Category Archives: Gluten Free Cooking

Darth Vader. 16th September

Sheepcote Street Bridge

What makes people decide to become dental hygienists? Picking away at peoples teeth. Last year I got to meet quite a few.

This year things are different, masks, visors and an extra £20 for the full Darth Vader experience. To get the most out of my appointment today I paid the extra for the PPE and was treated to the tinnitus inducing water jet. After forty minutes I was done and I think Tom was looking forward to some time without the big black mask clamped to his face, but that would depend on his next victim!

Back at Oleanna we had a visitor, not from outer space, but from Bristol. Paul from Waterway Routes was up in Birmingham for the day and had called in for a catch up and a cuppa. We’d last seen him in February last year. Whilst we’ve been cruising we are in touch with him quite often with updates for his maps when services are moved or new bridges built across the canal.

It was very good to see him, lots to chat about, so we finally waved him goodbye at around 2pm. We’d originally planned to head out of the city today, but felt it was a touch too late in the day to push off. Instead I spent some of the afternoon putting a coat of gloss on the grab rail scratches. The finished result doesn’t look pretty, patchy at best but at least it will stop rust from forming and keep things in order until next spring when I plan on rubbing them all back and doing a proper job.

Chatting with our new neighbour on NB Bancroft I discovered that this was the chap who set up Boat Mail. We had quite a lengthy chat about Tilly, getting medical assistance whilst on the cut, and what was happening to the balconys on the flats above us. Two chaps with harnesses had been removing wooden flooring and replacing it with metal for a safer balcony. The noise they created was really quite piercing at times, we considered moving but knew it wouldn’t go on all night.

Today the big screen opposite was showing Womens Twenty 20 cricket. I think Mick would be quite happy if my dentist appointments in future could coincide with test matches. He’d put a chair on the roof of Oleanna and watch the match all day long with radio commentary in his ear.

I had a walk over to see what the Roundhouse looks like from the road. Quite an impressive building, a shame really that we’d not get chance to have a look around properly. The courtyard slopes down to the archway, leading out through what is now seating for The Distillery and then out onto the canal. The rest slopes upwards to the building. It was originally used as stables and stores housing up to 50 horses. Now run by a charity set up by C&RT and the National Trust it has recently undergone a refurbishment. There are guided tours, office spaces, kayak tours head out from here and there will be a café, the building opened in July this year. It is now on our ‘next time’ list.

NB Scorpio and Butty Leo have been brought out for the weekend, moored up in front of the building ready to do boat trips.

I also wanted to have a closer look at the mural that has been painted on one of the modern walls by the canal. This has been painted by Annatomix a local artist and illustrator depicting a rusty shire horse. Her portrait of David Bowie caught my eye a few years ago down near the Bull Ring. Her style is quite distinctive using facets, she’s particularly partial to foxes.

0 locks, 0 miles, 40 minutes with Darth Vader, 1 visit from Paul, 1 coat of top coat, 1 splodgey grabrail, 2 harnesses, 1 new balcony, 1 noisy afternoon, Ohouse, 50 horses, 1 mural, 3 curries, 0.5 portion pilau rice, 2 nan breads, 1 last night in BUMingham, Hooray!!!

Scrub A Dub Dub. 29th August

Houdini’s Field, reversed, then back to front

Houdini’s field is nearly as good as my field. Today I got to explore three sides of it.

Whilst they had a cooked breakfast I got to have another check for Houdini’s daffodil. She said she couldn’t see it as a Farmer Tom has put lots of branches in the way, so I’d been sent through the sideways trees to investigate. I couldn’t see it either as I was too busy looking for friends.

Kamili’s Tom and She were going to untie the field this morning. Would we untie it too? One suggestion was to go and spin it around, but She wanted to do things before they did that. But another boat was needed to keep the field tied up along with Panda, Panda is a bit shorter than Oleanna, so she needed assistance.

*Quick before more boats try to catch it!*

So once I’d returned from my busy morning and hopped on board, a gap in the boats wanting to catch an outside of their own happened, She and Tom untied it and moved it backwards.

This manoeuvre happened at the same time as Kamili untied, the outside being held onto for a short while just by Panda!

Lots of waving goodbye. It was nice meeting you even though I kept my distance.

This reversed field was just as good as the unreversed one was, so I was given a couple of hours to fully explore it whilst they got busy.

Tom took everything off the roof and swept it. Then She got her two buckets and lots of cloths out. A scrubbing brush came out too, Scrub Scrub Scrub, rinse rinse rinse, Scrub Scrub Scrub, rinse rinse rinse. It was hard work just watching her, so I went to find friends again.

Then the cabin side and windows got washed, that will improve my view when they move the outside again.

My couple of hours were up so I came back. The doors were closed. Then She thought she could smell gas in the box at the front. Tom stuck his head down there and had a good sniff. He tightened everything up and said it just smelt of damp, She wasn’t so sure and I came out to give my opinion which they said they didn’t want, bundling me back inside and closing the doors again. I don’t know! Cats have a good sense of smell.

They untied leaving Lizzie She sanding and hoovering and painting. We pushed the outside away hoping it wouldn’t get away with just Panda holding it steady. Tom moved the outside whilst She and I had an afternoon snack, well I didn’t want one as I was quite full from my Sunday morning breakfast still.

Tom whizzed the outside round and brought the outside back, this time back to front. Panda had managed to hold onto it on her own despite being whizzed round.

She got new hot water and soapy stuff. Scrub Scrub Scrub. This side was extra dirty. She said something about the fire in Goole was still there in little tiny stubborn bits, so She scrubbed some more. Blimey I’d forgotten Oleanna had a cream roof!

Lots more boats came past, one She said was very pretty and it had nothing to do with it being red. Red She said it was their first time out and they were scared to death! It looked like they had difficulty in tying the outside up through the bridge, it does take a bit of practice, but they’ll get the hang of it.

She kept standing on the cat walk, in the way, so I had to keep inspecting the roof. Tom said it was just as well the Field wasn’t muddy, but I kept to my tip toes anyway.

Three different ways of seeing an outside through the day meant I was just a little bit tired, but not too tired! I could have joined in with the chatting on the towpath with wine, but I was confined to quarters as it was after dingding.

*I wasn’t allowed to stand on Panda for this photo!*

A productive day. She says Oleanna looks great, but it’s s a shame as now she knows how many bubbles there are! Will she get them popped before panto painting starts? She says it’s Toms turn next to get rid of all those scratches he made when he kept scrapping the outside! I’m not sure Tom agrees.

0 locks, 200m in reverse, 0.42 miles that way, 0.42 miles this way, 1 wind,1 do-ci-do, 3 boats to 2, 5 hours scrub a dub dubbing, 12 buckets water, 8 cap fulls, 1 clean Oleanna again, 1 wiffy box, 3 different sides, 1 exhausted Tilly, 1 best in show, 1 bottle of white on the terrace, 1 roast chicken with beans from Crick Post Office.

Star Jumps, WD And Thespians. 26th August

The hedge Flecknoe Road Bridge to the view before Norton Junction

Last night we’d had this stretch of armoc to ourselves, but just around the corner there were seven boats nose to tail, we preferred the view we’d had. As we made our way towards Braunston Turn we kept our eyes open for any gaps in the hedge to the north of the canal so that we could drop a pin on our map to remember it, only one and not much of a gap.

As we cruised along I tried to drink several glasses of water. A few weeks ago I got an invite from the Zoe covid app to do an antibody blood test, this would show if I’ve had Covid without knowing. I’d arranged for a test kit to be sent to Scarborough and then have been waiting for a suitable time to do the test. On the instruction video it suggests drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water the day before, so yesterday I spent a lot of time filling up the yellow water tank! Today 2 to 3 glasses had to be drunk at least half an hour before doing the test, I also needed to be near to an NHS Priority Post box, Braunston.

At Braunston Turn we turned right following a hire boat who quite quickly pulled in. Would Braunston be full of boats or would we be fine finding a space? There was so much space available we easily slotted in at Butchers Bridge our preferred mooring.

Now to do the test. I laid everything out and had to discourage Tilly from watching too closely. Then I had to get my blood pumping by doing some exercise before submerging my left hand in a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes. Far more complicated than sticking a cotton bud up your nose!

Star jumps are a little bit hard to do inside a boat, but I decided to stay indoors rather than amuse those having their bacon butties at the Gongoozlers Rest. Then self inflicted pain! A lancet pushed hard into a finger tip, followed by massaging my hand and finger to fill a little bottle up to a line. One thing they should add to the instructions is that if you have long finger nails then most of your blood will collect on your nail, a trim before hand would have worked better. With my sample done, labelled and packed up we set off to the Post Office.

As we crossed Butchers Bridge we glanced up towards the bottom lock, was that boat NB Winding Down? It was green, the sign writing wasn’t visible. We walked down to have a look, yep it was, but would we know the people on board?

Mick called out to the occupants, ‘Hello, do we know you? We used to have a share in Winding Down’. Well we did know them, Paul and Aileen , some of the original syndicate members. Our paths crossed several times in Waitrose at Sandbach on hand over days. A lovely catch up with them and news of other members we knew, the last AGM on zoom and most importantly that NB Winding Down will be moving further north for next years cruising season, so we’ll have to keep our eyes open near Stone in future.

Up the hill we climbed to the Post Office first popping my sample into the post box, then across the road to the butchers.

Well, since first noticing a sign saying they do gluten free sausages a few years ago, we’ve asked every time we’ve come in and only once have we had any. Quite a disappointment! Maybe the church spire no longer means Bangers! Yes I could buy some of their normal sausages for Mick, but what would I have!?! We bought bacon, a pork pie, some pork, eggs and some strawberries. Have to say their fruit and veg looked better than it used to, maybe they have a bigger turn over after the lockdowns when I suspect the locals shopped with them more. A few more bits from the shop across the way and we were done.

After lunch we pushed off to climb the locks. A lady waved to Mick from the bridge after opening the bottom gate, she thought he was her husband! With no boat following and two boats coming down the next lock we headed up on our own.

In the pound below The Admiral Nelson people sat out side their boat, turns out they were waiting for a boat to share with. Marvellous!

Nick Wolfe stood at the stern of Aldgate, he turned to me and said ‘Hire Boat!’ One was pulling into the lock landing below the lock, doing their best to get out of our way whilst being berated for mooring up. Oh blimey! Poor holiday makers! The poor ladies at the bow had steam coming out of their ears as they tried to pull their boat out of the way. They assumed I’d have the same reaction and angrily said they weren’t staying. As we worked the two boats up the lock I could still hear ‘You can’t moor there!’ from below. No wonder some people think boaters are down right rude, I think they already knew what was being rammed down their throats!

Calmly we worked our way up the remaining locks. Three generations of one family out on a friends boat for the day. The lady said they lived on a boat for ten years in the 70’s, it must have been so different then. Then she said that her husband was an actor, so they used to go where the work was. Obviously that started a whole different conversation.

Meanwhile Mick at the stern was chatting away, acting had been mentioned and the chap said ‘Oleanna’ sounded familiar. The world got smaller over the next couple of locks. Graham Padden had been working at The New Vic in Stoke in 1998 when the Stephen Joseph Theatre visited with their 10 x 10 season. 10 new plays with a company of 10 actors. Comic Potential, Perfect Pitch and Love Songs For Shopkeepers were the main house shows with seven more in the studio, I designed eight out of the ten. He then mentioned that he’d been in Shadowlands with Janie Dee in the West End. His wife and son were also actors. They’d all toured into Chipping Norton too!

At the top of the locks we led the way to the tunnel. Life jackets and torch at the stern. We soon saw a light coming towards us, this was followed by another three in quite quick succession. Thankfully no-one else entered the tunnel so we got to the kink on our own.

3:30pm. Would we get to the Watford flight in time to go up the locks before they closed? We’d get there, but if anyone was waiting then we’d not get up the locks today. We carried on up to Norton Junction where there was space for a couple of boats with the lovely view. It would have been rude not to moor up, so we tied the outside up and let Tilly out. She was given a strict time to be home. She obliged.

A little while later the bow of a very new Cowpar appeared at the bridge ahead of us. This was the new Finesse boat that had been shown at Crick Boat Show last weekend. Excuse the looks on their faces as it is a 70ft boat turning at a junction with a bridge hole to contend with. A very nice looking boat with electric drive, there’s a boat test by Adam about it in last months Canal Boat magazine.

6 locks, 6.98 miles, 1 right, 3 glasses, 1 prick, 500 whatevers, 10 turns, 2 syndicate members, 1 share for sale, 0 bangers, 6 rashers bacon, 3 pork loin steaks, 0.5kg beef mince, 1 small pork pie, 1 punnet strawberries, 3 actors on a boat, 1 tunnel, 2 mysterons, 4 passing boats, 1 prime view mooring, 1 bruised finger.

https://goo.gl/maps/1qq4YepPW6DonSeZ6

Dressing Room 1, 19th August

Thrupp Canal Cruising Club

Mick was up early to get the car back into Oxford. This gave me space to get the scanner and my panto model out. Bits were measured, cloths were scanned, then everything packed into an Ikea big blue bag, time for the final panto model meeting.

I walked down the canal towards Oxford, the reverse route I’d walked three years ago after painting the floor for panto until the early hours, returning to Oleanna and canal life for a weekend. The 7 bus took me to Blenheim Palace where I swapped it for an S3 which rattled it’s way along the country roads to Chipping Norton.

At the theatre I was greeted by Box Office who arranged for someone to come and help me. Hand sanitizer, masks, only two people in the green room at any time, most social distancing measures still in action around the building.

The Dames dressing room, once Jo and I have vacated

Gavin and Ash were about to help me set up for the model showing. The three of us would be the only people at the meeting in the theatre, everyone else would be dotted around the country on Zoom, well even Gavin and Ash were in their office and I had Dressing Room 1 all to myself.

I am so glad that David had got to see the model last week as he could carry on talking about the detail that’s impossible to see via my phone or on the storyboard. Showing a model on zoom I had two choices, line the model up with the camera on the laptop I’d been loaned or use my phone as a hand held camera. I chose the later option, not sure which would have been better really as panto world kept turning upside down and being wonky. Oh well!

My audience seemed to be appreciative. Other logistics were talked about. They are trying to find somewhere in Chippy for me to paint the week before rehearsals start, so far no luck, but the hunt continues. Fingers crossed for somewhere reasonably dry and warm with electric.

Samples were checked over with the hope that some materials can be ordered this week for me to pick up on route next week. The model was packed carefully away, cloths separated ready to be sent to the scenic printers.

Paint stocks needed checking over. Thankfully I was the last to use most of the scenic paints so two years ago the lids had been put on properly, only a few pots had dried up.

Then measurements and double checking various things in the auditorium. This is when we came across a problem. During the run of panto the cinema screen will be used to show films. The screen drops in and nobody, including myself, had picked up on the fact that the metal bar at the bottom of the screen is wider than the screen itself. The cinema is usually set up by one chap who would not be able to page the screen around Rapunzel’s tower. Oh bugger! We may have to build slots into the structures to accommodate the screen. Oh for having a production manager on site to talk these things over with before they go and see the set builders. Numerous photos and some measurements were taken. I thought my work was just about done, now I need to do some sketches to help explain the problem!

Time was ticking and with only one bus an hour I was keen to catch the next one, so left Gavin to take the model box to the post office to be sent to the Production Manager. Fingers crossed it arrives safely.

Two buses back and a walk along the canal in sunshine, only for the heavens to open just as Mick was setting off to meet our Sainsburys delivery. At least the rain encouraged Tilly to come home after being out all day. Tonight’s dinner was beetroot, leek and chard risotto, everything apart from the Arborio rice came in our veg box. I wonder what the onions are going to taste like? They are fresh and haven’t developed the orange skins yet, will they have a milder flavour or stronger?

Mick during the day has been busy washing clothes and topping up the water tank. He’s also been trying to see if there is a route north we could take after I finish panto without us being held up by stoppages. This is still work in progress, but Varneys Lock 23 (Oxford Canal) closes on the 1st of November so we’d have to be through there before hand making a trip back to Oleanna a near three hour journey from Chippy! So far it’s not looking good for me to commute from the boat at weekends.

0 locks, 0 miles, 5 buses, 1 car returned, 3 loads washing, 1 wobbly upside down model box showing, 1 model box on it’s way, 3 cloths, bar 17, 4m out dead confirmed, 4m ribbons, 1 overlooked projection screen, 11 hours shore leave, 2 beetroot grated, 3 left, 1st November, 8th November, 19th November!

Prospective Oxford. 14th August

Thrupp Canal Cruising Club

The Geraghty Zoom subjects consisted of tales of family get togethers. The London Leckenbys, Anna over from Germany and the imminent arrival of the young Evans’s to Scotland where fish fingers, waffles and bananas were being stocked up on. Fran, Mick’s niece, is preparing to fly out to Tokyo for the Paralympics as she is the physio for the English Boccia team. We wish them good luck.

One of the reasons for meeting up near Oxford is that Josh soon will be choosing his A levels and thinking about where he wants to go to University. He’s a brainy lad having just achieved an A* in GCSE Religious Studies taken a year early. Oxford most probably didn’t feature on his list of possibles, but it was worth having a look round.

Mick stayed at Oleanna to replace the stern gland greaser whilst the rest of us drove into Oxford for a nosy about. Andrew is very much of the opinion that the course you do at university is important but the city you go to should also appeal. Oxford is an odd one, trying to explain about colleges and faculties, the city being very much built around the University.

We walked down Broad Street past Trinity College, not many colleges open to visitors today, in fact we only saw one and it would have been £8 each to go in. We just peeked through the gate instead.

A walk through the back lanes to The Turf, the Bridge of Sighs. Down to the Cherwell where numerous people were heading off for a punt.

We walked around the outside of the Botanical Gardens and down to the Thames where a couple of familiar boats were just mooring up.

Back into town to see some of the shopping area and we stopped for a cuppa and a slice of cake in the Covered Market. By now our parking was just about up so we headed back out of town to Thrupp.

This evening we wandered down to The Boat Inn, thankfully they had some beer today, we’d been hearing rumours of lack of supplies.

A group of Morris Dancers were congregating outside, jingling their bells and wearing cheese on their heads!

Tarragon chicken with roast new potatoes and salad

A chicken tarragon casserole had been cooking away whilst we were out. Very tasty it was, one to do on the stove top when the weather gets cooler.

Pudding was a Dorset Apple Cake made this afternoon. We’d just had a slice each when I remembered that I was going to put candles in it as it’s Josh’s birthday on Monday! The amount of wine I’d had had quite a lot to do with my memory lapse! We turned the cake round, added candles and Josh blew them out.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 stern greaser replaced, 1 day of cricket commentary, 4 wandering around Oxford, 1 Josh underwhelmed, 1 excuse for a weekend away, 1 lump of cheese, 2 pints, 1 G&T, 1 wine, 1 apple juice, 1 very full casserole, 1 birthday cake just remembered, 2 much wine, 1 lovely weekend,15! how on earth is Josh 15!?!

Just As Long To Walk As Drive. 13th August

Jericho to Thrupp Cruising Club

Up early to beat the hire boats back into College Cruisers. Late yesterday afternoon NB Hannah May had arrived and arranged for a diesel top up this morning. Movement could be heard across the way at 8:20 so we made sure we were ready to push over once they had been filled up. We did a do-ci-do and took on 40 litres, at £1 a litre we didn’t fill the tank, just enough to keep us going until further up the Oxford.

We pushed back over to the towpath just as the first of the holiday makers were arriving back. Next job was to pick up the things missing from our shopping trip yesterday. I headed off to Waitrose which was kind of on route to Aldens Fish Market.

I chose to walk along the Thames, the patched pipe under Osney Bridge not really doing it’s job as loads of water was pouring out into the Thames. Glad it’s not on our water meter! The temporary pipe over the bridge is quite colossal.

At the fish market I was good, I had a look around dreaming of filling the freezer but only bought what I’d come for, a side of salmon. The lobsters would remain safe under their board for a while longer.

Back at Oleanna it was time to push off as we had a rendez vous to make. The moorings had filled up yesterday maybe people only come into Oxford for the weekend. We met a few boats as we headed out of town, either at locks or along narrow sections which necessitated us pulling in and hoping to not end up in the offside vegetation.

The cruiser with the cats is still along the Agenda 21 moorings, only two felines on the roof today and no sign of the old chap.

Speed bumps have been added to the towpath on several stretches.

Now for the bridges. Bridge 234 still wants to be open as soon as you unlock it. I braced myself for Wolvercote Lift Bridge 233. Here the bridge quite often requires an extra pair of hands to get it lifted and out of the way and the bridge landing has an overhang which has scarred many a hire boats cabin side. Well today the problem simply wasn’t there.

The bridge lies in several parts on the offside under the A34. No bridge beams to struggle with pulling them down and then keep the bridge raised whilst your boat goes through. A couple of cyclists appeared on the offside a touch puzzled as to what they were going to do.

A boat was coming down Dukes Lock so we swapped with them and rose up to meet the next lift bridge. Drinkwaters Lift Bridge 231 was about to close for major rebuilding work when last we passed. During the works the approach walls collapsed and had to be rebuilt. It is now operated by windlass from the towpath side. No longer a fight to unlock it with your key of power, just 30 turns to lift and 14 to drop it.

Our usual stop on the way out of Oxford had a couple of boats moored up. A solitary sunflower stood high in the field alongside the lock. We swapped with a boat as we arrived and another came into view as we left, perfect timing all round.

Next Roundham Lock, where through the last few years the bottom gate beam has been shored up to last that bit longer a section of armco was the last bodge job we’d seen. But today there are new beams at both ends of the lock.

Approaching Thrupp we had to stop quickly as the bow of a boat suddenly came into view past a large bush on the off side. We pulled in, trying to avoid the worst effects of the overhanging brambles on the cabin sides.

The visitor moorings in the village were quite empty, we considered pulling in, but we carried on to the lift bridge. I did the honours, stopping a very new boat from coming through as Mick was in the bridge hole. They then did their best to negotiate the bridge themselves without loosing any paint. A touch more use of power may have assisted them, but give them a few more months and they’ll be a touch more bold with their manoeuvres.

We pulled in at the water point and went to find the lady at Thrupp Canal Cruising Club. Whilst boats are out on summer cruises temporary moorings are available for a small fee, we’d booked one a couple of weeks ago. Sue (?) showed us to our mooring, ever so welcoming and anything they could help with we just had to ask. As soon as we were tied up Tilly was off out to explore, not returning for quite sometime!

Meanwhile on the other side of the River Cherwell, just over a kilometer as the crow flies, the London Leckenbys were pulling up at Willowbrook Farm campsite and setting up their tents for the weekend. Once they’d settled in they then drove round the 9km to join us and walked up to the boat with a rusk sack full of contraband, before returning the car to the site and walking the 1.8km on well marked paths back.

When we’d first come up with the idea of trying to find a campsite close to Oxford and the canal, Thrupp came up as a possibility. A newish eco campsite on a working farm that produces halal meat. Then about a week ago Jac noticed the not so fine print ‘Strictly No Alcohol Allowed On Site!’ Not quite the right place to have a relaxing beer in front of your tent, but you have to respect other cultures. So bottles of gin and wine were brought round to ours and we wouldn’t go to the campsite for a bbq, instead both evenings would be spent on Oleanna.

We’d considered going for a little pootle to find a suitable bit of towpath not too far away for the evening, returning before it got too dark, but just off the side of the TCCC moorings was an area with a bbq and picnic bench. This would do us.

Family were set with jobs of chopping. The other week they had made a tabbouleh not realising I wouldn’t be able to eat the buckwheat, today we made one using Quinoa which was very tasty. Veg and haloumi kebabs were skewered, a potato salad made up. The side of salmon required cutting in half to fit on the barbecue, a grating of ginger, pinch of sugar, soy sauce and lemon juice added then a good wrapping of foil.

Our usual barbecue stove was lit along with two disposable ones that had come from London. The salmon cooked quickly so was nudged to the sides for the veg kebabs to cook in the middle meaning the disposable bbq’s were only really just getting going when we’d just about finished eating!

A lovely if a touch blowy evening sat outside. Cheese was enjoyed back onboard after we’d tidied up outside. Then the head torches were brought out to aid the walk back to the campsite, hopefully the London Leckenby’s weren’t too noisy on their return!

4 locks, 6.51 miles, 2 lift bridges, 1 bridge in bits, 40 litres, 1 side salmon, 1 mooring, 1 campsite, 0 alcohol, 1 happy cat, £646 saved, 1 family get together, 1 yummy meal, 2 beers, 2 G&T’s, 2 bottles wine, 5 head torches for 3, 1km, 9km, 1.8km, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

https://goo.gl/maps/ffmyBofVnWF4qSnS9

Gravy And Stewed Cabbage. 6th August

Desborough Island to Boveney Lock Landing

A saunter around the island, of course we noticed that there were spaces at the next mooring where we’d have let Tilly go ashore. That mooring is added to the ‘next time’ list. As we’re in transit we won’t be touching on the ‘next time’ list, we’ll just be adding to it.

A metal warrior stood guard over a garden, whilst a severe fencing kept people off off a lawn. A rather lovely roof line caught our eye, the room at the top of that fire escape would have fitted my teenage dream.

Joining back onto the main channel there was a sign in the middle, the river would be closed for a regatta today, good job there’s the alternate route. We arrived at Shepperton Lock before any Lock Keeper would be on duty, the blue Self Service sign displayed. No need for a Key of Power on the Thames, just patience as they can be slow to fill and empty.

Extra fencing has been added around locks to dissuade people from gathering too close. Signs ask for crew to stay on their boats and if a lock is on self service then only one crew member should go to operate it.

At Pharaoh Island the house on the end looks to have new owners, it was on the market two years ago. A boat is moored round the back and a kids trampoline stands in the garden so that you can gongoozle at the passing boats whilst bouncing.

At Chertsey Lock we were joined by a cruiser, the strong wind making it hard for them to manoeuvre. Oleanna has weight to her so she hunkers down on windy river days, so long as her speed has purpose she is fine. By now we’d remembered how to do the ropes on the Thames if I was acting as Lock Keeper. Positioning the bow rope on the roof and taking the boat hook with me I could then wrap the rope round a bollard to keep the bow in whilst heading away to press buttons, popping back to adjust it if needs be as the lock filled.

Today we spotted a couple of cruisers that have a different line from the usual. They have a hint of a barge to them, quite a pleasing shape and with colour to the cabin sides we decided we quite liked them.

More shapes and sizes as we cruised along.

Approaching Staines on Thames there are new static caravans being built with a difference. Some have roof terraces, others extensions that take them away from the standard oblong design, however the cheapest one will set you back £499,999! We preferred the older more characterful houses. Does anyone know what this tree is please, with fleshy leaves and large white flowers?

Just before Bell Weir Lock we ducked under the M25 for the last time.

Runnymede is already on our list for next time so no need to add it. Today we’d have found a nice mooring, although the road would be a touch too close for Tilly to go off exploring. Only one of the French Brothers trip boats was cruising today. Banners boasted of a refurbishment to Pink Champagne, but the pandemic looks to have put paid to that happening and the fake steamer sat below trees filled with chairs collecting tree sap and bird droppings.

Day boats increased in number the closer we got to Datchet as we skirted round Windsor Royal Park all immaculate as normal. The Queen won’t be short of mistletoe this Christmas, they just need a big cherry picker. Just through Victoria Bridge there are ground works going on. Big boulders and a crane was being put together. Maybe this will be a new rock garden for the Queen!

At Romney Lock we were joined by a trip boat as we waited for the lock to empty. Two Lock Keepers attended to the button pushing whilst we inhaled the smell of gravy and stewed cabbage that was to be lunch on the trip boat for the OAPs. We wondered at what age does stewed cabbage become appealing?

I failed to throw my rope over a bollard and a Lockie came to assist. I requested he passed it round a second time which he didn’t seem too keen to do, but as it was a side filling lock he relented after I’d mentioned my failing grip. A second turn means less clinging on for dear life even in the gentler filling locks.

Out of the cut we popped out the view of Windsor Bridge where Eton meets Windsor and where as a child staying with my Aunt and Uncle we used to stand to hear Concord fly overhead, I’m sure we never heard the sonic boom but Uncle Peter swore he did!

Just how many swans! A fayre was set up on the Brocas, we decided we’d carry on, hoping the mooring we’d stayed at above Boveney Lock would be available. Liz wasn’t at home anyway for a cuppa, I suspect she doesn’t want visitors whilst the builders are about!

Blimey was that the queue for Boveney Lock ahead?! The full length of lock landing filled with boats. People were stood about, although not quite enough for it to be a queue. Two more things didn’t seem right. NB Zenith was one of the moored boats, the other thing was the narrowboat in front of them was just hanging up their washing on a whirligig. We pulled up closer and heard the news, the lock was broken!

The story goes that yesterday the Lock Keeper had reported one of the top gates was making an awful noise. By the end of the day the collar had broken and the gate sat at an odd angle. No-one would be going anywhere today other than in the opposite direction.

During the afternoon more boats arrived. The lock island already had boats moored on the other side and by the end of the day they were four abreast behind us.

The Lock Keepers came down to keep us informed. A crane was being brought in by road tomorrow morning, hopefully it was just a case of lifting the gate back into position and replacing the collar, which shouldn’t take too long. If they couldn’t mend it on Saturday it would be Monday. Fingers crossed for the morning.

The choice for what to have to eat this evening was somewhat taken out of my hands as a camembert cheese was starting to plot world domination from the fridge, it needed stopping.

PS Selby Swing Bridge is now open to boat traffic and through a Facebook fishing page on the Aire and Calder I have heard reports that the Eastern side of the cofferdam at the breach site has just about been removed. Fingers crossed for everyone still in Goole.

6 locks, 15.43 miles, 1 regatta, 2 self service locks, 0 Liz at home, 1 rock garden, M25, 10 portions stewed cabbage and gravy, 15 waiting below, 10 above, 1 part time boat cat, 1 smoked salmon and camembert quinoa crust quiche, 1 world saved by our tea.

https://goo.gl/maps/VH4KWM7NgBRxoFLg8

Even A Kitchen Sink. 4th August

Lock 89 to Ontario Bridge 205A

Time to check that the drier still worked, thankfully it does and it finished off our bedding and towels wonderfully during todays cruise.

Our nearest neighbours Mike and Pam on NB Two Jays-Bray got chatting to Mick, our whirligig and pram cover had caught their attention. New to boating life they have come over from Cape Town to live a life afloat for a couple of years, they’ve only been on board full time for just over two weeks and are still adjusting to living afloat. It was nice to meet you, maybe we’ll bump into you up the way somewhere.

With all the washing brought inside it was time to move on. Back passed the Slough Arm and onwards past Bulls Bridge where the Scout boat had just come out from the junction and was headed for the water point. We waved to Rod and Nor, but no one was looking, maybe we’ll see them on the Thames.

How does all that stuff fit on their roof?

At Norwood Top Lock a volunteer lock keeper was tending to plants and helped with the lock gates. A second lady in blue appeared assisted by her four legged litter picker, she went down to set the lock below for us. Were we heading all the way down, both of them asked. Well it was lunch time, so we planned to pause for something to eat after the top two locks before carrying on down the Hanwell flight.

We paused just before Three Bridges for food then carried on to the flight. Today’s photo of Oleanna, MIik and the bridges wasn’t so good, think I peeked a month ago!

The ladies had said they’d had two boats go down the flight earlier on today and every lock we came to was empty. From the top lock I could see a chap below opening the bottom gates of the next but one lock. He must have been single handing a widebeam I thought as both gates were open, he then headed back to the previous lock for his boat. We waited a while but then decided to drop our lock, there was lots of water coming down.

Leaving both gates for him we headed to the next lock where he was just arriving. Not on his own, he was actually accompanied by a lady who looked quite heftily pregnant and a dog, hence him doing all the work, she positioned a chair by the lock and sat to watch.

I waited for instructions, the chap wanted the gate paddle lifting. I checked he didn’t mean the ground paddle first, oh no! His cruiser sat well back in the lock and the gate paddles opened gradually, the boat should be okay. So I did as asked. I don’t think he had any intention of opening the ground paddles, until I suggested it might speed things up, his partner looking rather hot and in need of some shade.

He said they’d started the flight at 11 this morning it was now about 2:30! No wonder if he’d only been opening one set of paddles. One lock he said had taken forever to fill, about an hour! Oh well, each to their own.

We carried on down in the ever increasing sunshine. My mind had decided a few days ago that it was now autumn and I hadn’t bothered putting sun cream on. With a shorter sleeved t-shirt on today than normal the paler tops of my arms gradually became a good shade of pink!

The bottom lock was turned as we came into the second to last chamber, we waited for the crew below to start filling before dropping the water from ours, we then swapped in the pound inbetween.

Going downhill is that bit quicker than going up, but we’d done the flight in an hour and a quarter, wonder what time the cruiser finished?

We pootled our way along. Should we stop here near The Fox or carry on that bit further? With supplies onboard we’d not be eating out, but space can be at a premium in Brentford so we pulled in just about where we’d been moored after the tideway cruise and let Tilly off to explore.

With the last of the roast chicken from Saturday I made a pie. A couple of leeks, tarragon, white wine sauce, mushrooms and some feta cheese were added to the chicken. All topped off with a chestnut flour short crust pastry. All very very tasty, just a shame the sweetcorn that accompanied it wasn’t up to scratch. What did I expect, it’s not as if it’s in season yet.

8 locks, 7.6 miles, 2 straight ons, 2 lady lock keepers, 1 canine lock keeper, 3.5 hours plus! 1 familiar outside again, 2 pink arms, 1 wizened corn on the cob, 1 of the best homemade pies ever (hence recording what went in it for next time).

PS. If you happen to be around Huddersfield, pop up to the Piazza Shopping Centre where Dark Horse have an exhibition of The Garden which became their online production last summer. All my illustrations are on display and every hour you can get to see the final animated production.

https://goo.gl/maps/oStuZw4syfHdNZob7

Thunderous Trains. 20th July

Ordnance Road Bridge 38 to Broxbourne Bridge

Another early start today, hoping to reach a shady mooring again before the sun got too hot, I hoped I remembered a mooring correctly and that it would be free.

We were soon at Rammey Marsh Lock where we ascended and swapped with a boat heading downstream.

Next we bobbed under the M25, a far less spectacular view than the one you get from the Grand Union.

Shortly before Waltham Town Lock and the road bridge below it, there is a new service block with bins, a water point and toilets alongside some moorings. We both remember a cafe with bins behind it, possibly a pump out machine that ate our C&RT cards with out it doing any sucking! Looking back at Lillian’s blog for News Years Day 2015 has confirmed that the new buildings here have replaced the the café and services. A banner boasts about a show boat that must be moored on the little arm just out of view. If you have £225,000, this would buy you a 60ft widebeam on a serviced mooring here. I wonder what the other charges are?

Now the locks are all manual. The bottom gates having cranked beams made from RSJs. These tend to flex more than move so take quite a lot of effort to get going. People offered to lend a hand, but only with the top gates, they must have known!

The locks are now fairly evenly spaced along the straight stretches of the navigation. Each pound was almost full of moored boats, all different shapes and sizes, many hogging the shade.

Cheshunt had been our destination for the day, but then our schedule has changed in recent days so we wanted to head on a touch further. Anyhow there was very little space available.

As we worked our way along we tried to remember where the Water God of The South bequeathed a big washing brush to us. It was somewhere along this stretch. The electric lines looked familiar but the towpath wasn’t quite right, it needed speed bumps to discourage speeding cyclists!

Up ahead at Aqueduct Lock we could see that the lock was empty, bottom gates open waiting for us. Then a group of people with windlasses in hand arrived. We were still some distance away so I wouldn’t have blamed them for turning it. The gates closed, then there was movement around the lock, but nothing much seemed to be happening. They then reappeared at the bottom gates and proceeded to try to open them again, the leaking top gates had obviously just let through enough water to make this impossible. They all returned to their boat which backed away from the top gates.

A widebeam was moored just off the end of the lock landing, a lady was most apologetic as they had broken down and hope they weren’t in the way. Three signs announced this which were all pretty new, so maybe not a constant problem for them. Up at the lock the boat above was now winding. Ah ha! A day boat from Lee Valley Boat Centre in Broxbourne, a sign above the lock suggests that small vessels should not pass down the lock, maybe someone had seen this hence their retreat.

Once up we knew that this stretch was where we’d received the brush. We’re not certain of how we came to be its new owners, but my theory is that a cyclist had stolen it from another boat and whilst speeding down the towpath they had launched it at Lillian’s roof practicing their javelin throwing. We still have the brush and it occasionally gets used on the gunnels.

After Kings Weir the river takes over again bringing back meanders which helped to hide the other small vessels on the river today. I’ve not seen a pedalo for years! One motorised boat had obviously been told to keep to the right, they did this religiously even if it meant going through the over hanging willow trees.

Just after the right hand bend by The Crown pub the mooring I’d remembered showed itself to be very much in shade and free. Brilliant. We pulled in just after a fisherman and tied to the end bollards. A green green wood right alongside us, Tilly heaven.

I was given seven hours! I made the most of it, but was getting a touch parched and exhausted after six, so returned for a snooze in my escape pod.

In the woods we found space where we could put a stool without being in a cyclist or scooters way. Mick had his first haircut in an age, it’s always nice to see my boyfriend reappearing from behind all that hair!

With the railway being quite close the trains rumble over bridges crossing the river. But as the afternoon progressed the rumbles were hard to differ from thunder. The two merged into one as dark clouds came past. At 2pm we expected torrential rain if the rumbles were to be believed, but it took until 4:30pm for the heavens to open at last.

We’d considered going to the pub for food, but were glad we couldn’t book a table as I think our food would have got a touch soggy in the garden. I do remember Tom and Jan eating in a pub along here somewhere and not being that impressed, so maybe the weather saved us from wasting our money.

5 locks, 5.15 miles, 1 more hot day, 1 more early start, 2 more leapfrogs with Small World, 0 brushes today, 1 day boat retreating, 5 pedalos, grade 3, 1 boyfriend again, 2 torrential down pours, 2 goats cheese ham and caramelised onion pizzas, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval, 2 reusable blocks!

https://goo.gl/maps/USXAqQsEZHf6cV5t7

Too Many Visitors! Breach 52. 10th June

Norton Junction to The Wharf, Bugbrooke to Evans Bridge 42

Well Shefali said it was going to be cloudy today. I for one was quite looking forward to not having to put sun cream on and having a day off from turning into a lobster. But as we woke there was still an amount of sunshine necessitating the application of cream.

Peeking through the bridge at the junction

A couple of boats came past over breakfast heading towards the junction, maybe they were early through the tunnel, but which way would they be going?

As we got ready to push off another boat from behind did the same, we hung onto our ropes and let them pass as they were just a little bit ahead of us. Would we have a partner for the Long Buckby flight? Or would they turn up the Leicester Section? Seven years ago to the day we came out from the Leicester Section on NB Lillyanne accompanied by NB Blackbird and turned towards Braunston at the start of our life afloat.

We followed the boat down towards the flight where another boat was tied up above the locks at the services. We pulled in at the water point and let the two boats ahead team up, assisted by a couple of volunteers. Never seen volunteers here before.

We dealt with yellow water, fresh water and rubbish then pulled up towards the locks, the volunteers setting the lock for us. Someone came up to tell them that a pound in the flight was very low, possibly too low to navigate. Oleanna descended on her own as no other boat showed itself, I walked on down to set the lock ahead.

The pounds between the top four locks of the flight are quite long, certainly not close enough to walk on to set the next lock then walk back to open and close gates. Even though the bottom gates are very heavy I quite like these locks. Some graffiti brought smiles to us as we passed. We were back in our routine of going down hill, each of us knowing which job to do or leave for the other one.

Boats managing to get through the low pound

The volunteers walked down to check the level in the low pound ahead of us, although I think they had been beaten to it by a full time Lockie. At Lock 10 the bottom gates were open and soon a chap in blue arrived. We closed the bottom gates, leaving a paddle up on one gate then he lifted a paddle at the other end, sending water down. All we could do was wait and watch as the boats ahead of us made it into the next lock and then onwards.

The lockie walked back and forth, checking the troublesome pounds level and then that of the one above. After quite a wait he was happy for me to close the bottom paddle and fill the lock and be on our way.

Now on the flat we made our way with the noise from the M1 for accompaniment.

The towpaths were having a hair cut. A duck smoked a woodbine. We passed three Tilly boats. Batman and Robin rested their superhero bones and a koala peeked out from a welldeck.

At Weedon we noticed the nice metal windows on the back of a building for the first time. Have these always been here, but just covered in ivy and masked by trees. One window has been replaced, I quite like the difference.

All the visitor moorings on the embankment were empty again, not even Heather Bleasdale was leaning out of her window to say hello.

The diesel point at Rugby Boats was free so we pulled in to top up the tank, at 79.9p a litre this was far better than it would have been in Nuneaton. Tilly sat in the window and kept a very close eye on the dog. Sitting out of the water was NB Cream Cracker, we are pretty sure that seven and a bit years ago this was the first boat we looked at. She is currently under offer and presumably out of the water for a survey.

Onwards past a spillway where C&RT chaps were installing a dam. It looks like work has been done to one end of the spillway and they were about to start at the other end. Not sure if one chap was assisting in holding a scaff bar in place or had just come for a chat.

We soon arrived in Bugbrooke our stopping place for the night, a late lunch was followed by a sweep through and tidy up as we were expecting a visitor. Our friend Lizzie works for Unusual who are based just by the West Coast Main Line here in Bugbrooke.

It was decided that we’d have a cheeky drink at the pub, so as soon as Tilly came home we locked the doors and headed over the bridge to find an outdoor table. After a couple of hours and a bottle of wine we were just about caught up on everyone’s news. Lovely to see Lizzie again, plans are being formed for a bit of a get together sometime later in the summer.

Back on Oleanna we were about to start cooking when Mick noticed that we had quite a few visitors. Somewhere on the bank there was an ants nest, most of the occupants were now having a great time on Oleanna! They marched in through the side hatch ready to explore further!

Despite a couple of glasses of wine we decided to move on getting away before news got back to the nest and more visitors might arrive. Being alongside the railway it took us a couple of miles before the track got to a distance we thought we could cope with, a handy M appeared on our map so we pulled in. The sheep behind the sideways trees filled the gaps between the trains going by. After sweeping down the outside of the cabin we finally sat down to eat at 8:50, Tescos Indian with homemade gluten free nan breads.

7 locks, 10.75 miles, 1 low pound, 3 coming up, 2 super heros, 1 stiff paddle, 4 train tickets, 2 nights hotel, 1 clean (inside) boat, 1 toy box opened up, 6 toys selected, 2 hours catching up, 1 bottle Pinot, 45636768235246 ants! 2 mains for £5, 2 homemade fluffy nans, 1 koala!

https://goo.gl/maps/twaUiefEjwNpQT6k7

https://goo.gl/maps/VbkLfC79QxA4XnHP8

Breach Update from C&RT today

The Aire & Calder breach repairs remain on track and the navigation due for opening by mid-August. During w/c 5 July a phased re-watering will commence, levels will be increased gradually and monitored by our engineers. The cofferdams will remain in place until the phased rewatering is complete.

We continue to do everything possible to get the navigation and towpath back open as soon as possible for everyone to enjoy.

Please see separate notices regarding arrangements to book passage through Pollington Lock and Sykehouse Lock.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna