Category Archives: Boat cats

The Big Ship Sails. 7th May

Spicers Auctioneers to Sykehouse Junction, New Junction Canal

**Was it a cat last night or the ghost of one?**

With the washing drawer now empty and socks and pants fully dried in the tumble drier we could move on. First to the water point to fill with clean water, empty the yellow and put our first food waste into the new bins. A bag of coal was also purchased from the marina.

As I sat waiting for the tank to fill I watched social media following the campaign boats now out on the River Thames. So many boats had moored at Limehouse Basin last night there were quite a few lockings required. Once outside the Houses of Parliament the boats winded and stemmed the tide waiting for 11am when all 27 boats sounded their horns. King Charles went past them on an Uber Boat, he was there to look at the new super sewer really. They then all headed back down stream to West India Dock where they all fitted into the one lock to get off the tidal waters.

**Boats all gathered in Limehouse Basin ready for the off**

We winded again and headed down to Viking Marina service mooring. Here we pulled alongside NB Felix that was having some work done by Alastair to it’s gear box. The diesel tank was topped up, not quite to the top, when it reached 100 litres the pump stopped automatically, 89p a litre. We were actually a day early tomorrow the price will go down to 82p with the next delivery. A bottle of gas was manhandled along the gunnels to the bow, we were all topped up and ready to go again.

Ahead in the docks were a couple of new boats. One looked a touch strange and a bit too tall! Amadeus Saffir is a modern boat, built last year, with a wind-assist system, basically it has sails to help reduce it’s fuel consumption further than it’s diesel-electric propulsion can. An interesting boat.

Time to head off. I hitched a ride to Rawcliffe where I jumped off behind Syntan to walk the remainder of the way to Sykehouse Junction and the New Junction Canal. Mick headed off at usual cruising speed along these deep wide waterways, far quicker than I could walk, so he soon vanished into the distance after passing Off Roader that was on it’s return trip from Leeds. As it approached the anglers all shouted to each other to grab their keep nets, otherwise their catch would be dragged away from them as the big boat passed.

The area where the bank has been mended seriously needs a good water to help the grass grow. A nice aspect for a mooring, just a shame the M18 was audible and the cooling towers of Drax were just out of view.

As I approached the houses by Beaver Bridge a security system sprung into action. A loud BEEP then the camera with two flashing white lights followed my every move along the towpath. I wonder whether it caught me pausing for a quite a while at the bridge.

Here a pair of (I think) juvenile Peacocks were just as interested in me as I was them. Where had they come from? We’ve passed a barge with a peacock on it’s roof before at Rawcliffe and there is a peacock farm in Holme on Spalding Moor, but surely that’s too far away for them to have escaped from. All the same they kept me captivated for quite a while.

A big fishing match was taking place at the reservoir, anglers crammed in next to each other. As I turned onto the New Junction Mick messaged me saying Tilly was coming to find me. Well I was obviously too scary and she ran away back to Oleanna despite me calling for her. Hey ho! She did go back out and enjoyed much of her four hours, in fact she needed quite a bit of encouragement to come home!

I’d planned to go through the panto script again today making lists, but emails came through from John (writer/director) with various notes about the show and then a long list of people who have applied to be props maker this year. Sadly the wonderful Jo can’t give enough time to the show anymore, I knew this was likely as we’d chatted last year, so I wasn’t surprised. So now I need to go through CVs to see who should be considered. There is one name I know in the pile, but would they be the best person for the job?

This evening I’ve tried out a new gluten free pasta recipe, I made up a lasagne which we haven’t had for ages. A third each instead of half proved to be ample portions, one third left over for a working girl when she’s on her own.

0 locks, 6.6 miles, 2 winds, 1 left, 25kg coal, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, 100 litres diesel, 1 gas bottle, 0 Alfie, 4.28 miles walked, 71 minutes briskly, 2 sails, 6 prop makers, 3 emails, 0 notes, 4 hours shore leave, no you can’t give this mooring yet another stamp of approval Tilly!

https://what3words.com/piano.hoping.efficient

Cat Burglar. 6th May

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Spicers Auctioneers, Goole

At around 2am I was woken by a noise. The sort of noise that Tilly occasionally creates when she pears out of the bathroom porthole and moves the glass a little and it clinks against the frame. There was no Tilly curled up on the bed with me, maybe she was peeking out of the porthole. I went to see what was happening asking her to keep the noise down.

She was curled up on the sofa, nowhere near the porthole.

The lights at the auctioneers are really quite bright, I’d considered putting a bung in the bathroom porthole but hadn’t got round to it. I could see the shadow of a figure sat outside. I peeked round the glass just how Tilly does.

Sat staring straight at me was a smoky grey cat. I said hello, it didn’t reply. It leant forward and tried to open the window again, no luck. It peered over it’s shoulder then back at me. I closed the window expecting it to run away, but no it just sat there.

“Sorry Tilly’s not coming out to play tonight, she doesn’t like cats“, I said. It still didn’t reply. I closed the porthole and put the bung in, that should stop it from trying to break in again.

A walk after breakfast for some supplies. Down to Ocean Lock, across the top gates then into town. A stop off at Boyes to see if they had a caddy for our food waste, they did. Then on to Morrisons for the rest of of the shopping and some suitable liners for the caddy. Goole has the first food waste bin we’ve seen, (CRT is introducing better recycling across the network) so we need to start doing our bit, not that we didn’t before. Just need to find somewhere in the small galley to keep the caddy!

An email came from John Terry at Chippy regarding a scene in panto with a link to show what was meant. When reading the script yesterday I’d got a little confused at a scene in Act 2, things seemed to jump, then jump back. A previous version of the scene had somehow got mixed into the pdf I’d been sent. By lunchtime I had a tidied up version of the script 10 pages shorter. John had been in a rush to get a script to me before last weekend. Time to sit down and re-read the script this time highlighting bits as I went on the computer, I’ll print it out later.

Mick arrived back from Scarborough, the next stage of works completed at the house and an annual check up at the doctors all done. He was told he needed to be quiet as I still had more to read, this time it making a lot more sense, well as much as a Panto ever does!

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 train, 1 new caddy, 1 rucksack not zipped up properly, 0 shopping lost, phew! 1 cat burglar, 1 sleeping guard cat, version 1.2 of panto read and noted, 2 ships, 4.12 miles walked, 65 minutes briskly.

To Goole And To Work. 5th May

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Stubbs Bridge to Spicers Auctioneers, Goole.

Tilly was allowed some more shore leave as we had breakfast, She could have taken the full 90 minutes, but chose to come in a while before it elapsed, the doors did not reopen. Overnight the laptop had finished doing what it had been doing for over 24 hours and thankfully all the folders and photos had synced too!

Yesterday the temperature had dropped, today it came accompanied by quite a head wind as we moved off. Blimey oh riley it was perishing out there! Extra layers had been donned but really weren’t enough, I looked forward to getting back inside to be by the stove.

At Whitley Lock we’d just been beaten by the crew from a small cruiser, he’d not seen us approaching and had just started to drop the full lock for his boat. Oh well. I asked how far they were going today, he said ‘we’re aiming to get to Manchester’. He did know that would be impossible to achieve today! He wasn’t sure which route they’d be taking, although the Leeds Liverpool is the only route across the Pennines that is currently open.

By the time I’d penned them up another boat was arriving below so I could hop onboard and let the next crew operate the lock for us. It seemed to be getting colder as the morning continued, a little jig was required to keep from getting frost bite or so it seemed. Along the next three miles or so, anglers lined the banks, a chilly pass time for this Bank Holiday Monday.

**Off Roader the new working barge on the Aire and Calder**

At Pollington Lock a lady beat me to the top lock panel, she opened the full lock for us. Below there were two boats waiting to come up, a narrowboat just appearing in the distance and the huge Off Roader Commercial Barge moored up on the lower lock landing. I opted to get back onboard and travel down with Oleanna, resting my key of power.

**A lovely little boat waiting to go up**

A cruiser was clinging onto the side of Off Roader just where the strong bywash wanted to send us. Mick had to seriously up the revs to avoid any possibility of contact.

The rifle range was very busy, we could hear them from miles away. Zooming in, there seemed to be crowds lining up to shoot guns, not an obvious choice for a Bank Holiday Monday for us. At Sykehouse Reservoir windsurfers zoomed across the lake with the force of the wind.

Straight on for us today, round the corner to face Drax Power Station. This is normally a sight we see at the end of our boating year, but it’s far from that now.

Heading towards Rawcliffe we could see quite a big boat approaching us. Was this Syntan, one of the Beverley Barges? I’d spotted on their Facebook group that they have moved their boats to Rawcliffe as the River Hull is currently closed due to collapsing banks. They must have sneaked past the banks to have got to the Aire and Calder. They are running boat trips for members from Goole throughout May. To become a member is only £10 which includes a ride on Syntan, we may consider joining.

**Hard to recognise under all the layers**

As we passed we waved and had our photo taken. Hang on, did we know the chap at the helm? Jeremy used to be the Production Manager at Watford Palace Theatre when I worked there many moons ago. He’s lived in Beverley for some years now and I knew he was connected to the barges. We last saw him at Lizzie’s 50th last year. I waved even more, but then Mick pointed out that he’d have no chance of seeing who we were due to all our layers!

**They came into Goole to wind later, I wasn’t quick enough to say hello.**

On into Goole. Where to moor? We ended up opting for a paid for mooring outside what used to be the Waterways Museum, now Spicers Auctioneers. The office was closed but word was to pay in the pub at the marina, £15 a night including electric. The stove could be allowed to go out and the Alde boiler could take over the heating whilst plugged in, the washing machine could also go on too.

Mick packed a bag, another trip to Scarborough tonight. We walked into town, Mick to the station and me to Tescos for something to eat this evening.

Back on board it was time to do some work. Whilst this lot prints itself out I’m going to take you back to the beginning of February when I received a two sentence email.

How was life without a panto?! Would you be interested in discussing this coming winter’s show, or was life better without?

When this arrived we were on our way back from visiting boat painters in Cheshire. Mick immediately and rightly reeled off the cons for doing panto again. The way it takes over both our lives for months and me being away for four to five weeks during rehearsals were the main ones. On my next walk I thought about it. I realised I’d been hoping such an email would land, but did I want to do panto again?

If it was possible to get the show designed earlier in the year, that would free up more time for boating in the summer. The first few years of working on Panto we were living onboard full time so Oleanna was on the South Oxford Canal, meaning I could return home at weekends. Maybe this would make sense to do again and then work our way back north around stoppages to reach the boat painters at New Year (rivers dependant). This would mean Oleanna could be lifted out, saving us some money on our CRT licence until she’s been painted. Also being there a few months before our slot means we might be able to be painted earlier if someone gets stuck because of flooding.

We don’t like leaving the house unoccupied during the winter, but if we can get some actors from the Christmas show in Scarborough that would be perfectly timed. In the last month we’ve already got one of our favourite actresses booked in! Just need another to bring the plan fully together.

With building work happening at the house over the next couple of months, we’ll have quite a few days where we won’t be cruising. So instead I can spend days working, spread out in the boat, whilst Mick is at the house overseeing things.

So, I have obviously said yes to Chippy Panto.

So today I started work. Time to read the script for Beauty and The Beast. Tilly wasn’t too enthralled so decided to empty the washing drawer instead! Thanks Tilly! It took me until 10pm to read through the first draft of the script.

On work days I’m wanting to concentrate on working, so we get to enjoy full days boating when we can. I’m hoping to still post everyday, but they may well be short posts, we’ll see. I’m aware that some of our readers now attend Chippy Panto on an annual basis, who knows more may go this year too, so I’ll do my best not to post too many spoilers.

2 locks, 14.7 miles, 1 straight on, 24567 anglers, 1 bitter day, 2 many layers, 4 sails, £15 a night, 0.75 of water, 1 load washing, 1 train, 3.29 miles walked, 43 brisk minutes, 1st reading of 128 pages, 1 panto out of the bag, 1 model box still in the cupboard, 1 Indian meal for 1, 1 bored cat, 1 woofer in Panto, 0 cats in Panto, She should have turned it down!

https://what3words.com/skippers.blossom.bagels

Coal Mining At Kellingley. 4th May

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Haddelsey Flood Lock, River Aire to Stubbs Bridge, Aire and Calder Navigation

Possible contestants for Race Across The Earth, Spiders Lairs, Richard’s President Elect and Pocket Cameras were the subjects of discussion this morning in the Geraghty zoom. As we chatted away to the family the first boat came past, NB Tetheys who’d been moored on the other side of the lock last night, we’d be seeing them later.

As we were rolling up the covers, layered up against the wintery weather that greeted us a second boat came past, NB Wrights on Water, we’d been moored next to them in York a few days ago, they weren’t keen on the weather today.

We followed on soon after them, knowing we’d have a locking partner. Round and round the bends of the River Aire to reach Beal Lock. Here there was activity, I hopped off the bow and went to see what was happening as Mick hovered in the river. A boat was currently in the lock, the lock almost empty, however the amount of water bubbling up from beneath the top gates was stopping the lock from equalising. The crew had tried refilling the lock, opening the top gate and prop washing the cill. A log had bobbed up, they thought that was the problem, but it wasn’t.

We tried four of us on the heavy gate, it wouldn’t budge. Mick brought Oleanna up to gently add extra umph to the situation. The gate moved and eventually with four bums and a boat we got the bottom gate to open enough for the levels to equalise. The lady from NB Tetheys was still there, she’d had a bit of difficulty, but nowhere hear as much as this.

Boats swapped positions and we were on our way up with NB Wrights on Water. They opted to moor up for the day above the lock, the wind too chilling to make cruising pleasant, we carried on, still in need of covering more miles today. It was chilly and a touch damp out on the river, I think if we’d not wanted to be somewhere in a few days we’d most probably have stopped too.

At Bank Dole Lock we arrived as NB Tethey’s were making their way up the lock. They were heading the same direction as us, but stopping off for some shopping first. The lady had checked out on line if Knottingley was a nice place to stop, what there was to do etc. Well her opinion wasn’t good, she pointed out the bonfires on the lock side and the small amount of broken glass. My thought was that they’d most probably never been through some parts of Birmingham and certainly hadn’t done the Rochdale 9!

We took our turn next, The top paddles sending out a plume of water, Oleanna was kept well back and the water helped keep her to the side without too much effort.

Now I’d considered walking some of the next stretch, turning left at the junction and heading to the east. However neither of us quite believed that there would be a towpath running alongside what used to be Kellingley Colliery, so I stayed on board. Soon it was obvious that we were wrong and our map was correct, there was a path, it’s just we’ve always been too busy looking beyond it to see it.

A couple of boats were moored up along this stretch, possible ease of getting a car close to your boat an attraction. As we passed the main colliery sight I could hear what I thought might be a generator. Two men stopped close to a car with it’s boot open part way across the site, just what were they doing?

A thought of having lunch on the go was put on hold as Mick decided to pull over and see if we could moor soon after Stubbs Bridge. We got into the side easily and found the bank peppered with mooring spike holes. Plenty of friendly cover to keep Tilly occupied for the afternoon.

After lunch I walked back to the junction along the well trodden path. Fence panels that were installed to keep nosy parkers out of the demolished colliery site have long since been moved and bent out of the way. I could still hear the generator so went in to see what the chaps were up to.

No generator, but two hand held pneumatic drills. They were drilling for coal. Shovels alongside them and a pile of already filled bags stood by a wall ready to load into the 4×4. When I returned they and the coal had gone, small piles of slag evident where they’d been.

The walk was an interesting one, industrial, over grown and covered in Hawthorn which now covers the landscape. Mostly the path was walkable, under one bridge someone had left some bricks as stepping stones and in another place it heads away from the canal alongside a drain by the solar farm. It was still interesting.

The lap top had been left on all night and all day, still processing whatever. Still quite annoying as none of my folders/photos would sink with OneDrive. It’s a good job I publish the blog a few days out of sink with ourselves.

2 locks, 7.9 miles, 1 left, 1 troublesome lock, 4 bums and a boat, 1 damp grey day, 1 stove lit, 2 miners, 7 sacks, 1 blossom filled world, 1 happy occupied cat.

https://what3words.com/backyards.president.giggles

Empty Waiting Rooms. 1st/2nd May

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New Walk, York

Alarms set both in York and Scarborough. When I woke up I wondered if I’d survive the day! My cold now a touch chesty, should I really be beathing in peoples faces at the hospital? I tried ringing for advice, but when I’d only moved one place in the queue I decided I should head for the hospital before ran out of time, if I was turned away so be it.

In Scarborough Mick greeted a chap who’d come to clean the oven, it’s now all sparkling and gleaming for our next lodgers. We’ve decided to get someone in to do this every year rather than Mick spending a whole day doing it. There was also a chap who came to replace the glazing in one of our recently double glazed windows. We’d noticed it was going cloudy when the sun hit it on very cold days. He made himself a workshop in amongst the bluebells of the front garden, I suspect his touch up paint went off quickly. The lean too out the back also needed clearing out, Tilly’s tree and our barbeque were moved and Mick worked his way through washing the towels and bed linen from our last lot of lodgers, an hour on the line and they were dry.

At the hospital I wore a mask and awaited my turn in the Ophthalmology Department. Area B, to A, to C, then back to B for a very long wait. In fact I was the last person sat in the waiting room before lunch. The doctor looked deep into my eyes, then added stinging yellow drops. Her comments were that I had no signs of glaucoma and maybe it’s just the way my eyes are that things aren’t totally visible. But my vision is good, very good, even though I know I miss quite a lot on the periphery vision test. I’ve not been discharged, but will have a recall in ten to twelve months, so I’m happy with that.

**A Japanese tourist posing in front of the Minster with hat and glasses on she could have been anyone.**

In Scarborough today it’s polling day for our new Town Council. Mick went to put crosses in boxes for the both of us. We must remember to reapply for our postal votes next time.

The river was busy with day boats pootling up and down in the sunshine. Tilly was chased by a couple of woofers, one who wanted to follow her onto the boat, so they got short shrift from me.

An hour of engine to charge the batteries up, I suspect if we’d been sat in direct sunlight all day the solar would have done it for us, but I’d rather have a cool boat.

Thursday. An earlier start for me to beat Frank to the hospital where he had another appointment today, I really didn’t want to miss this one and arrived before most of the staff. My cold was still loitering so it was another morning wearing a mask. There was lots to absorb and questions to ask, then lots to talk about over a cuppa afterwards. We then walked into town where Frank headed off to peruse the vinyl in HMV and I managed to tick off the start to some secret shopping, it’s May and there’s quite a lot of birthdays coming up.

I returned to Oleanna. My PA role for Frank needed to be handed over to the Scarborough PA. Then some knitting in front of a film which kept on being interrupted by the amount of traffic on the river, you could tell it was a Friday of a Bank Holiday weekend, lots of cruisers heading into town.

***I think I’ve had enough of this outside now***

In Scarborough today our lean to was dismantled (it would have done it itself before too long), and the now exterior walls have all been covered in black plastic to protect them from the elements for a while. It doesn’t half make the back of the house dark! Mick was back a little after 6pm, so tomorrow we can make a move again.

In flotilla news, all the boats are now in London. Those that hadn’t made it through Maida Tunnel are settling themselves in at Little Venice for Cavalcade this weekend. This did mean they had to get the bus round to St Pancras Cruising Club for a Fund Britain’s Waterways do. Two boats had already made it there, the tunnel is still closed, so they may stay there until they head down to Limehouse to muster for the cruise to the Houses of Parliament next week. Other boats will be heading to Brentford to cruise down the Thames, through the barrier then back to Limehouse when the tide suites. Link to petition, please sign it if you haven’t already.

**Blue Bridge over the entrance to the River Foss**

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 sparkling oven, 1 newly glazed window, 1 clear lean to, 2 appointments, 2 yellow eyes, 10 months, 2 annoying woofers, 37 day boats, 1 M&S sandwich for lunch, 1 dismantled lean to, 6 loads washing dried, 2 PAs, 1 afternoon knitting, 9.31 miles walk over 2 days, 96 minutes briskly over 2 days, 128 pages, 2 boaters ready to move on.

A Third Reason. 30th April

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Naburn Lock to New Walk, York

Tilly was given shore leave, she could have most of the day if she wanted it. We settled down and enjoyed poached eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms on toast, oh and some black pudding sneaked in there too, yummy.

Then a phone call made us reconsider our existing plan for the next few days. Mick needed to be at the house, I needed to be at York Hospital for an appointment and now there was another appointment which if I could attend it would be a good thing. We’d planned on staying in Naburn until our booked passage back to Selby. Yesterday I’d taken photos of the bus timetable, only every two hours. If we headed back into York however, we’d both be able to walk to the station and hospital making things much easier. Decision made, we’d be heading back into York.

We emptied the yellow water into our container and Mick walked it to the elsan hoping to catch the Lock Keeper to check on times for our departure in a few days time. The number of boats that had arrived in the last hour suggested Kenny might be busy penning them all down and sure enough he was.

A second trip to the services proved better timed. Our locking would be at 12:45. Mick also enquired about passage from York to Barmby Lock where you gain access to the River Derwent and the Pocklington Canal. When he’d asked about this in Selby, Nigel had said levels were low, but hopefully by the time we wanted to head that way they would be improved. Kenny however said the Pocklington was now closed until October! Someone had left a paddle up and drained the canal and with little water available to top it up…. well!

**Time about to tick away in the breeze**

We may need to replan our summer. That is the second waterway we’d hoped to cruise this year closed until October. We need to confer with Graeme and Vicky, if we can get hold of them.

Tilly was encouraged home. It’s good this outside, can we keep it for a while? Sorry!

We untied and pushed off, heading back upstream. We’re getting to know these five or so miles very well! A Kingfisher decided to escort us after we’d passed Bishopthorpe Palace, staying until I’d got a reasonable photo of it.

Where should we moor? We’d only just pulled away from Museum Gardens and the mooring there has very little shade for the increasing temperatures. Or should we pull in on the rings by Millennium Bridge where the Chilled Medication boat moors during the day, there was lots of spare room there. With the sun out the medication would be flying out of the boat, hardly a good place for Tilly to get shore leave. So a touch further on where there was currently shade, also the rings in the bank were big enough to pass our ropes straight through, so not too much hassle mooring.

I had a slow walk around the block, but my cold meant I fell far short of minutes and steps today. I called into Alligator to see if they had any millet flour, but sadly they didn’t. The lady tried her best to sell me other gf flours or even some bread, but all I wanted was some millet flour to try out some recipes for myself.

Mick headed off late afternoon to Scarborough. He caught the train he used to catch when he worked in York 11 years ago, in case any of the regulars were still traveling, but no-one was familiar. Tilly and I had a quiet evening, the boat cooling down after the high temperatures today, I got on with blowing my nose and knitting whilst Tilly got on with her cat naps.

News on the Strawberry Island Cruising Club flotilla to London. All boats have arrived in London, but a fire at Maida Tunnel has split the flotilla in two. Some have remained in Little Venice where Cavalcade is this coming weekend, whilst others are on the Eco Moorings nearer Kings Cross. Here’s hoping the tunnel reopens on Friday so they can all make Cavalcade.

0 locks, 4.9 miles, 1 more river and canal closed this summer, 1 shady mooring, 1 wee tank empty, 2 outsides for Tilly, 1 train, 25 minutes late, 1.98 miles walked, 22 minutes briskly, 1 pair of socks ready for hand delivery, 1 pair of socks finally designed, well 1 more alteration from heel up, 9pm generator stopped, 10pm generator started up but on the move.

https://what3words.com/flesh.crass.moss

A Much Needed Refill. 29th April

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Museum Gardens to Naburn Lock

Tuesday and the world was that bit quieter. This morning the rowers were from the older end of the spectrum, grey haired and not quite so feisty with their strokes. I was also not so feisty about anything, a sore throat I’d hoped was hay fever was turning into a cold. This meant cancelling our morning coffee meet up with a friend.

Several boats left the moorings, Mick headed off to stock up on Lemsips for me and also pick up a fresh box of tissues. I then set off to pop two pairs of socks in the post. Being just across the river from the main sorting office in York should have made it easy to drop the parcel off, but I stuck to the river bank instead of walking down a path at the back of the building, so ended up walking all the way round under the bar walls, along the road that had been worked on last night to find the post box.

I then headed to have a look at the old station and The Grand Hotel with it’s fab weather vane on top. Round the corner seems to be a small Chinese area, several restaurants and supermarkets. We’d run out of rice paper to make spring rolls so I was keen to replace them. Job done I walked back round the other side of the river to get back to Oleanna.

A supermarket delivery arrived at the bottom of Marygate for us, items stowed a bite to eat for lunch. There was no reason to stay put in York for another day so we rolled up the covers, waited for day boats to pass, then pushed off, winding and heading down stream.

As we approached the University Rowing Club moorings we could see that Philli’s smaller boat was end out into the river. Had someone untied it? Well yes, Philli! She was turning it round , so another chance to say hello, have the boat pointed out that we should be able to breast up against when we’re next in York so that we can enjoy a glass or two of wine on Sabrina W.

Another pause to see our house then on past numerous young people who’d been swimming. Archbishops Palace where the flag had returned to the top of it’s flag pole. What a lovely day to be on the river cruising.

We pulled down the lock cut at Naburn, the floating pontoon by the weir was full. Straight to the water point to fill up and put a load of washing on. We’d survived a full week on one tank of water so really needed a refill.

Whilst at New Walk, Oleanna had got seriously dripped on by trees, she’d become so sticky. Then with all the silty sand that gets blown about along with bird deposits she needed a wash. Well she didn’t get the full works but a rinse off with river water, twice to get rid of the worst of it, the windows will need a touch more attention when the bank is at a better height.

We moved back along the moorings, other boats pulling up for water or to await the lock tomorrow. Time for some quality shore leave for Tilly.

0 locks, 6 miles, 2 winds, 1 pack of papers, 1 bottle soy sauce, 2 pairs socks posted, 1 pair ends woven in, 1 Earnest, 10 lemsips, 1 box tissues, 3.28 miles walked, 34 minutes briskly, 1 owl for company.

https://what3words.com/soups.scowls.caked

Everybody Blow. 25th April

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New Walk, York.

In between preparation for the party this evening I took to the river bank for my walk. Down stream under Millennium Bridge, then having to go a little in land to get round York Motor Boat Club. Distances walked when I was a teenager or in my early twenties seemed to be just that little bit too far, today they didn’t seem to be quite far enough!

At the bottom of St Oswald Road the old church sits, converted into a house whilst I was at primary school, across the way a track leads onto Fulford Ings and to the University Rowing Club. I wondered how boggy the Ings would be today and walked down to have a look. There’s a temporary track across the fields where the footpath sits, maybe drainage improvements, maybe a new footpath?

Just returning to Oleanna via Fulford Road wasn’t going to be far enough, so I opted to walk up towards the University. I then forgot that the Imphal Barracks would block my way so had to detour further out of town , rediscovering the cross country route from my school days. I suspect I covered it far quicker today than I did when 15! Was that Grandad’s house peeking above the University and trees? Maybe, certainly one of his neighbours. Then back to Fulford Road across Walmgate Stray an area I didn’t know existed until today.

Mid afternoon we put on our party clothes and walked up to Fishergate to the London Leckenby’s flat, balloons visible through the skylights and aromas of roasting pork wafting down the street. Yesterday I’d printed out various photos of Dad so that he could join us for his 100th birthday party.

Drinks and tales, nibbles and more drinks. Roast pork, salad, potatoes and Yorkshire puddings, with greasy bottoms. Andrew had put together a spotify play list of Dad’s records, the occasional track reminding us of more which were found and added to the playlist. Beatles, Burt Bacharach, The Seekers, Slade, Ravel’s Bolero, John Williams, Tom Rush, Cat Stevens, Scaffold, The Communards, to name just a very few, Oh Shirley Bassey sneaked in there with a track for Mum.

A Raspberry Frangipane Tart was baked and rested for pudding. Twelve candles added to the top, no room for 100. But who would blow them out? We all did together.

This was followed by a game of York Monopoly. Bars (as in Bar Walls) rather than stations and York Minster and the Shambles taking the place of Mayfair and Park Lane. Some family deals went on, half rent! Thank goodness there is now a Mr Monopoly dice which speeds the game up, Mick having two full sets with hotels, it was obvious who was going to win, Mr Big Money, he may as well have become the banker! He finally bankrupted us all by midnight.

A lovely evening remembering Daddy Fatso in true Leckenby style, other than the man himself, the only thing missing was a vase!

0 locks, 0 miles, 7am rowers again, 4.43 miles walked, 56 minutes briskly, 2 many calories, 2 many old songs, 0 Boogie Wonderland, 0.75 of a pig, 2kg potatoes, 1 huge salad, 1 frangipane tart, 1 Mr Money Bags, Happy 100th Birthday !

Arrivals. 24th April

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New Walk, York

Awake again at 7am with the University rowers. A while later a couple of sculls came down from York Rowing club, the lady asking her friend about boats moored along this stretch. There are only two of us, the other up by the Foss which we’ve seen elsewhere , it does have the look as if it might be staying for a while. Her friend said boats moor up for a couple of days and then move on. She said something about how there obviously wasn’t any enforcement. Well there are no signs to say we can’t moor here or back by the Foss, we’re not exactly in anyones way. Well maybe the trip boats are winding a little bit sooner than they were a week ago, but only by a hundred yards. So we don’t have a problem with it and she shouldn’t either.

A slow morning. I wanted to print off some things , so Mick left me to it and he went to have a look at the station works. Once I’d finished off what I was doing I took a walk along New Walk to Millenium Bridge, crossed over and walked back up the other side of the river past Rowntrees Park. There is a caravan site here and motorhomes were arriving in a steady stream.

Some preparation for tomorrows party, I’m in charge of pudding so made a batch of sweat pastry from a new recipe book I got at Christmas. I’d got so far with it when there were Hellos from outside. Andrew and Josh had arrived for the weekend, having driven up from London in a small van bringing the old family dining table with them for the flat in Fishergate. They’d been thinking of swapping the flats existing table for a while as it wasn’t really large enough for six. So a return to York for the table Dad had made and that we grew up with was perfect especially for this weekend. We had chats and a cuppa, then they headed off to await a Tesco delivery followed by Jac who’d be arriving later by train.

Pastry finished and a batch of what looked like nice rosemary crackers, however they turned out to be a little disappointing, a river bank hair cut for Mick.

Time to finish my walking for the day, up a snicket between houses that I hadn’t noticed before, checked the opening times at Alligator, a wholefood shop that’s been there since the 70’s, then walked down streets where school friends used to live back towards the river bank. Sadly a great fish and chip shop has gone, time your arrival close to closing and you’d get double helpings. The Wellington Pub is awaiting new management to run it, a lovely little pub. I was tempted but I couldn’t spot the bar billiards table that used to reside in the side room, so that was a deal breaker.

***This outside is getting boring now!***

In flotilla news, word is that Denham Deep Lock should be open again on Saturday afternoon. We’ve got our fingers crossed for all the boats heading to Cavalcade and the Campaign Cruise to the Houses of Parliament.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 mardy rower, 3.2 miles walked, 56 minutes briskly, 1 batch pastry, 24 crackers, 5 tinged, 1 brother, 1 nephew, 11 pictures, pair 65 cast on.

Sunny….. Scarbados! 23rd April

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New Walk, York

No real need for an alarm on this mooring as the rowers started to pass not long after 7am. I was up, breakfasted and out of the door heading towards the station a little after 9am.

The sun was out, I crossed Skeldergate Bridge. Should I follow the river on Skeldergate? Walk through Bishophill? Go along Nunnery Lane? In the end I opted to walk along the Bar Walls round to the station, what a lovely morning away from the traffic.

From my vantage point above Queen Street I could look down on the works that have been taking place to remove a road bridge around the outside of the walls. This used to raise traffic above the rail tracks that punched their way through the walls to the old station. The old station was a terminus, no through rail links and soon railway traffic had outgrown the site, it had become a bottleneck so a new station was needed.

Permission from Parliament was granted in 1866 for a new station on the other side of the walls, the first train pulled out of the station at 05:30 on the 25th June 1877, bound for Scarborough. The station took three years to construct and was the largest in Britain, confirming the city’s status as heart of the network.

A group of people stood on the walls, phones out looking down the bank. Was this a location from a film or TV program? What was catching their eye? Well it turned out to be a Vixen and her three cubs frolicking in the long grass on the inner side of the walls.

I hopped on the next train to Scarborough, quite warm from my walk and the sunshine, thankfully I knew things would be different in Scarborough today. As the train approached Seamer the sky had already turned misty and dark. Stepping off the train I was immediately glad of my extra layers, the sea fret was in, no view across the valley and only 10 C! I had time to take a selfie with a sea view so walked up to the Esplanade.

**Great view of the South Bay and Castle!**

An appointment with my new dentist had called me to Scarborough. A nice lady, not the same chair side manner as Colin in Birmingham had, but maybe that was reflected in his prices, also Scarborough is well known to have a serious lack of dentists, hence having to wait about five weeks for my first appointment. All good, thankfully and another appointment for a clean in a few weeks time.

I picked up something for lunch and then headed to the house, time to check the place over after our last lodgers had vacated and do a couple of jobs. They scored 9 on our lodger scale, loosing a point due to a bin not having been emptied, leaving a light and the second fridge on which was very empty. But other than that all was good.

The garden is in need of some tlc, sadly the gardener we’d lined up never reappeared! But it does mean the bluebells are having a good time undisturbed. Thank you to our lodgers for keeping the strawberry plants watered too, someone else will benefit from then in a few weeks time.

Polling papers for the new Scarborough Town Council had arrived. We should have applied for postal votes, but have now run out of time. Mick will be around for the election, but I needed to get a proxy application in quickly before time ran out at 5pm today.

***It’s quite good, apart from all the people!***

Meanwhile back in York. Mick headed to Barnitts the stove rope I’d bought was a little chunky for the lower door, so he swapped it for the next size down. A top up shop at Morrisons was done. He also walked up to Castle Mills Lock on the River Foss. Sadly there was a sign on the lock saying it would be closing on Sunday for the rest of the summer for works on the lock. We’d hoped to head up the Foss and see how far we could get before having to most probably reverse back. You have to give at least 2 days notice for the lock, it’s operated by the local IWA. Yes we might just be able to squeeze it in before Sunday, but there are other things, more important things to do before then. We’ll just have to return another year.

I took advantage of there being running water and had a shower at the house, a good collection of shampoos and bits and bobs left by lodgers. Thankfully there was a comb so I could wash my hair, all saving water on Oleanna. I rapidly picked up the fruit and veg that had been left along with the big tin of Danish Oil (ours not the lodgers) and then high tailed it back to the station, just a few minutes spare to catch the next train back to York.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 closed lock ahead, 0 enough time, 2 trains, 4 foxes, 1 sunny city, 1 fretted town, 1 stove in working order, 1 cat snatching moments on the bank, 1 near clean bill of teeth, 1 quick shower, 3 bulbs garlic, 2 lemons, 4 onions, 1 lime, 5 apples, 7.55 miles walked, 99 minutes briskly, 1 speeding boat, 2 pizzas.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna

Category Archives: Boat cats

The Big Ship Sails. 7th May

Cat Burglar. 6th May

To Goole And To Work. 5th May

Coal Mining At Kellingley. 4th May

Empty Waiting Rooms. 1st/2nd May

A Third Reason. 30th April

A Much Needed Refill. 29th April

Everybody Blow. 25th April

Arrivals. 24th April

Sunny….. Scarbados! 23rd April