Straight Out Of An Agatha Christie Novel. 12th August

Retford and Worksop Boat Club to Log Rural Mooring

There was the hire car to return this morning, a Sainsburys delivery to arrive, water to fill up and the yellow water to empty. Mick headed off to Worksop with the car, he thought he’d topped it up, but according to the computer and Enterprise it needed another 2 litres of petrol! Soon sorted and he got a lift back to the boat club where I was waiting for our shopping. We swapped over and I headed back to fill with water then stow our shopping.

**Thank you RWBC for our lovely stay with you**

Phil this weeks warden arrived a bit after 11 to read the electric meter for us, we now needed to go down and pay at the club house along with using the elsan for the yellow water. All checked out and our dues paid. Thank you to the boat club for a very friendly stay. Having electric was great, over the 8 days we’ve stayed with them we used a little over £8 and did quite a few wash loads and used the immersion heater and topped our bully boy batteries right up.

Our aimed for mooring was quite a distance away so I hitched a ride. We’d already gone a few miles when I decided on my walking plan, I’d hop off at Wiseton and walk on from there, we’d have lunch at Drakeholes then carry on. Mick checked that he’d given me the key of power after using the elsan. No he hadn’t. Maybe he’d left it at the bow when stowing the yellow water container. No he hadn’t. I checked everywhere inside, doing a girl look rather than a boy look. No. A phone call back to Phil at the boat club, Mick thought it might be on the window cil in the service block. Phil rang back, it was there, he’d happily drop it off with us at Wiseton as he had a job to do using his car. What a star, that saved either my legs walking or Mick cycling back for it. It only took Phil five minutes to catch us up and drop off the key.

I walked into Wiseton whilst Mick carried on along the canal. Blimey I’d just walked into an Agatha Christie Novel. Straight ahead was Woodbine Cottage built 1830, with it’s white picket fence, lead windows and ivy covered frontage. I turned left hoping to find a track which would lead back to the canal further on, only to stumble on a For Sale sign.

**You’d need a sit on lawnmower for that lawn**

Cedar Cottage built around 1860. What a lawn and flower beds. Yours for £515,000 quite a period piece.

Further on were big wrought iron gates, no view of the hall. A hunt round on the internet suggests a new hall was built in 1771 for Jonathon Acklam. This was extended in 1787 by William Lindley of Doncaster. During WW2 the house became badly dilapidated and ended up being demolished in 1960. In it’s place a Neo-Georgian house was built for Major General Robert Laycock in 1962 on his return from the governorship of Malta. It stayed in the Laycock family until 1992 when it was sold to a colliery owner Richard Budge who then sold it in 2012. More info on the hall can be found here.

Opposite the gates is an extensive stables block built 1899. Sadly private signs are everywhere so the track I’d hoped to walk was out of bounds. But every cloud has a silver lining as it meant I got to walk past more wonderful houses.

I stopped to take a look at the octagonal chimney stacks. I said hello to a fellow sat outside, he told me that the houses used to be the Laundry for the Hall and the large chimneys were needed for the big fires under the coppers used to boil up the washing. I congratulated him for having such a wonderful house and chimney.

Back onto the canal I soon caught up with Oleanna going under Lady’s Bridge where I’d hoped to walk to from the village. The 2 day moorings were full at Drakeholes so we pulled in at the end to have lunch in the shade, it was starting to get really quite warm out there.

Now to walk the last stretch of the canal that I’d missed on the way up, over the top of Drakeholes Tunnel. I paused to say goodbye to the people on NB Misfit from the boat club then carried on up the grassy bank. I thought that the tunnel carried on under the road, which gave me a chance to look at The Duck which recently closed. Opposite behind fencing are the gate houses for Wiseton Hall (early 19th C) which look like they are undergoing renovation. I soon noticed my mistake and back tracked to walk along a gravel track leading to the other side of the tunnel.

I reached the locks before Oleanna and had time to set them, it did take a while before I could open the top gates as below the water was boiling out from under the gates. At Shaw Lock I spotted a stall at the nearby farm house, so once Oleanna was down I went to have a look. A lot of homemade chutneys and sauces for sale along with some veg. I suspect the owners have had enough marrows as these were free! Having just stocked up on veg I didn’t feel the need to help them out.

Not much further the Log Rural Mooring came into view, no boats moored so we could choose the shadiest section. Chairs were put outside in the shade and Tilly was given a couple of hours of towpath time.

A barbeque was on the cards this evening. Salmon with ginger and lemongrass, potato salad and sweetcorn. All slowly cooked over the coals. At one point it started to rain, Mick brought a brolli out, but it really wasn’t going to spoil anything and soon everything had dried up in time for us to eat. A perfect mooring for a hot afternoon, shame we don’t think we’ll find one for tomorrow.

2 locks, 6.4 miles, 1 tunnel, 1 full water tank, 4 boxes wine, £8.37 electric, 1 left key of power (which do have our phone number on them!), 1 hero Phil, 1 Agatha Christie village, 5 moving boats! 84 brisk minutes, 29C, 2 rain showers, 2 salmon steaks, 2 cobs, 1 bowl potato salad, 4 glasses wine, 2.5 hours after cat curfew permitted shore leave.

https://what3words.com/dating.juggle.guests

Am I Your Sister Or Your Wife? 10th 11th August

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Scarborough/ Retford and Worksop Boat Club

The Geraghty zoom included more about Alastair’s under croft, oil pumps, contactless access and Berlin. We then started to do chores about the house. Some curtains required some attention, just as Adam appeared to say his farewells. Chance to say how much we’d enjoyed the show last night, apparently a few bits had gone array during the show, but from the audiences point of view it is all so bonkers and seemingly array we really couldn’t tell. A shame not to have had chance to chat with him more, but he was headed for a well earned brunch and we needed to crack on. Adam scores an 8/9 on the lodger tally.

Bedding and towel washing, shower cleaning, easiest done whilst in the shower, but I didn’t need to have two showers! Gardening, dusting, a touch of hoovering, the kitchen cupboards needed a de-fingerprint as ever, kitchen floor washed. We gave ourselves a little break and headed out to buy something for lunch and this evening, plus stock up on a few things for the house, bumping into a few friends as we shopped. Time was ticking for our first arrival and I think we got there by the skin of our teeth, still a pile of ironing to be done, but that was fine.

Liza arrived having driven up from Norfolk. A quick look round the house for her to choose which side she’d prefer to be on, decision made then we helped her unload a very full car. Liza has been to Scarborough numerous times before, so she’s aware of how the seasons are likely to change over her 9 weeks, she has brought a coat for every eventuality.

An hour later Stuart arrived, having travelled by train his luggage wasn’t quite so comprehensive. I’ve worked with them both but quite sometime ago now, Liza was in ‘Life and Beth’ and ‘Snake in the Grass’ 2008 and Stuart ‘Game Hunter’ 2003, then he toured in ‘Improbable Fiction’ 2006. There was lots to talk about, lots of mutual friends. Of course there was the show they are here to rehearse, Alan Ayckbourn’s 91st play Earth Angel. The big question was, were they playing sister and brother or husband and wife? This was soon cleared up and the ironing could resume.

Monday morning, costume fittings for Stuart and Liza whilst we packed up, finished a bit of gardening then headed for medical appointments. I took a detour down to the beach, the tide was out and most of the holiday makers were close to the waters edge meaning I had plenty of room to brisk walk across the sands to the Spa, then up through the gardens listening to the brass band playing in the Sun court. I’ve not had a proper summers day in Scarborough for years! Around the houses to one which today was guarded by a unicorn. Duncan was at home for me to deliver sock pair 102 for Jaye. Nice to have a quick catch up, enough for a mention in the blog!

Once lunch was eaten we had two things left on our Scarborough list. First one a visit to see Frank. We only just caught him before he was heading out to see a friend. It’s been a few months since we last saw him and he looked pretty good. Rather than getting a bus into town we gave him a lift to see his mate, all a little bit quick, but at least we’d checked in on him in person and seen what we could see.

Next the oil from the engine service was dropped off at the tip. Jobs completed, blood test done, dentist, 1 lodger out, 2 more in, 1 new oil pump delivered, 1 box of panto delivered and scanned, Frank seen, show seen, EatMe eaten, beach walked on, time to head back to Oleanna.

A slight detour was made to Thorne Boat Services to buy 15 litres of red diesel which would make us both feel happier heading out onto the Tidal Trent in a few days. The Chesterfield is a lovely canal, but the lack of someone selling diesel canal side is a negative especially when you don’t normally have a car.

Back at Oleanna, the doors were opened up, Tilly could have some shore leave. Have to say she’d done quite a good job of keeping the boat cool, but it soon warmed up with the doors and windows open.

The last of the steak and kidney gravy from the pie went in with some mushrooms and some pasta, a good quick meal after a busy weekend.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car, 30L cat litter, 2 clean and tidy houses, 1 oil pump, 1 pair socks, 3 lots of blood, 1 dentist, 1 hygienist, 3 actors, 1 Frank, 1 lift, 4 lots of bed linen ready for next time, 2 beds changed, 2 clean houses, 63 brisk minutes, 1 more mention of what’s’is’name, 1 husband and wife.

Curtailed Shore Leave. 9th August

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Retford and Worksop Boat Club / Scarbados

Mick was up and off to pick up a hire car. It being Saturday Enterprise weren’t willing to come and pick him up from the boat club as they don’t have enough staff, instead it was a bus followed by a train back to Worksop.

Tilly was allowed an hours worth of shore leave, at first she was very keen to be out. However very soon high vis clad club members were heading her way, it was a work party day and all the lawn mowers, hedge trimmers were out and about. She decided, and I backed her in her decision to head back in doors as the big sit on lawn mower with two minders headed our way. The minders were to pick up electric cables. Tilly now sat and watched from inside.

**Beef to the left, Salmon to the right**

I got things together for a trip to Scarborough and Mick soon returned ready to load buckets, old engine oil along with our possessions for the weekend. With the magic food bowl primed, beef and salmon I think, and a very full bowl of biscuits, Tilly was given a big hug and told to look after the boat.

Gosh it was a serious work party, railings being painted along with fencing and into the hedgerow cutting of grass. The club moorings do look very neat and tidy so it’s worth their effort. I felt slightly guilty just walking past and not offering to lend a hand.

The drive to Scarborough was a golden dusty one over the Wolds with a brief stop off at Doncaster service station to find something to eat. On arriving at the house it felt as if Adam our lodger had already moved out, very little evidence of his existence, just a pint of milk in the fridge and a tooth brush in the bathroom. It turned out that he’d taken most of his belongings to the theatre to make his exit far easier in the morning.

A pre-show meal at EatMe in the SJT, had been booked. They like you to be there two hours before the show. We enjoyed their meatballs which were very tasty along with the chips which should never be missed. There was chance to say hello to Fleur the Company Stage Manager who was just buying her team a coffee whilst they had a meeting regarding the scene changes for the show this evening, Noises Off by Michael Frayn. To help work off all the calories I had time to walk down to the Townhall and cross Spa Bridge to see the sea. The sun was out but the tide was in and the Hispaniola was just coming back into the harbour to pick up a new batch of passengers.

Well what a show. Set over three acts, the first being a rehearsal for a play where things are constantly going wrong, so you see what happens on stage. The second act is what happens a month later on tour seen from backstage, the third another month later with how the show along with everyone’s relationships in the company have turned out, a shambolic bonkers mess! The play is normally played in a proscenium theatre, the set on a revolve so you just turn it round to see what happens back stage. The Stephen Joseph Theatre however is in the round, which makes things that bit more complicated. This is the first ever production of the play in the round. Kevin Jenkins, the designer, has done a wonderful job, the stage management team work their socks off in both intervals and it is so nice to see the stage lift and mezzanine being used once again as it was designed to be used, plus the actors have to be here there and everywhere with split timing.

**Scarborough Castle and beach huts post box topper**

Tonight was the very first performance, it would be interesting to see it again in a couple of weeks once the show has tightened up. A hysterical evening had by all.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 bus, 1 train, 1 hire car, 3 buckets, 1 lot of samples, 1 box of panto cloths, 5 scans, 6 meat balls, 3 beers, 1 elderflower, 59 minutes brisk walking, 1 bottle wine, 1 hilarious farce, 2 boaters back in the house, 1 boat cat on guard.

Pumping And Pacing. 8th August

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Main Street Winding Hole to Retford and Worksop Boat Club

Mick put his overalls on this morning, ran the engine to get her a little bit warm and then climbed down into the engine bay. The Lidl electric pump came out again, connected to the starter battery, he’d thought about this, then it set to pumping out the old engine oil. It took time and was really quite noisy, but it did the job. A new Beta pump is on order and we’re awaiting a delivery. The filter was changed then fresh oil was poured in, all ready now for our trip out onto the Tidal Trent. *Thank you Tony for your suggestion re a dribble of oil, we’ll try that before we change the existing pump.

I spent some time weaving in ends of a pair of socks ready for their delivery over the weekend. Then Tilly and I had a bit of a walk along the towpath. What a lovely mooring this is. Thankfully the field we’re alongside had already been harvested, so no clouds of dust kicking up in the air as there was over in the distance where straw was being bailed up. I spotted a snake swimming across the canal, maybe that’s what I’d seen the other day, all far too quick to get a photo.

Lunch, then we made ready for the off, we’d be the only boat moving along here today. I walked ahead, only a mile to walk today, then some pacing out to do. Boats had moved about a bit on the boat club moorings, one boat had taken the space we’d had ten days ago, others had been out and winded. I was on the hunt for a suitably sized gap. 26 paces required for Oleanna.

22, 24, ah ha! 26!! Mick put Oleanna’s bow in for me to get a rope, then we did an Andy spring line to bring her into the mooring which had just six inches spare. We rang the warden, Phil this week, who came riding along on a bike. Did we want to be here or further on, someone was leaving tomorrow so we could have their spot. We were quite happy where we were with some shade during the second half of the day, which might be handy. A key for the electric was found and we plugged in, we’d be seeing Phil later on at the Club to pay our dues.

An exploration of the sideways trees was deemed to be not quite as good as the last time we were here. Mick had a towpath haircut all whilst the batteries topped themselves back up to full.

Yesterdays leftover pie was heated back up and consumed along with some Jersey Royals and cabbage, very nice. Then we walked down to the club house for a drink.

Gosh it was popular, in the main room not a seat was to be had, so we took our drinks outside and got chatting to various people. Some have moored here for years, decades even, others a few months. Cruising tales were exchanged over beer and wine as the moon rose in it’s brilliant orange fullness. A very pleasant evening.

**Not the best photo of the moon rising, I needed my camera really**

In the latest Towpath Talk there’s an article on our friend Chris Stanbury who is well on his way back from walking from Lands End to John O’Groats and back. Not sure how many more days he’ll be walking for, I think the last time we caught up with his videos he was south of Tewksbury on day 127!

**Chris! Click the photo for a link to his Just giving page**

0 locks, 1 mile, 3rd space, 26 paces, 1 oil change, 9 litres, 2 outsides, 1 snake in the water, 102nd pair finished, 2 glasses wine, 2 pints of T, 1 bunged up nose, 1 familiar closeish neighbour.

https://what3words.com/tailwind.exhaled.agreed

Whitless Sunday Pie. 7th August

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Retford Cemetery to after Main Street Winding Hole

We moved down from the cemetery this morning through West Retford Lock and pulled in just above Retford Town Lock on a few bollards that are there. A boat had been moored along here yesterday, but was nowhere to be seen today. Time to do a top up shop, mostly for ingredients to make a pie today.

I headed to Aldi whilst Mick went to Boots to pick up a prescription. On finding no stewing steak in Aldi I gave Mick a call, the butchers in town came up trumps with a pound of steak and a kidney, if I was going to make a pie it might as well have everything in it. No gluten free beer though but Asda came up trumps with a bottle of GF Speckled Hen.

Lunch was had then we set off. Down our last narrow lock for a bit, hopefully we’ll get to the narrow locks on the Trent and Mersey before too long, fingers crossed there’s still sufficient water! Today we’d see CRT notices saying that as of tomorrow at 10am more locks around Birmingham would be closing due to low water levels. It looks like there are just two routes up into Birmingham left open now, Stourbridge and Lapworth.

I walked on ahead windlass and key in hand. The next lock would be Whit Sunday Pie Lock, the first broad lock, it was half full so required a top up, Oleanna wasn’t too far behind me so the lock was just ready when Mick arrived.

I wonder which Cill line is correct? Once down I handed my windlass over to Mick as it wouldn’t be needed again today and I didn’t fancy carrying it for three miles.

The hedgerows are filled with blackberries, plums, damsons and sloes. Sadly the only damsons and plums that were ripe were windfalls, not many more were within arms reach in the trees. I opted to leave them where they were.

The long line of mooring bollards at Clarborough were chocka block. Five boats nose to tail, two facing towards the Trent, three away. When Mick came past he noted that access to the winding hole had been restricted, good job he didn’t want to turn.

At Narrow Bridge I went up onto the track to see if there were any other items of interest at the campsite. A bus stop and more mirrors and the overture of The Magic Flute could be heard coming from one of the barns near the entrance. I suspect it’s an interesting place to camp.

The next 2 day mooring was available, but it’s proximity to the road a no no for Tilly so I carried on walking to an M on Waterway Routes. I was surprised that no other boat was pulled up here. Views over the fields on both sides of the cut, a wide towpath recently mown, the edge trimmed as well so the grass cutters know it as a mooring.

I had time for a quick chat with Frank, read some blogs whilst I waited for Oleanna to arrive, I’d beaten her by 25 minutes. When she did pull up we found it a little hard to find enough depth, but made do with a foot gap between us and the armco, no need for fenders today!

Oleanna was secured, what3words noted, shore leave rules recited, the doors opened for an afternoon of shore leave. Tilly wasn’t impressed as this was timed perfectly with a cloud burst over head. The stern was rejected, I’d try the bow. I hopped off and as soon as my paws touched the grass they sprang straight back onto the boat. How dare they tie up a wetter than wet outside!

I browned the steak for the pie, mixing two recipes I’d found, steak and ale, steak and kidney pie. The filling needing to simmer for quite sometime. I then started to make the pastry. However the ambient temperature, a wasp interrupting matters and the new wind up scales all conspired against me keeping the butter cold! The scales went from suggesting I was short by 15 grams of butter to being 90grams short! As I lifted the cubes out from the flour I knew I was going to end up in a seriously sticky mess, no rubbing in resembling breadcrumbs here! The bowl went in the fridge to cool down. Then once the eggs were added the mixture, resembling cake mixture was put in the freezer for an hour, hoping this would help. Thankfully gluten free pastry is more forgiving than that with gluten and you can work it more, but it was a bit weird rolling out partly frozen pastry!

Pie filled and baked, it turned out pretty well considering the afternoon had continued to be problematic. As I cut the pie into portions I realised I’d forgotten to add the chestnut mushrooms! It was very tasty none the less. We of course had to follow it with a slice of cake, all accompanied by a glass of wine, so today the diet has gone out of the window completely! Sod it!!

3 locks, 5 miles, 1 bottle beer, 1 drugs run, 2 drugs on order, 450grams steak, 1 kidney, 1 bag carrots, 2 baking potatoes, 2 splashes of Hendersons, 90 minutes brisk walking, 1 big pan of meatyness, 1 bowl of melted gooeyness, 1 rather good pie for Whit Sunday Pie Lock.

https://what3words.com/sudden.joints.kidney

Two Rendez Vous. 6th August

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Ranby Visitor Mooring to Retford Cemetery

A sweep through and some baking to use up some of the blackberries picked yesterday, a recipe I found on line, it suggested if your fruit was really sweet then to reduce the amount of sugar, which I did, all helping to not be too naughty, it also had no fat in it so that was a bonus too. We waited until it was out of the oven and cooling before setting off, me walking ahead.

Oleanna managed to get round the steep bend where we’d come aground a few days ago with ease, maybe the weed boat we’d seen earlier this morning had got rid of the problem for us, hopefully we’d have little or no problem with weed today.

This stretch runs very close to the A1 for quite a distance, you’d never know it apart from the traffic noise. One house has some lovely sunflowers outside, dark red as well as some very heavy headed standard yellow ones. Interesting weathered tree stumps , a creature I didn’t manage to catch on my camera swimming across the cut and a flash of electric blue from a kingfisher, who allowed me to take a silhouetted photo of it before darting onwards again.

At Forest Top Lock there was a boat moored just off the top lock landing and the bottom gates were both wide open. Below sat a CRT tug and skip boat the three crew standing around. I wasn’t wanting to speed them up as I was the advance party, there was plenty of time for them to finish their chat and come up the lock whilst Mick arrived. These volunteers have been tasked to move several skip boats up towards Turnerwood for when the canal shuts to replace the lock gates on the leaky lock. The chap at the helm kept saying that they’d leave the lock set for us, that was obvious. Then he was a bit concerned when Mick pulled Oleanna into the lock landing and roped her up so she’d not get in their way, yes we were going to use the lock straight away so he needn’t have worried.

Above Forest Middle Top Lock we pulled in at the water point to fill up, deal with rubbish and yellow water. We also made use of the time to have some lunch. A phone call came through from our first visitors of the day, a rather garbled message, but they were on their way and would find us along our route somewhere. A boat was now heading to come up the lock, it was already in their favour so we helped them up, then made use of the water to go down, also helping another boat up. They were both going to stop to top up with water before carrying on to make the assisted passage at Worksop tomorrow morning.

Surprisingly Forest Middle Bottom Lock was empty when I arrived, soon filled and Oleanna was just descending when a dayglow cyclist pulled up alongside and asked how he should put his bike onboard. This was one of our visitors, James, Jane his wife soon followed. I’ve known James since my teenage years in York, he and Jane live near Sheffield and we call them the ‘Mad Cyclists’. Shortly before Mick and I set off on our boating journey eleven years ago, they set off on their own adventure to cycle the full length of South America in nine months.

Once down the lock we could load their bikes onboard, one in the welldeck the other on the roof. Extra care would be needed whilst passing under trees now, can’t have Titanium Gravel bikes ending up in the Chesterfield Canal.

There was time to catch up on news of all the Hall family, a wedding this coming weekend. Hear about the planning of their next cycling trip, three months over Christmas. Only one more lock however to have assistance with before we made our way on towards Retford. We opted to moor a little before the more central moorings by the hospital and cemetery. Train times were checked, bikes removed from their positions on the boat and chained to a post so that we could have a cuppa inside with a slice of Blackberry and Almond cake whilst Tilly inspected the towpath. It’s a bit rubbish here I can’t find my way through the green mesh stuff!

**Jane and James ready to head off back to Sheffield on the train**

Time for the cyclists to pedal off into the distance to catch their train. Our location was now sent off to more visitors another rendez vous to be had. Time to put on long trousers and freshen up, encourage Tilly home for dingding.

An hour later Cath and Marc arrived at the hatch. Cath is a Stage Manager who worked on several shows with me at the SJT and The Orange Tree many moons ago. Marc is a wildlife photographer who is currently building up his stock for Christmas fairs.

Recently they have got into watching Canal Boat Diaries and been on hire boats, so of course they wanted a guided tour of Oleanna. It wasn’t hard to impress them, modern live aboard boats are very different to those they’ve been on before.

We headed into town to find somewhere to eat. The Brew Shed had come highly recommended by Dave at the boat club the other week. It certainly smelt good, but sadly wouldn’t have a table free until much later on. So we opted to walk to the market square where there is a Lounge. These have great menus for everyone. A whole sheet of gluten free options and quite a choice for Vegans. We settled down and caught up on news of friends as we’ve not seen each other for around eight years. Mick and I had burgers which were extreamly nice and Marc tucked into a large breakfast, which would keep anyone going for several days.

A very lovely evening after a very good afternoon. We waved goodbye to Cath and Marc, popped into Aldi for a pint of milk before returning to Oleanna for a second glass of wine.

4 locks, 5 miles, 1 full water tank, 3 moving boats, 1 load washing, 2 cyclists, 1 tight medium pair, 0.5 blackberry almond cake devoured, 2 pedestrians, 2 guided tours, 2 burgers, 1 giant breakfast, 1 nasi goreng, 3 beers, 1 wine, 1 very lovely day.

https://what3words.com/moves.switch.else

Pump Problems. 5th August

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Mile marker 23 to Ranby 2 day moorings

I’**m in here for a very good reason, honest**

Floris was still whipping up the air this morning, we opted to stay moored for a while. This meant Mick could do an oil change, a little bit over due but now we’re through the assisted passage we’ve a day in hand. Overalls on, back doors pulled closed, the wind was blowing right in at the stern, he lifted the engine board and got started.

It was handy not to be working locks as some time was required as Frank’s medical PA.

Tilly wasn’t being too busy outside, maybe she’d used it all up yesterday. So to keep her occupied we went for a walk Blackberry hunting. The ones alongside the boat were already wizened as though they never really come into fruit, but maybe a bit further on they would be better. My hunch was correct and quite a mass of almost overly ripe plump blackberries were ready to be picked. Tilly wasn’t much help, but a new patch of sideways trees kept her busy whilst I filled a pot with almost half a kilo of berries. I feel some baking coming on.

I got the wood glue out, time to restick some of the edgings on shelves and cupboard doors. The glue seems to be giving up being sticky in some parts of the boat. So some encouragement for the glue to go in the gap, a good squeeze, wipe down and some tape to hold it in place whilst it dried. Job done.

Mick wasn’t having much luck. The sump drain pump had stopped pumping, not good when you want to pump the oil out! He’d had a go with an electric pump he’d bought from Lidl a while ago, but this would take forever and possibly drain our starter battery. After trying numerous things he ended up giving up today. Maybe rigging up the electric pump to the 24v-12v dc-dc converter in the electrics cupboard so the domestic bank could be used instead?

After lunch we opted to move on a bit to the next mooring.

**It’s a good view here when the wind stops**

This morning a CRT tug had come past with a skip boat, as we made ready it came back without the skip, would we be slowly following this to Osberton Lock? They crawled past us, but as soon as they had gone past they cranked up the speed. We followed, at a far slower speed.

This stretch of towpath is currently closed right up to the lock, the next stretch is where the problem bridge is. From the canal it didn’t look like anything was wrong, but looking up the side it’s had quite a wallop and bricks are ready to tumble onto the towpath.

Above Osberton Lock, CRT were just leaving having removed the skip to further up stream, we actually now had a lock landing to land at, then a limbo under the once five bar gate. I lifted the paddles to set the lock just as the heavens opened! Both of us retreated to the shade of the trees, thankfully the downpour didn’t last long. I opted to walk the remainder of the way, knowing I’d not be getting my full quota of steps or brisk minutes done.

**Here she comes giving me a reason to be stood here**

Past the green/cabbages/cauliflowers again, if only there was a way down into the field to see what they were. I soon approached the Ranby Moorings. Here at one end sat the boat from The Lock Keeper, they have a cat called Nutmeg, so I headed to the far end of the mooring and loitered for Oleanna. Not only am I now a mad cat lady, but I also loiter on the towpath!

1 lock, 2 miles, 1 blowy day, 1 litre of oil pumped out, 1 litre of oil put back in the engine, 0.5kg of blackberries, 5 edges stuck, 1 cat walk, 1 sharp shower, 0 climbing trees, 1 mad woman waving to the other boat.

https://what3words.com/workroom.prune.improvise

Assisted. 4th August

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The Lock Keeper to mile marker 23

Alarm set early so we could move off the lock landing. A cuppa made to have whilst we made ready, this included adding some more water to the pound as we’d woken up on a list. The boat in front were also awake and kept looking at the level but not doing anything about it. However it was soon rectified, the advantage of being on a short pound. We left them to it and started to make our way down into Worksop, they had plans on getting through the assisted passage as well today, there was plenty of time.

Worksop was just waking up, not many people on the towpath as I walked ahead to fill the locks. The jigsaw is still to be started at Worksop Town Lock, you’d have to be careful picking the pieces up with the amount of broken glass around this morning. A cruiser sat bobbing about below as the lock emptied. I walked on ahead wanting to have a closer look at some fine buildings just set away from the canal.

A hunt around on old maps suggests this was stables, the fire station and electricity works. The buildings have been restored and look grand. There’s also quite a few posh cars parked outside.

Further along the towpath people fished, a chap slept on the tarmac, his belongings along side him. Posh cars and homelessness right alongside each other.

Above Kilton Top Lock there was a boat moored on the lock landing, they’d come out from Shireoaks yesterday morning and headed straight here. We pulled up just as it started to rain so were indoors sheltering before things got too wet. Time for a leisurely breakfast before the lock keepers arrived. A film crew were busy on the offside moorings, possibly for the next series of Narrow Escapes.

The skies cleared up a touch a little before 11 so we helped the boat in front to fill the lock just as Richard from CRT arrived. There would be one boat coming towards us and I informed him of another boat that had said they’d be coming down today, but there was still no sign of them. The level below was a touch low but hopefully with a couple of locks full of water it would improve. It was slow going but both boats got to Kilton Low Lock.

I think the boat coming up was NB Mr Toad and as he passed Oleanna he recognised us, he’d seen us somewhere miles away maybe last year. It was our turn to go down, the Lock Keeper not the most positive of chaps and really not wanting to hang around to wait for another boat. I wonder if they turned up soon after we left or towards the end of the assisted passage window at 1pm.

I walked on ahead, where should we moor up. All the time the wind was building and a constant drizzle hung in the air. I paused at the first 2 day mooring and called back to Mick, it would be okay there but we opted to carry on.

**The three bridges of the Chesterfield**

By the time I’d walked to Rayton Farm Bridge I’d caught up with the boat ahead, they’d paused to clear the prop. At Osberton Top Turnover Bridge I crossed the canal, but hung back, not wanting to draw attention to where we were wanting to moor. I followed on behind at an inconspicuous distance reaching the 23 mile marker, walked a little distance further on then stood and waited for Oleanna to arrive.

Moored up in time for lunch and five, yes five hours of shore leave for Tilly. We didn’t think she’d be too keen as it was raining, at times exceedingly heavy and Floris’s winds starting to really buffet the trees ahead of us.

We pottered away the afternoon. In one dry spell Mick cleared the weedhatch of weed, I caught up on the blog and Tilly … well she was busy being a thug somewhere. A few hours later the following boat came past, maybe they’d pulled in after the locks and waited for the rain to stop, the wind wasn’t giving up anytime soon!

5 locks, 3.5 miles, 7am start, 1 list, 2 in the queue, 1 damp walk, 5 hours shore leave, 1 happy cat, 1 exceedingly windy day, pair 103 re-started much better, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

https://what3words.com/beads.serves.smirking

List. 3rd August

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A veggie cooked breakfast to help finish off some courgette fritters we’d had the other night. Then the Geraghty zoom. Only the Scottish contingency joined us today, others were off at Woodcraft Folk, Everton and Berlin. Topics included the Scottish Police, curiosity, cousins and a desk under the stairs.

We turned into Shireoaks Marina, this is where the services are and topped the fresh water tank up whilst Mick had a shower and the washing machine ran. Once winded, Mick brought Oleanna out of the marina and we headed down the three locks.

Nine years ago we hadn’t been able to open the bottom gate at the top lock, we’d had to call CRT out who ended up having to drain a pound. This was also the time we got chatting properly to Alison and Laura who then owned NB Large Marge, they are more commonly known as the Margees, even to this day. We ended up cruising the River Trent and Ouse with them and Jaffa their parrot that summer. Today the going was far easier.

**Today there was a Fund Britain’s Waterways cruise to Baits Bite Lock on the River Cam**

We decided to stop a little bit before our destination today. A short distance above Deep Lock there were some big rings on the bank. Here Tilly could have some shore leave, where as if we carried on to below Deep Lock there was a pub and car park, not Tilly friendly. Before she was allowed out we walked down to Sainsburys for a few bits as we’ve got some visitors in the next couple of days.

NB Hugh Henshall one of the Chesterfield Canal Trust trip boats was heading towards us , a short distance on they would wind then come back to drop people off. Three trips out today from The Lockkeeper pub. They had plenty of crew waiting to work them through the locks, another trip still to do today.

As the afternoon went by another boat came past us from the marina, they were most likely going to moor by the pub down Deep Lock. After a while Mick noticed that we were now on quite a bit of a list. Was this due to Deep Lock being 9ft 8″ deep and the lock above only being 2ft 3″, plus the trip boat having filled Deep Lock several times today without letting any water down from above, most probably. With tomorrow being an assisted passage day back through Worksop the last thing we wanted was to be stuck on the bottom in the morning. Time to move pounds to below Deep Lock.

It took some effort to get off the bottom, then at the lock I waited for Oleanna to be very close before filling it. With two boats already on the moorings below the lock we opted to tie up on the lock landing, it was unlikely that anyone else would arrive now, it being 7pm and we didn’t really have much option. We’d make sure we were off and on our way early in the morning.

6 locks, 1.3 miles, 46 minutes brisk, 1 full water tank, 1 bag of treat lunchy stuff, 2 clean boaters, 3 hours shore leave, 1 listing boat refloated.

https://what3words.com/smug.shut.slowly

Raving Fairies. 2nd August

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Perk Mill Moorings to Shireoaks Visitor Moorings

It would have been really nice to have a couple of days here at the top of the Chesterfield. I’d quite fancied walking the abandoned section of the canal up to Eckington Road maybe. Then another day we could look at the 5 miles that’s in water at Tapton and the visitors centre. But because the locks in Worksop are only open on Mondays and Thursdays that limits our time, plus we need to be elsewhere in a couple of weeks, so we needed to make our way down the flight today.

Last night our mooring had been quite idyllic, apart from the two trains an hour. Numerous owls hooted away. But then we could hear music, just where was it coming from? The only conclusion was that the fairies like a bit of a rave and they seemed to like the one track over and over and over again. Thankfully before midnight it was their bedtime so the sounds stopped, just the owls to keep us company.

I walked ahead, chance to take a look into the fairy woods that run alongside the canal. So very pretty and a slight feeling of autumn about to set in.

Near the top of the locks there is a house all cordoned off, it’s more of a ruin really. Railings made from old gates, various bits and bobs strewn about the place, I remember there being more of it nine years ago. Along a length of wire fencing. strips of black fabric have been knotted. Maybe a way to remember things, to mark days gone by, just a bit odd really.

The top treble needed a touch of water adding to the middle chamber so I lifted a paddle into it as well as one into the top chamber, then walked down to lift one at the bottom to empty it out. Going down you need the bottom chamber empty, the middle one lowered to a white mark (even though the sign says it’s black) and the top one full. They were set ready and waiting by the time Oleanna came into view.

Mick stepped off and pulled Oleanna from chamber to chamber again as we’d done on the way up yesterday, then got back onboard after opening the bottom off side gate. Whilst the last chamber emptied I walked down to set the next lock and open the top gates ready. As Oleanna exited the locks Mick would push the off side gate closed with the boat hook as I’d close the towpath side. Now onto singles I could walk ahead to the next lock to get that one set, come back where Mick had already brought Oleanna into the lock and lifted a bottom paddle. I’d open the gates then we both close them on exiting and I leapfrog onto the next but one lock and so it continues.

The flight was busy with walkers and cyclists today. Plenty of comments about how I got all the heavy work. Well no actually! Yes I get to do more walking back and forth, but the rest is pretty much shared out between us and these locks really don’t feel like hard work at all.

At Limehouse Lock Mick had lifted the off side paddle and by the time I’d got back to open the gates he was only going down very slowly. As I closed up after our descent I wound the paddle back down, only to discover why it hadn’t been doing very much, the spade was detached from the mechanism. I was just trying to find where on the CRT website to report this when a blue van reversed up the track alongside the locks. Today only one Lock Keeper is on duty along the canal, he was up to clear bywashes etc so I reported the paddle to him in case they didn’t know. There’s a list of jobs to be done was his reply, ‘just be careful with the locks’. We would be. During September and October they are closing the flight to replace the lock gates at both ends of Lock 37, the one where the pound drains. Off he went with his keb in hand, he’d be seeing boats in and out of West Stockwith lock later on today.

The bywashes were all flowing well, we were bringing lots of water down with us as most locks had stayed full from yesterday, hopefully the pound lower down known for emptying itself was being filled. At the next treble the overspill from the bottom lock was actually helping to fill the lock as there was so much water coming down.

As we approached Turnerwood the Dad swan looked like he was interested in getting in the bottom chamber of the treble as it filled up, thankfully he didn’t get in and chose to walk down to the pound below. Stood watching our progress from the bridge were plenty of gongoozlers with coffees and ice creams!

We’d not forgotten about the little hut here and today our arrival at the 2 hour mooring was much better timed. Lunch then some chilled medication to follow to enable us to finish the flight.

**That leak will empty the pound pretty quickly**

Now there were plenty of people about, some willing to open and close gates. A CRT fund raiser came to show me photos of how the pound above Lock 37 had been at 9:30 this morning, ‘3 to 4 foot down’. He’d also taken a photo now of it being full to send to CRT. We’d done a good job of filling the pound as we’d come down as it can take the Lockies half a day to fill it.

The remainder of the locks are all singles down to Shireoaks and pretty simple. A lady walked past saying she’d a holiday booked in a few weeks on the GU. They’ve watched Canal Boat Diaries but thought they’d best watch an instructional video before they came to their first lock. They stayed watching us and she’d decided that as we were so proficient then maybe we should join them on their holiday.

Soon we were crossing the aqueduct and the county boundary again, out of Yorkshire into Nottinghamshire. The hardest lock to work all day was Boundary Lock, our last, the top gate ever so heavy.

We pulled in back where we’d left yesterday morning. The doors were opened up and Tilly allowed shore leave again, dashing between all the walkers legs to the sideways trees.