This summer’s original plans were to stay in Yorkshire and cruise waterways we’ve not been on before. We were quite looking forward to this, new waters. But for a few reasons our plans have been thwarted.
The first waterway to thwart us, The River Foss in York.
Boo!!!
When we were in York at the end of April, Mick noticed a sign at Castle Mills Lock saying that the lock would be closing that weekend and would remain closed until October as works were going to be carried out on the lock gates. This being York and very prone to flooding in the winter months is the reason the works are being carried out now.
Blue Bridge at the confluence of the Ouse and the Foss
Castle Mills Lock has to be booked at least 48 hours in advance and is operated by volunteers from the local IWA. So sadly we’d already run out of time to book the lock.
Castle Mills Lock
Castle Mills Lock is the only surviving lock out of the six that were built on the river. There is a detailed history of the river and it’s use through the centuries here. In brief it suffered and still does with siltation. It was used as part of the cities defences instead of continuing the Bar Walls, the silt built up creating islands where Foss Islands Road is now. Sections of the river were canalized to save navigating the tortuous meanders to Sherrif Hutton. It was used as a sewer, to transport goods, mainly into the countryside, far less made it’s way into York.
End of navigable river
Now the river is only navigable, should the build of silt, lilies and weed allow, to just north of the old railway bridge across Huntington Road, the line used to go to the Rowntree Macintosh factory and on to Murton and beyond, it is now a cycle and footpath. Should one get to the end of the navigation, you’ll need to reverse your way back to Wormalds Cut to be able to wind and return to Castle Mills Lock. There is nowhere to moor on the river, more’s the pity, so it’s only a day trip, but one we’d very much like to do one day.
Another look through my sketches this morning before I sent a link. Time to forget about panto for day or two. Time to think about how we’d be getting back into the marina tomorrow after a night away. Still no-one had returned Micks phone messages, still no-one had replied to an email he’d sent yesterday, still tumbleweed!
Puddles!!! Remember them!
I sent a message to Sarah from NB Honky Tonk, well actually right now they live on Dutch Barge Pheonix. Might they be about tomorrow at around 4pm to be able to let us into the marina? She offered us a spare key and came to meet us at the gate. A quick exchange of greetings and thanks before we were off along the towpath to Woodlesford Station.
A bag of socks to finish off
From here we headed to Leeds, one stop, the dark red widebeam still moored just above Office Lock on the Leeds Liverpool Canal. Out through the barriers to pick up something for lunch, M&S didn’t do too well, but I found a nice chicken salad. Then onto a train bound for London, time to catch up on a bit of knitting as the countryside whizzed by.
St Pancras
London was busy! It usually is, flashing lights and being funneled out of the station, was something happening, or was this just to accommodate football fans heading to Wembley? A long wait for the No 30 then we could sit back and enjoy the ride towards Hackney. That was until the bus decided to change its destination! Oh well we’ll get the Overground one stop. Nope that was closed for the weekend! Back on the bus, finally reaching our destination.
Today, Saturday, is Jac’s birthday. Big hugs all round and Josh had made a surprise visit for the weekend. Cuppas and chats, followed by exchanging presents. Jac got a mattress topper and some olives from us, Mick got an oil filter wrench and a head band to wear in bed which has flat speakers, so he can keep up with the test matches abroad without having ear buds in.
Jane, Jac and Kevin
Glad rags on, and face mask off for Jac, the next guests arrived bang on time. Jane and Kevin, who were over from Australia on a celebratory trip for a significant birthday of Janes earlier in the year. We last saw them in 2022, since then they have married, so there was even more to celebrate. Andrew and I grew up with Jane and her sister Emma, so there was lots to catch up on. Their celebratory trip funded by Inspector Morse, Jane was in an episode and her residual payments from one episode tend to be enough for a trip back to the UK and Europe every few years. A friend of Josh’s, Mia, bobbed in on a break from work to wish Jac a happy birthday. The pub where she works was very quiet this evening, so she managed to get the rest of the night off and came back to join us.
Pip, Mick, Josh, Mia, Jac, Jane, Andrew and Kevin
A very lovely evening, with very good company, a huge salmon, apple cake and homemade ice cream and maybe just a little bit too much wine!
Sunday morning there was only really enough time for a cuppa in bed with Ziggy and Finn and a brief chat with Andrew and Jac before we headed to catch our train, it was far too early for us to see Josh! Bus and tube, enough time to buy something to eat for brunch on the train then we were hurtling our way back northwards.
Opens in the autumn!
Tilly had looked after the boat well, but was understandably seriously bored!
Time to return the key to Sarah and Phil on Pheonix. We were invited inside for a cuppa, it’s always a bit of a shock going inside a wider boat, soooo much room! They bought Pheonix just over a year ago, Phil is tall and NB Honky Tonk was just a little bit too low when they decided to live onboard full time. NB Honky Tonk is moored on the Trent and Mersey currently and used to cruise further south when there is time.
A rather good clock on the underground
We’ve followed each other on Instagram for a few years and recently Sarah was added to the Ladies of Finesse group, so it was really nice to finally meet her and Phil. NB Honky Tonk was launched about a year after Oleanna, so we had quite a few things to chat about in common. Their evening meal was just about ready so we did our best not to disturb it too much and headed back to Oleanna to finalise a supermarket delivery and get something to eat ourselves.
Last night She said I should make the most of this morning. When she opened up the covers I could see that the big fat boat that had been behind us had moved their outside along with the woofer, brilliant I could now make the most of the morning.
They’ve gone!
Trees to climb, friendly cover to explore, pouncing scratching everything! Then I remembered that there was a box of fresh Dreamies to sample, they are far better when fresh out of the pack, so I returned before heading off again, leaving She to swirl with her pencil.
I worked my way through my notes, more sketches, different versions of scenes. Would I now have an improved storyboard? After three hours I decided that it was time Tilly returned, there was an hours grace should she be a busy cat. I stepped out onto the towpath and called several times, thinking she’d have gone to where the wide beam had been sat the last few days as there were trees to climb. I was about to give up when out she popped from back where we’d been moored last week. She trotted along towards me the morning now over, it was time to close the doors, shore leave would now be canceled.
Another boat cat along the towpath
An hour later Mick arrived. The roof completed yesterday, the scaffolders had returned this morning, this time Mick would let them take it down. Now we need the decorator to return to paint the bit of guttering he’d not managed to reach when the lean to was in the way. He’d been hoping to make use of the scaffolding, so he’ll now need to bring a ladder. The roofers still need to return to tidy up after themselves but that will be after the weekend. So we are now back on schedule, phew!
This morning I’d sent a message ahead to boaters we’ve actually yet to meet in person. They moor at Lemonroyd Marina where we have booked in for a few days. Currently there is no manager here and trying to get an answer from anyone who works for Aquavista is proving impossible. Sarah from NB Honky Tonk messaged me back with the location of our berth, there had been an Aquavista person about this morning, but would they still be about by the time we arrived?
Key of Power back to work
We made ready to push off. The rain from a couple of nights ago had loosened up the stickyickyness on our covers, one side got a rinse down, the other side will have to wait. I walked ahead to work the lock as Mick brought Oleanna behind. We swapped with a boat coming up Woodlesford Lock and then descended. Sun shining, it was good to be moving again, we’re so not used to staying put for so long.
Down she goes
A right into the marina, then we followed the directions we’d been given by Sarah to our mooring. A much longer pontoon than we’ve had here before. Our welcoming committee a Pied Wagtail. A hunt round for someone to give us a key to the gate proved pointless. Currently there is no manager here, we’ve met the new one at Bank Dole Lock a few weeks ago, but I don’t think he starts until next month. So for this evening one of us needs to stay inside the gate to let the other one back in. Thankfully last year when we stayed here we set up an account to be able to use the hook up, we still had some credit left so plugged ourselves in.
Our welcoming committe
More work putting images together ready to send to John. I’m going to sleep on them before sending them, I think they are an improvement from the last lot.
The last of the 100th birthday pork in a peppery paprika pork was washed down with a couple of glasses of wine this evening. Tomorrow we’ll sus out how to escape the marina, but more importantly how to get back in!
1 lock, 1.5 miles, 1 brisk minute walking, not even a mile, 1 story board just about done, 3 quality hours of shore leave, 1 roof finished, 0 scaffolding.
Hang on what was that on the windows? Rain! We’d had rain!! However the towpath was dry. Brrrr! Chilly! I actually lit the stove this morning. I knew that by mid afternoon it would be warm inside, but that would have meant sitting in the cold working for hours. Today I wanted to be productive so being comfortable was more important than saving on coal useage.
Stove about to be put on tick over
A couple of emails went back and forth between Chippy and myself, then it was time to get the mood right.
A couple of years ago a friend said how inspirational listening to Kate Bush felt. I have to agree, I’ve listened to her in the past and found to work better. Today I sorted through the CD’s onboard, a limited number. For some reason we rarely listen to music, maybe because on NB Lillyanne we had no means to do so. Cricket, podcasts are the occasional norm, but today I needed the boost that Kate would hopefully bring with her. Maybe it’s because I know all the lyrics, so she doesn’t take up brain power, her quirky songs keeping you on your toes, the atmospheres conjured up. I don’t know, but it seems to work. Today was going to be long, so I added in some Kate Rusby, maybe she’d give a different inspiration.
Kates as back up today
In Scarborough, the roofers finished by late morning, an invoice landing in our inbox. We now need to get a decorator to call by to finish off the guttering he’d not been able to reach 18 months ago, then we’ll be ready for the next phase of works. Months ago I’d pulled out the paint, put it so I thought in the shed so it would be easy to find. However, No matter how much he looked Mick could not find it. 15 minutes of him going through the tins of paint in the understairs cupboard via Whatsapp, no I’d definitly put them somewhere else. I held off asking if he’d done a boy look in the shed, now I had to ask. Have you looked behind the door in the shed? The answer, NO! There they were!!!
Finished! Well they want to play golf tomorrow
Mick bought himself a new electric saw to make use of the old roof battens, chopping them up for kindling, one side of the coal bunker filling up quickly.
This outside hasn’t changed in years!!!
Sketches were quickly done, ideas drawn, some erased, others kept. I think Kate was helping lift my mood, far better than listening to depressing podcasts about crime and WW2. There was time to walk to the bins and around the block, not the full number of steps or brisk minutes, but enough to get some air.
A quick stop for some food and a chat with Mick, then back to it. Propelling pencil put down at 10:30pm. A good day, hopefully! I want to see if I come up with any more ideas tomorrow then send them off again and await the verdict.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 round the block, 16 sketches, 2 lists, 10 hours, 0.5 new roof, 1 boy look! 1 very bored cat, 1 toilet roll who’s days are numbered!
Comparing the depth of stage to the length or Oleanna
A day of waiting, walking and eventually, (if I’m honest to myself) notes I knew would be coming my way from Chippy. My mind had been a touch preoccupied last week and my ideas and sketches came out a bit straight laced. So a touch of a rethink and time to get my pencil to flow more. Time for curves and swirls!
A sunny sedate walk
Two walks today, up the canal and up a steep bank over the railway line. This later one has possibly given me more of a hobble!
A swan neck
I think the chap on one boat is the wood carver at Woodlesford as his roof is covered in wooden crows, owls and other birds. The swan neck is suitably apt.
The roofers managed to get 3/4 tiled today. Tomorrow they hope to get finished, which would be great. Mick exchanged his birthday fleece for a smaller size, maybe he’s lost weight too!
But but but!!!
Tilly was dismayed when her pot of Dreamies became empty!
The lid won’t go on so I’d best help level them out !
But the cat treat pixie came up trumps and refilled it. Good job there’s a delivery for Tilly arriving at the house soon.
0 lock, 0 miles, 0 time to write a proper list, 1 pencil needing propelling across paper.
The butter had been left out of the fridge overnight, but still wasn’t suitablely soft for baking. I sliced it thinly, put it in a mixing bowl, then moved it out onto the hatch at the stern, here it got suitably soft very quickly as the sun got going. Sugar, eggs, lemon zest then lots of ground almonds added, it was baked, browning a little too quickly but covered in foil it did it’s thing. Lemon juice added once out of the oven, it was left to cool in the tin. The easiest bit of secret baking I’ve done in years, helped enormously that Mick was in Scarborough.
The roofers started to tidy up, moving all the old slates off the roof by hand, their bucket and rope in the van which was still being mended. Later in the day I was sent a photo with fresh new tiles covering part of the roof, there had been three of them today so they were cracking on. Good job as rain is forecast for the weekend.
Here on Oleanna, I waited to hear back from John in Chippy. No news came through all day. Oh well, I decided to do a mock up of the cyc , this is a cloth that hangs up stage, normally covering where we store all the props and bits of scenery by the back wall. Once I’d put things together I realised that my horizon was far too high, I’ll need to add more sky, but at least it will give an idea in the white card model.
Mocked up cyc
Up to Lidl for some asparagus for this evenings birthday barbecue. The roofers having finished for the day around 3pm meant Mick could be on a train back for the evening arriving at 6pm. On my walk back down the hill to the canal there was a lot of stationary traffic. The cause, a Luton van that had got itself squished by the curve of the railway bridge! I really hoped this wouldn’t cause problems with the trains and delay Mick’s return.
Ooops!
More stoppage notices regarding low levels on the canals. The Ripon Canal which is fed by the River Skell will be closing at the top end, this will hopefully help maintain levels at the top and without any rainfall the EA are likely to ask C&RT to stop abstraction from the river, so we suspect the canal will soon be closed from Oxclose Lock. We’d been wanting to head up the River Ouse and onto the Ripon Canal, but that is now likely to be another destination we’re unable to reach this year.
Smokey
The very sunny afternoon sadly clouded over, but when Mick arrived back at Oleanna we decided to still go ahead with our planned birthday barbecue, the first barbecue of the year. The charcoal was lit and left to get itself ready as the presents came out.
Last week Mick had been so excited at the arrival of a parcel for me at the house that I decided to wrap up the contents and give them to him. Well what would he do with 100 10A scalpel blades, but give them to me! Next followed a familiar shaped present, this was a chocolate orange which has now been gifted at Christmas, Easter and now birthday. The proper presents followed. A Curlew t-shirt from Tilly and a smart new fleece from me, both went down well.
Curlew!
Asparagus for starters, followed by pork steaks and veg/halloumi kebabs, washed down with a couple of glasses of wine each whilst sat out on the towpath, jumpers required but not too chilly thankfully.
Once tidied up we retired indoors for cake and blowing out of candles. This took several attempts from Mick, it must be his great age! We’ve quite a bit left over to keep us going for a few more days.
A later start to his birthday celebrations than normal, but we got there in the end.
0 locks, 0 miles, 2 trains, 0.3 roof re-tiled, 1000 old tiles carried down ladders, 1000 new tiles carried up, 1 sheet of insulation board to find a use for, 1 cyc, 1 ECG, 3.11 miles walked, 22 minutes briskly, 12 candles, 1 bored cat, 15 spears asparagus, 2 pork steaks, 4 kebabs, 4 glasses wine, 1 Happy Birthday to Mick.
The roofers arrived this morning and stripped off the other end of the roof. There used to be a couple of windows on this section but we’ve decided that they didn’t really serve any purpose for 99.9% of the time as they were in the roof space rather than the room and we’d rather have a water tight top to the house. Mick got the chance to stick his head through where there was once roof and see if he could see the sea. I think he needed a little bit more height to achieve that.
Ready for a tidy up tomorrow
By mid afternoon the hammering stopped and the world fell silent, the roofers had insulated, membraned, battened up and added a gully where there should have been one between us and our next door neighbours concrete roof tiles. Next job will be to tidy up. Mick has helped them a bit by chopping up some of the old wooden battens and saving them for fire wood.
Relaxing on the deck
Here on Oleanna, Tilly came and went whilst I got on with finishing off my sketches for the panto storyboard. These were then scanned, trimmed, put into order, descriptions written, references added and emailed off to John in the afternoon. I could do with a speedy reply and I’m aware that I omitted to add in obligatory crates and barrels into the Market scene. There’s always a market scene! We’ll see what John thinks.
The deeper wier
Tilly was gone for quite some time, I went out to check on her, walking straight down to the tree of refuge. As I called there was no reply so I worked my way back towards Oleanna, where opposite the side hatch I could just her a faint meow from deep inside the friendly cover. Friendly cover! That is serious obsticle course, danger deep mud, entanglement! You need a PHD in catness to work your way through that stuff. She managed to work her way through eventually popping out and requiring a good wash before returning for some more outside world.
Orange Tip
Today I opted to walk down to Lemonroyd Lock, the path on what feels like the offside of the canal is tarmaced and lined with young oak trees. The sun was warming the world up again. Male Orange Tip Butterflies sat on flowers, one decided I was quite a nice perch too. There is an old gravel works wharf that you have to walk round, here Red Hot Pokers rose from the banks.
More orange tips
On the river side there are two wiers, one just a small drop, the other makes up the depth of Lemonroyd Lock. The new rowing club, that on the CRT notice suggests it’s a years trail, seems to be quite large with getting on for 8 sturdy containers all painted dark green and surrouded by fencing. A group from a local academy school were warming up on the bank before climbing aboard. They certainly give the impression they are here to stay.
The tap working again
Down at the lock todays watch from the local Fire Brigade were having a look at things, presumably should they ever need to rescue anyone. The water point was back in action, a wide beam busy watering thier flower pots and topping up their tank. A lovely walk there and back, sadly still with a hobble.
All wrapped up
The afternoon was spent doing some secret wrapping. Tilly helped. Then I had to help her adjust the card she’d got for Mick. Normally we have to hide in the bedroom to do this, but today we had the luxury of using the dinette table. Some secret baking was postponed til the morning as the butter was too hard to cream with sugar. Here’s hoping the morning warms up to help.
0 locks, 0 miles, 16 sketches, 22 references, 1 email, 1 Designer waiting for 1 Director, 3.78 miles walked, 63 minutes briskly, 4 presents, 1 cat card adjusted, 1 cake on hold, 1 roof prepped ready for new tiles.
No that’s not a cockerel. Was it what I thought it was? I pulled up a recording of the bird in question. Yep a turkey gobbling away across the cut somewhere. We’d heard sheep last week, but not this funny noise. It turns out there is a poultry farm just across the way.
It’s boring listening to them all on the tippy tappy screen, so I went out to explore. She says they talked about disapearing messages, pick ‘n’ mix moral boosters and presidential hats. I got on with far more important things, friend hunting.
Tom came out to find me, they wanted to move the outside to find a tap. I was about to olbige when a rude woofer ran at me and was SO loud! So so Rude!!! To get as far away as possible I made use of a tree. The woofer’s She kept on going totally NOT in control of her woofer! Even ruder, doesn’t she know that towpaths are for everyone, including cats!
Looking for Oleanna!
Tom came and chatted. I shouted back to him, I think he’s a little hard of hearing. He disapeared. My polite She came to chat. We chatted as I got down from the tree, but I felt my buisness wasn’t quite finished for the morning, so I headed along the towpath, only to come across two cyclists. RUN AWAY!!!! That tree was handy again.
She talked to me, I disagreed with her, shouting my replies. She walked away, but where too? Hang on where was Oleanna?! Oleanna wasn’t there!!!
I shouted and shouted and SHOUTED!!!
If only you’d follow me Tilly you’d find Oleanna! I didn’t believe her, She was lying! All the smells pointed to an empty stretch of towpath, She’d stolen Oleanna. I shouted to Toms and Shes that passed. She said I was being embarrasing. NO I wasn’t! Someone had stolen my home!
She arrived with a chair and sat down looking straight at me. Now where had She got the chair from?! We chatted for a little while, then I needed to check the chair was ours, a good sniff was required. Down the tree, mostly forwards, a mistake.
As soon as she got near she was picked up and returned to Oleanna where she’d left it. Lots of head nudges and purring, Tilly had got confused following her own scent back to where we’d been yesterday and got herself into a right tizzy. NO I HADN’T!!!!
We winded and headed for the water point. I realised that the new Thyme plant wasn’t as self sufficient in hot weather as the other plants and was looking like it had dehydrated itself. It got a good soaking in a sink whilst at the tap, here’s hoping it works.
Dried Thyme ready to go in a jar
The tap was made the most of, a refresh of Tillys pooh box and a shower for me. All rubbish disposed of too. We winded again, headed to just beyond where we’d been earlier to wind with more space for comfort before pulling back in where we’d been last night, just facing the other way. How to totally confuse your boat cat. Tilly didn’t stray far, infact she was a sleep for most of the afternoon. What do you expect after all that stress you’d put me through! Thought you hadn’t got into a tizzy Tilly!
Sketches
Time to start work again, those sketches wouldn’t do themselves. Scans, more sketches, I just needed some pritstick now. A walk to Londis didn’t come up trumps, neither did the Co-op, so I’ve had to make do with little dabs of pva.
Mick headed off to catch a train back to Scarborough to see if there would be any roofers tomorrow, and I cracked on with work, only pausing to have something to eat. I finally called it a day at just gone 10pm, still a few bits left to do in the morning.
0 locks, 0.3 miles, 3 winds, 1 a touch too tight, 1 confused cat, 2 many outsides, 5 minutes in a chair, 7.5 hours work, 3 trains, 0 pritstick, 1 turkey, maybe more.
With Mick being home (boat home) today it was a day for chores and not for work.
The yellow water tank needed emptying and then disposing of thoughtfully. The washing machine was put to use as I’d been good at keeping my water usage to a minimum last week we could do this without moving to the waterpoint.
A rare sight, Mick about to wash the boat!
The next thing was to try to give Oleanna a good wash to get ride of the stickickyness she’s accumilated over the last week, plus that still present from our stay in York. Mick pulled us along a boat length from under the none shade giving stickyicky trees.
Sweeping down the roof wasn’t really an option as the stickyickyness was just clinging onto everything. We opted to use canal water to wash her down, not the cleanest, but certainly better than hogging a water point in times of near drought! Yorkshire Water are considering imposing a hose pipe ban.
Mick sluiced down the roof, as I started to wash down the cabin sides with the blue brush the Canal Gods of the South gave us years ago. The first passing of the brush revealed just how much dirt was sticking to the cabin side. The second lifted it, the third rinsed it all off. Not a full shampoo and set, but it will do for us.
Hitching a ride
The most important bit to have a good wash were the solar panels. At the beginnning of last week they’d kept up with my power needs very well, but as time went on, plus the cloud cover won’t have helped, I’d been needing to run the engine for a while to top up the batteries, so not just for hot water.
Tilly, you’re not really helping much in there are you!
Port side done, it was time to get the second mate back on board and spin Oleanna round. Tilly obliged in being picked up and popped inside. The engine started, we untied leaving the chains in position and span Oleanna round 180 degrees.
Erghhhh!!
Oh Blimey! This side hadn’t been touched since we’d got stickyickynessed in York. Birds and tree sap had all done their worst, then this last weeks stickickyness had led to stickyickyness dribbles down the cabin side. Eww!
We repeated the sluicing down of the roof and cabin sides. Four passes over with the brush were needed to lift the grime. Then there was the bird poo! These we really should have attended to sooner. Baked on hard requiring a good soak and repetative scrubbing. The cream and blue paint beneath having crazed revealing little veins of the white undercoat! Good job we’re getting a repaint! Also something to keep on top of once we’ve spent the money on it!
That’s better
Every windows got a good clean too, no longer frosted, I can be nosy again.
Mick gave the pram cover a soaking. He then got told off as the stickyickyness dribbled down the cabin side I’d just cleaned! The horns needed a wipe over and then the cratch glazing. Other doors and hatches could wait, we were pooped and wanting lunch.
Bird poo damage!
After half an hour I could already spot the first signs of sap landing on the windows. Time to move again. Tilly was encouraged back on board and we did a leap frog past the next boat where the nearest trees are a distance away.
We had a walk/hobble up to Lidl to do a restock. A chicken made it into our trolley, a roast tonight to be enjoyed with a glass or two of wine. The whirligig went on the tiller making the most of todays sunshine to dry the washing.
This evening Mick had a look at the first draft of winter stoppages, especially on the South Oxford Canal. When I start work at Chippy it is before the winter works start and in past years there have been stoppages that have meant Oleanna has needed to be quite a distance north before panto opens. I think last time we were on the boat Mick had to high tail it to Rugby. This year (so far) it looks like there will be works at Somerton Deep and Dashwood Locks before Christmas. This means Oleanna will need to be north of these, so Banbury which isn’t too bad so long as I can catch the last 488 at weekends to get home for a night or two.
The rest of our trip northwards looks pretty good too. Only one stoppage at Barton Turns on the Trent and Mersey which opens for Christmas, so not holding us up. Our choice of route avoiding rivers as much as possible so they won’t hold us up reaching Redhill on the River Soar. If needs be we can sit out high levels and then at short notice make a dash for the Soar and Oleanna’s repaint. Fingers crossed the stoppages on our route stay this way through the next rounds of consulations.
6:45 Oleanna bumped the side, Off Roader was on it’s way. I peeked out the front windows and could see the light at the lock was red, as the big boat came past it turned to green. The bumping continued for about half an hour until calm waters returned. We seem to go bump a while before any boat is seen, either the lock above emptying or the one below filling. I made sure I tightened our ropes this morning, they had stretched a touch since we tied up.
Shaded in design for story board
I shaded in my ideas for the front cloth for panto. In past years I’ve hand drawn the basic design on all the sketches, but I think this year I may just scan the design and then stick it onto my sketches. Yes I could do all of this on the computer, but that would actually take me far longer and I’d be more concerned with how to do it than what I’d be using it for, designing panto. So I’ll use it as a short cut my way.
I checked in with Frank after his operation earlier this week. He was on pretty good form this morning, Great British Bake Off Black Forest Gateaux setting his gastric juices going. By the end of the day his mood had changed as he’d had news of his next medical journey. My PA duties will continue for a while. I’m beginnning to think I talk to Frank more now than I did when we worked together at the SJT.
The hedgrow being trimmed back
The roofers had said they’d be working all day today, but their van was booked in to be mended so they just turned up to check things were water tight and vanished again! Later on the scaffolders arrived to take the towers down. Mick told them that the roof wasn’t finished, infact it was hardly started! They didn’t believe him so wanted to see for themselves, maybe Mick hadn’t noticed them finishing! Their reaction was as expected, we don’t know who’d told them to take it down, maybe they’d got the wrong site and they should have been dismanteling the scaffoldng where our roofers had actually been working this week!
Sketch for a scene
More scenes of panto were worked through during the day until Mick arrived back. I had a walk up the towpath to stretch my legs and then we tucked into a Sainsbury’s curry with a glass or two of wine. Stocks are pretty low onboard at the moment, so a shopping trip will be required over the weekend.
The blue sky is back
The dry weather is affecting canal and river levels around the country. Last week there was advance notice from C&RT that the Leeds & Liverpool Canal was likely to be put on restricted hours or even be closed to navigation. Today notice was given that the lock flights between Skipton and the bottom of Wigan will be closing at the end of 22nd May, not quite a weeks time. Then the locks towards Leeds including Bingley will be open between Thursday and Monday with reduced opening hours to help support water conservation. Thankfully we’d not planned on crossing the Pennines this year as all routes will soon be closed. The Caldon Canal has also been closed from Hazelhurst Junction down to Froghall, therefore the water feeding into the canal can still head down to the Trent and Mersey.
Mum taking her ducklings for a swim in a rare puddle
Research into our planned main destination for the year, Beverley from the River Hull is bringing up obsticles too. More info on this on another post, but it’s looking like we’ll be postponing our plans to another year sadly.
0 locks, 0 miles, 12 sketches, 2 basic portal designs, 3 scenes still to do, 0 roofing done! 1 set of scaff still erected, 1 Nadia going to win, 1 stern washed down, 2 trains, 1 Mick, 2 beers, 4 glasses of wine.
