81 hours

Sunday. A day for reflecting about Frank. The Frankness group was filled with wonderful photographs, Christmases, him on our boats, he has been our most frequent visitor. Messages left right and centre, who needed to know the news first before it was circulated on social media?

Early afternoon I silenced everyone from the Frankness group and said I needed some time out, plus we were going to meet up with my cousins for a late Sunday lunch.

The walk along the riverbank into Stratford was a pleasant one. The chain ferry was working and lots of people were out stretching their legs. As we approached Tramway Bridge we spotted Sam, a little walk around the block and we were joined by Jenny. We crossed the river to look at the Shakespeare statue to while away a liittle bit longer as Ian and Sally had been held up on route. We’d not been able to book a table until 3:15 at The Boat House , but we’d hoped we’d be able to get a drink early, which paid off as our table was available.

Our second meet up this year with them all, still plenty to chat about and a possible plan for them to come to panto too. A very lovely few hours away from everything Frank.

Back on the boat I heard that various people had been informed and it was time to pass the news further. I chose the photo I shared last week of Frank sat onboard Oleanna and posted on Instagram and Facebook. There have been lots of messages coming through from all over the place. Thank you everyone here who has messaged us from the blog.

Monday. I was on the bus before 9am heading back to work. An email from the Press Officer at the SJT, Jeannie came through, they’d be doing a post themselves about Frank and wondered if they could use my photo. The answer was of course yes.

Time to try to get my head back into panto gear. Just about everything was painted and ready for the photo shoot this afternoon, just the new Christmas tree to decorate. Beads and clip on candles and a fluffy base to disguise the truck base it sits on. It’s by far a much better tree than we’d originally had. It just needs some snow on it now.

Then I moved on to work on the Candyworks set. Another scene with lots of painting required.

Today we were joined by Vicky, an ASM/prop maker. Vicky stayed with us in Scarborough earlier this year when she was working at the SJT. Good to see her again and great that there would now be two pairs of hands making and finding props.

Tuesday. Today the puppets were meant to be arriving, two weeks and two days after the date we’d asked for them to arrive. Shortly after 9am the maker’s Mum arrived at the bar door with the first puppet. We’d been hoping that they would all be delivered in one go with materials to finish things off if needs be, but it appeared they’d set themselves up at the Premier Inn, their room a workshop now! As items were finished they were brought to the theatre by Mum. By early afternoon they’d moved from their room to presumably work in the car. By mid-afternoon it had been suggested that they move into the theatre to work there in the warm.

By 4pm the new version of the front cloth arrived. It was meant to be with us yesterday, but at least it was with us now. Once the actors had finished on stage Paul got it hung on the tab track (a big butch curtain track) and flew it out. Hmmm! Various things were not correct about it, but it was finished and hung. The overlap had moved somehow from the artwork I’d sent, there weren’t enough ties sewn to the top. Paul set about trying to remedy as much as he could. After a couple of hours of tweaking, it was passable and the North Pole was starting to be in view.

A hand over of puppets happened, some work still needed to finish them off, but what we have are wonderful, it’s just a shame that deadlines were missed. Their work as I say is great, but maybe theatre isn’t the right place for them to work, possibly exhibition time frames would suit them better.

Wednesday. I called into the Co-op to see what might have been reduced for my evening meal. Steaks galore, I’m not too sure how they’d cook in a microwave!

I concentrated on painting the Candy works set. More candy canes, they seriously take time to paint and I’m not too convinced that I’ll be able to get away with just one coat of paint on them!

In the evening I moved on to working on the Dungeon set. These pieces are used throughout the show, so are constantly being used in rehearsals, so I need to concentrate on them during the evenings. Marking out, scaling up from my model was needed, then a coat of blackboard paint which could dry off overnight.

Out in the foyer, sweets were being manufactured from pool noodles, foam sheets and card, bucket fulls for those with a sweet tooth.

Back on Oleanna, Mick was doing his best to sort the bathroom tap which has been leaking since we moved back on board. Perhaps last winter’s coldness got to it. First he tried changing the cartridge, but that didn;t seem to help. Back when we were in Newark I’d found a possible replacement tap at B&Q, so he headed off to B&Q in Stratford to buy one. Work to disconnect the tap took sometime, a leak into the cupboard underneath needed some drying out. This was all taking time.

Thursday morning. A phone call from Ben who was headed to register Frank’s death. A check on dates and place of birth. This was interesting, as we’ve always thought Frank had come from Coventry. But since we’ve been cruising the system Frank has told us more about his childhood and we know where he used to play on the coal boats close to Marston Junction. In fact, whenever we go through Bedworth Bridge we have texted Frank as this is the nearest to where he grew up. His family were evacuated from Coventry in WW2, Franks date of birth is after the war finished. A bit of hunting about on the internet and Mick came across a document that backed up our theory, his birth had to have been registed in Nuneaton.

Time for the actors to have a go with the puppets. I got on with painting giant sweeties to go with the others being made elsewhere. Then the first colour was added to the dungeon scene and Toby, Paul and Simon got the electrics working on the candy works carousel.

My washed up brushes from the day’s work show just how many colours of paint I’d manged to use during the day.

Friday. Mick had sorted the tap out by now. However, there was a leak on the trap and pipe leading to the skin fitting. He had several trips to Toolstation for different diameters of pipe. In the end he decided that the original installation had been quite a bodge job. With the best bits of fitting pipe and connectors, he also added some Plumbers Mait to seal the joins. Hopefully this will stop any leaks and mean we can use the bathroom sink again.

In Chippy it was a day for the sound equipment to go in, Matt the designer was about. So I could concentrate on the dungeon set. So I had a full morning in the loo! A ladder will only fit in one way and to reach it you need to have long legs, mine are only just long enough! Add to this tired knees and a crick in my neck, clambering in and out, standing too close to scenery to be able to see what I was doing made for a difficult mornings work. But I got quite far with everything, infact it’s all the right colours now so much better for when Will starts to light things.

Then I moved onto the Tavern set, drawing things out and a couple of colours added. By the end of the day it felt like I was making good progress. Things still need finishing off, but there are only two scenes that need some paint adding to them to help with lighting. Hopefully I’ll be able to get to them early next week. The last hour or so I gave the stage floor a good clean coat of paint, aiming to not have to do it on Saturday and have to wait for it to dry.

Saturday. I allowed myself a bit of a lie in. Graeme and Clare had headed off for the weekend, so I was in charge of George’s food and the doors. He’d had a brief visit to the outside but had retired to bed by the time I came to leave for the day. I warned him not to eat all his food at once as it would be late, very late before he got more!

There was time to do a bit of Flintstone panto woodgraining before finding a seat and table out in the auditorium to watch a stagger through. Today we were joined by the composer, Paul and lighting designer, Will. Time to actually sit down, I needed to concentrate so as not to fall asleep. My first list of jobs still to be done, it could be longer, but it also could be shorter!

Afterwards I needed food, a jacket potato from the Old Mill was called for, this would either send me into a coma, or give me a boost for the afternoon. Thankfully it did the later.

A quick props meeting before people headed home for the weekend, leaving me and the technicians to carry on working. This afternoon the lighting designer was focusing the lights, so my head torch came out whilst I finished woodgraining.

As soon as they were clear of the stage I swept up, gave the stage a quick almost dry roller of pale blue, touching up from todays scuffs, a nice clean floor and it took hardly anytime to dry. Next the portals were masked off so that I could use the compressor and spray gun to give a dottle over the pale blue. This was a quick job, followed by some food whilst it dried.

Next a brush was attached to a stick for me to add the details, all whilst catching up on The Water Road podcast. A brighter blue, cracks in the icy floor, followed by white and snowflakes. Gosh, just how many had the designer put on her model! I really must have a word with her about this. By the time I’d finished the steps into the auditorium the main floor was dry. I patted little areas where the paint was still damp dry and then got applying the first coat of glaze. With the heating on full blast and fans moving air around I stopped for a cuppa with Paul before launching on with the second coat. Everything was glazed, washed, wrapped in plastic to use again next week by 1:30am. Gosh what a long day.

You tell me what a long day it’s been! Ive been stuck inside the house! With no evening dingding!! Not sure I want you to stay again.

Sorry George! It’s been a long week in more ways than one.