Wheaton Aston to Shushions Bridge 21

This morning I received a phone call from York District Hospital. At my eye test the other week in Birmingham the optician wanted to refer me for a routine examination at a hospital. Where would I like to be referred to was todays question. The lady on the phone had spotted that I had two address in my notes, one Scarborough and the other Hackney, London.

I was very grateful for the phone call as I don’t fit into the norm when it comes to appointments. The lady added to my notes that both addresses were valid and that I lived somewhere in between them. She could offer me appointments in York, Malton or refer me to Scarborough or further afield if I wanted. The first dates she had for York fitted in quite nicely with where we hope to be in June and would be the easiest to get to from West Yorkshire so I’m booked in. A letter with further information has to be sent, so that is heading to my brothers. I made sure I thanked the lady for her assistance and understanding.

Our shopping arrived on time, a few things substituted or in smaller quantities than we’d wanted. One thing that had been substituted was the third box of white wine! Instead of Pinot Grigio they had sent Chardonnay, not my favourite. Maybe Pinot Grigio is being rationed to two boxes per customer! I’m not partial to Chardonnay so it was sent back.

With all the supplies stowed we forced ourselves away from the bank, a reverse Andy was required to push the bow out. Luckily on the other side of the bridge it was sheltered and we pulled in at Turners Garage to top up with diesel. 64.9p today along with a new bottle of gas at £32.

We pushed off again with the hope that we’d find a cat suitable mooring not too much further on. Blimey that wind! At least it was pushing us towards the towpath. After a small bend we were on a long straight of an embankment. We remembered trying to moor here on Lillian and the Shropie shelf being a problem but we now have tyre fenders.

The first place we tried we discovered that our tyre fenders are a couple of inches too small for the shelf. We so should have picked up some car tyres in Birmingham, we’d seen at least four in our last few days. A touch further on, no. Still further on and we skidded over something not getting anywhere near to the bank. Our maps had a M further on between two bridges so we just hoped that the trees would be short.

The M lived up to itself, there was armco and we could get into the side. Nappy pins were needed, we nudged up to find a position with shorter trees on the offside. By now our second mate was in the window. Every window had a view of trees! If she didn’t like it here we’d be trading her in!

Rules were read and off she went. A few trunks were inspected before finally she launched herself up into the twiggy canopy. One happy cat.

There used to be an airfield on the offside just by our mooring, one used in WW2. Mick wanted to see if we could see much of it so we climbed over a style onto the bridge, but were soon confronted with barbed wire. Could we see anything from the other bridge ahead of us? Most probably, but the mud that lay between us and the bridge sent us back inside to look on Google instead.

Used as a training airfield with three runways RAF Wheaton Aston was second only to RAF Lichfield in terms of aircraft movements. In May 1944 the airfield recorded a flying time of 8,773 hours during daylight and 2,605 at night, the equivalent of 15 aircraft permanently in the air for 30 days. After the war it was used as a Polish Resettlement camp until the 1960’s.

Early evening we sat down to work our way through Mick’s tax return. Because of rental income and a lump sum pension payment he now has to fill one in, not that he is anywhere near to paying tax. We could copy things straight over from my tax return with regards to the house, but there were new sections to fill in. We got there in the end. Sadly despite telling HMRC about rental income for the last few years they now say he is late with another two returns! A phone call is needed.

0 locks, 1.53 miles, 66 litres, 5 boxes wine, 1st pirates of 2020, 1 gas bottle, 4th time lucky, 1 very happy cat, 37 trees! 1 appointment, £1 owed to Mick, 1st Mrs Tilly stamp of approval for 2020, 2 glasses raised to Rodney my other Dad.