Category Archives: Coronavirus

Boris Said We Could. 12th 13th May

Lockdown Pickup mooring

On Tuesday we moved Oleanna to the Lockdown Pickup mooring, well almost, we stopped a few boat lengths away from the busy road to moor for the night. Then mid afternoon Mick cycled into Crewe where he picked up a hire car. Enterprise did a socially distanced hand over and they have cleaning regulations that they follow. So on Wednesday morning the alarm went off and we were setting off in the car at 9am for a day out.

Back on the 16th of April I wrote about what a crap day we’d had, but not mentioned why. Well a few days before hand we’d heard from our lovely next door neighbour in Scarborough that our tenant looked like she was subletting as there were new faces around the house. Another neighbour from across the road thought she’d seen lights on in the rooms at the top of the house, this is where we store our possessions and it is kept locked up. She’d also been making note of a car driving up the road several times a day and transactions taking place. This was all hearsay, but if Andy thought it was worth calling us then he believed it, we suggested that the lady across the way should call the police if she suspected drugs were involved.

Then we heard more over the Easter weekend. Three people had been sat on the roof of our bay window drinking from the early morning. Someone on the street called the police who arrived mob handed. Then a few hours later the police returned even more mob handed I believe with sirens etc. They were at the house for quite a while.

Messages were left for the agents who look after the house. They tried calling our tenant, but got no response.

Then on the 16th we heard more. I could say ‘the shit hit the fan’ but a more accurate description would be ‘the TV hit the bench and then the bay window’. Although we have conflicting reports as to whether it was a TV, Computer Monitor or a Hifi. But what we do know is that an item had been thrown out from a window, bouncing off our garden bench and smashing into the bay window. this is why the police were called out the second time.

We tried calling the police but due to data protection they couldn’t give us any information, we would have to ask our tenants! As if they’d tell us anything.

Instantly we were both of the same opinion, we’d heard enough. Our hand had been forced, we instructed the agents to give our tenant notice as soon as possible. Who knew what was happening in our house. Who knew what was happening to our possessions, mostly things of great sentimental value.

Our agents advised us that normally we would have to give two months notice, but due to the pandemic this would be three months. Then they doubted that they would leave. We’d have to get a court order which post pandemic would take sometime and then it would likely take until bailiffs arrived on the doorstep to actually get rid of them. We felt sick.

Over the last few weeks our agents in Scarborough have done their best to contact our tenant and somehow she decided to make a move before her next months rent was due. Last Thursday we heard that there was a van and cars clearing things from the house. Then there was peace and quiet and four wide open windows.

The following day, VE day, the street had a party to celebrate. We suspect our end of the road were celebrating more than the 75th anniversary. Andy managed to push closed the windows for us, but we still had to wait to hear that the house was empty. This came through on Saturday, a big relief. We set about arranging an essential visit to the house.

The agents took photos on Monday. The tenant had said she’d not had time to finish clearing the house and would pay for it’s clearance when she could afford to. The window had been mended and she signed the bond over to us straight away as she was already in arrears.

With the announcement from Mr Johnson on Sunday, which by Monday had more clarity, we knew we could go on a day trip to somewhere, the seaside even, just so long as we didn’t stay overnight. I have to say we would not have been doing this trip if the circumstances had been different, but for our own mental health we had to go.

The M62 was the quietest it’s ever been, mostly lorries and we didn’t get held up going past Leeds, a straight 70 mph apart from through road works. Just under three hours later we called in at the agents to pick up keys and for a chat. Scarborough was busy, just like normal.

Everyone stood at a distance. Their impression of our tenant had been good when she first moved in, smartly presented, five kids. But lockdown has affected people in different ways. Yes we’ve all found it hard, but some more than others. She’d also got a new fella in her life, which we suspect was the main catalyst.

The house looked like they had been given half an hour to leave. Things left where they’d been dropped. A guitar, half an eaten pot of chocolate ice cream, the residue from a hamster or rabbits cage. Coats, shoes, pants, socks, food, a freezer full. Bikes, barbecues. Toys, cupboards full of the kids possessions. A mattress on the floor that had been slept in and just left. I’m so glad we’d seen the photos before hand so that we could detach ourselves.

Mick headed straight up the stairs to the attic door which showed no forced entry, but cracks in the paintwork suggested the lock had been removed. We already knew from one of the photographs that someone had been upstairs upstairs, I would never have left my gramophone open and certainly wouldn’t have had a go at playing a 45 on it!

We checked round the piles of our possessions. Things had certainly been looked through. As far as we could tell everything was still there, we’ll know more when we come to empty the attic. What a huge relief!

Our furniture needed sorting from everything else, which we did leaving labels on ordered piles. All food items that could go off were bagged and added to the already filled wheelie bins. The rest will be cleared by someone else.

We’d taken with us a picnic, under Mr Johnson’s guidance and sat out on the front garden wall to eat it in the sunshine, the blue bells that border our lawn still evident just not in quite the number we used to have. The house was starting to feel like ours again.

Time to acquaint and reacquaint ourselves with the neighbours. First up was Shoes, an ever so friendly cat who seems to like ham. He wouldn’t tell us if his brother Yoda (or Shithead) was still around, we kind of hope not.

Andy was out in his garden with the kids so we got to have a good chin wag with him. Then we went and knocked on the other neighbours door to introduce ourselves. Damian guessed who we were and came for a chat too. He was the one who’d called the police the second time, a lovely chap who knows old work colleagues of mine.

Another new neighbour had to be shooed out the front door, a ginger white pawed cat. Nobody knows it’s name. Then I disturbed Alan lazing in the sun on a table in our back yard. He apologised for having a Patsy look as I’d just woken him up.

Most of the locks are now changed and that will be finished tomorrow. We arrived feeling detached from the house but left feeling like it was still ours.

A drive up onto Southcliff to see the sea, castle and lighthouse was needed, otherwise we couldn’t say we’d been to the seaside for the day. I miss that view. Then we called in at Frank’s house to wish him a distanced Happy Birthday, he was out, but we had a chat on the phone instead. It took him quite a while before he asked how come we were in Scarborough. Word passed on quickly as we got a message from Duncan (see you get another mention!) asking about our visit.

The trip back was just as easy and we decided to head into Nantwich to get a takeaway curry before heading back to Tilly and the boat. All was in order, she’d looked after Oleanna very well for the day. It was nice to be back home.

0 locks, 4 locks changed, 0 miles, 322.8 miles by road, 1 day trip, 1 hire car, 1 bottle of disinfectant, 1 bag of keys, 1 serious mess of a house, 1 family evaporated, 1 chip pan of oil spread across the kitchen, 1 broken wardrobe, 2 boaters possessions still there (we think), 1 new window, 2 much stuff, 2 lovely neighbours, 1 calm quiet street again, 1 house to be cleared, 1 house to be cleaned, 1 house to ? 2 many decisions, 2 poppadoms, 2 currys, 1 side dish, 4 glasses of well earned wine, 2 relieved boaters.

Chips Or Mash With Your Spaghetti? 12th May

Lockdown Mooring 4A to Lockdown pick up point

B****stards!

It’s never good when they take my collar off! She thought I’d not noticed her getting something off the top of the bathroom cupboard this morning. She thought I wouldn’t mind having my collar off for a day or two. She thought that as I wouldn’t be allowed out in the outside today that she could be incredibly horrible to me. So She was!

I now have a very annoying wet neck which will last for a couple of days. Without my collar on I am not allowed shore leave. No matter how I sit my neck bothers me, being all wet and evaporatingish. Errr yuck! B**stards!!!

This evening we have finally managed to use up all but one of the potatoes that we’d over ordered a few weeks ago.

We have had potato wedges, a second lot of them tonight.

Mash, on top of a fish pie.

Hash browns. A new firm favourite.

Some new potatoes snuck in there too, just steamed.

Chicken hash. A staple these days.

Moussaka. A new one added into the repertoire (forgot to take a photo).

Potato salad.

And last but not least Dauphinoise potatoes, a decadent treat.

Not quite sure what to do with the last one. Now we’ll have to start on the new potatoes from last weeks veg box and this weeks box will soon be with us. Oh well more potato food.

The title of todays post is a quote from a Jimmie Chinn one act play called Interior Designs which I designed for a drama festival may years ago, before college. This line stood out and has stayed with me.

0 locks, 0.67 miles, 1 empty veg box,1 collarless cat, 3 months free of fleas, 1 mardy cat, 1 field turning green, 130 photos, 45 on a gramophone! 7 white 2 red in the cellar, 1 potato left, 7 more colours, 1 day off tomorrow.

PP … What Are You? 11th May

Lockdown Mooring 4A

With this weeks veg box order made it was time to check on the egg situation. At the bottom lock we crossed over the gates to see if we could see where the water might be leaking. It was soon very obvious. The recess where the gates sit when open look like they weren’t touched during the rebuild of the lock chamber. Certainly there was no repointing done to them. At the top end of the lock you can see where the work stopped and the old structure has been left. So hope the current water ingress isn’t doing damage. We carried on up the flight where two C&RT chaps were busy clearing vegetation from the weir that leads into the reservoir.

This morning mixed messages had come from C&RT regarding boat movements. What they said left a lot that could be interpreted. ‘The Trust is lifting any remaining restrictions on boat owners visiting their boats though the Trust advises against travelling long distances unless it is essential to do so.’ However they also said ‘In the meantime, mooring exemptions are extended by a further two weeks until 23 May.‘

We took from this that there are no changes as yet to us as CC’ers. I feel that their ambiguity was due to pressure to make a statement ASAP. Yet the Prime Minister hadn’t been clear in what he had said last night, did even he know what he was saying? Schools that are meant to be reopening for the younger kids in a few weeks didn’t even know it until Mr Johnson opened his mouth last night! So today we have watched those on social media debating the statement and what it means to them. We will be continuing as we are until we hear otherwise from C&RT.

No duck eggs again, oh well. We did a circuit round the reservoir letting the wind blow the cobwebs and our breath away before returning to Oleanna.

This afternoon I got my watercolours and brushes out and started to block in colours on my illustrations. These are needed by the end of the month and if the lockdown eases we will want to start moving again, not sure where. As yet I have only managed to tick one thing of the boat jobs list and the list hasn’t even been written yet! I wonder if that is an achievement in itself.

Late afternoon we heard the familiar chug chug as NB Halsall pulled up alongside. Our first top up of diesel for about a month and a bag of coal in case the temperature stays chilly. A Gammon joint was popped in the oven to bake away for a couple of hours.

All of a sudden outside our little feathered friend started to sing it’s heart out again. Well just enough and long enough to be heard and caught on Mick’s phone. The bird song app didn’t recognise it, possibly due to the breeze, or distance away from the microphone. But Mick managed to down load it this time. So all you twitchers out there please, what is the real name of the PPe bird?

PPe Bird

0 locks, 0 miles, 9.5 miles, 0 eggs, 1 circuit, 1 update left for interpretation, 15 illustrations blocked in, 59 litres, 1 bag coal, 2 many contradictions, 1 Ppe bird.

Swooping. 10th May

Lockdown Mooring 4A

Brrrrr!!!!! That is all I need to say about the weather really. Glad we had the barbecue yesterday. Today we lit a different fire, the stove at about 10 am. Tilly popped her head outside on a few occasions but was severally unimpressed with the blowyness out there. It blows right up my bum! You wouldn’t like it either if you didn’t wear trousers! So instead she stayed inside for much of the day taking pole position on the sofa.

Today we have been surrounded by Swallows, or are they Swifts? They move far too quickly to see what shape their tails are. On one occasion they took to swooping down to discourage Tilly. It succeeded! They all look like they are having a great time.

We ventured up the locks to see if there might be any ducks eggs. Sadly the van looked quite empty and there were no eggs for us today. At least it gave us a reason to venture out on a chilly day. The farmer walked down his drive so we asked if he had any duck eggs. ‘I’ll get a couple of trays’ he said. Brilliant.

We waited for him to return but that is when we worked out that he must be slightly deaf as he only had hens eggs and we’d restocked with those yesterday. Our hopes raised only to be dashed again. We’ll keep trying.

I wrote a few weeks ago about how the bottom lock at Hurleston seemed to have sprung a leek after it’s rebuilding. Back then we’d noticed that the towpath gets very wet when the lock is full, if left empty overnight the towpath dries up. I sent a message to C&RT with photos and they said a local engineer would have a look and that the site had not as yet been signed off.

The flight is used at least once a day with boats heading in to Nantwich for shopping and services. So as we walk up and down the flight we see it in all states of fullness and emptyness. It turns out that the towpath only gets wet when the level of water in the lock is between full and two foot down.

Yesterday a C&RT employee was at the top of the locks clearing debris from the lock mouth and checking things over. We stopped for a chat with him across the lock. He said that C&RT are fully aware that something isn’t quite right at the bottom lock and that water is actually showing in three places that it shouldn’t be. But with the pandemic there was little they could currently do as the contractors were not working. We were relieved to hear that they know about it after the huge amount it has cost to rebuild the lock.

The rest of the day wasn’t conducive to doing much. Tilly hogged the stove, Mick listened to the 2005 second test match between England and Australia and I unpicked one side of the button band on my treat cardigan. It had all ended up being a touch too tight, so another twenty rows were added and it sits a lot better. Mental note for next time, lay things out on a table not your lap in front of the TV! It works better this way.

There are the ends to weave in, the pockets to sew up along with the under arms. Then I need to find the buttons and it will be finished. I have enough yarn left over to make something else. I toyed with a hat for a while, but today’s chilly wind spurred me on to making matching socks. They will have the same pattern that is on my cardigan sleeve and pocket.

This evening we watched the Prime Minister informing us of the road map to get out of lock down. All very vague. Boaters social media started buzzing with everyone interpreting what had been said in the direction they were wanting to hear. C&RT have said that they will be giving continuous cruisers advanced warning of the lifting of restrictions, so we wait to hear from them. I suspect they are just as confused as the nation is.

0 locks, 0 miles, 0.75 of the egg walk, 10 degrees, 14 down from yesterday, 1 disgruntled cat, 2 one cosy cat, 1 cardigan nearly finished, 1st matching sock, 2 pies, 1 with not quite enough filling! 2 boaters not fretting, 2 boaters doing some homework.

Should We Or Shouldn’t We? 9th May

Lockdown Mooring 4A

A slow start to the morning, we hadn’t quite finished breakfast by the time the Geraghty Zoom got started. Lovely as ever to see everyone. Today we had walks in the park and balancing things on heads.

Tilly was called to come in so that we could go on the egg walk together, but she ignored me for a good ten minutes so I set off on my own.

Coming into the bottom lock was a boat. The chap with windlass in hand shouted instructions to the lady at the helm, ‘Not that way!’ The boat biffed one side then did the diagonal ricochet to the other before juddering into the lock. I’m not saying I’d have done any better, but I think I’d have said something to Mick if he’d then followed on by saying ‘Perfect!’

I checked out the reservoir egg seller first, no table of eggs today, so then carried on to do a circuit of the reservoir before heading to the egg farm via the post box. Tilly had returned home so Mick walked up to join me.

Sadly there were no duck eggs today, so we filled our egg box with half a dozen hens eggs and left our money in the tin. We’ll keep coming up to check for ducks eggs and then celebrate with a cooked breakfast.

With the weather being so nice today, and the temperature about to change, we considered having a barbecue. Now, if we were sat in the garden at our house we wouldn’t even think about it, we’d most probably have had several over the last few weeks. But if we went to a town park and had one we’d be moved on by the police and footage would be on that nights TV. Here on the towpath we are sort of in between.

The towpath is good and wide here, at least 7m wide. So no problem with social distancing. But would it be fare to those walking/running/cycling past who might live in flats. One rule for one etc. We decided that if the moorings remained empty with just us then we’d tuck ourselves down the slight bank by the opening for the field.

A long catch up chat with my brother meant that the turkey steaks didn’t get quite as long marinading as I’d have liked, but more importantly that the sun had gone in! Mick set up our chairs, the stools and plank table and the barbecue down by the gap. The wind of course changed direction so everything had to be moved round so that we wouldn’t be sat in the smoke.

It made for quite a cosy little spot and due to the cloud cover there weren’t so many passersby. We only had one longing comment from a cyclist.

The wind made the coals hotter than expected, hence the kebabs catching

Veg kebabs drizzled in a bread dipper from Charlie and Ivy’s accompanied the turkey steaks. Then because we were celebrating two bananas with chocolate wrapped in foil were added to bake away for pudding. They could have done with a few more minutes but once the foil was unwrapped they were past the point of going back on for longer.

The skies looked even darker and rumbles of thunder could be heard so we quickly packed up. Tilly made use of the shorebased facilities, then was scooped up, fed and then retired to bed.

A lovely evening sat out of the way, just a shame the sun didn’t hang around and that the wheelie shoppers didn’t pass by.

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 newspaper, 0 duck eggs, 0 reservoir eggs, 6 standard hens eggs, 1 zoomy zoom, 1 st May card, 1 banjo boy, 1 composite pair of glasses, 1 long chat, 1 good email, 0 neighbours, 2 turkey steaks, 3 kebabs, 2 bananas, 10 blocks milk chocolate, 2 highballs of wine, 0 sun! 0 PPe bird for days now.

Picking Up. 8th May

Lockdown Mooring 4A to Marsh Lane Winding Hole to Lockdown Mooring 4A

For a second day in a row we pushed off before breakfast and made our way to Henhull Bridge. Here we both found the holes for our spikes with ease, slotting our spikes in and just giving them a tap back into the ground.

More pylon work going on in the field behind us

After breakfast I set off to walk into town leaving Mick and Tilly to wait for a Morrisons delivery. I followed the towpath to the embankment in Nantwich. Fields are filled with wild flowers and dandelion clocks, others have been cut and were having the cut grass turned over.

Walking into town I spotted that the chippy is now open and an Indian Take away is opening in the evening. I resisted the temptation to coincide my walk back with the chippy frying at lunchtime.

First port of call was the vets to pick up Tilly’s flea treatment for the next year. There was nobody directing people in the car park so I rang reception. I could see the ladies busy on the phones inside so kept calling. Fourth attempt paid off. I explained I wasn’t in a car and soon a lady brought a paper bag with Tilly’s goodies to a window. Tilly will be pleased!

Back into town to Holland and Barratt to check on their flour stocks. I topped up on Brown Flour rice, this will keep my bread making going for a while.

Then past the butchers, sadly we’d not pre-ordered anything from them, but it looks like they might be selling some things again from the front door.

At Marks and Spencers I joined the short queue. With it being the first time on visiting the store I had no idea what was where. This really doesn’t help when there is a oneway system in operation. Well it turned out that I wasn’t the only one doubling back. I was quite surprised at how pants the staff were who were restocking the shelves. One lady stood with her rack of produce looking at photos on someones phone of a baby, totally blocking an isle and not being aware of people around them. When I used to work in a shop I was always aware if I was in someones way, I think I’d be even more so now.

Pies were on my mind along with a few veg that we could do with. I found his and her pies which we’ll have in a few days when the temperature has dropped. Then I had a look at the gluten free things. Well fantastic they had plain flour! Alfred get to M&S. A bag jumped off the shelves into my basket. We can have cheese scones again!

With my shopping paid for I then headed to customer services. I’d ordered myself a new pair of jeans which I could collect here. My mission was now complete, time to head to the service block where I hoped Mick would be with Oleanna topping up with water.

Across the car park is a health centre. Alongside the building was a big NHS tent. Covid-19 testing centre came to mind, but it wasn’t it was an assessment centre.

I’ve been reporting on the Covid Symptom Study for the last few weeks. A few days ago I’d been feeling a touch light headed. When you log into the study it asks you ‘How do you feel physically right now?’. Well a bit light headed, so I had clicked the ‘I’m not feeling quite right’ option. This then led to quite a few other questions to which I confirmed that I was lightheaded. The following day I felt normal so reported that I was fine.

However I received an email from the study. ‘We are very excited to be able to offer you a chance to get tested for COVID-19.’ ‘We have developed a software test (an algorithm) to predict COVID-19. To test and improve this we are now working with the Department of Health and Social Care to give you access to a COVID-19 test.’ They were also inviting people who had no symptoms for a test too.

I clicked the button in the email, but no tests were available. The following morning I did the same and received the same response. I think I tried another couple more times and eventually managed to get through. All home testing kits had gone for the day, but a drive through test was possible.

A text message came through saying I’d been allocated a test which had a code attached. So I continued with this option, just where was my nearest test centre and would I be able to do this without the use of a car. Simple answer. NO. The next question was my car or van registration number. I considered trying again the following morning for a home test kit, but what address should I use? The postcode I’d given them in Nantwich belongs to someone I don’t know. So as time had ticked away, they prefer you to have a test within about three days of symptoms, I have to admit I gave up.

Being a boater with no home address and no car meant I slipped through the cracks of the testing system. Sandra from NB AreandAre has had an invitation too and also not succeeded in booking a test. We’ve both written back to the study explaining our problems. We’ll see if we get a response.

This evening we sat down to watch By Jeeves. Unfortunatly I’d got confused about the time, so we joined it an hour into Act 1, but Mick discovered that if he gave himself RSI he could rewind it to the beginning. So we settled down to watch the show.

Well for a show I hold very fondly in my heart I found the filming of it rather peculiar. The premise of the show is that you are a member of the audience to a fund raising show where Bertie Wooster will play the banjo, except that show has been cancelled due to the lack of his banjo. The opening to this filmed production and the auditorium have been taken to the nth degree which makes for a strange opening. Then the editor seemed to have an itchy finger, so many camera angles at times it was almost dizzying, i nearly had to report being lightheaded again! Martin Jarvis played his part well, Bill Champion’s interpretation is still the best. Then some of the accents from the other actors were a touch American. Still a favourite of mine but no where near as good as seeing it in the flesh in a small auditorium such as at Scarborough or The Old Laundry.

Tilly walking to see what the flag bubble is like

0 locks, 5.51 miles, 2 winds, 1 walk into town, 3 boxes wine, 3 boxes bravecto, 1 banana mountain, 1 new pair jeans, 2 bags brown rice flour, 1 bag plain flour, 0 test, 1 slightly disappointing show, 1 show still word perfect.

Carmen Miranda Box. 7th May

Lockdown Mooring 4A to Marsh Lane Winding Hole to Lockdown Mooring 4A

Thursday morning cuppa in bed then on our way to meet the veg box man. Mick managed to find the mooring pin hole at the stern quite easily, but the bow one proved impossible to find again, so another whole had to be driven into the bank.

Breakfast time which turned into work time for me. Just as I’d started inking in the portraits the dark grey Galaxy from last week pulled into the layby. Today we were picking up a £15 mixed box for us and a £12 mixed box for Barry and Sandra on NB AreandAre. The chap dropped them off and took away our box from last week so that it could be reused.

I couldn’t help but have a quick nosy to see how much difference £3 made. Our box was maybe a touch more fruit biased than Sandras, but then I’d requested that they omitted certain things. We considered heading into town to pick up a few things, but decided instead to head back and deliver the fresh veg before any of it started wilting in the sun.

The flag bubble has been invaded by Pirates

We reversed back to the winding hole, turned and headed back. As the flag bubble came into view a couple of beeps on the horn were sounded. The flag bubble has increased in the last few days, it now includes The Pirate Boat NB Rum Wench. Heidi stuck her head out of the hatch to say hello and have a quick catch up as we drifted past. We then slowed until our bow came in line with AreandAre’s. Sandras box had been left on our starboard bow locker for ease of access which worked well. A quick chat and we were off back to Lockdown Mooring 4A.

Two boats had pulled in on the length of visitor moorings, but our favourite spot was still free. Tilly wasn’t too sure about the big Alsatian from the boat in front, neither was it about her! They watched each other closely and mirrored each others moves. We of course got told off for allowing such a woofer into this TILLY’s outside.

So what did we get in our box? New potatoes, carrots, radishes, green beans (hope you’ve got round to planting yours Frank), tomatoes, mushrooms, 2 onions, apples, red pears, peaches, grapes, bananas and strawberries. Quite fruit biased, so maybe next week we’ll just go for veg whilst we finish off the fruit from this one.

The menu for the next week took some working out this afternoon and a short list was made of things we could do with. Tomorrow we have a Morrisons delivery so what could be added onto that order was, but somethings are just not available, I’ll see what I can do in town tomorrow to fill the gaps.

By the end of the afternoon all my sketches were inked in and all the pencil rubbed out. Amazing how long it takes to get things looking right to then totally obliterate it all and leave it looking not quite the same. Painting them in will bring back the subtleties, but that is a longer process.

Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary of VE day, we’ve heard today that our street in Scarborough will be having a street picnic to celebrate, presumably everyone in their own gardens. We hope the sunshines and that you all enjoy celebrating the day. Maybe I’ll get round to writing that post about my Dad tomorrow!

0 locks, 1.74 miles, 1/3 rd of a mile backwards, 2 winds, 1 Carmen Miranda flat packed into a box, 2 boxes, 1 huge bunch of radishes, 2 tasty loaves, 1 pirate boat off the starboard bow, 4 flags, 16 sketches inked in, 1 broken hinge, 1 mound of erasings, 2 hopeful messages, 1 street party picnic to celebrate, 4 windows, 1 more meal with potatoes!

His and Hers Loaves. 6th May

Lockdown Mooring 4A

My sourdough sponge had gone frothy overnight, so it was time to mix in all the other flours. Potato starch, Tapioca starch, Flaxseed all sorts, plus some butter and an egg. It all makes for a very liquid bread batter that is so very different to the last few loaves I’ve made which were vegan as well as gluten free.

Poured into a lined bread tin (GF stuff always wants to stick when it’s cooked) it was then left on the proving shelf to grow. The recipe I’d chosen I could have added yeast too, but as my starter had been so bubbly I decided to omit it and leave it to rise for longer on it’s own. The timer was set for 2 hours, the minimum.

With only one egg left I set off on the Egg Walk. Micks version of this may differ slightly from mine, but both versions have the same intention. Duck eggs and maybe some hen eggs. I walked up the locks, under the first two bridges on the Llangollen Canal and then climb up onto what was the A51 before the newer version was built.

Here people pull in to buy eggs and boaters have their cars parked. Today the red van had a fresh supply of eggs, medium and extra large, but sadly the centre trays were empty. No duck eggs.

I looped round onto the A51 and walked over the canal. Nantwich Vets Equine Centre looked like it has opened back up. Several horse boxes turned in along with various other vehicles, in fact there was a bit of a queue to turn in. The world is getting busy again.

I walked round the houses to see if there were any eggs here, but sadly the table wasn’t out. We’ll try again tomorrow.

A full circuit of the reservoir before heading back down the locks. This only equates to a couple of miles at most, but at least it’s showing some effort before starting work for the day.

At lunchtime Mick asked if I could make him a loaf of bread. We still have some bread flour on board, not much, but some. We also have dried yeast, so this was possible. My loaf needed longer on the proving shelf, so I wondered if they both would be able to go in the oven together.

Baking times and temperatures were different for the loaves, but I managed to work it out in the main oven. My loaf was baking first with the hope that it would have set itself before possibly getting disturbed when adding Mick’s loaf. If you happen to knock the tin of the gluten free loaf before it’s set all the air bubbles will pop, making it a flat loaf. My calculations worked and the usual extra five minutes out of their tins finished them off nicely.

Three quarters of my sketches got inked in this afternoon before noises from the flag bubble distracted me. Shrieks and engine noises. Just what was going on!

NB Plum appeared to be trying to get in to the off side for some reason. Then after a while we could also see NB AreandAre doing similar things. A tractor in the field? Then we could see why, a cow had fallen in the cut. It actually turned out to be two cows that had misjudged their footing and toppled into the canal. Plum and AreandAre were being used to stop the cows from walking away from where they could be rescued. After about fifty minutes both were back on dry land and the world calmed down. Sandra filmed the rescue, here’s a link to the footage on their facebook page.

This evening I decided it was time to use the aubergine we’d got in the veg box last week. An obvious choice was to make a Moussaka. I’ve never made one before, but we had everything required which would mean I could use the half tin of tomatoes and some more potatoes. Well it took some time to get ready for the oven, but that time was well worth it. Ever so tasty, it’ll be added to the repertoire.

No audible sound of the PPe bird at all today and no sign of the wheelie shoppers. I’ll carry on listening to bird song on the internet in hope to find out what it is.

Tilly watching out for the Wheelie Shoppers

If you are wanting a bit of a jolly good laugh this weekend I can highly recommend By Jeeves which will be on the Show Must Go On Youtube channel from 8pm on Friday. This was the show that opened the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough when it moved into the Odeon building in 1996. I did a little bit of work on the premier production when I first started working there, I put the flowers on the grass verges I seem to remember. This recording is from a production in the States or Canada I believe. Not your usual Lloyd Webber big musical, but Jeeves and Wooster brought together in a daft musical by Alan Ayckbourn and Andrew Lloyd Webber. For those who worked at the SJT back in 1996 the show is in our blood, the lyrics resurface just as soon as the music starts. When a production of it was put on at The Old Laundry in Bowness a few years ago so many of us rushed to see it again. We’ll certainly be watching.

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 duck eggs, 0 reservoir eggs, 1 circuit, 2 loaves bread, 1 sachet yeast, 1 sourdough, 12 inked in drawings, 1 pirate on a bike, 2 swimming cows, 1 tractor, 2 boats, 9 hours, 1 exhausted cat, 1st Moussaka, plenty of potatoes left.

Oh Yes They Are! 5th May

Lockdown Mooring 4A

I was slightly alarmed this morning when Mick said that there was someone up the mobile phone mast across the way as I was due to have a Zoom meeting at 11am. With my camera zoom we could see that the person was in a cherry picker, so unless the conspiracy theorists regarding 5G have got seriously organised this was just maintenance. All the same if the mast was turned off would we have enough signal for my meeting?

Luckily despite the mast being turned off for much of the morning there was sufficient signal, only a couple of blips where people froze or stuttered. This morning was a kind of meet and great for Panto at Chipping Norton. This year the current team consists of Helen (Costume Designer), Rebecca (Composer), David (Director) and myself (Set Designer) we were brought together by Will (Producer). David, Will and the writer are the only people actually working on the show at the moment. The rest of us won’t be contracted until the theatre feel they can give the green light for the production, they hope to have made that decision by August.

David has seen the last two years productions and has most definitely got the number of the Chippy Panto, a different beast from your average commercial show. Ideas are very much still in the melting pot and everyone is waiting excitedly with bated breath for the first draft of the script. All very exciting and hopefully the show will go on this year, if not it will be put on the shelf ready to go next year so any work done will not go to waste.

The wheelie shoppers were back, Mick spotted the chap first passing by the gap in the hedge. Mrs Wheelie Shopper following behind. The thickness of the hedge meant that despite them wearing bright colours they soon disappeared. Tilly refused to go and have a closer look, so I hesitantly stepped ashore and made my way to the gap.

They were no longer in the field! Where? Then just round the corner behind some sideways trees I could see the chap, wheelie shopper held above his head, the pathway must be narrow, then a few minutes later the lady followed. Where were they going??

Don’t look in here, go and look through the hedge!

Later in the afternoon Tilly and I went to see what we could see. At the corner of the field is a small overgrown pond, beyond this a slightly worn path through the grass to a barbed wire fence. A loop of sisal string is attached, presumably to make lifting it out of the way easier. I urged Tilly to go on ahead to see what she could see, but a rotten old tree was far more interesting to her than Mr and Mrs Wheelie Shopper.

Bottom arrow our mooring, top arrow where the gap in the sideways trees is

A look at Google maps suggests there is a grassed area behind where the house at Hurleston Junction used to be. Maybe I’ll go and venture further tomorrow.

During the afternoon I did my final adjustment to The Garden sketches and the cast portraits. Once scanned they were sent off for approval which came back very quickly. Thumbs up, I can now move away from the safe world of pencil, paper and rubber into the inking in world. Make a mistake now and you have to start all over again. Think I’ll do a practice run first to get back in the swing of things.

Yesterday I’d woken my sour dough starter up. Bringing what was left from the last loaf out from the fridge and giving it a feed. I’ve joined a group on facebook which is full of people trying different flours to bake gluten free sourdough at the moment.

My starter still had life in it, even if I’d not fed it before popping it in the fridge the last time. With one feed it rose a centimetre, the second it managed an inch. Around lunchtime today I scooped off half a cup of the fluffiest starter and mixed it with some water and more flour, a slight mix mostly of brown rice flour but also a touch of SR flour and a good glug of Maple syrup. I’ve been watching other peoples brown rice starters that seem a touch lame in the rising stakes, but several people had added a different flour too and this had perked the whole process up.

All mixed up it was put on the proving shelf to do it’s thing. Far too late in the day to make a loaf similar to the ones I’ve made recently, but by this evening it had more than doubled in size, so I had to make use of it. My River Cottage book came out, most of the recipes in the book require the making of a sponge and leaving it overnight. I was only one flour short, but I could substitute a different flour instead. As our evening meal cooked I mixed everything together, hopefully I didn’t warm the water too much!

Fingers crossed that tomorrow I’ll be baking again.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 mast off, 1 wheelie shopper, 1 pathway through, 5 for a meet and greet, 1 dog, 2 cats too, 1 Suzie to say hello, 1 Bubbles maybe soon, 2 last drawings, 1 thumbs up, 0 identification yet, 1 starter reaching for the sky, 1 very bored cat, almost 30,000.

Yummo! 3rd May

Lockdown Mooring 4A

With some gluten free bread on board, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes etc and it being Sunday, there was only one thing for it…. a cooked breakfast!

Because of us having a potato mountain on board I decided to have a go at making some hash browns. This turned out to be a very good idea. I grated up a few small potatoes and a half onion left over from a few days ago into a t-towel, then I squeezed out as much water as I possibly could, a surprising amount. Then in a bowl I added a good amount of salt and pepper and about half an egg, enough so that I knew it would help bind everything together without becoming a potato omelette. This was then handed over to the breakfast chef for cooking. Cooked in rapeseed oil for about 3 minutes on each side until golden.

They were certainly worth the grating. As Rick Stein says, ‘Yummo!’

I decided to stretch my legs in the late morning sunshine and see how the fields up towards Stoke Manor were doing. I walked this route a while ago when the footpaths were hard to make out across recently sewn fields. Today I set out to do the route in reverse.

Walking along the towpath up to Stokehall Bridge you could see the effect of the recent rainfall. The towpath plants have shot up, cow parsley reaching for the sky. The well trodden path a curved dip between the green edge of the canal and the trees. Normally this would have been mowed by now, but C&RT are only mowing near locks and moorings, places where you need to be able to see what you are doing. I wonder what they’d look like if there wasn’t quite so much footfall?

I crossed over the canal at the bridge and climbed over the stile. From here the green field had a very well marked footpath straight across towards the manor. The crop now sprouted by around 8 inches in little tufts above the earth.

Where the two paths meet I could see which was the more popular route, the other route ending with a 12 ft quagmire. But the path was marked, was the yellow colour from feet brushing through the crop, or has the farmer sprayed or rolled the line to mark the way?

Approaching the manor the trees now in leaf framed the building well.

The footpath becomes a narrow channel through the friendly cover of cow parsley and grasses brought me to the farm yard and back onto the road. I was glad to see the footpath sign has been revealed again, shame the one at the top of the road still had it’s black bin bag wrapped around it!

Returning by the reservoir the cocky cockerel had escaped again and was strutting his stuff around the garden. A couple of boxes of eggs his good ladies had laid sat waiting to be bought. I’m still holding out for some duck eggs.

Tilly spent much of the day out in the fields, we don’t get to see much of her at the moment. She returns for a few biscuits and the occasional drink during the day. An odd restorative kip and then she is back out hunting for friends. We have turned into a B&B for her. At least with the stove out this evening she curled up on my knee for some warmth. I wonder what she’ll make of it when we get to cruise properly again?

The ability to draw had returned this afternoon, so I worked my way back through my sketches, removing gurning chins, improving hands. Sadly I was missing a good photograph of the movement director to add to the portraits on the last sheet. Hopefully Dark Horse will be able to provide me with a better image of him, then the pencil stage will be done, unless I get notes from Amy.

Thank you Ann for the link to the National Trust bird song. Sadly the PPe bird doesn’t feature. Mick has down loaded an app BirdNET to see if we can identify it with that. He’s tried several times to catch it’s call , but when he does get it it is upstaged by other bird song. We’ll continue and hopefully managed to identify it.

This evening we have worked our way through a few more potatoes and enjoyed a large roast chicken and fresh veg to accompany them. We didn’t eat the whole bird, the left overs will last us most of the week. With still half of our veg box left to consume I’d better look at buying some new jeans the next size up!

0 locks, 0 miles, 12 tomatoes, 4 rashers bacon, 4 hash browns, 8 mushrooms, 3 slices toast, 3 eggs scrambled, 4 slices black pudding 1 hours walk, 2 bridges, 1 field, 2 paths, 12 eggs, 1 cocky ‘un, 15 sketches complete, 9 portraits, 1 still to go, 1 cat B&B, 1 elusive bird, 2.1kg of chicken, 1 bag of potatoes completely eaten!

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna

Category Archives: Coronavirus

Boris Said We Could. 12th 13th May

Chips Or Mash With Your Spaghetti? 12th May

PP … What Are You? 11th May

Swooping. 10th May

Should We Or Shouldn’t We? 9th May

Picking Up. 8th May

Carmen Miranda Box. 7th May

His and Hers Loaves. 6th May

Oh Yes They Are! 5th May

Yummo! 3rd May