Kate_MM

I didn't think about the hot air drying bit... I was thinking it would use less power than a washing machine because there isn't any spin. But of course, it has a heater to dry with - that might put the kybosh on the idea. Bother. Bother. and thrice bother. Perhaps I'll just have to recruit teams of men to do the washing up on the tour (the women will be busy with the boats).

If it's using hot water from the tank via the calorifier so only needing power to pump the water through would it use much power? That is what most people I know who have a washing machine do - use it when on the move (or on a shoreline) My inverter is 600w and I have 375amp battery bank. I have generally been a very low power user - a couple of modest kitchen items (hand blender/small mixer), laptop/bike light charging and... that's all actually. I have a TV and video player but haven't used them since the Beeb invented iPlayer! And stuff like a sander that I only use when mainlining the national grid. Table top do still exist - to my suprise, there are several different models. All basically exactly the same although it's intriguing to wonder why the huge price differences...

I've just read the whole thread through because I have been thinking about a dishwasher - I have a cupboard plumbed and wired for a washing machine, which neither the first owners or I have ever fitted. On my own I felt the cupboard was more use for saucepans! However, I am somewhat domestically challenged at the best of times and with the prospect of 15 weeks of touring, many nights of my co-performer staying on the boat (she is already making slightly pointed jokes about washing up) and the likelihood of being the principal caterer for a team of anything up to six people as we work our way round the journey the wartime women trainees made, I looked it up because I wanted to hear some experiences of fitting, what I would need to consider re waste water, whether it would need a pump and suchlike... So, knowing how anyone who has one sorted out the waste water pipe would be really helpful. If you want to tell me that I really don't need one, you are probably absolutely right, but that wasn't the question - I can feel quite inadequate enough at my untidy kitchen without any help! Thank you

We did! Our wondeful tour manager sorted it all out and we will be there on July 5th and 6th - you must come and visit us as well as see the show. You can see the whole tour schedule here: http://alarumtheatre.8ch.co.uk/?page_id=358 See you in July! x

Between April 22nd and August 5th I will be touring a show celebrating women at work on the wartime waterways - it focusses mostly on the trainees (who were later nicknamed the Idle Women) because we are recreating the journey that they regularly worked: London, Birmingham, Coventry, London. We will be celebrating 75 years since the scheme started with Eily (Kit) Gayford and Molly Traill working with Ciss and Albert Sibley before going on to train many others. We have around 50 shows booked so I won't fill the forum with individual events, I think you'd get a bit sick of me! By way of an outline: End of April/early May - Limehouse, Mile End, London Canal museum, Cavalcade, Horsenden Farm (Perivale) Rest of May - GU Hillingdon, Ricky, Linslade, Milton Keynes, Stoke Bruerne, Stowe Hill, Weedon, Birdingbury Wharf June - Saltisford Arm, Hatton flight, Minerva wharf, Titford, Tipton and then onto the B'ham & Fazeley (still confirming venues there) and Tamworth. July - down the Coventry to Hawkesbury junction and the Greyhound, Rugby, Hillmorton, Braunston and back down the GU finishing at the Pirate Castle on August 5th. All the details are on our website: www.alarumtheatre.co.uk And you can see a short film about the project on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADjsDWKA4kY&t=1s We will be accompanied by NB Tench owned by Alex Bennett with Heather Boyce as skipper (Alex will be joining us as much as she can) and we are looking for women who would like to join the journey and help crew - it might be a day, a few hours, or longer, whatever suits you. If you'd like to recieved details of this as they become available please go to our website and sign up to the mailing list. It's a volunteer position but we are able to pay travel expenses to get to us and we'll feed you lots of tea and cake. Look forward to meeting lots of forum members en route! Kate

I'll be there on Saturday - but by road - with my Alarum Theatre hat on with Heather Wastie performing our double bill of theatre, poetry and song about the wartime trainees: Idle Women of the Wartime Waterways. We're about to start a major tour recreating the journey that the GUCC women worked - recognising that they weren't the only women at work on the boats during the war! The dates are all just about finalised and on our website www.alarumtheatre.co.uk Might see you there :-)

I haven't tried Viacal on the pot but it had an amazing effect on the scale around the taps. Always cautious about what to use to clean as I use yeast rather than Blue or similar - don't want to kill all those lovely little bacteria I've been cultivating :-)

I don't have any contact details but I might be able to help via others - could you let me know a little more about why you need to contact them, via a PM and I'll see if I can help.

This year's Theatre in the Dock has moved to link up with Banbury Canal Day in October. A quick run down of the programme... Day Star theatre (who some of you will remember as touring by boat until 2006) are bringing 'A Night at Blackstone Hall' a light hearted tale of ghosts (Fri 5th 7.30pm); I am performing a new one woman play 'Memories of Water' Sat 6th, 7pm) described by FringeGuru as 'an engaging story ... performing her own script, Kate Saffin is natural and secure in her character' And finally, 'The Longest Narrow Boat Journey in the World' - the extraordinary film made by Nick Saunders of his trip with a pair of boats from the Black Country to the Baltic, made even more extraordinary with the addition of live music from ARCC Cinemascape (Sat 6th 9.15pm)- oh, and the sinking, don't forget the sinking... Tickets for each of the three shows are £10/£8 but come to two and get the second one half price, come to all three and get the second half price and the third for a mere fiver! And if all that weren't enough, Muddy Waters (think Thomas the Tank Engine with prop!) will be taking over the dock on Saturday with three story and activity sessions (11am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm) – including some read by national treasure, actress Prunella Scales. Tickets are only £5 and include a Muddy book to take home. Ps – accompanying adults are free. Tickets available online at http://www.wegottickets.com/evenue/6066 From Tooley's during opening hours On the door. Sunday's programme will be a mix of theatre, stories, tours of the dock - all short to fit in with the lively atmosphere of Banbury Canal Day. Long enough to take the weight of your feet and short enough to ensure you don't miss any of the action out on the canalside! Any queries email production@theatreinthedock.org.uk Hope you can make it! Kate and Matt (Armitage of the dock)

Well... it's nearly here! The dock is empty, drying out and having a bit of a tidy. first up, tomorrow (Thursday 21st)at 8pm is: "Short Cuts" A trio of short plays inspired by the work of LTC Rolt presented by ZeroSeefr A travelling writer of ghost stories and his wife prepare to embark on their honeymoon down the canal; An heir to a fortune discovers a mysterious music box on his estate; spectres haunt lonely railway tracks as the age of steam lives out its last days and a rambler is led by distant lights into the heart of an inexplicable storm... ZeroSeefr and Theatre in the Dock present an evening of chilling real-life stories in the darkness (bar a few nearby street lights that is!) of Tooley's dockyard, followed by a sharing of scary stories - Bring a cushion to hide behind and a tale of your own to tell! Suitable for all ages. Tickets £8/£6 available on the door from 7pm - and there's a bar to refresh you! Any queries, please do message me and look forward to seeing you there. Kate

I'd like to blame the lack of water in the Oxford at the moment! But sadly, their flautist has a family thing to attend to... however, I have every hope of putting it on somewhere soon - perhaps at Shipton for an autumn or winter night out. See you soon - is Ocelot still looking as shiny??

Just one week to go!! So, time for a quick update Tickets are on sale: Online http://www.wegottickets.com/evenue/6066 In person from Tooley's or reserve by phone 01295 272917 and collect before the show (please allow 30 min) Unfortunately we have had one show drop out - 'The Longest Narrowboat Journey'. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see this original approach of live soundtrack to silent film very very soon... Look forward to meeting some of you in the Dock! Kate

Hi, Planning for the dock is whirling along - anyone care to join the team of stewards? Help with one show or several - it involves general helping, ticket checking, directing to the bar or the loos, getting people seated and the like. And... if there is anyone out there who is thinking of running a music/theatre/entertainment event and would like some experience of managing a front of house team, then I'd love to hear from you. It's a nice small event (just one thing on at a time) so ideal to practice on. I can provide more details if you are interested. And the rewards? See the show, lots of tea and nice boaty people to spend time with. I have set aside three weekend tickets for stewards able to be there for the whole weekend (and willing to help with 3-4 shows over the four days). Feel free to message me here or email production@theatreinthedock.org.uk if you would like to join the team. Look forward to hearing from you. Kate

Theatre in the Dock: programme THURSDAY Tom Rolt Trio: Emma Cooper Thurs July 21st 8pm £8/£6 Trio of short plays inspired by the writing of Tom Rolt FRIDAY Where the Working Boats Went: Life and Times Fri July 22nd 8pm £10/£8 Cracking songs, mostly self penned, great accompaniment and plenty of opportunity to join in http://www.lifeandtimes.me.uk/Shows.htm SATURDAY Muddy Waters: Dan Clacher Sat July 23rd 11am/1.30pm £5 Come and hear Muddy Waters’ adventures AND have a trip on Dancing Duck! http://www.muddywaters.org.uk/main/ Hell and High Water: Mikron Sat July 23rd 8pm £10/£8 Bridgewater 1761- three men had a vision; hundreds toiled to make it a reality http://www.mikron.org.uk/ Cinemascope by ARCC: The longest narrowboat journey Sat July 23rd 11.30 (60 min) £10 Late night atmosphere: improvised music to the film ‘The longest narrowboat journey’ and more… http://www.cinemascape.org.uk/ SUNDAY Lunchtime folk session: All comers Sun July 24th 12-2.30 Bring the next waterways hit! Isobel’s War: Roundham Lock Sun July 24th 3pm Tea and a matinee £8 It’s 1944 – and Isobel decides she can do more for the war effort than roll bandages… The Wrekin Cycle: Debs Newbold Sun July 24th 7pm £8/£6 a narrowboat, traditional tales, urban myths and minor injuries… http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/debsnewbold/ www.theatreinthedock.org.uk https://www.facebook.com/theatreinthedock http://twitter.com/#!/theatreinthedoc Tickets on sale via the website after Easter. any queries email production@theatreinthedock.org.uk

The last bit of the programme is now in place - a trio of short plays inspired by the writings of Tom Rolt - did you know he wrote ghost stories?? I'll put the complete line up herep in the next few days, somehow it has got rather too late to concentrate just now!! Kate