Monday 27 July Holme Lock to Trent Lock
Tuesday 28 July up the Erewash Canal to Green's Lock, Ilkeston
Wed 29 July up to Langley Mill
Thur 30 July all the way back to Trent Lock
Dave and Rose on Eliza Rose accompanied us through all the locks.
Friday 31 July sunshine and water pumps
Friday, 31 July 2015
Monday, 27 July 2015
Through Nottingham to a Chicken and Leek Pie
Monday 27 July the Nottingham and Beeston Canal
After Sunday with the family, seeing our great niece Orlaith, great nephews Jake and Flynn and their slaves, we set off late for Trent Bridge. The Trent was wide and lovely under a cloudy sky. Locking up onto the canal, we watered up and John took Jessica in her new cat harness for a walk ... Not keen yet, but ok. We are always surprised how pleasant Nottingham and the Beeston canal are. The stretch of river up to Cranfleet has its moment, too, including that rather strange outward bound place on Barton Island, with camouflage nissen type hut and sponsored by the lottery? We locked up with Peter and family on Free Thyme, a fellow Retford and Worksop Boat Club family. A tasty chicken and leek pie at The Trent Lock completed a windy but good day, moored up on the Erewash canal.
After Sunday with the family, seeing our great niece Orlaith, great nephews Jake and Flynn and their slaves, we set off late for Trent Bridge. The Trent was wide and lovely under a cloudy sky. Locking up onto the canal, we watered up and John took Jessica in her new cat harness for a walk ... Not keen yet, but ok. We are always surprised how pleasant Nottingham and the Beeston canal are. The stretch of river up to Cranfleet has its moment, too, including that rather strange outward bound place on Barton Island, with camouflage nissen type hut and sponsored by the lottery? We locked up with Peter and family on Free Thyme, a fellow Retford and Worksop Boat Club family. A tasty chicken and leek pie at The Trent Lock completed a windy but good day, moored up on the Erewash canal.
Saturday, 25 July 2015
Up ( the Trent) and Away!
Wed 22 July A Gentle Start to Drakeholes
We don't need to rush! It's hard to take this in, but we'll try. After sorting home out, we took Jessica, our cat, with us ...... Not a good traveller :( After backing Annie to the car and loading up, it was so sunny that John backed her through the bridge hole, winded her (360degrees turn) and off we went to Drakeholes, squinting into the setting sun!
We don't need to rush! It's hard to take this in, but we'll try. After sorting home out, we took Jessica, our cat, with us ...... Not a good traveller :( After backing Annie to the car and loading up, it was so sunny that John backed her through the bridge hole, winded her (360degrees turn) and off we went to Drakeholes, squinting into the setting sun!
Wednesday, 15 July 2015
Tuesday 14 July: Work and Play!
Liana got a lift to work, so I could go to Annie and do a few jobs before joining her sailing at Lincoln with her school at 5PM.
It's that time when you start ferrying "things you may need on the trip". Quilt, yes, lifejacket, yes, strimmer .... maybe ....
I've been cutting the grass back from jungle on the canalside mooring, bit by bit, so it now looks pretty tidy, with nettles, rampant bindweed etc etc gone from the level ground, leaving the grass to grow and fill in the gaps. You can now see the power socket pedestal and reach it without getting stung! The view across the landscape is vastly improved, so I sat enjoying it with tea and sandwich in the sun..... I then got told I had cut it too short! Ah well ....
Tried a big carton of malt vinegar and plastic bowl to improve the dreadful brass mushrooms .... not perfect, but a considerable improvement.
As for the anchor, I have fitted a double hook to hold the front lifebuoy and attach the top link of the anchor to, to avoid it falling over. I shall report back on its success.
Wind was quite light, so we took out picos and me a larger Wayfarer dinghy singlehanded. Great fun, with its big sail area, but that night and next day I felt like I had played two rugby matches! Oh, to be young! Pass the cocodamol!
It's that time when you start ferrying "things you may need on the trip". Quilt, yes, lifejacket, yes, strimmer .... maybe ....
I've been cutting the grass back from jungle on the canalside mooring, bit by bit, so it now looks pretty tidy, with nettles, rampant bindweed etc etc gone from the level ground, leaving the grass to grow and fill in the gaps. You can now see the power socket pedestal and reach it without getting stung! The view across the landscape is vastly improved, so I sat enjoying it with tea and sandwich in the sun..... I then got told I had cut it too short! Ah well ....
Tried a big carton of malt vinegar and plastic bowl to improve the dreadful brass mushrooms .... not perfect, but a considerable improvement.
As for the anchor, I have fitted a double hook to hold the front lifebuoy and attach the top link of the anchor to, to avoid it falling over. I shall report back on its success.
Wind was quite light, so we took out picos and me a larger Wayfarer dinghy singlehanded. Great fun, with its big sail area, but that night and next day I felt like I had played two rugby matches! Oh, to be young! Pass the cocodamol!
Monday, 6 July 2015
On the Chesterfield Canal around Retford: A weekend in the sun
3-5 July 2015
This last month has been very busy for us both. Liana still teaches, part time. We both sail every Tuesday with Lincolnshire schools at Lincoln, sailing or manning safety boat. The annual Lincs District Sailing Association, of which Liana is President, held their sailing regatta, which has been great fun. Market Rasen Garden Festival was organised partly by our Lions Club, of which John is the new President, and the Lions also collected for DiabetesUK and the British Heart Foundation. John's church commitments continue, including bell ringing, administering the chalice, serving tea/coffee after and performing duties as Verger at funerals ("You can be Verger now you're retired ....").
We fitted in a work day at Retford and Worksop Boat Club on 13 June, although heavy rain meant most of the work was indoors this time. We did manage to trim some of the long grass on our mooring, later.
Finally, we chilled out and motored up to Retford, taking our time and peering over the side at the myriads of fish in the clear water. While there was a lot of blanket weed, everywhere there was a clear gravel bottom we could see the fish in the bright sunlight, including bream, perch, pike and some big chub. Wonderful!
We moored on the embankment at Retford, near Asda, walked, wandered, ate a nice pizza nearby and watched Wimbledon. Saturday, we meandered up to the Forest Locks and back, chatting to the fishermen and fish gazing again. The moorings and services at the third forest lock were lovely.
Saturday night moored between the Town Lock and the Hop Pole was peaceful. Sunday morning we dawdled back to the RWBC at Clayworth, followed by a slim, beautiful Tern, who dived for fish around us. We did some tidying and puzzled where to stow the new 20kg anchor (hmm..), which is too big for the gas locker :/ With river work on Trent and Thames coming up, I decided an upgrade was wise. Liana still needs to be convinced ...
Sunday tea at Market Rasen listening to the amazing Wurlitzer Blackpool type organ, two fairground organs and barrel organs, plus old time singing in our friend's barn, raising money for new church lighting. How I love retirement!!
This last month has been very busy for us both. Liana still teaches, part time. We both sail every Tuesday with Lincolnshire schools at Lincoln, sailing or manning safety boat. The annual Lincs District Sailing Association, of which Liana is President, held their sailing regatta, which has been great fun. Market Rasen Garden Festival was organised partly by our Lions Club, of which John is the new President, and the Lions also collected for DiabetesUK and the British Heart Foundation. John's church commitments continue, including bell ringing, administering the chalice, serving tea/coffee after and performing duties as Verger at funerals ("You can be Verger now you're retired ....").
We fitted in a work day at Retford and Worksop Boat Club on 13 June, although heavy rain meant most of the work was indoors this time. We did manage to trim some of the long grass on our mooring, later.
Finally, we chilled out and motored up to Retford, taking our time and peering over the side at the myriads of fish in the clear water. While there was a lot of blanket weed, everywhere there was a clear gravel bottom we could see the fish in the bright sunlight, including bream, perch, pike and some big chub. Wonderful!
We moored on the embankment at Retford, near Asda, walked, wandered, ate a nice pizza nearby and watched Wimbledon. Saturday, we meandered up to the Forest Locks and back, chatting to the fishermen and fish gazing again. The moorings and services at the third forest lock were lovely.
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moorings below Forest Lock 3
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Sunday tea at Market Rasen listening to the amazing Wurlitzer Blackpool type organ, two fairground organs and barrel organs, plus old time singing in our friend's barn, raising money for new church lighting. How I love retirement!!
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above Forest Lock 3
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Saturday, 30 May 2015
Visiting daughters and walking the Mon and Brec .... A Welsh sojourn
We have been busy looking at daughter number three's new house with my wonderful surveyor brother, Phillip, before she signs the contract. Then to number two to see her and fit shelves, hooks etc (the usual list of parental jobs! :P ). To treat ourselves we visited the Fourteen Locks Centre outside Newport (M4 jn27), on the Crumlin Branch of the Monmouthshire and Breckonshire Canal. Five locks complete and looking good! The Centre at the top was very welcoming, with nice snacks, loos and shop.
I think it would be better if they removed the bund and used these for mooring or just for workboats, so they were used, but I guess they have reasons not to :( We first saw it derelict many years ago, pushing through the undergrowth and avoiding death in the mega deep locks. 167 feet drop in half a mile through four double and a triple lock system. Most had side ponds in between, and must have worked rather like The Bratch Locks near Wolverhampton, rather than as staircase locks.
Five miles south of Abergavenny, we found Goytre Wharf down narrow lanes, a hidden gem for an afternoon visit or base for a bike ride. We enjoyed the pretty scene, busy with changeover for hire boats. We were surprised at the large number of boats moored in the basin and canal side. The lime kiln cafe was fine.
Next stop? Our friends for a Scott family wedding. Congrats, Grace and David!
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The arch to the large side pond in between the locks
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| Very deep locks, especially when nearly dry |
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| Still lots to do |
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| Towpath bridge and short pound |
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| At Goytre Wharf |
Five miles south of Abergavenny, we found Goytre Wharf down narrow lanes, a hidden gem for an afternoon visit or base for a bike ride. We enjoyed the pretty scene, busy with changeover for hire boats. We were surprised at the large number of boats moored in the basin and canal side. The lime kiln cafe was fine. Next stop? Our friends for a Scott family wedding. Congrats, Grace and David!
Sunday, 24 May 2015
Sunday May 24 Who ate all the pies?
Sunday May 24
A quiet 0830 start left our new friends snoozing while we covered the last four miles to our new mooring at Retford and Worksop Boat Club, Clayworth.
However, today is Whit Sunday, so club members congregate at Whitsunday Pie Lock, four miles further on, just before Retford, to eat steak pies, new potatoes and mushy peas ... oh, and drink ..... in moderation, of course!
It was like a mini Braunston gathering. boats were three abreast above the lock. Everyone was having fun and we were made very welcome as new members newly arrived.
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| Home at last! Retford and Worksop Boat Club, Clayworth, near Retford |
However, today is Whit Sunday, so club members congregate at Whitsunday Pie Lock, four miles further on, just before Retford, to eat steak pies, new potatoes and mushy peas ... oh, and drink ..... in moderation, of course!
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| We moored using pins and joined the fun in the sun. |
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| Pies at Whitsunday Pie Lock on Whit Sunday! |
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