Aire and Calder Navigation

Thursday I spent working on the storyboard for Panto again. Editing out options, adding in the basic set to all the drawings and working on the one scene that’s still not quite right took most of the day.

I walked down one side of the river passing one bridge and crossing the next, opting to take the path inside RSPB St Aidens. The path occasionally gives you a view across the lakes that once were an open cast mine, the river lurks behind many trees on the other side.

Soon I came across what looked very much like a disused lock. A gate recess first giving it away, then curved walls at what had been the entrance to the lock. A mooring bollard and a couple of now bent lock ladders peeked out from the earth that now fills the chamber. I checked Waterway Routes, locations of old locks are marked and we quite often try to imagine what places would have been like.

In 1988 the river bank near the Lemonroyd Lock collapsed into St Aiden’s open cast mine which then of course flooded, lower seams of coal that had been mined collapsed in too, to a depth of 230 ft! An Act of Parliament was obtained in 1992 to create a new 1.9 mile waterway. Kipax and Lemonroyd Locks were replaced with one big lock, the new Lemonroyd Lock. It took ten years before mining could continue at St Aiden’s after the site had been pumped out. The coal reserves are now exhausted and the land is once again flooded and is an RSPB reserve covering 740 acres.

I tried to find where the top gates had been, but had no luck as the land levels out and covers any evidence.

Friday. I forwarded the new storyboard to John at Chippy. There had been a staff read through of the latest draft during the week, footage posted on social media, my storyboard sat in the middle of the table. Time to crack on with the model, lots of propy set pieces this year, so my bead tray is coming in handy. I spent much of the day inventing things panto style.

Late afternoon a familiar voice saying Hello could be heard, Mick had returned from Scarborough having picked up a hire car. Well it was meant to have been a van, £20 a day rather than £60 for a car, but the only van they had was a transit which would be an inch taller than the car park Mick would be heading to in the morning, so he got an upgrade to a car. An evening off work for me and a vat of Yaxni made, which will last us for a couple of meals.

Saturday. A very early start for Mick, off the boat by 6am. He was heading to park in the centre of Liverpool and to then meet up with Marion and John for a trip on the Waverley out to Angelsey and back. A van, petrol and parking were far cheaper than a hotel for the night. If you are lucky he might come along and tell you about his voyage. If I’m lucky I might be able to upload a photo from the trip, but the internet here seems to be getting worse!

There was one egg left that needed eating so the start of my working day was delayed by some blueberry pancakes, well Mick was going off for a treat so I could have one too! Then Tilly and I got on with what is now just a normal day for us. She sites on the roof hatch whilst I work. Then she gets ushered indoors for me to go out for a walk, just around the block today including a trip to the bins. Just gone 11pm, I’d just tidied upmy work when Mick stepped onboard, he’d had a good day if a bit breezy and I’d managed to finish of the model for Act 1.

0 locks, 0 miles by narrowboat, 1 Paddle Steamer to Angelsey and back, 1 car not van, 3 days model making, 1 storyboard finished and sent, 1 gafforing read through, 1 Queen of Oleanna, I wonder if we could trust Tilly to lie on her bed as we cruise? Nope, she’d be off hunting as soon as the oportunity arrived!