Monthly Archives: April 2022

Oh BUM………ingham! 16th April

Cambrian Wharf

How did they do that? You turn your back for one minute! They go and tie up BUMingham again!

This bit of BUMingham has lots of bricks but mainly on the bottom, it also has a lock for moving the outside up and down. I don’t often get to sniff these things and She wasn’t too keen on me doing that. To be truthful I wasn’t too keen on doing much in BUMingham anyway. Far too many Shes and Toms about the place and some of them were moving the outside with all three of us in it. I so hope they’ve tied BUMingham up very very well!

Hmmm, how do they move these things up and down?

The first boat into the locks was at 8am.

Last night we’d heard the lock being filled, it was dark. Mick peeked out of the curtains and could see Coal Boat Roach being bow hauled into the lock, it looked like Rich was wearing waders. We didn’t think that Farmers Bridge was on his normal route and he’d been moored up in the afternoon, fully laden with coal. What do we know?

Then quite a while later we could hear the top paddle being wound up again, the lock was filling. It carried on filling and filling and filling. Was someone trying to empty the Birmingham level?! A chap had gone down the locks earlier single handing leaving paddles up.

No this was Rich from Roach again. ? Mick went out to see what was happening.

During the day Roach had managed to get a bicycle around its prop. To remove it they had dropped Roach into the first pound down the flight, then drained that pound so that the problem could be dealt with easier out of the water, hence the waders. A bright green bike was pulled off the prop, the pound refilled and Roach was brought back up onto the Birmingham level.

After half an hour we got pictures but no-one could hear us

Today didn’t start off quite so exciting. The Flapper pub across the way is very much open again and last night proved to be a popular place for birthdays, we think things died down there at around 1am. Our mooring may be handy but it is noisy, however it will serve our purposes until after Easter.

The Antony Gormley is back in town in a slightly new position

After having difficulty joining the Geraghty Zoom Mick headed off to pick up a hire car from Budget at Birmingham Airport. He’d hunted round for the best deal over the Easter weekend and this was the one around about £120 for 3 days. A reckie for parking places nearby had been done and he’d registered with RingGo Parking. This left Tilly and myself onboard pottering.

The boat dipped! Hang on! Yes you guessed it someone was having their photo taken stood on the stern of Oleanna. They were apologetic when I asked if I could go and stand in their living room to have my photo taken!

The general hubhub gradually increased over the next hour, followed by dull thudding noises. I peeked out through the curtains to see twenty maybe more young men gathered around the lock, the thudding noise was coming from them taking it in turns to jump across the chamber.

How many narrow locks have we seen with memorials alongside for people who’ve tried to jump across, usually under the influence of alcohol, and it’s all gone very wrong! This was my first thought.

Then as I watched it was very obvious that they knew what they were doing making the jump look so so easy. These were free runners. There are several places in Birmingham where you can train to free run, but I suspect it’s a lot cheaper to jump over the top lock at Farmers Bridge! It also seemed to be a big social thing.

Several people took photos, others filmed the more experienced runners. The younger chaps just jumped the chamber, others continued on to jump up the wall opposite towards the scaffolding, one or two more did summersaults. Everyone practicing their particular moves, wiping dust from the soles of the trainers before setting off.

Tilly was interested too, so we went out the back to watch. I could show them a thing or two! But I’ll leave it for now.

https://youtube.com/shorts/25hWqPWkfNg?feature=share

It was interesting watching them all, yes there was some danger in their actions, but I wouldn’t be the one to haul someone out of the lock with a head injury. The skill that some of these chaps had was impressive. A couple of old queens sat on the bench watching them, maybe attracted by the skill or maybe just by the six packs on display!

After an hour they gradually moved off, heading into the city centre in front of the library to practice tumbles along with the street dancers.

Now the entertainment had finished I headed to stock up on card to make models from. As we’ll be on totally new waters in a few weeks I’d rather have what I need on board already to make a white card model for Panto. Once I was back, the drawing board slot was emptied, new card added to the big folder of card and then everything stowed away again until needed.

Our mooring at the top of Farmers Bridge

We sat back, enjoyed our evening meal, then wondered what time The Flapper would close tonight! Cambrian Wharf eventually quietened down at around 1am again.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 train, 1 hire car, 1 photo, 30 plus free runners, 0 injuries, 1 cat wanting to join in, 1 new hobby for Mick? 2 sheets card, 1 designer ready to design, 1 very noisy pub.

Oleanna V Tunnel. 15th April

Star City to Cambrian Wharf, Birmingham

Last nights mooring was very quiet, well apart from the air conditioner unit on the side of the cinema. Only one boat went past us and despite the padlock being no more we felt safe, C&RT did say someone would be out this morning to fix it.

Time to explore, well tick of another stretch of the BCN that we’ve not cruised before. Now when I say BCN, it is actually part of the Grand Union Canal. The working boatmen used to call this the ‘Bottom Road’. Coal was needed for the power station at Star City, there were gas works and numerous goods sheds along the 2.6 mile stretch. Fellows Morton and Clayton had a boat dock where boats such as President were built. On the Alarum talk the other evening Kate had suggested it was one of those arms where the grime and dirt from years gone by still seeps out from the silt at the bottom of the canal. So we expected a lot worse than we actually got.

No single bottom gates on the Garrison flight, so the double gates would all need kicking open. Thankfully all the top gates had held the water back so each and every lock opened without any fuss.

Alongside the bottom lock was what looked like a side pond. Drawing from the side pond before drawing water from the pound above would save water, similar to the Hanbury Locks at the top of the Droitwich Canal. None of the other locks seemed to have the same arrangement, but we did notice something we’ve not seen elsewhere.

At the second lock as I lifted the top paddles Mick heard gurgling behind him, then bubbling up by the bottom gate recesses. This lock not only filled at the top but also the bottom a bit like some Thames locks. Maybe that was what the side pond had been for at the bottom lock.

A few more of the locks also filled at the bottom end on one side or the other. We made good progress up the flight and then ducked our way under numerous bridges before reaching Bordesley Junction where we came back onto familiar water.

Bordesley Junction looking the way we’d come

Towards the end of last year we’d come down the Camp Hill Flight which continues the Grand Union on towards Knowle and Hatton. Today we turned right and onto the Grand Union Digbeth Branch.

There are works of art in amongst the tags

Here just about every wall has been covered in graffiti. boards on posts have been put up and these now obviously are covered too, painting in front of a mass of painting.

Through Warwick Bar where building works are still on going and past Minerva Works all shades of blue.

At Digbeth Junction we decided to turn left and go down into Typhoo Basin, new water again, not much of it. Here three arms used to spread out and Typhoo packaged tea here from 1925 until 1978 despite being badly damaged in WW2. There was just enough room give or take a tree or two to wind.

Once through Curzon Street Tunnel we faced the Ashted flight. The locks here also pretty water tight, but these were all set against us. We soon got into the swing of working an uphill flight, the locks here closer together than on the Garrison flight.

Today all around us was quiet, nobody working on HS2 and most of the students away on their Easter holidays.

Ahead lay Ashted Tunnel, today we were going to win the battle against it. So far the tally stood at Tunnel 2, Lillian 0, Oleanna 0. Lillian lost a nav light on our first trip through, then last year Oleanna gained extra gouges out of her grabrail, all patched in now but not a pretty sight.

We remembered the advice others had given us so as soon as the lock below the tunnel was filling I walked ahead to empty the lock on the other side of the tunnel. This we’d done last year, you most certainly don’t want to be part way through the tunnel when the lock empties!

Last year we’d waited for the levels to settle before going through the tunnel. This had been our mistake. Today Mick opened the gate to the lock below the tunnel then lifted a paddle at the bottom end of the lock, letting water flow through it to lower the pound through the tunnel.

I returned and gave up dates on the level, 4 inches below, 5. That’s when we thought we should drop the paddles, the short pound below the lock now really quite full. I took the centre line and as Mick drove Oleanna through the tunnel I kept her towards the towpath side.

No bumps or scrapes, the lower level doing the trick and the rope just incase. This time we’d won! Tunnel 2, Pip and Mick 1! Thank you for your advice Brian and Adam it worked a treat.

We paused on the bollards for lunch which meant we were overtaken by another boat. They and the boat a distance behind them most probably taking advantage of the new lower pound through the tunnel, possibly not even aware of the possible trouble that we’d averted.

With a cuppa and refuelled we were ready for the Farmers Bridge flight. We knew we’d be following another boat so every lock would have to be turned.

We started at a steady pace, Mick closing up behind and me going on ahead. Then a volunteer arrived, the boat ahead had four crew so he’d come to offer his services to us.

After one lock we got a rhythm going. The volunteer heading up to the next lock to empty it, open and close the bottom gate. I would then lift the top two paddles, as Oleanna came up Mick would step off and be ready to open the top gate allowing me to close the off side paddle before crossing the gate which he then opened. I then closed the other paddle and closed up behind.

Through the dark, under the buildings. Then past all the scaffolding on the tower blocks having their cladding removed.

On reaching the top three locks we were now a tourist attraction, gongoozlers watching our every move. Mick enlisted a German lady to help with the gates, then I had a Japanese chap help with another.

At the top a space sat waiting for us right alongside the lock, a 14 day mooring at that. Mick brought Oleanna out from the lock and then reversed her back into the space. Job done, we’d reached our destination.

The sun had been out all day, so we made the most of sitting on the bench by Oleanna and watching the world go by. Tilly however was a little bit perturbed as other people seemed to be moving the outside with all of us in it!

24 locks, 5.08 miles, 1 right, 2 lefts, 1 straight on, 1 victory, 1 reverse for a mooring, 1 sunny day, 1 disgruntled cat.

https://goo.gl/maps/JaTBQgkQtNVb3sX3A

Left Left Please. 14th April

Curdworth Visitor Moorings to Star City, Grand Union: Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal

Heading up to the Birmingham plateau usually means long hard days of locks, no matter which direction you come from. However today was going to be a short one for us as we were heading for new waters!

The boats around us had already moved off before us, the Anglo Welsh boat starting it’s engine bang on 8am. We’d noticed a slight list to Oleanna, I pushed out the bow, but the stern was being obstinate. Mick popped her in reverse, then pushed, then reverse again. Eventually we were off the bottom just as a boat was coming through the bridge behind us. Sorry we pulled out, we’d reached the point where we just had to carry on.

Minworth Bottom Lock was very full, in fact the top gate was open. A chap was busy picking litter from quite a mound of duck weed on the off side. He asked if we could wait whilst he removed the worst of the weed and rubbish from the lock before I emptied it. Mick hung around below and I chatted with the chap. He does this off his own back, with rakes, landing nets, a bucket (now broken) and a high sided wheelbarrow.

By the time I emptied the lock and opened the bottom gate (only one as we’re on the BCN) Mick had managed to pick up something on the prop. A blast of reverse disposed of it, but now he was very very close to the arch of the bridge below. Thankfully he managed to manoeuvre away before any damage happened to the grab rail or pram hood.

Pale patches of grass suggests this lock had work done recently

You could tell the chap had started at the bottom of the locks as the next two got progressively worse, more duck weed and more and more rubbish collecting above the top gates.

With todays fuel prices you would think that would put off the towpath motorbikes, but no. Two kept passing us, up and down the way almost to our planned destination. They paused at the drive through KFC then were heading back of into the distance again

A hire boat came past, or was it an Ark? Only one of each animal on board though.

The canal now gets more and more urban. The M6 getting closer and closer all the time, HS2 will join in with this in years to come.

Natural light changing ugly into attractive

Over head a factory was built spanning the canal. Concrete pillars holding the weight beyond the towpath. Today we’d timed our cruise to perfection, the sun streaming in between the pillars. The colours of the (none too artistic) graffiti catching the light and creating an effect similar to that of stained glass. Wow! What a treat.

We were facing Spaghetti Junction, old bridges and new all starting to cross cross at speed above the slow moving canal below. Peeking through under the M6 we could see where we’d be stopping today, Star City.

At Salford Junction I gave directions. Not straight on or just left but, ‘Left Left Please!’ Mick slowed Oleanna down and pushed the tiller over, several points to the turn and we were round and onto new water for all of us.

Now on the Grand Union, we crossed over the River Tame which quietly trickles it’s way underneath transport old and new. Nechelles or Salford Bridge Stop Lock now has no gates but the canal narrows and a cottage sits behind big fences for it’s own protection. A cheery chap called out to us from the garden.

Ahead was our mooring for the night, Star City pontoon, a secure mooring behind a locked gate, or so we thought. On closer inspection someone has cut away the C&RT padlock. This may have been because the padlock broke. We pulled up at the near end, furthest away from the busy road bridge ahead.

Star City has a huge cinema, bowling alley, restaurants etc. We’d not be visiting and neither would Tilly. This took a bit of explaining as to begin with the trees, cowslips and sideways trees looked appealing. But behind them was a service road then the carpark. The Cat Health and Safety Committee convened and decided it was too risky.

After a late lunch Mick chopped up a log that had been fished out of the Aire and Calder by Al weeks ago in Goole. I started on a batch of Hot Paw Buns, mixing together the dough and leaving it to rise before adding the fruit and spices.

Next on the jobs list was the port side cratch cover. Yes we’ve only just had the zips mended but unfortunately when Mick dropped me off at Nether Lock on the Trent the other day we were too busy protecting the cabin side to notice that the overhang attacked the pram cover! A rip along the skirt and a broken zip!

I’ve been looking online to see if it would be possible to mend the zip rather than replace it. With a pair of plyers in hand I had a go at following the advice I’d found, the zip head may have opened up and not be pushing the teeth together enough, so hopefully a squeeze back would do the job.

I gave the leading end of the zip a squeeze, a slight improvement, but I couldn’t squeeze anymore. Mick came and helped too. Maybe the back of the zip needed a squeeze too. We nudged the head down a touch opened up the teeth behind and applied pressure. Back up to the top as far as it could go and try again.

It would never be invisible so I don’t mind the brighter blue cotton

Well it looks like the job might be done as the teeth are now aligning and pushing together as they should do. We’ll see if it stays together tomorrow when I roll the covers up.

Mick checked the weed hatch, not much to report on the urban jellyfish front. We’ll see what we manage to catch in the morning!

Hot Paw Buns had their fruit and spices added. Normally I’d leave the the dough to rest again before shaping them, but today I experimented, shaping and adding their centres, leaving them on a tray to rise before going in the oven. It took them quite sometime to show any intention of rising, maybe they weren’t warm enough, maybe the yeast was past it’s best, or maybe I was pushing them too soon. But what really matters was how did they taste.

Yummy as ever!

3 locks, 5.8 miles, 1 left left, 1 good soul, 1 dinted dinghy! 12 hot paw buns, 2 inches darned, 1 log kindling, 1 zip mended?

https://goo.gl/maps/Q3b8GrWZjhmQHurf6

Soaking Curdsworth. 13th April

Hopwas Wood Bridge to Curdworth Visitor Moorings

Not really a drip drip drip this morning, nor a drop drop drop! Hardly a little April shower! More a torrent!

As we had breakfast NB Freespirit came past, this would the last time we’d leapfrog as we’d be going in different directions today. Once the rain had stopped the covers were rolled back, the forecast suggested the rain had passed, we hoped so as we’d be working through locks today.

Three miles with plenty of moored and moving boats to keep our progress slow before we arrived at Fazeley. Here a share boat had just finished on the water point and was pushing out, a chap clung onto his centre line whilst waiting for the tap, a boat popped it’s bow out from the Coventry Canal and we turned right keeping to the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.

Tolson’s Mill has new metal windows, being painted today, part of the refurbishment that will see the old mill converted into 50 apartments, other buildings will be town houses. Long gone is the wonderful yarn shop that used to reside here, although my bank account is thankful.

The obligatory photo of Drayton Turret Footbridge was taken. Maybe next time I should walk this stretch to try to get a different angle on the bridge.

Swans sitting in the fields, it’s what they do around here

Should we climb a couple of locks before stopping for lunch or have it early? We passed the first mooring spot and very soon regretted not pulling in. The dark cloud that had been looming had caught up with us. The second M on Waterway Routes had some space so we quickly pulled in, the pram hood lifted and coats left to drip dry.

As we had lunch torrential showers came and went. Would the sun stay out for us doing the Curdworth flight. We already knew the forecasts were lying and that we’d get a soaking!

The first time we did this flight in October 2014 on NB Lilliyanne (known as Lillian after my Mum). We’d left Birmingham that morning and had aimed to get out of the ‘bad lands’ to either Minsworth or Curdworth that day. As we started the Curdworth flight the heavens opened drenching us to the skin. So today we were prepared for the weather.

The locks were just about all set in our favour, just a lift of a paddle to make opening the bottom gate was needed. The bottom lock we remained dry. I walked up the flight with Mick pulling in to the side in the first pound to hand me my waterproof coat. This was just as well as showers started. By the time we reached Lock 9 I shut the gate behind Oleanna and retreated to the shelter of the bridge below, waiting for the rain to ease. My waterproofs were doing their job of resisting the precipitation which was all now collecting inside my left trainer!

The rain eased a little, then returned. Despite waterproofs we both got pretty much soaked again. Mick lifted the pram cover whilst in a lock, but with reduced vision it’s not the best thing to cruise with up especially when there are low bridges about, oh to be stood in the cockpit of David’s boat with the windscreen wipers going!

By the time we were about half way up the flight the weather started to brighten up a touch and we could see a boat heading down the locks above. The next lock was opened up for us. HS2 will cross the canal in this short pound. To the north west of the canal traffic cones and fencing mark the route. To the south east earth works have already started and on the far side of the M42 large cranes were being erected, the bridge that crosses the canal will also have to cross the motorway.

Chance to chat to people at a lock. They were the first of several hirers we’d meet today most doing the Warwickshire ring. These people are awaiting their slot for a new build boat by Ortomarine, an all electric boat, this will coincide with their kids starting to fend for themselves. I wished them luck with the build and we both headed off.

Not far now, through the top lock which was moved when the M6 Toll was built. Not much evidence of where it used to be, but the shadow of a lock on Waterway Routes shows where it once was, most definitely in the way of the motorway!

Red arrow shows where the lock used to be

We now cruised to find a mooring suitable for both us and Tilly. Somewhere we’d be able to dry out. Thankfully we arrived in time to grab a space between Curdworth Tunnel and Curdworth Bridge a tree lined cutting suitable for Tilly to play in for an hour or so.

Curdworth Tunnel, short but full of spiders!

We were soon surrounded and then passed by several more boats, mostly hire boats on the ring arriving a touch too late to get a mooring here, but there was plenty more space further on. I suspect we’ll be passing a few more boats tomorrow finishing their descent from Birmingham aiming for the Dog and Doublet as a reward for doing so many downhill locks in a day.

11 locks, 9.16 miles, 1 right, 2 open swing bridges, HS2, 2 soaked boaters, 1 hour exploration, 2 out of 3 times soaked, 20 years.

https://goo.gl/maps/dX5FB1AqYTYv2rqEA

Three Phase Pigeons. 12th April

Fradley Swing Bridge to Hopwas Wood

Rain! Oh well we’d have to get wet today.

We pulled back to the water point to fill the tank. The tap here is much much faster than the one back round the corner at the services, but that means the bins are further to walk to. Mick did the honours.

A day with no locks meant I felt happy using the stove to cook our evening meal, no chance of the pot being jolted from the stove top. The dish I had in mind would normally take three hours on Gas 1, so the perfect thing to sit on the stove all day.

Mick stood in the rain at the helm with wafts of cooking coming from below as I browned off some beef, steamed beetroot, zuzzed spices together added stock and left it all to very gently cook for many hours.

The rain did stop, round about the time I’d finished cooking strangely enough! We’d reached Streethay Wharf and started to move away from the busy noisy A38.

A group of pigeons sat on the electricity wires preening themselves. Fields recently tilled . The blackthorn blossom just starting to turn pink having just passed it’s best.

Works on HS2 can be seen across the fields. Cranes and earth movers. We hoped some of them were aware of the electricity lines!

At Whittington we crossed the border from the Coventry Canal (detached section) onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, marked by a stone on the towpath and the bridges no longer being numbered but now being named.

I hoped for a good photo of Whittington Bridge to be able to use as a first night card for panto this year, Dick Whittington, but everywhere was really rather uninspiring with grey cloud hanging around.

The poly tunnels are set back from the canal now, is it asparagus that is grown here? The weather vane still looks good even without sunshine.

We pootled on, the West Coast Main Line coming and going. Round the next bend was that familiar boat again, NB Freespirit. We slowed and said hello as we passed the windows, glancing back I could see the front door being opened. Mick popped Oleanna into reverse and then we hovered, managing quite a chat and catch up with Ian, Irene and Toffee their son’s dog. Lovely to see them again, they must have passed us at the crack of dawn.

Just a bit further on for us, through the woods where the armed forces practice shooting each other, then we pulled up as soon as we could.

Trees! Lots of trees! Not that Tilly went climbing, she was far too busy checking out the friendly cover.

As the afternoon went by the aroma from the pot on the stove increased, it just needed to be finished of in the oven. I cooked some rice and made some gluten free nan breads to accompany the beef and beetroot curry. It is a recipe I discovered when we were getting regular veg boxes in the house and it is very tasty. Today I didn’t have a red chilli to add into the paste so it wasn’t hot, just the occasional kick from the ginger. It is still very tasty and there’s one portion left which has been frozen for another time. Would anybody like the recipe?

Curry and Nan (gf) Click on photo for recipe

Food was all done and dusted with in time for an on line talk by Alarum about the Birmingham Canals before they all got cleaned up.

Despite some IT glitches the talk was very interesting with reminiscences from women who’d helped with the clean up of the canals and what they’d been like before hand. The biggest surprise was how enclosed they all were. A gate into Gas Street basin and one entrance out of the Farmers Bridge flight, it was a locked away world. All those metal bridges you see are new. Plus the bridge at Worcester Bar, yes the one we all take photos of, back in the 70’s it was just a plank across the cut!

0 locks, 7.69 miles, 140ft reversed, 1 full water tank, 1 curry, 7 hours, 2 many boats on the move, 1 blogger, 278 trees, 1 cat happy, 1 canal talk.

Chocolate Box. 11th April

Shobnall Fields to Fradley Swing Bridge, Coventry Canal

More news came through yesterday from my cousin in Ukraine. They have managed to visit their home in Chernihiv to board up windows and doors and sift through to see what the looters might have left. Not much really other than heavy items of furniture which leaves them with the two suitcases they had packed when they fled. The house had triple glazing most of which is now shattered across what is left of their lawn, a lot of shards to pick up before their dogs can play out again. There is still no power or gas and very little in the shops, so it will be sometime before they can return to rebuild their home.

“Hopefully things don’t deteriorate again but when will it all end?”

Here in Burton we pushed off and made our way to Shobnall Basin, thankfully there was nobody already filling with diesel so Mick swung Oleanna round and reversed in through the narrow entrance. He managed this without touching the sides, an audience and wind! He was quite smug about it too.

At £1.20 a litre we wanted to leave with the tank full and we were surprised that the tank was full after only 81 litres considering we’d been pushing upstream for several days. A new bottle of gas too, the price of which had just gone up, but today they would charge us the old price. In the shop we looked round for some Marine 16, here there was a large bottle at about the same price we’d have got half the amount for in Nottingham. Glad we waited.

Time to move on. There are more new houses in view near Branston Lock. Looking one way it is still quite green, the other way and huge distribution warehouses are going up.

Next Tattenhill Lock, the chocolate box lock. It always looks so pretty in the sunlight the cottage a B&B. What a different place this must have been when the cottage was first built, no builders merchants along the way where huge clouds of dust blew across the canal, pile driving noises and the constant road noise from the A38.

We held our breath going through bridge 36. I sent a photo to David, his boat would certainly not make it through such tight bridge holes, it wouldn’t make it through the narrow locks either.

The moorings were full below Barton Turn Lock so we had to ascend it before stopping for lunch. The end of a beam is now painted red and at some time the handle has been moved so that it is over solid ground and not just air!

Now the mile and a half where the A38 clings to the side of the canal. We always wave to lorries along here. At first today it seemed like everyone was miserable, but then we got our first wave back, then a beep beep, even a flash of lights from one driver.

Wychnor Lock we caught up with a boat that must have come out from the marina. The lady was a novice learning the ropes, the chap an old hand. Mick came up to lend a hand setting the lock once they’d gone.

Now we were on the stretch with the River Trent, the navigation more windy than before. The boats moored here have rings that can slide up and down on scaff poles for the changing height of the river. There is a weir and several bridges to help keep the towpath from getting flooded.

Alrewas was semi busy, we’d have found space for ourselves, but wanted to get further today, catching up with our schedule. A new boat is aptly named on the off side mooring where the canal narrows.

At Bagnall Lock Mick held the gates closed with the aid of the boat hook, one of them naturally wants to open itself but thankfully I only had to return to close it one extra time.

Now the locks up into Fradley, passing the new marina which now has a few boats in residence. Late afternoon meant there would be no volunteers, they may not have started back yet anyway. But it did mean I got to work all the locks myself, which is why I love boating.

Between Keeper’s Lock and Junction Lock there was only one space free, each boat socially distancing themselves and not one shared mooring ring. We planned to ascend all the locks today so carried on. NB Freespirit was the second boat in line. Mick said hello as he passed as did I from the towpath, but no reply came back, Bridgerton must have been very captivating.

Entering the top lock was a shiny new hire boat, the maximum length for these locks, with six on board it would be a cosy week. We swapped and ascended our last lock of the day as a giant teddy walked down the road.

Last chance to change our mind on route. We turned left keeping to the quicker plan. I swung the bridge and we pulled in to the first space available, the water point already commandeered by an ex-hire boat. It was late so despite her protestations Tilly was not granted any shore leave, instead she had to sit and watch me make up a chicken pie.

10 locks, 9.35 miles, 1 windy reverse, 81 litres, 13kg gas, 1 chocolate box, 1 narrowboat holding it’s breath, 18 waves, 10 horns, 1 lights flash, 0 queues, 1 maximum length boat, 0 shore leave, 1 narrowboat topped pie.

https://goo.gl/maps/e4eqJur8JkwAVTeC8

Narrowness. 10th April

Cuttle Bridge 13 to Shobnall Fields

Sunday, time for breakfast and some shore leave for Tilly.

We’d moored not that far from Swarkestone Lock so I walked up with a windlass in hand to make it ready. Someone had left a bottom paddle up which meant it was in our favour. There were plenty of people milling around the lock, runners, walkers, cyclists and a group of lads who offered advice to Mick on how to open the gates, strangely enough Mick didn’t barge the gates open as had been suggested!

I opened up the opposite ground paddle first to see if that would hold Oleanna against the wall better, it worked, just as well as our centre line hadn’t been long enough to reach Mick’s bollard of choice. It was a gentle ride up.

Three more miles and we were at the deepest and last of the broad locks on the Trent and Mersey, Stenson Lock. This one is counter intuitive, I would definitely be opening the opposite ground paddle first, but which one next? We couldn’t remember.

The lock was filled with loads of branches and twigs, the bottom gates only opening half way each. A chap came along unlocked a box alongside the bywash and pulled out a keb. This is like a garden folk but with bent prongs and is used to clear obstructions. He started clearing the bywash.

I opened the opposite ground paddle and then asked the chap, as he was local, which paddle was best to use next. The opposite gate paddle was his answer, followed by the other gate paddle then the same side ground paddle half way at first before taking it all the way up. He also gave us a handy tip to use the bollard nearer the stern to stop Oleanna from wanting to surge forwards, a method used on the River Wey. That made sense and we’ll do our best to remember it for next time. He said that working all six big locks in this way would work. I wonder if the locks south of Chester would work better using this method?

No stopping for chilled medication from the cafe today sadly. Oleanna had moved across to the towpath side and the chap very kindly offered to close up behind us and we still had quite a distance to go today.

A cuppa and some darning kept me busy as Mick steered us along the now increasingly busy canal, the proximity of Mercia Marina now very obvious. Yet we were still surprised at the amount of mooring available in the village. This stretch is always longer than you remember it to be. Across the Dove Aqueduct where we once got soaked in a hail storm. Swans are starting to sit high on their nests with Dad’s passing suitable nesting material towards Mums.

Mick managed to catch the back of a polo shirt when he went on the underground river tour in Sheffield the other week, this made quite a big hole. I said I’d mend it for him. A year ago Lisa had pointed me in the direction of a Japanese lady who darns things with a passion and not just for mending purposes, but more a work of art. I’d got a darning mushroom and have been wanting to give it a go.

I felt the rip needed a patch, so that went on first, then I started with threads in one direction, catching them as I went, maybe this would add something to the finished mend, or maybe it would just become annoying! I got as far as one lot of cotton going across before my eyes were getting a touch bog eyed, maybe I need a magnifying glass. I decided to stop just as we reached Dallow Lock, the first of the narrow locks and only 3ft 10″ deep.

I emptied the lock, kicked/pushed the bottom gates open and realised that I haven’t done this for a while, maybe I should have stretched before hand. In came Mick and Oleanna and up she rose. As we pulled away another boat arrived below they were taking quite a bit of time to tie up. Then the lady walked up to the lock, she stopped at the bottom gates, then walked to the top ones, looked at the paddles. Her hesitation suggested that this was her first lock, by now we were too far away and another boat was approaching from above, hopefully they would lend a hand.

Plenty of space at Shobnall Fields so we pulled in furthest away from the bridge hoping this would be a good place for Tilly to have a couple of hours. It was, but what lay over the garden fence was far more interesting!

We settled down and popped a chicken in to roast.

Yesterday I’d heard from David that he’d been joined by someone who seemed to want to give him a helping hand, they offered to retie his ropes for him! Then they asked questions that really were none of their business. David has been around boats for at least 30 years and most certainly didn’t need assistance with his ropes. Some questions should also never be asked, you have no idea what is going on in someone’s mind. A smile can often mask what really lies behind it.

3 locks, 10.52 miles, 1 lock mastered, 1 long pound, 1st narrow lock, 1/3rd mended, 1 newbie boater, 1 park, 1 nosy cat, 1 narrowminded boater, 1 very big chicken.

https://goo.gl/maps/anFpAnu7J3xCNm3U9

LAL. 13th April

Lillian Alice Heseltine was born on the 14th October 1927 in Thornton near Bradford.

Her Mother, Margaret had trained as a midwife on Anlaby Road in Hull and worked as a nurse. Her Father, Horace had first been a minor at a pit near Pontefract, but after meeting Margaret they moved to Thornton where Horace (more commonly known in the Leckenby family as Pompom) worked in a wood sawmill.

She’s in there somewhere at the May Day Festival, Thornton Parish School 1934

Lil’s early years are not as well remembered as my Dad’s, not so many stories relayed to me and my brother of her upbringing in West Yorkshire. She grew up going to the local school in Thornton, not many photos exist of her and her sister Audrey from their childhood as not many people had cameras.

Jerry and his gang. Lillian middle row second from right

I believe that Lil would come home from school and be looked after by a neighbour who was known as Nanny Fee, she baked THE best apple pies, Granny (Margaret) did her very best to replicate them, crisp sugar topped shortcrust pastry with just slightly tart apples inside, the bottom pastry in the shallow dish had to be just that little bit soggy with the apple juice. These pies were known as Papa Pie Fee, after Nanny Fee.

Lil may have worked in an ammunitions factory for a while. She had a boy friend Stan Ellis who at the time was in the forces, he later became known as the man who identified Wearside Jack’s (the Yorkshire Ripper hoax) accent as coming from Castletown in Wearside.

She must have done well at school as she gained a place at the Leeds School of Architecture. Lil was always outspoken, few disagreed with her in later life. At the LSA she became the secretary of the Students Union. When a new head of school refused the students permission to study modern 1950’s architectural styles insisting they concentrated on classical architecture the students complained. Lil almost certainly spoke up about the matter, for this she was rewarded with a fail for that year.

Before she left she did however meet a chap two years her senior, recently demobbed and back to continue his studies at the LSA. This was David Leckenby. They had trips away with friends where they all seemed to take their T squares.

Attended fancy dress parties, one where Lil was a little perplexed that David knew how to tie a sari, he’d been posted in India at the end of WW2.

Great friendships were made and David and Lil courted, he proposed on a trip to Rievaulx Abbey where his final project was based.

They were married in Thornton, Bradford in 1952.

Lil and David just off centre to right central row

Lil worked in the architects office at Rowntrees in York, looking after colour schemes around the factory and offices. She also worked for Bellerbys a local decorators, files of paint numbers were found when we emptied the family house. As part of her work at Rowntrees she designed a scene dock for the Joseph Rowntree Theatre the factorys own venue.

The Rowntree Players became a very large part of her life. From 1954 till the late 1980’s she would design the layout of the sets, the decorators in the factory doing the painting on stock flats. She also acted in many a play, her full six foot commanding the stage.

One of the last photos we have of her is from the 90th anniversary celebration in 2002.

In 1961 Andrew came along, they moved into our family home a year and a half later, then the family became four when I was born in 1966.

Her trade mark beehive hair first appeared around about 1963/4 adding a few extra inches to her height. It stayed with her until a few years before she died.

Lil was interested in reading cookery books, the likes of Jane Grigson and Elizabeth David and when an advert was placed for a cook at the University of York she applied and got the job. This was the start of her catering business.

From gymkhanas, Midland Bank boardroom lunches, outside catering, holding cook classes for friends. She then took over the restaurant at York Theatre Royal which she ran for several years. In 1976 she was running the restaurant and cafe at the theatre along with providing food for the York Festival Club. Then followed a much smaller enterprise of the Regency Rooms on Micklegate all whilst she continued working with friends doing outside catering.

Clive, Neville, Judy, Lil, Buddy, Iraine

Friends were very important. Judy, Buddy and Betty amongst many others. Holidays with the Snowden, Parkinson and Nash families. Every trip recorded by meals around tables, visits to markets and shrimp nets on the beaches.

Parties filled the house, childrens birthdays, garden parties, Rowntree Players after show parties had people queueing for food around the kitchen and sitting on the open staircase to tuck in, any excuse for a party!

She became a Governor at Fulford School where a display cabinet is still dedicated to her.

It would be wrong not to mention that vascular dementia took it’s toll on the forthright, six foot woman I called Mum.

It would also be wrong to skip over her love of Gordons gin and Schweppes Tonic along with how she kept certain tobacco companies in business for decades. She sadly missed her 75th birthday and golden wedding anniversary. But thankfully time has brought back many a memory of who she was.

Lillian Leckenby 14th October 1927 to 13th April 2002.

Here’s a link to a post I wrote about my Dad a couple of years ago.

Which Way Now? 9th April

Trent Junction to Cuttle Bridge 13, Trent and Mersey Canal

Depending on which route we take we are either an hour behind or a day behind our schedule, this will almost certainly determine which way we go. But which way is that?

Tilly was given 90 minutes shore leave as we had breakfast and joined Mick’s sisters on the Geraghty Zoom this morning. It’s lovely that we are all still doing this two years on. Tilly came home within time so we were able to push off as planned.

The rowers were out and one of their support boats was doing its best to try to move what could only really be described as a tree in the river. They attached a rope, nudged it this way and that, tried to get it up the club slipway without much luck. Hope they got it sorted in the end.

Trent Junction is where the River Trent meets the River Soar and the Erewash Canal. The Erewash is a dead end, so we wouldn’t be going that way this time. Cranfleet Cut we’d just come from, so we’d not be going back. This left us two options, the Soar or the Trent. Our summers cruising plans would suggest going onto the Soar would be the most direct route, but a detour is required, so we’d be sticking with the Trent for a little bit longer.

We headed upstream, past Trent Lock pontoon, the chilled medication van already stationed to serve todays gongoozlers. It was chilly out there, we were glad of our winter layers despite the sunshine.

Sawley Lock, the left hand lock had it’s gates open waiting for us as the right hand one was already being filled by another boat. I hopped off and headed to the panel a big shiny box with exactly the same instructions as those on the small pedestals downstream. There were only a couple of spaces available opposite the marina, this is where we should have been last night, but we’d had a much nicer mooring.

Sawley Flood lock was open so we could pass straight through and back out onto the river before we were to join the Trent and Mersey Canal. Another junction, not left to the marina, not right onto the non navigable Derwent, but straight on to the canal.

Two boats were ascending the lock, the chaps stood chatting on the top gates, only the ground paddles lifted. ‘We’re in no hurry’ said one chap as they moved to open the gates. We emptied the lock and worked Oleanna up off the river. Last year this signalled our successful escape from Goole, today it meant that apart from the river section at Alrewas we shouldn’t now get stuck if the river level comes up.

A pause for lunch in Shardlow before I walked ahead to make use of the post box by Broughton House which commands its position on London Road. Eight semi-circular stone steps lead up to the front door of the house which was built in the early 19th Century by James Sutton one of the merchants who developed the inland port of Shardlow.

Across the way at a side door to Holden House people were being served hot drinks and what looked like a blackboard menu of sandwiches sat against the wall. May have been worth a proper look if we’d been staying longer.

Shardlow lock was just being exited by two boats, a small narrowboat exiting second with novice crew on board, they seemed to be enjoying themselves but were a little bit confused as to which side they should pass Mick as he approached. I’d already lifted the ground paddles before I spotted another narrowboat pulling up below, we apologised and said we’d wait at the next lock, but the chap wasn’t going that far.

A quick chat with David to see how he was today before Aston Lock. Today wasn’t as positive as the last few days, but he was still making progress with the boat. Not everyday will be a great day, but this week he has certainly achieved lots.

At Aston Lock we gained eleven gongoozlers a family of cousins out for a walk. This meant we had extra hands to work the gates.

I’d been warned by a boat going downhill that the bottom gates at Weston Lock were leaking like a sieve and it was taking an absolute age to fill. When we got there we’d caught up with the two boats ahead of us, the chaps again stood on the top gates chatting away with only the ground paddles opened.

‘We’re in no hurry’ the chap said again. I did point out that the bottom gates were leaking and that maybe opening the gate paddles would help fill the lock. It took a little while for the penny to drop, all that was happening right now was that they were letting water flow through the lock whilst it still had another foot to rise, they could be there forever, well until the pound above ran out of water!

We followed up. Are all these wide locks counter intuitive like Stenson Lock? Opening the same side ground paddle really didn’t hold Oleanna against the wall. Here we got a shower of hail too, just enough to get us all soggy and chilly before the sun did it’s best to return.

As we approached the stretch where there is an underwater stone shelf, keep to the off-side, a boat was coming towards us. They were going at quite a rate, their bow faced towards us and just as they passed the yellow sign their stern hit the shelf, lifting the boat out of the water! Blimey!! The chap on the front thankfully didn’t fall in. We checked they were all alright before we carried on, all seemed fine.

It was cold now, should we catch up with ourselves, or pull in before Swarkstone Lock? The latter was more attractive with fields alongside the canal that Tilly would enjoy. We tried several places, but ground to a halt at least a foot out from the bank. In the end we gave up and moored up with a gap between us and the towpath, Tilly could easily jump it, so could we. Time now to warm up inside.

5 locks, 8.42 miles, 2 straight ons, 5 siblings, 2 outsides, 2 catty men, 1 leaky lock, 2 shallow to moor, 1 card, 1 shelf rearing, 1 cosy stove, 1 orchestra conductor in the making.

https://goo.gl/maps/4V9bzVYbrELLeqRM9

There Is Only One Way. 8th April

Stoke Lock to Trent Junction

Needing to catch up and the sun being out meant we were happy to push off this morning. Blue skies lift the heart and thankfully there were blue skies back in Newark too making life that bit easier.

Three sunny miles cruising up to Holme Lock. Mick tried radioing ahead in case there was a Lock Keeper on duty, but officially they start back next week. No reply came so I was to work the buttons.

Holme Lock is huge and always takes an age to empty and even longer to fill. Add to that the button controls and their flashing lights! Well we were there for sometime before I could even open the gates. With Oleanna in the lock I started to press the open button to bring her up, water gushing in, yet the level taking forever to fill.

All of a sudden the towpath opposite there was a todo! A family had been walking their dog on a lead when another dog appeared and attacked it, it kept coming back for more no matter what the people did. The lady said things to me which I really couldn’t hear and I was trying to concentrate on Oleanna. I think she thought I was a Lock Keeper and would know which boat the dog eventually ran off to. Unfortunately I couldn’t help.

Now on our way into Nottingham, the reach was quiet, no sailing boats out today and despite the cricket season having started there was no-one playing at Trent Bridge.

Hang on! Were there people in the garden of Southfork? This is the first time we’ve ever seen anyone near this house! New builds are still going up along the river, including a new development overlooking Meadow Lane Lock.

A widebeam was coming down in the lock, the lady saying they were going up the river, so I signalled to Mick that they would be turning upstream. Well that’s not what she meant at all, they were heading downstream to Stoke. Fortunately Mick had moved so they could pick up crew anyway.

We pulled onto the water point where I jumped ship and headed off to Hobbycraft to buy myself a sketchbook and some tracing paper so that I can be ready to start Panto when the next version of the script arrives.

Mick topped up the water, emptied the wee tank and rinsed off the roof before I got back.

Along the next stretch I stood in the bow with a tape measure. We’d offered to measure the height of the new rail bridge for David to see if he’d be able to get under it. When on the River Wey a few years ago we managed to work out our air draught to the top of the horns. The new rail bridge was 88cm above them. The tape came out again once round the 90degree bend as some of the bridges seemed low too. In fact one of them only measured 75cm above our horns.

Approaching the Sainsburys moorings we were surprised at the number of boats moored up near the student accommodation. We pulled in to the last gap we could see, just as well as round the corner it was nose to tail boats! Yes we moored right in front of a no mooring sign, yes we had lunch, yes we went shopping and no we cannot work out why there is no mooring there!

Nest making, we also saw a pair necking today

Mick called round to check on diesel prices. Castle marina £1.75. Mercia £1.78! Then Shobnall, if we wanted over 50 litres it would be £1.20. Being twelve hours cruise away we should be fine until then and at that price it will almost certainly save us £50! We did however pull into Castle Marina for some coal £13.50 for 25kg of Excell. They had some Marine 16 too but at over £30 Mick decided to leave it and see how much it might be at Shobnall.

Back onto the Nottingham and Beeston Cut we pootled our way westwards catching up with an extreamly slow boat who thankfully let us pass. Starting to get cold we wanted to stop so tried pulling into a gap. The wind did it’s best to push Oleanna away from the bank and even with both of us clinging on we couldn’t get her into the side, we’d try further along. Well there were no gaps further along. Nottingham seems to have had an increase in local continuous cruisers, we reckon there’s about five times the amount of boats than there used to be.

Beeston Lock where windlasses are welded onto the paddles

Only one thing for it we’d have to carry on along the river and hope for space on Cranfleet cut or at Trent Lock. It was cold and threatening to rain, but we had no choice.

We did our best to keep towards the western bank, after hearing the story of NB Legend getting stuck on an old submerged wall last year we really wanted to avoid any possibility of re-enacting the incident.

Soon Cranfleet lock was in view and we tried to remember if we knew which paddle to lift first. No recollection at all. Having four gate paddles it’s confusing, thank goodness you can hang back in the lock. It turned out that I guessed correctly choosing the paddle on the same side as Oleanna, but in the middle first followed by the outer one.

Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station just across the way

At the junction we popped out far enough to see if there was space on the pontoon at Trent Lock, there was, but on the inside so no view. However there was a space on the wall at the junction so we pulled in at 7:30, stoked up the stove and got warm again.

5 locks, 15.2 miles, 2 rights, 1 junction, 1 beautiful day, 5 times as many boats, 3 bags coal, 0 diesel today, 8ft 8inches we think, 1 inch too low, 2 boxes wine, 1 shopping trolley back to the boat, 0 shore leave, 1 tidier boat, 1 more good day for David.

https://goo.gl/maps/F1CniEGNnBT3Rk3E9

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna