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.
Frothy Man
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.
BIt of a Boggy day
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.
Below Gailey Lock
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.
I wonder who’s paws those were?!
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.
My Little Thug on Thug watch
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.
Hooray for Kingfishers
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?!
Here’s hoping our blogging woes have all been sorted. One thing that will be a bit different for a while is that Mick will be updating our blog roll manually, as and when, rather than it being automatic. We also think we’ll be reducing the number of blogs we have links to with the hope of returning the roll to automatic at some point in the future.
So, whilst we’ve not been posting I’ve been writing blogs in word to try to keep on top of things and remember stuff. They now need photos adding and formatting etc which all takes time. So because we’re also on the move now I’ve decided to update you all by putting two days together until we’re just about caught up.
19th September
Stoke Lock, River Trent
Tilly was given 8.5 hours of shore leave this morning as we’d decided to stay put for the day. There were jobs to do. Tilly came and went, had a roll around on the bank where the silt was at its best, turning her sleek black and white to a dusty grey! But once this was done, she seemed to come and go purely for the Dreamies, I’d bought catnip flavour to help attract her back to the boat and it was working, working very well, every five minutes!
There were people to message, a receipt for rent to redo as I’d missed a couple of payments, oops!
Then I had a chat with Jamie regarding the set build of panto. We briefly went through each item Jamie will be building, any problems I’d designed into them that could be rectified, maybe widen a base a little for stability, was there room for maybe an extra inch for structure? I made a list of jobs I needed to do, questions I need to ask. Work done for the day.
Serious fishing
After lunch I headed off for a walk, retracing a walk I did last year to Burton Joyce. Past the lock, along the long access road where numerous vans were parked up and what looked like a very serious fishing match was on going. If Gongoozler is the name for a person who watches boats going through locks, what is the name for people who watch fishermen? One group had brought their chairs and a picnic to watch one chap.
With an audience
Along a stretch of road, through a wooded area and into another field where the fishing match continued. When the match ended how would they notify one end to the other, the wind today was really rather strong and was likely to blow away any call, maybe the stewards had horns that they could sound in relay down the river bank to stop fishing.
I turned into the village, crossed the railway line and then headed for the Co-op. It’s quite a long way to walk for a Saturday newspaper and a parsnip, but the Co-op is of a reasonable size. Mid afternoon they still had a paper of our chosen flavour but sadly no parsnip, maybe some sweet potato would do for the roast instead.
Tilly’s km Marker
My return walk was via the road, over the level crossing at the station, this is possibly where Tilly and her brothers were rescued getting on for eleven years ago, abandoned by their original owner at around four months old.
I like village signs, this one has 2.5D details!
The under sink cupboard in the galley was cleared out, given a wipe down along with all the things inside it. Thankfully I managed to put everything back in a slightly more ordered manor, at least I now know what’s in there! There was only one empty bottle to remove.
Chicken Tagliatelle tonight and some knitting with Tilly sat on my knee.
This evening we discovered that maybe our new 5G router was interfering with the TV signal. Mick turned it off and the picture returned to normal. The router was put on to 4G and we could all now watch TV without it breaking up.
0 locks, 0 miles, 5.07miles walked, 3 for a fishing picnic, 1 newsapaper, 2 sweet potatoes, 150 or 200 treads, 350 or 450 bar, 1 clean cupboard, 5G bad!
20th September
Stoke Lock to Hazelford Lock, River Trent
The blog is starting to run reeeallllyy sloooowly. Taking an eternity to load photos when normally it takes a second or two, in fact it was soooo slow at doing anything! During the day I battled on when I had time, but soon it was apparent that there was something happening beyond our control so I gave up. The blog is normally a couple of days behind us anyway so I always have a bit of leeway.
A Mick breakfast followed by the Sunday morning Geraghty zoom, included subjects that I now can’t remember, but it was an interesting zoom.
We made ready to push off. I walked up to check whether there might be a lock keeper on duty today, the light at the lock was on red not amber, someone was about! Mick radioed to the lock, no answer came. He tried again, still no answer, but then a chap wearing blue appeared at the top of the steps, ‘Morning, are you okay?’ We were, just wanting to use the lock please.
Gongoozlers at Stoke Lock
With covers rolled we headed towards the lock, down the lock cut there was a widebeam getting ready to go down too. He asked if we could take the starboard side of the lock as his throttle is on the port side, of course we could oblige. I think last time we shared Stoke Lock with a widebeam the crew had no idea how to keep their boat under control in the lock, but todays crew were totally in control. Up above by the lock control tower there was a group of walkers who’d been invited up there to watch what happens, the Lockie was very informative. Once down we headed off first, the widebeam would be mooring at Gunthorpe, but they’d come and work the lock for us as we’d helped them.
The next reach is so pretty. Grassy fields down to the river, the blue sky and sunshine glistening on the water. I think it’s our favourite reach of the Trent. Geese a gogo, sheep, it’s just lovely.
The widebeam following on
We seemed to be quite a distance ahead of the widebeam so we pulled back on the throttle to let them catch up. Plenty of space on the Gunthorpe Visitors pontoon, but it is quite a distance from the lock, they’d be an age coming to help us. I saw them pull in, the lady jumping off the bow to moor up. We loitered in the lock cut, maybe we’d be quicker if I climbed a ladder to work the lock. Then whizzing along the road came the chap on an electric scooter, very happy to press the buttons at the lock for us.
Gunthorpe Lock, for those who have followed the blog since our Lillian days will know this is my least favourite lock and why. I checked to see if I could see a large fish or a clone of myself, but the water was too cloudy for that. Mick brought Oleanna in gently to THE blue riser on the port side. I passed the end of the rope round it. Was that an indentation to the blue plastic coating?!
Now on towards Hazelford Lock, our chosen mooring for the day. More walkers fewer fishermen on the bank. I looked at Nebo and spotted a Lancaster Bomber Memorial on the the map, maybe a good location to walk to this afternoon.
Tugs and crane boats above Hazelford
The Lockie responded to our radio call and penned us through, only one sluice operational on the bottom gates so it would take a while to empty the lock. Below we winded to face the current coming over the large weir and pulled in to moor on the lower wall, it’s still quite a way up from the bow, far bigger than a step.
Long shadows at the big steps
Tilly was given an hour or so whilst we had lunch. She needed a bit of encouragement to get to the top of the big steps, but there lies a cats wonderland of who knows what! After a while she returned to use the onboard facilities at quite a rush. Hmmm, she had a dodgy tummy, time for her to have a snooze inside!
The path back to Gunthorpe
My walk took me over the bridge below the weir and back along the river bank we’d just passed. Moored boats, narrow tracks, then out into green lush fields, a big lake reaching off to the west, sheep, horse riders, and Trent clapper gates. The sun shone what a lovely walk.
At the far end of the boating lake stand two tall stones, a memorial to two Lancaster Bombers that crashed close by in 1945 two weeks apart. They had been on training flights from RAF Syerston, one’s portside engines had caught fire, the other had over ran the runway, all the crew of both planes had died, Canadians, New Zealanders and British airmen.
Hazelford Weir just before sundown
On my return a joint of pork went in the oven and then my attention turned back to panto. Updating the technical drawings for Jamie. Asking questions of the lighting designer, Checking a few depths, all good.
3 locks, 9.7 miles,2 lock keepers, 1 zooming scooter, 1 poorly cat, 2 Mark 3s, 5.21 miles walked, 1 joint of pork, 9 big red crosses, 1 sock up to it’s heel.
I was expecting a phone call from the panto set builder this morning. I got my drawings out from the cupboard and sketchbook to make notes, have to say over the last couple of weeks I’ve been ignoring panto, too many other things going on, but that will soon be changing. As I’d not had a call by 10am we decided to push off, todays goal a cat friendly mooring, after all Tilly’s been inside for too long now!
Oleanna so small
I walked down to Castle Lock, passing a burnt out, sunken boat. As we arrived a family were sitting down at one of the tables outside the pub alongside the lock, not sure if they were having breakfast or an early lunch. Dad complimented Oleanna on her looks. All four paddles worked at the top end of the lock today, just as well as the bottom gates were leaking lots. Then the bottom gate wanted to swing open and stay that way, it always does. Mick and Oleanna headed off into the distance as I walked round to close everything up, which did mean I got quite a nice photo of the British Waterways building with Oleanna looking insignificant below it. I caught them up at the sharp bend. Spotted a flood level stone by the railway bridges I’d not seen before.
Meadow Lane Lock was full, top gates closed, but they only needed a slight push to get them moving. As I lifted the paddles on the bottom gates I took a look onto the river to see if there was much traffic around. Firstly a few canoes, but they’d be long gone by the time the lock was empty. There was however a blue van half submerged on the opposite bank. Firecrews, Ambulance, Police all in attendance. A Rescue rib joined them from up stream and gradually the van was being winched out.
As Oleanna left the lock I told Mick there was nothing on the river apart from a blue van, he of course knew nothing about it and thought I was bonkers! The off-side gate wanted to swing open so he reached up with a boat hook as he left to encourage it to close behind him, only managing to leave the boat hook hooked onto the gate. These gates are so tall I do my best not to cross them, thankfully Mick managed to reverse back up to them to retrieve the hook.
Onwards downstream. About this time last year we’d seen the new Waterside Bridge being put together on the bank, this year it spans the river very elegantly. A yellow diamond, we presume, marks the highest point of the arch and green triangles point to it.
Something happening at the Weir
As we passed the sailing club we radioed ahead to Holme Lock where there was a Lockie on duty. Thankfully the lock was already in our favour, so there was no hanging about for it to fill. We were directed to the island side of the lock where the steel risers go higher up the lock wall.
Going Down
Onwards under Radcliffe Viaduct Rail Bridge, round the big bend towards the weir and Stoke Lock. I zoomed in on my camera, two boats were moored. Hang on, they were both on the pontoon and the low wall mooring was free! Yes, Tilly you shall have shore leave!!!
Tilly and Tilly Too so excited about shore leave
We pulled in with the port side to the bank, Mick would now be able to sweep the chimney too. Once moored up the noise of excitement from Tilly inside the cabin was incredible! Tilly Too stayed quiet, she always does! Rules are rules though, the three words have to be written down first! Then shore leave rules recited.
Tilly you have four and a half hours, no friends home dead or alive or putting them on the roof for later, no jumping in, no bullying, no going on other peoples boats! Enjoy yourself!!Okay then, if I must!
A job needed doing straight away, attaching the new landing net to the old pole. The connector through the years had come apart and been taped up. Some maximum uhu glue and a lot of lx tape to keep everything in place was used connecting everything together. It was now laid on the roof to go off and hopefully will take the weight of a second mate should it need to.
But…….
Well I never!?! How did they do that!?! I had to look twice, thrice, four times! I checked through the one way hatch. Yes inside was still the same. But outside isn’t! They’ve not only moved the outside, but they’ve changed what goes around the inside too! It’s all milky creamy now, but the front and the back are still the same! Wow!
I’m kind of glad that we’re the only boat here on the low wall. Who knows, other than Tilly, if she is going to get confused now her boat is no longer dark blue? Or has she always and will always just go by scent too and fro from Oleanna. Well she smells differently too!
The insides the same!
Tilly didn’t venture very far, possibly because the Dreamies on offer are the Catnip ones, their purchase done on purpose to attract her home more often, or maybe this outside isn’t as good as we thought?
After lunch Mick swept the chimney, maybe a job that should have been done before the repaint to cream, but then it was also good to get rid of any grit from the grit blasting too. We had a go at emptying the yellow water. This was interesting, the new pump worked, but only for about five seconds! When installing it Mick had added a fuse as the instructions had suggested, on the original fitout there hadn’t been one. There is already a suitable breaker on the circuit in the electric cupboard so he removed the fuse at the pump and now it works. Phew no need to keep our legs crossed!
I’d intended doing more kitchen cupboard tidying, but ran out of motivation. Anyway my afternoon was taken over by whatsapp messages from Scarborough and from panto people, things are starting to heat up on that front!
I had a walk down to the bins at the other end of the lock cut. Thankfully they are still there. We’ve heard so much over the last few months about bins being removed from the network on social media.
Mick installed our new 5G router. This should improve our internet, but it appears to have affected our TV signal, or it may just be that the signal is bad here as we’re in a dip. Although it did get a thumbs up last time we were here. Other moorings will assist in this.
David Leckenby 1925 to 2012
3 locks, 6.9 miles, 0 Chippy chippy call, 1852, 14 years, 1 submerged blue van, 1 low wall, 1 befuddled cat, 0 friends, 1 net mended I hope, 1 fuse, 1 fire laid ready and waiting, 1 sock fairy, 1 empty yellow water tank, 1 clean pooh box, but does this mooring deserve a Mrs Tilly stamp of approval? 1 cat not too sure!
Last night we’d given our cruising plans some thought. Our original aim had been to head to York for a get together with an old friend and family. We’d considered it possible in the time we had, had we left Redhill on Monday, maybe Tuesday at a push, but another days delay? We know the route pretty well and can plan day to day in our heads, but we still did a Canal Plan route, 45 hours cruise. We then checked the tides. The day we’d be looking to go from Cromwell to Torksey were possible. The remainder for the Tidal Trent to Keadby, not so good. One tide was very early in the morning, like not long after midnight so all of the trip would be in the dark. The other late afternoon, so by the time we’d get to Keadby we were unlikely to be in time for a lock keeper. Mick has a hernia, so he’s not keen on standing for long periods of time at the tiller.
Action shot
Tides, cruising hours and hernia have put the kibosh on that plan. However, it would still be advantageous to head northwards for a while, but at a much slower pace before we turn and hope to get south for Panto. After all, the majority of our plans haven’t come off this year, so we might as well add another one to the list!
Pennywort
We made ready to push off, Mick at the helm and me on the towpath. It was quite a pleasant walk in towards Nottingham. Less pennywort on the canal than we remembered from last year. A group of boats were moored up by Thane Road Bridge, all moored to rings, I made a note of the mooring before carrying onwards. Maybe these are new rings, or maybe their proximity to the two bridges make for a not so attractive mooring.
Passing Lenton Chain Junction
I climbed back on board at Lenton Lane Bridge as we’d be turning into Castle Marina shortly and there are too many boats moored near the entrance to be able to climb aboard there.
Boats!
Gosh what a difference a year makes. Last year many of the pontoons at Castle Marina had been condemned, they had been for a few years. But Aquavista have invested a lot of money here. the five pontoons has been reduced to four, meaning they can accommodate more narrowboats, but in return cutting down on the number of cruisers. They still have a couple of winter moorings available should anyone be interested.
We filled with diesel, 64 litres at £1.50 domestic, Ouch, thank you Donald!
Back out of the marina pulling in close to the entrance for Sainsbury’s. Lunch first then we’d go and do a big shop ready to fill the freezer.
We came back with four big carrier bags full. I set about filling the fridge with cold stuff. The new fridge is great because it actually gets cold, but the arrangement of the door shelves is very odd and the main shelves seem to be a couple of inches shorter than our old fridge. The most annoying thing about it is that the crisper is not wide enough to hold a wine box! It’s something we’ll have to get used to and we’ll have to buy smaller bottles of tomato ketchup in future as the current one is too tall.
Next thing was to find a suitable container for our wood litter, we use it in our separating toilet and Tilly uses it in her pooh box. We buy it in 30 litre bags and where the bag now needs to be stored it could easily fall over when Tilly’s pooh box is removed. I headed off to B&M which was full of new students buying essentials for their accommodation. Storage boxes were plentiful, but just about all of them were too wide for the gap I wanted it to go in. Then high up I spotted a container that would hold 20 litres of dog biscuits, it came with a scoop. It would fit the gap and leave enough space behind it for the remainder of the bag of litter. It looks quite smart and we won’t tell Tilly it’s meant for woofer food!
After the last week and now no need to keep going today we opted to slow right down and stop for the day. Yes, down at County Hall the mooring is nicer than opposite the student flats, but we were in need of a rest, plus there were still jobs to do and the students haven’t moved in yet.
It’s just not FAIR!!!
Tilly thought that the bushes looked really interesting alongside us, but She said it would be really bad if I got to meet a sooper fast bicycle, especially on my first shore leave in ages! Instead Tilly watched me repack mince, sausages, turkey steaks and jointing a chicken to go in the freezer. Now we just have to hope that the freezer can cope with getting everything cold!
Mick tinkered with the wires in the new connection block for the TV and radio aerial. We now have TV signal again! Hooray!!
Red Pepper Salmon tonight and some knitting now we have light again.
0 locks, 2.7 miles, 2 rights, 1 wind, 64.11 litres, 0 gas, 1 more change of plan for the year, 1 trolley to the boat, 1 more day of feline boredom, 1 woofer litter box, 1 slow day that wasn’t actually that slow.
Redhill Marina to New Boots Footbridge 18, Beeston Canal
Now that Tilly is sitting in the windows she’s been eyeing up the grassy bank alongside the mooring here. There will be friends in there, but there is also a wasps nest that I’ve told her she’d best not go sticking her arms down!
Mick phoned round and found a suitable 24 volt Whale Gulper at Sawley Marina to replace the broken one we use for the yellow water, then Tom arrived with our fridge, all going well so far this morning, we’d soon be on our way! Unfortunately a phone call put a damper on our mood.
Fridge delivery
Tom very kindly brought the new fridge on board and down the stern steps for us. It needed wiring in and then leaving for six hours before we could use it. It worked!!! Hooray!!!!! We did have to remove a batten from the cubby hole it went into as it was just a little bit taller than the old fridge, I suspect the batten was only there for neatness by Finesse.
Apparently these were instead of the fridge!?!
I mentioned the scratch and misty windows to Tom. He returned with some Tcut for the scratch and thinners for the windows, all easily remedied. There was also a big box of paints for us. 2 Pack blacking, coloured top coats, Multiforte for the gunnels and some yacht varnish. All in pretty big tins! I’ll need to cull the old paints and varnishes that I’ve had for ages as they won’t be needed now.
Paints
I was given instructions about touching up. If anything goes back to bare steel, put some blacking on it no matter where on the boat as Oleanna was blacked top and bottom. Then finish off with which ever colour is required. Multiforte use a flock roller and the others a brush which should be cleaned in standard thinners. Mick asked about washing and polishing, not sure why he asked as he does his very best not to have to do either! The paint on Oleanna will continue to cure for the next six months, so we should only wash her with water and a microfiber cloth for the first year. Keep on top of any paint work touch ups and if we get a bit of a mark use some Tcut. After a year, maybe we could give her a buff up, should we feel she needs it. Hopefully I’ve remembered it all here for our future reference.
The gas bottles in the bow were nudged about to accommodate the third one, which currently is empty. Mick then turned his attention to the single light above the sofa. The wiring at the switch had different colours to the wiring at the bulb end. The switch is actually a two way switch so Mick moved the wires and hey presto the light works again! Hooray!!!
My inbox pinged. Someone had made a donation to the Felicity Edition Sockathon. It was from Felicity’s children, Bubbles and her brother Matt. Originally Bubbles had said they would donate £2000 from their Mums estate, but they had gone a touch better with £2500! Wow, how wonderful. I’m glad the light above the sofa is mended now, as I’ve still a lot of socks to get through!
As we finished our lunch I sent a message to Tom giving him a ten minute warning of our departure. Covers down. Life jackets on. Nebo on. Anything else. No. Time to push off. Did we still know how to boat?
11 months later
Tom waited by the bridge over the flood lock to film us going through. Oleanna is the 52nd boat he’s painted. It’s rather a nice landmark to pass through with it’s redbrick arch. We’d passed through it on the 13th October last year and now 11 months and 3 days later we were leaving Redhill and setting off on our travels. A wave back to Tom and a thank you.
Bye Tom
Time to put my navigators hat back on, that way please! Straight, left, left and on upstream to Sawley Locks. The sun was shining through the clouds, blue sky, so wonderful to be moving again. Have to say the day had made me a bit emotional!
Left please.
Approaching Sawley, two volunteers appeared, pointing us to the left hand lock, then to the left hand side of the lock for an easier ride up. One of them came to take my bow rope which had handily got itself into a knot despite having been coiled properly. They were suggesting passing the rope around two bollards behind me which didn’t make sense as Mick would have a stern rope up to a bollard. We rose and chatted with the volunteers, a boat heading towards them wanting to come down, we said we’d be coming back shortly as we were only going to pick something up at the marina.
Going up!
We pulled in by the diesel point and headed into the office. Our pump was sat waiting for us. We looked round for some matting to go in lockers, so that tins of paint don’t go rusty on the new paintwork! But all they had was thin antislip matting which I just know would be annoying. We’ll keep looking and the box of paints will sit and wait a while longer before being stowed away.
Moving again
Winding was interesting as there was a sunken cruiser exactly where the bow wanted to go, so Mick resorted to steering with the bow thruster. We were directed to the other lock this time and chatted away to the volunteers again. It was one ladies first season as a volunteer and she had loved it, shame the season was nearly over. This was strange to us as today we had that Spring feeling you get when you first set off for the year, not that the end of the boating season is getting close!
That’s a nice boat you’ve got there
Navigation again, second left please! Trent Junction was very busy, hardly any space on the moorings at the top of Cranfleet Cut, just as well we wanted to go further. The lock was set against us, I remembered from last year how it takes an age to level out to open the top gate, it still did. In fact I had to call Mick over to lend his bum.
Down back on the River. Ahead big plumes of black smoke were billowing from a fire in Barton in Fabis. Thankfully it wasn’t coming near the river. This section of the Trent is very familiar, the lovely houses on stilts, two had been for sale last year, they must have new owners now. Keeping to the left of obstructions, no-one to rescue today, but it did look very shallow in places.
As we approached Beeston Lock we wondered if there would be boats moored on the lock landing. Yes two narrowboats, but there seemed to be space at the end. No hang on a dark green small cruiser was sat right in the middle, from a distance it had just merged into the pontoon. We managed, you have to really.
Down the few inches of the lock, Mick bumping Oleanna as he’d brought her into the lock, the first scars to the gunnels. Good job they are easy to touch up, well, when you get round to it!
One very happy boat
Our original plan had been to moor up at Sainsburys and finish off our shopping now that we can have a freezer as well as a fridge. But Mick really wanted to sit down, so we called it a day, pulling in where we always seem to moor at Beeston.
Tilly was so excited at us stopping. She escorted me to the table to find the note book to write down our location. Next thing is to let me out! You need to stroke my head now, and open the door. No, really you have to open the door now! NEOWWWW!! Sorry Tilly, the bikes are too fast, you’ve told us how pants it is here several times before and it’s Ding Ding time anyway.
Time to pop that bottle of bubbles
Mick started to fit the new pump as I put together Chicken Curry Old Style. When food was ready it was time to celebrate properly. Mark who had been a witness at our Civil Partnership, had given us a bottle of champagne, we’d planned to drink it the first night all three of us were back on the boat, however not being able to chill it meant we postponed it to tonight. Thank you Mark for helping us celebrate moving again.
Cheers!
8.8 miles, 4 locks, 2 flood locks, 1 new fridge, 1 mended light switch, 3 months maybe, 1 big box of paints, 1 filmed departure, 1 navigator, 1 new pump, 1st cruise of the year, 3.5 hours, 1 disappointed cat, £2.5k! 1 diplomatic message, 2 boaters glad to be back moving, 2 chinks of glasses.
The advantage of being on hook up is hot water first thing in the morning, so a nice hot shower was enjoyed. My morning was filled with trying to catch up on the blog and making phone calls to social services.
Are you moving the outside?
Jim arrived a little before 9 to do the engine service. Mick asked him to check the engine mounts, the stern gland and that the half tank of diesel that’s been in the tank for 11 months was still okay. He started the engine up to warm the oil, this meant that Tilly found her way behind our pillows under the gunnel, it’s nice and cosy there for an autumnal cruise. Sadly she wouldn’t wake up to a different outside today. We provided him with filters. However, when he opened one box the filter inside it wasn’t the right one, another box was the same! It looks like Beta sent the wrong filters last time Mick placed an order. Thankfully we did have enough of the correct filters for the service to be completed. Jim went away with the incorrect ones as he’d have more use for them than us.
Now all we needed was the fridge to arrive, then we could be off.
Our own banner
A bit more unpacking was done. Mick bumped into Tom who had a delivery for us! It was something we were expecting a Fund Britain’s Waterways banner, but sadly the fridge hadn’t as yet arrived. If you haven’t already signed the petition here is the link again. For the banner to go up I needed to clean the cratch window first. I then moved onto the galley windows, they were a touch misty. These are our original windows and I suspected they’d got a dusting of primer at some point over the last few weeks and it would take a bit more than elbow grease to clean them. I also spotted a little scratch by a galley window, eek!
Next the anchor went back on its holding prongs (for want of a better term) some weed hatch tape was put down behind it to help protect the new paintwork. Good job done.
As we’ve been on board for a few days it was time to empty the yellow water tank. We’d considered moving across the way to do this so that the portside was against the bank, but we really didn’t want anyone else to steal our mooring or miss out on the fridge being delivered. So the long hose came out, everything connected up. ‘Ready?’ ‘Ready!’ I flicked the switch. The pump made some noise. The pump didn’t however make the right noise! It was doing something but not pumping any yellow water. Mick came inside, we tried again. Still nothing! Well there’s another thing to show us how much Oleanna didn’t appreciate being left over the winter!
Mick decided to access the gulper and see what he could find. Tilly decided to close her eyes some more. I decided to go for a walk, via the shore based facilities.
Cremations on the go?!
Today I headed to Ratcliffe on Soar village, back along the marina road, then along the track under the A453. Here a hot rod hearse sat, most probably a fisherman’s car. Then on to the village and towards the church, Holy Trinity. On my way I was caught by an old chap who asked if I had joined them, meaning had I moved into the village.
I quickly realised that I could be stood here for quite sometime! Thankfully after about 20 minutes or so someone else walked along with their dog and gave me the opportunity to politely leave and head into the churchyard.
Holy Trinity
Several new graves, some lovely headstones, a mesh door to keep birds and a local cat out of the church. The church dates back to the 13th Century and had major restoration work carried out in 1886 at the cost of £830 to Earl Howe. It’s a small simple church, but with several carved memorials dating back to 1539 for the Sacheverell family.
One fancy the other plain
Two stones lay side by side for sisters. The younger sisters stone looks like every font was used possible, every line different, whilst the older sister got just the one with no swirls.
The village runs into a manor house not much further along the road, so I turned and walked the other way. Only pretty boring houses, nothing of much interest at all. But when I started to head back towards the boat a mosaic in the bus shelter caught my eye. In fact there were two, one on the wall the other the floor. No idea who had made them and Gaby who runs the community mosaic group in Scarborough would have been a little critical at the amount of grout needed. But none the less, they are a very nice addition.
Big dark clouds were starting to loom, I picked up my pace back to the boat. Mick was midst thinking. He’d taken the yellow water pump to bits, but not found anything obvious. We’d be needing a new one. I hunted round found several at varying prices, we decided to wait and see if either Sawley or Beeston chandlers might have one in stock in the morning.
Mick then hunted round to find a means of emptying the yellow water tank manually. We’ve had to do this only once before when the original gulper pump gave up on us as it was 12 volt and should have been a 24 volt one. There is a manual pump, but the pipes and top to it have perished in the last ten years, so this wouldn’t help. A more basic pump was at hand, but the pipe too thick to get down into the tank. He hunted round for narrower pipes to attach. In the end he sacrificed some pipe from the engine coolant overflow which was then attached to the pump with some self-amalgamating tape. The pipe reached far enough and whilst I cooked our meal Mick slowly managed to empty the tank. Now we need a new gulper, a new hand pump and some new pipe.
The usual yellow water pipes at dusk.
I think we’ll now have reached the £1000 in remedial works that ‘Bring Out Another Thousand’ that BOAT stands for!
I tried a new recipe to use up some of our roast chicken, Rice with Chicken, Tomato and Beans a very handy find as I had everything for it onboard. It took a little longer to cook with brown basmati rice, but it deserves to be added to the recipes section of the blog.
Click photo for recipe
TV signal hasn’t been found, so we’re watching the box via the internet sat in the dark. I should really look back at the blog to see what thumb sign was shown for this mooring last year, just incase the TV aerial has gone faulty too!
0 locks, 0 miles, 0 fridge, 1 broken gulper, 1 bored cat starting to dig, 1 banner, 1 ball of string required, 1 anchor back where it belongs, 1 bow thruster locker checked, 2 windows not quite clean, 2 mosaics, 0.5 hours to empty tank, 2 boaters using shore based facilities in the dark, or crossing our legs!
Mick was up early and heading off with the van back to Scarborough. He had a couple of chores to do in town, then drop things off at the house, things that we only use to move back and forth to the boat, did a quick hoover up and then the van was returned. He then walked to Seamer Station to catch a train back to East Midlands Parkway. Unfortunately there were issues with cancelled trains, the route via Hull was problematic too, so he didn’t return to us until gone 7pm.
At last!
Here on the boat Tilly and I got busy. The radiator by the dinette has been needing a good dusting for ages. Ideally I wanted to take it to bits, but I didn’t want to risk that not being a plumber. I’d bought a radiator brush duster thing this winter, so set about methodically prodding it through the top and hoovering up dust, cat fur and grit. It could only have been more satisfying if I’d been able to get into all the corners as well. I had a good look in the kindling bag and found the curtain pole end, so that went up. Curtains now complete.
Turning the boat using the flow on the river
Outside boats were on the move. One boat that had been out on the hard was lowered back in and moored up in front of us. Three chaps turned up and spent an age trying to work out how their bow fender attached. The reason they were having so much difficulty was that it wasn’t just a button, but U bow fender with a Turks Head, the fixings weren’t in the right place.
Next a cruiser was moved from the poly tunnel behind us. The chaps asked if they could walk along the gunnel to get it past. I said yes, but soon realised just how muddy their boots were! Tom had touched in the last bits on the base plate of a widebeam this morning and early afternoon it was put back in the water and then reversed into the poly tunnel. A busy old time.
It was time to empty the kitchen corner cupboard, for this I’d need the dinette table and all the worktops, so it was a good time to do it when no one else was on board. The crockery cupboard was emptied, everything in there had already been through the dishwasher, but the shelves wanted a wipe down. That was the easy side of the cupboard done.
Now I pulled out the pan drawer to reveal all it contained and the shelves that reach deep into the corner. All the pots pans, cake and quiche tins, pie dishes, mixing bowls got a good wash. For years I’ve thought we only had a few items of tupperware but today I got to see just how much there was pushed right back into the recesses of the cupboard.
How much?!
It all got washed and then sorted to find matching lids and bottoms. Thin cracked items went for recycling, anything without it’s matching part did too. There was still quite a lot. This winter I’d treated us to some more sturdy containers and these hadn’t even entered the mix yet! Do we really need them all? Most probably not.
With everything organised in the cupboard I found places for the tupperware, it looked very neat and tidy when I’d finished. It won’t last!
Tilly was now wanting a better view of her surroundings. She went to climb up into one of the windows, she uses the curtains as a kind of hammock. She managed the somersault to turn round, but then sat very close to the edge of the curtain. Something was different! The window was right up against my face! I thought She said the new hammocks were looser than before so should be more comfortable than the old ones. It’s actually all to do with the new double glazing. Firstly the frames are thicker, so the window sill is narrower. Secondly, the double glazing is getting on for an inch, thicker than the old 4mm glass. It’s a good job I had made the curtains looser to accommodate the glazing, now we just needed to accommodate the second mate!
It’s not quite as comfortable as it used to be!
Thankfully we paid extra for the window rests and they have two settings. Normal open, three or four inches, and then with just the top open by about a centimeter. From this day forward this setting will be known as Cat Mode. Thank you that’s much better, thank you!
Starting to catch up on the blog took sometime, Jim a local mechanic tapped on the boat to arrange a time to do an engine service tomorrow, then I decided to head out for a walk. This coincided with news from Scarborough, a long catch up phone call with Steve whilst I stood on the river bank under a hazel tree. Things were improving.
TOwers!
I headed south along the river bank, the sun getting low casting it’s sunny glow on Ratcliffe cooling towers. A while longer to enjoy them before they are gone forever. There are plenty of boats moored along here, mostly big barge boats.There was activity at Ratcliffe Lock, a narrowboat going up in the lock, I stopped for a chat as the chap held onto his centre rope and his mate wound paddles up. Headed to Kegworth, Zouch Lock is still out of action, he’s headed to Leicester for a winter moorin
I carried on up to where the A453 crosses the river. This is the bridge where Chris, The Pink Hat Man reversed to in the floods a couple of years ago, no such excitement there today.
I took a footpath along the side of the busy road and then joined a cycle/footpath cutting back across towards Redhill.
Ratcliffe Lock
A chicken and leek macaroni cheese was put together to enjoy when Mick had returned.
Before Oleanna had gone back in the water last Thursday, we’d resubscribed to Nebo to be able to track our cruises. However, our apps still said the last journey had been on the 15th October 2025 even though the Nebo link had been turned on for Oleanna’s journey back across the boatyard. We’d been in touch with the support team, Mick had checked the wiring, we went through what the team suggested, still no joy. Then right at the bottom of the page was a RESET button. BINGO!!!! There was our her journey across the yard. We’re considering trying out a similar thing, which connects to our Victron GX system, that has been developed by another Finesse boat owner. The cost of it is far less than Nebo Gold, but it doesn’t send you a report after each cruise. It will take a little bit to set up, so it may be a few days before we give it a try.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 van returned, 1 dingding bell forgotten, 1 bbq tongues forgotten, 3 trains, 29 turpperware lids, 27 containers, 18 pairs, 5 new ones, 1 clean cupboard, 1 infection, 1 walker, 3.16miles walked, 1 nebo journey on land, 0 engine service, 0 fridge delivery, 4 cat mode windows
Monday. Last week we’d forgotten to come away from Oleanna with the correct dimensions of the diesel cap so that we could get the correctly sized version. A message was sent to Tom which also enquired as to when he thought Oleanna would be being launched. Correct dimensions were received, and news that all was going according to plan, the last of the painting was nearing completion, and Bertie was busy polishing. Tom would give us a call on Tuesday to chat about the plan for the rest of the week.
Ah! We really needed to know which day, as we didn’t want to miss out on hire vans this week, and we’d be needing to hire it from the day before the launch so that we’d be able to arrive before her bottom got wet. The answer came back, ‘Let’s go for a Thursday launch either way’. We did a quick plan in our heads regarding trips to Redhill, 1 for launch, back to Scarborough, 1 to move Tilly, return hire van. A Thursday launch would mean a longer hire, but more leeway should we need it.
I know what’s going on!
The van was booked straight away, a Sainsburys click and collect booked in Loughborough, then I did a happy dance!
Mick checked the diesel cap lock. The place we’d bought one from only does one size. We looked round for alternatives and think we’ve found something neater and of the correct size. However, the time of us having a handy address for it to be delivered to was running out. We’ll put that on the back burner and revisit soon. Anyone fancy the lockable cap we can’t use?
It needs to fit round here
Tuesday lunchtime we got a request from Tom for some D shackles so that the stern fender could be attached. Did we happen to have some with a gap of 17mm minimum? Maybe on the boat, but that would mean hunting through The Shed! No-one should be given that task apart from one of us!
Scarborough used to have two chandlers, both no longer sadly. We looked online, nowhere did 17mm, next size up was 20mm. No local shops had them, maybe if we had to order them then we should go for stainless steel. The hunt continued.
The bow fender went on. Plank and pole rest were located towards the bow. It used to be towards the stern, but we’d soon realised our mistake when centre lines got caught round boat hooks. Some more antislip was added to the roof and the stern doors were sanded and given a coat of yacht varnish for protection.
We were all very excited when Alex, Angie and Polly arrived to stay overnight for the press night of the new Ayckbourn. The barrier between the two houses was put back up for the night to keep woofer and Tilly apart, then we all put on our glad rags to head to see the show.
By Alan
The Trial of Romeo Oscar is Alan’s first ever courtroom drama, set in 2194 when humanity has been scattered across the universe. Androids are plentiful and seeking to be treated as equals. Romeo Oscar, a military android, is to be put on trial for murder, the first non-human to be tried in a court of law. There are a few laughs, lots to listen to, absorb and think about long after the show. We really enjoyed it along with catching up with people over a drink afterwards. If you happen to be near Bowness or Stoke the show will be touring in October.
Wednesday. A spark of inspiration, would Berriman and Chapman in Scarborough have some D shackles? It was worth a try. I walked down into town for a few bits and had a lengthy chat with the lady behind the hardware shop counter. I bought four of their largest shackles, but suspected they’d not be big enough. Back on line to check the location of S3i, a short detour on our route south and yes we could collect our order in the morning, job done.
Is that all we’re taking?!
The rest of the day was spent packing up the kitchen, work items and just about everything else other than clothes. Once the van arrived it was loaded for a swift getaway in the morning. Anna, our current lodger was surprised at how quickly things were now moving, well we’ve been ready for this move for well over a month now, we just had to repack items we’d unpacked.
Thursday morning. With several plastic bottles filled with water and sandwich supplies we climbed into the van and headed southwards. A turn-off near Doncaster had us arrive at S3i which is just across the way from Howarth Heating where we got our multifuel Bubble stove from when Oleanna was built. Did we need anything for the stove? It was too late to be thinking about a new riddling rod! Once our shiny shackles were picked up, we carried on heading south arriving at the paint shed at just gone 11am.
Shackles handed over, the stern fender could now be fixed on. Unfortunately the new one we’d bought was a few inches shorter than the old one and would not quite protect the rudder. Tom hunted round for an old stubby button, this was cleaned off and added to our new one, much better, thank you guys.
Our items that had been in storage in the shed were brought out and popped on the bed inside Oleanna. It was going to be interesting to see what we’d actually packed weeks ago! At least my walking boots were there! Two fat fenders were pulled out from the shower and hung on the starboard side, the chaps from the boatyard were coming to move her!
A trailer was brought, then a forklift with a long strop which was attached to Oleanna’s bow T stud. She’d been put on wheels all ready for the move. We were asked to stand behind the jolly barrier, the engines that Bertie has been painting. Then the forklift took the strain and Oleanna gradually inched her way out of the shed. Once her bow was well clear of the shutter doors the trailer was backed up to meet her. The frame was lowered to go underneath her, then backed up. She was raised a bit, making sure she’d still clear the shutter doors and pulled further out into the day light. The solar panels started to work. She was lowered onto blocks again and then the trailer reversed more, then she was lifted up off the wheels from the paint shed.
She was pulled out of the shed, then manoeuvred around in front of the cooling towers, how many photos did I take? Just a few!!!
This was the best one!
As she came past the Hill another boat was being grit blasted, it would be backed into Oleanna’s space later in the day, just before it started to rain.
Then she was swung round and headed down to the slipway, where she was backed down the ramp. Tom and Bertie holding bow and stern ropes followed her down keeping hold of her. It took a couple of goes at getting her to be free from the trailer, but then she was floating, back in the water after 47 weeks and a day! She was pulled backwards and tied up on the mooring in front of the bar and marina office.
First job, those plastic bottles of water would be coming in handy as the water tank on Oleanna was empty and we wanted to sterilize it first. The hose was set filling the tank. Tom fitted the pramcover which gave us somewhere to eat our very late lunch.
Taps were tried, a trickle from the kitchen sink. Nothing from the bathroom sink! Maybe an airlock, Mick left the taps on for a while and the pressure improved. Tom wanted to check the gas was okay. The hob took a bit of persuading to ignite, two of the burners needed a bit of nozzle cleaning for them to work properly a bit of wire did the trick to clear it.
The fridge was turned on, the light worked , it made a noise, but it didn’t get cold. Bugger! Tom didn’t know anyone who could help, maybe someone in the pub later on would know something to assist us. The suggestion came back that turning it upside down for an hour might help, other suggestions from Canal World Forum were in favour of re-gasing it. Or would we simply have to buy a new one? We looked online, asked advice about chandlers. Since Midland Chandlers has gone online only, it’s much harder just to pick up a new fridge. Thankfully we’d not brought too much from the house that needed to stay chilled. Our pullout freezer can be used as a fridge, the temperature can be adjusted, so that would do for today.
A very late lunch
The bathroom tap now seemed to be working, but there was also a lovely stream of water flowing across the bathroom floor. After ten years of good service the tap must have had some water in it which froze despite the boat being fully winterised! New tap or ceramic cartridge required, but for now a tea towel wrapped round it will do. With the water tank now full and sterilizing it was left for an hour, then the water pump worked it’s socks off emptying the tank. Those plastic water bottles keeping us away from using the water in the tank for a while longer.
Next important job was to get the new curtains hung. I started in the bedroom, glad I’d labelled all the curtain rods, they went back up pretty easily. The curtains I’d made at least five years ago went up without a hitch. Next the main cabin curtains, made earlier this year with more tolerance in them than the old ones, this might be a good thing as our new windows are far thicker. Mick was called in to help with a troublesome endcap and screw, the endcap dropped and totally vanished. It was nowhere to be found! At least we’d be able to draw the curtains when it got dark, they might fall off the end of the pole on one side, but hey! It would do for the time being.
Bedding was found. Around the bed hoovered, items put into storage beneath the base, bed made up. Time to try and clear somewhere to sit down!
Sun setting on a long day
Items we’d cleared from all the lockers needed to be moved back to where they belonged, cupboards under the dinette hoovered out, floor hoovered again, dust jumping out from everywhere. Thank goodness we’d brought an evening meal with us, beef and beetroot curry which was consumed quite late on when we’d had more than enough of trying to stow things and clean up. A couple of glasses of wine whilst looking at potential fridges, then we collapsed into bed pretty exhausted.
There you go Ade, a breakfast for you!
Friday. We’d come without any breakfast. It had been planned that way, as there is the cafe just across the way, it would have been rude not to! So we both opted for a cooked breakfast sat in the morning sunshine overlooking the river and a rather nice shiny boat.
Some space starting to show itself at last!
Tom called round this morning to check if things were working as they should. Our sliding galley windows were extremely stiff. These are original windows and even though I’d cleaned them quite well before she came out of the water last year, she’d had a whole winter and spring for green growth to accumulate, add into that grit from the blasting. Tom set to work clearing them out and greasing them so they would move better.
We’d also had difficulty closing the stern doors last night, the rear hatch wasn’t clearing the doors as it should. This turned out to be the two PTFE blocks that normally glide on the runners were missing, thankfully they were sat on the Nicholsons shelf. Tom glued these back in place for us and we locked the hatch so the glue to set undisturbed.
Mick rang round chandlers, no-one had a fridge in stock. If they sell fridges then they have to be able to recycle old ones, so few chandlers stock them. One company was found in Oldbury, but they didn’t answer the phone and then when he tried to place an order it said that it would take 7 days for the fridge to be converted to 12/24 volt. No, we weren’t interested in buying a 240 volt one. Very kindly Tom offered to order one for us from Midland Chandlers using his account, it should arrive Monday or Tuesday, bingo, job done. We just needed to plug the gap left to keep Tilly from exploring behind cupboards, cooker and the floor, those clothes bags can be unpacked later!
Time to lock up and head back to Scarborough
More unpacking, stowing, moving things about, I did wonder if it would ever end! Items to be returned to the house were collected together and put in the van. Tom came and helped take the old fridge out then he single-handedly popped it in the back of the van for disposal in Scarborough.
The journey back to Scarborough was a touch slow, Friday late afternoon evening traffic. We opted for a supermarket curry and bottle of wine then headed home to see Tilly and give her the news that her floating home was as ready as it could be for her to move back on board.
0 locks, 0.1 miles on a trailer, 4.79 miles walked around the boat on Thursday, 3 on Friday, 1 van load, 2 many things to stow, 0 new items, just where has it all come from? 1 hire van, 8 shiny shackles for the price of 6, 1 forklift, 1 trailer, 1 new cat landing net needing glue, 1 dead fridge, 1 leaking tap, 1 stubborn cooker, 1 water tank filled, 1 bottle milton, 1 hour, 1 tank empty, 1 tank refilled, 1 wasp sting, 1 hour of PA duties, 1 support network set up, 1 shiny boat in front of 8 cooling towers, 2 cooked breakfasts, 1 with extra bacon instead of gf toast, 2 happy boaters, 2 long days.
She has asked me to let you all know that, Tom, She and I are all back on board Oleanna and she has a wet bottom.
A wet bottom again
She wants you all to know that it has been a VERY busy week with allsorts of things going on, not just boaty things.
She says normal service on the blog will be returning soon.
She says there is still a lot for She and Tom to sort out, I have to agree as the boat is a complete TIP! They really should have tried harder before my return!
Once the boat is more suitable for living in, She will fill you all in on what has been happening. Well She might want a sit down first with me on her lap
Our first Tea In BED this year!
She wants to reassure everyone, that She will do a big reveal of Oleanna’s new livery very soon.
I just want to know when I can go out to find some friends and when will they start moving the outside!
Very happy to be back afloat
But for now, you just need to know that apart from the fridge, we are all very happy! If we weren’t in Nottinghamshire, I might even be a Cheshire Cat!
Bank Holiday Monday, I had an early walk. Then having a car, Mick collected Frank and brought him round, getting him out of his house and so that we could help him fill in a form. A lot of concentration and a couple of mugs of tea were needed. More socks for the Felicity Edition of my sockathon were finished off and packed up ready to be posted.
Tuesday morning. We’d already decided that heading to Redhill today would be pretty pointless as not much would have changed since we’d been there last Thursday. Before we’d finished our cuppa in bed we got a message from Tom. He’s still be on holiday until the end of the week. Bertie was getting on with jobs, could we go down to meet with him on Friday? Yes. We extended the car hire by a couple of days.
A mirrored selfie
What to do with ourselves with a hire car at our disposal? Mick did a little look round on the National Trust website. Robin Hoods Bay, before they close the visitor centre? No, been there seen how they altered my Dad’s award-winning building for Marine Biology. Nunnington Hall? Might have been before, but it was a very long time ago if I had. We got ourselves sorted, found our NT cards and set off for a day out.
Nunnington Hall
Nunnington Hall sits north of York across the Howardian Hills. More a manor house than a big hall it still is quite grand. Originally a nunnery, hence the name, the oldest parts of the house date back to Tudor times. Successive owners have left their mark, a combination of re-purpose and renovation.
In the 1920’s Margaret Fife inherited the hall which was in quite a state. Walter Brierley was engaged to renovate the hall. As we walked round, reading the information panels, Walters name kept being mentioned. I wanted to ask a guide about this chap. Could he be the Brierley who had been senior partner of my fathers architectural practice in York during my Grandfathers days?
Small door knobs and fancy hinges
Numerous four poster beds, green painted walls, views into the gardens. Up to the top floor, here there were plans of the house when it was being renovated, dated 1921 and signed Brierley and Rutherford, 13 Lendal, York. No need to ask a guide anymore other than for any further information as this is where my Grandfather and Father worked. The drawing may have been drawn by my Grandfather, who knows. Cecil, my grandfather, took over as senior partner in 1926 a year after my Dad was born. In Dad’s time the practice was called Brierley, Leckenby, Keighley and Groom and was the oldest architectural practice in the country having been founded by John Carr. It still is, continuing under the name of Brierley and Groom.
A guide was asked about him, but she was far more interested in chatting about the Carlisle Collection, a collection of miniatures. Mostly 1:8 models of period rooms, everything made from the materials the 1:1 objects would have been made from. Some exquisite handiwork on show and interesting to me. But I would have like to know more about Brierley.
Now there’s an idea!
Up on the top floor is a gallery space. The exhibition was about Gina and how she fixed fairy tales. Her main solutions seemed to involve cake, a very good way of thinking. By now we were starting to feel hungry so headed to the cafe on the ground floor for lunch, a toasted sandwich and jacket potato. This was followed by a walk round the garden, orchards, iris gardens all very nicely kept by what seemed like a small army of volunteers. A good day out.
Packing paints to go in deep storage
Wednesday involved some PA duties for Frank, the start of a painting I’ve been planning for a while and some packing of work things hoping that we’d be able to take them to the boat.
Thursday, a message was sent to Tom hopefully now back from his holiday. We’d really like to be able to leave the dinette cushions on our next visit as they take up quite a lot of space in a car. He said that once he’d caught up with Bertie he would make it his first job to clean through the boat.
Coming down the Col de Wetwang, or is it Sledmere?
Friday morning we followed the course of that days Tour of Britain around Sledmere into Wetwang and further south where they would veer off towards Beverley. It was a slow drive and we arrived near to 1pm. The chaps were hard at work on Oleanna, a new neighbour sat alongside, a new shell with one spray of blacking (it most probably arrived like this from the shell builder).
A new neighbour, not even spray foamed
There were discussions as to the diesel cap lock. Unfortunately, Mick had bought one that had been in stock, but the pipe into our tank is a different diameter and we have four fixings not three. We’ll need to be in touch with the chap who makes them, we also noted that the original filler cap had been got by the grit blasting, we’ll want to replace that.
Tom had had a very good go inside Oleanna, all the spray foam off cuts removed, a good tidy and he’d obviously spent quite a bit of time hoovering and dusting things down. I wanted to make sure places I wanted to stow things were dust free so carried on where Tom had stopped, but delving deep into the recesses of Oleanna.
Once behind the freezer was clean, possibly the cleanest it’s been since brand new, I could stow my work boxes. A few items could return to the house like the angle poise which has a dodgy connection. I now have a ring light with a weighted base and magnifying lens which will serve two purposes and packs away smaller.
I worked from the galley towards the bow. Gosh how long had that bottle of water been sat in the fridge for?! Ten maybe eleven months! With no water in the tank all I could do was hoover and dust, washing things down will have to wait a little while. Under the back steps we now have a round inspection hatch, just the job.
Anti-slipped bow, locker lids and everything!
Access was from the stern today as the bow was being made ready for anti-slip paint. More than we had originally. I spotted that between the new T studs and cratch board there wasn’t an area for anti-slip, this was mentioned to Bertie and amended.
Roof rejigging
As I hoovered as many recesses I could get into, Mick and Tom were busy at the stern. They hooked up Oleanna so there was light inside. The engine was turned over but not for very long as we are inside. A service is arranged hopefully next week sometime. Then they got on with pulling new cables through from the electrics cupboard to outside for a new 5G antenna. We will be installing a new 5G router when back on board. Now Mick could see what state the batteries were in. The solar controller was looked at too, very little voltage was showing from the new panels but that is hardly surprising inside the shed. But at least there was some voltage showing, indicating that the panels are actually connected.
Nothing in the Secret Passageway!
The sofa was pulled out, the door that used to be in front of the washing machine removed to be taken to the house along with a big block of foam, no need to keep them here. Ah, but what will Tilly make of the secret passageway now? Will we need to put something in there to be the new secret?? Or should we leave it empty so she has no interest in squeezing herself through the tiny gap?
No longer Tyler Wilson on the stern anti slip
Some of the grills under the mushroom vents had been put back on. The amount of dust on them needed to be hoovered. They are better but will need taking down for a thorough clean once we’re back on board. The dinette cushions could now be brought back on board, she was starting to look habitable again.
Cushions back onboard
We had a walk round outside with Tom. Marks from the painting will be polished out, hinges touched up, edges missed by the spray gun will be hand painted in. I asked for the wooden liners of the side hatch and back doors to be sanded back and varnished, the cratch and locker lids already done. I tried to peek inside the gas locker with it’s fresh coat of paint and band of filler over the hole into the bow thruster locker, but I wasn’t tall enough to peek inside and managed to anti-slip my hand in the process! Oh well, I’ve left my mark on her.
Cratch board varnished.
A realistic time scale for her going back in the water was discussed. The base plate still needs painting, Tom hoped to get a coat on parts of it today before leaving so that the blocks Oleanna sits on can be moved meaning the whole of the base plate will get painted. The plank and pole rest still needs attaching, other bits and bobs and the final snagging is to be done. Hopefully if the weather plays ball we should be back afloat sometime next week. We’ll confirm with Tom on Monday when we know what the weather is doing.
Sad git’s (yellow sticker) lunch
We came away feeling far better than last week, we’ve inched closer to her being ours again. First thing was to head to Trowell services on the M1 north for a comfort break and for a very late lunch, we’d not wanted to stop the momentum at the paint shed when we’d arrived today. Sad gits sandwiches from M&S and then we plotted a route across country to avoid delays on the M1.
Clearing my head
There is more packing to do in Scarborough, mostly things we’d packed a month ago that have now been unpacked! Maybe I’ll want to re-access the items of clothing packed to be put under the bed for winter. There is a press night we can attend for the new Ayckbourn at the SJT and we need to make sure everything is sorted for Frank. Some head space looking out to sea was required yesterday, that distant horizon is always worth a stop to look at. Then a gluten free challah loaf was made, it’s only the second time I’ve made one and I’ve been short of one ingredient for a while. It is so tasty.
A very tasty loaf!
Fingers and paws crossed that this next week will be the week!
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car extended, 3 days of PA duties, 2.5 ml, 2 drawings that Grandad Lecko may have drawn, 1 scarecrow, 1 boat inching towards the finish line, 2 sets of doors to go, 1 baseplate, 1 lock 2 skinny, 1 empty secret, 0 bananas anti-slipped, 2 many things to go outside still in cupboards, 1 hire car returned, 1 van planned but not booked, 1 skip required, 4 miles of the Cleveland Way walked.
