Goole
Normally when we moor up in a marina it’s only for a couple of days to head off to see friends and family, or do a bumper wash. But this time it will be for longer. It’s not for a couple of weeks, or months even. This winter we’ve decided to take a mooring whilst we return to Scarborough to give our house some tlc.
The pandemic has affected everyone, some to more extents than others. Living on a boat we have been sheltered from much of what others have had to endure. But the situation with our house affected us greatly and we made the decision to head back to Scarborough a few months ago.
Whilst at ‘Home’ in Hurleston we rang round marinas in the north to find a space. Lisa, an Instagram acquaintance, was asked if she thought there might be any space where she moors, this led to a lead here at Viking Marina. We’ve made monthly phone calls to check they would have space for us and got final confirmation when we popped in a couple of weeks ago. Thank you Lisa for your help.
So on Friday Mick caught the train to Scarborough to pick up a hire car for the weekend. Whilst he was away the majority of our clothes were packed in vacuum bags and spare bedding and towels packed away.
Saturday morning we left Tilly in charge and headed over the wolds to the seaside. All the fields have been harvested and the last of the straw was being bundled up.
Arriving into Scarborough we were greeted by a long queue of traffic, Welcome Back! Scarboroians are used to Seamer Road being dug up, it happens quite frequently!
Our first load filled the car, but took little time to off load. This trip was with the hope that we could make the house Tilly friendly. Items of our clothes have been popped in hidey holes in cupboards. The posh cat flap disabled, for the time being. This took some doing as we had to find where I’d stashed the power lead six years ago and then download a manual to see which buttons to press. Some more work is required as one of the buttons is sticking, so for now it will remain a special cat window. Mick struck lucky going to get some lunch for us, as Sainsburys had the cat litter we thought had stopped being made.
With the freezer empty on Oleanna and defrosting, the fridge just about empty too and only a couple of onions and bramley apples left, we ordered ourselves too much food from Leaf Tandoori, the left overs may do us another meal.
Sunday morning it was time to start packing everything else we might want in the house. The food drawers were emptied of anything that was open. My stash of gluten free flours was packed. Then bedding, coats, computer stuff, pvr. Would everything fit?
It soon became obvious that a third car load would be needed. Time to make sure there would be enough space for Tilly and her possessions. Fitting her giant scratch post in took some fathoming out, but Mick got there in the end.
We managed to empty the yellow water tank. Freezer cleaned out. The rope from the fender ring near the bow was swapped for a more substantial one as we were worried that it was being put under a lot of strain. The other jobs would have to wait. Time for us all to get stressed.
A few sprays of Feliway had been added to Tilly’s Escape Pod this morning with the hope that this would make things better, she went in okay, but as soon as the door was closed she realised her mistake! We had a very noisy first twenty minutes drive, the gap in the towel covering her escape pod was then closed. From then on she still had her moments but mixed them with silence for better effect.
We were relieved to find a space on our street outside the front door. First into the house was Tilly and her possessions. Straight into the kitchen to be contained. Then followed an hour and a half of her shouting and not being able to jump, but this evening the ability to calculate gaining height is returning to her.
Favourite places so far are one understairs cupboard (we have two), behind a door, the views from windows are quite pleasing and now the sofa, covered in a throw from the boat. So far she has only seen two thirds of the ground floor, a bathroom and two staircases. We are pacing her so that her head doesn’t explode with all this space.
Right now she only has one thing to say.
They changed the inside!!!
She will no doubt have a lot more to say on the matter in the coming days. For that reason Tilly and I have been busy over the last couple of weeks setting up her own blog. Mrs Tilly.
This evening we will be settling down to fish and chips with a glass of wine and relaxing. The following weeks and months we have lots of ‘grown up life decisions’ to make as our friend Jaye calls them. If a second lockdown is brought in we feel we’ll be better off at the house than on the Aire and Calder. We do know one thing that when we can we will be heading down to Goole, tinkering with Oleanna and going boating. Whilst on dry land I won’t be posting, but when afloat I will.
This photo was taken back in 2014 a couple of days after we’d bought Lillian, boy were we excited then. The next time we head back to Oleanna our excitement will be the same if not greater.
So if you want to know what Tilly makes of everything please follow her new blog. She’ll keep you up to date on how we are all fareing.
But for now I’ll say Ta-ra Ta-ra.
0 locks, 0 miles, 2 big thank yous, 1 hire car, 0 Saturday newspaper, 2 trips, 1 more needed, 1 huge house, 1 freaking out cat, 1/3rd of the house, 3 times the size of Oleanna, 2/3rds to go, 2 boaters, 2 many decisions, 2 of each, 1 new blog .
Exciting! We’re off to Dorset for a few days so will catch up on this and Tilly when we come back. Kittens have gone off to another fosterer for this week, coming back to me on Thursday then going to new forever homes on Sunday.
Take care and enjoy the house! Love to Tilly from the furry beasts
Thank you Joa, enjoy Dorset
I hope we don’t get another full lockdown, but it isn’t looking good, you probably have made the right decision.
Although i predict you’ll get the opposite of cabin fever before too long.
Tilly will be just fine though.
Will miss the boating updates though.
Thanks Dave. Things are certainly different this morning. Just need to get lots of paint ordered and delivered to keep me busy if we lockdown again.
I’m already getting withdrawal symptoms from the blog.
Thanks for all your lovely blogs. I love it that Tilly has found windows to look out of. Hope you all settle in safely and fingers crossed that you will get back to Oleanna soonish. Cxx
Thank you Christine for your support. It’s a sunny day here in Scarborough and it would be nice to head to the beach, but I think that would be a few steps too far at this stage for Tilly x
Oh no, Pip -what will I read first thing every morning? Seriously though I think you are wise on so many counts. It is a good chance to get your house sorted out and is almost certainly a better place to be if we have another lock down. Please just tell Tilly she needs to keep us up to date as I need something to read with my morning cuppa! Both of you take care, stay safe and enjoy your ‘shore leave’. Jennie and Chris x
Sorry Jennie for not posting every day. It will be a nice surprise when I do though! Tilly will do her best, but she says it won’t be every day. There is too much to see and explore.
Stay safe Jennie, we will now be the ones reading blogs and dreaming of being out on the water x
I’ll miss your posts. Hope all goes well with the bricks and mortar life and I look forward to next years adventures. We are hoping to get over next year April – June, but who know?
Hi Lucy. Unless we’re stuck in Scarborough due to the pandemic we’ll be out on the cut long before the end of the year. I’m hoping for a Christmas cruise if nothing else. Here’s hoping the world finds its way out of this and we can meet up somewhere next year.
Say hi to Scarborough for me it was lovely to finally meet you at Tyrely locks before lock down. I will also miss your morning blog with my coffee! Stay safe all 3 of you and don’t work to hard kind regards Barbara and Phil NB Bessie Surtees xx
Hi Barbara and Phil. When I get chance to stretch my legs and leave Tilly for a few hours I’ll go and say hello to the lighthouse and the sea for you. Take care x
Hi Pip & Mick,
Another going to miss the 08.00 drop in my inbox every morning.
Fantastic commitment though to keep it up as you do for us followers.
Didn’t 2nd guess this one though! Can totally see the logic and desire to home up.
Will follow Tilley and hope you get a few cruises in.
Stay safe and well.
Cheers
Ade
Thank you Ade. Hoping we can have things in place for a day visit soon, if we are allowed to travel. We need to wait for all of us to be settled before we stay for longer.
The blog will pop back into your inbox at some point.
What a difficult transition that must’ve been for you both, I know how much you love boating and blogging. A wise choice though it looks like to me, sitting safely here in NZ about to go campervanning! I hope you find many ways to be joyful in your house for however long this chapter lasts ?
I’m hoping Tilly settles soon as I so want to see to sea. Hopefully she’ll be fine later this week for us to go to the cinema. Life is different, but it needs to be done. Plus, if we’re allowed, it will be lovely to catch up with friends again.
Enjoy your campervanning. Looking forward to hearing about it all.
Enjoy being landlubbers in your own home with excisions to Oleana as the future allows. Stay safe and well. Thanks for Tilly’s blog to keep us updated. Maybe one day Pip we’ll actually meet you, I hope so.
I hope we’ll get to meet too, maybe next year! Hope your life on land is going well and that you are enjoying it.
i wonder how Tilly will get on with the outside being the same one day after day? At least she’ll have some outside which is guaranteed to have no pesky woofers. Will she find another catwalk, that’s what I want to know! Looking forward to your first blog Tilly!
best wishes
Debby
Hi Debby
Tilly today has found a short cat walk, which is far far higher than on Oleanna, I’m sure she’ll find more places too.
Lockdown meant the outside stayed fairly constant for a while, she gradually wandered further and further. The house is right by a park, which I know will draw her in more than people’s back gardens. But at the top of the park is a field used for free running woofers! I see myself walking up and down the hill being a mad cat woman over the next few months.