First things to arrive were some waterproof cases for our mobile phones. These won a Herbie Award, not these actual ones, but having waterproof cases to save having to replace a drowned phone. This is a common hazard living on a boat. I’ve lost two phones and Mick has dropped one phone and a tablet into the drink.
At Christmas Mick got me a new phone as my old one was looking a tad cracked after nearly becoming phone number three heading for the depths of Nether Lock last January. I’d like to try to keep hold of this one a touch longer if possible. So I’ve been looking round for cases.
Most of the cases I found are intended for swimming, keeping the water out is one thing. But being able to turn your phone on to take that photo of a Kingfisher is another, especially when your power switch is now fingerprint operated and on the side! One case I found has the outside area inflated, so it would act like water wings should your phone go for a swim. I suspect this would make it even harder to turn on.
I’ve tried taking photos through the case to see what effect it has. Reflections are one downside. I suspect our cheap waterproof cases will end up being used for the phone we run Waterway Routes on at the helm. The phone stays powered whilst we cruise so the power button won’t be a problem. Just need to try to find a case that will allow me to take photos and turn the phone on whilst keeping it dry. Yes Mick could have bought me a waterproof phone, but his bank account isn’t that buoyant!
Next a box came from 12 Volt Planet. This contained busbars and fuses to be used in our battery upgrade. I’ll let Mick write about the battery upgrade when he does it. The fuses are also because Oleanna seems to have been built without a main fuse! Well Mick hasn’t ever been able to find one, so he’s going to fit one when putting in the new batteries.
We got sweeties too!
Another box came from Bimble Solar. A voltage sensitive relay for our Nebolink. This will save us having to turn the Nebolink on and off manually when we are cruising, it will do it automatically when the engine is turned on and off. Yes it is likely to turn on should we want to run the engine whilst stationary, but the trip will show 0 miles and may not be recorded by Nebo. It is a touch larger than Mick had thought it would be and have to say I’ll miss flicking the switch on as we push off each day.
Illuminating!
Mick has also treated himself to some rechargeable motion sensitive strip lights. These have appeared on his Christmas list for the last three years. Twice they have been ordered and twice they have not arrived! So this year they were given up on as a bad thing. Of course he has now managed to get some straight away with no hassle! These are to go inside cupboards on Oleanna and will light up as the door is opened, saving getting a torch out to check for things at the back of cupboards etc.
Whilst Mick has been reveling in electrical things I managed to find some Pan Flour. Since working on Chippy Panto I’ve been wanting to have a go at making some Arepas, corn cakes. A little after Christmas I followed the instructions on the pack of flour and maybe was a touch impatient on leaving the flour to absorb the water. My first go were tasty filled with the last of the roast duck and red cabbage from Christmas, A little reminiscent of popcorn! I’ll follow an online recipe next time though.
Experimental Baking
The remainder mince pie pastry in the freezer and mince meat required using up, so I came up with the idea of a hybrid mince pie and Yorkshire Curd Tart. I made some curds then used the pastry and mince meat a touch like a bakewell tart, adding the curd custard on top. The outcome was nice, a little strange, but nice. At least the pastry has been used up.
I’ve also finished my painting. Which is now hung in the not quite smallest room in the house. It’s positioning may be a slight problem for two reasons. 1, when sat down it isn’t quite in eye line of the mirror. 2, those who stand to use the facilities may get distracted!
The finished painting, Wolverhampton Flight, Lock 21. Emulsion on canvas.
However I’m very pleased with it and am considering doing a series of paintings in the same style based on places we visit on the network. We’ve come up with a few locations we should be visiting this year. I may even get some prints or cards made from them.
Well it’s taken it’s time in arriving, this years Christmas. I think we did peek too early! But since the beginning of December when the London Leckenby’s were with us, we’ve gradually been getting ourselves ready for tomorrow. Several storms have passed over, the webcam on Oleanna was kept VERY busy with the last storm as the windows in the pram cover hardly had a still moment.
Lebkuchen
Presents bought and wrapped, food ordered. We’ve both had a hair cut. Christmas biscuits baked and delivered. One batch of mince pies baked and consumed. Tilly has slept most of the time. The windows in my work rooms have been touched up since having the new windows installed and my work table moved back into position, I’ve tentatively started work on a painting for our downstairs toilet. I suspect more will get done during Betwixtmass.
We’ve seen Animated Objects production of A Christmas Carol, won second prize in the raffle. Enjoyed the most festive Christmas show at the SJT, Beauty and the Beast, we were very unsuitably dressed as we’d not put on our Christmas jumpers and stuck out from the crowd!
A touch more knitting has happened. Sausage rolls have been baked and eaten. Tomorrow we’ll be joined by Frank, his normal invite for Christmas dinner has had to be cancelled due to Covid rearing it’s head again. Just as well I ordered an extra large veg box, plus Frank has provided us with plenty more sprouts.
The pre cooking has happened, stuffing, red cabbage, bread sauce, gravy and birthday cake. The cake is a new recipe, chocolate and hazelnut cake, it smelt wonderful as I mixed it up with all 6 eggs it required! Ganache still to be added once it’s cooled down.
Scarbados!
So just the gammon joint and dauphinoise potatoes to consume this evening, along with a glass or two of wine.
We’re ready, are you?
Stockings laid out in front of the fire. Sadly Mick has deemed it too windy to light the fire this evening! I so hope the big man in red remembers we’re in the house this year!
I’ve found time between baking my mince pies and Christmas biscuits to add recipes to the pages section of the blog. Squash and Mushroom Lasagne, Squash,winter herb and butter bean pie. I’ve added them so I can find them again in the future and share them with you.
There is also now an up to date page about my Sockathon 2023 if you are interested. Lots of socks!
Socks!
Next year I’m thinking of doing something similar to raise funds for Dementia Uk, it’s a charity that can help so many people and I wish I’d known about them twenty plus years ago to help my family with my mum. Whilst knitting this year I’ve been struck by how many people’s lives are affected by dementia.
The webcam is working fine under the pram cover on Oleanna. We had a busy visitor the other night!
Oleanna is never far from our thoughts,she’s always on mine!
I think Mick last visited Goole on his way to pick me up from Chippy so it was time to say hello and give her engine a run. He headed off on the train on a bright sunny day, these are few and far between at the moment, we seem to live with lights on in the house from when we get up to when we go to bed at the moment.
A good sky in Goole
One of the webcam’s Mick has set up onboard had a faulty SD card, so the SD cards were swapped between cameras enabling us to see when cars come and go, or people open up the gate and walk past in the middle of the night. The cameras would be very obvious should you want to steal Oleanna, they are more for our interest especially when it snows and to check she’s okay. Shame the camera wasn’t running to be able to see how the scratch happened on the cabin side.
Mick ran the engine, had his lunch courtesy of Greggs, checked the kettle worked and had a coffee. The router sim card was swapped over. In the past we have swapped it for the one at the house when we’ve moved ashore, taking the better one with us. But about two weeks ago we finally got fibre broadband installed at the house, so the better sim card can now stay on Oleanna, the contract for the poorer one runs out soon.
Hmm! That puddle is annoying!!!
The other job to do whilst there, was to measure the bottom section of a cupboard. This is a cupboard partly known as The Shed as it’s where tools etc are kept, but it was designed to hold a second Brompton bike and has a hanging rail for coats etc. The bike is no longer onboard as one bike is enough for our needs. The hanging rail doesn’t really get used as life jackets hats and scarfs fill up the bottom of the cupboard.
At least the lake on the entrance road to the marina has shrunk a touch
The plan when we upgrade our batteries is that we’ll hopefully move them inside into this cupboard. As they will be lithium this should be fine for the Boat Safety as they don’t gas, it will also mean they are less likely to get cold (Lithium doesn’t like charging when it gets cold). Mick took measurements of the lowest part of the cupboard which is affected by the swim. Unfortunately he didn’t measure how high the swim comes and how much more depth there is above it. The current batteries he is planning won’t both fit in the lower part of The Shed, who knows they might fit above. More measurements are required or a serious dig through boat information from when Oleanna was built. Work in progress.
I mentioned Chippy earlier on in this post. The company have just performed their 38th show out of 99(?). In the audience were the crew from NB Cleddau and NB Tentatrice. I hear the little chap at the back didn’t have an illuminated ball for the Carnival and that a few things got knocked over by the actors! Thank goodness though that the clock struck midnight!
Here are links to a few reviews if you are interested.
‘The production has a bold look, courtesy of designers Pip Leckenby and Sophie Molyneux; the former’s set places the action behind a proscenium of painted jungle foliage, with a curtain of leaves pulled aside to reveal a quaint pueblo of coral-pink and dusty-yellow buildings. Molyneux’s costumes mash-up influences from flamenco and carnival, all ruffled sleeves and fringed mantles decorated with tropical fruit motifs.’
I had to put that one in as Designers don’t often get a mention!
I have donned my dungerees again and have started to repaint some window frames in my work room so that I can put everything back where it should be, then I’ll be able to do some painting of a different sort and draw up a new lean-to to get quotes.
The first batch of pastry for Mince Pies is resting in the fridge ready for rolling out in a couple of days. Last year I made frangipane topped pies with Adam’s added ingredient, I felt the topping required a bit of tweaking as it seemed to melt rather than rise. So we’ll see how this lot turn out. *Just realised I’ve omitted to add an egg to the pastry, no wonder it took a LOT of liquid to bring it together! I’ll have to double up the amount of everything, what a shame I’ll have to make at least two batches of mince pies! Suspect we might be needing your help to eat them Frank.
There’s a LOT of water about! Most rivers are full to overflowing, The Went Aqueduct on the New Junction Canal looks like the river and canal are not far off becoming one, all of the surrounding fields are lakes. The River Soar is starting to come down, some people are very aware of how high it got.
PS today 13th the Don Doors have reopened, so levels are dropping.
In knitting news the November Knitting Challenge for Dementia Uk managed to raise £171,867.96 which is fantastic.
Has it really only been two weeks since I got back from Panto land? It feels like a lot longer, but then it also only feels like yesterday!
Now where did we get up to last year?
There has been the obligatory Morse watching whilst being pinned to the sofa by Tilly. Four episodes including, in my opinion, the best one, Masonic Mysteries where Morse is framed for the murder of a friend and no matter which way Morse turns there is another surprise for him.
Tilly has kept a close eye on my yarn tension
More socks have been knitted for Dementia UK. Not sure exactly how many pairs I’ve knitted this year but it’s somewhere over 30 and my fundraising page has just topped £1130! Thank you everyone who has donated and I hope those of you who have a pair of socks have cosy toes. At some point I’ll update the page I set up for my Sockathon, there’s quite a few pictures to upload.
Cards of the Christmas and other varieties printed, scored and folded
Boating photos from this year have been whittled down, a short list of about six presented for final vetting to Mick and Tilly for our Christmas card. Would the old printer upstairs upstairs be up to the job though? With a full set of new cartridges and a morning spent assisting the paper into the printer every couple of sheets the card factory got to work.
The first veg box since my return contained a lovely looking bright orange squash. What to do with it? I hunted round for a couple of recipes and decided to try two out, both requiring roasted squash. So the whole squash was roasted in one go and then divid up for the two dishes, Mushroom and Squash Lasagna and Squash Winter Herb and Crispy Butter Bean Pie. The latter involved three bulbs of garlic which were cooked before being added into the mix. Both will be made again, the pie for a special occasion as it takes a while to cook, but was very tasty. I’ll add links to the recipe pages.
The South Bay
One evening I was invited to a reading of a play that a local lady is hoping to produce. Earlier in the year I’d been approached to see if I could give some advice on it’s staging, but without a script this was impossible. It was nice to meet some new Scarborough faces, but the best bit was walking down to the top of St Nicholas Gardens and looking across the bay to the harbour where numerous boats had their Christmas lights up.
When we moved back to the house from Oleanna we brought all the dinette cushions with us. The covers desperately needing a wash or maybe even replacing. The seat cushions that we sit on the most have also lost most of their cushionness, so I measured them up and placed an order for replacements. The dinette makes into a bed, so any cushions apart from the one that isn’t normally out have been replaced with new firmer more suitable foam. We also had an odd cushion which we have never really understood why it existed, why hadn’t it been added onto one of the back cushions? This and the wedge shaped cushion that goes into the corner have now been made into one piece. Having just written this I don’t understand why it is wedge shaped and not just rectangular, I’ll have to look at it when the cushions go back on the boat, then remember for next time. At the moment I have a few samples of fabric but the final discission hasn’t been made. This will be a project for the new year.
Look who popped up as a screensaver. On the Marsworth flight back in our yellow days.
Why have the cushions gone in the wardrobe? Well a certain Second Mate/Thug has been enjoying clawing the old cushions, thankfully the one which has been affected the most is being replaced! I can’t help it if I have to find myself things to keep me occupied when the outside doesn’t move every day!!!
Mick has just about sorted out his planned upgrade to Oleanna’s batteries. Doubling Oleanna’s amp hours, but will there be enough room for him to be able to move them indoors? A visit in the next couple of weeks is on the cards to check on her and have a measure up.
It’s handy having quite a stash of yarn in the house
During November I’d joined a knitting challenge for Dementia UK, soon I was running out of things to knit! Mick just so happened to ask where his winter hat was. Ah that might just still be on the boat! Emergency hat knitting, this ended up being two hats one inside the other for extra warmth.
It just fitted in the bike bag
Then preparations for Christmas were started, the London Leckenbys were heading up to join us for a pre-christmas meal. Normally we don’t put decorations up for another couple of weeks, but because they were coming we had to get busy.
Last years boat Christmas tree has just about survived the year after a repot with some human made compost, so this has been brought in. But a bigger tree was really needed for the living room, where would we be able to get one from without a car? Nowhere that we found would deliver and the nearest veg/florist didn’t look like they’d be stocking any. One option left, a trip to Sainsburys with our trusty bike as sherpa.
Over several days Mick busied himself in the garden putting lights round bushes. I headed to the snicket to give the ivy a trim. Two wreaths were put together with lights and on the first day of December our decorations were up and illuminated!
Christmas baking. A batch of some rough puff pastry was made, a new recipe I wanted to try out. Then some Lebkuchen, these are my current favourite Christmas biscuits, especially when you poor the heated butter, treacle and maple syrup onto the spices, qworrr!
Christmas shopping this year has meant a walk down to the harbour, thankfully on a very nice sunny day before the snow arrived. I’d placed an order online and been told to ring the doorbell by the bow of a ship! I was taking ‘Buy it off a boat‘ to the next level. The doorbell was nowhere to be seen but thankfully a couple of people were stood on the bridge. My order arrived at a side door, the chap having to climb slightly up a harbour ladder to pass it to me safely, the tide was out at the time!
Buy it off a ship!
The coal man arrived along with snow and hail, Scarborough having a dusting of the white stuff just in time for the London Leckenbys arrival.
Who’s coming?
It has been at least ten years since the London Leckenby’s have visited us in Scarborough, us having lived on boats for much of the last ten years. This trip would also be their first by train, Andrew normally drives them up, but he’s still recovering from his stay in hospital. Quite a bit of work was needed to sort trains due to strikes and engineering work. Tickets were booked with only a couple of days to go. At Kings Cross they loitered for the platform to be announced, confirming the advanced knowledge we’d given them. Also knowing which carriage was likely not to be reserved helped, so they headed straight for it and thankfully got seats on what became a very very full train.
Nearly as good as my Mums Yorkshire Pud
Sausage rolls on arrival, sorry Frank forgot to take a photo! Then an afternoon lull, a walk to the beach not taken up as the pavements were really quite slippy. We caught up on their news and then got going with our Advent Saturday joint of roast beef with all the works. I’ve almost mastered gluten free Yorkshire Puddings so that my Mum wouldn’t know the difference. She’d certainly have been pleased that we had a slice each as a starter with gravy (not with the meat!) helped by the veg being a little reluctant to brown up.
Crackers were cracked, wine drunk, plenty of food eaten. Pudding, a warm Dorset Apple Cake accompanied by some Wensleydale Cheese, not quite ‘Apple Pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze’ but very nice and worth repeating.
Jac, Pip, Mick, Josh, Andrew
A lovely time was had by all. It was really lovely having them back in Scarborough.
Sunday morning and it was time to check that their return trains would be running. Well Transpennine Express did what they seem to do best and cancelled their first train. Mick came up with a couple of options for them. Their return journey was going to be 5 hours rather than the 3 on the way up, due to engineering work. It was decided that they’d head to the station and catch an earlier train, either to York where they could loiter in the pub, or to Hull where they could catch their the train earlier on it’s journey than planned. This meant quite a quick breakfast and exchange of presents before a cab arrived to whisk them back to the station.
Bye bye!
Almost 24 hours in Scarborough, we wished them a good journey and wished Josh good luck for his forthcoming interview for University. I’ve got my fingers crossed for him as I’d like to visit the very good chilled medication shop we visited last summer when on one of the Great Ouse tributaries. Their journey back changed again due to more cancellations, they had a good journey around the country arriving in London ten minutes earlier than originally planned.
My lovely fella
Sunday evening Mick and I headed out for what has now become our annual Chinese meal. Crispy aromatic duck a necessity to mark 21 years of us being together. A lovely way to round off the weekend.
Us out for a Sunday walk
It feels like we’ve already had Christmas now. The big day isn’t for another three weeks!
Have we peaked too soon?
0 locks, 0 miles, 3 snow showers, 5x50kg bags of coal, 2 veg boxes, 1 squash, 2 celeriac, 1.8kg top rump, 15 Lebkuchen, 1 Lasagna, 1 pie, 20 sausage rolls, 2 trees, 4 stars, 100m of flotilla lights, 1 bored cat, £1132, 30 plus pairs, 4 Morses, 2 wreaths, 4 new cushions, 3 weeks early, 21 years.
You may notice a couple of changes to the blog. Firstly the blog roll, this had stopped rolling as bloggers posted their posts, so we’re trialing a new plug in, not quite as clear as the old version sadly. Secondly Mick has added code to the blog to hopefully change the default colour of the writing to black without me having to change every paragraph each time I write a post. This was done with assistance from Copilot. I hope it works!
The alarm was set early and Mick headed off for a dental appointment in Scarborough. The only appointment he’d been able to get was too early to catch a train hence the hire car. The journey was pretty foggy until he reached the Humber Bridge where the sun had burnt it’s way through, then it was an easy drive over the Wolds.
After his appointment he had a little drive out to Langdale End where great friends used to live and where he stayed when he first moved north. More changes to the Manor House. Back in Scarborough he went to pick up a repeat prescription only to find it had been sent to Superdrug in Banbury! A new one was done and will be ready for collection in Lincoln.
Calcium and vit C with lots of maple syrup too!
Meanwhile back on board Tilly and I enjoyed Blueberry Pancakes for breakfast, maybe a few two many, but at least there were two of us to share them! Our nearest neighbours moved off and the Brayford Belle started it’s trips up and down the canal, commentary blasting out about the Romans and linking Lincoln to Torksey, Nottingham and York. I got to hear the same bits three times today.
Brayford Belle
More knitting the start of the eighth sock was done in front of Olivia Coleman inThem That Follow(2019) where a religious sect incorporate snake handling into their services. Love, pregnancy, snake bites made for a cringing mornings viewing.
More of a pudding flapjack
Some apple crumble flapjack was made, the apples purchased to accompany some blackberries for a crumble a few weeks ago. But we’ve not managed to forage enough blackberries, so some flapjack will keep us going.
Will we ever make it to the Cathedral?
In the afternoon I decided to have a little walk to see how I fared. The start of freshers week in Lincoln meant the area around Brayford Pool was busy with young people walking round with their parents in tow. I made it as far as a bench with a view across the pool up to the Cathedral. Is this the closest I’ll get to it this visit?
Under the Brayford Way Bridge
We’ve been to Lincoln at least twice before, but never managed to get up to the Cathedral or Castle. We’ve headed here for several reasons, one was to be tourists and finally tick the Steep Hill and the buildings that lie at the top of the ascent off the next time list. As I walked back to Oleanna my toe hurt. Maybe the next time list will remain until next time!
My little thug watching the students arrive
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 trip to Scarborough, 1 monastery extension, 1 more film, 0.8 of a sock, 1 bored cat, 1864 hobbled paces, 2 tidal locks booked, 1 aching toe.
Kegworth Marine and Ratcliffe Bridge 46 to Trent Junction, River Trent
Ratcliffe Lock
A cruiser just beat us to Ratcliffe Lock, a crew member sent ahead to set it. I checked with the skipper if they would be willing to share or if they’d rather be on their own. Some cruisers are weary of narrowboats in locks, but on this occasion they were fine about sharing just so long as we went into the lock first. Fine with us.
Closing in a years time
Now close to Ratcliffe on Soar powerstation, the cooling towers in just about every photograph. Through Redhill Flood Lock and on towards the Trent. A narrowboat came towards us at speed, had they misjudged the bend by the big weir? Plenty of wellie and they managed to adjust their course to avoid us.
Trent Junction
Now the water stretches out as the Soar meets the Trent, meets the Erewash Canal, meets Cranfleet Cut. Sadly no space on the pontoon mooring, one of our favourites which is a favourite with many others, can’t remember the last time we managed to get moored there. However a space against the wall was available, we winded and pulled in, here Tilly would be allowed shore leave and we’d still have quite a view from the side hatch and our bed in the morning.
It was still quite early, before midday. The height of the bank and forecast rain in the afternoon put me off doing the mushroom vents, again!
Trent Lock onto the Erewash
I planned a walk, checked when rain was due and set off hoping to remain dry today. I walked over the bottom of Trent Lock Junction, we’d forgotten the existence of the Lock Cafe, maybe we should have gone there for lunch.
Heathers
I walked along the banks of the Trent up to he small garden centre where I checked to see what was for sale. Diddy Christmas trees! Our new Christmas tree had been doing quite well back in Scarborough when last checked and this year we don’t plan on being onboard for the big day, so no need for one.
FOUR!
My plotted route brought me to the edge of a golf course. I could just make out the next yellow post marking the footpath across the neat grass. Groups of men swung clubs. Would I make it across without getting hit? Would I be a distraction? Should I change my route? I decided that the course would have to accomodate me and other walkers, so hopefully I’d not be in the firing line and have to dodge balls.
I survived and then walked right down the far side of the course. I didn’t bother trying to count how many balls were sitting in the grass of the driving range. Presumably they have a sit on hoover to collect them at the end of the day.
Mills Dockyard
The footpath popped out at a bridge over the Erewash Canal. We’d considered having a trip up to Langley Mill, but decided against it. Eight years ago we’d cruised to the end, we enjoyed it (apart from the chap with a shotgun), but it isn’t one we simply must return to. Mills Dockyard did look very picturesque today.
Under the railway lines
Across a field to walk round a lake, under two railway lines, then across another field back to Cranfleet Cut where I rejoined the towpath back to Oleanna.
Yum
Time to make that carrot cake. Tilly mumbled something at me as she came in the stern doors, she was ushered straight out the front doors before she’d finished what she was saying, the doors closed firmly behind her. WHAT IS RULE NUMBER ONE TILLY!!!!
Only just enough wind
Early evening three sailing boats came out for a race, a very slow motion race as there was just about no breeze. One of the boats needed motorised assistance to return to the club house.
1 lock, 1 flood lock, 1.9 miles, 2.5 miles walked, 1 dry boater, 4 times in 3 days! 200 grams of carrots, 1 apple, 75 grams cream cheese, 1 improved internet, 1 loose connection, 1 stove lit, 0 Mrs Tilly stamps of approval, 1 cat grounded!
The last of the £5 electric was used up this morning by heating up water for a shower. £5 for two nights a touch steep, but useful for our battery bank. Next it was time to do a quick top up shop so we visited the new Lidl just behind the canal. Here we bought some of those pop-up net cages that help to keep flies from landing on food. The pack contained two sizes, the smallest looks like it would be the perfect size to go in our portholes instead of the glass and help keep flies off us on hot evenings.
Next we pushed Oleanna over to the other side of the moorings to have easer access to empty the yellow water tank. After my shower this morning I’d given Tilly a nice fresh pooh box which she then had climbed inside and proceeded to lift her bum over the side and wee all over new bags of litter and the floor. NOT my favourite cat! Well you left me starving to death yesterday! More cleaning and decanting of litter from damp bags to dry ones, it all eats time when you want to get moving.
Approaching Banbury Lock
A boat had just gone through the lift bridge and was topping up with water above Banbury Lock. I lifted the bridge and could see ahead activity at the lock, a lady was trying to open the bottom gates, I was fairly sure that there was a paddle open at the top as well as both at the bottom. I ran down to assist calling to her, but she couldn’t hear. Mick actually reached the paddle before I could as the ‘little footpath’ to cross the gate isn’t there. We wondered if the chap filling with water had lifted it to get it ready for himself to descend.
Our turn to go down, we were soon out the bottom and pulling onto the services for a top up of water, recycling and use of the elsan for the yellow water. Now the chores were done we could get moving.
All morning we’d been watching a boat moving up the South Oxford on Nebo, now they’d be watching us in return heading towards them, already a location to meet up chosen.
Dark clouds threatened, so waterproofs were dug out from the bottom of the shed. We were following a hire boat, the lady hopped off to lift bridge 170 which for some reason was closed to boats. She obviously wasn’t going to be able to lift it by herself, Mick put the bow into the bank, I hopped off and headed to be extra weight. We got it lifted and then had to wait for the boats to come through, leaning heftily on it and hoping their dog wouldn’t try to jump across to be with Mum.
Grants Lock Cottage hasn’t progressed any, still an empty roofless shell of a building. We slotted into a gap by Twyford Wharf for lunch, just in time as the heavens opened for five minutes.
King’s Sutton Lock Cottage
At Kings Sutton a single hander on a Sea Otter was going down with the help of a very tall chap, he was from a hire boat waiting below the lock. The hire boat crew were experienced, well they worked for the hire company and were in the process of returning a stranded boat back to base at Wigrams Turn. He shouted down to the single hander that he should lift his fenders when in the lock, as he might get stuck, at least six fat fenders increasing his boats width by a good 8 to 10 inches.
Leaving the gate
Up came the hire boat, then it was our turn, an uphill boat arriving as I was just closing the bottom gate for a following boat. Blimey it had got busy. Is the paddle gear new to the lock? The gates are certainly new and the gear the same as used at Hillmorton.
No-one was sat on the sofas at The Pig Place today, too chilly and a touch damp on occasions.
There’s a farm shop
The single hander on seeing that we were still behind him stopped in the lock and popped his middle fenders in through his windows, only two lifted out of harms way. I suggested he stay on his boat and I’d lift the paddles for him, I’m not keen on watching people stand holding their rope at the top of a lock and then having to jump down onto a wet roof, especially when they could have just stayed on board.
Sharing Aynho Lock
Mick made a phone call ahead, what time would Aynho Wharf close today, 4:45pm a little earlier than normal. Would we make it in time? Thankfully the single hander managed to tuck himself into the side of Aynho Lock meaning we could sit alongside him at the longest point of the lock, this saved some time and two fishermen gladly helped open and close gates for us.
The oven went on inside a batch of biscuits ready for baking. The first tray went in the oven just as we approached the wharf to top up with diesel. The second tray went in just as we were about to push off again, the first tray having had a minute or two too long sadly.
We shared the locks into Leeds with Barley in 2020
By mid afternoon the boat shaped icon we’d been keeping an eye on on Nebo had stopped moving. It was now replaced with a dot just where we’d planned to meet them. Gradually our boat icon moved along the pound towards them. The first moorings on our map filled with boats, we hoped that nearer the bridge there would still be space.
There he is!
The view opened out and ahead in the distance I could see the boat we were meeting, Paul stood on the towpath waving to us. Plenty of room to pull in. Tilly was immediately given an hours leave, but when Paul pointed out a red kite circling round where Tilly was in the long grass we decided she’d be better off inside.
Time to catch up with Paul and Christine for NB Waterway Routes. We were invited onboard for a cuppa and a biscuit. Well what a choice of biscuits, I’d brought some of the chocolate crackle cookies, we were spoilt for choice.
Christine and Paul onboard NB Waterway Routes
Plenty to catch up on. Paul always has an organised list of questions for us which get ticked off as they are answered. Not always about boating or the waterways. We also chatted about what’s been happening on the Waterways Ranking site that he runs. Several websites have been zooming up the rankings in the last month or so, blogs of boats that haven’t posted for years have been getting thousands of views. It appears there may be Russian computers accessing sites in search for something and therefore boosting the visits. Things appear to be calming down somewhat, but every now and again there is another surge.
THANK YOU!!
It was lovely to meet up and as always Paul thanked us for assisting in updating Waterway Routes as we travel. I suspect there won’t be much for us to check up ahead as Paul and Christine have just cruised our planned route. We were sent back to Oleanna with presents for Tilly from Susan their daughter. Webbox her favourite, but maybe now the Bonkers cathip treats might just be better, a couple whilst she was have a bonkers zoomy moment soon sent her off for a snooze on the bed. Thank you!!!! Thank you!
5 locks, 8.1 miles, 1 heavy bridge, 1 empty wee tank, 1 wet bathroom floor! 1 fridge topped up, 1 water tank full, 2 boats assisted downhill, 2 assisted uphill, 1 dodgy bridge, 2 down pours, 1 hour curtailed, 1 Red Kite, 4 varieties, 1 biscuit tea, 1st Nebo meet up, 1 good catch up.
Rowington Embankment to Cape of Good Hope Visitor Moorings
Shrewley Tunnel
Up early again! Breakfasted and on our way just gone 7:30, we had about an hours cruise before we’d reach the top of the Hatton flight. Shrewley Tunnel was really quite wet, Mick had remembered his waterproof, I’d forgotten and got quite damp and chilly. Yesterdays rain had helped reduce the temperature so I soon popped on a fleece, knowing full well it wouldn’t stay on long.
Heading to the top lock
Two people climbed off a hire boat at the end of the moorings above the flight. Were they just going to have a look at what lay ahead or were they about to set off? Would they have already picked up a boat to partner with? When they reached the lock they started to fill it, no sign of their boat following them, maybe they were just generous souls!
We checked to see if they were willing to share the flight with us, they were, but not sure when their boat would be arriving, the men were being tardy at pushing off, we could go ahead if we wanted to. Many hands make light work of the Hatton flight so waiting a few minutes would save many more minutes further on.
Starting the flight
Philippa, Helen, Keith and Steve (?) were experienced hirers, out for two weeks. They’d already done the Avon Ring so had decided to use up their remaining days by descending Hatton, winding and returning tomorrow. The hire company had said that Birmingham was a bit grotty, so not to bother!
Is that a C&RT volunteer?
With three of us on the lock side I walked ahead to open up the next lock which was already full. I was also keeping an eye out for volunteers and a stranger. A volunteer was spied watching us from the bridge down the flight, then the blue and red vanished, maybe we looked as though we’d got everything sorted, we would do soon.
There was someone walking up the flight with purpose, could this be someone heading for a bacon butty at the cafe or might it just be the stranger I was looking for? She looked across at the boats in the lock, Oleanna tucked behind the ABC hire boat. We’d been a little bit early for our rendez vous and had jumped at the chance to share the flight. I called across, ‘Hello are you Jane?’ ‘Yes’, came the reply, ‘You must be Pip!’.
Coming down
Jane is a colleague of my old college friend Emma who lives in Warwick. I’d messaged ahead a few days ago with the hope that we’d be able to meet up. Plans were put together and could they bring along their friend Jane who is wanting to buy a boat to live on. This then morphed into us having an extra pair of hands for the flight if we could do it on Monday morning. Never turn down the offer for assistance when faced with 21 broad locks!
Us ladies soon split up into two teams that would leapfrog each other down the flight. Philippa and Helen walked on down to the next lock to set it whilst Jane and I got chatting. I knew next to nothing about Jane other than she was keen to help today. She’d been on several holidays and earlier this year she’d done a helmsman course in Braunston where she learnt the normal things along with single handing and how to break ice! Therefore I didn’t have a novice on my hands.
Waiting for an uphill boat
On our way down we met two boats coming up, one with a couple of boys in blue assisting them, another had been helped up the first three but they were now on their own.
Philippa and Helen waiting to open the lock
Thankfully the sky was a touch cloudy, not too much to give concern, but enough to help keep the temperature down. Jane and I had a good old chat about all things boat, crafts, etc as we walked between locks and as we waited for Mick and Keith to bring the boats into our lock. We didn’t get chance to chat to Philippa or Helen as we were leapfrogging each other.
Just about halfway down
Mick checked to see if we required refreshments at the halfway point, but we were fine. Working every other lock with someone to chat away to makes for a less gruelling trip down the flight, certainly far far better than it just being the two of us, which we have done before.
Halfway!
Jane and I got to work the last lock of the flight, we maybe should have waited a touch longer before winding up our paddles so that Philippa and Helen could climb back on board with ease, instead they had to climb down a ladder, maybe they didn’t know about the steps down below the lock which would have been far easier.
There had been conversations at the helm of the hire boat that maybe Keith should swap with one of the ladies. This was turned down. The ladies were working the locks today, he and Steve were going to do them tomorrow, that’s if Steve has finished reading his book at the dinette by then.
We pulled over onto some armco and popped the kettle on. Some choc chip cookies had been freshly baked this morning, time for a well earned sit down for all of us.
Thank you Jane
Thank you so much Jane for joining us today, your enthusiasm for boats and the canals shone out, it was a pleasure having you as crew. I hope your house sale speeds up and then you can start in earnest to look for your boat and home. I hope our paths cross again soon.
The flight had taken us 2hours 22 minutes. Time to look back on previous passages. Back in 2013 (our first descent) we’d teamed up with another hire boat with six crew, today we’d beaten the 2 hours 30 minutes, in fact today was the fastest we’ve descended the flight. May 2016 was 3 hours 15 mins and February 2017 Mick managed the flight in 46 hours 34 mins due to my broken ankle and a storm holding us up for a day.
Hatton Bottom Lock
Todays time however didn’t beat our record which was when we teamed up with Nb Cygnet and had my brother and nephew as extra crew, when we managed to head up the locks in 2 hours 15 minutes. Maybe today if we’d not had to wait for the two up hill boats we’d have just beaten it.
We poolted on to around the corner almost opposite The Cape of Good Hope to moor for the day. Only one other boat when we arrived, but by the end of the day the moorings had filled up, including our locking partners from today, now ready to face the flight again tomorrow.
A jot of work this afternoon saw me go back through all the scenes of Panto, a few more notes taken and some of them worked through before it was time to freshen up and head to the pub.
Emma and her husband David had just arrived. It’s a couple of years since we last saw Emma and longer since we met David. Lots to catch up on and a lot of cat talk, they currently have seven in their house!
Burger burger burger
Normally I have a Kiwi Burger with a gluten free bun, but today I decided to try their gluten free option of fish and chips. Mick went to order our food, only to be told that the gluten free batter was made with beer. This isn’t that unusual as it’s normally made with gluten free beer, but today it sounded as if the gluten free batter would be made with normal beer, hence making it NOT gluten free! Maybe something was lost in translation, but it really didn’t make sense and as some of the first things I gave up because they weren’t agreeing with me were beer and fish and chips I really didn’t want to risk it. So instead I had one of their lovely burgers. At least I knew what I’d be getting.
A lovely evening with friends to end a good day at the locks.
21 locks, 6 miles, 1 hire boat with 4 crew, 1 inside, 1 valiant volunteer Jane, 0 volunteers to assist us, 1 super speedy descent, 3 cookies, 1 left, 4 hours shore leave, 1 model just about complete, 3 burgers, 1 fish fillet, 4 rustic chips, 7 beers, 2 glasses wine, 1 very lovely evening.
Coxbank Visitor Moorings to Tyrley Visitor Moorings
Boats were coming up the locks behind us before we’d really got ourselves together. A couple pulled up in front of us pausing for breakfast, they had just come up the thick of the flight.
Almost to the top of Audlem
Two more of the Audlem flight to do, both had boats coming down and one arriving as we left making working them very easy. At the bottom of the two a lady walked up and chatted away, in her hand was a bag of crocheted flowers, she was a yarn bomber. This morning she’d checked she’d have enough flowers for each lock they’d pass through, crocheting keeps her arthritic hands moving.
By the top lock the cake stall was just being replenished for the day. A fantastic assortment of cakes then two small fridges one filled with pork pies and pasties. Mick had the required £3 for a pie, fresh from the bakers this morning the lady said as she brought out paper carrier bags filled with scones for cream teas.
Just restocked for the day
We decided to get the remaining lock flights done today, Adderley and Tyrley, leaving only Wheaton Aston and Autherley Stop Locks to do, so I’d be able to get on with panto again tomorrow.
Soon Adderley came into view, would we be so lucky here with boats coming down? After all the busyness of Audlem yesterday and this morning it suddenly felt as if we were the only boat in the world. Most chambers were empty, apart from one that had filled itself back up.
Not too supportive as a handrail
Into our rhythm of uphill narrow locks. I’d set the lock filling, wait until the boat was high enough for Mick to step off before walking up to the next lock to empty it and open the gates. Most of these locks I used to be able to kick/push open the bottom gates, reducing the number of times I’d have to walk round. However the handrail I’d need to grab onto to push the off side gate open was loose, unsecured at one end, unsafe for me to rely on it. I walked round. The next lock the gates were a touch too heavy, after recent back and calf muscle aches I decided I’d walk round this one too!
We pootled on to Market Drayton a mooring just after the water points gave us somewhere to stop for lunch out of the sunshine with a view of Betton Mill, THAT building where we’d talked at length to our first boat builders. Such a shame the building doesn’t seem to be used for anything.
Obligatory photo
Once fed and watered we were on our way again, entering the shaded cutting leading up to Tyrley Locks. Mick held back away from the most forceful of bywashes possibly on the Shropie whilst I walked up ahead and opened the bottom gates. A boat could be seen entering the third lock up, the second one in our favour.
Normally going up such locks, I go ahead to set the next chamber leaving Mick to close up behind, but this is not recommended at the bottom lock as there is a stone shelf lurking under the cloudy water. I opened the lock ahead and walked back to close the top gate behind us, much better than getting stuck on that shelf with the bywash sucking the boat towards it and the pressure of water coming down from above doing it’s best to push you further on it as well! All I need to say is, you really don’t want to be in that situation!
We met a couple of hire boats coming down and we were soon at the top of the flight.
Tyrley Wharf
The lovely buildings at Tyrley Wharf were lit wonderfully in the sunshine. The new owner of the end building owns the winding hole here, it’s one of those things on the Shropie. Over the last couple of months he has caused a lot of comments on social media as he won’t allow winding in his winding hole. First a sign went up. Then he positioned his boat in such a way to make it hard to wind and now there is also a rope across it. He is entitled to do this, but is really not making himself popular with other boaters. Rumours are that he also isn’t too keen on the locks being used after 5pm! Given time things will change, we hope.
Pulling in onto the visitor moorings the unwashed side of Oleanna presented itself. Oh dear!!! What a filthy boat. I set to with cloth bucket and water. Sadly this side was the side that got most of the sun when Oleanna was stranded in Goole during the Aire and Calder breach. The paint needs more than just a wash. To me that is a boy job, to Mick that is a job that should be put off for as long as humanly possible!
