In between preparation for the party this evening I took to the river bank for my walk. Down stream under Millennium Bridge, then having to go a little in land to get round York Motor Boat Club. Distances walked when I was a teenager or in my early twenties seemed to be just that little bit too far, today they didn’t seem to be quite far enough!
St Oswald’s Church
At the bottom of St Oswald Road the old church sits, converted into a house whilst I was at primary school, across the way a track leads onto Fulford Ings and to the University Rowing Club. I wondered how boggy the Ings would be today and walked down to have a look. There’s a temporary track across the fields where the footpath sits, maybe drainage improvements, maybe a new footpath?
Just returning to Oleanna via Fulford Road wasn’t going to be far enough, so I opted to walk up towards the University. I then forgot that the Imphal Barracks would block my way so had to detour further out of town , rediscovering the cross country route from my school days. I suspect I covered it far quicker today than I did when 15! Was that Grandad’s house peeking above the University and trees? Maybe, certainly one of his neighbours. Then back to Fulford Road across Walmgate Stray an area I didn’t know existed until today.
Daddy Fatso joined us
Mid afternoon we put on our party clothes and walked up to Fishergate to the London Leckenby’s flat, balloons visible through the skylights and aromas of roasting pork wafting down the street. Yesterday I’d printed out various photos of Dad so that he could join us for his 100th birthday party.
Drinks and tales, nibbles and more drinks. Roast pork, salad, potatoes and Yorkshire puddings, with greasy bottoms. Andrew had put together a spotify play list of Dad’s records, the occasional track reminding us of more which were found and added to the playlist. Beatles, Burt Bacharach, The Seekers, Slade, Ravel’s Bolero, John Williams, Tom Rush, Cat Stevens, Scaffold, The Communards, to name just a very few, Oh Shirley Bassey sneaked in there with a track for Mum.
Pip, Mick, Jac, Andrew and Josh
A Raspberry Frangipane Tart was baked and rested for pudding. Twelve candles added to the top, no room for 100. But who would blow them out? We all did together.
Happy Birthday Fatso!
This was followed by a game of York Monopoly. Bars (as in Bar Walls) rather than stations and York Minster and the Shambles taking the place of Mayfair and Park Lane. Some family deals went on, half rent! Thank goodness there is now a Mr Monopoly dice which speeds the game up, Mick having two full sets with hotels, it was obvious who was going to win, Mr Big Money, he may as well have become the banker! He finally bankrupted us all by midnight.
A lovely evening remembering Daddy Fatso in true Leckenby style, other than the man himself, the only thing missing was a vase!
Blow!
0 locks, 0 miles, 7am rowers again, 4.43 miles walked, 56 minutes briskly, 2 many calories, 2 many old songs, 0 Boogie Wonderland, 0.75 of a pig, 2kg potatoes, 1 huge salad, 1 frangipane tart, 1 Mr Money Bags, Happy 100th Birthday !
Showers. Tilly was offered some shore leave, which she took up for a while before retreating inside. I’m a fair weather cat and I like it like that in my older years. Thankfully the showers petered off, not that they’d been very soggy.
We’d toyed with staying put for the day, but our options for shopping were just about none existent and if we left it too long before heading into Selby then it would be Easter Sunday with just about all shops closed. Mick spotted a Tesco Express near to Burn Bridge so that was our aim for today.
Pushing off at West Haddlesey
I opted to walk, at about 3 miles it would be a good way of ticking off the brisk minutes. We both suspected that I’d beat Oleanna as the Selby Canal is really quite shallow, so slow cruising. It also gave me chance to check out the footpath along the first stretch.
Footpaths and towpaths
A big sign showed lots of local walks and that the towpath continued to Tankards Bridge, information already passed on to Paul at Waterway Routes. The footpath was good and obviously well used. I kept my pace up and kept just in front of Oleanna with enough time to pause to take photos.
Paperhouse Bridge with the tunnels/culverts/aqueducts either side
Yesterday I’d crossed Paperhouse Bridge where two round areas sit alongside the canal. Our maps suggest that the canal passes over these on aqueducts, even though they look just a bit like fancy side ponds. But information from the big notice says they have a tunnel, culvert between the two of them. These were designed by William Jessop to collect water and help stop the canal from getting flooded. There were originally four such tunnels/culverts/aqueducts, one has since been filled in.
They won’t budge!
I paused by the high wall mooring. Mick rang. As it was available, should we stop here for the day? Plan changed, he reversed Oleanna back to attempt to moor. There seemed to be quite a few branches in the way. He got the stern in and then with the boat hook managed to pick a branch out. However there were more branches and these were stubborn to shift. Back onboard to try from there, it wasn’t easy. I helped by staring at the branches. But that didn’t even help. After quite a bit of revving we decided to give up and continue to our original mooring.
On we plodded to Burn Bridge. Mick pulled in at the end furthest away from the busy road, under the willow tree. We’ve been here before several times and despite the road it’s a nice mooring. Had something changed? There seemed to be more grass on the bank. The stern came in, but when trying to pull Oleanna in she stopped just that little bit too far out to be able to comfortably step across. The bottom was far too close to the top! We tried again, nope! Not wanting to go any further, or to try mooring nearer the bridge we opted to bring the stern in and have the bow sticking out, after all we’ve not seen a moving boat for a couple of days and we’d still not be blocking the navigation.
Burn Bridge Willow tree
Some mixing and stirring was required by Tilly, some festive baking needed despite watching what is eaten at the moment. This was left to rise whilst we walked to Tescos for a few essentials, we’ll do a bigger shop in Selby tomorrow.
Whilst I added spices and fruit to the mix, Mick chaperoned Tilly’s shore leave. We knew she’d be far more interested in the friendly cover at our end of the mooring, but every now and again she’ll do something unexpected, if that involved the road that would be very bad indeed. I took over once the buns were proving again.
Tree!!!
Mick checked the stoppage notices. The moorings at Burn Bridge have been closed since June last year.
Please be advised that some moorings at Burn are currently unavailable due to ongoing safety renovations. The original footboards, planks, and structure had deteriorated beyond repair and are being replaced along the original banking. Alternative moorings are available at Haddlesey, and Gateforth landing. The notice stopped on 14th April.
The mooring is a quarter of what it used to be
Looking back at old photos, it looks as if they have removed and not replaced the original footboards. This extra few feet may have meant having enough water to get into the side and now it is far too shallow. We’ll have a go at pulling in further along in the morning to see if it’s all too shallow for us.
Hot paw buns with their marzipan prints
All was baked and ready to be a pudding after our main course this evening. We can’t have Easter without Hot Paw Buns! The boat smells all nice and spicy now.
The real thing
The flotilla to London has had quite a few problems today, failing hydraulics on one boat and a second morse control cable has broken. RCR are on their way to fix it tomorrow. Petition Link.
More socks
0 locks, 2.8 miles, 3 tunnels, 1 towpath, 2 attempts to moor, 2 many branches, 1 willow tree trimmed, 1 very jaunty angle, 5 bananas, 1 pot humous, 130 grams cranberries, 12 Hot Paw Buns, 1 willow climbed three times, 2 pairs of socks wrapped and ready to send.
A misty start to the day in Matlock. Hotel breakfast, where I managed to avoid the cooked end of the table and had a very pleasant chat with Kate Lovell, Creative Director from the Queens Theatre Hornchurch. A lift back to Level where today we were joined by Dark Horse actors Jo Sproulle and Rebekah Hill, both of whom I know very well.
The morning was spent rehearsing for the on-line symposium discussing how to market and engage general audiences for integrated theatre. There was to be an online panel made up from producers and an agent who have all worked with learning disabled and neurodivergent actors. In the room we were joined by Michele Taylor from Ramps on the Moon, who in 2020 produced Oliver Twist at the Leeds Playhouse.
What a beautiful day
Lunchtime I took myself off to walk down the path alongside the river, far more picturesque than my walk yesterday in Matlock. Here green hills and clumps of trees could be made out on the other side of the valley, what a beautiful day.
In the afternoon we all took up our positions, the online panel arrived on the white wall opposite those of us in the room. Our focus was to be on a camera. Checks done, then we started. Our hosts did a fab job of introducing the symposium, we all then had to introduce ourselves in turn. When it came to the on line participants there seemed to be a problem, a 20 second delay!
The technical chap in the corner looked from screen to screen, tried this and that whilst Nicky held everything together. The first question was asked of the on line panel, we waited for their response. Sadly the technical delay/glitch hadn’t been rectified and trying to hold a discussion with 20 second gaps everywhere simply wasn’t going to work. Vanessa decided to cut the online panel and the discussion would continue to be filmed in the room.
Some of the team from the symposium
Such a shame we didn’t get to hear what everyone on the big wall had to say. But these things happen. Hopefully there will be another chance for all to gather, most probably all online to have the discussion in full at sometime in the future.
This meant the day ended early. Not much point in doing something else with the time, so people headed home. I was last to leave, getting a lift with Vanessa to Bakewell to catch the bus back to Sheffield. There is a new stream of funding from the Arts Council which will be applied to with the hope of producing the play that has been in development for a few years. Fingers crossed for a successful application this time.
Qwor!!!
Blimey Bakewell was very VERY busy and boy that Party Bakewell Tart looked extra tasty. I managed to hop on the next bus which was just arriving and got the front seat upstairs, in amongst the masses of school kids. From here I endured the noise but enjoyed the fantastic views whilst trying to work out when I might reach Sheffield and get a cheap train ticket booked.
The bus time table sadly wasn’t that good and I ended up with 30 seconds to run across the road into the station find the right platform etc. Oh well only £3.50 wasted. I bought another ticket at nearly twice the price and had only a couple of minutes to wait for the next train.
Images of bands cover empty shop windows all around town.
Back in Doncaster I topped up my walking minutes by heading home via the scenic route. Everywhere was closed apart from pubs, keeping up a quick pace seemed to be a good idea.
Onboard Mick and Tilly had kept themselves busy whilst pile driving had been happening at the new development. Tilly had been busy sleeping and Mick had been trying to wire up the new stern light, that had gone on the stern of Oleanna last year. He’d been out to buy wire for the job, but then couldn’t find a way through the steelwork for the new cable to run. In the end the conclusion was that there is a cavity between two sheets of steel and some way through would need to be found. The job was paused.
A good selection of brushes
0 locks, 0 miles, 2 lifts, 1 bus, 1 giant bakewell, 1 train, 20 seconds not conducive to discussion, 1 hole not 2, 1 bored cat, 4.05 miles walked, 45 minutes briskly, 1 slightly painful hip! 2 more lodgers booked in, 1 house booked for the summer.
Time for the annual round up of travels on Oleanna. So sit back with a glass or mug of something nice, put your feet up and I hope you’ll enjoy the read.
We saw the New Year in in the house. Some canal side painting to hang in the downstairs toilet kept me busy during betwixtmas. I decided to set myself a new knitting challenge for the year, to knit a pair of socks each week for the full year to raise funds for Dementia UK. Emails were sent out to numerous yarn dyers and the parcels of generous donations started to arrive along with my needles starting to knit round and round in circles.
Late January we hired a car. First trip was to Dewsbury to purchase fabric for new dinette cushions, it also gave us chance to catch up with Mick’s old work colleagues Mark and Sarah on our way back. The next day we started to do jobs on Oleanna. Mick set too in the engine bay and The Shed to get ready to install our new lithium batteries, I sanded and cleaned the oak floor inside. Window surrounds with water damage were sanded back, stains removed and then revarnished. The stove top was given a fresh coat of paint and the floor two coats of Danish Oil. Mick fitted the batteries and chunky cables and tested things out, all seemed to be good.
Bowls of soup kept us going whilst on Oleanna and whilst in the house I made gluten free crumpets and focaccia. I just have to make the most of the big kitchen whilst I’ve got it!
February. More and more donated yarn arrived, I was going to have to make space on Oleanna for it, just as well I wouldn’t be making a panto model this year!
New dinette cushions were covered. The Galley tap was replaced, we’d discovered that the tap we had was no longer made, but managed to buy two along with spare cartridges, hopefully these will see our boating days out! The new battery installation was tidied up and hooks were added into The Shed to make better use of the storage in there.
Tilly had her yearly vaccinations and we stocked up on flee and wormer for her. Opticians were seen, improvements to a bathroom in the house were started, we had our first lodgers of the year and a lovely visit from Pip’s old school friend Morag. We then called together our Scarborough friends for a gathering before a final tidy up of the house and our return to Oleanna at the beginning of March.
Shore leave permitted for another year
With just about all the house jobs done in the house we moved back onboard, this pleased Tilly and she found her way into the secret passage as soon as she could If I stayed in there I might never have to return to the house again!
Our first aim for the year had been to join the Fund Britain’s Waterways cruise on the Thames, quite a journey from Goole especially when all routes south were blocked by winter maintenance. Once we’d stocked up the boat we headed straight for the New Junction Canal, pulling in to give Tilly some much needed shore leave. She was happy and so were we to be back out on the cut.
We headed towards the first of the stoppages that would be lifted, got stuck by rising waters on the River Aire, made a dash to Lemonroyd when levels dropped a touch. Here things didn’t go too well, two visits to an emergency dentist and Oleanna’s cooling system developed a fault for which we needed a part. Thank goodness we’d upgraded our batteries, but there was no hot water. Alastair from Goole came out to fix our problem and we had a few days plugged in at the marina before river levels dropped and Woodnook Lock on the Aire and Calder reopened we could now be on our way again.
Making our way up towards the Rochdale Canal we negotiated river sections just coming out of the red and made our final dash to Brighouse before the level rose again. We were now at least two weeks behind our planned schedule to reach London in time for the campaign cruise, yes we could have upped the hours we were cruising, enlisted extra crew in places to speed our journey, but we opted to slow down and enjoy the journey and abandoned joining the cruise.
Through Tuel Lane the deepest lock on the network arriving in Hebden Bridge for Easter weekend. We enjoyed cheese, hot cross buns and a pint with Alex one of our favourite actors. Then an evening with old college friends Alan and Doug up near Todmorden before we carried on climbing over the Pennines.
The Rochdale was how we remembered it, hard work but wonderful scenery. The Great Wall of Tod and ducklings took us up towards the summit where we’d booked our passage across the top, a shame it was an overcast damp day. Two C&RT chaps helped us up the last uphill lock and then down the first few locks on the other side getting us through a section guaranteed to be low in water.
There was a pause in Littleborough meeting up with Mick’s sister Anne and his niece and great nieces, first time I’d met the great nieces and the first time we’d seen Anne and Ruth since lockdowns.
A mystery man arrived near Slattocks on our descent towards Manchester, Paul Balmer (Waterway Routes). He’d offered to help us on the long stretch into Piccadilly but arrived a day earlier to help get us to the Rose of Lancaster, he did return the following day and was rewarded with the first batch of apple flapjack.
Down the Rochdale Nine and onto the Bridgewater Canal where we turned left heading southwards. We pulled in for a couple of days at Little Bollington for Mick to have a couple of days away in Scarborough, leaving Tilly and myself on the embankment where the breach on New Years Day 2025 has now happened.
Through Preston Brook Tunnel and on southwards on the Trent and Mersey. Up the Cheshire Locks for the first time this year we paused and had a night out at the New Vic in Stoke to see One Man Two Guvnors with a cast of so many familiar faces. Then on through Harecastle Tunnel and down to Stone where we were joined by Bill and Lisa who got to work their first locks.
At the beginning of May we turned a right at Great Heywood and onto the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal. Unfortunately one of our new lithium bully boy batteries had gone faulty. This needed sending back which took some packing and planning for a pick up. It was deemed to be faulty and a replacement was made ready to be sent out to us when we’d reached somewhere suitable.
Pretty when the sun’s out
A dentist check up in Birmingham suggested I’d be needing a few appointments so it was just as well I’d been before we arrived in Birmingham. Up the Wolverhampton 21, we like that flight, and an overnight stop at Urban Moorings to donate our deposits from our separating toilet.
We now had a rendezvous. Messages had been sent back and forth and as we arrived in Birmingham we were able to pull in right behind NB Lottie Jane where Clare and Graeme were waiting for us. They were over from New Zealand for a few months and had borrowed their friends boat. Over dinner we arranged to share the broad locks ahead of us, they’d head off in the morning and we’d loiter for my dentist.
A few days later after coinciding with another Graeme on NB Misty Blue, then descending Lapworth Locks we rendezvoused again on the embankment above Rowington on the Grand Union. Here there was a meeting of boats as we managed to also coincide withChris on NB Elektra and have a guided tour and a catch up sat out on the towpath.
Down Hatton, both boats glad to have company to work the locks, we rewarded ourselves with a meal at The Cape of Good Hope. Onwards to share the locks back up the other side with Clare and Graeme. It was very nice to be able to spend some time with them again before our journeys took us in different directions at Napton as we headed onto the South Oxford Canal and they headed towards Crick for the boat show.
Mick’s birthday was seen in on the South Oxford, now a state pensioner! A new battery was delivered and looked after at Aynho Wharf for our arrival, more socks were knitted, one pair hand delivered in Thrupp and we managed to moor at several of our favourite moorings as we headed down to Oxford.
Sally, Andrew, Ian, Mick, Jenny, Pip, Sam, Jac
A big Leckenby get together was arranged at the Kings Arms by Sandford Lock on the Thames. Andrew and Jac drove over from London and Ian and Sally along with Sam and Jenny drove over from near Lechlade and Windsor. We had a very loud Sunday lunch, so good to be able to get us all together at a jolly event.
Now we headed down stream on the Thames, we usually end up going up stream! Perfect timing to meet up with Australian visitors Siobhan and Patrick in Wallingford for lunch.
A perfectly timed arrival at Clivden meant we got to moor on an island for the second time, perfect for Tilly. A warm evening bbq above Boveney Lock, watching the royals in Old Windsor. Then we arrived at Weybridge where we joined the River Wey, with a transit licence we moved up to Pyrford Marina meeting up with Ann-Marie and Dave from NB Legend and then a trip back to Scarborough to do a turn around at the house.
On our return we picked up extra crew member Kath (Mick’s sister) and turned onto the Basingstoke Canal. Kath has lived close by to the canal for several years but never seen a boat on it. The following day we joined forces with NB Olive to continue our climb up the locks, there were now 6 cats in the locks not just 1! We cruised our way up to the end of the navigation only to have a phone call saying that a boat had hit a lock gate behind us and that the Deep Cut flight of locks was now closed. Would we be stuck for days, weeks or months?
Oleanna’s horns were removed for some of the lowest bridges on the network, we’d actually have had plenty of space for them. Lunch was enjoyed with Marion and John, a walk over the top to visit the other end of Greywell Tunnel was enjoyed in the sunshine. We then spent the next few days waiting for news on the broken lock and trying to find moorings for Tilly away from NB Olive as Tilly isn’t too keen on other cats!
We spent time visiting Brookwood Cemetery, walking in the woods near Mytchett Visitors Centre and caught up with Sam Leckenby for a meal. Then we heard that the Canal Rangers would be able to give us assisted passage through the troubled lock. Four boats were bow hauled through, only cats allowed to stay on board. At least we’d managed to cruise The Basingstoke Canal on our second attempt.
Downstream on the Thames again to Teddington and a lovely early evening trip to Brentford ended our journey on the Thames this year. We’d booked a mooring in Paddington Basin for a few days giving us chance to catch up with friends and family in London. Andrews birthday was celebrated in true Leckenby style, meet ups with Christine and Paul for Tapas, brunch with Kathy and a few pints with Nick, Kerry and Harry were all enjoyed even though my left knee was starting to seriously play up.
We pulled out from London as the General Election was looming, we’d done postal votes some days before hand. Back along the Grand Union heading northwards we decided to attempt the Slough arm for a second time. Sadly our depth meant all we achieved was a load of weed around the prop and had to abort our mission.
The Grand Union is a very familiar waterway now to us, we climbed up to the Tring summit and headed off to Lizzie’s 50th birthday party in Crick. Lots of boaters we’ve met through the years were there to have a catch up with. We also took the opportunity to catch up with my college friend Jen who’s joined us for a or two cruise in the past.
The first lock of the Marsworth flight was hard work for my knee, the second impossible. Time for role reversal, I’d be at the helm, Mick wheeling a windlass from now onwards. A turn onto the Aylesbury Arm, water Oleanna hadn’t been on before. Our only sight seeing was at an NHS walk in (more like hobble in) centre in High Wycombe, but we did pop to say hello to Ronnie Baker.
Another turn around in Scarborough before we headed towards Milton Keynes joined for a lovely day by Mike and Chris. Northwards to Braunston and onto the North Oxford Canal passing through the large landslip site which had the canal closed for months earlier in the year. Right onto the Coventry Canal, Atherstone and up to Fradley where we turned left for the first time in years.
Now we met up with our old shareboat NB Winding Down and walked round Shugborough Hall, my knee having improved with exercises. Straight on to Stoke then a right onto the Caldon Canal. There was the opportunity to coincide with Debbie and Dave on NB Bonjour, handing over another pair of socks, before we carried cruising both arms of the canal. Having limboed our way on the Basingstoke we decided to give Froghall Tunnel a go. Horns removed again, we slowly but surely managed our way through and had a very quiet night in the basin one lock down on the Uttoxeter Canal, another first for us.
At the beginning of September we retraced our route back to the Trent and Mersey with perfect timing to meet up with Mike and Christine on NB Alchemy, we had time for a catch up and introduction to Tilly before we headed in different directions. Middleport Pottery was visited for the first time, then it was through Harecastle Tunnel for the second time this year.
Paul joined us again to assist us down the Cheshire Locks getting us a little ahead of schedule which meant we were at the Anderton Boat Lift at a weekend meaning Lizzie could join us for the trip, even though it was an exceedingly wet day. This ticked off Oleanna’s seventh and final wonder of the waterways.
We cruised to both ends of the River Weaver on new waters for all of us. A tour of the Daniel Adamson was offered and taken and the last pairs of socks for my sockathon got sponsors. The monthly market in Northwich caught our attention and we had a very lovely evening in Manchester with the London Leckenbys when Josh moved to the city to study at the University.
Back southwards on the Trent and Mersey we crossed paths with NB On The Fiddle and NB Cobweb meaning I could hand deliver some more socks to an old SJT colleague. We started up the Cheshire Locks on our own, but soon picked up Bridget and Storm who were in need of a canal fix, it was great to have a couple of days with them.
Now we turned over the Trent and Mersey and onto the Macclesfield Canal. The Bosley flight was low on water so I handed the helm back to Mick and reclaimed the windlass, Mick is willing to give Oleanna extra umph when needed.
A belated birthday trip on the PS Waverley for Mick had us moored in Macclesfield for a few days, NB Alton stopping to top us up with diesel and coal. Then we were across the top of the Macc and down the Marple flight ready to turn onto the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.
Rain gave us a day off in Stalybridge. Another pause was taken at Uppermill for a trip to Scarborough to see the latest Ayckbourn play and meet up with our lodgers before they headed homewards.
On our final ascent to the summit of the HNC, we thankfully we swapped roles due to low water levels, a 100 meter dash and quick thinking by Mick averted disaster at Lock 29W where Oleanna had got stuck on the cill as the lock did it’s best to empty itself behind her. Once we’d reached the summit we had a quiet afternoon preparing for Standedge Tunnel the following morning.
Our third time through the tunnel, Tilly resigned to hide tucked away behind Mick’s pillow. In Marsden there was then a wait for a lock bridge to be mended before we could descend through Yorkshire. Paul came to assist again on a very drizzly day getting us to Slaithwaite.
From here we had a trip southwards to help celebrate Kath and Sean’s Civil Partnership, a wonderful day with all the Geraghtys together.
Mick and I worked the rest of our way down to Huddersfield where Paul came to assist again wanting to check data for Waterway Routes which is hard to do without being on a boat. We finally waved goodbye to Paul in Wakefield and did our best to avoid the River Aire going into flood, but ended up having to wait a few days at Castleford.
Back on the Aire and Calder we headed to Sykehouse Junction and tucked ourselves on the moorings at the start of the New Junction where we’d moored on our first night this year. Tilly was given shore leave, I remember it well! whilst I tried to finish off some painting jobs before we returned to Goole.
By the end of October Oleanna was tucked up in Goole and we were back in the house with our next lodger, the baddie from the Christmas show at the SJT. Back in the land of veg boxes, get togethers with friends, lantern parades and walks on the beach. Jobs in the house have been listed, a few ticked off and more to work through next year in between lodgers.
The run up to Christmas also included visiting a couple of potential boat painters. A trip to London for a boat trip on the Thames to mark Marion and John’s Golden Wedding Anniversary and at the same time catch up with my family too.
This year Christmas was just the three of us with lots of food and some sock knitting of course. In fact I knitted right up to the bongs of Big Ben at midnight getting part way through my 55th pair of socks in 2024.
So this year was The Year Of The ……
… SOCK!
Now for our final statistics for 2024
This year is the first full year that we’ve logged our journeys using Nebo, but I’ve also kept a tally as we’ve cruised using Canalplan, I’ve got quite a spread sheet. The two methods of recording distances give different totals so I shall list them both. Nebo calculates distances, has average speeds and maximum speeds. Canalplan doesn’t do speed, but includes locks, tunnels, bridges, etc so I suspect I’ll carry on with both next year.
Canalplan stats.
Total distance of 956miles, 4 furlongs and 846 locks.
There were 56 moveable bridges, of which 11 are usually left open; 205 small aqueducts or underbridges and 28 tunnels – a total of 12 miles, 4 furlongs under ground and 1 major aqueduct.
This is made up of 426 miles, 1 furlongs of narrow canals; 279 miles, 7.5 furlongs of broad canals; 55 miles, 1.75 furlongs of commercial waterways; 44 miles, 1.5 furlongs of small rivers; 137 miles, 5.75 furlongs of large rivers; 5 miles, 0.75 furlongs of tidal rivers; 417 narrow locks; 353 broad locks; 55 large locks; 2 boat lifts.
Nebo stats.
Underway 289.95 hours; end mileage 943.24miles; average speed 2.5mph; maximum speed 27.8mph (the link was doing something odd for the first few months then it became more realistic); maximum speed 6.5mph (I hasten to add this was on the River Aire heading downstream in the amber)
Nebo2024 Cruise Map
Other stats.
58 Vehicles held up at moveable bridges; 1011.03 litres of diesel bought; £0.90 lowest diesel at Viking Marina Oct 2024; £1.24 maximum diesel at Aynho Wharf May 2024; 490kgs coal; 3 x 13 kg bottles of gas; £52 electric at moorings; 2 buckets of compost deposits; £20 donation; 630.4 Engine hours; 4 packs Dreamies; 51 friends; 4 brought in; 2 upset tummies; 40 Mrs Tilly stamps of approval; 51 boxes of wine; £252.45 spent on mooring fees; 1 overnight guest; 0 shows; 12 lodgers; 5 supermarket deliveries; 1 problematical knee; 8 months cruising; 20Litres oil; 0 fuel filters; 2 oil filters; 1 kitchen tap; 3 new batteries; 1 faulty; 150amp hours to 460 amp hours (at 24 volts); 1 boat mover sighting; 1 blue boat sighting; 11 days of guest crew; 54.4 pairs of socks; 1,000,000 plus knitted stitches; £1525 raised for Dementia UK; 271 posts; 268,000 words; 353 likes; 399 comments; 15900 visitors; 41300 views!
Thank you for joining us on our travels in 2024.
The count down to the start of our travels for 2025 has started.
Tide was in by the time we got to the beach Christmas morning
Christmas and Birthday. We’ve had a good year this year, not so many boaty presents as usual, but still some worth mentioning.
Mick got a serious pair of bolt croppers. These may be handy should anything ever seriously stubborn find its way onto Oleanna’s prop. A new weather station is currently being tested out, there are frequent comments as to the temperature on the coal bunker outside the back of the house. The old weather station wasn’t quite so detailed and it had ceased to show you much other than the time! I had considered getting Mick one that showed the tide times, this may have come in handy for 2025, but he’d selected a different model on his present list. Gardening gloves and bulbs for the house, hopefully the squirrels will leave the bulbs alone as the number of daffodils in the front flower bed seem to have decreased since we let the house out ten years ago, so hopefully we’ll be able to boost them again this year.
I got a new ‘to me’ camera! It was a well researched pre owned purchase from Amazon. I’ve taken a few photos so far mainly of garden benches for reference in the weeks to come. I must read the instruction book to make the most of it. So far so good, it has a 30 times optical zoom. No macro setting that I’ve found yet, but a symbol occasionally appears. I’ll just have to get used to carrying it about with me again and using it rather than my phone.
We need at least two more people to be able to play The Traitors game
A new bumbag came from Josh. The one I bought last year was waterproof to start with, but as it was used the coating was wearing off, so a bad purchase. Hopefully this new one will be better and there is plenty of room for my camera and phone. As suggested by Jennie I will endeavour to swivel it round to the side or my back when working locks so as to avoid pressing buttons on my camera which most probably did for the last one.
Tilly got a book on the Regents Canal with places to eat.I’ve had a scan through it, however it doesn’t mention Perivale Wood at Ballot Box Bridge, a busy fast moving spot, with delicious rodent main courses. It also mentions too many places I’ve not been allowed to sample as shore leave was deemed unsafe.
There’s always scissors
I’ve also had three large white hardback books. One a gluten free baking book with lots of science in it, another a veggie cook book and Billy Connelly’s arty book. All will require some looking at. I also got a bag of Italian pizza flour that is gf. I’ve heard good things about it so I’ll be giving it a go in the new year. Oh and some sock stitch markers.
A cats Protection t shirt and a chopping board came from Tilly, She needs reminding of my dingding time at frequent intervals throughout the afternoon when She’s in, so let this serve as a reminder when she’s outside too! I also got some new baking trays for the boat, the ones I’ve been using were really quite cheap and tinny, so these are an upgrade.
We’ve gradually been eating our way through the mountains of Christmas food, my birthday cake is still on going, I must remember to make a half sized one next year. It was a very good choice, but we’re a little bit bored with it now.
Well the time of year to buy a new licence for Oleanna has arrived. A bigger outlay than in previous years as we now have the Continuous Cruisers surcharge to pay for. We want to cruise the network so we don’t mind paying the extra. However we have waited for the latest credit card statement to come through before buying next year’s licence to help spread the cost a bit.
Tilly’s new rechargeable catnip felt balls
On the renewal there was a button to read the continuous cruisers rules. Mick clicked the button only to find it led to a “404 error. Page not found”! He then hunted round until he found a version of them from 2022. I have just found a more up to date copy (03/2024) but blimey it doesn’t half take some finding!
For those who don’t know about the new Continuous Cruisers surcharge, this has been brought in this year for boats that don’t have a home mooring, we fall into this category. The T&Cs say that we have to move every 14 days, this is nothing new and we abide by this as it’s what we’ve always signed up for and we prefer to be cruising anyway. To avoid the CC surcharge you need to prove that you have a home mooring for 6 or more continuous months. On the latest T&C’s (I think they are the latest!), I’ve just spent a couple of hours searching for, our winter mooring at Goole is covered in the section “14 days or such longer period as is reasonable in the circumstances” in Schedule 1. For staying longer than 14 days anywhere we should have immediately contacted the Trust’s Licencing Support Team, this is what you should do if you have engine failure, medical requirements etc, to overstay in an area.
Foggy Scarbados
In previous years we’ve logged onto our C&RT account and changed us from being a Continuous Cruiser to having a mooring. This meant that should we want to go out every weekend to Sykehouse Junction or Pollington Lock we wouldn’t be classed as over staying if spotted in the same place three weeks apart as we’d have returned to our mooring in between. Now that there is the CC surcharge you can no longer adjust this on line, it appears we should have contacted the Licencing Support Team regarding our marina mooring otherwise we could get an overstay notice. Oh well, we’re fairly unlikely to go out for little jaunts every weekend anyway, but contacting a team member to let them know seems like a waste of their time when we just used to switch from CC to a mooring.
Christmas cheese from Hebden Bridge
PS if you follow a link on the C&RT website to what is expected of you as a Continuous Cruiser you end up with a document from 2012, long before the surcharge came into existence! Oh Well!!!
But Oleanna is now licenced for the next year, that is what’s important and we can start looking forward to our new adventures on her.
0 locks, 0 miles, 3 treat cheeses, 1 year older, 4 balls, 8 pairs of socks, 2 pairs scissors, 1 green triangle, 3 white books, 1 weather station, 1 camera, 1 very cheeky cat, 2 much to eat, 1 Christmas show, 3rd Paddington film, £1525! 54 pairs of socks, plus a little bit.
Thank you Bridget and Storm for your photos this morning of the last official #pipssockathon2024 socks
I have managed a 54th pair too. I really must get round to updating my sockathon page!
Things have been busy here in Scarborough getting ourselves ready for Christmas.
A tree was purchased from a pub car park, lights added and celebrated with this years new version of mince pies, Viennese topped, think I prefer frangipane topping. We celebrated our 22nd anniversary of being together with a Chinese, very nice too. Mick walked up the hill to help me collect ivy for wreaths and the outside of the house is now decorated.
Last Friday we headed out for drinks with friends and managed to catch the Snainton Illuminated tractor run along the Foreshore, a very noisy affair, but very festive. The Christmas biscuit factory got busy last Saturday, 60 gluten free Lebkuchen were baked and have now been distributed about town.
After four quotes for a new lean too we’ve decided on the company, but now just need a roofer to come and see if we need reroofing on the house, wise to work both things around each other. A new cooker hood was fitted by Mick and his friend Mark and at the end of last week, a new lid to the coal bunker and we’ve had a new back door fitted, the last bit of single glazing in the house now replaced.
Humberside NHS on the top floor in Eastfield
My GP has referred me to the Self Referral Physio! I got to meet Meera last week who checked my knees over. My leg muscles are strong, all that lock beam pushing. So far she thinks that my leg muscles are too tight, so new exercises consist of stretches. She also spent time explaining the x-ray I had done in the summer and why it was deemed normal. No signs of arthritis but the cartilage behind my knee caps may not be helping things to glide as it should. I think I can tell the difference all ready, we’ll meet up again in early January.
Cake cake cake
The choice of birthday cake is still to be made, three contenders have been whittled down to two. So it’s between rice or oranges and plums.
We’ve now received 7 estimates/quotes to have Oleanna repainted. Only one company we contacted hasn’t replied, sadly that was Finesse in Sheffield, most probably busy getting the next batch of new boats in the water and out before Christmas.
One company were several thousand pounds more just for painting her and before adding in the alterations/additions we are wanting to do. But there does seem to be a going rate between several painters and yards. The quotes have been whittled down to four now. We’ve seen examples from two of them and heard good reports whilst out on the cut. The other two have advantages about them, but we’re not aware of having seen any of their work. So we’ve arranged to go and see them before Christmas.
This morning Mick picked up a hire car and we headed down to Goole. I had my knitting to keep me busy over the Wolds, finishing off pair 52 and continuing pair 53. There are some things that can’t be done in the passenger seat of a car so I’d got a more complicated bit done last night in preparation.
Not a bad view of Goole
Plenty of ships in at the docks. We headed straight past Albert Street, the way to Viking Marina, and instead turned up alongside the Dutch River and headed to Goole Marina. It was lunchtime for us so we decided to try out the Coffee Dock which over looks the visitor moorings in Goole. A covered, zipped up outdoor area was negotiated and inside it was nice and cosy. Mick had a toasted panini and I enjoyed a generous jacket potato. Highly recommended and we’ll be back should we not have sandwiches with us when we visit Oleanna.
Then to the marina office to meet with David Brown who now runs Goole Marina, which was Goole Boathouse.
A friendly enough chap who wanted to show us a boat they’d painted and done some work on six months ago which was located at the far end of the marina, close to where we’d moored a few years ago. He talked through how they paint the boats.
Jacket and a cuppa
All boats are shot blasted as standard, including the base plate. Then all fixtures and fittings are removed, apart from through skin fittings. Areas which were missed by shot blasting are cleaned back to metal ready for painting. This is when any steel work would be done, we’re wanting to add a couple more T studs at the bow. The hull is then fully painted in Jotun Jotamastic 90 two pack epoxy including the base plate, with an airless spray to a min of 200 microns, which allows for a 9 year guarantee.
Above the D-bar the boat is then painted in Jotun Megaprimer, also two-pack system (additional 150 microns). Then all areas are sanded and prepared for final coats, anti slip areas done where requested. 3 coats of Jotun Mega Gloss (UV resistant) which is a two pack polyurethane system.
From cabin sides to water line, is done in Jotun Hardtop HB, more two pack, giving a satin black on the gunnels, this also protects the two pack epoxy from UV stopping it from going a milky colour. They aim for a 500 microns of paint in total.
Signwriting and coach lines follow before all the windows, fixtures and fittings are put back on. They’d be able to replace the windows for us with thermal break double glazing, do some wood work jobs too.
Apart from the boat we were stood in front of we’d not seen any of his work, also when asking on various groups for recommendations he hadn’t been mentioned. I asked where he’d come from before taking over the marina. He used to build boats near Ferrybridge, then ran Selby Boat Centre. We were shown a few photos of other boats they’d painted and we can go to see them if we’d like.
DB Marine build boats, so are not solely painters as other places we’ve approached are. Their location would be ideal for us to have Oleanna repainted out of season and currently their next slot would be June 2025. The price quoted was a little bit higher than others, but does include all the extras we are after.
We thanked David for his time and then headed back round to the other side of the docks to Viking to say hello to Oleanna.
Hello lovely!
There she sat, front door sticking a little from cold and dampness. Mick wanted to run the engine for half an hour and I wanted to top up the damp traps that we have in various cupboards.
I also wanted to see what radius our windows were. From inside it was a little ambiguous, well if you are not dealing with boat windows regularly. From out side the outer frame suggested 4 in. One boat painter has suggested that we may not be able to replace the windows with double glazing of the same radius, right now I can’t remember which radius is done both single and double. However David today said that they are available in both 3 and 4 inch. I may need to phone Cauldwells to check for myself at some point.
We knew Alastair had been about yesterday to do an engine service and check the engine mounts etc. Mick lifted the engine board to check all was fine. Ah, the oil filler cap was off! Had Alastair finished? It didn’t look like it, unwise to run the engine not knowing how much oil there was. The engine board was replaced.
Not much more we could actually do today. We spotted Alastair before leaving so managed to have a chat. He’d got so far yesterday with Oleanna’s service and then been called out by RCR, he’s a trusted engineer for them. When he got back it was too dark to continue, he hoped he’d be able to return to her tomorrow. Nothing much to report other than the inline diesel filter which he’d like to replace the seals on, everything else looks good.
A pat goodbye, see you soon
Back across the Wolds for us arriving just before evening Dingding time for Tilly. I think she’d only just woken up, her tummy rumbling.
Another painter to see before Christmas.
0 locks, 0 miles, 37 tractors, 1 works do, 1 improved bunker, 1 shiny extractor, 1 double glazed door, 1 blind cleaned, 60 lebkuchen, 5 miles delivery, 4 new exercises, 3ft tree, 2 wreaths, 1 batch mince pies, 1 very bored sleeping cat, 1st painter, 54th pair of socks in sight.
Over the last week or so, Mick had noticed that Oleanna’s heating hadn’t been coming on when we’d expect it to. Snow in Goole as seen from our webcam suggested it had been quite cold, along with the sensor in the engine bay. This needed checking out. So on Thursday Mick caught the 9am train down to Goole, arriving 20 minutes late due to signal problems near Brough, £2 back on his fare.
I was left in Scarborough to bring in the weeks shopping and await the delivery of a new cooker hood for the house, along with chasing up quotes to replace our lean to.
Hello! Mick on Oleanna
It was chilly down in Goole. Mick opened up Oleanna and fired up the heating. He thinks that the temperature sensor he’d added a couple of years ago isn’t working. This connects to the Aldi Boiler and because we’ve never got round to drilling holes through cupboards and drawers, it gets positioned out side the electrics cupboard when we’re not onboard. There is a thermostat on the Aldi boiler controller, but that sits inside the electrics cupboard where it tends to be that bit warmer than the cabin. The solution for now is to leave the electrics cupboard open so the boiler controller will hopefully notice if it gets below a certain temperature and then fire up the central heating. Our gas boiler has the advantage of being able to work off electric when we’re hooked up, so there’s no danger of us running out of gas and the gas can be left turned off in the locker.
In Scarborough I somehow missed the delivery driver. Or they didn’t even bother to knock on the door, maybe not even come up the street. Delivery to be attempted again on Friday.
A sunny bedroom
Tilly and I spent time tidying up the bedroom. Our listing on the SJT digs list was in need of updating, ready to go out to actors coming to Scarborough in 2025. Some new photos were needed, the original one of our bedroom was quite pallid and dull. With a jollier duvet cover on the bed this would make a difference. I just needed to tidy up and keep Tilly out of view. All easier said than done. The sun shone, reflections showed laundry baskets piled high with our possessions on the landing. Tilly managed to get inside the wardrobe and flash her white bits through the glass, but after numerous photos we succeeded. I now just have to get the accounts up to date to check we’re charging a suitable amount.
Mick ran Oleanna’s engine. Then checked the temperature of the battery terminals where he’d just recently shortened the chunky cables to the Bully Boy batteries. The new crimps were holding well and the temperature was good.
Mick went to find Alastair, who was busy welding. We’d left several jobs for Alastair to do for us, so Mick just wanted to check in. Today could have been an oil change day, removing that job from the list, but it was too cold so Mick left it on the Alastair list, hopefully next week.
When we get a repaint, we don’t want the same to happen again
When getting quotes for a repaint I’d been asked by one place if we could take photos of the locker lids at the stern. Our stern lockers have wooden tops that slide and lift off. When Oleanna was new we quickly noticed we couldn’t help but mark the paintwork opening and closing the lockers. We keep all sorts in them, the tiller, spikes, chains and nappy pins are in there they tend to be opened twice a day when we’re cruising. The lids were reduced in size a fraction to try to help with this, but after 8 years the marks are embarrassingly bad. A suggestion made by Paul Balmerto reduce the lid size and have a wooden surround that they sit in is a good one, so any bumps happen to the wood rather than the paintwork. Mick took photos, lots of them.
His next job was to find the big container of Fertan we’d bought back in April. It took some hunting down as it had been beavered away in the port side bow locker, paints tend to be kept on the starboard side. Then some Uhu glue was wanted back at the house and I knew exactly where a couple of tubes of it were on the boat.
Bye bye
All jobs for the day had been ticked off, Oleanna’s cabin warmed up a touch, it was time for Mick to lock up and head back to Scarborough.
Some sunrise sock knitting
This week has been all about cake! Great British Bake Off final, whilst I knitted away at a pair of ‘Cake’ socks using a cake of yarn I’d just wound. Then a cherry cake was made to use up some frozen fruit from the freezer. On Wednesday Frank must have heard me cracking the eggs from two miles away. Whilst the cake was baking I got a message asking if the kettle was on and if there was any cake! The recipe said to leave it to completely cool, but needs were such that we consumed the first slices whilst still warm. A second slice was had to see if it improved as it cooled. Thursday Frank returned, quality control of the now fully cooled cake was needed. Our consensus, it was crunchier and tastier whilst still warm.
Frank tucking in
Out on the canal network there has been plenty of water. In recent years we’ve spent November on the South Oxford. The amount of rain that fell a week ago had Banbury turn into a lake, the new moorings by the new cinema and Tooleys up by a foot, the bus station under water. Even higher up the canal Cropredy found itself become an island all roads cut off and the 300 boats moored at the marina needing their mooring ropes loosening overnight. Levels have been high elsewhere, towpaths being over topped and navigations closed, they are only just starting to return to normal levels. I hope everyone and their boats remained safe after Storm Bert.
Christmas cards ready to be written
On another note should you have ever stopped in Berko and enjoyed a pint or watched a Mikron show at The Rising Sun, take a look at this link. They are seeking financial assistance to help pay legal debts they have incurred over the last three years after a noise complaint was made by a neighbour. We of course do not know the other side of the story, but it would be a truly miserable world if such pubs ended up closing.
The Rising Sun back in 2017
0 locks, 0 miles, 2 trains, 0 oil change, 1 slightly warmer boat, 1 caput sensor, 2 locker lids, 1 bottle fertan, 2 tubes Uhu! 1 upstaging cat, 50th pair of socks, 2/3rds cake gone within 1 hour, 1 sunrise appointment, 54 Christmas cards, only a few hours left to add your name to the sockathon list, 2 sock shots from New Zealand, £1450!!!
When I installed the new LiFePO4 lithium batteries back in the spring of this year, I had ordered cables that were too long. Better too long than too short! At the time, I didn’t have the right tool for cutting the big chunky cables (35mm²) nor a tool to crimp new terminals onto shortened cables. In my 40 year career in telecoms and IT, I didn’t work with thick wires, the wires I normally dealt with were only 0.2mm². So I left the battery cables long and tucked the surplus away in a corner of the engine bay.
Monitoring the charging of the batteries over the summer I noticed that the batteries rarely get above 27.3 volts while charging from the alternator and the current, whilst it starts off high at 80 amps or so, quickly drops to 30 amps and stays there for hours. The domestic alternator on Oleanna is a Beta original 24 volt 100 amp. Here is an example from a long day (for us) cruising. Ignore the big downward spikes, they are where we put the kettle on.
My suspicion is that the charging specification of the alternator doesn’t get up to the 28.4 volts that are required to quickly fully charge LiFePO4 batteries. But that is more complicated to deal with so as a first step I thought I’d shorten the cables. I purchased a pair of cutters and a crimping tool as well as some terminals. Tools (and pictures) from https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/
Equipped with these tools I took a train ride down to Goole. I turned off the inverter and disconnected the incoming 230v supply. I turned off all the DC systems at the isolators. Both domestic batteries got disconnected at the terminals and from the positive bus bar. I pulled back the spare cables from the engine bay to the inside battery that is located in a cupboard just through the bulkhead, measured how much I needed to connect, took the plunge and cut the cables. I took just under a metre or so off each cable.
Cables before cuttingInsulation cut back and heat shrink sleeving attachedCopper terminalReady to crimpCrimping tool ready to be bashed with 4lb club hammerCrimpedHeat shrink sleeve heated
Time to repeat for the negative cable.
It was then on to the battery in the engine bay. The same length of each cable was cut off, stripped back, terminal applied, crimped, and heat shrunk.
I reconnected all the cables, thought about things for a while and turned everything on. No smoke or sparks so that was good.
The engine was started while I monitored the current going into the batteries.
The values were slightly higher than before but not hugely. Time will tell but for now that will do. I am going to investigate external alternator regulators to try to boost the charging voltage. A Mastervolt Alpha Pro III is top of the list but further investigation is required. I’m also wondering if I shouldn’t get a marine electrician to look at it and do the job.
Time to pack up and go home.
Oleanna tucked up in the marina
Since last posting we have enjoyed bonfire night in Scarborough. I, Pip now, have spent many of the last six years being busy on panto, normally painting the floor. Only able to hear the occasional pop bang whizzzzzzz of fireworks from Chippy stage, so this year I was determined to see some.
Scarborough has a tradition that people light fires on the beaches and along with that come fireworks, no need to go to the organised display. So we caught the Coastliner bus to Peasholme Park and walked down to the Corner to see how much beach close to high tide had left in the North Bay.
Freddie on Bonfire Night
There were hundreds of people, several fires all huddled onto the 20ft of sand. Plenty of people had fireworks, just how much do they spend?! But it did mean we got quite a good display once we’d decided to move away to a safer distance. There seemed to be a bit of a duel going on between the bottom of the castle cliff and up by the beach huts, We stopped to say hello to Freddie and check he was alright, before walking around Marine Drive where fishermen sat on the accropodes with head torches and luminous lines on their rods.
The South Bay with the Grand Hotel in the background
Round in the South Bay there was more beach with a huge fire. People huddled round as others set up rockets facing out towards the sea, a bit more of a comfortable space and the road to be able to watch from. The beach was strewn with spent fireworks, just how much had gone up in glittering whizzing bangs? Certainly none of them had come from the sort of selection box I grew up with. The Scarborough seafront more than made up for the last few years.
Quotes have been coming in for house and boat jobs. Most of them twice what we thought they’d be. Some careful consideration will be needed before we make our minds up.
The cavolo nero has lasted us over a week
Veg boxes have started again.
Mick has been tidying up the garden and making use of some two year matured compost, we’ll see how the wild flowers like it.
A visit to the Stephen Joseph Theatre to see The Whitby Rebels, the true story of Captain Jack Lammiman who took a crew of unlikely misfits on a voyage to the Arctic. Three of the actors are old friends so it was great to see them, they had the better parts in a show that we weren’t too convinced about, it felt as though several ideas had been put together and none of them managed to take the lead. But it’s a local story and the audience seemed to enjoy it along with the huge set.
Just a few ingredients!
A day was spent in the kitchen, a second go at the chicken, leek, ham dauphinoise pie. This was tasty but as I’d used soya cream it was nowhere near as tasty as when I’d used double cream. I’ll write the recipe up if anyone fancies a go at this self indulgent pie!
Left to Right. Mary Berry crunchy top, yummy pie, River Cottage GF super nice lemon drizzle cake
There was to be a Leckenby get together and my job was to do pudding. A request was made that there should be a takeaway version for Josh to take back to University. So one gluten free posh lemon drizzle cake and a gluten filled lemon crunchy topped cake for Josh were made.
We caught the Coastliner across to York where we got a full tour of the London Leckenby’s holiday let that they have invested in this year. Andrew and I grew up in York and it’s been 11 years since we sold our family home, so it’s rather nice to be able to meet up in the city once again. Andrew and Jac have been taking advantage of gaps in bookings to have a few days in York and putting their mark on the flat. Standard pictures of York have been replaced with pencil sketches Dad did of the bar walls, I may even sneak in a painting of my own.
Set to work!
The letting agents had advised them to deck the flat with Christmas cheer as guests expect such things from now until Christmas, so illuminated trees were already in position. Left over baubles were handed over to me to make a wreath for the flat door, good job I’d taken my glue gun with me expecting I’d be given a making job.
Lovely Salad
A leg of lamb was enjoyed along with lots of wine to celebrate us all being together in York. Plans are afoot for a special get together next year, we may bring our own accommodation on Oleanna, though. The sofa bed was okay but has been put higher up the list of things to be replaced in the flat, we’d been guinea pigs. A lovely evening with the London Leckenbys and a very early start to Christmas. I hate to think what Granny would have thought!
Hello!
0 locks, 0 miles, 2 trains, 4 shorter cables, 2 bays of fireworks, 3 buses, 1 very wide boat, 2 boxes of things for Oleanna, 1 wreath, 2 lemony cakes, 1 special pie, 1 Leckenby get together, 1 river view, just.
Tilly did her very best to hold on, but a refresh of her pooh box was required. I’d just cleaned it out when she could hold on no more, but thankfully this just required a good rinse out before fresh litter was added. All nice a clean for the next few days.
Ahhhhh…cat nip…
Mick headed off to meet someone from Enterprise and was whisked off in Huddersfield to do paperwork and pick up a car. He also picked up more Lemsips and we now have a variety of cough medicines and several spare boxes of tissues! Bags were packed, including the iron.
How long this time?!
I always know what’s going on, even before She opens up the toy box. I especially like the first whiff, strong slightly stale cat nip, sends a zing to the tip of my tail. Then my magic food bowl came out, this just confirms my suspicions. How many big sleeps?! How long will I be deserted for? Only two Tilly.
How long before these cooling towers are gone too?
We headed eastwards to the M1 to head south. The sun was out, blue skies and such incredible countryside. A guaranteed queue through Holmfirth then back up onto the tops. Then it was the humdrum of the M1, Radcliffe Power Station now dormant on the horizon. Then across towards Warwick, Banbury, Oxford down to the M25 where we sat in traffic as expected for a Friday afternoon.
Along roads surrounded by trees, then roads circling round high rise buildings. The Light Box, left here, then again here, under the railway, left, no that left. Eventually we pulled up in the Travelodge car park in Woking. Four months ago we’d been in Woking on Oleanna, we’d considered returning for this weekend, but that would have made our trip northwards harder negotiating our way around C&RT stoppages that will soon be starting.
Spicy aromatic dishes with rice
A meal in a Lebanese restaurant had been arranged for those arriving today. Two of Mick’s sisters with husbands, a niece, the couple of the moment Kath and Sean plus tonight was a chance to meet Lydia Sean’s daughter. A lovely meal was enjoyed followed by a glass or two of wine back in the hotel bar.
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre almost finished having a make over
Saturday morning, hotel breakfasted, and smart clothes put on we all set off in cars. One to pick up more of the family from the station, others heading for Guildford. Having negotiated Guildford on foot several times I knew it was easy to take a wrong turning, which Mick did, meaning we’d have miles to go before being able to cross the River Wey. Thankfully I knew we’d be able to turn at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and corrected our route pretty quickly, getting us to Guildford Registry Office still with plenty of time.
Registry Office
Photographers always get in the way!
At 11:30, the Geraghty and O’Malley families along with great friends from Ireland and the National Theatre were gathered waiting for Kath and Sean to make their big entrance.
The happy couple
A few readings on partnership, the legal bits said and witnessed, then the register signed. What else would they walk out to but David Essex and Hold Me Close, Sean doing a good impression of a man who’d not noticed Kath sneaking that particular track into the ceremony! She of course was word perfect.
John was the official photographer for the day and did a very good job without taking over a good section of the day as many professionals do. Time for chats and hugs before we all climbed back into cars and headed off to Mytchett for lunch at The Kingfisher on the Quay. We’d had a good burger here back in June with Sam my cousin.
Short speech of thanks
We had a room to ourselves in the busy restaurant. A short speech to thank people and a glass of fizz, then introductions, conversations, photos. Nibbles followed by a pre-chosen main course. Mick had opted for a Wagyu Burger and I had steak frites, all very nice.
The cutting of the cake!
Kath called me up. Time to make use of my upbringing. Just how would my Mum have cut their cake? Mum was a caterer and certain things became second nature growing up in her kitchen around her apron strings.
A month or so ago Kath had got in touch with ideas for their cake and asked if I could design it for her, all based on plants and creatures that inhabit their garden. The cake decorators had had a little bit of a challenge on their hands, but they had done a fab job, the ceanothus and Japanese Maple came out really well, as did the hedgehogs.
It didn’t last long!
Plenty of time for the kids to run around outside, Thomas has an inexhaustible amount of energy! Then late afternoon people started to head off. We did a trip back to the hotel to loose a car and then returned to Kath and Sean’s for another drink and some nibbles, a quieter time.
Geraghtys. Mick, Anne, Kath, Christine and Marion
What a lovely day having all Mick’s family together for the first time in years to celebrate Kath and Sean’s Civil Partnership.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car, 1 hotel room, 4 sisters, 1 brother, 4 brothers, 1 sister, 2 Catholic families, 2 partners, 1 cheesy song, 1 ebay dress, 1 NY hat, 2 bow ties, 1 cake, 6 gf muffins, 1 very happy couple.
Lemsips all round this morning. Maybe I should have tried to catch it sooner! Oh well. A message was sent to our volunteer lock wheeler to warn him of the germs floating around Oleanna, he decided to continue with his journey to meet up with us anyway.
42 E or E 42?
At 10am we pushed off, filling the top lock of the flight. With Oleanna in the lock we emptied the yellow water into our container for disposal later, it’s far easier to have the bank on the port side to do this job. Just as we were about to start our descent a white car pulled up, the window wound down. ‘Hey! Oleanna!!!’ It was Pete Toon from Mikron. A shame not to have managed a longer chat but there was traffic. If we’d been stuck longer I was going to contact him to meet up somewhere. Only a week or so left of the Mikron shows for this year, touring by van now as Tyseley is on the Weaver at Northwich for the winter.
Next a train pulled in at the station. Paul our volunteer had arrived. Hello’s all round then straight to emptying the lock and starting our descent. Last night the local weather forecast had suggested that we might have a shower or two today, they didn’t mention the constant drizzle that would accompany us down the locks today.
Bastard!!!
Caution under the low pipe bridge below the top lock is required, the next pound needed lowering and then some extra weight from Mick assisted. Then we were on our way, Mick and Paul leap frogging each other down the flight. Sometimes they were lifting a paddle at the next but one lock down, taking our water with us. Most by washes were flowing anyway so we’d not run out of water.
Hills visible, they’d been shrouded in cloud before we started
Three years ago to the day we’d set off down the flight. One pound had been low and required topping up. I think it was in that pound that a fan belt went on or domestic alternator and wrapped itself around a pulley. We ended up mooring up in the next pound and calling RCR out to help. When the engineer had inspected everything he didn’t have the right tool for the job, but we were safe to carry on, although our leisure batteries could only be topped up by the solar. It was drier three years ago!
Stone arched bridges as well as wooden
The trees are just turning, some sunshine would have made our descent very pretty. Hillsides off in the distance, the short pounds between locks.
At Lock 37E a temporary repair had been made. The problem had been the rotten upright as I’d thought. Strips of metal have been bolted onto the timber to keep it going a while longer. I’m sure our friend Frank would have fashioned a suitable repair out of wood in the same amount of time it had taken to bolt this together.
Works by the reservoir
33E sits by a reservoir, there were diggers and several CRT chaps over looking things. Mick went to ask what they were doing, but instead was asked how many locks ahead we’d been setting. One of the chaps was really quite miffed that there was so much water coming down the flight and said that we should only have been setting one lock ahead, rather than two. This puzzled us as lifting a paddle on a lower lock to start filling it would surely lower the pound above, then that would be topped up when the lock above was emptied, any water coming round the bywash would be doing that anyway. He suggested we shouldn’t set ahead on the rest of the locks and on a few of them we should empty them slowly as they would end up flooding the next pound down.
Stone steps down from the lock
32E had orange fencing around it. I’d been warned about it by the Lockie yesterday, it was open as you could work round it. This work round would involve walking up to the lock before to cross the canal, then round the reservoir where the path to the lock had been blocked off. Not the best work around, the orange fencing won’t stop people from using the bridge!
I’m quite happy here , so long as you tie up a good outside today
After 32E there is a longer gap between locks. Mick hopped back on board so I could sit down, only problem was that everything was quite damp. Puddles on the towpath kept Paul light on his toes.
A lovely place to stop on the end of the lock landing
At Booth Lock 31E it took a while to fill the lock. This is where we’d stopped three years ago and had planned on stopping last Saturday. An ideal mooring for Tilly to have shore leave but not a good place to stop today. We carried onwards, all down hill for the rest of the year!
More hills
Which lock was it where there was a boater who would complain about you using the lock? Above 26E, sadly the boat hasn’t faired well over the last three years.
Eek not so good
Now the canal heads down a tree lined route, the River Colne sitting just below the towpath. We were hoping for a space before lock 24E the guillotine lock. Here there were bollards and a good stretch of woodland before the river, perfect for Tilly who was in need of some fresh air and play time.
Plenty of water coming down
Mick and Paul walked ahead as I brought Oleanna in to moor. However the bottom was way too far close to the top. When we came through on NB Lillyanne there had been boats moored here, not sure if that had been the case three years ago. Today it was empty because no-one can get to the side to tie to the bollards. Paul took the boat hook and dipped for depth, no more than 18 inches!
Looking back at Lock 26 E
Sorry Tilly, really sorry. She won’t be smiling about our mooring today!
The guillotine lock
24E was worked by both Mick and Paul. On one side of the guillotine is the paddle mechanism, the other side you wind the gate up with your windlass. Now to find a mooring. The blue Strawberry Island boat was moored on the relatively new moorings below the lock, we pulled in in front of them and retired inside.
Coats were hung up to dry and a late lunch consumed with a slice each of carrot cake.
Paul and Mick with the carrot cake
Thank you Paul for helping us again, making our descent much easier and with good company. It does also mean that Paul gets chance to check the information on his maps and the mooring above 24E will now be removed.
What was left of the afternoon was a quiet one, well apart from Tilly grumbling at the back door! I sussed out that the Slawit Chippy did gluten free fish of you ordered in advance. A phone call was made and an order placed.
Crispy batter
All cooked in beef dripping, so not a chippy for vegetarians. My fish was a touch smaller than Micks, but that happens! Not the best we’ve had but very nice after a damp day at the locks.
