Category Archives: Huddersfield Narrow Canal

It Isn’t Like Baunston! 15th October

Above Lock 3E to opposite Sainsburys, Huddersfield Broad Canal

Ready for the off at 9am. The chap on NB Wildflower was doing a few engine checks also ready to push off. As we were blocking the entrance to the lock, we’d go first and he’d follow a distance behind hoping to save himself some water for Lock 1E.

A group of students chatted to Mick as the lock emptied, they were left to close the gate behind us along with Mr NB Wildflower. Under the bridge to pick Mick up and then on to Lock 2E, this lock isn’t accessible from land so you need to be on your boat.

From the bridge behind us we could see Mr Wildflower waiting for us to have filled the lock and gone into it, then descend. After Oleanna exited Mick walked back to the top end of the lock and lifted a paddle, so it could already be filling when NB Wildflower arrived.

Now through the tunnel under buildings. It goes from wide to quite narrow and plants disguise just how narrow it is, there was a big bump, closing both bathroom doors inside. By the next college building was the orange boat we’d been expecting, they were moored at a distance from the lock, apparently the chap on board hadn’t known about booking the Marsden flight or Lock 1E, he was hoping he’d be allowed to tag along behind us today. Then up by the lock was the blue boat from Strawberry Island. We pulled in behind them the level of the pound really quite high.

**Hoping to be able to go through today**

This pound is known to loose it’s water. They have tried various things over the years to sort it , but nothing has been too successful. So now the lock has stop planks above it, holding back the water. With boats having moored above 3E we brought water down with us so hopefully there’d be enough to pen us all through.

A little before 11am, several CRT chaps turned up. One dropped off a mound of ash, to ash up the stop planks once the boats had passed through. Then the paddle that had been keeping the gap between the stop planks and lock empty was closed and the level in the gap soon rose up. Then top stop plank was given a biff with a keb and up it rose. The wood of the planks naturally wanting to float. These were hauled out in turn and laid on the bank in order. One of them took a bit of persuading, but all in all it was an easy procedure.

As the lock filled we were told to move our boats away from the bank and hover in the middle of the channel, otherwise we’d end up getting stuck as the level dropped. The chap from the orange boat arrived and was given the go ahead to tag on the back, he rushed back to untie and wait inline.

Paddles were wound, gates opened. First the blue boat, then NB Wildflower who had waited breasted up to us, Oleanna then the orange boat. Now CRT had the harder job of putting the stop planks back in and ashing them up so the level could recover before Thursday. Kevin had arrived by now, time to thank him for adding us to the list today.

One last look back over our shoulders to the Huddersfield Narrow. It’s been an eventful trip! One we’ll think of when ever there’s a low pound, but it is still a stunning canal, if only there were more moorings.

Through to Aspley Basin. The service point was free, we pulled in and started to fill with water. NB Wildflower was back on it’s mooring in the basin, slotted in for the winter. The orange boat soon arrived wanting to top up with diesel and another short narrowboat pulled up behind us to empty cassettes.

As we filled with water and dealt with yellow water we chatted to the chaps on the short boat. They asked if we’d been through the tunnel and what it was like up the HNC. They had no idea that you had to book the tunnel. ‘I looked on the CRT website and all it said was come for a nice picnic etc, nothing about booking’. You can’t just turn up and go through Standedge as you would Braunston Tunnel. We warned them that you could only go through on certain days and the tunnel would be closing at the end of the month for winter. We directed the chap to the boat licencing section of the CRT website here he would find bookings. We also suggested they should book lock 1E and the Marsden flight.

These two chaps say they normally take their time, might take a month to get to the summit pound. I suspect they are not normally on a canal like the HNC which was built to get goods from A to B so there was no need for moorings to enjoy the scenery. They also said their outboard engine was coming off today, presumably for maintenance.

The penny suddenly dropped. Is your engine petrol? ‘Yes‘. Ah you won’t be allowed through the tunnel then, no petrol engines allowed! Worth checking, but it would save you working up the 42 locks not to be allowed through, then the 42 locks back down. I’m sure when you try to book there would be something that would flag up a petrol engine and stop the process. We left them thinking about what to do.

A short distance on we pulled in. Oleanna preferring to be on a list no matter what we did! The fire was stocked up, lunch had and a shopping list written. We walked over the Locomotive Bridge and headed to stock up at Sainsburys. The shelves in the medicine isle were studied. We both still have our colds and very gurglie chests. I tried my best to avoid the Honey and Lemon cough syrup, I hate honey with a gut wrenching passion, but it looked like it was the only one that would help us.

A quiet afternoon snoozing in front of the fire and a roast chicken in the oven. Today I finished off this weeks pair of sockathon socks. I’m hoping to be able to keep up a good pace for the rest of the year as I now have a waiting list of an extra ten pairs from the Boat Women group on Facebook! Thank you everyone, I may have to extend my fundraising page.

3 locks, 0.8 miles, 4 boats down, 1 final wave to the HNC, 1 big shop, 4 boxes wine, 3rd bottle of cough medicine, 2 coughing boaters, 1 pulled muscle, 1 roast chicken, pair 42 finished, 20 more to go! Hello! what about me?!

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Sledgehammer. 14th October

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Above Lock 21E to above Lock 3E

Up early, Mick set off back into Huddersfield to return the car, then got a lift back out to Slaithwaite. We’d hoped to make an early start but it wasn’t until just gone 10am that we pushed off. Mick walked ahead to set the lock, but where had he gone? I could see the lock was empty. A CRT person walked up and was clearing the bywash, was there a problem? I rang Mick, he’d just met Kevin and had been chatting about Lock 1E and the locks to reach there.

With 18 locks to work today Mick got out the Brompton. Most of the locks were that little bit too far apart to be setting ahead, but there were a few that he could. The main reason for the bike was that he could free wheel down the towpath to start setting the next lock as I followed behind with Oleanna.

Below Lock 21E is the patch of blackberries that Mick and Frank once stopped the boat to fill bowls full. Today what was left of them were all wizened, no point in holding up the proceedings. Some locks had both sets of paddle gear on the same side, some hydraulic, some not. We soon got into rhythm with me closing offside paddles, then giving the thumbs up once back on board and making sure I was clear of the cill.

Another beautiful blue skied day. Dropping down to pass Titanic Mill. Just by the lock there is a lot of work going on clearing trees and digging behind a wall, is this for the canal or some building work?

Alongside for much of the way the River Colne follows the canal down the valley. Golden trees now dropping their leaves made for an orange carpet along much of the towpath. The trees gradually hiding more and more light industry, more mills would soon appear alongside the canal.

One very slow pound. Was there something around the prop? Was it leaves? No just the bottom too close to the top. A sign on a lock beam, slow down and keep to the centre. Did this mean above or below the lock? I wasn’t going fast anyway and was tending to keep to the centre.

Golcar Aqueduct. A bend to the right then a narrowing over the aqueduct before bending back to the left. Just before the narrowing there was a traffic cone at the side and a big mound of bags of aggregate all muddy and wet. Earlier in the year there had been a leak here, this had held up our friend Graeme. He’d ended up having to retrace himself and find a different route. Thankfully today we were good to go through.

**He always pushes his bike under bridges**

I expertly crossed the aqueduct not touching the side. Then when turning on the far side ended up a foot out but stuck on the bottom! This took me quite a bit of time to wiggle Oleanna’s way off, reversing and pushing with the pole, but I got there without the need of calling Mick for assistance. He’d only just got the next lock ready anyway.

Down 11,10, and 9E Isis Lock, the one that is easy to click on on Canalplan when wanting to head via Oxford and finding your route plan taking a rather large detour!

Time for a lunch break. We pulled in on the bollards, apologised to Tilly yet again for no shore leave. One day Tilly you’ll be allowed back out, but not yet. Mick decided that he needed to check the quality of the cup cakes again. Verdict they were actually nicer than the main cake. Result, none left!

Time to carry on. Mick’s face lit up with the sight of a walkway over the top end of the next lock. Well there was a reason for that, no access to the bottom gates from the road bridge. I knew this, but he didn’t.

**Lock beams open over the road bridge**

As you empty the lock it’s wise to end up waiting on the off side. When empty you can then push open the bottom gate and lower the paddle, cross over the walkway on the top gate and do the same at the other bottom gate. From the road bridge at the tail of the lock you can reach both bottom gates to close them, saving having to walk round the lock another time.

David Essex was going round and round in my head, I needed to reset my brain to forget it. We don’t normally listen to music as we cruise, preferring to listen to the bird song, but maybe some would help! But what?

How’s about a song about Penguins? I searched Google. The Penguin marching song which came with movements. I listened to it once, it wasn’t going to do the trick as I didn’t already know the words. Hold me Tight needed knocking out of my head. I found a suitable song, turned the volume up. Peter Gabriel did the job and only one witness on the towpath to hear my dodgy cold filled singing.

At Paddock Foot Lock 5E there was a chap loitering around the lock. Was he talking to himself? On the phone? Too busy rolling a spliff? He walked back and forth. Mick checked his phone, only one more lock after this, time to put the Brompton back onboard for safe keeping.

The chap followed us down to the next lock. Above which was an orange work boat with a funny scaffolding contraption mounted on it. I think there is some work planned on a retaining wall nearby soon, maybe it was for that.

Another odd bod arrived. Whipping out a tape measure from his pocket, he chatted to Mick a bit, crossed the lock, paced to the end, measured something then crossed back. He had no idea how locks worked so I suspect he has a compulsion to measure things and maybe walks to the end of the lock several times a day. Or maybe he had something to do with the scaffolding on the workboat. The other chap paced out the length of the lock as Oleanna descended.

Mick was picked up and we now made our way along the narrow section to above Lock 3E. Here we joined a couple of other boats, neither of which we were expecting. There is limited space above the lock, really only the lock landing. Here it’s not a problem to be moored on the bollards as the first boats to go through the lock would be boats heading towards Lock 1E in the morning, any coming up wouldn’t reach 3E until we’d already left.

**Maybe room for one more breasted up behind**

The only thing was the lock landing was full. We pulled over to the off side where railings could be tied to. A chap popped out from NB Wildflower to chat and check if we were booked for tomorrow. It sounded like the two boats we’d been expecting in front of us were already down near Lock 1E, one wasn’t booked but was hoping he’d be allowed through.

We settled down for the evening. Tilly now in resigned mode of being an indoor cat, only a few complaints before she went back to sleep. Gradually the outdoor world turned purple around us. The exterior walls of Kirklees College washed in purple flood light, sadly not our own Northern Lights!

18 locks, 4.1 miles, 1 annoying song, 1 Sledgehammer, 1 Brompton lock wheeler, 0 problems with water, 1 lunch break, 2 odd bods, 1 boat jam, 1 purple world, 1 cat giving up hope of any shore leave ever again.

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Check Rear Seats. 13th October

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Handmade Bakery to above Lock 21E Waterside Lock

We were the last down for breakfast, Fran had already left! Time to say goodbyes until later in the year when there is another Geraghty get together planned. A generous breakfast was required so we’d not need to stop for lunch. Sadly Travelodge don’t do gf bread, so I just had to have three hash browns!

**We kept checking but there was no-one there!**

Our return journey had us round the M25, up to M40 then we opted for the M6. We most probably were passing over the top of Salford Junction (where the Tame Valley, Grand Union and Birmingham and Fazeley Canals meet) as NB Harnser was passing underneath heading for Star City.

We then skirted round the southern side of Manchester and up and over Saddleworth Moor. Down through Marsden where the Jazz Festival was starting to wind down and back to Slaithwaite.

About bloomin time!!! My magic food bowl only has two compartments and those are empty!!! Tilly was pleased to see us, more so when the stove had been lit.

Time to move on, tick a couple of locks off the list for tomorrow. Up ahead a boat was just coming out of the lock, poles pushing it over to the lock landing. With only two locks today I chose to work them. The boat on the lock landing had already lifted a bottom paddle to empty the lock. I double checked with him as he said there was another boat coming up. There was, but as Mick found out, it wouldn’t be there for a while as it had no engine, neither did the boat on the lock landing! These boats were heading up to above Lock 27E to join the other ramshackled looking boats.

**I wonder how far these boats have come**

We worked our way down, then limbod under the low bridges on to Pickle Lock 22E. Below we pulled in to fill with water and dispose of rubbish as the next engineless boats came past. Then we found a mooring for the night. Sadly for Tilly it was decided that the mooring wasn’t suitable and it was a touch late for her to go out anyway. Time for a cuppa and a cup cake left over from Kath and Sean’s lunch, very nice.

We are now ready for the big push down towards Huddersfield tomorrow.

2 locks, 0.4 miles, 3 hash browns, 0 toast, M25, M40, 1 old bridge by a new bridge, M6, 1 wave to Josh, 1 starving cat, 1 bored cat, 0 cables harmed, 1 toilet roll got off lightly, 3 engineless boats headed for engineless moorings, 1 full water tank, 1 socks and pants load of washing, 1 macaroni cheese with leeks and bacon.

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Hold Me Close. 11th & 12th September

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Handmade Bakery, Slaithwaite and Woking

Tilly did her very best to hold on, but a refresh of her pooh box was required. I’d just cleaned it out when she could hold on no more, but thankfully this just required a good rinse out before fresh litter was added. All nice a clean for the next few days.

Mick headed off to meet someone from Enterprise and was whisked off in Huddersfield to do paperwork and pick up a car. He also picked up more Lemsips and we now have a variety of cough medicines and several spare boxes of tissues! Bags were packed, including the iron.

I always know what’s going on, even before She opens up the toy box. I especially like the first whiff, strong slightly stale cat nip, sends a zing to the tip of my tail. Then my magic food bowl came out, this just confirms my suspicions. How many big sleeps?! How long will I be deserted for? Only two Tilly.

**How long before these cooling towers are gone too?**

We headed eastwards to the M1 to head south. The sun was out, blue skies and such incredible countryside. A guaranteed queue through Holmfirth then back up onto the tops. Then it was the humdrum of the M1, Radcliffe Power Station now dormant on the horizon. Then across towards Warwick, Banbury, Oxford down to the M25 where we sat in traffic as expected for a Friday afternoon.

Along roads surrounded by trees, then roads circling round high rise buildings. The Light Box, left here, then again here, under the railway, left, no that left. Eventually we pulled up in the Travelodge car park in Woking. Four months ago we’d been in Woking on Oleanna, we’d considered returning for this weekend, but that would have made our trip northwards harder negotiating our way around C&RT stoppages that will soon be starting.

A meal in a Lebanese restaurant had been arranged for those arriving today. Two of Mick’s sisters with husbands, a niece, the couple of the moment Kath and Sean plus tonight was a chance to meet Lydia Sean’s daughter. A lovely meal was enjoyed followed by a glass or two of wine back in the hotel bar.

**Yvonne Arnaud Theatre almost finished having a make over**

Saturday morning, hotel breakfasted, and smart clothes put on we all set off in cars. One to pick up more of the family from the station, others heading for Guildford. Having negotiated Guildford on foot several times I knew it was easy to take a wrong turning, which Mick did, meaning we’d have miles to go before being able to cross the River Wey. Thankfully I knew we’d be able to turn at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and corrected our route pretty quickly, getting us to Guildford Registry Office still with plenty of time.

**Photographers always get in the way!**

At 11:30, the Geraghty and O’Malley families along with great friends from Ireland and the National Theatre were gathered waiting for Kath and Sean to make their big entrance.

A few readings on partnership, the legal bits said and witnessed, then the register signed. What else would they walk out to but David Essex and Hold Me Close, Sean doing a good impression of a man who’d not noticed Kath sneaking that particular track into the ceremony! She of course was word perfect.

John was the official photographer for the day and did a very good job without taking over a good section of the day as many professionals do. Time for chats and hugs before we all climbed back into cars and headed off to Mytchett for lunch at The Kingfisher on the Quay. We’d had a good burger here back in June with Sam my cousin.

We had a room to ourselves in the busy restaurant. A short speech to thank people and a glass of fizz, then introductions, conversations, photos. Nibbles followed by a pre-chosen main course. Mick had opted for a Wagyu Burger and I had steak frites, all very nice.

Kath called me up. Time to make use of my upbringing. Just how would my Mum have cut their cake? Mum was a caterer and certain things became second nature growing up in her kitchen around her apron strings.

A month or so ago Kath had got in touch with ideas for their cake and asked if I could design it for her, all based on plants and creatures that inhabit their garden. The cake decorators had had a little bit of a challenge on their hands, but they had done a fab job, the ceanothus and Japanese Maple came out really well, as did the hedgehogs.

Plenty of time for the kids to run around outside, Thomas has an inexhaustible amount of energy! Then late afternoon people started to head off. We did a trip back to the hotel to loose a car and then returned to Kath and Sean’s for another drink and some nibbles, a quieter time.

Geraghtys. Mick, Anne, Kath, Christine and Marion

What a lovely day having all Mick’s family together for the first time in years to celebrate Kath and Sean’s Civil Partnership.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car, 1 hotel room, 4 sisters, 1 brother, 4 brothers, 1 sister, 2 Catholic families, 2 partners, 1 cheesy song, 1 ebay dress, 1 NY hat, 2 bow ties, 1 cake, 6 gf muffins, 1 very happy couple.

Stirring Up The Red. 10th October

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Handmade Bakery, Slaithwaite

Sunshine. It was guaranteed to be good weather today as we’d not be working any locks. But the sunshine could be used for other things, painting!

Mick headed off to visit the Co-op and Aldi to see what miracle drugs he could find to help us both with our colds. We’d really like to not be spluttering and sneezing this weekend, but it looks like we’ll have no choice.

I dug out the cream and red paints from one of the bow lockers. Masking tape and fine sandpaper from the painting cupboard inside. The pan was lifted off the mushroom vent and dried off, moisture having collected around the rim of the pan. Then sections of the grab rail were taped up that needed top coat. My aim this year had been to repaint the grabrails, but I’ve run out of time to do a proper job. This also seems to be my aim most years! We just get too busy boating.

Once the sections were taped off I gave them all a sand down. The undercoat needed flattening out and the surrounding paint needed to have a key to aid adhesion.

**May not look pretty, but it’s got a coat of paint on it!**

An old envelope was stuck under the hole of the mushroom vent inside the cabin, to catch any stray blobs of paint. Then a coat of cream was painted. I’d not bothered to mask off an area here, I just tried to keep the area within the size of our biggest pan so it could be covered up again later.

Then areas on the grab rail had a coat of red. Red no matter what you do fades in sunlight, it’s a fact and you have to live with it. For me to have a boat with no red on it wouldn’t be right as it’s my favourite colour. I’ve touched up the starboard side before with the red that had been noted in our boat bible from Finesse when Oleanna was built. However the number was out by 1 digit so the colour had been quite a bit darker. Now the grabrail looks a bit of a patchwork, one day it will all be the same bright red again.

One area of rust had spread across from the red grabrail onto the blue cabin side, I’ll hopefully follow up with the blue on the next possible day. The red also will require a second coat at some point. I made sure I removed the masking tape after a short while, leaving it on too long means it’s a nightmare to remove.

Next job was to dig out my sewing machine from under the dinette. I’d bought myself some red cords which had been sent to the house. They were in the sale and I could only get my size with a longer leg than required. So they needed turning up by 3 inches. Ironed and sewn, job’s a good un.

Attention turned to a painting I did recently. This needed trimming and a backing making for it. I’ll hopefully be able to show you what it was and for after the weekend.

Next and final job, give Mick a hair cut. It’s not that long since it was last done, but a tidy up would be good. He’s all smart now, we’re ready for the weekend. Just have to hope my nose stops glowing red from being blown so much!

**My photo of tonight’s Northern Lights!**

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 bottle of cough medicine, 1 box tissues, 2 boxes cold capsules, 1 roof touched up, 1st coat on grabrail, grade 3, 3 inches up, pair 41 finished, 8 more pairs on waiting list! 0 northern lights visible, 2 sniffly coughing boaters, 🙁

Broken Smile. 9th October

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Above Lock 42 E to Handmade Bakery, Slaithwaite

Lemsips all round this morning. Maybe I should have tried to catch it sooner! Oh well. A message was sent to our volunteer lock wheeler to warn him of the germs floating around Oleanna, he decided to continue with his journey to meet up with us anyway.

At 10am we pushed off, filling the top lock of the flight. With Oleanna in the lock we emptied the yellow water into our container for disposal later, it’s far easier to have the bank on the port side to do this job. Just as we were about to start our descent a white car pulled up, the window wound down. ‘Hey! Oleanna!!!’ It was Pete Toon from Mikron. A shame not to have managed a longer chat but there was traffic. If we’d been stuck longer I was going to contact him to meet up somewhere. Only a week or so left of the Mikron shows for this year, touring by van now as Tyseley is on the Weaver at Northwich for the winter.

Next a train pulled in at the station. Paul our volunteer had arrived. Hello’s all round then straight to emptying the lock and starting our descent. Last night the local weather forecast had suggested that we might have a shower or two today, they didn’t mention the constant drizzle that would accompany us down the locks today.

Caution under the low pipe bridge below the top lock is required, the next pound needed lowering and then some extra weight from Mick assisted. Then we were on our way, Mick and Paul leap frogging each other down the flight. Sometimes they were lifting a paddle at the next but one lock down, taking our water with us. Most by washes were flowing anyway so we’d not run out of water.

**Hills visible, they’d been shrouded in cloud before we started**

Three years ago to the day we’d set off down the flight. One pound had been low and required topping up. I think it was in that pound that a fan belt went on or domestic alternator and wrapped itself around a pulley. We ended up mooring up in the next pound and calling RCR out to help. When the engineer had inspected everything he didn’t have the right tool for the job, but we were safe to carry on, although our leisure batteries could only be topped up by the solar. It was drier three years ago!

**Stone arched bridges as well as wooden**

The trees are just turning, some sunshine would have made our descent very pretty. Hillsides off in the distance, the short pounds between locks.

At Lock 37E a temporary repair had been made. The problem had been the rotten upright as I’d thought. Strips of metal have been bolted onto the timber to keep it going a while longer. I’m sure our friend Frank would have fashioned a suitable repair out of wood in the same amount of time it had taken to bolt this together.

33E sits by a reservoir, there were diggers and several CRT chaps over looking things. Mick went to ask what they were doing, but instead was asked how many locks ahead we’d been setting. One of the chaps was really quite miffed that there was so much water coming down the flight and said that we should only have been setting one lock ahead, rather than two. This puzzled us as lifting a paddle on a lower lock to start filling it would surely lower the pound above, then that would be topped up when the lock above was emptied, any water coming round the bywash would be doing that anyway. He suggested we shouldn’t set ahead on the rest of the locks and on a few of them we should empty them slowly as they would end up flooding the next pound down.

32E had orange fencing around it. I’d been warned about it by the Lockie yesterday, it was open as you could work round it. This work round would involve walking up to the lock before to cross the canal, then round the reservoir where the path to the lock had been blocked off. Not the best work around, the orange fencing won’t stop people from using the bridge!

***I’m quite happy here , so long as you tie up a good outside today***

After 32E there is a longer gap between locks. Mick hopped back on board so I could sit down, only problem was that everything was quite damp. Puddles on the towpath kept Paul light on his toes.

**A lovely place to stop on the end of the lock landing**

At Booth Lock 31E it took a while to fill the lock. This is where we’d stopped three years ago and had planned on stopping last Saturday. An ideal mooring for Tilly to have shore leave but not a good place to stop today. We carried onwards, all down hill for the rest of the year!

Which lock was it where there was a boater who would complain about you using the lock? Above 26E, sadly the boat hasn’t faired well over the last three years.

Now the canal heads down a tree lined route, the River Colne sitting just below the towpath. We were hoping for a space before lock 24E the guillotine lock. Here there were bollards and a good stretch of woodland before the river, perfect for Tilly who was in need of some fresh air and play time.

Mick and Paul walked ahead as I brought Oleanna in to moor. However the bottom was way too far close to the top. When we came through on NB Lillyanne there had been boats moored here, not sure if that had been the case three years ago. Today it was empty because no-one can get to the side to tie to the bollards. Paul took the boat hook and dipped for depth, no more than 18 inches!

Sorry Tilly, really sorry. She won’t be smiling about our mooring today!

24E was worked by both Mick and Paul. On one side of the guillotine is the paddle mechanism, the other side you wind the gate up with your windlass. Now to find a mooring. The blue Strawberry Island boat was moored on the relatively new moorings below the lock, we pulled in in front of them and retired inside.

Coats were hung up to dry and a late lunch consumed with a slice each of carrot cake.

Thank you Paul for helping us again, making our descent much easier and with good company. It does also mean that Paul gets chance to check the information on his maps and the mooring above 24E will now be removed.

What was left of the afternoon was a quiet one, well apart from Tilly grumbling at the back door! I sussed out that the Slawit Chippy did gluten free fish of you ordered in advance. A phone call was made and an order placed.

All cooked in beef dripping, so not a chippy for vegetarians. My fish was a touch smaller than Micks, but that happens! Not the best we’ve had but very nice after a damp day at the locks.

19 locks, 2.4 miles, 1 drive by Pete, 1 volunteer Paul, 1 pound too high, 1 annoying pipe bridge, 0 beeps, 0 raspberries, 1 drizzly day, 3 soggy boaters, 2ft 4″ required, 1ft 6″ available, 1 grumpy cat, 3 slices of cake, 1 very handy bakery, 2 haddocks, 1 chips, 4 lemsips.

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The Forgotten Bridge. 8th October

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Above Lock 42E

I’d just finished doing my exercises this morning when I could hear voices at the blue boat ahead of us. I peeked out of the bow blinds there was a CRT chap chatting to the crew, he had a life jacket on and I thought I spied another person down at the lock, possibly unlocking it. I flung on some clothes and shoes, disguising my pyjamas so I could go out and see what was happening.

Navigational advice was being passed on to the crew, low pipe bridge, put the paddle down before filling etc. I then asked about the tail bridge at 37E, Kevin (the chap from CRT) ‘Ahh, yes I’d forgotten about that. Hang on.’ He made a phone call, apparently it was being mended this morning. He set off down the locks to check how things were progressing. Time to chat to the neighbours, a boat from Strawberry Island in Doncaster, this has been their first proper summer out and about.

Of course I asked how they’d faired on the Diggle flight. They’d been warned about one pound possibly being low, but it was all fine, no problems! There had been at least one if not two boats go down the flight since we’d come up and we’d most probably sorted the levels out for all of them.

Kevin came back, the bridge would be sorted in an hour so the blue boat could head on, so could we if we wanted to. Well I really didn’t want to tackle a flight single handing, especially the Marsden flight. I checked it would be fine for tomorrow. It was.

Currently you have to book the Marsden flight and Lock 1E in Huddersfield. This is to help preserve water levels. Leaving tomorrow morning we simply wouldn’t manage to reach 1E for Thursday morning when we were booked to go through, 41 locks and about 7 miles away. The next possible day to go through was already fully booked, I asked if there was any way to get round this, Kevin said he’d sort it and give me a call later on to confirm.

Back on board for breakfast, now more like an early lunch! There was half an egg left from making Nan bread so I made myself some eggy bread for the first time in decades. I discovered that gluten free bread isn’t so good for it, it has an inability to hold itself together when dry, never mind when it’s got an eggy coating! All the same it was nice with a sprinkling of sugar.

I had a quick tidy up, sweep through and spent some time dissuading Tilly from wanting to go out. Mick in Scarborough was suffereing a little from having had both flu and covid jabs yesterday along with a cold. He’d contemplated staying in Scarborough another night, but with news that the locks were open he’d head back as originally planned. If only the roofer people had come on Monday or cancelled earlier we’d have been able to do the Marsden flight today! Oh well.

Kevin called back. The top lock had been left open for us to use in the morning and he’d bypassed the system booking us in at Lock 1E. The system allows two boats in each direction through the lock, twice a week. With no-one booked to go up he’d been allowed to add us onto the list, not that the people who lift the stop planks know who’s booked anyway, they just let the boats waiting through. Lifting the stop planks is easy, it’s putting them back in again and ashing it up which takes the time, so the more boats through the better. That’s as long as there’s sufficient water!

Sadly no volunteers would be available to help us down from Marsden. But we’d had an offer from Paul Balmer of Waterway Routes to come and assist, so contact was made and plans put together.

Mick got in touch saying he’d be on an earlier train, Brian from NB Alton the coal boat was willing to deliver coal and diesel to us as he was delivering to parts of Manchester today, it would be late on.

Some baking for our volunteer tomorrow was needed. It also meant I could check the temperature in the top oven. Recently things in the main oven seem to be cooking a little bit too quickly, but the top oven has been behaving. Todays cake baking has confirmed the top oven is fine. Next time I use the main oven it will also get checked now I’ve dug out the oven thermometer.

When Mick returned we nudged up closer to the top lock so Brian didn’t have so far to bring us coal and 40 litres of diesel. Eta was 7pm, and bang on the dot he arrived. Refuelling was done in the dark. Big thank you’s to Brian for venturing over the top and into Yorkshire to get to us, then we moved back to where we’d come from on a more level mooring!

0 locks, 120ft forwards, 120ft back, 1 sparking chimney, 1 carrot cake, Gas mark 5, 350 F, 0 shore leave for Tilly, 2 boaters now on lemsip!

Bum Wiggle Factor. 7th October

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Above Lock 42E

Being still today wasn’t going to matter to us. I would be heading off on a train to York for a hospital appointment around midday. Mick was heading to Scarborough to do a turn around at the house plus a roofer, via our insurance company, was coming to look at the leak that had happened a week ago. Originally this was meant to have been Friday, then it got moved to Monday, now it was supposed to happen Tuesday.

**How long has this latch been letting people onto the towpath?**

We were getting ourselves sorted for some time away from the boat, when my phone rang. York Hospital having to cancel my appointment due to staff illness. I knew I shouldn’t have booked my train ticket yesterday! Oh blimey, I’d been referred back in February, how long would it be before I could be seen? Thankfully a new appointment could be made for two weeks time, I snapped it up. No need for me to head to York now.

**Six pairs, only five heading off today**

Mick headed off to catch a train to Scarborough, he’d booked himself a flu and covid jab this afternoon at a chemists he’d be walking past, so at least that part of the plan would work. Whilst on the train to York he had a phone call about the roofer. Could they come Wednesday? This was becoming a joke now and really awkward. Mick was already on his way to meet someone tomorrow and staying an extra night might hold up our descent from Marsden. By the end of several phone calls the insurance company have now agreed that we can get the roof fixed as long as it costs no more than £200, but we’ll need a vat receipt, so not just a cash in hand job.

I spent the morning packing up five pairs of socks. A boat came and joined us from the tunnel, they must have come through first thing.

Then I walked down the locks to have a look to see what was happening at lock 37E. The answer to that was nothing. The orange fencing hadn’t been touched from what I could tell and the handrail uprights still looked the same. Hopefully something will happen with it tomorrow.

I walked down into the village. Large disused mills sit in the valley. Further info can be found here. In the early 19th Century, the mills in Marsden included cotton mills, silk mills and woollen mills. Bank Bottom Mill in 1936 covered 14 acres and employed 1900 people, it closed in 2003. It still sits empty over looking the village.

I walked past New Mill, known locally at Crowthers Mill, it was part of the J.E. Crowther and Sons firm and in 1936 had 260 looms and 32 carding machines. It sits in the village centre, just behind the main shopping street, the River Colne running along its northern side.

Earlier this year a council report said that a redevelopment scheme for New Mill had become unviable. The scheme was to include light industry and offices. It had received £5.6 million on levelling up cash and £11.7 million from the private sector. Increased costs mean more funds are required. Some of the buildings were due to be demolished to be replaced with light industrial units the majority of the site does not have listed status. It’s such a good location in the village and such a shame with all it’s broken windows.

Socks went in the post and I climbed back up the hill to Oleanna. Tilly was allowed some more accompanied shore leave. Calculations that she’d been working on were tried, and failed. A long stretch at one point, stood on hind leg tippy toes had her only a third of the way up the face of the wall, the stone hard to grip onto with her claws. Thankfully some walkers came along, she decided to sit in a window and contemplate the wall some more. I won’t be beaten!

***(Paw x block size) -72.4 /532.86 % 53+4538/tail whip x {987-bum wiggle factor} 45.7***

Yarn for pair 41 was wound into a cake and the toe cast on whilst watching the finale of Traitors NZ. I’m pleased with the outcome. But dressing for your fellow contestants funerals, well!

0 locks, 0 mended, 0 miles, 5 pairs on their way, 1 contemplating cat.

Apple Bobbing. 6th October

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Above Lock 41E

Mick has developed a cold over the last couple of days. I’m doing my best to avoid it, so I’m trying to avoid touching things he’s touched, sharing the same air won’t be helping, but I’m hoping to fend off getting it for a week if possible as I have a hospital appointment amongst other things.

So this morning I was on tea and Lemsip duty. This is normally Micks job as he’s on that side of the bed and he hands me my tea. This morning I was scrabbling my way back to my side of the bed ( we have a cross bed) trying my best not to spill any tea when the alarm above our heads sounded. A red flashing light and three beeps. This meant there was a fire. Not that we were aware of. I pressed the button to silence the alarm. We took it off it’s base and Mick tried to reset it. It did nothing! Was this a dud detector? Only a month old! Mick spent some of the day checking things on line and it turns out the detector was fine, it just turns itself off when not on it’s base on the ceiling. Why had it sounded? Steam from my tea!

Subjects included Radio Caroline, sausage casserole, cousins in Gravesend and tying Aunts in armchairs! Everyone was present this morning for zoom, even if our internet kept dropping out in a somewhat annoying manor, so we only got part of the story from John about the PS Waverley passing Radio Caroline a few days ago.

This morning seemed to be dry enough to add another coat onto the mushroom vent. Mixing, brushing followed, the starboard side grabrail bits got another coat too. If my knees hadn’t been playing up so much I’d have done the port side as well, but balancing on a gunnel with nowhere to step back to at the moment is not on the cards, my knees are burning whilst doing nothing, so that side of the boat will have to wait.

Just about as soon as I’d finished it started to spit! Oh well, I’m trying my best considering my phone currently thinks I’m just to the west of Moscow! Mick seems to have this happen to his phone too at the moment. Are the Russians checking up on us? Anyone else get the weather in Russia rather then West Yorkshire? They are expecting thunder storms tomorrow.

**Marsden Mechanics standing out from the crowd**

This afternoon I headed off down the Marsden flight of locks to see what I could see at lock 37E, the lock which has closed the flight has a dangerous bridge. Despite it being a grey day the flight is still pretty with the occasional glimpse across the valley.

Below lock 39E there were numerous apples bobbing about waiting for Halloween, none of them had toffee coatings though!

**The Blue Peter Lock or Smudgees Lock 37E**

Lock 37E is the Blue Peter lock with a shield on both bottom gates. Orange fencing was draped around the tail bridge. On the far side I could see what looked like rotten wood on one of the uprights to the handrail. With a suitably sized baulk of timber and carpentry tools and skills it didn’t look like it would be a long job to mend. Hopefully it will be sorted tomorrow.

I didn’t want to do anymore down hill so headed back up. There are a new cabins that have been built alongside the canal, A Place in the Pennines. The office looks like it is in a blue narrowboat next to the care takers cabin. They look nice and I suspect they have good views from their terraces across the valley.

I walked up the hill, hoping I’d stay on the level more to return to the boat. Past houses all with great views over the top of one another and along to the station. Steep stairs lead down to the platforms, I’ll enjoy those tomorrow!

Back on Oleanna, Mick was snoozing by the stove. I got out my box of socks to weave ends in. Three pairs in total. I had a sponsorship for four pairs so have been waiting for them all to be finished along with the next pair and then take more photos. My box is now full. By the end of the evening and the ninth episode of Traitors NZ I’d finished off pair 40, ends weaved in too. 40 weeks 40 pairs! Yarn has already been selected for the next pair, they’ll get started on the train tomorrow.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 broken handrail, 2nd coat, 1 very bored cat, 5 siblings, 1 dodgy alarm mended? 6 pairs of socks waiting to be posted.

Jobs Worth. 5th October

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We’d been warned about the trains going past, their wheels screeching, but it wasn’t much different to us than we’d had the previous night in Diggle. It was nice to wake to sunny skies, yellow warmth gradually lifting above the hills and casting its glow across the field opposite. Much better than alongside houses cutting out all the solar, how fortunate to be able to moor here until the locks open again.

To celebrate being back in Yorkshire and still having a boat we had a cooked breakfast. Then there were blog posts to get up to date. Sifting through 350 plus photos of the tunnel took plenty of time.

Our aim today was to wind the boat and come back so that I could get a lick of paint on the rusty patches on the port side grabrail. To do this we decided to wait for the tunnel trip boat to move up to the tunnel for the day, so we’d have more room to wind and not be in anyone’s way.

We were just dropping the covers when one of the volunteers across the way checked we were leaving. Well we planned on coming back facing the other way. “Oh but the trains are noisy here, the moorings above the lock are much quieter.” “It’s only a mooring to stop and have a cuppa after the tunnel there. It’s not a mooring. The moorings are half a mile away above the top lock.” ” You can’t moor there!” But we’d asked yesterday and been told we could stay. “Well they shouldn’t have told you that” “You’ll be in the way of boats wanting to use the tunnel tomorrow” Except there won’t be any boats as the locks are closed.

By now Mick was working himself up into a Geraghty strop. If we could carry on down the locks, we’d have already moved down to above the locks last night, but we couldn’t. The telephone conversation I’d had with the chap yesterday regarding the bridge suggested that we’d not be able to descend for a few days. Who knows how long it would take to make the bridge safe, maybe a day, maybe several and the chap we were currently talking to hadn’t known about it at all yesterday until we told him, all he’d wanted to do was sell us a second copy of the book on the tunnel we got last time (a good read by the way). Appointments for us next week mean we’ll not be available to move immediately. Yesterday we’d been told we could stay, we’d not gone into conserving water mode as there is a tap by the tunnel entrance we could use on an evening. If we went to the locks we’d have to reverse back half a mile to the tap. In the current circumstances it made sense to us to stay put. But no, no reason given, we had to move.

Should we see what the chap who’d called yesterday would say? No, we’d call Tunnel Control first as it was people there who’d said we could stay in the first place. Well that back fired as Mick got to talk to the same chap who wasn’t going to let us stay. Mick was never given a reason other than it’s not a mooring. Eventually the chap relented a touch so that we could stay until the tunnel trip boat was back on it’s mooring for the day, then we could top up on water before leaving.

I lifted the pan on the roof, at least that could have a coat of something, then I checked the other patches I’d started to prep on the starboard side grabrail last year but never finished. A touch of rust needed sanding back. Then I applied the first coat.

What to do with the rest of the day? Mick had already got us a Saturday newspaper. We needed a few supplies, so we walked into the village down the steep hill. Today both my knees were complaining after running the 100 meters two days ago, so the down hill took time.

**Maybe this would do for the do were going to**

A quick look round. Marsden Mechanics, sadly no Mikron shows on at the moment. A couple of charity shops, one with a fab dalek outfit in the window. Fruit and veg. Bakers. Fish and chips. Pubs. Co-op. We did a shop for something to eat this evening and checked what else they did in case we run out of preferred bits and bobs if we end up being here a while. Maybe a delivery would be required. Peel Street Social looked interesting and very popular as did a cafe on our way back to the boat.

**If only we could moor here! No where to bang a spike in though**

Back at Tunnel End the shuttle boat and trip boat were back on their moorings plugged in to charge up. We waited for the cafe to close before pushing over to top up with water and empty the yellow water tank. Then said a very quick goodbye as we pushed off to make our way to the top of the locks, where the mooring is.

Here Tilly would be allowed out. Here Tilly was not impressed, her PHD in mathematics was being put to the test trying to work out equations to get her jump correct to reach the top of the wall.

Another boat is moored here, the smoke from their chimney continuous, they also seem to be mid fit out with lots of banging and sawing. The trains are still noisy, not so squeaky, but it’s more the people coming and going from the trains on the Real Ale Trail that is very noisy. At least we’d been lucky enough to have one night on a lovely mooring.

0 locks, 65 ft reversed, 0.4 miles, 1st coat, 2nd for others, 1 walk, 1 steep hill, 2 painful knees, 1 miffed cat, 1 wall too high, 0 trees, 0 friendly cover, I thought we were in the Pennines! 1 Jobs worth requiring some customer relations skills, 2 padlocks, 1 sunny day.