Owl Swing Bridge to Rodley Swing Bridge

Maybe one glass of wine too much last night, but thankfully a lie in was all that was needed. A morning of pottering whilst Tilly had an explore then it was time to put on some smartish clothes and head to the pub, our first such outing since seeing the Margees back in early March.

Today we were meeting up with my cousins from my Mum’s side of the family. I’d last seen Julie at my Dad’s funeral eight years ago and last seen John at my brothers wedding fifteen years ago! Julie and I have been in touch over the last few years and it was way past time to meet up. My Aunty Audrey is 92 and now lives in a care home in Farsley, my cousins both live nearby.

We met in the car park of The Owl where Julie had booked a table. We followed the one way system in and were told to choose a table, there was only one other group in the whole pub. This was most probably due to them not having signed up for the Eat Out To Help Out discount.

There was lots to catch up with, both Julie and John are now retired. John has two daughters and Julie a son, all adults when in my mind they are still young kids. We reminisced about our Grandparents whilst we ate and drank. Mick having his first hand pulled pint, an Ossett Blonde.

I refrained from having a starter and saved myself for steak and chips, the chips being the best we’ve had in a long time.

After we’d eaten Mick and I climbed into the back of Johns car and we headed to Calverley to Aunty Audreys old house. They had sold this a couple of years ago to a friend of Julies who has done a lot of work on it, Julie was desperate to show it to us.

I can only just remember visiting a couple of times when I was young and I remembered more about the people than the actual house. A new extension out the back, modern tiled floors, breakfast bar and remote controlled electric fire all new additions to the house Audrey and David bought when it was brand new at the end of the 50’s, John was born in the house.

After a lovely few hours with them they gave us a lift back to the canal. Virtual hugs all round and promises to stay in touch better, which I think is happening with the help of social media anyway.

Tilly was given a second pass for two hours. However we changed our minds and decided that when she came home we’d move through Owl Swing Bridge and moor nearer to Rodley saving ourselves about twenty minutes in the morning, it was going to be an early enough start anyway.

Then it rained, heavy rain, Tilly being Tilly stayed out! Oh well the alarm would have to be set for extra early. Then she came home, it stopped raining. Doors shut, trip computer on a change back into boating clothes and we were off.

We moved through the swing bridge and only just fitted into a gap one boat away from the next bridge, Oleanna kissing fenders both at bow and stern. The towpath was busy and it was getting on for cat curfew so the doors remained shut. As we settled down for the rest of the day, Oleanna dipped. We couldn’t be moored so close to other boats for their movement to affect ours surely. Then a pair of mustard trousered legs swayed past the galley window, maybe they’d swayed on to our stern by accident!

0 locks, 0.71 miles, 1 swing bridge, 1 insurance policy sorted, 1 loose wire, 0 test match special, 2 cousins, 2 new knees, 1 reinforced wrist, 2 garlic mushrooms, 1 chicken wings, 2 cokes, 1 pint, 1 glass wine, 1 spritzer, 2 steaks, 2 burgers, 0 room for pudding, 40 years ago, 1 house, 1 extension, 2 mirrored cabinets, 1 spelling mistake, 2 lots of shore leave, 1 defleaed cat, 1 mustard legged trespasser.