Plus a surprise!
Well, this week we’ve been waiting for news on progress from Tom. Mick tried giving him a call on Thursday, but got no answer. He was possibly being too noisy doing jobs, we hope.
A message was left regarding the leak into the bow thruster locker. We’ve heard nothing back from Finesse, which was expected, sadly.
On Friday we packed up a hire car, full to the brim for a weekend away in the Dales with family. Fairly soon after we arrived at our destination, we got a message through from Tom saying he’d only just heard our message.
‘All well at the shop, pretty much ready for epoxy and high build, it’s going to be a productive week with the first main colour of cream on by the end of next week.’ He’s going to send photos at the end of each spray stage. He then wished us a great weekend. Did he know something that not many people knew !?!
The weekend was billed as a ‘Not Quite Birthday Weekend’ up at the curly wurlys on the Leeds Liverpool Canal, above Bank Newton Locks. Back in January we’d been looking for a venue/location for a celebration. It is my 60th birthday this coming Christmas, and for at least a decade I’ve been wanting to hold a party to celebrate a big birthday. Nineteen years ago I had a 40.5 party at the beginning of July, this decade there is an extra reason to celebrate a year early.
Thank you for suggestions for venues from some of you. These were looked at, but none really grabbed us. I then remembered seeing a sign alongside the canal above Bank Newton Locks on the Leeds Liverpool, something to do with cottages. For my 50th this had been discounted, as I’d been looking for a location with a nearby pub, a campsite along with bricks and mortar accommodation for a party. But maybe, just maybe, it would be worth going to look at the holiday cottages and see if we’d be able to have a do a Grange Newton.
On a rather damp January day we drove over and met with Rachel and had a guided tour round most of the cottages, all six on site would accommodate 24 people. If we wanted to have more for a do then we’d be needing to have a marquee and extra toilets. We chatted through various options, two fields were possible locations, and a grassy area by the main car park. One field was almost below our all time favourite mooring on the whole network, which back in January was occupied by our friend Chris on NB Elektra (sorry we didn’t come to say hello it was really quite a soggy day). The price of catering, a mobile bar, marquee hire, were all considered whilst sat in the farmhouse kitchen having a cuppa with Rachel. We then walked up to stand on Bridge 164 and a decision was made. We’d keep the do just to family, they’d fill the cottages, there’d be room for us incase we couldn’t get there by boat, other options all felt a touch too weddingy.
Invites were sent out for the Not Quite Birthday Weekend, billed as 59.5 + 68.11. Thankfully everyone thought it was a great idea, Mick’s family tend to be up for such things and my family quite like Mick’s, so they were game for it too.
Oleanna’s repaint being delayed meant that our first planned cruise up to York didn’t happen. Then on to Leeds and a climb up onto the Leeds Liverpool Canal also couldn’t happen, good job we’d made sure there’d be enough room for us too! Just a shame that Tilly would have to stay at the house and not be hunting for friends in the field that sits between the canal and the cottages.
So now back to Friday just gone, we packed the car with baked goods, clothes and two barbeques, the hope was that the weather would be fine enough to make use of them on Saturday night. We made it over to the cottages around 1pm and collected a key for one of the cottages where a gazebo had been erected to offer us some shade/cover depending on the weather. A visit to Robertshaws Farm Shop followed, here we bought ourselves some lunch and had hoped to stock up on meat for the barbeque, sadly nothing really took our fancy even though it was an interesting shop.
Back to the cottages to await various cars coming from across the UK and a very big Sainsbury’s order. The shopping arrived, as did most of our siblings, just one of Mick’s sisters and the London Leckenbys who were cutting it fine for a curry at the Bollywood Cottage down in Gargrave. But all twelve of the early arrivals managed a very nice sit down curry before heading back to meet with the next generation and their offspring, school and work having delayed their arrival. Sometime around 10pm the last car arrived and the youngest generation squealed and ran to greet each other.
Saturday was a day for people to do what they wanted until late afternoon. We popped into Skipton to purchase meat for the hoped for barbecue, the weather not playing ball in the morning or early afternoon. I set about icing cupcakes and prepping various bits of food for the feast later whilst others headed off to explore Barnoldswick, others walked down to Gargrave via the lock flight gongoozling and helping with gates as a hire boat made its way up. There was just enough time after handing out jobs for a quick stroll along the towpath to visit our favourite mooring. One boat occupied what has now become pole position, where the wall has collapsed giving a better view across to Newton Grange from inside a narrowboat. What a shame we couldn’t be there on Oleanna, but at least we were there.
Party clothes were left in bags, too damp for those! After my walk I did have to change as I’d got rather soggy, but warmth was the order of the evening.
Next problem was to collect everyone together on the terrace for a drink. Easier said than done, a Monopoly game was ongoing, potatoes being cooked for a salad, a shower being taken! I suggested that maybe a drink on the terrace would help whilst waiting for the potatoes to cool. Eventually everyone, bar Sean, was present. Mick tapped on a glass to get everyone’s attention.
‘Some of you may have guessed that we’ve had an ulterior motive for gathering you all together.’ Daphne (aged 4) had kind of guessed yesterday as her mum had been packing, asking if she was coming to a wedding!
On the 2nd of June, Mick and I became Civil Partners at York Registry Office at a simple standard ceremony with two witnesses, two of our best friends dating back to school days. We’d dressed up smart, new clothes, newly knitted cardie, some of Mum’s old buttons, Mick borrowed my belt and my dress was dark blue. Morag and Mark took photos whilst the registrar Gareth performed the ceremony. Fifteen minutes after arriving our partnership of 23.5 years had become Civil.
Thankfully the sun was out, so we walked down to the River Ouse for photos, plenty of space should we have brought Oleanna, but a film crew for the next series of Patience were taking up quite a bit of space. We then headed into the Museum Gardens for a few more photos, being followed by another couple who had also just tied the knot too.
A drink on the rear terrace of the Judges Lodgings, opposite where my Dad had his architectural practice. Then we walked over to The Refectory, a restaurant which used to be the Minster Song School, for a very nice meal. A very lovely afternoon with two very good friends celebrating. All they and we had to do now was to keep quiet until the family get together. When we arrived back in Scarborough the following day we took off our rings, popped them back in the box they’d come in.
.
After our announcement our rings came back out, now to remain on our fingers. I left a message for my best friend in Sydney for her to wake up to, she’d got married last weekend and I needed to tell her that we’d beaten them to it by three weeks!
A lovely lovely evening, with lots of food, four barbecues going, Josh’s tempura prawns and John doing his best to off load rocket! Once the sausages, kebabs and salmon had been consumed, it was time for cake, birthday cake, after all the weekend had been billed as a Not Quite Birthday weekend!
So everyone had to have a cake with their ages on them. Sadly it was a little bit too blowy to light everyone’s candles, but that didn’t stop all 22 of us singing Happy Birthday to US! at the top of our voices and blowing out our imaginary candles.
Sunday morning was spent trying to return bowls, plates and glasses to the right cottages before we all headed out to various places. Three carloads headed to Malham Cove, a walk to the base of the cove to watch climbers, followed by some chilled medication. Kath, Sean, Fran, Mick and myself then carried on to find Malham Tarn above with a little walk from the car to find the lake.
Others had carried on to Settle, others explored Skipton Castle. Then it was time for the younger generations to head for home, school and work waiting for them the next day. An evening meal of left overs and the sausage rolls I’d made were enjoyed with a few more drinks.
Monday morning and it was time to pack the final cars and say our goodbyes to Micks siblings. Everyone pulled away from our celebratory weekend at 10.
The Leckenby contingency drove down into Skipton to catch up with the Hall family. Robert and Margie have lived in Skipton for a few years. Since our last visit Margie has moved into a care home, a very nice care home overlooking the canal. It was lovely to see both Robert and Margie, then we had lunch and a further catch up with Katy their daughter and Trevor her husband.
Back in Scarborough for 6 to unpack the even fuller car and give Tilly a very BIG hug.
What a wonderful weekend.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car, 22 family members, 12 for curry, 23 cupcakes, 1 big cake, 1147.74 years between us, 1 average Richard, 2 jugs Pimms, 12 bottles wine, 35 bottles beer, 1 favourite mooring, 0 boat 🙁 , 0 cat bridesmaid, 1 announcement, 2 rings back where they should be, 1 car being charged in Skipton, 2 much food, 15 bookmarks, 1 klippy klippy, 12 bananas too many, 1 large bar of chocolate smuggled home, 3 birthday cards, 1 exceedingly good weekend, 1 Oleanna ready for Monday! 1 secret kept, 2 Civil Partners.
