We woke fairly early, had a cuppa. It was quite pink outside, but calm and dry. We decided to make the most of a window in the weather. Waterproofs on, ropes untied, I headed to the lock to set it whilst Mick reversed Oleanna out from our pontoon.
Andrew Denny’s boat
A swan bobbed about in the bottom of the lock. Had it been there all night? NB Grannys Buttons had arrived late afternoon and then the restaurant boat, The Countess had gone out and back with diners. I carefully filled the lock. The swan had no intention of leaving, it wanted the bottom gates opening.
Down we went, only a few people to watch us as it rained. A long sound on the horn before Oleanna turned out onto the river to warn rowers and other boats of her arrival.
The RSC from the river
I hopped on board and then we tried to negotiate with a rowing pair, who was going to go first. They seemed to want to let us head off, even though they would be faster. Past the RSC, it’s a big building! A lady stood painting at an easel as rowers came past.
Hope she’s painting with oils otherwise the paint will run
Ahead two rowing boats were blocking our approach to the lock. We held back, now in the way of the following rowing boat! After some loitering, boats moved out of each others way, good job there wasn’t more of a flow on the river!
Stratford Trinity Lock sat with it’s top gates open for us. Here on the river you close all paddles but leave your exiting gates open. The gates took a bit to get moving, even more to open the bottom gates!
Going down
Under the A4390, we could see where we’d be needing to turn. Mick didn’t get the positioning quite right to make a good swing in, but there was only a light tap as he managed to straigten us out as we entered the marina. We’d already been told which pontoon we’d be on, very close to the river entrance. We opted to go stern in, tied up, the pontoon not quite as short as in Bancroft Basin, but still not long enough for us. Time to check in,
It’s a long walk round to the office, papers to fill in, codes to be noted and a telephone number to call to open the front gates. Once we’d paid for our months visit we headed back to Oleanna taking a better look at other empty pontoons.
Level board in the green
Our mooring has a gap between the pontoon and a high bit of piling, topped with timber. The Cat Health and Safety executives needed to make decisions. This was not suitable, should Tilly not make the jump, she’d be in deep water with no obvious way out. If we could move further round the marina there are reed beds, these of course only hide the water that lies beneath. We’d hoped the gap wouldn’t be too big, but it is. No point in moving as no shore leave will be granted, for four weeks! Eek!! That’s not going to go down too well!
Breakfast. We also opted to wind Oleanna to go bow in before it got any windier. This will make water and yellow water easier and we get a better view from the dinette and bedroom this way.
Turning in
A walk to check on bus stops for tomorrow. The pontoon took 2.5 minutes to walk, then from the top of the ramp to the bus stop on the other side of the river took 9.5 minutes. I walked back and timed it in the other direction to near Waitrose, 8 minutes, but dependant on how much traffic there is to cross the road. I then bought potatoes and an apple to add to our roast tonight.
During the afternoon the wind got up, some slight adjustments of ropes and fenders were required, but we think we are slightly sheltered at our end of the marina. But we’re still very glad we got tied up before Boelo arrived.
A treat Saturday roast
Roast lamb, cauliflower cheese, carrots and beans, followed by an apple crumble with custard. There’s enough left overs for each of us for two meals and some more lamb headed into the freezer. A good last supper.
2 locks, 0.8 miles, 1 right, 1 left, 1 Avon licence, 1 Hamlet mooring, 1 months mooring fee, 2 bus stops, 1 phone off airplane mode, 1 last supper on the boat, 3 meals of left overs, 1 long list, 1 very disgruntled noisy cat!
For the next four weeks the blog will go into Panto Postcard mode.
Cuppa in bed. The weather was still calm, we opted to head off before breakfast to try to keep ahead of storm Austen. Waterproofs on just in case.
An interesting house
The approach towards Stratford is a little industrial, not much to look at, apart from one house. We dropped down Bishopton Lock. Noted the old hire base where there is a water point and bins. At one point we’d considered getting a winter mooring at Bancroft Basin for November. Staying on CRT water would have saved us a months Avon Navigation Licence, but Mick would have had to work his way through the four locks between here and the basin for water and bins. Not ideal to have to single-handedly get to the services.
Approaching the services
At Birmingham Road Lock we had gongoozlers watching as they had their breakfast both at the Premier Inn and at MacDonalds.
Gongoozling for breakfast
Next was Maidenhead Road Lock. I remembered this lock very well! The bottom gate has a meccano type contraption of a cranked lock beam. I seriously struggled with it when we were here before. Not much to put my feet against, the stonework potentially slippy. I waited until very little movement could be seen in the water below the lock, got hold of the very end of the arm with one hand and pulled using my body weight. Well, blow me over! It moved easily and steadily, no need to alter position to keep the gate moving. Maybe some work has been done to it so it’s balance is better.
Below a boat was coming up the next lock. I looked at how I would lower the paddle, I’d have to dip down and be within the framework, my knees didn’t fancy that, so I opted to leave the paddle up, it would be much easier to close once the gate was closed. I made sure I mentioned this to the crew.
A moving boat
Oliver’s Lock, the last of the day, has some very nice planting along side it. It’s a shame someone has also decided to add their tags to the off side wall and lock beam. We dropped down and were soon passing under the low bridge into Bancroft Basin. Ahead the RSC building.
Nice planting
Trip boats and ice cream boats were in the basin along with one other narrowboat, so we had plenty of moorings to choose from. We pulled in and did our best to tie up to the short pontoon. We’d made it before the storm hit, time for breakfast.
RSC straight ahead
About an hour later the wind started to build, some rain too. More ropes were required, the centre lines from the roof were just encouraging Oleanna to rock in the wind. Mick put out lines from the fender eyes on the gunnels, this improved things.
I put a shopping list together so that we could have a Saturday roast tomorrow, then headed out to do the shopping leaving Mick sorting out a laptop with a working hinge for me to take with me to Chippy. I visited a butchers and checked on a few restaurants, then compared prices between Sainsburys, Tesco and M&S the only options in this part of the town.
Sadly no-one was serving chilled medication today!
For the next month I will mostly be eating chicken, so I splashed out on a half leg of lamb. I also picked up a bramley to make a crumble, but omitted to weigh it before paying so I popped it back. A check on the river level on the way back, the Avon was in the green, hopefully it would stay that way for the morning.
The weather had been blustery here but not that wet. However up in Scarborough things were very VERY WET! There had been a cloud burst, flooded roads and houses. Where I’ve spent much of this year walking was under feet of water!
Normally this weekend our friends Dawn and Lee of Animated Objects do Moonlight On The Lake at Peasholm Park. You walk round the lake and wonder at all the beautiful lanterns they have been making over the last few months, a serious amount of work goes into the event. But safety wise it had to be cancelled, so just about as soon as they’d finished installing everything they were having to do the get out before anyone could get to see it. Such a sad outcome after so much work.
As it was still stormy we had some bolognaise sauce with jacket potatoes that were baked in the multi fuel stove, they had good crunchy skins.
25 locks, 2 miles, 1 short pontoon, 2 extra ropes, 2 tickets left, 2 expensive! 1 late breakfast, 1 leg of lamb, 1 bag carrots, 2 potatoes, more can wait, 1 blowy afternoon, 1 bored cat.
Lowsonford Bottom Lock with the Landmark Trust house alongside it
Another early start for us. With storm Austen on his way we were pondering whether we should make the most of what might be a lovely day today. Best to start early and see if we fancied doing more after a lunch break. The possible stopping places would be dictated by lock flights today.
So pretty in the sunshine
We dropped down Lock 31 and pulled in at the water point to refill the tank, the washing machine is being kept pretty busy at the moment. Thankfully the water pressure was good so we were full fairly soon.
Walking distances
Onwards and downwards. Plenty of locks all at a walkable distance apart to keep us busy today. We’re back into the rhythm of such things, it’ll be a month before we have to remember how we go about doing the same up hill. The majority of locks were set against us, only those with very leaky top gates were full and waiting.
Bucket Lock
At Bucket Lock 34 there is a small aqueduct just above the lock. Back at the end of 2013 we hired a boat from Wooton Wowen in December and came this way, the leaf soup making for slow progress, I remember crossing this little aqueduct at total snail pace!
That’s a nice boat you’ve got there!
At Preston Baggot Bottom Lock we came across our first up hill boat of the day, a hire boat with three German men onboard, they seemed to like Baileys Irish Cream as there was a line of bottles on the stern. Once they had left Mick brought Oleanna into the lock just as I got a phone call. It was Jamie, the set builder for panto. They were in the middle of putting base coats on the set and he was questioning one of the Dulux paints I’d requested. Quite a few weeks ago I’d listed all the paints they would need alongside photos of the model. From last year I’d learnt to be careful with the names I used for colours as there had been a little bit of confusion, so I’d gone through my list carefully and checked it twice. With other things in life being more important at the moment, I believed I’d made a mistake. Why would I have given the code for a dark blue for something that was to be painted off white? I said I’d have a look at things once down the lock and apologised. Then the penny dropped, we did need that colour, once down the lock I checked my swatches and notes. Thank goodness I wasn’t loosing it at all, Jamie had misread my notes.
With a pound of around 3 miles ahead of us, I stayed on board, my knee requiring a rest. Regular applications of Fenbid were made with the hope that it wouldn’t become a problem. We pootled on in the sunshine, coats required, but it was still a beautiful day.
Approaching Wooton Wawen
At Wooton Wawen we pulled up at the start of the aqueduct over the road, Mick went to see if he could find anyone from the Anglo Welsh base to see if they’d sell us some diesel, the sign said £1.35. The chaps were having their lunch, but all sprang into action to top up our tank for us. Across the aqueduct we moored up for some lunch. I’d originally imagined us stopping an hours cruise further on, but our going had been slow this morning. We considered what we should do. With the storm arriving tomorrow it would be better to be further on. But being further on would mean 11 more locks than orignally planned and a few more hours cruising. The sun was still out, we opted to carry on.
Just as we were about to push off a boat came past, would they be going as far as us? This would mean resetting 12 locks. Or would they be stopping earlier? At Bearley Lock I chatted to the crew, this was their last lock of the day, they’d be stopping above Wilmcote.
I don’t like it!
A short distance on is Edstone Aqueduct, which is the longest aqueduct in England at 176 yards long. It spans a valley with a railway and a road. I don’t like aqueducts that are this skinny, even the side with the towpath makes me nervous! Thankfully it was over fairly quickly.
But Mick does
We could now hear Tilly inside demanding we stop. The original plan had been to moor along this next stretch, which looked like cat heaven. Trees, sideways trees and plenty of friendly cover, the sort of place we’d be out calling for Tilly to come home after dingding. I promised that we’d make sure we stopped there on our way back.
We passed the boat ahead, we passed the last mooring before the Wilmcote flight. These should take about two hours to do the eleven locks, that would be just as the sun would be setting.
The locks come in three groups, a three, a five and another three. I set ahead whilst Mick started to empty the lock Oleanna was in, me returning to open and close the bottom gate. This all worked pretty well, most of the locks were full making the going quite easy. Someone appeared from a house, who opened a top gate for us, they then came back after we’d passed to make sure we’d closed up properly behind us.
On the last three locks there was a hire boat moored on the top lock landing. Should a single hander have arrived there would have been nowhere for them to tie up to work the lock. Inside the crew were looking at phones, then one of them disembarked with lots of bags and headed towards Stratford Parkway Station. The crew now got on with the remainder of the flight, half an hour before sunset just as we were tying up below.
Sorry Tilly it’s too late
Sorry Tilly, too late to go out. We had plenty of complaints from her.
We’d managed two days cruising in one day. There is still a way to go to get to Stratford and now two storms between us and the marina on the river. Should we have a day off tomorrow, give Tilly some shore leave, knees rested and catch up on bits and bobs? Or with high winds due would we be best moving away from the trees that surround us?
20 locks, 8.9 miles, 1 full water tank, 0 rubbish, 1 empty yellow water tank, 95.16 litres diesel, 1 hour behind, 0.5 hours ahead of sunset, 60cm bow, 1 dark blue most definitely not off white, 1 wet night, pair 137 cast on, 1 phone charger needing pat testing.
Black Boy Bridge 69 to Lowsonford Top Lock 31, Fleur de Lys, South Stratford Canal
Soggy soggyness
Another wet start to the day, at least we’d not had a disturbed nights sleep. We actually managed to get ourselves up and ready to cruise pretty early for us, well we’d a touch of making up to do from yesterday and had a destination to make today.
Turning at the junction
Push off was around 9:30, in the rain! We had about 2.5 miles to do to reach Kingswood Junction where the Grand Union Canal joins the Stratford Upon Avon. Just before the junction we passed Heidi’s old boat The Rum Wench. An old work boat sped towards the junction from the south, turning in. Which way would they be going? North or South on the Stratford. As we turned in at the junction I could see them going through the link, a straight on modern channel which saves going up one lock and down another to start the descent down towards Stratford. One person climbed off the roof, then the stern of their boat gradually moved towards their port side, they were north bound.
Right to say hello to NB Red Wharf. Straight on and left to Panto!
Through the link for us too but turning towards the south. Damn a boat was on the water point, a chap popped his head out saying the tap was slow, sorry! There’d be another tap tomorrow so we weren’t too bothered, just the mountain of washing to work through before panto.
Single bottom gates
Now back to narrow locks with single gates top and bottom, far easier than the beasts at Knowle yesterday. The rain became intermittent, our soggy waterproofs nearly having time to dry before the next rain gave us another soaking!
The way we’d originally planned to come
Now which way to turn my windlass? The top paddles all wanted to go Anti-clockwise, so I ended up muttering to myself Aunty Locks to fill each and just about every chamber. The top gates on the Stratford have a thinner edge by the offside upright, making for a less than confident step to the far bank to be able to lift the paddle that side. I managed, but Mick later suggested that maybe tomorrow we try just lifting one paddle.
Gingerbread house
The locks are fairly evenly spaced, not close enough to walk ahead to set the next one, but close enough to walk between them. The towpath was mostly okay, patches of mud to avoid. At one lock I’d closed the bottom gate and stepped off the brick surround, here the grass was muddy and I skidded down only a foot or so to the towpath, narrowly avoiding getting a seriously muddy bum! Only thing was I’d twisted my left knee, the knee I’d had problems with a couple of years ago. It felt ok, but it would be wanting a rest soon.
More trees
The barrel roofed lock cottages that the Stratford Canal is known for are all slightly different. The first one down the flight has a rather elaborate criss cross pattern, quite gingerbread like, maybe I should paint them some candy canes for around their front door. Another looks worn and weathered, possibly someone doing some work inside.
After Lock 29 I walked on ahead to check on mooring possibilities. Above lock 30 there was space, I phoned Mick to tell him I was going to look below too. I could hear everything he said, but I was pure darlek to him. There was space below, so we’d be going down the lock. Just after I’d lifted a paddle on the lock my phone rang, an unfamiliar number. It was a discharge nurse at the hospital informing me that Hospital Transport was there to move Frank to his new home, he should arrive there within the next half hour! Time for another happy dance, not just at the news, but also that my phone had found signal for the call. Messages were sent on to others who needed to know and then to wait for news of his arrival.
Lock cottage door
Stopping at a reasonable time for lunch was a bit good, we’ve not managed that for a while. Tilly was given four hours shore leave. She checked the stern, then the bow, but decided that it looked good enough to risk getting wet.
The internet was rubbish, bad TV signal and our phones had an intermittent signal. Then the hinge on my laptop broke! This is the third time it’s done this and is most probably the last time too! Oh well just as well we’d be heading to the pub later.
The Fleur de Lys
With Tilly home, us both dried out and some washing done we put on some none boaty clothes and walked down to the next lock and across to the pub, the Fleur de Lys. Here we were meeting up with Chris and Jennie who used to own NB Tentatrice. We once managed a cuppa with them and Monty their woofer at Radford Smelly and our paths have crossed a few more times briefly. We’ve been trying to meet up for a proper chat now for the last few years and today we finally managed it.
Steak and red wine
Mick and I both chose to try one of the pub’s legendary pies. Mick had steak and ale and I had a gf steak and red wine, both very nice. My gf crumble was very hot and the topping had only been scattered on top of the filling, not baked with it, but it was pleasant enough.
Christmas post, hand delivered!
We had a very lovely evening with Jennie and Chris, sharing boating stories and tales of Monty. We were so busy talking that we forgot to take a photo of us all together! This seems to be a recurring omission! Thank you Jennie for the cards, they are stowed away safely on some shelves awaiting December and more importantly the 25th!
St Vincents Street Bridge Moorings, BUMingham to Bridge 14 Stratford upon Avon Canal
The hire car was returned before breakfast, overnight parking had been free on the bridge. Yellow water pumped out, plants (which we’d left at the house when we moved on board) positioned in the bow and on the roof. We were ready for the off.
Karen and Bill with their fairly new Electric boat
As we came past the Lego/Arena moorings a lady waved and called out to us, it was Karen who’d been training crew on Tuptonia the guide boat last year. Back then she was eagerly awaiting her new boat NB Electric Dragon and here they were, heading back to their mooring after the Electrika Boat Show at Brinklow last weekend where they’d been showing their boat. We hovered for a while to have a catch up and to meet Bill. Hopefully see you somewhere out and about for a longer catch up sometime Karen.
Old Turn
Then it was second right, we held back for a trip boat to come through Worcester Bar, then we were heading through Gas Street to The Mailbox.
A wise old Bargee watching on
BUMingham had got busy whilst we weren’t looking, far more boats moored up. Should we stop for water, no there was a queue as ever, we carried on.
The going was slow, especially when a hire boat had no idea we were there and pulled out right infront of us. They went slowly past moored boats as you should but thankfully sped up when past. At Selly Oak they’d caught another boat up that was going at tickover no matter, so we all patiently tick on. Thankfully this was where we’d be stopping and just in the nick of time as we had a click and collect at the big Sainsburys. I bobbed into the store for some extra painkillers whilst Mick headed to the van in the car park with our brompton. The driver reckoned we’d be able to get a trolley back to the boat and apart from having to drag it a little through the cinder track to the towpath it worked. Much easier, just the trolley to return.
An early lunch, then we were on our way again along a very familiar route. Bournville was chocka with boats, don’t think we’ve ever seen it so busy. The graffiti tree is still there and so are the lumps and bumps under the water. At Kings Norton the way ahead onto the Stratford Canal was clear, I gave Mick a thumbs up, Oleanna managing to be in the background of a group photo.
We knew we were being followed a little way back, so mentioned this to aboat coming towards us. Sure enough as we looked back over our shoulders both boats arrived at the junction at the same time, both wanting to turn the direction the other was coming from. It’s quite a steep turn anyway, but with another boat in the way! It took until they were out of our view for them to sort.
Guillotine Lock
The nose of a boat could be seen through the guillotine gates of Lock 1, it then reversed back. We thought they’d gone back to let us through, but they were mooring up.
The sunshine had been lovely, but now the dappled light through the trees was refreshing and welcome. At Bradwood Tunnel we timed our passage, the sign suggesting it would take 16 minutes, well it only took 4.5 minutes. Most of that time was spent watching bats darting back and forth at the far end of the tunnel. I tried and tried to get a photo, only succeeding with several blurs, marked with arrows.
Some nice shade
The hire boat ahead of us had just pulled in to fill with water at the cream cottage, so we carried on again, our tank half full, it’ll be filled soon. Round another bend, a deer clung onto the offside bank munching away at greenery, all too quick to get my camera out.
Mick had a phone call from his doctors surgery. They discussed a tweek in his medication, a new prescripton sent to a pharmacist on our route. He’s not to start taking it until a week before he can have a blood test, which has to be in Scarborough as blood test results haven’t been linked up around the country yet. So this will have to be planned with a turn around at the house, moorings, Tilly being left in charge etc.
The power of one button!
Shirley Lift Bridge came into view. It always seems to move another mile further on every time we come this way! 12 cars held up here. Should we now stop after the railway bridge or carry on some more? This is where we tend to normally stop, but another hours cruise would be better. We carried on, stoppping just after Dickens Heath but before Lady Lane Wharf, think we spent a new year here. It was quite late in the day, only an official 45 minutes left of feline shore leave. I extended this and gave Tilly an hour. She came back just before 6 and was reminded she’d still got more time. This she took along with another 45 minutes. This is the first time this year I’ve had to walk the towpath being the mad cat lady, but she soon appeared through a hedge a distance away and came running back for her dingding.
Hooray!!! A proper outside!
1 guillotine on the flat lock, 1 straight, 1 right, 1 left, 11.9 miles, 6 boxes wine, 1 joint pork (which may need to be slow cooked!), 12 pills, 1 fat face, 1 lift bridge, 12 held up, 1 shallow canal, 1 Mrs Tilly Stamp of Approval.
Nine weeks ago on the 9th May we moved back onboard Oleanna, leaving Goole on the 10th. Today we’d reached our planned destination, Lechlade.
The above map taken from data provided by our Victron Inverter
Our vital statistics for our trip down are as follows
Nebo 366.54 miles 270 locks
Canalplan 364 miles 1.25 furlongs 270 locks
Our Victron Inverter 403.5 miles (?)
Nebo’s map of our journey
Interesting how both maps have gaps in them, both in different places.
So,now where?
We need to make our way back northwards, currently there is only one route open to us, the River Trent.
Apologies to those who get their updates by email. You won’t be able to see the map from victron as it was embedded in the post. The IT department may see if he can replace this today, but you have already received the post, so you won’t be reading this bit anyway!
*This post was superseded by A Glimmer Of Hope yesterday*
Panto spiky trees
Whilst waiting for news regarding the breach and possible escape from Goole we’ve not been idle. Well I say we, but in regards to boaty things Mick has been the busy one whilst I’ve been working painting my panto model.
Town Square buildings
On our last visit to Oleanna we brought back the life jackets. These were in need of a service, in fact a year overdue. Last time we paid for them to be checked over to much consternation from readers. This time Mick followed instructions on Youtube.
He checked for any damage, wear and tear. Weighed the gas bottles. Checked the dates on the firing mechanisms. Blew the whistles. Inflated them and left them overnight (well a couple of days) to check they remained inflated.
New firing mechanisms
A couple of the firing mechanisms had a few months left on them and Mick had broken one of the clips that is used to indicate that a firing mechanism has been manually fired. The green clip obviously needed replacing so it was worth getting a couple of new mechanisms.
When they arrived the oldest dated mechanisms were swapped out for the newest and put into the jackets we use the most, these will last us till 2024. The middle aged ones were put in our two spare jackets, these will last till December 2022. The oldest ones we are keeping as spares and run out in February 2022.
All rolled and folded how it should be
The next job was to fold and roll the jackets back up into the covers. This is possibly the hardest part of the servicing. But they are all done and in the crate ready to be returned to Oleanna on our next visit.
Next was the VHF radio. We bought our hand held radio a few years ago and use it to listen in to the big ships around Goole and when we are on tidal waters. You should have your radio licenced and have completed a course to use it. Mick has been meaning to do the course for a number of years but had never got round to it, I suspect like many others. My sister-in-law had looked into it for his birthday last year, but it was going to cost too much.
With the only way out of Goole for the next few months being through the docks to Ocean Lock and down onto the tidal Ouse (when/if ABP allow leisure craft), we have decided the cost of the VHF course and test would be worth doing. ABP normally require leisure boats to have two crew, life jackets and a VHF radio. Should the chance arise to be able to pen down onto the Ouse we’d rather meet all the criteria.
Tilly assisting with panto
The RYA VHF/SRC (Short Range Certificate) Marine Radio Course can be done online for £75. Then the test costs £60 on top. Mick contacted Scarborough Yacht Club to see if they were running the courses and test. This was possible, although the test would have to wait until after April 12th and would be done on a one to one basis at the Yacht Club at Scarborough lighthouse.
Handbook included in the course
Once the course fee was paid a chap popped the handbook through our front door the following day and Mick was ready to do the course. The course takes around 10 hours and Mick has worked his way through doing all the modules in the last week. Before he books for the exam I’m going to look at the course too. Should we be in an emergency situation and Mick not be able to use the radio, I would at least know what to do.
Once the exam is passed Oleanna and her crew will meet all the criteria that ABP require, if this also means that we can cruise as a flotilla with other boats who haven’t got VHF all the better.
*Sadly later in the day Mick received an email saying that as Scarborough Yacht Club building would remain closed until 17th May, exams would not be possible until after that date.
A few days ago marked our 7th anniversary of being boat owners. Today marks our 4th anniversary of the three of us moving onboard Oleanna in Sheffield. So I’d best do a Where Were We
Where were we
2020 Lockdown Mooring 3, Calveley, Shropshire Union Canal. LINK
2019 Above Lemonroyd Lock, Aire and Calder Navigation. LINK
2018 Stourport, Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and Beverley. LINK
2017 Victoria Basin, Sheffield and Tinsley Canal and Crick Marina, Leicester Line. LINK
2014 Bugbrooke, Grand Union Canal. Sorry no link, we were on too much of a mission to write a blog. But we did get Lillian off the River Nene where her EA licence had run out and up the Northampton Flight, her first narrow locks.
Lisa sent through a photo of Oleanna this morning. The level at the docks is just about normal and Oleanna was sitting there in the rain. Yesterday it must have been sunny at the marina as the solar panels were doing a good job of keeping the batteries topped up and the engine bay got up to 8 C. It’s handy being able to check on her from afar, keeps our minds at rest.
Paper stretched and ready
Here in Scarborough I’ve been busy with work. A new, to me, art shop is proving very handy. I’ve not had chance to go into The Art Room yet and I can’t see what art materials they normally stock, Delia responds to emails swiftly and is very helpful. This week I was after a pad of thick cartridge paper and a wooden board so that I can stretch the paper properly. If water colour paper isn’t stretched, when you start to paint the paper cockles and will never lie flat again. In the past I’ve half heartedly taped paper to a plastic board, but this never really worked that well. So I have invested in a board that will take A3 paper comfortably. This will first get used for my boat origami paper design. Then I hope to use it for paintings of the waterways, which I’ve been planning on doing for some time now. I have the equipment, the reference, all I need now is the time!
This week I’ve started work in earnest on Panto for Chipping Norton. Sketch technical drawings enable me to make pieces of model, then do adjustments. Yesterday I finished working my way through the show, there is still lots to alter and work out, but I have solutions for most things. I’m quite happy with my galleon set, but the smugglers inn isn’t right yet! Hopefully this coming week things will get sorted before my next work arrives on the doorstep!
Cotton top measuring up
I’ve finally finished knitting a top for my sister-in-law which is now measured out and blocking on some new foam mats I’ve treated myself to. These will be handy to take back to the boat as they breakdown into foot squares, but once clipped together they give me 3ft square to pin items onto. They will save me pinning things out onto the back of our mattress on the boat and hoping things will be dry before bedtime!
Cricket on the TV, who’d have thought
Mick, whilst not watching the cricket, has been working on the blog. Two years ago we moved to WordPress and our current deal is nearly up. There are things we’d like to try to improve, but unless we spend more money they are proving hard to sort. Paul (Waterway Routes) suggested sometime ago we tried WordPress.org, this is free but we’d need to pay to have the blog hosted, which is all working out at a similar price to if we stayed put. We could go back to Blogger and Open Live Writer, but photos had been problematic, Mick is still working his way through the blog inserting them and I like the way wordpress works.
Tomorrow Tilly it’s too dark to go for a walk now!
However we miss having a blog roll that moves with peoples posts and a forwards and back button. Mick has found the relevant code, we may need to enlist my nephew Josh into giving us some guidance with this. We’ll see what happens.
Mick is taking his time reading the book he selected from our Christmas stash. The chap has left Kate Saffin and Alarum, headed to the Exeter Canal and is now somewhere on the Bridgewater Canal.
I on the other hand have finished mine, which I’ve really enjoyed. When we first moved on board I read a lot, but in the last couple of years I’d got out of the habit. With so many books to choose from I was spoilt for choice. So when Sam from NB Red Wharf said that Canal Pushers was really good and Debby from NB Chuffed asked for a review I thought I’d best start there.
I like a good crime story and with it being set on the canals it started off on a good footing. Andy Griffee has taken the theory of a serial killer, pushing people into the waterways around Manchester and set a similar story on the Stratford, Worcester and Birmingham Canals.
Jack has just picked up a narrowboat to see if a life afloat will suit him after recently being divorced. Let down by a friend who was going to help him learn the ropes he is soon rescued by a lady walking the towpath, Nina. A friendship is formed between the two of them, Nina keeping herself a bit of a mystery.
Look at those whiskers
Knowing the stretch of canal where the book is set is quite warming to a sole that misses being on the cut right now. Jack’s experience of The Navigation Inn at Wooten Wawen made me smile as it was very similar to ours when we hired our last boat from there seven years ago. Stratford with the tourists and theatre, Wedges, Packwood House, all the time Jack learning how to handle the boat as the mystery of the death of a young homeless lad unfolds.
Not breakfast, but a beetroot and feta burger in homemade gf buns with lockdown chips
Several plots intertwine, gradually unravelling themselves at a narrowboat pace. There are several moments where the pace speeds up which has lead to a couple of nights where I’ve kept the light on whilst Mick has snored away. I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to give the plot away, as it is well worth a read. My only criticism, I’ve always walked down hill to the shops in Alvechurch, not up hill.
Verdict, a good read especially for those with a canal interest, but this is not required and it certainly doesn’t turn into a manual for narrowboat handling. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series River Rats which takes place in Bath. I may read my way down towards the Kennet and Avon via Murder on the Oxford Canal by Faith Martin. I wonder if there are enough novels to cover the whole network?
Also not breakfast, but turnip curry, beetroot and carrot curry with homemade gf nan breads
This weekends walk will prove to be a rosy cheeked one as it is currently trying it’s best to snow, although I doubt it will settle. An east wind will be whipping up the sea and will chill us to the bone, thermals needed today.
Last week we braved the climb up onto Oliver’s Mount. Down into the valley to then climb back up the other side and then further all up hill. We chose to go cross country avoiding felled trees up to the top.
Up the top
Here on the summit a telecommunications mast stands. Back in the early 1990’s this was the only place in Scarborough to get mobile phone signal when the telephone exchange had a serious fire knocking out all landlines in the town. The other high point here is the war memorial that marks a view point.
We took our time looking for family names. None from the Geraghty side, but quite a few Capplemans. I shall have to dig out the family tree I was sent after my Dad passed away and see if any of them are mentioned.
The view right up the coast
Oliver’s Mount makes for a great view point. Looking down all the usual landmarks have found new positions around town (as they do!) and the South Bay looks more like a smugglers cove. Views right into the North Bay and up the coast, we took our time spotting friends houses.
The South Bay
The way back down we followed the roads which make up the Oliver’s Mount race track, stopping to say hello to the beach donkeys who are on their winter holiday, sadly they were just a touch too far away for a good photo.
Us last week
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 level back up, 1 glimpse, A3 sketch board, 20 sheets, 0 cow gum, 1 new proscenium, 1 white card sketch model complete, 409 pages, 1 cotton top, 67 pins, 2 t-towels, 6 capplemans, 5 miles up and down, 1 bored cat in need of a hobby, 1 windswept short walk, 0 cobwebs.
Us today!
Where Were We
2020. Sheepcote Street Bridge, Birmingham.
2019. Thorne Lock, Stainforth and Keadby Canal. LINK
Get yourself a cuppa and put your feet up, this is a long post.
Into BUMingham
Having seen New Year in on the North Stratford Canal we commenced the new year by cruising in to Birmingham or as Tilly would have it know, BUMingham, she’s not too keen!
What a stripy world!
A meeting with Amy from Dark Horse Theatre Company about a project in the summer set out our years cruising as I’d need to be in Huddersfield then York for the show. Then it was time to pack and get myself ready for ten days in Vienna. This would be the longest I’ve been away from boat life since we set out in 2014. Half of my clothes were packed up along with a basic scene painting kit and I jetted off to what was a mixed experience. Despite the problems I had a wonderful time working with a great team in the theatre, I hope one day to return.
Whilst I marvelled at the wonderful scenes in Vienna and pulled my hair out at work, trying to keep a calm exterior, Mick and Tilly headed back out into the countryside towards Tardebigge on the Worcester and Birmingham. Here they met up with a friend Chris who was planning a boat build.
Hello!
Mick and Tilly came back into Birmingham to pick me up and then we set about exploring the BCN. There is plenty to explore and we didn’t quite manage to go everywhere, but we did our best.
Smethwick Locks
We headed up Smethwick New Locks onto the Old Main line. Stopped at Dudley Port Basin, coconuts accompanied us down Brades Staircase, then through Netherton Tunnel where we’d planned on visiting Hawne Basin, but thick ice thwarted our first attempt. The following day we succeeded and had a bumpy ride along the Dudley No 2 to fill our diesel tank.
Emma and Ted
Factory Locks brought us back onto the Old Main Line, we visited Wolverhampton, turned onto the Wyrley and Essington Canal and wiggled our way through the rubbish to Pelsall Junction. Here we had a wonderful get together with my bestestest friend and her son Ted (my Godson) who were over from Sydney, an all but too short lunch with them before they headed onwards on their whistlestop tour of England.
The Cannock Extension and Anglesey Branch were ticked off followed by the Daw End Branch, The Rushall Canal, Tame Valley Canal and up the Ryders Green Locks back into the centre of BUMingham early February.
I designed costumes and made the white card model for The Garden for Dark Horse whilst we sat out storm Ciara which was to wipe out the Figure of Three Locks on the Calder Hebble. The damage to the locks looked great and not fixable quickly, a rethink to our cruising route was needed for me to get to work in the summer.
We went to the Symphony Hall and listened to Schubert and Berg spurred on by Dimitrios from NB Galene. Storm Dennis kept us from cruising to our next evening of entertainment at Titford Pump House, a bus replacement did the job so that we could see Alarum Theatre Company’s Acts of Abandonment. Little did we know at the time that this was to be our last live theatre until December.
A night out in the countryside for Tilly and a last night in the city to fill our bellies with curry. Then we were off again, up Smethwick Locks under the M5 where the scaffolding was being taken down. We turned up the Oldbury Locks following a boat that turned out to be NB Sola Gratia. A spin round the Titford Pools was in order before we returned for another diesel top up at Hawne Basin.
The Walsall Canal now beckoned us, that was a bumpy ride over trolleys, trees and all sorts! A fantastic fabric shop, the New Art Gallery right by our mooring and The Leather Museum kept our interest for a couple of days before we climbed up the Walsall Locks back up to Wyrley and Essington Canal.
The garden at Urban Moorings
The ladies at Urban Moorings welcomed us for an overnight visit, time to work the washing machine hard as we plugged into the electric. Then we kept our fingers crossed for a mooring at The Black Country Museum, which thankfully worked.
Marion and John came to meet us for an afternoon at the museum and we all enjoyed fish and chips with plenty of salt and vinegar in between visiting shops and watching chain links being made. The following day we took a boat trip into the Dudley Tunnel, had a second visit to the museum along with a portion of chips before heading out to moor in Tipton and have a visit from Heather from NB Bleasdale, followed by a pie at Mad O’Roukes Pie Factory.
The 7th of March saw us descend the Wolverhampton 21, leaving the Birmingham plateau behind us. Blimey we managed to pack a lot into the first ten weeks of the year! Just as well really. Onto the Shroppie where I had my first successes with gluten free sour dough bread, Tilly got to remember life in the countryside and we were treated to Shroppie Sunsets again.
Burgers with the Margees
The recent storms had brought down numerous trees and caused landslips so our progress was a touch slow heading northwards. We had a lovely lunch with Alison and Laura the Margees at Norbury Junction, they were to be our last visitors on board Oleanna for quite sometime.
Passing NB Bessie Surtees on the Tyrley Locks we actually got chance to chat for the first time. A stop to stock up in Market Drayton, we saw our first homemade mask (a pair of y fronts repurposed) and the start of empty shelves in supermarkets with people gleeful to have a twelve pack of toilet roll under their coat.
The Audlem flight was busy with plenty going down and NB Mountbatten coming up, delivering coal as they went. Theatres closed that day and we started to put into practice new ways of working locks hoping to keep ourselves safe. As we socially distanced around the shops in Nantwich people were joking about the virus. We shopped, adapting what we bought to what was available and then got ready for our first Zoom with family on the 21st March.
We stocked up with NB Halsall at Calverley then made our way onto the Middlewich Branch and down Cholmondeston Lock. The following morning (23rd March) we listened to our gut instincts. If lockdown was to happen we’d rather not have to negotiate locks to get to shops or services, so we winded and headed back up Cholmondeston Lock onto the Nantwich pound. Our gut instinct was correct.
Adam and Adrian on NB Briar Rose
The next few days we saw plenty of boats moving, finding places they wanted to spend the coming weeks, heading for home or temporary ones like NB Briar Rose. Jac my sister in law eventually managed to get a flight back from Melbourne where she’d been to celebrate her Mum’s birthday, at last everyone was where they should be.
We tried different moorings out for size as the need to fill with water or get shopping arose. It was also good to keep Tilly moving, both to stop her from getting bored and to help the local wildlife survive.
Our decision to be on the Nantwich pound turned out to be a good one, we ended up mooring at the bottom of Hurleston on the visitor moorings most, this became ‘Home’ for us where we watched spring turn into summer.
Watching the field behind the hedge be ploughed, planted and start to grow. Listening to the Lapwings enjoying the bounty in the potato fields. Getting to know our neighbours at a distance. The wheelie shoppers. The huskies out for their morning walk. The egg farm at the top of the locks. Weekly veg boxes from Nantwich Veg Boxes which we collected for ourselves and NB AreandAre. Supermarket deliveries were sought each week, sometimes only managing click and collect. The sun shone and Tilly had freedom. The coal boats kept us stocked up with fuel and our waterless (composting) toilet took one need to move out of the equation.
By mid-April my design for The Garden had been reimagined into an illustrated audio play. I was to do the illustrations, then they would have audio and some animation added to be available online. Chippy panto started to gear up with the hope that all would be back to normal-ish by the end of November for the show to be mounted.
We winded, went for walks, watched plays on the internet, winded, ate cheese scones, winded again! Tilly ventured further afield, across her field. We had barbeques, brownies and watched the reservoir banks get mown by remote control.
By Mid-May we were allowed to travel, so we hired a car for a day trip to Scarborough to see how our house was after the tenants had lost it during lockdown. In need of some tlc we now made plans for the rest of the year. We would be returning to life on land for a while, but planned on cruising as much as we could before then.
On the 23rd of May the suspension of the 14 day rule was lifted, our ‘home’ mooring was now 48 hours only so it was time to start moving again. Some boats around Hurleston headed off straight away, others remained a full 14 days before pushing off. We spent the next two weeks pootling to the far ends of the pound, Hack Green and Calvereley, the gunnels got a repaint and we said farewell to NB AreandAre who were heading up onto the Llangollen.
Cholmondeston Lock
With a full boat of veg and fruit from Nantwich Veg boxes, a Sainsburys shop and a visit from NB Halsall we were ready and on the 10th June we pushed our ‘home’ mooring away for the last time this year, Calverely was visited for a top up of water a toilet refresh and then we were off, turning onto the Middlewich Branch and descending Cholmondeston Lock, our first lock in 80 days. New gardening gloves became my boaters PPE and worked well, better than sanitising every five minutes.
Across onto the Trent and Mersey where we headed for Bramble Cuttings for a couple of nights. We’d been hoping to be able to drop down onto the Weaver but the Anderton Boat lift was still closed. So instead we winded at Whatcroft flash and headed up the Cheshire Locks hoping to catch Bosley Locks being open for a day to make our way onto the summit pound of the Macclesfield.
Nice Lock
It was nice being back on familiar ground again, although it took a little while to be able to do the Trent and Mersey hurdles over the lockgate beams with ease after sitting still for so long.
Our chairs were brought out onto the towpath to watch the setting sun at Tilly Railings and a barbeque was enjoyed on the Dane Aqueduct as we waited in line for Bosley Locks to open.
Bosley Locks and The Cloud in the background
With a single hander in front and one behind everyone helped out where we could making our passage up the locks a very jolly if hot one that only took 2.5 hours. Over the next ten days or so we pootled our way along the Macclesfield Canal, such a lovely stretch of water and oh those bridges! Still our favourites.
Calling in at Bollington Wharf we had our gas locker lid mended and had a top up of diesel. Foxgloves filled the canal banks and woods, we stopped at favourite spots along the way turning under the snake bridge at Marple onto the Peak Forest Canal at the end of June, heading for Whaley Bridge and Bugsworth Basin.
Saturday 4th July the pubs could re-open, we however went for a walk and waited for our delivery from Sainsburys along with a diesel top up from NB Alton. A batch of cheese scones were made to help us down the Marple flight on the 7th, we were the second boat down and it felt like we were pioneering boats going where no one had gone for months.
A couple of nights at Droylesden Marina saw to the washing pile and to recharge our batteries before we descended into Manchester. Our last narrow lock of the year was to be Ancotes Bottom Lock 1 on the Ashton Flight where we paused for a night at Telford Basin before tackling the Rochdale 9 on our own the following day. Patience and sheer determination got us out of Lock 92 at the bottom and was rewarded with a cheese scone as we made our way out to the Bridgewater Canal and Worsely.
The 14th July saw us rising up the Wigan Flight. We’d made arrangements to share the locks with NB Billy but it was decided by the volunteer lock keepers that they might be over long to share with, so instead we teamed up with John and Lindsey on NB Merganser. With the help of the Wigan Flight crew setting ahead we made good time up the flight, we then slowed down leaving the others to head off ahead of us.
The next few days we found ourselves leapfrogging NB Billy, or should that be hopfrogging? But we finally caught them up at Blackburn to share the locks. Another spectacular sunset was enjoyed by all near Foster Swing Bridge.
We’d planned to take our time along this stretch, but with local lockdowns looking possible in the area we decided to push on. The Burnley Embankment was busy with walkers and not a place to stop so we continued on to the bottom of Barrowford Locks. The following day we were caught up again by NB Billy so we shared the final flight up to the summit with Clare and Pete.
Our sixth anniversary of being fulltime boaters happened to coincide with pulling up at our favourite mooring on the network, the curley wurlys above Bank Newton. The following day the clouds lifted and we got to see the view. A barbecue was just managed before it started to rain.
It wasn’t quite plain sailing down into Skipton as the skipper of NB Amelie ended up in the cut at the bottom of Bank Newton and then we had problems with lock gates and swing bridges. Mick and I had an overnight in Scarborough leaving Tilly in charge and with the magic food bowl primed. On our return to Skipton we were met by two octogenarians leaning out of the upstairs windows of their house waving. We joined Margaret and Robert for a lovely meal, good to see them even if we were a bit nervy being in their company inside.
Sunny weather accompanied us onwards and finally I managed to take the photo I’ve been after for four years, Oleanna coming towards me under Parson’s Bridge. Now we have the matching pair, Lillian going away from us, Oleanna towards.
At Bingley five rise we teamed up with NB Barley to descend with the help of Lock Keeper Clare, carrying on to Saltaire in the sunshine.
A pause in Rodley meant we could meet up with friends Graham and Tracy in their new garden room, very nice to have a good catch up with them. The following day we took the opportunity to have lunch with my cousins Julie and John, our first pub in months.
Meeting up with Jenny and Andy on NB Barley again we shared the locks down into Leeds with them early the next day. A lack of water meant it took an hour to do one pound as water was let down from above, but we made it in the end to Granary Wharf. Shame the lack of water followed us, in fact the basin did a good job of emptying itself overnight. It took quite a few hours before boats had enough water to be afloat again, we all made a hasty exit as soon as we could.
Back into the big locks of the Aire and Calder we motored on to Ferrybridge where now only three of the power station cooling towers remain, a very sad sight.
Down Bank Dole Lock, the slow filler and we headed to Selby. Our trip up the Tidal Ouse was an interesting one a there were SO many trees floating about, we had to try our best to loose them before passing through what few bridges there were. Kingfishers escorted us just about all the way to Naburn which was a real treat. Instead of pulling up in York we decided to head on up to Ripon, we’d spend time in York on our way back, or so we thought!
Above Boroughbridge a familiar boat came into view, NB Billy. This was the last time our bows would cross this year. At Oxclose Lock we had some time for Tilly to explore before heading up into Ripon Basin to meet up with Robert and Margaret again and for Tilly to show off her ability to spot otters.
I’d get it in the neck if I didn’t include a photo!
On our way downstream the river was rising, we stopped off for a meal at The Dawney Arms making the most of the Eat out to Help out deal. Wonderful food and chance to meet up with Kerry the Landlady and hoped that the river level would ease overnight. Fortunately it did and we made our way in to York. We had hoped to meet up with old friends whilst we were in the area, it turned out the only people I got to see where Jaye and Duncan for lunch. Social distancing, rising rivers sadly put paid to seeing other people.
Over the next ten days the river rose twice. On one fall we made it back into York to pick up a supermarket delivery but very quickly headed back to Naburn where we ended up breasting up in a line of four boats tied to the floating pontoon by the water point. Levels didn’t rise so much as to necessitate wellies or waders, but it did put paid to the London Leckenbys joining us for a few days at the nearby campsite. A big disappointment all round.
But on the 31st August levels had dropped sufficiently for us to head back to Selby accompanied by Richard and Heather on NB Isabella, new boat owners. Naburn was their very first lock, Selby was to be their second! It was such a beautiful morning, we led the way but then let them go first when we reached Selby, we were likely to be able to stem the tide better, but they managed the lock with ease.
Lovely to see Bridget and Storm
At West Haddelsey we had a visit from Bridget and Storm, so lovely to see them. We’d planned on being good and sitting out, they’d even brought their own chairs and the camper van for their own toilet. But as it started to rain we bent the rules taking shelter inside Oleanna. This was the day I gave a second phone to the god of the cut.
For a replacement we headed down to Goole, calling in at Viking Marina to check we would have a mooring later in the month. After filling up with cheap diesel we then headed off up toward Doncaster and Sprotbrough where we caught up with Mick’s niece Fran, before returning back onto the Aire and Calder to do maintenance jobs and enjoy our last days onboard.
On the 18th September we pulled into our berth at the marina, finished off the contents of the freezer and started to pack. Two trips in a hire car to Scarborough and we were moved, Tilly joining us the second time.
Back then we imagined we’d be down to Oleanna doing jobs on day trips and by now we’d have had a couple of weeks out on the cut, but this simply wasn’t to be.
Living Room reclaimed
Jobs in the house keep me busy, along with starting work on the postponed Chippy panto. Mick for a while applied for supermarket jobs, hoping to be a delivery driver. The only job he was offered was as a meet and greeter just before Novembers lockdown. We both decided that maybe we’d cope without the money.
Not as low as she got after the breach
Then before Christmas came the news of the Aire and Calder breach. Fortunately plenty of people are keeping an eye on all the boats including Oleanna.
Blimey what a year!
So our vital statistics for the year 2020 according to canal plan are
Total distance is 792 miles, 2 ½ furlong and 339 locks . There are 82 moveable bridges of which 5 are usually left open; 233 small aqueducts or underbridges and 41 tunnels – a total of 19 miles 6 ¾ furlongs underground and 8 major aqueducts.
This is made up of 365 miles, ¼ furlongs of narrow canals; 242 miles, 4 ¾ furlongs of broad canals; 81 miles, 3 ¾ furlongs of commercial waterways; 76 miles, 1 ¾furlongs of small rivers; 0 miles of large rivers; 27 miles of tidal rivers; 202 narrow locks; 118 broad locks; 18 large locks; 1 lock on major waterways.
Sadly with Oleanna’s log book where it should be, onboard, I’m not able to offer up the engine hours, litres of diesel, gas bottle or bags of coal. This year I can’t even work out how many boxes of wine we’ve gone through!
However I can tell you that from one page of journeys on our trip computer, missing out all the journeys in between the start of the page and the end, the total distance travelled would have been 2.25 furlongs. Instead it actually amounted to 56 miles 7.5 furlongs with 19 winds (turning around). This was of course in Lockdown 1. Grand total number of winds this year, 67.
Christmas Day 2020, Scarborough Spa
Here’s hoping that the pandemic calms down, we all get vaccinated and the breach on the Aire and Calder gets sorted so that we can go boating again. After all we didn’t plan to move back on land permanently!
Checking our vital statistics for a years worth of cruising takes a while. We have a trip computer which records almost all our journeys, sometimes it counts locks twice, sometimes it doesn’t quite catch where we reached before we wind. Before we used this method of recording our journeys I would use canal plan to work out our distances. This method can also miss out parts of our journey but it does give me more statistics. You know how I like numbers! How many bridges, how many narrow locks and what distances we travelled on different types of waterways. So inputting a years worth of cruising takes some time.
Anyhow, here is our round up of the year.
The New Year was seen in at Crick. From here we decided to head to Sheffield to have the last snagging jobs done on Oleanna, we were fortunate that the route north was open with no winter stoppages in our way until we reached Yorkshire. Once in the top chamber at Foxton it was going to be downhill all the way to Keadby.
Going down at Foxton
Sadly our blog started to loose it’s photos, which is a great shame. It was a problem shared by many bloggers who were all doing their best to get things working again. Have to say we ended up jumping ship from blogger to wordpress, but posts still lacked their photos when moved. We hope gradually to rectify this by replacing the missing photos, I miss them when looking back. But this will be a long job.
Waiting at Cromwell
During January we cruised down stream on the River Trent, the weather was getting colder the further north we got. Our route was clear but at Keadby the lock off the river was being dredged, so our journey was held up a touch. Then with February came cold nights and the canal at Keadby froze over. So we waited at Cromwell for things to improve.
First go at Gluten free puff pastry for cruising sausage rolls
Daylight hours and tides meant we split our tidal journey at Torksey. The early morning start from Torksey was very cold, so I was very glad I’d knitted us both balaclavas, we remained cosy cheeked for our journey.
Cosy heads
Our journey up towards Sheffield meant we coincided with the bicentenary of the opening of the canal and a very unseasonably warm weekend. The chaps at Finesse replaced a leaking window, gave us a new one (our choice), sorted out our gas locker lid amongst other bits and bobs. It had been a good decision going to Sheffield, it saved them time coming out to us and it saved us money on the extras we’d asked for.
New galley window going in
200 years old
Next we headed for Goole, the lure of cheap diesel and a night away to see our friends Bridget and Storm on the otherside of the Humber was a bonus. We then hunkered down to sit out storms and rising river levels. Our original plan had been to go to York, but flooding put paid to that, so instead we went by train.
Bridget and Storm with their lovely house
Towards the end of March we decided to give a trip up the Ouse another go, the rivers were at better levels and we still haven’t taken Oleanna there. But first Bank Dole lock wouldn’t fill due to silt, then when we reached Selby the Lock onto the Ouse had a fault which would take too much time to mend for us to wait. This was a relief for Tilly as this was where she’d discovered the difference between grass and duck weed and ended up learning to swim a couple of years ago.
Mark came to meet us from York
At the beginning of April we headed to Leeds. From here we had a day trip to Derby Crown Court for the sentencing of our original boat builder (Stillwater) who had finally pleaded guilty for fraud. I also spent a more pleasurable day in London, having a meeting for Puss in Boots.
Derby Crown Court
With panto in mind we planned our cruising for the remainder of the year. The remainder of April we made our way up the Calder and Hebble and onto the Rochdale Canal.
Being a foot shorter it wasn’t as tight as it had been on Lillian
Our friend Frank joined us to do the stretch from Sowerby Bridge to Hebden Bridge, which included the deepest lock n the network, Tuel Lane. He’d not done this stretch back in 2014 when he and I walked from Manchester locking Lillian over the Pennines to get to the Tour de France.
Tuel Lane the deepest on the network
Frank
Once over the top we picked up a boat to share the locks down into Manchester. Clare and Graeme were over from New Zealand for a few months and proved to be very good company.
Mr Blue Sky and Oleanna
On the 1st of May, with the help of a Canal and River Trust volunteer our passage down into Manchester went well. The following day both boats headed down the Rochdale nine with an extra pair of hands from an old college friend of mine, Doug.
Nearly there!
During May we cruised down the Bridgewater and onto the Trent and Mersey Canal gradually heading southwards. A short detour up the Middlewich Branch to look at where the breach had been before we carried on southwards.
Climbing the Cheshire Locks
A pause in the Cheshire Locks meant we got to meet up with Tom and Jan who were over for a visit. For Micks birthday we moored at Barlaston and had a nosy at the wonderful hall on the hill, our plan still stands if any of our family are interested! https://oleanna.co.uk/2019/05/23/the-plan-20th-may/
Tom and Jan
We saw the end of May out mooring at Tixall Wide before rejoining the Trent and Mersey and heading onto Fradley Junction where we joined the Coventry Canal. With Atherstone Locks out of the way I spent time below working whilst we cruised familiar waters on the flat, it might have rained too!
Tixall Wide
A day trip to London from Rugby for us both, me to a seminar for Separate Doors 3 and Mick to catch up with his friend Siobhan who was over from Australia. Continuing down the North Oxford Canal to Braunston where we joined the Grand Union Canal to head to London.
Busy Braunston Locks
A visit to the Royal Ordnance Depot at Weedon meant I bought some lovely yarn to make a cardie for myself (it’s nearly finished!) and caught up with our friend Heather Bleasdale, who just so happened to be moored there as well.
Yummy yarn
Our route then up and down the Grand Union meant we managed to get to see both Mikron shows this year as well as teaming up with the cast and NB Tyseley to climb the locks up to the summit.
Sharing the locks with Tyseley
Tilly was left in charge for a couple of days whilst we headed to Scarborough to check on our house as we had a change of tenants. This meant we got to stay with Jaye and Duncan and catch up on the news from home.
I’d be in trouble if this photo wasn’t on the blog again!
We now pressed on down to London where we booked a mooring in Paddington Basin for a week in early July. This gave us the opportunity to catch with with friends and family before we headed back out west and down the Hanwell flight. I made the front cover of Canal Boat for July.
Mid July we locked out onto the Thames cruising the Tidal section to Teddington. From here we transited to the River Wey, brand new waters for us.
Up onto the Wey
With my final design for panto delivered to Chipping Norton from Guildford we could enjoy our cruising a bit more, despite the soaring temperatures which had us hiding under trees for a couple of days.
Finished!
On the 26th July we ticked off our third point on the compass, reaching Godalming the furthest south you can get on the connected network. On our way back to the Thames we met up with Adam from NB Briar Rose, both he and Tilly got wet that day.
Furthest South
The original plan had been to cruise the Basingstoke Canal whilst we were there, but sadly the levels were too low and the canal closed before we got there, so we spent a while longer on the Wey.
Hampton Court Palace
Onto the Thames where we managed to get a space outside Hampton Court for a couple of days and I discovered the joys of standing in line for some fresh veg. Gradually we made our way up the Thames. Waking early and getting going worked for us as mostly we managed to get moored where we wanted around lunchtime. Three years ago we did from Teddington to Oxford in a week but with a months licence we took our time.
Waterway Routes
No Problem XL
The further upstream we got the quieter the river got, less hustle and bustle. We met up with Paul and Christine (NB Waterway Routes), missed Carol and George (WB Still Rockin), finally got to have a proper conversation with Sue and Vic (WB No Problem XL) as we headed upstream.
Kelmscott Manor
As the rivers bends got tighter, the banks were harder to get up. A mooring by Kelmscott Manor required a rope from the post to help us get on and off the boat, but it was worth it to visit the house.
At the end of the navigable Thames
On the 26th August we winded at the furthest point we could reach on the Thames on Oleanna and started to head back eastwards. Tilly gave one of our moorings a double stamp of approval and stayed out well after dark!
Isis lock, Oxford
An incident with engine coolant nearly stopped us from reaching Oxford to see War Horse. But a nice man from RCR got us going again so we had a narrow lock fix and headed to the show catching up with Matt and Bill for a drink afterwards.
Lovely chaps
Then at the beginning of September we turned off the Thames onto the Kennet and Avon. For the last five years we’ve been meaning to head this way, but for one reason or another it hadn’t happened.
Gangplank land, the K&A
With tales of lack of mooring we kept to rising early hoping we’d get moorings. This mostly worked and wild moorings were very rarely needed, we did still have to use the gang plank every now and again. We only encountered one pound on our westward journey where even the longest plank wouldn’t have helped which meant we had to carry on up a flight with the clock ticking before locks were locked around us.
Over the summit
At Devizes we met an Instagram friend Frankie who’d been working on the flight over the summer. Despite following another boat down the flight we made good time with the help of the volunteers.
The photo of the year, Devizes
Onwards to Bath and Bristol. Here we moored with HMS GB in the background and met up with two of my old school friends for lunch. A big shame we couldn’t stay longer as there was more we wanted to do and see whilst there, we’ll just have to save up for next time as the mooring fees are quite pricey!
In good company
Old school friends
The section between Bath and Bradford upon Avon was our favourite, with the aqueducts and views along with the second deepest lock on the network.
Cornwall
Mick and Tilly got to enjoy it for a week longer than me whilst I headed off to Cornwall to eat gluten free pasties and start painting my panto set for a week.
Pasty
Once I was back we had two weeks to reach Oxford, but the weather had different ideas. What felt like the monsoon season started. There was rain on most days, luckily not the day we did Devizes. We managed to team up with two couples from Bristol on a hire boat, by the time they reached the top of the flight they could work uphill locks with their eyes closed, we left them to master downhill on their return journey.
Tilly enjoying the big trees
Our second low pound struck as we tried to leave Cobblers Lock, Oleanna was sat firmly on the ground and unable to leave the lock until a good flushing of water set her free. The rain actually did me a favour as whilst we sat in Newbury hoping for the Thames to drop I managed to get my model for A Regular Little Houdini finished.
A Regular Little Houdini
At the end of October I headed off to panto land leaving Mick and Tilly a short distance outside Reading, hoping they would be able to get up the Thames in the following week. Our friend Paul came and helped Mick out onto the Thames reaching Goring on their first day. Here Mick and Tilly got to met Carol and George (WB Still Rockin’) who’d been clinging onto the moorings there before heading downstream.
Photo courtesy of Carol WB Still Rockin
Paul returned later in the week and despite the engine overheating and having to deploy the anchor they succeeded in getting to Abingdon where Oleanna had her second visit from RCR. Mick battled on against quite a downstream flow and reached Sandford Lock before tying up. Here the levels rose and fell, the engineer came for a second visit and found lots of crud in our cooling system.
A calm paws on the Thames at Sandford
With the engine in better fettle, Mick nudged his way up towards Oxford and finally made a dash up Osney Lock and onto the canal despite that section still being on red boards. It turns out he’d chosen his moment well as the river has stayed on red boards since then.
Pantotastic
Once I left all the singing dancing and glitter behind and returned to narrowboat life we had to sit out high levels on the Oxford canal and on the River Cherwell. We loitered in Oxford, but as soon as it looked like things were improving we were on our way.
Lakes not meadows
We paused in Banbury for Christmas haircuts and shopping before pulling in for a few days at Cropredy Marina, from where we headed to London for a Sibling get together at my brothers.
Family
Onwards to the top of the Oxford Canal the day the locks reopened and down the other side continuing onwards to Radford Smelly for Christmas.
Christmas
In Warwick we met up with my family and then picked up crew Mike and Chris to help us up the Hatton and Lapworth flights.
Our final visitors of 2019
The last few locks were done on New Years Eve bring us up to the Birmingham level for the new year.
Narnia Lock our last for the year
Quite a busy year. So our vital statistics for 2019
According to Canalplan
Total distance is 1199 miles, ½ furlong and 886 locks . There are 119 moveable bridges of which 22 are usually left open; 139 small aqueducts or underbridges and 20 tunnels – a total of 8 miles 2 ¼ furlongs underground and 8 major aqueducts.
This is made up of 207 miles, 4 furlongs of narrow canals; 399 miles, 5¾ furlongs of broad canals; 102 miles, 5 ¼ furlongs of commercial waterways; 226 miles, 6 ¼ furlongs of small rivers; 212 miles, 5 furlongs of large rivers; 49 miles, 6 ¼ furlongs of tidal rivers; 150 narrow locks; 626 broad locks; 109 large locks; 1 lock on major waterways.
838.2 engine hours
That is 255 miles and 272 locks more than last year! But 246.4 hours less engine running, just goes to show it’s worth having solar panels.
1336.93 litres diesel, 9 (although we’ve got 2 empty now) gas bottles (used for central heating as well as cooking), 6 overnight guests, 6 packs Dreamies, 1 cover cat, 32 friends, 17 Mrs Tilly stamps of approval, 1 double stamp, 5 pairs socks, 3 pairs gloves, 1 baby blanket, 2 shows designed, 1 cover illustration, 5 lots gluten free puff pastry, 9 supermarket deliveries, 39 boxes of wine delivered, 12 bottles of wine delivered.
