Well, where do I start? I believe I last signed off saying that hopefully next time I posted I’d be talking about Oleanna’s repaint. Well, I will be, but not in the way I thought I’d be talking about it.
We gave Tom a week after Easter for the dust to settle and kids to have gone back to school. I called him to have a chat and explain that we really could do with an approximate end date to the repaint as we have lodgers booked in, maybe more wanting to book and our thoughts had been turning to where we might end up living if there was a delay in the repaint. We really needed to be back onboard at the end of May. He reassured me that that would be the case, he’d look at the jobs required and let me have a better idea.
You’re not leaving me our of the packing!
With each week passing and no news, canal time was setting in. We started to think of contingency plans for when lodgers arrived. We could stow all our boaty belongings in the room we call the shed and sofa surf, but what would Tilly do? It would be very unfair to leave her with three lodgers, maybe a cattery would have to be the option! What CAT PRISON!!!!! I don’t believe you were even considering that! A better solution was for us to find another bed that we could put in my workroom, I had offers of futons and inflatable mattresses, but so far we’d not had any more enquiries from lodgers, maybe we’d be okay for a few more weeks.
Last Monday I sent an email to Tom. The days of April, our paint slot, were rapidly running out. Would he be starting the repaint later in the week, next week, in two weeks, or would the wait be longer! Would it be worth us popping down to talk over the jobs and colour scheme? We really wanted to know so that we could plan what to do with ourselves!
We got on with jobs. A couple of hours later we received an apologetic email reply from Tom.
‘I’ve had a few delays alongside some other things essentially dropped on me, which has jumbled up my running order. I have a 45ft Narrowboat in the shop which your boat will follow‘.’
It sounds like its not all his fault, but whatever the reason it’s not fair, not right, but what can we do, other than be patient. At least we now have dates which we can work to, he’ll be in touch towards the end of May for us to go to chat things through. He has also said as a goodwill gesture that he will be giving us a discount.
There had been places we wanted to go to by boat, but now they will have disappointingly passed before we are back on board. This means, that to us, it doesn’t matter when Keadby Lock and the leaking culvert is mended, or worry if Vazon Rail bridge goes faulty again, as we won’t be heading northwards anymore. It does mean that Tilly will have the long journey back to life afloat, we’d planned on bringing Oleanna up to Goole before she joined us to make her journey about an hour shorter. I’ll cope, just so long as the outside can move again!
Swarkestone Pavillion painting ready to be hung
We could have decided to have Oleanna put back in the water and postpone her repaint, most probably a wait of another year, but the blacking desperately needs doing before she touches water again. So we may as well sit it out and have her back with all the other jobs done to our satisfaction.
The first of the Felicity Edition Sockathon socks
Now we could plan, we’d not want to sofa surf for a month. I emailed the SJT saying that we would be staying in the house so our third room was no longer available. They thought they were now sorted for the company of the Calendar Girls. However, within 30 minutes I got another enquiry! Over the next few days I’ve had three enquiries from actors from the next company which overlaps. Should you happen to live in Scarborough and have a comfortable spare room there are actors desperately looking for places to stay, get in touch with the theatre. After a bit of jiggery-pokery with a shoehorn we have managed to accommodate someone else, an old friend, with an extra buffer around Oleanna’s repaint. If we’re not back on the boat by then, someone will be paying for us and Tilly to stay in a hotel!
Anyhow. It’s disappointing, but it does have its advantages. Firstly we won’t be chomping at the bit to get onto the Leeds Liverpool Canal, possibly getting jobs rushed or even put off.
I can carry on helping on the community mosaic for a while longer. I’m really enjoying it and now know quite a handful of new people around Scarborough.
I also have access to my work room at the top of the house. Yes, I’m designing Chippy Panto again this year. The Snow Queen is a very VERY Christmassy panto. So I’m hoping to get as much work done designing it before we get back on Oleanna, meaning we can make the most of boating again when we hit the water.
In 2021 we were in Scarborough until mid May, escaping from Goole after the breach on the Air and Calder Navigation. This year we’ve already had chance to enjoy our bluebells. I’m loving seeing all that goes on at the seaside on sunny days. The spring tides have revealed sand banks that you can almost walk into the harbour. Then when the tide is in the sea covers most of the beach meaning ice cream, wind breaks and deckchairs are all squashed up against the railings. Daleks, Wookies and Storm Troopers took over the Spa for a weekend and there’s a new market once a month to peruse.
We’ve also been along to celebrate the SJT’s 30th Anniversary at the Odeon. The occasion was marked with a rehearsed reading/sing of HONK! which was produced for Christmas 1997. It was lovely to see some old work friends, especially Michael Holt the designer, I used to paint his sets at the theatre and a few years ago I made a model for him whilst we were on the Peak Forest Canal, the last time I saw him.
So with the news our repaint was delayed, Mick made plans to head down to check on Oleanna again. She’s been off shore power for a few weeks, and he wanted to run her engine and check her over as she’ll be sitting still for a few more weeks. He caught an earlyish train to East Midlands Parkway and walked down the long road to the marina, the cooling towers still keeping an eye on everything.
Oleanna was checked over, the engine run, lunch enjoyed at the cafe. Plenty of people were about doing jobs on their boats in the sunshine. I’d like to have a visit too, so that I can clean off the sticky varnish around the dinette before we move back on board and have to do it with ourselves and Tilly about. But that will have to wait a little while, maybe for when we visit to chat to Tom. The dinette cushion covers have been successfully dry-cleaned and forced back onto the cushions and new blinds for the bow doors have been sewn, they just need fitting to the poppers now.
Nearly walking into the harbour
All we can do is wait.
0 locks, 0 miles, 130 miles walked, 1870 brisk minutes walking in April, 1 repaint delayed, 1 hotel required, 1 contingency cottage to be used, 30th anniversary, 2 now 3 lodgers booked overlapping, 2 drafts of panto, 1 storyboard started, 1 very icy mood board, 1 mosaic paisley finished, 4 Felicity Edition pairs of socks, 3 life jackets tested and repacked, 1 painting finished and framed ready to be hung, 2 boaters and 1 cat resigned to life on dry land for a while longer.
A round up of 2025, sit down with your favourite drink and I hope you enjoy.
January started out as December this year would end, us watching from afar the aftermath of a breach. January was the Bridgewater, December the Llangollen. We don’t tend to watch vlogs, preferring to read peoples accounts of their waterway journeys, but updates were watched on youtube from those affected, our personal experience of the Aire and Calder breach back at the end of 2020 had been far less dramatic.
January in the house was spent doing winter maintenance jobs. Three garden benches got a full make over, new slats and paint and a dining room got a colourful lick of paint just in time for the first lodgers of the year arriving. I had a second appointment with a physio about my knee that had given me serious problems last year, the new exercises were working, I ditched my stick by the end of January and started walking around Scarborough every day.
The start of the year it had been wet, but as I strode out the sun would greet me as I reached the beaches of Scarborough. I think this year I’ve visited the seaside more than I’ve done in the last 30 years of considering Scarborough to be my home.
In February Oleanna’s horns got replaced, she now has two tones rather than just one twice. Arrangements were made for future works at the house, carefully planned between lodgers. I joined a community group working on a giant mosaic, sticking glass tiles to brown paper, the final reveal not happening until August which I sadly missed. More walks around Scarborough, longer walks enjoyed on sunny Saturdays taking in both bays. Now I was walking too fast for Mick to keep up.
We visited boat painters, our short list gradually being whittled down. Dates, getting to the painters all had to be weighed up in our decision. One company actually rang to offer us a very early slot, but because of the Bridgewater breach and the end of winter stoppages we’d never have made it in time, plus we’d have ended up being homeless as lodgers were due to arrive at the house. After visiting the last painter we dropped back in to visit Tom at Redhill Marina to see how the boats he’d been painting on our last visit looked. We liked him, his work and a day later called Gibson and Kentwright to book our slot in Spring 2026.
John, the Artistic Director at Chipping Norton got in touch, would I like to do this years panto? This needed some thinking about, last year had been nice without deadlines for designs and we could concentrate on boating, but I’d really missed being part of a team and being a designer. I slept on it then said yes, if the show could be designed earlier in the year then we’d still be able to boat through the summer, hopefully get the best of both worlds. Cruise down to the South Oxford so I could commute to work during rehearsals then we’d make our way back north and arrive at New Year at Redhill to come out of the water and await our repaint. A good plan. But before that, the roof space needed clearing so things didn’t get damaged when we got a new roof on the back of the house. Friends needed meeting and I cracked on with a few paintings of Scarborough.
Mid March came, it was time to give the house a good clean and move back onto Oleanna making way for four lodgers to move in for a month. A new mattress arrived for Oleanna, only just enough headroom for Mick on our cross bed, but a far better sleep than the memory foam mattresses that came before. Back on board, we headed straight out of Goole for the New Junction Canal, pulling in at the first opportunity and letting Tilly have some shore leave once again. She knows where home is and I’m sure she now knows this mooring very well. She was gone for hours, straight back into boat life after a winter of hibernation and inactivity in the house. It felt good for us too.
Some of the team at Level
Doncaster was our first destination for me to head off to do a couple of days work at Level in Matlock with Separate Doors Theatre Company.
Then we gradually made our way to Keadby to wait for the beginning of April, the tide and to meet the Strawberry Fools from Strawberry Island Boat Club who were kicking off the Fund Britains Waterways Campaign Cruises for the year.
Having just left Keadby Lock
Early on the 1st April, the flotilla of Strawberry Fools lined up to go through Keadby Lock onto the Tidal Trent, three boats at a time, turning up stream, southwards. Fog engulfed us for sometime, thankfully clearing as we came close to West Stockwith Lock where more boats were to join the long line all beeping our horns as we approached Gainsborough Road Bridge where TV crews and drones watched us. A great start to the years campaign. The spring tide got us all to Cromwell and off the tidal waters for survivors drinks on the bank.
The following day the boats stormed Newark Castle with a wall of sound before dispersing to several moorings upstream. The morning after we penned the boats up through Hazelford Lock and waved them goodbye and good luck, the majority of boats heading to London to sound their horns outside Parliament. We however turned back, our summers cruising planned to be further north.
Back up the country, down the Tidal Trent, pausing on the Chesterfield canal for a couple of days, across the Stainforth and Keadby, New Junction, Aire and Calder, River Aire, Selby Canal then the River Ouse to York.
Here we met with the London Leckenbys to celebrate what would have been my Dad’s 100th birthday back in his home city. We had a suitable feast, cruised down stream to show Andrew, Jac and Josh the top of our old family home from the river, Josh even had a go at the helm. A curry was also called for along with a visit to a pub which was frequented by our parents as we grew up (we mostly sat in the car with a packet of crisps or a chip butty!).
We were joined for a few hours by old family friend Diana and I got to meet with Philli a boat woman who had sponsored a pair of my Sockathon Socks. It was good to be back in York with our own home and have found somewhere new to moor meaning we could stay longer. We also managed a catch up with Frank over a pint and a pizza.
By now the lack of rain was started to affect the system and our planned cruise. The Leeds Liverpool, I think, was the first of the northern canals to close. The Ripon Canal soon followed. We were wanting somewhere safe to moor for a week or so whilst Mick headed off to oversee building works at the house, our options started to narrow.
We opted to head down stream, the tidal Ouse far more difficult to navigate with the outgoing tide due to the amount of debris in the water. Back onto the Aire and Calder we detoured to Goole to top up on diesel, then headed towards Leeds. A favourite mooring near Lemonroyd would suit us for a while.
A large badger hole proved a bit too interesting for Tilly, so we nudged ourselves up above Woodlesford Lock. Mick headed to Scarborough to wait for roofers, whilst I started to work on Panto and Tilly explored the area. Down south the Strawberry Fools reached their goal on the Thames.
May is full of Birthdays, Mick was allowed some leave from the house to celebrate his with a barbecue. Sketches for panto were revisited, the weather got warmer. Oleanna spent a weekend at Lemonroyd Marina whilst we had a trip to London for another birthday and to see Jane and Kevin who were over from Australia.
Back out on the canal, we opted to stay around Lemonroyd, hopefully far enough away from the badger hole! Mick returned to the house, Tilly sheltered from a touch of rain on her throne under the pram cover, I worked away model making for panto and headed out every day to walk round the nearby nature reserve.
The house roof was finished in time for a new lean to to be installed. My panto white card model was drawn up. New lodgers arrived at the house so all three of us were back on board in time to head into Leeds for me to catch a train to Chipping Norton for a day of meetings.
The weather was hot, along with strong winds in Leeds our plants suffered, above Office Lock on the Leeds Liverpool Canal more locks were being closed. Canal and River Trust were actively discouraging people from cruising up the River Derwent to the Pocklington Canal. The River Hull was closed due to collapsing banks. We’d find somewhere to go, sadly missing out on the main mission of reaching Beverley this year.
However, a return trip to York was on the cards. We opted for a different route and headed back to Goole, topped up again with diesel, then penned down Ocean Lock onto the Tidal Ouse. Back in 2021 we’d headed this way whilst escaping the breach on the Aire and Calder. This time the tide was very strong, we were going to beat our ETA at Selby and had to fight the currents going round bends.
A meet up with my best friend Emma, who was over from Sydney and a chance to meet her new fella was not to be missed. Mooring almost at the bottom of Emma’s old garden in York helped them find us before we had a lovely lunch on the Howardian Hills and a quick visit to Castle Howard for some chilled medication in a thunder storm.
We opted to stay in York. Mick having to find things to do during the day whilst I took over the boat with work. A trip to Headingly for a test match, bumping into his old friend Jeremy and a look at the trains in the Railway Museum. It rained in the Dales, the Ouse came up, we leant Jo and Brian from NB That’s It our Middle Level windlass and key, boats ran away, we checked levels and kept an eye on our ropes, we were fine.
July arrived. Where to head now? A station was needed for another meeting in Chippy. We retraced ourselves back down stream, the Ouse slightly emptier of trees this time, back to Doncaster a good station to head southwards from.
Thankfully there were only a few small aterations to my panto design required, the remainder of the summer could be spent boating, if only the water levels would let us! We headed back towards the River Trent, managing to say hello to our friend David at Bramwith. A few days were spent sheltering under trees of the Stainforth and Keadby, then there was time to explore Thorne more than we’ve done before.
Some Strawberry Fools were arriving back having managed to get through stoppages further south after crossing the Wash and cruising some of the Middle Level and the River Nene. We loitered for Sean from SPL covers to arrive with a new side for our pram hood, the original one had managed to sink into the depths of the Aire and Calder earlier in the year.
Temperatures were high, this wasn’t good. What lay between us and the rest of the summers cruise was Vazon Sliding Rail Bridge, high temperatures meant the bridge could not open for boats. We sat for several days and nights, getting up to chat to the signaller in the middle of the night. One night just as we were about to turn the lights off we got a phone call, the bridge would be opening, we needed to get dressed! A short distance travelled in the dark would mean we’d be able to do some boating again. We were soon cruising for the third time this year on the Tidal Trent, in a down pour of rain!
Surprisingly the Chesterfield Canal was open up to the limit of navigation. Oleanna’s crew had been there before, but Oleanna hadn’t, it was a must. We paused for a few days at the Retford and Worksop Boat Club, our Cutweb membership paying for itself within a few days. I walked whilst Mick headed back to Scarborough to do a turn around and for medical appointments.
A visit to Mr Straws House was enjoyed, locks worked through, towpath walks enjoyed as I sped ahead of Oleanna taking her time in the shallow canal. What a pretty canal, we were glad we’d come back.
The double and triple locks that lead up to the top may take a bit of working, but boy they are worth it. We headed straight to the navigable end before Norwood Tunnel only to find the moorings there full. One chap suggested we’d not have enough depth of water to wind, but thankfully we did and headed back to find another mooring for the night.
On our return journey we had visitors, friends Jane and James on their bikes came and helped us through a few locks. Then the same day Cath and Mark came for a nosy at Oleanna and a meal out in Worksop. Very good to catch up with everyone.
Back at the boat club they found space for us again so we could head back to Scarborough to do another turn around and watch the first night of Noises Off at the SJT. We welcomed new lodgers Liza and Stuart into our house, had a blood test, a dentist visit and headed back to Oleanna and Tilly.
Back out onto the Tidal Trent and onwards to Cromwell. Our timing couldn’t have been better, as we rounded a bend in the river, Cottam Power Station cooling towers came into view. I had just enought time to lift my camera before they came crashing to the ground. A landmark on the Trent now gone. I think we’d already made our minds up not to head towards the Oxford Canal, by now levels were so bad the canal had been closed from the summit to Banbury. We really didn’t want to risk getting stuck somewhere and not being able to get Oleanna to Redhill for her repaint next year. We’d take our time pottering about on the Trent and maybe along the Trent and Mersey Canal. The next day notices came out about further lock closures due to the drought, boats started to turn round, cutting their cruises short so they could beat the closures and return home.
Barbeque at sunset
Newark for a few days, then on to Hazelford Lock one of our favourite moorings, time for a barbecue sat on the big steps watching the sun set. Sounds idylic.
However, that night we got to test out the emergency servies and what3words at 2am. Mick had chest pains, 999 was called, two hours later paramedics arrived, tests were done, followed by an ambulance ride to Mansfield A&E for more tests, lots of waiting, then discharged after twelve hours with what was thought to be pulled muscles. A very lazy day followed.
We continued on to Nottingham, stocked up at Sainsburys and found a mooring near to Beeston. To celebrate Mick not having had a heart attack we treated ourselves to a meal at The Victoria. Always nice, just a shame that things weren’t really quite right with Mick.
Up to Trent Lock, rescuing a boater caught out by shallow water between Beeston and Cranfleet. We turned right, our plan now was to head to Burton on Trent on the Trent and Mersey. An ideal mooring at Shobnal Fields was grabbed so that I could head off to Dawlish to meet the set builder for Panto.
Brian arrived on NB That’s It, able to drop off our windlass he’d borrowed. He’d single handed it from Peterborough on the River Nene managing to beat all the stoppages by doing pretty long days, but now he could relax as rivers would get him back to Strawberry Island again. Coinciding with ‘in steam days’ at industrial museums is a rarety for us, but we managed it at Claymills Victorian Pumping Station, although the volunteers were tryng out some eco fuel rather than coal, they weren’t impressed with the amount of steam it produced.
The water tap at Willington called, the plan was then to wind and cruise up to Alrewas. A mooring was found with better phone signal for Mick to chat with his GP, an appointment already planned. He also wanted to talk to them about some patchy vision he’d been experiencing. Another phone call to an optician, it was suggested he should attend the nearest A&E. That night we made our way back into Burton to be closer to the hospital.
In the morning there was a second visit to A&E this year. A CT scan diagnosed Mick as having had a stroke. I brisk walked my way over to the hospital to find him being put in the back of an ambulance to head to the Royal Derby Hospital. Here there was 24 hours of lying and sitting in various parts of A&E (number 3) before a bed was found on the stroke ward. Thank goodness for a very good bus service between Burton and Derby. They wanted Mick to see an Opthamologist which didn’t happen, the weekend arrived and he was stuck. Then he just needed another ECG and drugs before he could come home, this took another night but thankfully after five nights in hospital he was discharged.
So many people offered help and support, thank you all so much. Thankfully now Mick had no symptoms and felt pretty normal. I kept a close eye on him. Kat on coal boat Bargus stocked us up with coal and diesel and we gradually made our way back to Willington for a moral boosting lunch with the lovely Susie Blake, she even got us tickets to see her show in Derby a few nights later.
Now we found ourselves kicking heels until our lodgers were to move out from the house so we could return, this was more to do with the lack of water in the network than anything else. Bridget and Storm came to check on us, bringing Rolo their new woofer with them. He was very well behaved, Tilly didn’t even mind him being onboard!
We took our time, pausing for a few days whilst storms blew over. I walked to Swarkstone Pavillion, down to the Trent and visited local villages. Next we wanted to check Oleanna could come out of the water earlier than planned, we headed to Redhill Marina to check things out, it would all be fine. We arranged a date to arrive.
We managed only one Heritage Open Day in September at Mills Dock Yard on the Erewash, some beautiful boats and suprising wooden cars on view. Then made our way back to Beeston to be close to a station again.
I had a couple of days at the Seperate Doors Making Tomrrows Theatre conference, watching workshops, listening to discussions and speakers. The mooring in Beeston isn’t so good for Tilly,a brick wall is hardly interesting for anyone! so we winded and headed back to Trent Lock to meet up with an old collegue of mine Jane, from my early days at the SJT.
Kat with Teddy and Bella came to top us up again before we headed back to Nottingham and further on to another favourite mooring above Stoke Lock. Here the mooring by the low wall was available, perfect for Tilly for a few days especially as she was to celebrate her 10th birthday there. However we ended up staying longer than planned, RCR were called out. It was suspected that our drive plate was about to give up. A few days later the engineer returned to replace it with a new one. All good to go!
Back up to moor at County Hall steps, Tilly wasn’t keen. But we wanted to make the most of being in Nottingham, visiting places we’d not been to before.
Our windlasses got used for the final time this year working back up into Nottingham where we took a mooring at Castle Marina for a couple of nights. A trip up to Scarborough to see our lodgers in the latest Alan Ayckbourn play Earth Angel.
Time afloat was now running out, back out to Trent Lock for a few more days before heading to Redhill Marina. Packing up the boat was a little more interesting than usual as we didn’t have the luxury of picking up a van the day before we were to move. Until Mick got to see an opthalmologist he wouldn’t be allowed to drive. So we called on one of those people who’d offered to help when Mick had his stroke.
Mark, Mick’s old friend arrived in a hire van to collect us and all our stuff. The move was done pretty quickly despite having to stop a few times to make Tilly’s journey more comfortable. We’d left Oleanna in the water at the marina, the following day she’d be put on a trailer and moved out onto the hard to await her repaint next Spring.
There were two weeks before I’d head off to work on panto. Phone calls from the set builder came thick and fast. There was time to unpack, see friends, or hybernate, Tilly chose the latter. We managed one trip by train down to find Oleanna out on the hard, she has a fantastic view of the cooling towers, but sadly no electric. We’d need to work on that one.
Mick got the all clear from an Opthalmolgist down in Derby a couple of days before I headed off to Chippy, so he gave me a lift. Whilst I was away working, Mick made up an extra long hook up cable for Oleanna. He had two trips down to attempt to get her hooked up, but for several reasons this wasn’t achieved, thankfully the solar was doing quite a good job of keeping batteries topped up. There was also a trip over to Wigan, where he and Paul Balmer of Waterway Routes helped Chris the Pink Hat Man up the flight along with the help of a CRT volunteer.
Down in Chippy I worked my way through the four weeks of rehearsals up until the show opened. I had chance to catch up with my cousins for Sunday lunch. Met up with Mick at the London Leckenbys for a night and checked on the moorings at Paddington Basin on my way back. I also had a day off in Oxford where I enjoyed a walk along the canal we’d not managed to reach this year, spotting many a familiar boats from previous winters there. My first week in Chippy the canal was reopened to allow people to return to their moorings before winter stoppages kicked in.
Finally on my sixth panto at Chippy it was lovely to have Marion and John (Mick’s sister) and Andrew and Jac (my brother) join us for press night. On his way down to see the show, Mick had fought his way through snow and headed to Oleanna to get her hooked up, unfortunatly the socket available turned out to be faulty!
Back in Scarborough I was pinned to the sofa for a while by Tilly, watching Inspector Morse as is now tradition. Walks along the beach and through the old town were enjoyed. We headed to Filey for a birthday party and unfortunatly ended up in our third ambulance of the year, with another A&E ticked off the list, fortunatly it was only a faint this time.
Mick made another journey down to Redhill, this time Oleanna was plugged in successfully, the electric heating could now be programmed to come on should the temperatures drop enough. He had a chat with Tom who will be doing Oleanna’s repaint, the boat ahead of us is also already on site too. We’re still quietly hoping someone doesn’t manage to get there in time for their slot so we can swap slots and get Oleanna back on the water earlier.
An appointment with a stroke doctor at Scarborough Hospital was had, results and images from an MRI in Derby hadn’t made it to Scarborough so the following week there was an appointment for one here. We now wait to hear what the doctor has to say.
The build up to Christmas kept us busy, our 23rd anniversay celebrated, decorations, cards and presents to make and buy. Hair cuts, the Christmas show to watch. Then a pre Christnmas Christmas with the London Leckenbys in York before returning to Scarborough and coming down with a lurgy which meant most of our festive plans had to alter.
New waterproof trousers, a Victron Smart Shunt and new mugs were all presents for boating. Frank was a lucky man getting his second Christmas dinner in a week. Now that new year is here we need to plan ahead for when Oleanna is going to be painted, windows, new solar and new curtains need thinking about, ordering and making. Hopefully the time will fly by and she’ll be back in the water before we know it.
Us in sunny Scarborough on New Year Eve
Plans for next year, well we know where we want to be in early June, we just hope we can get there by boat. Will we stay up north and be able to cruise the rivers and canals we didn’t manage to do this year? Or will we head southwards to find waters we’ve not cruised yet? We’ll have to wait and see, so will you!
So here are our final statistics for our boating year which ended up being cut short.
According to our Nebo link
Oleanna was underway for 173.53 hours. This is not a real indication of our movements, if we are stationary in a lock it does not count that time
Nebo link was on for 365.48 hours. Sometimes the Nebolink is turned on a bit before we set off, on occasions it is left on at the end of a day incase we decide to carry on, so this is also not a real indication of how long the engine was moving us
End Mileage. 712.725 miles
Distance travelled. 695.6 miles, don’t understand why the two figures are different most days, but I go with the end mileage
Average speed 3.26 miles. We were mostly on rivers this year
Average Maximum Speed 4.78. We were mostly on rivers this year
Total Mileage 719m 3.75f 7 and a bit more miles than Nebolink
Made up of 152 miles 5.75 f of Commercial Waterways, 143 miles 4.5 f of Broad Canals, 61 miles 0.5 f of Narrow Canals, 78 miles 0.5 f of Small Rivers, 66 miles 6 f of Large Rivers, 200 miles 4.75 f of Tidal Rivers, shows how much cruising we did on the Tidal Ouse and Trent this year.
Total Locks 214 fewer than most years as we were mostly on rivers. This figure doesn’t include flood locks
Made up of 51 Large Locks, 98 Narrow Locks, although some of these were broad locks on a narrow canal (Chesterfield), 63 Broad Locks, 2 Locks on Major Waterways
Moveable Bridges 58. 4 were left open, 5 didn’t need to open as we went below them. Although those that didn’t need to open I think should have been 14 to include all those on the River Ouse. 107 vehicles were held up, another 23 when we worked Barnby Dun lift bridge for Mick on Amerouse.
Small Aqueducts 68
Major Aqueducts 6
Tunnels 2, that is 1.4 furlongs underground. I think this is a record for the least amount of time spent underground in a year.
0 Boat Lifts
629.4 litres of diesel. The cheapest £0.89 at Viking Marina, most expensive £1.10 at Kings Marina, total cost £639.26
265kg of smokless coal. This was 12 bags at a total cost of £190.50
2 x 13kg bottles of gas. Cost of £94.87 although we will need to replace a bottle as soon as we get back on board.
Other expenses £144.60. This included 1 starter battery, 1 excess payment for a new drive plate, 2 roller poles, 1 wee tank connector, Cutweb membership
£115.03 Mooring Fees and electricity whilst out cruising
2 Ambulances 3 A&E’s whilst out cruising
1 stroke
0 rain for months
706.85 miles walked whilst on the boat, nearly as far as we cruised! 9504 brisk minutes
Over £3000 raised by knitting socks for Dementia UK (over the last 3 years, 110 pairs) and I’ve still got more to do!
1 Panto design, 3567 pink roses
40 Boxes of Wine
30 Mrs Tilly stamps of approval moorings, she’s not letting onto how many friends!
419.8 engine hours
Us
Phew, that new spread sheet has alsorts on it!
Thank you for joining us on our travels in 2025. We hope you’ll be back for more in 2026 and that the start to our boating year is sooner rather than later.
Monday morning we needed to attempt to catch up on ourselves and finish the technical rehearsal. The actors warmed up away from the stage giving the tech team some time to do more before we had to share the space. Time was taken to tech in two characters and we gradually made our way to the end of the show. Mid afternoon the Pippins arrived we could now tech the end of the show with them.
I took time to sit in the bar and do some flower arranging, well pulling plastic roses from bushes and replacing them with our paper roses. A lovely mixture of shades of pink was achieved before the bushes were handed back to Stage Management to be stashed somewhere on stage. Gemma had worked her way adding roses to other parts of the set so at least we’d get an idea of where more would be needed. The scenery was reset in the wings and behind the backdrop, then we did the first dress rehearsal. Mission achieved, we all retired to the pub for a well earned drink.
First Dress achieved.
Tuesday. An early start as this afternoon photos would be taken during the second dress rehearsal, so more things needed to be finished. Blueprints were added to sliders. Gold lines added to the plainer parts of the set, things were getting finished on the set front. One mannequin had some attention given to it, so at least it wouldn’t look too bare in the photos. A very busy morning.
Photographer starring in my photos
The dress rehearsal was photographed and filmed for use in a trailer. Sadly the mannequin that had started to be dressed ended up being used in a different scene by stage management, so a bare mannequin stood in full view for the photos.
From the circle
The second dress is when the ushers are invited in to watch the show. This gives the actors an audience and the ushers chance to see when and what they will be involved in during the show. During the interval I headed down to find Suzanne in the stalls, she was my previous host in Chippy. Suzanne moved house about a year ago just that bit too far out of Chippy to walk to late at night. We had a very good catch up before the curtain rose for the second half.
A view that is growing familiar
Today, Mick had been up even earlier, catching a train down to East Midlands Parkway with the aim of getting Oleanna plugged in, a second attempt. He’d not left anything on the train this time and headed to see Oleanna. However! Time had been tight this morning and he’d had to hunt round for bike lights before leaving the house in the dark, he’d got all the way to the boat without the keys. This also meant he’d got all the way there having left the house unlocked. Thankfully Tilly had been looking after the house, so all was well back in Scarborough. Mick made use of the shore based facilities at East Midlands Parkway Station and returned home earlier than originally planned, Oleanna still not hooked up and fully winterised with freezing weather already arriving.
The chateau
Wednesday. A morning to work on things, both on stage and in the rehearsal room. Some cuts happening to the script, a schools version of the show omitting a few bits to keep the running time down and make turn arounds easier on two show days.
Tornado!
I’d got a bit carried away with highlights on a signpost, so reduced them to make it easier to read the curly writing. The second set of sliders had their gold lines added, which was a bonus. More props were getting finished, but still quite some work to be done.
Possibly my favourite production photo
A crate was clad on three sides so it could be used in two different scenes, the paint needed some encouragement to dry for the show in the evening. First preview was done and dusted, still a list of notes to be worked through.
Oven gloves what else
Thursday. Mick picked up the hire car a day early as snow fell in Scarborough. Several inches were to fall today, and his possible plan of a day trip by car to Oleanna didn’t happen, he and Tilly stayed inside in the warm instead of venturing out. In Chippy the weather was trying to do the same, but thankfully the snow wasn’t sticking around.
I was in early again to tick off jobs on the list. A mid morning props meeting was had with Gemma and Min to go through notes from the show last night. Priority jobs were set, others not needed, we still had bare mannequins on stage and a touch of shine was needed adding to Les.
First night rose making at the back of the circle
A slower afternoon for me, most of my jobs now crossed off my list and there being limited room in the post room where Min was now having to work meant it would be hard to lend them a hand. Before the show I checked on progress, hmmm?! I checked if Stage Management could live without the Act 2 mannequin until the interval, this was fine, great Min could carry on working on it until then. Well, except they said they were going to watch the show!
In the interval I popped backstage to make sure the mannequin was given to Stage Management. No sign of Min and no sign of any more work having been done on the mannequin, in fact it looked less complete than when I’d last seen it. I wasn’t happy. The jobs that had been high priority hadn’t been achieved during the day, not sure what had! I took myself outside to cool off, after all nothing could be done now. Technical notes after the show, then we worked through a few jobs.
Friday. Mick set off early in the hire car, escaping the snow in Scarborough and headed down to visit Oleanna avoiding the route over the Wolds. The 50m cable was laid out and plugged in. He visited the office to buy an electric card, however the card or card reader didn’t want to work. It was suggested he needed to find one of the chaps on site to sort it, but time was ticking by rapidly. The boiler thermostat was set and left to use LPG rather than electric, the hook up would need to wait for a fourth visit. He then set off to head to Chippy.
Finally finished for Press Night
A few people were at the theatre when I arrived, Gemma heading off back to Bristol, Paul ready to fly in extra bits of scenery for me and Min doing their best painting things for the mannequins in the freezing cold garden. Once I’d finished on stage I leant a hand cutting things out, it would only save a bit of time, but would still be a help. Min worked through the school show early afternoon and we managed to get things on stage just about finished. However, I’d requested that the newest mannequin be painted quite brightly as I wanted it to stand out, but sadly it was now the same colours as the backdrop. I added some dark lines which thankfully did the trick.
Paints were seriously rationalised into a touch up kit. My painting kit packed up ready to be loaded into a car just as Mick arrived around 4pm. Painty Pip was leaving the theatre.
Blue Boar fish and chips are better than those at Checkers
There was time to head back to my digs, change and then head to The Blue Boar. Here we met up with Marion (Mick’s sister) and John, plus Andrew (my brother) and Jac. I’d not managed to have fish and chips at the Blue Boar on the first day of rehearsals so I had to have them today, better than those I’d had at Checkers.
All six of us sat in the balcony. I’m not sure how loud others were shouting during the show as my brother was being very loud indeed. Jac having grown up in Australia was relived that she wasn’t picked out for any audience participation. Family reviews came in quickly after the show. Marion and John said they were considering season tickets and Andrew asked if there were any tickets left for a show tomorrow. I think they enjoyed themselves.
Night Night Chippy Theatre and thank you
The Press Night party followed, a glass of fizz and pizzas all round. Lots of loud conversations and roses were handed over as gifts. A good night all round.
Brunch with bacon I think
Saturday. At my digs my bags were packed and taken down the low steep stairs. Time to say thank you and farewell to Rachel and Geoff. They have been lovely people to stay with. With the car loaded we headed out of town to meet with Andrew and Jac at The Straw Kitchen in Whichford. Mick and I had been there after opening night for Cinderella two years ago and it needed to be revisited as it was such a good brunch. We pulled into the car park in the pouring rain a while before the cafe was due to open. Then several other cars arrived and people rushed in, blimey we needed to get a table so followed suit just missing the table by the log burner by a few seconds.
Very nice, thank you!
Lovely food once again and time to catch up better with Andrew and Jac. Very sadly at the beginning of the week they had to say goodbye to their cat Ziggy. When we’d visited two weeks ago she was looking quite frail and I have to admit that when I said goodbye to her I thought it would be for the last time. Very sad, I hope Finn their other cat is coping okay.
Pip, Mick, Jac and Andrew
A quick look around the pottery next door for us all before we climbed into our cars to drive home in the rain. It had been lovely sharing panto with family for the first time. Thank you all for coming.
Back in the NORF
The rain stayed with us until we crossed the border into Yorkshire, then the sun did it’s best to welcome me back home. Drax Power Station sent out plumes of steam, not quite at full belt. As I opened the house door, Tilly walked into the living room quite nonchalantly, she then slowly allowed herself to be happy about my return. Once a roast dinner was popped in the oven I was pinned to the sofa. Tom is okay to sit on, but She has a far better lap!
Sunday. The usual Geraghty zoom, panto, prescriptions and boilers subjects today. A slow day of washing and pottering, getting the blog up to date. Then in the evening we drove to park outside my old house and walked up to Scarborough Castle in the rain. There was a chap singing with a backing track, a lady fire dancer and an LED dancer and wagons selling refreshements, we opted for hot medication as we were doing a good job of being chilled by the elements.
Hot Medication
The main reason for being there was to watch a drone display to mark the 400th anniversary of Scarborough. Our friend Nick Lane had written the words and another friend Georgie Samuels spoke them whilst the drones danced in the sky telling the story of our town. A great thing to do, but we were very glad to get home to the warm and enjoy a Mac Cheese and sit infront of the fire for the rest of the evening.
Panto is now running through to 18th January. Meanwhile I will be sitting on the sofa watching Inspector Morse episodes for a few days and hopefully very soon we’ll have a more sucessful visit to Oleanna to get her hooked up and finally winterised. Fingers Crossed.
First night roses
0 locks, 0 miles, 2nd and 3rd attempt failed at winterisation, 1 hire car, 4 inches snow, 1 tech finished, 2 dresses, 1 photographer in the way, 2 mannequins finally finished, 1 brother, 1 sister, 1 of each, 1 great brunch, 1 very soggy drive home, 1 cuddly cat, 1 drone show, 1 designer taking it easy for a while.
A bit of a lie in compared to recent times. A cuppa in bed and then it was time to firstly say goodbye to Mick who was on a booked train back to Scarborough, although a broken track north of Peterborough meant an alternative route and being over an hour late back. My morning was slightly more leisurely before catching a bus back to Stratford, then an Elizabeth line train to Paddington. Here I had quite a wait for my booked train, so I popped round to have a walk around Paddington Basin to get a boat fix.
Empty apart from the Go boats
Not one boat was moored in the basin, in fact I had to walk up towards Rembrandt Gardens before I got to see a boat other than the restaurant boats or those that are used commercially. I checked to see if there was anything suitable in M&S sad gits section, but there was nothing, I ended up treating myself to a festive sandwich and a salted caramel shortbread which is a serious treat nowadays.
My hosts Rachel and Geoff back in Chippy had insisted they would pick me up from the train at Kingham Station, the closest to Chippy. I’ve not done this route before, but it was very handy and with Rachel stood waiting for me meant I didn’t have to get soggy in the rain. A ten minute drive back to Chippy and I was headed for the theatre again.
The illuminated Snowman means Gemma is in office
Gemma was back with us for the week, my floor had dried well and despite it being the easiest floor I’ve ever painted at Chippy it got lots of lovely comments. A production meeting to welcome the new week was held, followed by a props meeting. A long list of makes, purchases went on the back of a door in the foyer, jobs allocated out to different people. Large proppy bits of dressing still missing from the list, it’s more important to get the props people use made and sorted first, we already had things to stand in for the dressing, hopefully these will get added later on, Hopefully!
Pond fogger experiments, food colouring, and lots of areldite filled much of the day, followed by panto equations. A swift glass of wine in the pub before returning to my digs to try to get the songsheet designed. My old laptop still in use for this as the new one doesn’t have the programs on it yet required. This made for quite a late night, the lack of programs has also made the delay to this Panto Postcard.
Tuesday, sadly I’d used an old version of the script to do the songsheet. Corrections were sent to me from John. Today we started the technical rehearsals. Yesterday lots of sound had been sorted, but more needed to be done so that the keyboard player (Musical Director) could hear and speak to the drummer, also so the actors could hear themselves sing, levels and extraneous noises needed to be worked on. This all took lots of time meaning there was lots of standing around for the actors and plenty of time for me to make more roses which will have built in lights. Notes were taken and passed on to those who would be doing the work. Paul busied himself on making items with electrics inside them, cogs and LED light bulbs, the bench in the technicians office was very full.
Fifi’s Kitchen
Wednesday, day two of the tech. More roses made and passed behind me for Gemma to add the lights into them. Min and Helen carried on busying themselves with the props, some items now starting to come through to the technical in all their finished glory. We got into the slosh scene without the Pippins, sadly not as far as John had hoped, problems with sound slowing down the technical rehearsal still. I headed home at the end of the day to rework the songsheet, coming up with two different versions, this meant I had an extra hours work at home despite an earlier finish to the day.
Thursday. 2D Chandeliers were finished being painted. It was only when one of them sat on the floor waiting to be hung that I could see that my trompe l’oil painting had worked. They got flown out to await their appearance later in the show. During lunch breaks I’ve been working on the band surrounds to tie them in with the backdrop. White, yellow, then orange, a bit more orange before I could start to paint in the roses. Not quite the same technique as with boat roses, but they came out quite a good match to those that are printed elsewhere on the set. More technical rehearsals, we got to the end of Act 1, returned to the start of the show when the Pippins arrived to tech them into the show too.
Smoke rings!
I had a list of jobs to do in the evening, but instead we spent an age getting everything on the laboratory bench working. John and Amy chipping in new ideas when we could see everything working. A few new items needing to be purchased and more things requiring arelditing down.
Friday. Oh, Panto technicals go on and on! Today most of the food was added into the show. The table we’d had made last week now filled with a feast of culinary delights. Polystyrene balls were threaded onto wire, hoping to add an extra something to the set for a scene, all whilst the technical continued on stage.
Saturday. What should have been the last day of the technical rehearsals, but putting the feast into the show with large costumes for the Pippins took an age, it’s really rather complicated. The day was then spent jumping ahead big chunks so that all the scenes with the Pippins in could be teched, we managed this apart from the finale! I spent much of the morning painting a part painted painting, hope I left enough unpainted.
Time and distance calculations required
By 2pm the actors were broken, but the technical team kept on working. Adjustments to the chandeliers were needed, some tidying of the portals up ladders. John did some speed and distance tests with two of the quieter characters. Then as people started to head home I managed to put the finishing touches to the floor with some gold lines and a coat of glaze to protect the final swirls. I still have a few bits I’d like to do to the set, but it’s now at a point where it looks finished, well apart from adding a LOT of roses everywhere!
Pizza for tea
Sadly by 6pm nowhere in Chippy would sell me less than 500 grams of mince, I’d fancied cooking up a bolognese sauce, but I really don’t want to be eating the same thing every day for the next week. So I opted for a pizza with extra toppings and actually managed to get a second sock cast on whilst watching the first episode of Game Of Wool, not too sure what I’d have come up with in 12 hours trying to knit a tank top.
Meanwhile in Scarborough, life for Tilly hasn’t been quite so boring. Somewhere in the house she found a mouse and took it to play with in our bedroom in the middle of the night. It has since been seen in the living room, but that was a few days ago and Tilly seems to have forgotten about it. Maybe it’s had enough of being a playmate and found a way out of the house!
During the week I’ve had some sock shots sent to me. Thank you for sharing your feet, it must be the cooling weather than has encouraged people to pop their socks on for a photo.
Aristotle Bridge moorings almost empty
Sunday. A much needed day off. I joined the Geraghty zoom, started to type up this postcard, then headed for the S3 bus to Oxford. Should I head into Oxford or alight in Woodstock to have an explore and something for lunch. Mick and I visited Blenheim Palace after the first year of working on Chippy Panto, but I’ve not looked round Woodstock. I decided that what I actually needed today was a boat fix, so I stayed on the bus and hopped off early at the stop closest to Aristotle Bridge. Only two boats moored up at the far end of the moorings. Since we were last here there are electric posts, it would have been a good place for Oleanna to loiter whilst I was working, however I think (I didn’t check the signage) the moorings are 2 days all year, so Mick wouldn’t have been able to loiter for long.
I walked down towards Jericho, the ditch alongside the towpath full of water, then Sheep Wash channel looked quite full the Thames would almost certainly be on red boards. Every boat I walked past was familiar from our winters on the South Oxford Canal. I nearly felt like tapping on roofs to say hello to them. At Isis Lock a boat was just going down in the lock. The chap picked up a rope and walked along the bank towards the pontoon, they’d be winding and heading back up the lock onto the canal again, the red lights on the board flashing away warning of the level and strong flow on the Thames.
I had a walk up to look round some shops, checked the menu at the Cosy Club. On Broad Street there was a Christmas market, lots of food and things to buy. I then headed to Pitt Rivers Museum that sits at the back of the Natural History Museum. A wander around the main exhibits, then extra time spent admiring a display of quilts from Hawaii. Symmetry, landscape and nature all featured in them.
A bit disappointingfor £30!
I headed back through Jericho looking for somewhere to eat, but ended up back at the Cosy Club. I’d had a nice meal there two years ago and hoped for similar. Sadly there wasn’t a table in the restaurant but a high stool in the bar. I ordered a burger as I was bored of chicken and the only fish dish had coconut in it. The novelty of having a bowl of gravy with my burger was interesting until I realised that the burger was rather dry without it. A mediocre meal, that I’d hoped would be a treat. Never mind.
Me out in Oxford
Back to Chippy on the S3 no view this time as it was very dark. Another episode of The Game of Wool was watched. It’s okay, but I doubt I’m going to be chomping at the bit to see who wins. Back to work tomorrow.
A suitable picture in the loos
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 delayed train, 1 storm, 435 holes in the theatre, 28 roses, 3 paintings, 3 molluscs, 1 mouse, 2 many days of tech, 1 evening off, 1 pooped designer, 3 versions of the songsheet, 2 buses, 32 familiar boats, 1 favourite museum, 2 Christmas presents bought, 4 added to a list for me, 1 disappointing burger, 0.5 of a sock knitted, 1 major store having stolen my rose idea!
Monday morning, I was back to it. Today publicity photos were going to be taken. I spent the morning sorting out dressing for the market scene. Lettering on banners, cheeses galore and plenty of goods on the M&S stall. With a few roses added for good measure, we were ready.
Fifi and Marie
Lots of lettering was needing to be done, so with the aid of the photocopier and carbon paper I drew things out and started painting them. By late afternoon three of the actors headed off to put on costumes and prepare to have their photos taken. Marie, Pierre and Fifi arrived in their fab costumes, the first time I’d seen any of them along with the set.
Apples!
Tuesday morning I popped into the Co-op to see what might be cheap for my tea, sadly the sad gits isle was pretty empty, I’d not be saving any money on tasty morsels unless I fancied eating many toffee apples!
Kitchen dresser well on it’s way
Much of the panto scenery had now been stashed behind the backdrop, time to work in the six foot space back there and leave the stage to the actors. But what to start on? I decided to try to finish off all the stonework walls so that numerous roses could be added. But that wouldn’t keep me going for the remainder of the day, so after the first colour I changed to work on the kitchen set. This would be needed for a rehearsal tomorrow of what is known as the slosh scene, so any painting I did on it would need a coat of glaze over it for protection. This meant I ended up doing quite a long day. Just about everything on two pieces of set were completed, just magenta dots to add at a later date.
2ft wide rose
Wednesday morning it was time to get the big dustbin out, grate up shaving sticks, add a drizzle of glycerine with some hot water to make the slosh, all mixed up with a paint stirrer on the end of an electric drill. The large rose for the proscenium had it’s petals stuck together into one big flower. The new paper version of the rose far better than the one I’d made last week which was really rather butch, a rugby player version of a rose.
The eternal problem of mixing grey
Late afternoon the Pippins arrived and started work on another scene, in the laboratory. Once they’d cleared the set I could carry on with painting up the rest of the kitchen scenery. The biggest problem most Scenic Artists have to cope with in life is the mixing of certain colours, pink and especially grey! I needed two shades of grey for the fridge, I started off very tentatively with just a small blob of white, then started to add black to reach the correct shade. Thankfully this worked and I only ended up with a small amount of grey rather than the usual bucket or two of fictional shades! Just pink dots to add to the kitchen and that scene will be finished.
Table building in the bar
Thursday we were joined by Dave Snell. In previous years his brother Ade has built the set for Chippy, Dave lives in Bloxham, not far away and is also a carpenter. We were in need of a narrow table for the show. Try as we might we’d not managed to find a suitable table cheap enough to cut down, four turned legs had been purchased from ebay and Dave was here to put them together with a top narrow enough to get on stage and strong enough for people to stand on. By the evening it was ready for rehearsals, filler needed leaving overnight before I could start painting it though.
Panto cheese
During the day I laid out objects on the laboratory bench and table, then met with John and the actors to check what items would be needed for experiments. Everything was labelled up, we just need to find time now to fix things down, cut holes, attach strings and add lights to everything. I would like to pass this on to someone else, but they really need to be concentrating on so much more, it’ll end up being me.
I made sure that I was finished in time to catch Sainsbury’s before it closed and got back to my digs just before 9pm, cooked some pasta which didn’t involve chicken, then sat down to watch the Traitors final half an hour after it had started. Mick had been warned, so I got no spoilers from him. So I’d managed to watch both finals of Traitors and GGBO pretty soon after they happened, so no-one could spoil the outcome. One winner was a shame, the other very well deserved.
Paul having added lights to the big rose
Friday. Lights in roses, handheld, around the set and the giant one for the proscenium. Paul spent time on gearing up a remote controlled car to be really rather slow. The walkdown set got some added colour, then I added lots of gold curly bits to some frames. Bits and bobs had a coat of glaze added to help them keep clean. Just about everything is now painted with it’s final colours, just the final touches to make things sing that bit more. Final job of the day was to give the floor a second coat of teal, two weeks of actors and crew walking and moving everything on it had taken it’s toll.
Chris the Pink Hat Man
Mick was up very early to catch a train over to Wigan, along with Paul Balmer they assisted Chris on NB Elektra up the flight. Hopefully Mick will be along soon to tell you about his day.
Saturday morning. The stage felt sticky under foot, for some reason the emulsion has a sticky dry finish. This sadly meant that by the end of a busy day on stage the floor looked pretty much as it had done before I’d put the second coat of base colour on it!
Waiting for the stagger through to start
Four hours was set aside for a stagger through of the show. I’d opted not to put my dungarees on this morning as I’d be sat taking notes, this surprised many people as they are not used to me being in civies. Six handheld roses were made from scratch during the stagger through, lots of notes made.
I filled up with a jacket potato for lunch getting ready for an evening painting the floor. The Lighting Designer focused his lights, thankfully finishing a little early. Brilliant, I thought I’d be able to get things masked out on stage and spray the design on. Well except the sound designer was about and was positioning speakers here there and everywhere. This meant that the stage got filled with pieces of scenery, making it hard to mask things out never mind tidy up the 2nd coat of paint from last night. Eventually I managed to get the stage cleared, a dryish roller did the job of cleaning up the floor, only for it to be walked over whilst still wet! I wasn’t impressed!! Touched up again I now had to wait for things to dry.
Floor sprayed and drying before a coat of glaze
Sound checks were happening, but pretty quickly stopped when I turned the compressor on to spray the floor, there’s no ignoring the constant noise! Thankfully the spraying didn’t take too long to do. A cuppa and chat whilst fans aided drying, by 10pm I was able to start applying the first coat of glaze. Fans positioned again, another cuppa this time accompanied by a mince pie whilst waiting for the floor to be dry enough to do the second coat. All done, things washed up and out of the building at a little after midnight, two hours later than planned, at least it wasn’t 2am!
Ziggy trying to help herself to a drink
No lie in on Sunday morning, I had a rendezvous with Liza from the costume department who is also staying at the same digs. I was just about ready by 9am to catch a lift to Burnham station to hop on an Elizabeth line train into London. Liza headed off to meet a friend and visit some exhibitions. I swapped trains and carried on to Stratford, then a bus to Hackney to my brothers house.
Photo taken before Mick realised what he’d done.
Mick had headed down yesterday and we had a very pleasant evening with Andtrew and Jac. However, Mick was out when I arrived. He was on a very important trip to the Left Luggage at St Pancras station to collect a bag containing his laptop that he’d left on a train earlier this week. On Tuesday Mick had headed to Oleanna to hook her up, program the inverter. On route, he’d collected our second Brompton from being mended in York. When he reached Oleanna he opened up the electrics cupboard and realised he was missing his bag with laptop in it. He worked out where the train he’d been on was going to and when it would return. He headed to meet it in Nottingham, only to find the luggage shelf empty. A left luggage request was made straight away and thankfully by the end of Tuesday news came through that his bag was in London, hopefully still with everything inside it. Thankfully everything was present and correct and his laptop was soon unlocked.
Winter pavlova at the London Leckenbys
A very nice meal with Andrew and Jac, slow roasted lamb with potatoes and a salad, followed by a winter Pavlova, all accompanied by plenty of wine and conversation. A very good Sunday had by all.
0 locks, 0 miles, 8 train journeys, 2 many hours working, 1 new laptop, 1 left laptop, 1 boat still needing winterising, 1 set nearly painted, 2nd and 3rd coat, 1 large footed sound designer, 3 days of the magic food bowl, 7 hour roasted lamb, 20 hours with MIck, 1 more good Sunday. 1 apology for a late posting.
With a window between house jobs and appointments we booked ourselves a hire car for two days so that we could cross the Pennines to visit another couple of boat painters.
Mick headed off early to pick up the car and I got on with my exercises followed by my daily walk, today before breakfast. I’m doing my best to get fitter, loose some weight and get ready for boating again, so I’ve downloaded the NHS Active 10 app. This measures how many minutes of brisk walking you do in a day. I aim for 30 minutes, on some days I’m managing far more which just shows how much better my knees are now.
Earlier than normal morning walk
The magic food bowl was set for Tilly. I thought She was starting to pack to go back on the boat, exciting! But no, I’d be home alone with Thomas Tom and Singing She next door to keep an eye on. Our car journeys normally take us over the top of the Yorkshire Wolds, but today we were back on the A64 heading towards York, then the M62 across over the top of the Pennines in the rain.
I’m helping put together a community mosaic
We were headed for the top of the Trent and Mersey Canal. Once off the main roads place names started to become familiar, a few more wiggles and we were crossing the canal, Anderton Marina to our left and the boat lift to the right. A pit stop at the services was required, we pulled up by the rubbish skip a white van parked next to it. A chap inside asked if we were wanting to use the elsan, no just the loo. He was there to mend the elsan and it should be up and running again in half an hour.
Whoever cleans the service block manages to mop the floor, but the black mould around the sink and on the door frame was horrible, plus the smell was pretty bad too, maybe something to do with the elsan. I made sure I washed my hands knowing I’d be able to get out of the block without touching anything!
We had our lunch over looking the marina. Long pontoons stretching off into the distance, much bigger than we’d imagined it to be. There was one familiar boat moored up by the slipway. NB Firecrest, Eric and Cheryl whom we’d met shortly before the Thames flotilla and then afterwards whilst in Paddington Basin.
Hello Firecrest over there!
Time to see if we could find Nick from The Paint Shed. We’d been warned that the boat they’d be working on today was quite a rusty old boat and they would just be starting to strip it back. The covered dock was very noisy, but someone spotted us and Nick came over to say hello, he just needed to finish something so maybe we’d want to wait in the office.
I’ve been doing a touch of painting
As a scenic artist I’ve had several spray guns in my life, several giving up the ghost on me getting clogged, that’s when I yearned to have more than one. Here they had at least four and several spare needles for them too, I was jealous.
Nick came to chat, then we had a walk around the marina. As with most boat painters the nearest marina tends to have several boats that they’ve painted, so as we walked he pointed out boat after boat and told us roughly how long ago it was that he painted them. Of course today was a good day for him to show off his work, rain makes everything shiny and bright, he admitted they all looked top notch when wet.
Four or more guns
Over the years we’ve seen quite a few boats painted by Nick, the last one we shared Big Lock in Middlewich with, it looked immaculate and when we asked how recently their paint job had been we were surprised when they mentioned years rather than weeks. So we’ve seen quite a bit of his work around the north west, when it hasn’t been raining.
We sought refuge back in the paintshed to have a look round. They certainly had their work cut out on the boat in there. One chap was stripping the paint off in the well deck as another was removing window frames. Here they strip every boat back to bare steel using scabblers, needle guns etc. Then the shell is acid treated, this kills off any rust and gives the shell a layer that acts as a primer. 2 coats of 2 pack epoxy primer are followed by 2 coats of 2 pack base coat, then 2 coats of the desired finish including bow, stern hatch, tiller and anti slip painting all in their heated dock. Their sign writing is done by Robin Wagg.
The Paintshed’s dock is not a dry dock, meaning that they don’t do blacking at Uplands Marina as your boat sits in the water. They can black your boat but they do this at Hesford Marine on the Bridgewater, there the hull could be shot blasted. Nick chooses a day with suitable weather, the chaps at the marina shot blast the hull and then Nick very quickly follows them with the first coat of 2 pack blacking to keep the hull as dry as possible. He also insists on doing the job himself. We chatted over logistics for this. Ideally the hull should be shot blasted and blacked before the cabin is painted. However this does mean that when the cabin is being prepared dust and swarf from the sanding is likely to end up sitting along the water line of the new blacking, not ideal really.
Their next slot for painting would be March 2026, but he suggested that we should get the blacking done in the last warmer months of this year when the weather is better for such things. He’d be able to do it in September then we’d look at mooring at Uplands for the winter so then Oleanna would be sat ready and waiting for her painting.
We chatted through all the other jobs on our list, he made some suggestions and nothing would be a problem. He called Caldwells Windows regarding a delivery he was expecting, but also asked them if they do double glazed sliding windows for us. They don’t, I’d suspected as much just from looking on line.
Nick is a nice cheery chap, we liked him. We worked out an estimate for blacking and shot blasting so that this could be added into the price he’d come up with, so we’d be able to compare painters prices better.
Down side to The Paintshed was the blacking having to be at a different time in warmer months. September was suggested, we already have a lodger booked in the house, so we’d be homeless and more to the point Tilly would be homeless! Not being able to grit blast the cabin sides and get them painted quickly due to a days cruise between Hesford and Uplands Marina is also a negative. The distance back to Scarborough in a vehicle for Tilly also might be too much. So sadly as much as we liked Nick and the boats of his we’ve seen he dropped into second position.
Barnton Tunnel
It was still quiet early in the afternoon when we left. What to do with ourselves for the rest of the afternoon? Cinema? Nothing on we fancied. We ended up driving to find the portals of the tunnels on the Trent and Mersey, one found, no boats waiting to go through. Then headed on up to Midland Chandlers at Preston Brook to see what we could see. Mick was after a few connectors for the tunnel light and horns and some new screws for fixing things back onto the bracket. We had a good look round and gave up, only purchasing a bottle of Marine 16.
Neoprene lined fender hooks, might be worth it once Oleanna’s painted, expensive though
We then wiggled our way back towards Northwich. Sign posts to Lewis Carroll’s birth place and visitor centre caught our eye close to Daresbury, shhhhh! Would these be close enough to the canal to be able to walk there in the future? It was too late in the day now to visit.
Hello Dante
Our accommodation for the night was the Travelodge at Lostock Gralam, just off the A559 to the north west of Northwich. It has recently had an upgrade! I think this means a new lick of paint, a funky covered arm chair and a new painting above the bed. Instead of having Rudolf’s red nose in the painting we now had a stylised landscape with moon and we’d be serenaded by a black cat plucking a fiddle.
Nearby is a La Turka, a Turkish and Mediterranean restaurant. It was big with a very good menu having plenty of gluten free dishes. Mick chose a pizza and I had chicken kebabs with a side salad, twice as much as was need for both of us, maybe we should have got a doggy bag for breakfast. It was very nice and I suspect if we ever moor near Wincham Wharf we’ll be back as it’s only 1km away.
Us in Scarborough
0 locks, 0 miles by boat, 1 yellow car, A64, 3rd painter, 1 blogging boat, 4 spray guns, 1 wet day, 2 complicated sadly, 1 small bottle Marine 16, 1 Dante pat, 1 cat and fiddle, 1 pizza, 2 kebabs, 1 side salad, 1 bottle of wine on a week night, 1 cat home alone!
Above Soloman’s Bridge to Stoke Bruerne Visitor Moorings
Sometimes it’s really worth getting up early
An early alarm. We wanted to be up Stoke Bruerne locks before the sun was heating everything. A cuppa was made then Mick pushed us off, no time for exercises this morning! Well I suppose I could have done them as we cruised along on the flat, but that would have meant missing out on the sun rising and I wasn’t going to do that.
Gorgeous
Already above the horizon as we pushed off it was beautiful. Just the right amount of clouds to add to the picture.
Hello!
A wave to NB Briar Rose as we passed Thrupp Wharf. Adam’s mooring was a touch further and it was available, this had been our scheduled stop for yesterday. Currently in the shade, but the sun would soon be streaming over the hedge and stay heating it up until sunset, we’d chosen last nights mooring well.
Slowly past any moored boats. Windows, doors open to let the cool air inside, they didn’t want waking by us. Scum appeared on the canal surface. It got thicker the further we went. By Kingfisher Marina it was really bad, then within a hundred yards it vanished and the canal was back to it’s sludgy brown self.
Sheep clambered to reach the tastiest morsels, a fence now holding it’s inhabitants safe away from the waters edge, one year we had to mount a rescue for a lamb who’d discovered that it couldn’t swim very well.
Four boats sat below the flight. Was anyone stirring? Might we have a locking partner? We crept past, no sign of any life.
Clinging on
Mick went to set the bottom lock, only a foot of water to empty. As I passed the bottom gates I could see a crayfish clinging to the side of the gate. Almost certainly a Signal Crayfish an invasive species. It looked like it had lost one of it’s big claws, after a minute or so it fell back into the lock beneath the water.
Opposite gate paddle lifted
We worked our way up the bottom five locks, most with just a small amount of water requiring emptying before the lock was set. Dog walkers were starting to appear, a chap opened his car doors, a pot of flowers on the bonnet. No need for jumpers now, the world was starting to warm up.
Sold £379,000 click photo for details
Mick hopped back on board so that I could have a sit down before the top two locks. The next lock was full but was soon emptied and as Oleanna rose I glanced ahead, a volunteer popping his head round the bridge above. We’d been spotted, then the top lock started to empty. Was there a boat coming down? Or was it being dropped for us?
Curious
A hire boat appeared, Dad at the helm, Mum and a little girl in a Captain’s hat accompanied a volunteer walking down. The top lock would have been their first lock of their trip, for us it would be our 543rd of the year.
A volunteer stayed to help us, Mick and the chap chatted away. Another boat arrived above ready to take our place in the lock. Now we needed to find some shade, ahead a tree lined cutting, we hoped to find some good cover for the rest of the day.
Two hire boats looked like they’d got a good stretch, up ahead another patch looked good. We pulled in in front of another boat tied up and sat down for our breakfast at 10am, the days cruising complete.
Tilly was given 8 hours shore leave with the request to return for water at regular intervals. She was kept busy in the friendly cover for quite some time.
A good shady spot
The sun moved over, starting to catch us. The boat behind pushed off, a more comprehensive patch of shade just behind where it had been moored. Luckily Tilly came home just as we were wanting to pull back into the new patch of shade. This lasted us for the remainder of the day. Our days mission complete. Locks climbed before it got too hot and to keep the boat as cool as possible.
We’ve cruised through Stoke Bruerne several times now, but never visited the museum, it’s either been closed or we’ve had visitors. So with walking pole we took our time walking back to the museum. It being an old wharf building there was no step free access, but so long as time was taken and I could sit down periodically it would be fine.
The museum is laid out over two floors. Various objects sit in cases. One corner suggests a blacksmiths forge. A boatman’s cabin can be leered inside of. Details about Blisworth Tunnel. Smells of the tunnel and horses! All quite child friendly.
A spider belt
Two things we didn’t know before we visited. 1 That the boat women made Spider Belts for the men, worn for Sunday best. 2 That the tunnel was cleaned periodically to clear the soot from the walls, a very dirty job. There was also a cross section of the Grand Union, interesting as it showed Foxton Summit pound to be higher than Tring, the Welford Arm even higher.
Cross section of the Grand Union Canal
There are also three examples of roses, as in Roses and Castles done by three different people. William Hodgson (left), worked as an artist for Anderton Boat Company in Stoke. He was shown how to paint at the Northwich School of Art and also painted theatre backdrops. He included racehorses, swans and sunsets in his paintings and his roses were considered to look the most realistic. Have to say his style was my favourite. Frank Nurser (middle) worked at Braunston at the Nurser Brothers boatyard. His roses started with a large petal to which smaller ones were added around it. He also painted fairytale castles. His style is possible the most common you’ll see today. Then Fred Winnet (right), he worked as a painter for the Clayton Company at Oldbury. His style very painterly and the least like flowers of the three.
Some chilled medication was enjoyed in the shade of some trees outside before we slowly returned to Oleanna to let Tilly back out.
Blueberry Cookie, not as good as it could have been, also not in focus
The rest of the afternoon was taken up with yarn auditions for sock pair 31 and taking a digs list booking for our house next year! Is it too early to be starting to plan what we’ll be doing in the Spring yet?
7 locks, 6.1 miles, 05:15 alarm, 2 jumpers, 1 amazing sky, 1km of scummy scum, 8 HOURS! 1 cool boat, 1st visit, 1 Mr Ben, 2 many stupid comments, 0 chairs on the top floor, 2 magnum medications, 3 pairs socks wrapped and ready to go, 8 weeks!
A big pill after breakfast, hopefully the effect of it would kick in by the time I’d written the blog as there was someone I wanted to say hello to.
Fletch
Sat in front of Aylesbury Waterfront Theatre is Fletcher, Norman Stanley Fletcher, well Ronnie Baker in his costume from Porridge. He sits hands in his armpits looking up towards the theatre, as if he’s about to say something to Mr Barrowcliffe.
Looking up at the theatre
Ronnie first performed professionally in 1948 at the old County Theatre in Market Square Aylesbury, good on the person who gave him his first job.
Around the entrance to the theatre has been painted for Christmas. Peter Pan a good guess for their panto, but it’s actuallyThe Further Adventures of Peter Pan. It’s a shame Tinkerbell looks a little bit chubby cheeked.
With walking pole at hand and the pain killer starting to kick in Mick and I had a wander around Waitrose looking for yellow labels and enough provisions to keep us going for a few days. This I simply wouldn’t have been able to do a couple of days ago.
Mick had topped us up with water whilst we had breakfast linking our hoses together from a tap by the gate to the pontoons. Some bins had been mentioned by another boater so Mick went off to find them, check they were official C&RT bins (they were), noted their location and disposed of our rubbish.
Open and waiting for us
As the temperature was set to rise to around 30C today we really didn’t want to be sitting in bright sunshine, Tilly for one would be complaining about it, ALL the time! We’d spotted somewhere on our way down that, if there was space for us, would be a nice shady mooring. It would have been nice to venture further afield in Aylesbury than we’d been before but that wasn’t to be this time.
We pushed off and slowly made our way back up the canal. Depth and weed slowing our progress. The first lock had both it’s bottom gates open waiting for us, plus a paddle up. I stayed at the helm and Mick did the honours with windlass and gates.
Willow for shade at the lock
Blimey it was getting hot, blue skies, we were thankful for the shady trees for some of the way. We passed a downhill boat that we remembered from a couple of days ago, hopefully they’d come from where we wanted to be. Another two locks uphill and we reached the line of moored boats. A fisherman sat in shade, then a couple of boats in dappled sunshine. A space, would the shade last the rest of the day? We pulled in, it certainly looked like we’d not be baking all afternoon.
A nice shady spot to moor
Tilly was given 4 hours shore leave, we sat down for lunch, she came and went for a while, then went for quite some time. Here had self catering potential.
Mick listened to the cricket and I filled out a request for a doctors appointment with my surgery in Scarborough. The things the practitioner had said to me yesterday were all put on the form, I needed to make a good case. I clicked the button to submit it. On recent form from the surgery I didn’t expect to hear back for a few days, however within 5 minutes my phone rang! The doctor wanted me to see a Physio (expected first line of action), could I make an appointment this afternoon? Blimey!!! I was being offered an appointment within 45 minutes of submitting my request! Obviously this was impossible. I was offered the next available appointment which I snapped up when it coincided with appointments that Mick has back in Scarborough.
A touch of towpath knitting
Now we just need to sort logistics. A phone call to one marina to see if we could leave Tilly in charge there. He was so ambiguous, could we call back next week, not sure if there was space, we decided we’d try elsewhere instead.
The shady towpath called us both outside for the rest of the afternoon. Tilly came and joined us. Sitting on the top of the pram cover a good spot when in shade. Climbing the big tree next to us also good, apart from when coming down and trying to use some dead ivy which gave way under her paws. A nice quiet afternoon of cricket and finishing off sock pair 29.
Queen of the boat
3 locks, 1.4 miles, 1 big pill, 0 co-codamol, 1 Ronnie, 1 Tinkerbell, 1 queen of the pram cover, 1 hot day in the shade.
A bus into Aylesbury for a hire car, £100 cheaper for the weekend than from Hemel Hempstead! The washing machine constantly on the go, an extra £5 added to the electric post needing to be used. We both packed a bag with party clothes, evening dingding was served three hours early, Tilly was left in charge. No magic food bowl?!
A grade 3 tidy up
If we’d wanted to we’d have been able to reach our destination on Oleanna, this would have meant some long days in the rain and on arrival it wouldn’t have been quite so handy. We could have taken the train and a bus or two, some distances to walk would have been involved but the fares were way more expensive than just hiring a car.
The Watford Flight is down there
Our route took us along narrow lanes, sign posts to Cheddington, glimpses of the Grand Union, through Ivinghoe, all places we know from the water. Grove Lock, around Leighton Buzzard, The Soulbury Three, Stoke Hammond. Then the roundabouts of Milton Keynes took us further east and up to the M1. We didn’t manage to glimpse a look at the Northampton Flight, or Long Buckby, but the big trees that accompany the canal to the Watford Flight were easy to spot after the service station. At Junction 18 we turned off, Crick, well the Holiday Inn at Crick.
Long corridors and bridges
We checked in, explored our compact room which of course was the furthest away possible! Mick flicked the TV on, Robbie Cumming making his way along the GU, only just managing to get through the Soulbury Three before it closed for winter maintenance, as if he didn’t know!
Time to join the party, Lizzie’s 50th Birthday party.
Lizzie with her Dad
What a lovely evening it was. People from most of Lizzies life, family, Watford Palace Theatre (where we first met in the 90’s), Cemex, the boating world, most of her current colleagues from Unusual were busy working on the Olympics in Paris, plenty to keep them busy out there.
Jeremy who was once the Production Manager at Watford Palace Theatre, He employed me to paint scenery for a while and the two of us interviewed Lizzie for the Scenic Artist job there shortly after she left college. Jeremy also helped Lizzie when she first bought NB Panda, moving her from Birmingham, Jeremy having lived on a boat during his Watford days. Our paths also crossed further north when we both ended up on the Yorkshire coast. He’s now quite a useful source of info on the Beverley Beck!
Over the last ten years we’ve gradually got to know various boaters through Lizzie. Noel and Carolyn, Noel had been the Harbour Master at Crick when we first bought Lillian, he managed to find a space for her in the run up to Crick Boat show in 2014 where we gradually moved on board.
Crews from NB Kamilli, NB Adagio and NB Leon before they sold her
Andy and Irene from NB Kamilli. Our bows have crossed a few times and hopefully they may do again this summer. The NB Adagio crew, I’ve lost their names now, but we wave whenever we pass the Cape of Good Hope.
Mick, John and Ali
Then John and Ali from NB Triskaideka. We’d once met on a street corner in Crick, only briefly, but Ali and I have been I touch recently. There was lots to talk about with them, very similar boaters to us with the same attitudes to boating and the waterways community. Plenty of red wine was drunk on our table and by the end of the evening we knew we’d be stopping to have a bottle or two more with them when our bows cross.
The Tuckeys
Several faces familiar from around Crick. One lady who worked for ABNB and Neil Stuttle who fits out boats. Then sat next to Mick were the Tuckey’s, yes the crane and boat movers. Lizzie used to help move boats around Crick marina before and after the boat show so has known them for quite some years. Both Mick and I asked them if they’d had lots of enquiries from boats on the Lancaster Canal, the sealock on the Ribble Link has developed a fault meaning boats could be stuck there through the winter. It was interesting as they are asked for quotes for such things, but people rarely tell them the reason, they had no idea about the stoppage despite having had numerous calls.
Cutting the cake
Plenty to talk about, some nice food and plenty to drink, we lasted until the big lights came on at the end of the night!
All a little bit tippsy!
In the morning we joined the masses for breakfast, plenty of people had stayed including Lizzie. Time to catch up again over a cooked breakfast before everyone headed off in their separate directions. A lovely time had by all, good to catch up with people, maybe we’d bump into them all again if we headed to Stratford, but we have other plans. Thank you Lizzie for having a big Birthday and for inviting us.
Not as good as one of Mick’s, but not bad
Back down the M1 being tailed by the Kamilli crew for about 20 miles. Then round Milton Keynes, past all the land marks back to Cowroast Marina and Tilly, who had done her job very well whilst we were away.
For the last week we’ve been trying to catch up with my college friend Jen who lives in Hemel, her current job not allowing her time to come and help us through some locks. As we had a car we headed back to Hemel, a slight diversionary route giving us more narrow roads and just missing Winkwell Swing Bridge back to theFishery Wharf Cafe to meet up with her and her dog Monty a very well behaved Collie.
Fishery Wharf well worth a visit
Lots to catch up on, Jen is a fantastic scenic artist and used to work at the National Theatre. Now she freelances and has worked on various films and tv series. I believe she said she work on the props for the latest Ghost Buster film and currently is slapping paint on scenery for a new Netflix series about the Guiness family Last year she also painted some very wonderful panto cloths for Bury St Edmonds.
Mick, Pip and Jen.
Recently she’s had an operation on her foot, so the two of us hobbled away from the cafe after a couple of hours.
Back at the boat we settled down for some food and a night in front of the TV, Dr Who with the Beatles. It was obvious what our nearest neighbours would be watching tonight, but thankfully after one rendition of Sweet Carolyn they must have headed to the pub garden to watch the game. A muffled roar from somewhere made us check the score. The quietness that followed suggested that Spain had scored more than one goal. Everyone returned to the marina quite quietly.
A nice quiet evening knitting
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 Fiat 500, M1 twice, 1 very good party, 2 official photographers, 1 offer of crew, 1 problematic bridge, 1 tray, pair 29 well under way, 1 painter and hound, 1 free sausage, 1 nice cafe, 1 musical baddy, 1 quiet night in with Tilly, still 9.75 digits.
January, we sat waiting. Waiting for a new alternator to arrive, for the River Trent to come out of flood and then for the canal to defrost sufficiently for us move. This meant Pip doing work on the boat instead of in the house, this made for smelly days and a very cold workshop under the pram cover.
After almost three weeks we were on the move again having to navigate through thick fog, navigational aids helping us not to bump into the banks! Ahead of us in Yorkshire was a troublesome swing bridge, closed to boat traffic. Our plans had to change, we arranged to moor up in Newark and head back to Scarborough by van. Chin rubs nearly made the longer journey better, but I really don’t like the outside moving SO fast!
Four days later we were back on board, the bridge ahead was now open. Tides were checked, locks booked, cupboards stocked for a few days cruising. Winter cruising can be so so pretty, yet so so chilly. A display by the Red Arrows as we left Torksey kept us amused and a defrost was very welcome when we arrived at Keadby. After four days cruising we were moored up in Goole and walking to catch the train back to Scarborough.
#unit21 in Huddersfield kept Pip occupied for much of February. Then it was time to give the house some TLC in between lodgers. A back bedroom got a makeover just in time. Mick had trips to see Oleanna, a jobs list left with Alastair and the covers headed off for some much needed mending. Tilly was kept busy checking out the neighbours, they stay inside so I get free reign of their outside!
April arrived along with two lodgers, it was not possible to do more work on the house, Pip chose to knit socks instead. Dementia UK her chosen charity this year. Donations of yarn came from dyers and Pip’s needles started to click away, keeping up with requests. 15 pairs knitted and her target met.
May, visits were made to Oleanna preparing her for cruising, these were interspersed with visits from family, delivering socks, getting the house ready and starting work on the design for panto. On the 9th of May we loaded a van and returned to life afloat. Tilly the happiest cat once she was back onboard! A day later we set off heading west. Leeds for a few days for Pip to head to Matlock for work and then a wonderful visit to see 93 year old Betty in Harrogate.
Working our way up the Leeds Liverpool Canal, locks and the new stupid swing bridge much lighter work with two boats. Our favourite canal with wonders of the waterways, friends on route, Mick’s birthday and a trip to Bowness to see the latest Ayckbourn play. We managed a night on our favourite mooring on the network sadly it was too windy to enjoy the view with a barbecue.
Up over the top, we teamed up with NB That’s It, thankfully descending the Wigan flight in a window between vandalism and blown cills that have hampered the flight this year. Then along the Bridgewater Canal, panto designing whilst on the flat. Through Preston Brook Tunnel and onto the Trent and Mersey turning right onto the Middlewich Branch.
Back on lockdown ‘Home’ waters we cruised the Nantwich pound, 5 hours 13 minutes including a lunch and shopping stop, back in 2020 we’d spent 80 days here. We cruised southwards on the Shropie joined for a day by Carol and George fromWB Still Rockin’. Laura and Alison from NB Large Marge joined us for the ascent up the Wolverhampton 21.
Through Bumingham and on to Lapworth and then Hatton where we had an extra pair of hands from Jane, who hopefully now has her own narrowboat. A well deserved burger at the Cape of Good Hope with Emma and David, then a lovely evening with Lizzie (NB Panda) at The Folly, it was turning out to be quite a sociable June.
Oleanna wiggled her way across the summit of the South Oxford, very familiar water to us. Despite the sunny weather and us cruising most days our batteries were not happy, turning themselves off overnight! Diagnosis was required, we pulled into Cropredy Marina to plug in and run tests. One of our three batteries was dead, bad enough but thankfully nothing more. Once a panto meeting had been attended we could move on, except there was an emergency closure at Banbury Lock. C&RT worked hard to get the canal open as quickly as they could, thankfully our hold up wasn’t too long.
We met up with the crews of NB Azzura (Liz and Mark) and NB Perseus (Julie and Simon) both Finesse boats, had a visit to London for Andrew’s birthday. Then had a rendez vous with Paul and Christine and enjoyed a good catch up onboard NB Waterway Routes.
Down to the River Thames where we turned upstream onto waters we’ve only cruised once before. Such a lovely stretch of river, sadly with fewer moorings now. We sped up to Lechlade where we took up residence for a week so that we could attend a get together at Pip’s cousins which coincided with the Royal International Air Tatoo in Fairford. It was great to be with family on a jolly occasion.
Work took over for Pip as we made our way back down stream to Oxford, Cinderella had to go to the ball and the model needed to be finished. Then we sauntered our way back northwards. One day had us meet up with Frankie NB Discovery, NB Dusty the local coal boat and Graeme on NB Misty Blue, it was good to catch up with Graeme and hear of his adventures since we’d seen him last year.
A trip for us both back to Scarborough to do a turn around of lodgers, see a show and pick up post. Mick would have to return the following weekend to swap bedlinen over again, this time by train from Rugby. Stand still budgets and inflation required Pip to do more work on panto so her days were kept busy reducing Cinderella’s carriage from £2000 to £400.
Stoppages around the network meant we had only one real route we could take to head back north. We winded and climbed our way up to the Leicester Section. Here we met up with Ken and Sue NB Cleddau at Houdini’s Field sitting out till way after dark. Then a small detour to Welford to meet up with NB Panda and Lizzie for an evening before we continued our way north.
Another detour to Market Harborough before Leicester where North Lock had a badly leaking cill which required a crew of C&RT chaps to force the bottom gates open, booked passage was required, this meant we got a few days to enjoy the city whilst we awaited our turn.
Sadly by now the lack of water on the Chesterfield Canal meant the top end of the canal was closed, no point in rushing up the River Trent for a return visit. In Nottingham Pip’s little toe had a kerfuffle with a cupboard necessitating a visit to the drop in centre for her little pinkie to be realigned. This meant Pip had to hand the windlass and key of power over to Mick for the last locks of the year.
Downstream on the River Trent, stopping at all our favourite moorings. Pip’s knitting needles came out again to knit more socks for Dementia UK. We had a trip into Lincoln along the Fossdyke Canal, we actually managed to finally visit the Cathedral this time!
Tides were not helpful for the rest of our trip north so a couple of days at West Stockwith was needed, but that did mean we’d be sharing the tidal waters back to Yorkshire with NB That’s It whom we’d met earlier in the year.
There was time for a catch up with David as we passed through Bramwith, a jaunt up to Doncaster and then finally along the New Junction and onto Goole where a space had been found for us in the marina. A train ride to Scarborough to pick up a van and see the latest show before packing up the boat again for the second time this year.
Planned works at the house then went very smoothly. Scaffolding arriving the day after we arrived, new windows later in the day with four carpenters and two days later the decorator who was to give the house a much needed new coat of paint outside.
Mid October Pip moved to Chipping Norton for a month to work on panto, Mick and Tilly left to welcome a new lodger for the Christmas show in Scarborough. Panto was as much work as normal with the addition of Pip getting covid after the first week of rehearsals. The show opened to toe tapping audiences and many many bananas, getting great reviews. Mick had a days trip to London to support boaters who had gathered outside the Houses of Parliament for a Fund Britain’s Waterways rally.
Back in Scarborough Christmas came early with a visit from the London Leckenbys at the beginning of December, they hadn’t been to Scarborough for ten years. A few more house jobs have been done but a list has been compiled for the new year along with those on Oleanna. We’ve had a lovely Christmas, catching up with Scarborough friends, Tilly has slept lots, we’re lucky to see her before 2pm most days! I’m just resting for when the outsides start changing again.
Don’t worry Tilly the count down has started.
This year our plans changed all because of an invite from Pip’s cousins. We travelled our favourite canal, cruised many familiar waters , visited ‘Home’, climbed trees and pounced, caught up with many boating friends and made many new ones along the way. One very sociable year.
So our vital statistics for 2023 according to Canalplan are
Total distance of 805miles, 2.25furlongs and 436 locks.
There were 121 moveable bridges, of which 33 are usually left open; 151 small aqueducts or underbridges and 16 tunnels – a total of 6 miles, 5 furlongs under ground and 7 major aqueducts.
This is made up of 244 miles, 1.25 furlongs of narrow canals; 251 miles, 5.5 furlongs of broad canals; 69 miles, 1.5 furlongs of commercial waterways; 95 miles, 4.75 furlongs of small rivers; 57 miles, 3.75 furlongs of large rivers; 87 miles, 1.5 furlongs of tidal rivers; 185 narrow locks; 223 broad locks; 28 large locks.
Although according to Nebo we did
815.09 miles and 431 locks! Hmm maybe my maths isn’t so good. But then we only started using Nebolink in August, tracking our every moverather than just on our phones.
470 engine hours, 789.8 litres diesel! Ouch, having to run the engine to top the batteries up on an evening didn’t help with this, 150amp hours down to 100, 3 gas bottles, 120kg coal, 19.5 litres oil, 2 oil filters, 2 fuel filters, 1 shower mixer, 1 domestic alternator, 1 set new engine mounts, 1 overnight guest, 3 packs Dreamies, 1.5 packs Bonkers, 39 friends, 6 brought in, 34 Mrs Tilly stamps of approval, 34 pairs of socks, £1132 for Dementia UK, 2 shows, 9 lodgers, 10 supermarket deliveries, 33 boxes wine, 1 toe, 6 months cruising, 3 boat mover sightings, 209 posts, 184 likes, 9,503 visitors, 31,309 views!
Thank you for following our journey during 2023. We have a plan for 2024, but there are several invites and a rendez vous with some New Zealanders. Will we stick to our plan? Have to alter course to fit everything in? Wait and see, we’re already counting down the weeks to being afloat again.
