Sainsburys Nottingham to Stoke Lock, River Trent
I was expecting a phone call from the panto set builder this morning. I got my drawings out from the cupboard and sketchbook to make notes, have to say over the last couple of weeks I’ve been ignoring panto, too many other things going on, but that will soon be changing. As I’d not had a call by 10am we decided to push off, todays goal a cat friendly mooring, after all Tilly’s been inside for too long now!
I walked down to Castle Lock, passing a burnt out, sunken boat. As we arrived a family were sitting down at one of the tables outside the pub alongside the lock, not sure if they were having breakfast or an early lunch. Dad complimented Oleanna on her looks. All four paddles worked at the top end of the lock today, just as well as the bottom gates were leaking lots. Then the bottom gate wanted to swing open and stay that way, it always does. Mick and Oleanna headed off into the distance as I walked round to close everything up, which did mean I got quite a nice photo of the British Waterways building with Oleanna looking insignificant below it. I caught them up at the sharp bend. Spotted a flood level stone by the railway bridges I’d not seen before.
Meadow Lane Lock was full, top gates closed, but they only needed a slight push to get them moving. As I lifted the paddles on the bottom gates I took a look onto the river to see if there was much traffic around. Firstly a few canoes, but they’d be long gone by the time the lock was empty. There was however a blue van half submerged on the opposite bank. Firecrews, Ambulance, Police all in attendance. A Rescue rib joined them from up stream and gradually the van was being winched out.
As Oleanna left the lock I told Mick there was nothing on the river apart from a blue van, he of course knew nothing about it and thought I was bonkers! The off-side gate wanted to swing open so he reached up with a boat hook as he left to encourage it to close behind him, only managing to leave the boat hook hooked onto the gate. These gates are so tall I do my best not to cross them, thankfully Mick managed to reverse back up to them to retrieve the hook.
Onwards downstream. About this time last year we’d seen the new Waterside Bridge being put together on the bank, this year it spans the river very elegantly. A yellow diamond, we presume, marks the highest point of the arch and green triangles point to it.
As we passed the sailing club we radioed ahead to Holme Lock where there was a Lockie on duty. Thankfully the lock was already in our favour, so there was no hanging about for it to fill. We were directed to the island side of the lock where the steel risers go higher up the lock wall.
Onwards under Radcliffe Viaduct Rail Bridge, round the big bend towards the weir and Stoke Lock. I zoomed in on my camera, two boats were moored. Hang on, they were both on the pontoon and the low wall mooring was free! Yes, Tilly you shall have shore leave!!!
We pulled in with the port side to the bank, Mick would now be able to sweep the chimney too. Once moored up the noise of excitement from Tilly inside the cabin was incredible! Tilly Too stayed quiet, she always does! Rules are rules though, the three words have to be written down first! Then shore leave rules recited.
Tilly you have four and a half hours, no friends home dead or alive or putting them on the roof for later, no jumping in, no bullying, no going on other peoples boats! Enjoy yourself!! Okay then, if I must!
A job needed doing straight away, attaching the new landing net to the old pole. The connector through the years had come apart and been taped up. Some maximum uhu glue and a lot of lx tape to keep everything in place was used connecting everything together. It was now laid on the roof to go off and hopefully will take the weight of a second mate should it need to.
Well I never!?! How did they do that!?! I had to look twice, thrice, four times! I checked through the one way hatch. Yes inside was still the same. But outside isn’t! They’ve not only moved the outside, but they’ve changed what goes around the inside too! It’s all milky creamy now, but the front and the back are still the same! Wow!
I’m kind of glad that we’re the only boat here on the low wall. Who knows, other than Tilly, if she is going to get confused now her boat is no longer dark blue? Or has she always and will always just go by scent too and fro from Oleanna. Well she smells differently too!
Tilly didn’t venture very far, possibly because the Dreamies on offer are the Catnip ones, their purchase done on purpose to attract her home more often, or maybe this outside isn’t as good as we thought?
After lunch Mick swept the chimney, maybe a job that should have been done before the repaint to cream, but then it was also good to get rid of any grit from the grit blasting too. We had a go at emptying the yellow water. This was interesting, the new pump worked, but only for about five seconds! When installing it Mick had added a fuse as the instructions had suggested, on the original fitout there hadn’t been one. There is already a suitable breaker on the circuit in the electric cupboard so he removed the fuse at the pump and now it works. Phew no need to keep our legs crossed!
I’d intended doing more kitchen cupboard tidying, but ran out of motivation. Anyway my afternoon was taken over by whatsapp messages from Scarborough and from panto people, things are starting to heat up on that front!
I had a walk down to the bins at the other end of the lock cut. Thankfully they are still there. We’ve heard so much over the last few months about bins being removed from the network on social media.
Mick installed our new 5G router. This should improve our internet, but it appears to have affected our TV signal, or it may just be that the signal is bad here as we’re in a dip. Although it did get a thumbs up last time we were here. Other moorings will assist in this.
3 locks, 6.9 miles, 0 Chippy chippy call, 1852, 14 years, 1 submerged blue van, 1 low wall, 1 befuddled cat, 0 friends, 1 net mended I hope, 1 fuse, 1 fire laid ready and waiting, 1 sock fairy, 1 empty yellow water tank, 1 clean pooh box, but does this mooring deserve a Mrs Tilly stamp of approval? 1 cat not too sure!
