The Geraghty zoom conversations included Zack, Library banning, hose pipe dispensation, the final Waverely trip, and Ardingly Reservoir. Afterwards we pushed off with the aim of finding a mooring better for Tilly than last nights.
Some days you spend waiting for news. Today was one of those and I have to say not knowing what was happening in Scarborough for most of the morning made me feel really quiet nauseous. We worked our way through the locks towards Gailey, several boats coming towards us, most locks empty waiting for our arrival.
At Rodbaston Lock just after I’d opened the bottom gates my phone rang. This lock is pretty close to the M6, not the best place to hear what had been happening further north this morning. The troops were rallying for Frank. At least I knew what had been decided, but there was still more waiting, news available in short messages for much of the day saying there was no news.
I walked all the way to Gailey, Boggs Lock with its temporary beams, another with a cage round it, I was scared that if you sneezed, it might just give up and fall to pieces. I hope they are on the winter stoppage list.
At Gailey there were crew from a downhill boat who came to watch and not help, one of the bottom gates eventually got closed by a chap sat on a bench smoking his pipe.
I carried on walking, checking a few things for Waterway Routes. The chemical works along this stretch has lost lots of its pipe bridges, new trees now fill the gap where a footbridge had been and a newly surfaced towpath means we’d most probably not choose to moor alongside it for fear of loose chippings hitting our new paintwork.
I hopped on board for the last while, round by Hatherton Junction, pulling in at a mooring soon before Moat House Bridge. No other boats other than those passing. We had a late lunch and Tilly got busy in the friendly cover, doing a touch of self catering.
More waiting. Time to finally get round to putting our Fund Britain’s Waterways banner up on the bow. Time to position our escape ladder at the stern. The banner was quite easy tying it round the cratch board. The ladder was more involved as we wanted to attach it to where the stern fender attaches. D shackles were undone, straps slotted on, but then reattaching everything took both of us.
A bit of a wipe down of the paintwork on the starboard side, someone had left their muddy paw prints! I’m also aiming to keep on top of the dribbles below the windows. These came off really easily, but I suspect if left too long they may get stubborn to shift. All this helped with the waiting.
Late afternoon the news came through that Frank was headed back to hospital and the hunt for a care home was seriously on. Jobs were allocated for the morning. Then Frank called me to say where he was, in A&E waiting to be seen.
Tilly kept herself occupied all afternoon and she lost sight of the time, maybe because her mouth was too full! I’d started cooking, pork chops and dauphinoise potatoes, but Mick ended up having to finish things as messages were flying around the Frankness whatsapp group. Hopefully tomorrow things will get sorted for Frank and then things will start to calm down for everyone, especially Frank.
5 locks, 5.2 miles, 1 very long wait for news, 1 very very long wait for Frank, 2 frothy locks, -2 pipe bridges, 1 pipe smoker, 3 friends at least, 1 rally of Frankness, 1 ex-Production Manager, 1 stage manager, 1 ex-wardrobe assistant, M6, 3 Mrs Tilly stamps of approval?!
