Yes I know...it has been ages since I have blogged :) But there's a reason....I'm in limbo.....waiting for my new shell to be ready....so you'll have to wait. What I can confirm is, my wife has been shopping on Ebay for these: 220V fridge 220V freezer 220V dishwasher handbasin for the bathroom. shower enclosure and base We went to Ikea and found they had a 25% sale on kitchen doors, so we've bought all of those...all waiting to be fitted. We've got the shower pump and the main boat pump. I had to catch a train all the way from Manchester to Liverpool...and then a connecting train to some little town, where I met a man on the platform, who gave me a 90 degree corner sink....for £50....the trains back only ran every hour and I ended up having to walk back through Manchester with the sink on my head :) Took the 12yr old with me on the trip, and visited a museam in Liverpool but he got nauseas and ended up being sick in a plastic bag with holes in it on the train home. FUN :) We are officially beginning the big clean up and packaging of all our existing "stuff", ready for an orderly transition onto new boat in a few weeks. Not an easy task. First day in new shell, will be a lot of fun......5 people....in a sailaway shell....air mattresses on the floor...no lights, no water, no gas, no toilets.....but as usual, yours truly has a master plan. Instead of them all moaning, I'm setting them all to work as my building crew..."You want to make coffee?"...."you better build the kitchen then :) This may sound mad or even humouress...but the truth is, that without a strong bond between a family, you cant attempt crazy things....which is why we've coped living in a narrowboat..and why we'll be very happy in a widebeam. Things I have to buy in the next month are: elec cabling. lights 1 leisure battery and cabling to connect to the alternator. plyboard. plumbing piping and fittings boat fenders gas piping and fittings. tools On a personal note, we've decided we no longer need our little runaround car. The tax, MOT and repairs (gearbox and clutch need replacing) would be a few hundred pounds. The council has also decided it would be fun to charge us back charges on council tax...all the way back to October 2011 when we first arrived in the marina, although we only officially received a postal code this year in June. We've been fighting with them, and the final decision with the Valuation Office will be in the next 14days. Am I hopeful.....well I do believe in miracles...so lets pray for one:) Things are beginning to get exciting now.....planning where the shoes go is a question I still dont have an answer for..............