Ice again this morning. Whilst I attended a zoom production meeting for #unit21 Mick went for a walk along the canal towards Shardlow Lock to assess the ice situation. My meeting went well and Mick’s verdict was that after lunch we should be fine to move as the sun was out melting the ice. He’d phoned Tracy at the farm to arrange a meter reading and a settling up as we’d be moving on today.
Zooming
Just before midday we unplugged ourselves and walked up to the stables. Here we could say goodbye to our noisy neighbours, two donkeys who were rescues from Blackpool quite a few years ago. In three weeks we’d used 150 units of electric, we’d not run our engine other than to check the alternator and once to warm the engine bay up. The occasional blast of electric heating in the morning, washing machine and dishwasher along with the electric kettle, sewing machine and iron. Yes we have an iron but it comes out very rarely and mostly for work. We thanked Tracy for helping us out at new year and allowing us to stay for three weeks.
Lunch, another C&RT notice! Stoke Lock was still not operational by boaters so needs to be booked 24hrs in advance. A phone call was made straight away, when would we be there? Monday morning. The lady rang back confirming that a volunteer would be at the lock waiting for us.
Pushing off for the first time this year
Time to roll up the covers for the first time this year. The new version of our trip computer spluttered into life, an old phone placed in a window, this will run Nebo and track our route and miles. I turned Nebo on on my phone too to record locks as we go through them. We untied and I walked ahead to open the lock whilst Mick reversed Oleanna back to meet me.
A patch of thicker ice slowed his progress just as he arrived at the three widebeams. A chap on the last boat stuck his head out and complimented Mick for his reversing skills. He also warned him of thick ice below Derwent Mouth Lock.
The top gates needed a couple of attempts to get them open, the ice behind holding firm on the first go.
Reversing in ice seemed to be quite good. Blasts of forwards every now and then sent water backwards breaking up the ice in front of the blunt end of the boat. The odd blast from the bow thruster also helped to steer the stern towards the lock.
Look at that sun
Down gently in the lock, the ice there breaking up as the water lowered. The aroma of scampi coming from the pub was soon followed by slightly burnt garlic.
The Clockwarehouse
I left Mick to wind whilst I popped to the post box.
Maybe we’d have to moor up
Cat ice was about, easy enough to push your way through. Then at the pub bend we came across thicker ice. Would our escape from the Trent and Mersey be thwarted on this bend? It is quite hard to steer in ice. Narrowboats pivot in the middle and sideways force on ice isn’t very productive. Right on the bend it took several forward and backward manoeuvres to help get into a good position to start carving our way through the ice again. We wouldn’t have to moor there over night. Scampi here too! Maybe on Fridays Shardlow has a special for fish Friday on Scampi!
Both rivers open
The red traffic lights were both turned off at the EA flood lock, both the rivers Soar and Trent were open to boats.
Constant ice ahead
Now we slowed our pace to pass the line of moored boats by Chapel Farm Marina. Is it better to go slowly? Or does it just eek out the noise of cracking ice? A thick patch by the last line of boats had me at the bow, trying to keep us away from a Dutch barge. My pushing only moved the barge and not us. But eventually we worked our way through.
Cracking
Up ahead was the widebeam that has been waiting for the river for a couple of weeks. More ice in front of them, we’d had enough and wanted to see what the ice was like below Derwent Mouth Lock before venturing any further. We pulled in. A quick cat H&S meeting was held, too much ice, Sorry Tilly! Harumph urumph!!
That’s better
Below the lock the river was in the amber, the lock landing all very visible now. However the chap on the widebeam had been correct the ice below the lock looked thick, snow still sitting on it in the shade. We’d done enough ice breaking for the day, we’d be staying put, after all we’d reached our goal. Hopefully tomorrow the ice would have melted some more to make our journey easier.
Below the lock, thick ice!
We settled down for the remainder of the afternoon to listen to Tilly’s complaints. Then a crack and crackle with music came from the cut. A narrowboat with three chaps at the stern came along, we’d broken the ice for them, would they continue. Sure enough they headed for the lock.
If only we’d known, they could have broken the ice for us!
A little while later Mick popped his head out of the hatch, the widebeam had also gone. Should we follow too? It was too late now to get much further. A check on the weather forecast. We’d both remembered it as getting warmer at the weekend. The forecast didn’t agree, -3C tonight with fog! Oh bum! Would we end up being iced in now away from water and electric?
A rather nice sunset behind tonight
To try to keep the engine bay from getting too cold overnight Mick ran the engine again for an hour, hoping that would help the batteries which don’t like charging at low temperatures.
Nebo Trip recorded from inside Oleanna, lots of back and forth
Nebo Trip recorded in my pocket including a walk to the post box
My Mum’s American Sticky Chicken was made up and sat on the stove to bubble away for 90 minutes before we enjoyed it with some rice noodles. It isn’t the healthiest of recipes, but it’s nice.
1 lock, 1.2 miles, 150 units, 1 reasonable mooring, 2 donkeys, 2 scampi pubs, 2 more overalls, 1 hour breaking ice, 1 challenging bend, 0 red lights, 1 frozen river, 1 ice breaker forging ahead, 1 widebeam, 1 Oleanna who maybe should have followed! 2 sticky chicken thighs, 1 box of rosé!!!
Ice covered the canal this morning. Jack Frost had been to visit. Would the ice stay around? Or would it melt?
Ice, not thick, but ice
Mick sat out the stern waiting or the sight of a Sainsburys van. From our mooring you can see traffic on the main road and he spied an orange van heading out from Derby, would it be for us? It was. He walked down to greet the driver waving our orange bags in the air. We’re now stocked up with food for the next week.
Food and wine
Next the coal situation needed to be improved. Mick took the bike and headed off to Shardlow Marina to see if he could get a bag on the bike. The chap from the boat behind us had offered to give Mick a lift in his car, but Mick managed a bag at a time, only two bags required to keep us going.
Coal man
Meanwhile I wanted to make use of still being hooked up. A new 3XL overall was pulled out from the bag of costumes. An existing costume was pulled out to compare measurements with. One of our actors is more like a 4XL so extra side panels are needed, a sturdier zip and the new overalls would be a spare pair just in case! I worked out what to add, what to shorten, the offcuts from the legs coming in useful.
18cm down from yesterday
At lunchtime an email arrived in our inboxes. The Upper Trent!
‘Update on 19/01/2023:’
‘Water levels have started to come down, and we have been able to open Cranfleet Flood Gates. Boaters can now travel along the navigation.’
Hooray!!!! Should we make a move straight away or wait for tomorrow? The ice around us was gradually melting, enough so that Tilly had been allowed shore leave again. How would it be for reversing in? Having power for the rest of the day would be handy for sewing. We decided to stay put and plan our moves for the next week.
Then things started to go wrong. First Tilly ran out of green Dreamies, she noticed the colour change! Then I tacked a panel in the overalls on the wrong side. Tilly decided to give the mince I was defrosting a good sniff on the kitchen counter that is a NO GO area for felines to make up for the lack of green Dreamies!
I lifted my sewing machine up off the floor onto the dinette seating so no one would walk into it. Tilly decided to have a mad ten minutes charging around everywhere. This unsettled my sewing machine which fell to the floor!
Oh Bu**er! The light still worked. Where was the reel holder thing? That was found. I put a chilli together so that the mince would be well away from Tilly’s sniffing nose. Then sat down to look further at my sewing machine.
The stitch selector seemed wonky. I tried turning it. It wouldn’t shift. I tried straightening it up. It came off in my hand! What stitch was the machine set to? If straight I could carry on. The dial had been between stitches when it broke off. I tried the needle. It was moving from side to side! But I don’t want to zigzag for the rest of my life!!!
That dial should be where the black hole is!
Mick tried having a look at it. A connecting thing had sheared off on the selector, no chance of putting it back on. Could we turn what was behind the dial without it. No. I found a new part, but we need the bit that has sheared off to be removed to replace it. No sewing for me for a while!
Thankfully I was working on a spare overall, the adjustments to the ladies overalls were finished, so the spare can wait a week or so. I just need to add three little things to the existing pair so that braces can be attached inside.
Frosty!
Tomorrow we hope the ice will have receded. Fingers and paws crossed.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 delivery, 4 boxes wine, 2 bags coal, 2 bike loads, 1 icy canal, 2 gates open! 1 river open! 3XL taken to bits, 3XL tacked back together, 1 hand, 1 knob, (now then!), 1 broken machine, 1 cat in the dog house, 1 plan coming together, 2 boaters 1cat getting ready to make a move!
First there was ice. Then too much water. Now it’s a bridge!
Our plans may have to change. We’d been hoping to reach Yorkshire by now, but obviously the River Trent being in flood hasn’t helped that. All part of boating through the winter especially where rivers are concerned. Now as the river levels are dropping, gradually, we’ve been looking further ahead.
1.5m today down 28cm from yesterday
Vazon Sliding Bridge had problems in the heat last summer, since then the bridge is opened twice a day to boat traffic at 9am and 1pm, apart from when Network Rail are on strike. If the river hadn’t been in flood we’d have had a days wait before we could pass through.
When Mick had phoned to book passage in at Keadby the Lock Keeper mentioned that Maud’s Swing Bridge was also closed. A date for it to open unknown! Hmm. Here’s a link to the stoppage notice LINK. It has been closed since the 23rd November, the notice hasn’t had an update.
Maud’s Bridge 2nd April 2022
Mick rang C&RT and worked his way though to the right part of the country and got to talk to a lady regarding the bridge. Apparently the bridge was struck by a vehicle back in November causing a lot of damage. It has been taking time for the drivers insurance company to sort things out and as yet the engineers haven’t come up with a method of mending the bridge. So at the moment there is no known date for it to open, it could be months! The lady was trying to get someone to do an update.
Poo bar bum!
A re-think is needed. Options.
We continue downstream and exit the River Trent at Keadby, then sit and wait for the bridge to open. Not a popular option.
We head downstream on the Trent and wait for a suitable day to head round Trent Falls. Not a popular route in the winter months.
We continue downstream and find somewhere to moor that isn’t in Yorkshire, but as close as we can get with good transport links. Maybe.
We stay put in Shadlow, easy access to transport. Maybe.
We turn around and once Stenson Lock reopens, with its new gates, we head up the west side of the country to cross the Pennines over into Yorkshire. A lengthy journey especially in winter, juggling it around work, stoppages and weather. Hmmm.
We’ve got some thinking to do. One option is looking the most likely at the moment.
Today I managed to work through the alterations on another pair of overalls. These were size XS, but still needed the arms and legs shortening. One pair left to do. Mick returned from Scarborough with a few bits I’ll be needing for #unit21 in the next few weeks.
0 locks, 0 miles, 2 trains, 1 bus, 1 broken bridge, 1 river coming down, 5 options, 2 pairs overalls finished, 7.5 inches, 5.5 inches, 1 still to do.
Brrrrr! Chilly morning. The levels are improving and with little precipitation in the forecast they should hopefully continue on downwards. This afternoon the flood gates at Newark opened up again, we just need levels at Cranfleet to improve some more then we can be on our way.
Photos of ice on the cut this morning appeared on facebook, thankfully we only have patches in the off side vegetation, here’s hoping it stays that way.
Tilly didn’t mind the cold fluffing up her coat to go off on the towpath. She scuttled along on low legs hoping to pounce on a friend, but they are a touch too quick for her around here.
A touch chilly under paw
Inside I stoked the fire, riddled the ash into the pan below. Time to empty it into our ashcan outside on the towpath. In the past we’ve heard lots of people going on about which coal to use, which one is better? Staying in over night, amount of heat and quantity of ash all factors people compare. ‘How do you find Excel this year? I find it produces more ash this winter.’ Etc.
Our normal coal tends to be Excel, although we have had quite a bit from coal merchants with no brand name other than smokeless, along with Taybright, Red etc. To be honest we’ve never really noticed the amount of ash varying between brands. Our ashpan gets emptied once a day to keep the stove operating as it should. Ash always goes into our ashcan, never in the hedgerow as coal ash is poisonous, never mind unsightly and can cause fires. Once cool the ashcan gets emptied into an old coal bag and disposed of in the rubbish bins. When we’re moored up our ashcan lives out on the towpath where any deadly fumes can dissipate rather than enter the boat.
The coal Mick bought from Wickes came in handy 10kg bags, easy to carry along the towpath and to move about. Boaters on Canal World Forum had said it was good, so as it was easy to collect when we had a van he bought several bags. Less CO2 and apparently less smoke.
80% less smoke compared to….?
What do we think of it? Well it seems to take longer to stop being smoky. It stays in overnight well, it gives good heat, but the ash! The ash!! The ASH!!!
Just how much ash can it produce? Masses! It’s easy for us to gauge as the ash pan needs emptying twice a day!
Mushrooms Pip Style
Whilst not emptying the ashpan I’ve made use of having the dinette table to myself, so after mushrooms on toast Pip style, I ironed vinyl numbers and lines onto the navy fabric I’d prepared yesterday.
Good news came from Scarborough this afternoon. Both our boilers are back up and running again, one hadn’t been working for a while, but thankfully it’s all good and safe just in time for our next lodger to move in. Mick has packed away the Christmas decorations and then spent some time making beds up.
Time to start alterations on some overalls for #unit21. I’m not a natural sewer so I take alterations slowly. Each pair need taking apart at the waist to loose or gain length or girth, tucks across the shoulders are also required. It seemed to take forever to get things marked out and trimmed, tacked back together to make sure they looked okay before spending fifteen minutes sewing them back together on the machine! 1 pair down 3.5 to go!
Yum num
Creamy salmon pasta tonight
0 locks, 0 miles, 9 numbers, 18 lines, 5 hours of podcasts, 2 fully working boilers, 1 river dropping, 1 cut just about ice free, 1 problematic bridge, 2 beds, 1 overall in bits, 3inches sleeves, 4.5 inches legs, 2.5 waist,1 dead stool, 2 catnip Dreamies remaining, 2 much blinking ASH!
Originally both of us would have been heading off to check on the house this morning, some seriously cheap train tickets had been bought for part of our return journey via Hull. But we’d decided that one of us would be better staying on the boat to keep it and Tilly warm as the temperatures were due to get low again. Here’s hoping ice isn’t our next problem!
Herbie Award winning hose tap thingy
All the boat chores were done and the water tank topped up. The Herbie Award Winning tap on our hose is now plumbed in and handy on our mooring as you have to go back and forth from one place to another when disconnecting this and that and then turning the tap on.
Just up to that tree Tilly
As the tank filled Tilly and I stretched our legs along the towpath, not far though as a woofer was coming in the opposite direction. Tilly followed me back to Oleanna where she went all cartoon cat with arched back and bushy tail as the dog walked past.
As Mick has the OAP railcard it’s always him who gets to head back to the house. He headed off shortly before it started to hail, but managed to be on a bus as it really came down and covered the towpath within a few minutes. This was then followed by snow, quite chunky flakes too. Tilly was not amused by it.
With the table all to myself I got the sewing machine out and started to sew up rectangles of navy polycotton with stiff interfacing inside. These are for dance competition numbers in #unit 21. Then the remaining numbers were weeded out in vinyl ready to be ironed on tomorrow. They’ll need velcro adding to them but that will happen in Huddersfield on my next visit.
Weeding
Courgette fritters to eat tonight on the boat. I strongly suspect Mick will have had pizza.
Brrrr!
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 full water tank, -C temps due, 2 trains, 1 towpath walk, 15 minutes hail, 30 mins snow, 1 moving boat, Where did that come from!?! 1 stove being stoked, 9 numbers ready.
Time for the annual round, a long post so sit back, put your feet up and enjoy.
The New Year kicked off with winter maintenance in the house. Having two hallways proved time consuming refreshing the woodwork and patching up the worst of the wallpaper. But this was broken up with weekly walks to see the sea. I resumed work on the development showing of #unit21 for Dark Horse and a Christmas present of a cheese making kit proved very tasty in creating my first ever Yorkshire Curd Cheese Cake from scratch. I plan on having a second go at this soon!
In February work progressed in Huddersfield towards opening night, the floor painted, final costume fittings and then the set and lighting added. All while Mick serviced our life jackets and Tilly grew more and more bored of life in the house.
Once the show was opened we had a trip down to London to catch up with the London Leckenbys for a belated Christmas, on our way back we visited Oleanna. When ever we could we visited Blue Water Marina to do jobs and have a pack up lunch. The stove was reblacked, walls washed down and cupboards sorted through.
Then at the end of February, Mick and I left Tilly in charge of the house, we packed enough clothes and food for a couple of days boating and headed to Thorne to move Oleanna through Thorne Lock before a winter stoppage began. Blimey it was chilly out there, but wonderful to be back afloat and moving Oleanna to Goole. Now we were all set to move back onboard and have a few weeks of pootling about in Yorkshire.
Back at the house we made it ready for the first of this years lodgers. Our boat Christmas tree was retired into the back garden where we hoped it would thrive, this of course was before we knew a drought was on it’s way! Tilly said goodbye to the dragon that lives up the chimney, left Seville and Valencia to look after the house before having to endure the car trip back to boat life.
After a few days sorting ourselves, including having one of Joan’s gluten free Chinese takeaways, we unplugged Oleanna and backed out from our mooring at Goole Marina (Boat House). We spent the next three weeks bobbing about between Pollington Lock, Doncaster and Goole. Maintenance jobs were ticked off the list.
Alistair did engine and weedhatch jobs, Frank joined us a couple of times to do carpentry jobs, our galley drawers no longer have a life of their own, the covers had a good scrub and a spray of Wet and Forget to help them keep clean.
In March I’d set myself a charity challenge, to knit as many pairs of socks in the month as I could. Nine pairs knitted for people in return for sponsorship, I also got a very generous donation of yarn from Lisa on NB Summer Wind.
Our plans had had to change as Thorne Lock still hadn’t closed, but was about to! Plans to visit York and West Yorkshire were abandoned, we’d bought ourselves a Gold Licence for the year so wanted to make the most of it. So on March 24th with all the jobs done we turned our backs on Goole and set off into the sunset to see where 2022 would take us, all three of us grinning from ear to ear.
We made our way to Keadby ready for our booked passage on the tidal River Trent, the fast route south. A phone call from a boating friend in need of support meant we’d be doing our best to make use of the spring tide to reach Cromwell in one go despite the weather forecast. We spent a couple of days doing what we could to help in Newark before we needed to be on the move again.
On upstream to The Trent and Mersey keeping up our cruising hours and Tilly hoping we’d stop with enough time for her to explore each day before cat curfew.
Up to Fradley then onto the Coventry Canal, we played leapfrog with NB Free Spirit for a couple of days.
Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, up the Curdworth Flight then a turn left onto a section of the Grand Union we’d not been on before at Star City. Up Garrison Locks, Typhoo Basin and then the Ashted Locks where we now have the measure of that Tunnel! A mooring space at the top of Farmers Bridge had our name on it. This was handy for a road trip to swap lodgers and for visits to the dentist. It also meant we were in shot when a group came to jump the top lock!
Fast forward to 6:15
Our route out of Buminghamsaw us through Edgbaston Tunnel, down Lapworth followed by Hatton. A pause was needed for Tilly’s annual visit to a new vet, the one here the closest to the canal we’ve visited so far, also handy for The Cape of Good Hope!
At Napton we joined the Oxford Canal and headed for Braunston, pausing to stock up on goodies from the butcher. On the Grand Union we made our way up over the hill and started our descent down The Long Buckby flight back towards tidal waters.
On the 1st of May we turned left at Gayton Junction onto the Northampton Arm dropping down the flight to the River Nene. We’d only been this way once before and that was when we’d just bought Lillian (NB Lillyanne) back in 2014. We bought ourselves a second Abloy key, showed our Gold Licence to the chap at Northampton Marina and started our journey down stream, time to explore.
A decision was made to head down to Peterborough taking note of places we’d want to visit on our return journey. We worked our way through the guillotine locks, many button operated and others with the wheel of cardiovascular overload.
Tilly loved many of the moorings apart from those in Peterborough where crowds surrounded the boat and meant returning from shore leave was impossible for several hours.
In two weeks we reached the end of the river at the Dog in a Doublet Lock. Here the river becomes tidal, we’d save that trip for another time and turned back upstream to head for the Middle Level.
Here we wanted to explore all the drainage channels, but decided we’d do that on our return too. So we took the direct route and crossed the low lying waters in three days arriving at Salters Lode on Mick’s birthday. The levels out on the tidal stretch of the Great Ouse needing to be just right to get through the lock, turn and head upstream to Denver Sluice.
A lovely GOBA mooring was found on the River Wissey and eventually the sun came out for a birthday barbeque, we’d made it to the Great Ouse.
The remainder of May was spent exploring the River Wissey, Ely and The Little Ouse. Brandon Lock sits at the most easterly point on the connected navigable network for boats Oleanna’s size. Sadly a build up of silt stopped us from getting her bow into the lock, but we did get her as far east as was possible, ticking off the fourth point of the compass.
There was a trip to Hull Truck to meet old friends at a gala evening followed by a meet up with Micks family back in the Fens. At the end of the month we got to know Neil the seal at Ten Mile Bank moorings as he basked in the sun and took sunset dips in the river.
The Jubilee was seen in at Denver, we lit our guiding lights as a Lancaster Bomber flew overhead heading to see the Queen. The Relief Channel gave us a good mooring to be able to have a trip away to celebrate Dawn and Lee’s 50th Birthdays in Scarborough, we went as Wallace and Gromit and won an Oscar!
Another visit to Ely to see the Cathedral, Farmers market and meet up with Heather from NB Bleasdale, the first of many this summer. The River Lark was explored, the end of navigation reached with a handy mooring outside a pub.
We headed for the Cam, our paths crossing for the first time with Ken and Sue from NB Cleddau. Then onwards in to Cambridge where we visited colleges, ate chilled medication and had a day trip to Duxford so that Mick could sit in the pilots seat of a Trident 2, a seat his Dad had sat in on many a flight.
Oleanna squeezed along each of the three Lodes, Wicken, Burwell and Reach. Wicken Lode a magical place and a day visit to Anglesey Abbey with it’s wonderful gardens.
Then we headed onto the Old West a river with a very different feel than the Ely Ouse. A pause was needed when we reached Earith for us to have a tour of Heathers new to her boat GT. Once off the tidal water we were on a different Great Ouse again. Here St Ives, St Neots and Hemingford gave us sunsets, D shaped locks, huge meadows and wonderful towns and villages to explore.
As the temperatures started to rise I needed to do some work. Cruising happened in the mornings, my Panto script and sketches were done in the shade of what trees we could find. White sheets were bought and we hoped for a mooring with shade for the really hot days that were to come. Tilly took to lying on the floor and we took to wearing wet t-shirts to help us to keep cool. Thankfully the hot blast only lasted a couple of days then the temperature dropped and we could continue to head upstream.
July 21st we reached the navigable limit of the River Great Ouse, having to reverse some distance to be able to turn round and return to Bedford for the River Festival.
Here we met up with Ken and Sue, Jennie and Chris from NB Tentatrice and Heather again. Plenty of things to see, do and hear. The boat parades, raft races, vintage cars, all sorts kept us busy for the two days.
Now at the end of July we alternated the days between cruising and my work. More beautiful days cruising and more wonderful sunsets, one day off to visit Cambridge for some more chilled medication and to see the Hockney exhibition.
August saw more hot days. Trips to London to celebrate birthdays, panto meetings, catch up with best friends and travellers over from Australia.
On the 15th August we crossed back from Denver Sluice to the Middle Level having really enjoyed our three months on the Great Ouse. Now water levels were a worry along with having enough time to reach Oxford for me to go to work in October. We made the decision to come back and explore the Middle Level another year, maybe we’ll cross The Wash to get there!
By the end of August our progress up stream on the River Nene slowed to a halt. First one lock broke then another two ahead of us. We’d recently been accepted to join the Reflections Flotilla on the Thames to mark the Queens Jubilee in a few weeks time, now that time was ticking away.
When we did get moving again we had to make up our cruising hours. With the news of the passing of the Queen we didn’t know if the flotilla would still be going ahead, we carried on at pace waiting for news. Back up the River Nene, turning onto the Grand Union, working our way southwards. The news came through that the flotilla would go ahead, but now in remembrance of the Queen.
With a couple of days to spare we squeezed into the Eco-Moorings by Islington Tunnel. Two days of catching up with family and more friends over from Australia before we joined boats heading along the Regents Canal towards Limehouse Basin. An afternoon of activity saw numerous narrowboats festooned with white lights.
On the 24th of September the Thames barrier was closed and we all headed out of Limehouse Lock up stream to Chelsea where we clung onto buoys until the early evening when the flotilla started to muster.
Getting on for 150 boats all displaying white lights got into formation and headed down stream. Crowds stood on the illuminated bridges and Tower Bridge opened up in a royal salute as we passed underneath. What a truly amazing day.
Now we had to head towards Banbury, back round the Regents Canal as a leak in the engine bay needed testing on the calm waters of the canal rather than the tideway. By the time we reached Brentford we were confident with Oleanna’s engine again. On the Thames Tilly got a birthday present of a night on a Cliveden Island. Sadly we got an unexpected present on our arrival in Oxford, a second red line on a covid test! Panto painting couldn’t be put off so we made our way gradually up the Oxford Canal keeping our distance from people at locks and taking maximum doses of paracetamol.
A week of painting in Banbury before I moved to Chipping Norton to stack up the hours over the next four weeks getting the 50th anniversary panto ready. Rendez Vousing with Oleanna at weekends in Banbury and Coventry kept me sane. Mick had to single hand across the summit of the Oxford Canal to avoid the first of the winter stoppages.
All three of us were back onboard by mid November, covid free and vaccinated. We took things slowly now, time to rest up, meet friends, gather family and pootle towards Christmas. Our 20th Anniversary was celebrated with a Chinese takeaway at Alvecote Marina, a planned stop which ended up being extended due to plummeting temperatures. The canal froze, there’d be no moving the outside for Tilly!
Temperatures lifted dramatically and the ice just about vanished in a couple of days, we could now be on our way to Christmas. Alrewas was a good place to spend the festive days, a very good butchers and a village with lots of character and humour.
Bookings in the New Year had been made for passage on the tidal River Trent for us to reach Yorkshire, but this would not be. The Trent had risen before Christmas, Cranfleet Flood Gates were shut ahead of us, so no New Year at Hazelford Lock. Instead our alternator played up and we sought out a mooring to hook up to and see in 2023.
This year we’d been wanting to explore again. This year we cruised miles of new water, made new friends, got too hot, got iced in, got stuck, got to be in the first illuminated flotilla on the Thames for 300 years. What a great year it has been.
So our vital statistics for 2022 according to Canalplan are
Total distance is 1249 miles, 6½ furlong and 555 locks . There were 88 moveable bridges of which 29 are usually left open; 156 small aqueducts or underbridges and 18 tunnels, a total of 7 miles 2 ¼ furlongs underground and 8 major aqueducts.
This was made up of 227 miles, 1 1/2furlongs of narrow canals; 363 miles, 2 furlongs of broad canals; 85 miles, 5 furlongs of commercial waterways; 269 miles, 1 furlong of small rivers; 234 miles, 7 1/4 furlongs of large rivers; 69 miles, 6 furlongs of tidal rivers; 176 narrow locks; 232 broad locks; 54 large locks; 2 locks on major waterways.
731.7 engine hours
1156.1 litres diesel, 5 (although we’ve got 1 empty now) gas bottles (used for central heating as well as cooking), 28.5 litres oil, 3 oil filters, 1 fuel filter, 2 air filters, 1 water pump, 2 new belts, 690kg coal, 1 overnight guest twice, 6 packs Dreamies (not enough!), 56 friends, a record breaking 41 Mrs Tilly stamps of approval (4 in one day!), 15 pairs socks, 2 shows designed, 9 lodgers, 2 lots gluten free puff pastry, 9 supermarket deliveries, 30 boxes of wine delivered, 2 lost unicorns.
Thank you all for joining us on our journey. Wonder where we’ll get to in 2023?
18cm higher than yesterday, just starting to come down
This morning the river reached a new level 2.42m. Today there has been no rain, just a shame there is more forecast for overnight!
Cranfleet Flood Gates have been closed since the 23rd December, so I wanted to see what the levels were like at the Shardlow gauge then, so we have an idea when the gates might be reopened. Unfortunately the EA Live Floods page won’t let you go back to look at historical data, but Gaugemap does.
On the 18th December the level was 0.57cm, it then rose to 1.4m and by the 23rd had fallen to 1.148m. So our 2.42cm this morning is a long way above that.
Flow rate might also have something to do with when they choose to close the flood gates.
They obviously knew the level and flow would increase in December. Below is todays flow chart, maximum 172.372m. That’s one heck of a load more water zooming down stream!
Think we’re going to be here a while longer!
Derwent Mouth Lock yesterday compared to 9th April 2022. That’s Oleanna sat waiting for the lock to empty.
A day with more numbers. I’ve started to work out last years mileage, locks etc using Canalplan as I’ve done every year. This always takes a long while remembering all the little journeys we did back in March back and forth to Goole. Not having Water Explorer to look at means I’m relying on the blog more, reliving our year.
Noting our journeys
Mick has spent more time trying to get our old trip computer working with Nebo. It has installed a new operating system, it just won’t reboot now! Instead we are considering using an old phone inside the boat. A couple of phones have been found and charged up to see if they might be suitable. One isn’t, the other will be tried out when we eventually get to move again.
Cheese on toast for lunch, yum
Even more numbers. I started to cut out the vinyl numbers for #unit21 today. I have them the correct way round this time! Using a scalpel I cut round the outline. Then I weed out the bits I don’t want, leaving what I do want attached to the clear cover which holds the numbers in place. I had wanted to do a box round them, but that felt like a huge waste of vinyl. I may cut strips to use instead.
Another early morning, well for Mick returning the van and sending off the costume returns. Frustrating that despite the returns going back to the same company, they had to go in three different packages, one to Poland via UPS the other two by Evri. Because of the two different couriers it meant Mick having to visit two different Premier stores in the torrential rain before returning the van.
On his arrival back to the boat he put on his chefs hat and cooked us a breakfast. As he cooked, a stream of water appeared from the window above the cooker. There was so much water coming down the glass outside, the water had filled up the frame and was finding it’s way inside. This year I haven’t got round to taking the windows out and giving the frames a good clean out. The drain holes on this window were almost certainly blocked. So as Mick fried and poached our breakfast I donned my coat and provided myself with some pointy thin sticks.
Co-op bacon not as good as Alrewas bacon
The drain holes were totally blocked. Prodding from above and then below saw rivers of muddyness drain down the cabin side. I managed to do enough of a job to keep the water draining away and not entering the boat. A better more comprehensive clean out is required before too long, but that will require a warmish dry day as each window will need to come out of it’s frame.
Having now got soggy legs and Mick having had the early start we both deserved breakfast, it was very yummy.
Tilly really wanted to be out, but the rain was putting her off. But in the end her need was far greater than staying dry and she sprang off somewhere on the towpath. She soon returned much relieved and came for some Dreamies. The next few hours as I worked my way through the last few items to order for #unit21 she came and went as often as any cat could. The day gradually drying up, but the towpath remaining very wet and extreamly muddy. My list of jobs bore the brunt of Tilly’s muddy stamps.
Good job most jobs were done !
Time to sit down and do figures. Time to finish off last years accounts, add up my design fees and money from lodgers. Downloading bank statements takes some time, then reconciling them. Things are a little more complicated this year as my self employed year doesn’t run the same as the tax year for our lodgers. Maybe I should move my accounting year and maybe I am too diligent with the figures. It all takes time and concentration (well only a couple of afternoons worth), which isn’t helped with Tilly coming and going, demanding Dreamies every five minutes! Mick was understanding and watched some old episodes of All Creatures Great and Small with the subtitles on, after all he needs the figures from the lodgers for his return too.
Still some more to do tomorrow, then the tax return filling in, only to be told I don’t owe any tax just some National Insurance contributions, which I already know.
Numbers and notes
Dinner this evening was jacket potatoes with the remainder of the chicken from our Friday night roast and some homemade coleslaw. One day we will finish the red cabbage bought for Christmas!
0 locks, 0 miles,1 van returned, 3 parcels, 3 refunds, 20 rolls of tape, 1kg green confetti, 2nd payment, 4 hours of numbers, 4 muddy stamping paws! 1 overdue catch up.
The alarm went off early and Mick was up and on his way to the bus stop at 7am. The bus this morning was packed, standing room only, presumably overnight workers from East Midlands Airport. Picking up a van from Enterprise he then called in at Wickes. Here he bought several bags of coal as our stocks are starting to run low.
The parking at the mooring isn’t the easiest. Fulltime moorers have access through a gate, but Mick pulled in as close to the hedge as he could so as not to be in the way. As he off loaded the coal onto the roof he was handed items to head to Huddersfield, all the giant sized props, materials I wouldn’t be needing on the boat etc.
Skips heading to somewhere else by road
As we passed by the Clock Warehouse we could see that the skip boats were being craned out onto lorries in the pub car park. The narrowboat that had been by the pub had moved over to the water point, by the end of the day they had moved back across once the skips had been taken away.
Ergh!
The journey northwards was pretty horrid with almost constant rain and spray on the roads. A quick pull in to get something for lunch and we were soon pulling up close to the Piazza in Huddersfield where Dark Horse rehearse.
4E of the Huddersfield Narrow is just round the corner
I stayed to do costume fittings whilst Mick drove to Sewerby Bridge. Close to Tuel Lane Lock is a company called JC Joel. They provide and make drapes and fabrics for the entertainment industry. Mick was here to pick up a roll of dance floor which is suitable for painting with the right additives in the paint. The existing flooring for #unit21 was cheap vinyl (I had a limited budget) and had already torn before it was laid last year, it certainly wouldn’t survive a tour to five venues.
Lunchtime conversation
Back in Huddersfield I tried overalls on two of the actors. Down Syndrome people tend to have short limbs so there was a lot of pinning up and a few nips and tucks on shoulders to do, the overalls are meant for builders not 4ft actors after all.
After lunch Amy (Director) and I went through the props I’d brought with me and those that had been delivered. The giant mug had it’s handle added and was immediately tried out by Amy for weight. Then Alice was called over to check she could easily lift it on her own to take a swig of tea. All worked well. The remaining covering will get added on another visit in a couple of weeks time.
The Piazza was a shopping centre and has been ear marked for sometime to be redeveloped. The shops have gradually been moving out and the empty units have been used temporarily by art groups like Dark Horse. One large unit runs an art workspace for children, their windows always have something fun to look at. Another window showed off a giant cardboard sculpture of Bob Marley, brilliant.
Temporary Contemporary shop was the Chemists, Dark Horse behind the orange doors on the right
I took a little time to work out which shop had been used for the chemists in Happy Valley. Now a gallery with anaglypta on its walls. As the scene moved away from the shop you can see animal heads in the window of the children’s workspace, I think the scene was filmed around February last year as I have photos of the animal heads.
Last years display
Mick returned with the van and flooring. Two of the actors came out to look after the van whilst Mick and I struggled to move the large roll. A lovely chap offered to assist, then Amy came out to help too. We managed to get it into the unit, I’ll be needing some assistance to move it about when I cut it to length in a few weeks time.
The lower deck of the M1 going over the Sheffield and Tinsley Locks
A pause in Sheffield to visit Hobbycraft for a few bits then we headed for the Co-op in Castle Donnington to see what they had to offer before returning to the boat. Costume returns were organised, parcelled up and labelled for the morning.
Quite a busy day in Yorkshire.
0 locks, 6 locks spotted, 0 miles, 1 van, 191 miles, 2 overalls to shrink, 1 spare pair to make bigger, 3 braces tabs, 1 big swig of tea, 3 £1 books, £600 worth of floor, 2 near hernias, 1 new sandwich flavour, 1 location, 3 pairs trainers, 1 pair cycling shorts, 1 cat pleased to see us home, 12 sad git sausages, 2 sad git punnets of blueberries, 1 sad git gluten free loaf, 1 emptier boat.
Topics in the Geraghty zoom this morning included foxes, calculus, hyacinths and magnolia trees. Good to see everyone again after Christmas and the New Year.
1.55m up 2 inches from yesterday, the River Soar is closed again
I needed to make the most of day light hours so I was soon out on the stern. Wind direction was checked, then Mick helped remove the starboard side of the pram cover, extra ventilation required today.
Milk pods
Rain had been threatening for most of the morning. When it struck it did it in style! We’d chosen the right side of the pram cover to remove, but the rain still came in. Things were moved round, items removed from where rain water gets diverted on the roof. Just about everything important stayed dry and by lunchtime the milk pods were finished. They moved into the cratch to free up space in the stern workshop.
Now the moment of truth. Would my measurements of the stern doors have been correct and had I built the giant mug to those dimensions. Tilly was locked in the bedroom. I lifted the mug out from it’s position on the dinette, over the kitchen units, a few inches to spare there. Then offered it up to the back doors. I could have hooked them out of the way, but that might mean they wouldn’t end up being as open as they could be.
How much space past the doors?
I rested the mug on the top/threshold of the door. Very little light could be seen either side. I then carefully pushed the mug through the opening. PHEW! It fitted. I really had no idea what I would have done if it hadn’t. Phew! Maybe 2mm to spare. Phew.
Thank goodness for that!
The rest of the afternoon I spent sticking yoga mats to the inside of the mug. It sat on off cuts raising it off the wet deck. It pee’d it down again and I risked having the back door open for some fresh air, the sides of the pram cover back on trying to keep everything dry. This did mean the back of the mug got a little bit damp, but it should dry out fairly quickly.
With next to no room to work in and day light fading fast I had to stop. The large pieces to cover the outside of the mug would have to be done elsewhere with more space. The mug was lifted onto the hatch just enough space between it and the pram cover for it hopefully to stay dry overnight.
Sun setting, time to stop work
Items were packed up to take to Huddersfield. Not having the mug in the corner of the dinette made the boat feel so spacious!
Happy bunny
The evening was spent replacing the bunnies ears with longer versions and watching Happy Valley. The Piazza in Huddersfield featured as a location. Tomorrow we’ll be delivering the giant props to a unit that was just out of shot, I’ll have to check if there really is a chemists there.
