Category Archives: Baking

Crawling into Leeds. 6th August

Rodley Swing Bridge to Granary Wharf

Leaving our very close neighbour for the swing bridge

The voice of Houdini woke us up along with plenty of people already out and about on the towpath at 6. By the time we’d had breakfast and were rolling back the covers two other boats were pulling away from the moorings.

Well that meant there were three of us heading towards Leeds, one swing bridge each and we could leapfrog all the way. Moss Bridge Swing Bridge behaved, it was still a cool morning. Back in 2014 it was stuck hard, no chance of pushing it without the aid of a tractor, which all took some sorting as the bridge is owned by Yorkshire Water and not C&RT.

Our bridge was the last one, Ross Mill. I’d just got momentum going when a chap wearing blue came towards me. I quickly stopped the bridge and pushed it back closed to let him across, he was to be our lock keeper at Newlay 3 Rise. One boat was already at the top of the locks and then the three of us heading from Rodley. I had to wait a while to close the bridge, weed causing problems for most of us and numerous trips would be made down weed hatches today.

The last to arrive at the locks we were waved straight in by the Lockie. The other two boats were travelling together and we could team up with NB Barley, as they had been at the locks overnight they were to go first.

With two Lockies on hand the staircase of three was descended quite quickly. One of the boys in Blue knows NB Ellis so we had chats about Stanley Ferry and fridge freezers whilst we waited for the chambers to empty from one to the other.

Jenny from NB Barley and I walked on to Forge 3 Rise where another Lockie was expecting us. He was pulling huge amounts of weed out from above the lock and the chambers. Chatting with him it seems that things along this stretch are improving. The large groups who used to come to drink and swim at the locks do so less often, the increased footfall due to new housing developments and a new station seem to be putting them off.

The level below the staircase was really quite low, but whilst boats were coming down the staircase above they wouldn’t let water down. A glance before we emptied the bottom chamber at the levels suggested we might just make it the half mile to Kirkstall Lock, bumping our way along the bottom, so we gave it a try.

The Lockie now headed down on his bike to see why the level had dropped overnight. Someone had closed the gates with debris between them, so the water had just been flowing straight through the lock overnight. He cleared things and then returned. By now the bywash was running but more water was needed so he ran water down the flight too.

In the end it took us just over an hour to cross the half mile pound to reach Kirkstall Lock, the weed still a good few feet away from the bank. Once in the lock weed hatches needed to be cleared. Andy pulled out reams of weed whilst Mick pulled out t-shirts and a pair of pants.

We led the way through the next long pound. Under the arched footbridge that straddles between refurbished mills. Past Leeds Industrial Museum, maybe one day we’ll pay it a visit, but not today.

At Spring Garden Lock we waited for Barley to catch us up, their prop attracting so much more weed than ours. Here the bridge across the bottom gates is rotting through nicely, so no access across it. With one gate open, Mick nestled Oleanna behind the closed gate to wait.

Oddley 2 Rise needed setting the last boat through having come up. I emptied the bottom chamber whilst Jenny topped up the top one. Then with the boats in the top lock we lifted paddles. On the other staircase locks along this stretch there have been spillways to channel off excess water, the chambers not having been built to the same depth as each other. But here excess water seems to drain over the top of the bottom gates as well as flooding the surrounding area.

Below the raft boat was moored up on the offside. In the last four years it has continued it’s journey towards Leeds and I’m sure it has been extended by at least a third since we first saw it up near Skipton. An interesting construction built with all sorts people don’t want anymore.

Once down St Ann Ings Lock we had only one more to descend to reach Granary Wharf, Office Lock.

I walked down, disturbing a chap who covered the spliff he was making when he saw my camera. I was far more interested in a bit of graffiti than his next smoke though.

Right up against the canal new building work is taking place. This means that the water point just above the lock is inaccessible as it’s on the wrong side of the fencing. The offside gates have been left just enough room to work them and the foundations of the new building seem to stretch right up to the lock.

Jenny walked round to check on moorings and there was plenty of space for us to swing round onto one of the pontoons. We’d thought about continuing to find some trees for tomorrow, but by now we’d had enough. So a quiet afternoon and evening instead.

Office Lock

Tilly however had other plans. Yesterday I’d taken the opportunity to give her a spot on for fleas, not that I have any! This means no collar for a couple of days, therefore no shore leave. I knew she wouldn’t like it at Granary Wharf so this wouldn’t matter. Normally in places like this and BUMingham I let her out for her to make her own mind up, which usually happens quickly. But today without a collar this was not on the cards. Instead I sat out in the closed pram cover whilst she checked out the surroundings. This outside looked alright, a patch of grass, some tiny trees and a big curved wall that I started to make calculations to climb. Tilly tried any available gap in the cover with her nose and when one looked like she might just be about to squeeze out she was pulled back inside and the back doors closed. She is SO mean!!!

Yesterday I’d made a quinoa crust for a quiche and today filled it with the left over chicken from a roast, courgettes, bacon and onion. I did a trial custard using eggs and soya cream, this set thank goodness and was quite tasty, much better than previous attempts without proper cream.

12 locks, 3 of which staircases, 3 swing bridges, 7am push off, 4 boats going down, 1 very low pound, 1 sulking cat, 2 t-shirts, 1 pair of pants, 1 hour waiting for water, 1 water point out of bounds, 1 pair molegrips, 1 full water tank, 1 load washing, 1 tasty quiche, 1 noisy mooring for the night.

https://goo.gl/maps/sHoU4jc85icpsgbi6

Vegan Rolls, Beef Burgers And A Pooped Cat

Keld Well Bend

Nudged round the corner just a touch more

As we finished off our cuppas in bed this morning we heard an engine start up. Were our neighbours about to head off or were they just using the microwave? We soon saw the lady walking along the towpath and then herd their prop start turning. We got dressed quickly and were out pulling Oleanna along by half a boats length to be just a touch further away from the bend yet still keeping the views. Perfect!

Breakfast was finished just shortly before the bow of NB Billy appeared around the bend. Last night they had stayed at East Marton so Clare’s daughter could join them for a few days.

We had chats before they carried on around the remainder of the curly wurlys reappearing round the last of the big bends, a final wave. Our bows may cross again this summer as their planned route is similar to ours, but we are slowing down now, who knows we may pass on the Ouse!

Mick had requested a loaf of bread and with a barbecue planned for later I decided to try out a recipe for some dinner rolls made with yeast, not sour dough, to have with some home made burgers. Both types of bread could share the top oven, but mine needed a couple of hours to rise rather than just half an hour for Mick’s.

I needed to make some seed flour, pumpkin, sunflower and a few sesame seeds got zuzzed with the hand zuzzer and then forced through a sieve. Lots of other flour was added along with psallium husk and yeast. No egg or butter as my beef burger buns would be vegan. Have to say after two hours I was glad to see the dough had risen nicely. Mick’s multiseed loaf did it’s thing too before both were put in the oven. Not a bad result, the boat smelt wonderful, although the proof would be in the eating.

The sun had come out so I decided to make the most of being outside and washed down the starboard side of the roof and cabin. Blimey it really needed it. The matting that our coal sits on leaves a pretty pattern and around each mushroom vent was really quite yucky. Have to say I’m not sure when I last washed Oleanna, just hope I can get the port side to match soon.

With the cabin washed I decided to have a go at the grab rail. The red paint has now faded and started to go white in parts and I’d wondered if some t-cut might just bring it back, sadly it didn’t work. Red is renowned for this as it is the first colour to fade in sunlight. I never did get round to finishing touching up the grab rail last summer so some patches need some more work anyway. The original plan was to repaint the grab rail after travelling through Standedge Tunnel but that trip has been put off to another year. So I need to get some more paint mixed as somehow the tin we got shortly after Oleanna was launched is not the correct red. When we were in Sheffield last the painter at Finesse gave me the dregs of a tin to keep us going.

Next I turned my attention to the scratches that a broken branch on the Bosely flight had inflicted all the way along the cabin side. Ages ago I’d bought some blue scratch cover. This seemed to do a reasonable job, although it depends on what angle you stand at, but it is far better than it was. The cabin sides just need a polish now. I suggested to Mick that that was a blue job, not a red one. He’s not so convinced though!

Mick gave our life ring some new rope. The original rope had given up a little while ago so needed replacing. Should you ever need to use a life ring the rope makes it easier to grab and keep hold of in the water. The ring had a good wash too before going back on the roof within reasonable reach from the stern.

This evening the barbecue came out despite increasing cloud cover. The big bag of charcoal we bought at Bollington Wharf was opened, Restaurant grade charcoal. I thought it would burn quickly, but it held it’s heat very well.

A while ago Mick had ordered by accident some vacuum packed sweetcorn. We quite often have sweetcorn for a starter, but we won’t be using this type again. Very watery with little flavour.

I added some red onion, whole grain mustard and tarragon to some beef mince for burgers and they were very tasty indeed and almost stayed together on the grill. The buns were very tasty, maybe next time I’ll leave them to rise a little bit more before baking them.

With glasses of wine to accompany our meal we enjoyed the view even more. A couple of horse riders hacked through the field below and Tilly was allowed to stay out until we finished. It just started to rain as we were finishing off. No sign of Tilly until I started to call for her, a good distance away her tail shot up into the air. After a whole day of exploration she was exhausted, stumbling as she trotted back to me. In the end I helped her out and gave her a lift back to the boat. A few mouthfuls of food a quick bath and then she was out for the count with in five minutes.

0 locks, 0 miles, 7 boats, 9 vegan buns, 1 loaf, 0.5 clean boat, 3 scratches covered, 2 substandard cobs, 4 veg kebabs, 4 burgers, 2 glasses of wine, 1 lovely day in our No 1 Mooring, 1 exhausted cat, 2 Mrs Tilly Stamps of Approval.

Six Years. 23rd July

Greenberfield Bottom Lock to Keld Well Bend, the Curly Wurlys.

A damp day sadly but we hadn’t planned to go far and it was all on the flat. We pushed off just gone 10 with our post breakfast cuppas in insulated mugs, meaning we’d get going sooner.

The farmers were still out turning the grass and raking it up ready for collection. NB Whistle Down The Wind showed off its steam chimney and water gushed into the canal on a bend, obviously being pumped from somewhere.

After a couple of miles we reached East Marton and the Double Arched Bridge. This is where we moored on our second night whilst on our first hire boat together, not quite managing to reach a mooring where we could walk across the fields to Thornton-in-Craven to a friends house for a meal. A lift had to be provided and we were glad of it after 12 locks and 5 swing bridges that day.

The Cross Keys pub at East Marton also has memories for me. This is where my best friends Grandad, Grandpa Lee used to bring us to celebrate his birthdays. A long table would be laid out for his 15 to 20 guests for Sunday lunch all ending with Grandpa Lee telling us a shaggy dog story and nearly always getting the punch line wrong having to be corrected by his grandchildren who’d heard it numerous times before. I always give a wave to him as we pass.

We pulled in at the water point just a little further on to top up the tank. I had a walk back to take some more photos of the bridge. I’m considering turning my illustration/painting skills to capturing scenes from our canal journeys to add to my Etsy shop which could do with a bit of a boost. Hopefully if popular this would give us a touch of pocket money whilst income from theatre is none existent.

With the tank full we pushed onwards, not much further, with our fingers crossed. We hoped that we could find space at our favourite mooring on the curly wurlys.

The canal sticks to it’s contour and winds round Langber TV mast, first it’s on that side then ahead then the other side, but soon you forget it is even there as the views open up around you.

We could see that there were boats. One along the last straight before the canal ties itself in knots. A cruiser on the end of the bend. A grey boat sat where we thought we’d like to be, we pulled just past it, maybe a touch too close to the bend. I walked round to see what space there might be on the other side. Two boats but a length just in front of them which seemed to be just a touch further from the bend than where we’d pulled up. We pulled round and moored up, hoping we were leaving enough space in front of the first boat so they still had a view from their cratch.

When asked by people which is our favourite canal we say the Leeds Liverpool. When asked which is our favourite bit, we say the curly wurlys. Last time we came through we didn’t manage to climb the locks early enough in the day to reach here as it was dark.

Time to see what Tilly made of it. Well she had a good sniff around and then jumped on the wall. Yep not bad. NOt bad!!! She just wanted to get her head down and find friends.

The afternoon stayed damp. My starter stayed flat. I’m running out of brown rice flour and am getting a touch disillusioned with it. I fed it one last time and decided to use the discard to make some crackers. A good amount of fresh rosemary and thyme went into the mix along with a scattering of sea salt. The result was really quite tasty and certainly crunchy. I may be making more of these!

I’d found a pack of gluten free pizza dough in the drawer the other day, so that was used instead of a sourdough base. It was okay, but lacked much taste and was only a vehicle for the ham, caramelised red onion and goats cheese topping.

We also finished watching the second half of Amadeus from the National Theatre. Salieri and Mozart were great performances. It was enjoyable but I really wished I’d been sat in the theatre as there were obviously things happening just out of shot that I’d like to have seen.

Three boats came past. Two hire boats who we thought had managed the bend well, so we looked away. Then a big bang followed by a 58ft 6inch scraping noise all the way along our rubbing strakes. The boat in front of us was a touch more peeved than we were, shouting out their hatch as the scraping noise continued for another 50 odd foot before the tiller was pushed over, as the hire boat ended up facing into the off side bank. They were being followed by another boat who had been managing to hold their course well until they had to slow down. Mick offered tiller advise which helped. They were both just heading to wind, but luckily they returned with out making contact.

Today there has been a flurry of emails regarding Chippy Panto. So far there is no news. The government have only given the entertainment industry aspirational dates for reopening to full houses. Under current guidance Chippy would only be able to have 40 to 75 in the audience, not enough to cover the cost of opening the building for the day and all the additional cleaning required between performances. Along with audience safety there is also the safety of the acting company and creative staff both on stage and off in such a building. It may be that all entrances have to be from SL and all exits SR and no audience participation! Not quite panto.

The doors currently remain firmly closed to help preserve the theatres future for years to come. The Governments rescue package still has no guidelines as to how it will be distributed and whether it could be used to guarantee the show. We all carry on waiting.

On a much lighter note, the title of todays blog. Six Years ago today we climbed into our Peugeot 207SW dropped keys off to our house with the rental agency in Scarborough and headed to Sowerby Bridge where NB Lillyanne (Lillian) our bright yellow boat had been waiting for us. Houdini our second mate did not know what was happening and found a shelf in the wardrobe very comforting for the first few days. So six years ago we set out for a year afloat and we’re still here, on our favourite mooring. Not a bad way to celebrate, well we’ll postpone the celebrations till tomorrow when hopefully the weather will have improved.

Our mooring here on the 3rd September 2014

0 locks, 3.78 miles, 1 double bridge, 1 full water tank, 1 wave, 1 damp day, 0 sourdough pizza, 1 boring doves pizza, 32 tasty crackers, 0 news about 0 news, 1 woofer stand off, 360 degree views, 6 years.

https://goo.gl/maps/PRCaTijmr3YLtCKt8

Crossing The Border. 21st July

Foulridge Wharf to GreenHill Donkey Rose Bush Mooring

My sour dough starter might have been left a touch too long between feeds in the fridge. I got it out a few days ago and have been doing my best to encourage it to bubble up. I’ve reduced the size of it to help with flour consumption, keeping the ratios the same as before hoping for little discard. But it’s sleepy so I’ve had a discard jar on the go. I won’t be baking bread or pizza until it bucks it’s ideas up but the discard does make good pancakes! Add a few blueberries and well, yum.

Our Sainsburys delivery was half an hour early, which we didn’t mind and the only thing missing from it was the price of one box of wine, we got the red wine we just weren’t charged for it, Bonus!

As I worked my way through sorting the shopping Mick topped up the water tank as our long hose reached the tap from our mooring. The Billy crew had come through the tunnel this morning and had enjoyed a breakfast at the Cargo Cafe. We’d considered one ourselves, an evening meal a few years ago had been very nice, but pancakes needed to be made so as not to waste that sour dough discard.

NB Billy came past, leapfrogging or hopscotching us again. I suspect we’ll be passing them tomorrow.

A load of washing finished in the machine and it was time to leave our neighbours, a grey boat who likes to run his genny and engine til quite late and NB Elvira who it turns out reads the blog, Hello!

Our cruising will slow down now, there are more moorings to choose from and views to enjoy and hopefully people to catch up with. So we checked our map and chose a mooring we hoped would be free.

The sewage works that sit a short distance away is having major work done. The round settling pits look to have gone and there were diggers, all sorts on site. Wagons had been passing us at the wharf every hour or so for the last day. Yorkshire Water are upgrading their waste water treatment processes, enabling them to remove more phosphorus from the water before it heads back into rivers.

At Bridge 149 we looked over our shoulder, a sign welcoming you to Lancashire, we were almost at the border. A stream coming down from the hill is the border and a white sign marks the place.

This border has moved around through the centuries and it wiggles around quite a lot here too, but we class this as the Border. Back in Yorkshire by boat after more than a year.

Another half mile and we kept our eyes peeled for the mooring. Mick spied a couple of bollards on a high wall, that was it. We pulled in carefully so that I could get the bow rope around the first bollard, a pesky rose bush in the way made this a touch difficult. To get the stern in an Andy manoeuvre was called for, but this would have been quite painful for me and the cratch cover. We managed to get close enough into the side and then the sheers came out to do a bit of pruning, the bow rope could then be tied up.

A quick check for feline hazards, none other than a lot of bikes, the doors were opened and Tilly set free for the afternoon whilst the sun did it’s thing drying the washing on the whirligig.

Different play mates today. A donkey to ride on and some geese who had funny noses. She thinks they are Swan Geese, but that doesn’t make sense. Anyhow, none of them minded me sitting on the wall watching them, although they were a touch rude sticking their tongues out at me every now and again!

This outside has several catwalks, all at different levels. These turned out to be quite useful when woofers came by, they could smell me but not see me! There were also some holes which needed me to stick my arm down, but I didn’t find anyone or thing there.

With my flattish starter not rising enough for pizza I popped a gammon joint in the oven to bake, thinly sliced potatoes for dauphinoise, a kind of Christmas Eve meal to celebrate being back in Yorkshire.

0 locks, 1.54 miles, 1 full water tank, 1 load washing, 1 clean pooh box, 3 boxes, 1 free, 11 bags shopping, 1 rendez vous arranged, 80% hire boats, 5.5 hours, 5 swan geese, 1 chocolate donkey, 1 happy cat again, 1 cupboard and 4 drawers cleaned and sorted, 0 bin bags needed for a year, 2 happy boaters back in Yorkshire.

https://goo.gl/maps/nJLaUisjEYoTBUKWA

Up Up Up! 14th July

Scotsman’s Flash to Haigh Golf Club, Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Main Line

The view yesterday hadn’t really been worth lining up with our galley window. The bank being really quite high meant that even when stood up on tip toes the view of the flash sat behind the towpath.

We tip toed around the goose pooh and pushed off reaching Poolstock Bottom Lock a little before 8am. These locks are locked overnight to help conserve water levels in the Wigan area. We’ve come across one of the pounds being very very low before in Wigan, the wait for C&RT to fill it sufficiently for us to scrape along the bottom took into the afternoon and Mick even managed to polish some of Lillian’s mushroom vents whilst we waited. This morning the locks were unlocked and waiting for us, plenty of water about.

By 8:20 we’d ascended the two locks, clicking the anti vandal locks back on at each paddle. At Wigan Junction we turned right, a quick look to the left and we could see crew working the lock, this was likely to be NB Billy who we had a rendez vous with just around the bend.

Last night on the Wigan Flight Crew page there was mention of another boat moored below the locks and four facing the top of the flight, possibly waiting to comedown this morning. We pulled in behind NB Merganser and I walked up to chat with the Lock Keepers. We had arranged to share the locks with NB Billy, but Billy is a historic 62ft long boat and the Wigan flight is a maximum of 62ft, would it be wise for us to share with them? In some locks they might need to go a touch on the diagonal meaning one boat at a time. The Lockies suggested we shared with NB Merganser and they’d let NB Billy know what was happening.

Four young lads stood by the bottom gate, were they here to help or hinder? One Lockie said he knew a couple of them and they were alright. The lady from Merganser (Lindsay) said that they had helped a single hander yesterday and he couldn’t stop singing their praises. So all of a sudden we had six crew and other volunteers about too.

I stayed around as the lads closed gates and lifted paddles, the oldest suggested he was a volunteer, he certainly knew about each lock and which ones to take extra care on, he’d trained up his two brothers to help and it was the forth chaps first day with them. He had a meeting to go to so wouldn’t be around all morning. Once the boats were rising the lads walked up to the second lock to empty it ready for us. With the gates closed behind us I lifted a paddle for NB Billy who was just appearing behind us with quite a few blue topped volunteers in tow.

The railings around the house suggest mooring round here wouldn’t be a good idea

At the second lock the lads closed gates and lifted paddles, with the boats past the cill I was happy to walk on to the next lock to set it. The older chap headed off back down the flight leaving his crew with us. As Mick came into the third chamber we conferred regarding the help on hand and just so long as either Lindsay or myself stayed with the boats the extra assistance was very welcome. The lads were great at setting locks, opening gates etc, but if something went wrong would they know what to do?

Well that was the last we saw of them, we could see they were setting ahead for NB Billy, but we seemed to have lost our extra pair of hands. Never mind, we soon picked up an official volunteer on a bike with a life jacket who just headed on up the flight ahead of us setting the next locks.

Lindsay and I worked the locks whilst Mick and John moved the boats. Lock after lock after lock, all the time Dixie (?) their dog sniffing around and taking note.

Gates with winding gear were new to Lindsay as were the box ground paddles (do these have a name), I warned her about the clough ground paddles they’d come across the further they got towards Leeds.

The men chatted away at the stern whilst us ladies caught little glimpses of conversation as and when we could hear each other due to the water. They have been moored at Aqueduct on the Middlewich Branch this winter. Out for three weeks they are hoping to reach York and then head south on the Trent and move to Dunchurch Pools Marina near Rugby. They had left Aqueduct last Friday and come down the Trent and Mersey working their way through 9 locks compared to our 91! No wonder it’s taken us a touch longer!!

On reaching Lock 77 we were told by John, on his bike, that we’d we swapping with boats coming down hill in the next pound. You could tell by the amount of water coming down the bywash here that they wouldn’t be the only boats we’d encounter.

Between 76 and 75 we did this again, two single handers with several volunteers assisting. This was handy as it meant more people to hold the towpath side bottom gate slightly open. If this gate goes back into it’s recess it is a right bugger to get out to close the lock again. Add into the equation social distancing! Lending a hand to close a gate right now is almost pointless, because if you stand 2m away and pull the gate all your effort is minuscule compared to being able at the end of a beam.

John warned us of the next few locks which would need to be filled quickly as the bottom gates leak and the pounds above are short, so taking your time means you run out of water. With Mick and John warned to stay well back we wound the ground paddles up and then cautiously the gate paddles.

Not being able to see what the water is doing from your gate paddle is a touch concerning, but Lindsey and I watched out for each others, a nod for more water, a hand up to stop. This worked pretty well.

One top gate was more than just a waterfall. As both boats came in the bows got a good wash down. Glad we’d elected to have the cratch cover closed (normally open on narrow lock to save them getting torn). Once up both boats had to retrieve bow lines that had been washed off gas lockers into the chamber.

Now we appeared to have picked up another crew member an octogenarian with a walking stick who insisted on the chain being wound a certain way on one of the gates and then walked up to open the next gate for us. I did my best to keep my distance whilst he insisted on helping to pull a gate closed.

The count down to the top was now in full swing, arms, legs and backs starting to complain a touch, was now a good time for a muffin? Yes but we’d forgotten to bring them outside with us and with all doors locked it was a touch too much effort to get them.

Two left to go and we had helping hands again from the volunteers. The penultimate lock has top gates that really don’t want to stay shut, so as we closed them a paddle was quickly opened to set it for NB Billy now only a couple of locks behind.

The top lock 65 takes time to fill, the amount of weed sitting above the top gates is not wanted in the flight or adding to problems with gate paddles so only ground paddles are allowed. This does mean you get the chance to chat with the chaps. As John and Lindsay were going to head straight off and we were after water they pulled out first.

We may see them again as the Barrowford Flight is currently out of action up to the summit, but they are likely to zoom on ahead with places to go and miles to cover, whilst we take our time. It was lovely sharing with them.

We pulled in at the services, set the water going, collected rubbish for the bins and emptied the yellow water making use of the elsan.

As we finished topping up NB Billy rose in the final lock, the young crew having a ride in the large well deck as the volunteers wound the paddles. Thanks all round for the crew, although I think the lads were hoping for more than just a handshake!

We pushed off again aiming for a mooring we’d stopped at in 2014 on Lillian the night before we decended the flight. A quick check of Waterway Routes and Paul confirmed it’s location with a big M suggesting there would be armco to aid our mooring.

A restful afternoon with Tilly avoiding walkers and cyclists and the occasional golf ball being teed off across the way.

We should manage that by the end of August

During the morning I’d been sent a link for The Garden. When I’d first chatted to Lynda regarding the show over a year ago, her producers brief was that they wanted the show to be ‘Lovely’. Since then lots has happened and the play has been re-imagined into the Lockdown Edition. I know I’m biased but it certainly has turned out to be ‘Lovely’. The thought of all the actors recording their lines on their phones at home, Firielle under her duvet to soften the sound and then sending them in to Amy (director) and Penny (digital production) who have put images to text to sound to animation to music (a lovely song by Rhiannon Scutt) to my illustrations. Lovely.

23 locks, 4.5 miles, 1 right, 1 left, 1 swap of partners, 4 going down, 3 up, 4 lads, at least 5 volunteers, 1 bike, 1 woofer, 1 dry day, 1 broken down cruiser, 2 locking pals, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, 0 rubbish, 6 covid handshakes, 4 tasty muffins, 1 friendly cover mooring, 1 lovely production, 2 pooped boaters, 215 foot 6 inches higher.

https://goo.gl/maps/veqYTx8UoTbcAGwZ7

Waiting For Tarzan. 13th July

Gerrards Bridge to Scotman’s Flash

With drizzle in the air we took our time before moving this morning and with hindsight we should have let Tilly dictate what time we left, but it’s rare we let her out on mornings we want to move.

Things dried up a touch so we pushed off around 11:30 with the intention of reaching Scotman’s Flash, leaving the two Poolstock Locks for Tuesday morning as we’d rather not moor overnight below lock 85.

The canal is a bit samey samey. Wide with concrete edges that seem to have moved through the years, some downwards and some inwards due to mining subsidence. All the route is green, very green, so green that there are very few views to be had through the trees, just the odd glimpse of water.

There were a couple of boats at Dover Locks where two locks have been removed, the gate recesses still visible where the cut narrows.

A toppled branch now seems quite settled halfway across the canal, I think we chopped a chunk out of this when we were on our way to Liverpool a few years ago.

Now the banks are high and so over grown. Fat greenery at the narrows where bridges once used to be make the canal look like it is a narrow waterway. Ferns, brambles all sorts, we were just waiting for a yodel and then for Tarzan to swing into view.

Through Moss Bridge we could see the large flash of water stretching out towards Wigan, sailing boats lined up on the shore. There was a gap in the over growth so we pulled in, then adjusted ourselves so that the galley window would have a better view, all the time avoiding the mountains of goose pooh.

A gaggle of Canadian and Greylag Geese suddenly made a dash for it as a lady walked up to them. They were heading in her direction despite the two dogs on leads, they knew what she had in her blue plastic bag was going to be tasty.

The towpath is quite wide, we both took it in turns to have a look over the other side. We’d expected there to be a bank of some sort which trees grew out of before the waters edge. But no it was a sheer drop. A conferring H&S huddle was had, verdict sadly for Tilly that it was an incident just waiting to happen and with the water maybe 10 ft below the top of the wall, we’d not be able to assist should some footing on the trees go wrong, No shore leave today!

Too high should any tree climbing go wrong!

During the afternoon I scanned the sketches I’d done yesterday and wrote a lengthy email to Vanessa with my suggestions. I also had queries for The Garden regarding what materials I’d used for my illustrations, so that this could be added to the audio description.

Then a spot of baking, a sugar rush might be needed tomorrow on the locks, so I made a half batch of blueberry muffins.

Access to notes from the Wigan Flight Crew were read and a link sent to my phone. One of the crew has complied handy notes for ascent and descent of the locks, so I should know which locks on the flight have troublesome gates and when to use all the paddles and where not to. Apparently above the top lock there is lots of weed at the moment, so it’s best not to use the gate paddles as the weed would be sucked through and clog the grills, luckily this lock has newer gates so holds it’s water well.

As the evening progressed numerous groups of teenagers walked by all heading in the same direction. None of them came back, maybe there was a big party happening somewhere, at least we couldn’t hear it if there was.

0 locks, 3.78 miles, 1 grey day, 1 green cruise, 0 Tarzan, 10ft wall of death, 1 bored cat again, 6 muffins, 5 sketches, 1 day until The Garden goes live, 5 years an amputee.

https://goo.gl/maps/ezFZ1PDz9pvFHAxz8

Bees, Bums And Bridges.1st July

Hill Top Footbridge 20 to Dryhurst Bridge 26

We woke to rain and a layer of cloud hid the view across the valley. I opened up the curtains so that we could hopefully watch the clouds roll away as we had our cuppa in bed.

It really is astonishing that your average towpath user seems to have no idea that people can hear every word inside their boat or that they might be looking out of the window. Yesterday we had two chaps walk past who appreciated Oleanna’s lines and did not stop raving about how gorgeous she was for a good ten minutes, thank you we appreciated your comments and agree with you.

This morning a young lady stopped by the side of us to warm up before going for a run. She stretched and lent over right in front of our window totally oblivious to the two of us catching up on news supping our mugs of tea sat in bed. Even Tilly had to have a closer look. I have chosen the photo very carefully as I know this post will go live at 8am and to retain the ladies modesty! Her running partner soon arrived and off they jogged leaving us with only the cloudy hillside again.

Due to having run the dishwasher yesterday evening after 8pm, our batteries were in need of a charge. With little sun around at the moment that meant we’d be needing to run the engine, should we stay put or move whilst it charged the batteries? We decided on the later eating breakfast whilst outside remained dry. Of course as we rolled back the covers it started to drizzle and then it got heavier. We sheltered for a while under the pram cover and as it seemed to be easing we pushed off to creep our way further towards Bugsworth Basin.

Having had a few days with no obstacles, today we had bridges that would need moving. The first Turf Lee Lift Bridge, operated with a windlass. It took quite a lot of puff to wind it up and not so much to bring it back down again, all the time it rained. I was regretting my choice of trousers over shorts.

Then Wood End Lift Bridge which serves a house and a compound of some sort. A few years ago it was changed from a wind up wind down to an automated bridge. The position of the control panel obscured behind bits and pieces on the towpath, luckily I remembered this and didn’t cross the bridge hunting for it.

An interesting boat sat just before the bridge landing. Two layers of small portholes had what looked a touch like pairs of victoria sponge cake tins welded together which acted as swivelling shutters for the portholes.

Round the next bend to Higgins Clough Swing Bridge, another advertising to turn the key of power 3/4 when a full turn would be a better option! But the bridge was easy to move once the locking mechanism had been released.

So far anywhere we’d thought of stopping had been occupied, so when we came through Disley and saw space alongside another boat with a view we pulled in hoping the depth would be good for us. I say this as we’d spent some of the cruise getting here bumping our way along the bottom ten foot out from the bank.

There was depth for us, so we tied up sharing the ring at the front with the other boat. Tilly was let out to explore. I tried encouraging her to pose for a photo in front of the view, it never works! As I took photos I realised there was a bee trying to get in through the hatch. Another look and there was another, and another! The hatch doors were closed and I went outside.

A small group of bees were milling around the cabin side, had we disturbed a nest? If so we certainly needed to move for both ourselves and them. Luckily Tilly was just sussing things out, stood on the wall, so a very easy pick up and was deposited back into the boat.

The chap from the boat ahead returned and we all decided that the bees obviously had made a nest behind the old shuttering along the canal edge and were a little bit peed at us being so close to their front door. We pulled Oleanna back, still managing to have sufficient depth and tied the bow to what had been the stern spikes. We could now settle down for the rest of the day.

During the afternoon we watched Act 1 of Midsummer Nights Dream from The Bridge Theatre. A wonderful example of how ‘Live’ theatre brings the audience and actors together. Theatre is a live experience, a unique performance every time for the audience in the room. In this case the audience playing an extra part as they looked on and at times got in the way of the actors and stage management.

If Covid-19 hadn’t arrived, this week you’d have been hearing very little from me as I’d have been busy putting the finishing touches to The Garden at The Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield. Last minute touches of paint, stitches in costumes and helping actors do buttons up and tying laces for those who excel at other things. Tonight would have been the opening performance of the show.

Here’s a link to the Lockdown Edition which will be on line to view from the 14th to 28th July. Tickets are available at: https://thegardenlockdownedition.eventbrite.co.uk

0 locks, 2.08 miles, 3 bridges, 60 turns up, 40 turns down, 1 button, 1 push, 1 pair of pants, 1 wet day, 7 bees, 60 ft pull back, 1 tooth, 1 delivery secured, 1 surprisingly good loaf of bread, Act 1, 0 first night, 1 designer missing designing.

https://goo.gl/maps/GHW1qR9ssxt1VF3N9

Tilly Sheep, 30th June

Smith’s Bridge 14 to Hill Top Footbridge 20, Peak Forest Canal

No rain for a change this morning, but it still took us a while to get going. Around midday we finally pushed off our eyes set on a few possible places to stop today, hopefully with views.

On my walk yesterday I must have had my head down due to the precipitation as I’d not seen The Cage in Lyme Park. The tower was originally built in 1580 as a hunting lodge where ladies of the estate could watch the hunt, it was also used as a banqueting hall at night. I knew it was there as we’d walked to it Christmas 2016. Just as the building itself makes a good view, it also commands views right across Manchester on a clear day.

Plenty to look at along the moorings. A speeding boater who’s ended up on the bank, a climbing tree.

Two old tractors and an interesting collection of all sorts just by Bullocks Bridge 13.

We pootled along through the wooded section, passing High Lane where an arm is used by the North Cheshire Cruising Club. The back gardens of the houses at this end of the Macc need some TLC, they are very poor in comparison to those further south.

The pushing in boat was happily sat on it’s mooring. Wonder if they made it home in time?!

The large carved wizard came into view along with our first choice of mooring for the day. Sadly several other boats had beaten us to it, one with a slightly tuffty nervous version of Tilly on the stern, who kept a close eye on us.

There was space for one boat, but the towpath was narrow and I suspected one of the other boats belonged to Tilly’s friend Ben, he has two cats. So for feline peace we continued onwards.

The next mooring was also full, a shame as opposite there were Tilly sheep, more commonly known as Zwartbles Sheep with their white feet and tipped tails.

Goyt Mill wasn’t as busy as we’d remembered it, but that’s a sign of the times now. We did however wonder how long we’d have to wait for lunch as we felt a touch peckish after passing some teenagers smoking something rather fragrant!

Hope the owners have mended their ways, it was horrible down here

Next we passed a boat that looked like it wouldn’t be floating for much longer. Sadly we witnessed a sinking boat along the moorings here four years ago, the chap was on board trying to plug the hole as the water flooded in! Attempts were made over the next few days to raise it, but sadly it just kept sinking.

We decided to carry on through Marple today as we have to return next week to wait for the locks to reopen. Yet I still managed to take around 30 photos of the two snake bridges.

The curves of these two bridges are very pleasing, most probably helped by the curving ramp being wider. Very few boats were moored up on the visitor moorings leaving ample space, but we carried on.

Under the last bridge of the Macclesfield Canal, hanging a right onto the Peak Forest Canal. Two boats were moored up here, maybe sitting out the wait for the locks next week.

We pootled along hoping for a view and enough depth below Oleanna to be able to pull in. The B6101 hugs the canal for a while, admittedly a lot lower as we continued to follow the contour around the hill. As it started to move away and houses with gardens took over we considered stopping.

Just a touch further on and all of a sudden there was a gap in the trees, the other side of the wall wasn’t too steep, the towpath wider than normal. But was the depth sufficient? Thankfully it was, which meant for the remainder of the day we got to enjoy the fantastic view across the valley to Mellor Moor.

Tilly headed out to explore, finding winged friends still a touch too difficult to keep hold of thank goodness. The local Crows, Magpies and Jays shouted their displeasure at her. Blimey the towpath was busy, don’t blame the walkers as the canal has so many good views.

A request for bread had me get out the packet of Spelt flour we’d been sent as a substitute on one of our deliveries. I’ve not used Spelt before so followed the instructions, mixing everything together and then ‘pressing’ it 100 times. I took this to mean one action of kneading. It came together very quickly and was very glutenous.

It was left to rise then another 100 presses before being put in a tin to rise again. Not sure if the boat had been quite warm enough to get a full rise, as the side hatch and back doors were open. When it came out of the oven it didn’t seem to have risen anymore. We’ll have to see what it’s like when it’s cut into tomorrow.

All the rain we’ve been having has helped to fill reservoirs on the Leeds Liverpool, today the news came through that Wigan and the other locks will be opening earlier than planned, so from Friday the canal will be open again.

We also had the news today that the River Soar is being locked down through Leicester for the next couple of weeks due to the increase of Covid-19 cases. All boats between Turnover Lock 27 on the Leicester Line and The Hope and Anchor on Wanlip Road can now only move for essentials again.

0 locks, 4.11 miles, 1 right, 0 Olga or Betty in view, 2 many cats, 1 barging narrowboat, 1 dry day! 2 boaters with munchies, 1 mooring with a great view, £20! 50mbps download, 34 mbps upload, 1 canal open early, 1 canal closed.

https://goo.gl/maps/bnRsPyzTYw6BSiWeA

Home Baking. 9th June

Lockdown ‘Home’

She needed some quiet this morning for her important phone call, with an important man (who has a woofer apparently), so I obliged and made myself scarce for much of the day. Whilst we’ve been tied to other outsides, ‘Home’ outside has got fatter and greener. New friends have moved in so I’ve kept myself busy introducing myself to as many of them as possible today. There were far too many to bring home, after all we’re only allowed to meet up in sixes at the moment!

My meeting with David was good. He’d sent through a few photos of what he’d been thinking and I replied with over 200 I’d found. If you didn’t know Rapunzel is another name for Lamb’s Lettuce, Valerianella locusta. So I’ve been thinking maybe we might need a world based on giant leaves, the structure of which mirrors fan vaulted ceilings. Tall trees stretching into the sky, like ships rigging. Lots to think about and formulate. Questions like where to put the Musical Director? How to change the world into England on the Wold? How to make the wold more than just green grass and rolling hills? Can we fill the auditorium with Kabuki drop banners, or would that be a touch too much to re-rig for the stage management?

The Tradeing boats were on the move, some coming and winding, others pulling up in front of us, hatching plans for a weekend trading here. My dungarees came out and the starboard side got a coat of black. It’s so nice to have both sides of Oleanna matching, just before we start doing locks again!

Mick headed into Nantwich for some bread, sneaking in a visit to the butchers for a pie. My sour dough starter had done it’s thing overnight and preparations for some pizza dough were needed. A mix of flour, water and starter was set aside for a while whilst I ground up some chai seeds, added psyllium husk and some water to make a gel. This all seemed a touch odd to me. Adding more flour and some water gave me a very gelatinous blob that needed to rest for a while. I wasn’t holding out much hope for how it would turn out.

Mick spent some of the afternoon prising the second punctureless tyre onto the Brompton, we’d had it forwarded to Scarborough last week. I could hear the odd bit of swearing coming from the stern. The front tyre had gone on far too easily, but then it had had several hours sitting in the sun, today the sun hid behind clouds for much of the day.

It fought back, but Mick got there in the end

Whilst I waited for the pizza blob to prove I set about making a batch of cheese scones, a proper days baking, should have made a cake too, but didn’t! The oven being on helped keep the kitchen warm for the pizza dough and then provided us with a treat to have with a cuppa as we listened to the days news conference from Downing Street.

What toppings to have on our pizza? There was the last of the chicken to use up and a bunch of asparagus. The bases were stretched out into a suitable shape and then put on hot trays in a very hot oven for a few minutes before coming out to have the toppings added. They looked a little less gelatinous now thank goodness.

Garlicky tomato, some red onion, strips of chicken, then spears of asparagus with a scattering of mozzarella cheese and back in the oven they went. I hoped I’d moved them around enough to compensate for our zoned oven, but mine needed to go back in for a few more minutes. Verdict tasty, very tasty. A better base than the one I’ve made in the past and asparagus goes well on pizza. We accompanied our food with a glass of wine, or two, as this would be our last night at ‘Home’, our 48hrs will be up tomorrow and it will be time for us to start to head away from the area.

Today there have been two anniversaries. A boating one and a theatre one.

Today, fifteen years ago was the press night in New York of Alan Ayckbourn’s Private Fears In Public Places. The play was part of the Brits Off Broadway season at 59E59, the first time a production from the SJT had taken part. The show in England hadn’t made much of a mark, but it was a different case across the pond.

This was all just before I left the SJT as Resident Designer and Alan and Heather had invited Mick and myself out for a meal before I left. That evening coincided with the reviews coming out in New York, our hosts were late to the restaurant and came in with huge beaming smiles across their faces, clutching copies of the reviews. The show had gone down a storm, it had been a huge financial risk taking a show to New York but it paid off. Within hours tickets had sold out, a list of famous people were being turned away and our little show from Scarborough was THE show to see in New York.

Six years ago today, we pulled out of Crick Marina on Lillian to start our journey northwards for the Tour de France, our yellow boat had to be in Hebden Bridge for the race to pass through! We pulled out of the marina, beeped the horn and joined our friends Bridget and Storm on NB Blackbird, becoming a cruising duo, The Wasp. That is more or less the day we started out on our journey.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2nd tyre, 1 hour talking panto, 2 smart gunnels, 1 boat surrounded, 10 hours! 9 friends maybe more, 1 aborted nosy, 1 last Thursday photo (on a Tuesday), 10 scones, 2 pizzas, 11 spears of asparagus, 4 glasses on wine, 1 last night at Home.

PS. The dates went to Lee on NB Halsall, sorry!

Dates. 8th June

Lockdown Pickup Mooring to Lockdown Mooring 4

There was a long wait this morning which stretched into the afternoon. But a little while after 1pm the familiar car pulled into the layby at Henhull Bridge. This is our last veg box delivery from Nantwich Veg Boxes or Clems Traditional Greengrocers before we move out of their area. Hoping the contents will keep us going for a while I’d ordered a £15 veg box and a £12 fruit box. We chatted with the chap and thanked them for looking after us over the last couple of months. We’ve no idea when we’ll be back in the area, but I hope they will still doing the boxes as I’ll be placing an order.

What treats lay inside our two boxes?

Cabbage, lettuce, aubergine, vine tomatoes, new potatoes, a courgette, parsnips, asparagus, peas, cauliflower, brocolli.

Satsumas, apples, pears, plums, peaches, bananas, a pineapple, strawberries, a melon and a tray of dates! Very festive, apart from neither of us are partial to dates. We’ll find someone who is.

The amount of boats going past all morning reminded us that we are of course on the Four Counties Ring, maybe we’ll have to queue at the Queuing Lock on the branch in a few days time! We’d held off having lunch and decided to wait a little longer so that we could get to a mooring where Tilly could be let out.

The rain last night had swollen the ground, my mooring spike at the bow was held tight and needed a good whack with the hammer before it would pull out. We then pushed off joining the moving boats, one appearing behind us, two coming towards us in the first short stretch.

The potato field has had another spurt of growth, the furrows having almost vanished now. Round the bend to the Flag Bubble Mooring. How many boats?! Five. This stretch has been taken over by trading boats. Plum has new neighbours, The Hippie Boat and Toastie Boat. He said it was better now the Australians had moved on, tongue in cheek of course!

A couple of boats were on our ‘Home’ mooring where we hoped to pull in. There seemed to be gaps, but one boat was on ‘the’ best bit. We pulled in at the far end, our original mooring here. Tilly sauntered off the boat, trotting into the field to check on it’s progress. The top of the grass is now yellowing with seed heads, wheat maybe? Someone else will have to stop and let us know how Tilly’s field is doing over the coming months, photos please.

NB Halsall came by and topped up our diesel tank. Chance to get local knowledge about the Anderton Boat Lift and the Macclesfield Canal reopening, would we still be able to cruise where we’d planned this year?

Current word on the boat lift is that it may open at the beginning of next month. There is a new chap in charge who has to learn the ropes. Various differing reasons are given when ever anybody asks when it will reopen. They are worried about operating the lift with social distancing measures (!), they are reluctant to open it without being able to run the trip boat and cafe (which will fund the whole operation, then there is the other worry that it hasn’t been used for a few months and will it still work? Lee and Roberta are keen to start doing their monthly trips onto the Weaver again.

News on the Macc is more positive. C&RT are going to open Bosley and Marple Locks a couple of times before the end of the month and then they plan on reopening them for July and August, the main boating season. They have been closed due to low water reserves following the Todbrooke Reservoir incident. But water is now being back pumped off the River Goyt and a damaged culvert from Combs Reservoir is currently being mended. We’d been a touch worried that we might get onto the Macc and then get stuck for the rest of the year, however Lee thinks we should be fine.

This afternoon the weather has been better than we’d thought it would be so I donned my dungarees, got out my dust mask and rubbed back the primer on the starboard side. A rinse off with canal water was going to take a while longer to dry than last week, so the paint will have to wait for tomorrow.

I also had some work to do, preparation for a chat with David the panto director for Chippy this year. The final decision as to whether the show will go on is still to be made in mid August, but I have agreed to do a bit of work before hand. So if the green light is given then I’ll be ahead of the game a touch.

0 locks, 0.81 miles to ‘Home’, 1 last time, £15 veg, £12 fruit, 1 pack of dates, 5 hours shore leave, 1 grown field, 204 reference photos, 1 gunnel rubbed down, 1 starter fed, 2 fingers crossed for a new pizza recipe, £16.40 refund from Sainsburys, Yay!

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna