Whitley Lock to opposite Goole Waterways Museum

Pushing off around 10:30 we had some miles to cover by boat and foot to arrived in time for my appointment at EE in Goole.

The waterways around here do very big skies. This does however mean little shelter from the wind, we wore our waterproof coats to cheat the wind.

At Great Heck service yard we were surprised at the number of fridges and freezers piled up on the side. None of them really looked like they had been pulled out from the depths of the canal as they were still all very white, little if any signs of silty water. Just where have they all come from? Plenty of work boats were in too, several looking like they were having services.

We’re in the land of big boats now. Like a gold fish grows to fit the size of its bowl, boats grow in size to meet the size of the waterway. Lets face it there’s plenty of room round here, if you want to wind you don’t have to travel miles to do so, unless you’re a big boat that is!

Coming in towards Pollington Lock we could see someone had beaten us to the lock, a Dutch Barge. Would there be space for us too? We picked up speed to catch them up, plenty of room as we came in alongside them. There was chance for chat to the fella in the wheelhouse before the gates opened, we led the way below as they were stopping for water.

Today we were to see the most boats moving since possibly Skipton. One narrowboat came out ahead of us from the moorings below the lock, their speed a touch slower than ours, so Mick sped up a touch to overtake.

Up by the New Junction Canal Junction there was another slowish boat, he pulled over to let us pass which we managed before a cruiser came towards us and well before the junction. Straight on to Goole!

Drax was now in our sights working away burning biomass, wood pellets much like cat litter. Then we turned back towards the east only one slight bend between us and Goole Docks now.

We passed the chap who’d wanted to go to York but had problems with his recently installed bowthruster and then at Rawcliffe WB Yorkshire Pud was tied up, whom we’d moored alongside at Goole Boathouse last year.

Then with a zoom on the camera I could spy the big blue stern of Exol Pride moored up. She was pointing in the direction of Hull so we most probably won’t have to worry about her for a few days.

Under the railway bridge we had a choice of where to moor. On our left where we spent a week early last year, popular with dog walkers who arrive in their cars. Lots of room in front of the closed Goole Waterways Museum now all their boats have moved off for sale. Down at the Visitor Moorings there only looked to be one boat. We chose the first option, better for Tilly once we’d returned from town.

Over a kilometer to walk to the main road and then nearly another to reach town we left plenty of time for the walk.

First port of call, Argos. Mask donned, reference number read out, I had a phone again.

Second port of call, Boyes. I wanted a couple of new paint brushes and Boyes do a range that are pretty good quality at a reasonable price. I also got some wet dry sandpaper for between coats of paint. Mick had come out without his mask, so a box of emergency masks was added to my shopping.

We were about three quarters of an hour early for my appointment, but as one of the assistants was busy writing a card for a family member, they weren’t rushed off their feet. For the first time ever on walking into a mobile phone shop we were seen straight away and were their only customers. With two assistants we had one each.

I got sorted with a replacement Sim and my plan was reduced by £2 a month, admittedly my data was reduced too, but I never use it all anyway. Mick enquired about a new Sim for Oleanna’s router. We currently have a plan that started off being £20 for 100GB which has since morphed into unlimited for another £7, we never used the 100GB so would rather not be spending the extra money. EE could do us 100GB for £20 and because it could be tagged onto Mick’s account we got another 10% off so saving £9 a month. It was a deal. So to celebrate we headed to Tesco and bought ourselves an Indian for this evening, spending this months saving straight away.

Back at the far side of the docks, we’d been joined by another narrowboat with a big German Shepherd. Mick chatted with the owners before we let Tilly out for a couple of hours. They thought they’d seen Tilly come home, so let their dog run free. Tilly had been home for her ‘Thank you for coming home’ Dreamies, but then gone straight back out again. For the remainder of the afternoon we had a very nosy dog peering into Oleanna, making me jump on one occasion.

Google backup is a wonderful thing and my new phone was very soon resembling my old one. But a few things had changed or not been remembered. Tilly has been my wallpaper for quite some time, now she was super sized and scans across the different pages as you swipe sideways, her big yellow eyes now following my every move. A few aps were missing and a few passwords had gone awol. Just a shame the phone numbers that went missing a couple of handsets ago are still missing! Oh well, sorry if your name begins with N!

So I’m back up and running. My new phone will not be going on a towel or in a pocket again, after all girls pockets are much too small for modern mobiles, unlike boys pockets!

1 lock shared, 11.72 miles, 1 straight on, 2 very long mooring ropes, 2 springs added incase of big boats, 1 VHF at the ready to listen, 2 spaces to choose from, 2 paint brushes, 25 masks, 20 sheets wet and dry, 1 phone, 2 sim cards, £108 saving, 1 annoying woofer, 1 giant Tilly, 2 currys, 4 onion bhajis, 1 jar mango chutney, 1 bag poppadoms, I wonder how you make poppadoms from scratch?