Category Archives: Food

Crunchy Under Foot. 16th September

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Massey’s Bridge 12

Today we’d be waiting around for a phone call from Mick’s GP surgery from the person who can prescribe drugs. Before Mick went into hospital with his stroke they had just changed some medication, so this would be a follow up appointment for that. He jotted down other things he wanted to talk to them about as when he’d been to the surgery last week for a blood test etc. the person he’d seen couldn’t answer any of his questions. There were also his new drugs to be added to repeat prescription and as yet his discharge letter from Derby Hospital hadn’t appeared in his notes.

We were wanting to move on, but didn’t want to move from somewhere with good phone signal. Mick had called the surgery yesterday to see if they knew what time it might be, ‘it could be anytime’. Time to be patient again.

The morning was pottered away. The wind reduced from yesterday, but still quite blustery. A few boats were on the move, we stayed put, Tilly got busy in the outside.

No call by lunchtime. We had lunch. We waited.

Mid afternoon and I needed to stretch my legs, hopefully a walk would encourage the surgery to phone.

Wide viaduct

Back to the viaduct, this time I turned right and headed for the River Trent. The flow seemed quite strong, levels up a touch after the recent rainfall. Good in one respect that there is more water in the system, however this water is heading straight out to sea and not helping fill the reservoirs, but maybe that is happening too, fingers crossed. Today there have been more CRT notices regarding a few more areas. On the Macclesfield stop planks are being lifted to help the canal fill up, although they do warn that levels will still be low for navigation. Hopefully things will improve up on the summit pound for boaters and boats being fitted out too.

Looking downstream

The area around Kings Newton was used by Sappers in WW2 for training, building and dismantling bridges and work on railways. I wondered if my Dad had been trained here, but research later suggested that he was too young and would have been posted elsewhere. But I’ll check his diary at some point just in case.

The track goes onwards towards Loughborough, it is Route 6 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network, this actually stretches from London to the Lake District. A good surface to walk on, interrupted occasionally by lines of rivets.

Yesterdays wind had blown down hips onto the towpath, up on the railway it was acorns which made for a very crunchy walk. Later they would be joined by red apples and chestnuts. Natures bounty strewn on the floor.

Running into the distance

Not much view from along the track which soon clings to the side of the hill that Kings Newton sits on, trees on either side of the track and bridges crossing overhead. I wasn’t sure if there’d be access points at some of the road bridges so I opted to take the steps of love up the side of the bank. Gosh these were steep steps, I hope my knees, now quite happy with walking distances, will cope with climbing ladders whilst working on panto!

Steps of Love

I joined the roads through the village, passing modern houses, 1940’s houses, Victorian houses, Shazza’s Cafe. Up to the cemetery with its chapel and many many headstones. On the way to a snicket a young girl sat on her Dad’s shoulders reaching up high with a stick to encourage one of the last red apples still clinging on to drop into her hand. I don’t know if she succeeded as I was busy trying to get away in case any apples were to fall on me!

Chapel

Saturday is Derbyshire Day, I’ve seen posters for various things happening in villages. Here and in Melbourne (not the one in Australia) there is an art and architecture trail happening. If we were still to be around the area it looks like a good thing to do, but sadly we need to be elsewhere by then.

Seeing for miles

I caught a glimpse of some older buildings before crossing a road to join a footpath back towards the railway line which had great views northwards. Stiles with dog access too. Then back along the railway line, across the river and back to Oleanna.

Still no phone call from the GP’s. Maybe they’d call after surgery hours? Maybe they wouldn’t? Maybe we should move Oleanna to get water and tackle Weston Lock? Maybe we should stay put and carry on waiting.

Dog access

Mick’s phone pinged. A text message from the GP’s! They were happy with recent results, so keep taking the new medication. But hang on! What about the stroke? He’d be needing other new drugs adding to his repeat prescription! Thankfully there was an option on the text to reply. Thankfully the repeat prescription wouldn’t be going to Burton! Texts went back and forth for a while, one including Mick’s discharge letter. Maybe a phone call would have been better.

The person Mick was communicating with was only aware of his change in meds for blood pressure and not that he’d had a five day stay in hospital after a stroke. A text message was all that was required for the surgery with the info they had. He’d had a long day waiting for a phone call, if we’d known it would be a text we could have moved this morning. A touch frustrating.

Mick sent an online question to the GP regarding a vision test to see if he can get his driving licence back, also to get the ball rolling on a follow up with a stroke person. We’ll see what happens tomorrow, see if he can get to talk to anyone, maybe even a doctor!

Chicken and cauliflower Macaroni Cheese tonight, we’d forgotten about the cauliflower on Sunday!

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 less windy day, 1 very long wait, 1 sausage day for cats, 1 litre pink or is it magenta? 67 brisk minutes walking, 2 dog gates, 1 long cycle track, 4 texts, 1 online question, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

If Anyone Is Interested! 15th September

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Near Massey’s Bridge 12

Hello!!! If anyone is interested …. I’m fine, thank you.

Sunshine and wind

My left arm was a touch sore but it has recovered nicely now with a bit of bed rest and gentle exercising, the occasional pounce has got it back in full working order. I get daily strokes and have no idea what all the fuss has been over Tom’s one. No need to visit the green Toms and Shes for me. Thank you Dave for your concern.

Today, however is a touch too blowy for my liking, even too blowy to sit on my throne under the pram hood, so it’s the window view for me today.

Not many berries left on the bushes

A touch too blowy! Understatement. I managed to sit it out for a few hours, the small willow trees opposite bending right over, the Hawthorne hedge giving us some shelter from the gusts. Mick tightened our ropes, not that there was much slack in them to start with. By midday I’d worked my way through panto references pulling out good images for Min the props maker, but I’d also had enough of the lumpy water. I was starting to feel a touch seasick.

Apparently the worst of the wind had passed over, so I headed out for a walk on solid ground. Up to the viaduct. I crossed the canal and then followed the old Midland Railway, Derby and Melbourne Line until it met with the Sawley and Western Line at Chellaston East Junction. Here I could hear the woofers barking away that we’d heard on our way west a few weeks ago, they were tucked away behind trees and a big fence. The Derby and Melbourne Line used to turn into the Derby and Ashby Line heading through Tonge which is 10 miles from Derby. The mile posts sponsored by East Midlands Electricity seem to cover both railway and canal.

Derby to Tonge

I’d done my best to rush through the trees, but they’d offered me some shelter from the wind. I intentionally zigzagged my way along the open road, being in view of on coming traffic as well as avoiding trees and being blown into the road by possible gusts. It was a hood up day, even that needed hanging onto! Thankfully soon a footpath dipped away from the road to Massey’s Bridge on the canal.

Humans are horrible!

Now on through the fields on the other side, low growing crops and some fields left after the harvest. A stile, an electric fence, a pile of beer bottles and cans! Someone had managed to get them all here full, why couldn’t they take them away empty!

An intentional line of trees, then a slightly ornate stone wall surrounded the destination of my walk today. Swarkstone Pavilion. I’ve seen it from the canal many times, looked at the details on the Landmark Trust website, but never managed to get this close before.

Thankfully the weathered oak gate isn’t filled in, so I respectfully had a nosy through it.

This was the location for an album cover photo shoot for Beggars Banquet by the Rolling Stones in 1968. The images weren’t seen by the band to be edgy enough at the time, they preferred graffiti on a toilet seat, however the record company didn’t like this either, so it ended up being just copperplate writing on a white invitation. One image from the photoshoot ended up being used as a promotional poster for the album. More info can be found here

No chance of playing bowls today on that lawn

The pavilion was built to give a grandstand view over what ever took pace in front of it, inside it’s stone enclosure, be it jousting, bear-baiting or bowls. It is Tudor/Jacobean and was built in 1630 by mason Richard Sheppard, designed by John Smythson. It belonged to Swarkstone Hall a great house which was demolished in 1750. It came into the hands of the Landmark Trust in 1985, they re-roofed it and put in floors so you can now stay there. Have to say I’m glad I wasn’t staying there today as to reach the bathroom you have to cross the roof terrace!

It is a wonderful building even though it is only just a bit deeper than it’s two towers are wide, so quite a skinny building.

Tithe Barn

I headed onwards to see what I could see, an old Tithe Barn which has been converted into a house. then across another field to St James’s Church. The church dates from the 12th and 16th Centuries and was rebuilt in the 1870s. Sadly today the doors were locked, I only just managed a peek through a door but couldn’t see much.

St James’s

An angel in the graveyard warned me to look up. They were right as a chunk of the roof had recently come crashing to the ground. I kept my distance as I walked round and apologised to the residents below my feet.

I crossed back over the fields. The turn around staff at the Pavilion were just packing up their car to leave, the property ready for the next guests arriving later today. Sheep grazed in the fields. I returned to the boat along the towpath, discovering the possible culprits of us being kept a wake a few nights ago. Two chaps were busy sawing up big logs with a chainsaw. Along the towpath the wind had brought down a few more branches for them to claim. Maybe the sawing we’d heard around 1:30 in the morning had been them collecting suitable wood, hoping no-one would notice in the dead of night!

Branch down on the T&M

Back on board I managed to eat some lunch, my stomach having calmed down. Mick took a walk to the viaduct turning right to have a look at the River Trent. The wind hung around for much of the remainder of the day. Tilly didn’t venture far, in fact she gave up with outside and ended up having to use the still clean facilities onboard.

0 locks, 0 miles, 40+mph winds, 565642387686534 berries on the towpath, 1 pavilion, 1 church, 1 angel, 47 brisk blowy minutes, 2 chainsawers, 1 paint list, 1 props folder, 4 homemade chicken spring rolls.

Out In The Open. 14th September

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Massey’s Bridge, a little bit further on

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

Route 6 on the viaduct

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

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

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

There was a great big hole

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

The Priest House

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

I nearly came a cropper in this puddle

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

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

Coopers Arms

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

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

St Mary The Virgin

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

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

The social club

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

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

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

Paper Girl. 13th September

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Lowes Bridge 15 to Massey’s Bridge 12

The loitering look in the bathroom was saying it all! Before I could do anything else this morning Tilly’s pooh box needed refreshing. Shore leave was granted which hopefully would give me time to clean her litter box out before it was too late. Quite often I’ve only just added the fresh litter and in hops Tilly! However by the end of today the clean box remained untouched, I’d had to find alternative arrangements, hadn’t I!

Our papers were checked over, paperclipped into four wadges and slid into the only big envelope we had. Wanting to know when they arrived meant dropping them off at a Post Office as we’d not all the relevant details to buy suitable postage online, this could be combined with my walk today, plus newspaper hunting and purchasing something to roast for Sunday.

Even Tilly had to get her paws on our paperwork!

First we moved up to the water point and waited, another boat already filling, they had quite a large tank. A load of washing sat in our machine waiting for the hose to be filling our tank before it could be turned on. I headed off along the line of the Derby Canal, continuing on northwards which is now a cycle route, then cutting across a park, wiggling my way through houses before turning onto Derby Road.

Here my Saturday morning newspaper hunt was to start. First chance was a Tesco Express, BINGO!!! Four, yes four copies! Brilliant!! I only wanted one. Well that wasn’t hard.

Next port of call the Post Office, as I joined the queue I checked their range of newspapers, good job I’d not started here. The fat envelope was handed over paid for and a signature requested when it arrives. Next a few doors down to Lidl for a chicken and veg for tomorrow, no newspaper of the right flavour here either, my route had been chosen well. Back to the boat following a footpath through the housing estate to the canal.

Dark skies behind us

The boat that had been on the water point was just finishing going down the lock, Mick had had to wait for quite a while before it had been our turn. The washing machine was on, keeping up with the flow from the tap. It took a while before our tank was full then we decided to nudge up onto the bollards for lunch, just as the dark skies loomed over us. Two boats had just come up the lock and they rushed to tie up and take shelter, leaving git gaps everywhere, this meant we had no option but to pull up on the lock landing!

Going down …

We waited out the downpour by having lunch. The skies started to clear a touch as a boat rose up the lock ahead of us, we’d take advantage of the full lock and hope to reach our mooring before the heavens opened again. By the time we’d pushed off and got to the lock the level had dropped by a good 2ft! The leak from the bottom gates a fountainous spray and serious bubbling up from beneath them, it’s a good job this stretch of canal is fed from the river!

… pretty quickly!

Wanting to keep quite close to Cuttle Bridge for access to buses we opted for our first M on the Waterway Routes map. As I walked the towpath, the sky grew dark again. Three lads I’d already seen twice before today were taking cover under a bridge fishing, cheeky lads, but harmless. Should we pull in here? Or here? Maybe a touch further along where there was a gap in the hedge, it didn’t really matter now as I was quite damp around the edges already.

A good sky once the rain had stopped

Tilly got the best of the downpour, sheltering under the pram cover. Then the skies cleared, so much so that Mick decided to risk hanging out our washing on the whirligig. This however meant bringing it inside twice when it started to rain again. In the end our pants ended up in the tumble drier, good job we’d topped up with water today!

New improved roses

During the afternoon I started working through my list of panto jobs. Looking out certain items on gumtree, ebay and marketplace and sending links to Chippy. Making up some paper roses to see what sizes would be best for various things. Rolls of suitable paper were also passed on to be ordered.

Cauliflower Cheese with a dash of wholegrain mustard

Cauliflower Cheese was enjoyed tonight, with a bit left over to accompany our Sunday roast.

In water level news, links between the Wolverhampton Level and Birmingham Level have been reopened along with the Wolverhampton flight.

1 lock, 1.1 mile, 70 minutes brisk walking, 2 many showers for pants, 1 Saturday newspaper, 5 roses, 4 wadges of paper posted, 3 cards, 1 huge cauliflower cheese, 4 git gaps.

https://what3words.com/ready.maple.surcharge

Dashing. 11th September

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Lowes Bridge 15

Tilly requested to go out this morning, before any shore leave was to be granted we got her to walk up and down the boat to see how that limp was doing. Heading towards the stern and Mick, there was a slight spring in her step. But when called back to me by the bathroom the limp was there! Was this a sympathy limp? All that walking backwards and forwards would give anyone a limp! Shore leave was granted and we got on with the morning.

Tonge?

Supplies are running low, a supermarket delivery might be possible to the lock, but it would be a long walk back to Oleanna as we don’t really want to move up just yet. Only one thing for it, head to Aldi a miles walk away for a top up shop of fresh things. Taking the Brompton we walked towards the lock. Dark skies behind us, which way were the clouds moving?

Wonder how often Starfire goes out?

The Derby Canal branches off to the north of the Trent and Mersey above Swarkstone Lock, the first stretch up to a bridge still in water and used for moorings. A path runs alongside what was the canal, now overgrown, the by wash at the lock flowing like there was no drought! Under the A50, cars and lorries hammering their way along to Stoke. We now walked through a modern housing estate, round a roundabout to a crossing. A big clap of thunder, we weren’t going to get away with staying dry for long. As soon as the green man showed, I picked up my pace and Mick got on the Brompton, we managed to get under the roof of Aldi just as it started to hammer it down. We’d got here, but would we get back dry?

Two bags of shopping then quite a wait to see if it would stop raining. Maybe it was lighter rain now, we couldn’t stand here all day! We got part way back through the housing estate when fork lightening could be seen up ahead, it didn’t take long for the rumble of thunder to join it. We picked up our pace again dashing for the A50 and some shelter. Of course this was the time when Frank called to report about his latest visit to the hospital. Not totally drenched we waited out the worst of the rain and I chatted about drugs with Frank, I’m sure others have done similar under this bridge!

How many drug deals has this face witnessed?

Back at Oleanna we were damp around the edges, the stove was lit and we started to dry off. A suggestion came from the IT tech support at Chippy to log out of Microsoft 365 in Word, then log back in again. This didn’t work. But with the help from my IT department and logging out of Microsoft fully, then back in again I got back into the system, just one file I couldn’t access which might not have been there, I’d managed to get sent to me a few days ago so that didn’t matter.

Grown up

The afternoon was spent finishing off touching up images for print and rationalising the paint call with what the theatre already has. Then it was time to do some very grown up paperwork. Our Lasting Power of Attorney forms. Our stupid printer doesn’t like the paper we’ve currently got to do double sided printing, so with both of us and both Health and Wealth forms filled out on line we used getting on for 100 sheets of paper. Four stacks of paper now wait to be signed and witnessed before heading off in the post.

A touch flat, but still tasty

Tonight we had toad in the hole with chicken sausages. Maybe I didn’t use enough oil in the tin and the sausages didn’t add any fat to the cooking equation, so the Yorkshire pudding didn’t rise. Oh well, at least the mushroom and pea gravy made up for it.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 wave to Nichola and Andy, 2 bags of shopping, 1 soggy bag of oats, 2 soggy boaters, 1 semi limping cat, 88 plus sheets of paper, 4 stacks, 1 envelope, 1 fat pudding, 6 chicken sausages.

Legs. 9th September

Mercia Marina to Lowes Bridge 15

An hours shore leave before we pushed off this morning. I’ve been having difficulty accessing documents in the Chippy shared folder for panto, so some emails needed to be sent about it so I could finish updating the props list.

A few boats were moving so we joined in, pootling along to our next mooring which we hope will serve us well for a couple of days. I walked as Mick brought Oleanna behind. The wooded areas along the canal are rather pleasant, in amongst them there are a few ponds and ditches. When the railway was built, ballast was required for the tracks, suitable material was found at nearby sites. When the gravel was dug out the holes that were left filled with water, the biggest became known as Ballast Hole Pond. However when the power station was built in the 1950’s the ash produced needed to go somewhere and landowners were paid to fill in the ponds and ditches on their land. I’m sure the amount of ash far exceeded the local area and other places had to be found for it’s disposal.

O dear, hope that wasn’t the banner we lost on the River Trent!

Two volunteers were clearing pennywort from above Stenson Lock, they asked where my boat was, not far behind, I was the advanced party. No sign of boats arriving below so the lock could be filled. No sign of boats arriving from behind to join us so we descended the lock on our own, bywashes happily running along this stretch of the canal. Chatting to the volunteers, we were their second boat of the day, they needed four more to beat Sundays record of five. It certainly feels that all the boats on a dash back to there home moorings have achieved their goals, and now it is continuous cruisers and the occasional boat from a marina just nudging their way along the cut. Most boats are becoming quite familiar now.

Stenson Lock

Handing my windlass back to Mick I then walked the near three miles towards Swarkstone Lock. A few emails came in regarding the budget for panto. At least one major item wasn’t mentioned, I quickly sent a note to the production manager. Two months ago the budget looked good if we could nudge the build cost down just a touch, but today we were now a couple of thousand over! Oh blimey, the last thing I want to be doing now is amending things, especially two months after the Final Design meeting. The producer was doing their best to find the extra, but I know there will need to be some cuts as we still haven’t had the price in for one element of the set and I really don’t think the amount being suggested for foliage and roses is enough and that is an element that can’t be scrimped on! So my walk today wasn’t one of enjoying the scenery.

Today’s mood

The railway hugs the canal for some distance and then moves away. I’d made notes of possible Tilly friendly moorings on our way west, now we hoped there would be space for us. The first stretch had several boats, generators running. I walked ahead to the next stretch under a bridge. A slightly more open aspect, armco and a good stretch away from the road bridge to be happy to let Tilly out.

An afternoon of exploring for Tilly, props list updating for me and a snooze for Mick. A catch up phone call with Frank who is so far coping well with his treatment. I order him his repeat prescriptions and am a little bit out of sync with it at the moment.

Deena’s Duck socks

Time to send off the latest pair of socks, I found the nearest post box which was down towards the River Trent and strode off, crossing the railway and fighting my way through all the traffic queueing to cross the river. I walked back around the houses picking up more free apples and pears on route. Sock pair, I think 102, have arrived with Deena so I can now show you her socks. Her word was DUCK. So I chose to knit some Mandarin Duck socks.

Long evening legs

After an afternoon of exploring the new outside, Tilly returned with a bit of a limp. She won’t tell me what happened, bit has let me feel her legs and paws, nothing obvious. We’ll see what she’s like in the morning.

Chilli again tonight. The rest will go in the freezer.

1 lock, 4.4 miles, 2 outsides, 1 big Grrrr! 100 brisk minutes, 2 very long legs, 1 limping leg, 103 socks dispatched, 2 apples, 2 pairs.

https://what3words.com/tester.broached.bead

Just A New Pair Of Glasses. 8th September

Near Mercia Marina

Crossing Scarborough Bridge in York

Mick was up and off very early this morning heading to Willington Station to catch trains up to Scarborough. Going with him to the hospital last week had been reassuring to me, he should be fine with the trains, in fact he’s pretty much fine with everything. The usual comments and photos came through on Whatsapp, plenty of room on the Doncaster pontoon and there was space for a few more narrowboats below the Museum Gardens in York. He was soon back in Scarborough where the sun was shining and heading for the house.

He caught our lodgers up with his news, reassuring Liza that he was doing okay. Then he had a rummage around upstairs upstairs for some samples I’d been sent a month or so ago which I thought I’d not be needing. Well it turned out that there wasn’t anything suitable in the pack in the end!

Scarbados in the sunshine

Next appointment was at the GP surgery, a periodic check up, bloods, blood pressure, etc. Unfortunately the person he saw couldn’t answer various questions he had regarding recent events as they weren’t a doctor. He also tried to get them to amend his address, but their records were correct. So the next time anyone contacts him from the hospital, if they do, he will need to quiz them again about it. He also made an appointment to talk to a GP about the questions he still has.

That’s a long drive

Back on board, I read through Act 1 of the new draft of panto, making notes as I went. Then headed out for a walk. Today I opted to walk further towards Stenson, cross over the bridge which now only gives access to the house that’s for sale, they have quite a long drive! People were already making the most of sitting by the canal at Lagan the Indian Tapas Restaurant, I felt it was a little early myself.

Past houses, picking up some free Bramley apples, then back towards Willington with great views across to the cooling towers. I had to bob into Mercia Marina as the footpath ran out when the road crossed the entrance. Building work was on going the giant Meccano set being put together.

Powerful

A visit to the Co-op for a few items then I found a new route back to the boat along a very straight footpath alongside the railway line. A steep bridge needed to be climbed over the tracks, here several train spotters loitered with binoculars, I wondered what they were waiting to see.

Long railway footpath

Back at Oleanna I had lunch, then worked my way through Act 2 of panto. Hope John has mentioned to the costume designer that he’s added a new character, plus I’ve now got a puppet to design. Time then to work my way through the props list amending it. I wanted to check on some notes but for some reason the system wasn’t allowing me access, so I ended up having to call it a day with work and turned my attention to putting a big vat of chilli together.

End of Act 2

Mick had also sorted himself an opticians appointment, he’d done this before he’d been diagnosed as having had a stroke. He could have cancelled it, but as he’d at one point been going to see an Ophthalmologist, then wasn’t, he decided that he’d still go and chat to the Optician. All tests were done and his vision hasn’t changed since his last eye test which was back in February, but maybe he could do with a new pair of glasses. For him to get his driving licence back he’ll need to be seen by a GP after the month has elapsed since his stroke.

His connections were good getting back to Willington, moorings on his journey had filled up during the day and had that been Cruiser Orchid moored near Lendal Bridge in York?

0 locks, 0 miles, 8 trains, 2 acts, 4 apples, 63 brisk minutes, 5 hours shore leave, 1 address still wrong, 0 GP, 1 optician, 1 new pair of glasses, but that’s all, 1 designer logged out without reason, draft 2 nearly but not quite finished.

Susie Sunday. 7th September

Willington Visitor Mooring to half a mile onwards

Mick’s sisters were otherwise engaged this morning, conferences, giving speeches, looking round churches with American friends or sleeping, so there was no Geraghty zoom. It turned out to be just as well really.

Time to get up Tilly!

At just gone 10 am my phone binged. I’m here! Oh gosh, I’d meant it when I’d said ‘come early if you want to’, but hadn’t imagined that to be 10am. It didn’t matter anyway, I’d dusted down the worst of the cobwebs yesterday and only really had the back door mat to shake out to feel like we weren’t living in a hovel. Mick jumped in the shower for a spruce up.

I could see down the towpath a lady stopping to chat, the cheese boat caught her attention for a while, then I could see that she was carrying a stack of something. Had she bought the cheese shop out of all their stock? NO she’d stopped at the pub to use their loo and bought a coffee each for us.

Smiles all round with Susie

There are people in this world who just make you smile, and Susie is most definitely one them. We worked together numerous times at the SJT, Things That Go Bump Season, Virtual Reality, lunchtime shows in the restaurant. Our paths nearly crossed a few years ago in Oxford when she was on tour playing Miss Marple, but the theatre had a power outage and I came down with covid the following day shortly followed by Mick. A mutual friend, Christine, had mentioned that we were near Derby at the moment and filled Susie in with Mick’s recent events. Susie called the other day and in a whirlwind had offered to take me out for lunch. I had to stop her in her tracks to say that Mick was now home and ask if he could come too. We sat and chatted, reminiscing on shows in Scarborough, good and bad things, but mostly how wonderful the theatre and the people had been back then. Happy and busy times for us all.

Susie has just opened in a new Torben Betts play Murder at Midnight. The second play in a trilogy of comedy thrillers. So this week, tech week, had been a long one for her. Hopefully we’ll get chance to see the show this coming week before it sets off on tour.

She’s a pretty good actress as well as an artist!

She gave us a little down time as she wanted to do a painting in her diary to help remember the day. A chair was leant to her along with my watercolour water pot and she sat out on the towpath suitably attired (well she is an actress) to paint Oleanna’s portrait. We knew she was still there as we could hear her laughing with passers-by, more smiles being handed out on a Sunday morning.

Painting done, we all walked down to The Dragon for lunch. I’d asked in a Boat Women group where was best for Sunday lunch in Willington. Several options had come back, one too far away and not by the canal, another at a pub with a long menu you get in chain, then The Dragon which was reported to do very nice food during the week, a touch pricey. Well I do a mean roast myself and after the last two weeks didn’t want to be disappointed, and end up wishing I’d cooked my own, plus there was a vast choice on the menu of gluten free options.

Starters

Blimey the place is huge, glad I’d booked a table! We opted for 2 courses, everyone having Bruschetta for starters. Mick then opted for the chicken breast, far superior to the one he had last Sunday, whilst Susie and I went for the beef, seriously treating ourselves with an upgrade to ribeye roast beef. Normally a gf option means you get different gravy and no Yorkshire Pudding, but here that wasn’t the case, good gravy and a pudding that competed on a level with Mick and Susies, plus there was cauliflower cheese which I could eat too! What a feast, we weren’t disappointed in the slightest.

The beef was wonderful

We all left the pub, contentedly full, smiling from ear to ear. The sofa was calling to all us, so it was time to wave Susie goodbye at the bus stop and for us to return to Tilly on Oleanna.

Before we settled down for the afternoon, I walked up the towpath to see if there was any space ahead away from the railway. There was so we dropped the covers and pushed on half a mile to where Tilly could go climbing trees and pouncing in the friendly cover.

Tilly in the trees

A lovely day all round and the only time it rained was when we were inside the pub.

0 locks, 0.5 miles, 0 zoom, 1 last quick tidy, 1 David W***y, 1 Village Wooing, 1 tennis court, 1 painting, 3 Sunday roasts, 3 very full contented smiling people, 1 bill split, 1 happy cat, 1 lovely Susie, thank you for coming to see us.

https://what3words.com/storybook.toys.gangway

Two Faced. 6th September

Coach and Horses Bridge 25 to Willington Visitor Moorings

Shore leave whilst we had breakfast, then when Tilly came home the rear hatch was closed, we wanted to be moving on into Willington today. We could leave the chap and his cat with the towpath all to themselves, not that that cat was making any use of the outside, I didn’t see it pounce once! A load of washing was set going before we set off, there’s a drawer full to work through.

Weaving ends

I opted to stay on the boat for our mile cruise today, there’s a pair of socks to finish weaving ends in on and with there being dark colours I need good light. Willington was just that bit too close for me to finish the second sock off, just another six ends to weave in, then they will be heading off to Cornwall.

The service mooring was free, so we pulled in. Water filling, yellow water dealt with, rubbish in the bins, they’d filled up since yesterday, but there was enough room for ours. Ahead there seemed to be a space which would serve us well we were soon tied up on the visitor moorings. The down side of our mooring is the proximity of the trains, this would mean no shore leave for Tilly.

More hands lost

When Mick had been in hospital I’d contacted family and friends, but there were a few people I’d not got contact details for, one was Siobhan in Australia, Micks best friend from way back when. She however had found out via her sister who follows me on instagram, I think she also reads the blog occasionally. So it was time for the two of them to have a catch up via the internet and for Siobhan to see first hand how Mick was doing.

After lunch we both headed out for a walk, Mick to buy a Saturday newspaper and me to walk round Mercia Marina if I could. Mick succeeded, I didn’t.

A faded duck

I made note of a better mooring further ahead where the railway drifts away from the canal near the entrance to the marina, here I’d allow Tilly some shore leave as there’d be plenty to keep her busy. But for now we’d be staying put. I crossed the canal, wound my way to the entrance of the marina. The duck sign on the bridge used to be bright but today it’s almost vanished with age and grime.

Heron

Our first ever visit to Mercia was by car, to an open day at Aqua Narrowboats, their boats a touch too pricey for us at the time and the waiting list a couple of years long, so we’d discounted them. They did come back onto our list when we were looking the second time around. They have now moved to a bigger workshop elsewhere. Across the entrance to the marina on that side was a big gate, no access to be able to walk round, I suspected the other side would be similar and my walk would end up being at least a mile shorter than I’d hoped.

Expensive but if they save the paintwork

I bobbed into Midland Chandlers. We’d spotted some stainless steel fender hooks that hang from your grab rail, they have a thick neoprene cushion which hopefully will protect paintwork, especially when new. I bought two to see how they do, we’d like our new paint job to remain as good as possible for as long as possible. We prefer to be able to hang fenders when and where required along the grabrail, but the fender hooks we currently use gradually leave marks.

More buildings going up

I walked round the shops, full to the brim of expensive clothes not suitable for boating and objects nobody really needs other than if they require more things to dust. A few restaurants and cafes. More new buildings are going up, possibly flats with more retail opportunities.

Mercia is now a destination not just a marina. They have quite a selection of sculptures around the place which are worth a look. This green man with his two faces and fab bunnies was maybe the best.

Round the other side I found another cafe and gates for moorers and sadly no pathway around the marina, so my walk was shortened. Back along the road, people filling bags with sloes, I think I’d have headed to the towpath where they are in abundance too. Back to Oleanna, a complaining cat, a snoring Mick and work.

Stretched and tidied up

Kedgeree this evening, expertly cooked by Mick. He certainly doesn’t need Home Economics classes.

0 locks, 1.3 miles, 6 more ends to weave, 1 full water tank, 1 empty yellow water tank, 2 noisy trains, 0 shore leave, 42 brisk minutes, 1 front cloth tidied up, 2 soft boiled eggs, 23:40 last train.

https://what3words.com/slung.proudest.jokes

Rubbish Route. 5th September

Coach and Horses Bridge 25

With quite a bit of rubbish accumulated on board we decided to have a walk into Willington together. Mick is aiming to do more exercise, I slowed my pace, we still managed to do 21 minutes of brisk walking to the bins. I suspect if I slowed my normal walking pace a touch I’d achieve more minutes, but I’ve got used to my brisk pace now. Would there be any room in the bins for our recycling? A lighter load than the main bin. When we’d been moored opposite the bins we’d heard that they’d all been emptied on a Friday, so we hoped that would be the case today. No rubbish on the floor and space for our stuff, there’s not a recycling bin in the compound so unfortunately it all had to go in with the general waste, we were getting so we couldn’t move for it on Oleanna.

No rubbish on the floor!

Mick headed back to Oleanna along the towpath, I had a different route planned. First I called into the Co-op, then to the Chemists on Kingfisher Lane. Mick was wanting an additional pill box to add to his collection, plus he was after a urine sample bottle. I asked at the counter only to be directed to the GP surgery next door. For some reason in Scarborough you have to buy these at chemists, but here in Willington at the GP’s they have a big crate full of them on the reception desk, I was told to help myself. I did and tucked it in the bottom of my bumbag.

The other day on the towpath I’d spotted a sign ‘Willington Wetland Circular Walk’ The internet suggested it was 4.5 miles and takes in a stretch of the towpath which I’d already done most of walking to the bins, I just needed to find the right road into the Wetlands Nature Reserve. A long track brought me to a gate, one that gets locked overnight to protect the nature inside.

Signs had warned it might be muddy, stepping stones along the path weren’t needed today, it was just a touch squelchy under foot. I soon came across steps up to a hide overlooking a lake. A chap with a far superior camera told me that there were two Green Sandpipers. I zoomed in with my little camera, I think I got the right birds. Egret to the left, Green Sandpiper to the right, I think.

A pretty good view

There are a few more hides along the path, some with seats, one enclosed with three enthusiasts trying to identify a bird a bit like a Kestrel, but it’s tail wasn’t quite right. My aim was to walk and see if I could see anything with my little camera, so I didn’t bother staying long.

The Wetlands is where Beavers have been reintroduced, not that you could see any today in the early afternoon and I suspect that is why the reserve is locked off over night. However this is where the images came from up at the hospital yesterday from an infrared camera.

The route, I could hear the Lapwings but not see any

The circular walk doesn’t show on OS maps, nor Google. I eventually found an information board that I could take a photo of so I knew I’d be heading in the right direction now as I was leaving the reserve. There is a map on the internet but it’s not so easy to look at on a phone.

A walk to have time away from the last few weeks

Nettles don’t seem to have been affected by the drought, I needed my arms above my head to avoid getting stung as the path became narrower and headed towards the River Trent. This morning on the Try The Trent Facebook group levels had actually moved upwards by a few inches, at last there was some fresh coming down river. Here in Willington it was very obvious, the flow zipping along downstream, the level looking quite high. The recent rain rushing down stream and not hanging about to help top up reservoirs, the ground too dry to absorb sudden cloud bursts.

The path now cuts back across land between gravel pits, numerous signs warn of the dangers of swimming here, one being that you would loose your hands. The Cemex site then comes into view, industry making use of nature and when finished with returning it. A concrete road now takes you over the railway line, Willington Cooling Towers just in view on the horizon.

No trains though

Then back to the canal down a track, passing a posh travellers base, a vintage caravan peeking out from a modern barn, most probably built for it. I didn’t feel I could take a photo through the gate, it would be like someone leaning in through our side hatch to take a photo.

These two barked at anything!

Back on the towpath, the noisy A38 running close again, it was however drowned out by these two woofers who were working overtime on the off side. Back to Oleanna for a late lunch then an afternoon touching up more panto. Tilly explored, hopefully leaving the cat on the next boat alone. Mick retired to bed for 90 winks, whilst I was out he’d had a phone call from the hospital about his new medication and warning him not to get blind drunk and fall over!

Muddy boots

Broccoli Bacon pasta tonight.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 cats on the towpath, 1 Tilly must learn to share, 21 minutes walking together, 2 bags recycling disposed of, 1 pill box, 1 sample bottle, 2 green birdies, 5 hides, 1 rushing river, 1 nice walk, 78 brisk minutes, 2 muddy boots, 2 woofers woofing, 1 side of the front cloth stretched and tidied.