Bramwith Junction to Goole Boat House Marina, Aire and Calder Navigation
Houses and boats have their own advantages. In our house in the mornings I can get out of my side of the bed, walk round it and then along the landing to the bathroom. If this is done in the dark I usually bang my knee on the bottom of the bed having misjudged it’s size. On Oleanna I usually have to manhandle Tilly out of the way and then crawl over Mick’s feet to reach the bathroom side of the bed. However it is impossible to bump one’s knee and the loo is only a couple of paces away rather than a major hike across Scarborough!
A new day
The view from bed in the house is a fairly good one, although the window is not well aligned to the bed. On the boat our big window is perfectly positioned, it was designed that way. Once the condensation is removed (if only we didn’t breath overnight) the view from Oleanna’s bed can be fantastic, this morning we had such a view, the sun rising across the fields and the frost glinting on the grasses. Other days we can be staring straight at some piling or at the cabin side of another boat. The good mixed with the not so good, but the view does change often and that is one thing I miss when in the house.
Not a full English, but it did the job
With limited food supplies on board, intentional for our one night stay, Mick cooked up bacon butties for breakfast, hire boat aroma filled Oleanna for hours.
Winding with the wind
Then with winter layers donned we rolled back the covers. That wind was there again which meant we needed to think about pushing off, or not pushing as the case was. The wind wanted to push Oleanna away from the bank, so we used this to our advantage. We both untied the bow, so that we knew we’d be able to keep hold of her. I hopped onboard the bow with the rope, the wind gradually pushing the bow out into mid channel, thankfully only a passing canoe to worry about this morning. Then Mick headed to the stern, undid the rope and chain there and managed to get onboard before the stern was pushed out too. By now Oleanna was just about 90 degrees to where she’d started off, a short burst of the engine had our wind completed and we were now facing the New Junction Canal.
The Don Doors hung above our heads as we crossed the aqueduct. A line of flood debris just visible suggesting the recent flooding had been very close to the height of the canal. Flood water still sitting in the surrounding fields.
The five and a half miles of the New Junction is dead straight but crossed at frequent intervals by roads which all have a moveable bridge. All but one of these is key powered. Big swing bridges and lift bridges can hold the traffic up, but this morning being a Sunday there were more cyclists about than cars or vans. At one bridge a boat was moored on the bridge landing, secure for the storms last week (don’t blame them), but in the way today.
As we worked our way through the bridges I could just make out the light at Sykehouse Lock, amber, self service, not that surprising as there wouldn’t be much traffic about. However as we got closer I could spy movement in the lock tower. The light turned green, then red, then green again, there was a lock keeper on duty.
Coming into the lock
Over Sykehouse Lock is the only manual swing bridge. Boaters operating the lock have to move the bridge before the panels at either end of the lock will work, but a lock keeper can do things in the order they want to. As he came down from the tower with his two dogs a car came across the bridge, there was a long chat before barriers were closed, both dogs returned to the right side of the bridge and it could be opened, all the time we were getting closer.
Once in the lock he asked us to move up so he could close the bridge behind us. Then the water dropped and we could be on our way again. We were now on the pound where the breach had been at the end of 2020. There are mooring restrictions from Went Aqueduct, Pollington Lock to the bend where the breach happened, sections of the piling having fallen in towards the canal when there was a lack of water. Buoys mark the areas well.
Up at the reservoir boats were speeding by, a perfect day for it. We just hoped it would calm down when we reached Goole. We turned right, passing more buoys and headed straight for Drax power station, the only power station in the area still with its full complement of cooling towers.
Due Norf to Drax
Then at the 90 degree bend we had reached the breach site. Mick passed through here last year, but today was my first time. From studying all the drone photos last year I knew where the pumps had been, where the walls of the cofferdam had crossed the cut. Now other than the fence over the big culvert looking new and clean concrete and piling edged with rubber buffers you’d hardly know what a state the place had been this time last year. The fishermen I suspect are glad of a slightly better surfaced carpark on the opposite bank too.
There are loads of new signs along the straight towards Goole warning of Animal Escape ramps. These have also been improved and look like new stone has been added to them.
On reaching Goole there was next to no room on the visitor moorings, we spotted Wendy waving frantically from the windows of Lullabelle (a fellow Goole Escapee from last year) as we made our way to the diesel point on the Boat House side. Mick gave Dave the new owner of the marina a call and soon Adey arrived to show us where we’d be able to moor for a few days by the dry dock, Viking Marina had been full when we’d tried there.
Oleannas mooring for a few days
Thankfully the wind wasn’t so bad as we manoeuvred Oleanna into her mooring. Adey was very helpful and chatted away for ages about what the plans are for the marina. Mick even ended up with a mud weight, a thing he’s been after for years.
A late lunch, then Mick headed off by bike to catch a train back to Thorne to retrieve the car whilst I did the most important job of pre-ordering a celebration meal for when we move back on board.
A handy weight
On Mick’s return we loaded the car with things we didn’t need and useful bags and boxes which would get filled in the next few days. Electrics, gas and water all turned off, another shovel of coal on the stove and we were ready for the off. Just one thing to do before heading back to Scarborough, say hello to Martin and Wendy on Lullabelle.
Time for the annual round up. Put the kettle on or pour yourself a glass of something stonger, put your feet up, this is a long post.
Looking out into a cold world!
As midnight turned from 2020 to 2021 we saw the old year out and new one in at the house in Scarborough, a quiet affair with just the three of us.
January and February brought ups and downs with them. Oleanna rose and fell with the water level at Viking Marina due to the breach at New Bridge whilst the country locked down. Despite the restrictions on travelling we made use of having a hire car for a few days at the beginning of the year to keep an eye on Oleanna.
Jobs around the house continued, our bedroom was redecorated and reclaimed from troublesome tenants. Tilly and I ventured out into the nearby park for the occasional walk, dependant on the number of woofers and the weather of course.
We walked, we ate, we drank, did our best to stay well and I started on the design for Chipping Norton’s panto in my reclaimed work room.
The spare living room was used as a workshop doing some work for Animated Objects, scrimming giant sci-fi guns and then painting model buildings all for The Odyssey. Beetroot burgers were made and pancakes consumed.
Then March came along and some easing of restrictions. Colour came back in nature with the daffodils popping up and my panto model started to get coloured in. A design for some origami paper arrived ready to be folded up to be part of 1000 ships display that would happen a couple of months later along the Yorkshire coast.
With new freedoms we had a couple of trips to Goole to check on Oleanna. First one was to swing her round and finally put fire extinguishers on walls all ready for her Boat Safety Inspection which she passed with flying colours and a comment that we seemed to like CO and smoke detectors, well I’d rather have too many than not enough!
The cofferdam at the breach site was completed and an access ramp created. My posts about the breach put us in touch with several people in Goole and at the beginning of April The Goole Escape Facebook group was formed. Due to the breach and lack of water in Goole Docks no leisure boats were allowed to use Ocean Lock out onto the Tidal Ouse. A joint calm voice was needed to try to find a way out for those boats wanting to leave, including us.
Of course March was also when Mick and I got our first vaccinations. Who’d have thought having a jab would put a smile on peoples faces! Not that you could really see them behind all the masks. A bathroom got a make over and we discovered parts of Scarborough we’d never been to before.
April was a very busy month. With lodgers on the horizon house jobs needed finishing. The roof needed attention along with a wall in my work room, both jobs were for the professionals. Pictures went up on walls, finally. The bathroom needed finishing with Frank fitting us a new bath surround.
Mid month out attention moved back to Oleanna. Way back when, we’d booked her in at Goole Boathouse to be blacked. We had a night on board before moving her from one marina to the other to come out of the water. She was jet washed down and the chaps began applying layers of 2 pack to her hull. We visited most days with jobs to do ourselves. Mick busied himself inside whilst I ground back rusty bits on the gunnels, repainted them and the tunnel bands. Inside the oak floor had a good clean and then was treated to two coats of oil. The weather had been perfect for it and she went back in the water a week after she’d come out, enough time for the 2 pack to cure. She looked smart again, well the cabin sides still needed a good wash!
Whilst in Goole we met up with David, Karl, Wendy and Martin, four members of The Goole Escape group. David had managed to negotiate with ABP passage for leisure boats through Ocean Lock at Goole Docks, this was limited to specific times of the tide. So escape was now possible but everything would have to come together to make a sensible plan. We wouldn’t be ready for a few weeks and hoped that there wouldn’t be a mass exodus before we could join people.
As I carried on trying to finish my panto model Mick made good use of his time doing a VHF radio course, we’d need to be able to use the radio to meet the criteria for going through Goole Docks and out onto the Tidal Ouse. Tilly visited the vet and got a years worth of flea and wormer treatments, we were all set to move back on board.
The first of May was that day. We’d hoped that Tilly would remember the boat after seven months on shore, within about two seconds of being back it was obvious she knew where she was. News that Goole caisson gates were now open and cruising up towards the breach site was possible we headed off to give Oleanna a good run and so that Tilly could venture back onto dry land. It was very good to be back on the move again. On our second such trip Tilly remembered how to swim!
Whilst in Goole Mick took his Short Range VHF Radio exam and passed. I carried on painting my panto model. We both had our second vaccinations. Heather Bleasdale came to visit joining us for an outdoor lunch. We got to know the Goole Escape Committee and discussed plans. We watched work going on at the breach site. Mick had a birthday and Joan’s Home Kitchen provided us with a celebratory meal a couple of days before we hoped to escape.
On 21st May an escape committee meeting was had early on, the weather looked hopeful for the tide in the afternoon, we were booked in at Ocean Lock. Our escape was to be via Selby, the Lock keeper was called there and our plan confirmed. At lunchtime we moved up to fill the diesel tank and await the other escapees, Sea Maiden and Lullabelle. Given the go ahead by the docks to proceed we were soon passing through to Ocean Lock where there was plenty of space for the three of us. At around 14:30 the large lock gates opened to reveal our way out of Goole onto the Tidal Ouse.
All three boats arrived safe and sound
We headed upstream following Sea Maiden being pushed along with the tide. Would we make it to Selby before the tide turned. Each boat arrived individually and was locked up into Selby Basin. We’d made it, now all we had to do was escape Selby as the swing bridge out of the basin there was broken.
We waited. Tides, times, weather and the amount of fresh coming down stream all had to fit together. Bridget and Storm came to visit. We twiddled our thumbs. The Environment Agency came and closed the flood barrier. We twiddled our thumbs. Daily escape committee meetings were held. By the 27th everything was looking to fit together apart from one thing, Keadby Lock would not be manned at a suitable time for us to get off the river. Sea Maiden and Lullabelle decided to stay put in Selby. Heather Bleasdale was joining us for the trip but Oleanna would be out on the river on her own heading to Trent Falls.
What a day that was! David’s advice was spot on. Leaving Selby just before 10am Oleanna zoomed downstream with the out going tide. We followed our charts keeping to the channel. At the Apex light Mick swung Oleanna round to head upstream onto the Trent our progress slowing instantly.
We then crawled our way to find where we should wait for the tide to turn. Two hours of very little, drifting on our anchor. We’d picked the day well, it was wonderful out there.
When Oleanna started to move round a touch more we managed to pull the anchor up and found our way back into the main channel to head upstream with the incoming tide. One plan had been to moor up in Gainsborough, but we decided to carry on and arrived at Torksey just as the last light was fading at just gone 22:00, 64 miles in a day, I doubt we’ll ever beat that.
Over the next few days we made our way up the Trent, dug out our windlasses to work locks in Nottingham. Once we rose up Derwent Mouth Lock onto the Trent and Mersey we had completed our escape. The going would now be much slower along shallow canals and plenty more moored boats to slow down past.
Now we should make our booked mooring at Rembrandt Gardens, every day would be a boating day unless the weather was either too hot or far too wet to cruise. Along the Trent and Mersey, pausing to stock up in Alrewas. At Fradley we turned onto the Coventry Canal to head southwards. We gave a tow to NB Burghley Girl to the bottom of Atherstone.
At Hawkesbury Junction we did the 180 degree turn onto the North Oxford Canal, through Rugby and up Hillmorton. NB Kamili with Andy and Irene passed as we arrived in Braunston where we paused for another butchers, then up the flight and through the tunnel.
Straight on along the Grand Union. On route we stopped for a drink with Lizzie at Bugbrooke. Paused for a hot day under some trees near Milton Keynes. Had a diversion along the Wendover Arm for a night. Picked up extra crew, my old college friend Jen, for a day through Hemel Hempstead. Came across our first sightings of HS2 cutting it’s way across the landscape.
At Bulls Bridge we turned left onto the Paddington Arm. On our trip into London we came across our friends Pete and Clare on NB Billy, it turned out we’d be neighbours at Rembrandt Gardens for a few days. We arrived on time and the next day headed across London by bus to Hackney to see the London Leckenbys for the first time since Christmas 2019.
Plenty more family to catch up with. Kath came for lunch, we had a trip to Eastbourne to see Marion and John, a lovely lunch with Christine and Paul. So good to see everyone again and not just on a computer screen every Saturday.
Happy Birthday Big Brother
Andrew’s 60th Birthday was celebrated, nothing fancy just good to be able to be together for it, we’d achieved our second goal of the year.
We heard there was a space at St Pancras Cruising Club for a long boat like Oleanna, so we took advantage of a more secure mooring close to Kings Cross whilst we had a visit back to Scarborough. Checking on the house, lodgers changing over and seeing the latest Ayckbourn play with Bridget and Storm, it all made for a good weekend away. I then headed off to Huddersfield for a couple of days work with Dark Horse, fitting costumes for a photo shoot.
There was to be a Tideway cruise from St Pancras Cruising Club and with one space left we jumped at the opportunity. Ten boats made their way to Limehouse, we breasted up with NB Misty Blue, Graham turned out to be another Goole Escapee. Three lock-fulls of boats headed out onto the Tideway on the morning of 10th July, special permission had been sought to go under Hammersmith Bridge which was closed to all forms of traffic at the time.
Tilly thought we were mad taking her onto such rough water, I was a little perplexed too! Very glad that I was the official photographer, clinging on as we did more than bob up and down! Tower Bridge, The National Theatre, Christine, Adam, The Houses of Parliament, Battersea Power Station. So many sights, what an experience!
The further west we got the calmer the water got. We were glad when Hammersmith Bridge was passed as there had always been a chance that it might close to boat traffic at anytime due to safety reasons. We turned off at Brentford along with several other boats and continued up to Hanwell where we had a very sociable evening at The Fox with everyone. Thank you Simon for mentioning the cruise to us.
Sadly our washing machine hadn’t liked the lumpy water so for the next month we cruised meeting up with engineers on route hoping it could be mended. Back through London, pausing at St Pancras again. Then down to the Herford Union to cut across to the Lee and Stort. We had another mooring booked on the Lee awaiting our arrival, alongside NB Billy.
Then up the Lee and onto the River Stort. We’d only ventured so far up the Stort during our first winter on Lillian, this time we headed all the way to Bishop Stortford. Our return journey was held up slightly due to the river going into flood overnight so we had to wait for it to lower to get under the bridge at Roydon.
Back through London we made use of the new Eco-moorings near Islington Tunnel, a handy stop off with electricity. Here we met up with Nick an old friend from York and Adam called in for a catch up after working the breakfast shift at Radio 2.
Goodbye Christine!
At the end of July we pushed on and left London behind us, returning to Bulls Bridge.
We headed up to Uxbridge for cheap diesel and finally got our washing machine mended. We turned around and headed back to the Hanwell flight, stowed the garden back in the shower and headed out onto the Thames again where we turned right towards Oxford.
With a weeks license we couldn’t dawdle, although a broken lock gate at Boveney Lock did hold us up overnight so our license would be extended. A space was spotted below Cliveden so we treated ourselves to a night moored in the grounds of the big house. We paused for a socially distanced chat with Sue on No Problem XL, good to see her looking so well. Henley Regatta was almost ready as we passed through and our favourite mooring above Days Lock did not disappoint. All too soon we turned up Sheepwash Channel and ascended Isis Lock back onto the Oxford Canal.
Whilst in Oxford I managed an actual face to face meeting with Dash the Director for Chippy Panto. He seemed happy! Then we made our way up to Thrupp where we’d booked ourselves in at the cruising club for a few days whilst the London Leckenbys came to visit and we had a trip back to Scarborough and we got to see the show at Esk Valley for the first time since we’ve been living afloat.
I had a day trip to Chippy where I did a final model meeting over zoom from a dressing room, but also had chance to measure things up. Then we were off up the Oxford Canal, mooring in our favourite spots, it was a touch busier than it normally is in the winter.
A pause to visit Village Meats in Braunston and we spotted our old share boat NB Winding Down so we stopped to say hello. On up the flight sharing with a boat full of actors, then left up to Crick for the first time in ages.
A prearranged boaters meeting at Houdini’s Field worked brilliantly, NB Panda and NB Kamili convened and we all enjoyed each others company over a fantastic barbeque outside so everyone could feel safe and Tilly could roam about. Oleanna was treated to a very good wash and brush up before we were on our way again. We now needed to get her north before I started on Panto.
News came through that the breach on the Aire and Calder had been mended and nine months after the canal had sprung a leek it was mended and open again. Boats could now move through the area, mooring however is still restricted.
Following the Grand Union we headed down the Stockton Flight to Leamington Spa. Tilly and I had a few hot days on our own moored at Radford Smelly then we were on our way again. An obligatory burger at The Cape of Good Hope the night before we teamed up with NB Mad Hatter to ascend the Hatton flight. One day my old college friend Emma will not have an excuse to helping us up the flight, this time we met for a cuppa and a catch up the following day.
On up Knowle to Catherine de Barnes, then Camp Hill Locks, the Ashted flight and Tunnel (!) followed by Farmers Bridge into Birmingham. The city centre is still full of building and tram works but with the sun out it looked stunning. We also caught up with Paul Balmer from Waterway Routes before carrying on with our journey.
A night at Hawne Basin filled the diesel tank up. A night at Dudley Port Basin got the cupboards filled. A pause at Urban Moorings meant we could donate our deposits and the next day we descended from the Birmingham plateau down the Wolverhampton 21.
Along the Staffordshire and Worcester we managed to have a mid stream catch up with Barbara from NB Bessie Surtees. At Great Haywood I managed a catch up with Kay from NB Pea Green as she set up to trade for the day and Mick filled Oleanna’s water tank.
Heading north on the Trent and Mersey we pulled in for lunch and a surprise hello to Barry and Sandra from NB AreandAre whom we’d got to know last year in the first lockdown. In the afternoon we were joined by Bill and Lisa for a trip through Harecastle Tunnel. Now we swung off the Trent and Mersey and onto the Macclesfield with it’s wonderful bridges.
It would have been nice to take our time but we had a rendez vous to make. The end mooring at Marple was free and from here we headed into Manchester by train to join the London Leckenbys for a meal of big red fish. The following day my old school friend Morag joined us for a night on board with some serious catching up to be done.
Our next deadline loomed, Standedge Tunnel. We dropped down the Marple flight, crossed the aqueduct and turned right at Dukinfield Junction onto the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. We knew we were in for some hard work to climb our way over the Pennines, last time we’d enlisted crew to help as I was one handed. This time we’d be going solo. Apart from the very first lock it wasn’t too troublesome. The work is rewarded with stunning views.
Standedge Tunnel did not disappoint. Because of social distancing Mick got ride ride up front in the cratch leaving the helm to a C&RT volunteer. Bumps and scrapes made Oleanna wince along with us, but we all got through in one piece with no damage. Tilly wasn’t too happy about the trip, but at least I can now boast to the local cats in Scarboreugh that I’ve been through the longest deepest highest tunnel on the canal network whilst they just lazed around on their shed roofs!
On our way down the other side Oleanna had a belt that went taking out quite a few wires in the engine bay. RCR were sent for, the engineer suggested we’d need to remove a pulley on the alternator to be able to remove trapped wires, this could not happen where we were. We could move but the batteries would not charge. The only way to top up our electric was with the solar panels. Emergency power conservation went into operation, blogs were hand written, the freezer turned off and we gradually ate our way through our defrosting supplies. Every day Mick managed to pull more wire from the alternator and soon there was no need for an engineer again, just a new belt needed fitting.
We made our way down to Huddersfield and arrived the day before I had a production meeting at Dark Horse. After walking to my meeting I handed over the model and we stocked up on supplies before heading off east along the Huddersfield Broad Canal.
The Board locks are just that, but they are short. On Lillian we’d nearly got stuck here, but Oleanna was built a foot shorter so we knew we were fine, we still had to take great care in descending the locks diagonally. This continued on to the Calder and Hebble, taking our time and using our Hebble spike. The rebuilding work done at the Figure of Three locks, after flooding washed huge parts of the structure away, are only noticeable due to the new stonework.
Bigger locks were welcome, using the key of power once past Wakefield. The sun shone wonderfully for my last full days boating this year as we made our way to Castleford. Here we hired a car to get me down to Chipping Norton to start work on Panto whilst Mick and Tilly stayed on board with the plan to move Oleanna to a winter mooring in Thorne.
Whilst I painted the set working all the hours I could, Mick and Tilly gradually made their way eastwards. They passed through the breach site and headed to Goole to top up on diesel. On their way back towards the New Junction Canal the engine started to over heat, a problem that had happened a couple of years ago on the Thames.
The following day he winded and slowly made his way to Rawcliffe Bridge for easier access for RCR. Little could be done there and then, so Mick and Alastair (engineer) arranged to meet at Viking Marina in Goole. Oleanna managed the two and a half miles in three stages. After her cooling system had been flushed through the problem hadn’t gone away. The water pump was removed and was obviously the problem. A week later with a new pump Mick moved back out onto the cut and joined Lullabelle (a fellow Goole Escapee).
Taking a long weekend off panto, I headed up to join Mick and Tilly to help move them back to Scarborough. Wendy and Martin kept an eye on Oleanna for us whilst we settled Tilly back into the house, I knew where I was! Pah!!
Several days later with the weather on his side, Mick returned as early as he could, pushed off and single handed Oleanna back along the Aire and Calder to Sykehouse Junction where he turned onto the New Junction Canal. With swing and lift bridges to work he was glad of the assistance of a volunteer at Sykehouse Lock. Then the sharp turn at Bramwith onto the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigations. A few more bridges and two more locks before he arrived at Blue Water Marina, Oleanna’s winter mooring.
Tucked up for a rest
On our way back from Chippy a week or so later we called in to check on her. A boat in winter isn’t too friendly without the stove lit. We’ll have visits every now and then to check on her and do the odd job. The weeks are already flying by before we move back on board.
For a year that we’d decided would purely be about seeing our family and friends we ended up having quite an adventurous time. Trent Falls, the Tideway through London and Standedge Tunnel made it quite a year.
So our vital statistics for the year 2021 according to canal plan are
Total distance was 932 miles, ½ furlong and 627 locks . There were 42 moveable bridges of which 16 are usually left open; 169 small aqueducts or underbridges and 30 tunnels – a total of 19 miles 3 ¼ furlongs underground and 3 major aqueducts.
This was made up of 277 miles, 1 ¾furlongs of narrow canals; 270 miles, 4 furlongs of broad canals; 89 miles, 4 ¼ furlongs of commercial waterways; 59 miles, 7 ¼ furlongs of small rivers; 121 miles, 5 furlongs of large rivers; 105 miles, 2 ¼ furlongs of tidal rivers; 8 miles of seaways; 263 narrow locks; 302 broad locks; 61 large locks; 1 lock on major waterways.
Sadly with Oleanna’s log book where it should be, onboard, I’m not able to offer up the engine hours, litres of diesel, gas bottle or bags of coal. Maybe I’ll update this once we are back on board.
The Thames, 2021
This year we’ve done more miles than last, not bad considering we were on land for so much of it. We’ve done far more tidal miles than ever before and for the first time we’ve been on a Seaway! If someone can tell me what the difference is between Tidal waters and Seaways please do. Maybe it was around Trent Falls, or was it downstream of Tower Bridge?
As last year I hope the pandemic doesn’t throw a spanner in the works for us or anyone else. We need the theatrical world to still function with an income for me designing shows and lodgers paying to stay in our house.
I want to say ‘Keep well friends’, but I feel I need to add, ‘Get well soon friends’, as so many have tested positive recently. Thank you for following us and hope to see you soon x
Father Christmas brought us lots of goodies, of course there was chocolate but there were also socks. Years ago I used to think, Oh Thanks! when receiving socks, but I think when you get past a certain age it’s quite exciting as you can now justify throwing out the pairs that have gone beyond the darning stage. Amongst other things I got a Mikron bag and Mick a can of Marmite Beer, he’s not sampled it yet so we don’t know if he loves or hates it!
After smoked salmon and scrambled eggs we joined the Geraghty Zoom. Everyone was present even Ruth, James and Penelope who had headed to Lanzarote for a week. Then a long chat with the London Leckenbys.
With the fire lit we opened our presents. Tilly got a mouse and fish rammed full of catnip from her friends Mungo and Dog (they are both cats and can be friends as she’s never met them!), so she spent much of the morning occupied with them high as a cat can be!
Not cheap, but my last pair have lasted nine years.
Mick and I both got a new pair of sheepskin slippers from my Dad, great for wearing on the boat. Yes I know he passed away some years ago, but last summer a small chunk of money came to light so thank you Daddy Fatso for warm cosy toes again.
Many of my presents were things for the kitchen and arrived just in time. A carving board, electric hand whisk. I have both on the boat so now we don’t need to move them back and forth. Kath knitted me a snood to wear whilst winter boating. My neck certainly won’t get chilly and there’ll be no loose ends of a scarf to get caught in lock mechanisms. Mick got a new rope knife, very handy for stubborn things around Oleanna’s prop and it has a hole to attach a string so you can’t drop it in (mental note do this before taking it to boat!).
I always get scissors, this year however they were a touch different. These are herb scissors which have five blades so five times as much cut. Suspect they may be annoying to wash, but Mick does the washing up so that doesn’t matter! We also got wine and books. Thank you very much to friends and family.
Christmas sunshine
A Christmas walk down to the beach helped clear our heads after a glass of bucks fizz.
Blimey it was cold out there with a keen breeze off the sea, but the sun was out so we battled on a touch further.
Into the underpass
Under Spa Bridge and the now roundabout is an underpass and a car park, somewhere I’d never really fancied exploring, but a group of local artists have covered the walls of the underpass with wonderful images of fish, jelly fish all sorts. The area was once a large aquarium and still has the name Aquarium Top. Here’s a link to how it used to be, some great photos including a tram that once took a nose dive!
Just before the jelly
Frank arrived mid afternoon, watched us cook and then helped us eat just about everything. Duck with all the trimmings, followed by clementine and prosecco jelly, then upside down banana chocolate chip birthday cake, served slightly warm with ice cream.
A very nice cake and worth keeping the bananas until they were very ripe!
Maybe not!
Birthday presents next. I got a pair of sandals, yes I know it’s winter but I’ve been hunting for sandals to wear on the boat for years and these look really good. I of course had to model them with some Christmas socks, the only time the two items will be on my feet together! There was also some chocolates, pasta, an oven glove and a new pie tin.
We rounded off the evening with another glass of wine in front of Morecombe and Wise.
There she is!
Having hired a car for a few days over Christmas, original plans now cancelled, we put together a pack up lunch and headed off to see Oleanna, she had presents too, new filters! The drive was quite foggy over the Wolds, but when we reached the River Ouse it cleared somewhat, the tide was neither in or out and on the Aire and Calder there were no boats on the move.
Coats were kept on
This time last year we also headed to Oleanna as the Aire and Calder breach had just happened. Today we were pleased to see she was safe and sound and not a couple of feet below the pontoon. Mick flicked switches on in the electrics cupboard and then fired up her engine. She started up first time, we let the engine run for about an hour.
Cheddar and braised red cabbage butties with a cuppa
Blimey it was cold! Such a different place to be when the stove isn’t lit, she’ll need a good 24hrs to get back up to temperature, glad I’d worn extra layers. We had our pack up in front of the hatch with a cuppa each. We’ve known more picturesque views, but just being back on board was good.
Mick’s present passed on to Oleanna
Once the engine was off again, Mick rigged up his Christmas present a solar power battery maintainer. This will help to keep our starter battery topped up during the stationary winter months. Normally charged when the engine is running the battery can now get a bit of trickle charge when stationary for any amount of time. The solar panel has been left in the pram cover so as not to get blown away, this will mean it is less efficient, but more so than if it was at the bottom of the marina.
Tucking her back up
After a couple of hours everything was switched off again, taps left open to save coming back to burst pipes. We said our goodbyes to Oleanna and the marina and headed back to Scarborough in time to watch Paddington with Tilly, she especially liked the pigeons!
Pigeons help save the day
0 locks, 0 miles, 3 days hire paid for, 7 days with a car, 4 more positives, 1 Christmas, 1 birthday, 3 stockings full, 12 pairs socks, 2 pairs slippers, 1 pair sandals, 1 pan, 1 carving board, 5 blades, 1 knife, 1 whisk, 1 fish, 1 mouse, 1 pack Dreamies, 1 birthday cake, 30 roast potatoes, 0 left, 40 plus sprouts, 5 left, 12 pigs in blankets, 0 left, just what am I going to make the bubble and squeak out of tonight?!
I’ve successfully been managing to avoid doing any house decorating over the last few weeks, well there’s just been so much to do!
Preparations for Christmas have been eating up a lot of time. Frank came round to sample this years biscuit recipe, a new one, gluten free Lebkuchen. This seemed to be a bit sturdier than my old recipe and would withhold being posted through letter boxes better and still be very tasty. Frank awarded them five stars, so I stocked up on ingredients to make a big batch to go out with local Christmas cards.
Cards
The image for our Christmas card had to be chosen. This takes quite a bit of time as I whiz through all the photos I’ve taken during the year, making a short list which then gradually gets whittled away, the final choice made between Mick and myself. From a shortlist of about ten we both very quickly agreed on which image it had to be. Oleanna approaching Tower Bridge. I don’t really know why I’d bothered auditioning photos this year as this was always going to be the image.
It had to be really
In Chipping Norton decisions were made to try to keep the show and the cast safe from any further cases of Covid. Sadly this meant the Pippins, three teams of local kids being cut from the show. They couldn’t be cut from some scenes as they played knights, so for these scenes they were replaced by puppets. The understudies went on for a few days after a full week of no shows and now the original company are performing two shows a day. Here’s hoping this can continue to the end of the run.
Christmas decorations went up around the house. Stars in the windows, a homemade wreath on the front door and our £4 Christmas Tree from Newark Market in 2015 came indoors to be decorated. I’m not sure it will ever fit in the boat for Christmas again, but it will return to the cratch when we move back onboard so that it gets looked after for another year.
One thing that didn’t happen last Christmas was my annual haircut. I was glad when I managed to get hold of Giselle who used to cut my hair in Scarborough, she understands me and my hate of products and blow drying. The last couple of times my hair has been cut it has taken around about half an hour from washing to me walking out of the shop in Banbury feeling like I want to wash my hair immediately. My visit to Giselle took 1hour 45 minutes for a wash and cut. We did have six or seven years to catch up on and a major debate on politics was had along with having my hair cut.
My day trip to Huddersfield for #unit21 costume fittings coincided with the reintroduction of mandatory masks on public transport. The trains now run from Scarborough through to Manchester again and thankfully they weren’t too busy, I had chosen trains outside rush hour on purpose. It was good to see all the ensemble of actors again. A few people were a bit confused about everyone having to wear masks again, but we all abided by the rules. All costumes were fitted only a few alterations needed which I packed up to bring home with me.
We’ve been having some glorious sunrises
The show is scheduled for February. I’ll need a few days accommodation, but with the current Covid situation I’m hesitating to book a hotel as with nine actors who are all vulnerable the show may get postponed again. Mick had another look at C&RT winter stoppages to see if we could move Oleanna to Huddersfield. Maintenance works mostly open up over Christmas and New Year which means that it would be possible to move her. The trip is around 26 hours, so five days cruise at this time of year. Sadly not a suitable trip for Tilly so we’d need to break the journey with visits back to the house. But as nobody has been answering the phone at Aspley Basin we don’t know if there would be space for us there. A nice idea to be able to be at home whilst working, but I think we’ve decided Oleanna would be better off where she is now and I’ll just have to fork out for a hotel if the need arises.
Sunday selfie in the South Bay
We’ve been for a few walks. On one we got distracted by a laundry airer and I found a new international supermarket, one that stocks all sorts of flours so I may not need to go to Doncaster to replenish my stocks in future.
What a view!
On another walk we stayed high along the south bay and through the old town. We had a nosy around Castle Crescent, a few houses with only pedestrian access but with fantastic views over the south bay. Maybe if we won the lottery!
Then we dipped under the Castle walls and headed down to Marine Drive to the north bay to say hello to Freddie who has weathered the recent storms well. Then back to the house via Peasholm Park and the cemetery.
At last a friend!
Tilly woke us the other night scurrying around the bedroom. This wasn’t normal behaviour so I suspected she’d found a friend. She had and had brought it to meet us. Luckily for us and the mouse it managed to hide in a bag on the floor which made for an easy extrication. Not sure where Tilly had found it but it does appear to have had a little munch on a bag of Sorghum flour before hand!
Just a few Lebkuchen
With five star approval for my biscuits, I made a big batch to deliver to friends around Scarborough. They were all iced and left to fully dry before being packaged up the following morning. The sun was out, just the prefect day for wishing friends a Merry Christmas. I did a lateral flow test in the morning just in case, all fine. Then whilst having a bite to eat before setting off my phone pinged! At some point when I was on my trip to Huddersfield a few days earlier I had been a close contact of someone who had now tested positive for Covid!
Blimey!
Thankfully as I’ve had my booster it said I didn’t have to self isolate, but I was offered a PCR test which was taken within two hours of being pinged. The biscuit delivery would have to wait for the result which arrived the following morning. Negative! Phew!!
We’d originally planned on heading over to the Lake District on Boxing Day to join the London Leckenbys for a night, then visit an aunt of Micks. Covid put paid to visiting care homes a week or so ago. We’ve also decided to stay close to home and not head across country, it just didn’t feel right. Hopefully we’ll be able to meet up with Andrew Jac and Josh in the not too distant future when Omicron has passed through the country. Well it’s always good to spread Christmas out and it’ll give me chance to have another go at the pudding I’d been planning which hadn’t been too successful the first time. We may be being over cautious, but after my near miss and several friends coming down with it, we’d rather be that way.
We picked up our festive veg box and duck from Tree Top Press a couple of days ago. The red cabbage has already been braised, cider stock made for the gravy, bread sauce and stuffing made today. Tomorrow I’ll bake my birthday cake as I’ve chosen one that should be served warm, the bananas have been ripening for a week or so. It’s a bit of extra fuss on Christmas Day but hopefully it will be worth it.
Frank will be joining us again this year, a couple of days ago he delivered some booze including some bubbly and today he arrived with enough sprouts for the whole street! He miss timed his arrival and had to wait for the Christmas Eve sausage rolls to be made and baked, but his patience paid off. A new puff pastry recipe came up trumps, they got a Frank 9/10, ‘Well they can’t be perfect!’ Cheeky sod!
Even I’ve been getting post!
Our stockings have been found and are already in front of the fire. Here’s hoping we’ve been good enough for them to be filled overnight. We’ll see in the morning.
Well it’s been two weeks now since I returned to Scarborough. From rushing around on panto for five weeks calm has now been restored.
Different sticker this time
The day after I got back we both had our Covid boosters. Mine was at the Rugby Club where I joined another 1399 people being jabbed from my doctors surgery. Mick headed to a nearby church to get his and was offered a flu vaccine at the same time, so he had one in each arm. Five days later I got my flu jab at Boots. Mick ached a bit and we both had sore arms for a while, but nothing to complain about really.
Normally after opening Chippy panto we have a few days relaxing in Oxford before heading northwards dodging stoppages. The first year we got to see quite a bit of a festival of light around the city and two years ago we watched the Thames rise and rush past moored boats on East Street, we were glad to have been on the canal!
This year being in Scarborough didn’t stop us from what now has become a bit of a tradition, sitting on the sofa recuperating and watching a few episodes of Morse. I think two years ago we started the box set at the very beginning, the first episode and first murder having taken place opposite our mooring in Jericho. We decided to carry on where we left off, this years first episode being ‘The Last Bus to Woodstock’ Quite apt as I’d avoided that situation the other week when returning from visiting the London Leckenbys. There had been an old lady on my bus, but I doubt she was as nosy as the one in Morse.
The valley in the spring
Then ‘The Last Enemy’. This started with a narrowboat pootling along in the sunshine, quite badly steered, which ended up in the off side vegetation. Immediately our brains started to whirr, where was this? Short pontoons on the off side, slight bends, a building in the background. Hang on, the body was found just about opposite to where we’d moored at Thrupp a few months ago! Thankfully the inaccuracies of the canal system quickly struck (as they do in Morse) with talk of divers searching at the next lock. This would either be Shipton Weir Lock which is upstream or Roundham Lock which is quite a long way for body parts to have drifted to. It was nice to see Thrupp back in the 80’s, I wonder if any of the boats on the moorings are still the same? The Boat Inn certainly has changed a touch.
By the seaside
Our first Sunday walk in Scarborough had us waving to Jaye and Duncan on the way down to the South Bay to have a look at the sea. Not the longest of walks, but good to see that Scarborough was still there and have a few cobwebs blown away.
Reviews of the panto have been coming in. So far everyone seems to love having panto back on stage. Chippy is a favourite with many, I even get a mention or two! Sadly a week after I left a Pippin tested positive, the companies PCR tests all came back negative so the show could go on after a days cancellation.
But at the beginning of this week one of the main cast had two lines show on their lateral flow test, everyone was sent back to Banbury for another PCR. Unfortunately a second positive was found in the company. The shows have been cancelled this week and so long as no-one else gets two lines the understudies will go on next week, I bet they are busy in their living rooms rehearsing. JJ who plays the Dame seems to be catering for those affected and leaving tuperware food parcels on door steps, I so hope they all stay well.
Hello! It’s me!!!
I have a shadow where ever I go, Tilly occasionally goes out to explore, but more of her time is spent moaning and complaining. I ask her every day when we’ll be back on the boat and moving the outsides again, so far She hasn’t given me a reasonable answer!
What are they doing to that TREE!?!
Thank you for the messages from people regarding the weather last weekend, I believe Scarborough was on the news. It was very windy and we had snow in town, plenty more up on the moors and wolds. Footage of wave dodgers filled social media as always.
Our street ended up being closed to traffic as there was a tree happily rocking away in the storm on Saturday. The council came to check it over, but it was too windy to do anything about it. They returned on Sunday to start to chop it down and on Monday afternoon it was ‘Timber!’ So much boaters gold!
Red Onion and Feta Quiche
Mornings have been spent doing a bit of work for #unit21 which will be here before I know it. Plenty of costume shopping and rearranging the build budget. The green light for the build was pressed this week so it’s all systems go, well for my friend Graham. I’ll do a days costume fitting before Christmas and then that should be it for me for a while.
We’ve had deliveries, smokeless coal, 2 veg boxes (so far) and the milk lady is back delivering three times a week. Our Christmas food order is in, just needs a final tweak. Now present deliveries are starting to arrive.
I keep making a mental list of which jobs need doing in the house this winter. One corner of the kitchen needs attention from where the leaking roof has left it’s mark. We’re not convinced all is sorted in that corner yet, the guttering hasn’t been clipped down fully so waved around in the storm and some roofing felt now encourages drips down onto the window sill below! We’re waiting for the roofer to call us back! The cosmetic side of the repair will wait a while longer.
That experiment turned out to be a bit messy!
I decided to give my knees another week off before getting on with some decorating. Sanding all the woodwork in the hallways is going to take some doing before I can give it a fresh coat of paint and some of the wallpaper needs replacing. One pair of curtains also need lining , if this is all I manage to get done this winter it will be fine as right now we don’t have the money to do more major decorating jobs. A plumber has been to check the two boilers over, the old one needs some work which hadn’t been picked up during gas safety checks when the house was rented out. So money is better spent there this year.
Just a bit of extra ventilation!
A couple of days ago Mick caught a train down to Thorne to visit Oleanna. A final oil change before winter hadn’t happened, so he was wanting to get it done sooner rather than later. He was prompted to visit as Sarah at the marina had called saying that there was a kitchen window open. Had we left this open on our brief visit? Or had someone else opened it?!
Train timings meant he had time to pick up some oil from Boyes in Goole on his way. Sure enough the window was open, thankfully the weather last weekend must have been blowing from the port side so had avoided coming in. It certainly looks like it was us who left it open. Unfortunately in amongst the new filters onboard there wasn’t the one needed for the oil. So other than running the engine for an hour and closing the window Mick had had a bit of a wasted journey.
I’ve been trying to go for walks everyday to keep my knees working. Walking in the footsteps of the local yeti and seeing the sea is a good thing. My left knee seems to be behaving other than feeling a bit stiff. Hopefully this will pass and I’ll do my best not to kneel when I start decorating.
Hello Frank
After being back for ten days I dropped Frank a message and sure enough he was round for a cuppa the following day. There were slight complaints about the lack of biscuits on offer! If he times his visit well this week he’ll be able to try out the sample batch for this years Christmas biscuits. It was very good to see him and hopefully Mick has planted a seed or two about some carpentry jobs we’d like him to do on Oleanna this winter.
We now have two bookings for our house next year from the SJT, which is great. If anyone fancies a few days relaxing by the sea in Scarborough we can highly recommend our friends house, Friths. Fleur and Ruth have worked their socks off over the last year making their house cosy, quirky and very welcoming, it has just recently opened for bookings.
Mike from Alchemy has spotted Oleanna on Google Street view, when she was out for blacking earlier this year at Goole Boathouse. That means that both our boats have appeared at one time or another. A shame we weren’t in shot this time, we were certainly around as the stern doors are open.
Mushroom and cabbage risotto
The latest news on the towpath grapevine regarding the breach on the Leeds Liverpool Canal is that it will reopen hopefully March next year. The latest C&RT notice says they are installing more secure dams either side of the breach. Designs for the repair are well developed and structural works are in the detailed design stage so that materials can be ordered ready for the new year. We’re not as yet sure which way we’ll be heading when we set off, but having the Leeds Liverpool as an option would be good. In the meantime we need to decide on whether we should be buying a Gold Licence for the coming year. These run from January to December, we’d trade in our standard licence for the few months remaining on it and then we’d be able to spend more time on EA waters during the year. We just have to decided where we’ll be going.
Candlelit Chinese take away to celebrate our 19th year together
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 failed oil change, 1 closed window, 2 weeks of resting, 9 costumes bought, 1 budget rejigged, 2 veg boxes, 1 emergency rug, 2 tax returns submitted, grade 3, 1 box of filters, 4 jabs, 1 bored cat, 1 street view, 3 Morse’s, 1 new variant, 1st waterways painting, 2 go Gold or not? 1 Pip glad to be cooking again, 19 years with my fella.
My planned escape back to Oleanna was very nearly thwarted. I left the theatre with ten minutes to reach the bus stop I have used on a Saturday night to get to Banbury in the past. I glanced at the time table only to discover that the last bus to Banbury did not stop at my bus stop, it was a fast bus. Two minutes later I saw it pass the end of the street! I called the taxi company that had ferried me back and forth last week and pleaded with them to help me. Thankfully they had one driver who wasn’t booked up all evening and he’d just returned from a break. I was soon back on track but £25 worse off.
What a journey!
The first train to Birmingham New Street was very pleasant and roomy, however the next train was packed with singing shouting Barnsley football fans. Luckily I had a reserved seat, well three in all for my journey up to Doncaster as I’d bought split tickets. I sat wincing every time the next round of songs was shouted around the carriage. I wore my mask hoping it would keep any possible virus at bay, not just for me but also the whole panto cast on my return. Eventually the carriage emptied out and things became quieter.
Mick was at Doncaster station to pick me up in a hire car and whisk me back to Goole so that I could surprise Tilly. She was so pleased to see me that I wasn’t allowed to stop stroking her until it was time for bed.
Sunday. What a horrible morning! We’d been hoping to move Oleanna today, the alarm had been set, but the sideways rain was so not conducive to seven hours or so out side to get her along the New Junction Canal. So instead Tilly got to come and go, using the hire car as shelter and we had a cooked breakfast. Hooray!
I actually needed a quiet day as I was really rather pooped. Mick headed off to buy some Puppy Training Pads whilst I did very very little. It was so nice to be back at home with my two favourites cosy in front of the stove.
Hello Martin and Wendy!
Yesterday Mick had discovered that the boat moored behind us was Martin and Wendy’s Lullabelle, we’d escaped Goole with them back in May. Lullabelle is part way through having a repaint, Martin had spotted Oleanna though. They have spent the summer months pootling about on the Ouse, up to Oxclose Lock which was closed and down to Naburn. They then headed back to Selby, had a trip round Trent Falls on Sea Maiden ( another Escapee) and Lullabelle was one of the first boats to get through Selby Swing Bridge when it was finally removed to be mended.
Monday. Time to pack things, the main one being Tilly. Our original plan had been to return to the house on Sunday, have a day for Tilly to settle down with me being around before I headed back to pantoland. But there had been a misunderstanding with one of our lodgers who’d decided that she was not leaving until today, she’d also said no to Mick dropping in to pick up Tilly’s Cat Caravan. Her show was moving on to Newcastle so she wanted to avoid any unnecessary contact, we respected that but were a touch miffed that she’d been confused at us wanting to return to the house on the Sunday when that is when she’d booked the house til!
I don’t see why I couldn’t have stayed here!
Anyhow, we packed the hire car. Fleur the Company Stage Manager in Scarborough had lent Tilly a Cat Caravan, which she wasn’t too pleased about. Also what was it with those Puppy Training Pads! I’m not a puppy and I certainly don’t need training! Our drive back to Scarborough involved two stops to refresh the puppy pads and after about half an hour Tilly seemed to be calming down a touch, maybe helped by the Pet Remedy, or just that she was getting more queasy. Poor poor Tilly! It was a relief for us all to reach the house.
Once Tilly had been cleaned up I didn’t bother restricting her to a room at a time, so we both checked round the house, Tilly more vocally than me! She definitely knew where she was, Yes, Scarboreugh! Our lodgers through the summer have ranged from being awarded 11 to 5 out of 10 for how they have left the house. A spare clean sheet for our bed would have been nice, but that was soon sorted.
Shoes from down the road has been making himself known to our lodgers and came peering in through the kitchen window only to find that Tilly had returned and that we would not be a push over.Stupid Cross Eyed Cat!
Having people live in your house means you get left with things, the garlic will get used, but I think we now have a touch too much malt vinegar! The rest of the day was spent doing washing, unpacking and making lists. Followed by fish and chips from Cappleman’s.
Sunny day
Tuesday morning and it was time for me to pack my bag again. Mick gave me a lift to the station, Scarborough was wonderful and sunny, such a shame to spend the day on a train. Mick headed back to Oleanna to pick up more things and check in with Martin and Wendy who would be keeping an eye on her for us for a few days.
My first train was to York where the River Ouse was in flood, right up to the level of the Museum Gardens, so no boats were moored there. I changed trains to a direct one to Banbury which followed parts of the canal network and rivers, the Soar looked really quite full. Back to Chippy on the 488 I stocked up with some food and went straight into the theatre.
The town square almost finished
Final preparations were taking place for publicity photos so we tweaked a few things whilst the Dame tweaked her padding. Lights were focused onto stage and then scenes were run for the photographer. Meanwhile I carried on painting behind the backdrop.
Final adjustments
During the afternoon news came through that one of the Pippins had tested positive on a lateral flow test today. The Pippins had all been in yesterday after school for a couple of hours rehearsing with the adult company. PCR tests were arranged for the company and anyone who’d been in close contact, it looks like I’d chosen a good day to have off!
Things getting nearer to being finished
Wednesday. The theatre was a touch quiet today with the majority of people having gone to Banbury for a test. The test centre where they had been booked into via the NHS had closed three weeks ago! Luckily their appointments were honoured at a drive through test centre not too far away. Doors and windows were kept open and everyone wore a mask all day long.
Socially distanced production meeting
More painting, nearly everything has a coat of paint on it now. Despite rehearsals going on on stage I can beaver away behind the backcloth quite happily. We had a production meeting at lunchtime. We collected in the bar and were joined by other members of the team via zoom. A laptop was pushed around the bar for people to give updates on their progress and bring up any problems. The main problem we have is that The Chipping Norton Theatre sweet chest, which has been in every panto that people can remember has gone missing! If you happen to know of it’s where abouts please let me know in confidence.
Thursday. Back in Scarborough we finally had scaffolders arrive. This is so that a roofer can sort out the roof where we have developed a roof garden which is letting a lot of water into the house and is possibly the reason the kitchen sockets have been tripping for the last few months.
That looks like a good climbing frame!
Mick added two containers worth of our solid deposits into the compost bin in the garden. The garden waste and our deposits from earlier in the year had almost totally composted down, this will be left until next year before it is used somewhere in our garden.
A pouch of plenty!
In Chippy rehearsals continued, the Pippins joined via zoom this evening, Dash (the Director) showing them where he wanted them to be in certain scenes. They also got to meet the Musical Director who joined us, Barney. Some singing was done over zoom too. It’s great that such things can happen keeping everyone involved with the show. By the end of the day everyone’s PCR results were in, only the one Pippin having tested positive, thankfully she hadn’t passed it on to anyone else. We all continue to do daily lateral flow tests.
Second coat of emulsion before the arty stuff goes on
I was called over by Dash for something important, he needed to give me plenty of chocolate to keep me going through the evening. Working for him is a touch like having a fulltime Dame in the room, and today I got most of the sweeties! A fresh coat of paint was added to the floor before we all left for the night.
First frost
Friday. Blimey it was chilly this morning, fitting for it being Bonfire night. Rehearsals continued, eleven out of twelve Pippins returning to the theatre.
I started putting finishing touches to several pieces of scenery and ended up the day drawing out the floor in paint in preparation for painting it over Saturday night into Sunday morning.
In Scarborough the roofer arrived and Mick got chance to see the roof where the problem was. The roofer wanted us to replace the slates with concrete tiles, but that wouldn’t be right for the house. He also wanted to redo the whole of the roof over that part of the house. Mick declined his kind offer, we just needed the roof to be good again and the rest of it seems to still be in good order. Thankfully the timber is just wet and not rotten. The chap will return next week to sort out gutters and reroute down pipes with the hope that the problem will not recur so that everything can dry out. We now need to find a plasterer to redo the kitchen wall, I’m not sure my dabble with plaster last winter makes me qualified enough for the job.
0 locks, 0 miles, 2 windy, 2 wet, 2 nights on board, 1 cat transported to the house, 4 trains, 1 hire car, 0 clean sheets, 5 out of 10, 1 tart, 1 Tilly tree climbed, 3 bottles Sarsons, 1 positive, 2 known neighbours, 1 not too lonely Oleanna.
A chilly morning, mainly due to letting the stove go out so that Morag could sleep on the sofabed last night. The stove is a touch too close for duvets in the middle of the night! The central heating soon took the edge off.
School pals
After breakfast it was time to say goodbye to Morag, she was heading off to see her son who is studying at Manchester University and it’s his birthday tomorrow. It was so lovely to have her to stay and have a proper time for a catch up.
Goodbye Macclesfield Canal
The covers were rolled back, waterproof trousers put on, we were ready. Two volunteers were by the top of the Marple flight. One chap, Rob, had been there at 8:30 to unlock the locks, he’d had a long wait for his first boat, us, at just gone 11.
Hello Peak Forest Canal and Rob
The other chap, who’s name I didn’t catch, walked on down the flight, topping up locks where needed and opening the top gates. This meant my steps for the day wouldn’t include going backwards and forwards between locks.
One down, 15 more to go
We soon got into a rhythm. Rob closed the gate behind Oleanna, I walked to the offside and lifted a paddle, then Rob would lift the towpath side. Occasionally we swapped sides.
The locks are quite deep
Many of the bottom gates overhang the narrow bridge below, so the gates tend to be easier to push from down there, but only if you are tall enough! I thankfully am just within the useful height range.
There was plenty of water coming round the bywashes, most probably because most of the locks were already full, so any water we were adding went straight round.
Heading to Lock 13
Rain came and went, sunshine did the same but for shorter periods. The weather hadn’t discouraged walkers up the flight. By Lock 13 two lads were eating snacks on the steps, then they rushed through the boatman’s tunnel to the bottom of the lock as Oleanna came out. I took the more convoluted route down steps to the horse tunnel under the main road.
New wall
The lock that was rebuilt a few years ago is now weathering in, the new dry stone wall alongside the towpath now the only clue to the works that went on to rebuild the bulging lock sides.
Gongoozling
With Lock 9 being open ready and waiting for us we dropped lock 10, the level in the intermediate pound rising almost to the top of the lower lock. Rob spotted that the overflow there was blocked, not helping on a pound that can easily overfill. Here we were surrounded by numerous eager gongoozlers all over hanging the lock sides and keen to help push gates.
At Lock 8 Rob headed off down the flight, it was 11:50 and time to go and lock the gates on the bottom lock at midday. So we were left to work the next few locks on our own, no hardship.
Nearly there
A young lad ran up to see what was happening, obviously wanting to help but a touch too shy to ask. He was very quickly recruited and despite his height disadvantage he was able to open and close the gate from the lock top, with me reminding him to keep an eye on where he was putting his feet as the edge of the stonework got closer and closer.
Lock 7’s top gate was closed but had a paddle raised for us. The level looked equal, but obviously not quite! No matter how much I pushed and bumped and pushed it just wasn’t going to shift. Where were all those keen helpers now!! Nowhere to be seen. I tried to be patient, but it simply wasn’t going to help, the lock had reached a point where the same amount of water was leaking out through the bottom gates as was coming in at the top. Eventually a dog walker was recruited to help, that extra bit of force making all the difference.
That’s a pisser
Rob and the other volunteer reappeared at Lock 5. They’d had a ping on the whatsap group for the locks and another boat had just started down the flight ten minutes before it was due to be locked. Rob stayed with us as the other fella walked back towards the top.
Open sesame
Rob was a very chatty chap. You could tell he’d not been volunteering long as he’s not fully realised just how loud you have to shout across a lock as it empties or fills. He started in May, his enthusiasm for gaining knowledge about the locks is commendable. Originally from Whitley Bay he used to walk the beaches there, but recently he’d found himself in Manchester walking the canals, so he managed to volunteer and here he is. Apparently last year there were four volunteers on the flight on Sundays, but this year it started off with just one, him, the old volunteers having gone elsewhere.
Bye and Thank you Rob
At Lock 1 he suggested I climb onboard and he’d work the lock, the gates needing to be unlocked and locked again. We thanked him as Oleanna dropped in the lock, the noise from the pissers from the lock walls taking over.
Now across the aqueduct, no chance of doing a Giles today, there were photos needing to be taken especially as the sun had come out, now we’d finished the locks!
Waiting for them to come through
Up ahead a boat was coming towards us, they’d missed the locks, but turned out to only be a day boat anyway. They were soon followed by a second day boat near Hyde Bank Tunnel where we pulled into the side to let a third boat through. This was a charity boat that would also wind once it had crossed the aqueduct.
This is when we realised that we’d forgotten something! Today at the top of the flight we were going to make our minds up as to which route we’d be taking across the Pennines. With lock closures and lack of water around the north our choices have been fluctuating almost daily and we’d obviously rather not get stuck. Maybe we’d allow ourselves another day before our final decision had to be made!
We carried on, pulling in on a length of armco before Bridge 9, the rain starting in earnest again, just as Tilly went off to explore. In one lull between showers Mick made use of the new chimney brush. The wire handle a touch shorter than the old one. Maybe we can fix the two handles together adding another 9 inches to it’s length. Once the chimney was swept the stove was lit. The temperature inside also rose with the assistance of the oven being on for a roast chicken.
But it’s raining!
16 locks, 208ft 9″, 4.33 miles, 2 tunnels, 1 left, 1 wave goodbye, 1 enthusiastic Rob, 1 very wet flight, 3 boats on the move, 4 hours shore leave, 1 happy cat, 9 more inches needed, 1 cheesy wotsit on the cratch.
A few weeks ago we’d received some alternative sausages with our Sainbsury’s order, they should have been pork and apple but instead we got chicken. We’ve not had chicken sausages before, turkey yes, but not chicken. Last night I’d taken half the packet out of the freezer to defrost. They were a little bit stubborn to get any colour and weren’t the same as a good pork sausage, but were okay in a buttie with ketchup.
First boat to come past us this morning was NB Ellis. We opened the hatch and Mick said hello, but as we’ve never met Mark properly and he was lining up for Bridge 1 he was otherwise engaged. Ellis is a Hotel Boat, but more relaxed and informal than most hotel boats, it’s more of a ‘live-aboard narrowboat experience‘. This mornings topics on the Geraghty Zoom included Bingo songs, Years and Years and sling backs in Hull.
Fish not filters now
Despite the wet weather Mick headed off on the bike to find Harrods. Harrods is a motor factors shop in Marple and is a good place to stock up on oil, filters and anti freeze. It used to be just down the hill from Church Lane Bridge 2, but thankfully we’d checked before he headed that way as the old shop is now a fish restaurant.
They are now situated in an industrial unit behind Goyt Mill, where they have more space. Mick picked up oil for the next engine service and some antifreeze.
An old Godber show on in a couple of weeks
During a dry spell we walked down to the Co-op for a few bits, enough supplies to get us happily to the next big supermarket. We think the Co-op is new, quite well stocked, but there were a few things missing off our list so we then headed to Asda where the gaps were filled.
The cake shop’s still going, no Superman today though
Across the way from Asda is Hollins an independent DIY shop. I wondered if they might have a pump action spray bottle to use on the boat covers, not that we’ll have two dry days together before the end of the year now! Mick also suggested looking to see if they had a new chimney sweep brush.
Aladdins cave and a new brush
I had a good look round, the shop is reminiscent of Clock Handyman in Scarborough and Turtles in Croydon, just about everything you might want for house, garden, kitchen all under one roof. It took me a while to walk round.
They had spray bottles and big 5 litre pump action bottles. Sadly we have nowhere to store such a big bottle and as it will only be used once a year it seemed a touch excessive. I’ll keep looking. They did however have a new sweeping brush and at £4 cheaper than Midland Chandlers a bargain. SOLD.
Why is there always one thing that gets missed when packing away my work stuff!
Back on board Oleanna we had a tidy around. Tilly seemed a touch unimpressed by the Great Wall of Marple, maybe it was too wet for the bird feeder at the top to be enticing to both her and birdies!
I chopped up onions, mushrooms and butternut squash and added tomatoes to make a veggie goulash and popped it ontop of the multifuel stove to slowly simmer away during the afternoon.
Unimpressed Tilly, back in bed.
On Thursday I’d received a message from my old school friend Morag. She was planning a visit to York and wondered if she could invite herself to stay the night in Scarborough with us. She fortunately then went on to mention that she would then be heading to Manchester on Sunday. Of course we couldn’t put her up in the house, but we could on the boat. Early evening she arrived having walked up the hill and a little bit around the houses from the station to find us. She was a little bit soggy around the edges from also walking miles around York visiting old haunts and exploring parts of the University campus where she grew up.
An evening of catching up on the last two and a bit years. News of friends both near and far. Her job which two years ago she thought she’d not stick with, it’s improved with the help of remote working, although some of the people she works for leave a lot to be desired. Morag was one of the people I’d hoped to have been able to see when we were in London this summer, but we ran out of time after seeing family and cruising through London on the Thames. Thank goodness she’d mentioned her trip to Manchester.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 very wet day, 1 unimpressed cat, 10 litres oil, 5 antifreeze, 4 croissants, 4 crumpets, 1 sweeping brush, 1 best friend from school, 2.5 years to catch up on, 1 wonderful coincidence, 1 touch 2 much wine.
Brook House Winding Hole to Hall Green Footbridge 93, Macclesfield Canal
With Harecastle Tunnel booked for this afternoon we didn’t want to be sat in queues at the locks into Stoke today, the alarm was set and we pushed off with our first cuppas in hand at 7:30am. Slowly and quietly past the other moored boats, a little glimpse of Barlaston Hall, we can still dream, and on past Wedgewood.
Trentham Lock
Trentham Lock was almost in our favour, we helped set it for the first boat soon to come towards us. Then we were on the long pound heading in towards Stoke.
Breakie
I headed below to prepare breakfast, it being Sunday and an early start we deserved bacon butties, with a few mushrooms and ketchup.
The hot dog on legs and Shooting Range are still there. The wood clad boat now has weeds, maybe intentional, growing in it’s gutters (wonder if we’ve had a quote for the gutters in Scarborough yet?) and Shufflebottoms has had the bank side seriously cut back. Owls and Halloween graffiti have been added to the walls along with a lot of scrawl.
Stoke Bottom Lock
Stoke Bottom Lock soon came into view. This huge concrete structure kind of fits it’s surroundings of the A500 Queensway and the house alongside it, today only five vehicles parked in the drive and on the road. This lock and the next four are currently being locked up overnight as vandals have been emptying pounds. We arrived at 9:30 so this wasn’t a problem for us.
No train for us whilst in the lock today
A train sped past over Cockshute’s Lock just before we arrived. Boaters hope to get a photo of their boat in the lock as a train passes, I wonder if train drivers keep a tally of how many narrowboats they get to see here?
A couple of fishermen were set up on the towpath in the next pound, I got my first ‘Ay up Duck’ as I walked ahead to the next lock. Here the lock was half full, or half empty and the first downhill boat was approaching. I was there first so lifted the paddles to empty it. If I’d known that it was a single hander I’d most probably have filled it and helped lock them down. The lady was very chatty and said she was being followed by several boats, the first one being a hire boat that she’d had to go back and help as they were doing their best to adjust water levels with all four paddles open on the top lock.
Waiting to use the next locks
Johnson’s Lock is just round a bend, so the line of sight from it isn’t good, the gates were just opening as I came into view, chance to holler up to leave the gates for us. Above the next boat sat waiting in the short pound, another single hander who’d come to help the hirers whilst he waited. All downhill boats today were heading back to moorings, their summer cruises coming to an end.
Up at the top
We rose as another boat descended Stoke Top Lock, then some do-ci-doing happened to move the three boats round each other and we were on our way up to the summit of the Trent and Mersey. As another boat was waiting to come down we didn’t get a chance to drop off rubbish at Etruria Junction bins and we didn’t fancy turning or backing down to them, so it could wait for the next ones.
New Bridge
The huge wasteland that has laid dormant for as long as we can remember is starting to show signs of redevelopment a new bridge crosses the canal to link it to east.
A group huddled around a large sign where the canal used to have an arm. Burslem Branch Canal used to head off here to the north, a trust was set up in 2011 with an aim of restoring and regenerating the branch.
A new footpath has been opened this year connecting the old port to Middleport and an artwork showing what the area was most probably like just before the branch breached in 1961 which saw it’s closure. So many bottle kilns.
Along the towpath is a long mural, the painters fuelled with oatcakes. It makes for a far jollier scene than the fence used to be.
Middleport Pottery stands bold and proud, showing buildings in the area just what they could become. We still haven’t visited, so it has been added to the ‘next time’ list. Stoke Boats had plenty of boats out on the hard, one looking like it needs quite a bit of tlc, another being jet washed to within an inch of it’s life.
Such a small flag!
Under Bridge 127A. Up ahead we could see a small flag fluttering on the stern of a boat, far smaller than we’d expected from a member of the Flag Bubble! There sat Barry by NB AreandAre and Sandra reading an information board. We’d known they’d be here and shouted out ‘Veg Box delivery!’ Last year in Lockdown 1 they were moored close to us at the bottom of Hurleston Locks, we became a little community on our ‘home’ moorings.
Barry’s waterways cards
We pulled up in the next space, thankfully plenty available at this time of day. Chance for a catch up with them and get to meet one of their grandsons. Barry had his greeting cards on display for sale, so we bought a few and had a go at the raffle, winning another card. It was very good to see them again after their elongated trip to New Zealand last year.
Mick selecting raffle tickets
We’d arrived in plenty of time for our next rendez vous. The well deck contents were stowed in the shower, strawberry plants popped on the roof. Gosh there’s a lot of space in there! Just before 2pm we walked back to say our farewells to NB AreandAre and to await our visitors, Bill and Lisa.
Lisa, Bill and Mick
Lisa used to be a Stage Manager in Scarborough and Bill is an actor who has lived in our house much of this summer. They have recently moved to Stoke so it was an opportunity to meet up not to be missed.
Tunnel bound
We pushed off and headed onwards towards Harecastle Tunnel. At the moment you can just turn up in the morning and join the queue to go through, or you can book passage in the afternoon. We were joined by a hire boat and another behind, neither had booked but were added to our passage. We were given the safety briefing, nothing new from our last trip through, horn and light tested.
Harecastle Tunnel
Life jackets were handed out and because Mick would be at the stern by himself we equipped ourselves with walkie talkies. A few years ago a tragic accident happened in the tunnel when the chap at the helm bumped his head on one of the tunnel profile changes and fell in. His wife was below and didn’t notice anything until the boat started to bump the sides. So it’s best to keep talking to each other to make sure you are there. We acknowledge each other, even when stood close at the stern, every 100m (this is also a bit of a joke between us pointing out the direction of the closest exit).
It’s quite well lit at the front
Bill, Lisa and I sat in the well deck and chatted our way through the tunnel, catching up on all sorts. After the third boat entered the tunnel the doors at the southern end were closed, the fans cranked up and the flow of cold air could be felt coming past us. Harecastle has no ventilation shafts so the air is moved using the fans.
Sitting the bow is a whole different experience from being at the stern. Having your head around about 4ft lower in the tunnel and not looking over the cabin top makes it seem cavernous. I was waiting for it to get really tight, it got a touch smaller, but never tight at the pointy end of Oleanna. Water Explorer has our passage through the tunnel at 45 minutes, not bad as we were following the hire boat, the chap at the helm not having done so for thirty years.
Popping out the northern portal we slowed whilst the hire boat worked out which way they were going. They wanted to go right, the lady kept pointing that way, but to do that you have to go left first. They turned and we followed only to come face to face with a boat wanting to exit the junction. Mick made sure he informed NB Bethany May who were following us from the tunnel as we apologised to the on coming boat.
Past the moored boats
The canal turned over the top of the Trent and Mersey and we managed to find space on the aqueduct for a cuppa. It had been lovely having Bill and Lisa with us for the trip, hopefully we’ll get to see them next time we come through the area.
They were given directions back to Kidsgrove Station via the Trent and Mersey canal. Our trip from Westport Lake had taken an hour and three quarters, journey back would take 15 minutes by rail replacement bus, plus the walk.
We decided to move on a touch further and get onto the Macclesfield Canal properly. On the next stretch of moorings there were a couple of familiar boats from Lockdown 1 and ‘Home’. The Pooh Boat with it’s toys in the windows and ducks on the roof, wonder if their dog still barks as they come in to moor each time? Then a touch further on was NB Plum, Solar Afloat who was one of the Flag Bubble with Barry and Sandra. Next door was The Toastie Boat who turned up to Hurleston at the end of our time there.
Onwards to Hall Green Lock, the stop lock between the Trent and Mersey and Macclesfield canals, all 1ft 3″ of it. We pulled in just past the water point and quickly got our Sunday dinner in the oven, roast chicken, Yum!
Onto the Macc proper now
7 locks, 12.67 miles, 2 canals, 1.5 miles of tunnel, 1 straight, 1 left, 2 go right, 3 lockdown boats, 12 years, 4 cards, 2 SJT friends, 0 shore leave!1 roast chicken, 1 long day, 1 lovely day.
By the time we’d had a leisurely breakfast we’d been passed by many boats, in fact by the end of the day we’d seen more moving boats than we’ve seen in all the time since turning onto the Grand Union at Napton Junction three weeks ago. We’d taken so much time in getting ready to push off that the next lot of kids had come past in canoes powered by screams.
On closer inspection that might be NB Jubilee behind Bessie Surtees too!
Last night there had been several boats moored along the stretch in front of us, now there was only one. It turned out to be NB Bessie Surtees, fellow Scarborians! We’d last past them at Tyreley in March last year when we had a brief chat and imagined the world would be back to near normal in a matter of a few months. A good gap in passing boats meant we were able to have quite a chat as we trod water. One day I will find out your names! Lovely to have a catch up, hope the weather stays kind for roof painting and see you somewhere next year.
A good Scarborough Smile
At Hatherton Junction we followed the canal to the left.
A right turn one day (hopefully) will take you onto the Hatherton Canal which is proposed for restoration. This will link up with the Wyrley and Essington Canal at Fishley Junction near Pelsall. The canal used to connect with the Cannock Extension via the Churchbridge Branch climbing 16 locks.
Moored boats, fishermen, a bridge and an on coming boat all happen at the same time when the canal is busy as it is. I wonder how much time the fishermen spend moving their lines out of the way at the moment. The two chaps said they’d caught a few, so it must be worth their time.
The ‘No Mooring or Stopping’ signs look to have had a make over alongside the chemical works. Plenty of boats kept on moving, mostly a mixture of hire and share boats. There was space at Gailey for a top up of the water tank, we also pumped out the yellow water for disposal at the elsan here whilst the lock was pretty much in constant use. Our tank finished filling at the same time as a share boat that had pulled up after us, with two more boats coming towards us we both quickly moved up towards the lock.
Gailey Lock
The obligatory photo was taken with the tower, no longer a shop. Two C&RT chaps lifted a manhole and started to turn off what we assumed was the bywash round the lock, it was still flowing at force as we passed below. We pulled in for some lunch before we carried on.
Stop planks in their house
Taking our time was maybe a good idea as we didn’t end up joining the post lunch queue at Brick Kiln Lock, we arrived just in time to help the boat ahead open and close the bottom gates.
Training boat
At Boggs Lock a training boat was coming up, a time to stand back and not help. Their progress was quite slow, but very safe, as the crew worked the lock everything was explained to them.
Just by the M6
With boats coming towards us and one following there always seemed to be crew to help with gates and paddles. A hire boat at Rodbaston Lock were hoping to reach The Anchor pub today but had been told it was too far to reach. I checked my map, suggesting it would be just short of 3 hours, but with this amount of traffic about maybe longer.
Frothy Man!
Along the side of the M6 I walked on to Otherton Lock. This lock is always so frothy! Why this one in particular?
Handy bridges at some locks now
We decided that we’d stop before Penkridge, giving Tilly a while longer to explore, but the number of woofers was a touch off putting so she spent quite a bit of time on the roof instead of in the friendly cover.
A tight squeeze
During the afternoon we regrouped. Our current cruising plan is possibly being thwarted by vandals emptying pounds on the northern waterways which we suspect C&RT are having difficulty refilling due to low water reserves in reservoirs. We consulted canal plan for alternative routes. Some quicker but hard work. Some very familiar. After quite a bit of debate we have decided that for now we will continue with the original plan hoping that things improve ahead of us. Final decision to be made in ten days. We have Plan B, C and D. We also have our fingers and paws crossed.
But if I cross my paws too much I won’t be able to climb trees!
5 locks, 5.72 miles, 2 fellow Scarborians, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, 2 many boats, M6, 1 frothy lock, 4 possible routes, 1 preferred, 20 fingers and 4 paws crossed.
