Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes

Valerie’s barge, ‘the Vereeniging.’

We are pleased to have Valerie Poore, author of ‘Watery Ways’ and ‘The Skipper’s Child’ on the blog today with a guest post on ‘A Watery Ways Christmas.’ If you want to find out about what it’s like to spend Christmas on a barge, read on!

Welcome, Valerie:

“Christmas on a barge? What’s that like?” I often get asked this by incredulous acquaintances who cannot imagine living on a boat, let alone spending the winter, or Christmas, on one.

These days, however, things are really quite civilised on my barge so it is no hardship at all. On the Vereeniging, I have good insulation, a powerful heater and a proper bathroom, so winter is really quite bearable. Christmas itself is lovely. We have a lighting up evening in our harbour around the 12th December when many of the barges string Christmas lights over their masts and we all turn…