A suggested plan for the day arrived as we had breakfast, visitors expected late morning. We gave the boat a tidy through and got dressed for the weather, hot with extra hotness and a possible walk.
Today my best friend Emma was coming to visit along with her new (to us) boyfriend Soren. they are over from Australia on a whirl wind tour catching up with friends, then heading to Denmark where Soren is from. Emma was last over in January 2020, before covid struck and it’s been the longest we’ve been apart since she emigrated down under. Our trip to York this time is purely to coincide with her being here for two days.
Walking down the back lane
A tour of Oleanna for them both, then a walk along New Walk up into Fishergate sneeking a look round the back of the house where Emma’s family lived in our teenage years. We then climbed into their hire car and headed off into the countryside, the Howardian Hills just north of York. So many pretty villages, we joked about them moving back to York and buying one of the lovely houses somewhere like Coxwold.
The pub
The car was lovely and cool, the sky progressivly getting darker and the outside temperature quite a shock on gettng out of the car. We pulled up at the Fauconberg Arms in Coxwold, a very pretty old fashioned pub, much more used to having a crackling log fire going.
Soren, Emma, Pip and Mick. Emma obviously didn’t get the blue shirt memo
Their holiday has been funded by letting out a cabin in the Blue Mountains at the back of Soren’s house. He is a guide, he takes people on adventures around the Blue Moutains, absailing and cannon exploring. Then three of four times a year he is also a guide in the Himalayas! He’s a mountaineer!!
There was so much to catch up on, I think we hardly scratched the surface! After lunch, I had to have fish and chips, we drove to Castle Howard reminising about our fathers speeding along the straight but bumpy roads, doing their best to get their sporty little cars to take off back in the 70’s.
Castle Howard
When Emma had sugested going for a walk, we didn’t quite know what to expect, especially with Soren’s job. Would we be taking on a ten mile hike up and down dale? Hence me trying to get my calf improved. But instead we ambled around the grounds of Castle Howard listening to the peacocks and enjoying the rain that fell on us in the rose garden. We joked about which wing of the house we would have each and how we’d have a pimms party every Friday night in the central hallway.
Chilled medication
Some chilled medication couldn’t be turned down. Mick a little surprised to recieve his in a tub, so Emma asked for a cone. This was added to her tub as if it was a flake! A very peculiar way of serving it.
Best friends
As there were more people to catch up with we were returned to Oleanna before they headed on to their next engagement. Big hugs were given that have to last us a few more years. There’s never enough time. The only way there is more time is to head to Australia to visit them there. We just need the SJT to employ one of our favourite cat friendly actors who would be happy to look after Tilly for a few weeks.
That’s more like it!
As we’d hardly walked anywhere and my calf was up for it, I walked around the block. Up to Scarborough Railway Bridge and back again, only a slight twinge. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep up the pace now.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 rendez vous made, 58 years of being friends, 1st meeting, 1 celebration, 1 snoop, 9 pretty villages, 1 of each, 4 for the price of 3, 4 chilled medications, 2 cone accessories, 5 years, 5 hours, 1 hour for each year.
Up early for us and on the move backwards before breakfast. Time to top up the water tank, check if Kenny’s hens had laid then make a move before it got too hot, plus I had a meeting to attend at 11.
Roses fading on the gateway now
Water tank full, still no eggs. We waved NB Poppy goodbye, they are heading up to Ripon where they have permission to ascend Oxclose Lock on Monday morning to reach their home mooring. They were determined to make it to at least Linton today, a shame as a stop off in York wouldn’t have held them up that much.
A serious bow rope!
Off we set, with the aim of finding a shady mooring in towards town. We passed all the familiar sights. Someone was watering the grass just before Archbishops Palace, wonder how long they’ll be allowed to keep their grass green, he was being extremely generous with the hose pipe. No-one in the garden at the Palace, no-one swimming in the river, the sewage works particularly stinky today.
The river level was too low to see the roof of my old family home today, but the house behind it was still there. We spotted Philli heading off to work in her bright orange trousers. Under Millenium bridge about to celebrate it’s 25th anniversary. Now we looked for shade.
Ice cream boats not headed off to sell yet
New Walk has overhanging trees. For the next few days the shade would most definitely be required, mooring at Museum Gardens would be unbearable, Oleanna would become an oven. Now knowing where the chain eyes are of a wider diameter helped in our choice of mooring. Under a tree that wouldn’t waft onto the roof, perfect.
We got moored up, sent some messages, had breakfast, then I settled down ready for my zoom meeting with the production manager for panto. Lots to catch up on and discuss. I hope Gemma understood my points of view on finding a happy medium on the painting side of the show this year.
Mick headed into town to try to find me a very thin blue pen. Black ones are easy to come by at 0.05mm, but blue is more problematical. This is to outline parts of my model and a more standard 0.5mm pen would end up being a touch too wide for what I want once blown up by 25 times. He didn;t have any luck so I’ve ordered one which we can pick up at the house on the next turn around.
Terry’s
I painted up numerous roses on my portals. Jus when I thought I’d nearly finished I remembered there was another piece of scenery with more of them on it. Hopefully I’ve got them all painted now!
Time to check my calf out. I’ve been doing no brisk walking, and very little walking over the last few days, hoping that the rest would help. A parcel had arrived at a locker for me so an ideal opportunity to see if the rest had worked.
Lovely clock face
I took it easy at first, then increased my speed a touch. Down the riverbank over Millenium Bridge and onto Bishopthorpe Road. Onwards to a new Co-op amongst the new apartments that have been built up around the old Terry’s Chocolate Works. My parcel was there, but more importantly I was now not that far away from the art deco factory with it’s clock tower. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so close, so it was worth a nosy around.
The chocolate works
The development seems nice and airy, retaining some of the original buildings. A restaurant/cafe/bar/deli sits close to the clock tower, gents sat out in white shirts and dicky bow ties. I wouldn’t stop for a drink. Long avenues all seem to lead up to the clock. When I was a kid, during winter months I could just make out the shape of the tower from my bedroom window. Back along a stretch of the riverbank I’ve never walked before.
Calf verdict, much improved only a slight suggestion that if I’d pushed it more then I’d have hobbled. So complete rest seems to be what I should do when it happens again.
What?!?
Back at Oleanna I opened up my parcel. What on earth?! Beauty Equipment?! I opened up the box, phew, it was an airbrush. They must sell more to the beauty market than to artists. Here’s hoping it can cope with acrylic paints, and not just acrylic nail varnish!
Unblurry arms, Broch, Ferry reversing, halfwit candidates and double-barreled insight were topics of the Geraghty zoom this morning.
Tilly needed encouragement to return home this morning. I went calling in one direction but really should have looked at the quality of the trees the other way as that was where she came from. A pause to roll on the towpath (Tilly not me!) meant I could hoik her up and bundle her back on board before some walkers came past and delayed our plan for the day.
Autumnal Hawkbit?
The water tank needed topping up, as I walked towards Woodlesford Lock I could see that a breasted up wide beam and narrowboat were making use of the services. We’d be carrying onwards through the lock more water points to choose from today.
Woodlesford Lock
At first my key of power didn’t seem to want to do much. The lights were working but that was all. A lift of the sluices helped to bring the panel into operation and we were accompanied down the lock by the big duck family that seem to have become teenagers in the last week. We pulled back on the lock landing/water point below to top up the tank. Pretty good pressure meant another load of washing went in the machine as we filled. Behind us the breasted up pair entered the lock, there was space for them to pull in, but they had taken quite sometime just getting into the lock, so we opted to move on before they exited the lock even if the water tank was only 3/4 full.
Robin Hood still moored above the lock
A fishing match lined the banks all the way to Lemonroyd and our nearest neighbour from the marina the other week, was sat on the mooring Oleanna had been on for ten days or so. Lemonroyd Lock was full, so we could go into it pretty quickly, no sign of the boats that had followed us down Woodlesford.
Fishing from a rib below Lemonroyd Lock!
At the bottom end of the lock I could hear voices from below. Were there people swimming? Canoes? I went to have a look and spotted a few people fishing from the lock landing close to the lock. I went back to have a second look, the sight lines impossible to see into the corner. I pressed the button to open the sluices, the water careering out of the bottom of the lock. It turned out that there was a rib tied up below the lock, it was still bobbing about as we pulled away.
Poor houses!
Down the river, numerous herons stood watching for fish, the sun shone, the wind was behind us, what a lovely day to be on the river. The first view of Castleford, those miserable houses where the rivers meet! Do the owners know how thoroughly sad their homes look from the river? I wondered if you filled in the top triangle window would their mood improve?
Through Castleford Flood Lock
A cruiser came towards us, a narrowboat headed into the flood lock in front of us, we followed with a long sounding of our horn. Time to pull over for some lunch, a gap showed itself and we took advantage. Mick popped the top of the pram hood up, leaving the sides on the roof. A while later he popped out the back, reappearing as quickly as he could back down the steps with the boat hook in his hand? The side hatch was opened up, one of the pram hood sides had been blown into the water and was seen drifting towards the bow.
No point in a photo of a pram cover sinking
Mick prodded and poked, no dark blue fabric could be seen. It had obviously sunk somewhere near the hatch, but the water being very murky wasn’t helping to find it.
We’ve had this happen once before at Radford Semele. There with a boat hook and pole, the two of us managed to pull the cover out from the depths of the Grand Union. But the Aire and Calder is a completely different beast! The hook Mick had picked up didn’t reach the bottom of the canal. The longest one was brought inside, it’s length only just reaching the bottom of the canal, so all you could do was prod what might be down there. This time it was lost for good, apologies should anyone pick it up on their prop.
I found the company who’d made it for us and whisked off an email to see if they had kept a pattern of our pram cover and would be able to make us a new side. We’ll see what they come back with next week.
Time to move on, get some more miles ticked off today, we could do no more.
Bulholme Lock
Bulholme Lock was even more temperamental, I tried all sorts of things to get the gates to open, nothing seemed to work. The Lock Available light was lit. The Water Level light was lit. The Gates Closed light was lit. I tried opening gates, I tried lifting sluices, I tried closing sluices. Nothing! I tried turning my key of power, currently powerless, but it was held captive in the panel. I stood, read the panel for any suggestions, then tried pressing the Gates Open button again. It sprang into life. Maybe the heat is starting to affect the panels!
The Tom Pudding slot behind the woodwork
Down onto the next reach of the river. Long, tree lined, a touch windy still. Nothing to see really along this stretch, no cooling towers. There is still however the wharf where the Tom Puddings would be taken to off load their coal from the nearby coal mines. Mick said they should clear the channel of trees and branches, then we’d be able to go through it and pretend to be a Tom Pudding. Well he can pretend to be a Tom Pudding, I’d rather not Thank you!
The chap who looks upstream from Ferrybridge Bridge
We checked the C&RT stoppages remembering that the flood lock at Knottingley, Ferrybridge had been put into operation some days ago. Sure enough as we approached the top gates were closed, time to climb a ladder. Mick spotted a pontoon on the weir cut, was that meant as a lock landing or a canoe portage? We carried on to the lock and I climbed the ladder.
Approaching the flood lock
There was a single hander about to open the top gates. I’d close up behind the boats swapping position and return his key, easy, much simpler for the single hander. Would I get a minute brisk walking in between one end of the lock and the other, it is quite a distance, but not quite far enough to register on my app. A boat approached from quite a distance as Oleanna exited the lock, too far for me to wait to close the gates.
It must be just under a minutes walk from one end to the other at this lock.
Right at Bank Dole Junction. No sign of any mining at Kellingley today and onwards to just after Stubbs Bridge. Near the road three boats were moored up, but up ahead there was plenty of room for us to be on our own. We pulled in, found the rods on the armco to pass chains round and then let Tilly out to explore. Only 1 and 1/4 hours of shore leave. I made sure she got to see more than just the bank and took her for a little walk along the path, not going too far as the wind was really rather strong, scent eradicatingly strong. She came back with just 6 minutes of shore leave left for the day, the back door was closed and we settled down for the evening.
5 locks, 2 flood locks one in operation, 14 miles, 1 left, 1 right, 1 lunch break, 1 powerless key of power, -1 pram hood side, 2 boat hooks, 0 chance, 1 new one requested, 1 day off work, 1.87 miles walked, 11 minutes briskly, 2 outsides, 2 Mrs Tilly stamps of approval.
Back to model making today and listening to Tilly who would like to go out, her throne not an option on our current mooring due to cat health and safety legislation imposed on Oleanna. Meanies!!!!
Old and new versions
Today Mick had to relinquish the far end of the dinette table. I can confine myself to a small area, but that just means it takes a lot longer to do what I’m needing to do. Arches were remade, slight alterations to dimensions and a translucent layer added to them. For this I needed the model box out of the box and on view to see what worked best. The one scene took me most of the day, but it should now be ready for painting and explain more to those looking at the model how I would like the scenery to be built.
Now in the model box
Mick made himself scarce during the afternoon. A walk into town to look at the cathedral, Leeds Museum and the Art Gallery. The museum didn’t take long, an old fashioned informative place. The Cathedral even less time if any! Then the art gallery which held him for a while.
It could be a lily?
By the end of the day I’d finished off my model notes for panto. Time for a stretch of my legs. I decided to walk downstream along the river, then back through town. However not that far into my walk my calf hit back at me, a slower hobble required to get anywhere. This is now tedious as I want to be striding out as I was doing, but that is simply far too painful. I cut my walk short still managing to see some sights.
A giant multicoloured flower. A donkey. Some very good street art and some lovely old back streets.
Open wide!
Back to Oleanna for some chicken pasta, using things up and to finish off sock 199!
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 gallery, 1 museum, 0 catholic cathedral, 3 new arches, 1 rose table,1 bench extension, 2 chandeliers, 1.45 miles walked, 21 minutes briskly, 1 calf needing a rest, 2000+ likes for a cat sat on a throne photo, 1 cat needing some shore leave! I’m sure my 2000+ fans on facebook would agree you should let me out!
Paul Fernley Whats-his-face, Shetland plans, Sherry, Mars Bars and AI train Announcements were the topics of the Geraghty zoom on Sunday morning after we’d had a cooked breakfast without eggs.
Having a car meant we could head to Tescos to stock up on a few things that Lidl wouldn’t have, enough supplies for one onboard and a loaf of bread for Mick to take back to the house. After lunch I cracked back on with model making as Mick reset the toilet, our fourth solids bucket being put into action. Then the trolley came out along with bungees and three buckets of some old S**t headed off to go in the boot of the car then on to Scarborough to do its composting for a year or so mixed with garden waste. The fishermen must have wondered what sort of bait Mick had and so much of it!
Model bits for Act 2 were started.
Monday and Mick awaited the chaps who were coming to fit the new lean too at the house, we hadn’t heard anything from the company for a few weeks, admitedly we’d not called them last week to check they were still on track, but sure enough they were. The hope that the roofer would return today to look at some dodgy flashing that a cowboy had done a few years ago was obviously postponed due to their van breakdown…..again! Here’s hoping they turn up and sort things which will in turn sort a persistantly damp wall in the kitchen.
A healthier breakfast
Time to harvest the first of the Alpine Strawberries from the roof of Oleanna. These little plants have regenerated several times over since I bought them from an honesty box on the Trent and Mersey years ago, they seem to have enjoyed being repotted this year and hopefully there may be some berries at the house too.
Bamboo for your bum
Wiggly things and more beads stuck to wire and card today, more inventing for intentions sake. Mid afternoon there was the Hello from Mick returning with empty buckets, a huge bag of wooden cat litter and several weeks worth supply of toilet roll, he’d ordered plenty from Naked Sprout so I suspect The Shed room in the house is now filled with bamboo toilet rolls with nowhere to sleep.
We delt with the yellow water, water supplies onboard were deemed to be enough to last out the next few days. Then it was time for Mick to head off to return the hire car to York and catch the CoastLiner bus back to Scarborugh to see how the lean to had progressed during the day. Not bad, all the frames were up, no glazing but that would follow tomorrow.
By the end of the evening I’d only got one more scene to make in the model box, the walkdown finale.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 return trip to Scarborough, 3 buckets of deposits, 1 broken down van, again! 6.71 miles, 95 brisk minutes,0 new PA notes, 1 framework up, 1ft diameter giant wiggle, 47 beads, 2 more sausage days for Tilly, 1 hire car returned.
The roofers arrived this morning and stripped off the other end of the roof. There used to be a couple of windows on this section but we’ve decided that they didn’t really serve any purpose for 99.9% of the time as they were in the roof space rather than the room and we’d rather have a water tight top to the house. Mick got the chance to stick his head through where there was once roof and see if he could see the sea. I think he needed a little bit more height to achieve that.
Ready for a tidy up tomorrow
By mid afternoon the hammering stopped and the world fell silent, the roofers had insulated, membraned, battened up and added a gully where there should have been one between us and our next door neighbours concrete roof tiles. Next job will be to tidy up. Mick has helped them a bit by chopping up some of the old wooden battens and saving them for fire wood.
Relaxing on the deck
Here on Oleanna, Tilly came and went whilst I got on with finishing off my sketches for the panto storyboard. These were then scanned, trimmed, put into order, descriptions written, references added and emailed off to John in the afternoon. I could do with a speedy reply and I’m aware that I omitted to add in obligatory crates and barrels into the Market scene. There’s always a market scene! We’ll see what John thinks.
The deeper wier
Tilly was gone for quite some time, I went out to check on her, walking straight down to the tree of refuge. As I called there was no reply so I worked my way back towards Oleanna, where opposite the side hatch I could just her a faint meow from deep inside the friendly cover. Friendly cover! That is serious obsticle course, danger deep mud, entanglement! You need a PHD in catness to work your way through that stuff. She managed to work her way through eventually popping out and requiring a good wash before returning for some more outside world.
Orange Tip
Today I opted to walk down to Lemonroyd Lock, the path on what feels like the offside of the canal is tarmaced and lined with young oak trees. The sun was warming the world up again. Male Orange Tip Butterflies sat on flowers, one decided I was quite a nice perch too. There is an old gravel works wharf that you have to walk round, here Red Hot Pokers rose from the banks.
More orange tips
On the river side there are two wiers, one just a small drop, the other makes up the depth of Lemonroyd Lock. The new rowing club, that on the CRT notice suggests it’s a years trail, seems to be quite large with getting on for 8 sturdy containers all painted dark green and surrouded by fencing. A group from a local academy school were warming up on the bank before climbing aboard. They certainly give the impression they are here to stay.
The tap working again
Down at the lock todays watch from the local Fire Brigade were having a look at things, presumably should they ever need to rescue anyone. The water point was back in action, a wide beam busy watering thier flower pots and topping up their tank. A lovely walk there and back, sadly still with a hobble.
All wrapped up
The afternoon was spent doing some secret wrapping. Tilly helped. Then I had to help her adjust the card she’d got for Mick. Normally we have to hide in the bedroom to do this, but today we had the luxury of using the dinette table. Some secret baking was postponed til the morning as the butter was too hard to cream with sugar. Here’s hoping the morning warms up to help.
0 locks, 0 miles, 16 sketches, 22 references, 1 email, 1 Designer waiting for 1 Director, 3.78 miles walked, 63 minutes briskly, 4 presents, 1 cat card adjusted, 1 cake on hold, 1 roof prepped ready for new tiles.
No need for an alarm clock this morning, Off Roader came past at 6:45, it was going slowly but still the size of it doesn’t half make Oleanna bump about a bit. When I next woke up I turned my phone off airplane mode only for it to ring immediatly! It was Frank asking me to do a bit of his medical PA work. Phone numbers were exchanged only for me to find out the number was incorrect, someone would have to wait a little while longer to hear the news from Frank. The day would be peppered with messages and phone calls on behalf of Frank who yesterday had keyhole surgery and by the end of today was tucking himself up in his own bed at home.
I couldn’t see a cut on the back of the tyre
Tilly was given shore leave and vanished for a few hours only to return when I’d just got going on my first Teams meeting with John in Chippy regarding panto. John and I caught up on news and how he felt last years panto had gone. The Chippy audience are a vocal lot and the local crowd had found Cinderella set in Columbia the year before a step too far. So John’s choice of twists to story lines are a little more traditional at the moment. Beauty and the Beast is still set in a foreign country though, closer to home in France in the 1890’s.
The meeting went well, we chatted through all the scenes, what was needed for each along with what wasn’t needed. My 335 photos were appreciated , favourites pulled out and taken note of. Two locations were altered requiring me to do a bit more research after our meeting, my pinterest board now having 370 images pinned to it.
Close to where HS2 was to be
I needed a walk to think things over, so opted to walk towards Leeds in the sunshine. Pacing and thinking is good along with looking at the scenery. Two ladies sped past me as I hobbled along, I suspect they were out doing the same thing but without an injured calf. I did better than I thought I would, just hope I haven’t pushed my calf too much today.
Whitby
In Scarborough with no roofers due today, Mick opted to get on the bus up to Whitby. This was a very popular route and as it went through places like Goathland it even had a recorded commentary for the passengers. Then onto another bus to bring him back over the moors past Fylingdales where the giant golf balls used to be when I was a kid. He opted to hop off the bus in Thornton le Dale a very pretty village with a stream running through it, and caught a more direct bus back to Scarborough. He had a phone call confirming a booking at a marina we’d been waiting to hear about too. A jolly day out on the North Yorkshire Moors.
Ready to start sketching in the morning
I made contact with the costume designer for panto and had a bit of a chat with Paul the Technical Manager, he’s considering purchasing a narrowboat in the next few years, so I suspect there will be lots of boaty conversation when I’m in Chippy. The printer decided to have a wobble, but I got things to print out in the end. Blanks for sketch groundplans and a blank for the storyboard. With these done I decided to give myself the evening off rather than getting only so far into the next phase before bedtime.
0 locks, 0 miles, 4 hours shore leave for 1 cat, 90 minutes for 1 human, 2.94 miles walked, 52 minutes briskly, 7 hours at work, 370 pins, 2 new locations, 0 new flying bars, 0 roofers! 1 Frank at home 2 days earlier than suggested.
I opted to walk ahead again today, covering the same route up to Bank Dole Junction that I’d walked a few days ago. Then onwards crossing over Trundles Lane Bridge turning left to walk along the towpath towards Ferrybridge. A lady walked her three dogs, all pretty strong. Other dogs made a beeline for them, smaller dogs barking and straining on their leads for blood! Just what was it about these woofers to cause such a fuss?
Freda’s garden is an immaculate length of the towpath. Roses, Lilies, shrubs all very pretty and cared for by the community in Freda’s memory Freda used to live in a cottage by the canal and she treated the stretch of towpath between Cow Lane Bridge and Shepherds Bridge as if it were her own garden, it is now tended by volunteers in her memory.
Hello!
As I approached the flour mill Oleanna was catching me up, Mick knocked back the revs to accompany my pace. Boats were moored by the amphitheatre, rope added to old mooring ring fixings to make this possible.
The path up high
The path then moves to on top of the bank, a narrow strip of land separating the canal from the River Aire with it’s weir. The flood lock would be open today, so I’d arranged to be picked up just before it, my brisk minutes done for the day.
Ferry Bridge
Out onto the River Aire, under Ferry Bridge designed by John Carr in 1797. This reach of the river used to be interesting, but since the cooling towers of Ferrybridge Power Station were demolished it’s just another river with willow trees exploding their seeds everywhere, the air thick with them.
Someone has tried to add a bit of interest by building a wooden structure, possibly for a tree house or just a good place to launch oneself into the river. Under the A1M, the railway bridge. Then Bulholme Railway Bridge came into view, the lock off the river just beyond it.
Key of Power in hand I emptied the lock, a cruiser was getting ready to come down, so the lady pressed the buttons at the top end for us. Now to find a mooring.
The bank is high here
We didn’t want to be too far along and be near the permanent moorings as the boats there tend to run their gennies late, very late at night. So we were pleased to see plenty of space nearer the lock to tie up to. Tilly got to have an explore, her second outside of the day, before we headed out to do a bit of shopping in Cas (Castleford).
The nearby Premier shop didn’t have anything for my lunches, todays special had been a foot long hot dog, so we had to carry on into town to the supermarkets. Morrisons did it’s best for us and a red onion was purchased off a green grocer. We made sure we crossed the river on the curvy bridge so we’d get some respite from the cars.
Curvy
On our way back to the boat we called in at what we’ve always thought was a garden centre. They had a Thyme plant, my old one bought from a boat had finally died last year. There was also a big bag of kindling which Mick picked up. They also sell a LOT of booze, kegs of beer and bottles of all sorts of flavoured spirits.
This afternoon I went through CV’s of potential props makers and put the top six in order of preference. Then I started to collect reference pictures for Panto. Set in 1890’s France I had a lot to look through on Pinterest and set up a board to look at later.
Just by the dry dock a pretty car
2 locks, 1 open, 8.2 miles, 1 left, 0 cooling towers, 1 lovely garden, 2 outsides, 1 pooped cat, 1 sunny day again, 1 thyme plant, £6 bag of kindling, 1 heat wave now guaranteed to continue, 1 PA catch up, 6 possibles, 6.43 miles walked, 53 minutes briskly, 1 warm chicken salad.
Tilly was given shore leave, she could have most of the day if she wanted it. We settled down and enjoyed poached eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms on toast, oh and some black pudding sneaked in there too, yummy.
Sunny Naburn
Then a phone call made us reconsider our existing plan for the next few days. Mick needed to be at the house, I needed to be at York Hospital for an appointment and now there was another appointment which if I could attend it would be a good thing. We’d planned on staying in Naburn until our booked passage back to Selby. Yesterday I’d taken photos of the bus timetable, only every two hours. If we headed back into York however, we’d both be able to walk to the station and hospital making things much easier. Decision made, we’d be heading back into York.
Next pair finished
We emptied the yellow water into our container and Mick walked it to the elsan hoping to catch the Lock Keeper to check on times for our departure in a few days time. The number of boats that had arrived in the last hour suggested Kenny might be busy penning them all down and sure enough he was.
A second trip to the services proved better timed. Our locking would be at 12:45. Mick also enquired about passage from York to Barmby Lock where you gain access to the River Derwent and the Pocklington Canal. When he’d asked about this in Selby, Nigel had said levels were low, but hopefully by the time we wanted to head that way they would be improved. Kenny however said the Pocklington was now closed until October! Someone had left a paddle up and drained the canal and with little water available to top it up…. well!
Time about to tick away in the breeze
We may need to replan our summer. That is the second waterway we’d hoped to cruise this year closed until October. We need to confer with Graeme and Vicky, if we can get hold of them.
Tilly was encouraged home. It’s good this outside, can we keep it for a while? Sorry!
We untied and pushed off, heading back upstream. We’re getting to know these five or so miles very well! A Kingfisher decided to escort us after we’d passed Bishopthorpe Palace, staying until I’d got a reasonable photo of it.
Hello
Where should we moor? We’d only just pulled away from Museum Gardens and the mooring there has very little shade for the increasing temperatures. Or should we pull in on the rings by Millennium Bridge where the Chilled Medication boat moors during the day, there was lots of spare room there. With the sun out the medication would be flying out of the boat, hardly a good place for Tilly to get shore leave. So a touch further on where there was currently shade, also the rings in the bank were big enough to pass our ropes straight through, so not too much hassle mooring.
I had a slow walk around the block, but my cold meant I fell far short of minutes and steps today. I called into Alligator to see if they had any millet flour, but sadly they didn’t. The lady tried her best to sell me other gf flours or even some bread, but all I wanted was some millet flour to try out some recipes for myself.
Lines in the sky
Mick headed off late afternoon to Scarborough. He caught the train he used to catch when he worked in York 11 years ago, in case any of the regulars were still traveling, but no-one was familiar. Tilly and I had a quiet evening, the boat cooling down after the high temperatures today, I got on with blowing my nose and knitting whilst Tilly got on with her cat naps.
News on the Strawberry Island Cruising Club flotilla to London. All boats have arrived in London, but a fire at Maida Tunnel has split the flotilla in two. Some have remained in Little Venice where Cavalcade is this coming weekend, whilst others are on the Eco Moorings nearer Kings Cross. Here’s hoping the tunnel reopens on Friday so they can all make Cavalcade.
0 locks, 4.9 miles, 1 more river and canal closed this summer, 1 shady mooring, 1 wee tank empty, 2 outsides for Tilly, 1 train, 25 minutes late, 1.98 miles walked, 22 minutes briskly, 1 pair of socks ready for hand delivery, 1 pair of socks finally designed, well 1 more alteration from heel up, 9pm generator stopped, 10pm generator started up but on the move.
A lazy start with the Saturday newspaper in bed, listening to the Abbey bells. We were up in time to join the Geraghty zoom, breakfast had to wait for later though. Subjects covered, empathy, sheep with hankies, sponsored relay cruising and a walkie talkie lunch.
We forgot to defrost some sausages, just as well really
Yesterday we’d found some gf black pudding so that was added to our egg, tomatoes and mushrooms. Tasty.
A walk down to the lock to see if a Keeper might be about. The door to the little hut was open and Nigel was sat relaxing, he’d had an early start checking the levels up on the Ripon Canal this morning. We checked that we were still booked in for tomorrow and heard that there were five or six cruisers headed from Naburn this afternoon. That would be worth coming back to watch, we headed into town to see if we could find the Easter Bunny.
Selby Abbey
We’d missed all the fun by the market cross. The Abbey was setting up tables for something later today. Not many people about. We had a good wander around.
An added porch
Houses for sale, this nice looking little terraced house down Rupert Street, wiped clean of any interior detail. Mr C’s Chippy, now when did we have 2 of each from here? Did we have a car at the time? It turns out it was when we were waiting for the River Ouse to come down on our escape from Goole in 2021, Tuesday night is GF night.
Lots of period features
Down a side street towards St James the Apostle Church. A row of rather fine terraced houses, one of which is prime for some TLC, filled with original features. But would you keep the avocado sink and toilet?
We made our way back past the station and my favourite door in Selby. It used to roll to the sides and has had some remedial work at some time. But the tarmac on the pavement restricts any possible movement along with brackets at the top, possibly holding it now to the building.
Such character
Back at the lock the first of the cruisers was coming up off the river. Just as Nigel was dropping the water for the following boats they arrived. One winding to face the tide, the gates just opening in time. The other winded a little further down stream and then made their way back to the lock and entered before Nigel had given the go ahead. Nigel wasn’t too happy with this.
The Lockies Key of Powerful Powerness!
Several gongoozlers watched on, crew from the first boat came to help, but all were very much kept in check by Nigel, looking out for everyone’s safety. Ropes round bollards and risers these two boats were penned up. The boats had all timed their arrivals with penning up in mind, good gaps between them.
Bank Holiday Cruisers
The next arrived winded and had to stem the tide for a bit as the lock emptied. The next and final boat came past the lock, winding further down stream. Would they both fit in the lock together? The lead boat was nudged right up to the top gates. Tail end Charlie waved in to join them, directed by the Lockie, instructions relayed by the crew to the skipper inside the cabin. A perfect entrance to the lock, the skippers first time turning into Selby and their first time on a river!
Close to Oleanna was a newly arrived boat. We stopped to say hello thinking they might be joining us tomorrow. But the crew despite having boated for well over fifteen years and been just about everywhere, they have never gone on tidal water. They’d come and watch tomorrow and give it some more thought.
Really boring walk!
I was short on my walking for the day, so carried on past Oleanna to see if I could find Staynor Hall which looked like it was surrounded by a new Persimmon development. I walked round into the houses. Looked for what I thought would be an old building but could see nothing but a green modern school building at the back of some playing fields. It may still be there somewhere, but disguised in a plain modern building.
I tried to find a path back towards an older housing estate, but found it fenced off, so had to return through the land of little boxes. The road arched round to Denison Road which brought me back to the Swing Bridge. Time to put that joint of Pork in the oven.
The flotilla appears to have now split into three. Two crews having headed back to their houses for Easter, another two in Hemel and I’m not sure where the lead boats are now. Happy Easter to them all. Just incase you haven’t signed it yet, here’s a link to the Fund Britain’s Waterways petition
0 locks, 0 miles, 8:45 start at the tip, 4 slices black pudding between us, 1 slow walk, 5 cruisers, 0 space in the basin, 5.36 miles walked, 48 brisk minutes, 1 joint of pork, 2 beers, 4 glasses wine, 1 quiet evening, 0 Easter eggs, 2 chocolate oranges left from Christmas.
