Category Archives: Food

(Actually) 12th June

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Granary Wharf.

The preset

Photos, lots of them of the model box. Time to do the white card version of the storyboard. Also photos of all the model pieces for the Production Manager to see alongside the working drawings, these still need updating.

During the day we started to plan our next cruise. Should we go that way or this way? Which lock? We’d need to chat to lock keepers. Mick got on with the job of booking our next tidal lock, checking times, asking for advice which at the lock we’ve chosen to go through, they don’t give as they are far more accustomed to bigger boats than us.

In the seat next to me today

With the new storyboard forwarded to John I could now have a shower and get myself ready for an evening out. This meant I missed saying hello to Paul from Waterway Routes. Today he’d cycled from Wakefield to Leeds checking data for his maps. Mick sent him to check on some mooring rings above Office Lock to see if they should be included.

A train journey over to Huddersfield meant we had chance to say hello to Paul at the station as he waited for his train to whisk him off back to Bristol after a long day. It was nice to have a brief chat before we all headed for our trains.

A photo that always has to be taken

There is a serious upgrade happening to the Transpennine route so trains go the long way round to Huddersfield or have been replaced by buses. A hobble down to the Lawerence Batley Theatre, taking a slight detour to see what if anything had been happening in the Piazza, this is where Dark Horse Theatre Company used to have an old shop where they rehearsed. The far end of the Piazza and the old undercover market has all gone, were they new concrete structures or the old ones behind the hoarding?

Things are a changing

We weren’t here to see this, we were here to see a development showing of Dark Horses lastest show, We’re In Love (Actually). This has been devised by the ensemble, two members of staff assisting with scene changes and lighting, quite a scratch performance with some wonderful moments.

The Cellar Theatre at the LBT

The actors were great as always. A quick rendition of Romeo and Juliet mixed with 90’s dreams of romance and lots of references to Romantic films. A video camera was used by the actors to follow the action projected onto a screen. Green screen was used to introduce the characters.

Rebekah and Jo

Highlights included multi faces projected and manipulated with large sheets of card. Some very tender moments between the lead actors. The fish tank scene in Romeo and Juliet with some florestry wrap. Claytons dance to amuse the ladies and the one that will be with me for some time must have been during a recreation of the Titanic, Toby appearing as the iceberg wrapped up in a sheet!

A very amusing evening, yes it was rough around the edges, but I haven’t laughed so much in ages. My face ached for hours afterwards.

Naughty Nandos

We followed it up with a cheeky Nandos before getting the train back to Leeds. It’s funny going out for the evening by train, you don’t do that in Scarborough, but here in West Yorkshire I suspect it’s a frequent occurrence. A very good night out, thank you all at Dark Horse for inviting us.

0 locks, 0 miles, 250 photos, edited down to 70, 3 boats up, 1 hotel boat winding two times, 1 visit from Paul, 2 trains going the long way round, 0 cats at the station, 2.11 miles walked, 4 minutes briskly, 9 actors, 4 aching cheeks, 1/4 chicken each, 2 glasses of wine, 1 bored cat.

Boaters Boating! 8th June

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Woodlesford Lock to Granary Wharf, Leeds Liverpool Canal.

Tilly was given a couple of hours whilst we had breakfast and joined the Geraghty zoom. Subjects today included barns versus gardens, snobby boaters, trapese theatre and Dr Who deceipt.

It was finally time to give Oleanna and ourselves a cruise, something that has been missing for the last few weeks. As we got ready to push off we got chatting with a couple who were looking for a better mooring. Solar important to most boaters nowadays, they were looking for a gap in the trees. We pushed off, giving them a choice of places closer to the lock.

Swapping over at the lock

I walked on ahead with the key of power, reaching Fishpond Lock as a boat was coming down. The gates need to be closed to retrieve your key, Oleanna still a distance away the gates were closed so the lady could get back on her boat, I then reopened them.

Stourton Wharf

We’ve done this stretch a few times over the years. Today we spotted where Off Roader must come to. New ladders and steps over a wall, along with new mooring bollards. The canal isn’t wide enough for the big boat to wind by the mooring, so it must continue up to Knostrop Lock where there is plenty of room.

Thwaite Mill

Sadly Thwaite Mills is now closed. It was a great museum that we visited back in 2019. Reading up about it’s closure, Leeds City Council felt they couldn’t justify the £250,000 rent each year so had pulled out. It looks like the owners CRT have put it up for sale, but no one seems to know for how much or when. There used to be a mooring here that you could pay for a night, but now big signs say NO STOPPING!

4ft Mallard

Rowers were getting themselves sorted at Knostrop, glad we’d not set off any later as there were quite a few boats going out.

Knostrop Weir

Up the lock, time to look at the giant Mallard and the bridge over the weir before climbing back on board and heading up the wide expanse that once used to have a long island down the middle. No need to stop for the services so on to Leeds Lock, quite a shock to be in a short lock again!

Leeds Lock

Now the yellow river taxis appeared, they run between the Royal Armouries and Granary Wharf. I didn’t pop my head over the high wall to check for moorings in the basin, as we hoped to moor closer to the station, we’d return if we had to.

Heading into Leeds

Along the River Aire up to River Lock, Lock 1 of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Sadly we won’t be ascending further than the first lock this year, the locks only available up to Skipton Friday to Monday due to low water.

River Lock

Windlass in hand and a handcuff key required now, the key of power put away. I tried to get the ground paddles to work, one wouldn’t unlock, the other only turned a couple of times so I’d have to use the gate paddles, carefully. The old rack system is easy to use, it pulls a wooden cover away from an opening to let the water through, there are more of these at Bingley. It took a while, I went back to try the ground paddle to see if the change in water pressure had made a difference, but it hadn’t.

Gate paddle gear

As ever it was windy in the wharf, we found a space, the rings not ideally positioned for us, but the boat ahead would be moving off in a couple of hours once they’d stocked up, food or weed I’m not sure which. Just as we got the covers up it hammered it down with rain, a perfect time to show Tilly how pants the mooring was.

A late lunch, followed by a run through with my model, then it was packed up ready for the morning.

Part of Wharf Mill

A chicken went in the oven, enough time to add some more minutes walking before it would be ready. I walked round the station then tried to find the river bank to follow upstream for a while. I seemed to be following an odd looking chap who was quite interested in people’s bags as he walked along. I took a detour and eventually made it back to  the river only to find my route cut off by building work. Instead I had a wander around Tower Wharf, which we’ve seen develop over the years.

Looking towards Granary Wharf from the River Aire

I managed to pull out some yarn and do some knitting for the first time in two weeks, I’ve something to keep me occupied on the train southwards now.

Dali watching over Aire Street

4 locks, 5.4 miles, 1 grey day, 2 boaters boating again, 2 hours shore leave, 1 turned up nose to Leeds, 1 roast chicken, 100th pair cast on, 1 big box permenantly in an IKEA bag!

https://what3words.com/heats.upon.mini

It’s Just Some Old S**t. 1st, 2nd June

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Aire and Calder Navigation

Another Sausage Day!

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.

A Touch Wet Under Paw. 26th to 28th May

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Aire and Calder Navigation

Nosy neighbours!

A refill of the water tank, we’d been using the washing machine and had had to top up on the electric too. A shower for me whilst the tank filled so that I’d not need to head to the water point this week. Then just as we were untying to leave it decided to rain, not much thankfully. Sarah waved as we pulled out and turned back towards the canal, maybe next time we meet we’ll be able to have a longer chin wag.

A new arrival on the towpath

We pulled into the first available gap alongside the road that leads to the marina and awaited a supermarket delivery. Stocks were quite low and the wine cellar under the back steps nearly empty! With everything stowed we pulled away again and went to find a view for this week, away from badger holes. Mick added a spring line and we hoped that our chains would be strong enough should Off Roader come past heavily loaded.

Hooray!!!!

Time for Tilly to stretch her legs again on the towpath after being cooped up for a few days. With boat chores done Mick packed his bag and headed off to catch a bus into Leeds and then the train back to Scarborough. The roofers are returning to the house to tidy up, Mick thinks he’s found a probelm on a different bit of the roof! Time to get the house ready for our next lodgers.

Late evening I recieved an email from John, he’d spent all of Bank Holiday Monday working on the script for panto. There were new ideas he wanted to pass on, one that should give us a wonderful end to Act 1. Time to amend the current storyboard.

Crossing the River Aire

A walk before the rain was due. I’ve changed the shoes I’m wearing to walk in to see if that might help with my calf. So far it is better, but it’s not a miraculous recovery. On the other side of the River Aire is the site of some open cast mining, now St Aidans Nature Reserve. Numerous lakes and reedbeds were busy with so many birds it was almost deafening as I strode my way through a central path.

Great Crested Grebe, numerous geese and Tufted ducks, a lapwing who was camera shy and then this duck. The size of a female Mallard but with far superior plumage. Could it have been a Gadwall?

Big, medium and little boats

As I walked back to the boat I could hear that something big was on the canal. Off Roader had just come up Lemonroyd Lock. Would our chains hold as it went past deep in the water. Thankfully it didn’t get up to full speed as the canal was also being used by rowers, so Oleanna just bobbed about a touch, the ribs with the rowers causing more wash than the multi tonned barge!

New treads and flying bar supports and a spruced up prosc

Back at Oleanna I edited the storyboard for panto and emailed it to John, hoping this version would have a better responce. The answer came back from an initial look, he was all smiley, thank goodness! He’d be in touch tomorrow after spending some time with it. Phew! I pulled the model box out of my clothes cupboard. It’s been used a few times since I last had it and was showing it’s age. I deceided to give it a make over, and new rests for the flying bars, whilst I waited for Johns verdict.

The Queen of Oleanna

Tilly spent much of the afternoon avoiding getting her paws wet as the rain set it. She has taken to sitting on the stern hatch, so her bed was moved out there a week or so ago. Today it made for a very good DRY vantage point to watch the ducks and swans whilst listening to the rain.

Deer just visible near the piling

6:30am we bumped the side, Off Roader was on it’s way towards us. I peeked out of the front curtains, there it was some distance away. But more worryingly there was a deer in the cut! Oh blimey! Could I mount a rescue mission? It swam away from Oleanna trying to find somewhere to get out. I thought of various ways I might be able to help, the highish bank wouldn’t help, should I end up in the canal too that would not be a good thing as other than Off Roader there was nobody about. I so hope it managed to swim up stream where the bank is lower and doesn’t have piling.

Tilly has now worn this outside out, she’s used it all up so she says. Sitting in her viewing area wasn’t even enjoyable today. I walked round the block taking the rubbish to the bins at the marina. Plenty of Recycling and General Waste bins, then two wheelie bins with no lables on them. I assumed one would be for glass, correct assumption. The other for food waste, well nobody else seemed to have made that assumption had they!

Rose

Back at Oleanna I returned to a great email from John. Just one scene to rework and his choices on options I’d given him for other scenes. I now just need to finish off the storyboard to make it pretty and get cracking with the white card model and sketch working drawings before a meeting that is looming. I decided to treat myself to getting the basic set made for the model with an outline design drawn onto it. By 10:30pm I’d achieved my goal for the day. By 10:30 I’d given up hoping for a lap to sit on! Come back Tom I need someone to pay me some attention! I would just like to point out that I am not ignoring Tilly and I’m more than happy to play the fishing rod game at bedtime. Too right, if that stopped I’d be looking for somewhere else to live!

At Last, model bits!!!!

0 locks, 0.5 miles, 1 full water tank, 0 response from Aquavista still, 1 wind, 1 left, 2 moorings, 1 empty wee tank, 4 boxes wine, 1 full fridge, 2 sausage days, 1 world wet under paw, 8.57 miles walked, 130 minutes briskly, 1 Frank PA phone call, 1 viewing position, 1 edging restuck, 1 actor squeezed in, 2nd WIP storyboard, 1 big thumbs up, 1 scene to amend, 2 portals, 1 front cloth, 1 cyc, 1 improved modelbox, 1 theatre designer needing some new things to listen to.

Residuals and Birthdays. 24th, 25th May

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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!

Puddles!!! Remember them!

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.

A bag of socks to finish off

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.

St Pancras

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.

Jane, Jac and Kevin

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.

Opens in the autumn!

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

Make The Most Of The Morning. 23rd May

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Lemonroyd Marina, Aire and Calder Navigation

Last night She said I should make the most of this morning. When she opened up the covers I could see that the big fat boat that had been behind us had moved their outside along with the woofer, brilliant I could now make the most of the morning.

They’ve gone!

Trees to climb, friendly cover to explore, pouncing scratching everything! Then I remembered that there was a box of fresh Dreamies to sample, they are far better when fresh out of the pack, so I returned before heading off again, leaving She to swirl with her pencil.

I worked my way through my notes, more sketches, different versions of scenes. Would I now have an improved storyboard? After three hours I decided that it was time Tilly returned, there was an hours grace should she be a busy cat. I stepped out onto the towpath and called several times, thinking she’d have gone to where the wide beam had been sat the last few days as there were trees to climb. I was about to give up when out she popped from back where we’d been moored last week. She trotted along towards me the morning now over, it was time to close the doors, shore leave would now be canceled.

Another boat cat along the towpath

An hour later Mick arrived. The roof completed yesterday, the scaffolders had returned this morning, this time Mick would let them take it down. Now we need the decorator to return to paint the bit of guttering he’d not managed to reach when the lean to was in the way. He’d been hoping to make use of the scaffolding, so he’ll now need to bring a ladder. The roofers still need to return to tidy up after themselves but that will be after the weekend. So we are now back on schedule, phew!

This morning I’d sent a message ahead to boaters we’ve actually yet to meet in person. They moor at Lemonroyd Marina where we have booked in for a few days. Currently there is no manager here and trying to get an answer from anyone who works for Aquavista is proving impossible. Sarah from NB Honky Tonk messaged me back with the location of our berth, there had been an Aquavista person about this morning, but would they still be about by the time we arrived?

Key of Power back to work

We made ready to push off. The rain from a couple of nights ago had loosened up the stickyickyness on our covers, one side got a rinse down, the other side will have to wait. I walked ahead to work the lock as Mick brought Oleanna behind. We swapped with a boat coming up Woodlesford Lock and then descended. Sun shining, it was good to be moving again, we’re so not used to staying put for so long.

Down she goes

A right into the marina, then we followed the directions we’d been given by Sarah to our mooring. A much longer pontoon than we’ve had here before. Our welcoming committee a Pied Wagtail. A hunt round for someone to give us a key to the gate proved pointless. Currently there is no manager here, we’ve met the new one at Bank Dole Lock a few weeks ago, but I don’t think he starts until next month. So for this evening one of us needs to stay inside the gate to let the other one back in. Thankfully last year when we stayed here we set up an account to be able to use the hook up, we still had some credit left so plugged ourselves in.

Our welcoming committe

More work putting images together ready to send to John. I’m going to sleep on them before sending them, I think they are an improvement from the last lot.

The last of the 100th birthday pork in a peppery paprika pork was washed down with a couple of glasses of wine this evening. Tomorrow we’ll sus out how to escape the marina, but more importantly how to get back in!

1 lock, 1.5 miles, 1 brisk minute walking, not even a mile, 1 story board just about done, 3 quality hours of shore leave, 1 roof finished, 0 scaffolding.

What Cake?! 20th May

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Aire and Calder Navigation

The butter had been left out of the fridge overnight, but still wasn’t suitablely soft for baking. I sliced it thinly, put it in a mixing bowl, then moved it out onto the hatch at the stern, here it got suitably soft very quickly as the sun got going. Sugar, eggs, lemon zest then lots of ground almonds added, it was baked, browning a little too quickly but covered in foil it did it’s thing. Lemon juice added once out of the oven, it was left to cool in the tin. The easiest bit of secret baking I’ve done in years, helped enormously that Mick was in Scarborough.

The roofers started to tidy up, moving all the old slates off the roof by hand, their bucket and rope in the van which was still being mended. Later in the day I was sent a photo with fresh new tiles covering part of the roof, there had been three of them today so they were cracking on. Good job as rain is forecast for the weekend.

Here on Oleanna, I waited to hear back from John in Chippy. No news came through all day. Oh well, I decided to do a mock up of the cyc , this is a cloth that hangs up stage, normally covering where we store all the props and bits of scenery by the back wall. Once I’d put things together I realised that my horizon was far too high, I’ll need to add more sky, but at least it will give an idea in the white card model.

Mocked up cyc

Up to Lidl for some asparagus for this evenings birthday barbecue. The roofers having finished for the day around 3pm meant Mick could be on a train back for the evening arriving at 6pm. On my walk back down the hill to the canal there was a lot of stationary traffic. The cause, a Luton van that had got itself squished by the curve of the railway bridge! I really hoped this wouldn’t cause problems with the trains and delay Mick’s return.

Ooops!

More stoppage notices regarding low levels on the canals. The Ripon Canal which is fed by the River Skell will be closing at the top end, this will hopefully help maintain levels at the top and without any rainfall the EA are likely to ask C&RT to stop abstraction from the river, so we suspect the canal will soon be closed from Oxclose Lock. We’d been wanting to head up the River Ouse and onto the Ripon Canal, but that is now likely to be another destination we’re unable to reach this year.

Smokey

The very sunny afternoon sadly clouded over, but when Mick arrived back at Oleanna we decided to still go ahead with our planned birthday barbecue, the first barbecue of the year. The charcoal was lit and left to get itself ready as the presents came out.

Last week Mick had been so excited at the arrival of a parcel for me at the house that I decided to wrap up the contents and give them to him. Well what would he do with 100 10A scalpel blades, but give them to me! Next followed a familiar shaped present, this was a chocolate orange which has now been gifted at Christmas, Easter and now birthday. The proper presents followed. A Curlew t-shirt from Tilly and a smart new fleece from me, both went down well.

Curlew!

Asparagus for starters, followed by pork steaks and veg/halloumi kebabs, washed down with a couple of glasses of wine each whilst sat out on the towpath, jumpers required but not too chilly thankfully.

Once tidied up we retired indoors for cake and blowing out of candles. This took several attempts from Mick, it must be his great age! We’ve quite a bit left over to keep us going for a few more days.

A later start to his birthday celebrations than normal, but we got there in the end.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 trains, 0.3 roof re-tiled, 1000 old tiles carried down ladders, 1000 new tiles carried up, 1 sheet of insulation board to find a use for, 1 cyc, 1 ECG, 3.11 miles walked, 22 minutes briskly, 12 candles, 1 bored cat, 15 spears asparagus, 2 pork steaks, 4 kebabs, 4 glasses wine, 1 Happy Birthday to Mick.

Closing Down. 16th May

Aire and Calder Navigation

6:45 Oleanna bumped the side, Off Roader was on it’s way. I peeked out the front windows and could see the light at the lock was red, as the big boat came past it turned to green. The bumping continued for about half an hour until calm waters returned. We seem to go bump a while before any boat is seen, either the lock above emptying or the one below filling. I made sure I tightened our ropes this morning, they had stretched a touch since we tied up.

Shaded in design for story board

I shaded in my ideas for the front cloth for panto. In past years I’ve hand drawn the basic design on all the sketches, but I think this year I may just scan the design and then stick it onto my sketches. Yes I could do all of this on the computer, but that would actually take me far longer and I’d be more concerned with how to do it than what I’d be using it for, designing panto. So I’ll use it as a short cut my way.

I checked in with Frank after his operation earlier this week. He was on pretty good form this morning, Great British Bake Off Black Forest Gateaux setting his gastric juices going. By the end of the day his mood had changed as he’d had news of his next medical journey. My PA duties will continue for a while. I’m beginnning to think I talk to Frank more now than I did when we worked together at the SJT.

The hedgrow being trimmed back

The roofers had said they’d be working all day today, but their van was booked in to be mended so they just turned up to check things were water tight and vanished again! Later on the scaffolders arrived to take the towers down. Mick told them that the roof wasn’t finished, infact it was hardly started! They didn’t believe him so wanted to see for themselves, maybe Mick hadn’t noticed them finishing! Their reaction was as expected, we don’t know who’d told them to take it down, maybe they’d got the wrong site and they should have been dismanteling the scaffoldng where our roofers had actually been working this week!

Sketch for a scene

More scenes of panto were worked through during the day until Mick arrived back. I had a walk up the towpath to stretch my legs and then we tucked into a Sainsbury’s curry with a glass or two of wine. Stocks are pretty low onboard at the moment, so a shopping trip will be required over the weekend.

The blue sky is back

The dry weather is affecting canal and river levels around the country. Last week there was advance notice from C&RT that the Leeds & Liverpool Canal was likely to be put on restricted hours or even be closed to navigation. Today notice was given that the lock flights between Skipton and the bottom of Wigan will be closing at the end of 22nd May, not quite a weeks time. Then the locks towards Leeds including Bingley will be open between Thursday and Monday with reduced opening hours to help support water conservation. Thankfully we’d not planned on crossing the Pennines this year as all routes will soon be closed. The Caldon Canal has also been closed from Hazelhurst Junction down to Froghall, therefore the water feeding into the canal can still head down to the Trent and Mersey.

Mum taking her ducklings for a swim in a rare puddle

Research into our planned main destination for the year, Beverley from the River Hull is bringing up obsticles too. More info on this on another post, but it’s looking like we’ll be postponing our plans to another year sadly.

0 locks, 0 miles, 12 sketches, 2 basic portal designs, 3 scenes still to do, 0 roofing done! 1 set of scaff still erected, 1 Nadia going to win, 1 stern washed down, 2 trains, 1 Mick, 2 beers, 4 glasses of wine.

6000! 11th May

Aire and Calder Navigation

The wrong type of rain, moving kitchens, the one perfect rose, 4 clicks and it being a 2 slice Sunday were all subjects discussed this morning. I’d already had two slices of toast with my breakfast, bacon a serious treat this year nestled next to them.

Yum!

The Geraghty zoom had also been a try out to check if online meetings this week would be any good. Well I think we got away with it, but that wasn’t really good enough, especially when the IT department would be over an hour away by train! The other factor for moving was the large hole in the bank close by our stern and an inquisitive cat! We most probably moor close to such things all the time, but just knowing of its existence made us want to move up some.

Mick checked the EE coverage, not too far away it improved, he went for a bike ride, there was space, we’d move up.

I was about to push off when Mick reminded me we needed to deal with the yellow water tank today. Once that was done we waited for an ex-hire boat to come past, we’d be sharing the next lock with them. As we pootled along Oleanna’s engine hours clicked over to 6000!

Blue skies and anglers

The lady hopped off with windlass in hand, she won’t be needing that until they get to Leeds, she came back for a Key of Power. I chatted to the chap, the usual things, where have you come from, where you going?

They’d been in Sheffield for 18 months, been to York and got stuck in the floods (that must have been a few months ago) and were now aiming for Manchester. They weren’t aware of the immanent closure of the Leeds Liverpool Canal, currently planned to close on the 27th May, lock flights padlocked and locks ashed up. He thought if they were already on the canal then CRT would let them off the other end. Well, no, closed, means closed!

6,000 engine hours!

In the lock he was asking Mick how long it would take to get to the bottom of Wigan, 50 hours to my reckoning. So it’s doable if you don’t get stuck on the bottom or have to go to work four days a week as the chap does! We suggested he signs up for CRT stoppage notices.

We topped up the water tank and pootled on a little further before winding and mooring up. Plenty to keep Tilly occupied here so long as there’s not too many woofers and humans wanting to give me a stroke. Sorry to the passers-by who instead of a head nudge got a very aggressive HISS!

Strutting the towpath

Summer clothes were dug out from under the bed, serious winter jumpers and jeans that no longer fit me got tucked away. The drawing board came out from it’s slot, not sure I’ll get to use it in the next few days, but you never know and it’s hard for one person to get out.

Some more reference pictures were put together. Art Nouveau, roses, tents.

Mick headed off mid afternoon to catch the train back to Scarborough, roofing works starting in the morning.

To use up some butter beans left over from a warm chicken salad we had the other day I put together a Yaxni. I’d not heard of it before, a Greek potato stew. My version will definitely be made again and I’ve got enough left over for another day. Click the photo for the recipe.

Pip’s Yaxni

1 lock, 6000 engine hours, 1 boat now on a mission, 1 boat settling down for a while to work, 1 cat, 82 trees, 288 pictures, 1 improved internet, 1 worse TV signal, 1 PA check in, 1 teams meeting to Scarborough, 1000 paces hobbled, 0 brisk minutes, 2 legs having a rest, pair 67 cast on.

The Big Ship Sails. 7th May

Spicers Auctioneers to Sykehouse Junction, New Junction Canal

Was it a cat last night or the ghost of one?

With the washing drawer now empty and socks and pants fully dried in the tumble drier we could move on. First to the water point to fill with clean water, empty the yellow and put our first food waste into the new bins. A bag of coal was also purchased from the marina.

As I sat waiting for the tank to fill I watched social media following the campaign boats now out on the River Thames. So many boats had moored at Limehouse Basin last night there were quite a few lockings required. Once outside the Houses of Parliament the boats winded and stemmed the tide waiting for 11am when all 27 boats sounded their horns. King Charles went past them on an Uber Boat, he was there to look at the new super sewer really. They then all headed back down stream to West India Dock where they all fitted into the one lock to get off the tidal waters.

Boats all gathered in Limehouse Basin ready for the off

We winded again and headed down to Viking Marina service mooring. Here we pulled alongside NB Felix that was having some work done by Alastair to it’s gear box. The diesel tank was topped up, not quite to the top, when it reached 100 litres the pump stopped automatically, 89p a litre. We were actually a day early tomorrow the price will go down to 82p with the next delivery. A bottle of gas was manhandled along the gunnels to the bow, we were all topped up and ready to go again.

A sailing ship

Ahead in the docks were a couple of new boats. One looked a touch strange and a bit too tall! Amadeus Saffir is a modern boat, built last year, with a wind-assist system, basically it has sails to help reduce it’s fuel consumption further than it’s diesel-electric propulsion can. An interesting boat.

Off Roader about to pass Oleanna

Time to head off. I hitched a ride to Rawcliffe where I jumped off behind Syntan to walk the remainder of the way to Sykehouse Junction and the New Junction Canal. Mick headed off at usual cruising speed along these deep wide waterways, far quicker than I could walk, so he soon vanished into the distance after passing Off Roader that was on it’s return trip from Leeds. As it approached the anglers all shouted to each other to grab their keep nets, otherwise their catch would be dragged away from them as the big boat passed.

Not much grass growing

The area where the bank has been mended seriously needs a good water to help the grass grow. A nice aspect for a mooring, just a shame the M18 was audible and the cooling towers of Drax were just out of view.

As I approached the houses by Beaver Bridge a security system sprung into action. A loud BEEP then the camera with two flashing white lights followed my every move along the towpath. I wonder whether it caught me pausing for a quite a while at the bridge.

Look at these beauties

Here a pair of (I think) juvenile Peacocks were just as interested in me as I was them. Where had they come from? We’ve passed a barge with a peacock on it’s roof before at Rawcliffe and there is a peacock farm in Holme on Spalding Moor, but surely that’s too far away for them to have escaped from. All the same they kept me captivated for quite a while.

Chocka block

A big fishing match was taking place at the reservoir, anglers crammed in next to each other. As I turned onto the New Junction Mick messaged me saying Tilly was coming to find me. Well I was obviously too scary and she ran away back to Oleanna despite me calling for her. Hey ho! She did go back out and enjoyed much of her four hours, in fact she needed quite a bit of encouragement to come home!

I’d planned to go through the panto script again today making lists, but emails came through from John (writer/director) with various notes about the show and then a long list of people who have applied to be props maker this year. Sadly the wonderful Jo can’t give enough time to the show anymore, I knew this was likely as we’d chatted last year, so I wasn’t surprised. So now I need to go through CVs to see who should be considered. There is one name I know in the pile, but would they be the best person for the job?

This evening I’ve tried out a new gluten free pasta recipe, I made up a lasagne which we haven’t had for ages. A third each instead of half proved to be ample portions, one third left over for a working girl when she’s on her own.

0 locks, 6.6 miles, 2 winds, 1 left, 25kg coal, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, 100 litres diesel, 1 gas bottle, 0 Alfie, 4.28 miles walked, 71 minutes briskly, 2 sails, 6 prop makers, 3 emails, 0 notes, 4 hours shore leave, no you can’t give this mooring yet another stamp of approval Tilly!

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