Off Grid and Off to the Launderette

Well, it wasn't the week I had planned, but one has to adapt and be flexible, especially when you have a family and live on a boat off grid.
It started off with the fact that our Genny (generator) is out of action, and therefore I cant use the washing machine. Immediately I am frustrated by this, but have to remember, it wasn't always this good, I only got a proper washing machine 18 months ago, after being without one for nearly 10 years, I have had a few plastic caravan type ones, but I went up in the world and got an automatic woooooooooh, how very 21st Century. Which on a boat means you lose quite a bit of space, and encroach dramatically on your water supply, and electricity. I need to think positive, I will use my time in the launderette, to blog, or do research.
A visit to the launderette when you are a boater can be a social event, similar to Bridge Street launderette in East Enders. Some people may think launderettes are old hat, but believe me, they are alive and buzzing.

Bridge Street Launderette, Walford

I know all the launderettes on the waterways between Pewsey and Oxford, and there aren't enough.
In launderettes, I have met new boat friends, or bumped into old ones, I have been known to do 'launderette dates' with fellow livaboards. A few times, I have done 'evening' launderette dates, armed with some cans of Pimms. Unfortunately, none of them have music now as they have to pay a licence, BORING.
Today, after a visit to the Hospital, after a bike accident I had this morning (nothing broken just bruised), I headed for The Laundry Basket in Newbury. Ive spent many hours in here, with various friends, and Mia spent  much time here as a baby and toddler.
Its quiet today, and its just me and Felicity, she is the 'miserable one' full of her own self-importance; if you are experienced in launderettes, in particular Newbury, you will know what I mean.
I'm not in a great state after my accident, and need some change, I see the launderette woman locking her internal door, so I quickly ask for change before she disappears, she points her head to her unlit fag in hand, then  tuts, but goes back in to find me change (I'm frantically looking for my tenner so as not to annoy her any more, but she could have probably had her fag in the time it did take me (woops).
So, as its just me and her, and Im not inspired to do any work on my tablet (maybe a bit fuzzy still from the bike fall), I make conversation with her..
 "You on your own now? wheres the lady you worked with before, the one with the glasses?" I ask. "Oh Lesley!" she says, rolling her eyes waiting for me to be nosey, but I don't. "She worked here for a long time", I say. I thought they were mates. Wrong. "yeah, nearly nine years" she says floating her eyes in a disapproving look again. I do not wish to know the ins and outs, but I could tell Francis was gagging to tell me. Then she goes on to tell me about her new colleague.. "Shes only 30, training her is a night mare". I laugh silently,  I'm thinking that Felicity is a Peter Kay dream character. She tells me about how thorough she is, and moans, pretty much about everything.
Next she has to tell me that some people come to the launderette purely for her advice, like tips on stain removal. She tells me about putting white wine on top of red wine to remove it. I ask her if she knows about milk on blood, it works a treat.
She advises me on the best dryer to use, and we discuss costs, I say "My mate Steve gave you a {wash}load for a service wash this morning and he told me how cheap it is" (its almost cheaper to get service wash, and not only does she fold your stuff, she pairs up your socks too! Unbelievable, ok, she is over serious about her position, and a miserable so and so, but what would the world be like without folk like this eh? all odd socks and creases in your undies. I offer to take Steve's washing as hes moored by me currently, which I have to pay for and attempt to carry home with my battered body.Which is ironic, because once I left a large red towel there, and asked my mate Katie to pick it up as she was going there later, and even though Katie could describe the said item, they wouldn't give it to her without talking to me first (jobs worths) As if someone would walk into a launderette and try and claim someone elses towel? Really!!
Jobs worths maybe, but we need people like this in the world.
I have searched my One Drive, but cannot find the photo of Mia playing at the launderette as a toddler, so here is a picture of my washing machine instead.

Washing machine on a boat

For those of you that are wondering, the white box like item is our toilet, a cassette porta loo, a Thetford Royale, none the less.I left it where it lives to show how things are crammed in on narrow boats.
When I realised I was going to blog about the launderette, I already had a story, so now its going to be a longer because  wrote about Finnicky Felicity.
I must tell you about my visit with Dodgy Dave off Janet (narrowboat). Dodgy Dave, as he was nicknamed is a fellow live aboard with a drink and personal hygiene problem. He was always on the blag for rollies and tinnies, but he was one of the characters and pretty harmless. One Saturday Wendy and I convinced him to go to the launderette with us, reluctantly he came, as he begrudged spending his valuable drinking money on washing his clothes. We got there, Dave put his stuff in his washer, and decided he needed some Whisky, well it was midday by now, so he popped off up to Sainsburys. He was gone quite a while, so when his washing finished we took it out of the washer for him. My goodness did we laugh, his washing still stank of diesel, smoke, and general dirt, he hadn't put any wash powder in. so he really did waste his money. We still laugh about that to this day. *names have been changed to protect the innocent