Leaving Nottingham

Leaving Nottingham on a nice morning, when it came to it we left alone, well three boats travelling and only double locks.
I have enjoyed Nottingham and may well come back here again in the future.  

Here are a few of the sights as we left.

Castle Meadow moorings, see the sunshine?

Nice south facing apartments.

Craft beer available here that David wanted to try but didn't.

We got to the first lock with water and filled up and emptied the bin.  While it was filling and as no one there we wiped the side of the boat down, and my bike got a well deserved scrub after its muddy ride the other day along the Erewash.

The other two boats came into view only one wanted water so we carried on with NB Clarence.  The wind had picked up a bit here right next to the wide open river...

Everso nearly cloncked this...

This is either a cricket pitch or a football ground.

Now the wind really started to blow

By the time we got down to where NB Seyella was moored the wind was going mad.   Geoff popped out to help us land, coming in close.... well then it all happened so quickly WaL was taken by the strong current to an unseen entrance to the National canoe slalom course that we didn't know was there... Wal walloped the large steel posts painted red and white then hit the landing which is also solid steel for a second after it was quiet then the language was dreadful.

So we ended up with a bent "Swan neck" and the tiler handle gone.
A big thank you to Geoff did sterling work taking of ropes as we "Crash landed".  No photos unsurprisingly.

A moment of calm reflection followed aided by tea supplied by Geoff and Mags and doughnuts supplied by Lesley and then a walk with Lesley's lovely boys and Meg who brought Geoff along.

 Behind us is the Nottingham rowing course, see the waves? 

Lesley said "Sit!" and Geoff did straight away.

So this is the slalom finish...

Sausages for supper, plus a stiff gin.

Nottingham, Poldark and Jerusalem

Lets see Nottingham.    David and I wanted to see Nottingham Castle not having been here before.

Peeping over the top is Nottingham Castle, under is evidence of the manmade caves.

 So we hiked up to it and on the way saw this;

The man himself, Robin Hood.

Going into the castle grounds you can easily see that the medieval castle of long ago tales has long gone and what is there now is more like a stately home in looks.  

There was a temporary exhibition now on, the man said it was a repeat of the same exhibition held in 1894 I think the date was on "Cornish Light"  what on earth is that i said to myself.... We paid our pennies and I was THRILLED to find that it was on the Cornish schools of painters from St Ives, Falmouth and Newlyn.
Oh boy what a treat!  Anyone want to see my favourites?

Spearing by Henry Edward Detmold 1892

Across the harbour by Francis Wright Bourdillon 1892

Now if you have been watching Poldark you know what they are doing.. Pilchard catchingI am sorry to say I didn't make a note of the painter of this one. Amazing colours.

St Ives Harbour (Smeaton's Pier) by Will Osborn

Now this is a well known one, called something like "All hope Lost" as she realises her husband must have perished now.  So angry with myself not to have taken the artist's name.

Fantastic exhibition of stunning art that finishes on the 7th June '15 I suggest everyone goes quickly.  DETAILS.

So we agreed to meet up here, how great is this?  The oldest pub in England.

Nestled in right under the castle.

Pretty old eh?

Bit hard to see, but it looks like it is cut into the rock on which the castle sits.

Ancient flagstones.

So we joined Sheila and Derek form NB Clarence and Joe and Lesley from NB Yarwood and had a delish Thai lunch, then those two girls shopped whilst I brought not a thing!

River Trent down to Nottingham

So a request has flooded in to see my handsome godson.  
Here he is;

Yesterday saw us leaving Trent Lock I think its called, travelling in convoy down the river Trent, a first for us, but before I could get a shot of the three boats Yarwood had set off at dawn, so this left us and NB Clarence to scoot along after them.  Must think of a way to slow them down a bit, I know, I'll tie the mooring knots for Joe!

We arrived at Cranfleet Lock with those wonderful things that I love called volunteers, two of them, it was bright and sunny and they were both most jolly and energetic.  A grand start.

Exiting Cranfleet Lock with NB Clarence, I am only sorry to have decapitated the volunteers.

The canal joins the river here.

On we went downstream.

Cute eh?  In a bit of a sad state, but way too near the river for me

We needed water and decided against doing that at Cranfleet as the water point was very short, on a stretch of high concrete at a height most suited to gouge your paintwork, so we did it at Beeston.  There was one boat on the water point but as we descended the lock another was reversing back to take his turn next, while we waited, David did this;

I wish he cleaned his shoes with such attention..... Note Life Jackets.

Finally our turn and this was what we faced;

Shortfall..

We were short of about 10ft of landing to get on and off, why don't CART allow for 70ft boats?  Not at all annoying.  There are Private mooring beyond so can't they be nudged down a bit?

We carried on the last short hop in Nottingham and got on the moorings at Castle Meadows I think its called.  Most pleasant and conveniently located next to Sainsburys.

Supper was biscuits and dolce latte cheese after fat egg and tomato sandwiches for lunch then big fat scones butter and jam with the crew of NB Seyella later in the afternoon.

A day of rest.....?

So as we had arrived here at the river Trent and the junction of the Erewash canal, we sat pretty waiting for two other boats to catch up.  One was NB Clarence who arrived a short while before NB Yarwood.  We are all heading towards Nottingham together.

Waves here this morning....

NB Yarwood came into view, not top quality as it was snapped on my phone.

The wind had steadily increased through the night and a fair bit of wammering around WaL had done too.  When David could stand the clumps no longer this morning he went out and played around with other dangly bits, but was defeated by a wedged fencing post floating in a tricky place.

So as we are not moving today we had decided to cycle up the Erewash canal as we won't be boating along it this trip.  I was encouraged by the cycle path too, wide with tarmac.  It eleven miles David said so we toddled off.

Here are a few shots.

This pub is on the site of a former gallows, yuk.

Prime development potential

I think it said dates from 1790's

To my Reader in NZ.. Think Coronation Street but with water.

Love this, the old factory has been demolished but the old chimney is used for phones

The canal is surprisingly a good green corridor.  

I certainly flagged on this ride, David said eleven miles, I had thought this a round trip but no.  I am now resting gently and will need an early night.

He is cooking supper, beef burgers with salad and wedges.  I had an early glass of wine to help with sore saddle.

Well what a night!

We did get a small soaking yesterday afternoon prior to mooring up at Zouch,  so to avoid this happening again David was sure that we should be leaving early today as the forecast was showers after lunch again.
Good plan and I agreed.  However this was all decided before the night before.  
We decided that to preserve the boat batteries it was agreed that the TV should only come on after 9:55pm in time to get that all important exit poll prediction. 

Like a lot of other people, we were stunned, and stayed stunned for some considerable time.  

At about 11:45pm the best part of the whole thing when a rumour on Twitter that Ed Balls was going to lose his seat.  I gave a loud scream and here and now I do apologise to the neighbouring boats. 

So not too early a start after all, what with Himself coming to bed at 4am and then getting up again at 6:30am.... (I might just add he is napping as I write this right now next to me).

So this morning dawned bright sunny and warm, not a breath of air moving the trees.
The first problem was trying to open Zouch Lock bottom gate, it got to about 45 degrees then stopped dead.  So I tried to close it again and give it another whoosh, exactly the same.  

Zouch Lock filling with a heck of a force

WaL approaching said lock.

David climbed out, gave me a comprehensive explanation of what I was doing wrong.....  all together then, heave, the gate reached the same place and stopped.  On about the sixth attempt it shifted, he skipped back onboard and exited the lock then the gate was shut again, however I did call CART however to notify them there may be a problem under the waterline.

Here is the evidence of what lovely weather for boating it was.

I would like to know what birds these are for all close together?

I hate these after his mate ate all my pet ducks.

David hates these as they eat all his cows grass. Where's my gun?

We reached the junction of the  river Trent, the Erewash canal and the Trent and Mersey canal, after filling up with water, we moored here. 
We walked around the corner to glimpse at the Erewash canal 
The Steamboat, there was tempting when I saw a sign for homemade soup, ordered two and it was delicious broccoli and stilton.

Back to the boat QUICK for the 1 o'clock News to see Mr Balls's speech, it just gets better, I danced a jig.

Dinner this evening was salmon, courgette salad with lemon and chilli with sweet potato wedges

Catch up

So as way of a bit of a précis, after Amanda went home, we jogged along along for an hour through the one deeper lock at Barrow-upon-Soar, under the same bridge that appears on the banner photo of this blog, Lesley (Mrs Yarwood)  took that photo two years ago and what a stunner it was too.  Have a look at mine, not a patch on hers.

Lesley took hers from the riverbank on the right.  Nice day though.

A beautiful day, hard to go home.

This is a flood lock on the river, only shut in tmes of flooding, I think.

We mored up in Pillings Lock Marina, and a most accommodating marina they are too.

Packed up, drove home and had the week to help prepare for English Wedding Party of youngest daughter Verity.

The wedding took place in the Grooms family home, everything was splendid, especially the weather.

NZ Wedding.  A fantastic day for us to remember.

The happy couple on their Honeymoon, actually there were 11 of us on the Honeymoon... its the modern way.

I have to say great fun was had by all last weekend at ours and now here we are back aboard and heading for Nottingham, in general.

So we arrived at the marina later in the day yesterday afternoon, that handsome godson of mine arrived for a cup of, he is at college nearby.  Always a pleasure to see him.  He is Amanda's youngest and doing finals of A Levels just now.
We ate at the marina restaurant, Haddock in batter with wedges.

No plate but the modern idea of eating off of paper! It didn't tear and was delicious.

Later I tried valiantly to unpack but due to the changeable nature of British springtime weather, i.e. BBC forecast for Tuesday coming is 22 degrees and two days later 13 degrees so I have brought back with me more clothes than we have ever had aboard and I am having trouble keeping cupboard doors shut....  

This morning we set off at the crack of 10:30am.

I thought this was part of CART's tools to combat non licence payers, but its part of the local Sea Cadets toys

Nine cygnets this morning.

Nicest property of the day.

We left the marina this morning and although cloudy it was dry and warmish.   We whizzed along and soon were into Loughborough,    (To my new reader in New Zealand this is pronounced Luff-bra)   we were not stopping in the town today but  did want to top up with water, but two boats moored up on the water point, not at all annoying.

Two boats moored on the water point.

A shower copped us, then the sun came out then another shower but luckily a mooring at Zouch so on it we popped at only lunchtime.  The reason for stopping after only two hours is that we have TV reception and its election day and David will be wanting to sit up late and see what the hell is going to happen to the UK by morning!


Lunch was jumbo prawns with black rice, ginger, red pepper salad, served with a rather nice white burgundy. Yummy or what?