Category Archives: Gluten Free Cooking

Three Phase Pigeons. 12th April

Fradley Swing Bridge to Hopwas Wood

Rain! Oh well we’d have to get wet today.

We pulled back to the water point to fill the tank. The tap here is much much faster than the one back round the corner at the services, but that means the bins are further to walk to. Mick did the honours.

A day with no locks meant I felt happy using the stove to cook our evening meal, no chance of the pot being jolted from the stove top. The dish I had in mind would normally take three hours on Gas 1, so the perfect thing to sit on the stove all day.

Mick stood in the rain at the helm with wafts of cooking coming from below as I browned off some beef, steamed beetroot, zuzzed spices together added stock and left it all to very gently cook for many hours.

The rain did stop, round about the time I’d finished cooking strangely enough! We’d reached Streethay Wharf and started to move away from the busy noisy A38.

A group of pigeons sat on the electricity wires preening themselves. Fields recently tilled . The blackthorn blossom just starting to turn pink having just passed it’s best.

Works on HS2 can be seen across the fields. Cranes and earth movers. We hoped some of them were aware of the electricity lines!

At Whittington we crossed the border from the Coventry Canal (detached section) onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, marked by a stone on the towpath and the bridges no longer being numbered but now being named.

I hoped for a good photo of Whittington Bridge to be able to use as a first night card for panto this year, Dick Whittington, but everywhere was really rather uninspiring with grey cloud hanging around.

The poly tunnels are set back from the canal now, is it asparagus that is grown here? The weather vane still looks good even without sunshine.

We pootled on, the West Coast Main Line coming and going. Round the next bend was that familiar boat again, NB Freespirit. We slowed and said hello as we passed the windows, glancing back I could see the front door being opened. Mick popped Oleanna into reverse and then we hovered, managing quite a chat and catch up with Ian, Irene and Toffee their son’s dog. Lovely to see them again, they must have passed us at the crack of dawn.

Just a bit further on for us, through the woods where the armed forces practice shooting each other, then we pulled up as soon as we could.

Trees! Lots of trees! Not that Tilly went climbing, she was far too busy checking out the friendly cover.

As the afternoon went by the aroma from the pot on the stove increased, it just needed to be finished of in the oven. I cooked some rice and made some gluten free nan breads to accompany the beef and beetroot curry. It is a recipe I discovered when we were getting regular veg boxes in the house and it is very tasty. Today I didn’t have a red chilli to add into the paste so it wasn’t hot, just the occasional kick from the ginger. It is still very tasty and there’s one portion left which has been frozen for another time. Would anybody like the recipe?

Curry and Nan (gf) Click on photo for recipe

Food was all done and dusted with in time for an on line talk by Alarum about the Birmingham Canals before they all got cleaned up.

Despite some IT glitches the talk was very interesting with reminiscences from women who’d helped with the clean up of the canals and what they’d been like before hand. The biggest surprise was how enclosed they all were. A gate into Gas Street basin and one entrance out of the Farmers Bridge flight, it was a locked away world. All those metal bridges you see are new. Plus the bridge at Worcester Bar, yes the one we all take photos of, back in the 70’s it was just a plank across the cut!

0 locks, 7.69 miles, 140ft reversed, 1 full water tank, 1 curry, 7 hours, 2 many boats on the move, 1 blogger, 278 trees, 1 cat happy, 1 canal talk.

Chocolate Box. 11th April

Shobnall Fields to Fradley Swing Bridge, Coventry Canal

More news came through yesterday from my cousin in Ukraine. They have managed to visit their home in Chernihiv to board up windows and doors and sift through to see what the looters might have left. Not much really other than heavy items of furniture which leaves them with the two suitcases they had packed when they fled. The house had triple glazing most of which is now shattered across what is left of their lawn, a lot of shards to pick up before their dogs can play out again. There is still no power or gas and very little in the shops, so it will be sometime before they can return to rebuild their home.

“Hopefully things don’t deteriorate again but when will it all end?”

Here in Burton we pushed off and made our way to Shobnall Basin, thankfully there was nobody already filling with diesel so Mick swung Oleanna round and reversed in through the narrow entrance. He managed this without touching the sides, an audience and wind! He was quite smug about it too.

At £1.20 a litre we wanted to leave with the tank full and we were surprised that the tank was full after only 81 litres considering we’d been pushing upstream for several days. A new bottle of gas too, the price of which had just gone up, but today they would charge us the old price. In the shop we looked round for some Marine 16, here there was a large bottle at about the same price we’d have got half the amount for in Nottingham. Glad we waited.

Time to move on. There are more new houses in view near Branston Lock. Looking one way it is still quite green, the other way and huge distribution warehouses are going up.

Next Tattenhill Lock, the chocolate box lock. It always looks so pretty in the sunlight the cottage a B&B. What a different place this must have been when the cottage was first built, no builders merchants along the way where huge clouds of dust blew across the canal, pile driving noises and the constant road noise from the A38.

We held our breath going through bridge 36. I sent a photo to David, his boat would certainly not make it through such tight bridge holes, it wouldn’t make it through the narrow locks either.

The moorings were full below Barton Turn Lock so we had to ascend it before stopping for lunch. The end of a beam is now painted red and at some time the handle has been moved so that it is over solid ground and not just air!

Now the mile and a half where the A38 clings to the side of the canal. We always wave to lorries along here. At first today it seemed like everyone was miserable, but then we got our first wave back, then a beep beep, even a flash of lights from one driver.

Wychnor Lock we caught up with a boat that must have come out from the marina. The lady was a novice learning the ropes, the chap an old hand. Mick came up to lend a hand setting the lock once they’d gone.

Now we were on the stretch with the River Trent, the navigation more windy than before. The boats moored here have rings that can slide up and down on scaff poles for the changing height of the river. There is a weir and several bridges to help keep the towpath from getting flooded.

Alrewas was semi busy, we’d have found space for ourselves, but wanted to get further today, catching up with our schedule. A new boat is aptly named on the off side mooring where the canal narrows.

At Bagnall Lock Mick held the gates closed with the aid of the boat hook, one of them naturally wants to open itself but thankfully I only had to return to close it one extra time.

Now the locks up into Fradley, passing the new marina which now has a few boats in residence. Late afternoon meant there would be no volunteers, they may not have started back yet anyway. But it did mean I got to work all the locks myself, which is why I love boating.

Between Keeper’s Lock and Junction Lock there was only one space free, each boat socially distancing themselves and not one shared mooring ring. We planned to ascend all the locks today so carried on. NB Freespirit was the second boat in line. Mick said hello as he passed as did I from the towpath, but no reply came back, Bridgerton must have been very captivating.

Entering the top lock was a shiny new hire boat, the maximum length for these locks, with six on board it would be a cosy week. We swapped and ascended our last lock of the day as a giant teddy walked down the road.

Last chance to change our mind on route. We turned left keeping to the quicker plan. I swung the bridge and we pulled in to the first space available, the water point already commandeered by an ex-hire boat. It was late so despite her protestations Tilly was not granted any shore leave, instead she had to sit and watch me make up a chicken pie.

10 locks, 9.35 miles, 1 windy reverse, 81 litres, 13kg gas, 1 chocolate box, 1 narrowboat holding it’s breath, 18 waves, 10 horns, 1 lights flash, 0 queues, 1 maximum length boat, 0 shore leave, 1 narrowboat topped pie.

https://goo.gl/maps/e4eqJur8JkwAVTeC8

29mph, No Thanks. 7th April

Stoke Lock

Checking Windy, the Met office and the BBC confirmed that today would be windy. We didn’t fancy 29mph with gusts up to 45/50mph accompanied by heavy rain at times so we decided to stay put and finish off Saturdays newspaper in bed, this normally happens on a Monday morning, but for obvious reasons it was now Thursday.

A Sausage day! Well almost as they did pop out at one time leaving me to shut my eyes for a while. I remember it here, red sandyness under my paw pads. Steep banks for friend finding and pouncing. The trees are interesting too, but I was mostly kept busy with the friendly cover. Tom said I had to leave the woodpeckers alone anyway, so I did.

I had a chat with David mid morning. A touch of confusion had crept in about the way forward. We’d also all got confused as to who we’d met with on Tuesday. Was it the Crisis team? After David had rung round we were a touch more confused as the Crisis team had discharged him back to his GP and the GP … well.

With the numbers we’d called on Monday to hand David finally got things sorted. Yes he had been discharged from Crisis to the Community Mental Health Team and his GP had had a letter regarding this. He’d also heard from C&RT, they were giving him permission to over stay which was great news.

I spent much of the day trying to update the blog, my normal morning routine not followed for a few days meant I was quite behind with some long posts to write, so it was good to get them done.

Then the bag of gluten free white bread flour came out. I’d seen a recipe for Hot Cross Buns a week or so ago which I’d wanted to have a go at. Tilly and I normally make Hot Paw Buns which have marzipan in them. They are very tasty but a little heavy so I wanted to see what this new recipe was like and if I could adapt it.

It’s been a while since I made bread with this flour, it always turned out a touch potatoey, suitable for toasting and adding a lot of butter to, a little like potato scones. Because of this I wasn’t too sure how it would turn out.

The dough was made up with what dried fruit I had on board, raisins and cranberries and left to rise whilst Mick and I went for a walk to the bins by the lock.

Stock Lock is the prettiest on the Trent, surrounded by woodland. We extended our walk across the lock gates to have a look at the weir, thundering it was. A few years ago a narrowboat was pushed over the weir, a lady was swept overboard, thankfully all survived, shaken up quite badly.

On return to the boat the buns had an egg wash and crosses added, then went in the oven and baked for half an hour. I made up a sugar syrup to glaze them with when they came out, they looked really quite promising.

Click photo for recipe link. Not bad, quite tasty but not as good as Hot Paw Buns

Verdict, not as good as hot paw buns, but not a bad second place. We just need to eat these before I’m allowed to make paw buns.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 day staying put, 1 near sausage, 9.5 hours for Tilly, 6 rain showers, 29mph, 1 sheltered mooring, we’d hardly have known, 10 hot cross buns, 1 more step on the right direction.

Too Windy For Much. 19th March

Bramwith Junction

Exactly as the title suggests today was far too windy to go anywhere, even Tilly wasn’t too enamoured with the constant blowiness. Yet other people were on the move. Adams Ark a local widebeam was busy taking groups of cubs from Barnby Dun up to Bramwith Lock and then along the New Junction for a short distance. There was usually a very short person stood at the helm guessing which way to point the bow, they were accompanied by two adults who could see over the roof. Other boats came past struggling in the wind, one getting stuck on the bank opposite us as they hadn’t had enough umph to keep going.

After the Saturday morning Geraghty Zoom (amongst the topics, missing glasses, avoiding Labour and Swedes) we headed out to walk back to Barnby Dun to post off my socks and find a newspaper.

The ladies at the Post Office/Spar shop were very busy chatting away. The lady at the Post Office counter did interact with me briefly, but the lady I bought our newspaper from didn’t even look in my direction. Everything was purchased using contactless and nobody even mentioned how much things were. I checked my receipt a few hundred yards away, well it seems that I got some postage for free because they were all too busy gassing!

We walked through the village, which has been subject to new house building through the ages. Originally the village was an agricultural one, when the canal was built in 1732 produce was moved from Hull to Doncaster and Sheffield. In 1860 George Frederick Milnthorpe brought prosperity to the area by opening a malt kiln, this meant those who worked in the fields could now work through the winter. History Link. Land was sold off to Pilkingtons. Stainforth and Bentley pits were sunk at the beginning of the 20thC pulling people into the area. In 1959 Thorpe Marsh Power Station was built bringing more jobs to the area. The power station still appears on quite a few satellite images of the area even though the last two cooling towers were demolished in 2014 using no explosives, just a wire! They also appear in our Nicholsons guide in the Aire and Calder Section. A Gas fired power station was planned for the site, but has never been built.

We headed for the Farm Shop that I visited a few years ago. Set back from the road there is plenty of parking and a couple of picnic tables to enjoy a slice of cake and a coffee outside.

When last I visited there didn’t seem to be much fresh produce, although I think I’d only come for a carrot and a cooking apple which I managed to get. Today the place has changed.

A full rack of fruit and veg, fresh eggs, a butchers counter, plenty of the posh preserves and some frozen items. Little was priced! This always puts us off.

We picked up some spring cabbage and a leek for next week. Ogled at the 31 day dry aged beef in it’s climate controlled fridge, blimey those ribs looked good! At £31 a kg they weren’t the most expensive item, fillet steak was at least another £10. With no price on the boxes of eggs we refrained from buying any.

The people in front spent over £75, the chap behind had a shoulder of lamb and some pork fillet along with a box of eggs, his bill would be big too. In between them we stood with our cabbage and leek, £1.96! Well we are on an economy drive.

On our walk back be passed the Co-op, Mick popped in and bought the last dozen free range eggs. I wonder how long it will be before you can buy free range eggs again, or are hens destined to be barn dwellers forever due to avian flu?

Lunch today consisted of sad git’s Hot Cross Buns (M&S gluten free, very tasty) followed by our treat cheese. Ribblesdale Blue Goats and some Wookey Hole Cheddar, plenty left for another day.

Mick considered doing an engine service, the one he’s been meaning to do since November! But with the wind blowing straight across the canal he was worried he’d loose things like funnels, so this was put off again.

I got on with a new tension square with Lisa’s yarn on slightly bigger needles. This had meant pulling out the pouffe and revealing the secret passageway to Tilly, she’d so easily amused! I discussed sock knitting with lots of ladies on the March Knitting Challenge Group. I’d always been put off of knitting socks, never being able to get my head round four or five needles. But when I came across circular needles designed for socks and I gave it a go. I now love sock knitting and have my own pattern.

Cauliflower Cheese with extras, click on the photo for recipe

This evening I cut up the cauliflower we’d bought at Doncaster market. Blimey it was huge! I got half way through and decided I’d keep the other half for Monday evening, possibly a roast cauliflower korma that we’ve not tried before. Have to say size isn’t everything, we’ve been spoilt with our organic veg in Scarborough, Tree Top Press‘s caulis have so much more flavour.

0 locks, 0 miles, 6500 steps, 5 pairs posted, 1 newspaper, 2 chatty, 1 PO balance that won’t balance, £1.96, 12 eggs, 1/3rd of a sock, 0 service, 1 very blowy mooring.

Sheer Magnetism. 13th March

Goole

A delayed breakfast today, yet we still needed to be up as we were expecting a visitor, Frank, our bubble carpenter. A phone call asking how to find us was followed by a second one, then he arrived. Time for a cuppa and a bacon butty.

There were two things on Franks list. Sort out the galley drawers so that they don’t open when ever anyone breaths at them. Somehow open the freezer drawer under the dinette fully and increase the ventilation into it.

Last year Mick purchased some 15mm by 10mm magnets which we planned on embedding into the worst effected drawers. I love my galley drawers, the idea for them came from NB Lillyanne. There are two larder drawers, a cutlery drawer, t-towels rolling pin bags and batteries drawer and finally the rapeseed oil and tins drawer. When built all these drawers opened and closed wonderfully, yet as soon as there was a slight list to port the cutlery drawer was the ring leader, encouraging the others to open.

Magnet stuck to the plate on the back of the drawer front

On a snagging visit, Kris from Finesse added some standard magnetic catches, but this was only possible on a couple of the drawers as there was nowhere to attach them to on the others. So for the last four years we’ve had to push the cutlery drawer (still the ring leader!) in every time we descend the stern steps. I really dislike my galley drawers because of this.

There are more tea breaks now than there used to be

Frank had brought his Forstner drill bits, these drill flat bottomed holes. However the depth of the magnets meant that the pointy bit of the drill was likely to come through onto the drawer front, not good. We could however still use the magnets in the carcass. We hunted round for a bit of metal that could be used as a plate on the back of the drawers and found an angle bracket that was chopped in half. This was then sunk into the back face of the front to correspond with the magnet. Hope you are following this!

The first drawer to be tackled was the ring leader. It was closed on it’s new magnet and then we all stood on the port side, it stayed closed! At F*ing last! I love my galley drawers.

A trip to B&Q for some metal washers meant the other drawer would take less time to sort, just £11 something for the washers! We know we’ll still have five drawer moments should we go on a big list, but things are far far improved.

Bakewell Tart, recipe will come another day

By now I was trying to cook our Sunday roast. First the Bakewell Tart needed the filling mixing and then baking. The case for it had been made last night and during the day today had to sit on the bathroom sink so as not to end up on the galley floor. Frank and I worked on a time share basis for the later part of the afternoon, windows of twenty minutes for magnets to be attached, then the potatoes could be peeled.

An email was sent to the Trent-link group saying how our original plan was going to be affected by the Thorne Lock stoppage being moved. I’m not sure how many people have been in touch to add weight to an appeal to get the stoppage moved.

In the evening the three of us enjoyed maybe just a touch too much wine, roast pork with everything, followed by Bakewell Tart accompanied by some chilled medication.

Two bits of news came through today. Another couple of donations to my sockathon means that with my Justgiving and Facebook donation page added together I have reached £290! £40 over target. Brilliant, thank you everyone.

Then I spotted on Instagram a post from one of the Chippy Panto actors. The nominations for this years UK Pantomime Association Awards had been announced. Rapunzel has been nominated for Best Panto in the under 500 seats category. Brilliant news! Oh yes it is!!!

0 locks, 0 miles, 2wice lost Frank, 3 bacon butties, 2 drawers sorted, 1 freezer drawer left for tomorrow, 8 hours exploring, 1 fence no boundary, 1 bakewell tart, 1 joint pork, 0 fully crackled crackling! 26 roast potatoes, 2 vagabonds, 2 crabbies, 2 plus bottles of wine, £40 over 3rd target, 1 nomination.

Three Outsides In One Day. 10th March

Goole Visitor Moorings to Sykehouse Junction

A frustrating day for Tilly, all she wanted to do was go out and all we kept doing was moving the outside!

Yesterday Mick had checked in with Alastair regarding our weedhatch. It was finished and we could meet up today to collect it, he was busy this morning but would see us early afternoon back on the Viking Marina side of the cut. Mick checked to see if he knew how much diesel was at Viking, £1.42! Last May when we filled up before the big escape it was 75p a litre. How times have changed.

Before we pushed over to fill up Mick went to check on the price at Goole Boat House, £1.20, slightly more palatable. We’d be filling up on this side today. The boat in front of us said they’d filled in Thorne last week and paid 88p, cheap, but how old is their diesel? The price will certainly go up on their next delivery!

Outside 1. It only took 53 litres to fill our tank. A pot of Danboline was bought in the shop so that I can give new bits of metal on the weedhatch a coat of paint as soon as possible, hopefully the weather will stay dry for the next couple of days to aid application.

Outside 2. We winded and headed back over the way, opposite the cement works where we’d been a couple of days ago. This was a good place for Alastair to meet up with us. Too many woofers about for Tilly to go out safely, so all she could do was gaze longingly at the trees and shout!

I managed to knit my next sock from it’s toe up to the heel whilst we waited for Alastair to arrive. He came with the weed hatch which used to have one threaded bar, but now has two, this saved him having to buy a new length of bar for the job. It was fitted into the weedhatch, all good. For the last couple of days without the cover Mick had noticed only one real affect, our reversing wasn’t as powerful as it normally would be, and there was even less control of direction.

That needs taking off and starting again

Next some Captain Tolley’s creeping crack. A bead of it was applied around the solar connection box. It quickly disappeared under where the cables go into the box, the most awkward place to seal and where water has been getting in. This will be removed when the weather improves and resealed, we’ll do a better job of it this time too.

Time to head off as there was still a possibility we’d reach somewhere cat friendly for an hour of shore leave. We waved goodbye to Alastair, winded and headed out from Goole. We’ll be back in a few days as we have an appointment with a carpenter.

Soon on the horizon we could see the bow of a boat, a blue boat, a big blue boat, Exol Pride! She was at least a mile away we kept our pace and hoped we’d not meet her at a narrowing of the canal, then we slowed down to make sure she got there first!

The bow wave she pushes is quite something. The wash not having chance to break on the banks, in fact in places they were washing over the top of the piling. We kept our course as she and her swell approached. Not too bad, certainly not as lumpy as the Tidal Thames was last year.

No blue skies this afternoon, just holey clouds with dramatic rays of sunshine.

We decided to carry on past where we’d moored the other day to where there would be trees to climb and better quality friendly cover for Tilly.

Outside 3. At Sykehouse Junction we turned onto the New Junction Canal and pulled in on the visitor moorings. Here there are T studs on the bank to tie to, so we wouldn’t be doing any damage to the bank in an area that was affected by the breach.

As soon as the bow and stern lines were fixed I didn’t waste time in noting down our location (grid reference and what3words in case of emergency) as I was being SHOUTED at. The rules were given, an hour time limit as it would then be dingding time. Tilly trotted out, SHOUTING at everything. I’m not sure if this her saying hello or just shear excitement.

About time they tied up a decent outside to explore! I made the most of it, claimed sideways trees, climbed trees and did some pouncing. As soon as She and Tom went back inside I got on with some serious friend finding. It didn’t take me long. Back inside for a slurp from my water bowl and She closes the doors on me! I wasn’t having anything of it! EXCUSE ME!! OPEN THE DOORS, I HADN’T FINISHED WITH THIS OUTSIDE!!!

Tilly could protest all she liked, but it was starting to get dark and second mates are not allowed out after dingding time. It took her a good couple of hours to fully calm down.

Apparently tomorrow is a ‘Sausage Day‘ !?! Apparently I’ll like it.

A catch up with my Scarborough Chums on zoom this evening. Gill has finally managed to visit her daughter in Canada, so there was lots of news from across the seas today.

Then we tucked into too much tasty pie. Roast chicken, leek and feta pie with jacket potatoes cooked in the stove. Very Yummy. (Click on the photo to get to the recipe)

0 locks, 6.28 miles, 3 winds, 3 outsides, 52 litres, £1.20! 2 threaded bars, 1 weedhatch returned, 1 bead of creeping crack, 1 holey sky, 1 mooring good for feline mental health, 1 very happy cat, 1 friend! 6 chums, 2 large portions of pie, 2 jackets, 15 rows to go on 6th sock, 1 back to top button, 1st Mrs Tilly stamp of approval this year.

https://goo.gl/maps/DqSAt4qhxczm8zt3A

Goole, Where The Streets Are Paved With … 8th March

Opposite Spicers Auctioneers to Goole Visitor Moorings

…. Chocolate Muffins!?!

Another chilly morning. Our Sainsburys delivery arrived at the beginning of the time slot, the chap pulled the van up onto the grass right alongside Oleanna and brought out our provisions.

We’d decided to stock up on all sorts of things and start to fill the freezer again. Six boxes of wine were squeezed under the stern steps along with bags of porridge.

The wind had picked up, thankfully we didn’t plan on going far today, just across to the visitor moorings were a space had become available. If the rumours were true that the gravel barges would be starting again today we’d rather be moored on bollards than spikes in soft earth. Late morning we pushed off and crossed over, squeezing in as far back as we could to the next boat so as not to encroach on the water point. This spot means we shouldn’t have to move for water so a load of washing was put on.

We only saw one barge moving today, Exol Pride.

I’d bought some pork mince, this gets divided into two for freezing. A large chicken was jointed and skinned then put in bags for the freezer, four meals or a fraction of the price buying bits of chicken. The carcass went straight in a pan with some herbs, seasoning and water, brought up to a near boil on the hob before being left for much of the remainder of the day on the stove to make stock.

We may be near to the water point, but it also means the poo sucky wagon

As we were just about to have lunch the pump out wagon arrived! Perfect timing not! This happened last time we were moored here too. We naturally waited for the aroma to dissipate before we ate.

I had a couple of things to pop in the post, including the smallest socks I’ve ever knitted, a walk into town was on the cards. The socks were made before the March Knitting Challenge started and are for a three week old baby who’s mother I knitted a pair of very odd socks for few years ago. I am undecided as yet whether I should post out the socks I’m making for the challenge as I go, or save them all till the end.

As I walked into town, a three mile round trip, I remembered seeing a pyrex dish in one of the cupboards at the house. Was this one of my Mum’s dishes or was it the one from the boat that I’d be needing tonight? I called Mick and got him to check, no pyrex dish in the cupboard! Damn!! It’s just the perfect size and shape for all sorts of things and now it’s in the wrong place.

I had a look in Boyes, B&M, Asda, all the charity shops around one side of Goole. Yes there were dishes, but not one of a suitable size for two. Grrrr! The dish that’s at the house took long enough to find!

Being moored on the Boat House side we took advantage of stocking up with coal. Viking Marina across the way don’t sell it. 4 bags of 25kg each were added to the one left on the roof from last year. Despite the stern being heavier due to the wine cellar being replenished we now are a touch top heavy, so we sway about in the wind a touch. I think a reorganisation in the well deck is called for so that a bag or two of coal can be moved down to help with this.

We decided that diesel could wait for another day due to the wind. Word is that Viking Marina is cheaper than Boat House, they used to be the same price. With prices rising we obviously want to buy the cheapest. At the moment Boat House is £1.20, we’ll see what it is across the way.

Tonight’s meal, chicken and butternut squash gratin with a green salad. I had to make double portions to use up the squash and fill the dish I had available.

0 locks, 0.16 miles, 2 much wind, 0 winding, 0 dribbles, 6 boxes wine, 1 freezer stocked up, 14 days currently, 4 bags coal, 1 barge, 1 card, 0-3 month old socks, 1 muffin, 0 pyrex, 1 dish for 4, 1 pot of stock.

https://goo.gl/maps/CtQw7zSFLckGwR997

Pootling Before Breakfast. 6th March

Opposite Spicers to between M62 Bridge and New Bridge.

The sun shone through the boat curtains enticing us out early. After a cuppa in bed we donned our layers and pushed off, winding and headed out through Goole Caisson and onto the straight.

Blue sky cruising, wonderful. Tilly sat in the windows sunbathing all the way, slowly watching the outside move.

We’d just beaten a canoeist to the undisturbed water, leaving it all rippled for him to follow us. Wonderful reflections today.

The new green mesh fence continues along the north side of the canal for quite a distance, presumably to keep people off the railway line. No good for cats. The new or refreshed piles of stones for the animal escapes glowed in the sunshine. Last year there was an increase in the number of dead deer floating in the canal, hopefully these will help them escape now.

At Rawcliffe, the Croda works were giving off fumes and as we worked our way along they increased in pungency. No idea why someone would choose to sit and fish right alongside the works with that smell all day long, it made me want to hold my breath!

Another mile on we dipped out of the sunlight under the M62. Now to choose where to moor, I’d already checked the fishing facebook group and todays match was happening further up at Pollington, so we had a very long expanse to choose from.

To maximise the solar we chose to moor on the north bank with the hatch to the towpath, our chimney not able to cast a shadow on the panels this way round. The other reason being for ease of access for Tilly to come and go, using the hatch to return.

By now a breeze had picked up, so it took a while to hammer spikes in and tie off temporarily before replacing with chains. The commercial gravel barges are not running at the moment whilst investigations are on going due to the number of fish deaths in Knottingley, so they wouldn’t be bothering us. Exol Pride was moored facing towards Hull in the docks, so we doubted they would be coming past for a day or two, but chains were preferable to spikes in the softish ground.

As soon as we were settled I entered Oleanna to the VERY excited sounds of Tilly. After four months of being in the house with bully neighbours she now could have her towpath freedom back. Have to say she’s a far more relaxed cat on the boat, some sudden noises are interesting, but not as life threatening as they seem in the house!

A good nosy along the towpath, but with a lack of trees or deep friendly cover she decided it would be better back inside.

Out of the seven hours shore leave granted today I think I took an hour, the rest will be kept in reserve for another day.

Time for breakfast. Turkey sausages, hash brown, tomatoes, mushrooms and poached eggs on toast. Yummeroonie!!

After all the tidying, cleaning and packing of the last week we deserved a quiet day. Several boats came past on a jaunt out from Goole or Rawcliffe and not a sole walked past us all day. Plenty of sky surrounded us and it was just wonderful to be back onboard.

However we have a mystery which hopefully someone can assist with. Last night on heading to bed I noticed a green dribble from the porthole in the bathroom. Condensation? Well it dribbles like condensation, but then dries out to green crystally stuff. We wiped it up and then this morning it was happening at both bathroom portholes! The starboard side not so much. Has this happened because the boat got so damp a few weeks ago? Where is the green coming from? It’s definitely coming from behind the plastic porthole liner and not running off the window frame. Anyone any suggestions please.

This evening we’ve enjoyed our usual Sunday roast, a chicken with tarragon butter under it’s skin. Only one thing would have made today better and that would have been to turn the volume down from the motorway a touch. Still a wonderful day to be back afloat.

0 locks, 3.73 miles, 2 winds, 1 blue sky day, 1 out of 7 taken, 1 changed cat, 1 happy relaxed cat, 2 poached eggs, 4 turkey sausages, 2 green dribbley portholes, 1 roast chicken, 1 slow day, 3rd sock finished, 4th toe done, 1 Gold licence in the window at last.

https://goo.gl/maps/oUYS9hE5pGK1cNFe9

Finding A Window Of Calm. 5th February

Boat House Marina, Goole to opposite Goole Waterways Museum (now Spicers Auctioneers and Valuers)

Blimey, so much for a relaxed lifestyle on a narrowboat! The alarm went off at stupid o’clock for Mick to drive back to Scarborough, drop stuff off at the house and get the hire car back to base at 8:30am. Tilly and I waved him goodbye and then had a leisurely cuppa in bed.

Still plenty to stow away and I gradually worked my way through most things before dropping in on the Saturday morning Geraghty zoom, Mick was far too busy finishing things up at the house to join in this morning.

Saturday newspapers have been a bit of a rarity recently, so a walk to the Co-op was on the cards for me. They had our paper but none of the inserts which to be honest are the only bits I tend to read for the recipes, reviews and puzzles. This meant I had a lot further to walk, but did mean a visit to Boyes for a new wool needle to sew ends into my socks.

Once Tesco was visited I returned to Oleanna and was just tucking into lunch when Mick returned. A final load of washing and the dishwasher were set in motion, the water tank refilled, our mooring paid for and we could be on our way.

But the wind had got going again! Gusty wind in a marina isn’t so good for manoeuvring 58ft 6 inches of narrowboat. We’d arrived in some wind so had brought Oleanna in bow first to avoid meeting any new neighbours broadside on, so now we’d have to reverse out and turn the bow into the prevailing wind to get out.

Our mission was aborted several times. then we rolled and dropped the covers ready to push off, but no, too windy. Abort abort abort!

After getting on for an hour of waiting for a lull, we stood back outside. Tilly sat in the window all expectant for us to move the outside again. Eventually the wind dropped, I quickly untied the stern rope, flung it towards Mick. Then untied the bow, thumbs up to the helm and Mick reversed us out from the pontoon. Use of the girlie button was needed so that we didn’t end up drifting sideways. There were several shadows of people inside boats watching waiting for it all to go wrong, but thankfully it didn’t. We were pointing the right direction and heading for the exit.

As we turned left from the marina we both waved at The Floss a barge on the moorings alongside Viking Marina. Joan looked busy inside, far too busy to stop her cooking and wave back.

We headed westwards. The visitor moorings still full. The stretch outside what used to be the Waterways Museum also pretty full. Last year there had been big signs along this stretch saying no mooring, but now the new owners are allowing boats again. According to Martin from WB Lullabelle you can moor there for £10 a night including electric, so handy if you have a washing machine on board.

However we were hoping of a space opposite. The moorings here were much busier than we’ve seen them before, but there was plenty of space for us. We winded and pulled in at the front, close up to the fencing around the big barges. This would do us for the night.

*You moved the outside, I can go out now!*

The Cat Health and Safety committee conferred the close proximity to a couple of dogs and some new green mesh fencing along with it being 5pm meant there would be no shore leave for Tilly today. She only slightly complained, the promise of us moving the outside tomorrow placating her.

Ordered a week ago so as not to miss out

The count down to 7pm started. Plates were set to warm on the stove, the top oven warmed up a touch. At 6:50 Mick headed off to collect our takeaway from the gates of Viking Marina. Last week when we knew where we’d be tonight I placed an order with Joan’s Home Kitchen for a gluten free Chinese feast. Her husband stood at the gates of the marina with an insulated box waiting for us to collect.

Sweet and sour pork meatballs, Chicken with pickled vegetables, roast duck, some fried rice and stir fried vegetables. Last Sunday when placing my order I’d checked what Joan could make gluten free and I think I chose well. It was all very very tasty and we have enough left over to have in a couple of days with a touch more veg added.

At the end of last year Joan had featured on Rate My Takeaway, a YouTube reviewer who was astounded that he was getting a Chinese takeaway from a kitchen on a boat. His review was rightly very good, but it does mean that if you want to guarantee a meal cooked by Joan you need to order well in advance. She is a one woman band and her food is all homemade and cooked to order, so no tipping up hoping for a meal in fifteen minutes.

After our celebratory back afloat meal I got my knitting needles out again, time to start on the second pair of socks. First pair added to the Redlockmakes page.

0 locks, 0.4 miles, 1 reverse, 2 winds, 2 lefts, 1 hire car returned, 1 house ready for lodgers, 1 nearly unpacked boat, 1 Saturday newspaper, 1 slightly disappointed cat, 1 starter, 2 main courses, 2 replete boaters.

https://goo.gl/maps/SBHtnW5SJjKj51A36

New Pages

For a while now I’ve been meaning to add a couple of extra pages to the blog, at last I’ve got round to doing it.

I quite often get asked for the recipes for things I’ve made. Sometimes these are recipes taken from the internet, other times things I have made up. Having a place to note the made up dishes will be handy for me to be able to make them again. Above this post, you should be able to see a new menu item Oleanna Recipes. This is where those recipes will go.

When you see a blue arrow on a post it will mean I’ve added a new recipe.

You’ll notice another new menu item RedLockMakes. This is where I’ll showcase things I’ve made or current projects. Today I have added details of a fundraiser I am doing through March, keeping me busy now my Theatre Design work has finished. I’m hoping once March is over to have a bit of time to do more painting to add to this page. The red arrow will mean there’s something new to see too.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna