One side of Norbury Junction to the other side of Norbury Junction

With one empty bottle of gas and another soon to finish we decided to get a new one today from the Wharf here, hoping to replace the second one from NB Halsall when next they pass. The forecast for the day was for showers so we hoped we’d not get too wet. After breakfast we got on with a few chores, mostly to do with our toilet. Then as the rain seemed to have stopped we decided to pull through the bridge and head for the diesel point for a bottle of LPG. A couple of boats had passed us this morning and one of them had beaten us to the wharf.

We pulled in in front of the Junction Pub, tied Oleanna up with her centre line and started to wait. Across the way they were having the works, pump out, diesel, and a bottle of gas, so we patiently waited. The boat runs helmsman courses, the couple on the course had been sent off for a coffee to the cafe whilst the boat was being filled and emptied. We waited. One job after another was done and when all was in hand the tutor disappeared into the chandlers to pay. We waited. The couple returned and stood around. We and they waited. She went off to use the facilities. We waited. She came back. We waited. They took photos of each other. We waited. She went into the shop to buy something. We waited, both of us stood looking across, but obviously invisible. At least it wasn’t raining!

At last the tutor came out from the chandlers with a shiny new windlass and a pot of stern gland greaser. Hooray! He put the lid back on the gas locker, chatted to the couple. We waited, still invisible. He then disappeared down below. We waited. Just what was he doing down there? We waited and waited and waited, then gave up. Over an hour had passed, so we decided to give them some space, we didn’t want to hassle them! So with loud comments from Mick (in a Geraghty manner) such as ‘We’ll go to Wheaton Aston for diesel then!’, which fell on deaf ears, we moved on to the water point.

Ten minutes or so later the students were down below and the tutor moved the boat away and headed southwards. Once Oleanna had had a good drink we pushed ourselves over to the wharf, our waiting was over. Except they were all on lunch! This was a far shorter wait and we soon had a bottle of gas. Mick rearranged the gas locker so that the nearly empty bottle would be the easiest to get out next. Now that we were done, the heavens opened up just as we pushed off! We’d considered staying put for an hour to have our own lunch, but thought that would be unfair on anyone wanting to use the services.

Not far on we pulled in with a view from the embankment, let Tilly out to enjoy the rain. Despite the sun coming out we decided to stay put for the day and move on again tomorrow.

Today is the anniversary of Oleanna being craned into the water in Sheffield, getting a wet bottom. She’s had a year of floating, minus a few hours out of the water in a dry dock. So because of this we headed to the Junction Inn for a meal in the evening. On Thursdays they do a special offer of a couple of main courses and a bottle of wine for £25. Sadly we hadn’t spotted this before we ordered a couple of pints. We both had a burger and chips, mine with a gluten free bun, and enjoyed our meal.

0 locks, 0.21 miles, 1 empty pooh bucket, 1 empty wee tank, 2 empty bins, 1 full water tank, 1+ hours waiting, 1+ hour lost on a training course, 1 new gas bottle, 3 hours of embankment frolics, 2 burgers and chips, 2 pints, 2 puddings back at the boat, 1 year of Oleanna floating.