Category Archives: Gluten Free Cooking

Final Statistics. 1st January 2023

Willowbrook Moorings, Shardlow

Levels on the rise. I don’t see us moving for some time. The flood gates at Cranfleet have been closed since the 23rd December and levels are higher now. The lowest recorded height in that time that we can find was 1.13m and the flood gates were closed then. So this mornings height of 1.76m is going to take a while to head on down stream.

Yesterday I made note of all our journeys that have been recorded through the years on Water Explorer. The chap who has been running it said the site would be taken down at the end of 2022. It’s still there, Oleanna recorded as the last moving boat. When the site vanishes so will all our vital statistics for both Oleanna and NB Lillyanne.

At the end of each year I sit down and put our years cruise through Canal plan with the aim of getting a slightly more accurate distance than Water Explorer gives. Water Explorer will cut corners if there have been no way points, it also sometimes counts locks twice or not at all. Beeston Lock on the Trent usually gets counted twice for some reason. This year I will do the same, working out our back and forths on canalplan, which also isn’t totally accurate.

But for now here are our vital statistics (according to Water Explorer) dating back to 1st January 2015.

NB Lillyanne, starting heading up stream on the River Lee from Enfield 1st Jan 2015 to when we moved her for the final time on 2nd May 2017 to brokerage at ABNB in Crick.

Total Journeys	505
Total hours recorded	1550
Total Miles	2565.76
Total Locks	1714

These figures are from trips recorded, some journeys in the early days were missed.

NB Oleanna, starting on 28th March 2017 from Finesse Boats in Sheffield to 31st December 2022 to Willowbrook Moorings.

Total Journeys	1279
Total Hours recorded	4164
Total Miles	6242.72
Total Locks	3694

So our Total statistics from Water Explorer

Total Journeys	1784
Total Hours	5714
Total Miles	8808.48
Total Locks	5408

At some point I will work out Oleanna’s statistics for the year as I normally do, but that will have to wait for tax returns and giant props to be made, along with zooming along the River Trent back to Yorkshire.

Mick spent some time in the engine hole today. Trying to see what he might be able to find. Did we have a problem, or was it that something wasn’t pushed home properly? A new battery for his multimeter was needed, the power on board totally turned off for a half hour. The alternator was working. But can we trust it?

He got a phone call from the chap at JD Narrowboats who was wanting to check that we’d got plugged in somewhere and were we sorted. He also sent us a link to a new alternator he’d found on ebay. How very kind of him. Mick is thinking on what to do. We intended on buying a new alternator and when the current one failed we could swap them over and send the original one off to be mended if possible, then we’d have a spare. But should we do it now or wait until we’re back in Yorkshire? Should we go for the ebay one at half the price of a Beta one? Well you get what you pay for!

This afternoon we went for a walk to have a look at the river. We followed the muddy towpath through the old port of Shardlow. Since our very first visit nothing much has changed. Several of the old warehouses still stand boarded up, calling out to be refurbished into offices, housing or some other use. One of my favourite buildings has already been converted into a home, Soresby Warehouse built around 1820.

**Derwent Mouth Lock 1 on the Trent and Mersey Canal**

Derwent Mouth Lock, the last lock on the Trent and Mersey sat half empty today. In normal times this would have been only about a quarter empty, but with the river in flood! Below, the level at the lock landing today would mean stepping down off Oleanna, normal times it would be one very big step up to the bank.

The river level boards are well in the red as expected.

We walked back on the other side of the canal, past the pubs, lovely houses and the not so lovely more modern buildings. What a busy place this must have once been.

**Their TV is a projector onto the end wall of the house, huge!**

A pause to look over the garden wall by the lock. The river, here unnavigable, rushed by faster than the River Ouse passes Selby Lock. The house here has spent quite a bit of money on their Christmas lights, multi coloured fairy lights in all the bushes and trees in the garden and then multicoloured bulbs along the eaves the excess gathered together inside their phone box.

Pork and apple stew tonight with dumplings. I chose to cook it mostly on top of the multifuel stove meaning the dumplings didn’t go crispy.

**Pork and apple stew, click the photo for the recipe.**

Our viewing of the new series of Happy Valley was interrupted by a call from my bestestest friend over in Sydney. Emma was out for a morning walk with her dog Moose. It was lovely to have a good catch up.

0 locks, 0 miles, WE this year, 234 journeys, 743 hours, 1248.12 miles, 565 locks, 3 mile walk, 0 twinging calf, 1 not so sure cat, 1.84m river level at 11pm, 1 stew, 6 dumplings, 30 minute catch up, 1st Happy Valley season 3.

Two Reds. 30th December

Shardlow

The levels appeared to have peaked this morning and were just starting to come down. We knew we wouldn’t be going anywhere today.

Phone reception is almost none existent inside the boat in Shardlow so it was no surprise when Micks phone received a text message from Adrian at C&RT. He’d tried calling to see if we were still wanting our booking tomorrow to go through Stoke Lock, Cranfleet Flood Gates were still closed. He already knew the answer as did we, Mick texted back confirming that we’d like to cancel our booking. He also asked what would happen from the 3rd of January at Stoke Lock, would we need to book? The answer was that there would be plenty of people about to pen us through when we arrive, hopefully soon afterwards the lock will be back to self operation. Adrian would stand the team down for lunchtime tomorrow.

Mick spent sometime sat out the back making phone calls to cancel all our Trent lock bookings. We’re hoping we may still be able to make the window of good tides next week, but who knows what the river will do and when Cranfleet Flood Gates will reopen. Cromwell Lock said that they’d be able to get us to Keadby one way or another, maybe missing out on a stop at West Stockwith. One slightly worrying thing was that despite us both remembering Mick having talked to Keadby Lock they didn’t seem to have us in the diary! Glad we hadn’t got to the M180 Bridge and radioed ahead with no-one expecting us! Doesn’t matter now, and we’ll double check when we booked it next.

Mick also called Shardlow Marina. Oleanna was due an oil change, the price of oil was a touch more than he was wanting to pay, maybe it would be cheaper to get the bus and buy some from Halfords? He decided to pay the extra and got on the bike and headed off.

**When red lights shows it is not recommended for craft to proceed beyond this point due to flood conditions**

Down the towpath at the Shardlow EA flood gates two red lights showed. Both the River Soar and Trent are closed. We’ve stayed this side of the flood gates just in case the river comes up even more!

Tilly did more calculations regarding the wall. She eyed up the wooden signposts again, checked them for claw stability, then decided the call of Dreamies was greater than achieving her goal of getting to the top of the wall.

Inside I took over the dinette table. Foamcor was measured out and cut up to make the base shapes of some giant sugar lumps and milk pods, the sort you get in hotels. I caught up on the Christmas Day radio 4 play which was directed by an acquaintance, The Signalman. All the edges of the shapes were covered in masking tape, this should stop the contact adhesive from eating into the foam when I come to cover them in yoga mats.

Whilst the PVA glue was out I made use of it to re-stick some edging strip that was coming off in the bathroom. An off cut of foamcor proved useful to get the glue in behind the veneer. Masking tape used to hold it in position whilst the glue dries.

Mick got on with the oil change in the engine bay. He’s saved doing the filters until tomorrow, we doubt we’ll be on our way for a few days.

This evenings meal made use of the last ham, ham stock which I’d drained off when I roasted the joint. I made it into a stew with a potato, carrot and peas. The stew bubbled away on the stove top for an hour before I made use of the last of the stuffing, making a sort of topping out of it. It then went inside the oven to finish off. Verdict, tasty maybe a little bit salty, but a good invention to use up the last of the leftovers from Christmas.

Yesterday and today we watched Mayflies, a story of a man diagnosed with cancer and his wish to control the end of his life. What a jolly bit of TV to have between Christmas and the New Year! Some very good performances, but a box of tissues was very much required. To jolly things up we’ve watched episodes of Ghosts, Mick has nearly caught me up.

**Glad I can’t make the mug to go with them!**

0 locks, 0 miles, £60 oil, 4 bookings cancelled, 1 oil change, 6 inch sugar lumps, 1ft milk pods, 1 pot of stew, 2 many tears, 1 near death experience, 1 red lever, 20 catnip Dreamies spilled on the sofa, 2 swirling cats eyes!

The Big Day. 25th December

Bridge 47, Alrewas

**Smoked salmon and scrambled egg breakfast**

After stockings came a glass of Bucks Fizz and breakfast, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, using a bit more of the parsley mountain now in our freezer. A festive chat with the London Leckenbys who were about to sit down to ham sandwiches and presents.

**VHF for tidal waters and Trent Locks**

Next Christmas presents. Thankfully delayed deliveries hadn’t managed to spoil our main presents. Tilly and I had clubbed together to buy Mick a new VHF radio as ours had gone faulty on the reflections flotilla, we’d ended up having to borrow one. Now that we seem to go on slightly more adventurous cruises we went for a better handheld radio than before. This should cover a larger distance. Mick put it on charge straight away and then had a go at turning down the squelch.

I got a cordless sander. I should also be able to get other tools that will use the same battery. When working on panto, Jo the props maker had a very small hand friendly cordless electric drill, so I’m hoping that might be the next tool to be added to the collection. We got plenty of other goodies too.

Time for a Christmas walk before any more booze was consumed. The last two years we’ve headed down to Scarborough sea front to have the wind clear away any cobwebs. This year we’re back on the canals, not quite the same as the north east wind making your cheeks ruddy, but just as good.

We chose to walk into the village, turning up Post Office Road. The Crown pub seemed to be popular as families turned up for a pint and lemonade.

The model cottages sitting facing each other both had wreaths on their front doors. At first I thought it a shame that they hadn’t consulted each other and gone for the same. But when I spotted the wreath on the red door, it made me laugh.

Baubles hung from a tree, this needed investigating. It is a memory tree for Mums and Dads, some of the baubles have messages written on them. Below there was a tin with a couple more baubles, were these for anyone to use or sat waiting for particular offspring to come and hang them on Christmas morning.

There was a nice looking house for sale, £620,000 for a five bedroom house, not bad. Although it feels lovely and light inside I think it’s lost some of it’s period character with the modern cupboards everywhere.

Back to the canal and a walk to look at the river levels. In the amber, Mick said it had gone down since yesterday, if it carries on in that direction that would be good. We walked down to the weir a short distance further on. The river swirled confused under the walkways and sped it’s way to the weir. Mick thought with enough umph we’d be fine going past.

A look inside the church, still warm from the mornings services. A big tree stood to one side, this with the smell reminded me of Christmas Days in the 70’s when we’d head to The Homestead for drinks with the Rowntree family in York. There in a hallway stood a tree as tall as the room, it’s base swathed in cotton wool. Trains, sledgers, animals decorated the snow below the poor tree that strained under the weight of SO many decorations. The sight kept my brother and myself transfixed, the coloured lights twinkling in the oak panelled hallway as the hubbub of adults came from the library where sherry and mince pies were handed out. At ten to one Peter Rowntree would call everyone silent, there would be a toast to Christmas and then a round of Happy Birthday for me. Today stood in All Saints I glanced up at the clock, ten to one, the time I was born.

In the churchyard many of the gravestones have been moved to the sides, this was done in the 70’s when the grounds had a change of layout. In the nearest corner to Oleanna stand the three wise men and their camels, followed by a donkey. His tail had been pinned on several times before.

Back to Oleanna, a few more Catnip Dreamies for Tilly had her gazing into nowhere for quite some time. I think she was just that little bit off her face!

The duck was pricked, stuffed and popped into the oven. Timings worked out for everything else. Bread sauce and cabbage put on top of the stove to reheat. Veg peeled ready to roast or steam. Sausages wrapped in blankets to keep them warm. It was as if we’d done Christmas dinner on the boat before! Well it’s actually easier here than in the house believe it or not.

Not normally one to watch the Christmas Day speech, lunch is normally timed to clash, but this year we thought we’d give Charles a chance as the pigs in blankets went in the oven. I think normal timings will resume next year.

Two plates brimming full were dished out, some roast potatoes had to be put back to make space for all the extras. All very nice, although my experiment of using oat milk for bread sauce won’t be repeated, it was okay but a little porridgy.

Full to the brim, Snowman was watched before the day moved to Birthday. Cake, candles a cup of much needed tea and then presents.

I got a gluten free recipe book, some waterproof thermal work gloves, some magnifying work glasses to help with model making and illustrations and a box of Pantomime yarn from Riverknits. I’m not sure I’ll knit the pattern the yarn came with or something else, not decided yet.

Another glass of wine accompanied Morecomb and Wise. A very good birthday and Christmas.

0 locks. 0 miles, 3 stockings crammed full, 5 bedoingee balls, 5 chocolate oranges, 2 styles of quality street wrappers, 1 vhf radio, 1 sander, 1 bottle of English fizz, 2 bottles wine, 1 packet of serious crack for cats, 1 spaced out Tilly, 15 pairs socks, 3 cans of beer, 4 spices, 7 silicone lids, 2 boxes matches, 1 pair of glasses, 1 book, 1 wifi camera, 2 plates only just big enough, 2 slices cake, 2 rather full boaters, 1 lovely day.

Destination Christmas. 23rd and 24th December

Common Lock 14 to Gallows Bridge 43

‘Rain, proper rain’ Shefali had said last night and she was right. We could have stayed put until it stopped but that could be most of the day and we had Destination Christmas to reach and things to get sorted when we arrived. So after breakfast we put layers of waterproofs on, rolled and folded the covers, they were already soaked and so were we.

**At least our lights brightened up the morning a touch**

No photos as it was peeing it down. My phone came out from the Nicholsons shelf so that I could record the locks as we went through them, then it got tucked away again in the dry. Come the 1st January this will be the way we record our journeys on our phones. We’ll wait until we have more time to alter the way the trip computer works before using it again.

A long line of moored boats didn’t boad well for being able to moor up in Alrewas, that was until we realised these were boats on C&RT winter moorings. Bagnall Lock gave Mick the run around the bottom gates preferring to stay open as always. It took a while to get the masses of water leaking in through the top gates to hold one gate shut long enough to be able to close the second one without the first one reopening.

Now we just needed a space to pull into.

No boats moored round the bend or on the narrow section. Sandy’s boat came into view, moored all alone. We carried on, our preferred mooring to be near Alrewas Lock, but from a distance that looked quite full. We reversed back close to the footbridge, leaving 2 boat cat lengths between us and Sandy ( Jezebel and Tilly could hopefully have stretches of the towpath each). We had reached our chosen place for Christmas.

Once tied up, we unanimously decided to head straight off in the pouring rain to do our collections. A couple of months ago we’d been thinking of where to spend Christmas this year. Alrewas jumped to mind. A pretty place to be, plenty of mooring, most suitable for Tilly. But also, possibly more important was Coates the Butchers. A month ago I’d placed our order for a duck and a gammon joint via their website, payment had been taken. This morning whilst grimacing at the rain from bed I’d had a phone call saying that our order was ready for collection, very reassuring. We headed off to the butchers.

**The main reason for coming to Alrewas**

We’d been told to go to the click and collect under the canopy, no need to join the queue. The click and collect had been pushed to one side to give the queue some shelter from the rain. Chatting to the chap in front, he’d moved to Alrewas when he retired mainly because of the butchers. Then the lady behind started to chat, she used to own a narrowboat until a few years ago. Her son-in-law was part of the butchers family and for several years she used to make sausage rolls for them from November to Christmas Eve, 3000 of them!

Our order was brought to us after a while. We still wanted a few things so stayed in the queue. Fresh veg, bacon and a pork pie. Thankfully the veg outside the shop was replenished. We possibly spent as much as we would have done for big bags of veg from the Co-op, but I won’t have to make soup for the next week to use it all up.

Next a visit to the Co-op for the last few bits. All done apart from some parsley, hopefully they will have new stocks in the morning.

By now we’d started to dry off, so had the weather, the queue at the butchers was longer.

On our first ever visit to Alrewas I’d spotted a knitted narrowboat in the window of an old shop. Today the Alrewas Knitwits have a big display. By the War Memorial where Post Office Road meets Main Street has been taken over by them. Penguins ice skating, a tenth birthday cake, Father Christmas taking refuge in a phone box with a large plate of cakes, an Eskimo fishing next to their igloo.

Then across the road there are wall hangings for the twelve days of Christmas, each one made with applique. I especially liked the pipers piping being girls in gingham with recorders.

Back at Oleanna we dried off and let Tilly explore for the afternoon. Although two big gun dogs did curtail her exploration for a while. She puffed herself up to almost their size! There was an extra shore leave rule today, ‘No digging in the graveyard’ That simply wouldn’t be good!

Christmas Eve.

Mick was sent on a mission for some parsley this morning. The butchers with only a couple of people in the shop came up trumps with the biggest bunch I’ve ever seen for 50p! Surplus is now in the freezer.

The day has been all about cooking whilst Tilly came and went avoiding the local woofers. Stuffing made. Bread sauce milk infused with flavour and garlic roasted to be added tomorrow along with bread. Red cabbage braised, only cranberry sauce to add. Cider gravy stock bubbled and reduced.

Christmas Eve sausage rolls were delayed as I’d forgotten to defrost the pastry last night! But they were enjoyed with a cuppa before cooking continued.

**I wonder who’s birthday it might be?**

As Mick did secret things in the bedroom I baked a birthday cake. Lemon and Almond Damp Cake, well that’s what my Mum used to call it.

The day has been much much brighter than yesterday. Plenty of people stretching their legs along the towpath and others visiting their relatives in the grave yard next door. Several boats passed a couple stopping nearer the lock.

Mick walked down to check the level below the lock, the next section is joined by the River Trent. As yesterday, it was Amber, the rain may still be on it’s way downstream, we hope the level drops over the next couple of days so that we can carry on our way. The next couple of weeks we are very much at the mercy of the River Trent.

A notice came through yesterday afternoon regarding Stoke Lock on the River Trent. There has been a winter stoppage which was due to be finished today. The notice said.

We are very sorry to advise that we need to put in place a navigational restriction over the Festive period. The repair works are complete, but unfortunately the testing and commissioning needs further work meaning we cannot return the lock to user operation as we are unable to open and close the gates automatically. The lock can be operated by a Trust colleague to allow boats to pass through and any boats wishing to transit through the lock will be able to book a passage between the hours of 11am and 12 noon on 28^th 29^th 30^th and 31^st December.

**The churchyard Christmas Tree made from rubbish**

We made a phone call to C&RT to make a booking. The chap Mick talked to read the notice a couple of times. He took it to mean that we’d only be able to ring to make a booking during the hours mentioned, on the dates mentioned. He was about to send us away to ring back on the 28th, but thankfully called his supervisor first. Unfortunately it turns out that the people we need to book it with had already broken up for Christmas, so we need to call back on the 28th. So if you were wanting to cruise the Trent between Christmas and New Year, you won’t be able to do it on the 28th as 24hrs notice is required.

Fingers crossed all calms down on the Trent quickly and our journey northwards can go ahead as planned with the tides.

The stockings are out ready and waiting for the big man in red. We’re all ready for tomorrow.

2 locks, WE 1.16 miles (not including reversing), Pip’s Nebo 1.4 miles, Mick’s Nebo 1.3 miles, 2 very soggy boaters, 1.85kg duck, 1.75kg gammon joint, all the veg, 1 last red cabbage, 2 woofers woofing, 1 bowl of stuffing,1 tuperware of milk, 1 pan of cabbage, 1 jug of stock, 1 plate of cake, 1 gammon the best ever, 2 much cream in the dauphinoise potatoes, 1 river to come down and stay down, 1 numpty, No 4, 1 rubbish Christmas tree, 3 stockings ready and waiting to be filled.

https://goo.gl/maps/z5mNXn7TtgUYhpVD7

Christmas On A Bike. 21st, 22nd December

Sutton Road Bridge to King’s Orchard Marina, Coventry Canal to Common Lock 14, Trent and Mersey Canal

Mick headed off with the bike this morning to see if he could find some engine oil no luck. But he did return with one of the B&Q Christmas Trees, possibly the smallest one they had. This morning they had been reduced again to £3! Bargain. It stands at about the same height our old tree had grown to, but has been potted in a very haphazard way. The old tree had one side that was angled in line with Oleanna’s tumblehome (angle of the cabin sides), the new tree has only one face that looks straight, any movement to one side and it has quite a lean. If it copes with life onboard, when it gets repotted I’ll try to straighten it up. But then I don’t want to encourage it to grow too much otherwise it won’t fit inside next year and may have to be retired after one festive season!

All this meant we had a later start than planned, but at least we now had Christmas on board with us. Time to pootle along the long pound towards Fradley.

Very few boats were in Hopwas. We passed where we normally stop, I’m sure Tilly was looking longingly out of the window at all the trees, but stopping here wouldn’t get us to our Christmas bird in time. A lady passed by on her horse. We were surprised to see a boat moored along the length opposite the danger zone. Here a wide concrete edge tends to put most people off mooring, maybe it was intentional. But this boat had taken it’s ropes a good three foot in on the towpath to find somewhere to hammer into.

The clouds cleared and we soon had blue skies, lovely if a touch chilly. Fields are newly ploughed and sewn, some with shoots of a few inches high, obviously enjoying the wet weather.

Approaching Whittington I waited for the weathervane of the Grey Fergie. It has to be one of my favourites and today I got to see how much detail there is on it.

Just before the bend under Whittington Bridge there is a tree half way across the cut. This of course is where we met a boat coming the opposite way, Mick had just enough time to slam on the breaks to let the other boat through. Phew!

Past the Lichfield Canal the sun making the house at the junction look so picturesque. Behind it soon appeared the works for HS2. Red piledriver, Yellow piledriver, not the same as lorries but just as hard to say.

We don’t remember the huge pile of earth that must have been here a while opposite Kings Orchard Marina, it must be more to do with HS2. We pulled in just after the marina entrance and as soon as our ropes were tied I was inside reciting the shore leave rules to Tilly. She didn’t listen or care. JUST OPEN THE DOOR!!!!!

Sadly within two minutes of her paws touching the towpath a chap and his dog came from under the bridge and Tilly was straight back inside the boat. Then a walker too! So not fare! Tilly was good, came and went a few times and was back on board cleaning between her toes a little before 4pm, cat curfew.

It was too late to start putting the Christmas lights on the outside of Oleanna, well that’s the excuse Mick used. However there was plenty of time to bake the Lebkuchen and decorate the Christmas tree.

The Christmas hamper was released from the top shelf of a cupboard. Lights and baubles and silver ribbon hung and wrapped round. A star popped on the top of the tree, Lebkuchen iced. As soon a they were deemed dry enough it was time for a cuppa and biscuit. Christmas has just about arrived on Oleanna.

0 locks, WE 6.63 miles, Pip Nebo 6.6 miles, Mick Nebo 6.6 miles, 1 sad gits Christmas tree, 0 ice, 2 hours! 1 happy cat, 1 disgruntled cat, 250ml evostick,1st tidal stretch booked, 15 biscuits, 2ft decorated.

https://goo.gl/maps/x4yVgc9niYpSprNT6

Thursday 22nd.

A grey drab day compared to yesterday. Padded trousers and layers with the top one being waterproof. We pootled our way towards Fradley Junction.

Signs on the towpath suggested there was work going on. Then two sections of fencing lay on the ground suggesting that the towpath had been closed. This was where there had been a closure recently due to a leaking culvert under the canal. The off side field had a muddy track through it and where the leak had been there was even more mud and a new manhole cover on each side of the cut. A couple of chaps were busy putting in new fencing along the towpath.

A short distance further on a group of chaps stood around one of those small tractor hedge cutters with big huge tyres, suitable for most terrain. Well apart from terrain that had recently been dredged to use as back filling behind some new wooden piling. The tractor had sunk on one side up to it’s belly. To get it out the chaps were digging the back filling out and dropping it back into the canal. Wonder how long it took them to get it out?

Now should we stop for water before the junction or after? The tap at the services is extremely slow, the one before not so, but it is a longer walk away from the bins. As we approached the swing bridge was being opened by some paddle boarders, they left it open for us, so we carried on to the junction.

I stepped off, leaving Mick to close the gate and walked up to set Junction Lock. No queues, no boat coming from the next lock up. Mick pulled Oleanna in, a handy post box had caught his eye right by the lock landing, the last Christmas card popped in the post. Then Oleanna dropped down in the lock to the services.

Water, bins, shore based facilities, Santas, Christmas suits, present hunts, onion slicing and frying, bread chopping, plenty of time to get things sorted as the water tank filled.

Mick and I swapped over. Below Keepers Lock a boat was coming into the next lock, Mick waited to empty our lock until they were filling theirs. Our lock emptied quicker than theirs filled and they took their time exiting the lock, pulling in to the landing. Below a moored boat had come adrift and needed pulling back in before we emptied our lock. Mick headed down with the other crew to see what they could do.

The bow rope was still attached, the centre line passed to Mick and then the stern line, the boat pulled in. The mooring pins were thankfully still attached to the ropes (handy those loops on some pins) and somehow they were pushed back into the ground. We don’t think they’ll hold for long.

We dropped down Hunts Lock, our intention had been to do Common Lock too and moor up in the next pound for the night, but the lock landing had a boat length of armco before it, so we pulled in to make use of it rather than cling on with spikes below.

1pm, 3 hours shore leave for Tilly. Pastry rolled out, filling mixed together (I don’t like the new sausage skins Sainsburys are using, they’re like jelly!), rolls rolled and cut to length, then baked. Warm sausage rolls for lunch, yum.

Whilst Mick attached our Christmas lights, I did secret things inside and Tilly made the most of the friendly cover and sideways trees. She also made the most of having very wet paws to trample all over the boat when she came in! Why can’t cat’s learn to wipe their feet! Because they have PAWS!!!

No photo today of the finished lights, I’ll try to get one tomorrow.

3 locks, WE 4.16 miles, Pip Nebo 3.1 miles (operator error), Mick’s Nebo 4.2 miles, 1 swing bridge swung, 3 paddle boarders. 1 all terrain vehicle stuck in the terrain, 1 canal being filled up, 1 water tank full, 8 sausage rolls, 2 more tidal bookings, 1 long line of lights, 5 presents wrapped, episode 2 of season 2 Happy Valley.

https://goo.gl/maps/UjwatfdDeTpSUXyT8

Last Of The Ginger. 19th December

‘Avecoat Marina

The view out the back was very different this morning, water! Water everywhere! But it was still on top of a layer of ice! Would we be able to move today? Maybe, but the wind picked up quickly, making any manoeuvring in ice even harder. We’d be waiting another day.

We’re quite used to seeing steam rising from the canal early in the morning during warmer months. Today it was as if someone had put Dried Ice into the canal. Smoke/steam rolled off the top of the ice, blown about in the wind. I tried to take a photo but it just didn’t come out.

Cracks in the ice could be seen, along with sticks sitting on the surface. As the day progressed, with the wind heading straight for us we would get these almighty crunching, grinding noises down the sides of the boat.

Oleanna was being pushed towards Victoria by the wind and the ice between us was breaking up. Tilly really did not like this! Some thing was Grrrrrrring outside my boat!!!

Things were found to wash, the drawer emptied. Lists for shopping were written out. If we can get a mooring near the retail park I’ve a lot to pick up for work and then some present shopping.

A batch of gf puff pastry was started. Dough ingredients mixed together and butter bashed flat before going back into the fridge to rest. Six roll fold and turns followed each after an hour in the fridge, the last turn being just before 10pm. We shall have sausage rolls!

Then maple syrup, treacle and butter were melted. Flour, spices including the very last of my homemade ground ginger from two years ago were mixed together to form a sticky dough. That’s a batch of Lebkuchen sat waiting in the fridge to be cut out and baked. The boat smells sooo Christmasy when I make these.

Activity came from across the way on NB Capricorn. A car was being unloaded their chimney smoked. Then later on the engine was started up. Were they going to make an attempt to leave the marina tonight? No just turning the engine over checking things.

More ice got blown into Oleanna, was this all breaking up or just grinding it’s way along to fill the gap between boats? Nothing could be seen in the dark or prodded with a boat hook. It was breaking up.

As I’d been hanging our wreath on the cratch in the afternoon someone walked past saying how yesterday the ice had been at least two three inches thick by their boat. They were astonished that now it was only half an inch, no trouble pushing through that.

Tomorrow we’ll do our best to be up early. There are chores to be done, then we will hopefully head for freedom!

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 wreath hung, 2 steel cable ties, 1 very noisy day, 1 windy day, 1 big batch of puff pastry, 1 batch of Lebkuchen at the ready, 2 boaters at the ready, 1 neon green bunny leg.

Solid Under The Surface. 18th December

‘Avecoat Marina

NB Victoria next door was covered in frost again this morning, the pontoon was slightly white too. Was the weather really going to change so dramatically?!

We took our time to get up reading our Saturday newspaper at leisure, then joined the Geraghty Zoom. New sofas were absent, football baubles and benylin were all discussed. Then it was time for breakfast. Giant tomatoes ruled the plate today.

Time to try to make Oleanna look a bit festive. I needed to find some wire to hold bits of greenery together first. In a box in the cat proof cupboard I found the wire, I also found bags of press studs. Time to digress.

For months one of the poppers on a blind on the front door has been broken, the bit that goes through the fabric having come away. So for months we have lived with a corner of the blind hanging down. We’ve also lived with not being able to roll that blind up to see out of that side of the door.

A hammer was found in the ‘shed’ cupboard. Using the table didn’t prove to be solid enough, so I moved to the floor with a mat under the base to protect the floor. On my second attempt it worked! We can now sleep in darker conditions, well until the popper falls out again which it will do. I think the punch tool actually needs to be a very tiny bit bigger to get a better hold.

By now outside it was raining. The precipitation started off bouncing off the gunnels of the boats either side, then it just turned into wet rain. Any whiteness on top of the ice vanished quickly, we were now into plus temperatures.

My bag of ivy was sorted through. The long straggly bits went together in a circle easily, but were just too weedy. Then chunkier bits were joined together, but they didn’t make a pleasing shape. In the end I used the long bits and added into it sprigs of chunkier ivy to beef it up.

We had a discussion as to whether it would be better to add battery powered fairy lights or should the long string of lights, we’ll be adding soon, be wound into the wreath. I decided that it would be easier to put the battery powered lights in, if Mick fancies adding even more from the long string then fine.

**Just a ribbon needed to help secure it**

Once the lights were wound round I added the dried seed heads, which are really quite fragile. They may or may not survive being on the bow. Only thing needed now was a dry ten minutes to put it on the cratch. That didn’t happen, so it ended up sitting in the well deck away from Tillys chewing teeth.

By the end of the wet day, the ice surrounding us was now submerged under water. Will we be able to move tomorrow? It would be good, but we don’t think it will be possible, the ice was really quite thick. We’ll be patient.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 popper/press stud mended, 1 dark bedroom again, 3rd go at wreath, 1 cooked breakfast, 2 invisible sofas, 2 boaters waiting for someone else to move first, -2C to 10C in 14 hours.

I Keep Tropical Fish. Or, Is That You Brian? 15th December

‘Avecoat Marina

Cabin fever must be starting to set in. As we lay in bed with our morning cuppa today we could see the outline of John our neighbour moving about next door. In unison we both said ‘Ullo John! Gotta New Motor?

The ice creaked and groaned as we moved about, it’s just about touching the sides of Oleanna now. For those who’ve never experienced being on a boat when the canal is frozen, movements can ping and twang for quite some distance. We wondered if Brian had just stepped on board NB Harnser on the other side of the marina.

Definitely cabin fever setting in!

Tilly’s pooh box got a refresh, one less reason for her to complain. The facebook groups today were full of tales where cats are being kept in. One cat a few years ago fell through the ice and had to be rescued by it’s owner as it desperately tried to find a route back up for air. Thankfully both the owner and cat survived the ordeal.

Keeping water usage to a minimum is now required as the tap today is frozen. Mick tried pouring boiling water over it as had someone else, with no luck of defrosting it. I’d rather like a shower, but that can wait a few more days. Anyhow we’re still working with the slow water pump.

With temperatures due to reverse (up into double figures) at the beginning of next week we are hopeful that we may be able to get back out onto the cut. It all depends on how long it takes for the ice to melt in the marina. If someone was to try ice breaking that would aid the melt, but we don’t fancy being the first!

Years ago we had a week on our shareboat NB Winding Down when she’d been iced in at Aqueduct Marina. A group of people did their best one day to move a boat to the slipway, breaking ice in front and to the side of the boat, having to give up as they couldn’t turn it towards the exit. However the following day with temperatures that little bit higher the marina was just about ice free and an orderly queue formed to use the pumpout! The next morning it was frozen again.

Mick had a walk to Tescos along the towpath to post Christmas and buy more stamps whilst I rolled out pastry to make mince pies.

***These might be nice***, **but Tom doesn’t like peaches!**

This time I rolled it out thicker and built the edges up a touch higher than those I’d made a couple of weeks ago. Jennie had given me a handy tip of adding a strip of greaseproof to help lift them out once baked, I gave this a go too. Blind baked, then I made the frangipane topping. This was adjusted using smaller eggs and caster sugar with a bit of light muscovado, hoping they’d be slightly less treacly. Everything was put together and popped in to bake. The frangipane still melted, but not as much as last time. Maybe on my next batch I’ll try adding a bit of self raising flour to make the mixture a little bit stiffer. But that’s not likely to be this year, so I’ll have to remember.

Once baked they sat in the tin, smelling very good, for ten minutes. Jennies handy hint had worked very well, a knife was only needed to loosen the frangipane top that had splurged onto the top of the tin, the others came out like a dream! Thank you.

A cuppa was made and quality control tasting. Very nice, very nice in deed. Even Tilly thought they were pretty good, lip smackingly good!

***I’d have preferred the chicken though!***

The chicken carcus was put on the stove to make some stock, then all the meat was pulled off the bones whilst I cooked some onions and carrots. Everything was popped back in the pot and back on the stove. A mushroom, some tarragon and greens, when it was just about done I tried out some Zenb Agile pasta. This is a bit like Orzo in that you can add it to stews and it will cook in the sauce. It took only a couple of minutes and was very tasty. I’ll be using that again.

0 locks, 0 miles, 4th Jan a possibility, 0 tap, 1 slow pump, 1 neighbour with fish in his underpants, 40 Christmas cards in the post, 12 mince pies, 1 feline assistant, 3466 pieces of Agile, 1 chickeny pasta stew.

Del Boy Pumps. 14th December

‘Avecoat Marina

Christmas card day today. The selection of image this year was pretty straight forward and now that the format has been saved it is quite an easy thing to swap images out from last year, amend the writing then print them out. It used to take forever, with quite a lot of swearing accompaniment.

A round robin summation of our last year was put together last night and this morning needed a slight alteration as I’d omitted a visit to Birmingham early in the year. With that sorted copies were printed out. Tilly couldn’t cope with the backwards and forwards of the paper in the printer. It kept spitting them out and then swallowing them again! Errgh!!

Cards were scored, trimmed and folded. Greetings written, signed. All ready for stamps. We had quite a lot of left over stamps from previous years, this was the time to use them all up as come next year they won’t be valid. Still a few short and only one large letter stamp remaining.

#unit21 emails flew around for a while this morning along with whatsap messages from Amy. Lots of trainers were being tried on in Huddersfield, a smaller boiler suit had arrived for the smallest member of the company. A short list of returns will be compiled next week. A good days fittings without having to travel north.

Mick topped up the water tank. Dish washer and washing machine put to work. However the water pump with the tick started to leak*. The one with the question mark was fitted. This lasted long enough for Mick to have a shower. It was very noisy especially when Mick went to check on it and it was also leaking*, *oll8cks!!!

The third untested pump was fitted. This was quiet, very quiet! It worked, but not very well. The pressure of water coming through the taps was considerably different to normal. With the old pump we know that if you count to 7 and a little bit you have just the right amount of water in the kettle for two mugs of tea or coffee. With this pump we resorted to filling a mug twice, possibly to a count of 20!

Most certainly not enough pressure for a shower. Here’s hoping delivery delays don’t affect our new pumps arrival.

In the afternoon I chopped up some butternut squash, drizzled it with oil and wrapped it in foil on an oven tray, popping it on top of the stove to gradually cook by itself. As it sizzled I made up a batch of sweet pastry for a second batch of frangipane mince pies. Adam had pointed me to the recipe he uses, but it lay behind a paywall. I’d been given enough information to adjust my gluten free pastry recipe, the zest of an orange and to use the juice instead of water to bring it all together. It certainly smelt festive.

The multifuel stove was also used this evening to cook risotto rice for our evening meal. Everything got going on the hob then once the chicken stock was simmering the cast iron pot was popped on top of the stove to carry on bubbling away. It cooked in half an hour, peas and the squash added. Very tasty with a bit of cheese on top.

**Butternut squash and chicken risotto**

I’d found a knitting pattern for a rabbit, so I cast on the head and worked my way through the pattern. I’ll need to get a bit of stuffing for it once it’s knitted. Progress was slowed somewhat as we watched the last episode of The Serpent which had been broadcast ages ago. Blimey that man was horrid!

0 locks, o miles, 3rd del boy pump, 1 proper one on order, 1 soggy bottom step, 30 round robins, 45 cards, 3 parcels, 1 new recipe pastry, 9 pairs trainers, 1 overall.

**A stunning view, but will we ever escape?!**

Erratum

*Having not been able to stick my head in the bottom step to observe the problems with the pumps myself, I have had to rely on information passed to me from Mick, who did have his head in the bottom step. This information led me to believe that each and every pump Mick tried leaked. This was incorrect, they simply just stopped working!

Supermodels. 10th December

‘Avecoat Marina

With Tilly left staring into the corner of the boat, ‘in charge’, we headed off with overnight bags to meet a taxi which took us to Tamworth Station. Today we’d not be heading northwards but south to London. For this we needed the platform opposite the entrance. Getting there you really need to read the signs, as just getting the lift up to the higher platform doesn’t actually work! You need to take the second lift, hidden round the corner under the viaduct to be on the right side of the higher tracks to then be able to take another lift down to the correct platform. Tamworth Station may be handy for access to different parts of the country, it however is quite confusing.

We were lucky to get seats as the train very quickly filled right up. An hour and a half later we arrived into Euston. A 30 bus took us the short distance to Kings Cross where we alighted and walked round the corner onto York Way. We were looking for a recessed courtyard at Jahn Court and the Supermodel exhibition.

Architects Piercy & Company have put together an exhibition of architectural models based on buildings they have designed, some built, some not. All the models have a life given to them, some with sound, all with light and several with moving elements.

They were made over a period of five years between projects. Jahn Court building is part of Endurance Land’s ten-year plan to revitalise the Regent Quarter to the east of Kings Cross. The building is currently in a stripped out state awaiting redevelopment and gives an interesting background to the exhibition.

Each model had either a motion sensor or a button to press which would set things in motion. Projected people moving about staircases and landings. How passing daylight affects a building, revealing different things as the day progresses including a giant balloon dog.

A camera on a track through and around a model, the footage projected onto a screen close by. A choir singing as light directs your eye around a modern church.

By far the best was Two Villas. Two Georgian villas open up like a cantilevered metal tool box to display the rooms inside.

This was closely followed by Steel House. This was the first model of the collection, it is modeled on a steel framed house that had to be craned onto its site. The buildings slide or rise upwards, a bird flies over the roof, a puff of smoke comes from the chimney. Apparently there was an aroma of cinnamon, but we didn’t notice it.

**Footage of the models being made and the rather nice benches** **to sit on.**

A very good way to spend an hour, thank you Heather Bleasdale for sending me the link to the Ian Visits article about it.

Back on the 30 bus and out to Hackney and the London Leckenby’s where a warm welcome awaited us. Plenty to catch up on as we tucked into a wonderful beef stew. Josh headed out to meet some friends to watch the England game whilst Mick, Jac and Andrew settled in the living room to also watch.

Meanwhile I busied myself in the kitchen, blitzing digestive biscuits, beating cream cheese and sugar together, melting chocolate and grating the zest off oranges. I managed to occupy myself for just about all of the match aided by my assistant Finn. By the time we’d had another glass or two of wine, pudding for tomorrow was baked and cooling on a rack.

**Finn who comments all the time as you cook**

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 very frosty Tamworth, 1 taxi, 3 lifts, 1 train, 30 bus twice, 8 models, 1 beef stew, 1 chocolate orange baked cheesecake, many glasses of wine.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna

Category Archives: Gluten Free Cooking

Final Statistics. 1st January 2023

Two Reds. 30th December

The Big Day. 25th December

Destination Christmas. 23rd and 24th December

Christmas On A Bike. 21st, 22nd December

Last Of The Ginger. 19th December

Solid Under The Surface. 18th December

I Keep Tropical Fish. Or, Is That You Brian? 15th December

Del Boy Pumps. 14th December

Supermodels. 10th December