Category Archives: Narrowboat Life

Oh, BUM! 14th October

Wolverhampton Tunnel to Sheepcote Street Bridge, Bumingham

Whilst Mick tightened the stern gland this morning I chatted to Frank keeping him upto date on paperwork I’m doing for him and checking to see what other things he might want to take to his new home. Jamie then called to double check on a few things we’d discussed over the weekend. Then a chat with Ruth up in Scarborough agreeing that Frank should take a few items to spark conversation, he enjoys telling a tale or two.

**Our first properish tunnel this year**

Late morning, time to push off, we’d got some distance to travel today. I opted to bob below and do some emails for Frank as we passed along the Main line. I could hear Oleanna dragging past things, along the bottom and cabin sides, some narrow sections may have left us with marks that need polishing out, but we’ll see.

Back up top in time to arrive at Factory Locks, the three locks which would get us down onto the New Main Line. There was time as Mick needed to clear the prop, I set about trying to pull out masses of weed that had amassed above the lock gates. Oh for a keb! What I didn’t manage to pull out with the boat hook got moved away from the lock hoping it would stay there and not join in with our descent.

I filled the next lock down and opened the top gate, we descended the top lock, I closed the gate behind then leap frogged to the bottom lock which was already full for us to open the gate. I like the little cantilevered bridge below the bottom lock, wish I could have got a better angled photo for a possible painting in the future.

**I might have to be onboard to get a better one**

We pulled in, well nearly, not far along for a late lunch and a sit down for Mick. Then onwards, I opted to walk to Spon Lane. Who would get there first? I needed to cross the canal at the next bridge and then double back on myself to get to the towpath. Then it was just about a straight line from there for two miles, just the bridges over the branch lines to give a bit of interest.

At first Mick was ahead of me, but I’d managed to overtake him by Netherton Junction. Now is it called Dudley Port Junction or Netherton Tunnel Junction? This was a question Paul yesterday had asked us to see if we could find the answer. No white signpost at the end of the arm to be seen either from the canal or towpath, just a blue CRT modern sign with walking times to various destinations. Nothing on the bridge either. So our detective work was inconclusive.

I carried on walking, the canal filled with duckweed for long long sections. This seriously held up Oleanna’s progress especially at the toll islands where the depth today would have seriously caused the working boats problems back in their day.

I reached Bromford Junction where the canal splits into two, one side heading north up the three Spon Lane Locks onto the Old Main Line. I hopped back on board at the narrows and we continued straight on into Birmingham.

Does anyone who rides a bike actually use the pedals anymore? They all wizz along at speed, the canal now a shortcut away from the roads.

On our first ever cruise into Birmingham on NB Winding Down we’d come down Brades Locks onto the New Main Line, the going was speedy, just as well as we’d spent much of the day at the Black Country Museum, arriving at Sheepcote Street at dusk. Today the going was far slower, the bottom of the canal closer to the top.

A phone call from the discharge nurse at Scarborough Hospital to talk about Frank’s onwards care and it’s funding, Frank had given her permission to talk to me and Ben. She was filling in the paperwork. Would the care home that had been lined up be within the budget? Someone would call tomorrow. I chatted it over with Ben, then chatted it over with Frank who was now understandably confused about it all.

We pulled in, opposite the lego giraffe, it was just about empty, but this is where we normally stop in Birmingham. Tilly looked out of the bathroom porthole Oh BUM! Sorry Tilly!

Jobs to do for panto, an email for Frank, chicken tray bake in the oven, yarn to choose for the next pair of socks. We finally sat down infront of the TV at 9:40pm, time to finish off the latest episode of Bake Off before the news.

3 locks, 13.1 miles, 1 stern gland tightened, 1 weekend plan kind of sorted, 2 emails sent off, 8 fingers crossed, 1 extremely bored cat, 1 tunnel branch or 0 tunnel branch, ? much for Franks care, ? what he’ll decide, 1 cassarole queen incoming, 20mm off the love hearts.

21 with 4. 13th October

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Autherley Junction to Urban Moorings to Top of Off Side Mooring Wolverhampton Tunnel

Up early, a check in with Frank who had been moved at midnight within the hospital. A list of things he might like when he moves to his new home, not much on his list, a new pair of black cords was the first thing he requested. This would get added to.

Time for us to push off. On seeing us getting ready a hire boat sped up their pushing off and beat us to it by 2 minutes. Yes they were headed for Wolverhampton too! As we passed NB Firecrest, Cheryl popped her head out to wish us well. We’ll hopefully have a longer chat when we come across each other again.

As we pootled down to Aldersely Junction I called Adult Social Care and got to talk to Robert, I’d talked to him a while ago and he’d been very helpful then as he was today. Data Protection still stood in my way but he was willing to tell me various things on Frank’s file, the home was mentioned, they couldn’t do anything now until the medics deemed that Frank was medically fit to go home, to his new home. I thanked Robert and apologised for being a serial phone call offender. I wonder how many times my name appears on their notes for Frank!?

A quick check in with Frankness Base Camp in Scarborough just as we arrived at the bottom lock of the Wolverhampton 21. I lifted paddles to empty the lock but then didn’t have two hands to do much else as I was still on the phone. Some CRT volunteers arrived and lowered a paddle for me, then Mick arrived and helped with the gates. I think everything was covered now until later in the day. I had my fingers crossed.

As we pootled along to the second lock of the flight two figures came walking towards us, Paul and Christine Balmer who had come for a boating fix to help us up the flight today. With handcuff keys and windlasses at the ready we could work as a team to rise Oleanna to the highest point on the network that she’ll achieve this year.

**Our experienced crew Paul and Christine**

Following another boat meant we were resetting every lock, so one of us would walk ahead whilst the other two saw Oleanna through a lock. I had a few panto phone calls with questions, thankfully nothing that I needed drawings for.

The day had started wet as we had breakfast, but thankfully that had passed, waterproofs were handed to Mick at the stern, soon followed by my jumper.

At lock 17, two CRT chaps were doing something to the metal bridge below the bottom gates. A discussion was had with Paul regarding how a lock should be left, the other chap chatted to me apologising for his argumentative colleague! Under the railway viaduct, I almost forgot to take a photo!

By Lock 15 there is a building used by the volunteers on the flight. There seemed to be loads of them. I said we were fine for crew, maybe someone else might need them. We were told that there were three boats heading down. We soon came across them. The amount of water coming round the bywashes meaning it was far better for Oleanna to wait in the lock below for the downhill boat to scoot round the forceful water and then do-ci-do close to the lower lock.

Onwards and upwards, we got closer to the boat ahead. By the time they were in the top lock I was arriving to reset it for us. Sadly Nebo doesn’t have waypoints for the bottom locks of Wolverhampton so I don’t know what time we started on them as I was distracted at the time to make a note, but we did finish at the top at 12:45. (Mick here: we entered the bottom lock at 09:20 so 3 hours 25 minutes for the flight)

We pulled in to have some lunch with Paul and Christine. There was the usual list of questions from Paul to go through and of course the apple flapjack I’d made yesterday. Our crew were keen to help us that bit further today, but we’d achieved one of our goals for the day, the flight. The other one was to make a deposit at Urban Moorings and we’d not be able to do that until after 4pm. So we waved them farewell and a big thank you for their company today.

We pulled up onto the short arm to fill with water. This meant I got chance to catch up with Ruth, a Frankness member who was on a paperwork hunt. I also caught up with a few things to do with panto.

**Paul has a homing device for cameras!**

A little before 4, Jennie called from Urban Moorings, she was back and we could call in. Up to Horsley Junction and through the narrows, picking up something on the prop as we did so, making it a touch troublesome to breast up to one of their moored boats.

Unusually, Jennie was the only one about. The moorings were abundantly green after having been dried to a crisp this summer, that’s their compost working wonders! Getting a full bucket off the bow was a little treacherous over the bow of a boat that’s not moved for a long time, but we succeeded. We tried giving Jennie a donation, but somehow we ended up coming away with a pot of strawberry jam and some red currant jelly instead!

In the past we’ve been able to stay with them overnight, but today that wasn’t possible. So we set about reversing through the narrows to the junction. This actually took us about half an hour as what was once quite a nice bag had found it’s way onto our prop along with an orange urban jellyfish. Whilst all this was happening Ruth in Scarborough had found some items I need at Franks, one step closer.

**There’s a lot more sky round here than there used to be**

Once back out at the junction, which by the way is so different from the last time we were here, so much sky, we winded and headed back to the top of the 21, we winded again and pulled in on the off side mooring. Sorry Tilly, there’s too much greenery she’d love to climb here!

Now what to eat? I’d forgotten to defrost some chicken, but managed to put together a tuna pasta bake whilst Mick lit the stove. Another pair of socks were finished ready for the ends to be sewn in and we talked about plans for the next few days.

21 locks, 6.2 miles, 3 lefts, 2 rights, 2 winds, 2 old hands, 1 shouting cat, 1 boat followed, 3 boats coming down, 1 argumentative 1 apologetic CRT employees, 5 volunteers, 2.5 months closed, 1 flight well mown, 1 full bucket deposited, 2 jars, 2 letters found, pair 136 knitted.

https://what3words.com/firmly.grapes.chin

Protection. 12th October

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Moat House Bridge 74 to Autherley Junction

Apologies that this is becoming a bit more of a diary at the moment rather than a boating blog. The blog has always been a way of recording our life afloat which includes all that goes on in our lives. I hope there is currently enough to keep boaters interested, but life events happen to us all and it would feel wrong to not mention current events.

I called Frank before we were out of bed this morning, he was waiting for his breakfast, still in A&E but was feeling quite positive. Then I got a message from the panto set builder, could he chat to me about the carousel? I could give him ten minutes now. As ever with Chippy scenery, you want height, but bases are restricted in depth, so stability is always an issue. Jamie’d been giving it some thought over the weekend and had some suggestions. Our conversation finished at 09:01.

With cuppa in hand I headed out to sit under the pram cover for the best possible phone signal to call Social Services. My job today was to try to get to talk to the team who had been looking after Frank, get a name of a social worker so that when he’s discharged from hospital things could be in place for him to move straight into a nursing home.

**Tilly’s favourite mooring so far this year**

I don’t know how many times I’ve now told the receptionist everything. I’m not Frank’s next of kin so they won’t put me through to the team. Have to say the chap was good, took down everything. Our main concern was that Frank should not go back to his house, the care he was receiving for whatever reason was not working for him, and his attitude won’t change, plus his house really isn’t suitable for someone to spend their last days.

In Scarborough a team were making phone calls, then calling through to me. Time to make a quick call to the panto lighting designer. What next? Back on the phone to social services, a possible place found for Frank, but he’d need an assessment, could they do this today? The system does not make this easy. I could get to talk to someone who doesn’t know Frank’s case. Then they can’t do anything until they know he’s being discharged. The doctors had said they wouldn’t discharge him until we knew there was a room for him somewhere. Round in circles. Phone calls, messages. Data Protection stopping me from talking to someone who knows his case. So frustrating!

Should we stay put for the day and set off early tomorrow? I got to the point where there was nothing else I could do and panto questions had calmed down too. We pushed off. Then my phone rang again. This time it was a social worker who I think had been to Frank’s house. We talked about the care he’d been getting and how carers don’t understand gas ovens, I also think Home Economics isn’t taught as it used to be in my day, plus carers don’t have enough time to cook you pork chops every day! At least she seemed willing to talk to me, but before I could just do a quick recap of the important things she had to go. Gosh my brain was mashed by now!

We pootled on through the narrows, thankfully not meeting anyone coming the other way. Would there be space for us at Autherley Junction? It looked pretty full. A boat was coming towards us. They carried on, one space left, would we fit. Yes easily! Hang on that green boat ahead looks kind of familiar, the bow and welldeck certainly does, but the last time we’d seen it it had been dark blue. A ladies head bobbed up from where she was sitting, could that be Cheryl? Once we’d moored up I went to check. I was right, NB Firecrest.

Time for a late lunch. Then Mick headed out to do a touch of shopping, walking there with Cheryl from next door. I on the other hand did a touch of shopping for panto. Jelly moulds, baubles, cake tins.

News came through from Scarborough, a possible room had been found. People went to see it, it was good. I tried calling the social worker I’d talked to earlier. No answer, three more times I tried her, still none of the calls answered. I left a message. Maybe data protection was stopping me from getting through here now! I so hope tomorrow won’t be as stressful. Time to give up for the day, my attention turned to something very sweet, some lock fuel, some apple flapjack!

0 locks, 4.7 miles, 27 phone calls, 1 green boat, 31 messages, 1 frustrating day, 1 big tin of flapjack, 1 frustrated cat, 0 brisk walking, 1 plan hopefully coming together.

Rallying Frankness. 11th October

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The Geraghty zoom conversations included Zack, Library banning, hose pipe dispensation, the final Waverely trip, and Ardingly Reservoir. Afterwards we pushed off with the aim of finding a mooring better for Tilly than last nights.

Some days you spend waiting for news. Today was one of those and I have to say not knowing what was happening in Scarborough for most of the morning made me feel really quiet nauseous. We worked our way through the locks towards Gailey, several boats coming towards us, most locks empty waiting for our arrival.

**Some awkward mooring by Rothens boats on the lock landings**

At Rodbaston Lock just after I’d opened the bottom gates my phone rang. This lock is pretty close to the M6, not the best place to hear what had been happening further north this morning. The troops were rallying for Frank. At least I knew what had been decided, but there was still more waiting, news available in short messages for much of the day saying there was no news.

I walked all the way to Gailey, Boggs Lock with its temporary beams, another with a cage round it, I was scared that if you sneezed, it might just give up and fall to pieces. I hope they are on the winter stoppage list.

At Gailey there were crew from a downhill boat who came to watch and not help, one of the bottom gates eventually got closed by a chap sat on a bench smoking his pipe.

**Not quite THE photo but the extra crew were too eager to open the top gate**

I carried on walking, checking a few things for Waterway Routes. The chemical works along this stretch has lost lots of its pipe bridges, new trees now fill the gap where a footbridge had been and a newly surfaced towpath means we’d most probably not choose to moor alongside it for fear of loose chippings hitting our new paintwork.

I hopped on board for the last while, round by Hatherton Junction, pulling in at a mooring soon before Moat House Bridge. No other boats other than those passing. We had a late lunch and Tilly got busy in the friendly cover, doing a touch of self catering.

More waiting. Time to finally get round to putting our Fund Britain’s Waterways banner up on the bow. Time to position our escape ladder at the stern. The banner was quite easy tying it round the cratch board. The ladder was more involved as we wanted to attach it to where the stern fender attaches. D shackles were undone, straps slotted on, but then reattaching everything took both of us.

A bit of a wipe down of the paintwork on the starboard side, someone had left their muddy paw prints! I’m also aiming to keep on top of the dribbles below the windows. These came off really easily, but I suspect if left too long they may get stubborn to shift. All this helped with the waiting.

Late afternoon the news came through that Frank was headed back to hospital and the hunt for a care home was seriously on. Jobs were allocated for the morning. Then Frank called me to say where he was, in A&E waiting to be seen.

Tilly kept herself occupied all afternoon and she lost sight of the time, maybe because her mouth was too full! I’d started cooking, pork chops and dauphinoise potatoes, but Mick ended up having to finish things as messages were flying around the Frankness whatsapp group. Hopefully tomorrow things will get sorted for Frank and then things will start to calm down for everyone, especially Frank.

5 locks, 5.2 miles, 1 very long wait for news, 1 very very long wait for Frank, 2 frothy locks, -2 pipe bridges, 1 pipe smoker, 3 friends at least, 1 rally of Frankness, 1 ex-Production Manager, 1 stage manager, 1 ex-wardrobe assistant, M6, 3 Mrs Tilly stamps of approval?!

https://what3words.com/clip.alien.gather

Funny Feet Locks. 10th October

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Hazelstrine Bridge to opposite Otherton Boat Haven

Five minutes late pushing off this morning! A boat came past us, it had slowed a touch to pass, but still had us all over the shop, as we discovered this was the only time they would have speed today.

What a lovely morning, clouds and blue sky, we hoped we’d not be needing waterproofs today. At Deptmore Lock I offered to lend the chap on the boat ahead a hand, he said I could help close the gates behind him which I did. He was then taking an age to walk down his gunnel with a rope and windlass to get to the ladder. I said if he was happy for me to work the paddles he could stay on his boat, this was fine. As his boat rose in the lock it occasionally went on quite a list, I kept an eye on it, he didn’t seem at all bothered. Maybe this was normal. As he pulled away above the lock the boat kept listing and then straightening up, maybe the ballast was on wheels, it certainly needed adjusting.

A boat went down, we came up, there was another boat waiting below too, we’re back in the busy world. I hopped on board, Jamie the panto set builder had a couple of questions for me to answer. My technical drawings came out along with a scale ruler, replies were sent via Whatsapp. Yesterday I’d spent sometime looking at garden benches for the town scene. I’d been hoping for quite a curvy frame, within our budget. The only one I found was one Helen the Props Supervisor had suggested a week or so ago. I gave the thumbs up to buy one, it will need a bit of painting, but that was always going to be the case.

At Shutt Hill Lock the boat ahead was in the lock, now with two crew, the chap and his son, or sleeping partner as the chap called him. His son was new to boating and had been given the job to steer in and out of the lock. We closed the top gate behind them, then the chap insisted on helping me with the bottom gates. Nice of him, but he could be helping by getting a move on to the next lock! We were of course also being followed, the boat arriving a bit before we left the lock.

Between locks I did my best to respond to some messages coming through from Scarborough regarding Frank. A to and fro about samples is hard to write as you try to power walk along an uneven towpath, maybe I should have hitched a ride.

At Park Gate Lock the son had been charged with a windlass and when I got to the lock there was another person helping. This turned out to be someone from the trip boat that was picking up customers above the lock. Another boat down, then us up, the trip boat down, blimey it was busy.

**Longford Lock the first lollipop lock**

By the time I had walked onto Longford Lock the boat ahead was just about to go into the lock. The son appeared to be ignoring his fathers calls for assistance, hiding inside, stoking the fire and setting the smoke detector off, so the chap was single handing again. They were planning on going up Wolverhampton tomorrow, that would be fun with a noncommunicative son! Hopefully they’ll have finished the flight before we arrive in a day or two! The chap pulled over to let us overtake, mooring up on the lock landing and coming to help me, son tucked away inside still.

Penkridge Lock next, this is where there was a collapsed culvert earlier this year which closed the lock and road bridge over the bottom end of the lock. There was no obvious evidence of where the work had happened. We made our way up and then pulled in to use all the services, water, yellow water, bins. The slow chap arrived, he ended up assisting the boat that had been following us, he must have let them overtake too. Then it was their turn, he was single handing again. The alarming listing of the boat was most probably being created by his son inside, it would have seriously worried me if Oleanna was moving like that.

Thankfully we were finished at the services and pulled out without jumping in front of them. Filance Lock was being awkward with it’s bottom gates opening when they’d just been shut. I chatted to the lady on the boat going up. I’ve called these locks the Lollipop stick locks for some years because of their rounded ends, today we decided they looked like they should have Funny Feet ice creams on the ends of them.

Our last lock of the day, now to find a mooring. There wasn’t much space on the 2 or 5 day moorings, but we wanted somewhere for Tilly, so we carried on to opposite Otherton Boat Haven which was surrounded by fields. There were a few too many woofers being walked though to have a good afternoon, anyway I wanted my dingding! Too early for that Tilly!

A few extra supplies were needed, a walk to the Co-op required. I followed a footpath from the bridge which turned out to be like a magical tunnel through bushes, I had to stoop a little to get through. Sunday dinner bought and some ingredients to help us up Wolverhampton in a few days time.

During the day Mick had tried to find out if there were going to be any winter stoppages on the River Avon that would affect us after panto has opened. The Avon Navigation website didn’t seem to have them listed. Then we decided to check our route back north on the CRT winter maintenance list. Hmm, several blockages we’d not noted before, a bit of a convoluted route back to the River Trent would be needed. Do we try to beat the stoppage at Vazon Railway Bridge which starts on the 5th January? Will the Trent behave for us to get back to Yorkshire in the first place? Lots of variables.

6 locks, 5.2 miles, 1 alarmingly bobbing about boat, 1 haunted mooring, 1 absent 20 year old son, 700 and 1220 checked, 0 name and DOB confusion, 1 trip boat with high tea, 1 magical path, 2 pork chops, 1 recipe checked for extra fuel, 2 lollipop locks, 10 toes each, 1 detector bipping across the way!

https://what3words.com/convinces.crisp.workouts

Three In A Line, In The Rain. 9th October

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Tixall Wide to Hazelstrine Bridge 96

A stormy night. Really quite windy. This would most probably have woken us both up at some point, but we’d normally have been able to get back to sleep. However, there was a tapping noise near to our bedroom window. Was it one of the window catches? No. Mick went outside to see if he could find out what was making the noise. A popper on the cratch cover wasn’t pressed home as well as it could be. He pushed it and came back to bed. A few minutes later it was doing it again!

I found some bluetac and tried that to hold it firm. This lasted about ten minutes, more bluetac was deployed, then some more pushing. I don’t know if we just got used to the noise or whether the wind dropped a bit but we both managed to get some more shut eye. The poppers on the boat for the cratch were new ones put on by Tom and they aren’t as snug as the original ones, we’d already noticed this when rolling up the covers. We’ll have to see what we can do about it.

It was raining as we had breakfast, it was still raining when we wanted to set off. Should we wait a while? No, waterproofs on, it wasn’t that bad. We pushed off and I walked ahead to Tixall Lock. I’d looked at a walk round to the gatehouse yesterday and hadn’t understood why my OS map was taking me to the next bridge beyond the lock. There was no obvious way off the canal. The moored boats have access, but that’s not a public right of way.

**A Gnome Traction Engine has been added to the tree house and train**

I hopped on board now to catch a lift to Deptmore Lock. This route is half familiar, half not. The railway comes close, no trains timed correctly for us today. You go over the River Sow. At a bend near Stafford is where a lock is being built to connect the canal to the River Sow and provide a route into Stafford. We once moored along here in our NB Winding Down days, I got a seriously early train to Hull for a read through of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, showed my model, then came back to the boat to complete the four counties ring, hopping back on board in Stone, having missed out Tixall Wide.

It was now obvious that we were following another boat, we were gaining on them. The rain started to come down again. Up ahead we could see another boat, we’d got a convoy going on.

The towpath has recently been mown, large amounts of greenery floated about in the canal. The lead boat seemed to get stuck. A crew member at the bow did their best to try to move the grass trimmings out of their way, we however thought that they were possibly stuck on the bottom and the best thing to do was to back off. The hire boat behind them managed to get past, they didn’t offer to lend a hand at all, but their movement helped pull their stern out into deeper water and they were soon on the move again, only for the hire boat to pull in a couple of minutes later opposite Stafford Boat Club.

It was heaving it down all this time. We didn’t have that much further to go to our planned for mooring today, but the thought of waiting at Deptmore Lock for the boats ahead of us to go up wasn’t appealing. We pulled in after the next bridge for lunch and to decide whether to carry on.

A phone call from Dawn in the Frankness group. She and Lee were planning to visit Frank to move things about for him and hopefully give him some food he’d like to eat. A while later there was another phone call from Dawn. Frank had decided he’d rather move to a care home. Thank goodness for that! I’d been trying to steer him towards this decision, Dawn, as only Dawn could, helped push him across the line.

We’d opted to stay put. Time for me to prepare the Cutweb Boat Club accounts. But the afternoon was taken over with Frankness phone calls. Strike whilst the iron’s hot etc.

**I maybe should have put a bit more cheese in them**

This evening I made up a batch of gluten free Staffordshire oatcake mix I’d bought from the farm shop. I chopped up some sausages and mushrooms, added in some cheese. Very tasty and we can have the same again another time. I really should have a go at making them from scratch one time, as that would be far Far cheaper, and I don’t think you HAVE to be in Staffordshire to enjoy oatcakes.

1 lock, 5 miles, 1 soggy day, 1 seriously annoying popper, 1 ex-Senior Stage Manager, 1 puppet Man, 0.5 of a fish pie, 1 Frank eating, I decision, 3 Frankness members jumping into action, 2 certificates, more still needed, 1 cat half interested, 1 grounded boat, 3 boat convoy, 1 set of accounts set aside for another day.

https://what3words.com/battle.oath.bounty

One For Each Bedroom. 8th October

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Tescos, Rugeley to Tixal Wide, Stafford and Worcester Canal.

Mick started sorting clothes for a wash this morning. Now that the weather has turned a bit chilly we both realised we’d only two pairs of jeans each. Having another pair in reserve would be a good idea. After breakfast we headed into Tescos to see what they had to offer. Why are there SO many different types of jeans for ladies these days? Mom, Wide leg, straight, bootcut, jeggings, cigarette, carrot! Please can I just buy some plain ordinary jeans that fit! Cigarette seemed to be the nearest to what I wanted, they’ll take a bit of getting used to as they are tight on my calves and a bit baggy round my bum.

Boats had moved off before us and others arrived for top up shops. We made our way westwards slowly passing all the moored boats. The Fund Britain’s Waterways garden with all its pirates is getting quite over crowded now.

Over the River Trent. Past where Dexter used to sell diesel at good prices. They seem to like rusty old VW Beetles now. A very jolly boat came towards us, flowers hanging from the roof into the well deck. Pink and blue, was this Sebrina from the Boat Women group? It was, I waved and made a comment on her recent paint job.

Colwich Lock was waiting for a boat to come down. The lock cottage having some work done to it with scaffolding at one end, the owners stood in the doorway feeding a robin from their hands.

The boat coming down was out for the day, friends had joined the crew for a jolly. Three of us worked them down then it was our turn to ascend. The bottom gates with their short beams are heavy, the top gate beam still a stack of planks, a temporary beam until one is made for it from oak.

**Shame about the scaffolding and lock beam**

I walked on ahead, nearly 2 miles to Haywood Lock. Not quite as chilly as yesterday, but keeping up a good pace kept me warm. There was space below the lock, several boats looked like they’d been here a while. Up ahead a Stone hire boat was just going into the lock to go up. I went to help as Oleanna was still a bit behind.

The chap asked about a waterpoint just round the bend on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. I explained where the tap was at the junction, straight on just before the bridge, I showed him on Waterway Routes. Another person saying they’d have to update their app! We checked where he was wanting to wind and that information was correct.

I reset the lock for Oleanna, the bottom gates with short beams heavy to move again. It took a while to get one side closed, I walked round to do the other. A very helpful, well meaning man walking the towpath walked up to the gate I’d just closed saying, ‘Would you like me to open this one for you?’ NO!!! was my slightly rude reply, NO thank you. The thought of having to close it again really wasn’t appealing!

**If we were here longer I’d walk round to get a different angle**

There was a bit of a do-ci-do at the junction with a boat having just turned out onto the T&M. Mick swung Oleanna round under the bridge and headed for Tixal Wide. Walking ahead I expected to see quite a few boats. One gap with an angler sat right in the middle. But further along with the best view of the gatehouse there was plenty of room, we’d just have to contend with the really low bank. The sun was just catching the gatehouse rather nicely, I took lots of photos. Maybe this winter I’ll do a painting which could hang above our bed, that will be two paintings of buildings from near the canals, one for each big bedroom.

The washing went out on the whirligig, Tilly disappeared into the friendly cover for quite some time. I had a walk back to the farm shop to see what there might be, maybe a nice joint for Sunday. However, there being very few prices on show put me off buying meat. I selected a few items, gluten free black pudding and oatcake mix, some cheese and a sausage roll for Mick’s lunch tomorrow. Definitely a treat shop at over £20!

Back at Oleanna I checked things out with Frank, today so far had been quiet, but not so after checking his notes! Photos of pieces of set came through from Jamie, I requested a slightly bigger pipe, which was sorted within a few minutes.

Late afternoon it started to rain, the washing had to come inside!

***It was good to start with, but not so now!***

Two potatoes got wrapped in foil and popped in the firebox of the stove, the last of the weekend’s chicken was mixed with carrot and greens for a chunky coleslaw to accompany the baked potatoes. Very nice.

6 miles, 2 locks, 1 left, 5.17 miles walked, 2 new jeans, 1 jumper, 7 odd marks, 12 oatcakes to make, 1 flushing loo, 0 DOB or name, 1 rendezvous arranged, 1 more in the pipeline, 2 visits from Tucker, 3 Frankness members wondering about Charlie Bigham.

https://what3words.com/eventful.socket.grownup

**Apparently someone has taken it on themselves to give the mile posts a spruce up! In the process making it really hard to read them!**

Chestnuts Roasting. 7th October

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Fradley to Tescos Rugeley

**Guess who forgot to put a blob of something on the cratcch poppers!**

Rain. Not heavy, but rain this morning. The forecast last night had suggested it wouldn’t last long, the Met office app suggested it would stop around 10:15. Well they lied! We however wanted to keep up with our day in hand so couldn’t stay laid in bed. Now where did we put those waterproofs? At Christmas Josh, my nephew gave me some new waterproof trousers, these are far better than previous pairs I’ve owned, maybe I should put a new lightweight coat on my list this year.

**We should have given her a wipe down when she was wet**

We ended up setting off a little before 11am. No volunteers visible on the flight this morning, but that’s fine. Up Junction Lock, we were being followed by a workboat full of puddling clay. The crew member walked up to reset the lock behind us, I thought for a while they’d just nod from the other end of the lock, but at Middle Lock we had a conversation. They were headed to just above Shadehouse Lock to do some work there.

A single hander was coming down, it took a little while for him to bow haul his boat out of the lock, he really didn’t want to climb the ladder, I don’t blame him. Another boat approached from above so I could leave the gates for them and on we went, I opted to walk to Wood End Lock.

The HS2 works are still evident although checking my map I’m not sure the digger in a field was anything to do with the new line as it was really quite close to the 90 degree bend, maybe some new housing, maybe not.

At Wood End Lock the cottage still sits behind fencing, we were amazed that all of it’s windows were intact after so many years of being empty. Someone has added some artwork to the lock bridge.

Once up the lock we were on the long pound, slow going passing moored boats. I hitched a ride and had a catch up chat with Frank back in Scarborough. Today his Frankness visitor was Chris who rang me from the ground floor of Franks house whilst I was talking to Frank on the first floor!

The drizzle continued, not too heavy so it wasn’t unpleasant, but the temperature has most definitely dropped, and I looked forward to the stove being lit this evening, we’ll also be digging out our gloves before cruising tomorrow.

A pause for some lunch and a sit down at a handy length of armco. Tilly thought we should stay here, but we didn’t. Onwards. I hopped off to walk again just before Armtitage Tunnel, one boat heading towards us sounded it’s horn, then the tunnel was clear for Oleanna.

Now sunny, the walk was quite pleasant, a breeze making it still worth wearing a coat though. I spotted some Sweet Chestnuts on the ground, their spiky furry husks giving them away. I rolled the husks under my shoes to see if the nut inside would be worth collecting. Nowhere near as big as you get in shops, but I selected the bigger ones and filled a pocket up.

A few boats were on the move and after about 2 miles we approached Rugeley where we planned to moor for the night. The 2 day mooring was empty, we soon found out that one stretch of it was already occupied by a submarine, or maybe it was just a shopping trolley.

First port of call Morrisons pharmacy to see if the NHS app was correct that they do walk in flu jabs. They do, but only if someone hadn’t booked. On the family chat yesterday there had been mention that there was a nationwide shortage of the vaccine, well, it appears not here in Staffordshire. We booked an appointment for 20 minutes time, just long enough to pick up Micks’ prescription from Boots around the corner.

Both jabbed, £13 for a private one if you have a Morrisons card, we then did a top up shop. A few items were missing so I called into Tescos for those.

This evening the stove has been lit, Tilly has hogged the red blanket in front of it whilst Mick reheated some bolognaise sauce and I worked on panto emails and messages. I popped four chestnuts in the ash pan of the fire for quite a while. When I was young I used to be in charge of roasting chestnuts on our open fire at home. Today I took a look in my Food for Free book to see what they had to say about chestnuts.

Make sure you slit all but one of them. Put them all on the hot ash or by the coals, when the one that hasn’t been slit explodes, the others are ready. ‘The explosion is fairly ferocious, scattering hot shrapnel over the room, so sit well back from the fire and make sure all the other nuts have been slit.’

I didn’t need to have one that exploded, I timed them perfectly for roasting, but sadly they don’t have that much flavour to them. Maybe they were just a little bit too small or early in the season.

7.7 miles, 4 locks, 1 wet morning, 1 wet early afternoon, 1 underwater obstruction, 2 supermarkets, 1 boots, 2 jabs, 2 packets spaghetti, 1 Frank in the green, 1 final check from the printers, 18 chestnuts.

Threads Of Remembrance. 6th October

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Alrewas to Fradley

A very misty start this morning in Alrewas, thank you Adam for the photo, I suspect we were still in bed with our morning cuppa when this was taken.

Tilly still wasn’t enamoured with our mooring, so after breakfast she was left in charge whilst we headed out. Mick to the Co-op and me to the National Remembrance Gardens. Crossing the road to get there isn’t quite as scary as I’d remembered it to be. A new Elizabeth Line train halted my walk for a while as it slowly crossed the road.

As I arrived at the gardens, a coach had just pulled up and was offloading its passengers. I asked a guide where the new mosaic was, in the chapel across the square. Gosh that was easy to find, I’d imagined walking half way across the site to find it, not just 100 yards away.

Whilst helping on the community mosaic in Scarborough earlier this year, Gaby Naptali and a few others headed down to help install the Threads of Remembrance mosaic. Several of the group had put together a piece each which joined other contributions and was all swirled together with many more mosaic tiles. What a wonderful piece it is, with so many people’s remembrances. It kept me captivated for quite a while.

Outside I decided to have a walk round. We visited ten years ago, did the land train round the site. Today I wanted to walk, headed towards the river and walked along the bank looking at the memorials there. Then cut in through the trees to the Shot at Dawn memorial. This wasn’t quite how I remembered it. The wood that had originally been used to symbolise the 306 service men who were executed for military offences in WW1 who were pardoned by the UK Government 20 years ago, had started to rot. Now the wood has been replaced by lengths of plastic timber, not quite the same, but it still is a very powerful monument.

Ten years ago the Armed Forces memorial was still being constructed on the hill in the centre of the garden. Today the names of people who have died in service since the end of WW2 fill many of the slabs. A chink in the central wall lets a shaft of light through on the 11th hour of the 11th day or the 11th month. The thing that struck me most about this monument was how much more of it is sat waiting for names to be added. Sadly there will always be combat and there will always be people who die because of it.

Back to the boat for an early lunch. Tilly decided that our mooring was pretty good after all, whilst I had an online production meeting for panto. Chats about things still to source, what scene would be good to have finished for the photo call, lighting queries, props queries, costume catch up, some sound. I have to say I’ve felt a touch detached from it for a while, but gosh, it all kicks off really quite soon!

**Cranked beams always need a bit of thinking about which way to push or pull**

Our cruise plan had us still a little ahead of ourselves today, but we decided to move on and keep ahead even more. We pushed off passing a couple of boats. Bagnall Lock’s cranked beams seemed indubitably heavy today. I hung on them, bumped them and hung some more until eventually they relented before I did.

I opted to walk on, making up for the fish and chips last night. We passed one boat coming down, a light weight cruiser aiming for Barton Turns today. A fill of water took forever at the services, the taps round the corner are much quicker. We disposed of rubbish and yellow water and then just pushed Oleanna across to moor on the other side. Sorry Tilly, no shore leave today, the road is just far to close.

***This is catist! Why are there no photos of cats?!***

1.8 miles, 4 locks, 7 miles walked, 110 brisk minutes, 1 more message about the print, 3 Frankness phone calls, 0.5 pork pie from Coats, 60 plus mosaic artists, 270 elements in one, 9 in the team, 1 new bucket, 1 empty wee tank, 1 full water tank, 1 bored cat.

https://what3words.com/feel.leafing.juggles

Furthest West. 5th October

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Shobnall Fields to Bridge 47, Alrewas

So glad we were only moored here for one night. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice mooring but Tilly and I spent far too long here last year. When I say it’s a nice mooring, it is apart from when the local lads decide to fire fireworks at each other whilst running around in the park! I hope that was a phase last year that has worn off.

As we were making to push off so was the chap on the boat ahead, NB Borderline. We’ve seen the boat about the system, he’s covered it all and bagged the silver propeller locations too. I had a chat with him as I rolled up the covers, he’s from York so there was plenty to chat about.

A boat waved us on, we thought they were coming in to moor where we were, some obscure hand signals were given. We pushed off and headed to the entrance to Shobnall Marina, Oleanna was swung round and then reversed under the narrow bridge. Time for a top up of diesel, £1.33 domestic, 3 bags of coal and a new float switch for the engine bilge pump as the current one keeps sticking on! Whilst we were tucked inside, the boat we thought was going to moor came past us, soon followed by another.

Back out onto the canal we soon passed where we’d moored for a night last year. This had been the furthest west we’d achieved in 2025, today we were continuing onwards, no rumours of Alrewas Lock closing due to low water levels.

At Branston Lock the two boats ahead of us were disappearing into the distance and not that far behind us was NB Borderline, long gone are the days of not seeing another moving boat!

A question had come through from the print company about my portals for panto, the chap I was talking to couldn’t find the right words to describe the query, he forwarded it by email and it immediately made sense. A few minutes to do a visual in reply, now hopfully it was sorted.

At Tattenhill Lock we’d caught up the boat ahead, they were travelling with the boat infront, so three, now four crew to work them up. Were we all aiming for Alrewas? Yes. News had come through this morning that there was plenty of room, so hopefully there’d be enough for three!

**Is the shed a new thing? I don’t remember it**

I hitched a ride to Barton Turn Lock, again helping the two boats ahead. Alongside this lock is an honesty box. Years ago I bought some alpine strawberry plants here which have carried on going and now fill an urn at the house and two troughs. I hope they will survive the rest of the year, they are not guaranteed to be watered now we’re back on the boat. Today there were jams, possibly pickles £3 a jar. Alongside in a box were punnets of tomatoes for £1. A good variety of sizes, they were worth the £1, I boughht some.

We pulled in soon after the lock, giving the boats ahead chance to get away and time for lunch and a sit down for Mick. Next it was time to play the A38 game, both of us stood at the stern of Oleanna waving to lorries as they passed at speed. Sadly the hedge was too high for many of them to see us, not one beep from a horn but a few waved back.

At lunchtime we’d been overtaken by another boat who we met at Wychnor Lock, a single hander who took his time. He was a touch bemused as he’d not been able to find the bins that he thought were shown on his app. I have to say I don’t remember there being bins here and the door he’d been trying I think is someone’s garage.

A message was sent ahead, we’d just ascended the lock. I opted to walk to Alrewas, a stretch I’ve not walked before. Across the raised walkways with their white railings which come in handy when the River Trent is in flood. At the lock the single hander had an extra pair of hands, Adam from NB Kingley Vale. As we worked Oleanna up the lock I of course got a phone call from the set builder, he wanted to talk toilets! A suitable subject with boaters about, but I couldn’t answer his questions until I had my drawings to look at.

**Alrewas Lock, thank you Adam for the photo**

NB KV was moored close to the lock, but we didn’t find a space until we got round near the church. Possibly a better mooring for Tilly, although she didn’t stay out long. It was nice of someone to put out all the flowers, but all the grass is too short and there’s very little friendly cover to pounce in and She said I wasn’t allowed to go digging!

**I just missed both boats in one photo!**

With panto questions answered, a chat with Frank, a spruce up and an early dingding for Tilly, we headed back to find NB Kingley Vale. Here Adam, Adrian and Macc their border terrier greeted us. There was a guided tour round their boat, still under a year old, a glass of wine and food time for Macc, woofers don’t do dingding! A very lovely boat, plenty of head room, possibly an inch higher than Oleanna.

We all then headed to The Crown for some food, a corner table so Macc could have some space of his own. Burgers, fish and chips, beers and wine all followed by puddings and accompanied by plenty of conversation. We’ve met Adam a few times, but before today we’ve only managed to wave to Adrian as they passed on NB Briar Rose at the beginning of lockdown in 2020. This year both boats had been travelling in the same direction, but we were two days behind them. However, Adrian has been referred to the fracture clinic in Burton, their cruising plans had changed, so they’d set a course to head in our direction. It was really lovely to get chance to spend an evening with them, we just hope that Adrian’s appointment comes through quickly.

**See, I said my photos were a bit pants! Mick, Adam and almost Adrian**

7.2 miles, 5 locks, 50 L diesel, 75kg coal, 1 float switch, 2 infront, 2 horses, 1 unimpressed cat, 1 boater talking toilets, 1 pause for lunch, £1 tomatoes, 1 guided tour, 2 burgers, 2 fish and chips, 5 glasses wine, 5 pints, 4 puddings, 1 very pleasant evening.

https://what3words.com/camcorder.inclined.ferried

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna

Category Archives: Narrowboat Life

Oh, BUM! 14th October

21 with 4. 13th October

Protection. 12th October

Rallying Frankness. 11th October

Funny Feet Locks. 10th October

Three In A Line, In The Rain. 9th October

One For Each Bedroom. 8th October

Chestnuts Roasting. 7th October

Threads Of Remembrance. 6th October

Furthest West. 5th October