Carry On Regardless With L.M.S. Delhi

[cheshire~rose]

World events caught up with me a bit and I didn't get around to continuing with what may well end up being the shortest boat blog of a summers cruising ever!

 

I think I probably ought to bring it up to date don't you?

 

Chapter 4 (Friday 20th March)

 

We dawdled up to Holme Lock the next morning. It was on restricted operating due to contractors doing work there.  There had been a stoppage notice stating that the contractors would lock boats through but to allow for extra time for this to happen.  We had a call from our friend on Jophina II when he went thrugh a day or so ahead of us. He said he had arrived there to find the place completely empty and devoid of any contractors or anyone. He had a hunt around but couldn't find anyone so called CRT who assured him there should be a contractor there but said they would get onto it and call him back. He had a closer look around to realise the lock operation office was open with several job sheets from the contractors loose on the desk there. A contractors van was nearby, open with a flask and sandwiches on the seat but no contractor anywhere. Alarm bells started to ring as he wondered whether at this point he should be checking the weir for a contractor who had fallen in! He called CRT again to report the additional information just as two guys wandered back onto the site oblivious of the worry heir absense had caused. They locked him through but it took a long time as only one paddle was working. He then told us they were upadting the stoppage to say passage would ONLY be available Monday to Friday between 12 midday and 1pm.

 

We arrived at Holme Lock around 11:30 with the other boat that had travelled up from Gunthorpe. It was being a bit of a mare of a journey for them. They were moving the boat for the owner but it was a boat that had previously been stolen and trashed and they were having to iron out a lot of faults as they went on their way. I hope they got to their destination without further troubles - they are a lovely couple.

 

 

The lock was painfully slow filling but we got on our way eventually and it was with some relief we finally entered Meadow lane and got a bit of respite from the strong flows:

 

One interesting picture I took while on the river was this pair of Greylag Geese:

 

 

The pale one is leucistic. This is a genetic conditioning meaning it lacks melanin, a pigment that is responsible for the darker colours in birds plumage

 

At this time in our journey we had become very aware of the fact that many businesses were now closed due to the Covid-19 restrictions. One of the things we had not managed to buy before we set off was some additional spares for Dave's vape. We tied up at Beeston that night and a quick search suggested there were 5 vape shope within walking distance so Dave called to see if they had the stuff he needed. Thankfully the first one he called (the one closest) did have it so I set off to get them and decided I would have a quick look in the local Co-op I had to pass to see if they had any fresh tems to supplement our fridge that was starting to get a bit depleated.

The vape shop was great, they had bagged the stuff up ready for me and a wave of my contactless card meant that I had to touch very little in the shop nor spend much time in there. The coop was a different matter, heaving with people making it very hard to keep the distance we had been advised would keep us safe, hardly any stock either so i grabbed a couple of bits and walked back. The pub I had passed earlier where I could see several people inside through the windows now had sveral people standing outside, smoking, messing with mobile phones etc. I had wondered about the blackboard in the carpark advertising their free to enter disco that weekend. I felt that was a bit of a silly thing not to be cancelled and at that point a big fella came out of the pub making a very loud bull horn sort of noise <Arrroooogaaahhhhh> at the top of his voice. It was a little bit startling but I went on my way back to the boat to hear that while I had been out the goverment had ordered the pubs to shut - and I suspect the announcement came just before I walked past that pub - hence the outburst of frustration on the part of Mr Bullhorn

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2020 by cheshire~rose

[cheshire~rose]

Chapter 5

 

Back out onto the river briefly but we were enchanted by the Sand Martins giving us the most amazing aerial display as they swooped around us near Barton Island.

 

 

They are one of the first spring migrants to arrive in the UK arriving mid March to Mid April. Welcome back! Even if getting a clear photo of you is almost impossible because you fly so fast.

 

We also saw a stark reminder of how a river in flood takes no prisoners:

 

 

Up through Sawley Lock we saw the serving hatch at The Lockkeepers Rest pub was open. There were signs asking people to keep the statutory 2m gap while waiting. I npped over to get a couple of the nicest hot steak pasties we have had in a good while. They have been forced to close now but we will certainly make sure we stop off there in future and support them where we can

 

 

 

We called in at Sawley Marina to try and get a couple of chandlery items but they didn't have them sadly but they did have plentiful stocks of fresh bread, milk, tinned and long life grocery items and toilet rolls. None of which we needed of course but my  social media feed was full of people struggling to get all these things in the supermarkets

 

Then we got to do something VERY exciting!!!

 

We actually had to work Delhi through Lock number 1 - Sawley Flood Lock. We have been that way numerous time in numerous vessels but have NEVER had to operate that lock before. It is usually fastened open. It was a proper novelty!

 

 

Finally we locked up through Derwent Mouth Lock and onto the canal leaving the river behind with some relief. We stopped that night above Shardlow in the middle of nowhere so we could be isolated for a while

[cheshire~rose]

 

 

Chapter 6

 

I apologise I have taken so long to write the next update.

We spent two glorious days in isolation at out delightfully remote spot just above Shardlow. We fettled a few things on the boat, did some washing on Mothering Sunday and enjoyed a cup of special tea in the sunshine as the washing dried on the tug deck;

 

 

The tea was black with Tuscany rose petals, a treat for Mothering Sunday. A Chiff Chaff in the hedge was keeping the rhythm section of the countryside chorus going while the Skylarks join in from the field they are sharing with a small flock of Partridge playing hide and seek with me. This is what boating is all about.

 

We were treated to some beautiful sunsets there too:

 

 

Next day started with a hard frost

 

 

 

....and an equally chilling email from Canal & River Trust:

 

"Following the most recent announcement from the Prime Minister regarding the UK’s response to the coronavirus crisis, we are asking leisure boaters to stop all non-essential travel."

 

We knew at this point we had to make our way to a safe harbour where we could leave Delhi and go home. We knew that boatyards would start to close their doors and the canal would start to struggle through lack of proper maintenance. If a lock broke it was unlikely to get repaired. We knew the boat needed to be at P.J. Barber Boatbuilders by the third week of April for works to be done and if something prevented us from getting the boat there it could create a problem for Paul Barber causing a knock-on effect of the boat not being ready to be painted later this year and causing a problem for the boat painter. But could Paul Barber take the boat early?  A phone call was made and his basin (which is usually rammed with boats) was even more rammed with boats than usual because twoo boats he had finished work on were not being picked up because of the lockdown. It wasn't looking hopeful. I talked to Dan at Langley Mill Boatyard at the top of the Erewash. He very quickly offered us a place for Delhi with the kind offer of keeping an eye on her for the duration. Obvioulsy it was a day's travel and a lot of locks further to take the boat which we really wanted to avoid if at all possible BUT it was such a relief to know that we could find somewhere safe to leave her if needs be. There are some really wonderful boatyards out there and Langley Mill is one that can really be trusted.

 

We had to go up through two locks to wind then retrace our path and we moored again in the same place we had the night before for some lunch. It wasn't a long journey but we were both somewhat anxious about how things were going to pan out and we were very tired. Then we moved on

 

 

 

Back out onto the river - a short video clip:

 

The Trent below Derwent Mouth

 

We tied up that night just above Trent Lock

Edited April 15, 2020 by cheshire~rose

[cheshire~rose]

Chapter 7

 

We hated being moored at Trent Lock. The towpath as so busy with people there was no way we could socially distance properly and with Dave being classed as vulnerable we were oth very worried. Still with no firm update on whether there was room for us at Sheet Stores (Paul Barber's Boatyard) the anxiety meant that, at that point in time, our boating was as far removed from the tranquil and relaxing time it should have been as is imagineable.

Working the locks over the past couple of days was fraught with worry. Who had touched them before me? How could I get back on the boat to wash my hands without touching (and potentially contaminating) the handles and surfaces on the boat. At Trent Lock we had to wait while a couple finished their photoshoot of her draped over the lock gates knowing that I then had to touch those surfaces, not knowing if they might be carrying this deadly virus.

 

An elderly couple who were out walking were thrilled to know we were going through the lock - they knew all about t you see because they had been watching that program all about it on the TV. Why are you opening that? she asked as I wound up the paddle to empty the lock, To let the water out I said, why aren't you bringing the boat into the lock first she said ... as she looked at Delhi on the river serveral feet below the lock .... sigh.. we are all used to dumb questions from Gongoozlers at locks and I usually try to take the time to educate them in a friendly way but this old dear wasn't too fussed about keeping a distance and shouting from the other side of the lock wasn't helping with her deaf ears so it just added to the anxiety

 

Knowing that we could be faced with a journey up 14 more wide locks the next day if there was no room at Sheet Stores it was something I really wasn't looking forward to in the least.  We reluctantly shut ourselves inside the boat to avoid the contaminiation from the runners, cyclists and walkers that were in constant procession right next to us on the towpath and tried to read and relax until we could call Paul Barber and find out if he had managed to work his magic and make a Delhi sized space in his crowded basin

 

Eventually we decided we could put off making that call no longer. If he couldn't find a space for us then we could make a start up some of those locks that afternoon to split the journey over a couple of days and get us away from this spot we hated so much.

 

I called - Paul said that he was waiting for a boat to arrive and as soon as that was in we could follow. A boat had just passed us and we asked if that was the boat, yes it was - give them time to go up and wind then follow them in and we can find a space to look after Delhi for you

 

??❤️

 

There are no words that can express how grateful we are for Paul managing to play "Boat Tetris" to find space for Delhi. Not only did it prevent us from making the trip through all those locks at a time when it was making me very anxious it meant that, once we got home, we could relax knowing our boat was in the safest place it could possibly be.

 

It was an abolsutely gorgeous spring day when we fired up the JP2 and moved the very short distance to Sheet Stores.

 

I recorded this little bit of video - the birds are singing and it was a perfect day for boating.

Trent Lock to Sheet Stores

 

I felt I had to video that trip because I knew it was likely to be a VERY LONG TIME before we got back on board Delhi and got the opportunity to go boating again.

 

As we turned into Sheet Stores Basin this was the sight that we saw:

 

 

There is only one space in that basin - straight down the middle!

 

Delhi was the cork in the bottle neck of Sheet Stores Basin that day. A couple of boaters popped their heads out of hatches as they heard the approaching JP2. Paul was waiting at the end of a pontoon to take a line from me and, seeing moorers looking he told them not to worry - they weren't allowed to go boating anyway so we were just blocking them in to ensure they didn't break the rules

 

We hired a car for a one way journey home, taking all the food and supplies we had stocked Delhi with

 

And that is where we left her on 25th March 2020.

 

There will now be an interlude in this boating blog while the world deals with the global pandemic that is Covid-19.

 

We feel blessed that we were able to set off early and at least get a bit of boating done and even more blessed that we can be confident Delhi is safe with thanks to Paul and his team.

 

To be continued

 

[Mike Tee]

Its a bit late now, but your concern at the locks re infection could have been eased with the following (both my wife and I use them all the time in this present epidemic), and maybe they would help  you in general

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4pcs-30ml-Refillable-Empty-Clear-Plastic-Pump-Spray-Bottle-Travel/174211245471?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item288fcca59f:g:6TEAAOSwY2peWQSz&enc=AQAEAAACcIQvEcHUrT7nmUC3yY5qbPyaBN1nJEDYW8MyypsJPgXKNJpkvJd843sBLRdhZ0zmML06vnYQ7UopYfGoiA%2F1g1I3LUzNwD0041kdZf2sq5PDB98LZ0Pl%2BuPJsA1bJvZ2%2BvRvRSdAyLyA8%2BEGAzwwF%2BuVCAwITSpuFd8jcz%2BrQFv6x%2FmVpc7bLfJiRugdV4VUG7XodEkdm8h9QnOl2QdJHZD%2F5uvU5GfQIMNIQoYc0J6iWOKt8APmSzDjomhrjyUn8pCX9gWVVsPvhm7Q5SFYsG808xL3xUsD1oe6dAhppMTX9qM5D0%2BDTyaDLwyUXl7bis6W4RhaSPyzQJabJxLCwxi9IVpsGZzwFOms7p41s%2Fd9Whm8kJUM2BU0mZLVZFR%2F%2BBrPTnchjI6HlfmauShuazBu05lzChY9GLd6zX4YUfobaAwEq7QAZn1oFHCfqeQx83VnxjgZEhVNydjup2WcJmkVmlo5j%2Bx4Za95diYSwi8jSMWwj4Q5XhCYyNmIYHE1R4VwEBCv5Z%2BpVJIknjJrioCIndvch9Nl7kEPTIjJK65SyiffP%2BfilEV7l6E4rE8F%2FLlCuFUCCZ3%2FAc8OLL5f6YFcQq4AbDtBQqCiY7dycDcDa34XX7XCp7bByHlW01%2FWu9klh9dgYNT8WFfvD7xncu3IQNL3CKQwC%2BjdCeIBxxOVorHn4rCg4gPpVlC0JP0U84N3eA9mERLgtGIG53Vl9S8gd6hIJjYBc43jpZE3897qrL74x2at9egxtroQ3Zc9Xir8hPQwWuthogGUj6C8jNHsb0ICsR8hgqhdhWPd9Y9o7jdROvr2x1c7r%2B8Yqprv2g%3D%3D&checksum=1742112454717dbd290d4c344c68bbfdae0727323b1b

 

and source some isopropyl alcohol  (preferably 99.9% pure) - just spray on anything you are going to touch (supermarket trolleys, door handles etc) and then when back in the car, spray your hands, rub as if washing and it kills virtually anything. Just avoid naked flames!!!

[cheshire~rose]

8 hours ago, Mike Tee said:

Its a bit late now, but your concern at the locks re infection could have been eased with the following (both my wife and I use them all the time in this present epidemic), and maybe they would help  you in general

 

 

 

and source some isopropyl alcohol  (preferably 99.9% pure) - just spray on anything you are going to touch (supermarket trolleys, door handles etc) and then when back in the car, spray your hands, rub as if washing and it kills virtually anything. Just avoid naked flames!!!

Thank you, of course one of the problems of posting so long after the event during a time when the world around us has been changing very rapidly means that some of the information available to us now about things we might have done to ease concerns back then would not have been very relevant to us. 

 

I had gone into Beeston a few days earlier to try and source some vape spares because I was very aware that there may be a likelihood of many of the shops available to us along the canal may close or run out of stock as time went on. I suspect I may have been able to get a spray bottle in B&M there. I didn't see a pharmacy but I wasn't looking for one and at that point the worry of handling locks had been focused on the press buttons of the electric locks earlier in our journey. 

 

We had been advised to order our regular prescriptions a bit earlier by our doctors surgery to allow for potential delays so I had arranged to get them sent to a pharmacy in Chellaston which was a couple  of miles walk from the canal. We eventually decided that, as we didn't need the prescription straight away we would call around to the pharmacy when we had the hire car to save a very long walk. When we did I ended up standing in a socially distanced queue along the pavement for around half an hour until I could be served to only part of the prescription we were hoping to pick up. 

 

I felt sorry for them at the pharmacy. They were obviously under a huge amount of pressure and the shelves behind the counter had a lot of empty spaces on them. Even if I had thought to ask for the alcohol at the pharmacy (assuming I had walked there) then I have no idea where I would have got a spray bottle from at that point. Perhaps if we had been planning to stay on board a lot longer our thought processes may have been different and I now have a spray bottle of Milton at home which I find useful but during the last week of our boating journey I certainly would not have known where I could get one of them and could have spent a lot of time and energy trawling the areas close to the canal on foot trying to find something in shops with empty shelves 

 

 

[Tracy D'arth]

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