 April at 14:47 · Like · 1
• Well held Alan! That WAS an intentionally intimidating telephone call.

  12 April at 14:52 · Like · 1
•  reckon that let him know he bit off more than he can chew,

  12 April at 15:40 · Like 
•  This needs to be shared on the CRT page lol...

  12 April at 16:21 · Like · 2
•  CRT believe that they can be vague on rule definition but law of the land always over rules ace handling of a very aggressive caller good for you

  12 April at 16:28 · Like · 5
• Well handled that man!

  12 April at 18:25 · Like · 3
• .. class... game on...

  12 April at 18:35 · Like · 5
•  Stunning. The level of communication from someone perporting to be a 'professional' beggars belief. There's a training opportunity waiting for someone to suggest how to hold a customer service call with customers. This is a fine example of what NOT to do.

  12 April at 21:22 · Like · 3
•  Well done Mr.... And so, Ladies and Gentlemen, this is an shining example of how to handle harassment by CRT...

  12 April at 21:33 · Like · 3
• geeza didnt know what he let himself in for when he made that call,at least its on record(or do do the crt not record calls)that crt had phoned this gentleman to harass him,but only because he might of looked like an easy target,i take my hat off to that man

  12 April at 21:35 · Like · 1
•  How is a mechanical breakdown being unreasonable?
• 12 April at 22:01 · Like · 1
•  I finally heard it! Yep - reasonable in the circumstances and he had no clue what the circumstances were!

  12 April at 22:02 · Like ·1
• • This is sure splitting the ranks. Over on NUGs they are giving 
  • Alan Baxter a right panning.

    Yesterday at 07:45 · Like
  •  I think crt were reasonable and the boater out of line and childish

    Yesterday at 07:48 · Like · 1
  •  Why did it take 5 months to fix it? What was wrong? I can't see this as a win myself and bandying "I just bullied a crap enforcement officer" around ain't going to play well with the opposition
  • 12 hrs · Like
  • Just listened... I'm giggling...

    12 hrs · Like
  •  Mate ignore the negative shit that's been said... "most" of the boating "family" are supporting you

    11 hrs · Like
  • there was no foul ball played in the conversation i heard,just like a football or netball or any match the opposition are there to be beaten,and the person in question was making a call just to introduce himself(apparently)well after 2 minutes his attitude changed,like the man said(seeing as he called on a mobile phone so call wasnt recorded)well hey ho it was,and will never stand up in a court of law

    11 hrs · Like
  •  No the opposition are not there to be beaten in this situation; they are there to be negotiated with and Mr Garner was trying; albiet wimpishly, to do exactly that. He got bullied and in other corners of FB the CC haters are having a ball. Epic Win... Not!

    11 hrs · Like
  •  alan you dont need to explain yourself to any of us,you have notified the powers that be.
  • im gonna put me foot in me mouth again and say,dan mellville if you dont like this page get the fuck off and it isnt your problem anymore,simples

    11 hrs · Like
  •  fair play Alan; sadly that doesn't show in your posted conversation; hence my concerns, however I must say that the lot was probably three days' work all in... It took 5 months. That doesn't help!
  • 11 hrs · Like
  • ignore the negative comments alan,cdrus is about people that support each other,not just on boating issues,thats the difference betwen this page and nug,we are all here for each other no matter what situation we are in

    11 hrs · Like
  •  lmao,he seems to of hushed down a bit,maybe he will pipe up somewhere tomorrow when he has actually got a life and realised people on cdrus stick together/
    you go and have yourself a peacefull night alan,you have done nothing wrong,sleep well my freind

    11 hrs · Like
  • Bollocks Alan Baxter and you know it! for the sake of dropping the gearbox you would have know the crankshaft seal was sound, then a leaking hose and a new filter, 3 days is being generous! Dropping the gearbox is the only real work that's been involve...See More

    10 hrs · Like ·2
  • Alan is a fecking dickhead. He has proved only that he is a nob of the highest order!!!

    9 hrs · Edited · Like
  • Just what CRT like to see. All of us falling out with each other. 

  
  

  
  
• Found out to day that the recording as reached Canal World Discussion Forum.

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=75356&page=11