Category Archives: Museums

Darth Vader. 16th September

Sheepcote Street Bridge

What makes people decide to become dental hygienists? Picking away at peoples teeth. Last year I got to meet quite a few.

This year things are different, masks, visors and an extra £20 for the full Darth Vader experience. To get the most out of my appointment today I paid the extra for the PPE and was treated to the tinnitus inducing water jet. After forty minutes I was done and I think Tom was looking forward to some time without the big black mask clamped to his face, but that would depend on his next victim!

Paul

Back at Oleanna we had a visitor, not from outer space, but from Bristol. Paul from Waterway Routes was up in Birmingham for the day and had called in for a catch up and a cuppa. We’d last seen him in February last year. Whilst we’ve been cruising we are in touch with him quite often with updates for his maps when services are moved or new bridges built across the canal.

A touch of sun on our mooring

It was very good to see him, lots to chat about, so we finally waved him goodbye at around 2pm. We’d originally planned to head out of the city today, but felt it was a touch too late in the day to push off. Instead I spent some of the afternoon putting a coat of gloss on the grab rail scratches. The finished result doesn’t look pretty, patchy at best but at least it will stop rust from forming and keep things in order until next spring when I plan on rubbing them all back and doing a proper job.

Chatting with our new neighbour on NB Bancroft I discovered that this was the chap who set up Boat Mail. We had quite a lengthy chat about Tilly, getting medical assistance whilst on the cut, and what was happening to the balconys on the flats above us. Two chaps with harnesses had been removing wooden flooring and replacing it with metal for a safer balcony. The noise they created was really quite piercing at times, we considered moving but knew it wouldn’t go on all night.

Loving the logo

Today the big screen opposite was showing Womens Twenty 20 cricket. I think Mick would be quite happy if my dentist appointments in future could coincide with test matches. He’d put a chair on the roof of Oleanna and watch the match all day long with radio commentary in his ear.

The Roundhouse

I had a walk over to see what the Roundhouse looks like from the road. Quite an impressive building, a shame really that we’d not get chance to have a look around properly. The courtyard slopes down to the archway, leading out through what is now seating for The Distillery and then out onto the canal. The rest slopes upwards to the building. It was originally used as stables and stores housing up to 50 horses. Now run by a charity set up by C&RT and the National Trust it has recently undergone a refurbishment. There are guided tours, office spaces, kayak tours head out from here and there will be a café, the building opened in July this year. It is now on our ‘next time’ list.

NB Scorpio and Butty Leo have been brought out for the weekend, moored up in front of the building ready to do boat trips.

I also wanted to have a closer look at the mural that has been painted on one of the modern walls by the canal. This has been painted by Annatomix a local artist and illustrator depicting a rusty shire horse. Her portrait of David Bowie caught my eye a few years ago down near the Bull Ring. Her style is quite distinctive using facets, she’s particularly partial to foxes.

0 locks, 0 miles, 40 minutes with Darth Vader, 1 visit from Paul, 1 coat of top coat, 1 splodgey grabrail, 2 harnesses, 1 new balcony, 1 noisy afternoon, Ohouse, 50 horses, 1 mural, 3 curries, 0.5 portion pilau rice, 2 nan breads, 1 last night in BUMingham, Hooray!!!

High And Drying. 19th April

Goole

Fog or smoke?

The view wasn’t so good this morning. There were two things missing, one the view the other Tilly! Outside it was foggy, or was it smoky?

We both made comments along the lies of being glad we wouldn’t be heading out onto the Tidal Ouse this morning due to the fog, today being the first day leisure boaters could book passage through Ocean Lock. Yesterday we’d pulled out the relevant Nicholsons guide which apparently has good navigation notes about Trent Falls. The other book that was sought out was our Ripon Motor Boat Club “Cruising Guide to the North East Waterways”, this has a wealth of information in it.

Not up to normal standard!

Todays breakfast was a meagre one of just toast and spread, maybe we should have tried one of the jars of jam we threw out yesterday! First job, empty the wee tank, yes we could have used shore based facilities, but that’s not so good in the middle of the night.

Time to untie Oleanna, a slightly simpler job than the last time we’d done this, then we backed away from our mooring, me pushing the bow out to help start the turn. Several people were about, asking if we were heading far.

Our pootle wasn’t a long one, we came out of Viking Marina, turned left, then right at the nesting swan into Goole Boathouse Marina and then right down the last arm towards the slipway.

White smoke today

Looking over the Dutch River we could still see flashing lights of fire engines, one hose and white smoke rising from the scrapyard. There was a slight smell in the air too. I think we’d been lucky last night to miss the smoke.

Oleanna trod water whilst last weeks boat was hitched up to the tractor and gradually pushed backwards towards the slipway. All air vents into the engine bay were covered with tape and then the boat was eased back into the water. Blimey the stern only just staying above the water before she started to float off the trailer.

Once the boat was clear it was our turn. Mick brought Oleanna in towards the slipway. We are quite deep drafted and the level in the docks was quite good, but not as high as it can be, so we soon ground to a bit of a halt.

With us and ropes off of her we pulled her back to allow the trailer to be brought in to meet her. Vents and exhaust taped and bunged up, we then pulled her as far forward as she would go. She was pushed over to meet up with the side guards on the trailer and eventually pulled out. Mick says her back deck did dip under a touch, I’m glad I wasn’t at that end to see it. Just glad we weren’t going flying on a crane, because that is scary!

Stern propped up

Once out and on dry land a prop was popped under the stern as she was overhanging the trailer somewhat. Time for a look round to see what over 4000 miles, 2500 locks since brand new had done to our two pack and how well the anodes were holding up.

Well on first look all seemed good. The anodes still have a couple of years left in them, it was hard to tell how the hull was doing with all the gunge on it. The chaps set to work with the pressure washer and a big scraper, knocking off a few hitchhikers in the process.

Pressure wash

As they worked their way round the verdict was that she was in good nick, a little surface rust in parts. Then on one section of the swim the blacking came off leaving it almost bare steel, Hmmm? They didn’t seem too bothered by it.

We decided that as Oleanna is not likely to come out of the water for another four years it would be worth getting new anodes welded on. Here at Goole Boathouse if you buy them from them they fit them for free, so for just over £100 it’s worth doing them earlier. Cheaper than getting her out of the water just for that job.

The old Waterways Museum

Whilst Mick walked back round to Viking for the car I had a walk up to Goole Caisson. The Waterways Museum that closed a while ago now seems to have been take over by an auction house. Such a shame.

Still no access through the caisson

Up at the caisson the lights are still red, nothing much has changed there. Reports of it going to be opened have not as yet come true.

With Mick back we walked up towards the service block where several boats have been moored since what feels like forever! One of these is owned by David who set up the Goole Escape group on facebook. Time to introduce ourselves.

Visitors or residents now?

It was good to meet up and compare notes. I think David’s calm attitude with ABP has helped a great deal. Tides look good in a few weeks time, which way were we planning to go when the time came.

Bow Thruster tube

David has been round Trent Falls several times so was able to offer us some advice. With ABP penning boats out an hour before high tide this means that if you headed for Trent Falls you’d be pushing the tide for an hour and then have a long wait before the tide comes back in again. So David and Karl plan to actually carry on up stream with the tide to Selby. Then when there is a suitable tide they would leave Selby and head downstream to Trent Falls, have a shorter wait for the tide to come in and then head up the River Trent to Keadby Lock. Doing it this way means doing the trip is likely to be easier and boats wouldn’t be restricted to when ABP let you out. We may well follow suit, plus it means cruising on the part of the River Ouse we’d otherwise not have been on.

Oleanna’s nose, which didn’t go red this year

A few more things went in the car and we headed for home. Driving down the long road alongside the Dutch River we could still see smoke rising from the scrap yard. A fire engine sat close by and a TV camera pointed at a fireman. Sadly our waving wouldn’t make prime time tv as the camera faced away from us.

Mick said we’d have a bit of a bump when we got to the end of the road and he certainly was right. The fire service had been drawing water from the docks last night and this morning. Around ten tenders had attended, and numerous hoses had been joined together to reach the blaze. So our hire car had to hoik itself over the fat hose to get out.

That’s a big snake

Back at home we were told off by Tilly. Her food bowl empty and she was insisting that her new dingding time was midday and we were late! The afternoon filled itself with jobs. Wallpaper was patched up in a bathroom, one colour added to my panto model and the boat dinette cushion covers went in the washing machine. Hopefully these will be okay as the fabric said dry clean only, fingers crossed they still fit the cushions when returned to the boat!

0 locks, 0.19 miles, 1st trip this year! 1 left, 2 rights, 1 trip computer, 2 slices toast, 1 nesting swan, 1 boat out of water, 1 jet wash, 4 anodes, 1 mile walk, 1 full car, 1 escape plan, 1 bathroom ready for paint, 1 mardy cat.

2020 A Long And Winding Year.

Get yourself a cuppa and put your feet up, this is a long post.

Into BUMingham

Having seen New Year in on the North Stratford Canal we commenced the new year by cruising in to Birmingham or as Tilly would have it know, BUMingham, she’s not too keen!

What a stripy world!

A meeting with Amy from Dark Horse Theatre Company about a project in the summer set out our years cruising as I’d need to be in Huddersfield then York for the show. Then it was time to pack and get myself ready for ten days in Vienna. This would be the longest I’ve been away from boat life since we set out in 2014. Half of my clothes were packed up along with a basic scene painting kit and I jetted off to what was a mixed experience. Despite the problems I had a wonderful time working with a great team in the theatre, I hope one day to return.

Whilst I marvelled at the wonderful scenes in Vienna and pulled my hair out at work, trying to keep a calm exterior, Mick and Tilly headed back out into the countryside towards Tardebigge on the Worcester and Birmingham. Here they met up with a friend Chris who was planning a boat build.

Hello!

Mick and Tilly came back into Birmingham to pick me up and then we set about exploring the BCN. There is plenty to explore and we didn’t quite manage to go everywhere, but we did our best.

Smethwick Locks

We headed up Smethwick New Locks onto the Old Main line. Stopped at Dudley Port Basin, coconuts accompanied us down Brades Staircase, then through Netherton Tunnel where we’d planned on visiting Hawne Basin, but thick ice thwarted our first attempt. The following day we succeeded and had a bumpy ride along the Dudley No 2 to fill our diesel tank.

Emma and Ted

Factory Locks brought us back onto the Old Main Line, we visited Wolverhampton, turned onto the Wyrley and Essington Canal and wiggled our way through the rubbish to Pelsall Junction. Here we had a wonderful get together with my bestestest friend and her son Ted (my Godson) who were over from Sydney, an all but too short lunch with them before they headed onwards on their whistlestop tour of England.

The Cannock Extension and Anglesey Branch were ticked off followed by the Daw End Branch, The Rushall Canal, Tame Valley Canal and up the Ryders Green Locks back into the centre of BUMingham early February.

The Jewellery Quarter kept us busy with visits to Smith and Pepper a time warp jewellery manufacturers, The Back to Backs, The Coffin Works. We watched the film 1917.

The Garden white card scale model

I designed costumes and made the white card model for The Garden for Dark Horse whilst we sat out storm Ciara which was to wipe out the Figure of Three Locks on the Calder Hebble. The damage to the locks looked great and not fixable quickly, a rethink to our cruising route was needed for me to get to work in the summer.

We went to the Symphony Hall and listened to Schubert and Berg spurred on by Dimitrios from NB Galene. Storm Dennis kept us from cruising to our next evening of entertainment at Titford Pump House, a bus replacement did the job so that we could see Alarum Theatre Company’s Acts of Abandonment. Little did we know at the time that this was to be our last live theatre until December.

A night out in the countryside for Tilly and a last night in the city to fill our bellies with curry. Then we were off again, up Smethwick Locks under the M5 where the scaffolding was being taken down. We turned up the Oldbury Locks following a boat that turned out to be NB Sola Gratia. A spin round the Titford Pools was in order before we returned for another diesel top up at Hawne Basin.

The Walsall Canal now beckoned us, that was a bumpy ride over trolleys, trees and all sorts! A fantastic fabric shop, the New Art Gallery right by our mooring and The Leather Museum kept our interest for a couple of days before we climbed up the Walsall Locks back up to Wyrley and Essington Canal.

The garden at Urban Moorings

The ladies at Urban Moorings welcomed us for an overnight visit, time to work the washing machine hard as we plugged into the electric. Then we kept our fingers crossed for a mooring at The Black Country Museum, which thankfully worked.

Marion and John came to meet us for an afternoon at the museum and we all enjoyed fish and chips with plenty of salt and vinegar in between visiting shops and watching chain links being made. The following day we took a boat trip into the Dudley Tunnel, had a second visit to the museum along with a portion of chips before heading out to moor in Tipton and have a visit from Heather from NB Bleasdale, followed by a pie at Mad O’Roukes Pie Factory.

The 7th of March saw us descend the Wolverhampton 21, leaving the Birmingham plateau behind us. Blimey we managed to pack a lot into the first ten weeks of the year! Just as well really. Onto the Shroppie where I had my first successes with gluten free sour dough bread, Tilly got to remember life in the countryside and we were treated to Shroppie Sunsets again.

Burgers with the Margees

The recent storms had brought down numerous trees and caused landslips so our progress was a touch slow heading northwards. We had a lovely lunch with Alison and Laura the Margees at Norbury Junction, they were to be our last visitors on board Oleanna for quite sometime.

Passing NB Bessie Surtees on the Tyrley Locks we actually got chance to chat for the first time. A stop to stock up in Market Drayton, we saw our first homemade mask (a pair of y fronts repurposed) and the start of empty shelves in supermarkets with people gleeful to have a twelve pack of toilet roll under their coat.

The Audlem flight was busy with plenty going down and NB Mountbatten coming up, delivering coal as they went. Theatres closed that day and we started to put into practice new ways of working locks hoping to keep ourselves safe. As we socially distanced around the shops in Nantwich people were joking about the virus. We shopped, adapting what we bought to what was available and then got ready for our first Zoom with family on the 21st March.

We stocked up with NB Halsall at Calverley then made our way onto the Middlewich Branch and down Cholmondeston Lock. The following morning (23rd March) we listened to our gut instincts. If lockdown was to happen we’d rather not have to negotiate locks to get to shops or services, so we winded and headed back up Cholmondeston Lock onto the Nantwich pound. Our gut instinct was correct.

Adam and Adrian on NB Briar Rose

The next few days we saw plenty of boats moving, finding places they wanted to spend the coming weeks, heading for home or temporary ones like NB Briar Rose. Jac my sister in law eventually managed to get a flight back from Melbourne where she’d been to celebrate her Mum’s birthday, at last everyone was where they should be.

We tried different moorings out for size as the need to fill with water or get shopping arose. It was also good to keep Tilly moving, both to stop her from getting bored and to help the local wildlife survive.

Our decision to be on the Nantwich pound turned out to be a good one, we ended up mooring at the bottom of Hurleston on the visitor moorings most, this became ‘Home’ for us where we watched spring turn into summer.

Watching the field behind the hedge be ploughed, planted and start to grow. Listening to the Lapwings enjoying the bounty in the potato fields. Getting to know our neighbours at a distance. The wheelie shoppers. The huskies out for their morning walk. The egg farm at the top of the locks. Weekly veg boxes from Nantwich Veg Boxes which we collected for ourselves and NB AreandAre. Supermarket deliveries were sought each week, sometimes only managing click and collect. The sun shone and Tilly had freedom. The coal boats kept us stocked up with fuel and our waterless (composting) toilet took one need to move out of the equation.

By mid-April my design for The Garden had been reimagined into an illustrated audio play. I was to do the illustrations, then they would have audio and some animation added to be available online. Chippy panto started to gear up with the hope that all would be back to normal-ish by the end of November for the show to be mounted.

We winded, went for walks, watched plays on the internet, winded, ate cheese scones, winded again! Tilly ventured further afield, across her field. We had barbeques, brownies and watched the reservoir banks get mown by remote control.

By Mid-May we were allowed to travel, so we hired a car for a day trip to Scarborough to see how our house was after the tenants had lost it during lockdown. In need of some tlc we now made plans for the rest of the year. We would be returning to life on land for a while, but planned on cruising as much as we could before then.

On the 23rd of May the suspension of the 14 day rule was lifted, our ‘home’ mooring was now 48 hours only so it was time to start moving again. Some boats around Hurleston headed off straight away, others remained a full 14 days before pushing off. We spent the next two weeks pootling to the far ends of the pound, Hack Green and Calvereley, the gunnels got a repaint and we said farewell to NB AreandAre who were heading up onto the Llangollen.

Cholmondeston Lock

With a full boat of veg and fruit from Nantwich Veg boxes, a Sainsburys shop and a visit from NB Halsall we were ready and on the 10th June we pushed our ‘home’ mooring away for the last time this year, Calverely was visited for a top up of water a toilet refresh and then we were off, turning onto the Middlewich Branch and descending Cholmondeston Lock, our first lock in 80 days. New gardening gloves became my boaters PPE and worked well, better than sanitising every five minutes.

Across onto the Trent and Mersey where we headed for Bramble Cuttings for a couple of nights. We’d been hoping to be able to drop down onto the Weaver but the Anderton Boat lift was still closed. So instead we winded at Whatcroft flash and headed up the Cheshire Locks hoping to catch Bosley Locks being open for a day to make our way onto the summit pound of the Macclesfield.

Nice Lock

It was nice being back on familiar ground again, although it took a little while to be able to do the Trent and Mersey hurdles over the lockgate beams with ease after sitting still for so long.

Our chairs were brought out onto the towpath to watch the setting sun at Tilly Railings and a barbeque was enjoyed on the Dane Aqueduct as we waited in line for Bosley Locks to open.

Bosley Locks and The Cloud in the background

With a single hander in front and one behind everyone helped out where we could making our passage up the locks a very jolly if hot one that only took 2.5 hours. Over the next ten days or so we pootled our way along the Macclesfield Canal, such a lovely stretch of water and oh those bridges! Still our favourites.

Calling in at Bollington Wharf we had our gas locker lid mended and had a top up of diesel. Foxgloves filled the canal banks and woods, we stopped at favourite spots along the way turning under the snake bridge at Marple onto the Peak Forest Canal at the end of June, heading for Whaley Bridge and Bugsworth Basin.

Saturday 4th July the pubs could re-open, we however went for a walk and waited for our delivery from Sainsburys along with a diesel top up from NB Alton. A batch of cheese scones were made to help us down the Marple flight on the 7th, we were the second boat down and it felt like we were pioneering boats going where no one had gone for months.

A couple of nights at Droylesden Marina saw to the washing pile and to recharge our batteries before we descended into Manchester. Our last narrow lock of the year was to be Ancotes Bottom Lock 1 on the Ashton Flight where we paused for a night at Telford Basin before tackling the Rochdale 9 on our own the following day. Patience and sheer determination got us out of Lock 92 at the bottom and was rewarded with a cheese scone as we made our way out to the Bridgewater Canal and Worsely.

The 14th July saw us rising up the Wigan Flight. We’d made arrangements to share the locks with NB Billy but it was decided by the volunteer lock keepers that they might be over long to share with, so instead we teamed up with John and Lindsey on NB Merganser. With the help of the Wigan Flight crew setting ahead we made good time up the flight, we then slowed down leaving the others to head off ahead of us.

The next few days we found ourselves leapfrogging NB Billy, or should that be hopfrogging? But we finally caught them up at Blackburn to share the locks. Another spectacular sunset was enjoyed by all near Foster Swing Bridge.

We’d planned to take our time along this stretch, but with local lockdowns looking possible in the area we decided to push on. The Burnley Embankment was busy with walkers and not a place to stop so we continued on to the bottom of Barrowford Locks. The following day we were caught up again by NB Billy so we shared the final flight up to the summit with Clare and Pete.

Our sixth anniversary of being fulltime boaters happened to coincide with pulling up at our favourite mooring on the network, the curley wurlys above Bank Newton. The following day the clouds lifted and we got to see the view. A barbecue was just managed before it started to rain.

It wasn’t quite plain sailing down into Skipton as the skipper of NB Amelie ended up in the cut at the bottom of Bank Newton and then we had problems with lock gates and swing bridges. Mick and I had an overnight in Scarborough leaving Tilly in charge and with the magic food bowl primed. On our return to Skipton we were met by two octogenarians leaning out of the upstairs windows of their house waving. We joined Margaret and Robert for a lovely meal, good to see them even if we were a bit nervy being in their company inside.

Sunny weather accompanied us onwards and finally I managed to take the photo I’ve been after for four years, Oleanna coming towards me under Parson’s Bridge. Now we have the matching pair, Lillian going away from us, Oleanna towards.

At Bingley five rise we teamed up with NB Barley to descend with the help of Lock Keeper Clare, carrying on to Saltaire in the sunshine.

A pause in Rodley meant we could meet up with friends Graham and Tracy in their new garden room, very nice to have a good catch up with them. The following day we took the opportunity to have lunch with my cousins Julie and John, our first pub in months.

Meeting up with Jenny and Andy on NB Barley again we shared the locks down into Leeds with them early the next day. A lack of water meant it took an hour to do one pound as water was let down from above, but we made it in the end to Granary Wharf. Shame the lack of water followed us, in fact the basin did a good job of emptying itself overnight. It took quite a few hours before boats had enough water to be afloat again, we all made a hasty exit as soon as we could.

Back into the big locks of the Aire and Calder we motored on to Ferrybridge where now only three of the power station cooling towers remain, a very sad sight.

Down Bank Dole Lock, the slow filler and we headed to Selby. Our trip up the Tidal Ouse was an interesting one a there were SO many trees floating about, we had to try our best to loose them before passing through what few bridges there were. Kingfishers escorted us just about all the way to Naburn which was a real treat. Instead of pulling up in York we decided to head on up to Ripon, we’d spend time in York on our way back, or so we thought!

Above Boroughbridge a familiar boat came into view, NB Billy. This was the last time our bows would cross this year. At Oxclose Lock we had some time for Tilly to explore before heading up into Ripon Basin to meet up with Robert and Margaret again and for Tilly to show off her ability to spot otters.

I’d get it in the neck if I didn’t include a photo!

On our way downstream the river was rising, we stopped off for a meal at The Dawney Arms making the most of the Eat out to Help out deal. Wonderful food and chance to meet up with Kerry the Landlady and hoped that the river level would ease overnight. Fortunately it did and we made our way in to York. We had hoped to meet up with old friends whilst we were in the area, it turned out the only people I got to see where Jaye and Duncan for lunch. Social distancing, rising rivers sadly put paid to seeing other people.

Over the next ten days the river rose twice. On one fall we made it back into York to pick up a supermarket delivery but very quickly headed back to Naburn where we ended up breasting up in a line of four boats tied to the floating pontoon by the water point. Levels didn’t rise so much as to necessitate wellies or waders, but it did put paid to the London Leckenbys joining us for a few days at the nearby campsite. A big disappointment all round.

But on the 31st August levels had dropped sufficiently for us to head back to Selby accompanied by Richard and Heather on NB Isabella, new boat owners. Naburn was their very first lock, Selby was to be their second! It was such a beautiful morning, we led the way but then let them go first when we reached Selby, we were likely to be able to stem the tide better, but they managed the lock with ease.

Lovely to see Bridget and Storm

At West Haddelsey we had a visit from Bridget and Storm, so lovely to see them. We’d planned on being good and sitting out, they’d even brought their own chairs and the camper van for their own toilet. But as it started to rain we bent the rules taking shelter inside Oleanna. This was the day I gave a second phone to the god of the cut.

For a replacement we headed down to Goole, calling in at Viking Marina to check we would have a mooring later in the month. After filling up with cheap diesel we then headed off up toward Doncaster and Sprotbrough where we caught up with Mick’s niece Fran, before returning back onto the Aire and Calder to do maintenance jobs and enjoy our last days onboard.

On the 18th September we pulled into our berth at the marina, finished off the contents of the freezer and started to pack. Two trips in a hire car to Scarborough and we were moved, Tilly joining us the second time.

Back then we imagined we’d be down to Oleanna doing jobs on day trips and by now we’d have had a couple of weeks out on the cut, but this simply wasn’t to be.

Living Room reclaimed

Jobs in the house keep me busy, along with starting work on the postponed Chippy panto. Mick for a while applied for supermarket jobs, hoping to be a delivery driver. The only job he was offered was as a meet and greeter just before Novembers lockdown. We both decided that maybe we’d cope without the money.

Not as low as she got after the breach

Then before Christmas came the news of the Aire and Calder breach. Fortunately plenty of people are keeping an eye on all the boats including Oleanna.

Blimey what a year!

So our vital statistics for the year 2020 according to canal plan are

Total distance is 792 miles, 2 ½ furlong and 339 locks . There are 82 moveable bridges of which 5 are usually left open; 233 small aqueducts or underbridges and 41 tunnels – a total of 19 miles 6 ¾ furlongs underground and 8 major aqueducts.

This is made up of 365 miles, ¼ furlongs of narrow canals; 242 miles, 4 ¾ furlongs of broad canals; 81 miles, 3 ¾ furlongs of commercial waterways; 76 miles, 1 ¾ furlongs of small rivers; 0 miles of large rivers; 27 miles of tidal rivers; 202 narrow locks; 118 broad locks; 18 large locks; 1 lock on major waterways.

Sadly with Oleanna’s log book where it should be, onboard, I’m not able to offer up the engine hours, litres of diesel, gas bottle or bags of coal. This year I can’t even work out how many boxes of wine we’ve gone through!

However I can tell you that from one page of journeys on our trip computer, missing out all the journeys in between the start of the page and the end, the total distance travelled would have been 2.25 furlongs. Instead it actually amounted to 56 miles 7.5 furlongs with 19 winds (turning around). This was of course in Lockdown 1. Grand total number of winds this year, 67.

Christmas Day 2020, Scarborough Spa

Here’s hoping that the pandemic calms down, we all get vaccinated and the breach on the Aire and Calder gets sorted so that we can go boating again. After all we didn’t plan to move back on land permanently!

Not a bad view

Just When It Was Getting Interesting. 5th September

Opposite Goole Waterways Museum to Sykehouse Junction, New Junction Canal

The VHF radio was turned on this morning so we could listen in to the docks. Plenty of stuff was going on. Ships approaching Goole were having to ease their speed on their approach.

Then Little Shuva a Goole tug could be seen across the way from us. Moored up alongside the concrete plant (Goole is not the most idyllic spot on the network, but fascinating as a working port) is a large boat, not sure if it is powered or just used as a skip, but Little Shuva pushed up alongside so a chap could step off onto it. He looked down a hatch in the bow and then pulled over a large yellow rope onto the bow of Shuva. Before leaving he tightened both bow ropes and did a full circuit of the boat before stepping back onboard and returning down to the docks. The Harbour master chirping up on the radio checking that Shuva would be needed in the docks shortly.

I wonder if these big ships count how many cars they hold up?

Just when it was getting really interesting it was time to join the Geraghty’s on the weekly zoom, so sadly the big ships would be busy whilst we caught up with family. Today’s topics the Proms, Covid tests for 14 month old children, life after working in the states and Goal Keepers loosing their legs! Everyone was fine and we wished Sean good luck with work in Italy next week.

Mick cycled down for a newspaper. Our paper wasn’t available at the Co-op so he then headed to WH Smiths. This meant crossing the docks just as a ship was leaving, reversing through one of the swing bridges. I was really quite jealous at not being there.

Tilly had been allowed shore leave for a couple of hours, coming nose to nose with the German Shepherd early on. We know who’d have one should no human have interjected! Now we were all back on board it was time to fill up the tanks across the way.

Big enough space

The diesel point at Goole Boathouse seems to always be windy and the bollards are not in the right position for us to tie to Add to this a cruiser moored on the corner and the wonderful 1907 Phyllis at the other end it is quite hard to position a 58ft 6″ narrowboat in the right spot so that the hose reaches. The gap was big enough for us, we just had to overhang one boat or the other to be able to fill up. We’d considered getting a new gas bottle too, but with the bow a long way out that job can wait a while.

1907 and still with rigging

At 65p a litre Mick made sure he made the most of it. Then we moved over to the water point, a cruiser had moved out of the way for us, so we felt we had to. With all jobs done including disposing of yellow water and rubbish we were wanting some lunch. We moved up to the end of the visitor moorings and tied up where Sobriety used to live.

You’re not wanted here!

Here we were faced with numerous NO MOORING signs. There were also notes from the Liquidators for the Museum stating that no one can moor here. The moorings had been part of a long lease to the Sobriety Project and therefore are part of the liquidation process. The signs were quite curt suggesting we should move on immediately. We had our lunch and then did as we were told.

Clinging onto our hats once again we made our way back up the wide waterway. At times it is so wide we suspect even Exol Pride could wind. Boats were dotted here and there each with a good stretch of social distancing before the next moored boat.

Stinky

Going past the marina at Rawcliffe the smell from Croda was really quite pongy, it didn’t feel like it would be doing anyone any good. Apparently they make lanolin by refining wool grease, well it certainly is pongy!

So much room

At Southfield Reservoir plenty of people were out making the most of the breeze. Windsurfers and dinghys were zooming back and forth at great speed, all fine when you can cling on and lean into the wind, but a pain once you’ve fallen in!

Perfect weather for it

At the junction we turned left and joined two other boats on the moorings. I’d been wanting to tackle the starboard side windows, but the wind and our later than planned arrival meant I put the job on hold. Instead some buckwheat pasta was made for a lasagne along with a batch of rosemary and thyme sourdough crackers. The stove was lit and after several hours of being busy on the towpath Tilly made the most of it.

PS. Nantwich Veg Boxes/Clems Greengrocers, who looked after us so well during lockdown have received an award from the Nantwich Food Festival.

Our first veg box

Business Positivity Award – This category celebrates the businesses that have shown exceptional initiative and customer satisfaction during the virus. The winner is: Clem’s Traditional Greengrocers – Clem’s showed great care for their community by working many hours to deliver fruit & vegetable boxes during the pandemic and the staff were always cheerful and careful to ensure safe delivery.

Congratulations to them, I miss their veg boxes.

0 locks, 6.85 miles, 1 wind, 1 very windy day, 1 newspaper, 1 busy port, 8 on the zoom, 10 seconds! 1 left, 1 tray of crackers, 1 toasty stove, 2 outsides, 1 busy cat.

https://goo.gl/maps/GU5JQR8ehTKrkirC7