Category Archives: Theatre Design

Lining Up The Bucket. 11th September

Cromwell to Torksey

**Beautiful, even if it’s mostly from planes**

Would today be the day when I could upgrade from flip flops to something more substantial on my feet? Some slip resistant crocs made the grade, a cautious put on but after that there is plenty of room around my little toe. In the next few days we’ll see what they are like with socks.

Water filling, breakfast early, clear the cratch to make more room and exchange phone numbers with Steve and Deena on NB Preaux for just in case. An Anglo Welsh boat had pulled up last night, they’d been to walk their dog this morning and their boat name was on the list for passage through Cromwell this morning. Steve looked towards the lock the green light was on it was 7:35, Neil was ready for us. We still had a couple of jobs to do but would be along shortly.

As we pulled in and passed our ropes round the risers Neil asked if there was movement from anyone else, only the dog walker. He wanted to see the crew on the hire boat before hand, so they wouldn’t be joining us. The top gates closed behind the two boats, thumbs up that we were ready, the sluices were lifted and down into the dark of the lock we went.

We’d agreed to go first as we’ve done this stretch maybe four times before. 7:50, off we went, up to our cruising speed, hopeful to reach Torksey in time for there to be sufficient water to get over the cill today. We’d be punching what meager tide there was before it would start to help us and give us a push.

Not sure we’ve seen the weir looking so high before, the tide not up to meet it. A sand bank had birds preening themselves in the morning sunshine, maybe we should have worn shorts and not long trousers!

We followed the red line on our charts, this normally feels a touch overkill, but this morning with the level low it felt important to keep in the channel, sandbanks lurk below. Behind NB Preaux followed, their speed not the same as ours.

Round a couple of bends, we caught another fisherman! Mick put Oleanna into reverse hoping that we’d not been caught too well, the fisherman pulled and wound his line, thankfully it came free.

I maybe should have brought out a pencil to jot notes on our new chart, but the red line was what we needed and we followed it as closely as we could. A glance behind every now and again, NB Preaux coming into view then out again at the next bend.

What a glorious morning, not too hot, not much breeze, blue skies. One look along the river gave us 2 Herons, an Egret, Egyptian Geese and a Kingfisher darting along the edge of the banks.

Cows walked to find tasty morsels silhouetted. Sheep scrambled over rocks preferring the nettles there, hopefully none of them would loose their footing and end up in the river!

A cruiser came past heading to Cromwell, he had a loud hailer and wished us good morning, his wind turbine whizzing round on the bow. He was soon followed by a narrowboat. As always you meet boats on a stretch where you are trying to line up with landmarks. The pylon behind with the white domed windmill ahead. Line the pooh bucket up with it.

Gulls sat on top of marker posts, some having seen better days, now rusting away, few bright white anymore.

At Marnham Boat Club two chaps were tentatively backing a speed boat into the river, would it float before water came over the stern? And just how much effort went into the positioning of that life boy? Under Fledborough Viaduct, navigational notes should be amended here to left or the centre pier, rather than under the graffitti, now almost impossible to see until you are right underneath.

Approaching Dunham Dubbs (is it one B or two?) I got out the new chart showing the recently added markers. A new line to follow up to the bend, then to follow the line of the western overhead wires.

The two new boards needed lining up, but where was the white post ahead of us? Two tractors cut grass, maybe they needed to do a little bit of pruning of a tree, then the post came into view. We lined the posts behind and the pooh bucket on the roof with the post ahead, we knew were we in the channel.

One day we’ll stop at the 48 hour mooring before Dunham Toll Bridge, but not today, the tide was busy going out and we were eager to get to Torksey.

Past Butlers sunken island and great views of Cottam Power Station, the coal fired station now decommissioned (2019). Demolition works have already started on sight this year, the cooling towers and chimney stack will be the last parts to be demolished in 2025. Then according to Wikipedia the sight will become a ‘garden community’ with 1500 houses.

Not far now, a couple of big sweeps of the river before we got to see Jack’s Ferry, time to radio the lock and check if we were in time. He’d just had a call from NB Preaux, they were a little way behind us. We were told there was 3ft and a bit over the cill at the moment, the lock gates would be open ready for us, lights on green. We were to approach with caution and slow our speed right down. If at any time he thought we should abandon then the lights would go to red.

We turned into the cut, one cruiser on the pontoon, plenty of space should we need it. The lights were red, the gates just opening, light went to green. A call on the radio, depth over the cill 3ft, we should be fine as we’re 2ft 6″. Mick slowed us right down, the shallowest point being the cill between the small lock and longer lock chamber. We’d made it, 10:41. Ropes were passed up to the top and now there was a short wait for NB Preaux.

The Lockie gave them a call, but he had the wrong number. They’d told us their draught was 2ft, so they should be fine, but the Lockie had not been able to confirm that with them. As they approached they slowed right down and were told to pass a line round a riser in the longer chamber under the road bridge. Once we were all settled the gates were closed and the lock started to fill. Thumbs up from Steve and Deena, what a wonderful cruise it had been.

A pause to dispose of rubbish for us and then we sauntered on to the 3 day moorings, NB Preaux carrying on to explore further. Once we’d tied up, the rules were recited to Tilly who was FAR too excited to listen. 6 what?!! Wow!! See ya!

**Torksey Lock and Cottam Power Station behind us**

An early lunch, well we’d had breakfast far too early. Then a quiet afternoon. Phone signal not the best unless you stand on the bank or resort to Whatsap. I had a catch up call with Gemma from Panto, still waiting to hear back about the cloths and printing, I’d sent an email first thing, but now with poor signal it was hard to follow it up.

Another Denzil Washington film this afternoon Inside Man (2006). A bank heist with a difference, Denzil a NYPD hostage negotiator and items locked away in safety deposit boxes. Only problem was that our internet signal was patchy too, so it took a long time to watch it. As the afternoon progressed rain set in, we closed up the covers and settled down.

2 locks, 16.9 miles, 1 right, 2 boats not 4, 1 fisherman nearly caught, 1 bright sunny day, 2 new markers, 2 upstream boats, 3 ft, 2ft 10, 2 boats onto the Fossdyke, 6 hours, 5th sock finished, 6th started, 1 happy cat, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

https://goo.gl/maps/6vZAUh4qTHoo8tf89

Carrying On. 4th September

Sainsburys, Nothingham

The decision was made early on to stay put for the day, a day with my foot up would be wise. Yes I can take Oleanna through the locks whilst Mick works them, but when we reach the river I’m not confident that I’ll be able to get a rope around a cleat on a pontoon whilst I hobble around. Most of the locks, we are hoping, will have keepers on duty on the Trent. But at Meadow Lane it’s very unlikely, we’ve certainly never seen one there.

So it was a day of listening to a phone ringing across the way, boats passing, a touch of work and hearing from our lodgers that the new sim card we sent them had deteriorated over the weekend to worse than the previous one! Fiber is on the cards but won’t be installed for at least another month!

Mick cooked us a breakfast, I’m sure there must have been some vitamin C in there somewhere! Then we enjoyed sitting in the shade until the sun came overhead late afternoon.

Mick went to check the mooring sign which says 48 hours 130m to each side. We were definitely within that. A chap sat on the grass nearby struck up a conversation with Mick, he’d been to rescue a boat that had been stolen and had all it’s windows smashed. The chap said he’d lived in Nottingham for five years and never noticed the 48 hour mooring sign. I suspect he’d never looked for it! We should have moved up, but overstaying for a day because of a broken toe, we’d chance it.

Seven requests have come in for a pair of socks. The needles came out, yarns auditioned, 24 stitches cast on, increased to 52. The tv went on, what film could I watch? When I broke my ankle I worked my way through a box set of Alfred Hitchcock films, today I’d make do with Film 4. Sid James and Hatty Jacques, can you guess the film? Very much of it’s time, 1963.

Then followed a WW2 film with Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard, Von Ryan’s Express. Mick joined me to watch this one. Prisoners of war, a train chase, explosions, planes, vicars impersonating German officers, also very much of it’s time 1965.

Time for a shower. We’d been told to replace the strapping on my toes after a shower. Mick carefully cut away the existing tape, ow! Only a slight amount of bruising, why do I never get dramatic bruises? I got to see the position of my toe for the first time since it had been adjusted. Not quite how it used to be, but it certainly was better.

By the end of the day I’d knitted a hole sock, my bum was aching, a pillow required for long sits on our sofa, Mick had learnt how to make pork stroganoff (a version of). I’d kept an eye on my toes whilst hobbling about, apart from one time! And Tilly spent the day either being a long cat or shouting at the back doors!

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 cooked breakfast, 1 recorded parcel not recognised! size 6 vibrant, 1 Sid, 1 Hatty, 1 Frank, 1 Trevor, 1 train chase to Switzerland, 1 sock, 1 painful toe tap.

Muller Or Ski? 2nd September

Beeston to Sainsburys, Nottingham

A walk into Beeston this morning to post the design for one of my cloths to Promptside. I’ve been in contact with Peter regarding the scan of my artwork and it may be that layering up leaves hasn’t helped, a scanner focuses on one level. He suggested I send him some artwork and they will do a test print. If it turns out rubbish then I will have to re-do the model of the cloths and portals. But if anyone can get the print to work it will be them, fingers crossed.

I passed a mural on my way, depicting the Canary Girls of WW1 who worked at the National Shell Filling Factory in Chilwell. During the war it filled 19 million shells with high explosives. On the 1st of July 1918 eight tons of TNT exploded destroying a sustantial part of the factory and killing 134 people of whom only 32 could be identified, another 250 were injured. The following day the factory was up and running again.

On my way back I walked along Humber Road wondering why it was called thus as it’s quite a long way from the Humber Estuary. Then a rather nice looking building came into view. Now a dance and fitness studio it had the look of a posh garage.

Circular motifs were on the walls with men walking round in circles. Then I spotted a blue plaque. This is where Thomas Humber the engineer made bicycles, motorcycles and cars before moving to Coventry, his factory opening in 1880. In 1868 he had developed a safety bike where the pedals drove the rear wheel. He then produced his Spider Bicycle an early form of ordinary bicycle, Penny Farthing. By 1892 he was employing 1200 people at the Beeston works and when he branched out into motorcar production it rose to 1800.

Time to move on. We rolled up the covers and pushed off from our tight mooring.

Each time we come through Nottingham we feel that there are more and more moored boats. Today this was most certainly true. Little communities of cruisers have grown up along stretches of the canal. One chap was busy doing his washing, his twin tub powered from a genny. We wondered what a collection of cruisers would be called? Maybe a Muller or a Ski of Cruisers.

Castle Marina is still in the process of replacing it’s pontoons, but there seem to be more boats in residence than there were in January when we last came through. We pulled up just past the main entrance through to Sainsburys and managed to find suitable rings to tie to.

A restock shop was required and with the weather set to get warmer again we had another look for a barbeque. Only the disposable ones were available, but we did managed to pick up some kindling for when we next light the stove. The shopping trolley accompanied us back to Oleanna and everything was stowed away. By now it was quite late in the day so we decided to stay put for the night much to Tilly’s dismay as she is still grounded.

**This chap had a drum and cymbals on his extended bike**

0 locks, 3.2 miles, 1 cloth on it’s way, 4 miles walked, 0 shore leave, 2 boxes wine, 2 much christmas, 0 bbq, 1 fridge stocked up.

https://goo.gl/maps/wK5j8J9KruPDkwun8

Going Down Kegworth. 30th August

Zouch Lock to between Kegworth Marine and Radcliffe Bridge 46

Coats were required when we pushed off this morning. Two boats had just come past heading southwards and as we rolled the covers up one headed towards Zouch lock, we had ourselves a locking partner.

The chap with the boat asked straight away how far we’d be going today, ‘We’re definitely going down Kegworth Deep Lock today’. Then the lady at the lock asked the same, my reply was the same too. After that we’d then see, we’re not in a rush to get anywhere so if we saw somewhere good to stop then we would. This sounded good to our partners.

The lock was surprisingly half full, the reason soon became obvious a paddle had been left partly up at the bottom end, it still took quite sometime to fill. A C&RT chap arrived with windlass in hand he’d come to help a crane boat up the lock, he ended up being a handy extra bum to push the top gates open.

Below the crane boat appeared, Pride of Sherwood, you can tell we’re getting closer to Nottingham now. We exited and the crane boat squeezed into the lock only a few inches to spare on the width, most probably length wise too.

Time to add waterproof trousers to the mix. Thankfully soon blue skies were ahead of us and dark grey behind. We’d considered moving down to one of the moorings shown on Waterway Routes yesterday, but with the flight path directly overhead for East Midlands Airport we’d decided against it.

The first glimpse of the cooling towers at Ratcliffe on Soar power station, NB Somewhere Else had a good mooring for the view.

Shortly before Kegworth Deep (New) Lock as the weir stream moves to the west you get a view of a fine house. Stone work and brick suggest the building has had several lives and scaffolding on the far end suggests a new roof was happening.

It took a while for me to find information about the house, The Hermitage. It was sold last year and I found several articles in local newspapers from when it went on the market. Each one suggested a different asking price ranging from £2,000,000 down to £1,500,000, quite a big difference only over the space of a couple of weeks. I wonder what it sold for in the end.

Back in the 16th C the house was used as a religious retreat for church dignitaries travelling between Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. The property was owned by the Parr family and used as a hunting box, Catherine Parr (Henry VIII wife) never lived here but it is thought that she’d have visited. Bay windows were added in Victorian days and an extension was added in the 20th C.

There are gardens of all kinds, rose, water in the 5 acre grounds. Eight bedrooms, 2 pantries, a wine cellar, a beer room, quite a house and somewhere mentioned a boat room!

More details here and photos inside. https://alto-live.s3.amazonaws.com/z_IcaADIjwbX0Gg7FTWCHHXJVK0/CbwyhoDNHGVaV3SsdWHJbn_TtCw/Brochure/[0]/zawPywL1gkyKv_dyF2nsSg.pdf

Our partners slowed as they came round the bend to the top of Kegworth Deep Lock a boat was just exiting, we swapped positions and were helped down by a cruiser that was waiting below. In a couple of weeks the lock will be having some remedial work done to one of the paddles, a notice has been in existence for the lock for a couple of months now. Despite the notice all paddles worked, stiff but that’s only to be expected on such a deep lock.

We followed through Kegworth Shallow Flood Lock and then pulled in at Kegworth Marine. A gas bottle had run out last night. If we hadn’t filled with diesel we’d have topped up here £1 a litre, but you have to pay cash. We cobbled together enough cash for a couple of bags of coal too and chatted away to the chap. We’d arrived just in time as they were closing up for the day to do some grit blasting.

Onwards, what would a mooring be like that we’d got our eyes on? Round a couple more kinks and there it was, high up but accessible. We pulled in, a nappy pin at the stern, but at the bow this wasn’t possible the armco having a solid top to it so no gaps, spikes were brought out and hammered in.

Tilly was given five hours, we didn’t see her for quite a while. Thigfs ogtsdies gd, i sorldt hevos a Thissy stbieo od aprooel! Another day of her talking with her mouth full!

This afternoon I sent an email to the chap who knows what he’s doing regarding printing for scenery. I explained how I’d made my model and was concerned that I’ve shot myself in the foot by making it as a collage. He agreed that a scanner only focuses on one level, but suggested I send in a piece of model and he’ll do a test print. I’m so hoping he can find a way of making it work, otherwise I’ll have to repaint everything flat for the cloths to be printed. It took ages to do the original! Fingers crossed.

Late afternoon I had a catch up chat with Jo the props maker, she’s been doing woodwork, making trick boxes and working out mechanisms for collapsing chairs.

2 locks, 1 flood lock, 4 miles, 40kg coal, 1 gas bottle, 1 cat evicted, £500,000 difference, 1 high mooring, 55cm a touch too wide, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

https://goo.gl/maps/poW36n2wnafnnawe7

Cadburys Take Em… 21st August

Ellis’s Bridge 86 to Gees Lock 36

A boat! NB Golden Eagle passed us heading towards Leicester, would they be stopping at Kilby Bridge services or carrying on? It’s a rare thing to see a moving boat round here at the moment, I suspect that will change tomorrow. We moved up to the services ourselves and topped up with water, disposed of rubbish and Tilly got a fresh pooh box, no sign of NB Golden Eagle.

Up to Kilby Lock, set against us as we knew it would be. As we made our way to the next lock a C&RT chap was walking the towpath with a keb (a rake with bent ends used to clear bywashes and remove reeds from the canal. He shouted across to us that there were paddles up at the next lock, he was running water down to a low pound. Once he was out of view we then asked ourselves should we leave the paddles up, or leave them down at the next lock. A touch of a moral dilemma for a boater, it feels wrong to leave a pound emptying itself with no-one watching. But once Oleanna was down I went back and lifted a top paddle, we’d possibly be grateful for the extra water further ahead.

Below Ervin’s Lock a group of lads were noisily fishing, they weren’t doing so well. I remembered that I hadn’t locked the front door, a thing we do when in built up areas and going through locks, you just never know. Below the lock was the low pound, the bywash gushing forth into it from above. Blimey it was slow going! We remembered this from four years ago, the really shallow pound, at least it gives you time to appreciate peoples back gardens.

A house for sale, no end of garden mooring, wonder if you could persuade your two neighbours (and C&RT) to let you moor across their gardens? A slightly disturbing giant gnome, nowhere near as good as Monty (Neighbourhood Watch by Alan Ayckbourn). This gnome looked as if someone had been wrapped in fibreglass to create it.

I think it was Whetstone Lock that was finally in our favour, a boat moored above a short distance must have recently come up, it made a change from having to close gates and fill it. At the bottom gates I found myself standing in a squirrels left overs, a carpet of cracked hazelnut shells covering the ground, not many nuts left in the canopy.

As we turned the big bend at Glen Parva we hoped for a space to pull in. NB Ragamuffin sat at one end of the mooring, a fisherman the other. Maybe we’d have been able to squeeze in but it would have been really quite cosy. We decided to carry on a few more options available ahead.

Gees Lock, empty with a bottom gate open. I walked down to close it and start filling the lock. Mick followed but didn’t lift a paddle as I expected. He was suggesting to moor up on the lock landing, it was a long one and we could tuck ourselves at the far end, after all there’s hardly any traffic about if any. This we did knowing we’d be moving first thing.

Still quite a busy towpath, but Tilly made good use of it. One boat came past making use of that closed gate and letting it swing back open as they left. Oh well, I’ve closed it once I can do it again.

**99% plastic garden, 1 dying plant in a corner**

Our friend Chris on NB Elektra got in touch this morning regarding my printing problems for panto. He was willing to have a go at improving the image with various programs he has. Many thanks to him for his hours tinkering away, they are an improvement. However it could be that I’ve shot myself in the foot with my original artwork, a collage may not be the best thing to scan to be enlarged. 0.5mm depth between layers may not be helping. Maybe a really good photograph would be better? Maybe I just need to have a chat with Peter, the man who deals with such things all the time, only tricksy thing is we’d not been planning for his company to print everything.

At midday a notice came through about the leak on the Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

A leak has occurred close to the M18 Bridge and it affecting a section of towpath between M18 Bridge running parallel to East Ings Road track at Thorne. The team are working to repair the leak as soon as possible. The navigation is currently open and but this section of towpath above the leak will be closed until the repair is carried out. During the afternoon photos of a tug and skip filled with clay were posted on facebook, presumably heading towards Thorne. Fingers crossed they get the leak bunged up quickly.

Another notice came through regarding the Chesterfield Canal.

Low rainfall and diminishing reservoir levels mean we have no option but to close the Chesterfield Canal from Boundary Lock 41 upstream, as we are unable to provide enough water to accommodate boat movements. The closure will commence on Friday 1st September. We’d been thinking of heading that way, but with the best part of the canal closed we’ll leave it for another time.

6 locks, 4.4 miles, 1 giant gnome, 1 low pound, 1 dilema, 2 moving boats, 565783 hazelnuts, 0 covered in chocolate, 2 notices, 40 tonnes of clay! 1 closure, 1 plan changing, 1 phone call needed, 1 more Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

https://goo.gl/maps/nbYVXU2kfnXiNEGLA

Timeshare Mooring. 18th August

Union Wharf to between Bridges 8 and 9 Market Harborough Arm

Mick had checked his weather app and rain would be with us at midday. The rain begged to differ and arrived at around 9:30am. Oh well, there was that phone call to make to the printers. Scott was helpful whilst not being as helpful as I’d hoped. Basically the print I received was the best they could do. A higher resolution scan of my model would do better, but it seems that most printers no longer do scanning, the majority of clients handing over their work in digital format. Enlarging to 25 times is a specialist job. He’s hoping he can help, he went away with questions to ask, I went away with places to find who’d be able to scan to a much higher resolution.

A hunt round google gave me many places that scan documents and images 1200/2400 dpi. I think I’d need to scan my model to about 9600 dpi! I passed the information on to John to keep him in the loop, the jury is still out. The best solution to this would be for me to paint the portals, guaranteed to get the best result. Next would be the company we’ll be using to print the cloths, they would be £1500 more, now we know why. I’ll see if I can find somewhere on our route to scan the model, get another sample. Thank goodness we don’t need it next week!

One good thing about the emails this morning was that I found out that the set builders had been given the green light, something that it would have been nice to know!

With the rain getting less wet we set off with the brompton and headed down into town to do a big shop. A pause to look in at the hardware shop. Wilkos, several people buying Christmas trees, we don’t need any lights after our purchase for the flotilla last year. The market looked inviting, but nothing grabbed me. So into Sainsburys for a stock up to last us to Leicester.

After lunch we pushed off, winding in Union Wharf Basin hire boats about to set off. We immediately pulled back in to empty our yellow water tank, the hire boat overtaking us. However just round the bend they were being shown how to pull in, so we overtook them and carried on out of town, our aim to find Tilly a suitable mooring for a few hours before dingding time.

The back gardens are large and pretty. One yesterday was having the grass cut by a robot, we wonder does it have to cut the grass every other day so as to keep on top of it. Maybe we should get one for the house, then the garden would look after itself, well the grass would. Wonder what a robot would make of cat poo in the middle of a lawn though?

The towpath workers had packed up for the weekend. The bucket from a digger left so diesel theft would be hard.

A cormorant dived and fished, two mouthfuls of silver wriggling fish swallowed as we passed. A Kingfisher started to escort us along a wooded stretch, only to be bombed by a bird of prey. Diversionary tactics employed and it darted back past us to give the now following hireres a flash of electric blue.

They were now hot on our heals, we pulled over to let them pass. They’d hoped we’d work the swing bridge ahead. Instead we decided to pull in for the day, a gap between us and a sign warning of a boat cat roaming. The cat’s owner soon walked by, his cat was likely to venture as far as us, but tends not to go out until dark. Between the two cats we’d found a timeshare mooring, Tilly would be in (we hoped) long before dark.

Time to tidy things away. The unruly pile of stuff on the dinette was all put back where it belonged, under the seat of the dinette, in the office cupboard, the cat proof cupboard got a tidy and things slotted in there too. Drawing pens, watercolours and sketch book still accessible. The corner of the dinette reclaimed. What a lovely feeling.

0 locks, 2.9 miles, 1 wind, 1200 not enough, 2 boxes wine, 0 christmas trees, 4 bags on a bike, 1 wet morning, 1 robotic lawn mower, 1 speedy boat, 2 cats timeshare, 2 pizzas, 1 green light for the build, 1 booking made for North Lock.

https://goo.gl/maps/d3EeG1kU7UJjW5oN9

Left This Time Please. 16th August

Avon Aqueduct to Bungalow Bridge 59

Finally the new quote for building panto was added into the other numbers that make up the budget. Bang on, with no contingency and me unconvinced about the printing. A few emails back and forth, one pot of money identified that could be raided, another possibility, but a couple of things missed off the budget. It’s all so frustrating!!

I need to chat to the print man but unless something has changed along the summit pound in the last few years phone signal was going to get worse not better. Our first trip along the summit was on a hire boat many years ago when my Dad went missing with his warden call button. Messages from the neighbours were intermittent, his car was in the drive, search parties about to walk the fields, us several days away from the hire base in Rugby not able to do anything. Thankfully he turned up fine, think he’d gone out for lunch with a friend who’d picked him up and he’d taken his warden call button with him by accident. So I’m well aware of poor signal towards Foxton. In the end I decided there was little I could do about this today other than answer emails.

A wave to NB Panda as we cruised past North Kilworth, then tunnel mode was engaged, into Husbands Bosworth Tunnel. We were following one and passed another, thankfully the tunnel wasn’t too wet.

Soon views to one side or the other appear. We once spent a November here and tried to find a suitable mooring for Bonfire Night to overlook Market Harborough to watch the fireworks. No suitable mooring showed itself before dark. Today distinct signs of autumn showed in the trees, berries reddening in the hedgerows. This stretch normally has a very good show of berries.

Cows in the fields, sunny sunny day. The scary trees didn’t feel quite as perilous today, maybe the most perilous have lost their fight against gravity in the last few years.

We pulled in short of a long line of boats before bridge 60. Here Tilly could explore without too much footfall from gongoozlers towards Foxton Locks. The solar was good, yet we still needed a short top up with the engine before 8pm to keep us going all night.

The afternoon was spent doing sketches of props and logos for panto. All jobs that would normally get left a while longer, but I’m wanting to pack away my work things, so ticking jobs off the little list was good. I’d been hoping by the end of the afternoon the budget for panto would be signed off. 6pm came, the emails stopped, people were headed for holidays.

During the day an updated notice regarding North Lock in Leicester came through from C&RT.

Following yesterday’s assessment of North Lock, it remains unsafe for boaters to operate unassisted. We will therefore be offering assisted passage to boaters on a Tuesday and Friday between 1pm and 3pm from Tuesday 22nd August 2023.

We’d passed two boats earlier that had turned round because of this. For us we are happy to wait for one of the days with assisted passage. Stories of four hours being stuck in the lock, Spanish Windlasses and six/seven people needed to encourage the gates to open have been heard. We’ll let C&RT do that bit for us.

**Chicken spring rolls and fried rice Click the photo for recipe**

Tonight we had chicken spring rolls again with fried rice. I’ll try to find the time to do the recipe as I think it’s a keeper.

Today the panto cast has been announced, two familiar faces amongst them from Puss in Boots.

0 locks, 7 miles, 1 left, 1 tunnel, 1 passed, 0 mysterons, 0 contingency, 2 user sign in confusing things, 3 logos, 1 beast, 6pm deadline missed, 1 designer sat in budget limbo, 5 hours! 1 sunny day, 1 towpath filling up with boats, 1 panto cast announced.

https://goo.gl/maps/nHR7ertp5YYqSGP26

It’s All Downhill. 15th August

Welford Lock to River Avon Aqueduct

A busy day that was taken over by Panto again.

An email from the set builders with new prices, a request for one more drawing to make marking out of some archways easier (don’t know why I didn’t do this already!). Props questions answered and references found for Jo. Answers to questions back from Chippy. A possible solution for the clocks.

Then the people making our new windows got in touch wanting us to check through the details. Good job I was in work mode and took the time to have a good look at the drawings they’d sent. One window was drawn at a foot taller than the basic measurements I’d done in February and the paint finishes needed adjusting. But all good now.

After a frankfurter filled lunch it was time to head to the Post Office to see if my sample had arrived. It had! Far bigger than I’d expected as the lady handed it over. I rushed back to Oleanna to take a look.

Well what a disappointment! Blurry, the colours not as vivid. I laid my model on top. There are several factors that may have affected the print, the main one is the scan that was used. Here on Oleanna my scanner/printer can go up to 1200 dpi and this will not be enough, but I did expect to still be able to see my brush marks on the banana palms. They could also have used the wrong file. They maybe thought it didn’t need to be as detailed as I wanted it to check colour matching, however the colours aren’t right for that either! The sample turns out to have been a waste of time, thank goodness it didn’t cost us £200.

A phone call is required to reassure me that they can print the portals to show off all the hard work I put into them. If they can’t it may be that I end up having to paint them!

Now anyone who has visited Welford will know how appalling it is for phone signal, two chaps were sat in Pocket Park earlier today talking to people on their phones about the lack of signal in the area. We decided to move to try to improve this.

Just one problem, Tilly thought it was a frankfurter day! She was close by, but in fruit cake mode! Barmy barmy fruit cake mode! We tried making ourselves look very interesting, No I’m busy! I tried playing stick, I’d rather roll around thanks! Rugby tackle, you can’t get me! What we really needed was a dog walker, but none came. We went inside with doors open front and back, you’re boring!!!

A lady and woofer walked past, how had Tilly avoided them? She was on the roof. Na na you won’t catch me!…… Oh!!! You did! With Tilly safely inside not outside we could finally move off.

Welford Lock, then all down hill for quite a while. We’d hoped to be able to cross the Pennines again this summer and catch up with people around Stoke, but sadly stoppages have put us off that idea. Having said that there is a new stoppage ahead of us in Leicester which may slow our progress somewhat, or we may have to speed up to go through on an assisted passage, we’re waiting to hear the latest from C&RT.

We pootled back to the junction. A phone call between us suggested signal had improved. Here we’d be wanting to turn right, but there was a mooring on the aqueduct available to our left. We winded and then reversed to pull in by some rings. A second outside for Tilly today.

The drawing board came back onto the dinette table and radii (radiuses) were added to a new drawing of archways. Mick called his friend Chris, who’s just turned round due to the Rochdale 9 being closed, unfortunately our phone signal still isn’t great.

Gone 6pm it was Tilly’s dingding time. Or time for me to be a mad cat woman calling for her cat along a line of moored boats. I called. Put our dinner on to cook. Called some more. Did some more chopping up. Called some more.

**Could one of these be the mystery bench?!**

Then up popped Tilly with a friend in tow. Well I’d gone to see who was winning at Pooh Sticks on the River Avon and needed some assistance!

The combines are busy again tonight, thankfully moving to a different field at around 11pm.

**Halloumi, Beetroot and Quinoa Salad. Not quite ready for a recipe share**

1 lock, 1.4 miles, 200 yards in reverse, 1 wind, 1 pointless sample, 1 bag of carrots, 1 quinoa halloumi beetroot salad, 2 outsides, 5 frankfurters, 1 clock solution, 1 shadow alien, 1 possible mystery bench, 1 loony fruit cake, 1500 not 1200, 14 cream not white, 2 sticks, 1 friend, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

https://goo.gl/maps/LjcPDXVdS5Z8mX1V7

Polish And A Pootle. 13th August

Welford

Tea in bed and no plans on venturing far today. We managed breakfast before joining the Geraghty zoom, subjects included ants (a recurring topic), 3 cranes, wrestling, puppetgate and season tickets.

We pottered away the morning as did Lizzie on NB Panda whilst Tilly kept herself busy in the friendly cover. The ivy twitching every now and again kept her on her toes.

Lizzie started to give Panda a wash, followed by some polish. I got on with giving the new bits of model a lick of paint and glitz. I’m hoping that any time now I get the thumbs up that we are in budget on panto so I know I can put my model making things away for good, rather than having to dismantle one end of the dinette to get a couple of things out time after time.

So many boats came past, a mass exodus in the morning, then the next batch of hopeful moorers arriving. At one point there was a short boat heading towards the basin, another following behind (keeping themselves back) as another came from the basin. This down hill boat kept going, no reducing it’s speed as the short boat was trying to pull into the offside and step off to pull themselves out of the way. The wind caught their bow which headed for the gap between us and the boat behind, all the time the downhill boat carried on ploughing on, comments of ‘Doesn’t he know you pass on the right!’ This chaps wife suggested he stop and wait, thankfully he did as he was told otherwise there’d have been carnage in Welford.

We’d offered to help Lizzie back down the lock and because of the wind Mick also offered for us to stay onboard and help her moor when she got back to North Kilworth Marina, extra hands on ropes may come in handy.

So once the second coat of polish on the port side had been polished off Panda Lizzie took her to wind and we headed to the lock. We managed to swap with an uphill boat so could leave the gates. With all three of us on Pandas stern it was quite cosy. As navigator I gave directions and beeped the horn when we arrived at the junction and the entrance to the marina. Of course here there was little wind and Lizzie chose to back into her spot so that the starboard side could have a wash and polish next time she visits. All this washing and polishing puts us to shame, but then Oleanna has cruised over 600 miles this year with many more still to come. One day the lid on the bottle of polish will get cracked open after at least two years onboard.

North Kilworth has a nice layout to it. Access roads weave around the basins with plenty of shrubs breaking up the view and wind. We spotted several boats that had been out for the weekend and at least one widebeam!

Lizzie gave us a lift back to Welford there’s already a date in the diary for next year when we hope to meet up whether it’s by boat or not.

Roast chicken for us tonight.

Brian from NB Harnser has been concerned that one of us would forget to switch our Nebolink on to record our journeys. Well it turns out that yesterday I ended up turning it off twice, therefore turning it back on. So overnight Oleanna’s progress has been recording none stop, eventually as she hadn’t moved after an age I received a report and map of where she’d been. What a lot of blue!

Another aside. Well done to those boats who made it to the gathering in Birmingham today. If we’d been heading northward on the west side of the country we’d most certainly have been there with you all. NB Freespirit had their stern in view on the local news last night.

If you’d like to sign the petition showing your support for Fund Britains Waterways here is a link.

1 lock for Panda, 2 milesish for Panda, 2 rights 1 left for Panda, 0 miles for Oleanna, 2 coats polish, 6 hours! 1 annoying woofer, 1 bratwurst day, 4 model pieces painted, 1 roast chicken, 1 lovely weekend with boaty friends.

The Wasp…The Next Generation. 11th August

Crack’s Hill to Houdini’s Field

We tootled along, passing the boat in bits in the field, surely by now there’s no hope for this, it’s been there as long as we can remember admittedly in slightly different positions.

The summit pound takes big wiggles and bends to make it’s way northwards. From our mooring last night to our planned mooring today I think you could cut the distance at least in half if you could go in a straight line. But follow the contours we must.

As we approached Yelvertoft Marina I thought I recognised the pram cover on the stern of NB Lillyanne our old boat, not much further on and it was confirmed by her yellow cabin sides glowing from her mooring, the purple coach lines now very faded. Today we weren’t just going to pass by, we turned into the marina, a top up of diesel required.

As we got through the narrow entrance I spotted that the boat moored alongside Lillian (NB Lillyanne) was called NB Blackbird! Well what are the odds of that? When we first bought Lillian our friends Bridget and Storm were living on their boat NB Blackbird. Our two boats cruised together when we left Crick back in 2014, the yellow and black boats known as The Wasp. Of course this Blackbird is a different boat, but we’re pleased Lillian has a suitable friend next door.

**Glad to hear Tim and Elizabeth are still her owners**

Yelvertoft insist that you declare a percentage on diesel, Mick declared 10% propulsion. We have to run our engine a lot more at the moment, even after a good days cruise we need the batteries to be at least 90% charge at 8pm to keep the fridge and freezer going overnight.

Back out onto the cut, waving goodbye to Lillian once more we pootled along. The armco at Yelvertoft water point still sticks out ready to help scrap your gunnels ready for painting. This way then that, I wonder if anyone ever found our lost broom that was blown off the roof. That’s the bridge where I hobbled to a hire car for a check up with my broken ankle. All very familiar territory.

As we came through the wooded section towards Bridge 27 we could see the mooring we were after was available. Houdini’s field the bench end. We pulled in making use of the rings and not our nappy pins. Tilly was given a good 6 hours of towpath exploration. Then we took cover inside, happy to move up for the right boat. Several boats went past, none of them stopping further along where there was a large gap in the moorings.

About an hour after we’d arrived the right boat did arrive. We pulled Oleanna along making space for them. NB Cleddau with Ken and Sue. Should they head to wind now or tomorrow? They decided to stay put keeping hold of the mooring. Last summer we’d spent quite a bit of time with Ken and Sue on the Great Ouse and River Nene, so it was lovely to manage to meet up again.

As we stood on the towpath hearing of their plumbing problems Tilly came out from the hedge, saw that there were new people to be wary of. She immediately headed straight for the bow of Cleddau, jumped into the welldeck and inside. Hey hang on! Who’s changed the inside whilst I was inside?!?! Our hotbox isn’t there! Where’s transgender mouse? Sue stepped onboard and Tilly made a quick exit. Putting two and two together, Tilly had followed her nose, the bow of Cleddau now where our side hatch or stern had been when she’d last been on the towpath. She and Tom could have at least have called me when they were moving the outside with me in it!!!!

An afternoon of props lists for panto going back and forth, making sure I knew how John saw various things. Saws with ribbons, 6ft or 10ft, who is making what. There are various items that I’m surprised the costume department are taking on rather than leaving them to Jo. A bit more reference of Columbian Farmers was needed.

I heard that a sample has been printed, where should it be sent to? That old thing a postal address whilst on a boat constantly moving. If it had been a couple of days ago it would have been easy, but now. I tried calling Crick Post Office, they have always been very helpful with post there, but I didn’t want to presume that was still the case. I knew I should have asked out of interest yesterday when I was there.

I then tried calling the Post Office at Welford, a lady answered the phone. They definitely did Post Restante, she seemed a bit bewildered that I was asking, but it’s best to check. I’m not sure if I got the details to the printers in time for the post today, fingers crossed it will be waiting for me and we won’t have to wait for it.

Drinks on the terrace were enjoyed with Ken and Sue, followed by us all sitting out to eat enjoying the warm evening and a few glasses of wine. All of a sudden it was as if someone had turned the lights out, it had gone dark! Time to pack everything away and retire into our boats, torches required to make sure we’d found everything.

What a lovely evening.

If you’d like to support Fund Britains Waterways please sign the petition. Link here

0 locks, 4.4 miles, there’s only 1 yellow, 1 wasp, 53.7 litres, 10%, 1 right, 1 left, 1 wind, 1 right boat, 1 mooring with a bench, 2 insides, 1 pooped cat, 4 glasses of Pimms, 8 glasses wine, 1 very pleasant evening, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

PS The house boat with the crane was left over from Crick Boat show it has now been sold. According to Ken and Sue it is headed to Brighton.

https://goo.gl/maps/CwpRm3nTMmg2Nheg8

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna