Monthly Archives: May 2019

Just Around The Corner. 29th May

Tixall Wide to Fancy Bridge 73A, Trent and Mersey

The rising sun urged me to get up off the sofa bed and peek through the curtains. What a sight! The side hatch had to be opened to get the full effect.

Steam rose from the water so close I could just about touch it, reminiscent of my first experience of sea fret in Scarborough wafting through open van windows. The sun rising in the east caught the clouds above with streaks of orange and pink. Not as bright and bold jaw dropping as sunsets can be but more in keeping with the hour, a quiet calm beauty. I felt privileged to have been able to experience it.

Both of us had slept better, I had too, nobody moving the duvet around to find more space for themselves. An hour and a half of shore leave whilst we had a leisurely breakfast, then it was time to move on. We pushed off and headed back to Great Haywood Junction. I hopped off as we crossed the Trent Aqueduct and walked on ahead to check on the situation.

We’d tried that way and it was very pretty, so let’s go straight on this time

There was space for one more on the water point, we fancied a top up, and nobody was coming so Mick brought Oleanna out from under the bridge, turned her to the right and then reversed back to the water point. One boat was having a pump out, the aroma reaching the noses of walkers coming down from the road. The young girls had no idea what the terrible pong was, but they certainly didn’t like it and made sure we all knew about it!

Look what lies under the West Coast Main Line

Once our tank was full we pulled along past the bridge and found ourselves a space before the lock. Here was better positioned for a drug run into the village (more Lemsips required), a look in at the Spar shop to see if there was a copy of Canal Boat and then a look at the Farm shop.

Tilly struck lucky, there were several copies for sale. I refrained from reorganising the shelf, leaving our four legged thug hidden behind Take a Break and Hello Magazine. They also had Dreamies, so we were able to stock up again (No need for Mungo and Dog to parachute in their spare packet yet, but thank you Joa).

Well worth a visit, shame the fish has gone

The Farm Shop has changed a touch since I last visited. The cheese is now all pre-cut and the wonderful fish counter has gone. The meat counter still looks good, only one variety of frozen gluten free sausages on offer, so we refrained. However we couldn’t resist a punnet of strawberries picked this morning and some asparagus. The latter not quite so fresh or local, it came from Kent! Mick got a pork pie too and we made our way back to Oleanna for lunch.

The mooring here was dark and on a drizzly afternoon it meant we needed the cabin lights on, so we decided to move down the lock. We do-si-do’d with two boats and I stayed to help close the gates for an old work boat which had two C&RT volunteers on board. Mick pulled up at the end of the lock mooring to see what the Fender boat could sell us.

After around 1615 locks our bow fender is looking a touch used. Mick lifted it the other day but we wanted to add another fender lower down to stop the bow catching on cills as we rise in locks. Mick chatted away and was shown several fenders ranging from £60 to £85. We ended up with a mid range fender and discussed how to attach it, this should be fairly easy with the fixings we already have.

We pootled on a short distance more. Here the towpath opens out with a view over the Trent to Shugborough Hall. A few years ago we made the most of our National Trust membership and visited the estate several days in a row. Today we’d thought about having a wonder around the grounds but the constant drizzle put us off, so instead we stayed inside and got the stove going again.

Tilly spent several hours in the long grass and returned muddy and soaked. No longer the glamorous cover cat, just our bedraggled Dreamie demanding murderous thug. I’m glad things are back to normal.

1 lock, 1.22 miles,1 right, 1 reverse, 1 top up, 10 lemsips, 1 copy, 1 months supply Dreamies, 1 fantastic awakening, 1 approach, 1 punnet strawberries, 11 spears from Kent, 1 pie, 2 hash browns, 1 roast chicken stir fry, 2 tickets to London booked, 1 sock looking promising, 3rd night of quarantine this time on the dinette.

https://goo.gl/maps/ESzXhHW5hidLbqM66

The Secret Passageway. 28th May

Sandy Lane Bridge to Tixall Wide, Staffordshire and Worcester Canal

Because Mick is snotty and cross contamination isn’t wanted I’m trying out the sofa bed. This confused Tilly somewhat last night. First there was the excitement of me pulling out the pouffe from under the shelving. This reveals a secret passage behind the sofa. I know it’s there and quite often try to dig it out, emptying the shelves of leaflets and books, but this never works. But tonight it was there, open for me, just there!

What is down there? I hear you ask. Quite a few foil balls and some pens which are behaving themselves and staying on the floor, they did need rearranging though. She wanted to check that I was alright so I bobbed my head back out as everything changed again! Wow!! Which way to go next. The secret passage had become wider, more obedient pens, but the sofa had also gone flat! Both were good until the sofa folded up again, I think it may have been a touch drunk as it had fallen over. A duvet was brought out from the other side of the secret passageway and the sofa went flat again. All this excitement, but then I realised that the sofa being flat meant there was no easy access to the window above.

When the lights went out I didn’t know what to do. I normally spend most of the night keeping her toes warm and ‘hogging the duvet’. ‘How can such a little one take up half the bed?’ That bit’s easy. So Tom was on his own, leaving half the bed just for me, but he was making noises! She was on the drunk sofa, plenty of space for me, but did I trust it? Better to be safe and sleep on the cushion.

Boats were coming past us early, we’d not be first to Weston Lock. When we were ready we could see in the distance a couple of boats coming towards us, both taking their time if they were moving at all, so we pulled out and headed for the lock. There a boat was just finishing going down and NB Ondina the oilboat was waiting to come up. NB Grace pulled up once out of the lock to stock up, once the transaction was done they came into the lock and rose. Mick wandered down and placed an order for 10 L of 15W/40. As soon as Ondina had risen enough the chap hopped down and delved into the front of the boat bringing out two plastic 5L bottles. The transaction was completed as the top gate opened along with the heavens.

Wonderful shape, just in need of some TLC

Behind us two boats waited to follow us down another arriving to come up. On we pootled past alpacas and old caravans. Apparently Llamas have banana shaped ears and Alpacas straight ones, you learn something new.

Hoo Mill Lock the last for today, we hoped, if our plan of drawing the crowds away to the north of the Trent and Mersey had worked. The water point at Great Haywood Junction was busy, two boats already filling. There was space on the end for us to wait, then another boat arrived and pulled alongside. As one space became available it was easier for the newly arrived boat to move up then we’d pull back when the other became free.

As we filled we were joined by a hire boat and another boat waited through the bridge for their turn, all very busy. Two boats turned at the junction towards Tixall Wide, would there be enough space for all of us? How many git gaps?

We turned onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal to see if our luck was in. Coming round the bend we could see boats, but there were also some spaces. The prime position is a mooring with a view of Tixall Gate House. The spaces we could see were just before this. Ahead a hire boat was plonked right in the middle of a two boat gap. The young crew said hello and then started to untie, yes! We winded and pulled in, nudging up to the boat in front.

Our view isn’t quite as good as it could have been. We can see the gate house, just. If only a bit more offside pruning had been done!

An afternoon of hunting, blowing a nose and finishing off my model. I then took a full set of photos ready to do a story board tomorrow which I’ll upload to Dropbox for everyone’s reference.

2 locks, 4.46 miles, 1 right, 1 wind, 1 wet morning, 10 litres 15W/40, 2 Dreamies (only) a visit, 1 box of tissues nearly finished, 1 drunk sofa, 5 obedient pens, 2 pencils, 1 mooring with a view, 1 model finished.

https://goo.gl/maps/qX1Zd6PKrKDmWLJi8

Cover Cat. July Edition

Stone

Am I the first cat to appear on the front cover of Canal Boat Magazine?

After a little research this morning I believe I am. Here’s a bigger version of the photo from the cover.

For those who are new to our blog and have come seeking to find out more about me (lets face it, why else would you Google Oleanna!) I am the second mate. The article in the magazine omitted this vital bit of information AND didn’t even tell you my name! So let me introduce myself I am Tilly.

I’m in there somewhere. This is our boat that IS by the way.

I live with Tom and She and I write this blog. Tom used to occasionally write a bit, but he’d rather just read it now. The three of us live on Oleanna, they spend their days moving the outside whilst I lounge around inside conserving my energy before heading out to find friends and climb trees. Rather a good life.

I should just point out that I rarely sit on the roof when they move the outside. This occasionally happens and I have to wear my harness, which I hate after about five minutes. She keeps a tight hold of the lead too so that I can’t jump off. I quite like it up on the roof, but then someone steals the sky. I really don’t like this but they don’t seem too bothered.

Although I only look like a young cat I am an old paw at this boating lark. I have lived on our boat for over three years, it’s just about all I have known. I keep my figure trim with all the tree climbing I do.

She keeps spending her days making little tiny things at the moment. Apparently they are all poisonous, especially the little stools which look like they’d be great fun to play with! I’ve tried but She gets very noisy. This does though tend to mean that they don’t move the outside as much, so I can go off and explore for hours on my own!

Stone outside is quite good, lots of trees and friendly cover. The Magpies say hello to me lots. There are just a few too many woofers though for it to get awarded a Mrs Tilly stamp of approval. I think there should be a map produced of all my approved sites, I of course would have to have my photo on the cover. Maybe I’ll have a word with Paul next time I see him.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 Saturday newspaper, 2 hours given, 7 hours taken, 1 model just about finished, 1 car left to sort out, 15 Dreamies, 1 front cover, 1 article, 1 head far too big, 1 totally zonked out cat.

Anyone For Pancakes? 27th May

Stone Bottom Lock Winding Hole to Sandy Lane Bridge 81

Time to move on, past time actually! As we made ready to push off an Anglo Welsh boat came past, NB Golden Finch, on board was Lorraine an Instagram acquaintance of mine who is out for 8 weeks. I waved from inside and got a cheery wave back from the chap at the helm. Lorraine only realised it was us when she saw Tilly. Spotting someone you half know isn’t that unusual, but a short time later we realised that NB Golden Finch was the last hire boat we had. Hired in December 2013 for five days from Wooten Wawen, we’d sold our shareboat and were waiting for our boat to be built, we needed a canal fix.

The day was going to be a wet one. We rolled back the covers, then took shelter whilst a storm cloud went past. After five minutes things looked good, we pushed off and headed to Aston Lock.

Eagerly awaiting us was a family, the son so excited that he’d get to see a boat in a lock he was bouncing up and down, higher and higher as we got closer. With two extra helpers, one who was almost jumping on board for a ride with us, it took no time to descend the lock.

A quick pause to take the obligatory photos, the mile post (which doesn’t mark the centre of the T&M but the central point between Shardlow and Preston Brook) and the potting shed with chimney.

Aston Marina looked inviting but other than stopping for a third roast in a row (this one would have been very much better than yesterdays and they have a gluten free menu too) we had no need to stop. As we pootled our way along rain showers came and went, nothing too wet thank goodness.

At Sandon Lock a boat was coming up so we manged to swap with them, very well timed. The amount of extra crew on hand suggested there was a queue below and as I hopped back on board the three boats started to nudge up closer to await their turn. One thing I noticed was that the lock cottage at last has a new low wall and fence, there has been a temporary fence there for years!

Mick was disappointed as always at there being no trains zooming past us on the parallel line, he always drops the revs in such places making the window of opportunity that bit longer.

There has been some work done to Salt Bridge. A new edge towpath side and arrows guiding you into the bridge hole as though on a steep bend in a car. Here”s hoping these measures enable the bridge to stand for many years to come.

The next bend brings with it permanent moorings. Here a new character was sat on the roof of a boat, bedraggled from the rain looking totally deflated. I won’t post the photo I took of Dante as he is still obviously in a bad way and has been mixing with the wrong crowd for far too long!

Now we wanted a mooring, it was lunch time and the sniffle Mick had started with yesterday was increasing to sneezes. As the railway moved away we pulled in on some armco. Within ten minutes the heavens opened and emptied itself, luckily we were indoors, Tilly was out and only returned when it got exceptionally heavy. After a quick bath she’d sit at the back door and wait quietly for one of us to open it for her, again.

We’ve lots of chicken to eat, so I decided to make some pancakes to stuff. Buckwheat pancake batter is best made ahead of time and left to rest. I’d checked the recipe and a while later weighed out the flour (must add Buckwheat flour to shopping list), cracked an egg into the bowl, a pinch of salt, but how much milk? I checked, 300ml. I measured it out added half of it to the bowl and mixed. Blimey this flour must have got drier or something! I was going to need an awful lot more milk to make the batter into a suitable consistency.

I checked the recipe, 300ml of milk was correct, but I’d remembered the quantity of flour wrong. 100 grams not 300! Should I start again, there’d be enough flour, but I also had enough milk and eggs so could make a lot of batter.

In the end I decided that this would be less wasteful and I could freeze the remainder. Yes I know I’d nearly emptied the freezer to defrost it, but we’ll try to consume the batter in the next week. I wonder if buckwheat pancake batter will make Yorkshire Puddings? The batter is more or less the same with normal flour.

Mick sat and worked his way through a box of tissues whilst watching The Battle of Britain. The heavens continually opened up all afternoon and evening. A perfect Bank Holiday Monday.

2 locks, 5.69 miles, 1 Insta friend, 2 damp boaters, 3 in a queue, 0 trains, 1 soggy moggy, 1 tasty starter, 1.3kg of pancake batter, 2 tuperwares in the freezer keeping half a tub of ice cream company, 1 classic film, 3 lemsips, 1 box tissues, 4 savoury pancakes, 4 sweet pancakes, 1 double rainbow, 2 ball experiment of none stripy stripy sock.

https://goo.gl/maps/n79G5ofpSggUqnJx7

Yarn And Wine. 26th May

Stone

Saturday was a work day, all but one job ticked off my list. The last remaining job will take a bit of time and thought which will come easier with a fresh brain. I now have a full box of bits and on the flat days of cruising to come heading southwards I’m hoping I’ll get lots of those bits painted.

The weekend being a Bank Holiday it feels like we have three Sundays all in a row. So on the first of these we decided to have a roast, chicken with tarragon butter under it’s skin. Very nice it was too.

Second Sunday morning Mick decided to give under our corner cupboard a good clean out. This is a triangular cupboard that pulls out giving access to the corner of the galley. The bottom contents of the deep corner cupboard come out in a drawer which is pulled out by the triangular piece. This all works very well, until too much crud collects, we are starting to get marks on the oak floor.

Tilly is the only one who really knows what goes on down there and she wasn’t being any help what so ever. Nothing for it but to get down on the floor and lie flat on your belly. All the dust, cat fur etc was swept out. Still no improvement! I adopted the horizontal position with Mick gently moving the cupboard. We’d assumed that the marks were being made by the wheels, but watching as the unit moved the marks where in front of the wheels, the worst mark no where near a castor.

A spare piece of card from my model was used to see if there was an obstruction under the plinth on the leading edge of the triangular cupboard. Sure enough there was. The cupboard was lifted slightly and a good sweep under with the card cleared a large bit of grit. We’ll have to keep a better eye on this.

The blue boat came past this morning, our summer is complete now we’ve seen them. They don’t recognise us now we’re no longer yellow.

As lunchtime approached we stepped off Oleanna to head to the pub, well it was Sunday after all. A short chat with Nick from NB City of Durham, he’s been a long standing blog reader following us from our yellow days. Nice to meet you.

The Star was where we met up with two old friends, Nikki and Sarah. They used to be Stage Mangers at Hull Truck, then after we moved to a life afloat they started to work at the SJT in Scarborough. They now live in Wem just under an hours drive away.

A few days ago my yarn order still hadn’t arrived in Rode Heath, so I placed another order under Micks name and got it sent by priority delivery to the ladies. As soon as I knew that my order had arrived I cancelled the missing one, asking the company for a refund and mentioning that I’d paid for DPD delivery on the successful order. Later that day I had a full refund and got the delivery charge returned too.

Today as soon as welcome hugs were over I was handed my parcel. 100 grams of variegated German yarn in two shades. The numbers were what I’d ordered, but the picture on the band suggested that they would knit up with stripes, this was not the effect I was after. Time and needles would tell. I refrained from starting straight away, there was lots to catch up on.

Food was selected, two roast beefs ordered which despite being on the menu were not available today! So alternative pork was chosen. We hadn’t expected great things on the food front and we weren’t disappointed, mediocre at it’s best. But the glasses of wine flowed and the company more than made up for it.

This is the better of the photos, I think the camera had had a touch too much wine too!

They came back to Oleanna to meet her and Tilly for the first time. Three years ago they were going to stay with us for a night in Nottingham when Tilly was only about six months old. More wine was consumed, Sarah sticking to coffee for the drive home. It’s always lovely to see them, hopefully next time they will come cruising with us.

The knitting needles came out later. A tension square needed to work out my pattern and to see how the yarn knitted up. It soon became obvious that the website sample had lied. Yes there are numerous colours and shades, these on the sample looked very mixed up. But row after row the stripes appeared and continued. I’ve got enough knitted to work out my tension and pattern. Tomorrow I’ll see what happens if I split the ball of yarn in half and try knitting alternate rows, will this jumble up the colours to achieve the required effect?

0 Locks, 0 miles, 2 Sundays so far, 1 car left to sort, 1 full box, 1 roast chicken, 2 boaters lying flat, 1 bit of grrrrrit, 2 lovely ladies, 1 pink parcel, 2 balls of yarn, 1 month late, 2 roast ~~beef~~ pork, 1 wine filled afternoon, 1 stripy tension square.

Water Chaos. 24th May

Lime Kiln Lock to Stone Bottom Lock Winding Hole

Time to move on, well just a bit. We’d thought about moving early, but despite the sun waking us a lot earlier than normal we didn’t seem to get moving any earlier than normal. Other boats were on the move and we suspected we’d have to wait for some of the locks going through Stone today, but we had plenty of time.

I love these curved platforms around these locks.

Lime Kiln lock already had a boat going down, so I helped with the gates and reset it for us. The boats should now be spaced out, but when I rounded the bend towards Newcastle Road Lock I could see the same boat waiting for another to come up.

The gates had been left from a boat going down for one coming up, good practice. Although that boat was still filling with water at the tap below. There were plenty of people on hand to help from waiting boats. Each person who appeared from below said that it was chaos at the water point. Two boats moored on the service moorings, one had just had to do-se-do as it came out from the lock with the one leaving the water point, another arrived and pulled up on the off side, another trying to hold a position ready to come up the lock when it was their turn, but out of the way for the next descending boat to come past.

Why so many boats at one tap? Stone has two taps, one here and the other below Star Lock. As we’d noticed the other day on a walk, the tap by Star Lock isn’t working, a big blue C&RT sign blurred with rain once said something, but is now illegible. We’d tried the tap and certainly nothing came out of it. There is no C&RT notice that we can find about this tap.

We needed water, the gauge was down to just under a quarter and we’d planned on doing some washing. Nothing for it but to head down the lock and hope there would be somewhere for us to wait our turn. There was nowhere near the tap so instead Mick moved Oleanna down to the chandlers where we decided to fill with diesel. We’d been hoping to meet up with Coal Boat Halsall, but by the time they get to Great Haywood we will most likely have turned off the Trent and Mersey and be on our way to Atherstone much further south.

Looking back towards the tap, less chaotic now

Apparently a few days ago someone had pulled up where we were to wait for the tap to become free and then an altercation occurred as someone had jumped the queue, fists were mentioned in the tale Mick was told. We waited patiently.

One boat that had been filling no longer had it’s hose out, the crew seemed to be having a nice chat with a coffee in hand, presumably unaware that they were hogging the services whilst others waited, patiently. He eventually pulled away, vacating a space for the chap who’d clung onto his boat for half an hour on the off side. It turns out that his wife had gone shopping for some bits and he’d been waiting for her. Have to say if it had been us we’d have arranged to meet somewhere up ahead once the tank was full. But each to their own.

When there was space for us we backed up and waited our turn. For such a busy place only having one tap working is ridiculous especially in this location. We asked the volunteers about it. When demolition work started below Star Lock on the old Leisure Centre the water was turned off, presumably just in case. The tap now no longer works and has been out of action for possibly six weeks! Will a supply be reinstated? If not then more waiting space should be provided to help stop boats backing up all over the place.

With our tank full we worked down the next lock and pulled into a 24 hr mooring. From here we walked to Morrisons to do a reasonably large shop. Once this was stowed we dropped down Star Lock, a line of chairs laid out along the towpath for drinking gongoozlers. There was space here for us, this will do for a couple of days.

4 locks, 0.81 miles, 4, 5, 6, who knows boats waiting for water, 6 volunteers, 1 admired cat, 85 litres diesel, 1 full water tank, 2 moorings, 2 boxes wine, 1 chicken, 1 freezer still not empty, 3 hours, 7 magpies, 1 postponement.

https://goo.gl/maps/GqqzbfpA9wtHdGZY6

Down The Tube. 23rd May

Chipping Norton Theatre and Hampstead Tube Station

An early start for me, I was up and away from the boat at 6:45 to catch a train to Birmingham New Street. My journey was really quite pleasant. Plenty of space on the train, I even had a table to put my model box on. As the train approached Wolverhampton I caught sight of locks on the 21, each chamber empty and waiting for someone to head up. Then on the way into Birmingham I kept catching glimpses of canals, the water looking blue and un-churned by boat propellers. I had little idea of where about’s I was on the canal network only stations giving away vague locations.

At Birmingham, which felt deep underground, we were kept waiting for our train to hitch up to another before we could get off. This made plenty of the passengers twitchy. As I got off I quickly ducked into a recess to avoid the mad dash of those heading for other trains. My experience of carrying models, that you have spent often weeks making, around on London tubes in rush hour coming in handy. I didn’t need to rush for my next train so when all was clear I just sauntered from one platform to the next.

The next train took me through Leamington Spa where the topiary steam engine was looking very good with two carriages following it with windows. Next stop was Banbury, only a couple of minutes late, not bad for the new time table. Oleanna left Banbury heading northwards in mid December last year when the cut was partially frozen over, no chance of that today, I had little need for my jumper!

Will, the Producer picked me up and we soon arrived in Chipping Norton. Lots of hellos to people before setting my model up for our meeting. Today there was the Director, Producer and Production Manager. I worked my way through panto with the model. Various small additions were talked about, a few new ideas too. Everyone liked the general setting, based on an abstract Underground station. All in all a very good meeting.

Gemma, the Production Manager, and myself sat down afterwards and went through the scenery bit by bit, discussing how things could be built. Marketing came along to take a sneaky peek photo for social media. I now have a list of jobs to do before I can move onto the next stage, colouring in, but they should only take me a day.

Will dropped me back off at the station and I made my way back to Stone, via Birmingham, then onto Stoke, standing next to the stinky toilet all the way, guarding my model like a pitbull! A late arrival meant I had 2 minutes to dash through the underpass to the other platform or wait another hour for the next train back to Stone. I legged it!

Tilly had been holding the fort for much of the day as Mick had taken advantage of me being away with work and had headed to London for the day.

Why London? Well for almost a year now he has been the proud owner of a 60+ London Oyster card, which gives him free travel around London. This comes as a benefit of our contact address being in London. It took quite a while for his card to be in his possession and today was the first time he felt he could head to London to try it out.

What did he do when he got there? He got on the tube and headed to the deepest station on the network, Hampstead, 192 foot below ground level. Rose to the surface in one of the lifts ( deepest lift shaft on the underground) popped into Tesco Express, bought a sandwich, went back down in the lift and caught a tube back to Euston.

If he’d have known that both trains in and out of London would be delayed by an hour, he most probably wouldn’t have done the trip. On the bright side he might just get his money back.

0 locks, 0 miles, 5 trains for me, 2 car rides, 4 trains for Mick, 1 used twice, 2 tubes, 2 chicken and bacon sandwiches (1 gluten free), 1 chicken and avocado sandwich (GF) for breakfast, 2 hours model meeting, 3 thumbs up, 2 technicians, 320 steps not climbed, 1 really boring day, 1 good roll around on the towpath, 1 grey cat!

Dusty grey in highly fashionable right now

A Spooky Coincidence. 21st and 22nd May

Brooke House Winding Hole to Lime Kiln Lock 30

Browsing through Facebook on Tuesday morning we came across photos of the next pound down from us being empty. This had been put on a local page and as ever boaters were commenting, blaming C&RT. Where as the more likely reason for the pound being empty was someone had left gates or paddles open at the next lock. The short length of the pound could easily be refilled from the pound above which is around 3 miles long, so we weren’t worried.

We pushed off around 11am passing a few boats on route, nobody mentioned an empty pound to us and when we arrived I checked ahead. There was plenty of water, someone had sorted it.

The Meaford Locks were busy we managed to swap with boats at two of the locks, paused to empty the yellow water tank between locks, before the towpath changed sides again. Our hope was to be able to pull up on the five day moorings above the locks in Stone. From here it would be a ten minute walk to the station for me to get to my panto meeting. We were in luck, there was space.

Tuesday afternoon I finished off my white card model ready for my meeting whilst Tilly became unimpressed with Stone and Mick had a walk down to Morrisons for a few bits. He returned via the towpath to see if he could find NB Mr Blue Sky who we’d shared the locks into Manchester with a few weeks ago. A rendez vous was arranged for Wednesday morning.

Ah the red and white rose of NB Mr Blue Sky

Wednesday arrived and two moorings became vacant (after one boat moved on!) so we nudged up, closer to the footpath to the station. A short while later Clare appeared, followed by Graeme at the helm of NB Mr BS, they slotted nicely into the gap behind us.

Time for a catch up on their travels. Since we parted ways in Manchester they have been down the Shoppie, done some of the Staffordshire and Worcester then come back up the Trent and Mersey, covering at least twice as many miles as us. They also wanted a sneak peek at my model. Despite the still fairly early hour we all had a thin slice of birthday cake, only half left to go! It was lovely to see them again, our paths may cross next time they are over or when/if we venture over to New Zealand.

Mick walked up to help them with the Meaford Locks whilst I was left to finish off my technical drawings. A trial pack and check through of everything for my meeting, I was ready by 3pm.

Fountains came along trimming the overgrown towpath and kicking up a lot of dust. We did get a knock on the side of the boat asking if they could cut alongside our mooring. Mick said yes as he could be stood ready to brush it off as soon as they finished. This proved a touch harder as the sun immediately baked it onto the gunnels, half an hour of washing got rid of it. At least we were in, our neighbour wasn’t, so didn’t get asked they just cut the grass anyway.

We had a walk to the station to time it as my train in the morning is early, ten minutes without getting too puffed climbing over the footbridge. Then we walked down through town (the Co-op had gone) to the new Marks and Spencers which is canal side just below Star Lock. With sandwiches for tomorrow and a few bits and bobs we walked back along the canal to Oleanna.

The bywash at Star Lock was roaring away, a boat was coming down Yard Lock above. As we walked along the pound we paused to pay our respects to Alex Bennett who’d died early last year in a boat fire here. We’d seen New Year in with her at Bugsworth Basin 2016/17 in the hold of her Fellows Morton and Clayton boat Tench, our paths had crossed a few times since.

We turned to carry on walking. The gates of Yard Lock opened, a snap shot of atmosphere with the leaking gates sprouting water behind the helm as the old workboat engine chugged it’s smoke into the chamber. As we got closer we could see that it was a Fellows Morton and Clayton boat. Closer still, it was Tench. We’d hoped we’d see her about somewhere, but in this pound where her owner Alex had died! A very spooky coincidence.

There was a chap at the helm, was that Brian from NB Elk? We’d seen him the other day in Middlewich and he was a very good friend of Alex’s. I checked later with a mutual friend and she confirmed that it most probably was Brian. We’re glad Tench has a new owner that will care for her as Alex did.

4 locks, 3 miles, 0 empty pounds, 5 day mooring to 48 hr mooring, 2 smiling New Zealanders, 4 slices of cake, 1 model ready, 12 sheets of drawings ready, 1 new yarn order, 1 assistants approval, 1 Tench, 1 spooky coincidence, 1 new owner.

https://goo.gl/maps/uTP9bC95in1Y98AAA

The Plan. 20th May

Barlaston

Chimneys only just visible behind the railway, just off centre

Whilst googling Barlaston the other day a photo came up of Barlaston Hall, ‘That looks nice’, I thought. I mentioned it to Mick. He looked it up on the map, ‘It should be just about there’. He pointed out of the hatch and sure enough behind the railway and some trees we could make out the brick work of a rather nice looking big house.

Whilst I was working he went for a walk and came back reporting that the hall looked as though no-one was in, maybe it wasn’t occupied. He’d also been to have a look at the nearby village that had been built for workers at the Wedgewood Factory, a similar style of village to New Earswick near York, built for Rowntree employees.

It all sounded far too interesting not to have a look myself, so on Monday we did his walk in the opposite direction. We walked back along the towpath to Oldroad Bridge, here we crossed the canal and walked up to the level crossing.

Wedgwood Station was opened in 1940 to serve the Wedgwood Factory, but in 2004 the line was temporarily closed for major works on the line. When the line reopened the station didn’t, the platforms now in need of repair. According to Wikipedia the area is now served by a rail replacement bus service, times can be found on the National Rail Journey Planner.

The new electric factory was built in the 1930’s, moving the factory from Etruria out to Barlaston where it was built in the grounds of Baralston Hall, which the Wedgwood family had bought. The road runs straight from the station up the hill, lined with giant oak trees. Younger trees are planted in between ready to take over when the older ones give up. The factory sits to one side of the road followed by the village.

The houses are much bigger than I’d imagined. They give off the impression that they are even bigger, double fronted even. But this isn’t true, each building is actually four houses the end properties having their front doors tucked around the side. A rather nice place to live with work a short distance down the hill, just a shame that the convenience store is now closed, possibly no longer that convenient for those with cars.

Crossing the road we followed a vague footpath through long grass further up the hill. The sky blue and the view improving across the valley with each step. This brought us out onto the road near to what was most probably stables for the hall. One converted barn currently up for sale here.

High hedges mostly of rhododendrons enclose the road. St John The Baptist Church has a wonderful Lych Gate which invites you into the grave yard. The tower is 12th Century, the rest of the building rebuilt in 1888. Inside there are memorials to the Wedgewood family but sadly the church closed in 1980 when large cracks appeared in the masonry due to subsidence. The windows have been replaced with perspex and grills and the face of the clock on the tower is smashed.

Next door is the Hall, what we’d really come to look at. The photo on Google really didn’t do it justice. A Grade 1 listed Palladian house built 1756-7 is attributed to Sir Robert Taylor with his trade mark windows.

A circular lawn sits in front of the main entrance, the other side of the building having a view that stretches to the canal and beyond for miles right across the valley. Wow!!

Woods stretch off to the side, providing spinney like places to play in as I’d had when I grew up in Fulford, York. Our garden bordered on one side by a bank of rhododendrons just like here. This all felt very homely, the house however a couple of hundred years older than the one my Dad had built, it is also about ten times it’s size. But what a house!

As we walked down through the fields below the views showed themselves even better, the view of the house wasn’t so bad either.

One field away from the railway a large pond sits, not quite a lake and possibly no longer part of the land that accompanies the house. What a place!

Yesterday when trying to find out more about the house we’d come across sale details. The house has had a LOT of restoration carried out to it. Wedgewood cared for the hall until the 1960’s when it then fell into disrepair and was vandalised. Lead was removed from the roof, major subsidence from coal mining occurred and the fact that it had been built over a fault in the geology meant that it was only a matter of time before 4 inch large cracks appeared in the brickwork.

Wedgwood twice tried to get the hall demolished, but in 1981 a rescue plan was put into action by SAVE Britains Heritage (big article here). The hall had been offered for £1. If in the following five years the hall was not completely restored then Wedgewood would have the right to buy it back for £1. The subsidence from extensive coal mining in the valley was put right, the Coal Board ending up paying £120,000 in compensation and funded preventative works. With more funding from English Heritage and a loan from the National Heritage Memorial Fund work commenced. The hall is one of the biggest success stories in English heritage.

By the time we had walked back to the railway station we had concocted a plan. If we were to sell our house in Scarborough, NB Oleanna, scrape together all our savings we’d have just enough for a reasonable deposit. But that would mean we’d have no income and I doubt one panto design a year would be enough for a bank to give us a mortgage. So where could we get the remainder?

One way would be to share the house with our family. Siblings could sell their London properties, this would most probably mean we’d not have to sell our house in Scarborough, instead someone from the family could move to the seaside away from smoggy London. The Hall would be large enough to house more than Mick, Tilly and myself, so other siblings, now no longer living in London could also move in.

If anyone want’s to stable their horses we’d have a big paddock for them

With four reception rooms, 7 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 2 attic rooms, a study, galleried landings, 3 garages, stables, an orangery, a self contained flat, 1 large kitchen, wine cellar (bigger than under our back steps) we’d most probably have to arrange to have a family get together once a month so as to see each other.

What would we do with Oleanna? Well the pond/lake could be dredged and could become an end of garden mooring. We’d need to build a couple of locks to reach the Trent and Mersey canal,, but these would mean we’d be able to get under the railway line. The station would be the next thing to improve, if we won the Euro millions, we’d be able to have work done to the station and make it into a request stop.

All perfectly possible. We just need to dissuade the people who have put an offer in already.

I think we have a plan!

Not The Same As A Computer. 20th May

Barlaston

Today started with tea in bed as usual. However today this was accompanied by a present and cards. Today was Mick’s birthday.

Last year was a significant birthday, this year with a 1 added to his total age the present wasn’t quite so good! He did get more than a few pairs of socks, these were just for the initial effect.

Tilly helped with the tidying up, shredding the wrapping paper for us. I really like birthdays!

I sadly needed to get a bit more work done, so as I sorted out sliding scenery Mick occupied himself on the internet with last years present and eight inches of table, whilst Tilly sat in a tree watching for friends and foes. After lunch we had a nice walk, returning to shower and put on smart cloths.

We headed out for a meal at The Plume Of Feathers, the Neil Morrissey pub. We’d booked a table and sat by the window where we could watch crown green bowling. The portions coming out from the kitchen looked large and as there was only one starter on the menu that I could have we decided to launch straight in to the mains.

Mick chose Fish and Chips which looked very good and I had a Warm Duck Salad with squash spinach and beetroot, with a portion of chips on the side. Both were very good and the chips were certainly the best we’ve had in a long time. A pint of Neil’s beer and a large glass of wine for me. A very nice evening with just one slight disappointment. Neil obviously couldn’t be bothered in making an appearance for Mick’s birthday (well it was only a minor one), so I didn’t get chance to ask him how it had been back in 1982 playing Robin Hood at Chipping Norton.

No need to buy pudding. I’d managed to fool Mick into believing that the baking I’d been doing yesterday was part of my model! So he had no idea that I’d made the most chocolatiest chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and extra chocolate bits on top.

Candles blown out and a slice each. I suspect we’ll be eating it for quite a while!

0 locks, 0 miles, 61st, 5 pairs socks, 39 chocolates, 1 sweatshirt, 1 fleecy top, 2 cards, 4 hours work, 4 miles walk, 1 major plan hatched, 1 green boat in the winding hole, 0 Neil, 1 pint, 1 glass, 1 fish and chips, 1 duck breast, 2 slices of very rich cake, 1 BIG Happy Birthday to my boy!

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna