Category Archives: Food

Boaters Covid Support. 31st March

Come In Number 51**87 Your Time Is Up. 30th March

Lockdown Mooring 2

Last year we finally managed to put a name to some birdsong. What we now know to have been Chiffchaffs had started to sing around early March time and normally when we were in a certain part of the country, mostly around Crick. This of course was because this tended to be where we were at that time of year. We’d asked a few people if they knew what the bird could be as we tried to replicate its song, ‘Cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep’. I know, it wasn’t much help! But then a friend made a remark about how the Chiffchaffs had arrived. I looked it up and there was the birdsong we’d been puzzled about. Chiffchaff song

Here on our mooring we’ve heard a song that isn’t in the normal range. I’ve hunted round on identification sites, but not come up with the right song. So I’m putting it out to our readers to see if you can help.

Our surroundings are canal, hedges and fields which seem to be pretty dry in amongst the open countryside, so that’s the habitat sorted. Now for a description. It sounds like a cross between a human whistle and a kazoo. One long note that may go up or down. We don’t hear it that often so whom ever it is doesn’t sit on a branch and sing their heart out. So please any suggestions. A sausage or spinach and feta roll to whomever comes up trumps. I have to include a veggie version as I think Laura might just see this, she is a bit of a specialist in birds.

Today it was back to work for me. I’ve a week before my virtual meeting for The Garden so wanted to get my model painted. The main set I’d nearly finished last week, today I needed to tie it into the floor. At the moment I’m not sure if we’ll be able to afford a floor. Dark Horse have various rolls of flooring in their small store, so I was going to have a look at them and see what could be used. There may of course not be enough and there isn’t an extra £350 in the budget to buy new, so I may just have to cope with the floor in the cellar theatre.

During the afternoon I managed to get everything painted, toned down a touch (it’s not panto!), just need to add some poetry to the seasons and the model will be finished.

The first boat to go past us today was a hire boat from Norbury Junction. At some point last week the hire company had asked on Social media if anyone saw this boat to get them to call the hire base. Hire boats were being recalled. The boat had passed us early last week heading to Middlewich, today they were heading back towards base, I don’t think they got the message very quickly!

Another four boats came past during the day, one returned presumably after filling with water or shopping. Then a second hire boat from Rose Boats, this must be one of the two out on a long hire.

From today all manned locks, tunnels and bridges on the network have been closed to traffic, unless there is good reason and then they will need to be booked. One boat with good reason came by today, NB Halsall.

I really must wash Tillys art work off that window!

NB Halsall normally cruises the Four Counties Ring selling coal, diesel, gas and doing pumpouts. They will continue to trade for as long as they are allowed to. They ask for you to pre-order, unlock diesel caps, make access easy for them and then to stay inside your boat and at all times to observe 2m distance. Payments by bank transfer, card or if you really can’t do it any other way then cash.

As they came through the bridge behind us they tooted their horn. This morning we’d asked for a top up of diesel and some coal. They pulled up besides us and whilst Roberta topped us up with diesel Lee loaded three bags of coal onto the roof. I noted how much we owed them and payment was made over the internet.

Before they headed off towards Nantwich we checked when they’d be back round. This pound is on their round every two weeks, so as long as they stay well we will be looked after. As they pulled away from us hands were washed. A big Thank you to the Halsall Crew.

0 locks, 0 miles, 9 hours, 5 taken, 5 boats, 1 model painted, 1 new script, 1 chicken stripped, 4 maybe 5 meals! 3 bags coal, 21 litres, 550m cat walk, 0.5 field ploughed, 1 urge to make scones.

Phew! 29th March

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Lockdown Mooring 2

Today we’ve been watching Flight Radar 24, keeping an eye on Jac returning from Australia. Because her light left Melbourne late there was only 45 minutes for her connection in Doha. Here her flight number had changed so it took us a little while to find her again. But once we had it, QR007, we followed her from Turkish air, across Europe, over the north sea, through to her approach into Heathrow across London in the early afternoon. We then just had to wait for news from my brother to say all was well.

A little after 5pm we got the text we’d been waiting for. Everyone was now at home in Hackney and all was well. This is a big relief to us, so I can only guess how relieved Andrew and Josh are to have her home. We’ll try catching up with them in the next few days.

The sun and it’s warmth have vanished, today we had grey skies again, with the odd patch of blue, but a keen wind was bitterly cold and made the outdoors uninviting. Once we knew Jac was back in the UK we ventured out, giving ourselves a rest from door duty for Tilly.

Today there was only one way we would be walking and that was up to look at Hurleston Locks. Lock 4 has been rebuilt over the last five months as the sides were gradually slipping inwards making the chamber narrower and narrower. Modern boats were okay if they lifted their fenders (which you should do anyway) but any boat with even a hint of middle aged spread had no chance. C&RT had even put lock keepers on duty to assist with passage.

But on Friday the flight reopened, and a long line of boats headed up onto the Llangollen Canal. The bottom lock has had the towpath side of the chamber rebuilt, the top coping stones reused and the gates all look like they have been there for few years too. Here’s a link to a time lapse of the work .

A small trickle of water runs down the towpath close to the bottom gates, seeping out from below the top layer of hardcore that was added to widen the access. Here’s hoping that this isn’t a bad sign.

We walked up to the top of the flight, the views below reaching to Mow Cop and the Macclesfield Canal where we’d hoped to cruise in a months time, all plans on hold, in fact we have no plans currently other than to stay put and stay safe.

Containers and machinery still fill the field alongside the top lock. We checked to see if there was still a rubbish bin here, there is, so we can get rid of our mackerel rubbish from yesterday.

Above the lock there is a long line of boats. All of them very handily moored for water. Maybe they’d moored here with the plan of descending the locks once they opened, but now with only essential movement allowed they have decided to stay put. A couple face away from the locks, so maybe they ascended the flight over the weekend.

Back at Oleanna, Tilly came and went during the afternoon. The wind put her off staying out for long periods of time. Over the next few weeks we may wish we’d installed a catflap, but then again it does mean we get to increase our daily steps!

Only one boat came past today, an Anglo Welsh hire boat NB Merlin, Ian and Irene’s boat from Bunbury. Will this be the last hire boat we’ll see for sometime, they have all been recalled to base and bookings cancelled.

Our busy neighbour, wonder what might get grown in that field and will we see it being harvested?

This evening we got out the chicken we bought at the butchers yesterday, all 2.5kgs of it! I thought it had been rather a heavy bag. Normally a chicken weighing 1.8kgs feeds us for a week, so this one will last a touch longer. We thought of inviting people round for Sunday Dinner to help us, but…..

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 boat passing, 1 very windy day, 2 waves at AreandAre, 1 walk up 4 locks, 1 walk down 4 locks, 1 trickle of water, 1 very busy farmer across the way, 1 chicken enough for a family of 6, 1 sister-in-law home, 1 happy Leckenby family.

Geraghty Zoom. 28th March

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Lockdown Mooring 2 to Nantwich to Hurleston to Lockdown Mooring 2

An Alarm! An Alarm!!! Well we had a LOT to do today. Tilly soon gave up thinking there would be any shore leave this morning when we only had a cuppa before pushing off, breakfast was on hold until we reached Nantwich.

Last night I’d been in touch with Sandra on NB AreandAre, they were moored on the embankment and the news was that there was plenty of room. So under grey skies we pootled our way in towards town, we weren’t the first to move today, two boats had already come past, the first before the alarm had gone off.

We pulled into a space, quickly had breakfast and then settled down with our cuppas for the weekly Geraghty Zoom. Richard was otherwise engaged in Dhaka but this week we were joined by Christine and Paul in London. Everyone waved, chatted away, caught up with the last weeks news and wondered who was being stored in Kaths old fridge freezer, no sign of Sean today!

A text came through from my brother saying that Jac had managed to get an earlier flight, it had already been delayed once but should be leaving Melbourne in four hours. Everyone crossed their fingers.

I wrote a shopping list worked out a menu for the next week/ten days not knowing what we’d find in the shops today. The two of us headed into town with the bike should we need it.

The streets were as expected almost empty, no school kids having their last sneaky fag outside the school gates today. I wonder how many of them will now have to give up as unless they volunteer to do the shopping, come clean with their parents or exercise on their own, they will run out.

Couples walked from shop to shop in town, we headed to Clewlows first, the butchers. Here a large white table had been positioned in front of the door and posters were hung in the window. Advance orders. Damn! A young chap came to the door and said that if they had what people were after then they’d be able to serve us. A family asked if they had chicken breasts, not till Tuesday came the reply. They settled for a couple of pounds of beef and two packs of bacon. Whole chickens they could do, but no pies without them being pre ordered. We’ll think about that for next time.

Two market stalls stood opposite St Mary’s church the market hall firmly closed. One sold cheese and eggs, the other a very good fruit and veg stall. As most of our shopping was for fresh veg I handed over a big bag and the chap started to fill it. 6 apples, bunch bananas, 2 baking potatoes, okay 3, as I walked round I kept seeing things and he kept up with me, his steps for the day increasing as he walked too and fro from my bag. Everything I wanted apart from Blueberries.

Next Holland and Barrett. Two customers in the shop at any one time. I waited and then went to see what was in stock. Last week the Free from isle in Morrisons had more or less been bare so I picked up various things including some expensive pasta and a bag of short grain brown rice. I scanned the items myself and paid contactless, better than the lady infront who only had a £50 note! Is now the time for those who print their own cash to get them into circulation?

At Morrisons an orderly 2m gapped queue wrapped around one side of the building. It took nearly as long to snake our way around the barriers as it did for the queue to reach the door. Here a security guard said we couldn’t go in together, we had to remain 2m apart. We obviously hadn’t got the memo about this. Mick headed in with the trolley, we’d already discussed that I’d do the shopping and I had the list.

The store was a surprise. Plenty of fruit and veg. The meat isle was pretty well stocked. Infact in some areas there was simply too much stock and items had been reduced. A small loaf of bread for 8p, we’d just got one from the bakers in town for £1.90!

The atmosphere was calm, the supermarket musac unnerving in the back ground. There was even toilet roll, not much of it mind. The occasional shopper with phone in hand chatted away to someone at home conferring on what to buy.

We walked round trying to pretend we weren’t together, gradually ticking everything off our list. In the corner of the meat isle there was a reduced, ‘sad gits’ section. Cheap fish. That was our dinner sorted for tonight.

Outside we realised we’d forgotten something! Chocolate!

Mick loaded the bike as I walked over to Aldi to join their queue. Another orderly affair, being invited into the store as the first isle cleared. A large sign on the chocolate said that I’d be limited to four of one item. Now did that mean I could get four dark chocolate bars and four milk with almonds, or four bars of chocolate. I did the later otherwise I’d have been panic buying. The lady in front of me suggested I went first with my few purchases, very kind of her.

Signs at the bottom of the ramp up to the embankment politely ask walkers, runners etc to avoid lengths of the towpath where boaters are moored. The C&RT sign is too wordy to read so has had little effect it was still quite busy. This morning we’d seen a Policeman on a bike on the towpath, out checking on people who might be isolated. Later on social media there were photos of the tacks that had found themselves in his tyres! We already knew we wouldn’t be staying.

Back at Oleanna Tilly was locked in the bedroom as each shopping bag was unloaded slowly, items disinfected as they came inside, others left in a bag on the stern for a few days along with our coats.

Lunch and a shower before we headed to the winding hole, passing a boater saying it wasn’t safe here, ‘Get out to the countryside!’ People are so frightened.

We pulled up at the water point, topped up the tank, disposed of rubbish. All good for about a week. We pushed off and continued back towards Hurleston.

Shortly after we’d passed where we wanted to be we came across NB AreandAre moored with a couple of other boats. The horn was bipped, we jestured that we’d be turning and be back in a few minutes.

The moorings before bridge 97 were completely empty now. Everyone must have been waiting for the locks to open and then sprinted up onto the Llangollen last night.

Now there’s a film to watch, Bugsy Malone

We winded and returned, pausing mid stream alongside NB AreandAre. We’ve not met Sandra and Barry before although our paths did cross many years ago now. I’ve just been having a look through their blog for July 2014 and sadly NB Lillyanne (our yellow boat) is just out of shot in Hebden Bridge for the Tour de France. At the time they were The Homebrew Boat, who wouldn’t stop to have a look! It was very nice to finally get chance to chat today, they are our nearest neighbours so I suspect we’ll see them again in the next week or so.

0 locks, 5.68 essential miles, 2 winds, 2 straights, 1 screen of Geraghtys, 1 chicken, £17 of fresh veg, 2 boxes of wine, £2.69 bag of pasta, 60p half price macaroni!, £1.90 bread, 8p bread, 4 bars chocolate, 1 bag gf self raising, 1 disinfected shop, 1 full water tank, 1 new pooh bucket, 2 mackerel with roast potatoes and onions, 0 shore leave, 1 very long chilly day, 3 years since we test drove Oleanna, 1 Jac on her way home!!!!

Heads Above Water. 27th March

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Lockdown Mooring 1 to Lockdown Mooring 2, Cornes Bridge 96.

Back on the 16th March just about every theatre in the land closed it’s doors to the public, by the 17th all venues were dark, only a ghost light left lit in the middle of many a stage. Since then theatre companies have been doing all sorts of things, many adding online material that can be accessed for free.

From Thursday next week the National Theatre will be launching National Theatre at Home. One of their shows will be available on line for 7 days, starting with One Man Two Guvnors staring James Corden.

Animated Objects Theatre Company in Scarborough known for their large scale community projects and giant puppets have added various art projects for families to do at home, including building a biplane from a toilet roll and a cereal box. If you fancy having a go, just scroll down their website and Lee will show you how to do it.

Other theatres have launched campaigns to help raise funds so that when Coronavirus is all over they will be able to open their doors once again for people to join together in one room to enjoy live theatre. One such theatre is Chipping Norton, with it’s Heads Above Water campaign.

Chippy got in touch with performers and creatives who’ve worked there over the last few years and asked them if they could produce something to go on their social media for World Theatre Day, which was today. Now, I’m not a performer and would rather not have to appear in shot, but wanted to do something for the day. I make models, so that’s what I did. If you listen carefully you’ll hear Tilly’s bell.

This morning my little offering was all over their social media, along with Dames singing ditties or showing off their patent leather boots, King Rat threatening to raid fridges for Cheddar!

Today we needed to do some essential travelling. Our water tank was getting low and we also would need some shopping in the next couple of days. So much to Tilly’s distain there was no shore leave this morning, instead we pushed off and headed towards the lock where the new (to us) water point is.

Coming towards us was a boat, the chap at the tiller was well away with the fairies, I did consider shouting out to him but he spotted us just in time to avoid running into us. Once we’d passed all our neighbours we pulled in and started to fill with water.

A load of washing was on the go and Tilly’s pooh box got a good clean and fresh litter. Mick walked down to the Chandlers to see if they might just have some milk, which they did, a touch more expensive than it would have been at a supermarket, but it was here and meant we could hold off going to the shops for a day longer.

The tap didn’t have that much pressure so the tank would take a while to fill. I gave my brother a call to see if there was any news on Jac and plane tickets. A day ago she’d managed to get hold of a ticket back to the UK from Melbourne which would be leaving Monday lunchtime. The first Andrew had known about this was in the middle of the night when he had an alert from his bank asking how money had been spent on Jac’s account in Melbourne when she’d also paid to watch something on TV in Hackney! She is however going to be checking with the flight centre every day to see if she can get a flight earlier.

Tank full, it was time for us to reverse to the winding hole, where we turned, passed our mooring from the last week and headed back to Barbridge Junction. I popped up to the bow to see if anyone was coming, clear both ways I waved Mick onwards and we turned towards Nantwich.

Our hope was to find a space near to Hurleston Junction where the towpath is wider, then we might be able to sort the boat covers and do some jobs on Oleanna without constantly avoiding walkers. But as we got near three boats were tucked in before the junction and once through Bridge 97 the 2 day visitor moorings were just about full.

A printed C&RT poster stood on a pole at the end to try to discourage towpath use. A chap busied himself cutting wood on his workbench. NB Mountbatten and Jellicoe were breasted up awaiting the locks up onto the Llangollen to reopen. Several dogs ran about enjoying themselves. We could have slotted in, but decided to see if another mooring on our map might be free.

We pootled onwards, the next spot occupied. A week ago there’d been half as many boats on this stretch. A short distance on we tried pulling in, the Shropie shelf keeping us a touch too far out for our tyre fenders. Through the next bridge and we tried again. We were in luck, here was better too due to fewer trees so the solar panels could earn their keep better.

Who thought the Shropie shelf would pay off

A late lunch and only a few hours for Tilly on the towpath. Here the path is wider and we have the added advantage of an extra 18 inches of Shropie shelf to help with our buffer zone.

The sour dough pizza dough seemed to work quite well, it’s not as sour smelling as my old starter was. A large oven tray was covered with the dough and baked for 10 minutes before I added the toppings.

Tuna, red onion, sweetcorn (with added peas!) and plenty of cheese. It turned out rather well a touch more bready than previous versions.

0 locks, 3.62 miles, 0.3 in reverse, 1 wind, 1 left, 1 straight, 1 full water tank, 1 clean pooh box, 2 pints milk, 1 sister-in-law booked to come home, 11 boats moving including us, 18 inches extra buffer, 1 walk with Tilly, 1 game of stone, 1 very large pizza with leftovers, 1 little film, 1 coal boat first up Hurleston Locks.

https://goo.gl/maps/JK88rXnw13LVj5F98

The Stuff Of Life. 26th March

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Lockdown Mooring 1

My Dad, Fatso (as I used to call him), had a saying as he cut a slice of bread and passed it across the dining table speared on the end of the bread knife, The stuff of life at the point of death. Well we’ve not reached that point yet, but today I had a request to make some bread. Some full fat, glutenous bread. Luckily for Mick the baking drawer had a bag of flour for such emergencies, the use by date the end of the month.

So we might have stocked up on gf black pudding!

Whilst I was at it I woke my sour dough starter up and gave it a feed. My sorghum flour stash was nearly out, so I’m trying to ween it onto brown rice flour, with the hope that it will still be happy. A warm up, feed and it was left to start bubbling and expanding.

Micks loaf was mixed and kneaded then left to rise on the proving shelf, where it did it’s thing in an hour was knocked back put in a tin and left to rise again. Then into the oven, followed by five minutes out of it’s tin upside down.

My friend Graham sent through a quote to build the elements of the set for The Garden. This got me back looking at my budget and getting myself totally confused for a while. I’ll have another look in a few days once the model is finished.

Mick hunted round for some boat insurance quotes, our premium seems to go up every year despite Oleanna no doubt loosing value. Specific questions regarding policies need to be answered before we commit to a company.

My attention turned to the little project I’d started yesterday. I now needed a cast for my little show. The last two years panto photographs were gone through and actors auditioned. Those selected were all made the same size, printed out and then cut round. Placards were updated and everyone fixed in position, so nobody could upstage the others.

Now was the time to film some footage. But where? For it to work I built a little stage out of books on top of the thin cupboard between the galley and dinette. This meant I could raise and lower things. Camera position was next. My sewing box and the shoe box I keep model bits in were just about the right height.

Filming began. I hadn’t remembered my lines, I only had two!

The boat rocked as Mick stepped on and off the bow.

Tilly decided to come home and see what was happening.

The timer on the oven kept binging.

But in the end after numerous takes I got a couple that were good.

The evening was spent editing. I’d hoped I could crop the sides of the footage, but this simply wasn’t within my skill set so I would have to cope with lots of people seeing our mountain of washing up in the background, along with the oven fan and Tilly ringing her bell!

Christmas tree, ash can and bucket positioned to help with social distancing

Ten boats have come past today, two winding and returning. One pulled in nearer the bridge behind us. A few boats that have been moored here have moved off, presumably heading to do some shopping. We’ll need to move tomorrow for water and then shopping too. Hopefully we’ll find another mooring that is deemed good for Tilly, although I think a day inside catching up on her sleep is called for.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 cooked breakfast, 65 C&RT notices regarding only essential movement being allowed, 10 boats, 2 kayaks, 1 loaf bread, 1 pizza dough fermenting, 1 fridge nearly bare, 22 takes, 1 edited, 1 whatsap’d for tomorrow, 3 Insurance quotes, 0 news on Jac, bakers dozen cast, 1 cat upstaging, 15 minutes at home, 1 plus friends consumed.