Monday | Narrowboat Oleanna

A document listing requirements for Oleanna’s repaint has been compiled. An order made for primer, undercoat, replacements and filters placed. The living room rug keeps on being murdered (the fish is innocent by the way!). My work room has been reclaimed from items that just get dumped up there ever year. Drawings and dimensions done for various things about the house. Front flower bed trimmed back, the brown wheelie bin been filled twice and our back passage is now clear!

Frank came round once he’d heard there was some parkin to eat, he did a good job of eating several pieces before leaving. We were left with a few pieces to keep us going for another day or two, however it was all gone before it had had chance to reach it’s full stickiness potential.

Sunday, after a cooked breakfast, we had a walk down to say hello to the South Bay. Not a bright blue skied day, but at least it wasn’t raining. Plenty of dog walkers enjoying the tide being out and leaving plenty of sand to run around on. The sea had scoured away the beach by the Spa wall revealing weathered wooden planks, we’ve not noticed these before. Then because of my knee and Mick deciding that now he’s a pensioner we’d ride the cliff lift up to the Esplanade. Apparently he’s never ridden in one before!

Monday and Mick had arranged to get a lift with his friend Mark down to Goole. Mark recently has bought himself a rather lovely car, an MGA, built the year he was born. If the weather was fine they would drive down to Goole in the ‘A’. The hood sits too low for Mark so he doesn’t put it up, taking waterproofs might be a sensible precaution. If they knew it was going to rain they’d go in a far more modern vehicle.

At 11am there was a ‘Beep Beep!‘ as Mark drove up the street. Wow, what a beautiful car. Only just enough space for two and Mick’s laptop and a couple of things were better put by his feet than in the boot. ‘Can’t come in, don’t want to stop the engine as it might not start again!’. Mark’s face certainly that of a cat that had got the cream.

A quick look around the outside and then Mick worked out how to open the door, no exterior handles, before concertina-ing himself into the passenger seat. With a whooosh of exhaust fumes they sped off, Goole bound.

They chose to go up Staxton Hill (quite a steep hill up onto the Wolds) and through Sledmere down to Goole, travelling in style. On arriving at the marina Mick checked that the A would be alright going over the severe speed bumps which are followed by potholes out on the lane. These were negotiated and in through the gate. It’s hard not to notice such a car, she turns heads, so Mark got lots of comments from people.

Mick got on with the jobs in hand on Oleanna. Setting the heating thermostat to come on at 4C. Switched on the security camera that I’d efficiently turned off last week. Riveted a popper to the bow so the cratch cover would close fully and not get whipped up by wind. All the time Mark kept the engine running.

He did turn the engine off briefly so they could have a walk around the marina. Thankfully she started up again using a bit of wire (the solenoid is faulty) then time for another comment from someone before they were back on the road heading northwards.

I’d guesstimated that with our normal journey time to Goole being around 1 hr 30, a round trip without stopping for too long would be a bit over 3 hours. Mick ended up having just over ten minutes doing jobs before they were on their way back over the Wolds. No time for photos of any sort. They pulled up outside the house at 2:45pm after sitting in traffic and being noticed on their way back into Scarborough.

A very nice drive out for the two of them. Being able to have a catch up shouting at each other as they went and thankfully the heater worked. Mick definitely enjoyed himself, but he’s reassured me that he won’t be saving up for one himself, we’ll stay with our life at 4mph, after all what would Tilly have to say about it!

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 beach walk, 1st tram ride, 1 Christmas card short list, 1 boat quote email, 1 house quote email, 1 saveloy, 2 yolks, 1 nice trip out, 0 handles, 4 warm feet, 10 minutes, 0 fertan, pair 46 cast on, 1 very bored cat!

Castleford and York

Storm Ashley arrived with us quite late on yesterday. More wind than rain. The level in the pound had come up and our fenders weren’t doing their job, but after a bit of adjustment we could settle down to sleep through the night.

Back in February at my last eye test, my optician referred me for some further tests. I’d chosen for this to happen at York Hospital as the waiting list was meant to be 12 weeks and York would be easier and cheaper to get to from anywhere in the country. Today was my deferred appointment from two weeks ago, just so happening to coincide with Huddersfield Station being closed for the Pennine improvements. I had a train planned, but trains were being held up here there and everywhere. Castleford has a direct train once every two hours to York, Mick spotted that it hadn’t arrived at it’s previous destination, so could end up being quite late. Time to make a dash for the station and try to catch the next available train via Leeds.

I made it, Mick having bought me a ticket and emailing it to me for use. No boats moored above Office Lock in Leeds and only a few in Granary Wharf, apparently the pontoons are currently taped off, so you can only moor against the bank.

The next train was very busy. I was very willing to use my walking stick card, but luckily there was an older lady sat with her bag on a seat next to her who moved it for me. She was an interesting lady. Lived abroad for much of her life, now lives in Elgin, Scotland and had just had five weeks away from her 80 something year old husband who is ‘enjoying having Long Covid too much!’ as she put it. We had quite a chat, when her family were young they did the Cheshire Ring in a week on a hire boat.

Just enough time to get something for lunch and find somewhere to eat it, a bench over looking the River Ouse. Three cruisers were moored on the high bit at the end of Marygate as the normal moorings were under water. Trip boats were still cruising along with a narrowboat heading down stream. Then I took the direct route up to Bootham, through the grounds of Bootham Hospital arriving with five minutes spare for my appointment.

Checked in I was sent to Area C. General eye test done, followed by colour blind test. Area A next and the periphery vision test. This is why I’d been referred as I’d had to redo the test back in February. Back to C for scans. I had a short wait before I got to see a doctor. Time to research diet and Glaucoma, the lady on the train this morning had suggested it could be controlled by what you eat. Leafy greens, carrots, avacados, nuts and seeds, then it mentioned that chocolate was very good. Who’d have thunk it!

I thought I’d got away without having any of the horrible eye drops, but the doctor did them herself. Talk about stinging! She could have warned me! Pressure tests, a very good look and more dribbly stuff in each eye. Verdict no signs of Glaucoma, but my periphery vision has changed in the last four years. They’ll see me again in a few months to see if anything has changed, if not I’ll be discharged, just like they did four years ago. I’ll just need to keep an eye on my slight blind spot.

With very blurry eyes I made it back to the station, pausing to purchase some precautionary Whole Nut, if I hadn’t got glaucoma I need to make sure I don’t get it, best start right away!

Onto a train back to Leeds, another back to Castleford. I returned to Oleanna via the curved bridge over the weir with the sun glinting on the rushing water, making my eyes even blurrier. I called into the Premier Store to see if they’d have anything for lunches. Todays special sandwich looked interesting, think I’d have asked for beans with it! Nothing for homemade lunches though.

Back at the boat it had been a busy day. Two loads of washing hung out to dry and Tilly had been busy in the friendly cover. There was a new neighbour too, a very familiar boat, but I don’t think the new owners originate from Scarborough.

0 locks, 0 miles, 4 trains, 6 miles walked, 1 salad by the Ouse, 2 sheets of lies, 1 eye patch, 2 stingy drops, 1 numbing drops, 2 sinks worth of water, 0 spam sandwiches, 1 small bar of whole nut, pair 44 finished.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna

Tag Archives: Monday

A Ride In The A. 3rd November

Precautionary Nutty Chocolate. 21st October