Blimey the end of February already! Spring is certainly springing. Here in Scarborough the sun has been out for a few days and flowers are blooming in the woods and along the cliffs to the sea.
Fewer layers required
With the announcement last Monday regarding the roadmap out of lockdown the world feels a lot more positive. On Monday and Tuesday we allowed ourselves to get a bit boating giddy, planning our escape from Goole. Mick even put our first destination into canal plan to work out how many hours cruising we’d need to do a day.
One escape route would mean we’d be needing to doing just over 2 hours a day, the other just under, although we’d most probably end up doing several days worth in one as there would be nowhere to moor up on the river sections. But this is all easy and would have us reaching our destination towards the end of June. All very exciting, we just have to hope that ABP let us out through the lock onto the Ouse or that the repair on the Aire and Calder is far easier than all the engineering suggests.
We are going to keep our first destination this year a surprise for you until we are on our way. But on Monday and Tuesday this week things started to slot into place quite nicely, we just have to hope that the Governments roadmap, (without dates!) follows the dates Mr Johnson mentioned. We will continue to abide by the rules, just hope everyone else does their part. There is also a long list of jobs to do here along with lots of work.
Sneaky peek at panto
According to various sources regarding the Aire and Calder Breach the piling forming the cofferdam was finished five days early. The area is virtually dry and decisions on a permanent repair would be made by the end of this week. Equipment has been heading to site all week and initial thoughts are that there is no problem with the culvert under the canal.
Repairs continue on the Calder Hebble at the Figure of Three Locks near Dewsbury. This was just about totally wiped out in floods at the beginning of last year. The repairs have taken into account the possibility of future flooding, the towpath has been reinforced and the spillway should now be capable of carrying flood water away. I’ve come across a couple of videos of the works.
https://fb.watch/3X9yJx9k2o/
This was a route we’d been planning on taking last year as I had a show that would start in Huddersfield and then tour to York. The gap between performances allowed enough time for us to travel between the two theatres, however the damage caused here altered our plans, then the show was cancelled.
Sun on the catwalk
Cancelled isn’t really the right word, as this week Dark Horse have been in touch and are wanting to bring the show out of hibernation. It will need designing in the next few months and some costume work before the summer even though it won’t be performed until early next year. Another reason for hoping the roadmap out of lockdown keeps going in the right direction.
Hello Oleanna!
Reports from Viking Marina in Goole suggest levels are coming back up. Mid week the caisson gates were seen open, but the metal stop planks were still in place with the pumps running full pelt around them. This weekend we’ve had reports from Lisa and Al that the metal stop planks may now have been removed. With the cofferdam now stopping any more water from escaping I suspect the caisson gates and stop planks are no longer required. Opening them up here means that as the locks in Goole docks are used there will now be another four miles worth of water to draw from. The navigation still remains closed, the red lights still showing at the caisson.
0 locks, 0 miles, 3, 1 set of gates, 1 lot of stop planks, 13 guns, 27 houses, 1 white card approved, 1 white card to be costed, 1 commission finished, 1 plan coming together, 1 roadmap, 0 dates, 1 cat going solo more, 1 new show, 3 more months photoless, 1 long list of jobs, 2 giddy boaters, 1 neighbours cat with cream paws, 1 smug boat cat.
Today is what She calls my ‘Gotcha day’. Five years ago I was quite happily clambering over the high edge of a pooh tray heading towards a scratch post, stopping to sniff and kill a mouse en route, when the She I’d been staying with picked me up and walked with me on her shoulder to the front door.
I was little then
Here my She stood with a big smile on her face. I had a cuddle and a purr showed off my tail to She and her family and that was it. This was the day I became a boat cat.
It’s such a hard life
Back then the back of the sofa was a good place to sit, that was when we lived on Lillian. Then on Oleanna the sofa had a secret passage behind it which only got revealed every now and again. Now we live in Scarboreugh the sofa keeps moving but always has a route behind it, which I find handy for getting to sit in the window.
Toms boating coat
Life has changed somewhat in the last five years. They no longer move the outside and there are far FAR too many other cats who visit my outside, both front and back! In the last five months I have not murdered anything! Trees are hard to come by apart from in the park and She doesn’t take me there quite as much as she used to.
Out in the park
However, the tree that Tom chopped down has been brought inside. I can now go through my door (when they bother to open it for me!) and climb it to my hearts content, not having to share it with every other cat in the neighbourhood. It’s quite cool and I can stand at the top and sneer at Bogey Face and Fatty Betty who don’t have their own tree.
MY tree
You may think that I am now a house cat. I would disagree. I still get the same rules before I go out ‘You have an hour, no friends home dead or alive or putting them on the roof for later’. I still have to find a route that is accessible to the roof. I get ‘Thank you for coming home’ Dreamies. And quite frequently get told ‘Boat cats don’t claw furniture’ or ‘Boat cats don’t bite’. Lockdown in a house is boring so I have to find new ways to amuse myself.
The highlights of my day are at getting up time and bedtime. My birthday present from last year may have lost numerous feathers now, but it is still tops. She swings it round and I pounce from one end of the bed to the other. I stalk it and wait for it to come out from the Wardle room.
I do get to look out above the trees when She and I go to work. There is lots of this happening right now. I have been given a cushion to sit on so that I won’t try to squeeze into the model box anymore, She’s been busy making things to go inside it, they are poisonous! When we worked on Oleanna everything used to get tidied up every day and put away. Well She is now very very lazy and leaves everything out. Standards are slipping.
Tut Tut Tut!
Tom says that three years ago She wondered what I’d make of life in a house. Well there is a lot more room to run around after visiting my pooh box and good windows to sit and look out of. But the lack of friends is the serious down side along with there being too many cats. She says that one day, hopefully soon, we’ll be back on Oleanna and they’ll be moving the outside again. We just have to get to the other side of this lockdown and the breach. So my killing days may not be over.
Dreaming of Boats!
0 locks, 0 miles, 5 years second mate, 4 white paws, 1 white tipped tail, 5 months house bound, 1 lockdown and breach to pounce over, 3rd sofa, 1 tree of my very own, 2 cat walks, 3 cushions, 2 many cats, 0 friends, 2 lifes, 60 miles apart.
Lisa sent through a photo of Oleanna this morning. The level at the docks is just about normal and Oleanna was sitting there in the rain. Yesterday it must have been sunny at the marina as the solar panels were doing a good job of keeping the batteries topped up and the engine bay got up to 8 C. It’s handy being able to check on her from afar, keeps our minds at rest.
Paper stretched and ready
Here in Scarborough I’ve been busy with work. A new, to me, art shop is proving very handy. I’ve not had chance to go into The Art Room yet and I can’t see what art materials they normally stock, Delia responds to emails swiftly and is very helpful. This week I was after a pad of thick cartridge paper and a wooden board so that I can stretch the paper properly. If water colour paper isn’t stretched, when you start to paint the paper cockles and will never lie flat again. In the past I’ve half heartedly taped paper to a plastic board, but this never really worked that well. So I have invested in a board that will take A3 paper comfortably. This will first get used for my boat origami paper design. Then I hope to use it for paintings of the waterways, which I’ve been planning on doing for some time now. I have the equipment, the reference, all I need now is the time!
This week I’ve started work in earnest on Panto for Chipping Norton. Sketch technical drawings enable me to make pieces of model, then do adjustments. Yesterday I finished working my way through the show, there is still lots to alter and work out, but I have solutions for most things. I’m quite happy with my galleon set, but the smugglers inn isn’t right yet! Hopefully this coming week things will get sorted before my next work arrives on the doorstep!
Cotton top measuring up
I’ve finally finished knitting a top for my sister-in-law which is now measured out and blocking on some new foam mats I’ve treated myself to. These will be handy to take back to the boat as they breakdown into foot squares, but once clipped together they give me 3ft square to pin items onto. They will save me pinning things out onto the back of our mattress on the boat and hoping things will be dry before bedtime!
Cricket on the TV, who’d have thought
Mick, whilst not watching the cricket, has been working on the blog. Two years ago we moved to WordPress and our current deal is nearly up. There are things we’d like to try to improve, but unless we spend more money they are proving hard to sort. Paul (Waterway Routes) suggested sometime ago we tried WordPress.org, this is free but we’d need to pay to have the blog hosted, which is all working out at a similar price to if we stayed put. We could go back to Blogger and Open Live Writer, but photos had been problematic, Mick is still working his way through the blog inserting them and I like the way wordpress works.
Tomorrow Tilly it’s too dark to go for a walk now!
However we miss having a blog roll that moves with peoples posts and a forwards and back button. Mick has found the relevant code, we may need to enlist my nephew Josh into giving us some guidance with this. We’ll see what happens.
Mick is taking his time reading the book he selected from our Christmas stash. The chap has left Kate Saffin and Alarum, headed to the Exeter Canal and is now somewhere on the Bridgewater Canal.
I on the other hand have finished mine, which I’ve really enjoyed. When we first moved on board I read a lot, but in the last couple of years I’d got out of the habit. With so many books to choose from I was spoilt for choice. So when Sam from NB Red Wharf said that Canal Pushers was really good and Debby from NB Chuffed asked for a review I thought I’d best start there.
I like a good crime story and with it being set on the canals it started off on a good footing. Andy Griffee has taken the theory of a serial killer, pushing people into the waterways around Manchester and set a similar story on the Stratford, Worcester and Birmingham Canals.
Jack has just picked up a narrowboat to see if a life afloat will suit him after recently being divorced. Let down by a friend who was going to help him learn the ropes he is soon rescued by a lady walking the towpath, Nina. A friendship is formed between the two of them, Nina keeping herself a bit of a mystery.
Look at those whiskers
Knowing the stretch of canal where the book is set is quite warming to a sole that misses being on the cut right now. Jack’s experience of The Navigation Inn at Wooten Wawen made me smile as it was very similar to ours when we hired our last boat from there seven years ago. Stratford with the tourists and theatre, Wedges, Packwood House, all the time Jack learning how to handle the boat as the mystery of the death of a young homeless lad unfolds.
Not breakfast, but a beetroot and feta burger in homemade gf buns with lockdown chips
Several plots intertwine, gradually unravelling themselves at a narrowboat pace. There are several moments where the pace speeds up which has lead to a couple of nights where I’ve kept the light on whilst Mick has snored away. I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to give the plot away, as it is well worth a read. My only criticism, I’ve always walked down hill to the shops in Alvechurch, not up hill.
Verdict, a good read especially for those with a canal interest, but this is not required and it certainly doesn’t turn into a manual for narrowboat handling. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series River Rats which takes place in Bath. I may read my way down towards the Kennet and Avon via Murder on the Oxford Canal by Faith Martin. I wonder if there are enough novels to cover the whole network?
Also not breakfast, but turnip curry, beetroot and carrot curry with homemade gf nan breads
This weekends walk will prove to be a rosy cheeked one as it is currently trying it’s best to snow, although I doubt it will settle. An east wind will be whipping up the sea and will chill us to the bone, thermals needed today.
Last week we braved the climb up onto Oliver’s Mount. Down into the valley to then climb back up the other side and then further all up hill. We chose to go cross country avoiding felled trees up to the top.
Up the top
Here on the summit a telecommunications mast stands. Back in the early 1990’s this was the only place in Scarborough to get mobile phone signal when the telephone exchange had a serious fire knocking out all landlines in the town. The other high point here is the war memorial that marks a view point.
We took our time looking for family names. None from the Geraghty side, but quite a few Capplemans. I shall have to dig out the family tree I was sent after my Dad passed away and see if any of them are mentioned.
The view right up the coast
Oliver’s Mount makes for a great view point. Looking down all the usual landmarks have found new positions around town (as they do!) and the South Bay looks more like a smugglers cove. Views right into the North Bay and up the coast, we took our time spotting friends houses.
The South Bay
The way back down we followed the roads which make up the Oliver’s Mount race track, stopping to say hello to the beach donkeys who are on their winter holiday, sadly they were just a touch too far away for a good photo.
Us last week
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 level back up, 1 glimpse, A3 sketch board, 20 sheets, 0 cow gum, 1 new proscenium, 1 white card sketch model complete, 409 pages, 1 cotton top, 67 pins, 2 t-towels, 6 capplemans, 5 miles up and down, 1 bored cat in need of a hobby, 1 windswept short walk, 0 cobwebs.
Us today!
Where Were We
2020. Sheepcote Street Bridge, Birmingham.
2019. Thorne Lock, Stainforth and Keadby Canal. LINK
Tilly is getting more and more demanding to go for walks, it is getting so I can’t actually do any work until we’ve been to have a look at the trees. I have tried suggesting she takes up a hobby, something like macramé, but she’s not too keen on that idea. Any how, when we returned I decided to have an early lunch and check the world of social media, up popped a link to new drone footage from the breach site. Thank you Mark.
It looks like there has been quite a bit of activity.
The roadway that had been laid across the field from the base has been extended onto the towpath. Here a pile of aggregate has been added into the side of the canal along with a mound of clay. Could this be where they plan on building one of the dams? Or are they just widening the towpath?
The roadway and footpath from the site base compound
A footpath has also been laid next to the roadway. A digger looked like it was reinforcing the access over a drain by the road. Are these extra roadway sections lying in the field by the roadway? Or are they piles waiting to build the coffer dams?
On the other side of the canal new hard core has also gone down. Presumably the track to where the pumps are helping to keep the level in the drain down, was getting far too muddy. An area has also been covered with hardcore on this side, possibly for machinery when they start to build the dams. A digger was busy, maybe dredging the edge where one of the dams will cross to.
Pegs around the faded grass to the left
Looking at the area where the breach is, where there was/is a small hole through the grass, marker pegs can be seen. This suggests the area around the hole is unstable.
Less of the blue tarp showing above the water
Comparing Marks photos from about two weeks ago to todays it looks like the canal level is up by just a bit. A bag of aggregate and the blue tarp seem to be sat a little lower in the water than they were before.
Now that is one big pontoon
C&RT in their update had mentioned pontoons that they were setting up and sailing down to site. Now there are pontoons, and then there are huge PONTOONS. This is one of the latter. It looks like there are two large poles (for want of a better term) lying on the top of the sections. These are likely to be lowered through a couple of holes in the pontoon and used to anchor it in position. Back in September we saw a similar pontoon being used near Doncaster.
Mark was informed this morning that the piling for the dams will start to go in over the next couple of weeks, then the area between the dams will be dewatered towards the end of February, weather permitting.
In Fridays Boaters Update from C&RT, there was a section regarding the breach on the Aire and Calder, nothing new was mentioned but good that it got it’s own section between Coronavirus and the £10 million they are spending on the Yorkshire Waterways this winter. I suspect quite a chunk of that money will be going towards work on the Calder and Hebble at The Figure of Three Locks that were badly damaged in last February’s storms.
She’s still there. Thank you Al
A photo came through of Oleanna on Friday afternoon from Lisa. Levels still low in the marina, but stable. It looked grey down in Goole and the marina might even have been a touch icy still.
The North Bay, not looking as busy as it felt
Today Mick and I attempted to have a walk to the North Bay in Scarborough, we knew it would be busy as it was a nice day but hadn’t expected so many people in Peasholm Park, so we ended up doing a detour up onto Northstead Manor Drive.
Green Tor
Here very large houses sit above the park, one took our fancy straight away. Green Tor shows off it’s 1930’s credentials with green roof tiles, long stained glass window up the staircase. We had a peak in through the windows as we knew it would be empty being a holiday let. A look on the website shows the owners love of wallpaper. Huge rooms, well they would have to be as the house can sleep 14. It also has a hot tub and the garage has been converted into a games room and cinema!
We meandered down to the beach via the Open Air Theatre. It’s been quite a few years since we’ve walked through here. The lake that used to separate the stage from the audience has been concreted in. Concerts are being advertised, the first being Crowded House on the 8th June! Here’s hoping the season of open air concerts will be able to go ahead this year.
The North Bay chalets and us
My camera was out as normal, but today I was wanting to get some inspiration for a project I’ve been asked to be part of. The North Bay beach chalets caught my eye, as did many other things. We stayed close to the chalets avoiding the crowds on the main footpath and beach, then headed up the cliff towards my old street and a walk back home through town. A lovely walk on a lovely day, just a shame there were so many people about. My suggestion to Mick of getting up early and going for a walk before everyone else didn’t go down too well!
Aire and Calder Breach Site
The weather had also been good in Goole today. Mark Penn had been out with his drone taking photos of new housing, the Siemens Site and of course the breach site on the canal.
Boulders and earth filling the hole
More boulders and earth have been put at the end of the concrete section filling the hole that had appeared after Christmas.
Holes
There are a couple of square holes. One on the concrete above the culvert , this is covered and fenced off, then the other just to one side in a grassed area. They are almost certainly inspection holes to try to see what is below.
Base for the works
Another photo shows that the corner of a nearby field has been levelled off and hard core laid. A Site Office sits to one side and is kept company by a digger and dumper truck, this will obviously be the base for the works when they start.
River Don running parallel to the Aire and Calder
A longer shot across to the other side of the cut shows the pumps which are drawing the water away and into the River Don. You can see the cloudy water joining the darker waters. The whole area is water logged right now due to the amount of rain recently.
Thank you Mark for letting me use your photos again. It’ll be interesting to see the works from above when they start.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1.5 layers of wallpaper up, 2 windows, 1 doorway, 1 electric saw, 1 internal tree, 1 carpenters opinion sought, 1 day of rest, 1 router on order, 3 weeks, 20 x 20, 5.5 miles, 1 bored cat, 2 many people, 1 portacabin, 2 holes, 4C, 100% charged batteries, 1 roast chicken tonight, 1 Happy Birthday!
Firstly a big thank you to Jenn for letting me know that on the 16th November Bargain Hunt had a special bit all about Emily Blagg as this year is the 100th anniversary of The Palace Theatre. Very interesting to see Emily’s grave, not a big thing as the locals still had a problem with her demolishing the Chauntry to build the theatre. Also I’m glad the researchers didn’t manage to find a picture of her, as I spent ages trying to do the same. Here’s a link to the episode. If you are ever in Newark when the Antique Fair is on it is worth a visit, it costs to get in but is crammed full of interesting things. When we went there was a free bus from near Newark Northgate Station.
Tilly doing her best not to shred the lining before it’s on the curtains
Back in Scarborough I’ve been busy with the sewing machine. I started off small relining curtains for Oleanna, just to get myself and my machine warmed up, much bigger curtains were to follow for the house.
I’d ordered a big roll of thermal lining, enough for boat curtains as well as the bay window. The other day I’d unpicked the stitching on the dark blue curtains from the saloon and dinette areas. Doing this I’d discovered that Kim (who made the curtains in Sheffield) had used some wonderweb on the side hems. This seemed like a good idea, so before lockdown 2 was imposed I’d had a walk to Dunelm to stock up. After several washes the wonderweb had disintegrated and as I pulled the lining away I was left with a big mess to clean up.
I measured up the lining, not as much as Kim had used as I hope I can get away with having not quite so much bulk. The rectangle of lining was pinned in position, having to tug to the curtains to their full extent as no matter how much ironing they simply didn’t want to lie flat. Wonderweb held the sides in position, then I was able to pin round all sides, hopefully where they were before, then I sewed round each panel.
Well that was the plan, but on my third curtain my machine jammed! Oh B**er!! As it was late in the afternoon I called it a day. Good karma at a sewing machine usually works and maybe coming back to it another day would be a wise idea.
Filthy inside, what did I expect!
It was time to give my machine some TLC. The advantage of being in the house was that it didn’t take too long to find the oil that had come with my machine along with the original manual. This showed me how to take the bobbin and what lies behind to pieces and apply one drop of oil.
Then I removed the plate around the teeth, then the teeth themselves. Here was my main problem, fluff, lots of fluff! With all this cleared out and the one drop of oil applied I wondered if I should oil my machine anywhere else. Not according to the manual. I looked on line, no luck, then asked on Facebook after all I know quite a few wardrobe supervisors who should know. Thank you to those who made suggestions, including Dave and Chris who both suggested applying a touch of oil to anything that moves.
Gary White from All Seasons Boat Covers hunted round the internet for me and eventually found a file for my brand of machine suggesting a few more places to oil. Thank you, I promise to do this before I pack my machine away before Christmas.
I soon discovered that my machine and needles were not capable of going through all the layers in the corners, so I decided that I’d finish these off by hand. All six dark blue curtains were soon finished.
Before moving onto the bedroom curtains for Oleanna I decided to make the living room and dining room curtains for one side of the house. I’m very glad we’d not moved fully into the house as once I’d had a good tidy up, rationalisation of Franks and my tools I had a lot of floor space to play with, needed when you want to have floor to ceiling curtains round your bay window.
Are you sure you are helping?!
Rolls of fabric had arrived, first thing was to square off the end and then cut the correct lengths. Tilly decided she’d hold down the fabric for me and supervise the end of my steel ruler. I on the other hand pretended that I was cutting up dance floor for a show (a frequent job in my theatre life usually with at least one other pair of hands). Hands are much better at doing this job than paws, but I was glad of the company.
The fabric I’d chosen had a very small pattern, so not noticeable should I not quite line everything up properly on the wider curtains, although seeing some of the salvage edge peeking through wasn’t good, I revisited such areas.
Lining and curtain fabric were both hemmed, then sewn together. I’d checked that my lining was narrower so that the main fabric would fold back round the sides, but sadly once I’d turned everything the right way round I had a very narrow bit of fabric. So one side of each curtain was unpicked and a couple of inches trimmed off the lining, then everything resewn.
Helping
Curtain tape sewn onto the tops, job done. I just needed my assistant Mick to help with the hanging of them and enough hooks and runners. The bay window track had enough but the dining room track had a mixture of runners, most of which weren’t the right size! A hunt through my stash of such things, we didn’t have enough. One window elsewhere had the right ones so they were stolen.
Hooray they’re up!
Some curtain weights are required and the ends of the bay window track are leaning a touch, these may need trimming back as my curtains are partially on the floor. However these were my first ever properly made curtains, not bodged for use on stage, but proper fully lined curtains. I’m quite proud of them and have ordered more fabric for curtains in another room, but they will have to wait to be made next year.
It was back to boat curtains, bedroom curtains. A couple of years ago I’d bought some more of the original fabric in a sale, having more than enough lining now meant I could reline the original curtains and make a brand new pair too. Tilly has managed to make them look quite shabby.
This fabric however is quite slippy and slidy, not wanting to keep it’s shape and could be pulled in different directions to make it fit, but what would the end curtains look like?
The old linings were unpicked, new added and sewn in. Using wonderweb proved helpful with this fabric. Then a hole new set were cut out, sewn, ironed and all the corners hand sewn in place. In all twelve curtains finished and ready to go up at Oleannas’ windows again. I just hope they fit on the poles properly! I’ve put together a ‘just in case’ pack, should I have sewn them too tight and they need unpicking.
All finished with ‘just in case’ sewing kit
We’d been planning on a trip down to check on her as soon as lockdown was lifted. The tier in Scarborough surprisingly will be tier 2, the number of cases here shot up and at one point we were highest in the country, then they started to drop, Hull forging ahead of us. However Goole will be in tier 3, an area you can travel through, but not go and hang your curtains and give your boat the once over running the engine for an hour etc, not essential. I’m sure some are visiting their boats, some jobs are essential over winter.
They are plotting behind Mum’s nursing chair
With curtains hung in the house we could move ourselves into the living room properly, well as properly as you can when most of your furniture has gone by the wayside through the years with tenants. We moved the sofa in, side tables, plumbed the TV in and standard lamps. Then we fought with my Mum and Dad’s chairs down the tight stairs from upstairs upstairs. We’d put them up there, so they had to be able to come down! My Mum and Dad bought these chairs as wedding presents for each other. Not your average three piece suite, but I quite like it. When funds allow we’ll replace the two seater sofa with a three seater sofabed and move the smaller sofa back to the other side. But for now we have a comfy sitting room. Just pictures to hang, coal for the fire and we’re there.
It was now time to have a day off, I put my feet up and did a few hours of a thing called work!
Most theatres around the country have cancelled their pantos this year, but have been forging ahead with paired down Christmas shows in the hope that once lockdown 2 is lifted they will have a show to bring cheer to their audiences.
Chippy this year is offering A Christmas Carol, with David Bradley. The SJT here in Scarborough The Snow Queen a one woman show and an audio recording of Haunting Julia, a ghost story by Alan Ayckbourn (a great play I’ve had the pleasure of designing twice).
Thankfully these shows will be able to go on, but many other theatres who find themselves in tier 3 will not be able to open their doors. Some of these will be going on line, others mothballed for Easter next year.
A nice relaxing read
Will, the producer at Chipping Norton had been in touch, the second draft of the script for Panto was sent out and now they were ready to contract myself and others to start work, well ahead for next year. On our last visit to the boat I made sure I brought all my work things back with us, but had forgotten the plans of the theatre. I’ve now received copies and a model box. So it was time to read the script.
The last couple of days I’ve been starting to reclaim my work rooms at the top of the house. A damp problem on the chimney breast meant it needed stripping for a builder to check over.
Then I’ve started to try to make space at my model making tables and cleaned the windows. Plenty more room than I had on the boat, but I have yet to gain access to my drawing board which is still engulfed by boxes. I’ll get there.
It’s in there somewhere, no that’s Tilly
One handy tip though, don’t leave water in a hotwater bottle for six years. Not only will it have lost it’s heat but the rubber will perish!
A Beautiful day
Last week on our Sunday walk we braved a visit to the South Bay beach. A beautiful day, chilly but sunny and the beach wasn’t too busy. We marvelled at the blue sea and white light house and then decided to avoid the harbour where the footpaths are a bit too narrow for the amount of people about.
So we headed up Bland’s Cliff. This steep hill used to run up the side of the Futurist Theatre which was sadly demolished in the last couple of years after huge outcries. In it’s place is the Scarborough Eye, better views are free up near the Castle, and a crazy golf pitch!
However Blands Cliff has become very colourful. An art gallery had just opened when we left and now the surrounding walls are covered in murals and mosaics with local topics depicted. Really rather jolly.
0 locks, 0 miles, 0 visits to Oleanna, 1 cleaned sewing machine, 9 relined curtains, 3 new curtains, 2 pairs of proper house curtains, 1 living room moved into, 1 not so helpful assistant, 1 wall stripped, 0.25 work room reclaimed, 2 clean windows, 1 cat loving the views, tier 2, 1 boat in tier 3!
Where were we
2019 On the South Oxford Canal, Somerton Meadows to Kings Sutton. LINK
It’s been a busy week for us here in Scarborough. A visit from a plumber gave us a more favourable quote than one we’d had a month or so ago. Then last weekend we heard from Darran (the plumber) that the job he should have been doing this week was delayed so he could fit us in. He arrived Tuesday morning and by the time he left that day the old boiler and tank had been removed and replaced with a combi.
The new boiler provides heat to half the house and hot water to a bathroom. That night we both partook of showers and sat on the sofa warm without having to have electric heaters on. The following day Darran finished the set up then ran through a list of other jobs, including two new toilet innards and several sticking taps.
A builder has been to look at damp we’ve got in a couple of places and we’ve had a chimney sweep so we can now have fires again.
Paint has been stripped from the rotting window sills to see to what extent they need replacing and Frank by the end of yesterday finished securing the first new piece of wood onto the first sill, along with realigning a set of bannisters and gluing a spindle back together. Hopefully the weather will be okay to do more next week along with changing the locks on the front doors now that we’ve managed to get the springs changed inside them and have new keys.
It’s just too noisy in there!
Tilly hasn’t been too pleased with people coming and going, making noise and her areas of the house reducing in size depending on where people were working.
Inspecting the bay tree
Her job title has changed a couple of times this week. On Oleanna she is the Second Mate, earlier this week she became Clark of Works and yesterday she decided on another job.
Her beautiful white paws no longer white!
As yet we’re not sure if she would like to be a chimney sweep or if she has ideas of being a feline Fred Dibner! Her route up the chimney has hopefully now been blocked successfully.
The kitchen and utility room are almost complete paint wise, just some undercoat and white gloss (hard to get hold of currently) to go and they can be ticked off the list. Just a shame that it looks like our kitchen floor will have to be dug up. Remedial work for damp a few years ago meant the builder, whilst digging up the kitchen floor put a nick into a gas pipe leading to the hob. This was spotted a year or so later and a new copper pipe was passed through the flexible stainless steel pipe. This works, but the two metals should not be together so will degrade, therefore it needs replacing. We’ll replace the gas hob with electric, but a suitable cable can’t go through the flexible pipe, hence the floor needs to be dug up! I am currently on the hunt for matching tiles.
He only needed two jelly beans
Mick got several parcels. One containing some jelly beans which meant he could move the internet up to the room we call the shed. Our internet still isn’t as good as on the boat and another issue has been raised with our provider as when you pick up the phone the internet cuts out.
Gardens! Gardens!!
Tilly has ventured outside a few times, but isn’t that impressed. If we hold her cat flap open she’ll go through it, but she hasn’t as yet mastered coming back in. I think we will still be custodians of the door in the house as well as on the boat. I think once we let her out the front of the house she will be more enthusiastic as she’s already spied all the trees in the park.
Eggs delivered with the milk once a week
Friday morning we were up early to receive a Sainsburys delivery before it was even light. Then Mick got a train down to Goole to visit Oleanna taking his tool kit on a bike.
Neighbour from last week gone
He gave Oleanna fresh oil and a new oil filter. Then he attached a couple of Temperature Sensors. One was attached to the batteries and the other end to the Victron system monitor. The other one was attached to the engine. This means we can monitor the temperatures remotely, either at the tiller or from further afield.
When Oleanna was built the control panel was housed behind a lockable panel which we requested. Because of this we ended up with a standard panel which doesn’t show the engine temperature, this is located just inside the hatch. Due to Tilly not being allowed up on deck whilst we cruise this means the back doors are always closed when we are on the move, so it’s not so easy to check the engine temperature. Mick can access the system monitor from his phone and see what the temperature is now.
Over the last three weeks Mick has been keeping an eye on the system monitor. He can remotely connect power from the hook up, but so far our solar panels have been looking after the batteries on their own. The new temperature sensor will enable Mick to see when the temperature of the batteries drops to 5C or less. Lithium batteries don’t like to be charged when the temperature is below 0C. So remotely he will be able to stop the solar from charging them. This morning their temperature was 7C. The big spike yesterday on the chart was when Mick ran the engine.
All fine until next time
All the doors were opened up to refresh the air inside the cabin and all was well onboard. Before we can return for a night I’ll need to sort the curtains for our bedroom. I may just take a pattern from them, give the old ones a wash and rehang them for the time being. But the curtains in the rest of the boat want new lining (thanks to Tilly!) and I’m aiming to make new curtains for the house, so it looks like I need to work out how much lining I’ll need and put a big order in.
The Cinder Track
Last Sunday the weather was fine so we decided to head to the North Bay to say hello to Freddie. Our route took us through Sainsbury’s car park and then along the cinder track, which used to be the railway line to Whitby. We then headed down towards Peasholm Park walking through Manor Road Cemetery, first bumping into an old friend Jim and then Jaye and Duncan.
The Cemetery is very atmospheric with little gardens, there is a memorial to civilians who died in the bombardment of Scarborough in December 1914. Every twist and turn brings more stories. Without really noticing it you leave the cemetery and enter Peasholm Park with it’s beck, Japanese Gardens and then boating Lake with pagoda looking down from above. Built in the 1910’s the park became the focus for fetes, galas etc and in 1927 the model Naval Warfare was introduced which you can still see today, although I’ve heard it I’ve never seen it.
We crossed the roundabout and walked down to what used to be called The Corner.
The North Bay watched over by the Castle
Here the footpath is nice and wide, despite being popular there is plenty of space. We walked round to say hello to Freddie, one of my favourite sculptures. This giant chap sits on a bench, in his coat smoking. The Ray Lonsdale sculpture depicts Freddie Gilroy one of the first soldiers to relieve the Bergen-Belson concentration camp at the end of WW2.
We followed Marine Drive round the headland, watching the waves. The seagulls waiting for unsuspecting visitors to drop their guard and loose their chips! A walk round the harbour would have been lovely, but it was far too busy so we side stepped away from the crowds onto Burr Bank, walking into town through the Old Town, waving to Alan and Heather as we passed their garden.
Tut tut
Hopefully this Sunday the sun will be out again, although I’m not sure we’ll venture far as one of my knees is seriously complaining about steps, climbing ladders and kneeling on the floor. Two days off decorating should help, I may even pick up my knitting needles again, something I’ve not had the inkling to do since early lockdown.
Views of the harbour
o locks, o miles, 2 trains, 9 litres oil, 2 sensors, 1 gravel barge, 1 parcel of yarn, 1 present for Tilly, 1 sill nearly mended, 1 spindle glued, 7 windows undercoated, 1 boiler, 1 chimney swept, 1 chimney climber, 1 MBE Congratulations Sarah! 1 brick laid, 1 patch of plaster required, 4 hidden knives found, 1 boater longing to walk the towpath with her cat, 1 bag of frozen peas.
Where were we
2019 On the Kennet and Avon Canal, All Cannings to Woolhall Bridge. LINK
2018 On the South Oxford Canal, Aristotle Bridge to Isis Lock. LINK
2017 On the Trent and Mersey, Taft Bridge to Lower Burston Bridge. LINK
2016 On the Leeds Liverpool, Bingley Five Rise to Holden Swing Bridge. LINK
Life in Scarborough has been busy. Reclaiming our big house is taking time, on the first day I managed to walk over a mile without leaving the front door, I suspect on Oleanna I’d have only managed a couple of hundred yards! Just moving from the cooker to the sink or fridge is several paces rather than just a turn. All the stairs are hard work for knees!
Why are we here?!
Our first week has been spent bringing down from the top floor only those things we need, which isn’t much. This is so that as I decorate the house there isn’t clutter that needs to be constantly moved from room to room. Hopefully as I work my way round we will have more than just a sofa to sit on.
Geraghty zoom from the living room
Having so much space means we can inhabit one side whilst I work on the other side, the only down side is that the boiler on the side we’re inhabiting doesn’t work and needs replacing. We’re waiting for quotes, but it looks like it won’t be until November until the work could be done, good job we’ve a 15 tog duvet on the bed!
Much of our furniture that we’d left in the house has gone through the years. Somethings needed replacing quickly, ie the washing machine and tumble drier so that we don’t have to go to Oleanna to do our washing! We’d leant our TV to some friends whilst we were away, so that was collected early on saving us from having to buy another. We also stocked up on toilet roll, 48 recycled rolls.
Good window shelves
Tilly is just starting to get used to there being SO much space,At least four Oleanna’s worth and then there is the upstairs upstairs inside that I’ve only had a sneaky peek at so far.There is still more for her to explore inside, at least it’s keeping her busy until we allow her to explore the new normal outside.
Over lockdown I loved getting a veg box in Nantwich, so I’d already sussed out where I’d be able to get one from in Scarborough. Tree Top Farm delivers organic veg to your door, so Wednesdays is veg box day. Red Kale and Marrow made a few very nice meals and the last of the swede and squash will go into a soup. So far we are managing to get Sainsburys deliveries and three times a week we wake to a fresh bottle of milk on the doorstep.
We are hoping to live without a car, hiring when one is needed, pretty much as we’ve done for six years. Time will tell if this works, the only downside being that we can’t be spontaneous and head to Oleanna without a bit of planning. I suspect the walk to B&Q will become a regular thing, although I have placed a large order with Dulux which gets delivered.
So far we’ve only seen one friend, Frank who came round for a cuppa and catch up almost as soon as we got back. Sitting out in the garden it felt like we’d never been away. Thank you Frank for the beans, tomatoes and apples. We’ve just about finished the beans, some apples went into a sticky toffee apple pudding, but there’s still plenty left for other things.
Just to keep the breakfast club happy
We’d like to see other friends, but so far we’ve been a touch busy and keeping ourselves to ourselves feels right as the local cases of Covid 19 increase. We were so busy that I got my days mixed up and we missed a trip to the Stephen Joseph Theatre to see The Lighthouse which had been booked for a few weeks!
A good sea breeze
Last Sunday the sun came back out after a few miserable days, so we made the most of it and walked over onto South Cliff, along the Esplanade, down to the sea where Holbeck Hall Hotel slipped into the North Sea back in 1993. Then we walked back to the valley along the sea front about an hour before high tide, the wind blowing, surfers surfing and the sea crashing against the sea wall by The Spa. We paused and waved to Duncan and Jaye as we passed their house, but nobody looked out the windows. We hope to get out at least once a week to be able to blow away the dust and cobwebs from the house.
Hello!
This week decorating has started. On days when the weather is favourable I aim to get as much of the outside repainted as I can, someone else will need to be employed to do the stuff up high. Two chaps turned up the other day to do some pointing, they’d actually got the wrong house and street, but they cleared our gutters for us there and then. They think they might be able to paint the gable end without scaffolding, so that would save us some money.
On cold and wet days there is plenty to keep me busy inside. Kitchen first, followed by the living room. If only it was as simple as getting the brushes out, so far there are five rotten window sills that need replacing and numerous sticking doors which have handles that fall off in your hand. This is all going to take time.
Holding on I hope!
The 1st of October was Tilly’s birthday. Her fifth birthday. She was hoping that this might mean she’d be able to go off and explore the trees in the park above our road but they will have to wait a few more days until her two weeks ‘House Arrest’ is finished.
There she is
So instead of spending the day with birthday girl we hired a car and headed to Goole. The sun was out, a good day to get some undercoat on the outside of the house, but an even better day to visit Oleanna to do some jobs.
Midland Chandlers had delivered a new 24volt automatic bilge pump along with fresh filters. Mick was wanting to change the oil so that Oleanna can sit over winter all fresh. Scarborough Halfords didn’t have enough, but Boyes in Goole did at a much better price. We also made use of the car by picking up several heavy things for mending a rather large hole that was put in the wrong chimney breast at the house, which currently is stopping us from lighting a fire!
Liberty our new view
Lisa my Instagram acquaintance had sent photos earlier this week showing that all was well at the marina. Oleanna’s ropes had slackened a touch and she has a couple of new neighbours, a small cruiser and Liberty a Dutch Barge we’d seen about the Aire and Calder recently.
It was good to be back on board. The hull rocking as we stepped on board. People ask us if we’ve got our land legs back, well that rocking feeling left us years ago, we kind of became ambidextrous with such things. Wonder if that will still be the case after being on land for a while?
Tools at the ready
Once we’d got everything powered up again Mick put on his overalls and lifted the engine board. I did a bit of chopping and frying, a chicken and swede soup to bubble away on the stove for our lunch, getting veg boxes means you have to keep on top of the supply so that nothing goes to waste.
Nearly gone. Frank!
Then I started on my job for the day. Curtain removal. The rods that hold our curtains up have plenty of screws that needed to come out. Some of the screws will need replacing as they have almost turned into Frank screws. So little head left that next time only Frank would be able to remove them for us. Last time we took them down we had a bit of difficulty putting them back up as the brackets although they look identical are not quite. This time as they came down, the brackets were taped onto the ends and each one was labelled.
What a state
The curtains need a good wash, but also some TLC. Tilly has a tendency to head behind the curtains head first and then do a tipple tail to turn round, her claws grabbing the lining as she goes. The lining has been suffering for some time. Do I replace the lining now or leave them a while longer, maybe just patching them up? I can’t decided. The bedroom curtains need a bit more than the lining replacing. I’ll use the old curtains as a pattern as I already have new fabric for them. Just a shame I forgot to take down the blinds on the bow doors that match. That will have to be a next time job.
Legs in the engine bay
It took a while for Mick to get the bilge pump operational, pipe attaching had been a touch problematic. Then there was the wiring in, the old 12 volt one had run off the starter battery, the new 24 volt one he wanted to run from the leisure batteries. The original pump hadn’t had a fuse, so a visit to the chandlers was needed. This all took longer than expected. It was decided to leave the oil change for another time.
New coat of Danish Oil
With all the curtains down I gave each window surround a good sanding back. A metal scraper would have been better to remove the old finish, but as I didn’t have one I could only sand back as best I could. Once everywhere was cleaned down I then applied a coat of Danish Oil.
Tilly Too heading off for a wash with the curtains
Most frames came up well, but the occasional water stain despite looking identical to the others decided to darken with the oil. These patches will require a bit more attention. Oxalic acid can be used to bleach out the oxidisation of the wood, but also you can try Bar Keepers Friend, here’s a handy link. Sadly my stains didn’t show themselves before I started so they now have a coat of Danish Oil on top of them. So they will have to wait for another time. Another time when Tilly is not around.
With most of the wood looking better it was time to head back to Scarborough. Mick will return by train to do the oil change and to fit some temperature sensors in the engine bay (when they arrive). We picked up a few bits we’d noticed we could do with at the house, Micks waterproof coat and a couple of cereal bowls, as living with three was getting annoying.
Plenty of tractors about
Then back over the Wolds, such a pretty drive with no motorways. The farmers were busy in the fields, the earth being turned over ready for the next crop to go in. Pheasants and deer showing themselves in the grass verges.
I can’t sit still for my photo!
Back in Scarborough Tilly was waiting for us and we spent the evening celebrating her birthday. She has a new mouse on a stick which kept her amused for ages and 40 meters of sisal string to restring her scratch post, what a lucky girl.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car, 7 windows sanded, 7 windows oiled, 5 pairs of curtains down for tlc, 24 volt bilge pump, 2 big bowls of soup, 0.5 mission complete, 1 sunny day not to be cruising, 40 meters 6mm 3 ply sisal string, 5 years old today (ish)or 36 in cat years, 1 boating blogger trying to wean herself off taking photos of Everything!
Where were we
2019 On the Kennet and Avon Canal, I was near Plymouth painting Panto LINK
2018 On the South Oxford Canal, Allen’s Lock to Dashwood Lock LINK
2017 On the Trent and Mersey Canal, Red Bull. LINK
2016 On the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, Victoria Quay to Mexborough LINK
2015 On the Erewash Canal, Sandiacre to Langley Mill. LINK
2014 Trent and Mersey to Staffs and Worcester Canals, Stone to Tixall Wide. LINK
You could tell the wind direction had changed this morning. Last night we went to bed in the warmth left from the day, this morning the temperature had dropped by at least 10 degrees, the north easterly bringing with it the need for jumpers and long trousers.
A check on the possibility of rain during the day, which was slight meant I hoped to be able to get a top coat on the stern. Mick also wanted time in the engine bay, so after breakfast he got to lift the engine boards for a while as I tinkered with other things.
Contemplating
Our bilge pump is meant to be automatic and should go off if the water level rises. For ages it has gone off every couple of minutes for a second or two, no matter what the water level is in the bilge under the stern gland. Mick suspects that the sensor is clogged with grease, so he disconnected it from being automatic to being a manual on off switch months ago. This morning he had a go at cleaning the pump, but not knowing where the sensor is doesn’t help. A new one will need to be purchased. A width of pipe was noted to aid buying the correct one.
The pipe’s that wide. 19mm
With him out of the way and the front doors open for Tilly to come and go I got the stern to myself. A rub down of undercoat and surrounding areas then a wipe down.
I checked on the quantity of black Epifanes paint that I use for the gunnels. If I had enough the stern counter would be painted in this, if not the whole area would be painted blue. This is how she was originally painted, blue then with a coat of black over the top. This was for ease of touch up! Well that worked didn’t it! Too busy boating is my excuse.
Sanded down ready
The tin of black paint last year was replaced by tupperware. The seal had gone/been too strong which necessitated so much leverage to get the tin open it would no longer close with a good seal. In hindsight this wasn’t the best method of storage as the outside of the paint sets, leaving a giant blister of paint, at least there was still liquid inside.
Lovely again
The blue coach paint went on like a dream, just a shame I couldn’t lean over quite far enough and missed a little bit on the underside of the rubbing strake. I did my best to leave a clean cut edge where the blue would meet the black.
Ready for the black
The black paint needed a touch thinning, so I added a glug of Owatrol to the roller tray to aid it’s flow. Edges cut in first then the central area rollered. Job done, at last! Yes I could apply a second coat of black, but todays temperatures were not suitable for the paint to have gone off sufficiently. This can be a touch up coat come the spring instead.
At long last
Now all there was left to do was keep Tilly off the wet paint for the rest of the day.
We decided to go for a walk. I changed out of painty clothes and Tilly and I first headed that way. Today the shooting range has been active again. The last two days has been silent round here, but today the echo that has followed every shot is as though we are in a 1960’s western. If you follow this link to the Colt 1851 Navy, Fire 3 ,we’ve been waiting for Clint to ride by.
Time to get out of the painty clothes
We followed the path in the grass up to a gate, here is where I decided it would be good to turn around quite a distance from Oleanna who was out of sight. Tilly was quite happily trotting further along the path that went off to the side, ignoring my calls to turn back. Well She’s the one who wanted to go for a walk!
Eventually she twigged that I wasn’t going any further, so she shouted for me, a slight panic in her meow. She then launched herself over the friendly cover to find where I was and came dashing with tail bushed right out. Our progress back was slower, well I needed to pay a call! Once this was done it was loony running back to the boat.
I can see it from here!
I pushed on further in the opposite direction, a now slightly puffed Tilly still following. It must be hard work down there with all the long grass. We reached where I think the kingfisher hangs out. This was confirmed as it didn’t like Tilly being about, so we retreated to leave it in peace.
The cooler weather meant the stove got lit and that we didn’t have to fend off quite so many midges this evening, just as well as we both have getting on for 20 new bites each. Is it that this year we are that bit more tasty? Is this the week for all the female midges to come out and get their hit of blood before laying eggs and we’ve missed it for the last six years? Are we just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Has the lack of pollution earlier this year increased their numbers? What ever the reason, we don’t like it.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 grey chilly day, 1 bilge pump needing replacement, 1 coat blue, 1 blister popped, 1 coat black, 1 stern almost as good as new, 3, 1 hour proof reading, 2 white items, 857 peeeeows! 1 reluctant cat, 1km walk, 1 comfort break, 2 jacket potatoes cooked in the stove, yum.
A day of not venturing far, well Tilly might have but who knows where she ends up!
A couple of days ago a C&RT stoppage had come through saying that Kilnhurst Flood Lock was out of order due to a hydraulic pipe. This almost certainly meant that Exol Pride was stuck on the far side of the lock, so yesterday when we moved we knew we’d not be bumping into a big blue boat.
Here she comes
This morning a bit before 10am another notice came through saying the lock was now operational again. Exol Pride would be on it’s way. For a narrowboat it would take 3.5 hours to do the journey, Exol most probably a bit less. So it wasn’t a surprise when about an hour later Oleanna started to move, stretching her ropes to their full extent. Around 15 minutes later we could hear the engine and sure enough the big blue bow came round the bend behind us.
Before the lock is Sprotbrough Road Bridge and a pipe bridge, for these the wheelhouse of Exol Pride is too high, so as they approached the wheelhouse sank into the depths of the boat, leaving just enough head height for the helm to be able to stay standing up.
A trip up here wouldn’t be complete without seeing Dolly Earle
About an hour later a dutch barge came past, followed by another. This one we’d been expecting to see at some point. We’ve spotted Dolly Earle every time we’ve been up this way, quite often mooring up beside them as they dry their washing, they always seem to have washing on the go.
Getting ready
Just after lunch I prepared a batch of cheese scones, Mick put chairs and our plank table up on the bank ready for our visitor.
Lovely to see Fran
Fran, Mick’s niece who lives in Sheffield came for a visit. She is an NHS physiotherapist who works with children, this morning she’d been into two schools seeing to peoples needs. We all kept our distance sat on the bank, enjoying cuppas and freshly made scones as we caught up on news of her new washing machine and family and much more.
With little sun it was a touch chilly sat outside, we’ll be getting our padded down coats out soon to have meetings like this. It was lovely to see Fran, the first of our family in the flesh this year.
Today
Once we’d tidied everything away we decided to have a short walk along the river bank, heading down stream. It takes a little while to cross the bridge as there is only one pavement and that is on the other side of the road from both the moorings and the direction we were wanting to go once we’d crossed.
On street view September 2016
A coffee van had been serving cyclists and walkers all day from the little car park opposite our mooring, but had now packed up for the day. I stopped to take a photo of Oleanna across the way. Four years ago we’d been moored in exactly the same spot when the Google car came past, both of us were stood on the bank at the time. Street view has been updated since.
The old pumping house for the Hall
We turned and walked under the bridge we’d just crossed, walked up to the lock. Alongside the huge chamber is a kind of layby where a couple of boats are, what was this used for? Was it part of the feed to the water wheel that used to power Sprotbrough Hall pumping water up to the village?
We soon came across what had been the pumping house, some wheels and cogs still visible. A sign explaining about it is really quite annoying. Full of information but highly polished silver it is next to impossible to read, taking a photo for later proved impossible and I was so occupied in just trying to read it very little of the information stuck. It did how ever make for a slightly arty photo!
Ballustrade above
One thing I do remember is that the ruin is a grade 2 listed building and the mechanism was put into storage in Barnsley for safe keeping, which now has been lost!
A rather grand affair
Sprotbrough Hall was built for the Copley family in 1670 and remained in the family by hook or by cousins for many a generation. It was a Jacobean house with some influence from Versaille. The Hall and estate were sold off in 161 lots in 1925, FS Gowland from Ripon bought the hall with 115 acres of land for £9100.
1892, the hall and gardens
By 1926 the hall was being demolished, the rubble used to fill the cellar and excess stone was used as foundations for houses in Brompton Road. Much of the village is now built on the Halls estate. Little remains of the original house, the stable yard remains now apartments and looking up from the river bank we could see the ballustraded viewing area which was directly infront of the hall. A very interesting article with photos can be found here.
1966 there is now another estate above Lover’s Leap
We continued our walk to the A1 bridge, traffic hurtling across above us at speed, I wonder what it was like back in April stood on the river bank when there was so much less traffic.
A footpath took us up into the village where we weaved our way around the roads where once the hall had stood. At the methodist church the railings were festooned with blue ribbons, each one marking a life lost in a Doncaster hospital from Covid-19.
I so hope no more will be added
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 niece, 2 lovely hours, 12 scones, 3 consumed, 9 left oh dear! 1 walk, 1 hour setting up, 8 hours shore leave, 1 problem solved, 1 big quiche, 3 big boats, 9.
This house looks like it’s straight out of a period drama
