That Spring Feeling. 16th September

Redhill Marina to New Boots Footbridge 18, Beeston Canal

Now that Tilly is sitting in the windows she’s been eyeing up the grassy bank alongside the mooring here. There will be friends in there, but there is also a wasps nest that I’ve told her she’d best not go sticking her arms down!

Mick phoned round and found a suitable 24 volt Whale Gulper at Sawley Marina to replace the broken one we use for the yellow water, then Tom arrived with our fridge, all going well so far this morning, we’d soon be on our way! Unfortunately a phone call put a damper on our mood.

Tom very kindly brought the new fridge on board and down the stern steps for us. It needed wiring in and then leaving for six hours before we could use it. It worked!!! Hooray!!!!! We did have to remove a batten from the cubby hole it went into as it was just a little bit taller than the old fridge, I suspect the batten was only there for neatness by Finesse.

***Apparently these were instead of the fridge!?!***

I mentioned the scratch and misty windows to Tom. He returned with some Tcut for the scratch and thinners for the windows, all easily remedied. There was also a big box of paints for us. 2 Pack blacking, coloured top coats, Multiforte for the gunnels and some yacht varnish. All in pretty big tins! I’ll need to cull the old paints and varnishes that I’ve had for ages as they won’t be needed now.

I was given instructions about touching up. If anything goes back to bare steel, put some blacking on it no matter where on the boat as Oleanna was blacked top and bottom. Then finish off with which ever colour is required. Multiforte use a flock roller and the others a brush which should be cleaned in standard thinners. Mick asked about washing and polishing, not sure why he asked as he does his very best not to have to do either! The paint on Oleanna will continue to cure for the next six months, so we should only wash her with water and a microfiber cloth for the first year. Keep on top of any paint work touch ups and if we get a bit of a mark use some Tcut. After a year, maybe we could give her a buff up, should we feel she needs it. Hopefully I’ve remembered it all here for our future reference.

The gas bottles in the bow were nudged about to accommodate the third one, which currently is empty. Mick then turned his attention to the single light above the sofa. The wiring at the switch had different colours to the wiring at the bulb end. The switch is actually a two way switch so Mick moved the wires and hey presto the light works again! Hooray!!!

My inbox pinged. Someone had made a donation to the Felicity Edition Sockathon. It was from Felicity’s children, Bubbles and her brother Matt. Originally Bubbles had said they would donate £2000 from their Mums estate, but they had gone a touch better with £2500! Wow, how wonderful. I’m glad the light above the sofa is mended now, as I’ve still a lot of socks to get through!

As we finished our lunch I sent a message to Tom giving him a ten minute warning of our departure. Covers down. Life jackets on. Nebo on. Anything else. No. Time to push off. Did we still know how to boat?

Tom waited by the bridge over the flood lock to film us going through. Oleanna is the 52nd boat he’s painted. It’s rather a nice landmark to pass through with it’s redbrick arch. We’d passed through it on the 13th October last year and now 11 months and 3 days later we were leaving Redhill and setting off on our travels. A wave back to Tom and a thank you.

Time to put my navigators hat back on, that way please! Straight, left, left and on upstream to Sawley Locks. The sun was shining through the clouds, blue sky, so wonderful to be moving again. Have to say the day had made me a bit emotional!

Approaching Sawley, two volunteers appeared, pointing us to the left hand lock, then to the left hand side of the lock for an easier ride up. One of them came to take my bow rope which had handily got itself into a knot despite having been coiled properly. They were suggesting passing the rope around two bollards behind me which didn’t make sense as Mick would have a stern rope up to a bollard. We rose and chatted with the volunteers, a boat heading towards them wanting to come down, we said we’d be coming back shortly as we were only going to pick something up at the marina.

We pulled in by the diesel point and headed into the office. Our pump was sat waiting for us. We looked round for some matting to go in lockers, so that tins of paint don’t go rusty on the new paintwork! But all they had was thin antislip matting which I just know would be annoying. We’ll keep looking and the box of paints will sit and wait a while longer before being stowed away.

Winding was interesting as there was a sunken cruiser exactly where the bow wanted to go, so Mick resorted to steering with the bow thruster. We were directed to the other lock this time and chatted away to the volunteers again. It was one ladies first season as a volunteer and she had loved it, shame the season was nearly over. This was strange to us as today we had that Spring feeling you get when you first set off for the year, not that the end of the boating season is getting close!

Navigation again, second left please! Trent Junction was very busy, hardly any space on the moorings at the top of Cranfleet Cut, just as well we wanted to go further. The lock was set against us, I remembered from last year how it takes an age to level out to open the top gate, it still did. In fact I had to call Mick over to lend his bum.

Down back on the River. Ahead big plumes of black smoke were billowing from a fire in Barton in Fabis. Thankfully it wasn’t coming near the river. This section of the Trent is very familiar, the lovely houses on stilts, two had been for sale last year, they must have new owners now. Keeping to the left of obstructions, no-one to rescue today, but it did look very shallow in places.

As we approached Beeston Lock we wondered if there would be boats moored on the lock landing. Yes two narrowboats, but there seemed to be space at the end. No hang on a dark green small cruiser was sat right in the middle, from a distance it had just merged into the pontoon. We managed, you have to really.

Down the few inches of the lock, Mick bumping Oleanna as he’d brought her into the lock, the first scars to the gunnels. Good job they are easy to touch up, well, when you get round to it!

Our original plan had been to moor up at Sainsburys and finish off our shopping now that we can have a freezer as well as a fridge. But Mick really wanted to sit down, so we called it a day, pulling in where we always seem to moor at Beeston.

Tilly was so excited at us stopping. She escorted me to the table to find the note book to write down our location. Next thing is to let me out! You need to stroke my head now, and open the door. No, really you have to open the door now! NEOWWWW!! Sorry Tilly, the bikes are too fast, you’ve told us how pants it is here several times before and it’s Ding Ding time anyway.

Mick started to fit the new pump as I put together Chicken Curry Old Style. When food was ready it was time to celebrate properly. Mark who had been a witness at our Civil Partnership, had given us a bottle of champagne, we’d planned to drink it the first night all three of us were back on the boat, however not being able to chill it meant we postponed it to tonight. Thank you Mark for helping us celebrate moving again.

8.8 miles, 4 locks, 2 flood locks, 1 new fridge, 1 mended light switch, 3 months maybe, 1 big box of paints, 1 filmed departure, 1 navigator, 1 new pump, 1st cruise of the year, 3.5 hours, 1 disappointed cat, £2.5k! 1 diplomatic message, 2 boaters glad to be back moving, 2 chinks of glasses.

TV Aerial not working so no thumb

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Keeping Things Crossed. 15th September

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Redhill Marina

The advantage of being on hook up is hot water first thing in the morning, so a nice hot shower was enjoyed. My morning was filled with trying to catch up on the blog and making phone calls to social services.

Jim arrived a little before 9 to do the engine service. Mick asked him to check the engine mounts, the stern gland and that the half tank of diesel that’s been in the tank for 11 months was still okay. He started the engine up to warm the oil, this meant that Tilly found her way behind our pillows under the gunnel, it’s nice and cosy there for an autumnal cruise. Sadly she wouldn’t wake up to a different outside today. We provided him with filters. However, when he opened one box the filter inside it wasn’t the right one, another box was the same! It looks like Beta sent the wrong filters last time Mick placed an order. Thankfully we did have enough of the correct filters for the service to be completed. Jim went away with the incorrect ones as he’d have more use for them than us.

Now all we needed was the fridge to arrive, then we could be off.

A bit more unpacking was done. Mick bumped into Tom who had a delivery for us! It was something we were expecting a Fund Britain’s Waterways banner, but sadly the fridge hadn’t as yet arrived. If you haven’t already signed the petition here is the link again. For the banner to go up I needed to clean the cratch window first. I then moved onto the galley windows, they were a touch misty. These are our original windows and I suspected they’d got a dusting of primer at some point over the last few weeks and it would take a bit more than elbow grease to clean them. I also spotted a little scratch by a galley window, eek!

Next the anchor went back on its holding prongs (for want of a better term) some weed hatch tape was put down behind it to help protect the new paintwork. Good job done.

As we’ve been on board for a few days it was time to empty the yellow water tank. We’d considered moving across the way to do this so that the portside was against the bank, but we really didn’t want anyone else to steal our mooring or miss out on the fridge being delivered. So the long hose came out, everything connected up. ‘Ready?’ ‘Ready!’ I flicked the switch. The pump made some noise. The pump didn’t however make the right noise! It was doing something but not pumping any yellow water. Mick came inside, we tried again. Still nothing! Well there’s another thing to show us how much Oleanna didn’t appreciate being left over the winter!

Mick decided to access the gulper and see what he could find. Tilly decided to close her eyes some more. I decided to go for a walk, via the shore based facilities.

Today I headed to Ratcliffe on Soar village, back along the marina road, then along the track under the A453. Here a hot rod hearse sat, most probably a fisherman’s car. Then on to the village and towards the church, Holy Trinity. On my way I was caught by an old chap who asked if I had joined them, meaning had I moved into the village.

I quickly realised that I could be stood here for quite sometime! Thankfully after about 20 minutes or so someone else walked along with their dog and gave me the opportunity to politely leave and head into the churchyard.

Several new graves, some lovely headstones, a mesh door to keep birds and a local cat out of the church. The church dates back to the 13th Century and had major restoration work carried out in 1886 at the cost of £830 to Earl Howe. It’s a small simple church, but with several carved memorials dating back to 1539 for the Sacheverell family.

Two stones lay side by side for sisters. The younger sisters stone looks like every font was used possible, every line different, whilst the older sister got just the one with no swirls.

The village runs into a manor house not much further along the road, so I turned and walked the other way. Only pretty boring houses, nothing of much interest at all. But when I started to head back towards the boat a mosaic in the bus shelter caught my eye. In fact there were two, one on the wall the other the floor. No idea who had made them and Gaby who runs the community mosaic group in Scarborough would have been a little critical at the amount of grout needed. But none the less, they are a very nice addition.

Big dark clouds were starting to loom, I picked up my pace back to the boat. Mick was midst thinking. He’d taken the yellow water pump to bits, but not found anything obvious. We’d be needing a new one. I hunted round found several at varying prices, we decided to wait and see if either Sawley or Beeston chandlers might have one in stock in the morning.

Mick then hunted round to find a means of emptying the yellow water tank manually. We’ve had to do this only once before when the original gulper pump gave up on us as it was 12 volt and should have been a 24 volt one. There is a manual pump, but the pipes and top to it have perished in the last ten years, so this wouldn’t help. A more basic pump was at hand, but the pipe too thick to get down into the tank. He hunted round for narrower pipes to attach. In the end he sacrificed some pipe from the engine coolant overflow which was then attached to the pump with some self-amalgamating tape. The pipe reached far enough and whilst I cooked our meal Mick slowly managed to empty the tank. Now we need a new gulper, a new hand pump and some new pipe.

**The usual yellow water pipes at dusk.**

I think we’ll now have reached the £1000 in remedial works that ‘Bring Out Another Thousand’ that BOAT stands for!

I tried a new recipe to use up some of our roast chicken, Rice with Chicken, Tomato and Beans a very handy find as I had everything for it onboard. It took a little longer to cook with brown basmati rice, but it deserves to be added to the recipes section of the blog.

TV signal hasn’t been found, so we’re watching the box via the internet sat in the dark. I should really look back at the blog to see what thumb sign was shown for this mooring last year, just incase the TV aerial has gone faulty too!

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 fridge, 1 broken gulper, 1 bored cat starting to dig, 1 banner, 1 ball of string required, 1 anchor back where it belongs, 1 bow thruster locker checked, 2 windows not quite clean, 2 mosaics, 0.5 hours to empty tank, 2 boaters using shore based facilities in the dark, or crossing our legs!

Windows To Cat Mode. 14th September

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Redhill Marina

Mick was up early and heading off with the van back to Scarborough. He had a couple of chores to do in town, then drop things off at the house, things that we only use to move back and forth to the boat, did a quick hoover up and then the van was returned. He then walked to Seamer Station to catch a train back to East Midlands Parkway. Unfortunately there were issues with cancelled trains, the route via Hull was problematic too, so he didn’t return to us until gone 7pm.

Here on the boat Tilly and I got busy. The radiator by the dinette has been needing a good dusting for ages. Ideally I wanted to take it to bits, but I didn’t want to risk that not being a plumber. I’d bought a radiator brush duster thing this winter, so set about methodically prodding it through the top and hoovering up dust, cat fur and grit. It could only have been more satisfying if I’d been able to get into all the corners as well. I had a good look in the kindling bag and found the curtain pole end, so that went up. Curtains now complete.

**Turning the boat using the flow on the river**

Outside boats were on the move. One boat that had been out on the hard was lowered back in and moored up in front of us. Three chaps turned up and spent an age trying to work out how their bow fender attached. The reason they were having so much difficulty was that it wasn’t just a button, but U bow fender with a Turks Head, the fixings weren’t in the right place.

Next a cruiser was moved from the poly tunnel behind us. The chaps asked if they could walk along the gunnel to get it past. I said yes, but soon realised just how muddy their boots were! Tom had touched in the last bits on the base plate of a widebeam this morning and early afternoon it was put back in the water and then reversed into the poly tunnel. A busy old time.

It was time to empty the kitchen corner cupboard, for this I’d need the dinette table and all the worktops, so it was a good time to do it when no one else was on board. The crockery cupboard was emptied, everything in there had already been through the dishwasher, but the shelves wanted a wipe down. That was the easy side of the cupboard done.

Now I pulled out the pan drawer to reveal all it contained and the shelves that reach deep into the corner. All the pots pans, cake and quiche tins, pie dishes, mixing bowls got a good wash. For years I’ve thought we only had a few items of tupperware but today I got to see just how much there was pushed right back into the recesses of the cupboard.

It all got washed and then sorted to find matching lids and bottoms. Thin cracked items went for recycling, anything without it’s matching part did too. There was still quite a lot. This winter I’d treated us to some more sturdy containers and these hadn’t even entered the mix yet! Do we really need them all? Most probably not.

With everything organised in the cupboard I found places for the tupperware, it looked very neat and tidy when I’d finished. It won’t last!

Tilly was now wanting a better view of her surroundings. She went to climb up into one of the windows, she uses the curtains as a kind of hammock. She managed the somersault to turn round, but then sat very close to the edge of the curtain. Something was different! The window was right up against my face! I thought She said the new hammocks were looser than before so should be more comfortable than the old ones. It’s actually all to do with the new double glazing. Firstly the frames are thicker, so the window sill is narrower. Secondly, the double glazing is getting on for an inch, thicker than the old 4mm glass. It’s a good job I had made the curtains looser to accommodate the glazing, now we just needed to accommodate the second mate!

**It’s not quite as comfortable as it used to be!**

Thankfully we paid extra for the window rests and they have two settings. Normal open, three or four inches, and then with just the top open by about a centimeter. From this day forward this setting will be known as Cat Mode. Thank you that’s much better, thank you!

Starting to catch up on the blog took sometime, Jim a local mechanic tapped on the boat to arrange a time to do an engine service tomorrow, then I decided to head out for a walk. This coincided with news from Scarborough, a long catch up phone call with Steve whilst I stood on the river bank under a hazel tree. Things were improving.

I headed south along the river bank, the sun getting low casting it’s sunny glow on Ratcliffe cooling towers. A while longer to enjoy them before they are gone forever. There are plenty of boats moored along here, mostly big barge boats.There was activity at Ratcliffe Lock, a narrowboat going up in the lock, I stopped for a chat as the chap held onto his centre rope and his mate wound paddles up. Headed to Kegworth, Zouch Lock is still out of action, he’s headed to Leicester for a winter moorin

I carried on up to where the A453 crosses the river. This is the bridge where Chris, The Pink Hat Man reversed to in the floods a couple of years ago, no such excitement there today.

I took a footpath along the side of the busy road and then joined a cycle/footpath cutting back across towards Redhill.

A chicken and leek macaroni cheese was put together to enjoy when Mick had returned.

Before Oleanna had gone back in the water last Thursday, we’d resubscribed to Nebo to be able to track our cruises. However, our apps still said the last journey had been on the 15th October 2025 even though the Nebo link had been turned on for Oleanna’s journey back across the boatyard. We’d been in touch with the support team, Mick had checked the wiring, we went through what the team suggested, still no joy. Then right at the bottom of the page was a RESET button. BINGO!!!! There was our her journey across the yard. We’re considering trying out a similar thing, which connects to our Victron GX system, that has been developed by another Finesse boat owner. The cost of it is far less than Nebo Gold, but it doesn’t send you a report after each cruise. It will take a little bit to set up, so it may be a few days before we give it a try.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 van returned, 1 dingding bell forgotten, 1 bbq tongues forgotten, 3 trains, 29 turpperware lids, 27 containers, 18 pairs, 5 new ones, 1 clean cupboard, 1 infection, 1 walker, 3.16miles walked, 1 nebo journey on land, 0 engine service, 0 fridge delivery, 4 cat mode windows

Repaint Week 13 W/C 7th September, part 2

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Redhill Marina/Scarboreugh

Saturday morning, clothes packing. Finding a bag big enough to pack our dirty washing was one job.

I’d made a list of things not to forget, the Christmas hamper, Tilly Too, my scene painting straight edge and some big rollers for panto. I walked up to Sainsbury’s to get provisions for food this evening.

Yes that’s a suitable way for Tilly Too to travel.

Anna our lodger had baked us some of her lace biscuits to bring with us and we gave her instructions about the central heating as she may be needing it in the next few weeks.

Lunch, the last few items into the van. Were we ready? Was Tilly ready? Last call for the pooh box Tilly! No takers. It was washed and packed in the van.

All morning Tilly had been following me round the house, she’d had a final snooze on the back of her favourite armchair, had sniffed at the cat caravan which was sat ready in the shed. She knew exactly what was happening. She positioned herself behind a table in the living room where I could see her, but it would be tricksy to pick her up, was that a purr I could hear?

She and Tom sat down! What’s that all about? You are meant to pick me up and bundle me into the caravan. I’ve heard you closing all the doors in the hallway! They just sat there, I thought ‘Come on! Get on with it!!’ She lunged, but I slipped through. Ah nearly had you there!

On the third approach from Tilly, who was very quietly purring, I succeeded in picking her up and popped her into the caravan. Shouts of dismay came from within as she was carried out to the awaiting van. Time to say goodbye to Scarboreugh Tilly.

Only one cat comfort break on our way south was required today. It was very obvious that she prefers straight roads at a constant speed. On these she fell quiet and laid down. But approaching junctions, slowing turning corners these had her shouting at us. Next time we’ll consider using the A64 to Scarborough as it has far fewer twists and turns and roundabouts.

As soon as the van door opened Tilly knew she was back to boat life, not sure she recognised Oleanna from the outside, but inside things required checking out. First things first. Try to gain access to the secret passage, fail! Check high shelf, tick. Where’s my food bowls? Houdini shelf, tick. These curtains look different, might save them for later. What’s happened to my water bowl? I need a drink after all that fastness!!!

Tilly has a bigger pooh box now, so some thought was needed as it lives under the bathroom sink, and I’m nearly 11 you know! So access needed to be thought about as she gets in it from above. We’ll see how having one corner sticking out works for us all.

More unpacking and attempting to stow things, when will it ever stop! Last of the frozen food items from Scarborough were consumed and then we spent sometime going through our click and collect order deleting all the things I’d added to go in the freezer. Minimum fridge items too.

Then time to sit on the sofa and relax. Normally we have one light on above the sofa, its sufficient light for everything, even knitting. But it seems that this one light has given up on us. We decided to turn on the other lights which feel like the Blackpool Illuminations and require eclipse glasses so as not to go blind! Another job to add to the list.

Sunday morning. The very last day of the Redhill Marina Cafe, she was open from 8:30 until she ran out of sausages, breakfasts only today. We felt we needed to go and support her on her last day, unlike Friday morning it was raining, so we had no view.

The Geraghty zoom followed. Subjects included Social Services for cats, O level German umlauts, bus shelters or the lack of them, carpet gardens and silver sofa surfers.

The click and collect was collected. Chicken wrapped in two insulated bags until later when it would be roasted. Items in the freezer/fridge were edited to accommodate items that have to be in a fridge.

In the afternoon the sun came out which meant we could film the reveal of Oleanna’s livery from the other river bank. It took a few goes at finding somewhere with enough sunlight to light my model and be able to see Oleanna sideways on.

Conversations were had with our friend Steve in Scarborough who had gone to visit a friend whose health has been failing. After a discussion, they decided he’d be better off in hospital. By late evening I had a call saying he was in A&E, he already sounded so much better. I’ve spent the last three weeks trying to get him assessed for walking aids. Hopefully now someone at the hospital will sort him out, rather than me being passed back and forth, time after time, between social services and the GP.

Mick checked out the light above the sofa. The bulb is fine, we’re hoping it’s the fitting and not the wiring. Plus there seems to now be a loose connection on the temporary fridge!

Having not been for a meaningful walk for a few days I decided to see what Trent Lock looked like from the other side than we’re used to. I crossed over the bridge by the flood lock, across the next bridge to get off the island then along the towpath where I could then start to head north towards Trent Lock.

A lovely early Sunday evening, the sun shining across the fields and I could hear a squeeze box, fiddle and guitar drifting from Trent Lock, a very jolly jig. The corner of Cranfleet cut was chocka block with boats, but there was space for two on the pontoon. Sods law as we don’t want to move until the engine has been serviced and we’ve taken delivery of the new fridge! A nice walk away from stowing items on the boat.

Sunday roast chicken was enjoyed. Now that all three of us were aboard, we’d planned to crack open the bottle of champagne we’d been given by Mark one of our witnesses for our Tuesday Civil Partnership. However, not having a fridge or space in the temporary one means that we will now hang onto it to celebrate us all being back on board with brand new refrigeration!

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 cat safely moved, 2nd mate settling in, 1 box of biscuits, 1 chicken not 2, 2 much STUFF!!!! 3 9’s, 1 right decision, 1 failed light 2 add to the list, 1 box of warm white wine, 2nd cooked breakfast in a week, 0 knitting, 2 boaters 1 cat back on the waterways, lets hope there’s enough water to get us places!

Repaint Week 13 W/C 7th September, part one

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Redhill Marina/Scarboreugh

Monday. Last week we’d forgotten to come away from Oleanna with the correct dimensions of the diesel cap so that we could get the correctly sized version. A message was sent to Tom which also enquired as to when he thought Oleanna would be being launched. Correct dimensions were received, and news that all was going according to plan, the last of the painting was nearing completion, and Bertie was busy polishing. Tom would give us a call on Tuesday to chat about the plan for the rest of the week.

Ah! We really needed to know which day, as we didn’t want to miss out on hire vans this week, and we’d be needing to hire it from the day before the launch so that we’d be able to arrive before her bottom got wet. The answer came back, ‘Let’s go for a Thursday launch either way’. We did a quick plan in our heads regarding trips to Redhill, 1 for launch, back to Scarborough, 1 to move Tilly, return hire van. A Thursday launch would mean a longer hire, but more leeway should we need it.

The van was booked straight away, a Sainsburys click and collect booked in Loughborough, then I did a happy dance!

Mick checked the diesel cap lock. The place we’d bought one from only does one size. We looked round for alternatives and think we’ve found something neater and of the correct size. However, the time of us having a handy address for it to be delivered to was running out. We’ll put that on the back burner and revisit soon. Anyone fancy the lockable cap we can’t use?

Tuesday lunchtime we got a request from Tom for some D shackles so that the stern fender could be attached. Did we happen to have some with a gap of 17mm minimum? Maybe on the boat, but that would mean hunting through The Shed! No-one should be given that task apart from one of us!

Scarborough used to have two chandlers, both no longer sadly. We looked online, nowhere did 17mm, next size up was 20mm. No local shops had them, maybe if we had to order them then we should go for stainless steel. The hunt continued.

The bow fender went on. Plank and pole rest were located towards the bow. It used to be towards the stern, but we’d soon realised our mistake when centre lines got caught round boat hooks. Some more antislip was added to the roof and the stern doors were sanded and given a coat of yacht varnish for protection.

We were all very excited when Alex, Angie and Polly arrived to stay overnight for the press night of the new Ayckbourn. The barrier between the two houses was put back up for the night to keep woofer and Tilly apart, then we all put on our glad rags to head to see the show.

The Trial of Romeo Oscar is Alan’s first ever courtroom drama, set in 2194 when humanity has been scattered across the universe. Androids are plentiful and seeking to be treated as equals. Romeo Oscar, a military android, is to be put on trial for murder, the first non-human to be tried in a court of law. There are a few laughs, lots to listen to, absorb and think about long after the show. We really enjoyed it along with catching up with people over a drink afterwards. If you happen to be near Bowness or Stoke the show will be touring in October.

Wednesday. A spark of inspiration, would Berriman and Chapman in Scarborough have some D shackles? It was worth a try. I walked down into town for a few bits and had a lengthy chat with the lady behind the hardware shop counter. I bought four of their largest shackles, but suspected they’d not be big enough. Back on line to check the location of S3i, a short detour on our route south and yes we could collect our order in the morning, job done.

The rest of the day was spent packing up the kitchen, work items and just about everything else other than clothes. Once the van arrived it was loaded for a swift getaway in the morning. Anna, our current lodger was surprised at how quickly things were now moving, well we’ve been ready for this move for well over a month now, we just had to repack items we’d unpacked.

Thursday morning. With several plastic bottles filled with water and sandwich supplies we climbed into the van and headed southwards. A turn-off near Doncaster had us arrive at S3i which is just across the way from Howarth Heating where we got our multifuel Bubble stove from when Oleanna was built. Did we need anything for the stove? It was too late to be thinking about a new riddling rod! Once our shiny shackles were picked up, we carried on heading south arriving at the paint shed at just gone 11am.

Shackles handed over, the stern fender could now be fixed on. Unfortunately the new one we’d bought was a few inches shorter than the old one and would not quite protect the rudder. Tom hunted round for an old stubby button, this was cleaned off and added to our new one, much better, thank you guys.

Our items that had been in storage in the shed were brought out and popped on the bed inside Oleanna. It was going to be interesting to see what we’d actually packed weeks ago! At least my walking boots were there! Two fat fenders were pulled out from the shower and hung on the starboard side, the chaps from the boatyard were coming to move her!

A trailer was brought, then a forklift with a long strop which was attached to Oleanna’s bow T stud. She’d been put on wheels all ready for the move. We were asked to stand behind the jolly barrier, the engines that Bertie has been painting. Then the forklift took the strain and Oleanna gradually inched her way out of the shed. Once her bow was well clear of the shutter doors the trailer was backed up to meet her. The frame was lowered to go underneath her, then backed up. She was raised a bit, making sure she’d still clear the shutter doors and pulled further out into the day light. The solar panels started to work. She was lowered onto blocks again and then the trailer reversed more, then she was lifted up off the wheels from the paint shed.

She was pulled out of the shed, then manoeuvred around in front of the cooling towers, how many photos did I take? Just a few!!!

As she came past the Hill another boat was being grit blasted, it would be backed into Oleanna’s space later in the day, just before it started to rain.

Then she was swung round and headed down to the slipway, where she was backed down the ramp. Tom and Bertie holding bow and stern ropes followed her down keeping hold of her. It took a couple of goes at getting her to be free from the trailer, but then she was floating, back in the water after 47 weeks and a day! She was pulled backwards and tied up on the mooring in front of the bar and marina office.

First job, those plastic bottles of water would be coming in handy as the water tank on Oleanna was empty and we wanted to sterilize it first. The hose was set filling the tank. Tom fitted the pramcover which gave us somewhere to eat our very late lunch.

Taps were tried, a trickle from the kitchen sink. Nothing from the bathroom sink! Maybe an airlock, Mick left the taps on for a while and the pressure improved. Tom wanted to check the gas was okay. The hob took a bit of persuading to ignite, two of the burners needed a bit of nozzle cleaning for them to work properly a bit of wire did the trick to clear it.

The fridge was turned on, the light worked , it made a noise, but it didn’t get cold. Bugger! Tom didn’t know anyone who could help, maybe someone in the pub later on would know something to assist us. The suggestion came back that turning it upside down for an hour might help, other suggestions from Canal World Forum were in favour of re-gasing it. Or would we simply have to buy a new one? We looked online, asked advice about chandlers. Since Midland Chandlers has gone online only, it’s much harder just to pick up a new fridge. Thankfully we’d not brought too much from the house that needed to stay chilled. Our pullout freezer can be used as a fridge, the temperature can be adjusted, so that would do for today.

The bathroom tap now seemed to be working, but there was also a lovely stream of water flowing across the bathroom floor. After ten years of good service the tap must have had some water in it which froze despite the boat being fully winterised! New tap or ceramic cartridge required, but for now a tea towel wrapped round it will do. With the water tank now full and sterilizing it was left for an hour, then the water pump worked it’s socks off emptying the tank. Those plastic water bottles keeping us away from using the water in the tank for a while longer.

Next important job was to get the new curtains hung. I started in the bedroom, glad I’d labelled all the curtain rods, they went back up pretty easily. The curtains I’d made at least five years ago went up without a hitch. Next the main cabin curtains, made earlier this year with more tolerance in them than the old ones, this might be a good thing as our new windows are far thicker. Mick was called in to help with a troublesome endcap and screw, the endcap dropped and totally vanished. It was nowhere to be found! At least we’d be able to draw the curtains when it got dark, they might fall off the end of the pole on one side, but hey! It would do for the time being.

Bedding was found. Around the bed hoovered, items put into storage beneath the base, bed made up. Time to try and clear somewhere to sit down!

Items we’d cleared from all the lockers needed to be moved back to where they belonged, cupboards under the dinette hoovered out, floor hoovered again, dust jumping out from everywhere. Thank goodness we’d brought an evening meal with us, beef and beetroot curry which was consumed quite late on when we’d had more than enough of trying to stow things and clean up. A couple of glasses of wine whilst looking at potential fridges, then we collapsed into bed pretty exhausted.

**There you go Ade, a breakfast for you!**

Friday. We’d come without any breakfast. It had been planned that way, as there is the cafe just across the way, it would have been rude not to! So we both opted for a cooked breakfast sat in the morning sunshine overlooking the river and a rather nice shiny boat.

**Some space starting to show itself at last!**

Tom called round this morning to check if things were working as they should. Our sliding galley windows were extremely stiff. These are original windows and even though I’d cleaned them quite well before she came out of the water last year, she’d had a whole winter and spring for green growth to accumulate, add into that grit from the blasting. Tom set to work clearing them out and greasing them so they would move better.

We’d also had difficulty closing the stern doors last night, the rear hatch wasn’t clearing the doors as it should. This turned out to be the two PTFE blocks that normally glide on the runners were missing, thankfully they were sat on the Nicholsons shelf. Tom glued these back in place for us and we locked the hatch so the glue to set undisturbed.

Mick rang round chandlers, no-one had a fridge in stock. If they sell fridges then they have to be able to recycle old ones, so few chandlers stock them. One company was found in Oldbury, but they didn’t answer the phone and then when he tried to place an order it said that it would take 7 days for the fridge to be converted to 12/24 volt. No, we weren’t interested in buying a 240 volt one. Very kindly Tom offered to order one for us from Midland Chandlers using his account, it should arrive Monday or Tuesday, bingo, job done. We just needed to plug the gap left to keep Tilly from exploring behind cupboards, cooker and the floor, those clothes bags can be unpacked later!

**Time to lock up and head back to Scarborough**

More unpacking, stowing, moving things about, I did wonder if it would ever end! Items to be returned to the house were collected together and put in the van. Tom came and helped take the old fridge out then he single-handedly popped it in the back of the van for disposal in Scarborough.

The journey back to Scarborough was a touch slow, Friday late afternoon evening traffic. We opted for a supermarket curry and bottle of wine then headed home to see Tilly and give her the news that her floating home was as ready as it could be for her to move back on board.

0 locks, 0.1 miles on a trailer, 4.79 miles walked around the boat on Thursday, 3 on Friday, 1 van load, 2 many things to stow, 0 new items, just where has it all come from? 1 hire van, 8 shiny shackles for the price of 6, 1 forklift, 1 trailer, 1 new cat landing net needing glue, 1 dead fridge, 1 leaking tap, 1 stubborn cooker, 1 water tank filled, 1 bottle milton, 1 hour, 1 tank empty, 1 tank refilled, 1 wasp sting, 1 hour of PA duties, 1 support network set up, 1 shiny boat in front of 8 cooling towers, 2 cooked breakfasts, 1 with extra bacon instead of gf toast, 2 happy boaters, 2 long days.

You’re The Cream, Remastered! 14th September

2 Replies

Well here you all are, the reveal of Oleanna’s new livery.

Apologies to those who may have tried the link earlier today only for it not to have worked. My proofreader was absent this morning to try the link without an Instagram account. Below is the Instagram version (please click the sound), followed by a Facebook version, followed by a version on Youtube.

View this post on Instagram

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CFUf95awV Please click for sound

Should you view this version, mute the sound and instead please sing along imagining that you are Nat King Cole, below are the opening lyrics to You’re The Cream In My Coffee

You’re the cream in my coffee
You’re the salt in my stew
You’ll always be my necessity
I’d be lost without you

Or you could click this link to listen instead, but that’s not as much fun!

I really hope this works this time as my proofreader is stuck due to cancelled trains!

You’re The Cream. 14th September

1 Reply

Well here you all are, the reveal of Oleanna’s new livery.

I really hope this works. If the sound is turned down, please turn it up!

View this post on Instagram

More photos and videos to follow, there’s still the galley cupboards to sort !

Normal Service Will Return Soon

7 Replies

Redhill Marina

She has asked me to let you all know that, Tom, She and I are all back on board Oleanna and she has a wet bottom.

She wants you all to know that it has been a VERY busy week with allsorts of things going on, not just boaty things.

She says normal service on the blog will be returning soon.

She says there is still a lot for She and Tom to sort out, I have to agree as the boat is a complete TIP! They really should have tried harder before my return!

Once the boat is more suitable for living in, She will fill you all in on what has been happening. Well She might want a sit down first with me on her lap

She wants to reassure everyone, that She will do a big reveal of Oleanna’s new livery very soon.

I just want to know when I can go out to find some friends and when will they start moving the outside!

But for now, you just need to know that apart from the fridge, we are all very happy! If we weren’t in Nottinghamshire, I might even be a Cheshire Cat!

Repaint Week 12 W/C 31st August

6 Replies

Redhill Marina / Scarboreugh

Bank Holiday Monday, I had an early walk. Then having a car, Mick collected Frank and brought him round, getting him out of his house and so that we could help him fill in a form. A lot of concentration and a couple of mugs of tea were needed. More socks for the Felicity Edition of my sockathon were finished off and packed up ready to be posted.

Tuesday morning. We’d already decided that heading to Redhill today would be pretty pointless as not much would have changed since we’d been there last Thursday. Before we’d finished our cuppa in bed we got a message from Tom. He’s still be on holiday until the end of the week. Bertie was getting on with jobs, could we go down to meet with him on Friday? Yes. We extended the car hire by a couple of days.

What to do with ourselves with a hire car at our disposal? Mick did a little look round on the National Trust website. Robin Hoods Bay, before they close the visitor centre? No, been there seen how they altered my Dad’s award-winning building for Marine Biology. Nunnington Hall? Might have been before, but it was a very long time ago if I had. We got ourselves sorted, found our NT cards and set off for a day out.

Nunnington Hall sits north of York across the Howardian Hills. More a manor house than a big hall it still is quite grand. Originally a nunnery, hence the name, the oldest parts of the house date back to Tudor times. Successive owners have left their mark, a combination of re-purpose and renovation.

In the 1920’s Margaret Fife inherited the hall which was in quite a state. Walter Brierley was engaged to renovate the hall. As we walked round, reading the information panels, Walters name kept being mentioned. I wanted to ask a guide about this chap. Could he be the Brierley who had been senior partner of my fathers architectural practice in York during my Grandfathers days?

Numerous four poster beds, green painted walls, views into the gardens. Up to the top floor, here there were plans of the house when it was being renovated, dated 1921 and signed Brierley and Rutherford, 13 Lendal, York. No need to ask a guide anymore other than for any further information as this is where my Grandfather and Father worked. The drawing may have been drawn by my Grandfather, who knows. Cecil, my grandfather, took over as senior partner in 1926 a year after my Dad was born. In Dad’s time the practice was called Brierley, Leckenby, Keighley and Groom and was the oldest architectural practice in the country having been founded by John Carr. It still is, continuing under the name of Brierley and Groom.

A guide was asked about him, but she was far more interested in chatting about the Carlisle Collection, a collection of miniatures. Mostly 1:8 models of period rooms, everything made from the materials the 1:1 objects would have been made from. Some exquisite handiwork on show and interesting to me. But I would have like to know more about Brierley.

Up on the top floor is a gallery space. The exhibition was about Gina and how she fixed fairy tales. Her main solutions seemed to involve cake, a very good way of thinking. By now we were starting to feel hungry so headed to the cafe on the ground floor for lunch, a toasted sandwich and jacket potato. This was followed by a walk round the garden, orchards, iris gardens all very nicely kept by what seemed like a small army of volunteers. A good day out.

**Packing paints to go in deep storage**

Wednesday involved some PA duties for Frank, the start of a painting I’ve been planning for a while and some packing of work things hoping that we’d be able to take them to the boat.

Thursday, a message was sent to Tom hopefully now back from his holiday. We’d really like to be able to leave the dinette cushions on our next visit as they take up quite a lot of space in a car. He said that once he’d caught up with Bertie he would make it his first job to clean through the boat.

**Coming down the Col de Wetwang, or is it Sledmere?**

Friday morning we followed the course of that days Tour of Britain around Sledmere into Wetwang and further south where they would veer off towards Beverley. It was a slow drive and we arrived near to 1pm. The chaps were hard at work on Oleanna, a new neighbour sat alongside, a new shell with one spray of blacking (it most probably arrived like this from the shell builder).

**A new neighbour, not even spray foamed**

There were discussions as to the diesel cap lock. Unfortunately, Mick had bought one that had been in stock, but the pipe into our tank is a different diameter and we have four fixings not three. We’ll need to be in touch with the chap who makes them, we also noted that the original filler cap had been got by the grit blasting, we’ll want to replace that.

Tom had had a very good go inside Oleanna, all the spray foam off cuts removed, a good tidy and he’d obviously spent quite a bit of time hoovering and dusting things down. I wanted to make sure places I wanted to stow things were dust free so carried on where Tom had stopped, but delving deep into the recesses of Oleanna.

Once behind the freezer was clean, possibly the cleanest it’s been since brand new, I could stow my work boxes. A few items could return to the house like the angle poise which has a dodgy connection. I now have a ring light with a weighted base and magnifying lens which will serve two purposes and packs away smaller.

I worked from the galley towards the bow. Gosh how long had that bottle of water been sat in the fridge for?! Ten maybe eleven months! With no water in the tank all I could do was hoover and dust, washing things down will have to wait a little while. Under the back steps we now have a round inspection hatch, just the job.

**Anti-slipped bow, locker lids and everything!**

Access was from the stern today as the bow was being made ready for anti-slip paint. More than we had originally. I spotted that between the new T studs and cratch board there wasn’t an area for anti-slip, this was mentioned to Bertie and amended.

As I hoovered as many recesses I could get into, Mick and Tom were busy at the stern. They hooked up Oleanna so there was light inside. The engine was turned over but not for very long as we are inside. A service is arranged hopefully next week sometime. Then they got on with pulling new cables through from the electrics cupboard to outside for a new 5G antenna. We will be installing a new 5G router when back on board. Now Mick could see what state the batteries were in. The solar controller was looked at too, very little voltage was showing from the new panels but that is hardly surprising inside the shed. But at least there was some voltage showing, indicating that the panels are actually connected.

The sofa was pulled out, the door that used to be in front of the washing machine removed to be taken to the house along with a big block of foam, no need to keep them here. Ah, but what will Tilly make of the secret passageway now? Will we need to put something in there to be the new secret?? Or should we leave it empty so she has no interest in squeezing herself through the tiny gap?

**No longer Tyler Wilson on the stern anti slip**

Some of the grills under the mushroom vents had been put back on. The amount of dust on them needed to be hoovered. They are better but will need taking down for a thorough clean once we’re back on board. The dinette cushions could now be brought back on board, she was starting to look habitable again.

We had a walk round outside with Tom. Marks from the painting will be polished out, hinges touched up, edges missed by the spray gun will be hand painted in. I asked for the wooden liners of the side hatch and back doors to be sanded back and varnished, the cratch and locker lids already done. I tried to peek inside the gas locker with it’s fresh coat of paint and band of filler over the hole into the bow thruster locker, but I wasn’t tall enough to peek inside and managed to anti-slip my hand in the process! Oh well, I’ve left my mark on her.

A realistic time scale for her going back in the water was discussed. The base plate still needs painting, Tom hoped to get a coat on parts of it today before leaving so that the blocks Oleanna sits on can be moved meaning the whole of the base plate will get painted. The plank and pole rest still needs attaching, other bits and bobs and the final snagging is to be done. Hopefully if the weather plays ball we should be back afloat sometime next week. We’ll confirm with Tom on Monday when we know what the weather is doing.

We came away feeling far better than last week, we’ve inched closer to her being ours again. First thing was to head to Trowell services on the M1 north for a comfort break and for a very late lunch, we’d not wanted to stop the momentum at the paint shed when we’d arrived today. Sad gits sandwiches from M&S and then we plotted a route across country to avoid delays on the M1.

There is more packing to do in Scarborough, mostly things we’d packed a month ago that have now been unpacked! Maybe I’ll want to re-access the items of clothing packed to be put under the bed for winter. There is a press night we can attend for the new Ayckbourn at the SJT and we need to make sure everything is sorted for Frank. Some head space looking out to sea was required yesterday, that distant horizon is always worth a stop to look at. Then a gluten free challah loaf was made, it’s only the second time I’ve made one and I’ve been short of one ingredient for a while. It is so tasty.

Fingers and paws crossed that this next week will be the week!

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car extended, 3 days of PA duties, 2.5 ml, 2 drawings that Grandad Lecko may have drawn, 1 scarecrow, 1 boat inching towards the finish line, 2 sets of doors to go, 1 baseplate, 1 lock 2 skinny, 1 empty secret, 0 bananas anti-slipped, 2 many things to go outside still in cupboards, 1 hire car returned, 1 van planned but not booked, 1 skip required, 4 miles of the Cleveland Way walked.

Repaint Week 11. W/C 24th August

4 Replies

Redhill Marina / Scarboreugh

No news from Redhill this week. The way Tom had written his message last Sunday suggested that he was unlikely to be about, maybe he and his family had headed off on holiday before the schools go back.

In Scarborough we planned to see Handbagged for a second time, sadly late afternoon I got the indications that I was in for a migraine! Luckily tickets hadn’t been booked and the evening was spent sitting quite still and taking pills.

Tuesday questions came through from the people who we are wanting to print cloths for panto, my brain wasn’t functioning too well, so I passed this on to the Production Manager to answer. I’m still not sure if she’s been in touch with them. I got confirmation through that my digs have been booked in Chippy, although with no contact details for my new host. Very sadly the host I stayed with last year, Rachel, passed away just before Christmas, so instead of being in the old bakehouse with the ghosts, I’ll be staying in a modern house with Spiderman keeping me safe whilst I sleep.

**Tilly getting back into tree climbing ready for being back on the boat**

A hire car was sorted for Wednesday afternoon, we opted to have it for a week with the hope that with three trips to Oleanna we’d be able to move everything back without too much problem. First job once we had wheels was to check on prescriptions for Frank and deliver any that had gone rogue. Then drop off the camp beds we’d borrowed when the house was extremely full of lodgers and ourselves.

Dinette cushions were loaded into the car followed by bags of possessions and then smart clothes for a party in the south.

The two and a half hour drive to Redhill turned into nearer three and a half due to the torrential rain and accidents on the M1. We ended up doing a detour and approaching Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station from the other side, the cooling towers suddenly looming out from the low cloud.

**Redundant rollers now our neighboring boat has gone**

At the paint shed the shutters were down. Bertie was chatting to someone about our neighbouring boat. A few last minute bits for him to do, then the roller door was raised ready for the boat to exit and be launched. Have to say our thoughts were, ‘why isn’t that us?!’ After all, we’d been in the shed a few more weeks than them!

We had a walk through Oleanna. Our plan had been to do a deeper clean in a couple of areas, dinette and under the bed so that we could offload and stow some of our stuff. The final hoover through the boat by the painters was still to come. We could have done it ourselves, but Oleanna wasn’t hooked up, we’d need power from elsewhere and now the tractor had arrived to pull the other boat out of the shed. I decided there was too much for us to clean to be able to leave the dinette cushions on the dinette, and after all why should we do a job we were paying someone else to do.

Cupboards were checked for space in the bedroom. I managed to stow a few bags of things and then the remaining bags were left on the bed, everything enclosed away from dust. The dinette cushions would now need bending to squeeze into the boot to allow us to have passengers tomorrow, but that job could wait.

**Rain water on the gunnels from the leaking shed**

I had a good look round Oleanna, making notes of a few places where things would need touching up. Nothing unexpected, a little bit of overspray on the cream, one or two places where the tape hasn’t stopped the paint from bleeding.

**Stern locker lids now with a wood surround**

The new locker lids are just as we’d wanted. They will now need a few coats of varnish to keep them waterproof. But now the surrounding paintwork will be far less likely to get marked when accessing the lockers. If marks now appear, it will be down to operator error and deserve a telling off!

Sat on a bench next to Oleanna were all the external fittings ready to go back on Oleanna. We added to it the new lockable diesel cap we’ve finally remembered to bring down. We’ve wanted one of these from before Oleanna was built, but it was one of those things Finesse didn’t do.

A sheet of paper had Tom’s list of jobs on it. It’s quite a long list. Some won’t take long, others will. My guestimate means she won’t be ready to go back in the water just after the bank holiday as had been suggested, but we’d already known that. There was a suggestion that some items were on order, replacing fittings so Oleanna would look smarter.

We had lunch at the cafe. Sadly the cafe is closing sometime in September, the lady who runs it is heading off to do new things. I wonder if anyone else will take it over, or will that be the end of a very handy cafe riverside?

**Unloading the car in the shelter of the paint shed**

Back at the paint shed we managed a brief chat with Bertie. He thought the jobs list will take them a couple of days to complete. Nothing would happen over the weekend or Friday as he is an organiser for the vintage vehicle rally over the weekend. Hopefully people will still come despite the rain! The other boat was back in the water but a bilge pump was required to help keep up with the amount of rain, so we left Bertie to it.

Back in the car we drove to Loughborough Travelodge for the night. Our room overlooked the basin and a building site where it looks like a tall building will be going up. The pontoons were surrounded by pennywort and there wasn’t a boat in sight.

I headed off for a walk to Queen’s Park. The museum closed for the day, but I had chance to admire the lovely little tower at the library, try to make out the bandstand underneath all the hanging baskets. I chatted to the birds in the aviary and listened to the bells chiming in the Carillion and bell tower. Loughborough was the home to the foundry which made the Great Paul, E-flat bourdon bell that hangs in St Pauls.

I wiggled my way round streets, found a few restaurants we might visit and checked out menus. Thankfully, the rain had now passed and I didn’t get wet.

We chose to eat at a Turkish Restaurant, Antalya Kitchen. A huge basket of bread arrived which Mick filled himself up on, followed by lamb and chicken kebabs with rice and salad. All very nice and we didn’t really mind that they didn’t have an alcohol licence as we’d got a bottle back at the hotel. We were offered a complimentary Turkish tea, but they didn’t do decaff, so we turned it down. I asked if we could call in in the morning then we’d try it. Shortly before we left, the chap turned up with a container of tea for us to make it at home.

Back at the hotel just in time before the thunder and lightening started. We compared notes with Brian on NB Harnser who was moored in Coventry, the storm arriving with us around about an hour after they’d had the deluge.

Friday morning we headed into M&S food hall to find things for breakfast and then set off to drive south. The satnav wanted us to do one route, but Mick had had his eyes on another. This meant skirting round Coventry, having deluges of rain hit us as we arrived in the Cotswolds, sitting in a LONG line of traffic at Stow on the Wold with people heading to Feastival a festival involving Michelin starred chefs!

A rendezvous at a B&B to pick up Andrew and Jac in the torrential rain, not helped by having to rearrange the car for them to have seats to sit on, then we drove the mile to my cousins house where there was to be an 80th birthday lunch for Ian.

We were here a few years ago for the Royal International Air Tatoo as their garden is half a mile away from the runway at Fairford. That day we couldn’t hear anything said as planes soared over head. This year there hasn’t been an airshow due to the base being used for bombing missions in Iran, the runway was too full of B52 bombers. Thankfully they have all left, but during the day we did have a few occasions of planes taking off and stopping the conversation.

**Wonderful food, well it was a Leckenby do!**

It’s been around 42 years since I’ve seen Jo, my cousins son, he has shot since he was 3 years old, up to around 7ft! He was a very good bbq chef, cooking some wonderful lamb cutlets and gorgeous steaks. Salads came out of our ears as did meringues and strawberries followed by cheese as a birthday cake. A very good afternoon with family and their friends. We were grilled about boating by one of Ian’s friends who has recently had a narrowboating holiday and he now wants to do more, we suggested share boats if he didn’t want to buy his own.

As guests left, family hunkered down with a few more carafes of wine in the marquee chatting away until almost 10pm. We dropped the London Leckenbys back at their B&B and then headed to Faringdon for that night’s Travelodge. This one had a cafe, bar and the room was actually cool, but it also came with boy racers in the car park!

**Hello Kingley Vale and the Oxford Canal**

Breakfast consumed, no gf bread so I made up for it with hash browns from the buffet. Then we called in at Waitrose for a sandwich for lunch. Course was set for Scarborough. We considered stopping to look at the vintage vehicles at Redhill, but as we approached it was peeing it down again, so we opted for a pit stop a little further along the M1.

Now we wonder when our next visit to Redhill should be. Tuesday or Wednesday? An early phone call on Tuesday is needed to see if it’s worth a trip or not. Here’s hoping the leaks in the paint shed don’t delay the anti-slip from going onto the gunnels.

Today, Sunday, we’ve waved goodbye to Alex, Angie and Polly their woofer, Handbagged is now moving to Theatre Clwyd for a couple of weeks. The barrier separating the two houses has been removed now Polly has headed home and Tilly has reclaimed the other side of the house. We’ve moved living rooms freeing up space for our other lodger who has been happy to share one side of the house with us, Anna now has more space than she knows what to do with. We’ve arranged to meet up with her in the kitchen later today.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car for a week, 1 filthy boat, 1 boot full of cushions, 1 brother and sister-in-law squashed in there too, 2 days or 1 week? 0 neighbour, 2 Travelodges, 80th birthday, 4 cats, 3 woofers, 2 horses, 2 goats, 21 people, 2 much to eat and drink, 1 marquee held down by human weight, B1’s, 1 year since proposal, 4 hash browns, 1 spoonful of egg, 2 wet for cars, 5 now down to 3, 1 cat free to roam, 1 boat’s tentative smile returned.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna

That Spring Feeling. 16th September

Keeping Things Crossed. 15th September

Windows To Cat Mode. 14th September

Repaint Week 13 W/C 7th September, part 2

Repaint Week 13 W/C 7th September, part one

You’re The Cream, Remastered! 14th September

You’re The Cream. 14th September

Normal Service Will Return Soon

Repaint Week 12 W/C 31st August

Repaint Week 11. W/C 24th August