Danger! High Postage

Hey Arnold!
I've decided that I need a rug for my bedroom in Nottingham. It's got polished wooden floorboards so there's definite rug potential there I think...

I've decided that the place to purchase a rug is Arnold Flea Market - will it rival Preston's fine market? We can only wait and see...

Information is scarce on the net, of the five results for "arnold flea market" (shortly to be six), one of them is a webpage entitled Log of Narrow Boat Thomas Covenant 1991.

I've got no idea what on earth this page is doing on the internet, it's someone who lives of a narrowboat's very dull diary and here are some choice excerpts involving Arnold, B&Q and Crocodile Dundee...

Thurs 27th Dec 1990
"Brought some spray foam filler @ B & Q and insulated and boarded the side seat in the boatman's. Emptied the bog.

Fri 11th Jan 1991
London Boat Show. Left Arnold 5.10am in a mini bus. Kennz par­ents, Kenn, Doreen and Margaret. Picked up several other people before heading for Earls Court. Arrived 10.40. Presentation of boat to the Grantham Canal Restoration Society 11am. Walked round until 4pm. Arrived Arnold 10.30pm.

Sat 26th Jan 1991
We managed to get the glass plates from B & Q at Arnold. Pictyres are now hung properly. Pete , Tina and Nicholas came to see us 5.30. Left 8pm. We finished hanging the pictures before we had tea.

Mon 11th Feb 1991
Slight snow thaw, but managed to get to Arnold to do the washing and for Kenn to attend an IWA meeting. He was co-opted onto the committee. Got back 11pm.

Fri 15th Feb 1991
Went to Arnold to do the washing as usual. Kenn had a bad cold but got dressed to go to his mums at teatime.

Tues 4th June 1991
Kenn up 6am all excited as he was going to Arnold to work on his computer. Rather like a child that cannot wait for christmas morning. Mog got up 7am after being brought tea in bed. Kenn figity so cut up some wood and tried to keep himself occupied until his dad arrived 9.15 am.

Wednesday 24th July 1991
At luchtime we had a surprise visit from the Durite rep Bernard Ingram. He saw the wind mill and called in. He retires at the end of the week. Mog and Gail Cross went to Arnold flea market. Mog purchased a light shade for the front lamp 5p. Meanwhile Kenn played at installing the software from the States. He didn't get a lot of joy, so is putting a complaint into Phil.

Wed 21st Aug 1991
The flea market went off very well getting rid of a lot of the stuff. The end of the evening coount gave Joan £120 profit. Mog and Kenn got two new ashtrays, horse brasses and some waterproofs.

Sat 7th Sept 1991
Watched Crocodile Dundee before depositing Kenns writing desk and computer boxes at Doreens.

Fri 20th Sept 1991
Another lovely sunnu warm day. Went to the pub in the evening to hear the Singing Cowboy"

Is it just me who finds this fascinating? Who exactly is the singing cowboy? Why do they keep going to Arnold to do their washing? What is the IWA comittee?

So many unanswered questions!

It's almost like a forerunner of a blog isn't it - or perhaps actually a LiveJournal. If you are as hooked as me, you can read more here, here and here.

So what information have we gathered? Arnold Flea Market was on a Wednesday 15 years ago...now where's that time machine...Doctor!....