Category Archives: Leeds Liverpool Canal

In The Footsteps Of Barry. 19th May

Hirst Lock to Keighley Golf Club

Pitter patter on the roof this morning, rain! No choice but to get moving though as we wanted to ascend Bingley this morning. Passages up and down the five and three rise happen twice a day with the assistance of Lock Keepers so arriving before 10am would be a good thing.

First we had Hirst Lock. These locks are a lot kinder when shared, but nobody else was on the move. The woods round these parts must have been spectacular a couple of weeks ago, a haze of bluebells, sadly now past their best. Maybe next time we’ll cruise the L&L in early May to catch them.

A cat sat watching us as we arrived at Dowley Gap Two Rise. The top chamber required topping up and the bottom emptying. There was a lot of walking round to be done.

Now the weather was drying up and we pootled along to the bottom of Bingley. We wondered what this stretch looked like before the A650 and railway were hemmed in by the 1980’s looking stone walls and before the railway existed. Just after we’d pulled up joining three other boats a steam train came past, shooting it’s smoke high above the walls (from Carnforth, heading to York).

One boat was descending as I popped up to say Good Morning to the Lock Keeper. He was pleased we’d be making a second pair, pairs are easier in the locks. A chap from the hire boat we’d be sharing with asked if we’d be going up straight after the two lead boats, because theoretically they could have three pairs in the Three Rise at once. Well no you couldn’t as the following boat would have to steal the water from the boat ahead. So you need to leave a chamber in between uphill boats.

It took Oleanna 22 minutes to rise up the Three Rise. The Lock Keeper setting ahead and a jolly volunteer keeping an eye on paddle winding. At Bingley you need to take note of what the Lock Keepers say, conserving water is one thing, but keeping your boat safe is another. It took a while for the chap from the hire boat to understand that you shouldn’t just open paddles, a close eye on bows and sterns were required before another two turns could be made.

The pound between the Three and Five seemed low, but there was just enough water to get us in line below the Five. The bottom lock was emptied for the lead boats then the Lock Keepers headed up the flight to get the upper chambers ready, each one filled ready to be emptied into the next one.

Tilly sat in the window to admire the view, well the sideways view was of rather good looking trees!

I headed up to reset the bottom chamber, getting to walk up the side Barry (the renowned Lock Keeper) used to inhabit. The bywash at the bottom having moments of gushing water as chambers filled and over spilled above us. The lead boat was assisted up the staircase by the Lock Keeper whilst the lady volunteer assisted us. A pause at one point as the gates into the second chamber ahead hadn’t quite closed for us to empty the one in between. Water cascaded over the top of gates, the Lock Keeper ran round, the bywash below gushed again. We paused a while to let them get ahead of us.

Thankfully we’d recalled a Lockie a few years ago suggesting to have our cratch cover closed due to leaky gates, helping to deflect the water away from the welldeck. We know of one boat this year that has turned around due to so much water spraying over their tug deck, this was before they got to the Three and Five Rises.

Oleanna and the hire boat would enter each chamber far enough for the bottom gates to be closed and then nestle back towards the bottom gates. Despite this the roof of the hire boat was a third wet and water rushed down along the sides of the grab rail, nowhere for the water to drain other than right down to the stern, causing two waterfalls one each side of the stern bulkhead.

At Bingley there are four seasonal Lock Keepers (2 of which share a job). The Lockie chatted about the seasonal staff in Leeds and the difficulties they were having recruiting this year. From last year one chap has retired, another hasn’t returned due to ill health, the third one, well lets just say there are still people out there who don’t respect Lock Keepers as they should.

As we reached the top chamber it was time to put waterproofs back on as the sky turned black, thankfully we didn’t get too wet before the swing bridge was swung for us to leave the top of the Five, fifty minutes after entering the bottom.

We’d thought about filling with water, but the tap by the café was being used and the hire boat wanted to top up, we’d last til Skipton. Now to find a mooring, suitable for Tilly and in time for Mick to have another important phone call.

Micklethwait Swing Bridge has had an upgrade since we last came through and had to call for assistance. A raised platform with a small pedestal with Open and Close buttons. Other bridges didn’t have such good sight lines so a quick walk from checking the road to the pedestal was needed before more traffic came.

Cygnets, new houses, the views across to Keighley. A splash of serious colour from two rhododendron bushes in a garden made us hope that we’d timed our arrival along this stretch to perfection. Sadly we’re at least two weeks too early for the masses of rhododendrons to be in full flower. Maybe next time we come this way we’ll have to do it in early June!

More swing bridges, one operated by a hire boat, another by C&RT as they were in the middle of replacing the post it gets secured to.

We passed the Piano Boat, a raft comprising of all sorts that the owner bow hauls along the L&L. A peek in through one of the bay windows revealed a drum kit.

We’d thought of mooring near Riddlesdon, but that was too close to roads for Tilly. Onwards to where we thought we’d moored before, but sadly we were too deep to pull in close enough to the bank. Onwards pulling in to try time after time, Mick’s arranged phone call getting closer and closer all the time.

Booths Swing Bridge has always been hard to secure in position. Today it had been left a few feet from where it should be, no chance of securing it. I tried to give it a push. Nothing! Was this the bridge our locking partners out from Leeds had mentioned that you needed to jump on the opposite corner to help get it moving. I jumped and tried again. Nothing! I enlisted Mick to come and do the jumping and sure enough this helped greatly to get it going, phew!

A short distance onwards we tried pulling in again. The depth not our friend, but this would do for the time being, for lunch and Mick’s phone call. Mick hopped off to bang spikes in.

Where were the bow spikes? I normally leave them sticking out from a spare pooh bucket. They weren’t there. Ohh! We both realised what must have happened. This morning I’d untied the bow and thrown the rope to Mick as the bow was quite a way from the bank. I’d then headed off to set the lock and Mick had been more occupied with the position of the bow rope so I wouldn’t have to stoop to get it, he’d forgotten to pick up the spikes and the good hammer. So if you are now the new owner of two spikes and a yellow hammer may they serve you well. Luckily we have spares, but will need to get replacement ones for when this happens again. Maybe a visit to a chandlers for Mick’s birthday is needed!

Tilly headed off to check on the golfers below as we had lunch and then Mick’s phone rang bang on time. Tomorrow is Mick’s birthday, he will now be of an age where he will receive his private pension. A small one he’d been getting for a few years had suddenly had a boost, he checked this with the person on the phone, the new amount was correct, what a lovely birthday bonus.

During the afternoon I watched Encanto, a Disney film set in Columbia. The settings pretty much spot on with my reference photos I’d collected. The music was very catchy, even Mick was tapping his toes.

Then a spot of secret baking. A new recipe for a chocolate fudge cake from a book I got at Christmas. I omitted to add the 70ml of milk, and when I realised my mistake it was already starting to rise, so I let it be. Within ten minutes I could smell that it was cooking well and needed to be covered in foil as the top had caught! Was it the amount of sugar in it? Was it that our oven has decided to be a touch too hot? I’m sure it’ll be edible though, fingers crossed!

11 locks, 3 staircases, 11 bridges, 1 left open, 25 held up, 1 wet start, 2 shallow, 2 boaters jumping on bridges, 2 late for bluebells, 2 early for rhododendrons, -2 spikes, -1 mallet, 1 very dark chocolate cake!

https://goo.gl/maps/NCsXFmiFCfAZnzud9

First Floor, No Thanks! 18th May

Calveley Lodge Swing Bridge to Hirst Lock.

Alarm required today as we’d need to be making another early start, however today we allowed ourselves to have breakfast before pushing off.

The road was busy at Millman Swing Bridge, but I think it always is. I put the key of power into the pedestal, waited for a gap in traffic then pressed and held the ‘Open’ button. Once Oleanna was through I pressed and held the ‘Close’ button, we were through in a jiffy. What a good design of bridge unlike Moss Swing Bridge yesterday!

I walked on to Dobson Two Rise locks and started to set it for us, the towpath pawl on the bottom gate paddle wasn’t making any contact with the cog so I had to let it close so that I could check the upper chamber, the offside one worked, emptying the chamber. As I was walking back down a group of volunteers in blue arrived from litter picking. I was asked if I’d like some help, I then asked which side of the lock was best to use, the near side was the answer as the ground paddles on the other side are VERY stiff.

Conversation with the volunteers obviously turned to Moss Swing Bridge. Just about everyone has complained about it. Apparently C&RT are collecting together the complaints to hand over to the company who own it to try to get things improved. We’ll be adding our complaint to the many, hopefully something will happen.

With one volunteer watching, Oleanna gently rose up the staircase of two, we then paused to fill with water and dispose of our rubbish, the skip having just been emptied. The water tap was slow so we gave up when we were three quarters full, we’ll finish it above Bingley.

Next Mitchell Swing Bridge which had a problem a few days ago being stuck half open. C&RT had been out and got it moving again, however it was soo stiff I had to enlist Mick to give it a push from the towpath side, thankfully that worked.

I held a Yorkshire Water van up at the next bridge having just let one van through. The chap didn’t seem too bothered.

We’d been told back at Dobson Two that there would be volunteers on at Field Three Rise and sure enough there was. Three volunteers who were trimming edges and cutting the grass, then there was an employee who was jet washing the stonework and lock beams. This lock has always felt a little bit left out to me. Being close to the sewage works, not the picturesque Dobson Two or close to Saltaire. Admittedly it’s normally raining when we come through so that won’t help with appearances. Once the jetwashing is done it will look lovely.

Three more swing bridges to go today. Dock Swing Bridge used to have to be wound round, I enlisted Mick to do that for us in 2014. Now it all operates by pushing two buttons.

As we passed the boat yard by the junction where the Bradford Canal used to join the L&L a narrowboat was in mid flight about to be put back in the water. The chap giving instructions to the crane driver asked if we’d like a first floor adding to our boat. We declined as we’d not make it through bridge holes further on.

There was nowhere to stop in Shipley, all moorings taken.

Then through Saltaire. The obligatory photo taken.

Would the mooring above Hirst Lock be free? Or should we join a few other boats moored alongside the sport fields? I walked up to check, there was a boat. Maybe we could get in behind it and bang spikes in, but I remembered the earth to be minimum and stone blocks lurking beneath. We opted to reverse to a short length of armco where we got in, just about.

Time for a quick lunch before Mick had an important phone call to answer and another to make. I got on with collating reference photos for panto before I had a zoom meeting with John the Director and Gemma the Production Manager.

Unfortunately the internet in Saltaire isn’t too brilliant, so I kept dropping out. But ideas were exchanged, logistics talked about, future meetings set, hopefully for when we’ll be passing near by. Maybe we’ll be setting the alarm clock most days and try to moor up for lunch so that I can work the afternoons and Tilly can head of into the undergrowth to explore. Another early start tomorrow so we can arrive at Bingley in good time.

5 locks, 7 miles, 7 bridges, 29 held up at least, 6 volunteers, 0.75 filled with water, 0 rubbish, 3 decisions made, 1.5 hours of panto chat, 5 hours shore leave, 200ml of double cream, chocolate ganache can now be made.

https://goo.gl/maps/prXAmiFWeE4QgCTQ6

Our Verdict. Absolutely Ridiculous! 17th May

Granary Wharf to Calverley Lodge Swing Bridge 215

The alarm wasn’t needed today as we’d been woken by glass bottles being showered into a recycling wagon. Up, dressed, cup of tea drunk whilst rolling up the covers. At 6am we could see that our locking partners were awake, then someone came and untied the bow rope. We sprung into action, well as much action as you can muster at that time in the morning! Their crew had already set Office Lock, I hopped off to lend a hand. Between the two boats we had six crew.

Libby and Karl have hired numerous times before and had been joined for the week by novices Mark and Sarah. It turned out that we had quite a bit in common, such as Scarborough, Windermere and boats of course.

The morning started off chilly, fleeces and jumpers required, but working the locks the layers gradually were removed. As we worked our way uphill numerous runners pounded the towpath. Ground paddles were stiff requiring repositioning of windlasses. Gates over grown with greenery and stiff. Oddy Two Rise the gates wouldn’t open fully, I think I remember that from last time. But with four people to work the locks we had most things covered and worked efficiently.

After Spring Garden Lock we had the a long pound to cruise, time for breakfast on the move. Tilly below deck was excited to be moving. They kept moving all those fantastic looking trees. Don’t they realise I’ve not had a challenging tree to climb for months! She shouted and shouted at me, so keeping hold of her I opened the stern doors so she could see that we were moving the outside! Tom was very busy!

Then at Kirkstall Little Lock we ground to a halt. Here the locks are padlocked shut before 08:00 and after 15:00 daily. We’d arrived at 08:10 and the padlocks were still very much locked. From past experience one Lock Keeper has the job of unlocking this and the next two staircase locks, so they obviously start at one and work their way down. We waited, we could have had a more extensive breakfast, we waited.

At 9:00 Mick called C&RT and was on the phone to someone just as a blue van arrived. C&RT usually have seasonal Lock Keepers, but none had returned this year, so interviews are on going to find new people, leaving a couple of chaps to pick up the van and then unlock locks, then deal with work boats on the move and other things. The chap unlocked everything for us and said he’d try to get the other Lockie to set the staircases ahead for us.

Forge Three Rise needed the bottom emptying and the top chamber topping up. The stonework on these locks is just wonderful. Curves between chambers. Spillways all engineered in. Bywashes, thankfully all running today, flowing with clean water. We worked our way up. Bottom gates leaking and spraying over the bows of both boats. Once the bottom gates were closed Mick and Karl moved the boats back to avoid the worst of the torrents.

Under my Bridge, the first P just starting to fade a touch now. The Lockie met us part way, there had been something jammed in a gate paddle on Newlay Three Rise, he’d managed to sort it but didn’t want us to use that paddle as we rose. The last of the locks for us today.

Now the start of the swing bridges. Rose Mill Swing Bridge was nice and easy doing just what it should. NB Burnsall headed onwards to Bridge 218, Moss Swing Bridge! We have history with this bridge, back in 2014 it had expanded in the heat and wouldn’t open, a tractor was sent to assist. Today a tractor wouldn’t be needed as the bridge has been replaced and is causing somewhat of a consternation on the Leeds Liverpool Canal and the local area. It also seems to have had a name change to Aire Dale Mills Swing Bridge! However everyone is still calling it Moss Swing Bridge.

Here’s a list of articles if you fancy reading them

Article in West Leeds Dispatch

More a week later

Yorkshire Evening Post

Yorkshire Post

Not owned by C&RT, it is privately owned by Rodley Bridge Company (Emergency phone number 08000114074 you may need this number one day!)

Mick had had to pause to clear the prop, but as he arrived Mark and Sarah were at the bridge along with a chap who has been employed to assist boaters in the correct operation of the bridge. Sarah filmed and I took photos.

There is a large sign with instructions, the first four stages you need to follow are on the control console. First you unlock the cabinet, not unusual for those of us used to the Stainforth and Keadby Canal swing bridges. Inside you follow the steps to set the barriers in motion by pushing buttons. Once they are lowered you then have to remove the bridge key and insert it into the Bridge Wedge release handle lock rotating it clockwise. Then you move the locking lever to release the bridge, this is a 90degree bent metal rod. I’m not sure how you Ensure the handle is fully retracted and pins fully withdrawn.

It seems that you have to keep hold of the lever for a while as you start to turn the wheel which removed the wedges. You then keep turning the wheel for around about 70 turns until it will move no more.

Walk across the bridge to the other side. Here you lift the tail lock catch (because we all know what one of those is!) and rotate clockwise to sit on the holding bracket. This is another 90degree bent bit of rod.

Then you turn the wheel at this end of the bridge to swing it. I don’t know how many turns this takes. Some people say 100. Mark looked relieved when it was finally open and he could have a rest before reversing the whole procedure. If you forget to return the tail lock catch to where it had been at the start then you won’t be going anywhere, neither will be the vehicles wanting to cross the bridge.

Once you’ve wound the wheel back to relocate the wedges you then return the big fat key to the control console, press buttons and hope that they don’t flash at you.

The chap employed to assist boaters seems to be well known by the locals. He is there from 8am to 3pm when he takes the protruding handles away with him. He will only be on site for a few more weeks when apparently some new handles will be attached, or you’ll have to turn the wheels as you do on the River Nene locks!

Mark was keen to operate the bridge today even though he’d had a go yesterday. From putting his C&RT key into the lock and removing it it was just over 10 minutes. I was very relieved it wasn’t me trying to work out what the instructions meant and turning and turning the wheels. It will be just about impossible for single handers to operate the bridge, the instructions say that the bridge operator to remain in position throughout navigation movements, so you can’t move your boat anyway!

Not all the bridges on the Leeds Liverpool are easy, some are buggers, but this bridge (designed to withstand lorries going to a building site) is plain ridiculous! During morning hours when the bridge is most likely to be operated by boaters heading into Leeds the home owners will be wanting to head to work. Whether it’s 67 or 72 properties in the new development that is a lot of potential cars wanting to cross the bridge. I see horns being sounded. Should an ambulance or fire engine be required in the development it takes time to turn those wheels. The cardiovascular exercise to operate it is well breath taking. I think it is likely to put some people off cruising the Leeds Liverpool.

Verdict. Ridiculous!

**Rodley Swing Bridge opened with smiles**

Anyway. Mark and Sarah went ahead to open the lovely Rodley Swing Bridge then I took my turn at Owl Swing Bridge. Here we parted ways as we were looking for a mooring and they were wanting to get close to Saltaire to have a look round tomorrow. Thank you for your company this morning and especially to Mark for working the stupid bridge.

We carried on to where the green fields stretch out below Calverley. It took a while for us to be happy not being quite into the side.

A sausage roll day!!! 6 hours!!! Brilliant!!! I made sure I did my rolling on the towpath so it knew it was mine, all mine. We didn’t see her for ages at a time, but the Dreamie container will require a refill soon.

**Don’t you come home until you’ve had a bath!**

Bolognaise sauce is bubbling away on the stove and I suspect we won’t be late to bed this evening. Another earlyish start tomorrow.

12 locks, 3 staircases, 6.8 miles, 4 swing bridges, 5 held up, 6am push off, 2 more Scarborians, 2 more lodgers booked, the most stupidest bridge ever, 6 hours, 1 dusty grey pooped cat.

https://goo.gl/maps/oxiReejirFzVsVTa8

J R Hartley And His Mate. 16th May

Granary Wharf

Mick was given a small shopping list to keep us going until we reach Skipton. There’s some important baking that needs to happen this week and I needed a few things.

In Rowsley I had a reasonable cooked breakfast, everything gluten free. The toast was a little bit gummy, no hash brown as that had wheat in it and I don’t half miss having black pudding. In the dining room there were three other tables. One a couple heading off to explore, another an Italian couple, the third was JR Hartley and his mate, discussing where they’d be heading today to do a spot of fly fishing.

Across the road at the Level Centre I joined Vanessa Brooks and the Separate Doors company. Separate Doors works with an ensemble of learning disabled and none learning disabled actors, three very familiar faces from Dark Horse were there along with eight other actors, some of whom I’ve worked with before.

This week the ensemble are working on an event called Directing Tomorrows Theatre, there were three guest directors who were all going to work scenes of a new play by Vanessa using the Silent Approach. This is a very different directing style which enables all actors to be on a level with each other, few words are used and it really is amazing how quickly a play can be put together. On their second day of rehearsals a run of the play was performed. A song, choreography and a lot of dialogue, all really quite amazing.

I was there to observe the first stages of the play coming together and to talk about how I work differently with learning disabled actors, enabling them to perform their job without having problems with costumes and props. Should the company be successful in getting funding the show will be performed next year. It’ll be a good one.

**Two types of Bakewell Tarts and Bakewell Puddings in the background**

Then it was time to make my way back to Leeds, retracing my steps. One bus disappeared, thankfully a lady from the Level Centre offered me a lift into Bakewell. Here I had plenty of time to have a stroll around and see which shop I thought was the one true original bakers who created the Bakewell Pudding!

Back at Oleanna Mick had managed to find us a locking partner for the morning, a hire boat with four crew who’d come down from Skipton. It’ll be a very early start for us in the morning.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 lift, 1 bus, 1 late train, 11 actors, 4 directors, 1 movement director, 1 composer, 4 PA’s, 1 designer, 1 ham butty, 1 very interesting day, 1 cracking show, lots of fingers crossed for funding.

Extra Jumpers Required. 12th May

Castleford Visitor Moorings to Clarence Dock/Potato Wharf/Leeds Dock what ever you want to call it!

Grey but not wet thank goodness, just chilly! Brrrrr!!!

Our plan to fill and empty at the services was thwarted as three boats were moored in the way, maybe they’d just finished filling and emptying, one chap stuck his head out to ask if we needed water, he’d move back if we did. We’d already decided to carry on and do the necessaries further on. The flood lock was closed and a boat had just come through, NB Tumbleweed who used to write a blog. Hellos were exchanged.

The downstream panel took forever for the Lock Ready light to illuminate. Maybe because the lock is just vast it took it’s time. It took so long that I even removed my key and started again to see if that would help. Eventually the light illuminated, I lifted the sluices, Water Level light came on, gates open, Hooray!

Another boat was waiting to come through from the other end, so it made sense for the chap to use his key. The level board at this end of the lock looked to be on the cusp of amber, would yesterdays rain raise the level anymore and would we have problems with closed flood gates?

**Steps to accommodate all size of boats**

The right navigation was chosen rather than the left and we headed on towards Leeds, I wish I’d brought my gloves out the back it was that chilly. Lemonroyd Lock soon appeared with it’s downstream lock landing built for all sizes of boats. Full as expected, I waited to get the thumbs up from Mick that he’d tied Oleanna up before I lifted the sluices to empty it.

Lemonroyd Lock replaced two locks and is just so vast, Oleanna always look so mini. A gongoozling family arrived, they live on the Ashby and have helped many a boat through locks before (can’t have been on the Ashby). The chap wondered why I wasn’t using a windlass, I showed him the panel of buttons, can you imagine the pressure on normal gate paddles! I enlisted their help in opening the gates, pressing another button. Mick pulled onto the water point for a delayed top up of fresh water and an empty of yellow water, making use of the elsan.

Tilly thought it looked quite nice here, but we still had further to go, even though we were both cold already and both of us were quietly wishing we could stop.

A gravel barge sat moored up a short distance on, is this where they come to empty their holds? Piles of fresh aggregate suggest so, but there wasn’t any sign of any means of offloading it.

At Woodlesford Lock a lady recognised us as being in the Jonathan Wilson facebook group. As soon as she mentioned her boat name NB Freedom I recognised them, we’ve seen them around here before and down on the Thames. NB Ecky Thump also familiar from Blue Water Marina last year.

At Fishpond Lock we had a tern diving for fish as I emptied the lock, it remained hungry. Thwaite Mill visitor mooring was available, slightly overgrown.

Knostrop Lock next. By the top gates there were bunches of flowers marking a memorial to a 14 year old lad, who on the Easter weekend had jumped into the lock to swim, shortly after a gravel barge had been through. He disappeared from view, thought to have been caught in a current created by the barge. All very sad.

Signs at the lock reminded boaters of the limited opening hours at River Lock up onto the Leeds Liverpool Canal. The levels drop at Granary Wharf leaving boats sat on the bottom, so for the time being the lock is only opened for two hours a day between 1 and 3pm. The signs suggested there is space for three boats below the lock, we’ll have to look at these when we go through, we were hoping to stop sooner.

The service and mooring pontoon have a build up of silt below them making the deck rippled. We’d not be mooring there unless we really had to.

Two hire boats came towards us, a new company to us The Boat Co North. Mick was later to meet a single hander from the USA, he helped him through his first push button lock. Hope he managed to get to Woodlesford today.

At Leeds Lock I opened and closed gates, lifted paddles as Mick tried to hold Oleanna still in the now short lock. If you are coming down this lock, keep away from the top gates as you may get caught on some wood jutting out. As Oleanna finished her ascent I walked up to peer over the wall into Clarence Dock to see if there’d be room for us. Bingo there was!

In the last few days we’ve heard that the visitor moorings here had long since gone, others have stayed but not known what the time limit was. Time to check for ourselves. The old signs are just visible, then a new bright blue sign declared the pontoon to be Visitor Mooring 2 days. Brilliant and an Oleanna sized gap waiting for us. Add to that an electric post still with a small amount of credit left.

On previous visits here we’d been able to buy electric cards I think to the value of £5 from the C&RT office across the river. Sensible size for two days and available to purchase when the office was open. These cards are unique to Leeds Dock/Clarence Dock what ever you call it. However now you have to order them £10 credit and get them posted out to you at an extra £2.95! For a bit of card the size of a credit card! Not very user friendly, the sooner C&RT install meters that you can log onto and pay for what you use anywhere on the network the better. But that won’t be for sometime as it would cost money and that is short at the moment. So we remain grateful to a previous boater who left some credit on a post.

The remainder of panto was read, notes taken. Tilly was slightly stroppy as there’d be no shore leave here. We remained very cold until Mick had lit the stove and the interior of the boat started to warm up. It was only two days ago we were sitting without jumpers in the evening, today we’d really needed thermals and just adding another jumper this evening really wasn’t going to cut the mustard!

Crispy Lemon Chicken tonight. A new favourite.

5 locks, 1 flood lock, 10.1 miles, 3 hire boats, 1 ex-blogger, 1 JW boat, 1 hungry Tern, 1 bored cat, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, £1.20 credit, 1 stove lit, 0 knights having a wee.

https://goo.gl/maps/Krar6X929DCqS3LQ7

A Quick Wash And Brush Up. 28th April

*updated since this morning

Today Mick has headed down to Goole to give Oleanna a check over and a touch of TLC. When last we visited I was ashamed of how dirty the floor was! So a visit to do a touch of spring cleaning was needed before we move back on board.

Here’s hoping the trains behave better than on his last solo visit.

He has instructions to purchase a new mop, the one we have has a very solid foam head and takes several days for water to penetrate it to be able to wash the floor. So he’ll pop into trusty Boyes on his arrival and if there is the correct oil in stock he’ll purchase enough for the next engine service. *No mop was purchased today, 10 litres of oil and a new kettle instead.

A visit will also mean being able to give Alastair a gentle nudge to prompt him into doing the jobs before we move back on board, we’ll be wanting to be off pretty smartish. *The requirement of a new Engine mount means the jobs are being delayed until the mount arrives and can be fitted. Spring cleaning consisted of a very good hoover top and bottom, but no mopping.

**Evidence of Alastair on Oleanna’s stern**

Back in Scarborough we’ve had a change over of lodgers which means the house is really quite busy. The jobs list is slowly having things ticked off it as there is only really Mick working his way through it at the moment. But as of Monday I’ll be joining in again as my Sockathon will have finished.

Only three more days to go, including today. So far I have kept up the sock a day routine which means that I am heading for 15 pairs in April! My reserve pairs of socks will be knitted after all.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/pip-leckenby-1677835197682?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=one_page&utm_content=page/pip-leckenby-1677835197682&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=50a5d3dc7102451d994bd901f237e68f

A post last week on a women’s Facebook group suggests I could have knitted at least another 7 pairs to raise money. There will be quite a bit of yarn left from the donations I had so I’m considering knitting more but as and when I have the time. Boating, seeing old friends and soon Panto designing will be taking over. But if I can raise a few more pounds for Dementia UK that would be fantastic.

Talking of funds. Last night after an update post on Facebook I had a couple more donations which has taken me just over my target. Thank you sooo so much to everyone who has sponsored me. There is however still time to make a donation to help me keep knitting for just a few more days. An episode of Downton Abbey has been watched a day. Watching them so close together shows just how horrible most of the characters are and what trials they all endure. Yet there is caring too. We’ll not finish them all by the time we’re back onboard, so they will have to fill rainy afternoons. Here’s hoping there aren’t too many of those as we’ve the River Aire to navigate first and we don’t want to be held up by flood water!

We’re all counting down the days now to being back afloat. The freezer is gradually being emptied, I may have to make some pea soup to finish off the frozen peas and chicken stock. I also made a boo boo when making cheese scones the other day, so there is a batch and a half of basic scone mix frozen, just requiring yoghurt egg and cheese to be added for any emergency cheese scone moments in the next few days.

0 locks, 0 miles, 27 socks so far, 1 toe too, 8 pairs to weave ends in on, £~~626.97~~ *£641.97 raised, so far, 1 dementia nurses training, 1 boat with filthy floors, 1 wall prepared, 1 new boiler, 2 sides of flashing sorting, 15 windows, 1 decorator, 0 scaffolding yet, 1 tube of Captain Tolleys for the shower, 2 more lodgers, 16 fingers, 20 toes, 4 paws crossed that we get away smoothly, 1 van about to be booked, 1 boat floor still requiring mopping, 1 new engine mount required.

Sharing. 30th March

Ten years ago today we stepped off our shareboat, NB Winding Down for the last time. Well Mick visited her again when showing prospective purchasers around. But the 30th March 2013 was the end of a three week cruise when we’d moved her from the then Carefree Cruising base at Elton Moss near Sandbach to a new base at Welton Haven on the Leicester Section.

We’d really enjoyed our near four years as shareboaters. Four weeks a year onboard the same boat (despite every owner bringing and leaving their own cling film!) had been made the most of.

A week iced in at Aqueduct Marina where we only got to move to top up with diesel and have a pump out.

A March trip when we had to buy ourselves sun hats and suncream and ventured down the Anderton Boat Lift onto the River Weaver. We hope to return this year to spend more time on the river.

The odd extra week came our way that other owners couldn’t use. Hmmm!

It was an affordable way to spend our holiday weeks from work afloat.

Ten years ago we didn’t know where to go for breakfast after packing the car to set off back home, we ended up on the bridge over the M1 at Leicester Forest East Services. Following three weeks of the tranquillity of the waterways the chair scraping noise from mid morning diners was SO loud it had us in stitches.

In the last ten years we sold our share, bought NB Lillyanne to keep us going until we had Oleanna built. The start of our original build wasn’t so good and we had to start all over again, but it was certainly worth it, as Oleanna is a far better boat than she would have been.

NB Winding Down we think is now based at Aston Marina outside Stone. Originally she was blue, then green and very recently she has returned to being blue again, just as we’d got used to spotting her in bright green. Maybe we’ll pass her this year and be able to say hello again.

Up in Scarborough it’s been a busy time. The back bedroom has been decorated. New curtains made for the living room and dining room on one side of the house. The sample of the front cloth for panto last year is now stretched on a frame and hung on a wall. The room may now have to be called the wave room as it also contains a set of photos of wave dodgers in the North Bay here in Scarborough.

Last week we had a day out to Bempton, hoping to see Puffins. Despite both of us having lived in Scarborough since the 1990’s neither of us had been. Sadly it was far too windy for the Puffins so we had to make do with thousands of Gannets instead.

The duvet that sprung holes last year now has a new cambric cover. My painting dungarees have had an upgrade, new elastic, a patch and new pockets for extra kneeling pads, which I’m hoping to make out of some giant mug yoga mat offcuts. They are now considerably more colourful and maybe a little bit in theme for this years Chippy Panto. Yes, I am returning for my fifth panto at Chippy. I can’t say any more about it at the moment as they haven’t announced anything yet. But it promises to be very colourful and toe tapping, it may have the audience dancing in the aisles!

The house is a very full house at the moment with two lodgers and tonight it will be opening night of Comedy of Errors at the SJT. We’re heading along to see the show and await to see what a lobster has to do with the Shakespearian comedy!

#unit21 played it’s last two shows at The Storyhouse in Chester last week. What a show! It was a shame to not be there for the final performance, but Chester is a long way from Scarborough. I’ll be meeting up with some of the Dark Horse actors in a few weeks time on a different project.

We keep in touch with the waterways. Our friend Chris on NB Elektra has a live bowcam so we can get a pootleing fix. He’s currently on the Shropie and it looks like it’s been raining this morning. We tend not to watch so many vlogs, but do pop by The Pirate Boat to catch up with Heidi every now and again. It’s nice to see a few bloggers are back out and about on the water too. NB Bonjour, NB Briar Rose , NB What A Lark, NB Hadar, NB Ali’s Dream to name a few. I’m getting quite home sick.

Our planned cruise now has slight alterations due to a family get together and work commitments for me. So we now have a firm date for when we’ll need to be back on board and heading towards the Pennines.

Saturday will see me taking up route on the sofa or my Mum’s nursing chair to knit. My Sockathon will start after breakfast on the 1st April. I need to average a pair of socks every three days, hopefully I’ll manage more, but we’ll see. Donations of yarn are starting to arrive. I’ve collected my sock yarn stash together along with needles and the patterns from last year. I just need to work out what gauge each yarn will knit up at, I’m hoping I can do this by comparing yarn using wraps per inch rather than knitting a swatch for each yarn. Fingers crossed, or should that be needles crossed! Any suggestions of things I can listen to or watch whilst knitting would be appreciated. We don’t have Netflix or anything you have to pay for.

I’ve promised myself a walk each day so that I keep moving, I can’t cease up, there are lots of locks to do soon. I will also be helping Tilly to make her Hot Paw Buns as Easter is getting close.

Fundraising so far? I’ve just about reached two thirds of my target! Thank you so much to those who’ve donated already. Still a way to go once I start knitting. If everyone who’s visited the blog this last week chipped in £1 I’d be sailing towards my target of being able to train up an Admiral Nurse with the skills and knowledge to support families affected by Dementia.

0 time to write lists, 2 skeins to make into cakes!

Armed With A Hacksaw. 5th January

Shardlow

A list was made of items I still needed to purchase for #unit21, including a 3m length of plastic pipe! I nearly ordered it along with elbow joints online from Screwfix, but decided to see if there might be a DIY stall in Derby Market. Derby Market Hall is currently undergoing refurbishment, but I was aware of The Eagle Market, the front doors of Derby Playhouse open into the Market. The website suggested a couple of fabric stalls, time to catch the bus.

Mick had made the decision to fit the new alternator this morning and was already down in the engine bay. I required a hack saw so collected one on the way past. The Skylink bus picked me up and whizzed me into town. I made note of a Tool Station next to the big Royal Mail building where there was a handy bus stop, a much better location than Screwfix.

The Eagle Market has seen better days, I’d say only about a third of the units were occupied. I found a couple of fabric stalls and most of what I wanted and ended up having quite a chat with the lady who lives on a boat in Shardlow Marina. Sadly no-one had any navy velcro, that will have to be ordered on line.

No DIY stalls. I had a wander around Derbion the big shopping mall, nothing of use in there, just a sandwich for lunch. Much of Derby Centre stands empty, the bright lights of the shopping centre, being out of the rain has pulled customers and retailers inside. Such a shame. But I believe Derby Council are hoping to rejuvenate the area, refurbishing the market hall being part of the plan to try to pull retailers back into the streets and make it a destination. Well that’s the standard blurb used for such places nowadays!

After a visit to Wilko I walked back to Tool Station taking note of a low wall just by the bus station. Pipe, elbows and cement purchased I headed for the low wall. Here I pulled out the hacksaw and cut the 3m length of pipe in half, no problem getting on the bus now.

At the water point in Shadlow there were three widebeams. WB Lazy Days had moved across from the pub moorings where now sat two C&RT skip boats. Then there were the two widebeams that had been moored above Derwent Mouth Lock, one having a wash, the other on the lock landing. Later on in the evening we could see tunnels lights and hear spikes being hammered in, we presume the widebeams had moved to above the lock, freeing up below.

Back at Oleanna Mick had been working hard to fit the new alternator. Three bolts and three wires, simple! Except things on the old one had settled in nicely, a touch of corrosion on the negative terminal made getting the nut undone a touch troublesome. Time and patience was required. One bolt was in an awkward position and when it came to fitting the new alternator things didn’t seem to marry up as they should do. It turned out there was a bush on one of the holes that needed adjustment. A tap with a hammer sorted this.

All bolted in and connected the engine was fired up, things checked over. Everything working as it should. Hooray!

Time to pack Christmas away, well the lights outside could wait for light tomorrow. The tree was stripped and then given a good soaking in the sink. It will get a day or two inside before being popped in the cratch.

The neon bunny was just about finished off this evening. All limbs sewn on and body stuffed, just a fluffy tail needed. Although I may want to give him longer ears as he’ll be a magicians rabbit. Tilly wasn’t enamoured with it, I may have to hide it away so it doesn’t get beaten up!

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 buses, 24volt 120amp alternator fitted, 2m poly cotton, 1m stiff interfacing, 3m cut to 2 x 1.5ish, 3 widebeams, 1 bunny, 1 miffed cat.

Sausage Day. 11th March

Sykehouse Junction

A Sausage Day! Was I going to like it? Well yes! But I still don’t know what it means as it involved no sausages what-so-ever! Not sure She even knows what it means. But I’d be quite happy to have more sausage days.

As soon as Tom was up and dressed the back doors were opened, She recited the rules to me and I was off into the friendly cover. I think She said something about 8 hours, but I wasn’t listening at that point! Who would when it’s a Sausage Day!?

I came back quite a few times as requested. My ‘Thank you for coming home‘ Dreamies however have been reduced in number! Apparently we are on an economy drive, therefore my Dreamies allowance has been cut by 33%. She and Tom have cut their wine allowance by 57%. I wonder where this economy is that we’ll drive too, hopefully we won’t be going by car!

The weedhatch cover was removed and laid out on the towpath and given a good scrub all over to remove silt and then left in the morning sunshine to dry off whilst we had breakfast. As just about all of it had been blacked previously I held back with the Danboline, I’ll use this for the handles which sit above the water line and use blacking below.

Once it was dried I scraped away any loose paint and grease, gave it a sand and a good brush down before applying a coat of blacking. This was then left in the now fading sunshine to dry off for as long as possible. Too sticky to do the handles these will have to wait for another day.

*Shall I put that screw somewhere handy for you Tom?*

Mick spent a bit of time looking at the freezer drawer, trying to remove the back as access was needed to replace the handle that became detached earlier in the day. Either the back is glued in or has a screw or two from the bottom which currently is impossible to access as the drawer no longer comes out fully.

The afternoon was spent weaving ends into my first three pairs of socks, daylight a must for such a job. For the next few pairs I’m changing yarns, from DK to 4 ply. This means more stitches to knit and more rows, so each sock will take a touch longer. New patterns were worked out and in the evening the next sock was cast on.

Thank you so much to everyone who has sponsored me. The target on my Facebook page today was reached and another donation from two of Tilly’s friends has brought my Justgiving page to 75% of my targeted amount. I may have to buy some suitable yarn for baby socks when we get back to Goole as I don’t think I have enough suitable yarn to knit premature baby socks.

Today official news has come through regarding the stoppage at Thorne Lock on the Stainforth and Keadby Canal. This was originally meant to be in place by now, opening back up around Easter. We have planned the beginning of our cruising year around this, then when re-open we would head up stream on the Trent, a fast route down the country.

But today in sausage terms we’ve been dealt a Cumberland Sausage! The lock will now close on April 4th and be closed for six weeks, reopening 23rd May. This would have us leaving the area at a similar time as last year when we’d been held up by the breach and covid, therefore not making the most of our Gold licence.

We could of course leave the area before the stoppage starts, but that would mean cancelling various commitments we’ve now made. What to do? We have several options.

A back door open kind of day, until it rained!

Leave via the Pennines, Leeds Liverpool, Rochdale or Huddersfield Canals. None of these would get us south for a while. The there is the other option, Trent Falls. We did this last year and if everything fell into place, weather, tide, locks, we’d choose this option. Mick even suggested seeing if we could do Naburn to Torksey in one day!

The jury however is still out.

For anyone interested in travelling the Trent there is a newish Facebook group Trentlink – Safe Navigation of the Tidal Trent. The aim is to encourage people to use the Tidal Trent in a safe way, offering advice and maybe even buddying up with more experienced boats for the trip.

Other news, Selby Swing Bridge which has only just been reinstated has broken down. From 14th March passage will be possible with 48 hours notice, C&RT will manually operate the bridge for you until the running gear has been refurbished.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 sausage day, 8 hours towpath freedom, £50 donations, 1 coat of blacking, 2 patterns, 7th sock, 1 happy cat, 1 less handle, 16 not 15mm Forstner bit, 1 Cumberland Sausage, 2 boaters needing to come up with an alternative plan.

Back To Life On Land. 20th November to 3rd December

Well it’s been two weeks now since I returned to Scarborough. From rushing around on panto for five weeks calm has now been restored.

The day after I got back we both had our Covid boosters. Mine was at the Rugby Club where I joined another 1399 people being jabbed from my doctors surgery. Mick headed to a nearby church to get his and was offered a flu vaccine at the same time, so he had one in each arm. Five days later I got my flu jab at Boots. Mick ached a bit and we both had sore arms for a while, but nothing to complain about really.

Normally after opening Chippy panto we have a few days relaxing in Oxford before heading northwards dodging stoppages. The first year we got to see quite a bit of a festival of light around the city and two years ago we watched the Thames rise and rush past moored boats on East Street, we were glad to have been on the canal!

This year being in Scarborough didn’t stop us from what now has become a bit of a tradition, sitting on the sofa recuperating and watching a few episodes of Morse. I think two years ago we started the box set at the very beginning, the first episode and first murder having taken place opposite our mooring in Jericho. We decided to carry on where we left off, this years first episode being ‘The Last Bus to Woodstock’ Quite apt as I’d avoided that situation the other week when returning from visiting the London Leckenbys. There had been an old lady on my bus, but I doubt she was as nosy as the one in Morse.

Then ‘The Last Enemy’. This started with a narrowboat pootling along in the sunshine, quite badly steered, which ended up in the off side vegetation. Immediately our brains started to whirr, where was this? Short pontoons on the off side, slight bends, a building in the background. Hang on, the body was found just about opposite to where we’d moored at Thrupp a few months ago! Thankfully the inaccuracies of the canal system quickly struck (as they do in Morse) with talk of divers searching at the next lock. This would either be Shipton Weir Lock which is upstream or Roundham Lock which is quite a long way for body parts to have drifted to. It was nice to see Thrupp back in the 80’s, I wonder if any of the boats on the moorings are still the same? The Boat Inn certainly has changed a touch.

Our first Sunday walk in Scarborough had us waving to Jaye and Duncan on the way down to the South Bay to have a look at the sea. Not the longest of walks, but good to see that Scarborough was still there and have a few cobwebs blown away.

Banbury Guardian

Rapunzel Panto, Chipping Norton Review

Reviews of the panto have been coming in. So far everyone seems to love having panto back on stage. Chippy is a favourite with many, I even get a mention or two! Sadly a week after I left a Pippin tested positive, the companies PCR tests all came back negative so the show could go on after a days cancellation.

Oxford Mail

But at the beginning of this week one of the main cast had two lines show on their lateral flow test, everyone was sent back to Banbury for another PCR. Unfortunately a second positive was found in the company. The shows have been cancelled this week and so long as no-one else gets two lines the understudies will go on next week, I bet they are busy in their living rooms rehearsing. JJ who plays the Dame seems to be catering for those affected and leaving tuperware food parcels on door steps, I so hope they all stay well.

I have a shadow where ever I go, Tilly occasionally goes out to explore, but more of her time is spent moaning and complaining. I ask her every day when we’ll be back on the boat and moving the outsides again, so far She hasn’t given me a reasonable answer!

Thank you for the messages from people regarding the weather last weekend, I believe Scarborough was on the news. It was very windy and we had snow in town, plenty more up on the moors and wolds. Footage of wave dodgers filled social media as always.

Our street ended up being closed to traffic as there was a tree happily rocking away in the storm on Saturday. The council came to check it over, but it was too windy to do anything about it. They returned on Sunday to start to chop it down and on Monday afternoon it was ‘Timber!’ So much boaters gold!

Mornings have been spent doing a bit of work for #unit21 which will be here before I know it. Plenty of costume shopping and rearranging the build budget. The green light for the build was pressed this week so it’s all systems go, well for my friend Graham. I’ll do a days costume fitting before Christmas and then that should be it for me for a while.

We’ve had deliveries, smokeless coal, 2 veg boxes (so far) and the milk lady is back delivering three times a week. Our Christmas food order is in, just needs a final tweak. Now present deliveries are starting to arrive.

I keep making a mental list of which jobs need doing in the house this winter. One corner of the kitchen needs attention from where the leaking roof has left it’s mark. We’re not convinced all is sorted in that corner yet, the guttering hasn’t been clipped down fully so waved around in the storm and some roofing felt now encourages drips down onto the window sill below! We’re waiting for the roofer to call us back! The cosmetic side of the repair will wait a while longer.

That experiment turned out to be a bit messy!

I decided to give my knees another week off before getting on with some decorating. Sanding all the woodwork in the hallways is going to take some doing before I can give it a fresh coat of paint and some of the wallpaper needs replacing. One pair of curtains also need lining , if this is all I manage to get done this winter it will be fine as right now we don’t have the money to do more major decorating jobs. A plumber has been to check the two boilers over, the old one needs some work which hadn’t been picked up during gas safety checks when the house was rented out. So money is better spent there this year.

A couple of days ago Mick caught a train down to Thorne to visit Oleanna. A final oil change before winter hadn’t happened, so he was wanting to get it done sooner rather than later. He was prompted to visit as Sarah at the marina had called saying that there was a kitchen window open. Had we left this open on our brief visit? Or had someone else opened it?!

Train timings meant he had time to pick up some oil from Boyes in Goole on his way. Sure enough the window was open, thankfully the weather last weekend must have been blowing from the port side so had avoided coming in. It certainly looks like it was us who left it open. Unfortunately in amongst the new filters onboard there wasn’t the one needed for the oil. So other than running the engine for an hour and closing the window Mick had had a bit of a wasted journey.

I’ve been trying to go for walks everyday to keep my knees working. Walking in the footsteps of the local yeti and seeing the sea is a good thing. My left knee seems to be behaving other than feeling a bit stiff. Hopefully this will pass and I’ll do my best not to kneel when I start decorating.

After being back for ten days I dropped Frank a message and sure enough he was round for a cuppa the following day. There were slight complaints about the lack of biscuits on offer! If he times his visit well this week he’ll be able to try out the sample batch for this years Christmas biscuits. It was very good to see him and hopefully Mick has planted a seed or two about some carpentry jobs we’d like him to do on Oleanna this winter.

We now have two bookings for our house next year from the SJT, which is great. If anyone fancies a few days relaxing by the sea in Scarborough we can highly recommend our friends house, Friths. Fleur and Ruth have worked their socks off over the last year making their house cosy, quirky and very welcoming, it has just recently opened for bookings.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.6947164,-0.8866677,3a,75y,358.73h,85.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5dqbUb963nwFN0Mkkf4qOQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Mike from Alchemy has spotted Oleanna on Google Street view, when she was out for blacking earlier this year at Goole Boathouse. That means that both our boats have appeared at one time or another. A shame we weren’t in shot this time, we were certainly around as the stern doors are open.

The latest news on the towpath grapevine regarding the breach on the Leeds Liverpool Canal is that it will reopen hopefully March next year. The latest C&RT notice says they are installing more secure dams either side of the breach. Designs for the repair are well developed and structural works are in the detailed design stage so that materials can be ordered ready for the new year. We’re not as yet sure which way we’ll be heading when we set off, but having the Leeds Liverpool as an option would be good. In the meantime we need to decide on whether we should be buying a Gold Licence for the coming year. These run from January to December, we’d trade in our standard licence for the few months remaining on it and then we’d be able to spend more time on EA waters during the year. We just have to decided where we’ll be going.

Candlelit Chinese take away to celebrate our 19th year together

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 failed oil change, 1 closed window, 2 weeks of resting, 9 costumes bought, 1 budget rejigged, 2 veg boxes, 1 emergency rug, 2 tax returns submitted, grade 3, 1 box of filters, 4 jabs, 1 bored cat, 1 street view, 3 Morse’s, 1 new variant, 1st waterways painting, 2 go Gold or not? 1 Pip glad to be cooking again, 19 years with my fella.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna