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!
It’s sunny out. Can I go out?
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.
Stirring up the red
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.
Several shades of red
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.
Second coat of red and blue needed
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.
An exciting five minutes for Tilly
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.
Sewing
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.
Ready to hand over
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!
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.
New neighbours
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.
Same as yesterday
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 didn’t have a pint
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.
New Mill
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.
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.
A month old!
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.
Current location!
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.
Apples ready to bob
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.
Views
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!
Socks!
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.
Hopefully this is an easy fix
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.
An alarm. Breakfasted and some none boaty clothes on we set off to walk to Greenfield Station which was a bit behind us. Today we were going to the seaside. With split ticketing Mick had managed to get our fares at a reduced price, but it did mean that we had three tickets in each direction. One train to York where we had time to pop into Sainsburys to pick up something for lunch, that pack up I’d planned on hadn’t happened.
York Station
We’d left the Pennines in drizzly merk and whizzed through the Howardian Hills in sunshine. Opposite us sat a couple who referred to OS paper maps as we travelled. They obviously had quite a bit of knowledge of the journey, but were miles off where we actually were. Mick and I managed to stay quiet. The amount of water in the low lying fields was quite impressive. Small lakes had formed, the land had been marsh land way back when and after recent feral weather has returned to its former self.
The south bay
Where to have lunch? It was a touch breezy but we opted to walk down to the Town Hall and enjoy the view across the South Bay. The tide was coming in, a spring tide that had most probably cleared the entrance to the harbour at it’s lowest.
Show and Tell is the latest Alan Ayckbourn play, his 90th. We’ve had two of the company staying in the house for the last eight weeks and now we were on a convenient train line we’d decided to make the effort. A story of a man who plans a birthday present for his wife of a play performed in his own house. Alan describes the play as an homage the theatre. I suspect there are a few observations I made that others would not, were they intended by the playwrite? Or was my own experience being played on?
Interval medication
A very good afternoons entertainment. Out of the company of five actors I knew four and it was time to meet the fifth, Olivia, who’s been sleeping in our bed at the house. A cuppa with Bill and Olivia in the bar after the show and chance to say hello to Paul Kemp for the first time in decades. All the performances were great, Bill unnervingly looking like my Dad and Olivia having the role that initially reminded me of Evelyn in Absent Friends here’s hoping her career flourishes as Tamsin Outhwaite’s did.
Thank you Margaret.
A direct train called us back to the station and let the actors get on with their break between todays two shows. I managed to knit a heal and get part way up the leg of a sock as the world darkened around our train.
Tilly was a touch hungry. The stove relit and then an Indian takeaway ordered, very nice it was too. Far too much for one meal, the spare rice and spinach saved for tomorrow.
0 locks, 0 miles, 3 trains, 90th AA , 1 sea view picnic, 4 out of 5, 1 boat moved, 3 not 2, 2 mains 1 side, 2 glasses of wine, 1 very good day.
The rain started yesterday evening and I think it has been a constant for a least 24 hours. Our current schedule has days off built into it, but they are just about all spoken for. At least the wind had subsided a bit this morning.
We waited to see if the rain would ease. Maybe it would, maybe we’d get a soaking. An early lunch with hope of moving on afterwards. Waterproofs donned. Engine on. The yellow water needed emptying, that was none negotiable.
Mick came in doors, he’d been thinking, so had I. The rain was very big drops, after five minutes out there he’d got pretty soaked. The plan was to do 8 locks today, we’d be dripping wet before the second lock. Could we do an extra long day tomorrow instead? If the weather eased off then we’d head on, but we both knew that wouldn’t happen, even so we both kept our padded waterproof trousers on for much of the day.
Well that’s pants!
Tilly agreed, the weather was SO bad even I didn’t get to go out! You wouldn’t have got to go out anyway, we’re in a car park!
The day was spent doing a blog writing master class with Mick. Writing a post is one thing. Adding the photos, changing fonts to black and bold to make them easier to read is second nature to me now, but it all takes time.
Quality control.
In between giving guidance I watched A Million Little Pieces2018. A jolly little number about an addict who after injuring himself ends up in rehab, he falls in love and battles his past to save himself. As I say a jolly film, not. But good to knit in front of.
Ready for the oven
This evening (still raining), I had a go at my own version of the chicken, ham, leek dauphinoise pie I bought in Northwich the other week. It turned out pretty well, very tasty. Not too healthy, but then dauphinoise potatoes never have been with all that cream. Very indulgent and not a standard midweek meal and I did manage to use nearly every pan we have! I’ll write it up when I have time, and next time I’ll see what it’s like using soya cream instead to reduce the fat content.
Ready for our tummies
Mick had spied that a new series of The Traitors started tonight on BBC 3. It’s also available on demand, so that’s our viewing sorted for the next ten nights. But what a measly prize pot $70,000, that’s just over £33,000 a third of the UK prize pot!
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 wet Mick, 1 dry Pip, 1 dry Tilly, 1 very nice meal, 1 long day tomorrow, 1st NZ season, it’s not the same without a castle!
Quarter of an hour earlier than of late we managed to push off, a small achievement but at least it was in the right direction.
Trees trees trees
Once down the Marple flight the Peak Forest Canal is just flat, there are two tunnels and a lift bridge for a bit of interest, but no locks. We pootled along, tunnel mode engaged for Hyde Bank Tunnel all 308 yards of it. I then bobbed below to give Tilly’s pooh box a refresh as I could tell she was desperate to go, wanted to use shore based facilities, wouldn’t be allowed onto the outside, her pooh box smelt! I can tell these things easier now I spend half an hour every day at her level on the floor!
A touch of autumnal knitting at the stern as we made our way along the tree lined canal. At Woodley Tunnel a Dad was cycling with his two kids along the towpath which goes through the tunnel. His daughter wasn’t peddling, just pushing herself along with both feet, making her Dad’s progress behind quite difficult. As soon as we passed there was no light in the tunnel and the daughter really wasn’t happy! I’m not sure how Dad coped with it all, I suspect the easiest way would have been to reverse out of the tunnel, but his son was way ahead. I hope next time they’ll equip their bikes with lights!
A rounder O would have helped
Past Joseph Adamson and Co, Est 1885. I wonder if originally they had planned for a rounder O than was used Or was the company actually Jo Seph Adamson and Co?
Under a couple of roving bridges. One with metal sides. Going under this it looked like the bridge has been expanded several times, I think we counted five different archways
Under the M67
The next bridge was under the M67, I think this is just about as close as we can get to Fallowfield where my nephew Josh is currently living at Manchester University. 5.3 miles as the crow flies.
Lifted just enough to get under
Who would wind up the lift bridge? I remember doing so on a hire boat, this I’m pretty sure would have been the first lift bridge I ever worked, unless I got the job on the Llangollen way back when! First thing was to remember what would be needed to unlock it, a handcuff key, not a Key of Power! I remember making the same mistake last time. 31 turns up and 21 down, it was hard work, maybe I’m loosing all my windlass lasspower.
I suppose it’ll do!
We pulled in a short distance on, enough outside before the drop down to the River Tame for Tilly to have some shore leave and not too close to the railway bridge. Before sitting down for lunch I gave the nettles along the bank a trim, intentions to do more to the grabrail.
Over lunch it decided to rain, this along with the bank not being right alongside Oleanna put me off getting the attachment of doom out to grind back the rusty bits. I just hope that I get a suitable mooring and suitable weather to get more done to them and the mushroom vent before too long.
Ashton Old Baths
A walk up to Lidl then Asda to do a ‘just in case’ Sunday roast shop and to buy a newspaper in the wet kept us busy. Three buildings caught our attention. The first not very architecturally significant, Ashton Primary Care Centre. This is where nine years ago a lovely nurse practitioner redressed my missing finger despite them not being allowed to do such things.
What lies inside the old baths
Next was Ashton Old Baths. Opened in the 1870s, Ashton Old Baths is one of the finest example of a former public swimming baths in the North of England. The building has housed concerts, held tennis matches and closed in 1975, the building remained derelict for 40 years until Tameside Council and Oxford Innovation decided to reinvent the space for the digital age. It’s a grand Victorian building from the outside, inside it holds a wooden pod. More info can be found here.
Cavendish Mill
The other building is Cavendish Mill a former cotton spinning mill. It was built between 1884 and 1885 to a fireproof design and was the first mill in Ashton to be built with concrete floors and a flat roof. What stands out though is it’s octagonal staircase around the base of the chimney. The mill ceased spinning cotton in 1934, then was used for various purposes until it was converted into housing in 1994.
0 locks, 6.4 miles,1 lift bridge, 2 tunnels, 1 great looking outside, 1 mediocre outside, 2 many woofers, 1 plan postponed, 1 Sunday roast purchased just in case, 1 dormant pizza boat neighbour.
A late morning waking up, it must have been all that sea air. No time for a cuppa in bed, we’d places to go, a new outside to tie up for Tilly. But it was raining! It had been dry virtually all the time Mick was away, now it just rains! Radar checked, it might be dry by 11:30. Time to edit more socks.
Old Hovis Mill
By 11:45 we were bored of waiting and made ready to push off, full winter waterproofs today, have to say I prefer my padded waterproof trousers , my summer ones need replacing. Through a couple of bridges to the water point by the C&RT yard. Here we could also empty the yellow water into our big container ready for an elsan. It rained.
Now how far would we get along the summit pound. Our aim was not far from Marple, but would we last that long? Thankfully the rain started to ease and with a locker lid mopped down I had somewhere to sit down.
Lovely bridge
One boat on the Macclesfield pontoon with a git gap in front of it! The pontoon isn’t straight so maybe they didn’t feel the need to nudge up as maybe there wouldn’t be enough room for one behind. Onwards towards Bollington. Under Bridge 29, a roving bridge which is always picturesque even if you can’t fit it all in the frame. Up on the hillside I could see a tower, I zoomed in. WC in it’s brickwork at the top a little white door next to it. Just what could it be. Mick checked the OS map and nothing was obvious. Was it a folly, a water tower, a ventilation shaft, a toilet?
What is it?
On an old 1923 map the hillside shows several quarries and Turret Cottages, the tower had turrets. The cottages, now three, used to be two cottages, a smithy and an explosives store. More info can be found on the Happy Valley website Sadly I can’t find anything about the tower.
Click photo for details
Under Bridge 28. The house right by the bridge for sale. This is where the Bollington zoo commences. Giant turtles, Crocodiles, Gorilla, a Panda and her baby, Giraffes everywhere if you look hard enough through the town.
Opposite the Adelphi Mill is Bollington Wharf the home to NB Alton the coal boat. Paul must have just stoked the back cabin stove as it wasn’t being a very good advert for the smokeless fuel! We waved and said hello to Brian and Ann-Marie busy filling the back of a van with 20 litres containers of red diesel, these most probably headed to boats in the area but not reachable on Alton.
Clarence Mill
The embankment would have had room for just one more boat, but we weren’t anywhere near ready to stop for the day. Earlier in the year the embankment sprung a leak. Clay was puddled a couple of times to stop the water escaping. New stop planks sit close to bridges either end of the embankment, just in case.
Curves on an angle
Past Clarence Mill where we slightly spooked a hire boat coming towards us. Then on under the wonderful Sugar Lane Bridge 26, built on a skew but retaining all the curvy attributes of the Macclesfield Bridges.
Past Lime View Marina. Would the same boats still be there? Was there still a phone in a pramhood, yes! The hedge alongside the towpath a touch too leafy to be able to see across towards Stockport. At last the Blue Boat, NB Jubilee Bridge whom we’d met on the Huddersfield Narrow back in our yellow days on NB Lillyanne.
That’s my Boat!
Hang on! That boat, it’s mine! Well it’s got my name on it. Handy size for a theatre designers studio and it has a stove too. I wonder how many feet long it is? Wouldn’t need the outboard if we towed it. Hmmm.
Click photo
A modern house is for sale overlooking the canal on the way into Poynton. A boat had just pulled up on the water point, taking their time in tying up. We wanted to drop off our rubbish, hoping that the bins were still there on the way to the car park. They were. So was the little conveyor belt in Bailey’s Trading Post that we’d seen back in 2020. Three boats nestled together behind the arched bridge at Braidbar Boats, two new boats being fitted out for excited boaters, the other we’ve seen about.
Exciting times for someone
The wind was building up, rain couldn’t be far behind. Should we pull in opposite the moorings where the Del Boy boat now resides. The fencing now just about Tilly proof would stop her from getting lost for hours, but might not leave her with enough interest. Onwards that bit further and a space showed itself before Bullocks Bridge. We slotted in playing dog shit hopscotch as we tied up.
One job left to do, light the stove, we’d gradually got colder and colder outside, time to get Oleanna all cosy again.
Obligatory
I mastered some popcorn bobbles on pair 39 of my socks, these look a touch like autumnal berries. Unfortunately when I’d got so far with this pair I’d checked my gauge and it all seemed a touch too big, so I’d reduced my stitch count to four less. Now it was finished it seemed to have shrunk! I should have stuck to my instinct and kept the extra 4 stiches. Well at least it will allow me to add in a red line or two to help tie in the berries better when I re-knit the first sock tomorrow!
0 locks, 8.3 miles, 1 hour short of planned mooring, 1 full water tank, 1 Pip boat, 1 better than expected day, 2 hours, only 1 taken, 1 Tilly proof fence, 20 x 20 litres, 1 smoking boat.
Tilly had the right idea this morning. I then had a better one.
To help use up some yoghurt I hunted out a recipe for some pancakes. It sounded good, light fluffy pancakes made with yoghurt, eggs and gf flour. I added in some blueberries too. They were nice, but I wouldn’t say they puffed up that much to be classed as fluffy though.
Yoghurt pancakes
More sock editing, by the end of the day I’d managed to get half way through the photos, reducing the space they use up to about a fifth. I’ve also added apage to start showing off the socks I’ve knitted. This will gradually get added to, as and when I have the time.
Thank you John
I considered walking into Macclesfield to have a look round, but that would have meant a walk down a hill, to then walk up a hill, then the same on the return. My left knee suggested that my time would be better spent editing photos instead.
Quite a few boats have come past today, plenty of hire boats doing the Cheshire Ring, all bundled up to keep warm.
The ash bucket was moved to the stern of Oleanna for ease of access and the fire lit. Tilly only popped out a couple of times today then she just settled down on the sofa, being cosy. Much better than having an altercation over who the towpath belongs to with another boat cat two bows away. I’m sharing it nicely with them today as you suggested.
The wetness returns
Mick’s train journey was a lot easier back from the south coast, this time via London, his final train arriving back into Macclesfield 7 minutes late. He managed to bring back the rain with him and some strong winds that make the nappy pin on the cruiser in front squeak in a really annoying way! I think tomorrow we’ll have to move on.
Left over campfire stew tonight with mashed potato. Just as nice as it was first time.
0 locks, 0 miles,10 more socks edited, 9 added to the blog, 357 photos deleted, 1 stove lit, 1 Mick home, 7 minutes late, 1 handy mini glass dome for model making, 1 rainy evening.
1 An outside that Tilly hopefully wouldn’t use up within one afternoon.
2 Somewhere not too far away from civilisation and shops to keep me occupied should I need supplies.
3 Near to a train station for Mick. Bollington had been considered but that would have meant a bus ride, here was just a walk down the hill to Macclesfield Station.
Monday.
Mick packed a bag after breakfast, then checked the status of his train, a direct service to Southampton. It was cancelled! Thankfully there was a train an hour earlier, so the packing had to be a touch quicker and off he went. Thankfully Tilly was far too busy to follow him along the towpath.
Here she comes
His trip? A belated 65th Birthday present from Marion and John, a days cruise around the Isle of Wight on the PS Waverley. Last year they had been booked on a trip from Portsmouth, but a storm meant it was cancelled and the PS Waverley ran away around the coast before the winds arrived. He is under instruction to take photos, even been sent with my camera, I’m hoping he’ll write a post about it.
Why haven’t I gone too? I don’t like lumpy water and the thought of being on a boat that might be lumping around all day is something I simply wouldn’t enjoy, I’d feel quite trapped, so I’ve opted to stay on board with Tilly.
All stocked up.
My main job today was to wait for NB Alton to arrive. Out on their fortnightly run along the summit pound, we’d placed an order for some coal and a diesel top up. At 1:30 I heard the hooter as they came under Holland’s Bridge. Brian at the helm and Paul lugging the coal about. 2 bags on the roof and one in the well deck. Then they moved up to top us up on diesel, £1.04. Good to see Brian out on NB Alton, it’s always good to support the coal boats.
My knees were complaining today after working the locks on Saturday, but I managed a walk to the nearest post box and then around the block before returning to get on with some knitting. Pair of socks 38 had the top finished off. Yarn for pair 39 was selected, Autumn Golds. I may add some berries to them too as up on the Macc the trees are filled with them at the moment.
Golds
The afternoon was spent knitting in front of On The Basis Of Sex 2018. A film based on the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg who was the second woman to serve as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. She specialised in sex discrimination and the law, and takes on a case where a man was unfairly discriminated against because of his sex in a tax case. If she won then the case could be used as precedent challenging laws that discriminate against women.
Tilly did a good job of keeping my knees nice and warm. It’s a very important job
Tuesday.
Mick was guaranteed to be having a cooked breakfast in his hotel this morning, so to be fair to myself I cooked some mushrooms on toast, very nice they were too. This was to give me enough energy to start weeding out photos. Our storage is constantly filled, so some time editing photos was needed.
I didn’t need lunch today
Long gone are those days when you took a camera on holiday with you, a roll of film, maybe two if you could afford it. 36 frames if you were extra flush. Photo opportunities had to be considered, you couldn’t go wasting that film or flash cubes! Twelve years ago I took it upon myself to scan all my Dad’s slides and I was surprised at how few were rubbish! Maybe he’d wheedled them out, but knowing him they would have been there to keep the numbering system correct. I had to edit them, so scanned any with people and places that meant things to Andrew and myself. This gives us a wonderful resource to look back on when ever we want without having to arrange a dinner party, dig out the projector and a screen, then spend hours sorting the slides into order (that’s where the numbering system came in).
Now we have digital cameras, phones, all so easy to press the button three four times to get that one good shot. On a day like today I’ll take just a handful of photos, but on big days when ascending the Anderton Boat Lift I took getting on for 120, the night time flotilla on the Thames, well it could have been 3 to 400! As I go through them I edit out the bad ones, but there is more editing needed. Mick has already moved a couple of years of boating photos to a different Onedrive as we keep reaching our storage limit and we don’t want to pay for more space.
Socks socks sock coming out of my ears!
I had an idea when I started this years sockathon, a means of showing all the socks off. So as I finish a pair they need recording. Not just one photo, but several, hopefully one day I’ll find enough time to compile them all together. So I have a LOT of photos of socks, several of each. Today I sat down thinking I’d manage to get through the big folder and make it considerably smaller. Well after 4 hours of auditioning photos, I needed a walk.
The Old Hovis Mill
Along the canal, past the Old Hovis Mill and the basin. The collapsed wall just by Black Road Bridge has been rebuilt, for years the rubble of the wall lay across the closed towpath. Now open, but big cracks are showing, it looks like someone has hoped that adding more mortar in places will help. I fear it’s only a matter of time before big chunks collapse again.
Not looking so cleaver
The pontoon moorings were full. I turned up Buxton Road to walk to the Co-op. A few new shops/cafes/bakery. Tommys Bar and Pizza looked interesting even though there was a big shutter behind the windows. Then a couple of doors up was Early Bird Bakes. Not open today and sadly they are unlikely to sell anything for me, but it looked very interesting. They are open four days a week and their bread takes 48 hours to make, lots of tasty sounding pastry labels sat on the empty shelves. I suspect it’s a place well worth a visit if you come this way.
Maple Pecan Buns!
This evening I’ve had a go at stuffing some peppers. The outcome was tasty, but I should have got the peppers cooking before I stuffed them! Next time! There’s two left over for lunch in the next couple of days too.
Reports from the south coast came through all day. Lots of every exciting things to look at, an hour of lumpy water, I was right not to go. I could track PS Waverley as it made it’s way round the Isle of Wight, even visiting a garden in Portsmouth!
By the end of the day I think I’d achieved editing 1/3rd of my sock photos. Guess what I’ll be doing tomorrow?
Cheryl’s socks
As a reward I turned on The Great British Bake Off, it must be autumn. Maybe I should have a go at the technical challenges each week as I’m not going to be busy with panto this year. But maybe our waistlines would like it too much!
0 locks, 0 miles, 2 sausage days, 0 one told me they were sausage days!!!! 79 litres, 3 bags coal, 2 short walks, 253 photos of socks down to 74, 53347279 left to edit.
Turning my phone on this morning I came across two messages, both about rendez vous. I was expecting one, but not the other. Location and planned route were passed on to one, and current location to the other. No time for a full cuppa in bed this morning, we were about to meet up with NB Cobweb. Last night they were moored only a mile away and Vicki was checking to see if we were still on the Weaver as they were heading that way.
Dribble!
Tilly was allowed some shore leave whilst I washed the Fertan off the grabrail and roof. Fertan does the job, but it can also leave a horrible streaky mess! The dew this morning had done it’s worst! Maybe some Bar Keepers Friend will help.
At last the boats and owners get to meet up
One of our neighbours moved off a short while before NB Cobweb arrived, perfect. Vicki and David have had NB Cobweb for a couple of years now, we passed the boat last year on the Leeds Liverpool, but no-one was on board. Vicki used to work front of house at the SJT in Scarborough, her daughter was also part of the youth group Rounders, she is now a very talented musician. Early last year there had been a comment made about the annoying Princess Ann’s swing bridge in Thorne on Facebook, I noticed a reply from Vicki who was moored in Thorne at the time, they were preparing to move aboard. Well we’ve been trying to meet up since and Vicki had sponsored a pair of socks, which I’ve been hanging onto in case our bows crossed.
Socks handed over
After about an hour of chatting it was time for both of us to move on. They hoped to be on the boat lift this afternoon and we hoped to be through Middlewich. Good to see you Vicki, enjoy the Weaver and yes we’ll meet up for a drink when we’re all back in Scarborough this winter.
Approaching Big Lock
It was nearly midday when we pushed off. Back towards Middlewich, two boats just entering Big Lock. I went up for a chat with Sabrina as the lock finished, at last we’ve met and not just given each other a wave as one of us has passed. Once we’d risen ourselves we pulled in as close to the little Tescos as we could, a few items required and it was time for lunch.
Lots of water coming down
As ever through Middlewich we timed our departure ten minutes late, the bottom lock of the three was over topping as a boat was coming down the lock above and we were in a queue with Baked Onboard the Pizza boat in front of us. At least we’d not been another five minutes later as there were now another two boats behind us.
Up she comes
No volunteers in sight, but the lady from the boat behind came up and helped. I worked the locks, wimping out of turning the corner. We helped the pizza boat up, then she helped us up the first lock. We swapped with another boat coming down at the corner, and then once we were up the three we lifted a paddle for the boat behind.
Reaching the junction
The junction wasn’t as busy as ten days ago and King’s Lock only needed a touch of emptying before we could go in. Our chosen route back to Yorkshire would be back up the Cheshire Locks.
Kings Lock in the sunshine
We soon found we were following a hire boat who were following a single hander, the going was a touch slow. At Lock 67 I went up to set it for us and chatted to the hire boat. They didn’t want to start up the Cheshire Locks today so were looking for a suitable mooring, I suggested where we’d be pulling in and a couple more places before Wheelock.
Following
A young girl was busy asking Mick questions, she came to see how the lock worked, it was scary! But it was still way more interesting than watching her family fishing just above the lock. She also helped with the gates which was great.
Two different fonts and dribbly
One day, when I’ve retired from boating, I would like the job of repainting the numbers on lock beams. It feels as if each canal used to have a style of numbers, but as you can see on the lock at Middlewich that style has now become a dribbly mess. In comparison the faded number at lock 67 is just wonderful.
I love the faded one on the left
We pootled on back to the moorings after Rookery Railway Bridges, the hire boat had already pulled in there. Tilly was miffed as it was already after cat curfew time!
9 locks, 6.8 miles, 1 straight on, pair 33 handed over, 1 hour apart, 20 years ago, 0 volunteers, 0 free pizza for helping, 1 long day, 1 miffed cat.
