Bridge 68, North Oxford Canal to Coventry Basin, Coventry Canal
Another long week in Panto land and some more cruising for Mick and Tilly.
Monday I arrived in the theatre to find sliders being cut down to size and lots of magnetic catches and door handles having been attached, all good news. But then I soon heard that Abi the Director had tested positive for covid over the weekend whilst at home in London. The cast were given various options, the one they chose was that John the Artistic Director of Chippy Theatre and the writer of panto would stand in for Abi until she returned and Abi would join when she could via zoom. Our Production Manager Gemma was also unwell so she stayed at home an extra day.
Counter getting close to completion
I got on with painting what ever I could without being in the actors way. A list of scenes required for the following days rehearsals is sent out so it takes a little bit of working out what I might be able to paint and when. The wings of the stage were sorted by Stage Management to hopefully help make the technical rehearsals easier.
In the evening we were joined by a couple of chaps to help with setting up the sound equipment and drilling holes in trees for fairy lights. By the end of the evening two out of the four trees had lights and a lot of the sound system was up and running.
The River Avon in Rugby
In Rugby, Mick and Tilly stayed put on the boat. Mick did venture out for his covid booster jab, four weeks after we’d tested positive.
Painting ovens and doors in the wings
Tuesday. More setting up of sound with Matt the Sound Designer about for one day. The aim was for levels to be set for the songs and cues to be programmed into the desk so that only minor adjustments would hopefully be needed. Songs were sung by the company accompanied by the two man band.
Dicks solo being sung in front of the Pippins and Becky the composer
Gemma joined us for a few hours but she was obviously still not well. She did her best to keep her distance, helped get sliders rehung and sorted a few bits out, but mid afternoon she headed to her digs to hopefully get some sleep.
Mark the Lighting Designer had a lighting session in the evening, meaning I was either painting by torch light or had a lot of light. This gave me the chance to get some black lining done to the sliders for Piccadilly Circus. There’s still plenty more to do on them, but at least I made a very good start.
Newbold Tunnel
In Rugby, Mick moved Oleanna up nearer to Tescos, did a good shop. Topped up with water and headed onwards through Newbold Tunnel. Over the weekend we’d discussed where might be easiest for me to get back to the boat next weekend, Rugby was a little bit problematical and quite a bit of a walk to reach the boat. We’d decided that Coventry would be better.
Wednesday. Gemma tested positive for covid this morning. Hopefully she hadn’t passed it on to anyone whilst she’d been in the building, but more importantly she could head home to recover.
Signage
Conversations were had about outstanding jobs. I can lend my hand to quite a few things, but it would all take time. Better to have someone who knew what was needed and free me up to carry on painting and helping where needed.
The Technical rehearsals begin
In the afternoon we started to Tech. This is where all the elements come together on stage. Sound, lighting, costumes, props, actors, musicians and set. Due to many reasons there were gaps in costumes, props and set pieces. Not ideal, but unavoidable. Everyone did as well as they could, one thing became obvious was that we still needed someone to help program the sound.
Loads of room!
Mick carried onwards. In winter months moorings that are normally chocka block can be empty, this was the case at All Oaks Wood. I think we’ve managed to pause there before for lunch once, but today he had a choice of where to pull in. Tilly made the most of a good outside!
Thursday. A long day of technical rehearsals. Days like today I spend mostly sitting in the dark, taking notes, attending to things as they arise. I decided to try to do small jobs whilst sat in the dark like signs, sorting out the new song sheet.
It was not me who emptied the chilled medication fridge leaving only vanilla!
Then when the actors have a break there is some time to get a bit of painting done. Wet things need to be dry before costumes are back on stage, so timing jobs can be a touch tricksy. Following rehearsals there are a couple of hours to get more jobs done. Jo the prop maker was about, so conversations turned to treasure chests and snakes.
Mick carried on moving. The journey from Rugby to Coventry can be done in under eight hours, but with a week to do it in he was pacing himself. Today he moved a touch further than he’d originally planned, through the new swing bridge at Rose Narrowboats, stopping a short distance before Hawksbury Junction, meaning there was space before other boats for Tilly to explore.
The Greyhound busy on a Friday morning
Friday. Mick decided to stay put, having a walk up to the bins at the junction a highlight of the day. The Greyhound was busy even quite early in the morning.
The tight turn at the junction. To head north use the left canal, south the right turning under the bridge.
Another early start to do some jobs before rehearsals started again. My lunch tends to be eaten in the next technical session, making use of as much stage time for jobs as possible. Abi is now very much in the room, joining by zoom, sending messages by Whatsap.
Laptop in the centre of the auditorium so Abi can join us
Today after rehearsals, Dan who’d helped set up the sound equipment and has been helping with programming stayed around to help with various jobs on stage. Some black tabs were not quite in the right place so needed adjusting. A tree needed extending, it’s track moving higher. But the most important job was to get a cloth rigged so that it could be lowered in to view and pulled out of view, it’s been out of view for three weeks.
A Curlywurly in the dark whilst taking notes
Chippy Theatre has a bit of a fly tower, but it is nowhere near tall enough to be able to fly cloths fully in and out. So the cloth has to work like a very big Roman Blind, pulling itself up on itself. We got all the cords in place, but lacked somewhere to tie it off to. So that we don’t now see too much of the cloth it’s been tied off to a cleat for other scenery, a better solution needs to be found.
Nice to see the cloth again after three weeks.
Saturday. A morning of technical rehearsals. There is still more to do on Monday sadly.
Last year I did one of these every day during panto
Also sadly today we were missing Becky, the composer, another case of covid. I am so hoping that I still have some natural immunity left as I spent much of yesterday sat next to Becky. This morning I did a test after spending time with Gemma, I’ll be doing a test before returning to work on Monday.
A nearly finished scene
All the trees were up and fairy lights working giving Mark the opportunity to light the next scene. We mostly worked our way through the scenes that have the Pippins in so as to make the most of their time in the theatre. Having three teams of Pippins means doing everything three times, one team are in costume the others not. We now just have to finish teching the rest of the show on Monday.
Mick moved on again in the morning, turning left at Hawksbury Junction and heading under the bridge decorated with swans. We last came this way about five years ago and today Mick saw a big difference. New houses and just generally better kept, possibly assisted by the City of Culture. Tilly however wasn’t that impressed!
Coventry Basin
After rehearsals I became unpopular asking for the trees that had only just gone up to be taken down. My aim for the day was to get the last two remaining trees painted, having them flat this would take about half the time. It didn’t take too much to get them down thankfully.
Trees finished. Well I might add some glitter if I get chance.
The last couple of hours I was on my own and was glad to not have to climb a ladder. By 18:10 the trees were painted, brushes washed up. By 18:25 the theatre alarm was set and I was heading for the bus stop and Banbury.
Goodbye Chippy, see you Monday
A train then another bus to save me walking across Coventry where Mick met me and we walked up the hill and over the ring road to Oleanna in the basin. Time for head nudges with Tilly, something to eat and slump in front of the tv.
He’s here!
Sunday. A Sainsburys delivery was early, I left Mick to deal with it as it was early early, but it did mean we could have a nice breakfast.
Yumm!
This was followed by the Geraghty zoom where we were all relieved to be joined by Anne who has just had a spell in hospital.
Work in progress
A slow day, much needed, but sadly I still had some work to do. A new song sheet needed designing and the best time to do it was today. Thankfully it didn’t take too long. The day will end with a roast chicken and packing my bags to head back to Chippy tomorrow. Hopefully no more cases of covid this week, fingers crossed.
We pulled back to the water point to fill the tank. The tap here is much much faster than the one back round the corner at the services, but that means the bins are further to walk to. Mick did the honours.
Beef and Beetroot curry
A day with no locks meant I felt happy using the stove to cook our evening meal, no chance of the pot being jolted from the stove top. The dish I had in mind would normally take three hours on Gas 1, so the perfect thing to sit on the stove all day.
Mick stood in the rain at the helm with wafts of cooking coming from below as I browned off some beef, steamed beetroot, zuzzed spices together added stock and left it all to very gently cook for many hours.
Streethay Wharf
The rain did stop, round about the time I’d finished cooking strangely enough! We’d reached Streethay Wharf and started to move away from the busy noisy A38.
Three Phase Pigeons
A group of pigeons sat on the electricity wires preening themselves. Fields recently tilled . The blackthorn blossom just starting to turn pink having just passed it’s best.
Mind those wires!
Works on HS2 can be seen across the fields. Cranes and earth movers. We hoped some of them were aware of the electricity lines!
At Whittington we crossed the border from the Coventry Canal (detached section) onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, marked by a stone on the towpath and the bridges no longer being numbered but now being named.
Pretty uninspiring
I hoped for a good photo of Whittington Bridge to be able to use as a first night card for panto this year, Dick Whittington, but everywhere was really rather uninspiring with grey cloud hanging around.
The poly tunnels are set back from the canal now, is it asparagus that is grown here? The weather vane still looks good even without sunshine.
Freespirit
We pootled on, the West Coast Main Line coming and going. Round the next bend was that familiar boat again, NB Freespirit. We slowed and said hello as we passed the windows, glancing back I could see the front door being opened. Mick popped Oleanna into reverse and then we hovered, managing quite a chat and catch up with Ian, Irene and Toffee their son’s dog. Lovely to see them again, they must have passed us at the crack of dawn.
Hello!
Just a bit further on for us, through the woods where the armed forces practice shooting each other, then we pulled up as soon as we could.
Trees ahead!
Trees! Lots of trees! Not that Tilly went climbing, she was far too busy checking out the friendly cover.
As the afternoon went by the aroma from the pot on the stove increased, it just needed to be finished of in the oven. I cooked some rice and made some gluten free nan breads to accompany the beef and beetroot curry. It is a recipe I discovered when we were getting regular veg boxes in the house and it is very tasty. Today I didn’t have a red chilli to add into the paste so it wasn’t hot, just the occasional kick from the ginger. It is still very tasty and there’s one portion left which has been frozen for another time. Would anybody like the recipe?
Curry and Nan (gf) Click on photo for recipe
Food was all done and dusted with in time for an on line talk by Alarum about the Birmingham Canals before they all got cleaned up.
Two thirds the audience this evening
Despite some IT glitches the talk was very interesting with reminiscences from women who’d helped with the clean up of the canals and what they’d been like before hand. The biggest surprise was how enclosed they all were. A gate into Gas Street basin and one entrance out of the Farmers Bridge flight, it was a locked away world. All those metal bridges you see are new. Plus the bridge at Worcester Bar, yes the one we all take photos of, back in the 70’s it was just a plank across the cut!
0 locks, 7.69 miles, 140ft reversed, 1 full water tank, 1 curry, 7 hours, 2 many boats on the move, 1 blogger, 278 trees, 1 cat happy, 1 canal talk.
Shobnall Fields to Fradley Swing Bridge, Coventry Canal
More news came through yesterday from my cousin in Ukraine. They have managed to visit their home in Chernihiv to board up windows and doors and sift through to see what the looters might have left. Not much really other than heavy items of furniture which leaves them with the two suitcases they had packed when they fled. The house had triple glazing most of which is now shattered across what is left of their lawn, a lot of shards to pick up before their dogs can play out again. There is still no power or gas and very little in the shops, so it will be sometime before they can return to rebuild their home.
“Hopefully things don’t deteriorate again but when will it all end?”
Reversing in
Here in Burton we pushed off and made our way to Shobnall Basin, thankfully there was nobody already filling with diesel so Mick swung Oleanna round and reversed in through the narrow entrance. He managed this without touching the sides, an audience and wind! He was quite smug about it too.
At £1.20 a litre we wanted to leave with the tank full and we were surprised that the tank was full after only 81 litres considering we’d been pushing upstream for several days. A new bottle of gas too, the price of which had just gone up, but today they would charge us the old price. In the shop we looked round for some Marine 16, here there was a large bottle at about the same price we’d have got half the amount for in Nottingham. Glad we waited.
Branston Lock
Time to move on. There are more new houses in view near Branston Lock. Looking one way it is still quite green, the other way and huge distribution warehouses are going up.
Chocolate box lock
Next Tattenhill Lock, the chocolate box lock. It always looks so pretty in the sunlight the cottage a B&B. What a different place this must have been when the cottage was first built, no builders merchants along the way where huge clouds of dust blew across the canal, pile driving noises and the constant road noise from the A38.
Breath in!
We held our breath going through bridge 36. I sent a photo to David, his boat would certainly not make it through such tight bridge holes, it wouldn’t make it through the narrow locks either.
The moorings were full below Barton Turn Lock so we had to ascend it before stopping for lunch. The end of a beam is now painted red and at some time the handle has been moved so that it is over solid ground and not just air!
Hello!
Now the mile and a half where the A38 clings to the side of the canal. We always wave to lorries along here. At first today it seemed like everyone was miserable, but then we got our first wave back, then a beep beep, even a flash of lights from one driver.
Mick lending a hand when he can
Wychnor Lock we caught up with a boat that must have come out from the marina. The lady was a novice learning the ropes, the chap an old hand. Mick came up to lend a hand setting the lock once they’d gone.
Now we were on the stretch with the River Trent, the navigation more windy than before. The boats moored here have rings that can slide up and down on scaff poles for the changing height of the river. There is a weir and several bridges to help keep the towpath from getting flooded.
Alrewas was semi busy, we’d have found space for ourselves, but wanted to get further today, catching up with our schedule. A new boat is aptly named on the off side mooring where the canal narrows.
Another sitting swan
At Bagnall Lock Mick held the gates closed with the aid of the boat hook, one of them naturally wants to open itself but thankfully I only had to return to close it one extra time.
Closing up behind
Now the locks up into Fradley, passing the new marina which now has a few boats in residence. Late afternoon meant there would be no volunteers, they may not have started back yet anyway. But it did mean I got to work all the locks myself, which is why I love boating.
Hello Ian and Irene!
Between Keeper’s Lock and Junction Lock there was only one space free, each boat socially distancing themselves and not one shared mooring ring. We planned to ascend all the locks today so carried on. NB Freespirit was the second boat in line. Mick said hello as he passed as did I from the towpath, but no reply came back, Bridgerton must have been very captivating.
Entering the top lock was a shiny new hire boat, the maximum length for these locks, with six on board it would be a cosy week. We swapped and ascended our last lock of the day as a giant teddy walked down the road.
Last lock of the day
Last chance to change our mind on route. We turned left keeping to the quicker plan. I swung the bridge and we pulled in to the first space available, the water point already commandeered by an ex-hire boat. It was late so despite her protestations Tilly was not granted any shore leave, instead she had to sit and watch me make up a chicken pie.
Time seems to have been standing still here in Scarborough.
Jobs are gradually being ticked off the lists. On the house jobs list all the woodwork in the two hallways and staircases has been rubbed down, filled, undercoated and glossed. This took a long time and a lot of patience, I know I could have done it better but even my patience was running thin. The back bedroom curtains are now lined. Patching the wall paper in the hallways is partially done.
Mick has serviced the life jackets. All four were inflated and left in the boat cupboard overnight to see if they held the air. This extended to being a week before Mick finished the job, all still filled with air and well out of reach of Tilly’s claws. She decided to explore a bathroom cupboard instead. Finally our gutters have been sorted at the back of the house and our neighbours Dad came and fitted a new shower tray for us. The plumbers had quoted £3500 for a new surround and tray, all we wanted was the cracked tray replacing. Lisa’s Dad did it for a tenth of the quote and a good job too.
Rebekah and Alice
I had a day and night over in Huddersfield working on #unit21. Final costume fittings with only one job left to do, or so I thought! I then watched a dress run through. In the evening I had planned to get the floor marked out and based in, leaving the top coat of green for the Saturday morning, but there was a dance class booked to use the main room. Their hour turned into two and a half! So by the time I’d got the flooring laid out I only had time to draw the lines out before I gave up.
Was it the wine? Was it the chicken?
Chicken and chips with a dubious glass of pink wine was had at Nandos, think I prefer the kebab wagon in Chippy. Over night I got to spend more of my time in my Travelodge bathroom than in the bed as something had disagreed with me somewhat!
I’d planned an early start, but that wasn’t going to happen. I’d planned a walk along the Broad canal into town, but a more direct route conserved energy. During the day I gradually worked my way painting white lines followed by green, fortunately the paint dried pretty quickly. I’d hoped to be back in Scarborough early afternoon, but that wasn’t to be and thankfully Mick was at the station to help with my bags. At least I’d managed to get the majority of jobs done.
The following day I took it easy, Downton Abbey and some crochet with Tilly on the sofa. Thankfully by the evening my appetite had returned so I could enjoy National Yorkshire Pudding day with roast pork.
During this week word came from Huddersfield that a zip had broken on a set of overalls. Replacing them wasn’t an option, no larger sizes were available either. So they were sent to me arriving along with the butchest zip I could find. I have now learnt/made up how to add an extra 3 inches (just to be safe) to the sides of the overalls and how to put a zip in. Here’s hoping it works.
Someone’s on the move
With a train strike on Sunday we’ve hired a car to get me to Huddersfield ready for the fit up on Monday morning. This of course means we had a car available for today. Now how should we make use of it? Well it was way past time to say Happy New Year to Oleanna!
Leaving me behind!
A really rather wet, windy, horrible day. Heading over the Wolds we were deprived of the views but the amount of snowdrops more than made up for it. When we’d last done the trip to Thorne all the fields were brown, now they are green with fresh life growing. The tide was out on the River Ouse as we crossed the M62 bridge. I could see why going round the wrong side of Howden Dyke Island would be a bad thing with the amount of silt to the north western side.
Not the best photo of Howden Dyke Island
During the week Mick had noticed that Oleanna was no longer hooked up. He’d given Sarah a call at the marina to check everything was alright. It was, Oleanna had been moved as the pontoon she was moored on was being replaced. During one of the recent storms a small cruiser i the marina had been lifted up by the wind. It was tied well to it’s pontoon which also got lifted off it’s supports. The boat was found in the middle of the marina still attached to it’s pontoon!
There she is!
There she was right at the far end of the marina breasted up against two other boats. Not the easiest of access, but we managed. Mick found a spare socket to hook us up to and turned the electric heating on. Then we enjoyed our picnic lunch sat by the hatch which remained firmly closed despite the view being rather good.
Mick had intended to do an oil change but the weather put him of somewhat. Instead he pottered, checked Oleanna over and ran the engine.
Down below I got on with my task for the day, some TLC for our multi-fuel stove. Last winter the top plate had started to show a little rust, the stove not having been lit for seven months. Today it was time to do something about it.
A good wire brushing on the top plate removed much of the orange, followed by some fine grit sandpaper. The rest of the stove just needed a freshen up. The big hoover came out to suck away all the dust. The hearth was cleaned too.
Drying the stove
Everywhere then got a good wash down. Only problem was it would take quite a while to dry off, handy that we’d bought a second hand hairdryer a few years ago when we planned to put plastic up at the windows in winter. Today it got used for the first time.
Stir it up
I hunted round in the painty cupboard and found the tin of stove black paint. This had been bought for Lillian’s Squirrel stove before we sold her. Thankfully the paint was still good inside, it just required a very good stir up.
Doors off and bits masked off
All the chrome bits were masked off, the door glass removed for cleaning. Then I gave everywhere a thin, hopefully even coat of paint. The hearth got a coat too to tidy it up.
Paint going on
That paint smells! So glad I’d decided to this job now when we wouldn’t have to put up with the smell all evening. Touch dry in fifteen minutes. Well that was hard to tell as the clock at the back of the galley had said 1:30 when we arrived and still said it when I’d finished painting.
Looking smart again
The doors slotted back on easily, the glass back in the door. Just like new apart from the knob on the riddle handle that needs replacing as the thread has worn away. On our next visit we’ll light a small fire to bring the stove up to temperature to help the paint cure. Then hopefully all the smellyness will be over and done with when we move back on board.
All ready to spill stew on again
A chat with Sarah suggested that there is still problems getting hold of Calor Gas. We have an empty bottle on board which we’d like to replace. Hopefully her next order of LPG will be successful, she’ll put our name on one of the bottles if it is.
Bye bye
Everything onboard was turned off again, taps left open should the temperature drop before we’re back next. Power was unhooked, the cable tucked away. Hopefully next time she will have been moved back to her mooring and a new pontoon making it a lot easier to get on and off.
The sun came out just as we were about to leave!
Our route back to Scarborough was slightly longer than the way there. It took us to New Bridge over the Aire and Calder, I was able to get my first view out of the window of the breach site. Today you’d hardly know what it looked like last year. Then onwards to B&Q in York to pick up some neon pink paint for #unit21 props.
Neon!
0 miles, 0 locks, 2 staircases, 2 curtains, 1 new shower tray, 1 chair, 1/2 a dodgy chicken, 1 glass rose too much, 1 emergency zip replacement, 3 more inches, 1 hire car, 1 service postponed, 5 year old stove paint still stinky, 2 poo buckets forgotten, 1 cuddly Tilly, 1 pair of handknitted first night neon odd socks (neon to match the show, odd for down’s syndrome).
Time for the annual round up. Put the kettle on or pour yourself a glass of something stonger, put your feet up, this is a long post.
Looking out into a cold world!
As midnight turned from 2020 to 2021 we saw the old year out and new one in at the house in Scarborough, a quiet affair with just the three of us.
January and February brought ups and downs with them. Oleanna rose and fell with the water level at Viking Marina due to the breach at New Bridge whilst the country locked down. Despite the restrictions on travelling we made use of having a hire car for a few days at the beginning of the year to keep an eye on Oleanna.
Jobs around the house continued, our bedroom was redecorated and reclaimed from troublesome tenants. Tilly and I ventured out into the nearby park for the occasional walk, dependant on the number of woofers and the weather of course.
We walked, we ate, we drank, did our best to stay well and I started on the design for Chipping Norton’s panto in my reclaimed work room.
The spare living room was used as a workshop doing some work for Animated Objects, scrimming giant sci-fi guns and then painting model buildings all for The Odyssey. Beetroot burgers were made and pancakes consumed.
Then March came along and some easing of restrictions. Colour came back in nature with the daffodils popping up and my panto model started to get coloured in. A design for some origami paper arrived ready to be folded up to be part of 1000 ships display that would happen a couple of months later along the Yorkshire coast.
With new freedoms we had a couple of trips to Goole to check on Oleanna. First one was to swing her round and finally put fire extinguishers on walls all ready for her Boat Safety Inspection which she passed with flying colours and a comment that we seemed to like CO and smoke detectors, well I’d rather have too many than not enough!
The cofferdam at the breach site was completed and an access ramp created. My posts about the breach put us in touch with several people in Goole and at the beginning of April The Goole Escape Facebook group was formed. Due to the breach and lack of water in Goole Docks no leisure boats were allowed to use Ocean Lock out onto the Tidal Ouse. A joint calm voice was needed to try to find a way out for those boats wanting to leave, including us.
Of course March was also when Mick and I got our first vaccinations. Who’d have thought having a jab would put a smile on peoples faces! Not that you could really see them behind all the masks. A bathroom got a make over and we discovered parts of Scarborough we’d never been to before.
April was a very busy month. With lodgers on the horizon house jobs needed finishing. The roof needed attention along with a wall in my work room, both jobs were for the professionals. Pictures went up on walls, finally. The bathroom needed finishing with Frank fitting us a new bath surround.
Mid month out attention moved back to Oleanna. Way back when, we’d booked her in at Goole Boathouse to be blacked. We had a night on board before moving her from one marina to the other to come out of the water. She was jet washed down and the chaps began applying layers of 2 pack to her hull. We visited most days with jobs to do ourselves. Mick busied himself inside whilst I ground back rusty bits on the gunnels, repainted them and the tunnel bands. Inside the oak floor had a good clean and then was treated to two coats of oil. The weather had been perfect for it and she went back in the water a week after she’d come out, enough time for the 2 pack to cure. She looked smart again, well the cabin sides still needed a good wash!
Whilst in Goole we met up with David, Karl, Wendy and Martin, four members of The Goole Escape group. David had managed to negotiate with ABP passage for leisure boats through Ocean Lock at Goole Docks, this was limited to specific times of the tide. So escape was now possible but everything would have to come together to make a sensible plan. We wouldn’t be ready for a few weeks and hoped that there wouldn’t be a mass exodus before we could join people.
As I carried on trying to finish my panto model Mick made good use of his time doing a VHF radio course, we’d need to be able to use the radio to meet the criteria for going through Goole Docks and out onto the Tidal Ouse. Tilly visited the vet and got a years worth of flea and wormer treatments, we were all set to move back on board.
The first of May was that day. We’d hoped that Tilly would remember the boat after seven months on shore, within about two seconds of being back it was obvious she knew where she was. News that Goole caisson gates were now open and cruising up towards the breach site was possible we headed off to give Oleanna a good run and so that Tilly could venture back onto dry land. It was very good to be back on the move again. On our second such trip Tilly remembered how to swim!
Whilst in Goole Mick took his Short Range VHF Radio exam and passed. I carried on painting my panto model. We both had our second vaccinations. Heather Bleasdale came to visit joining us for an outdoor lunch. We got to know the Goole Escape Committee and discussed plans. We watched work going on at the breach site. Mick had a birthday and Joan’s Home Kitchen provided us with a celebratory meal a couple of days before we hoped to escape.
On 21st May an escape committee meeting was had early on, the weather looked hopeful for the tide in the afternoon, we were booked in at Ocean Lock. Our escape was to be via Selby, the Lock keeper was called there and our plan confirmed. At lunchtime we moved up to fill the diesel tank and await the other escapees, Sea Maiden and Lullabelle. Given the go ahead by the docks to proceed we were soon passing through to Ocean Lock where there was plenty of space for the three of us. At around 14:30 the large lock gates opened to reveal our way out of Goole onto the Tidal Ouse.
All three boats arrived safe and sound
We headed upstream following Sea Maiden being pushed along with the tide. Would we make it to Selby before the tide turned. Each boat arrived individually and was locked up into Selby Basin. We’d made it, now all we had to do was escape Selby as the swing bridge out of the basin there was broken.
We waited. Tides, times, weather and the amount of fresh coming down stream all had to fit together. Bridget and Storm came to visit. We twiddled our thumbs. The Environment Agency came and closed the flood barrier. We twiddled our thumbs. Daily escape committee meetings were held. By the 27th everything was looking to fit together apart from one thing, Keadby Lock would not be manned at a suitable time for us to get off the river. Sea Maiden and Lullabelle decided to stay put in Selby. Heather Bleasdale was joining us for the trip but Oleanna would be out on the river on her own heading to Trent Falls.
What a day that was! David’s advice was spot on. Leaving Selby just before 10am Oleanna zoomed downstream with the out going tide. We followed our charts keeping to the channel. At the Apex light Mick swung Oleanna round to head upstream onto the Trent our progress slowing instantly.
We then crawled our way to find where we should wait for the tide to turn. Two hours of very little, drifting on our anchor. We’d picked the day well, it was wonderful out there.
When Oleanna started to move round a touch more we managed to pull the anchor up and found our way back into the main channel to head upstream with the incoming tide. One plan had been to moor up in Gainsborough, but we decided to carry on and arrived at Torksey just as the last light was fading at just gone 22:00, 64 miles in a day, I doubt we’ll ever beat that.
Over the next few days we made our way up the Trent, dug out our windlasses to work locks in Nottingham. Once we rose up Derwent Mouth Lock onto the Trent and Mersey we had completed our escape. The going would now be much slower along shallow canals and plenty more moored boats to slow down past.
Now we should make our booked mooring at Rembrandt Gardens, every day would be a boating day unless the weather was either too hot or far too wet to cruise. Along the Trent and Mersey, pausing to stock up in Alrewas. At Fradley we turned onto the Coventry Canal to head southwards. We gave a tow to NB Burghley Girl to the bottom of Atherstone.
At Hawkesbury Junction we did the 180 degree turn onto the North Oxford Canal, through Rugby and up Hillmorton. NB Kamili with Andy and Irene passed as we arrived in Braunston where we paused for another butchers, then up the flight and through the tunnel.
Straight on along the Grand Union. On route we stopped for a drink with Lizzie at Bugbrooke. Paused for a hot day under some trees near Milton Keynes. Had a diversion along the Wendover Arm for a night. Picked up extra crew, my old college friend Jen, for a day through Hemel Hempstead. Came across our first sightings of HS2 cutting it’s way across the landscape.
At Bulls Bridge we turned left onto the Paddington Arm. On our trip into London we came across our friends Pete and Clare on NB Billy, it turned out we’d be neighbours at Rembrandt Gardens for a few days. We arrived on time and the next day headed across London by bus to Hackney to see the London Leckenbys for the first time since Christmas 2019.
Plenty more family to catch up with. Kath came for lunch, we had a trip to Eastbourne to see Marion and John, a lovely lunch with Christine and Paul. So good to see everyone again and not just on a computer screen every Saturday.
Happy Birthday Big Brother
Andrew’s 60th Birthday was celebrated, nothing fancy just good to be able to be together for it, we’d achieved our second goal of the year.
We heard there was a space at St Pancras Cruising Club for a long boat like Oleanna, so we took advantage of a more secure mooring close to Kings Cross whilst we had a visit back to Scarborough. Checking on the house, lodgers changing over and seeing the latest Ayckbourn play with Bridget and Storm, it all made for a good weekend away. I then headed off to Huddersfield for a couple of days work with Dark Horse, fitting costumes for a photo shoot.
There was to be a Tideway cruise from St Pancras Cruising Club and with one space left we jumped at the opportunity. Ten boats made their way to Limehouse, we breasted up with NB Misty Blue, Graham turned out to be another Goole Escapee. Three lock-fulls of boats headed out onto the Tideway on the morning of 10th July, special permission had been sought to go under Hammersmith Bridge which was closed to all forms of traffic at the time.
Tilly thought we were mad taking her onto such rough water, I was a little perplexed too! Very glad that I was the official photographer, clinging on as we did more than bob up and down! Tower Bridge, The National Theatre, Christine, Adam, The Houses of Parliament, Battersea Power Station. So many sights, what an experience!
The further west we got the calmer the water got. We were glad when Hammersmith Bridge was passed as there had always been a chance that it might close to boat traffic at anytime due to safety reasons. We turned off at Brentford along with several other boats and continued up to Hanwell where we had a very sociable evening at The Fox with everyone. Thank you Simon for mentioning the cruise to us.
Sadly our washing machine hadn’t liked the lumpy water so for the next month we cruised meeting up with engineers on route hoping it could be mended. Back through London, pausing at St Pancras again. Then down to the Herford Union to cut across to the Lee and Stort. We had another mooring booked on the Lee awaiting our arrival, alongside NB Billy.
Then up the Lee and onto the River Stort. We’d only ventured so far up the Stort during our first winter on Lillian, this time we headed all the way to Bishop Stortford. Our return journey was held up slightly due to the river going into flood overnight so we had to wait for it to lower to get under the bridge at Roydon.
Back through London we made use of the new Eco-moorings near Islington Tunnel, a handy stop off with electricity. Here we met up with Nick an old friend from York and Adam called in for a catch up after working the breakfast shift at Radio 2.
Goodbye Christine!
At the end of July we pushed on and left London behind us, returning to Bulls Bridge.
We headed up to Uxbridge for cheap diesel and finally got our washing machine mended. We turned around and headed back to the Hanwell flight, stowed the garden back in the shower and headed out onto the Thames again where we turned right towards Oxford.
With a weeks license we couldn’t dawdle, although a broken lock gate at Boveney Lock did hold us up overnight so our license would be extended. A space was spotted below Cliveden so we treated ourselves to a night moored in the grounds of the big house. We paused for a socially distanced chat with Sue on No Problem XL, good to see her looking so well. Henley Regatta was almost ready as we passed through and our favourite mooring above Days Lock did not disappoint. All too soon we turned up Sheepwash Channel and ascended Isis Lock back onto the Oxford Canal.
Whilst in Oxford I managed an actual face to face meeting with Dash the Director for Chippy Panto. He seemed happy! Then we made our way up to Thrupp where we’d booked ourselves in at the cruising club for a few days whilst the London Leckenbys came to visit and we had a trip back to Scarborough and we got to see the show at Esk Valley for the first time since we’ve been living afloat.
I had a day trip to Chippy where I did a final model meeting over zoom from a dressing room, but also had chance to measure things up. Then we were off up the Oxford Canal, mooring in our favourite spots, it was a touch busier than it normally is in the winter.
A pause to visit Village Meats in Braunston and we spotted our old share boat NB Winding Down so we stopped to say hello. On up the flight sharing with a boat full of actors, then left up to Crick for the first time in ages.
A prearranged boaters meeting at Houdini’s Field worked brilliantly, NB Panda and NB Kamili convened and we all enjoyed each others company over a fantastic barbeque outside so everyone could feel safe and Tilly could roam about. Oleanna was treated to a very good wash and brush up before we were on our way again. We now needed to get her north before I started on Panto.
News came through that the breach on the Aire and Calder had been mended and nine months after the canal had sprung a leek it was mended and open again. Boats could now move through the area, mooring however is still restricted.
Following the Grand Union we headed down the Stockton Flight to Leamington Spa. Tilly and I had a few hot days on our own moored at Radford Smelly then we were on our way again. An obligatory burger at The Cape of Good Hope the night before we teamed up with NB Mad Hatter to ascend the Hatton flight. One day my old college friend Emma will not have an excuse to helping us up the flight, this time we met for a cuppa and a catch up the following day.
On up Knowle to Catherine de Barnes, then Camp Hill Locks, the Ashted flight and Tunnel (!) followed by Farmers Bridge into Birmingham. The city centre is still full of building and tram works but with the sun out it looked stunning. We also caught up with Paul Balmer from Waterway Routes before carrying on with our journey.
A night at Hawne Basin filled the diesel tank up. A night at Dudley Port Basin got the cupboards filled. A pause at Urban Moorings meant we could donate our deposits and the next day we descended from the Birmingham plateau down the Wolverhampton 21.
Along the Staffordshire and Worcester we managed to have a mid stream catch up with Barbara from NB Bessie Surtees. At Great Haywood I managed a catch up with Kay from NB Pea Green as she set up to trade for the day and Mick filled Oleanna’s water tank.
Heading north on the Trent and Mersey we pulled in for lunch and a surprise hello to Barry and Sandra from NB AreandAre whom we’d got to know last year in the first lockdown. In the afternoon we were joined by Bill and Lisa for a trip through Harecastle Tunnel. Now we swung off the Trent and Mersey and onto the Macclesfield with it’s wonderful bridges.
It would have been nice to take our time but we had a rendez vous to make. The end mooring at Marple was free and from here we headed into Manchester by train to join the London Leckenbys for a meal of big red fish. The following day my old school friend Morag joined us for a night on board with some serious catching up to be done.
Our next deadline loomed, Standedge Tunnel. We dropped down the Marple flight, crossed the aqueduct and turned right at Dukinfield Junction onto the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. We knew we were in for some hard work to climb our way over the Pennines, last time we’d enlisted crew to help as I was one handed. This time we’d be going solo. Apart from the very first lock it wasn’t too troublesome. The work is rewarded with stunning views.
Standedge Tunnel did not disappoint. Because of social distancing Mick got ride ride up front in the cratch leaving the helm to a C&RT volunteer. Bumps and scrapes made Oleanna wince along with us, but we all got through in one piece with no damage. Tilly wasn’t too happy about the trip, but at least I can now boast to the local cats in Scarboreugh that I’ve been through the longest deepest highest tunnel on the canal network whilst they just lazed around on their shed roofs!
On our way down the other side Oleanna had a belt that went taking out quite a few wires in the engine bay. RCR were sent for, the engineer suggested we’d need to remove a pulley on the alternator to be able to remove trapped wires, this could not happen where we were. We could move but the batteries would not charge. The only way to top up our electric was with the solar panels. Emergency power conservation went into operation, blogs were hand written, the freezer turned off and we gradually ate our way through our defrosting supplies. Every day Mick managed to pull more wire from the alternator and soon there was no need for an engineer again, just a new belt needed fitting.
We made our way down to Huddersfield and arrived the day before I had a production meeting at Dark Horse. After walking to my meeting I handed over the model and we stocked up on supplies before heading off east along the Huddersfield Broad Canal.
The Board locks are just that, but they are short. On Lillian we’d nearly got stuck here, but Oleanna was built a foot shorter so we knew we were fine, we still had to take great care in descending the locks diagonally. This continued on to the Calder and Hebble, taking our time and using our Hebble spike. The rebuilding work done at the Figure of Three locks, after flooding washed huge parts of the structure away, are only noticeable due to the new stonework.
Bigger locks were welcome, using the key of power once past Wakefield. The sun shone wonderfully for my last full days boating this year as we made our way to Castleford. Here we hired a car to get me down to Chipping Norton to start work on Panto whilst Mick and Tilly stayed on board with the plan to move Oleanna to a winter mooring in Thorne.
Whilst I painted the set working all the hours I could, Mick and Tilly gradually made their way eastwards. They passed through the breach site and headed to Goole to top up on diesel. On their way back towards the New Junction Canal the engine started to over heat, a problem that had happened a couple of years ago on the Thames.
The following day he winded and slowly made his way to Rawcliffe Bridge for easier access for RCR. Little could be done there and then, so Mick and Alastair (engineer) arranged to meet at Viking Marina in Goole. Oleanna managed the two and a half miles in three stages. After her cooling system had been flushed through the problem hadn’t gone away. The water pump was removed and was obviously the problem. A week later with a new pump Mick moved back out onto the cut and joined Lullabelle (a fellow Goole Escapee).
Taking a long weekend off panto, I headed up to join Mick and Tilly to help move them back to Scarborough. Wendy and Martin kept an eye on Oleanna for us whilst we settled Tilly back into the house, I knew where I was! Pah!!
Several days later with the weather on his side, Mick returned as early as he could, pushed off and single handed Oleanna back along the Aire and Calder to Sykehouse Junction where he turned onto the New Junction Canal. With swing and lift bridges to work he was glad of the assistance of a volunteer at Sykehouse Lock. Then the sharp turn at Bramwith onto the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigations. A few more bridges and two more locks before he arrived at Blue Water Marina, Oleanna’s winter mooring.
Tucked up for a rest
On our way back from Chippy a week or so later we called in to check on her. A boat in winter isn’t too friendly without the stove lit. We’ll have visits every now and then to check on her and do the odd job. The weeks are already flying by before we move back on board.
For a year that we’d decided would purely be about seeing our family and friends we ended up having quite an adventurous time. Trent Falls, the Tideway through London and Standedge Tunnel made it quite a year.
So our vital statistics for the year 2021 according to canal plan are
Total distance was 932 miles, ½ furlong and 627 locks . There were 42 moveable bridges of which 16 are usually left open; 169 small aqueducts or underbridges and 30 tunnels – a total of 19 miles 3 ¼ furlongs underground and 3 major aqueducts.
This was made up of 277 miles, 1 ¾furlongs of narrow canals; 270 miles, 4 furlongs of broad canals; 89 miles, 4 ¼ furlongs of commercial waterways; 59 miles, 7 ¼ furlongs of small rivers; 121 miles, 5 furlongs of large rivers; 105 miles, 2 ¼ furlongs of tidal rivers; 8 miles of seaways; 263 narrow locks; 302 broad locks; 61 large locks; 1 lock on major waterways.
Sadly with Oleanna’s log book where it should be, onboard, I’m not able to offer up the engine hours, litres of diesel, gas bottle or bags of coal. Maybe I’ll update this once we are back on board.
The Thames, 2021
This year we’ve done more miles than last, not bad considering we were on land for so much of it. We’ve done far more tidal miles than ever before and for the first time we’ve been on a Seaway! If someone can tell me what the difference is between Tidal waters and Seaways please do. Maybe it was around Trent Falls, or was it downstream of Tower Bridge?
As last year I hope the pandemic doesn’t throw a spanner in the works for us or anyone else. We need the theatrical world to still function with an income for me designing shows and lodgers paying to stay in our house.
I want to say ‘Keep well friends’, but I feel I need to add, ‘Get well soon friends’, as so many have tested positive recently. Thank you for following us and hope to see you soon x
Over the last few months our aim has been to get to see family. Heading to London meant we’d be able to see all our siblings bar one with relative ease. But what about that missing one, Anne! How could we get to see Anne?
Anne isn’t in the south. In fact Anne is quite a lot lot further north. This would take some planning.
The first part of our route would see us leaving Rembrandt Gardens and retracing our steps back to Fradley Junction. Here though we would turn left and head up to Great Haywood, Stoke, Middlewich. Onto the Bridgewater Canal (you have to book that online now), up to Leigh and join the Leeds Liverpool Canal. West to the Rufford Branch, turn down there to Tarleton. Another booking would need to be made to cross from the River Douglas to the River Ribble, then up Savick Brook and The Ribble Link on to the Lancaster Canal.
Up to Glasson
Just over 22.5 miles of the Lancaster Canal would bring us to the Glasson Branch where we’d head down the locks to the Basin. This portion of the journey would amount to 315 miles 2.75 furlongs and take us through 197 locks so a bit more effort required than our trip to London from Goole. According to Canalplan this would take us 153 hours and 36 minutes, so at 7 hours a day (which we rarely do) it would take us 22 days, add in a few days off for bad weather, waiting for the tides to be right crossing to the Lancaster Canal, so make it 29 days.
Then our journey would require a touch more planning, mostly on the food and wine stakes as I’m not too sure whether we’d find many shops on route. We could visit The Port of Lancaster Smokehouse before we left, their smoked goods would last us a while.
Glasson across Morecombe Bay
Choosing a suitable tide we’d exit through the lock out onto the River Lune, keeping to the channel away from the numerous sandbanks, heading southwards before we turn to the west, crossing Morecombe Bay and heading to Barrow-in-Furness where we’d pull in for a night at West of Duddon Sands Windfarm.
Up to Barrow-in-Furness
This would be 19.42 miles, so at 6mph 3.25 hrs cruising time, we may however have had to wait for the tide to turn so as to avoid all the sand banks on Morecombe Bay.
Barrow to St Bees
Continuing northwards we’d pop out alongside Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve, hugging the coast passing Sellafield to near to St Bees, where the coast to Coast walk starts. We’d beach here for the night. 32.6 miles, so a 6 hour day.
Passing the nuclear coast
Still hugging the coast we would pass Whitehaven and pull in at Harrington Marina. A short day with only 10.5 miles, 1.75 hours. I think we’d have a meal at The Lifeboat Inn, except it doesn’t look like they serve food, so it would be smoked salmon again!
To Brighouse Bay
From here we’d set a course to the North West and Scotland. Yes we could pull in to Kirkcudbright but I’d rather beach at Brighouse Bay a favourite bay from my early college years. 25.75 miles , 4 to 5 hours cruise avoiding the rocky headland.
Our course would now be South West, crossing to the Isle of Whithorn, just over 11.8 miles, 2 hours, but there is a small harbour here and a Post Office with a shop where we could pick up some milk.
Brighouse to Isle of Whithorn to Cairnryan
From here we’d go back out to sea, cross from Cutcloy to the Mull of Galloway, then hug the coast, keeping an eye on the lighthouses at Crammag Head, Killantringan and Corsewall, popping into Loch Ryan to moor up with the P&O ferries at Cairnryan for a much needed break after the 69 miles of concentration taking 11.5 hours.
To Ailsa Craig
An almost due north course of 20 miles, 3.3 hours, would have us pull up on Ailsa Craig, where we’d make use of the little jetty.
Overnight at Troon
Heading back to the west coast near Turnberry we’d skirt our way northwards to pull in at Troon. Here we’d stock up on a few bits and bobs at Morrisons and check in with the RNLI. 28.25 miles, 4.75 hours.
Ardrossan to visit the castle
From Troon we’d cut across the bay avoiding the SSSI of Bogside Flats and what looks like a lovely beach. Hooking round into Ardrossan Harbour, an Asda and a Castle to visit here, well it’s only 9 miles so we’d have to fill the rest of the day.
Maybe we’ll stop off at the islands on the way back
We’d keep along the coast then to the east of Little Cumbrae and Great Cumbrae where we would take advantage of the Clydeport Road which stretches out into channel. 10 miles, maybe 2 hours to avoid larger vessles.
We’ll have a kip at Kip
Northwards to Inverkip where we’d seek shelter in Kip Marina, hopefully they have a visitor mooring suitable for a narrowboat. Just over 11 miles, so 2 hours cruise.
The final leg
Round to Gourock where it looks like there is a pontoon in the bay. Tilly may have to swim ashore for supplies. 6 miles, so we might just add this onto the day before or after, all weather dependant of course!
Our Destination
From here a North Easterly course will bring us across the mouth of Gare Loch and Helensburgh Ferry Terminal, 4 miles, so under an hour. Hopefully we won’t get in the way of the PS Waverley for a few days. From here we are kind of hoping that Anne might just come and pick us up by car as I think they live up the hill a touch.
Route round to Scotland
So in total we would have 45 hours cruising at sea, over about 12 days, so back to our more normal cruising times, with one long day.
So Anne we’ll see you around the 11th 12th August. Hope that’s okay!
198 locks, 572.7 miles, 41 days, 4th sister, 1 plan, or maybe we could go up the east coast!
Springwood Haven to Hungerfield Bridge 35, Oxford Canal
Up and ready to lend a hand with NB Burghley Girl if needed this morning. Bob was down in the engine bay tinkering, ready to move across the canal. Last night his plan had been to pull their boat along to be level with the online service mooring at the marina, then give her a great big push, hoping that she’d make it across the cut on push power alone. But this morning Bob decided to start the engine up to get them across the way.
Amy’s boat
So Mick held the centre line as they got ready, then gave the bow a small push as the engine was started. Across the way they went, around about five minutes of engine power before it cut out due to lack of fuel. They made it across and whilst tying up Burghley Girls engine started to chug slower and slower, dark puffs coming from the exhaust until the fuel was totally exhausted.
Springwood Haven has recently been bought by ABC Boat Hire, next year expect to see more hire boats around. So there was no engineer on site who might be able to help, but they certainly sold diesel and a delivery was waiting for staff to arrive.
Obligatory
We waved Bob, Sue and Amy goodbye, wishing them luck. Once filled up they pulled back away from the services to get the engine going, their aim to day was to push on as far as they could towards their home mooring before turning the engine off.
Today I needed to get some work done. A script needed reading for #unit 21 a Dark Horse Theatre Production that will be mounted next year but will require costumes very soon for some images that will be used to promote the production. So as we tootled along I read making notes, Nuneaton isn’t that inspiring anyway!
We considered pulling in at Star Line Boats for a top up of diesel, but a day boat was tied up on the service mooring, just as well really as the domestic rate was 90p a litre! We’d last a while longer thank you!
Gardens have added interest, narrow sheds and skeletons fishing along with Easter Island heads.
At Marston Junction where the Ashby meets the Coventry Canal work was on going. New piling going in with a very big rubber buffer to help protect the bank whilst helping numerous boats to retain their paintwork! As we passed, so did another boat heading northwards as one was coming out from the Ashby.
Available if you can get in there
Charity Dock is still chocka block with things to look at, although the mannequins seem to be fewer than in previous visits. The Morris Minor still sits high up on top of the scrap and The Stig has been given some shade, pour chap has lost a hand.
Now we were seriously in Frank Country! Our friend Frank grew up around Coventry, his Dad actually being sent away from the city. We passed where Franks sister used to go to school. The house by Bulkington Bridge was for sale the last time we were here and the grey walls down to the canal have seen much better days, the garden also doesn’t seem to be a priority to the current owners.
The garden needs some tlc
The Newdegate Arm now overgrown followed, this is where the mineral rail used to end and when Frank was a young lad he used to play here.
Newdegate Arm today
We paused for a lunch break and also to make use of the towpath being on the portside so that we could empty the yellow water tank before the Oxford Canal made it that bit harder. As we ate a green boat came past, NB Burghley Girl. Bob must have got her going quite quickly after we left. We waved knowing that they would be pushing on for as long as they could today so our paths were very unlikely to cross again.
How come the grass has always just been cut near Hawkesbury Junction?
There was plenty of space to moor as we approached Hawkesbury Junction which was a surprise. But as we got towards the hand brake turn to the stop lock the number of boats increased. One boat dropping the foot to join the Coventry, another two behind, then one boat waiting to go up the foot onto the Oxford.
Loads of room at Hawkesbury
Not knowing which way the boat was going to go coming down the lock Mick held back before the narrows to keep out of their way. They came out, faced towards Oleanna and then reversed back to the moorings, the Greyhound Pub next on their agenda for the day.
This way!
Mick turned towards the lock to await our turn which wasn’t long and almost hands free for me as there were so many crews ready to help.
I now retired down below to get on with some work. This tends to be the case when we’re along this stretch as there are a couple of hours cruising when crew are a touch redundant. Whilst Mick navigated us along the new straighter version of the Oxford Canal I looked back at emails regarding the show.
Swing bridge
Last year there had been hope that #unit 21 would happen this last February, so Amy and I had already had various conversations and ideas about it. She has been living with the show for some time, I on the other hand had put it away as I didn’t have a contract . Sifting back through emails I discovered that the script I’d read this morning wasn’t the latest version! So another reading was required with lots of note taking.
swung
I’d just finished the script and popped back up as the little swing bridge at Rose Narrowboats came into view, perfect timing. I hopped off when the canal narrowed and swung the bridge open, closing it straight after us as someone was wanting to cross. A hire boat had just pulled out heading towards Rugby, meeting another boat coming out of the cutting, our progress was going to be quite slow!
Green
Slow is good along the next cutting. Here the banks have eroded and slipped several times.
That’s not so supportive
Gabions have been placed along the towpath to help keep things where they should be, but the slippage above appears to be pushing them as well.
A constant stream
Coming up to All Oaks Wood the moorings looked full and had a constant stream of boats coming towards us. The hire boat pulled in behind the moored boats and waved us on, we could face the masses coming the other way instead!
How many mud weights?
Boats just kept coming and coming, waiting for them all to pass would only mean more arriving. So we pulled out and slowly moved our way along, the hire boat following on behind.
Inside the wood we could see that an area had recently been cleared of trees. Was this to make way for HS2? Nothing showed up on our map so we don’t know what that is all about. Just round the next bend there was plenty of space, well so long as you can get into the side! Having moored here now several times we knew where to aim for and succeeded first time.
Tilly got to have a bit of towpath time but the friendly cover and sideways trees seemed to be a touch too dense for her to burrow her way through to the field behind. I finished off my working day by watching a film, 1984.
In 1984 I sold a lot of copies of the book as I was a book seller then, but I’ve never read it or seen the film. I did know sufficiently enough about certain scenes to warn Mick that he’d maybe prefer to be elsewhere before John Hurt got to see what was awaiting him in room 101! Some very useful references to aid my design. I’m now ready for a zoom meeting about the show tomorrow.
Our Saturday newspaper doesn’t tend to get looked at until Sunday morning nowadays so we allowed ourselves just a little bit longer in bed before getting up and having breakfast. As we chomped away on our cereal a chap appeared at our side hatch, this was Bob from NB Burghley Girl. They’d been having problems with air in their fuel line for quite sometime, once the engine got going they could cruise, but he’d been having to pump diesel through to the engine every morning for this to work. Today it hadn’t and a call to RCR had been made.
Bob was hoping to be able to bow haul Burghley Girl closer to the services which were a mile in front of us so that it was easier for an engineer to get to them. We obviously offered to lend them a hand by giving them a tow, just our cereal to finish and get ready for a days cruise and we’d be with them. We had to go and help another boat cat, we couldn’t leave Amy stranded!I organised the crew and they moved the outside to meet Amy’s outside.
Hitching up
We’ve only really towed once before and that was a short boat through Islington Tunnel that was seriously overheating. Bob had set up his bow line to be able to attach to one of Oleanna’s dollys at the stern. With both boats connected on a shortish line we pulled away, just as a boat appeared behind! No stopping us now we were committed as Burghley Girl had momentum and wouldn’t stop for anyone.
Three in a line
We tried to keep a steady speed of slow, hoping there might be enough to give Bob some steering, but it seemed like Burghley Girl just wasn’t interested, she just followed. One bridge hole she was bound for the bank, Sue managed to position a fat fender so that the impending bump wouldn’t be too much.
Thankfully we didn’t meet an oncoming boat and the one following us kept a distance behind. As Bradley Green Bridge 49 came into view we slowed right down. With armco just after the winding hole we pulled in, Burghley Girl just slightly overtaking us and coming to a halt. She was pulled into the side and once we’d pulled through the bridge to the services for water they nudged up further away from the winding hole, nearer to the bridge where it would be easy for an engineer to get to them. We waved them goodbye and wished them luck with their onwards journey back to their marina, still a few days away with an operational engine.
As we approached the bottom of the Atherstone flight a boat came past saying we’d be a welcome sight as there were plenty of boats coming down, but none going up. We headed straight into the bottom lock where numerous crew stood willing to help, another boat already in the pound waiting to come down and one in the lock above.
Heading up
When Oleanna was half way up, the lock above was emptied. These locks are slow fillers but quick to empty. The boat coming down came out of the lock and the crew started to close the gates! Oh Hang on! Not again! I shouted and shouted, Mick sounded the horn and what seemed like four people then reopened the gates for us.
Paddle gear
Once in the next lock I was joined by the crew from the next boat waiting to come down. It was as if the world had teetered on the edge of oblivion when the gates had been closed, they really weren’t looking forward to following a novice crew and sure enough everyone was going to know about it. Well we all make mistakes at times and we all started with no knowledge at one time. Hope both boats enjoy the rest of their hire boat holidays.
A Ribble Link boat
At most locks we met someone coming down. I think I only had to close a couple of gates behind us. We loved the sign alongside Lock 6 of the Atherstone Locks!
Chatting to a chap at one lock I asked where they were heading to, a nosy but standard question whilst waiting for a lock to do it’s thing. He said Liverpool. Brilliant, had they been before? No. They were in for a treat. When were they booked to go down the locks, had they got a casual cruise or a mission on their hands. Booked?! No, do you need to?
One coming down
I was fairly sure you did need to book and suggested that he looked at the C&RT website for the Liverpool Link. Liverpool can be a popular destination, there’s plenty of space in the docks, but passage is limited to so many boats a day. Hope he manages to get a booking that suits.
We’d not noticed these metal bars on the edge of Lock 6 before. Mick did when he nearly tripped on one. They look like they were added to protect the lock side from ropes wearing them, but why are there no others on the flight?
Between 4 and 3
By the time we’d reached lock 5 the top gates were open and no boat visible. Most of the talk had been of the volunteers on the flight, but only one was visible at the next lock, maybe it was lunchtime. I walked up to see what was happening, a boat was just coming into Lock 4. If they were going to stop for water just before 5 then I’d drop the lock for us, if not I’d wait for them. They were carrying on down the flight.
Chalked up
By now the rain that had accompanied our towing this morning had returned, coats were needed. The volunteers reappeared and helped us up the last few locks. Our ascent marked up on the chalk board making it seven up and eight down, we’d certainly met all the downhill boats somewhere or other.
New gongoozlers
Our planned mooring for tonight was opposite Springwood Haven, we decided to press on and have a late lunch when we arrived, allowing Tilly more shore leave in one of her favourite spots.
£18 for 100grams of wool. Tempting
Near Mancetter I could hear drums, then the occasional swirling flag was spotted above the hedges then brass instruments. Something was going on, but sadly the hedges stopped us from getting a good view.
Three years ago we spent quite a bit of time along this pound as I designed panto for Chippy. Then there were works going on and boulders had ended up in the canal. Now there is a long length of wharf for Rothen work boats. A short distance on a new marina has sprung up. In our experience when marinas are built a hole is dug which sits there for years and years before any definite sign of intention is made, but this one has popped up within three years.
Hartshill Service yard clock
A few more miles and we reached our destination a day ahead of schedule. Our preferred spot was already taken, but there was still lots of space. We pulled up and let Tilly out. She was straight up the bank to see what lay beyond!
A couple of hours later a green boat came past slowing down, NB Burghley Girl. They pulled in in front of us and moored up for the day. Numerous checks had been done by the engineer and the cause was thought to be that that the pipe from the diesel tank to the engine maybe had rust spots, with the level of diesel now being low air was being pulled through the pipe rather than diesel. We don’t quite understand the theory but it’s not good. They need to get the level back up in their diesel tank, then things should improve. Springwood Haven was however closed today so they would have to wait for the morning.
Look what’s up here!!!
Chairs and cuppas were brought out and we had a good natter with Bob and Sue and got to meet Amy, although Amy and Tilly did keep their distance.I’d been happy to help, but no way was I going to actually meet another boat cat!We both kept a respectable distance away, well except when I had a peek in through their window!
11 locks, 6.8miles, 1 mile towing, 2nd Lockdown boat, 1 Ribble Link boat, 3 volunteers, 1 novice hire boat, 1 far more experienced hire boat, 7 up, 8 down, 4 hours, 1 boat cat.
https://goo.gl/maps/8ooJaQhmejsh18os9
Thumbs up, Mrs Tilly stamp of approval, maybe even one from Amy.
Settling into the earlier routine now we got going in the morning sunshine a touch later than yesterday. Standing on tip toes I could just see a big digger and some fencing. Is this our first glimpse of HS2? I’m sure we are going to see more as we work our way southwards.
At Whittington we skirted round the village with neat back gardens all open to the canal. In fact one garden seemed to have a welcoming committee out to greet us. The gardens here were to set the theme for our days cruise.
Weather vane
The polytunnels that used to fill the fields alongside the canal have been moved away, the contents of which didn’t look very productive from what I could see. The tractor weather vane still looks good especially with the bright blue sky we had.
Another Geraghty zoom on the move, today we could worry them all as we passed through the shooting range, no flags were showing so we were fairly sure we’d be safe. Popping out the other side of Hopwood Woods one cloud hung behind our heads, would more join it through the day?
At Fazeley Junction two new birds have joined the Kingfisher and Robin not quite in the same style, but the Finches (?) are still quite effective. Fortunately Mick was on the ball and followed his instincts as to navigation as I’d got side tracked somewhat by the birds and had not given him directions! We turned left towards Coventry, soon arriving at Glascote Locks.
Glascote Locks
Quite often there is a queue here for the two slow flowing chambers, but as we arrived one boat was just finishing in the bottom lock so there was only a slight pause for us before we could start to ascend.
As with most narrow lock flights, I waited until Mick was happy, maybe the lock half full before I walked up to the next one. I could see that there was a slight gap between the gates indicating the chamber was empty, I’d just need to push them open. Well the next photo contradicts what I’ve just said.
A full lock!
That is because despite Oleanna most definitely being in view from the next lock, she had almost reached the level of the joining pound, a chap arrived and wound both paddles up to fill the lock. I’d walked about two thirds of the way to the lock, called out but wasn’t heard. An about turn for me back to help Mick open the gate and drop the paddles, no point in raising the blood pressure, surely the chap would apologise.
Swapping
If he was a single hander I could be of assistance, I walked back up, crossed over the bottom gate so as to drop the offside paddle once the lock was full. The gate was opened, he brought his boat in and was just closing the gate as his partner arrived with some shopping, she stepped on board and took over the helm, well once she’d sorted herself out by which time the chap had already lifted a bottom paddle. I waited for a thumbs up from the helm. When the gates opened she seemed a touch bemused that there was a boat sitting waiting in the lock below!
Good shrubs
We paused for lunch and a top up shop at the handy Co-op before carrying on. Our aim for the day was to get ahead of ourselves again and get towards the bottom of the Atherstone flight so we could climb them all tomorrow instead of just the bottom two.
Hoovered lawn
More wonderful gardens including the one where they really must hoover the grass to keep it so immaculate!
Good clouds
Clouds were gradually gathering. Some impressive cirrus above our heads, their long whisps stretching off.
At Alvecote Marina we looked at the old work boats that moor there and hunted round for a blue boat with a bench on the bow. There she was NB Harnser having a little rest between cruises.
Needs a bit of TLC
Under the M42 where a couple were busy painting their roof making use of the shade from the bridge and easy mooring with armco.
Spartacus
A short distance on there is a little island, behind which are some private moorings, NB Spartacus being one of them. The proposed route of HS2 will pass directly over the heads of these boats as it clings to the route of the motorway.
Train!
Onwards some more, not quite wanting to get to the bottom of Atherstone today. We passed under the railway and then skirted round a small hill which we hoped would shield us from the trains. A couple of boats were moored up their tabby cat sitting watching the world go by. A bit further and we passed NB Burghley Girl, we pulled up a little way on from them as yesterday I’d seen them walking their Siamese cat. Not often you get three boats in a row all with cats. We kept our distance so each feline could enjoy their own patch of towpath.
Spot the cat
Tilly was straight out, along the cat walk at speed. She’s seen some movement up ahead that would require a pounce into the friendly cover. Would two hours be sufficient? Six would have been better!
Chicken, leek, bacon, and feta
A copy of a script was printed out as a quinoa crust quiche cooked in the oven. Time to get my head round my next show as before I know it I’ll be doing costume fittings. The quiche went down very well accompanied by some Jersey Royals, there’s enough left over for a couple of days time too.
2 locks, 14.24 miles, 2 lefts, 1 turned lock, 0 apology, 5 zoomers, 0 shots fired, 1 Saturday newspaper the last copy in the shop! 3 cats in a row, 32 pages, 1 quiche, 2 more colours on the crochet blanket.
https://goo.gl/maps/FonQdQVCRQLEW7o98
Thumbs up. Not enough time for a stamp of approval. Reusable blocks still being problematical!
Alrewas Lock to Kings Orchard Marina, Coventry Canal
Pushing off just a touch earlier than yesterday we weren’t the first to move by any means but we did miss out on any queues that might form later in the day.
Thatch
Alrewas is such a pretty place with it’s half timbered buildings and thatched roofs. On the narrow stretch it was a relief to see that the boat on the off side was no longer there, the house recently sold. Sadly I couldn’t find the details to have a nosy.
Bagnall Lock
Bagnall Lock despite it’s new (to us) gate beams still doesn’t want the gates to stay shut, luckily Mick had equipped himself with the boat hook to hold them closed for our second attempt.
A lockdown boat
A greeting came from NB Bridge Street as we passed. They had been one of the boats around Nantwich and Hurleston in the first lockdown last year. I wonder who else we’ll come across this summer?
Fradley Marina is under construction close to Common Lock, the pontoons already numbered. We wondered where the entrance would be, only to find it with a digger moving earth around and a chap stood by the stop planks, still a while before the marina gets connected to the canal system.
Iris
We swapped with a boat coming down and headed on up to Hunts Lock, here the first volunteer greeted us, each lock manned at Fradley and advance warning radioed up to the next lock.
Pulling in at the services the café was quite busy. A chap sat with his head in the clouds whilst waiting for his water tank to fill, here is a very slow tap and he’d already enjoyed a cooked breakfast from the café. Fortunately we were only after emptying our yellow water tank and dispose of the rubbish.
Mick got out the adapter and hose connectors for the wee pump whilst I got everything ready inside. Plop! “Oh BUgger!!!” What had gone in the drink? If it was the lid that would be quite easy to replace, but the adaptor would be a problem!
Sure enough it was the adaptor. Time to get magnet fishing and hope that something on it was magnetic. A few dips into the gloom of the canal and fortunately it resurfaced, a jubilee clip coming to our aid. I think we’ll be adding a few more to the adaptor before too long. Now with everything we needed we could pump out the last few days worth of yellow water to dispose of in the elsan.
The lockie at Junction Lock was absent, but the locks are really easy so I just carried on until she returned. Gongoozlers watched our ascent, one little boy being quite disappointed that we’d finished as the gates opened. A lady from an on coming boat had come to help and as the Lockie made a comment about there being a butty with the boat I realised why the ladies face seemed familiar.
Three ducks
The little lad seemed to perk up when I said that the next boat had an extra boat in tow and inside that boat I was pretty sure it would be filled with jam!
Passing Andy Tidy
Unfortunately I couldn’t remember Helen’s name at the time and we’ve never met and we were now at the point where a conversation would have got in the way of a lot of boats as two were holding back at the swing bridge waiting for us to exit the lock and turn onto the Coventry Canal. She acknowledged that I was correct about the jam just before I headed round the corner to hop back on board, Mick turning as Andy Tidy brought NB Wand’ring Bark and the Jam Butty into the lock.
Obligatory photo
One of the lockies had made a comment that we were taking the easy route by turning down the Coventry, lock free cruising for 14.4 miles. Well after the miles we’ve done in the last week and a bit, we’re allowed an easy day!
Narrow garden to the left
Now on the flat we were on the look out for places to moor. Passing the garden that gets narrower and narrower until a railway line pushes it into none existence. Fields of wheat rippling in the breeze. Streethay Wharf where the diesel is 86p a litre. Here the canal thankfully turns away from the A38 and starts to make it’s way across country towards Fazeley Junction. So far no sign of HS2 handily shown on Waterway Routes maps.
A place we’ve stopped before is Kings Orchard Marina, armco either side of the entrance, we pulled in calling it a day before lunchtime. Tilly was given a couple of extra rules due to our proximity to car parking on the other side of the hedge. Luckily no car would be going fast as the gravel seemed to be quite noisy and would put a curious cat off nosing around too much.
Finished
I finished my illustration, scanned it and printed out a couple of copies, then walked down to Hudlesford Junction where a post box sat by a pub ready to receive my offerings. The day had become much hotter than we’d thought it would.
Fender sorting
Mick clambered onto the bow to adjust our bow fenders whilst Tilly did her best to find some shade. The lower fender had maybe been a touch too low for river cruising, so Mick had removed it for the last few days. Now we are back on the canals and narrow locks it would be better if it was back on the bow to help protect the paintwork.
Attached together, heavy!
The anchor, chain and rope were all given a dip in the canal and then laid out to dry before being put back in the bucket all ready for deployment the next time. However, the next time won’t be for a while so it will all be stowed in a locker, making more space in the well deck.
