Category Archives: Music

Paw Hygiene. 18th March

Cool Pilots, not that I’ve seen any!

Tom cut into the bread She made yesterday.

She seemed to be quite pleased with it, it looked a touch boring to me, no good crunchy bits at body temperature. She and Tom decided to have a cooked breakfast and with that I was told I had 8 and a half hours. Woo Hoo!! Brilliant!

Blimey it’s squelchy this outside! Last night it had rained and it kept trying to today, but that didn’t matter I was too busy to notice. I decided I’d have a treat dingding too, so went off to see who was around in the sideways trees.

It took a while but I managed to have a first and second course for morning dingding, a snack late morning too. She wouldn’t let me stock pile though, I’m not allowed to bring friends home and not allowed to leave them on the roof for later, Pah! What happens if we tie up BUMingham again!?

Tom spent sometime trying to find the lady up our chimney. He took everything out of the stove. Cleaned the glass so much that it disappeared!

Put the in/outy bit back together with the hope that he’d be able to tickle the lady out. He then prodded the big brush down from outside. That didn’t work either, so he tried the vacuum cleaner!

Still nothing, he eventually lit the fire again. Either she’d vanished over night or Tom would smoke her out. At least she’s stopped whistling.

She is very unhappy with my paw hygiene. I was told I had to come home every now and then to show myself, so I did, several times. I get some Dreamies too, which I just managed to squeeze into my tummy. Lets face it there’s always room for Dreamies.

She blamed me for the table getting all dirty. She blamed me for making the cushions all muddy. She blamed me for a filthy floor.

Paw hygiene included between your toes apparently

Then when I sit down to have a good wash I’m instructed to make sure I wash between my toes and to sing a song whilst doing it. I’d rather recite poetry. The first verse is all you need though!

There are lots of things people are doing to try to keep busy. You can watch the stars now during the day. Listen to radio programmes from around the globe. Watch plays. Listen to folk music (you may have to join the group). Have a walk around art galleries whilst sitting down!

I decided to create a painting. She wasn’t happy with that either! Little does she know I did one on the bathroom window too!

An hour before my curfew we all settled down in front of the stove to see what was to be said today on the TV. More about social distancing and kids not having to go to school anymore. Have to say I’m not doing too well on the social distancing bit, it is so hard as my friends are just far too tasty!

Having exhausted my friends and myself, I decided to take it easy for the rest of the day. She finished making a lasagne for their dingding. She was quite proud of it, all made from scratch. She says she doesn’t need pasta from the shops anymore. What she does need is flour that isn’t flour and that apparently is in short supply too.

As much as my dingding smelt nice I was just a touch too full to enjoy it.

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 aviator shades, 2 boats gone, 3 friends, shhh it was 5 really, 1 long sideways tree, 1 squelchy outside, 0 lady up the chimney, 1 loaf bread, 1 lasagne, 15,000 and something in Ocado queue, 1 well deserved Mrs Tilly Stamp of Approval.

The Beast. 29th February

Operational Mooring to Town Basin to Operational Mooring, Walsall

In an ideal world we’d have pushed off and headed up the locks today, but with storm Jorge having already buffeted us about last night we weren’t sure we’d be going anywhere . We’d decided to wake earlyish for us, check the forecast for the next few hours and then formulate a plan.

The sun was out and it seemed calmer than last night. Forecast, the winds would build and it would be wet at times. We could make an early start but to get to a mooring we had several hours to cruise and we already know about the amount of rubbish that awaits us on the curleywurley. The thought of getting something major around the prop with strong winds was not a good one.

Should we head back into the basin so we could get off the boat and go somewhere if we wanted to? This would mean we could get a Saturday newspaper. Was the wind on the operational mooring being funneled by the tall buildings? Or would this be worse in the basin? Would the pub have live music on tonight? All these questions and Tilly wasn’t helping us with any answers!

First it was breakfast time for the sourdough starter. The cabbage had done it’s job and there was a distinct rise in the jar. I removed the leaves, drained off any fluid then added another half cup of flour and the same of water and gave it a really good stir. I then marked the level with an elastic band so I could see easily how well it did during the day.

With the winds set to increase we decided to head to the basin and see what it was like there. Taking care on the slippy pontoon we pushed off up to the junction where the wind whizzed us round. Blimey it was cold, neither of us had prepared well enough for the arctic blast. Back in town we moored up where we’d left yesterday, keeping the Costa customers entertained over their flat whites.

As Mick headed off to get a newspaper from WHSmiths I checked out what would be happening at Bar 10 tonight. A tribute band and a DJ starting at 9:30 going on till late! When Mick came back we easily made our minds up that sitting in a wind tunnel would be preferable to not being able to get to sleep due to music and rowdy drinkers.

We backed away from the pontoon, winded (a little bit harder here) and returned to where we’d come from. Once tied up we could relax, break the news to Tilly she wouldn’t be going out again and have a cooked breakfast.

Looking up to the proving shelf I could see things were happening to my starter. I could swear it grew everytime I looked away. The level crept up the inside of the glass, had I misread the instructions and bought the wrong sized jar? This was only day two, that cabbage had given it ideas above it’s station, would I need to sit it in a bowl to catch it if it grew over the top? Instead when there was only an inch left of air in the jar I moved it off the shelf onto the table where the cooler temperature should slow it’s growth.

During the afternoon I found my ground plan of the theatre in Vienna. I then made cut outs of sofas, baths, doors etc and started to arrange them on the plan doing my best to keep the important elements within everyone’s sight lines. If only I could grown the downstage area by 1m each side, would a corner bath work better? When were corner baths brought in?

I spent a couple of hours nudging the furniture around trying to find the best solution, then added into the equation the height of their stage and needing to be able to see over the back of a sofa as to what was happening on a balcony US. This would mean having several steps up to the balcony, where could they go. Was there enough room to get a large laundry basket through doors Down Stage? Could I move the balcony Down Stage? What if this went there? Or that there?

Steps to the balcony and the prosc widened

I sent an email to Vernon the Production Manager with a few questions, like could I make their proscenium wider. I’m waiting to hear back, I already know the answer but it’s worth asking.

By 9pm, the beast in the jar was needing feeding again, it had deflated itself so I plucked up the courage to take the lid off and give it a feed. We’ll see if we have to fight our way into the main cabin in the morning.

Jorge has buffeted us about for most of the day and given us some sunshine along with hail stones bouncing in through the mushroom vents. Here’s hoping it calms down enough for us to get up the locks tomorrow.

0 locks, 0.9 miles, 2 winds in the wind, 2 moorings, 1 newspaper, 1 tribute band, 1 inch, 4 inches, 7 inches! 1 beast in a jar, 4 options, 2m extra wide or no space for actors, 2 troublesome balconies, 1 extreamly windy mooring, 59 views from facebook, are we being talked about?

Day 2 Evening.

Reached top of the jar before deflating. Liquid drained off and fed again

Mystery Tickets. 13th February

BUMingham

Since being around Birmingham we’ve been hoping to be able to go to the Symphony Hall. Mick tried to get a cheap ticket whilst I was in Vienna, but the cheapest one for that nights performance was around £45, not cheap in our book!

Occasionally we’ve given the website a glance. A couple of days ago Mick noticed tickets priced at £13 for Schuberts symphony in C major. Where were these tickets? Well they were ‘Mystery tickets’ so we wouldn’t find out until we picked them up which we could do from a couple of hours before the performance.

We jumped at the chance. Firstly we both wanted to go to the Symphony Hall having heard great things about the acoustics (thank you Dimitrios from NB Galene) and secondly because of something Mick’s Grandfather wrote on the 7th September 1943 in a letter to his brothers and sisters.

Philip Chignell was the organist at All Saints Church, Hessle near Hull during the Second World War. From 1939 to 1946 he wrote 128 ‘BS’ letters a copy of each he filed away. In 1989 Marion (Mick’s sister) decided that they should be seen by more than just the family as they were a record of life in Hessle during the war. She edited and collated the letters into a book “From Our Home Correspondent”.

Schubert’s ‘Great’ Symphony was obviously one of his favourites.

‘I am given to understand that in the day of resurrection everybody will be playing golden harps and there will be no call for organists. Well. They can have their golden harps, I don’t want anything to do with a harp. I intend to go in for a bass trombone. I shall be able to play it straight away and I shall immediately put in a request for Schubert’s Symphony in C. What a joy that would be. I can see myself, clothed in white, of course, and playing that bass trombone and ‘jiggers’ to your golden harp. I prefer brass, it gives out a stronger tone than anything made of gold.’
Philip Chignell, B.S.106 7th September 1943

So we crossed over the bridge and walked into the ICC where numerous people were quaffing bubbles at an evening do with What Car Magazine at the conference centre. We weren’t invited up the escalator but joined the shuffling masses heading into the Hall on the other side of the building.

Our Mystery Tickets were for row S in the stalls between seats of around £37 and £44. These were cheap tickets but not cheap seats.

The first half was Berg’s Violin Concerto, 27. The soloist Leila Josefowicz had had to pull out due to illness at short notice, so instead we had Ilya Gringolts. I suppose in such situations it’s a little bit like if an actor is taken ill and there is no understudy, people wrack their brains as to who played the part not so long ago and give them a call hoping that they are free and remember the lines.

Plenty of leg room, just not so much elbow room

The concerto was okay, I was never going to totally enjoy it as Berg was taught by Schoenberg, the twelve tone row master, have to say I’m not a fan. But at least this was mixed with more freer tonal passages.

At the interval we made sure we hunted out some chilled medication before returning to our seats. With several empty seats further along our row, we moved to a more central position giving everyone more arm room. Here we could relax more and listen out for those bass trombones!

Schubert did not disappoint, neither did the brass section. Juanjo Mena conducted accompanied by the chap in front of Mick, although he was very subtle about it. More tuneful and less discordant we both enjoyed it very much. I could understand Philips urge for the trombone.

One thing I did wonder though. All the men of the orchestra wore white tie and tails, most of the ladies wore black trousers and tops only one long frock was in view. Should their dress code be more universal? Either formal or less so for all sexes.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 stand in, £13 mystery tickets, 2 conductors, 3 trombones, 2 chocolate medications, 1 very good evening.

Bimbling About. 8th to 13th February

Chester with a day trip to Scarborough

Over the last week we’ve been bimbling around Chester keeping ourselves occupied with bits and bobs.

Last Thursday we spent an enjoyable hour at an Organ recital at the Cathedral. Andrew Wyatt was the organist, a local chap who played five pieces which varied from Jehan Alain to Benjamin Britten and my preferred piece was by John Ireland. The recitals happen every Thursday at 1.10pm and last around an hour. The chap at the reception desk wouldn’t let Mick pay full price and then insisted that we both got in on a concessionary rate, I wasn’t going to argue. It was nice to hear a performance rather than just a practice on such a large organ.

We called into the Tourist Information centre to see if we were missing out on any good museums. Picking up a leaflet of things to do in and around Chester we seem to have ticked off most things that would interest us. Back in 2011 we spent a day at the zoo, so there is only Cheshire Oaks to visit which we may do this week.

Just outside was a stall for The Dogs Trust. We walked past not thinking much about it, but then I had to take a second look. Was that Dante? The dog I had once worked with? The last few times coming down the Trent and Mersey Canal we’ve spotted him, he’d fallen in with a bad crowd and lost his way (see previous post here). So seeing him today all clean, spick and span, yellow neckerchief tied proudly around his neck I was relieved. However he didn’t seem to want to acknowledge me, staring away into the distance, one ear constantly alert, mumbling ‘Must Trust in the Trust’. I so hope that he hasn’t found himself joining a cult of some sort!

Saturday we had a slow day. We sauntered up to Waitrose to do £10 worth of shopping to be able to get a free Saturday paper. We then finished our shopping at Tescos. Mick took the majority back to the boat whilst I went to pick up my glasses that had arrived. It didn’t take long to fit them and my bi-focals are proving just the thing for my crochet or knitting in front of the TV, I just have to remember that I don’t need to look over the top or below them any more.

Tilly spent the afternoon outside helping me to clean windows and give the well deck a thorough clean out now that the coal stocks were getting low. Meanwhile Mick walked to Maplins to buy a new aerial. Our TV signal has been intermittent and the thought was that it might be the aerial. He returned with a Moon Raker DTV1000. This is a small black box which comes with a suction mount. First it was plugged into the socket at the stern to check for signal. Immediately this was a vast improvement to our omnidirectional one that we got with Oleanna. Mick has since fixed it to the magnetic mount that came with the old one. So far the signal has stayed constant.

To celebrate we had pizzas and homemade gluten free dough balls. These I made up from a packet of white bread mix. The dough is so sticky though that it was hard to make small balls, so they became more like dough dollops! They tasted good with some garlic butter, so it didn’t matter in the end.

Sunday was a miserable day. Cold with hail showers, although the stones are really quite tuneful pinging off our mushroom vents!

NB Halsall was due through, so we didn’t want to venture far from the boat. New crew, Lee and Roberta, have taken over the coal boat and this would be our first meeting. So we pottered around the day until they arrived in the afternoon. The strong wind was not helpful to them and not being able to identify the other boat they were meant to be delivering to also didn’t help. They filled up our diesel tank and replenished our coal stock giving us chance to have a chat with them. We’ll be seeing them again in the next month before we head out of their patch.

On Monday morning Mick walked to Enterprise to pick up a van for the day. As quite often is the case, certainly during school half terms, hiring a small van is cheaper than their cheapest car. But when you go to pick it up they don’t have a spare van so you end up with a car for the same price. However occasionally this doesn’t happen and you end up with something a little bit bigger than you expected. Today the van we should have had was delayed due to the weather, more hail had fallen overnight, no cars were available so we ended up with a minibus! I did consider asking if anyone nearby fancied a day trip to Scarborough for a tenner.

Routine medical appointments were taking us back across the Pennines. The western side of the hills were very white, but as soon as the M62 started it’s descent down into Yorkshire the snow vanished. We had a very romantic lunch sat in the car park at Sainsburys before Mick dropped me off for my appointment in the hospital car park! I was squashed and scanned with great efficiency and sent on my way.

Good job we’d not brought anyone else with us as they’d only have had a couple of hours before we set off back, no time to see the sea or have some proper fish and chips. We did however get to watch the sun setting in front of us as we crossed the Vale of Pickering.

Today we have had a visit from old friends of Mick’s, Jeremy and Sarah, who came over from New Brighton to see us. After a coffee on board and a guided tour we walked up into the city and visited Marmalade for lunch. Soups and Herby Lamb casserole all went down well followed by some rather tasty cakes (every one gluten free). Just a shame that the upstairs room was a touch chilly. We had a few hours of catching up with news before they headed off to catch the train home.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 non OAPs, 2 Hammer House, 1 Battle of Britain, 1 brain washed dog, 1 free paper, 2 new pairs of glasses, 2 many TV channels, 12 dough dollops, 2 pizzas, 107 litres diesel, 8 bags coal, 2 new crew, 1 small van! 3rd month in a row, 2 squished boobs, 0 dirty macs, 2 car parks, 23 tonnes of glue, 2 soups, 2 casseroles, 16 weeks wait, 2 old friends, 7 logs left.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna

Category Archives: Music

Paw Hygiene. 18th March

The Beast. 29th February

Mystery Tickets. 13th February

Bimbling About. 8th to 13th February