Category Archives: Gluten Free Cooking

Curtains and Catch Up to 28/11

Firstly a big thank you to Jenn for letting me know that on the 16th November Bargain Hunt had a special bit all about Emily Blagg as this year is the 100th anniversary of The Palace Theatre. Very interesting to see Emily’s grave, not a big thing as the locals still had a problem with her demolishing the Chauntry to build the theatre. Also I’m glad the researchers didn’t manage to find a picture of her, as I spent ages trying to do the same. Here’s a link to the episode. If you are ever in Newark when the Antique Fair is on it is worth a visit, it costs to get in but is crammed full of interesting things. When we went there was a free bus from near Newark Northgate Station.

Tilly doing her best not to shred the lining before it’s on the curtains

Back in Scarborough I’ve been busy with the sewing machine. I started off small relining curtains for Oleanna, just to get myself and my machine warmed up, much bigger curtains were to follow for the house.

I’d ordered a big roll of thermal lining, enough for boat curtains as well as the bay window. The other day I’d unpicked the stitching on the dark blue curtains from the saloon and dinette areas. Doing this I’d discovered that Kim (who made the curtains in Sheffield) had used some wonderweb on the side hems. This seemed like a good idea, so before lockdown 2 was imposed I’d had a walk to Dunelm to stock up. After several washes the wonderweb had disintegrated and as I pulled the lining away I was left with a big mess to clean up.

I measured up the lining, not as much as Kim had used as I hope I can get away with having not quite so much bulk. The rectangle of lining was pinned in position, having to tug to the curtains to their full extent as no matter how much ironing they simply didn’t want to lie flat. Wonderweb held the sides in position, then I was able to pin round all sides, hopefully where they were before, then I sewed round each panel.

Well that was the plan, but on my third curtain my machine jammed! Oh B**er!! As it was late in the afternoon I called it a day. Good karma at a sewing machine usually works and maybe coming back to it another day would be a wise idea.

It was time to give my machine some TLC. The advantage of being in the house was that it didn’t take too long to find the oil that had come with my machine along with the original manual. This showed me how to take the bobbin and what lies behind to pieces and apply one drop of oil.

Then I removed the plate around the teeth, then the teeth themselves. Here was my main problem, fluff, lots of fluff! With all this cleared out and the one drop of oil applied I wondered if I should oil my machine anywhere else. Not according to the manual. I looked on line, no luck, then asked on Facebook after all I know quite a few wardrobe supervisors who should know. Thank you to those who made suggestions, including Dave and Chris who both suggested applying a touch of oil to anything that moves.

Gary White from All Seasons Boat Covers hunted round the internet for me and eventually found a file for my brand of machine suggesting a few more places to oil. Thank you, I promise to do this before I pack my machine away before Christmas.

I soon discovered that my machine and needles were not capable of going through all the layers in the corners, so I decided that I’d finish these off by hand. All six dark blue curtains were soon finished.

Before moving onto the bedroom curtains for Oleanna I decided to make the living room and dining room curtains for one side of the house. I’m very glad we’d not moved fully into the house as once I’d had a good tidy up, rationalisation of Franks and my tools I had a lot of floor space to play with, needed when you want to have floor to ceiling curtains round your bay window.

Rolls of fabric had arrived, first thing was to square off the end and then cut the correct lengths. Tilly decided she’d hold down the fabric for me and supervise the end of my steel ruler. I on the other hand pretended that I was cutting up dance floor for a show (a frequent job in my theatre life usually with at least one other pair of hands). Hands are much better at doing this job than paws, but I was glad of the company.

The fabric I’d chosen had a very small pattern, so not noticeable should I not quite line everything up properly on the wider curtains, although seeing some of the salvage edge peeking through wasn’t good, I revisited such areas.

Lining and curtain fabric were both hemmed, then sewn together. I’d checked that my lining was narrower so that the main fabric would fold back round the sides, but sadly once I’d turned everything the right way round I had a very narrow bit of fabric. So one side of each curtain was unpicked and a couple of inches trimmed off the lining, then everything resewn.

Curtain tape sewn onto the tops, job done. I just needed my assistant Mick to help with the hanging of them and enough hooks and runners. The bay window track had enough but the dining room track had a mixture of runners, most of which weren’t the right size! A hunt through my stash of such things, we didn’t have enough. One window elsewhere had the right ones so they were stolen.

Some curtain weights are required and the ends of the bay window track are leaning a touch, these may need trimming back as my curtains are partially on the floor. However these were my first ever properly made curtains, not bodged for use on stage, but proper fully lined curtains. I’m quite proud of them and have ordered more fabric for curtains in another room, but they will have to wait to be made next year.

It was back to boat curtains, bedroom curtains. A couple of years ago I’d bought some more of the original fabric in a sale, having more than enough lining now meant I could reline the original curtains and make a brand new pair too. Tilly has managed to make them look quite shabby.

This fabric however is quite slippy and slidy, not wanting to keep it’s shape and could be pulled in different directions to make it fit, but what would the end curtains look like?

The old linings were unpicked, new added and sewn in. Using wonderweb proved helpful with this fabric. Then a hole new set were cut out, sewn, ironed and all the corners hand sewn in place. In all twelve curtains finished and ready to go up at Oleannas’ windows again. I just hope they fit on the poles properly! I’ve put together a ‘just in case’ pack, should I have sewn them too tight and they need unpicking.

All finished with ‘just in case’ sewing kit

We’d been planning on a trip down to check on her as soon as lockdown was lifted. The tier in Scarborough surprisingly will be tier 2, the number of cases here shot up and at one point we were highest in the country, then they started to drop, Hull forging ahead of us. However Goole will be in tier 3, an area you can travel through, but not go and hang your curtains and give your boat the once over running the engine for an hour etc, not essential. I’m sure some are visiting their boats, some jobs are essential over winter.

They are plotting behind Mum’s nursing chair

With curtains hung in the house we could move ourselves into the living room properly, well as properly as you can when most of your furniture has gone by the wayside through the years with tenants. We moved the sofa in, side tables, plumbed the TV in and standard lamps. Then we fought with my Mum and Dad’s chairs down the tight stairs from upstairs upstairs. We’d put them up there, so they had to be able to come down! My Mum and Dad bought these chairs as wedding presents for each other. Not your average three piece suite, but I quite like it. When funds allow we’ll replace the two seater sofa with a three seater sofabed and move the smaller sofa back to the other side. But for now we have a comfy sitting room. Just pictures to hang, coal for the fire and we’re there.

It was now time to have a day off, I put my feet up and did a few hours of a thing called work!

Most theatres around the country have cancelled their pantos this year, but have been forging ahead with paired down Christmas shows in the hope that once lockdown 2 is lifted they will have a show to bring cheer to their audiences.

Chippy this year is offering A Christmas Carol, with David Bradley. The SJT here in Scarborough The Snow Queen a one woman show and an audio recording of Haunting Julia, a ghost story by Alan Ayckbourn (a great play I’ve had the pleasure of designing twice).

https://soundcloud.com/stephen-joseph-732841255/haunting-julia-trailer

Thankfully these shows will be able to go on, but many other theatres who find themselves in tier 3 will not be able to open their doors. Some of these will be going on line, others mothballed for Easter next year.

Will, the producer at Chipping Norton had been in touch, the second draft of the script for Panto was sent out and now they were ready to contract myself and others to start work, well ahead for next year. On our last visit to the boat I made sure I brought all my work things back with us, but had forgotten the plans of the theatre. I’ve now received copies and a model box. So it was time to read the script.

The last couple of days I’ve been starting to reclaim my work rooms at the top of the house. A damp problem on the chimney breast meant it needed stripping for a builder to check over.

Then I’ve started to try to make space at my model making tables and cleaned the windows. Plenty more room than I had on the boat, but I have yet to gain access to my drawing board which is still engulfed by boxes. I’ll get there.

It’s in there somewhere, no that’s Tilly

One handy tip though, don’t leave water in a hotwater bottle for six years. Not only will it have lost it’s heat but the rubber will perish!

Last week on our Sunday walk we braved a visit to the South Bay beach. A beautiful day, chilly but sunny and the beach wasn’t too busy. We marvelled at the blue sea and white light house and then decided to avoid the harbour where the footpaths are a bit too narrow for the amount of people about.

So we headed up Bland’s Cliff. This steep hill used to run up the side of the Futurist Theatre which was sadly demolished in the last couple of years after huge outcries. In it’s place is the Scarborough Eye, better views are free up near the Castle, and a crazy golf pitch!

However Blands Cliff has become very colourful. An art gallery had just opened when we left and now the surrounding walls are covered in murals and mosaics with local topics depicted. Really rather jolly.

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 visits to Oleanna, 1 cleaned sewing machine, 9 relined curtains, 3 new curtains, 2 pairs of proper house curtains, 1 living room moved into, 1 not so helpful assistant, 1 wall stripped, 0.25 work room reclaimed, 2 clean windows, 1 cat loving the views, tier 2, 1 boat in tier 3!

Where were we

2019 On the South Oxford Canal, Somerton Meadows to Kings Sutton. LINK

2018 On the South Oxford, Somerton Meadows. LINK

2017 On the Llangollen, Wixall Moss to the border. LINK

2016 On the Macclesfield Canal, Macclesfield Pontoon and a visit to Sheffield. LINK

2015 Kings Marina, River Trent. LINK

2014 On the Grand Union, Nether Heyford to Stoke Bruerne. LINK

The Week That Turned Into A Day. Catch up 10/10 to 2/11

Scarborough/Goole

Kitchen

Utility Room

Downstairs Toilet

Front Doors

Kitchen windows

Sadly the list of things still to do is still long, but there is plenty of time.

Frank has been visiting a few times a week to work his way through various jobs for us. A thumped bedroom door is now back how it should be. The front door lock has been changed back to an old one, rejigged for new keys and I can now open the front door with ease. One window sill has been replaced, the others will be worked on in fine weather, lockdown permitting. Various items of furniture have had the top layer of stains, paint and glitter removed and are now looking much better with a few coats of Danish Oil on them.

Fabric for new curtains was ordered along with lining. Sadly Boyes in Scarborough has reduced it’s stock so this had to be ordered on line. Getting new curtains made was going to be at least another £250, so I’m just hoping my sewing machine is up to the job along with me!

Weekly veg boxes arrive on Wednesdays to keep me being creative on the cooking side and fill our tummies. Sainsburys delivers once a week and we’ve had a second delivery from Dulux with more paint to keep me going. I hopefully now have all I need to get the remainder of one side of the house finished, then we can clear one side of my work room for access to the end wall which needs some attention from builders. It’s still all go.

Sundays we head out for a walk each week. We’ve headed inland, climbing up the hills behind Falsgrave. At Irton Moor we tip toed past the GCHQ listening station, making sure we didn’t stray from the path.

Then veered up to Seamer Beacon where we enjoyed 360 degree views, out to sea, inland towards Pickering and Malton and along the coast with Bempton Cliffs leading towards Flamborough Head. Our return route brought us down off the hills along a very muddy autumnal bridleway, past schools that have changed their names and along streets with very posh houses.

Another weekend saw us walking along the ridge above the A64 with fantastic views over Scarborough to the sea. It has always amazed me how certain landmarks in this town have a life of their own. The Castle and windmill move around at will whilst your back is turned always to appear in the wrong places.

We then dropped down into the valley and walked round the Mere, getting a fix of water, ducks and swans. It appears there are unwelcome otters here as fences have been erected to keep them out away from the fish.

With the country looking like every area would gradually creep into Tier 3 we planned on having a trip to Oleanna, before we couldn’t. Scarborough is in Tier 1, Goole and the East Riding had just made it to Tier 2. With all none tidal routes from Goole leading to Tier 3 areas we decided that we’d have a pootle about staying within Tier 2. A week afloat for the three of us would be great, a deserved rest for Mick and myself and some towpath respite away from the urban felines for Tilly.

On Friday hire cars and train tickets were booked along with a food shop to be delivered to Oleanna on Tuesday morning. With everything sorted we’d then head off towards the New Junction Canal, Pollington Lock and Great Heck. Not far but far enough.

Friday evening I started to remove the ripped lining from the boat curtains ready to replace it, planning to sit at the sewing machine over the weekend so that we could have some privacy again.

Before that we had tickets booked to see the brand new John Godber play at the SJT with Bridget and Storm on the Saturday. Sadly I woke up in the morning not feeling quite myself, instead of improving during the morning I went downhill requiring to be near to shore based facilities. It was not a good idea to head to a theatre feeling unwell, even though I know where all the toilets are. So Mick headed off to watch the show leaving me with Tilly as nurse maid, a duvet and the TV. Fred Astaire entertained me more than The Trump Show!

Mick Bridget and Storm enjoyed the show very much, I hope I’ll get chance to see it sometime next year when theatres can reopen again.

News had filtered through that it was looking very likely that the country would be entering another lockdown in a few days. We waited patiently and not so patiently for Boris Johnson to announce his plans. These of course were not in line with our plans which now would have to change.

So instead of a week on board we headed to Goole on Monday in the first hire car, just Mick and myself, leaving Tilly very disappointed holding the fort at the house. She had tried to sneak into a vacuum bag of clean bedding, but had been spotted before I sucked the air out.

The Wolds are greener than they were when we moved to the house. The stubble in the fields has gone and the earth has been turned over, new crops are starting to show their heads.

We let ourselves into the marina and pulled up close to Oleanna. There she was still tied up well to the pontoon, maybe a little bit dustier than when we’d left her, but that’s only to be expected close to the docks.

A day of boat jobs.

I chose to attack the shower sealant, the corners long gone black. This is a job I really do not like doing. Baths and showers in the house have been my nemesis through the years. But I was determined to get the job done, especially as Tilly wasn’t around and we wouldn’t be using the shower today.

I’d brought various tools with me. A window scraper, craft knife and a piece of wood with a blunt point to it. These all gradually worked to clear out the mangy sealant from the corners.

Meanwhile Mick did a firmware upgrade to the inverter. Hopefully he’ll still be able to remotely turn the inverter on and off. Time will tell.

After some lunch I then set to masking off the areas that needed sealant. Originally the corners of the walls and where the shower screen met the tray had been sealed with translucent and the shower tray to the walls with white. I decided to change the tray to screen to white as even though the sealant had been okay here it had started to turn orange. White would be better.

I started with the translucent and that went on nicely. The white however had a slightly different quality to it, so it splurged a bit. I smoothed everything off doing my best to avoid making a mess then removed the masking tape.

The sealant behind the galley sink had also seen better days so I’d dug this out, masked it and then applied sealant. This went on better and once the masking tape was removed I decided to smooth it off with my finger, so that it matched the rest of the galley. This worked a treat so I returned to the bathroom to smooth everything off there too. A skin had already started to form, but it was still suitably squidgy to get an okay finish to it. Infact this is possibly the best sealant job I’ve ever achieved, looks wise, time will tell if I’ve sealed it well enough.

Mick had attached a remote heat sensor to the boiler so that the thermostat wasn’t in the electrics cupboard. Our Aldi boiler can work off both gas and electric. Whilst we are hooked up it will work off the electric and Mick has set the thermostat to 9 C.

A second coat of Danish oil was applied to all the window frames, another job to do whilst Tilly isn’t about. One more left to do and that is a much bigger one, re-oiling the wooden floor. This may require an overnight stay, getting everything clean one day and oiled the next, leaving as I finish.

Everything left airing, including the sofa

Oleanna was given a quick check over. Everything winterised. All moisture traps were checked, cupboards and drawers left open, mattress and cushions left so that air can circulate and the sofa bad was opened up and left on it’s back. We don’t know when we’ll be back next due to lockdown, but if we happen to come back with Tilly she will have a field day!

It had long gone dark when we locked Oleanna’s back doors and climbed back into the car. A big shame not to be staying longer as originally planned, but we are glad we’ve been able to visit to check on her, run the engine and do some more jobs. She’ll be sat waiting for us to return when we can, hopefully in four weeks time, but we’ll wait and see how things go. It does mean I don’t have to rush to reline her curtains.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 hire cars, 1 cancelled, 2 train tickets un-cancellable, 5 doors, 3 rooms, 1 thermostat, 1 cat preferring the front, 2 bedside tables, 1 computer desk, 1 bored cat, 0 friends, 1 show missed, 1 week, 1 day, 2 sealants, 1 upgrade, 1 winter ready boat, 2 resigned disappointed boaters, 1 boat cat without her boat.

Where were we

2019 On the flooded River Thames to Isis Lock South Oxford Canal and Chippy Panto. LINK

2018 On the South Oxford Canal, Thrupp and Chippy Panto. LINK

2017 On the Trent and Mersey at Church Lawton, a day trip to Bowness. LINK

2016 On the Trent and Mersey, Marston Bridge to Billinge Green Flash. LINK

2015 On the River Trent, moored at Kings Marina. LINK

2014 On the Grand Union Leicester Section, Crick. LINK

A New Coat. 14th September

Pollington Visitor Moorings to Nearish the Site of No 4 Swing Bridge

Firstly I got something wrong yesterday. The occasion where Oleanna’s engine decided to empty water all over the bilges was actually when we were moored at Eynsham and Mick noticed the large amount of water where it shouldn’t be before the alarm went off. We’ve just had a discussion as whether it matters that I got it wrong, who would notice? Well possibly Paul as on that occasion it was the thermostat. But more importantly when we look back to the blog in years to come to clarify our fading memories things should be correct.

Anyhow.

As soon as breakfast was done we rolled back the covers and pushed off, time to find better internet! With temperatures set to be high today we’d thought of seeking some shade. But on such wide waterways any trees tend to be set back from the waters edge, reducing their shade factor. Mick identified a possible location so we went to have a look.

The trees were tall enough to cast shade on the water but their location was not really one we’d want to be for too long. Between Crowcroft Bridge and Balne Croft Swing Bridge (which is no more) proved to be a touch too close to the Bridge cottage where the St Bernard woofer never runs out of puff! So we decided to aim for some solar power rather than shade and hopefully not too close to the shooting range.

About a quarter of a mile further on, on the north bank a stretch of bank looked quite appealing, we’d have to use spikes to moor as there was no beam to tie to. We pulled in almost halfway between the barking St Bernard and the shooting range, little footfall and plenty of friendly cover to keep Tilly amused for the rest of the day.

Time for jobs. The primer on the stern had dried fine overnight, so this now got a coat of primer filler and everyone was told to avoid the white bits on the stern. Luckily Tilly was too occupied elsewhere so it had more or less dried before she forgot!

The front poppers on the cratch cover were undone and the whole cover pulled back away from the cratch board. I think it was a couple of years ago when I gave the frame a fresh coat of woodskin and recently I’d noticed it getting a touch thin. Time for a freshen up.

If I was doing the cratch board I may as well give the stern locker lids a coat and the shelf above the morse control. Areas were masked off, washed down and then sanded. Another rinse down and they were left to dry whilst we had lunch.

A coat of woodskin was applied to everything in the afternoon, the masking tape removed. The stern was by now very dry so this got a sanding back. The filler hadn’t quite brought everything up to a smooth level so another coat was applied.

Mick took the bowthruster locker lid up so that he could check on the batteries that sit below. The endoscope came out to help check the levels in the cells and all was fine. The bow deck got a clean out, the rope and chain from the anchor stowed and the pins put back to keep the anchor held tight to the front bulk head. This did mean that Mick got to see the state of the rust on the underside of the locker lid. This is already a job on my to do list, but as it and the bow locker lids are sort of inside (under the cratch cover) they can wait for another opportune time, proper outside outside jobs first.

Still rather warm in the evening we sat for as long as we dared with the doors and windows open. But sadly the hand held hoover had to come out and we sat swatting at midges hopefully before they bit us!

0 locks, 1.09 miles, 1 wind, 0 trees of any use, 1 very sunny spot, 2 coats primer filler, 1st coat woodskin, 1 cratch board, 2 locker lids, 7 hours shore leave, 5, 100% internet, 1 shade seeking cat, 1 vat of chilli, 1 boat full of midges again, 2 bowls chilled medication.

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https://goo.gl/maps/LrYW1jyNEHrrvg2B8

YoYo River. 28th August

Narburn Lock Water Point Pontoon

Overnight the river had continued to fall. Here in Naburn when we woke the mooring bollards were above water again, a good sign, but it was raining and due to continue raining for most of the day. A look at the Viking recorder level and the forecast levels showed that in York the river had just started to level out before it would rise again. We’d guessed as much, but the predicted levels were high again.

The levels recorded below Naburn Lock were starting to show the influence of the tides again, would there be enough fresh going downstream to make it possible to escape during the afternoon and not have to wait for the tide? This was a question to ask the Lockie when we saw him next.

A look at the weir was needed, it was more audible than it’s been in the last few days. The difference of levels on the tidal and none tidal river were visible again, hence the weir making a lot more noise. The downstream pontoon no longer level with the island, still a lot of water crashing around though.

The Lock Keeper was hanging around when we returned. We asked what the possibilities were of heading downstream this afternoon a bit earlier than with the tide before the next rise in water really got going. He wasn’t keen on the idea, fare enough.

He did say that if the levels remained more or less as they were now then he’d be on duty for the morning tide and be able to pen us down at 6:30am in return for a bacon butty. Well we already knew that the levels would rise again, a carrot dangled then drowned again!

A wet day followed as the levels gradually rose again.

Tilly is finding it hard here. Being cabin bound is one thing, she kind of copes when in places like Paddington or BUMingham. But here there is nothing to watch through the windows, being hemmed in on both sides isn’t helping her deal with things. Her incessant pleading at the back doors is not helping our mental health either!

Mick popped back to see the Lockie later on. He’d still pen us down if we wanted in the morning, however he wouldn’t recommend it. We already knew this. If we were to go boats would have to move round. Jo is on the outside of us all and is waiting for a friend to help her on the Tidal Ouse. It would be her first time and on a new to her widebeam, so totally understandable. No need to play do-ci-do then.

Mick lit the stove as it was getting chilly. I made a round of mustard and cheddar crackers and then we all settled down to watch The Sence of Ending, a gentle English mystery. Jim Broadbent plays Tony, who receives a letter from the estate of the mother of his 1960’s university girlfriend. He has been left some money and a diary. Who’s diary was it and why won’t his ex-girlfriend, Charlotte Rampling, hand it over to him. What happened after they split up and where have their lives taken them since. An enjoyable wet days viewing.

The weather forecast is looking up and hopefully we will have several dry days. Fingers crossed the levels start to go down and stay down long enough for us to get to Selby and maybe across the River Aire to Knottingley.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 wet day, 1 missing boater found, 1 stern gland tightened, 1 greaser filled, 1 red dot boring now, 1 cat climbing the walls, 1 bacon butty passage, 2 boaters staying put, 1.22m minimum, 1.54m at midnight, 1 river on the rise, 2 boaters using shore based facilities, 2 boaters hoping to still have a cat in the days to come, wonder what feline steak tastes like, at least she’d be quiet and we’d have a varied diet.

Water Water Everywhere! 26th August

Naburn Water Point Pontoon

A quick check out of the front window at about 6am proved we were now on the move, upwards. The levels were rising. Overnight we had passed the level we’d reached a couple of days ago, but luckily the forecast level was gradually dropping, still high but out of the red zone.

Around about 8am we could hear an engine followed by voices. The hybrid cruiser narrowboat had escaped from York early this morning and sought refuge here at Naburn. They rafted up to the abandoned boat relieved to be moored to something floating.

What to have for breakfast? I decided to make us blueberry pancakes, we still have a few in the freezer that were ordered by accident. With no sourdough starter discard handy I had to hunt through my recipes for a recipe that predates my bubbling friend. There was one that had been a great success using Red Bob Mill 1 to 1 flour. No stocks of that brand on board I hoped that Sainsburys plain gf flour would do a reasonable job. Well the American brand must have quite a lot of xanthum gum in it as todays batter was more like a normal pancake mix. I decided to make larger than normal breakfast pancakes and scattered blueberries on top as they cooked. A little rubbery, a different recipe will need to be found for when I have no starter to use up again.

I had a message through from Scarborough friend Georgie wanting to pick my brains about an installation for York Mediale. We arranged a time for me to be stood outside to receive her call. Turns out the project she is currently working on is very similar to the Water Torture Cabinet I designed for A Regular Little Houdini, but with a couple of extra problems thrown in for good measure. It was good to hear that Top Show (scenery fabricators in York) are still in existence as six years ago the chap who ran the company passed away. The two chaps working for him were hoping to take over the business and continue. It was nice to be problem solving again, hope I helped.

Soon afterwards my brother rang. They had been thinking overnight and looking at the weather forecast along with river levels. If they’d been going camping in Kent and the weather looked as dire then they would have already cancelled, but a trip to see us in York made it a harder decision. With rain forecast for all day Friday, no possibility of cruising up to York for the day, the only place we’d all be able to sit would be around our dinette table, that’s if the river level stayed low enough to not require waders. So very sadly their trip is cancelled. Very disappointing, but nature has played her card.

Josh starts back at school very soon and he needs to settle into how that will work before they plan on having a weekend away. He may also be on the late shift at school, so leaving after school to head north on a Friday may not be possible. Instead we may do a trip south to see them. So we shall have to wait for post and the yarn I’d bought to knit Jac a new top, I was quite looking forward to getting my needles clicking away again.

Whilst I was on the phone the levels kept rising and rising. Two bricks worth disappeared under water, just how high would the level get?

2:15pm Looking out towards the tidal section of the Ouse

This afternoon the river on the tidal side of the lock was very high. A walk over to the weir and it almost looked level, fantastic for white water rafting, but very different from when we’d arrived below the lock a couple of weeks ago.

We chatted with the Lock Keeper. Yesterday he’d tried to find who owned the abandoned boat, apparently it was sold in March and C&RT have no record of who the new owners are! Well at least it is safe rafted up to the pontoon with us all.

Two cruisers that had been moored on the downstream pontoon had headed off to Selby earlier. The skippers very used to river conditions as they used to deliver large rolls of newsprint to York Press on the Foss, their powerful engines would also help with most situations and the swing bridges would need to be swung for them as they zoomed by. Jo, on the widebeam next to us, had been booked to head downstream today, but none of us would be going anywhere until at least the weekend.

The Lock Keeper was keeping a close eye on the levels. If it got higher it would soon be over the top of the lock gates, he’d then swing the swing bridge over the lock meaning those on the pontoon above the weir could still have access from the lock island. If it got even higher he hoped that they had sufficient supplies on board as the water covers the island and the water can get to chest deep when it’s really bad.

Viking Recorder at 6pm shortly before the peak

In the past the lock cut has been filled with boats seeking refuge from the floods. Rafted right across from the water point pontoon. Then ropes have been tied to trees across the cut so boats could tie to them and stay away from the banks. He can’t remember the maximum amount of boats he’s had here.

But today the peak of the flood should arrive around 8pm and the expected level in York would be around 2.5 meters, so we should be fine.

We walked along the river bank, past where we’d been moored yesterday afternoon, the tops of the ladders only just visible. A fisherman had taken up camp where the river bus normally pulls in, at least it wouldn’t be dropping passengers off today!

Following the path towards Naburn we thought we’d get river views, but the height of the Himalayan Balsam was way too high, so we only had a view of the footpath.

The view did widen out across a field which will be part of the flood plain, cattle grazed here today, but apparently you can quite often see deer. We followed the path round, noting that the caravan part of the campsite sits at the same height as the field we were walking in. The tent field seems to be a touch higher, so the London Leckenbys may not have had their tent swept away.

Now the water was so high in the cut that it was flowing over the top of the lock gates, the lock we are moored behind is no longer used and has gates about a foot higher. Left photo today, right 2 weeks ago when we arrived. The ladders on the moorings were now below the water and very soon the mooring signs became submerged. The pontoon we are all attached to now has a step down onto dry land.

Just in case, we decided to top up the water tank. The Lockie thought we’d still be able to reach the water point, but there are times when the level has been so high that the waterpoint has actually been submerged itself. On these occasions a hose with a closeable nozzle on the end comes in handy. Connected up to the tap and left pressurised this would mean boats would be able to connect up to it and get water.

With the tank filling I cleaned Tilly’s pooh box out and then decided to have a shower as the tank filled. Just as I was rinsing off the suds there was a bang and something hard fell into the shower tray, just missing my feet. What the?! The water on/off side of the control had shot off and water was spouting out of the side of it. I tried putting it back on with no luck, water sprouting everywhere!

Wrapped in a towel with the shower doors closed behind me, shower pump still going, I tried to think how to stop the water, where was the stop cock? A shout to Mick through the back doors, he was chatting away on the pontoon, I was dripping inside. In a slightly calmer moment I’d have thought about turning the water pump off, luckily Mick had that thought for me.

Of course he wanted to see what had happened, and what would happen if the pump was turned on again. ‘Ooo! I see what you mean’. The storage shelves behind the shower were emptied, the unit pulled out and the stop cocks to the shower turned off, we could now have water elsewhere in the boat, isolating the shower.

No ladders, no lock waiting signs, no high wall anymore

The control was removed and looked at, we no idea how the end had been fixed on in the first place. A hunt round for the old control that Mick replaced last year, it had lost the ability to change the temperature, but nowhere was it to be found. Only one thing for it a trip into York tomorrow to take it back to Screwfix and get a new one. At least not having a shower will help in saving water.

The water kept rising. Last look before sundown there was maybe another foot to go before we’d be needing wellies to get off the pontoon. Hopefully this was where it would stop.

0 miles, 0 locks, 1.55m higher in York than when we left, 1.2m higher than when we arrived in Naburn yesterday, 2.8m cabinet, 2 mile walk, 1 cancelled camping get together, 1 sad Pip, 1 more boat, 6 safe boats floating, 1 broken shower, 1 laser pen needing new batteries.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna