I took over the tea making duties this morning, one mug actually being Lemsip. The fire was stoked up and a shopping list put together. Mick stayed in bed for a snooze, I headed out to stock up on tissues that would be kind to noses and more cold drugs, plus a Saturday newspaper.
Space!
A couple of boats had moved off this morning from above Trent Lock, they’d been there on the 2 day mooring with all the other boats for getting on for at least two weeks. Maybe we’d move up ourselves, but with Mick full of cold we opted to stay put. Tilly stayed by the stove all morning but ventured out later on.
Samuel Clegg’s Arts and Crafts house, click photo for more info
I’d got boat jobs on my list for today, but with a snoozing Mick I postponed them until he was awake in the afternoon. Yesterday when mooring up I felt like something was missing. Where was the rosemary plant? We’d had it when mooring up at County Hall Steps as it got moved into the cratch to avoid being blown away by Storm Amy. Neither of us remembered moving it to get the hook up cable out from a welldeck locker when in the marina. Where had it gone? Maybe one of us had lifted it out of the cratch for some reason, or maybe an opportunist had picked it up when we’d stopped for soup the other day. That’s two plants down this year, the Thyme hadn’t liked being in Leeds and totally gave up when I re-potted it. Have to put some herbs on my Christmas list!
I’ve used this outside all up now, can I have a new one?
More links came through for pieces of furniture for panto, then some light fittings. Some perfect chairs and a choice of tables. Then a very long email from the props maker who has been very quiet since our four hour long meeting a few weeks ago. They’ve not got started yet for one reason or another, which is a touch worrying. But then they are only contracted to do a weeks work prior to rehearsals starting. I’m really hoping props don’t become bum squeakingly worrying!
With Mick now up and about, blowing his nose still, I could get on with the autumn job of cleaning the window frames out. Normally this requires a touch of gardening as seeds green things have taken hold, but today there were only a couple of blades of grass. The fluffy strip the glazing sits on normally is quite gunky, however since the summer has been so dry this was not the case.
Extra ventilation
Each window came out, had a good clean on both sides. The grooves they sit in were hoovered and washed out and then the most important job making sure all the drain holes were clear. Ten year old cotton buds are bent to get through all the holes. It’s amazing just how much York silt we still had on the starboard side. Tilly got a touch confused when one window was lying on the sofa, The view wasn’t as good as I remembered it!
Stir fried chicken with noodles, followed by crumble and custard. The next pair of socks are nearly completed.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 cold Mick, 1 newspaper, 2 boxes tissues, 2 lemsips, 49 brisk minutes, 7 windows cleaned, 2 kitchen still to do, 1 level mooring required, 2 chairs, 1 table, 1 flurry of emails.
Miraculously we both managed to sleep pretty well last night despite the strong winds. This morning the wind was still about, we expected it to get worse after midday with rain too. So far the only casualty from the winds was a lid from one of our solids containers. When buckets become full they are put outside, either on the roof or the gas locker, with a lid almost closed on them so that the contents can breath as the composting process begins. Maybe in future storms the lids will be firmly pushed on!
After pottering away a few hours, no shore leave granted for Tilly in case she blew away, we both headed out, hoping to beat the rain. Mick headed into town by bus for a flu jab and I walked along the river bank towards the west, heading into the wind. Coo, blimey it was strong! My hood up to keep my cap on my head, and clinging onto my hood whilst my coat filled up with air like a Michelin Man.
Under Wilford Suspension Bridge, the river side path moves away from the bank a little and is boxed in by fencing and a flood protection wall. In amongst the modern glass and concrete buildings stands 26 Wilford Lane, a Victorian house with a tower and many pigeons in residence. The boarded up windows suggested a building awaiting a sad end, the tower suggesting it should be given a new lease of life in my opinion.
Looking round on the internet later I came across numerous articles about the house, a few years old now. The property was first approved for demolition six years ago, a new building encompassing six dwellings was to be built in its place. Two years ago the Nottingham Civic Society was urging that the building should be kept, it’s architecture and historical interest needed to be kept.
Pretty boats and buildings
The house used to sit next door to the Plaisaunce. The son of John Boot, who founded Boots in 1849, Jesse Boot is known for having transformed the chemists into a national retailer. The businessman commissioned Plaisaunce himself and it was built in 1897 by Charles Glenn, having been designed by the architects Bromley & Watkins. It was Jesse and Florence’s Summer House, with extensive grounds, tennis courts, garden parties and firework displays were held here for their employees. During World War 1 it became a venue for wartime fundraising activities. After Jesse’s death it was sold in 1932 and was demolished in 1961.
I found a date that suggests permission for demolition is due to expire 14th October 2025! Will it still be standing in 10 days time?
Trams making use of the old river crossing
I carried on along the walk, passing a couple of schools, and joined the tramway which crosses the River Trent at Wilford Toll Bridge, this according to our maps is the furthest you can get by boat up stream. It opened for traffic in 1870 and is known locally as Halfpenny Bridge. In 1974 it closed to traffic as it’s central span was found to be in poor condition, it was replaced in 1980 by steel girders and concrete. In 2014/15 it was enlarged to accommodate trams.
Wilfred Toll Bridge
The rather nice little toll both today was emitting an aroma of toast, it’s now a sandwich bar. Sadly customers stood in the way of the menu and prices. Back along the northern bank under the London Plane trees, I hoped their sturdy trunks would keep them upright in the strong wind.
By Trent Bridge are some old Victorian public toilets, Grade 2 which appear to be to let. Well the sign says they are under offer, but that looks to have been the case for a few years. The toilets were closed 20 years ago and the council were looking for someone to repurpose the building whilst keeping the terrazzo flooring and cubicles. Photos of inside can be found here.
Toilets
Discussions regarding the next few days, what to do, where to go? A few days ago we’d made a plan, but it didn’t have enough spare days, just in case something went wrong. This along with a comment from Paul Balmer has changed our minds. So long as the river behaves after the storm we’re likely to stay put for a little while and enjoy being in and around Nottingham.
Might need to wear my sunglasses for this pair!
The afternoon was spent in front of the stove. Firstly finishing off sock pair 105 of my Sockathon, then winding up some extremely PINK yarn for the next pair. These were cast on whilst watching Alpha Papa 2013, on iPlayer. An Alan Partridge film where Norfolk Radio station is about to be taken over and one of the presenters ends up holding the staff as hostages. Jingle Genocide ensues, an amusing film for a blustery Saturday afternoon with a bored cat on my knee.
A touch of mending required
Pork stroganoff this evening to help use up some of the roast pork from a few weeks ago.
Tea in bed, then we were up and dressed and heading out with bags of rubbish and a windlass each. Rubbish disposed of we then sat by Trent Lock. Kat had said she’d be leaving Sheet Stores at about 8:30 and she had a boat to visit before she’d arrive at the lock, it was now a little after 9, we didn’t have long to wait for NB Bargus’s bow to come into view. We lifted paddles to fill the lock. My phone rang, Kat hadn’t found the boat with two mermaids, where had it gone? It turned out it was also below the lock on the river towards Sawley.
Teddy and Bella a little chilly this morning on the stern of NB Bargus
We worked Kat, Teddy and Bella down the lock onto the river, then met them alongside Oleanna. A top up of diesel, still at £1.01 a litre and two bags of excel coal, thankfully they were at the right end of Bargus. A chap came along wanting a gas bottle, as Kat had passed him above the lock he’d just run out. Then the owners of the boat with mermaids arrived with their dog, they curtailed their walk and headed home to wait for Kat. I suspect we won’t see Kat again this year, she’s headed back to the Trent and Mersey and hoping to get up the Coventry, Glascote and Atherstone to supply boats. CRT are hoping to open the locks for a week maybe a bit longer at the end of October to help businesses and also so that boats that have been stuck get back to home moorings before the winter stoppages kick in.
A day or so ago a notice had been put out by CRT. The Grand Union will be opening for a window of three weeks, but the south Oxford may only open for a week if there is sufficient water to do so. We’d already decided to not head that way for me to go to work on panto. We’d be able to make it to Marston Doles in time for me to start work, but then Mick would likely get stuck somewhere, so it’s not worth it. We’ll keep kicking our heels around the Trent for a bit instead.
More breakfast was required back on the boat
Breakfast. A treat felt in order, so we headed to the Lock House Tea Rooms to see what I might be able to eat. Have to say we were a touch disappointed that they didn’t do a breakfast. They did do bacon or sausage cobs and they had gluten free bread. We ordered one each and a cuppa. A few bites and they were gone, so we returned to Oleanna for a couple of slices of toast to follow.
Sailing boats were going back and forth as we got ready to push off, a narrowboat headed down Cranfleet Cut, we’d be along to join them in a few minutes. It took a while for a gap in the sailing boats and then for Oleanna to wind, she really wanted to cling onto the high wall, but we got there in the end.
Heading down Cranfleet
Today Cranfleet Lock had four volunteers on duty, mob handed. They waited for us to arrive, something needed picking up out of the water, volunteers ran to their shed and got a grabber, nowhere near long enough to reach whatever it was. It turned out that they’d dropped a pen! Well they’d not be getting that back. Down we descended, our lock partners led the way out onto the river, a little chap occasionally having a go at steering, no wonder they were zigzagging as he couldn’t see over the roof at all!
This river section now very familiar, we’ve been along it now four times in about five or six weeks. No boats stuck on the sand bar, however we could hear Oleanna scraping over the top of it! At Beeston Lock landing, the narrowboat had moved off leaving just enough space to pull in for one boat, the remainder of the pontoon was still full with over staying boats (if you can class them as that as they shouldn’t be there in the first place). I have had a reply from CRT after I’d sent them my photo of the landing, they are of course aware of the boats.
CRT are aware of these boats, hard not to be really.
Dad and son from the boat ahead walked up to the lock to set it. I walked over their stern to go and help leaving Mick and Oleanna to hover. Mum and daughter came along too. Something was said, son ran screaming back to the boat, this was the start of the running! What followed was a seriously stressful time at the lock for me and possibly Mum and Dad. I’d stupidly crossed over the bottom gates and the daughter wanted to do the same. Both kids were wearing buoyancy aids, this didn’t stop them from running round the lock. Their dog ran back and forth as Mum now was left on her own with the kids climbing onto gates, winding paddles, running, watching from under gate beams. I did my best to keep calm, Mum did a better job, I suspect she’s used to it. This was their first lock and the kids were just so excited! Thankfully it was soon over and no-one had fallen in or been crushed and we were all back on our boats.
An interesting pram hood
We carried onwards towards Nottingham. The pennywort stretched across the canal. One cruiser had managed to collect a large clump of it around their prop, so they were doing their best to free themselves, we pushed a large patch away with our bow for them. It always takes longer than we think to reach Castle Marina. A space was found, mooring rings as always with useless spacing for us.
With a shopping list in hand we aimed to do a biggish shop quickly. However when we got back to the boat and everything was stowed I suggested we stay put for the day. Our plan had been to reach County Hall Steps on the river, that would take at least an hour, we’d not be letting Tilly out anyway today as she was having an enforced rest day for her limp. We opted to stay put, after all we’ve not minded staying here before and some of the boats that had made us feel uneasy a month or so ago had moved on, leaving their rubbish behind mind!
A walk was needed. I plotted out a route that would hopefully have me back long before dark, up to the cathedral, round the castle and back along the canal. I found a footpath that took me up the hill on the other side of the canal. Here there were vast posh houses, the road markings blue not yellow! I’d entered the Nottingham Park Estate. I walked past about twelve tennis courts. Came across a road called Tunnel Road, this had to be investigated as I could see houses high up above.
The entrance to the tunnel
Tunnel Road is a Grade 2 listed tunnel that was carved out of the rock to give access, quite an entrance, to The Park Estate in 1855. Carved through sandstone it was to give access to horse-drawn carriages from Derby Road. It is 125m long and has a section open to the sky in the middle to give ventilation and light, here a staircase climbs up around to reach Ropewalk and Upper College Street. The incline ended up being too steep for horses and carriages so a different route into The Park was found for them.
I didn’t fancy climbing all those steps
I walked round some more seriously posh streets, past the Nottingham Playhouse, found a very steep set of steps that brought me down to near the castle and then followed the tourists down the hill further to pass Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem pub then the canal and Oleanna. Mick had popped a couple of potatoes, double wrapped in foil in the fire box of the stove. I then popped some left over chilli in a pan, got it up to simmering temperature on the hob and then moved it over to the stove top to carry on bubbling away whilst the potatoes finished cooking inside. I get pleasure from cooking on and in our stove in the cooler months of the year.
Tourist central
2 locks, 8.3 miles, 1 cat on sofa rest, 2 bags coal, 76.4 litres diesel, 1 coal boat helped down, 1 scraping along the bottom, 2 hyperactive kids, 17 pennywort rafts, 1 box of wine, 1 plan changed, 1 thinner rope required, 105th pair of socks cast on, 49 minutes brisk walking, 1 hill climbed, 125m tunnel 2 steep for carriages, 2 jacket potatoes.
Recently we’ve had a couple of people who subscribe to the blog via email, say that they’ve not been getting our posts. In one case they have stopped altogether, in another they receive all of them once a week! The Oleanna IT department doesn’t understand. We unsubscribe them, then resubscribe them again, which seems to work. Whilst doing this we can see how many posts have reportedly been sent to each subscriber and the percentage of posts that are opened by the recipient. In one case they have received over 300 posts, their read rate is 100.8%! Incredible for what should be a totally new subscriber. Another person who we know reads the blog regularly has a read rate of 96.7%, not bad Ade! We don’t necessarily believe these stats, and don’t worry, we’re not keeping an eye on you. But you know me and numbers!
Tilly was granted shore leave whilst we had breakfast, then was called in so that we could go out. Luckily she was only in the sideways trees by the boat, so this only took a matter of seconds for her to return for a morning cat nap. Mick headed off to buy a newspaper and I strode off along Cranfleet cut for my walk.
Someone was keeping an eye on me
Two volunteers were waiting for boats, chatting about weather warnings. Bunting hung from everything around the lock, there is a beer and cider festival at the boat club this weekend. A burger van was serving up bacon and sausage butties and a nearby field was filled with motorhomes all come to drink and enjoy the music.
That’s why we had some boats moving long after dark last night
I followed the river path round a big meander in the river. The occasional glimpse of the river below, but never a good view. I tried to see if I could spot the boat we’d rescued a month or so ago, see if they’d got themselves out from behind the sign on the offside, but the view was obscured, we’ll see when we come past tomorrow.
The airfield
Model aeroplanes were doing tricks over the river, a silver arrow shaped plane diving towards the ground then spinning back up to the sky. A wind sock wafted in the breeze and a crowd watched as planes came in to land. It was all happening on the opposite bank, so sadly I couldn’t get close.
I then walked over a bridge crossing one of the many lakes alongside the river. Crossed the railway, one of many lines in this area, HS2 would have added another line, but this stretch has been cancelled. Into an industrial area of Long Eaton, then a housing estate, under, across more railway, more uninteresting housing. I’d hoped there might have been an interesting factory, or stretch of houses for which I could look the history up, but no.
There it is!
Drizzle started to fall as I zigzagged my way past 80’s houses. I had been going to join the canal at Fields Farm Road Bridge, but opted to cut a corner, under a railway bridge where I sheltered for a few minutes hoping the now heavier rain might ease.
Then to the canal. Here I spotted that tomorrow there will be a Heritage Open Day at Mills Dockyard. We’ll maybe come and have a look as we’ve not been into tracking down places to visit recently.
Not the healthiest of snacks
I paused to see what was on the menu at the Lock Cafe, some tasty morsels no doubt, but I didn’t fancy the dripping toast. Back to Oleanna for lunch. Today the temperature had dropped considerably, the stove was lit.
Trent Lock
Lists of panto questions were typed out and distributed in three directions, I don’t expect to get any answers over the weekend but I’ll be otherwise occupied at the beginning of next week so I wanted to get it out of the way. Then the big pan came out to make up the sweet potato dhal I’d been going to make last night, plenty left over for another meal next week.
0 locks, 0 miles, 100.8%, 1 weeks worth of blog in one? 87 brisk minutes, 4.69 miles walked, 1 Saturday newspaper, 1 slightly damp day, 3 questioning emails, 250grams lentils, 2 sweet potatoes, 1 chilli, 1 lost weather station outside sensor.
The loitering look in the bathroom was saying it all! Before I could do anything else this morning Tilly’s pooh box needed refreshing. Shore leave was granted which hopefully would give me time to clean her litter box out before it was too late. Quite often I’ve only just added the fresh litter and in hops Tilly! However by the end of today the clean box remained untouched, I’d had to find alternative arrangements, hadn’t I!
Our papers were checked over, paperclipped into four wadges and slid into the only big envelope we had. Wanting to know when they arrived meant dropping them off at a Post Office as we’d not all the relevant details to buy suitable postage online, this could be combined with my walk today, plus newspaper hunting and purchasing something to roast for Sunday.
Even Tilly had to get her paws on our paperwork!
First we moved up to the water point and waited, another boat already filling, they had quite a large tank. A load of washing sat in our machine waiting for the hose to be filling our tank before it could be turned on. I headed off along the line of the Derby Canal, continuing on northwards which is now a cycle route, then cutting across a park, wiggling my way through houses before turning onto Derby Road.
Here my Saturday morning newspaper hunt was to start. First chance was a Tesco Express, BINGO!!! Four, yes four copies! Brilliant!! I only wanted one. Well that wasn’t hard.
Next port of call the Post Office, as I joined the queue I checked their range of newspapers, good job I’d not started here. The fat envelope was handed over paid for and a signature requested when it arrives. Next a few doors down to Lidl for a chicken and veg for tomorrow, no newspaper of the right flavour here either, my route had been chosen well. Back to the boat following a footpath through the housing estate to the canal.
Dark skies behind us
The boat that had been on the water point was just finishing going down the lock, Mick had had to wait for quite a while before it had been our turn. The washing machine was on, keeping up with the flow from the tap. It took a while before our tank was full then we decided to nudge up onto the bollards for lunch, just as the dark skies loomed over us. Two boats had just come up the lock and they rushed to tie up and take shelter, leaving git gaps everywhere, this meant we had no option but to pull up on the lock landing!
Going down…
We waited out the downpour by having lunch. The skies started to clear a touch as a boat rose up the lock ahead of us, we’d take advantage of the full lock and hope to reach our mooring before the heavens opened again. By the time we’d pushed off and got to the lock the level had dropped by a good 2ft! The leak from the bottom gates a fountainous spray and serious bubbling up from beneath them, it’s a good job this stretch of canal is fed from the river!
… pretty quickly!
Wanting to keep quite close to Cuttle Bridge for access to buses we opted for our first M on the Waterway Routes map. As I walked the towpath, the sky grew dark again. Three lads I’d already seen twice before today were taking cover under a bridge fishing, cheeky lads, but harmless. Should we pull in here? Or here? Maybe a touch further along where there was a gap in the hedge, it didn’t really matter now as I was quite damp around the edges already.
A good sky once the rain had stopped
Tilly got the best of the downpour, sheltering under the pram cover. Then the skies cleared, so much so that Mick decided to risk hanging out our washing on the whirligig. This however meant bringing it inside twice when it started to rain again. In the end our pants ended up in the tumble drier, good job we’d topped up with water today!
New improved roses
During the afternoon I started working through my list of panto jobs. Looking out certain items on gumtree, ebay and marketplace and sending links to Chippy. Making up some paper roses to see what sizes would be best for various things. Rolls of suitable paper were also passed on to be ordered.
Cauliflower Cheese with a dash of wholegrain mustard
Cauliflower Cheese was enjoyed tonight, with a bit left over to accompany our Sunday roast.
In water level news, links between the Wolverhampton Level and Birmingham Level have been reopened along with the Wolverhampton flight.
1 lock, 1.1 mile, 70 minutes brisk walking, 2 many showers for pants, 1 Saturday newspaper, 5 roses, 4 wadges of paper posted, 3 cards, 1 huge cauliflower cheese, 4 git gaps.
Coach and Horses Bridge 25 to Willington Visitor Moorings
Shore leave whilst we had breakfast, then when Tilly came home the rear hatch was closed, we wanted to be moving on into Willington today. We could leave the chap and his cat with the towpath all to themselves, not that that cat was making any use of the outside, I didn’t see it pounce once! A load of washing was set going before we set off, there’s a drawer full to work through.
Weaving ends
I opted to stay on the boat for our mile cruise today, there’s a pair of socks to finish weaving ends in on and with there being dark colours I need good light. Willington was just that bit too close for me to finish the second sock off, just another six ends to weave in, then they will be heading off to Cornwall.
The service mooring was free, so we pulled in. Water filling, yellow water dealt with, rubbish in the bins, they’d filled up since yesterday, but there was enough room for ours. Ahead there seemed to be a space which would serve us well we were soon tied up on the visitor moorings. The down side of our mooring is the proximity of the trains, this would mean no shore leave for Tilly.
More hands lost
When Mick had been in hospital I’d contacted family and friends, but there were a few people I’d not got contact details for, one was Siobhan in Australia, Micks best friend from way back when. She however had found out via her sister who follows me on instagram, I think she also reads the blog occasionally. So it was time for the two of them to have a catch up via the internet and for Siobhan to see first hand how Mick was doing.
After lunch we both headed out for a walk, Mick to buy a Saturday newspaper and me to walk round Mercia Marina if I could. Mick succeeded, I didn’t.
A faded duck
I made note of a better mooring further ahead where the railway drifts away from the canal near the entrance to the marina, here I’d allow Tilly some shore leave as there’d be plenty to keep her busy. But for now we’d be staying put. I crossed the canal, wound my way to the entrance of the marina. The duck sign on the bridge used to be bright but today it’s almost vanished with age and grime.
Heron
Our first ever visit to Mercia was by car, to an open day at Aqua Narrowboats, their boats a touch too pricey for us at the time and the waiting list a couple of years long, so we’d discounted them. They did come back onto our list when we were looking the second time around. They have now moved to a bigger workshop elsewhere. Across the entrance to the marina on that side was a big gate, no access to be able to walk round, I suspected the other side would be similar and my walk would end up being at least a mile shorter than I’d hoped.
Expensive but if they save the paintwork
I bobbed into Midland Chandlers. We’d spotted some stainless steel fender hooks that hang from your grab rail, they have a thick neoprene cushion which hopefully will protect paintwork, especially when new. I bought two to see how they do, we’d like our new paint job to remain as good as possible for as long as possible. We prefer to be able to hang fenders when and where required along the grabrail, but the fender hooks we currently use gradually leave marks.
More buildings going up
I walked round the shops, full to the brim of expensive clothes not suitable for boating and objects nobody really needs other than if they require more things to dust. A few restaurants and cafes. More new buildings are going up, possibly flats with more retail opportunities.
Mercia is now a destination not just a marina. They have quite a selection of sculptures around the place which are worth a look. This green man with his two faces and fab bunnies was maybe the best.
Round the other side I found another cafe and gates for moorers and sadly no pathway around the marina, so my walk was shortened. Back along the road, people filling bags with sloes, I think I’d have headed to the towpath where they are in abundance too. Back to Oleanna, a complaining cat, a snoring Mick and work.
Stretched and tidied up
Kedgeree this evening, expertly cooked by Mick. He certainly doesn’t need Home Economics classes.
0 locks, 1.3 miles, 6 more ends to weave, 1 full water tank, 1 empty yellow water tank, 2 noisy trains, 0 shore leave, 42 brisk minutes, 1 front cloth tidied up, 2 soft boiled eggs, 23:40 last train.
I woke at 6 feeling a little odd, was it something I’d eaten or stress related? I haven’t had a funny turn like this is in years. Mick had a slightly quieter night in the hospital. Porridge for breakfast, not really hot, but not cold as he normally has it on the boat. When I woke I opted to collect the Saturday newspaper before having breakfast. My pace nowhere near brisk today, I felt quite rotten really, good job we’d decided I’d not head to the hospital. If I had a bug I didn’t want to take it in with me. The paper was placed on Micks side of the bed, it’s purchase not quite so much of a treat this weekend.
Hopefully these would sort my insides out
Poached eggs on toast would hopefully make things better. Then it was time to do some work. I tried rescanning things. I compared scans. The ones the print company were saying were better, were in my mind really quite bad!
Quack!
Was there a different way of scanning them? Would they need to be sent to the printers to be scanned? Not having my IT department handy wasn’t helping. I decided to do some chores instead for a while. On Oleanna, as I’m sure happens in most homes, we each have jobs we do, you could call them pink or blue jobs, but I’m really not partial to pink! It’s time we got to know each others jobs. Today the yellow water needed emptying. Which cap to take off? There are two next to each other, one connected to a gulper pump, the other for a manual pump should the gulper stop working. ‘Which ever is finger tight’ ah yes easy! Container outside the bathroom porthole and you can reach everything . Job done.
Container and hose, ready to pump
Now could I sort the bathroom cupboard? The mirrored door goes into a spring loaded push to open catch, which should release when you push the door. With aid of a screw driver pulling the door out whilst I also pushed it in it came free very easily. It might be that the door hinges need tightening. Or more likely the catch needs replacing as the spring isn’t springing anymore. For the time being the door can remain slightly open, Tilly hopefully won’t be so bored that she tries to empty the cupboard, the toilet roll will get murdered long before she discovers the cupboard.
A bit of a tuna theme with hospital meals today, a jacket potato with cheese and tuna, this came with 3 pats of butter, most probably salted. For dinner Mick opted for a tuna salad, far healthier than the chicken goujons and chips.
Butter
I battened everything down on the roof as the wind was picking up. Did my best to popper the extra poppers on the covers. This is quite difficult on 8 year old covers with my reduced grip, as the covers have shrunk and are really REALLY tight.
Time to get back to panto. Chatgpt suggested using a setting I’d tried on the scanner, it should allow me to scan at 1200 dpi if I dug deep enough. Just how to turn off the thumbnail viewer though?. There were suggestions, but the right things didn’t appear on menus, a bit like veg in hospital meals! The scanner wanted to update itself, I let it. Then hey presto the thumbnail viewer had vanished! The first scan took forever, a good sign. The file size bigger in pixels as well as DPI and half a GB. Before I lost whatever settings I’d set I made sure I scanned everything I could find.
Us girls holding the fort
A try out to see if Mick would be able to join the Geraghty zoom tomorrow from his hospital room. At Christmas he was given a headband which has built in speakers. This is so you can lie in bed without having headphones in your ears, much more comfortable. The headband has proved useful in hospital as it also can be worn over your eyes. Mick wanted to try it out with his phone to see if he could talk on zoom without his room in the hospital being able to hear everything. Well I was audible across the ward, Mick was only occasionally audible here in Burton and he was nowhere to be seen on screen. So sadly he won’t be able to chat to his sisters in the morning.
The chilly wind outside spurred me on to light the stove. So as the gales and downpours hit, Tilly and I sat all cosy inside Oleanna. I spent the rest of the evening tidying up the cyc for Panto, if the printers say it’s better I need to find the time to rework all the other things they’ll be printing.
0 locks, 0 miles, 0.5 water tank, 1 Saturday newspaper, 1 wobbly Pip, 1 bored Mick, 1 sausage day for Tilly, 13 minutes brisk walking, 18.6grams Butter, 1 cosy warm stove, 1200dpi, 1 scanner fooled into working beyond itself.
I could hear an engine, Could this be him? I stopped eating my cereal and stuck my head out of the hatch. It was Brian on NB That’s It and he was going to pull in for a cuppa. We first came across NB That’s It at Sykehouse Lock a few years ago, then shared Johnson’s Hillock Locks and the Wigan flight with them a few years ago. They moor at Strawberry Island in Doncaster and were one of the leading boats of the Strawberry Fools flotilla that set off the Fund Britain’s Waterways Campaign Cruises this year, which we joined to go through Gainsborough on 1st April. Since then Brian and Jo have cruised down to London, honked their horns outside the Houses of Parliament, reached Lechlade, up to Torksey on to Boston, crossed the Wash, cruised to Bedford, waited for locks on the River Nene to be mended and now Brian is heading back to Doncaster single handing. Until yesterday he’d single handed his way from Peterborough to the bottom of Glascote Locks in 7 days to beat the stoppages, several flights of locks will be locked shut at the end of Monday, remaining that way until we have seen some significant rainfall over several weeks.
Brian on NB That’s It
We’d spotted that our paths would cross, so had he, messages had been exchanged yesterday about returning our Middle Level windlass and key. This morning he’d already pulled into Shobnall Marina to top up with diesel, 200 litres (85p)! There was time for a catch up over a coffee, he can slow down now that he’s out of the danger zone. After an hour of catching up he set off again, todays mission would be to battle with striking trains!
I’ve been up all these big trees now!
Yesterday when I returned from Dawlish I’d spotted a boat we were looking out for, NB Jemima-D, Marc and Fabienne had spotted Oleanna and said hello to Mick, he’d just assumed they read the blog so hadn’t twigged that they were also new members of Cutweb an internet based Cruising Club that we have joined this year. I could see someone was outside, an ideal opportunity to go and say hello to them.
NB Jemima-D is a shareboat, or co-operative boat, currently with ten owners, but hoping to be back up to twelve owners soon. Marc volunteers at Harecastle Tunnel and they are watching the water levels dropping at that end of the Trent and Mersey. Boats are starting to sit on the bottom in Stoke. They were glad to still be able to cruise, but their boat won’t be returning to base for sometime. Maybe they’d get chance to do some of the Tidal Trent. It was very good to meet you and maybe our bows will cross again in the coming weeks.
Our two days on the mooring were up. What to do now? We opted to move up to just past Shobnall Marina onto another 2 day mooring. From here we can explore Burton, Tilly hopefully would have some friendly cover to explore too rather than having to climb the giant trees on the playing fields, I’ve got quite good at that! Great views from up there.
The moorings were empty, so we pulled up at the far end. A quick scout round, a busyish road through the trees and friendly cover, hopefully there’d be enough to keep Tilly occupied and away from the road. After lunch we walked in to town to go shopping for the next few days.
Bass pumping station
The Bass Pumping Station was used to pump water up from a well to be used in various ways in the brewing of Bass beer. Apparently there are another six such buildings around the town. Alongside the building is a now rusted away holding tank, it doesn’t look like it’s used anymore, but the water in Burton gave the beer a distinctive flavour.
The deco end of the Town Hall
We walked down to the Town Hall. Originally the Town Hall had been in the market square but by 1883 the building was deemed as unserviceable and demolished, the council taking to having meetings in a back room of the nearby Angel public house. In 1891 Lord Burton offered the use of St Paul’s Institute and Liberal Club for the council offices. 1894 saw an extension built, paid for by Lord Burton, providing more office spaces and a new council chamber. As the town grew the town hall needed to follow suit, so in 1939 a new four story Art Deco building was added again to the east, opening shortly before WW2 started. More info can be found here Link
Outside is a square, a statue of Lord Burton, now slightly hidden in amongst the trees. Next door is St Paul’s church which opened it’s doors in 1874 and was designed by James M Teale and Edmund Beckett Denison. It was paid for by Michael Thomas Bass, the church and vicarage costing £50,000 at the time.
That’s a fancy organ
We managed to find a light switch to have a look around. The organ in the south transept is now mostly empty, but it doesn’t half show off its looks, designed by GF Bodley in 1894.
Large tiles sit on pews in the north transept, these depict the life of St Paul and used to be part of the floor of the chancel. Deep stone carvings in the lady chapel mention Alexander Michael Bass who died aged 6. One window stands out from the others as it’s in memory of Phillip Lloyd Stockley, who was in a machine gun corps and died at Ypres, his father was vicar of the church.
This was to be the first weekend we’d be able to purchase a Saturday newspaper, sadly Lidl didn’t have a copy. We tried the Post Office which had a sign outside suggesting it sold papers, but it didn’t. I opted to cross the railway lines and head into the town centre to see if I had more luck there. Nothing in Sainsburys, so a longer walk was needed. This did mean I got to see quite a few breweries, the offices of Waterways World, the old and new fire stations and some yarn bombed bollards.
There is a trail of Burton Yarn Trent bollards that you can follow, I only found two of them but there are fourteen in all and their website has a pattern you can follow to knit your own cover should you want to.
The Market Hall
I tried two newsagents and finally I found possibly the only copy of our chosen newspaper in Burton. When I got it back to the boat it turned out to have August’s edition of Harpers tucked inside, an American magazine priced at £8.99! Had someone hidden this there to pick up later for free?! Neither of us have found anything that interesting in it, but we are very pleased to have our first Saturday newspaper for what feels like months, there’ll be something to read in bed over the next couple of mornings, plus puzzles!
0 locks, 0.5 miles, 1 Fool on his way home, 2 Cutwebs, 2 BIG trees climbed, 2 outsides, 1 cat a bit too close to the road, 1 cat grounded, 1 newspaper hunt, 49 brisk minutes walking, 1 USA magazine, 10 chicken sausages in a tray bake, 1 town hall, 1 church, 1 plan for the next few days.
Not much sleep to be had on Oleanna last night. I got about an hours worth before Mick woke me, he’d had none. He had chest pains.
999 was dialled, ambulance requested, our what3words location given to them, nearest road access, that we were on a narrowboat, they chatted to Mick about his symptoms, I chatted again to them. There would be a two hour wait for the ambulance, could we make it to hospital ourselves? No car, not sure we’d be able to get Mick off the boat without suitable assistance, we’d be happy (as much as you can be in these situations) to wait. We were only to call back if his symptoms worsened. I told them about the gate across the weir bridge that I’d need to unlock for them, this was added to the notes for the ambulance crew.
Could we actually move the boat for better access? The mooring by the pub in Fiskerton had been empty when I’d walked there yesterday, not guaranteed to still be empty now, anyhow we’d already given our location. The well deck needed sorting, our chairs had been popped in there after the barbeque last night, stuff that had been in the shower whilst on tidal waters had been put back. I turned the outside light on to help them spot us and for me to see, I rolled the covers up fully out of the way, making the best access I could.
Inside phones were put on charge. The floor on either side of the bed cleared for people to stand. I got dressed, my wallet put in my bumbag, our big strong torch got ready, all whilst Mick rested. The two hours seemed to go quite quickly and before it had elapsed my phone rang, the crew were at the gate.
Tilly was put in the main cabin, both bathroom doors closed, a double barrier to stop any possibility of escape. Don’t rush, be careful, don’t drop the key of power. The crew were pulling a stretcher out from the ambulance, I guided them with our big torch through the gate over the bridge, they’d not get the stretcher much further. It was left by the bottom gates of the lock, the walkway wide, but not wide enough. Mind the drop, these are big steps, we got to the boat and the two of them stepped down inside, leaving me sat on the bank.
An ECG, an aspirin, a spray under his tongue to open his arteries up and increase his oxygen levels. Conversations inside could only be partly heard. They wanted him to go to hospital, a cardiac episode suspected, he needed a blood test. Could he manage to get off the boat, climb up the big steps? Would I be going with them too? Slowly Mick was helped off the boat, back up from the fire brigade wasn’t needed, they’d already been out to help on another shout this evening.
I picked up the essentials, locked the boat, giving Tilly back access to the bathroom saying I’d be back sometime, ‘look after the boat Tilly’. Mick managed the walk to the ambulance where the ecg wires were hooked up again, blood pressure taken, then we were on our way. No flashing lights or sirens, just very bumpy roads for most of the way to Kings Mill Hospital in Mansfield. The paramedic chatted away about various things, occasionally popping in a medical question, all the time keeping an eye on the patient.
There’s not much to take photos of on such a night
Mick was taken through the doors into the Majors part of the Emergency Department and I was left sitting in a corridor with only our big torch for company. A while later the ambulance crew re-emerged with their stretcher, wished us well and headed off, not much of their shift left so they’d most probably return to base in Newark now. I thanked them, such reassuring people.
Mick had had a blood test and another ECG, once he was settled I was allowed to join him in a big room with about seven cubicles. Each cubicle had two people in them, curtains and screens positioned in a way to try to give some privacy, but none was really to be had. We waited. I stood. We chatted a bit. I stood. We watched the staff. We waited.
More patients arrived on trolleys, at least fifteen people. There were the two old chaps, both able to sleep through everything going on around them, both with their heads tilted to the right and snoring, they could have been twins. There was the lady with her brother, her wedding ring needed to come off, but try as they might her 90 year old joints had grown too big, the ring needed to be cut off. The only words she said in all the hours we were next to her was ‘you’re filthy’ to an Asian nurse, the nurse dealt with it pretty well, saying she was very clean and was here to help her.
There was another lady, her shoulder extremely painful, she was scared. Her son smiled so lovingly into her eyes. ‘Oh Dear Gladys’ ‘Oh Gladys’ the poor lady said, she was given some pain killers and told she’d be having an x-ray once the pain had eased. There was a chap stood by his mum’s trolley, he’d been stood there for hours waiting for them to find a bed for her. He was brought a chair, he’d rather stand. I decided to make use of the chair, our torch had a rest on Micks trolley.
We waited, blood tests take about two hours to come back, surely Mick’s would be back by now? More trolleys arrived, only a few patients were sent home. The shift changed at 7am, maybe more would start to happen as the hospital woke up with more staff on hand. Cups of tea! Cereal if Mick wanted it. He didn’t.
Chest x-ray
Around about 10am, a nurse practitioner arrived. She pushed the trolleys either side of Mick away and pulled the curtain round. His blood test was back, but they like to have a second one for comparison. They wanted to do a chest x-ray. Lots of questions. She listened to his heart, his back, his belly, another ECG. The blood test would take about an hour and a half this time.
We talked about what to do if Mick was to stay in hospital. Our mooring not ideal for hospital visits. Oleanna would need to be moved. Could we ask to double up with NB Avalon Two when they came past, they are now on a mission to return to their home mooring? They’d be long gone by now. I suggested Bridget and Storm, Lizzie, Paul before many other names came to mind. But we needed to know what was going to happen first. Mick’s chest pain had dulled after he’d had medication from the paramedics, it was now returning and was stronger when he moved.
I headed off to try to find some breakfast. A walk outside, just where is Mansfield? Just where was the Emergency room again? Mick soon had a chest x-ray and was brought back into the room, now a total of twenty people. They may not have many cubicles, but they do have plenty of trolleys!
Next an ultra sound, easier to walk there than take his trolley. A second opinion. Then the lovely nurse practitioner returned with the verdict. Nothing can be 100%, but it was believed that Mick had strained some muscles which had given him similar symptoms to a heart attack. He was to take it easy, listen to his body, take paracetamol, if the symptoms worsened then he should head straight back to A&E.
So, with great relief we left the Majors section of A&E. The standing man was still standing. The 104 year old lady had new batteries in her hearing aids which was helping a great deal. The man kept smiling that loving smile to his Mum, hopefully her shoulder pain would start to ease soon. We’d never now find out who Gladys was.
I’d left those just in case they never came back!
A taxi back to Oleanna, I followed us on a map, I now knew where Mansfield was! Around 2pm we were back walking over the bridge by the weir, taking our time to climb down the steps to the boat. Everyone wanted some food including Tilly.
A good weathervane on my walk
A quiet afternoon, Mick left snoozing on the sofa, Tilly exploring the brambles, I had a walk along the river bank. The only place we’d be going today would be to bed, there’s a nights sleep to be caught up on.
0 locks, 0 miles, 8 brisk minutes before 5am, 1 torch, 3 enquiries about the torch, 2 blood tests, 4 ECGs, 1 x-ray, 1 ultrasound, 0 heart attack, 1 strain, £41 taxi fare, 12 hours to be back home and on the mend, 2 very grateful boaters, 1 wonderful NHS.
It would have been really nice to have a couple of days here at the top of the Chesterfield. I’d quite fancied walking the abandoned section of the canal up to Eckington Road maybe. Then another day we could look at the 5 miles that’s in water at Tapton and the visitors centre. But because the locks in Worksop are only open on Mondays and Thursdays that limits our time, plus we need to be elsewhere in a couple of weeks, so we needed to make our way down the flight today.
Is Autumn on its way?
Last night our mooring had been quite idyllic, apart from the two trains an hour. Numerous owls hooted away. But then we could hear music, just where was it coming from? The only conclusion was that the fairies like a bit of a rave and they seemed to like the one track over and over and over again. Thankfully before midnight it was their bedtime so the sounds stopped, just the owls to keep us company.
Over a bridge
I walked ahead, chance to take a look into the fairy woods that run alongside the canal. So very pretty and a slight feeling of autumn about to set in.
???
Near the top of the locks there is a house all cordoned off, it’s more of a ruin really. Railings made from old gates, various bits and bobs strewn about the place, I remember there being more of it nine years ago. Along a length of wire fencing. strips of black fabric have been knotted. Maybe a way to remember things, to mark days gone by, just a bit odd really.
Setting up the treble
The top treble needed a touch of water adding to the middle chamber so I lifted a paddle into it as well as one into the top chamber, then walked down to lift one at the bottom to empty it out. Going down you need the bottom chamber empty, the middle one lowered to a white mark (even though the sign says it’s black) and the top one full. They were set ready and waiting by the time Oleanna came into view.
Down the treble
Mick stepped off and pulled Oleanna from chamber to chamber again as we’d done on the way up yesterday, then got back onboard after opening the bottom off side gate. Whilst the last chamber emptied I walked down to set the next lock and open the top gates ready. As Oleanna exited the locks Mick would push the off side gate closed with the boat hook as I’d close the towpath side. Now onto singles I could walk ahead to the next lock to get that one set, come back where Mick had already brought Oleanna into the lock and lifted a bottom paddle. I’d open the gates then we both close them on exiting and I leapfrog onto the next but one lock and so it continues.
A melted tree
The flight was busy with walkers and cyclists today. Plenty of comments about how I got all the heavy work. Well no actually! Yes I get to do more walking back and forth, but the rest is pretty much shared out between us and these locks really don’t feel like hard work at all.
That’s not so good
At Limehouse Lock Mick had lifted the off side paddle and by the time I’d got back to open the gates he was only going down very slowly. As I closed up after our descent I wound the paddle back down, only to discover why it hadn’t been doing very much, the spade was detached from the mechanism. I was just trying to find where on the CRT website to report this when a blue van reversed up the track alongside the locks. Today only one Lock Keeper is on duty along the canal, he was up to clear bywashes etc so I reported the paddle to him in case they didn’t know. There’s a list of jobs to be done was his reply, ‘just be careful with the locks’. We would be. During September and October they are closing the flight to replace the lock gates at both ends of Lock 37, the one where the pound drains. Off he went with his keb in hand, he’d be seeing boats in and out of West Stockwith lock later on today.
The bywashes were all flowing well, we were bringing lots of water down with us as most locks had stayed full from yesterday, hopefully the pound lower down known for emptying itself was being filled. At the next treble the overspill from the bottom lock was actually helping to fill the lock as there was so much water coming down.
As we approached Turnerwood the Dad swan looked like he was interested in getting in the bottom chamber of the treble as it filled up, thankfully he didn’t get in and chose to walk down to the pound below. Stood watching our progress from the bridge were plenty of gongoozlers with coffees and ice creams!
Honeycomb and Chocolate
We’d not forgotten about the little hut here and today our arrival at the 2 hour mooring was much better timed. Lunch then some chilled medication to follow to enable us to finish the flight.
That leak will empty the pound pretty quickly
Now there were plenty of people about, some willing to open and close gates. A CRT fund raiser came to show me photos of how the pound above Lock 37 had been at 9:30 this morning, ‘3 to 4 foot down’. He’d also taken a photo now of it being full to send to CRT. We’d done a good job of filling the pound as we’d come down as it can take the Lockies half a day to fill it.
Sunshine
The remainder of the locks are all singles down to Shireoaks and pretty simple. A lady walked past saying she’d a holiday booked in a few weeks on the GU. They’ve watched Canal Boat Diaries but thought they’d best watch an instructional video before they came to their first lock. They stayed watching us and she’d decided that as we were so proficient then maybe we should join them on their holiday.
Gongoozling helpers
Soon we were crossing the aqueduct and the county boundary again, out of Yorkshire into Nottinghamshire. The hardest lock to work all day was Boundary Lock, our last, the top gate ever so heavy.
Leaving Yorkshire
We pulled in back where we’d left yesterday morning. The doors were opened up and Tilly allowed shore leave again, dashing between all the walkers legs to the sideways trees.
23 locks, 2.8 miles, 6.94 miles walked, 63 brisk minutes, 2 chilled medications, 2 hours shore leave, pair 103 yarn selected, 1 Lil centre stage.
