Category Archives: Theatre

Panto Postcard 4

42 hours

Another hard week, but there was time for a bit of socialising.

After spending several hours on Sunday hunting around Oxford for various bits and bobs, then printing off lettering, it didn’t really feel like I’d had a day off. In fact since rehearsals started I think I may have only managed one day off, however I finished work at 2.30am on that day and most probably did some knitting too for the show!

I was first on the bus in Oxford and last off when it reached Chippy and as soon as I was back in the theatre there were things to be getting on with. The crew were meant to be rehearsing the scene changes before the actors arrived to work various bits, but they seemed to have found other things to do instead which didn’t bode well for the dress rehearsal in the evening. More things were finished off, parts of the show were worked on by the cast and all looked pretty good in time for the dress which was to be photographed.

You would think that dress rehearsals should improve each time you do one, in an ideal world they should. But there is also a chance that things can go wrong, better in a dress than a performance. This dress was one of the latter! When going from a restaurant scene to the interior of a pyramid and only having 3 mins 45 to do it, everything needs to be just so backstage and everyone ready. On Saturday the crew had laid off parts of the set for me to work on, Monday morning these should have been reset for the dress, but two large flats had ended up being the wrong way round. With an audience of ushers in watching we had to wait several minutes before the curtain opened and things did not look quite right on stage.

The next scene had to be stopped as a part of the scenery hadn’t been tied off correctly and later on another scene change needed attention to avoid a possible incident. One scene had to be reset so that photos could be taken again. Quick changes had been missed too. So by the end of the day everyone was relieved that there was still another day before a paying audience were in.

Tuesday and the scene changes were talked through, tried, reworked, things moved around in the wings, alterations to costumes were made, scenes worked on and all the time Jo the prop maker was still working through her huge list of makes. In the evening everyone crossed their fingers for a more successful dress. The hard work by all during the day paid off. Every change of set and costume worked to time and nobody was put at risk in the process. Just about everyone made it to the pub for a drink followed by a few of us heading for a curry.

Wednesday, preview day. I was in early to paint a few bits, hoping the paint would be dry before anyone got close to it in floating costumes. Jo still worked away in the garden shed producing more and more props for the auditorium scene and making us a less phallic lamp!

The previews were full of the older population of Chippy. A lot of grey hair meant the Dame found it hard to single out a dark stranger to take a fancy to. Only a few small things didn’t go quite according to plan, but that’s what previews are for. A couple of quick notes were done on stage before we headed to the pub for a well earned drink.

Thursday. My list had only a few items left on it. So I treated myself to a lie in followed by a bath, my first in possibly four years. I only managed to get slightly wrinkly before I packed away all my possessions at my digs and headed to the theatre. The morning I spent putting a few finishing touches to things and helping Jo out. Rehearsals had been called during the afternoon so that a few cuts could be made. One of the cast has been feeling not so good for the last week and had been doing her best to avert becoming ill. On Wednesday you could tell she was holding back her singing as much as possible to preserve it for Press Night. So once the cuts had been gone through, rehearsals proceeded so that one of the understudies could take some of the pressure off her. Fazil the snake would be voiced by the understudy and lyrics in songs were spread to other cast members. This was done very well, if you didn’t know I suspect you’d not have noticed.

Mick got the bus over to Chippy and we met up in Checkers the pub next door for something to eat before the show. The last few jobs had been completed with a couple of hours to go and Jo was busy sorting out her petty cash. Unfortunately just after we’d finished our pie and stew the sight of Susie the Company Stage Manager walking quickly past the window meant someone was needed. There were other people in the pub she might have needed but she turned straight towards us. Before she could say a word I knew what the problem was likely to be and had already stood up to leave Mick to finish his pint on his own. One piece of scenery gets pushed off stage very close to a smoke machine which has sharp corners, I’d already patched up the canvas a couple of times, so went straight to the labelled pot of paint that was needed. It only took a couple of minutes to sort and show Susie the labelled paints waiting for any such occasion.

The show went very well, apart from one flown piece of scenery not quite reaching it’s dead! Hopefully someone will take the time to check that out. Lots of laughter, singing, shouting, sweet catching. Mick, even though he always says he won’t join in, did and found the demise of the badie very amusing. Drinks in the bar followed the show along with pizzas delivered from one of the many fast food outlets in Chippy. After a couple of hours celebrating we got a lift back into Oxford with the director who managed to get his car as close to our mooring as possible, his car boot full of my possessions.

A lot of hard work, over months, but a very enjoyable experience.

’m now looking forward to having cups of tea in bed, knitting in front of the stove and gradually making our way back up the Oxford Canal (when stoppages allow). 3mph calls again with a purring cat on my knee and sharing a box or two of wine with my boy Mick.

Normal blog writing will resume, as soon as I’ve had a kip.

0 locks, 2 buses, 3 dress rehearsals, 1 axe, 3 mummies, 2 planes, 1 very loud dame, 1 curry, 6 moonlit leeks, 1 emergency repair, 1 very jolly, bright and loud panto, 1 happy cat, 2 boaters back on board.

Panto Postcard 3.

73 hours

Another hard week in Chipping Norton.

I was on an earlyish bus back after a mile or so walk to the best bus stop, right outside Scottish and Southern Electric where a small compact thatched cottage sits beneath the pylons. I managed to get the front seat on the top deck and got good views through Woodstock and past the gates of Blenheim Palace. One of my design projects when I was at college used the Marlborough Tapestries, so a visit to the palace to see them is a must whilst we are in the area.

Chris the carpenter/dep production manager joined us again on Monday morning. There was a long list of jobs for him to work through, problem solving and hanging various things in the flies above the actors heads that needed to be done by someone competent.

My printed cloth was hung by the time I arrived and it certainly was worth the money. The blues glow wonderfully when back lit for scene changes and it’s fluid movement across stage is wonderful. I wish we’d now had the money to do the same with the backdrop. The painting on this is okay, but in my mind too much paint was applied making it a bit crusty, so when it was folded (should have been rolled!) the paint cracked leaving lines. These would be excellent if you wanted the effect of a folded paper map!

The reaction to my painted floor was wonderful. The Pippins (local kids) were amazed and one lead actor went out of his way to thank me for painting them such a lovely floor, not often this happens.

Mark (Lighting Designer) and Jon (Sound Designer) joined us this week, so as jobs on the set were being done, they focused and plotted their black things that have plugs on them and took up residence in the stalls with lighting boards and sound desks. Chris and I managed to get to various bits and bobs whilst scenes were set to be lit. Scene change rehearsals took place, each attempt getting quicker. I spent quite some time this week sticking felt onto the bottom of pieces of set so that they could be slid along the floor rather than carried, saving peoples backs and hopefully some time, but making me a touch high on fumes in the process.

The curtains I’d made from a previous panto went up surprisingly well. I did think that this would be the moment when I’d prove to myself that I really should never use a sewing machine, but by fluke they hung rather well, just in need of a good steam to help the creases drop.

On Wednesday my phone decided it didn’t want to turn on fully. It would try but then give up and shut down. A message was sent to Mick via another phone to his email, telling him I’d see him on Saturday. My next concern was not being able to tell the time, or have an alarm clock. A hunt round Chippy ensued, at Gills (they have everything) hardware shop I got a small travel alarm clock which would see me through. The world of the internet could wait. However Mick dug out an old phone, got it set up for me to use and brought it to Chippy that day arriving perfectly timed with the actors vacating the stage. A quick hand over was done and I had to leave Mick to enjoy a pint in the Fullers pub next door as I got on with work.

Technical rehearsals took over. This is when all the elements of the show are put together, tried, retried until it all works well. If things weren’t fully finished it didn’t matter just so long as there was something in it’s place to use. Virtually all the set and props were ready, but there were a few gaps on the costume front as alterations were being made. A few frayed nerves from the crew as set changes were worked. The gaps when I could get onto stage to do jobs got fewer as the week continued. Sitting in a seat taking notes meant that my knees started to sieze up a touch, so the steps on and off stage I’m now doing sideways as this is easier.

During the daytime we’d tech in the main acting company, getting as far into the show as we could. Then at 4pm the stage would be reset to go over the sections that the Pippins were in. As there are three teams of kids this meant having to go through the sections at least three times, each team cheering when it became their turn.

With the show worked through in detail the first Dress Rehearsal was upon us on Saturday morning. Gemma the Production Manager was back with us, a few things sorted out before we started. The house lights dimmed and the show began. The dress went well, a few blips, like several of the Dames quick changes were late (an S.E.P.), a few cues for the crew missed and one set change not quite finished in time.

Technical notes were given out and most people then headed off their separate ways, leaving Gemma and myself with the set to get bits finished. During Tech week there may be breaks, but few are long enough for paint to fully dry before floaty costumes come back onto stage. So with a big list and everything accessible we worked for several hours. Some jobs took a matter of a minute, others an hour. But the majority of jobs were completed, the set left everywhere to dry and I was out of the building in time to catch the 6pm bus back to the boat.

Meanwhile back on NB Oleanna.

On Monday Mick had decided to carry on into Oxford on his own. At Drinkwater Bridge a local boater helped him, at the next really awkward bridge a passing cyclist paused to hold the bridge open and then the last bridge he had to manage on his own, but this one would rather stay open for boat traffic anyway. He made his way down to Jericho. He passed one boat on the 7 days mooring, nobody at the quiet mooring (this is 2 days only all year) and then found everyone. They were all near College Cruisers. One gap showed itself before the lock, so he went down onto the river turned and headed back to the gap. The very end of the arm was also full.

For a few nights he endured the trains passing, but when spaces emptied towards the quieter end of the moorings he backed up and settled down.

Trees! But far far too many people. At least this Oxford has a good playground for me, far better than Chester. Tom seems to like to keep the back doors closed now, maybe there is no need for extra crew at the moment.

Mick had a day trip into London to see what was happening in the various places he’d worked last century. He also visited the Tate Modern to see some of Christian Marclay’s The Clock. A 24 hour long installation of a montage of thousands of film and tv images of clocks which have been edited together to show the real time. He’d like to go back and watch for longer.

He has also been working on our laptop. This had become very sluggish. Each week I have received various parcels in Chippy which have been bits to help sort out the laptop. So this week he has replaced the hard drive with a SSD Drive. This took quite a bit of doing, having to clone the old disc and all sorts of computer stuff. So far, as I type this, it has done the job. The laptop is quick and no longer sits scratching it’s head pondering on what it has just been asked to do. My typing skills also seem to have improved.

5 locks, 1 of them twice, 4.38 miles, 3 lift bridges, 2 assisted with, 1 full water tank, S3 bus four times, 5 tech sessions, 1st dress, 1 short day, 36 hrs hopefully at home, 1 high tailed cat.

Panto Postcard 2

65 hours

I seem to be finding energy that I must have been storing up over the last four years! Another long week in Panto land.

This week I’ve discovered treasure.

I’ve painted the Eye Of Horus, carved fruit and veg, put up canopies, cut holes in things.

I’ve knitted.

I’ve mounted Gods and the sun, held my tongue on several occasions and on others let it go.

On Monday there had been a camel in town filming for the opening sequence. Also that day the new assistant technician had started, at 18 it is her first job. She has worked out her hourly rate and isn’t that impressed. She is being paid loads, especially after I worked out what my hourly rate is currently (I get a fee for the job). I’m already below minimum wage and there is still another two weeks to go!

Will, the producer, has helped out quite a bit this week, bringing another brain onto stage and helping things progress. There is still a lot to do. But this coming week Chris the carpenter returns, so jobs will hopefully fly off the list. Come next Wednesday the technical rehearsals start. This is when the actors, lights, band, costumes, props and set all get put into the mix and made to work together. The advantage of the actors rehearsing on stage is that I already have a long list of things that need doing, just a shame that they tend to be in the way!

Yesterday there was a stagger through of the show, with breaks for the scene changes. Pages of notes were written, I just need to start crossing them off now.

One thing that has been crossed off is the floor. Last night I started to mark out for the artwork at 7pm. Touching up the days scuffs, I had all the painting done by midnight. A quick break for something to eat and then the first of two coats of glaze to protect it. Whilst waiting for that to dry I got a few moor things crossed off my list, the top coat of glaze was applied by 2am. It can now cure for a day before anyone walks on it.

My next problem was trying to get back to the boat. All the cab firms in Chipping Norton seemed to have closed up for the night. I tried and tried, considered ringing an Oxford firm, but in the end I headed back to my digs. My landlady thought I was going to be away until Monday, so I tried my best not to make any noise as I tip toed in fighting my way past the big curtained door. Pepper the cat certainly noticed me and was a bit put out when I ushered her out of my bedroom.

A few hours sleep and I was awake to sneak out past the curtained door again and catch my own private bus to Langford Locks. Almost a mile walk and I was back in Thrupp where Oleanna sat, the stove alight and two cheery faces greeted me.

During the week Mick has single handed Oleanna here to meet me. Tilly has made more friends, brought one home and now the back doors are most definitely closed when she is out. Coal Boat Dusty has delivered five bags of coal and a new gas bottle. Sadly what diesel they had was already spoken for. So yesterday Mick called in at Kingsground in Gibraltar, to top up the tank. Here he had a shock, at £1.15 a litre! No mention of a split and cash only. We just have to hope that the diesel hasn’t been sat around for too long.

At Shipton Weir Lock there were work boats, stop planks and fencing all awaiting the start of the closure there tomorrow. Come the morning Oleanna will be stuck south of the lock for the rest of the month.

Today we’ll move closer to Oxford, but not into the city itself. An hours cruise will get Mick and the boat nearer civilisation for some shopping and me near to bus stops. The lift bridges can all wait for next weekend.

12 locks, 19.68 miles, 2 lift bridges, 1 held up, 2 much work, 18 year old moaner, 1 slosh test, 3 stalls, 1 eye, 0 chilled medication (even though nobody would have known!), 5 long days, 3 holes, 2 heavy, 2 cumbersome, 1 floor painted, 2 coats glaze, 0 taxis, 1 friend, 1 lovely looking boat, 1 day at home, 1 tired but caring boater/designer.

Panto Postcard 1

67 hours

It has been a busy week in Chipping Norton, I think my body has started to remember what it’s like to paint for eleven hours a day! In the past I occasionally did more.

Monday was read through day. A van with the major bits of set was being off loaded when I arrived at the theatre and despite there being very tight access into the building everything fitted. Phew! A meet and greet with the company before we all sat down to see what the script sounded like, followed by a model showing with a difference.

Normally everyone gathers round the model box and I do my best to show them how the show will work without knocking too many things over with shacky hands. However today I showed the company photos of the model. When Gemma and I had visited Plymouth all the bits of model that the builders were building were there but the box with the painted floor had gone missing. Process of elimination suggested that Gemma had left it a few weeks ago in Guildford. Calls were made but there was no sign of the model. Luckily I’d taken photos so the theatre had printed them out. I decided to show how one piece of the model would work so went to find it amongst all the bits and bobs. The chaps from Plymouth brought out a big box, inside was my shoe box of bits sitting inside the model box, that we’d assumed was missing forever. It would take too long to put it all back together so the photos had to do.

The rest of the day was spent putting things together on stage and finding space for everything in the wings. The base of the Gin Palace had to be cut out making it no longer water tight but manoeuvrable by the actors. Once the builds from Plymouth had been checked we retired to the pub for some food and maybe a touch too much wine.

Tuesday the set was joined by more things that Chris had built in Bristol. A section of the auditorium was cleared to make it into a carpentry shop for more bits to be built. I drew things out and Chris would then jigsaw them out before a coat of white paint was applied. All the time we could hear songs echoing down the staircases from rehearsals going on elsewhere in the building. Everything existed in one form or another now apart from the main stage set. Due to budget cuts we were planning to reuse old flats that the theatre had, recover them in canvas for me to paint. For this we needed quite a bit of canvas, which hadn’t arrived. We managed to fill the time well and a long day was put in by all.

Wednesday. The last day before rehearsals started on stage. Usually whilst rehearsals for a show are taking place in a rehearsal room the set is being built elsewhere. There is then what is called a fit-up when the set is put on stage, completed and the lighting and sound are added before the actors join for the technical rehearsal. In Chipping Norton however they don’t really have anywhere big enough to rehearse other than the stage. In previous years the set has been fitted up the week before rehearsals start and then finished off when possible. Time was ticking on and still the canvas hadn’t arrived. Phone calls had been made, Chris and Gemma were due to be elsewhere on Thursday. Just as we were trying to work when and where the flats could be done a lady appeared and patiently waited for a gap in conversation. ‘A delivery from Macdougals’ Bloomin brilliant! You have never seen so many people so pleased to see a large roll of fabric before.

Chris covered each flat, which then was primed by me before being positioned out of the way so the next one could be done. One set of flats were put up on stage the other taken into the auditorium for me to paint on Thursday.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday I spent painting away. I’m so glad I’d cut templates out as this saved me hours of drawing. Having a paintshop in the auditorium has meant that I am nearly word perfect with most of the songs for Act 1 and I know some of the dance routines too. Being on hand for questions has been good as I could see how things were being used by the actors, well when I had my glasses on. The portals gradually came together and I managed to time completing parts with breaks in rehearsals so that things could be moved around without too much disturbance.

My two crew worked hard hauling bits up and fixing them together as they were finished. The last section requiring all three of us, pulling, pushing and screwing them together with just enough time for me to catch the last bus to Banbury. Having to return the theatre to normality for films on Sunday gave us added impetus.

My digs are close to the theatre, I have a bathroom all to myself, which has a bath. This and my room together most probably equal the full size of Oleanna. There is also a very friendly old cat called Pepper who can open my bedroom door if I don’t lock it. She is persuasive when it comes to being stroked and will tap me on the nose to get my attention, especially when I am asleep.

67 hours, 2 portals, 3 days late, 8 colours, 1 quiet painter, 7 actors, 12 pippins, 5 minutes spare, 2 much still to do next week, 2 days off to recharge the batteries.

A Gurney And A Cinema Inside A Cinema. 5th 6th February

Chester

Chester Cathedral was extensively rebuilt from 1250 and took around 275 years to complete. The red sandstone gives the interior quite a dark feel, good job there are lots of lights, it must have quite eerie just in candle light.
As we entered the organ stuck up with a very capable organist at it’s helm practicing several pieces, air could be heard circulating up to the pipes from below. Music is always a good thing in such big churches, not only is it nice to listen to (when in good hands), but it makes the place more welcoming and less like you have to tiptoe around so as not to disturb other’s prayers.

Works were on going on a lego model of the Cathedral, the higher parts of the building either not built yet or just removed to be able to see the interior. For £1 you can add a brick, but there was nobody around to enable us to build one tiny part.

Dotted around are large black stove like things, radiators. Closer inspection revealed them to have a hinge on the back and the start of a pipe from the rear. The Gurney Stove was developed by a surgeon, Goldsworthy Gurney, who had an interest in engineering. In 1825 he patented a steam carriage, going on in 1842 to patent a system of heat recovery from light fittings. In 1852, Gurney was appointed to investigate the ventilation problems in the House of Commons where he flashed off large quantities of gunpowder in the chamber to observe the motion of the air currents, he was said to have posed a greater risk than Guy Fawkes!
His interest in heating led him to invent a new type of warm-air stove. It was described as a metallic vessel having a number of plates extending from its outer surface, standing with the plates vertical in a shallow trough of water. This provided humidification to counteract the drying feeling caused by the warm air. He soon sold the rights for his invention to the London Warming & Ventilating Company which advertised itself as ‘Proprietors of the Gurney stove’. The largest sized stove was 1 m in diameter and 2.7 m high. It consumed about 200 kg of coke a week and was said to be capable a heating a space of 120 000 ft3. By 1897 an advert claimed ‘over 10 000 churches, schools, government and other public and private buildings successfully warmed by our system’. Some working examples still exist, some in Chester Cathedral. We considered getting one installed on Oleanna, but that would mean the ballast needing to be altered and the only space big enough would be in the bathroom with both doors open or closed all the time!

The West Window catches your eye when you first enter with it’s predominant blue, The Holy Family by W.T. Carter Shapland in 1961. The Westminster Windows also stand out. Three windows installed by Alan Younger to mark the 900th anniversary of the founding of the Benedictine Abbey on the site. The windows were a gift from the 6th Duke of Westminster and replaced 19th Century glass that was damaged in WW2.

In the Chapter House is an installation by the artist Liz West, Our Colour Reflection. This piece takes up the whole room. Over 100 circular coloured mirrors sit at differing heights on the floor, reflecting coloured light from the windows up to the ceiling and in turn showing to the viewer dots of coloured reflection. It’s a rather mesmerising piece and deserves a visit whilst it is here.

We had a second visit to the Storyhouse on Tuesday, this time to visit the cinema to see Darkest Hour. A very good performance from Gary Oldman as Churchill and an enjoyable film. Artistic licence has been used when Churchill uses the tube, which apparently wasn’t the right sort of carriage for the line in question.
The cinema itself was interesting. Going into the older part of the building up the original staircase to what is now called the mezzanine, the skirting boards reminded me of what I would have been doing at this time of year at the SJT in Scarborough over a decade ago, giving the front of house some TLC with a paint brush. I have to say I prefer the colour scheme here to the original Odeon salmon pink. The cinema itself seats 100 and is a pod like box which has been installed where the circle used to be. Walkways for the library curve round it with work spaces retaining much of the feel of the balcony and the restaurant and bar being sited underneath.

Inside the pod the red theme of the building continues. You enter either side of the screen and step down to your spacious seats. These seats have plenty of leg room and for those with little legs who find their feet dangling there are extra cushions available to assist. By the end of the film I wished I’d picked one up. On Tuesdays and Thursdays before 5pm you can get cheaper seats if you are over 60. Mick decided to age himself by a few months to make use of the saving. With no Box Office as such in the building you purchase your tickets online or at one of the kiosks in the building, so self service really, having your ticket checked in entering.
Sat behind us were two visually impaired people who were being given head sets for the audio description of the film. The staff were setting up their headsets and said to let them know if they had any problems. Sadly and awkwardly we had a problem, the headsets leaked sound. So all the way through the film it sounded like someone was listening to loud music through headphones as they do on trains. At one point I thought that there must have been a technical problem as the noise coming from behind didn’t sync with the film and was getting louder and louder. This of course was actually the very good sound system in the cinema with an effect very similar to the head sets. As we left we managed too have a word with one of the ushers, not a complaint as we believe in accessibility to all, just that maybe someone should look at the design of the headsets. Unless you sit near someone with them on, you’d never be aware of the problem.

Our other observation was next time we will book seats nearer to the screen. Because access into the cinema is from either side of the screen you are aware of anyone sneaking out to the loo, ushers checking people are okay and the occasional library user who has lost their way whilst trying to find 851 in the Dewey Decimal Classification. Maybe entrances at the back of cinemas were a good idea after all.

Sometimes post finds us all by itself.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 loads washing, 18 inches of blanket, 100 mirrors, 6 giant black stoves, 1 not so naughty seat, £1 lego bricks, 500g dried plums, 2 tea balls, £2.50 off for 60’s, 3 stepped skirting, 1 booster block required, 1 blanket also, 851 Italian Poetry, 1 invite accepted, 1 snowy day in Chester.

Into Chester And Everything Goes Wrong 1st 2nd February

Cheshire Cat to Tower Wharf

When the weather arrived on Thursday, with the ducks surfing the waves past Oleanna we knew we’d made the right decision to stay put. Only one boat went past us all day and Tilly became an inanimate cat, she really wasn’t enamoured with it here!

At 2.20pm our delivery from Sainsburys arrived with a very jolly driver, Gilly. He chatted away as we unloaded our shopping at the stern, no pressure from him ‘You take your time’. One substitute today which hadn’t been put in a substitute bag, so when I came across flaked almonds we handed them back, as I’d wanted ground. Gilly handed them back to us after scanning them, we’d get a refund and get to keep them, I suspect it takes a bit of time at the end of the day to return things to the store.

So now our stocks were replenished and we had choices of what to eat again. The wine cellar was full with cat food, cereal and some wine.

We pottered away the rest of the day. I had a go at knitting a toe up sock for the first time which was mostly successful once I’d got the gist of the pattern. I think on the second one I’ll do some slight alterations and hopefully improve the finished result.

The sun accompanied Friday morning and the wind had died down. We got ourselves ready for our finial approach into Chester. This is when we hoped that our timings would work out as I’d given our friend Sue a time we thought we’d be leaving the Cheshire Cat and when we thought we’d arrive at Northgate Staircase Locks. A message part way through the morning suggested that she’d try to meet us at the staircase as she was working her way through petty cash.

At Christleton Lock a boat was just entering the lock to come up. So I popped down to see if I could help. Having been this way only twice in our earlyish boating days we never really got the hang of how to come up these locks other than very slowly. Using a rope to hold your boat into the side and opening the same side ground paddle works a bit on some of the locks, but not all and your bow can move pretty quickly across the chamber to hit the other side. So when the chap asked for me to open the paddle slowly I did as I was asked and the boat stayed put at the side.

It soon became obvious to us that the couple must be fairly new to boating. Plenty of fenders hanging off their gunnels to get caught and drop off into locks. They thought they had got to the basin in Chester and hadn’t known about the staircase. The next locks were set in our favour, but we soon learnt to check all the paddles were fully down as Greenfield Lock was taking an age to empty. The paddle had been lowered but the last two inches, which is hard to see had been left up.

The buildings by the locks are lovely. The rather grand cottage by Tarvin Road Lock and the interesting buildings by Hoole Lane Lock. No donkeys though today, only duck houses on the off side.

The levels are rather high at the moment, most probably due to all the rain of late. So along one stretch instead of walking I hitched a ride, saving having to paddle. A couple who had recently moved to Chester stopped by the last lock to watch, they had recently moved up from living by the Solent and knew very little about canals and narrowboats, their knowledge being about sailing boats. We both chatted away to them and suggested that they should also walk down towards the basin and visit the museum at Ellesmere Port.

We were ahead of schedule, so we pulled into the new 2hr Stop and Shop mooring outside the new Waitrose. Here I picked up some ground almonds and stocked up on Verde Lasagne (my favourite which is hard to find anywhere else). Then we were back on our way. There was plenty of space along this stretch where we could moor, but the number of bars here would make for a noisy weekend.

The canal bends round and follows the line of the City Walls which sit high above whilst you travel through a deep sheer sided cutting through stone. Then up ahead the staircase.

The top and bottom chambers were full, the middle one empty. So I set about emptying the bottom one whilst Mick brought Oleanna into the top. We disposed of rubbish at the bins here which stalled our descent long enough for Sue to arrive. Sue is a keen sailor back in Scarborough, but also didn’t understand the mechanics of locks, never having to use them. Once the principle was explained it all made sense.

Slowly we worked our way down the three chambers. This time I made sure everything had been set correctly before we started and kept a close eye on proceedings, whilst chatting to Sue. The last time we were here a paddle had been left slightly up on the bottom chamber which hadn’t been spotted by us or our fellow locking partners, more water had to be let down, conversations were too interesting, too much water was let down and we had to wait a long time for levels to equalise! Basically we’d messed it up, got everything wrong! But today all was fine and Sue had just enough time to hop on the back of Oleanna to travel round into the basin with us before having to return to her paperwork.

We’d heard a week ago that down here was rather full, but as we rounded the bend there were only two boats, plenty of space. So we pulled up on the nearest mooring to the water point. Shame we’d not thought to put a load of washing on earlier in the day as it would have had a good go at drying on the whirligig this afternoon. It’s changed a lot since we were here in 2011, I’ll see if I can find some photos.

Please can we go back to Welsh Wales! It was good there. Everywhere in this Chester outside is boring. This one doesn’t even have any trees, just a stupid woman who fed the flying rats right by our boat. You would have thought having all those birds about Tilly would be engrossed, but around a hundred pairs of flapping wings were really quite scary.

This evening we went along to the Storyhouse. Opened last May in a converted Odeon (sounds familiar) this is a really interesting building. Here is the library, two theatre spaces, a cinema, restaurant and two bars all pretty much intermingled. The old cinema auditorium is now the foyer, library, restaurant and bar space with the original curved ceilings and new walkways added. The 800 seat theatre sits at the back of the 1930’s building in a new purpose built extension. It felt like a mix of the Lowry, HOME and Birmingham Rep and library. A very welcoming space for all, young and old, even the dressing up boxes had clothes for all sizes.

We’d come along to see The Play That Goes Wrong that Sue is working on. She’d managed to get us two tickets for the show which is playing to sell out audiences across the country. We knew that these were restricted view seats so before making ourselves comfortable we made sure we had a look at stage right of the set so we knew what there was. The show is not High Art, but with that title you’d not expect it to be. But if you want a couple of hours laughing at the sheer slapstick farce of it all then go and see it. Winning the Best New Comedy Olivier Award in 2015 and the set won a Tony it is slick, fast paced and a reminder to any theatre professionals of all their anxiety dreams rolled into one, anything that could go wrong does time and time again!

After the show Sue met us and showed us around back stage seeing all the workings of the set as stage management tidied up. A few drinks in the pub next door with her rounded off a very good day.

The temperatures are forecast to drop in the next few days to below freezing. So we think we’ll stay put for a while by the water point instead of heading off to Ellesmere Port.

8 locks (3 a staircase), 3.24 miles, 0 donkeys, 3 boxes green lasagne, 200grams ground almonds, 1 Sue, 1 pole position mooring, 3 days of pants outsides! 2 comp tickets, 1 new theatre, 1 blank spot, 2 pink pills, 1/3 stage not visible, 1 very physical show, 1 long interval, 2 glasses wine, 1 sunny lovely day.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna