Tag Archives: Wednesday

Deja Frank. 30th July

West Retford Visitor Moorings to before Osberton Top Turnover Bridge 46

A stowaway showed itself when I was about to brush my teeth. At first I thought it was a leaf on my shoulder, I didn’t have my glasses on, but it was a very hairy leaf! I carefully removed my t-shirt to inspect it closer. Gosh what a creature, spikes and slodges and hairy bits all over. How long had it been sat on my shoulder for? Had it watched episode 8 of The Handmaids Tale which had been quite riveting last night? Would it want to stay another two nights to see the end? I decided that it would far prefer to be back on something green outside.

I walked ahead windlass in hand, key of power in my pocket, not so far to the first lock today. Across the fields I could almost see where I’d alighted the bus on Saturday to walk through the Nature Reserve back to Oleanna, it would only be a twenty minute walk from here.

Today there would be memorials, trees planted for missed ones, miles stones dedicated to family and boat trips.

We climbed up the Forest Locks, Bottom, Middle Bottom, Middle Top and finally Top Lock. We’d been following NB Scimitar who had pulled up on the 2 day moorings below Middle Top. The lady leant a hand with the bottom gates, our paths may cross over the next week as we’re both aiming for the top of the navigable canal. We paused in Middle Top to dispose of some fishy packaging, use of shore based facilities and to clear the prop before heading on.

At Forest Top Lock I climbed back onboard Oleanna, not my full brisk minutes done for the day, but a long stretch ahead to where we’d be stopping for lunch. The canal kinks round to run parallel to the A1 for a while through Randby. NB Seth Ellis a trip boat wasn’t on it’s mooring, where would we come across them?

**Plenty of apples for their passengers on NB Seth Ellis**

There is a tight bend just before the canal goes under the A1. Oleanna didn’t want to turn, the depth not sufficient for her to respond to the tiller. Reverse, still no response, Back further we seemed to be sat on something. More umph required, tooing and froing and we were on the move again just as well as we met NB Seth Ellis under the A1 bridge. The helm said how nice it was to see another boat.

A lunch break on the 2 day moorings soon afterwards. When we’d been this way nine years ago we had our friend Frank with us. We’d been trying to find somewhere suitable for a barbeque that evening. I suspect we’d thought this mooring was too close to the A1 for it to be pleasant to sit out, there must be somewhere else. However we should have pulled in, wide grassy area and enough depth, a nice mooring despite the A1. After lunch we needed to crack on. I walked ahead to top up on the minutes.

There are some canals that stay with you even if you’ve only travelled them once, others fade even though you’ve been on them several times. The Chesterfield is one of the former. Today we had the clear clear water and masses of fish swimming past, none quite as big as Frank had suggested nine years ago ‘a meter, I could swear it was a meter!’ Dragonflies of gold and blue darted back and forth, were they being amorous or seeing each other off? All far too quick to even manage to turn the camera on before they’d flitted away.

I walked past fields of cabbages or greens. Was this near where the posh horsey place was? The next lock was most certainly familiar. The bywash comes down on the side of the towpath just like a stream. The bridge below the lock and the lock cottage fenced off from view.

Once Oleanna was up the lock the two of us tried to open the top gate, a big mass of reeds in the way. What we needed now was a barge pole, or hook to try to get it the mass out. Another Deja Frank moment. Mick returned with the boat hook, we didn’t want a recurrence of what happened nine years ago when Frank used the pole to try to lift the reeds out of the water, the weight of which and ‘the pole must have been rotten’, snapped it in half. No more pole! We relived that moment.

The towpath here is closed, a falling down bridge ahead. A sign on the gate and padlocks, plus a CRT work boat on the lock landing. Someone though has sorted out access, the remains of four of the five bars of the gate lie close by, splintered ends and then sawn ends. There is quite a stretch of towpath closed, but it hasn’t stopped people, we later had some walkers and an electric bike come past us.

We passed the spot where we’d just about managed to get into the side to enjoy our barbeque on NB Lillyanne. Frank had never had bananas with chocolate cooked on the coals before ‘Bloody disgusting that! Is there any more?!’ Tilly was also chased up a tree by a dog, a rare thing. She stayed out really quite late that night, Well woofers nearly always walk that way and then this way, so I stayed up the tree for when it came back.

**Excuse me Tilly would like the use of that tree soon.**

A while later we pulled in close to the 23 mile stone. Armco and a good place for Tilly for the night, an hours cruise to Kilton Low Lock 52 which will be opened tomorrow morning for assisted passage.

***I think I preferred yesterdays outside***

Time to catch up with Frank and tell him how big the fish had been today and that our barge pole had survived the day. Sock pair 102 were cast off by the end of the evening, just the ends to weave in then they can be hand delivered in a week or so.

5 locks, 6.4 miles, 56 brisk minutes walked, 1 punk rocker caterpillar, 1 boat overtaken, 2 willows trimmed, 1 lunch stop, 1 weed hatch visit, 1.5 hours shore leave, 0 trees climbed, 102 cast off, 7 courgette fritters, 1 barge pole still in 1 piece.

https://what3words.com/beads.serves.smirking

Fairies Footpath. 23rd July

Log Rural Mooring to Drakeholes Visitor Mooring

Some shore leave was granted first thing, then after breakfast and once Tilly had returned the doors were firmly closed. We’re not moving fast along the Chesterfield, well you can’t move fast anyway, but for the next few days we’ve only small distances to travel.

As we rolled up the covers the boat in front of us was making ready to push off too. They’d been moored at Drakeholes yesterday morning, our aimed for destination today. Mick checked the weed hatch…. weed! Quite expected on the Chesterfield. If the levels don’t defeat us getting to the top the weed at this time of the year might do. Having a separate weed hatch, which is isolated from the engine bay, means that Mick can leave the plate that sits over the prop loose as it may need to be opened up several times a day. On a more usual weed hatch this is not a good idea and the plate/lid most definitely needs screwing down securely otherwise you will sink your boat once the prop starts to move.

I walked ahead the half mile to Shaw Lock. The chamber was empty and dry, Oleanna rose up, the bywash being stopped as the lock filled. The top gates didn’t want to stay put so I loitered to make sure they did, we need to conserve as much water as we can this summer.

Another walk on to Gringley Lock. The chamber empty and lovely flowers alongside the lock cottage. Oleanna was lagging some way behind so I had chance to read an information board. The lock was supervised by William Antcliffe for 34 years, every Saturday he would walk to Drakeholes to collect his wages, meandering his way back much later, this suggests he visited a water hole! Possibly The White Swan which became The Mucky Duck, which sadly closed earlier this year.

Above the keystone on the bridge it says W & GN 1830. I’ve hunted round on the internet to see what this might be. I’ve found mention in an interesting article that it most probably refers to George and William Newton two yeoman farmers in Gringley, they were possibly responsible for this bridge which replaced a swing bridge.

Back in August 2016 when we came down this lock we were joined by another boat. The throttle cable failed as the boat entered the lock and instead of going into reverse it sped up crashing into the bottom gates!

I opened the top gate to let Oleanna out a big branch had been in the way, it now was doing it’s best to enter the lock. I hauled it out with a boat hook, Oleanna exited then I went to close the gate. Could I get that gate to close? Could I heck!! Maybe loosing weight isn’t going to serve me well with big lock gates, the extra ballast having been handy in such situations. Mick hadn’t got too far so he came to add extra weight and we got it moving again.

I carried on walking, arranging for a lift when we reached Drakeholes Tunnel.

Crops stood in the fields, golden.

A pink flower here and there on the towpath. I’d remembered the Meadowsweet nine years ago but not this. I checked it with my app. Wild Morning Glory (Bind Weed, but it’s not quite such fairy like name). A bit further along a few more, then more and more!

My photo doesn’t really do it justice, but the towpath looked like a fairy had scattered flowers along its length, so pretty. I’ve always referred to the top end of the Chesterfield as a fairy wood, but they seem to be further down now too.

Blackberries are ripening in the hedgerows. I must start to carry a container or a bag to pick them whilst Oleanna catches me up. Some of them were really huge today and so sweet.

I passed a chap watching dragonflies in the reeds. The canal was so clear it brought back memories of when Frank was with us spotting giant fish. The shape of the canal bed very clear, covered in lettuce. A boat came towards me, the water would now be cloudy.

As the towpath turns a right angle towards Drakeholes Tunnel there was a rustic fence, planks held up on chunky branches, then a little gate made with twigs. More fairies.

I sat and waited for Oleanna and my lift through the tunnel. Time to catch up with Frank, no answer. Time to turn down the offer from a friend of more sock yarn, my bottom drawer is still really rather full of it.

Through Drakeholes our first tunnel of the year! All 154 yards of it. It’ll be our second tunnel too, but will it end up being our last one of 2025?

Round the steep bend we pulled in between two boats. This would do us for the day. A late lunch for us and four hours shore leave for Tilly. I knitted and Mick watched the cycling and cricket. A couple of boats came past, one pulling up behind us with two big dogs on the stern. Mick walked up to chat to them as Tilly was out, but it was dingding time. The Huskies were put inside and I did my very best mad cat woman. I got a response from the tall grasses in the field meaning Tilly came pretty quickly. Popping out from the friendly cover just after the chap on the boat had said something about how aloof cats can be. Excuse me, I always come when called. It’s just that sometimes it takes me a couple of hours to make the journey! Once she was inside the woofers could have their towpath freedom.

2 locks, 3.1 miles, 1 weed hatch visit, 6 moving boats, 1 slow cruise, 1stone 11 lbs too light, 2 outsides, 16524899765 fairy flowers, 1 fairy gate, 51 brisk minutes, 1 sock might need frogging, 3 juicy blackberries, 1 Frank catch up, 1 big vat of dhal and 4 onion bhajis.

https://what3words.com/dives.wizard.importers

A Different Side To Thorne. 16th July

Thorne Visitor Moorings

Should we visit the Trolley Bus Museum? Should we visit the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum? Both would be a couple of bus rides to get there. Instead we pottered the day away, it’s odd not working every day.

Mick headed out to do some shopping. He’s discovered that our new connector for the yellow water tank isn’t magnetic, neither is the jubilee clip on it. So armed with a magnet he walked up to Bargain Land to see what he could purchase that was magnetic that could be wrapped round the connector. We’ve only once dropped the old one in the canal, but without it we’d need to hand pump our tank empty and then get a new one made, so it’s best we can retrieve it should the need arise.

Jubilee clips and wire were bought along with some big hooks (useful for hanging things on) and adaptors for the bicycle pump so that the inflated fenders can be pumped up.

I packed up the amended bits of model to send off to Gemma the Production Manager, but then realised that I was more than likely to be with her when she delivers them to the set builders, so it doesn’t seem worth the risk of the postal service. I knitted and then headed out for a walk.

A different side of Thorne today. Up beyond the shops towards Peel Hill. St Nicholas church drew me in, but the gates were very firmly locked by the front door. But as I leaned through them to take a photo of the door a chap behind me said, ‘There’s someone else wanting to go in’. This turned out to be a parishioner and the vicar who I later found out was called Tim, he was about to open up and yes I could have a look inside.

The church sits on a sandy ridge which in Saxon times was an island surrounded by water and marshland. The original church was only a chapel of ease, funerals had to take place in Hatfield. In the 1320’s a funeral was crossing the mere to Hatfield when a storm blew up, the boats were wrecked and dozens of mourners were drowned. This led to some rebuilding of the church and it was made into a Parish church.

The oldest part of the church is the chancel dating back to the 6th Century. The rood screen is striking with its figures on the top, made of cast iron by a local miner.

My eye was immediately caught by one of the windows, it had to be by a Pre-Raphaelite artist, but which one? As I stood and studied it, Tim handed me a couple of pamphlets about the church, sadly I didn’t spot there was another regarding the stained glass windows at the time. But researching when back on the boat I discovered it was designed by Sir Henry Holiday a Victorian Painter who was greatly influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. In 1861 he accepted the position of stained glass window designer for Powell’s Glass Works taking over from Burne- Jones, during his time there he fulfilled over 300 commissions most of which are in the USA. After 30 years he left to set up his own business in Hampstead.

I now walked across the road to look at Peel Hill. Only the Motte still stands with the usual worn tracks from the top where people have run up and down it. At first I couldn’t find a way in, entrances at the far ends of the area. In the 12th Century the castle was used as a hunting lodge and the tower was still standing in the 16th Century. By the 1820’s the foundations of the motte top were partly destroyed by its then owner. More information can be found here LINK

Next a windmill pulled me off my planned route. No sails and some boarded up windows, quite an unloved sight really, but quite atmospheric. I now wound my way through a housing estate, all the houses semi-detached, the fronts boasting red brick but 18 inches to the back cheaper bricks have been used. The houses stretched on for ages.

Across towards the railway line. Quite a few houses were surrounded by railings, some totally filled in, keeping the view or viewers out. I’d spotted a path parallel to the railway that I wanted to take, but it seemed to be below the track I was on and to keep going with purpose felt like a sensible move.

I crossed the railway line, straight and clear in both directions, then joined a fast moving road alongside the M18. I had gone from the ancient part of Thorne, through possibly the dodgy part of town, managing not to score from the blacked out windowed car, to the motorway and now distribution centre for BMW and Mini!

Back at Oleanna I finished putting together a quinoa crust quiche with turkey steak, green beans, a naughty bit of bacon and feta cheese. Very yummy and smaller portions today means we’ll be enjoying it for another couple of meals.

Sadly todays rendezvous with Della was called off late afternoon, so it looks like we won’t get to meet this time, hopefully next time we pass through Thorne things will align better.

0 locks, 0 miles, 0hh please move the outside! 1 sock finished, just need to redo the first one to match, 1 friendly vicar, 1 inaccessible motte, 1 unloved windmill, 0 skunk, 1 walk with purpose, 1 very tasty quiche.

Beaut! 9th July

Doncaster Visitor Moorings

It’s always the same. You set an alarm for early o’clock and just can’t get to sleep. Then add into the mix Doncaster Minster being so close and it’s bells marking EVERY quarter of an hour ALL night! Not the best night’s sleep.

I managed 7 minutes brisk walk to the station and was ready and waiting for my first train of the day to Birmingham New Street, next one on to Banbury. I was glad of reserved seats on both trains and opted to keep the model on my knee, it was safer there than anywhere else.

At Banbury Station I had to use telepathy to find my lift. Firstly the drop off zone has been moved due to building works and then it was play hunt the producer. I’d not met Rachel the new producer at Chippy before today, luckily I’d told her to look out for my big blue ikea bag.

At the theatre the green room was filled with a welcoming committee, which was very nice. They were actually waiting for me to cut the chocolate and hazelnut gf cake Paul had made.

**A Bake Off topping but was there a missing raspberry?**

Plenty of time to set up and enjoy a slice of cake before the final model meeting started. A new lighting designer joined over the Internet, marketing, development, technicians and Gemma the Production Manager made for quite an audience, but thankfully I didn’t get Designers wobble doing scene changes in the model.

We worked our way through the show, questions and explanations as we went. At the end there were lots of lovely comments, the best was from John the Director saying he thought it’s my ‘best design yet!’

After lunch Gemma and I hid ourselves away in a dressing room to see if we could afford to build it. Three quotes had come in for the build and some figures for the printing. At the moment it seems we can afford it without having to cut elements and Gemma had taken on board my suggestions about painting and parts of the build. I’ll be kept occupied, but hopefully not as busy as in previous years.

**Waiting in Banbury for my direct train home**

I got a lift back to the station with Paul, his wife Helen and Jack their son. Mick had a pizza ready to go in the oven for when I got home along with a glass of wine as my goal of leaving the majority of the model box with other people had come off. A very good day all round.

**A small box of props and a couple of things and my technical drawings**

Now if you fancy coming to see the show get your tickets booked before the end of this month as the prices have been held at last year’s prices.

Meanwhile in Doncaster Mick has spent time in the engine bay, planning the installation of some Victron bits which will make the charging of our bully boy batteries more efficient.

Oleanna was passed by Dutch Barge Pheonix owners of NB Honky Tonk whom we’d met at Lemonroyd a month ago. Hopefully we’ll get chance to say hello if our paths cross in the next few days.

0 locks, 0 miles, 3 trains, 1 big thumbs up, 1 addition to make, 1 alteration to make, 1 Le to add, 1 yummy cake, 1 bip of a horn, 2 gizmos added, 1 bored cat, 2nd blog post written on my phone on the train home, 1 designer thinking she deserves a glass of wine when she gets home!

1 designer got her glass of wine, followed by a second one.

The River Alone. 2nd July

Naburn Visitor Moorings to Selby Basin, Selby Canal

Rain overnight had woken us, the windows needed closing to stop the rain from coming in. Then the geese decided the weed on Oleanna’s waterline was tasty at first light! So not the best nights sleep.

No shore leave this morning, we had the tide to catch. As we waited we did chores, Tilly’s pooh box got a refresh, yellow water emptied, then we moved up to the water point and topped up on fresh water. Nigel arrived and suggested we should be ready a little earlier, 1pm in the lock.

I remade the archway for panto and we had an early lunch, all as the heavens opened up again. Would we be getting wet on our way back to Selby today?

As the rain cleared we got ourselves ready for the off. Kenny walked by so we had chance for a chat and a thank you, we’ll maybe see him next year and finally be able to try some of his chickens eggs.

At bang on 1pm we were entering the lock, we’d be on our own on the river today. Nigel said to give him a call when we were on the straight before the bend, before the two Selby bridges, we said we’d radio him from there. After ten minutes the bottom gates opened and let us loose out onto the tidal Ouse again.

**Lock empty and gates opening ahead of us**

It started to rain.

But thankfully it didn’t last long and by a couple of hours or so into our cruise we took our coats off as we were starting to overheat.

Heading down stream you punch the tide all the way to Cawood Bridge. On our last trip this way, we encountered a river of wood heading towards us from around the 3km marker all the way to Cawood. Today there seemed to be hardly anything in the river to start with, maybe the last spring tides had take it all out to the Humber.

Sheep had been shorn. Egrets outnumbered Herons again. A couple of oystercatchers.

The floating landing at the ski club was actually afloat today, on our way up it had been sat on the mud. Would we be followed by speed boats? Well we think we counted five boats high up on the bank, but thankfully none looked like they were about to be backed into the river.

As Cawood came closer so did the floating logs, quite big rafts of them headed towards us. Mick did his best to swerve to miss them and then get lined up to go through the bridge. The bridge keeper waved and chatted to someone on the phone or radio.

It was soon very obvious that we’d picked up some wood on our bow. Once round the tight bend, the tide starting to go slack Mick tried his best to stop Oleanna and reverse to leave the branch behind. But it was caught good and proper, doing an impression of a dolphin at our bow, rising and falling.

I took a boat hook through the boat, giving Tilly something to think about. It took a bit of doing to free at least three big chunks of wood and a long spindly branch from our bow, all pushed well away so we could continue.

**Our rugged trip computer, speed rising**

The tide had now turned, our speed increased, the rafts of wood now heading in the same direction as us.

Last nights weather forecast had been for 9mph winds but as we turned onto the long straight with the wind over tide it was obviously far stronger! We clung onto our hats. I checked Windy, 17mph and gusts of up to 35mph! Round the bend onto the straight Mick radioed to Nigel, the lock would be ready for us.

My phone binged, a message from the production manager for panto with a quick question. She’d have to wait as we sped under and through the Selby swing bridges. The sand bank just below Selby Lock gave us an idea of where we were heading for, the blocks of flats a landmark of where to turn to face the tide. Mick turned the bow thruster on, should it be needed, then swang the tiller round. Oleanna skidding down the river at 90 degrees to the current. Was there enough room to get round, a touch of reverse and round again. We now slowly headed backwards towards the lock where the gates stood open and Freya and Nigel waited for us.

Oleanna seemed to want to go into the lock backwards, but that certainly wasn’t the plan, that landmark sand bank was getting closer all the time. Nigel gave subtle hand signals to keep going backwards. Then once our bow was in the right position he gave Mick the nod to bring her round and into the lock.

Third time this year in at Selby without touching the sides, well done Mick. A centre line passed round a riser and we were on the way up off the tidal river.

What did we want to do now? Sean from SPL was due in the morning to fit our pram cover side, so we needed to be somewhere he’d be able to get his van close. We’d also need to wind to have the port side to the bank. Above the lock there were a couple of boats moored in the corner, add into the mix the strong wind, it was decided that we’d just moor up and hope for less wind in the morning. Tilly was disappointed with the lack of shore leave. Nigel and Freya would be about tomorrow morning to get us through the road swing bridge once we’d had our cover fitted.

I worked my way through a few more panto model notes, soon this model will be finished, soon! Then we decided to treat ourselves to an India takeaway from Jinnah. Mick ordered on line then headed off to collect it. Well we’d had a couple of numbers come up in the premium bonds this morning, enough for a nice takeaway.

There was enough food with just our starters, an onion bahji and liver tikka. So we decided to do a Harnser and save enough for a second meal in a day or twos time. Very nice it was and we’ll get to enjoy it all again. Our next problem, what to watch this evening as there’s no more Traitors?

2 locks, 14.1 miles, 1 full water tank, 1 clean pooh box, 1 clean pooh bucket, 1 empty wee tank, 1 new improved arch, 15 big roses, 23 small, 20% fullness, 1 bored cat, 3 swing bridges, 1 windy passage, 2 popadoms, 2 onion bhajis, 2 mains, 1 salad, 1 side, 2 much food, 2 glasses wine, 1st episode of GOLD.

https://what3words.com/shadows.clockwork.fight

Where we travelled during June. It didn’t feel like we’d gone very far, but we still managed quite a few miles.

It Did Say Litter Only. 25th June

New Walk to Museum Gardens, River Ouse

A cuppa in bed then we made ready to move, we needed to fill with water.

**The Lowther putting out their chairs on King’s Staithe**

Services for boats in York have always been pretty poor, since the Star in the City took over the building by Lendal Bridge the elsan and rubbish bins have gone, we remember them from our first visit by boat back in 2014. However, there is still a water point, if you pull up when the trip boats aren’t running!

We untied and made our way into the city at 8:30 a load of washing sitting waiting in the machine for when we arrived at the tap. The distance down the bank required us to bring out our extra hose pipe. The tank started to fill, washing machine turned on, Tilly’s pooh box got a refresh, we stay dirty until later. The final rinse of the quick wash coincided with the tank being full. The bin at the top of the ramp said Litter Only, handy! A lady from the trip boats appeared as Mick was winding the hose back up, as long as we were clear by 10am we were fine.

There were a couple of spaces close by, further away from the trains crossing Scarborough Bridge. We pulled into the first gap, plenty of length, but concrete sandbags not that far below the surface. It took a little while for us to find a suitable length we could fit in and not be too far out from the bank. Across the way at the rowing club we can see four steps, when we’ve been here before it’s been two at most, the river is low!

We decided to let Tilly see how rubbish this new outside was and opened the doors, giving her five minutes of shore leave. After a while she managed to scale the stone bank and could be seen checking out the big trees. Then her tail disapeared between the railings of the Museum Gardens. Maybe our plan had back fired? No she was soon back, too many people.

We had breakfast and then settled down for the day. A message from Frank came through suggesting his current stay in hospital may soon be over and him heading home, a big surprise to him and us.

I pulled put all the wall bits of my model and got them all painted along with swirling railings. These will all need a lot of greenery adding later, a job for another day. Mick made himself useful wandering around town trying to find me some green card or paper for the greenery, sadly not being sucessful. He was more sucessful in purchasing Oleanna a present, a new water hose, our current one having lasted us 11 years and exploding on us last year on the Caldon.

To celebrate Franks news we decided to pay a visit to Pizza Express, well there was also a deal of a second pizza for just £1 and some time away from the boat was needed. We left Tilly in charge and enjoyed our cheap meal for two.

**The Minster beautifully lit by nature**

It was a lovely evening, so we walked up to the Minster which was being perfectly lit by the lowering sun, through Bootham Bar which was hardly recognisable due to the amount of scaffolding on it, then down Marygate back to the river and Oleanna.

One day I’m going to manage to sort out yarn for the next pair of socks!

0 locks, 1 mile, 1 full water tank, 1 clean pooh box, 2 flip flops, 1 sniff of gardens, 1 dormant cat, 3 walls and railings, 48 hours left, 2 pizzas, 2 glasses wine, 5 doughballs, 10am, 0 green card, 25m of new hose.

7mph In Tick Over! 18th June

Goole Visitor Moorings to Selby Basin

**Waiting for permission to enter the docks**

After breakfast the final checks were done, the well deck emptied of everything other than the anchor, chain and rope all attached to each other and the T stud at the bow. Mick had done engine checks yesterday and checked the weed hatch. Boating Association charts, VHF radio, life jackets. At 9:30 Mick radiod ABP at Ocean Lock. We’d been told to do this to check when we’d be allowed into the docks, it’s also to check you have a VHF radio as that is a requirement by them. There would be a twenty minute wait whilst boats moved about then they would give us the go ahead.

Sure enough after a bit of conversation on the radio we were hailed and told to proceed towards Ocean Lock. We were now entering the world of the big ships, stilettoed diggers, 50 shades of sand. Chaps waved at us from high up as we made our way. The lock gates were in their recess, we were safe to proceed entering the lock, we turned the slight right, a chap told us to stay at the back of the lock, but it didn’t matter where. We had the vast lock to ourselves. Strangely it didn’t feel quite as huge as it had done in 2021 when we shared it with WB Lullabelle and Cruiser Sea Maiden.

The huge gates closed behind us then the level started to drop. All that water for one little narrowboat! As the lock levelled out Mick rang Selby and left a message to say we were about to leave Goole. The Gates are in their recess, you can leave the lock now. For your Information there are no ships on the river. We did as instructed, the tide already visibly coming in at quite a lick. We thanked ABP and headed out to catch the tide. Well it caught us really, Oleanna dipping to one side as Mick turned us to follow the flow, keeping to the west bank for a while before moving over to the east, red line followed.

Mick had managed to down load our track from 2021 when we’d followed David on Sea Maiden, but the charts were also kept an eye on.

Mick’s plan had been to take a touch longer than the half hour marks on Waterway Routes, our journey of 16 miles would ideally take us 4 hours, so 4mph, this would mean us arriving at Selby around high water so we’d not have to turn to face the tide to enter the lock. Back in 2021 the Ouse was filling with flood water and our progress was far slower, infact Nigel the Lockie at Selby had wondered if he’d have to wait for us until 9pm to penn us up off the river.

Memory Map gives you your speed, 7mph, best knock the revs down! We needed to be doing only 4mph. Down to tick over to maintain steering, we were doing way above 4mph. Oh well we’d be early, the amount of fresh on the river affecting the push of the tide and our progress.

Under Hook/Skelton Railway Bridge, we’d not need them to swing for us, but we did need to up the revs to stop being pushed towards the peirs. Blimey it was going at quite a lick through there!

On up towards Howdendyke, here at the wharfs they don’t have stilettoed diggers. No ships in, infact we didn’t see any boats out on the river today.

**There’s a lot of water, but it’s not all that deep!**

At the last wharf you do a 90 degree turn to port and head for the south eastern side of Howden Dyke Island, the M62 loooooooong bridge now visible along with Drax Power Station. When crossing the Ouse on the M62 at low tide you can see why boats need to take this route as there is so much silt to the north westerly side it just about dries out.

Crossing from one side of the river to the other to pass under the bridge, it really is vast soaring through the sky. The traffic west bound however was moving very slowly as after lots of work has been carried out on the bridge recently two expansion joints have failed on the west bound carriageway. There’s likely to be more road works now.

Stay to the north to pass under the northern most span at Boothferry Bridge, ‘We’re nearly at Grandma’s’ it being a landmark for the Geraghty family on trips to visit family from the south. We wouldn’t need the bridge to swing for us, you have to book this one five days in advance as it takes quite a bit to get it to swing.

**Seriously confused water on the bridges**

A few bends kept us busy, trying to stay in tick over as much as possible, we were still rocketing our way. We both wondered if we should have kept to our original plan of heading to Naburn today, no need to turn and stem the tide with the current zipping along.

Barmby Barrage came past, our trip up onto the River Derwent and Pocklington Canal thwarted by lack of rain this year. Next year, if it ever rains again. A call to Selby Lock, were they there? Yes. We’d be early, possibly by an hour. Should we turn and stem the tide for a while, or carry on towards them. The choice was ours, they’d be there for us no matter. We thought about it, we’d carry on.

Heading northwest we had wind over tide, the river became choppy. Waves with brown horses (too much silt for them ever to be white on the Ouse) crashed around us, we were surprised at how big they were.

The spire of St Marys at Hemingborough stood tall caught in the sunlight.

At No Man’s Friend bend, a steep one, the river was more confused than at others we’d zoomed through. It was evident we needed more revs, Mick cranked up the engine, then some more, more, the willow branches stroking the cabin side but thankfully no more. Preemptive revs were used round the next steep bend and our line was better.

Approaching Selby Bypass Swing Bridge, Mick radio’d ahead to the lock. Nigel responded, as the tide was still running we’d be needing to turn to face it to enter the lock. Once round a slight kink in the river we wanted to turn, but up ahead there was a branch, quite a chunky one sticking out of the water, drifting in the same direction as us, just at the wrong time!

The lock still not visible, but we wanted to get turned with plenty of space before the lock, so should it take sometime to get round we wouldn’t be being pushed towards the next two bridges. Reverse, let the branch carry on upstream without us. It kept on going and Mick made the turn. Now to drift backwards towards the lock, where was it? The roof of the block of flats just beyond came into view just as the current was doing it’s best to push us in towards the bank and trees. Quite a bit of tooing and froing was needed to get us to stay away from the banks, little progress being made towards the lock.

With a better line and in tick over against the current we started to move towards the lock. Nigel on the radio, were we okay? Yep just taking our time. Gradually we crept backwards, lock in view, gates open waiting for us.

Now it was all about picking the right moment to turn in towards the lock. The current wants to take you one way, a patch of still water infront of the lock, the sand bank we’d seen a few weeks ago on the downstream side of the lock. Mick bided his time, then ‘I’m going to go for it’.

**The flats, a topless man, that’s the lock**

Revs tiller, she started to turn. The bow in the calm water, the stern now turning to get the full force of the tide. More revs, in she went. Phew! So glad it wasn’t me at the helm.

Nigel stood back and watched on as Freya took our centre line, passed it round a bollard and back to us. She then closed the lock doors and set the lock filling. Freya is being trained to be the Lock Keeper at Selby, she just needs to get her VHF licence and be certified. One big fella to one very slight lady. We got news that the swing bridge on the canal is back working, but the one out on the river is still broken.

Oleanna was winded and we pulled into a space in the basin, ready to face the tide again tomorrow and ready for a fitting too. The sun shone down all afternoon, time to trace out the design on panto portals and cloths. Then by late afternoon Oleanna nestled down into the shade the flats next to us provided, the world starting to cool down.

2 locks, 17.5 miles, 2 winds, 1 hour too early, 7mph, 1.4 when turned to face the tide, 1 hello from a willow, 2 more avoided, under 4 swing bridges, 3 hours in the sunshine, 0 shore leave, 1 surprisingly poor internet, 2 identical words in what3words.

https://what3words.com/skimmers.straddled.straddled

Improvements. 11th June

Back to model making today and listening to Tilly who would like to go out, her throne not an option on our current mooring due to cat health and safety legislation imposed on Oleanna. Meanies!!!!

Today Mick had to relinquish the far end of the dinette table. I can confine myself to a small area, but that just means it takes a lot longer to do what I’m needing to do. Arches were remade, slight alterations to dimensions and a translucent layer added to them. For this I needed the model box out of the box and on view to see what worked best. The one scene took me most of the day, but it should now be ready for painting and explain more to those looking at the model how I would like the scenery to be built.

Mick made himself scarce during the afternoon. A walk into town to look at the cathedral, Leeds Museum and the Art Gallery. The museum didn’t take long, an old fashioned informative place. The Cathedral even less time if any! Then the art gallery which held him for a while.

By the end of the day I’d finished off my model notes for panto. Time for a stretch of my legs. I decided to walk downstream along the river, then back through town. However not that far into my walk my calf hit back at me, a slower hobble required to get anywhere. This is now tedious as I want to be striding out as I was doing, but that is simply far too painful. I cut my walk short still managing to see some sights.

A giant multicoloured flower. A donkey. Some very good street art and some lovely old back streets.

Back to Oleanna for some chicken pasta, using things up and to finish off sock 199!

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 gallery, 1 museum, 0 catholic cathedral, 3 new arches, 1 rose table,1 bench extension, 2 chandeliers, 1.45 miles walked, 21 minutes briskly, 1 calf needing a rest, 2000+ likes for a cat sat on a throne photo, 1 cat needing some shore leave! I’m sure my 2000+ fans on facebook would agree you should let me out!

STinky!!!! 3rd, 4th June

Aire and Calder Navigation

In the mornings I open up the back of the boat, slide the stern hatch open, then Tilly can go when ever she wants, I still need to open the door or side hatch to let her in. This can be annoying, but it’s far far better than having to try to catch a rodent friend scurrying around the boat! This morning was no different and she’d been out for a while then come back in for a snooze. WE then heard a scurrying on the stern deck!

Pirates!!! We’d been borded!!! Were they still on board? Their paw prints required a good amount of sniffing for identity. Bigger than mine. A WOOFER Pirate! The smell made my lips curl. Eurgh!!!

I made arches and barrels for the walkdown scene, the tip of my poor index finger is now really quite sore, but the end was in sight. After lunch I popped everything into the model box. My barrels were far too small, pethetic really. Time to remake them that bit higher.

In Scarborough the lean to was coming along well. All but one pane of glass was in. Neat flashing around a soil pipe, bits of timber at joins. What would we like where the pitch of the roof had been altered on the inside? Mick had made the right decision, wood. Un-surprisingly the roofer had messaged saying he’d be round tomorrow. Is that the tomorrow that never comes?! I’d put photos of the lean to here, but the internet is abismal!

**Tilly watching and waiting for the battery status to show**

Wednesday. When I finished work last night and popped the new barrels in the model box I hadn’t achieved my goal for the day sadly, but I was also disappointed that my new barrels were now too big! Barrels take a lot of making at 1:25 and I seem to make them for every panto at Chippy. Maybe there was a different solution, thankfully there was and a mixture of the two sizes of barrel did the trick. Hooray!!!

**At least this boat that’s been there for a year has it’s uses**

All of a sudden there was a smell. Oh Blimey that was rank!!! What was it? Where was it coming from?

Was it the sewage works that sit behind Lemonroyd Marina? I went outside, there was a vague aroma there, back inside it was stronger and not quite the same as the sewage works. I walked round, far stronger around the galley and dinette. Maybe our starter battery, although new, was gasing?! Tilly was closed inside, I lifted the engine board, all was fine in there. Just where was it coming from?

Inside it still stank! Do Lithiums make a smell? I opened up The Shed cupboard, nope it just smelt of life jackets and gloves. I turned to ask Tilly what she thought it might be……my lips curled. Oh Barry Gibb! It’s YOU!!!!!!!!!!

**You can stay out here with your Stinkyness!**

A closer sniff made my eyes water! What on earth?! Her paws were a touch grey, had she found a hole to go down that was inhabited by a musky stinky creature? That was the only explanation I could come up with. What a Stinkerooni!!! I avoided beng close to the stinky one for the remainder of the day, she was constantly having a bath, but didn’t seem to be too perturbd by the stink.

In the afternoon I ran through panto scene by scene. Checking positioning of things. Did I need more sliders? Would that look better a bit more upstage? Was more room required for that scene? A list of notes to work through.

An email about the white card model meeting arrived. What time and where? I was now able to book my train tickets, a touch of flexibility required but having 5 return tickets splitting the journey up instead of the one saved over £100. Now with a definate deadline I was spurred on to tick things off my notes list and worked on to midnight.

**Roses, think I’m going to have had enough of roses by the end of the year**

Back in Scarborough, guess what? The roofer promises he will be round tomorrow! But the lean-to was now completed. They had said it would take three days and it had. They’d even tidied up and helped Mick move the extra fridge back in along with Tilly’s tree back into the corner. Rain is forecast so we’ll see if it’s water tight.

**Robin Hood came back with the crane boat**

By bedtime Tilly wasn’t quite so stinky anymore, but I really didn’t want to share the bed with her!

0 locks, 0 miles, 4.58 miles walked, 81 minutes briskly, 1 Bee Gee on a post, 3rd time lucky with barrels, 1 cocker pirate, 1 sheet of notes, 1 lean to, 36 hours to sink, 1 tree back where it should be, 1 absent roofer, 1 definate leak, 5 return tickets, 1 extreamly STINKY cat!

A Touch Wet Under Paw. 26th to 28th May

Aire and Calder Navigation

A refill of the water tank, we’d been using the washing machine and had had to top up on the electric too. A shower for me whilst the tank filled so that I’d not need to head to the water point this week. Then just as we were untying to leave it decided to rain, not much thankfully. Sarah waved as we pulled out and turned back towards the canal, maybe next time we meet we’ll be able to have a longer chin wag.

We pulled into the first available gap alongside the road that leads to the marina and awaited a supermarket delivery. Stocks were quite low and the wine cellar under the back steps nearly empty! With everything stowed we pulled away again and went to find a view for this week, away from badger holes. Mick added a spring line and we hoped that our chains would be strong enough should Off Roader come past heavily loaded.

Time for Tilly to stretch her legs again on the towpath after being cooped up for a few days. With boat chores done Mick packed his bag and headed off to catch a bus into Leeds and then the train back to Scarborough. The roofers are returning to the house to tidy up, Mick thinks he’s found a probelm on a different bit of the roof! Time to get the house ready for our next lodgers.

Late evening I recieved an email from John, he’d spent all of Bank Holiday Monday working on the script for panto. There were new ideas he wanted to pass on, one that should give us a wonderful end to Act 1. Time to amend the current storyboard.

A walk before the rain was due. I’ve changed the shoes I’m wearing to walk in to see if that might help with my calf. So far it is better, but it’s not a miraculous recovery. On the other side of the River Aire is the site of some open cast mining, now St Aidans Nature Reserve. Numerous lakes and reedbeds were busy with so many birds it was almost deafening as I strode my way through a central path.

Great Crested Grebe, numerous geese and Tufted ducks, a lapwing who was camera shy and then this duck. The size of a female Mallard but with far superior plumage. Could it have been a Gadwall?

As I walked back to the boat I could hear that something big was on the canal. Off Roader had just come up Lemonroyd Lock. Would our chains hold as it went past deep in the water. Thankfully it didn’t get up to full speed as the canal was also being used by rowers, so Oleanna just bobbed about a touch, the ribs with the rowers causing more wash than the multi tonned barge!

**New treads and flying bar supports and a spruced up prosc**

Back at Oleanna I edited the storyboard for panto and emailed it to John, hoping this version would have a better responce. The answer came back from an initial look, he was all smiley, thank goodness! He’d be in touch tomorrow after spending some time with it. Phew! I pulled the model box out of my clothes cupboard. It’s been used a few times since I last had it and was showing it’s age. I deceided to give it a make over, and new rests for the flying bars, whilst I waited for Johns verdict.

Tilly spent much of the afternoon avoiding getting her paws wet as the rain set it. She has taken to sitting on the stern hatch, so her bed was moved out there a week or so ago. Today it made for a very good DRY vantage point to watch the ducks and swans whilst listening to the rain.

6:30am we bumped the side, Off Roader was on it’s way towards us. I peeked out of the front curtains, there it was some distance away. But more worryingly there was a deer in the cut! Oh blimey! Could I mount a rescue mission? It swam away from Oleanna trying to find somewhere to get out. I thought of various ways I might be able to help, the highish bank wouldn’t help, should I end up in the canal too that would not be a good thing as other than Off Roader there was nobody about. I so hope it managed to swim up stream where the bank is lower and doesn’t have piling.

Tilly has now worn this outside out, she’s used it all up so she says. Sitting in her viewing area wasn’t even enjoyable today. I walked round the block taking the rubbish to the bins at the marina. Plenty of Recycling and General Waste bins, then two wheelie bins with no lables on them. I assumed one would be for glass, correct assumption. The other for food waste, well nobody else seemed to have made that assumption had they!

Back at Oleanna I returned to a great email from John. Just one scene to rework and his choices on options I’d given him for other scenes. I now just need to finish off the storyboard to make it pretty and get cracking with the white card model and sketch working drawings before a meeting that is looming. I decided to treat myself to getting the basic set made for the model with an outline design drawn onto it. By 10:30pm I’d achieved my goal for the day. By 10:30 I’d given up hoping for a lap to sit on! Come back Tom I need someone to pay me some attention! I would just like to point out that I am not ignoring Tilly and I’m more than happy to play the fishing rod game at bedtime. Too right, if that stopped I’d be looking for somewhere else to live!

0 locks, 0.5 miles, 1 full water tank, 0 response from Aquavista still, 1 wind, 1 left, 2 moorings, 1 empty wee tank, 4 boxes wine, 1 full fridge, 2 sausage days, 1 world wet under paw, 8.57 miles walked, 130 minutes briskly, 1 Frank PA phone call, 1 viewing position, 1 edging restuck, 1 actor squeezed in, 2nd WIP storyboard, 1 big thumbs up, 1 scene to amend, 2 portals, 1 front cloth, 1 cyc, 1 improved modelbox, 1 theatre designer needing some new things to listen to.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna