Category Archives: Family

Panto Postcard 2, 2025

76 hours

Monday morning, I was back to it. Today publicity photos were going to be taken. I spent the morning sorting out dressing for the market scene. Lettering on banners, cheeses galore and plenty of goods on the M&S stall. With a few roses added for good measure, we were ready.

Lots of lettering was needing to be done, so with the aid of the photocopier and carbon paper I drew things out and started painting them. By late afternoon three of the actors headed off to put on costumes and prepare to have their photos taken. Marie, Pierre and Fifi arrived in their fab costumes, the first time I’d seen any of them along with the set.

Tuesday morning I popped into the Co-op to see what might be cheap for my tea, sadly the sad gits isle was pretty empty, I’d not be saving any money on tasty morsels unless I fancied eating many toffee apples!

Much of the panto scenery had now been stashed behind the backdrop, time to work in the six foot space back there and leave the stage to the actors. But what to start on? I decided to try to finish off all the stonework walls so that numerous roses could be added. But that wouldn’t keep me going for the remainder of the day, so after the first colour I changed to work on the kitchen set. This would be needed for a rehearsal tomorrow of what is known as the slosh scene, so any painting I did on it would need a coat of glaze over it for protection. This meant I ended up doing quite a long day. Just about everything on two pieces of set were completed, just magenta dots to add at a later date.

Wednesday morning it was time to get the big dustbin out, grate up shaving sticks, add a drizzle of glycerine with some hot water to make the slosh, all mixed up with a paint stirrer on the end of an electric drill. The large rose for the proscenium had it’s petals stuck together into one big flower. The new paper version of the rose far better than the one I’d made last week which was really rather butch, a rugby player version of a rose.

Late afternoon the Pippins arrived and started work on another scene, in the laboratory. Once they’d cleared the set I could carry on with painting up the rest of the kitchen scenery. The biggest problem most Scenic Artists have to cope with in life is the mixing of certain colours, pink and especially grey! I needed two shades of grey for the fridge, I started off very tentatively with just a small blob of white, then started to add black to reach the correct shade. Thankfully this worked and I only ended up with a small amount of grey rather than the usual bucket or two of fictional shades! Just pink dots to add to the kitchen and that scene will be finished.

Thursday we were joined by Dave Snell. In previous years his brother Ade has built the set for Chippy, Dave lives in Bloxham, not far away and is also a carpenter. We were in need of a narrow table for the show. Try as we might we’d not managed to find a suitable table cheap enough to cut down, four turned legs had been purchased from ebay and Dave was here to put them together with a top narrow enough to get on stage and strong enough for people to stand on. By the evening it was ready for rehearsals, filler needed leaving overnight before I could start painting it though.

During the day I laid out objects on the laboratory bench and table, then met with John and the actors to check what items would be needed for experiments. Everything was labelled up, we just need to find time now to fix things down, cut holes, attach strings and add lights to everything. I would like to pass this on to someone else, but they really need to be concentrating on so much more, it’ll end up being me.

I made sure that I was finished in time to catch Sainsbury’s before it closed and got back to my digs just before 9pm, cooked some pasta which didn’t involve chicken, then sat down to watch the Traitors final half an hour after it had started. Mick had been warned, so I got no spoilers from him. So I’d managed to watch both finals of Traitors and GGBO pretty soon after they happened, so no-one could spoil the outcome. One winner was a shame, the other very well deserved.

**Paul having added lights to the big rose**

Friday. Lights in roses, handheld, around the set and the giant one for the proscenium. Paul spent time on gearing up a remote controlled car to be really rather slow. The walkdown set got some added colour, then I added lots of gold curly bits to some frames. Bits and bobs had a coat of glaze added to help them keep clean. Just about everything is now painted with it’s final colours, just the final touches to make things sing that bit more. Final job of the day was to give the floor a second coat of teal, two weeks of actors and crew walking and moving everything on it had taken it’s toll.

Mick was up very early to catch a train over to Wigan, along with Paul Balmer they assisted Chris on NB Elektra up the flight. Hopefully Mick will be along soon to tell you about his day.

Saturday morning. The stage felt sticky under foot, for some reason the emulsion has a sticky dry finish. This sadly meant that by the end of a busy day on stage the floor looked pretty much as it had done before I’d put the second coat of base colour on it!

**Waiting for the stagger through to start**

Four hours was set aside for a stagger through of the show. I’d opted not to put my dungarees on this morning as I’d be sat taking notes, this surprised many people as they are not used to me being in civies. Six handheld roses were made from scratch during the stagger through, lots of notes made.

I filled up with a jacket potato for lunch getting ready for an evening painting the floor. The Lighting Designer focused his lights, thankfully finishing a little early. Brilliant, I thought I’d be able to get things masked out on stage and spray the design on. Well except the sound designer was about and was positioning speakers here there and everywhere. This meant that the stage got filled with pieces of scenery, making it hard to mask things out never mind tidy up the 2nd coat of paint from last night. Eventually I managed to get the stage cleared, a dryish roller did the job of cleaning up the floor, only for it to be walked over whilst still wet! I wasn’t impressed!! Touched up again I now had to wait for things to dry.

**Floor sprayed and drying before a coat of glaze**

Sound checks were happening, but pretty quickly stopped when I turned the compressor on to spray the floor, there’s no ignoring the constant noise! Thankfully the spraying didn’t take too long to do. A cuppa and chat whilst fans aided drying, by 10pm I was able to start applying the first coat of glaze. Fans positioned again, another cuppa this time accompanied by a mince pie whilst waiting for the floor to be dry enough to do the second coat. All done, things washed up and out of the building at a little after midnight, two hours later than planned, at least it wasn’t 2am!

**Ziggy trying to help herself to a drink**

No lie in on Sunday morning, I had a rendezvous with Liza from the costume department who is also staying at the same digs. I was just about ready by 9am to catch a lift to Burnham station to hop on an Elizabeth line train into London. Liza headed off to meet a friend and visit some exhibitions. I swapped trains and carried on to Stratford, then a bus to Hackney to my brothers house.

**Photo taken before Mick realised what he’d done.**

Mick had headed down yesterday and we had a very pleasant evening with Andtrew and Jac. However, Mick was out when I arrived. He was on a very important trip to the Left Luggage at St Pancras station to collect a bag containing his laptop that he’d left on a train earlier this week. On Tuesday Mick had headed to Oleanna to hook her up, program the inverter. On route, he’d collected our second Brompton from being mended in York. When he reached Oleanna he opened up the electrics cupboard and realised he was missing his bag with laptop in it. He worked out where the train he’d been on was going to and when it would return. He headed to meet it in Nottingham, only to find the luggage shelf empty. A left luggage request was made straight away and thankfully by the end of Tuesday news came through that his bag was in London, hopefully still with everything inside it. Thankfully everything was present and correct and his laptop was soon unlocked.

**Winter pavlova at the London Leckenbys**

A very nice meal with Andrew and Jac, slow roasted lamb with potatoes and a salad, followed by a winter Pavlova, all accompanied by plenty of wine and conversation. A very good Sunday had by all.

0 locks, 0 miles, 8 train journeys, 2 many hours working, 1 new laptop, 1 left laptop, 1 boat still needing winterising, 1 set nearly painted, 2nd and 3rd coat, 1 large footed sound designer, 3 days of the magic food bowl, 7 hour roasted lamb, 20 hours with MIck, 1 more good Sunday. 1 apology for a late posting.

Panto Postcard 1, 2025

66 possibly 68 hours

Mick having been given the okay to drive again meant that instead of a seven hour train journey to Chippy we hired a car to get me and all my kit down to Oxfordshire for work. Tilly got really quite worried as I packed my bags, she stayed at arms length hoping that she’d not be bundled up into the cat caravan to move again so soon. She was safe though and was left with the magic food bowl for the night.

I’m staying at the Old Bake House again this year with Rachel and Geoff, I had one night here two years ago and remembered that you have to take care on the wooden steep staircase up to your room. However, this time I’m in the room that Jo (the old props maker) used to stay in which has a bath in the eves of the roof, I’ve had to ask her the best way to get in and out of it as on my first attempt I was worried I’d not be successful in extricating myself and end up being in the bath all week!

The drive down was okay, we dropped bits in at the theatre where the stage had been made ready for the get in and the stage floor was about to have it’s first coat of paint, then we headed for a curry. Two years ago we’d tried one restaurant which wasn’t that great, so we headed to Cafe Raj. We were the only people there, the occasional take away being collected, but they felt the need to put the music on to help create a bit of ambiance, which really wasn’t needed. The food was okay.

Then to the Blue Boar to meet up with Gemma (Production Manager), Chris (Production Carpenter) And Tom the sound designer, this year is Toms first visit to Chippy Theatre. Nice to have a chin wag and catch up with people before the morning.

**Louisa and Paul sorting out the print for the portals**

Monday, first thing was to put the model back together again. It’s been about three months since I last had to show the model so it took some thinking about. Meet and greet with the company and a cuppa, this was to be followed by the read through. I’d hoped to be able to attend this, but I was needed on stage sorting out the printed elements.

Somewhere between me giving the final approval for the print and it arriving at the theatre extra length had been added! Not ideal when things are meant to marry up on joins of existing flats! This was all quite a brain ache for us all. Model was shown to the actors and the costume designs shared too, then it was time to put my dungarees on and see if there was anything I could paint. Not much but I found things to occupy my afternoon.

Around 4pm the built parts of the set arrived in two vans. Jamie the builder had come for a nosy and to talk things through. Everything had a base coat of paint on it, which is fabulous, it saves me several days work and getting in the way. The auditorium very quickly filled up. Time for a drink with the actors then the tradition of fish and chips. Unfortunately the Blue Boar was packed, it was half term, you could only eat if you’d booked, so we all ended up at the burger van instead.

Tuesday, I opted to finish painting the largest pieces of scenery for the castle. This was achieved in the day along with a few other bits and bobs. The portals were hung and Gemma, Chris and Paul did their best to get things aligned with the print. They did as well as they could, I may have to go up a ladder and add a few extra lines if things annoy me and I have enough time to do so.

In the afternoon sliders were taken out into the garden, which then became a paintshop as I sprayed them with a darker blue towards the edges. These will get some gold lines too at a later date when things are more complete.

The traditional fish and chips had to happen today, so Gemma went to see if she could book us a table at the Blue Boar, they were booked up again! Thankfully though Checkers could accommodate us, the fish and chips not quite as good as I remembered them at the Blue Boar, but at least we’d managed to get some.

**Paul, Louisa, Toby, Gemma, Chris and me**

Wednesday, I moved onto working on some of the walls. Min the props maker officially started, although they’d been around for the last two days. I’m very used to Jo turning up with a car load of props already made or partly made on her first day, so I was a little surprised with just a lot of stuff that arrived that still needed to be worked on.

**Spiking the set, putting down marks on the stage**

Places to fly things were put in the rig, large trucks were made for bikes and early afternoon we worked through the show marking on stage where everything should go for each scene and trying to work out where it would all go when not on stage! A larger shoe horn will be required this year.

**Health and safety chat before we showed off the set**

Mid afternoon the Pippins (local children who form the chorus) joined the actors in the auditorium for a health and safety chat and then we ran through the set, showing everyone what each scene will look like. Well nearly as much of it still needs the painting to be finished. Stage Management were mob handed and the scene changes seemed to go really well, here’s hoping it stays that way when they are down to a team of two on a show. Gemma and Chris headed off back to Bristol and Bath at the end of the day now that everything was more or less on site.

**Props labelled, even the ones that didn’t need it**

Thursday. I’ve been trying to walk around the houses to keep up my brisk minutes on the way into work. Today I walked round almost to where my previous digs have been before in Chippy. It was nice to walk down Spring Street again, but I was disappointed that there were very few Halloween decorations outside a house by the theatre, they normally really go to town.

**Wall finished, just waiting for roses**

From now on rehearsals are on stage. I managed to get a second piece of wall finished, just one more to go, but that was buried behind a lot of stuff. Rehearsals require props, many appeared labelled to within an inch of their lives, crates and trays labelled with options, I could relay information to Min who has set themselves up with a workshop in the foyer. Props for a photo call needed to be prioritised. The attic storage was gone through, more items labelled.

Once the actors had finished for the day there were a couple of hours to be able to work on things on stage before finishing at 8:30 to grab something to eat and make it back to my digs, eat and be ready for Traitors by 9. I’m not so sure I’ll manage to get home in time next week though.

Friday I discovered that the Co-op sad gits section can have ribeye steaks in it! I opted for a wild mushroom risotto, which was very nice. I’ll be popping in on my way to work in future to see what I can get cheaply.

The choreographer and I set things out on a lab bench before rehearsals started. I had a go at making the giant rose to hang on the proscenium, but the yoga matt I’d bought turns out to be too thick and it’s turned into a Rugby player kind of rose, I need to rethink it. Props were requested and sent into rehearsals, not many the actuals yet.

**Anna, Louisa, Paul, Jack down the front and Toby who got rather hot in his costume**

It being Halloween, the theatre crew had opted to dress up. We had the Cat in the hat (Paul) and the Kitten in the hat (Jack his son), not sure who the others were meant to be, but that’s because I’ve not watched certain films. We did have a moment when the cat got stuck in a truck, but we managed to get him out again.

Instead of going out trick or treating I ended up spending what was left of the day hunting round the internet for fake food only stopping when I heard the clock downstairs chime midnight. Not what I’d planned on doing with my spare time, but someone had to do it.

**Yep the bucket fits! Amy the Choreographer**

Saturday morning was spent trying to find suitable ingredients for the slop scene. I managed to get lots of brisk minutes in walking from one end of town to the other to buy cocoa.

The actors were in for the morning. The set was wrapped up in plastic to help protect it should the slop in rehearsals get flung a bit too far. Buckets were tried out for size, overalls put on, then all slop was let loose! Quite a mess and quite a spectacular effect was achieved, I won’t tell you about it as I know some of you will be seeing the show, but it had us all in hysterics.

With the stage to ourselves for the rest of the afternoon, roses were flame proofed, I put first coats on the lab bench and table, things were tidied up for photos on Monday. Then I concentrated on getting the band surrounds to match the back cloth. This was all very simple on the model, a bit of paint followed by some water. Now it is all 25 times bigger I needed to use a sponge to try to match them. A good weeks work.

Sunday, a lie in, a bath now I know how to get out of it. A walk down to where I think the old station used to be. The Geraghty zoom included Goldie and the Gingerbreads, the Beckhams and avoiding trick or treaters. Unfortunately last night my laptop hinge gave up the ghost which means my camera doesn’t want to work, so I joined audibly instead.

Then at 12:30 my cousins Ian and Sally arrived to pick me up and drive out to Great Tew to the Falkland Arms, a lovely thatched pub with a lot of beer jugs hanging from the ceiling and an open fire, all very Cotwolds. We were joined by their two daughters Jenny and Sam. A very good Sunday lunch was enjoyed by all, Sam and I making the most of the gluten free extras we could have, all washed down with a couple of glasses of wine. A very lovely afternoon with the family. This is now the third year in a row we’ve managed to get together, we must try to get my brother along next time.

Meanwhile in Scarboreugh, Tilly is having to cuddle up to Mick every night and has spent sometime inspecting our neighbours washing and the inside of our tumble drier. The 50m cable Mick thought he had doesn’t seem to exist anymore, so more has been purchased. Weeds have been chopped up and the brown bin is full for collection. Annie our lodger has moved in, she was nearly joined by another actor at the beginning of the week, but that didn’t need to happen in the end.

Nearer to Chippy the South Oxford Canal opened up to boats on Monday. During the seven days the locks down to Banbury have been open 178 boats passed through the Claydon Flight. We’re very glad we’d not tried to get down to Banbury now, as much as it would have been nice to be home at the weekends we would now be stuck.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car, 0.75 socks, 1 pair delivered, 1 awkward bath, 1 blue floor, 3mm not 15mm, 1 butch rose, 200 pretty roses, 300 foam roses, 4 rose bushes, 2 vans of set, 3 windows finished, 2 walls finished, 1 visit to the kebab van 1st fish and chips, 1 baby, 164 brisk minutes, 34.84 miles walked, 5 Leckenbys out for lunch.

Out In The Open. 14th September

Massey’s Bridge, a little bit further on

Breakfast, poached eggs and mushrooms on toast this morning. Then 16,000 views, weighty porridge, poor Olive and Sue Pollard were all topics of conversation on the Geraghty zoom.

With rain forecast for this afternoon followed by strong winds tomorrow we opted to move sooner rather than later away from any trees that might come down. I walked ahead to check for a suitable mooring, more or less back where we’d moored a couple of weeks ago. Only 0.1 mile, but that would do for us.

A quick comfort break for me before I strode off on a walk, hoping to return before the rain set in.

The towpath here is a lovely surface for cyclists and today they were making the most of it, but soon they veer off onto the old viaduct heading to Melbourne. I popped up to have a look at it myself. A great view back towards Swarkstone. Messages have been added to the iron work to encourage exercise, with bees and butterflies to jolly things up even more.

Back on the towpath I carried on to Weston Lock, where I turned towards the Trent. The path became more and more muddy, soon the reason why became obvious. A large gravel pit with diggers, in fact just about the whole north bank has been taken over, very glad I’d put my walking boots on today as the mud in places was quite deep.

I’d walked down here to check to see if the hotel across the way was where we’d attended a wedding a few years ago. We’d considered mooring NB Lillyanne by Weston Lock, but the lack of river crossing meant we’d ended up in a hotel in Castle Donnington. It was The Priest House. A little less idyllic today from the north bank surrounded by diggers and then there was the roar of cars going round Donington Park Racetrack. The car park looked busy though, maybe racing drivers staying at the hotel.

**I nearly came a cropper in this puddle**

I walked along the river bank until the path brought me to more gravel works, a lake marked on the OS map had very little water in it, but a good quagmire of mud to wade through. Under the railway and then along quite a good track to the canal, crossing over it at Weston Grange.

Weston on Trent was founded in 1012 by King Ethelred the Unready. Weston Lock on the canal was built in 1770. The village was split in two when the Midland Railway branch line was built in 1873, and a station served the village until the 1920’s.

Lots of cars seemed to be heading up towards Weston Hall which is now the Coopers Arms, a popular carvery by the looks of it overlooking a lake. It was built by Thomas Roper in 1633 and is one wing of what would have been a much larger stately home, however the rest f it was never built.

I could hear the tinkle of a bell, bigger than the one Tilly wears. A look across the field I was about to enter I could see a chap walking with a bird of prey on his arm, sadly I’d missed it in flight.

Next came St Mary The Virgin Church, which dates back to around 1280. Many of the grave stones have been moved to the edges of the yard. Quite a few of them have been carved from what looks like slate. A line of them dating back to 1769, whoever carved them had a very curly style, very flamboyant, but it does make them a touch hard to read.

A path brought me down to Hospoda, Ukrainian Country Social Club which was quite unexpected. Down a steep path back to the canal. The little bit of dampness in the air thankfully held off really going for it until I was back, tucked up inside Oleanna.

The rain came down, Tilly insisted on exploring, returning very soggy and muddy. The rain came down more, there must have been quite a social gathering in the sideways trees to keep Tilly outside for so long! Some work on panto filled the afternoon until we popped a chicken in the oven to roast.

0 locks, 0.1 miles, 6.21 miles walked, 103 brisk minutes, 2 heavy muddy boots, 1 very soggy afternoon, 1 soggy moggy, 1 file of cloths for printing sent, 6 sketches requested for Separate Doors, 1 roast chicken.

https://what3words.com/glow.probing.plump

Ham or Chicken. 31st August

Burton on Trent / Derby Hospital

10 out of 10 and 8 out of 10 for the blind date was relayed to the hospital where Bran Flakes had been served up this morning along with a request for a banana.

I joined the Geraghty zoom, very good to see all of Mick’s sisters, there seems to be a touch of hospital relay race going on in the family, one out, one in and another waiting to go in. Here’s hoping in a few weeks everyone will be at home and all sorted. Subjects discussed today obviously included medical things, armed guard drug deliveries, jazz hand sight tests, pulling the whistle and poo dominoes!

I packed a bag for Mick, our hope is that if I provided him with several clean sets of clothes he’d end up not needing them, fingers crossed. A new set of pyjamas was requested, no washing of clothes allowed on Oleanna at the moment to conserve water, plus his ear plugs. Last night after one chap had finally persuaded the staff to let him go home despite there not being a full array of his drugs to take with him (the missing one he had plenty of already at home) a new patent was admitted. Everyone on the ward has been affected in different ways by their stroke, this poor fella needed his bed changing several times during the night which obviously was quite disturbing for everyone, especially himself.

One bus company don’t run on Sundays, I had to make sure I wouldn’t end up being stranded either as the buses stopped late afternoon. A visit to Primark on the way to catch the bus then it zoomed it’s way up to Derby.

Mick was making full use of his chair, it even had an extra gel pad to sit on. No new news and no visits from a doctor of any sort, he’s just in a holding bed, or that’s what it feels like. In the bed opposite is a chap who has lost more sight than Mick. The Occupational Therapists had taken him into a kitchen on the ward and asked him to make a cuppa. ‘I wouldn’t know how, I never make tea, my wife does it’ ‘What sort of things do you cook?’ ‘I don’t, my wife does the cooking’. He was also taken for a walk down the ward then asked to find his way back to his room, ‘How am I meant to do that?’ He’s certain they have written that he is stroppy on his notes and isn’t allowed home because of this. He did offer Mick some positive news that 18 to 20% of people who have sight loss after a stroke make a full recovery, wonder if he’ll ever be capable of making his own cuppa!

We chatted, swapped clothes over. Took a photo so everyone can see he’s still with us. He insisted on me taking the photo of him pulling that funny face. Good job he was a telephone engineer and not an actor hamming it up like that! Mick ordered roast chicken for his dinner which sounded like a good idea, so I headed off to catch a bus that would have me back in Burton in time to do some shopping.

How do single people manage to shop? It’s been twenty odd years since I lived on my own. I wanted just a chicken leg to roast with some veg. I could only buy them in fours. The freezer is full of the things we had delivered last week so no room for three legs in there. I ended up buying a small chicken to roast.

Micks chicken breast looked like it had been grown in a lab, mine had tarragon and garlic under the skin. Mick had watery things that resembled sprouts, I had crunchy broccoli. Mick had gravy that had been nuked in a microwave, turned slightly chewy towards the edges, I had gravy with wine and tomato puree in it. What I didn’t have was little packets of salt and pepper though!

0 locks, 0 miles, 4 sisters, 2 buses, 1 pyjama set, 2 clean pairs of pants and socks, 1 cheese salad, 1 bored boy, 1 stroppy chap, 1 well used chair, 1 small chicken, 1 cultured chicken, 1 bored cat, 0 new neighbours on the cut, 2 boaters 1 cat with everything crossed for tomorrow.

Speeding Through X-Ray. 28th August

Burton on Trent / Derby

There was a message from Mick when I woke. At 2:30am he’d had the news that he was being moved to a different part of A&E. Here he would have a bed rather than a reclining chair but more importantly he’d be moving away from Chatty Man who hadn’t stopped talking!

**There seems to be a thing about crocodiles around here**

I packed a bag with all the things I should have packed yesterday, neither of us had thought he’d be staying in the hospital for long. The X38 bus works on a loop, so I returned to the station and climbed aboard, the destination on the front of the bus was Burton but it would carry on back to Derby on a slightly different route. Blimey it doesn’t half whiz along the A38 back to the hospital! Now I just had to find firstly where A&E was then ‘C side’. It really doesn’t help when the staff refer to part of the hospital as side, rather than area which is on the signs. Logic had me walking into the right bit of the hospital in the end.

Mick was in the second bay, a wide bay all to himself! Peace and quiet too, well apart from when the hospital had woken up around him. Breakfast, blood pressure checks. He’d seen a doctor from the stroke unit, had similar tests as yesterday. Hopefully soon he’d be on his way up to the ward.

Phone was put on charge, there were things for us to talk about. It’s times like this you stop and think about things that have been on your mind but other things, everyday things get in the way, so they get filed away to the side. We’ve been meaning to sort out Power of Attorney for each other for the last few years, but never got round to it. There were other things to discuss as well.

Yummy! Lunchtime. Hot food or a sandwich?

Egg and Ham on white sliced for Mick, the side of the packet said ‘Just For You’! My chicken mayo sandwich brought from home looked a lot more appetising!

Still we waited, we’ve got waiting down to an art form now!

The number of messages we’ve received from friends sending healing wishes and love, offers of fish pie from Australia, offers of company, offers of help with the boat from our boating friends has been very humbling. Thank you all so much for your support. Social media has it’s problems, but in our nomadic life it is a great connection to our friends and family. If there is anything people can help with I will most certainly ask, for now we’re fine.

A phone call from Frank, little signal so I went outside to chat to him. Medical PA Duties for two clients now. Frank had had a procedure this morning, but was more interested in how Mick was doing.

As I walked back to Mick’s bay there was a porter and nurse, bags packed and he was about to be moved up to the Acute Stroke Unit. Blimey that porter must get plenty of brisk minutes walking in every day, I managed to keep up, many wouldn’t have! Along one corridor, a handbreak turn onto another. A short cut through xray, Micks bed swinging round corners, one poor chap in an electric wheelchair had to quickly get out of the way. Did this porter have blue flashing lights going? The only time we stopped was when we reached the lifts to climb to the forth floor.

Round a few more corridors to the ward. ‘Who’s this?’ ‘That way’ ‘In Here’. A tourniquet (collective noun?) of nurses and medical staff stood at the entrance to the room where Mick was to be. As his bed approached they swarmed round him, mobbing him. I was directed to a waiting area, I’d be called when they finished.

All wired up to his own BING! machine. He was now in the right place for tests, observations and crockery with his meals. We waited. I headed out to see if I could find small bottles of shower gel and shampoo. Nothing in the hospital, an Aldi across the road. Shampoo choices were amusing. I selected and returned. It didn’t seem like there would be much more happening today so I left him with the jolly staff, hoping to be able to give Tilly some shore leave when I got back to Oleanna.

**Tilly has her own fur super hero mask, unlike this cat**

Photos of hospital not-so healthy food were sent to me. He had CHIPS! I made do with chicken pasta. A shower was taken then he was rigged up to a super dooper heart monitor, results taken to a doctor. Three BING! machines in the room reduced to two which gradually worked them selves to be in unison. Time for him to try to catch some sleep and me to cast on the next pair of socks.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 buses, 1 boat across the way, 1 hours shore leave, 2 bottles of toiletries, 1 ft of tubing, 40 minutes brisk walking, 1 super speedy porter, 5 handbrake turns, 1 near miss, 1 mob of nurses, 1 boyfriend with Kevin Keegan hair, BING!

List. 3rd August

A veggie cooked breakfast to help finish off some courgette fritters we’d had the other night. Then the Geraghty zoom. Only the Scottish contingency joined us today, others were off at Woodcraft Folk, Everton and Berlin. Topics included the Scottish Police, curiosity, cousins and a desk under the stairs.

We turned into Shireoaks Marina, this is where the services are and topped the fresh water tank up whilst Mick had a shower and the washing machine ran. Once winded, Mick brought Oleanna out of the marina and we headed down the three locks.

Nine years ago we hadn’t been able to open the bottom gate at the top lock, we’d had to call CRT out who ended up having to drain a pound. This was also the time we got chatting properly to Alison and Laura who then owned NB Large Marge, they are more commonly known as the Margees, even to this day. We ended up cruising the River Trent and Ouse with them and Jaffa their parrot that summer. Today the going was far easier.

**Today there was a Fund Britain’s Waterways cruise to Baits Bite Lock on the River Cam**

We decided to stop a little bit before our destination today. A short distance above Deep Lock there were some big rings on the bank. Here Tilly could have some shore leave, where as if we carried on to below Deep Lock there was a pub and car park, not Tilly friendly. Before she was allowed out we walked down to Sainsburys for a few bits as we’ve got some visitors in the next couple of days.

NB Hugh Henshall one of the Chesterfield Canal Trust trip boats was heading towards us , a short distance on they would wind then come back to drop people off. Three trips out today from The Lockkeeper pub. They had plenty of crew waiting to work them through the locks, another trip still to do today.

As the afternoon went by another boat came past us from the marina, they were most likely going to moor by the pub down Deep Lock. After a while Mick noticed that we were now on quite a bit of a list. Was this due to Deep Lock being 9ft 8″ deep and the lock above only being 2ft 3″, plus the trip boat having filled Deep Lock several times today without letting any water down from above, most probably. With tomorrow being an assisted passage day back through Worksop the last thing we wanted was to be stuck on the bottom in the morning. Time to move pounds to below Deep Lock.

It took some effort to get off the bottom, then at the lock I waited for Oleanna to be very close before filling it. With two boats already on the moorings below the lock we opted to tie up on the lock landing, it was unlikely that anyone else would arrive now, it being 7pm and we didn’t really have much option. We’d make sure we were off and on our way early in the morning.

6 locks, 1.3 miles, 46 minutes brisk, 1 full water tank, 1 bag of treat lunchy stuff, 2 clean boaters, 3 hours shore leave, 1 listing boat refloated.

https://what3words.com/smug.shut.slowly

Residuals and Birthdays. 24th, 25th May

Lemonroyd Marina and Hackney

Another look through my sketches this morning before I sent a link. Time to forget about panto for day or two. Time to think about how we’d be getting back into the marina tomorrow after a night away. Still no-one had returned Micks phone messages, still no-one had replied to an email he’d sent yesterday, still tumbleweed!

I sent a message to Sarah from NB Honky Tonk, well actually right now they live on Dutch Barge Pheonix. Might they be about tomorrow at around 4pm to be able to let us into the marina? She offered us a spare key and came to meet us at the gate. A quick exchange of greetings and thanks before we were off along the towpath to Woodlesford Station.

From here we headed to Leeds, one stop, the dark red widebeam still moored just above Office Lock on the Leeds Liverpool Canal. Out through the barriers to pick up something for lunch, M&S didn’t do too well, but I found a nice chicken salad. Then onto a train bound for London, time to catch up on a bit of knitting as the countryside whizzed by.

London was busy! It usually is, flashing lights and being funneled out of the station, was something happening, or was this just to accommodate football fans heading to Wembley? A long wait for the No 30 then we could sit back and enjoy the ride towards Hackney. That was until the bus decided to change its destination! Oh well we’ll get the Overground one stop. Nope that was closed for the weekend! Back on the bus, finally reaching our destination.

Today, Saturday, is Jac’s birthday. Big hugs all round and Josh had made a surprise visit for the weekend. Cuppas and chats, followed by exchanging presents. Jac got a mattress topper and some olives from us, Mick got an oil filter wrench and a head band to wear in bed which has flat speakers, so he can keep up with the test matches abroad without having ear buds in.

Glad rags on, and face mask off for Jac, the next guests arrived bang on time. Jane and Kevin, who were over from Australia on a celebratory trip for a significant birthday of Janes earlier in the year. We last saw them in 2022, since then they have married, so there was even more to celebrate. Andrew and I grew up with Jane and her sister Emma, so there was lots to catch up on. Their celebratory trip funded by Inspector Morse, Jane was in an episode and her residual payments from one episode tend to be enough for a trip back to the UK and Europe every few years. A friend of Josh’s, Mia, bobbed in on a break from work to wish Jac a happy birthday. The pub where she works was very quiet this evening, so she managed to get the rest of the night off and came back to join us.

**Pip, Mick, Josh, Mia, Jac, Jane, Andrew and Kevin**

A very lovely evening, with very good company, a huge salmon, apple cake and homemade ice cream and maybe just a little bit too much wine!

Sunday morning there was only really enough time for a cuppa in bed with Ziggy and Finn and a brief chat with Andrew and Jac before we headed to catch our train, it was far too early for us to see Josh! Bus and tube, enough time to buy something to eat for brunch on the train then we were hurtling our way back northwards.

Tilly had looked after the boat well, but was understandably seriously bored!

Time to return the key to Sarah and Phil on Pheonix. We were invited inside for a cuppa, it’s always a bit of a shock going inside a wider boat, soooo much room! They bought Pheonix just over a year ago, Phil is tall and NB Honky Tonk was just a little bit too low when they decided to live onboard full time. NB Honky Tonk is moored on the Trent and Mersey currently and used to cruise further south when there is time.

**A rather good clock on the underground**

We’ve followed each other on Instagram for a few years and recently Sarah was added to the Ladies of Finesse group, so it was really nice to finally meet her and Phil. NB Honky Tonk was launched about a year after Oleanna, so we had quite a few things to chat about in common. Their evening meal was just about ready so we did our best not to disturb it too much and headed back to Oleanna to finalise a supermarket delivery and get something to eat ourselves.

**Kings Cross waiting for our platform**

Still no sign of anyone from Aquavista!

**Bridge over Lemonroyd Marina entrance**

0 locks, 0 miles, 4 trains, 3 buses, 1 tube, 7.32 miles, 51 brisk, 1 birthday party, 2 antipodean visitors, 1 surprise son, 1 lovely evening catching up, 2 much wine, 2 M&S lunches, 1 loaned key, 1 good old chat, 2 boats Tonks, 1 load washing, 2 loads drying, £10 added to our account, 0 Aquavista.

https://what3words.com/inherits.places.tropic

I’ll Be Wearing Orange Trousers. 27th April

Museum Gardens, York

Subjects covered on the Geraghty zoom this morning included, 10 year old shopping, 10 pin bowling, the Popes Funeral and rowing. This has been relayed to me as I was out walking to meet a complete stranger somewhere on the river bank.

It was lovely and warm, but I had to keep my red fleece and pink (used to be red) cap on as I looked out for a woman wearing orange trousers. Our route had been confirmed along the east bank of the river and which streets would be walked. A message came through saying that she’d set off from her end, I set off at speed hoping to get back onto the river bank before we met.

Once on New Walk I kept my eyes peeled for a pair of orange trousers, had she meant bohemian orange trousers? Or hi-vis orange work wear? Past where we’d been moored last week I could see the occasional flash of bright hi-vis orange, yep that had to be Philli with Pickle her dog.

Philli owns Sabrina W on the York University Rowing Club moorings, we’d been trying to meet up to hand over a pair of socks, but she’s been working nights and could only call in before 8am, not a time that we are usually dressed. Big hugs and a treat for Pickle then lots and lots to talk about. I am the first Facebook ‘Boat Woman’ she’s met and the first time she’s met another Phillipa, well she’s a Philippa. Both born and beard in York with connections to Fulford. Then there were connections to the world of theatre and the learning disabled. Try to stop us talking in the sunshine, poor Pickle was getting a touch bored of all the gabbing. I did however find out about the temporary path on Fulford Ings.

A few years ago when the river had been in flood constantly for what felt like months and the moorers could only get to and from their boats by rowing boat, the amount of sewage that escaped from a pipe that crosses the Ings was appalling. Manhole covers were excrement volcanos! She had obviously made quite a fuss about this and last summer had a visit from Fergal Sharkey, who has been campaigning to stop the water companies from discharging sewage into the rivers. Well soon afterwards work started on replacing the old sewage pipe. Well done Philli.

Finally I handed over her socks, her favourite colours and a portrait of Sabrina W. Thank you Philli for the photos of them later on, it was great to meet you and yes we will visit when we’re next in York, I really want to have a look around Sabrina W.

Back to Oleanna for a late breakfast and potter before the London Leckenbys came by on their way to the station. A food parcel of pork and salad bits was deposited with us, hugs all round then they were away to Scarborough Bridge and the station, Andrew and Jac back to London and Josh returning to Manchester.

Sitting out in the sunshine we awaited our next visitor, Diana an old family friend. It was lovely to see her and show her Oleanna, she now can picture us onboard when I post photos on Facebook. There was lots of news from her family to catch up on and news from Fulford, sadly most of this was about people passing away. None the less we had a very jolly two hours in her company.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 boat women met, 1 pair of socks handed over, 1 very late breakfast, 3 Leckenbys on their way, 3 meals worth of leftover pork, 1 Diana, 1 kg put on, 4.22 miles walked, 51 minutes briskly, 1 more day of indulgence to come.

*If you watch the film about Sabrina W you’ll see how Selby has changed. I can’t imagine pushing round Selby Swing bridge now and polling a dumb barge through it, hefty hefty work!

Goodramgate Curry. 26th April

New Walk to Museum Gardens, York

Preparations for moving the boat today with guests onboard. We undid our means of tying to the chains and just passed the ropes round them as a temporary measure, covers were rolled up and flattened, life jackets at the ready should anyone require one.

**How many boats? York will be full when we get back**

Our passengers arrived, the London Leckenbys, we found a gap between trip boats and day boats and pushed off, winding to head down stream. The boys were at the stern and Jac and I at the bow. Several landmarks were passed, numerous cruisers pulled out from York Motor Boat Club, then we slowed right down to align with the grid line on our maps.

A pesky day boat was close on our tail and didn’t understand that we wanted to try to hover in the river, so they were totally in the way! They shouldn’t have been that far downstream anyway!

The roof line of our house was spotted, photos taken. We winded and tried again without the pesky day boat, but we’d ended up too close to the bank for a better view holding against the flow of the river. At least we’d all seen our house.

Back into town. Under the bridges, Skeldergate, Ouse, Lendal. Andrew had been keen to continue on to Clifton Bridge, but we quickly spotted a narrowboat sized gap in the moorings so slipped into here quickly before anyone else got it.

On the opposite bank the world was very VERY busy. Today was the Roses Regatta. York and Lancaster Universities had gathered to battle on the river. Crowds lined both banks and announcements were being made. We’d timed our arrival very well, further up stream and we’d most probably have ended up being part of the regatta.

Cuppas and cake all round as boats headed off upstream to race back a km of the river. The red rose boats seemed to have the edge on the pale blue York team, in fact the final score was 5 to Lancaster 3 to York.

We split up in the afternoon, the London Leckenbys headed off to do work and jobs at the flat whilst I walked up stream along Clifton Ings where flood water is kept until the river recedes when there is flooding in York. Back into town through Clifton, passing the old cinema, St Peters School then back down Marygate to the moorings.

A quick freshen up and we were out again, heading into town to see what the Guy Fawkes Hotel was like. Back in the 70’s this was Youngs Hotel and on Saturday lunchtimes you would find my Mum and Dad sat on stools by the bar with a group of friends. We’ve not been in for decades so were interested to see what it was like now. Well it’s grown in size a touch and seemed to be very popular, we found seats in the yard and enjoyed some nice beer and wine.

Then a walk to near Monkgate. When children in the 70’s Dad would bring us to an Indian Restaurant called the Taj, he was well known here. He’d spent several years in India at the end of WW2 and I’m not sure Mum’s version of a curry wasn’t quite as good as that he got in the restaurant, after all back then ingredients for foreign cuisine were scarce. The other day I’d spotted The Bengal Brasserie, almost where the Taj had been, this had been a no brainer where to eat tonight.

It was busy and quite noisy. A dish each, most of which we’d not tried before, a couple of vegetable sides and some rice and nan breads. A very nice Indian meal, it would have been nice to have been able to turn down the volume from another table, but other than that it was lovely. We finished off with another drink, this time at The White Swan.

Another suitable day celebrating Daddy Fatso’s Birthday.

0 locks, 3.5 miles, 2 many boats, 2 many rowing boats, 3 boys at the stern, 2 girls at the bow, 60 ft space, 8 races, 6 miles walked, 78 minutes briskly, 6 pints, 4 glasses wine, 5 cobra, 1 bottle, 5 mains, 2 sides, 1 curry for Fatso.

https://what3words.com/bats.chose.retire

Everybody Blow. 25th April

New Walk, York.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna