Category Archives: Flowers

Boris Said We Could. 12th 13th May

Lockdown Pickup mooring

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yummo! 3rd May

Lockdown Mooring 4A

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vegging Out. 30th April

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

Yesterday I’d checked with the greengrocer about what time they start delivering their veg boxes, luckily for us it wasn’t too early so we didn’t need to set an alarm clock. We had our usual cuppa in bed and then set off back to bridge 95 not quite a mile away.

Here we hunted for the holes in the concrete edge we’d made yesterday. Mick found the one for the stern, but try as I might at the bow it hid from me, only showing itself when we pushed off later! Once our spikes were in we made better note of where they were for next week.

Time for breakfast, we could have been there for half an hour or right into the afternoon, but fortunately it was the former. Around 10:20 I got a phone call to say our box had arrived. Mick got out and waved, our box was laid on the towpath for Mick to pick up so that distances could be maintained. The chap said he does a big delivery to a boater at Venetian Marina which then gets passed on along the Middlewich Branch. This is where I’d got the idea from, the local Covid-19 Boaters group on facebook.

What had we got? I was excited!

I’d requested no cauliflower, but some garlic and a sweet potato. The rest was a mystery, a £15 mystery.

1 lettuce, 1 very long cucumber, a bag of new potatoes, 2 huge parsnips, a bag of carrots, 1 sweet potato, 2 bulbs garlic, 1 aubergine, 1 small butternut squash, a bag of tomatoes, 3 bunches of spinach, 2 onions, 1 red onion and some broccoli. That would certainly keep us going until next week.

Clem’s (or Nantwich Veg Boxes) does different sized boxes, some just veg, some just fruit, some a mixture. I’d gone for £15 veg as that is roughly what I’d spent on their market stall a few weeks ago. Next week I suspect we might still have a few bits left so I’ll try a mixed box of a similar size and see what lies within one of those.

If we could put together a big enough butchers delivery then we’d only have to use the supermarkets for pasta, rice, flour, milk etc. oh and wine boxes! Mick managed to get another Sainsbury’s click and collect at the weekend so any gaps we have will be filled with a bike trip along with getting our Saturday newspaper. Plain gluten free flour however is proving to be impossible to get unless ordered direct from Doves Farm in a 16kg bag!

As we’d be needing to top up with water in a day or two we decided to headed on into Nantwich today, cutting down on our movements. I walked to give me calf muscle a stretch.

All the Blackthorn blossom has gone, but is now being replaced by Hawthorn, weighing down the branches so they almost meet the Cow Parsley reaching up from the towpath. I suspect in a few days time the blossom will be fantastic, Narnia in May. We’ve often been up near Crick and Houdini’s Field at this time of year and some of the stretches are glorious.

Rubbish and water dealt with we pootled on to the winding hole, turned and headed back out of town to Hurleston. We could see a very big black cloud heading our way, would we make it in time without getting wet. Sadly no.

The boat that had been in the spot we’ve started to call home had moved on this morning before we left, but this afternoon had been replaced by another. We knew we’d fit in the gap, so resumed sharing rings.

Time to plan our menu for the next week. Eating up the more perishable veggies first. We don’t tend to eat that much salad, but we may do over the coming weeks. Chicken Curry new style, salmon and spinach pasta will use the spinach up. Just how to shoe horn the glut of potatoes into everything. Well tonight we had fish pie with a mash topping (I normally do a crumble top) with a nice side salad.

During the evening I started sewing the button band onto my treat cardigan. This took quite a few goes to get right to start with, but it just about worked out before bed. I just need to finish the end with a few rows of blue, then just a few finishing touches, find those buttons I bought in Devizes, block it and it will be ready to wear. I seem to have enough yarn left over to possibly make a matching hat too, bonus!

0 locks, 5.5 miles, 2 winds, 2 straights, 1 cruise before breakfast, 1 box of fresh yummyness (see above for item numbers), 1 ray of hope, 1 full water tank, 0 rubbish, 1 big bag of recycling, 1 weeks menus just about planned, 1 cardi nearly done, 3 hours shore leave, 1 new neighbour, 3 pooh buckets on the towpath.

Remote Control. 23rd April

Lockdown Mooring 4

An alteration to my routine was called for. I tend to get into work in the afternoons and because of that and wanting to listen to what is being said at the daily press conference from London I keep missing out on a walk. So I decided to rearrange my day a touch, heading out for a walk returning for lunch, then I could get on with work.

Today I plotted a route to walk, around three miles with the aim of seeing a house I’ve not noticed from the canal before, Wardle Old Hall which sits at Bridge 101 of the Shropshire Union Canal. Most of the route I’d be covering I’ve done a few times now but that can’t be helped, so I chose to cross over the canal and return across the fields to Stoke Manor.

Recently people have been saying how clear the water has been looking with the lack of boat movements. Sadly that is not the case here. Boats still move for shopping, water etc, but there is far far less movement than there normally would be on the Four Counties Ring. Instead of the canal clearing so we can see the fish and what lies below our hulls the canal is growing murkier and thicker. Last night we’d noticed a layer of scum which was starting to collect trapped by the bridge hole behind us. Today the start of weed was very evident along my route up towards Barbridge.

There was lots of activity on the side of the reservoir. At least eight Fountains employees were cutting the grass and trimming the nettles working their way round the two boats now moored there. I did a double take as one lawnmower was moving around by remote control. I’ve seen the little robot mowers before in peoples gardens, but this was a fully grown up big cutting machine a chap walking alongside directing it with a joy stick. At least he was getting his excersise without having to man handle the big mower along the slopes. I was then surprised to see another chap walking his way round the steeper sections of the bank with a mower, maybe the big one is too heavy to get to the top.

Onwards towards Barbridge I walked, the earlier time of day meaning there were fewer people about. I got just past Stokehall Bridge when a muscle in my left calf went ping! Damn!! This has happened before, several times, normally during the colder months. I took a few steps further, not as bad as it’s been before, but I shouldn’t antagonise it more than I had to. I’d managed a mile and was turning round before I’d reached my goal, a hobble back to Oleanna.

Wild Garlic. I’d like to find a patch of it away from the towpath and make some pesto

Another four sketches were achieved, some closer images which require better faces. Some looked good, others not so. The play works it’s way through all four seasons and I was a little bit unsure as to when we went into Autumn, a quick text to Amy and that was sorted.

My sourdough starter was fed and returned to the proving shelf whilst the excess was mixed with several different flours, milk, cocoa and chocolate.

Baked in the oven for 25 minutes, then left a short while to cool just enough. The result was good, but could have been a touch better. I’d had to substitute the main flour for rice flour which tends to be a touch thirstier, so this may have dried the mixture out a touch too much. Next time, if I’m allowed to use so much chocolate again, I’ll reduce the amount of arrowroot and add a touch more milk to see if that improves things.

Listening to the press conference we both commented on how badly Matt Hancock was delivering his spiel today, he had no idea of what he was saying, he can’t have read it before hand. We listen to what is being said at these conferences and find ourselves commenting at the TV, our comments are getting louder and LOUDER each day!

We’d not seen Tilly for most of the day, she’d returned home for a drink and a short snooze mid afternoon, but now cat curfew time was getting close. A quick call along the towpath didn’t work, so I hobbled down through the gap into the field. More calls. She wasn’t along the left perimeter where she’s popped out from the last few times. I called and called.

Maybe she had gone to climb the trees in the centre of the field?

Was that a Crow over there? On the other side of the field? It was too big for a crow. It moved so it wasn’t an inanimate object.

I got Mick to pass me the camera and zoomed in on the black shape walking away. That black shape had four white paws and holey tights!

TILLY!!!!!!!!

NO acknowledgement what so ever, just a swifter walk away from me. At least we knew where she was. Should we leave her to come home on her own? No, we knew she would now be tiered, tired like a little kid who won’t go to bed giving you all the excuses that you can see straight through. Oh for a remote control cat! We could turn her round and bring her back straight across the field!

Instead Mick put his shoes on, decided that going to the right would be the shortest route around the boundary to get to Tilly. Off he set. Ten or so minutes later I phoned him. Tilly was on the other side of a hedge from him doing the toddler thing and meowing about being busy! No point in trying to pick her up because she’d find enough energy to wriggle herself free and then be far FAR too busy to come home. Words of encouragement were the only way forward.

A while later I hobbled back to the gap to see what progress had been made. They were on the opposite side of the field now, Tilly was leading the way home following her scent, the longer way round the field. I tried shouting, but neither Tilly or Mick could hear me. Back to chopping veg up for a stir fry.

Then half an hour after Mick had set off I could hear his ~~no quite so~~ encouraging words just on the other side of the hedge. Time for me to take over.

As she popped her head out from the sideways trees I could see just how exhausted she was. Luckily she knew the best thing to do was come inside and have some food and a drink. Then she took herself away into the bedroom where she curled up for the night only to be disturbed once by us making the bed up.

I wonder where she’ll get to tomorrow!

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 remote control lawnmower, 1 miles there, 1 ping, 1 hobbling mile back, 1tsp maple syrup, 4 sketches, ? more figures just to impress, 12 brownies, 2 shouting boaters, 1 shouting cat lady, 1 cat just visible, 0.75 miles walk for Mick, 1 totally exhausted cat, 0 lap sitting tonight.

Short Of Nothing We’ve Got. 20th April

Nantwich Embankment

As we’re near a water point the washing machine was put to work whilst we had breakfast, another load would be needed before the drawer was empty again.

Mick headed off to Sainsburys with a bike and lots of shopping bags leaving me to walk in on my own for a few bits. The Alms Houses on Welsh Row are even prettier than before, their gardens growing greener every day. Forget-me-nots and bluebells contrasting with the red paintwork. I think they are my favourite buildings in Nantwich. They just need a visit from Frank Matthews to replace the spikes on their roofs.

In town I first visited Holland and Barrett being asked to wait outside until someone left. A chap on a bike joined the queue behind me saying he’d had short shrift from a lady in a different queue earlier today. She’d bitten his head off rather than give him a polite answer and a smile to his question. He preferred our queue.

Tulips and Wallflowers, they remind me of Rowntrees in York

Holland and Barrett was the first shop I came across to bring in measures to protect everyone, and with each visit they add more. Today I was invited to use some hand sanitiser as I walked in, both members of staff wearing masks. They had brown rice flour but no gluten free plain flour. Two bags bought and I was quickly out of the shop, I can now see if I can persuade my sourdough starter to come back to life with the aid of a cabbage leaf.

Next the bakers. Mick is very partial to cheese twists from Sainsburys, sadly they hadn’t been available when our shopping was picked this morning. There also hadn’t been time to pre-order a pork pie from Clewlows, so a cheese and onion pasty and a medium pie would have to do instead.

Boots to stock up on eye drops, at the till they had some hand sanitizer so that was added to my basket. Then round the bend to Home Bargains where I joined the orderly queue down the side of the building. As I neared the front door Mick came past pushing our click and collect order. A quick once around the shop and I’d found hand wash and some new clothes pegs, we could now hang the washing out with confidence.

Back at Oleanna, Tilly was closed in the bedroom whilst all Micks shopping came in, disinfected and stowed. Then she was locked out of the bedroom as I brought my shopping in, then back in the bedroom as the final items were disinfected.

Sadly for Tilly we’ve decided to stay in Nantwich another night so for some of the afternoon we had to cope with her protestations at the back doors. Once she’d visited her pooh box she calmed down a touch.

Tomorrow she will get a fresh box, she’s really done her best to use shore based facilities and this lot of litter still has life in it even after three weeks! As a treat her escape pod came out, I was told off for not getting the roof on it quick enough though! This can only mean one thing, a river cruise. Hooray!!!

The whirligig was put up with washing on it, but during the afternoon the wind got up, making sound effect noises at our windows. Despite having new clothes pegs Mick decided to put the washing on hangers in the pram cover, safer than having to fish it out from the cut!

Some more work on my illustrations this afternoon. One I was very pleased with, another not so. Faces either work really well for me or take several attempts. On the virtual poses I’ve been using, the head of one of the characters seems to be a touch too big for her body so I’m having to adjust it as I go. Still plenty more to do.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 bike of shopping, 1 pleasant queue, 1 pasty, 1 pie, 1 lot of eye drops, 2 bags flour, 0 plain flour, 1 big pork joint, 1 red cabbage, 1 leaf, 2 loads washing, 1 escape pod, 1 happy cat, 3 illustrations, 2 episodes of The Nest.

A Touch Further. 15th April

Lockdown Mooring 4

Today Mick had extra errands to do on his bike other than just the click and collect from Sainsburys. I’d managed to track down a local timber merchants that is open in the mornings Richard Potter Ltd. A quick phone call this morning and bingo they had dust masks! I go the chap to put a pack aside for me. I’ve been wanting to get on with some painting of Oleanna, which of course requires the existing paintwork to be rubbed back. When doing small areas I haven’t bothered with a mask in the past, but in the current climate I’d rather not be adding any dust to my lungs.

Just about any suitable masks on the internet were being snapped up by those wanting to wear them day to day when outside, so I was relieved to be able to get hold of some locally which are suitable for the job in hand.

As Mick cycled away I checked on my stock of sandpaper, nothing, well it wasn’t where it should be. I knew I was running low anyway so that and some masking tape were added to Mick’s list.

Whilst he was away shopping I continued to reread Communicating Doors by Alan Ayckbourn. The theatre in Vienna were interested in putting on the show next year, but had been told by previous designers that it wouldn’t fit on their stage. A month or so ago I’d come up with a possible layout that might work, the other day I read Act 1 and today Act 2. If the director can live without having a bath I think I have a solution. Who knows whether the show will be mounted, but at least I can say that they could do it. Austria this week are lifting a few of their restrictions, allowing smaller shops to reopen. It will be sometime before theatres open their doors again. Here they were the first things to close, so in my mind will be the last to reopen. But there is no harm in having a show up your sleeve.

Mick returned with the shopping, walking along the towpath. Only one thing was missing from our Sainsburys order and that was hand wash. We’ve just opened our last bottles and in normal times we’d buy more to have in reserve.

This afternoon I decided to extend my walk a touch and head off on footpaths to see what Stoke Hall looked like in comparison to the Manor. I walked northwards along the towpath to Stokehall Bridge 99 where I headed north east across fields.

A bridge over a stream meant I just had to have a game of Pooh Sticks. I both won and lost, the longer stick being faster than the shorter thicker one.

The hall soon showed itself through the trees. A Grade 2 listed building from the 17th Century it has been extended through the centuries, mostly during the 19th Century. Three storeys red brick in Flemish Bond it doesn’t look quite as imposing as the Manor does. But I hunted down the details from when it was last on the market and their photos are far better than mine. The interior has wonderful panelling and a small blue swimming pool adds to the seven bedrooms and similar number of reception rooms.

I crossed the freshly ploughed field aiming straight for the stile on the far side, few foot prints to follow on this field. Then a short distance along the road before climbing into a field with a couple of horses.

Stiles a bridge and a hedge to negotiate

The footpath took me across grazing land, over small planked bridges and over stiles in hedges. A farmer plough his field heading uphill whilst the path I followed took me past last years cut off stumps of maize.

My OS map showed a trig point, so I veered off the marked footpath to spot it. Not much good for it’s purpose now as it’s surrounded by trees, but it’s still there.

I then continued straight along the footpath to where a stile brought me onto the road that leads either to Cholmondeston or Nantwich.

Next I had a choice to walk to Venetian Marina and Cholmondeston Lock, returning along the canal and past Lockdown Mooring 1, or to follow a road to the west which would see me passing Stoke Hall again. The former won, the road was a touch busier than I’d expected.

Walking up to the lock and standing on the bridge above the bottom gates I sighed. On the 23rd of March we’d known what was coming and headed up the lock for the last time. This is starting to feel like another life, another time.

I now followed the canal back to Barbridge Junction. Many of the boats that had been there three weeks ago are still moored in the same places. I spotted a couple of boats that we’ve seen moving, now back on their home moorings and got to say hello to a lady who is a member of the local Covid boaters group.

Back on the main Shropie a lady paused whilst gardening to have a chat. Her and her husband have been busy tidying their mooring and we’ve said hello each time we’ve passed when going for water. She said I must have been a long way, which I had, a touch further than I’d imagined, but it was making up for not working our way up the Cheshire Locks on the Trent and Mersey today. We chatted away across the cut, their boat was being painted when lockdown happened. Luckily the painter has been able to continue work, but all they’ve seen so far is photographs. I suspect we’ll have another chat the next time I pass.

0 locks, 1 walked over, 0 miles, 5.7 miles walked, Act 2 read, 1 solution, 3 masks, 2 boxes wine, 7 black plastic bags, 2 grades sandpaper, 2 rolls masking tape, 3 days quarantine, 3 on the offside, 1 Hall, 2 horses, 6 kissing gates, 4 small bridges, 2 sticks, 2 gardeners, 15 minutes chat, 2 concerned home owners, 3rd chicken left over meal, hash with an Indian influence, 1 shouty boat up the locks, 1 shouty boat down the locks.

Listening. 10th April

Lockdown Mooring 4

Rules were read and Tilly was free to explore to her hearts content. 9 hours! We were expecting lots of footfall today along the towpath, but it wasn’t that bad. C&RT are trying to discourage the masses from filling the towpaths, especially those that are narrow and where 2m distance is an impossibility.

Their first poster was far too wordy and you would have had to be seriously bored and nosy to stop to read it.

Yesterday they put out another version which is a touch more to the point in a polite way.

The other message they put out yesterday was to not visit or move boats over the Easter weekend. This was to discourage people with boats in marinas coming out for a jaunt over the holiday weekend. We also felt that the instructions were for every boat owner including us. Stay put, so we listened and did. We only saw two boats moving today, they both winded and returned, one pulling in just past us, the other pausing for a while before carrying on back towards Nantwich.

Mick cooked us a very nice breakfast, well I had some bread, there were eggs and bacon that needed using too so it would have been silly not to. It was even a two course breakfast with a Hot Paw Bun for pudding. No need for lunch today.

Mick got the chairs out and tucked himself away in the garden. From Oleanna’s gunnel to the worn path it is over two meters, then my tape measure ran out of it’s 5 meters before it got close to Mick. So I reckon the bottom of our garden is about 6/7 meters away from the boat. This now means that Mick can happily listen to the cricket and I can listen to other things, well I know what’s going to happen with the cricket. There will be lots of twists and turns to the plot before the nail biting finish.

I had intended doing a little bit of work today but instead I decided to catch up on some listening. Pre-boating days I used to listen to radio plays as I made models at the top of our house in Scarborough. I miss that, so instead of reading something myself I listened.

The first two installments of The Community Hall Roof Fund, written preformed and produced by Venerable Bickers. Link available on Spotify. This is of course a pseudonym for a friend of mine in Scarborough. He was a very good sound technician, so the quality of the recording is very very good as are his sound effects. It’s a little bit Ayckbourn meets Monty Python and has several references which takes me back to my Stephen Joseph Theatre days. A very amusing listen, I wonder where it will take us next?

Vanessa Brooks is a writer/director and founder of Seperate Doors which champions learning disabled actors. I have worked with Vanessa in the past and hope to in years to come. She is producing short stories, introduced by leading playwrights such as Timberlake Wertenbaker, Our Country’s Good and Jonathan Harvey, Beautiful Thing and Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.

A Significant Change in the Weather leaves you room to fill in the gaps in your head. Not jolly but thought provoking.

The Lagoon is a much lighter piece, set partly on a cruise ship, it had me chortling out loud.

All are very much worth a listen. I may be biased as I know both the writers, but I hope you enjoy them too. I’m very much looking forward to the next episodes and stories which will come over the following weeks.

The afternoon was finished off with a walk up to the reservoir and around it’s circumference. A haze blurred the distant views but I was glad to be away from the Blackthorn blossom which seems to have given me hayfever. A cockerel had escaped and a poor lady brandished a large net on a pole in the hope of catching it.

Central on the water is a floating island which looks like it is being used for inspection purposes. The white poles we’d noticed from the canal are quite sturdy. Paul from Waterways Routes confirmed our suspicions of their purpose ‘they are probably surveying markers to see if the embankment is slipping’.

They cluster around an area where the bank is lower than elsewhere and a wall of armco has been added on the water side in the past. Perhaps after the Toddbrook Reservoir incident any slippage is being monitored more carefully.

Daffodils were out enjoying the sunshine and Peacock butterflies rose into the air dancing with each other deciding whether they fancied each other enough. A lovely walk on my own whilst Mick listened to England fighting back at the cricket.

0 locks, 0 miles, 6 rashers, 6 hash browns (our last), 2 buns, 2 lost dogs, 2 reunited dogs, 2 moving boats, 1 spot of buttercream, 1 perpetual jumble sale, 2 itchy eyes, 1 circumnavigation, 96%, 2 butterflies, 1 exhausted cat, 0 Lapwings.

Empty. 4th April

Lockdown Mooring 2 to Lockdown Mooring 3, Calveley Bridge 104

The water gauge wasn’t showing anything this morning, possibly the lowest it’s been since we moved on board. So only one thing for it, an essential journey to the services. No shore leave was allowed for Tilly and she soon decided to spend the morning on the bed with her eyes closed instead.

Our ash can still hot from ashes added last night. This is normally kept on the towpath, only put here to cruise, with all the covers open

What now seems to be the weekly Geraghty Zoom conference call took place. Just about everyone had been to the National Theatre in the last couple of days. Next week it’s Jane Eyre, Kath said it is quite long, but we’ll give it a go at some point. Everyone looked well and with them we travelled to outerspace, various sound control rooms, the Starship Enterprise and a tour of Frans front room. Tilly also made a large appearance as we attempted to change our background too, but we both just about disappeared so gave up.

At just gone 11am we untied Oleanna and pushed off. I wonder how many times we’ll moor in this spot over the coming weeks and months, just how many holes will be before we are allowed to move further afield?

Down to the winding hole where we turned to face north. A short distance on we passed our nearest neighbours, Barry was chatting to the chap onboard NB Plum. NB AreandAre would soon be following us to Calveley to fill their water tank also

Out of the three water points on this pound, Calveley is the furthest from Lockdown Mooring 2, but this was chosen on purpose so as to give Oleanna a bit of a run and to top up the batteries. So we were definitely on an essential journey.

At Barbridge Junction a boat was just turning onto the branch, we pootled straight on and passed no other moving boats. The service moorings were free so we pulled in away from the pump out end should anyone else turn up.

The water point had a disinfect, so did our filler cap. The plants got the first minute of running water through the hose pipe and then the tank could fill up. Blimey it sounded empty as the tank started to fill. A washing load was put in the machine and turned on as soon as we reckoned we had enough water.

It’s been a week since I cleaned Tilly’s pooh box and until this morning she’d only used it once. Despite her attempt to stare us into opening the door, she wasn’t allowed out. Her four paws had been crossed for much of the morning, she finally had to give up and climbed into the box, I could almost hear her relief as I gave the shower a good clean.

NB AreandAre pulled in behind us and started to fill too. There was time and enough space for us all to have a bit of a chat, comparing notes on shopping etc. It’s nice to get chance to chat with people face to face rather than on the computer.

With our tank full we waved goodbye and pushed off, the washing machine still going. On route we’d decided to moor up by bridge 106 and do our best to empty the washing drawer so that we can make the most of Sundays fine weather for drying. There was plenty of space, so we pulled in leaving good gaps between us and the other inhabited boats.

I took a stroll back along the towpath to the garage in the afternoon in the hope of being able to get our Saturday newspaper. I was a touch surprised that the shop was actually open so you could walk in. The shop looked like it is usually reasonably well stocked with none perishable items. if you want porridge oats here is definitely the place to come. One large bag £1.99 isn’t such a bargain, but a box of ten would only be £10. I refrained from such a purchase as I’d not be able to get it back to the boat and if I did we’d have to adjust our ballast!

Sadly their milk had a similar use by date to the 2 pinter we’d got from Sainsburys yesterday. That’s a downfall with online shopping at the moment, you can’t return things once you’ve checked them over. But we’ll try at the garage again when we pass in a few days time.

Think the towpath will be a touch busier here

0 locks, 3.97 miles, 2 straights, 9 Geraghtys, 4 moving boats plus us, 1 full water tank, 1 boat free of rubbish, 4 crossed paws, 1 load washing, 1 newspaper, 1 whirligig, 1 starter still a bit flat, 5 hours, 1 year since sentencing day.

https://goo.gl/maps/1cYgPsszNfBvfnTY7

Boaters Covid Support. 31st March

Lockdown Mooring 2

A couple of weeks ago Kate Saffin and a few other people started a facebook group with the aim of connecting small local boating groups on the network in relation to Covid-19, circulating information and supporting where help was needed.

We started as a group for boaters running local waterways based COVID support groups. That is still important – creating a network of small, local, responsive groups across the waterways with this group as an umbrella group to support anyone running a group. As things have developed we’ve been asked for help by more isolated boaters, so this also a network for any boater to connect to other boaters – for some practical help or just to know that there are others around your area.
Boaters Covid Support-National Network, Facebook

Existing groups contacted them and then there were people like me who wanted to connect to a local group if there was one around. This part of the Shropie didn’t have a group, yes I could have set one up with the guidance from the Boaters Covid Support, but as we’ll be moving on when we can it seemed daft to become an admin for an area we are (hopefully) only visitors in.

I’ve been checking back to see if a group had been set up and today I found a growing list of such groups. Hopefully this link Covid Suppport Groups Listing will take you to the relevant page where you can download the list. A small group had been set up for the Northwich/Middlewich/Nantwich area, so we both joined.

So far there are ten members in our group, but I hope it will grow. These groups are intended so that people can offer help locally or ask for help should they need it through these challenging times.

Today we’ve been watching the farmers ploughing the fields around us on both sides of the canal. This is exciting as I may soon have a whole field to dig and run around in. Having my own pooh field as shore based facilities will keep Them happy.

Our mystery bird returned and I tried to film it to capture it’s call. Here it is right at the beginning, before the White Tipped Tailed Tilly starts with her whingeing! Thank you for the suggestions so far. I think however it is possible that it might be a Turn of some sort and only calls when in flight.

This afternoon we set out on a walk. The Ordnance Survey map was checked to see if we could do a circular route and one was found that would keep us on this side of the canal.

We walked up towards Hurleston, stopping for a chat with Barry who’d been very industrious painting his plank and pole. Then we continued on along the towpath past the junction and on to where the fairies live at the bottom of the garden. Behind the canalside properties lies a rather nice looking house with great tall chimneys. Maybe we’ll head that way another day.

Along hedges, across fields, we were quite glad Mick had the map on his phone because other than at the occasional gate post there was no obvious footpath to follow.

What until recently must have been thick mud now has a dried out top crust all cracked and in parts deceiving as you foot squelches through into the underlying softer layers. Then tractor tracks hard baked make the going hard, we did our best not to twist any ankles.

Grassy fields, old maize fields with the remaining husks long since devoured by wildlife.

Past a very large new barn being built, alongside the farm track and across more fields.

Down into the corner where a wrong footed style gave us a conundrum along with getting spiked by the holly tree that had grown round it.

Here we could see our route across a small wooden bridge a style at both ends.

This then led us into a very well maintained garden! Hang on, we thought, we can’t go tramping up their garden. We checked the map. It suggested the path went up the left of the buildings, except these buildings didn’t look like they were L shaped.

We tried round the other side of the hedge, no. Then up the side of the garden apologising as we went. In the corner by an area where chicken were fenced in there was a style, phew we could get out of someone’s garden.

We soon joined the track away from the houses and on a telegraph pole saw a notice saying that the footpath was closed until June, due to damage sustained by the bridge during the recent floods. The footpath on this map suggested that we should have walked right up through the garden! Glad we didn’t.

There’s some lovely looking houses about with their two tone bricks. A 4 bedroomed barn conversion is for sale, a mere snip at £570,000. Link

The road led us back towards the canal and our nearest southernly neighbours. from here it was back onto the towpath and back to the boat. A good three mile walk, slightly challenging under foot.

0 locks, 0 miles, 6 boats, 1 after dark, 2 fields ploughed, 1 flock of seagulls, 1 mystery bird, 1 poem ready to add, 3 miles walk, 2 kissing gates, 2 styles, 1 tennis court in use, 2 coats left outside, 1 big pan of chicken and sweet potato hash, yum.

Feline Freedom. 24th March

Lockdown Mooring 1. Cross Banks Farm Winding Hole

First off apologies to those of you who tend to read this blog in bed in the morning with a cuppa before getting up. If you follow us by email the latest post has normally dropped into your inbox at 8am, but not this morning. Due to posting twice yesterday my routine is all out of kilter and there wasn’t a post sat ready to publish this morning. We will see how the next few days pan out, but please don’t sit in bed waiting as your tea might get cold and unless you move around you may get bed sores.

Anyhow

Nine hours. Nine whole hours! Except She lied about that as they wanted an hour outside and one of us has to be on the boat at all times. I did however manage to make the most of the time.

One

A new rule was added a few days ago to the list that She sprouts out each time I go off to explore. ‘Don’t let anyone stroke you!’ This goes without saying, strangers stroking me, YUCK! I have no idea why She felt She had to say it. But apparently since Tom Johnson started talking to us everyday I have to be even more careful of peoples hands.

Two

They can’t harm me, but something might rub off them onto my coat. One chap did try today and I was cornered, but She sprouted steam from her ears and came to the hatch to sort him out. I think She may put a poster up.

Today there was yet another rule. I am now being encouraged to use shore based facilities. Apparently a company went bust a few months ago and the litter She mixes in with the wood stuff is no longer available and there may now be shortages of wood stuff too.

On Oleanna we all use the wood stuff, all three of us. Although I have to say Tom and She are far quieter than I am with it. I really don’t understand why they don’t want to prepare it like I do. Oh well it takes all sorts.

After worrying news that Jac my sister-in-law can’t get a flight back from Melbourne, Mick spent the morning seeing if he could find one for her.

He had a look at the route Ian and Irene from NB Free Spirit are booked on, admittedly from Sydney. Their route takes them via South Africa, this still looked like a possibility so Mick gave my brother a call and relayed the information. We wait to hear

Much of my day was spent with the model for The Garden. Painting garden fencing and base coating sideways trees and making autumnal covers, oh and a gingham picnic cloth. It took a while for me to get going, but once I did it was the best medicine for an anxious mind.

In the afternoon, when the second mate bothered to come home! we headed out to stretch our legs.

We’ve had quite a lot of people walking, running and cycling on the towpath today, very few of them keeping to 2ms away from Oleanna. Well the towpath is quite narrow here, but they could at least try.

We did our best to keep our distance. Towards the lock there were a couple of chaps chatting, one tinkering with things on his boat the other sat a good 3m away. As we approached the chap on the chair stood up and walked towards the hedge, plenty of room for us to pass through.

Our stroll took us across the lock and down to Venetian Marina. We wanted to see if the café might sell us some milk. But both the chandlers and café were closed, no bacon butty smell today.

They will be implementing new practices at the chandlers so that everyone can keep their distance and should you want to order a breakfast from the café they would rather you paid by Paypal.

During the day all the coal boats have been sending out messages on social media saying that they will still be trading. But please would everyone remain inside their boat at all times.

This lot are a hardy bunch, come rain, snow, ice and now Covid-19 they will top up your diesel tank and deliver coal

Seventeen boats have come past us today. This is the most in one day since possibly sometime last summer on the Thames. You may wonder why so many considering we are now in lock down.

We know of several boaters who are now heading home to their home mooring and some then onto their bricks and mortar. Other boaters are aiming for somewhere they feel will be best to be stuck, near services and shops. Hire boats are returning to base, peoples holidays cut short.

Hopefully after a day or two more the country will settle down into it’s new now. Boats will only move when necessary. In a couple of days we’ll have to fill with water and head to Nantwich to stock up on food for a week, then we’ll head off to find a wider towpath so that we can sit out should we want to, maybe even get the covers cleaned too.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 towpath saunter, 2 meters please, 4, 7.5 hours, 17 boats, 0 milk, 1 boater back to black tea, 0.5 of a model painted, 1 new project before the end of the week, 0 flights, 1 very tired cat, 1 pooh in the pooh box!

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna

Category Archives: Flowers

Boris Said We Could. 12th 13th May

Yummo! 3rd May

Vegging Out. 30th April

Remote Control. 23rd April

Short Of Nothing We’ve Got. 20th April

A Touch Further. 15th April

Listening. 10th April

Empty. 4th April

Boaters Covid Support. 31st March

Feline Freedom. 24th March