Curtains remained drawn on the port side to keep the sun out. We removed the glass from a couple of windows to try to create a draft through the boat, but during the day there was little breeze we could encourage inside.
Thankfully by late morning the shade from the trees was starting to make it’s way over the roof of Oleanna. I set up an office out on the bank ready for my telephone meeting with the director of panto.
Setting up the office
NB Eleanor Rugby pulled up quite early and moored behind us. Tilly explored, then came inside to be a long cat for a while.
At 1:30 I sat down with the lap top, phone, script and sketch book and spent over an hour on the phone to Abi. We managed to get two thirds of the way through the show in detail, but then the time came for her to switch hats from a Theatre Director to that of a Mum of two young children. So we quickly touched on the remaining scenes. I now need to collect more references and pull up a few more ideas before starting on the story board. Time is ticking away and once the school holidays start, getting people together for meetings and quotes will become harder.
Not much more to report really. The sky clouded over, it stayed hot, we sat out till quite late as it was cooler out than in. Oleanna does act somewhat like a storage heater in this weather. Tilly found friends and snoozed in the shade. We hunted for more shady moorings up stream for the next few days, the gaps between moorings are getting longer.
A few days ago Mick received an email from Sophie Green at C&RT regarding the winter stoppage on the Shropie, it said.
I have now managed to speak with the Delivery Team for Goldstone Culvert.
They have advised that unfortunately there is no scope in this years program to move this stoppage. All of this winters stoppages have been meticulously planned based on their risk and scope of works. Due to having a lot of high risk assets in the program and the length of time needed to carry out the required works, it has meant that we have had to plan in some of stoppages outside of the north/south, east/west divide routes. We always try our best to avoid doing this but sometimes it is not always possible.
This now means our route north after I’ve finished work on panto will have to be by the River Trent as all routes northwards of the west of the country will be closed. There is still another version of the stoppage list to come out, mid August, but by the sounds of things routes north will be hard to find and we’ll have to dodge the stoppages for a lot of the way.
Meeting time
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 new neighbour, 6 passing boats, 1 outdoor office, 2 crunchy friends, 1 actor still to cast, 2 rethinks, 30C, set to rise at the weekend, 1 serious route plan for winter needed.
Opening the curtains to enjoy the view this morning whilst having a cuppa in bed brought something quite unexpected. A Unicorn!
Last night it had been attached to a cruiser two to three boats up from us, now it was gently swimming past heading towards Godmancheter. It had escaped. A short while later a chap in a canoe arrived, took photos, who wouldn’t, then attached a rope and paddled it back up stream, someone pointing out which boat the rainbowed one had escaped from. It was soon tied up back where it belonged.
Mushrooms ala Pip for breakfast, out of necessity as the sad gits white mushrooms we’d bought in St Ives really needed eating up. Chestnut mushrooms last a lot longer!
The Geraghty zoom this morning had an extra box with Mick being in Scarborough. Subjects discussed included, MP’s dress choices, Unicorns and the Continent.
Tilly was given 9 hours and doors opened front and back whilst I settled down to finish re-reading my script and taking notes. This was followed with several hours of hunting for images on Pinterest and Getty Images.
Vintage engraving showing a scene from 19th Century London England. Likely to be by Gustave Dore
Plenty of boats moving today. The narrowboat behind us had moved off very early, possibly to get through Hemingford before their regatta started for the day, 160 races! Canoes, paddleboarders, swimmers, big cruisers, little ribs, long narrow boats, short narrowboats. A busy river.
Ideas?!
By late afternoon I’d drawn out Chippy stage ready to start on a story board and moved outside to try and put ideas down on paper. So far I maybe have an idea for the basic setting, architectural detail with a feline influence. Victorian sketches by Gustave Dore have always been a favourite of mine, but maybe they are a touch too dark for a panto. Hopefully I’ll get chance to chat to the director in the next few days and that should send me off in a direction.
During the day Tilly had kept herself busy most of the morning. Mick had mown the grass in Scarborough and I’d selected a couple of folders I wanted him to bring back. Tilly slept for a couple of hours and then vanished back outside.
Plane doing tricks
Boaters who’d visited the pub returned and headed off. Others arrived, paddle boards inflated and a lot of hysterics and soakings went on. No sign of Tilly, maybe she was on the other side of the crowd. When it calmed down I went to have a look, but to no avail.
Mick arrived back, we both had a short walk round trying to encourage Tilly home for Ding Ding. Nothing! The couple on the cruiser behind were most probably thinking how irresponsible we were as their cat was only allowed out on a lead and harness.
Oleanna not quite visible on the other side of the field.
As I got our evening meal together Mick headed of for a more concerted effort. A phone call saying he’d found her, but she was on the other side of an impenetrable fence! Well it obviously was penetrable as she’s got through it. I went off to see if I could assist.
Right at the far side of the field (who says cat’s don’t stray far!), Mick was stood on one side of a double layered chicken mesh and barbed wire fence and Tilly was shouting to him from the other side. ‘You got yourself in there!’ That really doesn’t help! It took us quite a while following her along the fence, every now and again a gap showed itself on our side, ‘Follow my voice Tilly, this way!’
She’d walk past that gap, shouting and shouting, then falling silent! Where was she?
Mick walked back across the field to get a key so that he could access a track which might lead to where she was. This all took plenty of time, me doing my best mad cat woman. Thank goodness I’d not managed to get our dinner in the oven, it would have been burnt by now. Eventually Mick was on the other side of the fence/brambles/nettles/barbed wire and was with Tilly. Well until she walked away from him into the hedge on their side!
If only Mick could grab hold of her, he could then drop her over a low bit of fence/hedge/brambles/nettle/thistles and she’d be on the right side. But no, she stayed in the hedge well out of arms reach. Then she vanished from sight and sound!
You told me to find the way I’d got through!
Was that her bell? There she is! She’d found her own way back through the obstacle course! After she’d wrapped herself around my ankles a few times we started to walk back across the huge field. Who says cat’s don’t stray far!
This way!
This was delayed for a feline comfort break, after which she charged a good hundred yards before getting distracted! This WAY!!!! An hour after I’d left our dinner to assist we were all back on board, our dingding by now cold!
A more rural mooring was required today, hopefully one with a bit of shade as the temperatures are due to rise again. With sunscreen applied we pushed off and were soon heading under Huntingdon Old Bridges and the A1307, not much to see of the town as we passed.
Now we followed the river round another huge meadow. Islands here there and everywhere just to keep the navigator on her toes.
Godmanchester Lock
Godmanchester Lock sat empty and waiting for us. The EA mooring alongside the top side was filled with cruisers, we hoped they had all congregated here and had left the moorings further upstream for us. As Oleanna rose in the lock another cruiser arrived to go down, friends of some of the crowd already around the lock. We chatted about moorings and how Brampton was empty when they came past, phew! Then the subject turned to Bedford River Festival which is in a couple of weeks.
The river carries on doing a huge bend around the meadow, the railway line crossing shortly before the moorings we were after. On Google earth it looked like there might only be space for one or two boats, but clicking on someone’s photos (River View) there seemed to be a long length of mooring available.
Just one heron
As we approached all I could see was a heron, the moorings, as reported by the cruiser were empty! Not much tree cover for shade, but we nosed ourselves up towards a willow tree, the end of the day we might just get some shade.
This looks good
Inside the curtains were drawn on the port side, starboard side open as the sun was just avoiding that side of the boat. The doors were opened and Tilly headed off to explore. The nearest Willow had some attention but was deemed to be not so interesting as the one OVER THERE!
What’s in there?
Late morning we were joined by a couple of cruisers, then a narrowboat pulled up asking if we’d nudge up to make room. I paced out the gap for him, it was at least fifteen foot longer than us so even a 70ft boat would not have to squeeze in. Luckily for Tilly she was spotted by the chap who said he’d keep his dog on a lead.
Bye bye Mick
Mid afternoon and it was time for Mick to head off to catch a train northwards, a visit to Scarborough for an overnight and cut the grass. He strode off across the field, reaching a gate on the other side, only to find he needed an EA Abloy key to open it.
Todays shady office
I set up an office under the big willow to re-read the panto script, making notes and hopefully having ideas as I went. This was all going very well until a cruiser pulled up late afternoon just in front of us. It would have been rude not to chat to the new neighbours especially as they are thinking of buying a narrowboat to explore the canals. The last twenty pages of panto will have to wait for tomorrow, at least I’d found lots of reference photos that may prove useful.
1 lock, 1.96 miles, 1 heron, 0 neighbours to 6, 3 swimmers, 7 hours, 2 woofers, 1 outdoor office, 0 help from the feline assistant, 3 trains, 1 very clean house, 20 pages to go, 211 reference images, 0.5 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.
As we got near to rolling up the covers this morning we could hear boats moving. The one furthest away on the moorings winded and headed towards the lock, soon followed by the other two narrowboats who were travelling together. We carried on knowing that we’d have a wait at the locks.
So many boats!
The first two boats breasted up on the lock landing, the next hovered behind them and we sat hovering even further behind. Two cruisers came down the lock, then it was time to fill the lock.
Two in
Houghton Lock is another D shaped lock. The entrance only wide enough for one narrow boat to enter at a time, but after checking in our Imray guide we knew it could hold three narrowboats side by side. The two boats on the lock landing made their way in, the chap from the third boat pulled in and walked up to the lock with a windlass, we then got waved in to make use of the middle of the lock.
Us fitting in the middle
We chatted away as the lock gates were closed behind us and the guillotine gate raised at the other end. The two boats travelling together were from the Macclesfield Canal out for the summer, hoping they’d be able to get back onto the summit pound before winter.
Three abreast
We’ve been three abreast in a lock before at Keadby, Limehouse and possibly Cromwell. Today it felt a touch more cosy than before despite there being plenty of room for us all. The first boat came out the lock and pulled in to help his mate with the lock, which meant we had now leapfrogged all three boats.
Two lock landings
Above the lock we spotted a few places we’d have been able to pull in to visit the mill yesterday, none of them official moorings. But we were glad we’d got to see some of Hemingford Grey and been able to stretch our legs.
A few boat yards. Long gardens to far away houses, a lot of them having work done to them.
All Saints
A riverside church where a couple sat on the bench and waved.
Two games of Boules going on. Measurements being taken to see who’d won.
Who is closer?
Not much further on we pulled in alongside a park, the closest mooring to Sainsburys in Huntingdon. Just after midday, the TV was tuned in and the news left on for the expected speech from Downing Street.
The Mac boys soon arrived and managed to tuck themselves in behind us. The longer boat needing to be next to land as he had animals. His black and white cat soon coming for a nosy as the other boat breasted up. All three boats Tyler Wilson shells, one of a similar age to Oleanna, he’d had the same problem with his gas locker hinges as we’d had.
Lunch and a shopping trip for us to stock up on fresh food for the coming week, by the time we got back to Oleanna the Mac boys had done their shopping and headed off to moor out in the country.
Tilly stamping her approval on panto
Tilly was allowed out, the road hopefully being busy enough to keep her away from it and there was plenty of friendly cover to keep her busy nearer the river. I got on with reading Act 2 of panto. Another scene with a big ship, I loved my ship from last year, how am I going to make this years different?
Queen Rat got her comeuppance and Whittington the cat was made Mayor of London. Tilly wonders how Larry at No 10 feels today with all the press camped outside his front door.
Larry
A much noisier mooring than we’ve gotten used to of late. We had someone tentatively knock on the roof as I was cooking our evening meal, they weren’t expecting anyone to say ‘HELLO!’ from inside. A quiet apology was followed by the lady leaning down to the kitchen window ad wishing us a pleasant evening.
1 lock, 2.53 miles, 4 in a queue, 3 in a lock, 1st boat, 3 boats, 1 dog, 2 cats, 2 boxes wine, 1 bag of peppers, 6 eggs, Act 2, 1 big ship, 1 jungle, 1 tower of London, 1 resignation, 1 Larry for Prime Minister.
Houghton EA Mooring to Hemingford GOBA Mooring to Houghton EA Mooring.
Last night we decided we’d head back towards Hemingford Grey to moor for the day and our visit to Houghton Mill. We knew where the mooring was and that it existed, where as if we’d have gone up the lock we might have been in a situation where no mooring opportunity showed itself.
Winding
After our cuppa in bed we rolled up the covers headed a short way up stream where the river was a touch wider. Mick then made use of the current and wind to help turn the bow round to face down stream. We pootled our way to the meadow and pulled in where there was maybe a touch too much goose poo, but it would do us.
Tilly checking out our mooring
With breakfast out of the way we set off to walk the mile and a half to the mill. On reaching about a quarter of the way Mick said he’d not got the National Trust cards, would they allow us in just with our booking confirmation email? Possibly, but he turned back to the boat. I said I’d walk onwards, we’d left just about the right amount of time to walk, would we make it in time?
I slowed my pace, took in the wild flowers on the verges. All the thatched roofs had straw finials, some quite amusing. Had Mick got back to the boat by now? Should I quicken my pace again, would we reach the Mill in time for the tour?
Across the field that had been cut yesterday
Mick appeared on the Brompton, I should have carried on walking at a normal pace and not slowed so he could catch me up. I had to quicken my pace now, the mill only open for tours on Wednesdays and the weekend, if we missed our slot then that would be it!
Thankfully we managed to arrive in time to stash the bike somewhere and have a quick comfort break, still with a couple of minutes to spare! Phew!!!
Houghton Mill
In 974AD the Manor of Houghton and the Mill were given to Ramsey Abbey, all the local farmers used the mill and a cut was taken off as payment, a mulcher, for the Abbey. The mill was kept very busy and the Abbey became very affluent. New sluice gates were added to the river to increase water headed to the mill, but this caused flooding in the village. After ten years of campaigning the villagers got their way and the river was returned to it’s old course.
After the dissolution of the monasteries, Ramsey Abbey was flattened, the mill was still seen to be very profitable and was taken over by the crown. Ownership passed to the Earls of Manchester who leased out the mill as a commercial concern.
In the 18th Century there was a rapid development in mill technology. The original mill had had one water wheel this was increased to three at it’s peak. Inside ten pairs of stones milled the flour operated by eighteen people. In 1850 the mill was run by the Brown and Goodman families and was producing a ton of premium white flour every hour. This flour supposedly improved if left for five to six weeks, just the right amount of time for it to have headed down stream to Kings Lynn, round the coast to the Thames estuary and in to London where it would reach the best price!
But in the later part of the 19th Century technology took milling away from mill stones and Houghton just couldn’t compete with steam driven mills. The repeal of the Corn Laws brought in cheaper foreign grain which was milled at the ports to help feed the growing work force of the Industrial Revolution. Houghton Mill moved to milling animal feed and the work force reduced down to two.
A corner showing how the YHA had looked
On the retirement of the last miller in 1928 the mill closed and the water wheels were removed. In 1929 the local council bought the mill, it was soon earmarked for redevelopment. In 1934 Houghton Mill Restoration Committee leased the mill and sublet it to the newly formed Youth Hostel Association, providing accommodation for fifty people. In 1938 the committee managed to buy the mill and then handed it over to the National Trust for £1, the same as the original mill had cost to build.
In 1983 the mill was opened to the public, repairs were made and milling could resume with use of the original stones powered by an electric motor. Millennium funding was then sought to reinstate the water wheel.
Quite a sizable mill
Sadly due to the mill having to close during the pandemic the water wheel was left idle for too long. The wood that sat in the water swelled soaking up the water and the wood at the top dried out. Once they got it started again the balance was seriously off! They were recommended to turn the water wheel as often as possible which had been helping, but sadly right now the wheel is in need of some tlc. The tour was very informative and well worth doing, thank you Sue from NB Cleddau for reminding me to check the days it was open.
A look around the village brought so many more chocolate box cottages and finials. Ducks, boxing hares, I couldn’t stop taking photos!
Hollyhocks
Then a round route brought us down Green Lane where both sides of the road were filled with fantastic Hollyhocks. Wow! We got chatting to a lady who is responsible for a third of them, they are wanting to rename the road Hollyhock Lane. She offered us some seeds, but the seed heads weren’t ready yet, maybe if we stop on our way back we might collect a few and leave them places to cheer up people next year.
Back at Oleanna we quickly pushed off again. The meadow as nice as it was really wasn’t suitable or Tilly with the number of woofers around. We winded and headed back upstream pulling in where we’d left five hours earlier, our end space still empty. In fact we had the island to ourselves for a couple of hours before three more narrowboats turned up, Tilly ended up having to share her kingdom with another black and white cat.
First read
Act 1 of panto was read, props and setting notes highlighted with my neon pens left from #unit21. I did have to stop just as Queen Rat was proclaiming that the panto was over and the audience should all go home, she’d crowned herself Queen of England and wasn’t budging. We watched the news and caught up on events in London. I think real life events may run a similar course to those of Queen Rats in Act 2, but without so many belly laughs. Tomorrow will tell!
Boris’s final sunset?
0 locks, 1.42 miles, 2 winds, 2 cards forgotten, 3 minutes spare, 10 stones, 3 waterwheels, 1 wonky wheel after the pandemic, I blog problem possibly solved, 1 Queen about to loose her thrown, 1 silent Whittington singing for the future, 1 country waiting.
The Norris Museum opened in 1933, purpose built to house the collection of Herbert Ellis Norris who left it and money to establish a museum and library in St Ives, a museum for the people of Huntingdonshire. A recreation of his study stands at one end of the museum.
Local finds
The museum traces the history of St Ives from the Romans, through to Medieval times when the great fair was held every Easter, one of four main wool fairs in England, traders flocked from right across the country and others came from abroad. Mick recited the following rhyme to me the other day, although it could just as easily be relating to the other St Ives.
As I was going to St Ives, I met a man with seven wives, Each wife had seven sacks, Each sack had seven cats, Each cat had seven kits: Kits, cats, sacks, and wives, How many were there going to St Ives?
Ammonite, a big one!
By the end of the 13th Century fairs were loosing their popularity in favour of places where goods were traded all year round, Flemish weavers out-competed the areas cloth making industry. Then followed poor harvests and the Black Death which killed half the population.
The Anglo Saxons settled in the area and founded the village of Slepe which became St Ives. Ramsey Abbey was one of the richest in the country and with a wooden bridge across the Great Ouse the town prospered. Oliver Cromwell was born in Huntingdon and for a time was a tenant farmer in St Ives.
Skates
There were freezes (good for skating), floods, a great fire which burnt down a large proportion of the town. Mechanical methods in farming brought about unemployment of farm labourers, the landowners grew richer whilst the workers rioted.
Lavender
Outside in the courtyard a wonderful wisteria covers the building and lavender bushes line the paths. The museum may be small but it is looked after by very enthusiastic people, we nearly spent as long chatting to one chap as we did looking at the displays.
Push Mick!
Time to move the boat, Mick umphed the stern out and we were soon reversing out of the arm. We winded and then headed over the other side of the river and up another arm alongside the Norris Museum to fill with water. Here were NB Casper and NB Mosi-y-Tunya. Brian and Ann on Casper invited us to breast up so that we could fill with water, the pressure not the best so there was plenty of time to have a chat with them. We seem to have a lot in common with them, Yorkshire and theatre. It was good to actually have chance to talk to you today and our paths will cross again upstream somewhere.
Bye bye Ann
Backwards down the arm as there’s nowhere to wind, we then turned and headed upstream making note of the nice GOBA mooring on the outskirts of town. Up Hemingford Lock, another D shaped lock and past Hemingford Grey. Heather had mentioned the other day about the Manor House. Not quite so easy to just turn up as you need to book to go round the house and this is done either by email or phone. We’ll think about it on our way back.
We aimed for the Houghton EA Moorings. I’d spotted that they were really quite close to Houghton Mill a National Trust property. Last night I had booked us onto a tour round the mill for first thing on Wednesday morning, it’s only open weekends and Wednesdays. With a long stretch of moorings we tucked ourselves at the end and let Tilly out, four hours of shore leave.
During the afternoon we discovered that the blog had reached it’s maximum size! I’d been having difficulty uploading photos, so left it with Mick to see what had happened and see if he could sort things. We really can’t have used 20 GB this year!
Busy making hay
I decided to head off for a walk, see where we needed to go in the morning and have a nosy around some of the islands that make up the area. The one we were moored opposite was being mown and the hay was rapidly being bailed up.
I walked with purpose to the other end of the island where the path petered out. Hang on!
I checked my map.
Another lovely GOBA mooring, so long as you don’t want to get off it!
We were on an island, with no means of getting off it without a boat. We have a boat, but there is nowhere else to moor Oleanna close to the mill. Oh B**er! I walked back and chatted to a lovely couple on a cruiser who knew the area very well. We could maybe go up the lock and pull in where a boat used to moor, they pointed out roughly where they meant as boats went past. Or we could tie up on the lock landing for our visit. Or we could go back and moor at Hemingford Grey Meadow and walk from there in the morning. Hmmm, what to do?
A whole island to explore!
During the afternoon I’d had a much awaited for email. My Panto script has arrived! It is now printed out and awaiting a first read, all very exciting!
1 lock, 2.55 miles, 2 reverses, 2 winds, 3 familiar boats, 1 museum, 1 full water tank, 1 island mooring, 0 way off, 2 tours booked, 1 change of plan required, 1 ecstatic cat, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval, 1 panto script, 1 boater about to change into a designer.
Denver EA Mooring to Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen EA Mooring
Mushrooms ala Mick
It felt like a Sunday today, so with not much in the fridge except mushrooms Mick cooked them up and we had them on a couple of slices of toast for breakfast. Then it was time to move on, we couldn’t dally as we needed to find a suitable mooring.
Denver Sluice
Around Denver there are all sorts of structures, sluices here there and everywhere. We headed over to the east towards the Relief Channel Lock. Here two sets of pointing gates drop you down onto the Relief Channel, the lock is fully automated, despite the instructions suggesting you need a windlass.
Time for the Abloy Key of Power, our key ring is getting a touch full. A boat had just gone down the lock, so the bottom gates needed closing then the lock filling for us to enter. This lock is a slow filler, thank goodness you don’t have to keep your finger on the button! It is also a slow emptier the slackers/paddles only moving by about foot, so you have to be patient as your boat slowly drops the 2meters. It was nice to be changing height again, but I have to say I miss working locks.
Going down!
Vermuyden back in the 1640’s, proposed works to help relieve the Ely Ouse of extra water, but it wasn’t until 1964 that the Relief Channel and Cut Off Channel were constructed. The Cut Off Channel diverts waters away from the Rivers Wissey, Little Ouse and Lark in times of flood by partially closing the rivers. The extra water runs towards Denver where the Impounding Sluice joins it to the Relief Channel, taking the waters 11 miles further downstream before it joins the Tidal Great Ouse near Kings Lynn.
Turning below the lock, Cut Off Channel behind
In 2001 the lock connecting the channel to the River Great Ouse, above Denver, was constructed and three sets of visitor moorings added.
The Channel is wide, deep and fairly straight. Today it was windy out there. Swans took off in front of us hoping to loose us, only to find we’d catch them up again, necessitating another take off, time and time again, until they either diverted their route to behind us or over towards the tidal river.
Downham Market moorings chocka
The first mooring at Downham Market is long, able to hold quite a few boats. Today it was very full, good job we’d not been wanting to stop there today. Our guide book suggests that there is more to the town than just Haygates flour mill, which sits alongside the channel. The town used to be renowned for it’s butter market, moving large quantities up to Cambridge on the river.
Not many bridges around here
The next mooring follows at Stowbridge close to a pub. Today two narrowboats filled the pontoon busy with boat chores, everyone waved as we waved back. Another half hour north we passed under a footbridge where a canoeist lolled with his back to us, we moved over so as not to disturb him.
Would there be space for us?
Then the next and final pontoon at Wiggenhall St Marys Magdalen came into view. There was the cruiser I’d seen at the lock and what looked like a narrowboat, would there be space for us? As we got closer we could see there were two narrowboats breasted up. To our relief a lady came dashing down the ramp and untied the inner narrowboat and starting to pull it back towards the cruiser making space for us. The wind didn’t help us moor as the bow kept being pushed towards the bank which in turn pushed the stern out, but we got there in the end, Oleanna’s bow over hanging the pontoon.
Freddie
The lady from the breasted up pair was very chatty, offered us a lift to the pub tonight and introduced us to Freddie her Irish Terrier. He wanted to come and say hello, but immediately got distracted by a scent, Tilly! Blimey Tilly smelt soo good, he was all over Oleanna as Tilly watched on from the Houdini shelf. She had been hoping that the friendly cover could be explored, but being on a pontoon the health and safety committee had already made their decision. Now with Freddie sniffing the air at the open window where Tilly sat, only an inch or two away, their decision was reinforced!
It took Freddie quite a while to actually be able to see Tilly through the glass. At that moment their noses were less than an inch apart with a sheet of glass thankfully between them, Tilly now three times her normal size! Freddie was immediately put back on a lead and taken inside his boat.
Finishing touches, including some clamping
Summer clothes were retrieved from under the bed a smart shirt brought out to be washed. Winter clothing was not fully stowed away, but that will need to happen before I start on my panto model as my clothes cupboard is where I store it away from feline jaws. Then it was time to finish off my project. Fittings, securing, wires twisted, glue applied, foam added for comfort and a final fitting. All was finished and ready.
Relief Channel on the left, Tidal River Great Ouse right
Time for a walk over Magdalen Bridge which crosses the Tidal River Great Ouse, the tide was out. Down stream of here lies Kings Lynn and then The Wash, which if crossed with the aid of a pilot would take us to Boston and then further north on the River Witham. That trip will be for another time.
A fine looking church
The village was covered in bunting as to be expected. The church sitting proudly in the centre. A fish and chip shop round the next corner smelt good, but I returned up Prophets Lane which led to the river bank and back across the bridge to Oleanna where there would have been just enough room for another boat to breast up alongside us.
Quite a full pontoon
A couple of weeks ago I asked if the Middle Level was as low as we could get on the network. A few days later Paul from Waterway Routes replied with this answer.
The Middle Levels between Ashline and Marmont Priory Locks is maintained at 35cm below Ordnance Datum (approximately seal level), although the level will vary a little after rain etc. The Relief Channel summer level is approximately 98cm below Ordnance Datum (sea level), although this level isn’t maintained particularly accurately so you could be more than a metre below sea level at times.
So we are now the lowest we can be, below sea level!
Swimming below sea level
1 lock, 6.9 miles, 1 right, 1 left, 3 moorings, 2 boats pulled back, 1 Freddie, 3 times bigger, 1 last mooring space, 2 relieved boaters, 2 fixings, 2 fittings, 1 project complete, 1 fridge just about empty.
Dog in a Doublet to Burnthouse Bridge Rural Mooring, Whittlesey Dyke, Middle Level
This mornings mooring
Yesterday Mick had phoned Stanground Lock to book our passage through for today. Kev, not Tina had called us back and booked us for midday. He also rang us this morning, yesterday he’d responded to a missed call on the mobile, today he was responding to Mick’s message.
We gave ourselves a couple of hours to return back up the Nene to Peterborough Junction where we’d turn onto the Back River, the aroma of partially cooked chips hanging in the air today. Does anyone know what the metal framed tower is on the north shore of the river?
This way
The Back River brings you under a railway bridge, then past the back of the houses at Stanground. Soon we arrived at the lock and Kev popped up from nowhere, we were an hour early just as the timings on our maps had suggested, but better early than late.
Kev set the lock, the nearest paddle/slacker lifted to fill it, I could see straight through the opening, you don’t often get a view like that. With the gates open we were soon in the lock. Time to chat Anglian Passes.
Entering Stanground lock
About a month ago Mick had applied for an Anglian pass on line. This gives you access to the Middle Level and the River Cam and lasts a year. The pass is a fairly new thing and has caused quite a to do in certain circles. The website had said someone would ring to take payment. No-one did. So with our arrival getting closer Mick rang and was told that our application hadn’t arrived, could he fill out the form again and email it to them, then someone would call to take payment. This he did. We are still waiting for the phone call.
Kev opening the gates for us
This tale was nothing new to Kev, he wasn’t surprised. He wrote us down on his sheet and took our details. Next we needed to purchase ourselves a key and a key. A different navigation authority means a new key to access facilities. We also required a different windlass, which in these parts is called a key. Kev had both for sale and quickly provided them in return for £17. We also enquired about Salters Lode on the other side of the Middle Level, we’d tried calling the Lock Keeper there but had had no response. Kev said we’d just need to arrive at a suitable time for the tide, he then provided us with the tide time. No need to book just turn up and we’d be locked through. What a helpful chap, very reminiscent of the Lock Keeper at Thames Lock onto the River Wey.
New keys
The paddles on the lock were lifted, the lock emptied, gates open. We’d descended onto the Level. Well maybe we’d descended a touch too far as Oleanna seemed to want to stay put in the lock. There was a little bit of movement so a push out at the stern and bow a bit of a jiggle and she was free! We are on the cusp of draft for the navigation. Mick later on read notes written by Simon Judge regarding deep drafted boats going through the lock backwards, well we know now!
Lots of sky and pill boxes
Narrow and shallow, our speed would be a lot slower than it had been out on the river.
Here sky rules, when would we get to see our next hill? Flat as flat, well until we came across a new railway bridge being built.
Work boats and churches
A view of the brick works and McCains from the other side this time. Two churches in Whittlesey. Three work boats sat at the edges of the navigation, having their lunch break, weed cutters, one called Covid 20.
Ahead lay the bend we’ve heard of between bridges 111 and 110, the navigation is narrow the bend 90 degrees. Mick slowed Oleanna right down as we passed possibly the nearest vets to the waterways, then took us round in one go with plenty of room to spare.
They don’t want you hanging around here
A public park in Whittlesey has a 48hr mooring, space for two narrowboats, we pulled in for lunch then consulted our schedule. Should we stay here the night? We were already ahead of schedule, Tilly would be able to go out, other moorings further on looked like they would be alongside roads, so not deemed to be cat friendly.
What’s happened to the friendly cover?
‘Two hours Tilly, we might want to go out and explore ourselves.’
Another look at our schedule, planned mooring places for the next few days. Waterway Routes open as well as Google Maps satellite view. A meeting with family is planned next week, a mooring to have a birthday barbeque would be good too, so we’re only using the link route through the Middle Level at the moment. Our planned passage through Salters Lode to Denver Sluice had been on Saturday, but all of a sudden the moorings on the Great Ouse looked a touch more appealing. Did we have enough time to reach Salters Lode for Friday morning? If we cracked on today yes.
Weed cutters hot on our tails
Fortunately Tilly had decided that the grass outside wasn’t up to much and had retired to the bedroom, but as soon as the back door closed we got complaints. ‘You know I said 2 hours, well I actually meant 2 minutes!’
Ashline lock
Ashline Lock drops the navigation down by 6ft, it lay a short distance in front of us. The width of the locks isn’t enough to be able to share with another narrowboat, bottom gates should be left open, paddles closed to help conserve water levels. Time to use our new windlass/key, so new it’s grey paint not fully cured!
The paddles at the top of the lock are similar to those you find on the Leeds Liverpool canal, you just can’t see whether they are open or not, then how many turns until they are fully open? The lock gradually filled. The bottom paddles are similar but positioned on the gates themselves. I chose to count how many turns they took to open, twenty, thirty, thirty five, I gave up, the lock slowly emptied.
Red and Yellow
Is this the lowest you can be on non-tidal water in England? At Lodes End Lock to our south the level is variable and can be nothing, but it suggests on our map that to head west through the lock you may rise to be on the level we are on now. Around us the contour on the OS map was around 0 or even -1 in some fields.
In the pamphlet we’d been given it showed us the location of Rural moorings, but Mick had spied on the website that there were another four such moorings, two of which we’d be going past today. Might they be more cat friendly than the public moorings?
The first was at Angle Corner. 32m of bank had been cut and large posts added to tie to. Here you might be able to get off your boat without too much trouble, but the bank is steep, nothing that would worry Tilly. We made a note of its position to report back to Paul at Waterway Routes.
It’s really rather pretty round here
Just past Burnthouse Bridge there was a second mooring. We consulted our maps, if we didn’t stop here we had at least another two hours to cruise to the next mooring in March which may not have space. We pulled in flung our ropes over the posts, Oleanna sat a good meter out from solid land, a plank or major leap of faith would be needed here to get off, but that didn’t bother us. A quick cat health and safety discussion, she’d get off okay, but would almost certainly arrive back on board wet. No shore leave today for any of us!
2 locks, 13.89 miles, 1 wind, 1 left, 1 straight on, 1 hour early, 2 minutes shore leave, 2 hire boats, 1 private boat, 3 work boats, 1 new key, 1 new key, 2 levels, 10 new posts, 1 contract to sign, 1 storm approaching, 0 Anglian Pass.
Mick was away seriously early this morning, he arrived in Scarborough just after 10am and arrived at the house shortly before our lodgers left for work. He had an hour or so to wait before a plumber arrived to try to solve the boiler problem. The boiler was taken to bits, everything checked, lots of head scratching a valve in the airing cupboard was changed (possibly the third such valve this year!). Thankfully all was back working, but why the valve stops working is a mystery. Hopefully this will now have solved the problem, the boiler has a few good years left in it, but if the valves keep failing we may have no choice but to replace it. Fingers crossed.
Grand Central reflections
Back in Birmingham Tilly and I pottered on as normal. Tilly had some shore leave and when she came back I decided to head off for a walk. My main purpose was to find some more comfortable FFP2 Masks. We still wear masks in busy areas such as shops and trains and as very few people now wear them they may as well be more for our protection. The one’s we have now are actually for woodwork so the elastic goes over the back of your head, so they are not quite as user friendly as they could be.
Gas Street
I headed to Boots to see what they had, 5 for £10. That would do. I then had a look around a few shops before I got a touch twitchy about being amongst sooo many people. I decided to walk back to the boat via Gas Street Basin, entering from the north east side where two arms used to head off, I’ve not been this way before. You get quite a good view across the boats.
Worcester Bar
The bridge at Worcester Bar didn’t used to exist, it was just a wooden plank which could be swung across for access using a chain.
Back on board Tilly requested more shore leave, but as I opened up the back I could see another cat coming from the boat behind us. Maybe this was one of the cats that was running along our roof last night! Not wanting to have a towpath turf war Tilly was allowed in the pram cover but, luckily she hadn’t seen our neighbour!
An interesting darn. I do need a magnifying glass
My hygienist appointment went well, although I still can’t imagine why anybody would want to do the job. At least now it is no longer necessary for them to wear the full Darth Vader outfit to clean your teeth! I was asked if I’d like to book my six monthly appointments, this is when boaters don’t always fit into a box. Depending on stoppages I’m likely to come by train after panto has opened in Chipping Norton. So booking an appointment today would be risky. I know when it should be and that will do for now.
He’s tall
No sign of the other cat when I got back, so Tilly was allowed an hours shore leave before ding ding. I took the opportunity to hear how a meeting had gone for David today.
Boaters, Continuous Cruisers don’t fit into normal boxes. Banks find it hard, Doctors quite often need to be reminded that they can register people without an address, having to declare yourself homeless to be able to vote, etc are all things that need to be dealt with by boaters. The people who provide support that David is now entitled to would like him to fit into one of their boxes, for this it would be easier for them if he lived in a house, this however would not be so good for David’s mental health. Soon he will need to start moving his boat again, which will cause problems with the continuity of his care. To receive counselling over the next few months he would need to remain in an area, that area could be challenging to CC in.
Ooo flowers on my strawberry plants
Then there have been other boaters, those who have also put him in a box, the one of the overstayer/continuous moorer, just what you need when you are not well and the visibility of your illness is not obvious! David is going to seek advice from the Welfare Officer at C&RT and from the NBTA, there has to be a way round this. He has come so far and needs support to carry on going in the right direction. Surely the corners of a few boxes can be push to make them fit him and his situation?
0 locks, 0 miles, 4 return tickets, 5 hours for the boiler, 7 hours on trains, 5 masks, 2 shore leaves, 1 t-shirt darned, 40 minutes cleaning, 0%,1 more pat on the back, 1 box needing to have the corners stretched.
How did they do that? You turn your back for one minute! They go and tie up BUMingham again!
Bricks Bricks Brick!
This bit of BUMingham has lots of bricks but mainly on the bottom, it also has a lock for moving the outside up and down. I don’t often get to sniff these things and She wasn’t too keen on me doing that. To be truthful I wasn’t too keen on doing much in BUMingham anyway. Far too many Shes and Toms about the place and some of them were moving the outside with all three of us in it. I so hope they’ve tied BUMingham up very very well!
Hmmm, how do they move these things up and down?
The first boat into the locks was at 8am.
Down bang on 8am
Last night we’d heard the lock being filled, it was dark. Mick peeked out of the curtains and could see Coal Boat Roach being bow hauled into the lock, it looked like Rich was wearing waders. We didn’t think that Farmers Bridge was on his normal route and he’d been moored up in the afternoon, fully laden with coal. What do we know?
Then quite a while later we could hear the top paddle being wound up again, the lock was filling. It carried on filling and filling and filling. Was someone trying to empty the Birmingham level?! A chap had gone down the locks earlier single handing leaving paddles up.
Zoom not working properly this morning
No this was Rich from Roach again. ? Mick went out to see what was happening.
During the day Roach had managed to get a bicycle around its prop. To remove it they had dropped Roach into the first pound down the flight, then drained that pound so that the problem could be dealt with easier out of the water, hence the waders. A bright green bike was pulled off the prop, the pound refilled and Roach was brought back up onto the Birmingham level.
After half an hour we got pictures but no-one could hear us
Today didn’t start off quite so exciting. The Flapper pub across the way is very much open again and last night proved to be a popular place for birthdays, we think things died down there at around 1am. Our mooring may be handy but it is noisy, however it will serve our purposes until after Easter.
The Antony Gormley is back in town in a slightly new position
After having difficulty joining the Geraghty Zoom Mick headed off to pick up a hire car from Budget at Birmingham Airport. He’d hunted round for the best deal over the Easter weekend and this was the one around about £120 for 3 days. A reckie for parking places nearby had been done and he’d registered with RingGo Parking. This left Tilly and myself onboard pottering.
Scrubbing to get rid of the graffiti
The boat dipped! Hang on! Yes you guessed it someone was having their photo taken stood on the stern of Oleanna. They were apologetic when I asked if I could go and stand in their living room to have my photo taken!
Blimey it’s busy all of a sudden!
The general hubhub gradually increased over the next hour, followed by dull thudding noises. I peeked out through the curtains to see twenty maybe more young men gathered around the lock, the thudding noise was coming from them taking it in turns to jump across the chamber.
How many narrow locks have we seen with memorials alongside for people who’ve tried to jump across, usually under the influence of alcohol, and it’s all gone very wrong! This was my first thought.
Then as I watched it was very obvious that they knew what they were doing making the jump look so so easy. These were free runners. There are several places in Birmingham where you can train to free run, but I suspect it’s a lot cheaper to jump over the top lock at Farmers Bridge! It also seemed to be a big social thing.
Birmingham
Several people took photos, others filmed the more experienced runners. The younger chaps just jumped the chamber, others continued on to jump up the wall opposite towards the scaffolding, one or two more did summersaults. Everyone practicing their particular moves, wiping dust from the soles of the trainers before setting off.
Tilly was interested too, so we went out the back to watch. I could show them a thing or two! But I’ll leave it for now.
It was interesting watching them all, yes there was some danger in their actions, but I wouldn’t be the one to haul someone out of the lock with a head injury. The skill that some of these chaps had was impressive. A couple of old queens sat on the bench watching them, maybe attracted by the skill or maybe just by the six packs on display!
After an hour they gradually moved off, heading into the city centre in front of the library to practice tumbles along with the street dancers.
Cass Art window
Now the entertainment had finished I headed to stock up on card to make models from. As we’ll be on totally new waters in a few weeks I’d rather have what I need on board already to make a white card model for Panto. Once I was back, the drawing board slot was emptied, new card added to the big folder of card and then everything stowed away again until needed.
Our mooring at the top of Farmers Bridge
We sat back, enjoyed our evening meal, then wondered what time The Flapper would close tonight! Cambrian Wharf eventually quietened down at around 1am again.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 train, 1 hire car, 1 photo, 30 plus free runners, 0 injuries, 1 cat wanting to join in, 1 new hobby for Mick? 2 sheets card, 1 designer ready to design, 1 very noisy pub.
