Category Archives: Narrowboat Life

Abandoned Ship. 31st December

Above Lock 6 to Earlswood Motor Yacht Club.

The fridge is getting depleted, but there were three sausages that should have been eaten by yesterday, so we risked it and accompanied them with an egg, toast, beans and a few hash browns for our last breakfast of the year.

Was this Adam and Adrian’s old share boat?

Boats were moving in both directions earlier than ourselves, so we hoped that the last locks of this year would be in our favour. The first one wasn’t, the last two boats must have passed each other below the lock. Oh well, we’d had most of Hatton and Lapworth in our favour.

Mick brought Oleanna into Lock 5, I closed the gates and lifted both paddles to fill the chamber. The short pound above seemed a little low already, we were making it lower still. As normal I walked up to the next lock to set it, emptying water down. Now it is just the two of us Mick is left to close the gates behind him and drop the paddles.

He dropped the paddle one side, crossed the gate, opened it, dropped the paddle that side. Brought Oleanna out of the lock, stopped in the throat of the lock, stepped off to close the gate behind. The stepping off usually is done with the centre line in hand, so I was surprised when he stepped off without it.

There’s a bit too much water between man and boat!

The one time he does this and Oleanna decides she’d like to carry on on her own! Mick spotted this just a touch too late the gap far too wide to jump never mind step! I’d already started to walk down, nothing much we could do, the gap was too wide from the other side of the lock. We just had to wait and wait to see where she was headed, very slowly.

Her chosen course luckily for us was to aim for the towpath. Some careful footing was needed to get down a slippy bank before Oleanna’s gunnel could be reached. Fortunately she continued her course towards us and Mick could climb back on. Phew! Tilly not only needs to learn how to make tea, but also to steer Oleanna.

Once up Lock 4, Mick told me that he loved me. ‘Because I didn’t shout at you and call you a stupid b*gger!’ ‘Yes’. Well that wouldn’t have got us anywhere and just been a lot of hot air.

Lapworth Top Lock was also full despite emptying itself. This lock will always be remembered as being covered in snow, Narnia Lock. When we moved our old share boat NB Winding Down south we did this stretch with about four inches of snow on the ground, the top lock had looked magical. Today it would be our last for 2019.

We pootled along to the first lift bridge. This used to be exceptionally hard work. It certainly was when it had four inches of snow on it! The hydraulics were changed a few years ago which means at least you can turn your windlass to get it moving. You just have to do it 60 plus times to be able to get your boat through!

A chap by his boat thought there might be someone who’d sell us some gas, but the closed sign was up at Swallow Cruisers.

On a bit further to the next lift bridge. Here the grey boat we’d obviously been following was pulled in on the bridge landing. No sign of the chap. Mick tried pulling in infront but we were too long. This had the effect of blinds being twitched and two people came out, a lady ran to open the bridge for us and presumably themselves. At least it saved me 24 turns of my windlass.

Now to find somewhere to see the new year in, preferably with a view and suitable for Tilly. The cutting we were in opened out after a few miles. Should we pull in here, or go round the corner where we’ve moored before? Debates went on, but with a view one side, a field and trees we pulled in. This would do us.

We still didn’t stop, but then it doesn’t appeal anymore.

It already felt like it was about 3:45pm, the day had been exceptionally grey, but Tilly was given an hour and a half to explore. This she made use off and vanished into the thickly treed embankment, requiring encouragement to return before it got too dark!

The fish pie mix we’d bought in Oxford was made into a crumble for our dinner, accompanied by a bottle of wine. The second episode of Vienna Blood was watched as I finished off knitting the pockets on my new treat cardigan. The button band and pockets just need sewing together now and it will be finished.

As we watched the fireworks in London we urged the helicopter to head southwards as the smoke masked the view to the north of the Thames. Plenty of fireworks went off around us, at some distance, clearer than those on the TV. Thank goodness Tilly is fine with all the bangs, she slept through midnight chasing mice in her sleep.

4 locks, 4.74 miles, 2 lift bridges, 3 sausages, 2 eggs, 1 abandoned boat, 1 bow just close enough, 1 silly sausage, 0 visits to Wedges still, 0 Ferraris, 7635 Christmas trees, 1.5 hours, 1 cardie knitted, 1 Happy New Year to all.

https://goo.gl/maps/SQDbJougpn11QoFf8

Letting The Side Down. 30th December

Hatton Top Lock to above Lock 6 Lapworth, North Stratford Canal.

We’d intentionally let the stove go out overnight as the boat had been a touch too hot, so this morning the boiler was put to use to take the chill off and provide hot water. Cups of tea in bed were disturbed as the boiler clicked in repeatedly. The gas had run out! Good job we carry three bottles.

After a round of bacon butties we pushed off and onwards. It was a chilly morning outside and Mike and Chris stayed inside keeping warm.

Shrewley Tunnel was clear and we sailed through accompanied by the Dr Who theme being recited from the bow where Chris was doing a time lapse of our journey. Link A shame there weren’t any air shafts for me to count the mysterons as I’m sure that would have been appreciated by the chaps at the front.

Next the goats at Tom O The Wood, plenty in the fields today. We stopped at the water point to top up the tank and relight the stove so that it could get going before we reached the Lapworth flight, saving everyone getting a face full of smoke.

From the stern we could hear Tilly protesting constantly inside. The sort of protesting she does whilst we are in tunnels. Blimey Tilly! SHUT UP!! Just what will Mike and Chris think of you?!

She’s silent about it now of course! But would she stop!!

Mick swung Oleanna round at Kingswood Junction leaving the land of widebeams behind and we slowly moved our way past the moored boats and new houses going up towards Lock 20. Sam from NB Red Wharf had warned us that Lock 20 had been out of use before Christmas so we were prepared to carry straight on through the link when we saw the hazard tape and chains holding the bottom gates together.

When the Stratford Canal was extended from Hockley Heath south, it reached and joined the Warwick and Birmingham Canal (now the Grand Union) at Kingswood. The canal was built with the current lock No 19 in situ. The canal then stayed on a level to what is now the new link, here there was a guillotine lock which dropped down to the Grand Union level.

When the Stratford Canal was extended to Stratford the layout at the junction altered. The guillotine lock was blocked off and the current locks 20 and 21 were built. The Warwick and Birmingham therefore continued to receive a lockfull of water every time a boat passed onto their waters.

In more modern times leisure boats heading from the south Stratford and those coming from the Grand Union, would drain the pound above locks 20/21 and so in 1996 the original guillotine lock was reopened but as a channel linking below the locks, thus saving water.

So today we continued straight on, through the narrow link and turned right to head up the Lapworth Locks. A different crew briefing was needed along with pointing out the gap in the bridges that let the horse remain connected to the boat and the barrel roof of the lock cottage.

The wide basin below lock 21, the link to the left by the cottage

There were plenty of walkers out on the flight. Today’s comment being how narrow the locks were, at least nobody asked if we’d fit!

Most locks were empty, a couple full. With three crew we got into a rhythm again quickly. No boats coming down, we had the flight to ourselves. The sun had burnt it’s way through the morning mist that loitered, so whilst stood in the sunshine it was nearly warm.

Although each pound between the locks was on the weir they all felt a touch low, well we were taking a locks worth out of most of them. Oleanna took her time entering the locks, extra umph needed to get her over cills. Was this due to shallow water and our depth or maybe something around the prop. We continued, investigation could wait for later.

Chris did another timelapse of our trip up the locks. Lapworth in 30 seconds rather than our 1 hour and 24 minutes. When we reached the long pound before Lock 5 we pulled in. Here is better for Tilly, who was allowed straight out to save her continuing to let the side down with her shouting!

With three quarters of an hour of daylight left Mike and Chris decided to head off to catch a train back to Warwick. It had been a lovely couple of days with them and perfectly timed to help with the locks. Next time we’ll have to get our act together in the summer. We waved them goodbye as they made their way back down the locks to find the road.

Tilly came home after a good nose around. This is where she once lost a collar, but she hadn’t found it today. We’ve had a quiet evening in front of the stove, luckily Tilly has quietened down now that its just the three of us again.

15 locks, 5.92 miles, 1 left, 1 right, 1 full water tank, 1 very noisy cat, 1 short tunnel, 4 bacon butties, 1 hr 24 minutes, 4 more locks still to go, 5 back to 3, 1 quiet boat again.

https://goo.gl/maps/fPYYwkeiEcPZVqXV9

Beardy Crew. 29th December

Cape of Good Hope to Hatton Top Lock

On Saturday morning after breakfast the London Leckenbys headed back to London town. This had always been the plan, but they left early as their house alarm had been triggered overnight. It must have been a faulty sensor or a busy spider as the house was fine when they returned. Plans are in the making for us all to meet up in York this summer, here’s hoping the Ouse plays along.

The rest of the day we filled with water and pottered about allowing Tilly freedom of the bank next to the boat.

Sunday morning and a spot of baking was needed. A batch of biscuits were shown the oven and the stuffing for sausage rolls was put together for later in the day. At around 10.30 two figures climbed over the gates of the lock behind us with a large suitcase. This was my old college friend Mike and his partner Chris.

Five or so years ago they helped us climb up Stoke Bruerne Locks and had expressed interest in helping out at flights of locks. We’ve not managed to get our acts together for sometime but with Hatton on the cards and Chris having spent Christmas with his Mum in Solihull a plan just neatly fell into place.

We’d last seen them in Camden when Oleanna was new, so it was lovely to spend some time with them again. Cuppas were turned down and we headed straight towards the flight. At Budbrooke Junction we turned right, the stern of NB Hadar just visible down the Saltisford Arm.

As the bottom lock came into view so did a boat, just pulling out of the lock. Would all the locks be in our favour? We hoped so.

Mike and Chris hadn’t worked paddle gear like this before and were a touch rusty on how to do things. So a chat through and demonstration were given. By the time Oleanna had risen in the second lock we could adjust our method a touch, with only one gate needed to enter or exit the locks people could be used elsewhere sooner.

By the time the locks were getting closer together we had got into a rhythm with one person heading on to the next lock whilst the other two wound paddles, opened and closed gates to bring Oleanna up. We quickly became an efficient team. Sadly Tilly still hasn’t learnt how to make tea which would have been nice with one of my biscuits halfway up the flight.

There were plenty of people out walking the flight. Many making obvious comments about the number of locks we’d got left to do. At a couple of locks I managed to get keen and eager kids to help with gates, one young lad managing to move a gate all by himself.

No boats came down and most of the locks were in our favour, just a couple had refilled themselves and a few just needed leveling out again before the bottom gate could be opened. The sun was out so as we worked our way up hill layers could come off as we generated our own heat.

St Mary’s Church visible down in Warwick

We’d entered the bottom lock at 11:12 and exited the top at 13:37, 2 hours 25 minutes. Not bad.

There was plenty of rubbish to dispose of and the water tank got topped up again whilst I made sausage rolls for our now worn our crew for a late lunch. Mick moved us along to a mooring. We’d hoped to reach Rowington for the views today, but it would have been dusk by the time we got there.

The Hatton Arms, just down the way would stop serving food at 6pm which would be a touch early for us. So we decided to stay put, let the incessantly protesting Tilly out and I popped a chicken stew on the stove for us to enjoy later.

The evening was spent catching up on news of fellow college friends and major critiques of Dr Who and His Dark Materials amongst other TV programmes.

21 locks, 2.88 miles, 1 right, 1 boat down, 2 beardy chaps, 2 hrs 25mins, 8 sausage rolls, 8 biscuits, 7 joints of chicken, 1 annoying second mate, 1 battery removed.

https://goo.gl/maps/Gh2vuNKnAp1oyQeK6

The Cape. 27th December

Cape Top Lock

One of two moving boats today NB Merlin, they’ve come a long way from Bunbury

A tidy up of Oleanna which included removing the last few weeks worth of cat fur from the curtains. A batch of gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough had been made yesterday so it was resting in the fridge ready to be sliced and cooked ready to fill the boat with a yummy aroma when our visitors arrived.

Photo credit should go to Tilly for final adjustment of the photo

The journey up from London for the London Leckenbys took a while longer than they’d hoped as traffic had been bad, but they got to us before 1pm. With all the light industrial units closed for Christmas they were able to leave the car close to the water point. As Andrew said if their car was a Ferrari then they would have moved it elsewhere. But as it’s a damp VW with moss growing on it’s windows and has various battle scars from through the years he wasn’t too worried of it’s parking location.

Tea and biscuits were accompanied by opening our latest post and Mick’s last Christmas present, an under pillow speaker so that he can listen to cricket during the night, hopefully without disturbing me.

A stretch of the old legs along the muddy towpath was called for, the weather not really having improved from yesterday sadly so we didn’t venture too far before returning to the boat and donning our glad rags to go to the pub.

The Cape of Good Hope is a well known canalside pub run by a couple of Kiwis. Ages ago when on Lillian we moored in the Saltisford arm and wove our way through the housing estate to sample their burgers. Today we’d booked a table to be sure we’d get one, but it wasn’t as full as it had been in the warmer months. Today we just had to negotiate the lock gates after a couple of aperitifs.

Warm and cosy inside we chose a couple of starters to share, followed by mains. Dough balls, for the youngest along with haloumi and veg kebabs for the second youngest.

Josh with a steak nearly as big as himself

Main courses were steak which came with a festoon of vine tomatoes. A very tasty Blade of Beef with wild mushroom jus. A lamb shank. Two wild boar and chorizo gourmet pies. They all hit the spot being very tasty and were washed down with beer and wine.

The lock gates were a touch more problematical on the way back, but nobody got wet so that was a relief. Birthday cake for pudding got the thumbs up from my brother as Queen of Sheba cake is a fond memory for both of us from our teenage years.

Putting the boat into sleeping mode for five meant the stove had been allowed to burn itself out so that Josh wouldn’t cook on the sofa. Luckily there was still an amount of heat coming from it to keep the chill off until morning.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 Merlin, 3 visitors, 8 biscuits, 4 slices fruit cake (thank you Nick), 1 damp walk, 10 muddy shoes, 4 muddy paws, 2 bottles wine, 3 pints, 2 bottles beer, 1 orange juice, 1 steak, 2 pies, 1 shank, 1 blade, 5 slices of chocolate, 1 afternoon and evening of conversation, 1 cat wanting a quiet life again, 1 apology to Duncan and Jaye due to poor phone signal.

A Bright Flash. 26th December

Radford Smelly to Cape of Good Hope

Yesterday we had bathroom doors not able to shut due to the amount of heat the sun was providing on the starboard side. Sadly today this wasn’t going to be the case as it was raining before we got up and it stayed a damp grey day. Just a day to go cruising!

I’d woken with images of my sour dough starter having taken over the cabin overnight. But it was still contained to the proving shelf and when I looked into the bowl it hadn’t done anything over night. I swapped out the cabbage leaves for newer ones and fed it, hoping things would improve. Unfortunately nothing happened to it all day, so it was another failed attempt. But this one definitely has worked the best, maybe if I’d fed it with the right quantities whilst sober. I’ve certainly not given up yet. It will have to wait now until I return from Vienna, as I don’t want to leave the responsibility of feeding it to Mick whilst I’m away. It does mean we’ll have to have some more braised cabbage on my return, oh dear, never mind!

Time to make a move. We pootled up to the winding hole, winded and headed back into town. Past the cat and water point and pulled in by Morrisons. We’ve visitors coming so needed a few things. Many of the shelves were bare, Christmas cakes were reduced and a huddle stood round waiting for the price reduction of the turkeys. One lady infront of us at the checkout had three birds and other stuff, her bill around £25! Well that’s certainly worth waiting for. If only our freezer was bigger.

Back at the boat, as we rolled back the covers a blue boat came past. It had been moored in town with us and then was the only moving boat yesterday. The chap at the helm said they’d had to turn round as the kids (presumably grand kids) had managed to block the toilet with paper. Their maserator hadn’t appreciated it! What a lovely thing to sort on Boxing Day! Maybe we’d be sharing the locks with him and his blocked loo.

My new coat did a good job the drizzle preferring to roll off it than soak into it. I may be able to fit an extra layer under it after all the Christmas food and chocolate have become memories.

At Tesco’s we passed the blue boat. With McDonalds as well as Tescos, they had plenty of shore based facilities until the toilet gets sorted. We left him to see if reversing the macerator would help unblock it.

All was quiet at the boat yards, Kate Hire base had one car in the car park. Nowhere to get any gas, we still have a brand new bottle so we’ll be fine for a while, even if we need to use it for heating. Having guests means the sofa will be used as a bed, the stove is too close for this to be safe so we’ll let it burn out.

Below the two Cape Locks a Kingfisher darted in front of us, brightening up the day no end. Then at the top lock a big boxer dog came to say hello and provided my new coat with it’s first mud.

We’d expected a few boats to be moored here, but we seem to be the only ones. It’s most probably because the TV signal is poor again! Tomorrow we’ll pull back and top up with water and await the arrival of our first visitors.

2 locks, 4.85 miles, 1 wind, 0 turkeys for us, 1 wee tank, 75% off turkeys, 3 packs of bacon, 1 loaf bread, 3rd starter destined for the bin, 1st left overs meal, 1 damp drizzly day, 2 late for Tilly, 1 Kingfisher.

https://goo.gl/maps/4MBAN78c6og7UXWq6

Smelly Christmas. 25th December

Radford Smelly

What a beautiful day. Blue skies hardly any wind, a perfect day for cruising. So we stayed put, there was far too much present unwrapping , eating and drinking to do.

The boy was very happy with his new gloves

Our stockings were filled with chocolate, pens, socks, pants and a grease gun. The best thing in Mick’s was a new pair of Pond Gloves. His old ones had sprung a leak a couple of years ago so needed replaceing. They are ever so good for when you have to reach down to clear something around your prop and well deserving of a Herbie award for best gadget 2019.

Breakfast, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon accompanied by a glass of Bucks Fizz. Very nice.

Christmas presents followed. A mitten each to hold hot/or cold drinks. New jeans. Pearsons new guide to the Black Country. A guide book to Vienna. A novel. Felix The Station Cat book. Cat t-towel. A food goodie bag. An endoscope. A stripey top. All sorts.

Then we walked off the early morning fizz, a nice romantic walk along the towpath to ….. the bins! There were plenty of people about, most of whom stopped before they reached the really muddy section, but we carried on not wanting to return to the boat with our bags of rubbish.

Tilly came and went for much of the day. When she was home she unwrapped her presents. Ziggy and Finn (London Leckenby cats) had got her a small catnip mouse. Thank you!

Joa (Tilly’s number one fan), Mungo and Dog got her a box of crinkly noisy things that she spent quite a bit of time getting out of the box. Thank you, thank you! The catnip sardines from us didn’t go down so well, but the new bedoinge ball from Father Christmas was batted around for quite a while.

She saw to her own Christmas dinner, which Mick spotted and managed to close the hatch just in time before she brought it in to eat on the table cloth!!

Yesterday I’d decided to have another go at a sour dough starter. I’d come across a site explaining a bit more about them. The suggestion was to use a red cabbage leaf to help it get going, these have an abundance of natural yeast sat on their leaves (the white stuff). So as I started on the braised cabbage I popped a leaf into some sorghum flour and water. This method suggests stirring it frequently and feeding it every 8 hours. The quantities were a little bit large so I reduced them to start with, opting for a medium sized container. When I went to check it this evening,I lifted it down off the proving shelf. BLIMEY! A monster!!

After 24hrs it had doubled in size. It was fed and put in a larger container. The quantities of flour and water became what ever I fancied (due to the wine I’d consumed), so I’ve possibly blown it now. But we’ll see whether I’m making bread in a days time or back to feeding it hoping and praying I haven’t killed it.

Duck with pinenut, apple and chestnut stuffing

The duck was cooked, roast veg roasted, new version of bread sauce reheated. Then we dug in. Our two plates straining under the amount of food. It was all very very tasty. There was no need for seconds and there will be plenty of left overs.

Tree presents. A Christy Moore album for Mick and a new boaty cap for me.

We’d been given a firework Santa meant to go on top of your Christmas pudding or cake. With our low ceiling we decided it was most probably safer to light it out on the towpath. It played ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’ as it erupted. Very good fun, thank you Christine. Here’s a link.

After a suitable sipe it was time for birthday presents. I did very well. A day rucksack that packs away into itself. The follow up book about Felix and Bolt his assistant at Huddersfield station. A bottle of The Kings Ginger. Socks. A cast aluminium low casserole dish. A new waterproof coat from Mick. This is a sailing coat from Decathlon so hopefully it will be far more waterproof than my old coat.

Birthday cake, now iced with runny chocolate and candles. We managed to squeeze a thin slice in each and then retired to the sofa and the TV with Tilly curled up dreaming of mice.

0 locks, 0 miles, 14 pairs pants, 7 pairs socks, 0 ash can, 1 bottle booze, 5 chocolate oranges, 1 ruck sack, 1 endoscope, 3 sardines, 2 mice, 3 balls, 1 waterproof coat, 2 pairs scissors, 1 cap, 1 tasty duck, 1 birthday cake, 3 bottles consumed, 2 crackers, 0 games of Mind The Gap, 1 firework, 1 tasty vole followed by shrew, 1 moving boat, 1 very lovely birthday. Thank you

All We Want For Christmas. 23rd, 24th December

Radford Smelly to The Big Cat, Leamington Spa

Moving into town was the way forward. So the alarm was set and we had our first cuppa with breakfast and cruised the mile and a quarter into Leamington Spa. There were more boats moored up in town than there had been a couple of weeks ago, people had come in to do their shopping. Mick headed off to get the hire car whilst I had a good sweep through Oleanna.

Our mooring turned out to be far better than it would have been back near the lock, here we can get the car to within 100ft of the boat.

First port of call, Princes Drive Recycling Centre. Blimey it was busy! Engine oil, old electrical items and our old printer went in the skips. Tilly’s spiny chasey toy (the red flying saucer in the middle) that she’s grown out of sat in the middle of the skip making me feel guilty. Unfortunately they wouldn’t take used antifreeze without an appointment, which happens on Thursdays, apart from this coming week!

Next Morrisons for peanut butter and some Coffee logs that we’d like to try. This did mean us sitting in traffic to get into the store, then more traffic to get to the petrol station and even more traffic to get out to just sit in traffic again to return to the boat to drop off the antifreeze. The whole trip, there and back, would have been much quicker by boat!

Time to head across country. 14 miles as the crow flies was a good 40 minutes by road. Soon we could see the Banger Spire calling us up the hill into Braunston village. There were two parcels waiting at the post office, luckily the chap let me show him a copy of a bill on my phone as proof of ID as I’d left my cards on the boat.

Then we joined the queue at the butchers. The chap in front was picking up his Turkey, a lady on crutches had a large order and another lady had the wind knocked out of her when she was told the price of her fillet of beef joint! She asked if they could make it a touch smaller, but the butcher explained he could but it would still cost the same price! Hope they know how to cook 3kg of beef fillet.

A pie did manage to get added to our shopping

Our order was as expected, sadly no gluten free bangers.

Midland Chandlers only had imperial allen keys and open metal buckets for ash, but we did get a grease gun and spare water hose parts before heading back towards Leamington Spa.

Screwfix provided us with Allen keys, then we joined traffic going into Sainsburys. Once parked we started on our main food shop. Five bags of goodies, everything we wanted and an opportunity to use our nectar points, a good cheap shop.

The only thing left was an ash bin.

Homebase, No, but they did have some Gorilla Tape that is Crystal clear to mend a hole in the pram cover.

Lidl, No.

A Hardware shop in town, No.

A Fireplace and stove shop on Rugby road, No.

Time had run out so we returned to Oleanna fully laden but missing an ash bin, we’ll have to order one to be sent somewhere, but we don’t quite know where at the moment. Maybe a last minute note to Father Christmas might work?

24th December

Tilly and I had already decided last night that we wouldn’t be staying in town for Christmas. The view wasn’t much this morning when I opened the curtains, it was still dark. After a cuppa in bed, Mick headed off in the car to see if Morrisons would sell him a bottle of gas. Even though they’d just had a delivery this morning they didn’t have the right sized bottle for us, never mind we’ll get some up towards Birmingham.

A quick breakfast and then it was time to return the car to Enterprise. I hitched a lift and then walked up to Wool Warehouse. The yarns that I first used for socks in my Etsy shop is now discontinued, so I was wanting to check out an alternative.

There were far more colours to choose from and Oops! I came home with seven balls. I had to have the red and blue. And I wouldn’t be a boater if I hadn’t got the colourway called Kingfisher. So that’s January sorted.

We pootled up the way to the next winding hole, I hopped off at Morrisons for a couple of bits and by the time I returned to the canal Mick was just pulling up to wait for me. Back to Clemens Street Bridge where we topped up the water tank as I gave the floor a good wash. Then we were on our way again, retracing our steps to Radford Semele. We were surprised nobody else had turned up there, maybe they all know about the TV signal.

Christmas Eve wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without sausage rolls

The remainder of the day has mostly been about cooking. First lunchtime sausage rolls.

Pinenuts for the stuffing and cider gravy reducing

Then stuffing, gravy and bread sauce.

Followed by a Queen of Sheba cake. This will get iced tomorrow.

Then the braised cabbage got to sit on the stove top for an hour or so. The smell of it is so yummy! All of this lot will end up in the outdoor fridge overnight.

Then came the maple and mustard ham with dauphinoise potatoes. Yum!

One happy cat showing off her white bits

Tilly had a few good hours on the towpath, only having to escape from a grey hound once. We all agree this is a better place to spend Christmas, maybe not quite as nice as on the Oxford Canal, but I suspect there will be fewer boats moving tomorrow.

How does Santa Tom get through the air vent? He won’t get an ash bin through there!

The stockings are out and we are wrapped up and ready for tomorrow.

0 locks, 4.47 miles, 1 wind, 32 coffee logs, 1 duck, 1 gammon, £112 for a fillet, 2 parcels, 2mm allen key, 1 last pounce, 3 peanut butters, 5 bags shopping, 0 ash pan, 0 gas, 700 grams yarn, 8 sausage rolls, 1 new recipe for bread sauce, 1 vat of gravy, 1 pot of stuffing, 1 pan of cabbage, 1 ham, 8 sliced potatoes, 1 cake, 8 oz of chocolate, 3 stocking, 2 boaters and a cat all excited.

A Touch Further Than Planned. 22nd December

Longhole Bridge to Radford Smelly

Today we were going to be passing our last water point before Christmas, so as the heating had been on first thing I made use of the hot water and had a shower before we set off. The sun was out again as we ventured further towards Leamington Spa.

The first lock along this stretch is quite a distance from any road, you can tell this by the lack of paint and amount of rust on the gates and paddle gear. The paddle I opened to empty the lock made a slightly worrying hissing noise as the water ran through below, but it survived in one piece and didn’t explode.

Once down our second lock of the day we pulled over to top the water tank up. There is an Elsan here, all very clean. A sign in the hedge by the tap says that it is out of use currently due to health and safety reasons for the operative emptying the cess pit. Notes have been added to the sign suggesting it has been out of action for sometime.

On the side of the elsan a new looking box was labelled Cesspit telemetry. Is this elsan still out of use? Hunting round the stoppage page on the C&RT website it suggests that it was reopened on the 7th November this year. There certainly isn’t anything on the actual elsan suggesting you can’t use it.

*We have now had confirmation from C&RT through Paul Balmer of Waterway Routes that this Elsan is now fully open. Someone will be along to remove the sign that had been missed.*

Down Fosse Middle Lock a boat came towards us, so we could leave the gates open for them and carry on to the next lock not that far away.

Oleanna now with added lights, that you can’t see in the day time

We were now looking for a mooring as close to Radford Bottom Lock as possible. Here is an ideal place to bring a car to load and unload things. But the moorings above the lock were some distance away and a chap was practicing firing an air pistol at the trees there, not an ideal spot for Tilly! The towpath was also very muddy.

As we got closer to the lock we could see that a pair of boats had just ascended, so we carried on down the lock hoping for somewhere there to pull in. Here the designated winter moorings started. There was a gap, but we decided to carry on to below the church in Radford Semele for the day. This was further than planned and not handy for car access, but better for Tilly tonight.

Tilly had a good couple of hours whilst I got on with writing lists. The big food shopping list being the main one. A batch of puff pastry was mixed and popped in the fridge, I’ve added a touch more Xantham gum and water than usual to see if that would make it less crumbly whilst rolling it out. The first roll and turn went very well, the second and third a touch messier. I’m sure it’ll taste fine once it’s got sausage meat inside it.

I’ve checked back on previous visits here for TV signal. Last years visits fall into the posts that have lost their photos and when we moored here on Lillian it was before I’d started to do the thumbs up/down for signal quality every day. No wonder no body is moored here, the only channels we can get without the internet are shopping channels. We really don’t want a new mattress even if it is such a bargain!

The last of our boat warming bay leaves from Frank, well he did bring us two carrier bags full!

5 locks, 2.69 miles, 4 boats moving, 1 topped up tank, 1 boat a bit too far, 1 happy cat, 2 sides A4, 3 more turns to go, 42 bayleaves left, 1 possible change of Christmas mooring, £520 saving.

https://goo.gl/maps/ejJhFhL2BfRtxxKM6

Mistaken Identity. 21st December

Basecote Aqueduct to Longhole Bridge 31

See, what did I say! The sun came out and what do they do? They move the outside!

That isn’t strictly true. Whilst we had breakfast Tilly was allowed to head off and explore, we’d only got a couple of hours to cruise today, so there was no rush to leave. Mick headed off on a bike to get our Saturday newspaper and hunt for blueberries.

Returning with everything he called for Tilly, who he’d spotted up the towpath. We’d want to make a move now so I put on my boots to go out and encourage our crew back on board. Mick pointed up the towpath, a cat sat some distance away and a lady dog walker held onto her two woofers, not moving a muscle.

Mick did say he couldn’t see properly, which was true when I questioned if it was Tilly on the towpath. The cat turned to head into the sideways trees flashing an almost total white front. Too much white, but I went to look anyway. The lady with the dogs stood her ground until I got closer.

Deep in the sideways trees I could see a fluffy cat keeping a close eye on what was happening. Definitely not Tilly. I walked back with the lady, keeping an eye open for Tilly, only to spy her busy in the hedge alongside Oleanna. Once her business had been dealt with she trotted back on board, we were ready for the off.

Below the aqueduct and embankment the River Itchin was sprawling itself across the fields, the level must have risen somewhat after yesterdays rain fall as neither of us remembered it from when we’d arrived.

Shortly before Bascote Bridge there was a pumpkin graveyard. What looked like a whole field of pumpkins lay unpicked (if you pick a pumpkin, maybe you cut them?) in lines in the field. Some were flattened, others still sat bulbously orange and proud above the earth. Why had this crop just been left to rot in the field?

We stopped at the water point, topping up and to make use of the bins, emptying our yellow water into our container too.

Here I got a text from someone. ‘Hi Pip how old are you this year cos John and I were talking about u and could not remember how old you were in comparison to us’. Earlier in the year I’d thrown my phone out of the side hatch, a new phone was set up quickly, but I’d lost several numbers, this was obviously one of them. Who was it from?

Going through all the Johns I knew there was only one I could think of. I asked ‘Is that Jane?’ Then proceeded to let her know how old I would be this year and wished them both a Happy Christmas.

Onwards to Bascote Staircase. With a two chamber staircase you need to have the top one full and the bottom chamber empty, no matter which direction you are going in. The top one looked ever so empty, the old openings towards a side pond visible, these normally lay well below the water. Whilst it filled I walked down to the next lock, topped it up and opened the gate in readiness for us.

The paddle gear was bloomin stiff on some of the bottom gates, or have I lost the umph to get them moving? Swapping sides I found easier paddles and emptied one chamber into the next, then down and on wards to the next two locks.

A short pootle and we reached Welsh Road Lock, no chilled medication on sale today sadly. There certainly wasn’t a shortage of water today the bywash hardly noticed me filling the lock.

Below we hoped for a space next to a big field, we opted for the second mooring. Last year when we’d come this way in the summer the levels had been low and we had difficulty in getting into the side, none of that problem today.

Mick got the remaining lights out and arranged them on the cratch and around the wreath whilst Tilly explored our new surroundings.

I busied myself inside. Time to pack summer away properly. For months we’ve been lifting things on and off our bed, time to stop doing that and find homes for things. Our clothes were edited to winter only. With new vacuum bags I packed things away and realised I’d manage to fit the summer duvet in with them too. The outdoor chairs wouldn’t fit under the bed with the new bag so the wardrobe was rearranged too.

There was a gap under the bed, what could go there? I decided to rationalise my yarn stash. Keeping sock, glove and my nice Riverknits yarn out, everything else went into a vacuum bag and managed to shrink into the space. Yarns that were left out were organised most going into the pouffe at the end of the sofa, just leaving me with my cardigan to finish off. The pouffe gets used when we need to use the sofa as a bed, so it was good to whittle down all the stuff that had come to rest on it.

During the afternoon I got to thinking more about the text I’d received. I’d had no reply, signal was bad, but still, it felt a little bit odd. With scams on the rise I wondered if maybe it had been an opportunist trying to get my date of birth, after all who doesn’t know a John. I mentioned it to Mick. I’d not actually given away the exact date, but how old I would be in four days time!

I sent a message to friends who would have Jane’s number and waited to see if it was her. No reply came. Mick agreed it was possible someone was trying to get info, he checked the number on various websites to see if it might have cropped up before. Nothing.

If it was someone up to no good, what would I be able to do about it? I didn’t want to ring John, in case it wasn’t them. Time would tell, we just had to wait.

We enjoyed our buffalo sausages this evening. They were nice, quite meaty, but we wouldn’t rush back to stock up the freezer with them, not at £5 a pack. My cardigan knitting came back out and I started the button band whilst we finished catching up on His Dark Materials ready to watch the last episode tomorrow.

Just before lights out a text came through on a chink of signal to my phone. The same number! It wasn’t Jane after all. But who was it?

My cousin Julie, who used to be married to a John, but now has her brother John living with her. At least that explained it. From now on though I won’t go giving away personal information until I know who’s asking.

5 locks, 2 a staircase, 2.15 miles, 2 outsides, 32 pumpkins, 269 squashed pumpkins, 2nd set of lights, 1 new vacuum tote, 1 sheep or equivalent of yarn under the bed, 1 bag for charity shops, 1 John not that John, 1 our John, 1 our Julie, 0 scam, 1 lesson learnt.

https://goo.gl/maps/6tw9LK9zo14QrZYi7

The Last Post. 20th December

Bascote Aqueduct

Six and a half hours She said. Bloomin brilliant! I love days when she says that early on, so much time to explore and report back about friends, trees that need climbing can be given all the time they require. Tom opened the doors for me.

WHAT!!!! Rain! They didn’t mention anything about rain!

They keep doing this to me, letting me into the outside when it’s wet. They keep the dry outsides for themselves and let me have the wet ones. She says it’s not their fault, yet She expects me to go out and get wet and then complains when I come in with muddy paws! Well She should knit me some socks that I can take off at the back door then.

Whilst it rained Tom looked at his screen and She knitted, her last pair of socks before Christmas. She wanted to get them in the post today, so everything else had to wait until she’d sewn the ends in, taken loads of photos and then wrapped them up, twice.

I by now was bored of watching the rain from the shelter of the pram cover so ventured out, well I needed a wee really. On my return I needed to dry off and return my paws to being white, She didn’t appreciate me wanting to be by the stove on her knee.

It kept raining, all day long. She put her coat on, I thought we were going to go for a walk like we sometimes do. But No! I had to stay inside whilst she went out to post those socks! Tom said I wouldn’t like the big busy road. When he finally let me back out She had gone. Still it rained and rained some more.

How am I meant to keep things white in this?!

I ventured out a couple of times, but my paws just got too muddy and wet necessitating flicking them. Along from our mooring a woofer had left a deposit, what on earth had it been eating? Well at least it was colourful, festive pooh.

Balloons? Glitter? At least it stood out from the mud

She came back and suggested going for a walk. What in this?! Stupid woman. Instead we all settled down and did our Christmas cards. I only send a couple a year, the most important one to BJ cats, the ladies who rescued me and let me come to live on a boat. They get loads of photos of me living my life.

Tom and She sent out their cards. A strange choice of photo I thought, but an impressive sight that is no more apparently. She grew up with Ferrybridge as a land mark and wanted me to explain. In July this year one cooling tower was demolished, then a further four were blown up in October, leaving only three. A shame as they looked like really good things to climb, bet there was a great view from the top.

Do you know what? After cat curfew, at around 4pm it stopped raining! Well thank you so much for that!

When they went to bed though I spotted a chance for a bit of night exploration. But she heard strange noises and Tom was sent to investigate. Damn! My distraction technique had worked in getting Tom to leave the hatch open when he’d checked the ropes. Sadly he’d closed the outside outside the pram cover. She has really good hearing, maybe I should get her some ear muffs for Christmas.

0 locks, 0 miles, 6.5 hours of pure wetness, 1 damp wee, 1 last sock, 1 last post, 1 sparkly pooh, 2 much snoozing, 2 many puddles, 4 muddy paws, 2 hands wanting something to knit.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna