The mission at Cotmanhay

Thu 4^th June

We started with the usual 8 am Prayer Meeting, in the pub garden. As well as well as discussing the plans for the day and praying for people and events, we prayed over the field and the boats.

 

Morning prayer time

Prayerwalking round the garden

Praying on the towpath

The water level had risen overnight so we were able to pull the boat in to the side.

More water!

Several school assemblies took place locally, but we were not personally involved. Instead, we took the opportunity to practice some songs, with John and Jan Halford, who play recorder and fiddle respectively.

No boating today

Fri 5^th June

8am Prayer meeting again, during which we prayed for Saturdays weather, which was forecast as having 40mph winds.

We had some school children visiting the boats, and we were helping out on Mistol.

James was at the stern to explain how the steering worked. There was sign there saying “Please don’t walk on the water”.  James asked the kids if they knew of anyone who had walked on the water.  The only name they came up with was Dynamo!

School visits 

Rob had a keen crowd when he showed off his magnet

A group of special needs kids turned up without prior warning, and were given a tour of the boat. It was a challenge to get them up and down the steps but they all achieved it with help, and they were a delight.

Sharing stories after the youngsters had gone

We spent some time finalising our music programme for the evening, before having a barbecue in the pub garden.

We then set up our instruments in the pub.  We discovered that our new mic was missing the adaptor that allows it to fit on the mic stand.  After some panic involving thinking of alternatives such as gaffer tape, James returned to the boat and found a spare one in our oddments drawer.

Strangely, the song that seemed to go down best was “Pick a bale o’ cotton”, which James used to sing over 40 years ago with friend Ignatius. We had heard a group singing it at the Rickmansworth Festival last month and we decided to try it.

John and Jan joined us very capably for the second set. It all went down very well, but we could have done with another performer to fill in some gaps and extend the time. Roger and Mirjana, we miss you!

Hazel and I had a good chat with girl from Germany at the end, but when the background music started we needed to shout to communicate and that doesn’t help our voices.

No boating today

Sat 6^th June

8am Prayer meeting

Thankfully the forecast 40mph wind was now shown reduced to 20mph.

We had breakfast at the pub.  Hazel ordered a mega breakfast for James by accident.  He had wanted two sausages, two bacon, and two eggs, but he ended up with three of everything.  Not wanting to offend anyone, he still ate it all!

Anticipating breakfast

James with his mega breakfast (photo: Alan Dilnot)

We had a lift to the Elim church where at 9.30am we had a time of prayer and communion, led by Anne, the pastor.  Then we helped to load tables and chairs into a van, before going back to the pub garden to set up stalls and PA equipment.

We had one or two challenges, which made us think we were doing the right thing. Firstly there was a lot of distortion from the mixing desk, so we used ours from the boat instead, which seemed to work OK. 

Then the wind caused some damage to two gazebos, which had to be taken down.

Marquees up

David wearing the damaged gazebo to stop it blowing away

Putting away the collapsed gazebo frame

 

Then we had some power cuts which periodically caused the bouncy castle to deflate. It also stopped the piped music, which was sourced from a laptop with a low battery, so every time it happened, the laptop had to be rebooted.

Good numbers in the garden

Playing with toy boats

Colouring competitions

Bob the landlord and Andy

Andy was therefore late on with his magic tricks with a gospel message.  We were correspondingly late with our songs.

Our set was OK, joined by John and Jan once again, but, as expected, we did not have a participating audience, as they were all over the field patronising the stalls.

Boat trips on Remus

 Turning Remus

It was good to see a few additional BCF people – Elaine who was staying on Gospel Belle, David and Mary Litchfield, David and Carole Brennand, and Ian and Jan James.

When we returned to our boat, Margaret and Barry arrived unexpectedly on Travellers Joy. They are boaters from the Wey Navigation who used to be part of Byfleet Boat Club, and it was great to see them.

No boating today

Sun 7^th June

Once again the day started with the 8am prayer meeting in the pub garden, after which Alan gave us a lift to the Elim Church to set up ready for the service.

It is always “interesting” connecting to other PA systems.  We used our own mixing desk, and fed the sound via tape output leads into the church amplifier, which is usually only used for playing CD’s and iPlayers. It worked fine.

The church was packed, as our team had more than doubled their usual numbers.

Don preached about the concept of eternity.

Team members at the Elim Church before the service

Leading the worship songs (Photo: Alan Dilnot)

We had a lift back afterwards, and we packed away our instruments and PA system (until the next time)

There was a free cream tea in the afternoon, there were lots of people around, and Remus was doing boat trips, as they had done yesterday.  The weather was excellent. There was a singer with backing tracks who also gave short messages in between songs. Margaret and Barry came to join us.

Cream teas

Hazel with Margaret and Barry

The dreaded selfie

When everything was packed away, we walked to an Indian restaurant in Ilkeston, who managed to fit in 23 people at short notice.

A very successful mission, which has brought the pub and the Elim Church further into the heart of the community.

No boating today

Kegworth to Cotmanhay

Tue 2^nd June

Kegworth to Sandiacre

It had been very windy in the night, and our chimney had moved from one end of the roof pallet to the other.

 We set off downstream once more, passing the huge cooling towers of Ratcliffe Power Station, and the lines of moored boats at Redhill.

Cables and cooling towers

Redhill floodlock

Then we reached the end of the River Soar, and turned left onto the River Trent.  There was still a strong wind and we had to crab a little to enter the Erewash Canal at Trent Lock.

Soar Mouth

Remus leaving the Soar

Windy approach to Trent Lock

Remus arriving at the Erewash Canal

Trent Lock

We found Mistol moored by the facilities block, but they had gone by the time we were through the lock.  This was the last opportunity for water and elsan before the mission so we made sure we were fully up to date in both departments.

There is an interesting collection of moored boats along the first stretch of canal including historic boats, houseboats, and a narrowboat with its bows in a greenhouse.

 Boat in a greenhouse

We went past Mistol, Ultreya, Gospel Belle, and Trinity at Long Eaton

We found a mooring just past the lock cottage at Sandiacre.

Sandiacre mooring

Gospel Bell and Trinity went past.

5 locks, 6 miles

Wed 3^rd June

Sandiacre to Cotmanhay

In the morning we stopped on the bollards in Sandiacre to visit to Lidl, and admire the ornate mill.

Mill at Sandiacre

John Halford (Jubilee) came up on his bike. They were having water level difficulties, with a dry pound above Long Eaton Lock. There were CRT men around and we were asked to leave locks as we found them, with a top and bottom paddle open, while they drained water down from further up.

Under the M1

As we approached the bridge under the M1, James took a photo. Just after this we connected with a submerged object, which lifted the boat up on the port side.  Three of our dinner plates crashed to the floor and smashed.  At least they hadn’t been washed up! But then, as Hazel pointed out, if they had been, they would have been in the draining rack and therefore safe. We discovered later that another of our boats had done the same thing, and smashed a teapot lid.

We were pleased to be travelling with Remus, as sometimes the gates were self opening, and it was helpful to have a person on each gate to close them.

It was particularly helpful for Remus, as they had a problem at Potters Lock, being swept round by the wind as they left, and drawn towards the overflow weir.  We helped them out by towing them off the reeds, in front of a gathering crowd of onlookers.

Towing Remus off the reeds

Sorting out the water levels

Barker’s Lock with Remus

When we arrived at Cotmanhay, we found several boats there already: Tumzul Cloud, Dilly Dally, Essence, Gospel Belle, Trinity.  The water levels were down as water had been drained off to float boats further down.  It meant we were unable to get Gabriel close to the shore.

Moored a long way out

We spent a bit of time practising songs and working out an order for Friday. 

Alan Dilnot kindly gave us a lift to Tesco, where we managed to replace our three dinner plates. We have gone for white crockery from several sources, including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Ikea, as it is easy to replace or match. The Tesco dinner plates are £3 each.

We then walked to the Elim church for a prayer meeting.  It was good to meet Anne the pastor, and Steve, her husband, plus one or two others from the church, as well as gathering together as a team for the first time.

We picked up a Chinese meal on the way back, and consumed it back on the boat.

8 locks, 6 miles

Next: the Mission at the Bridge Inn, Cotmanhay.

Barrow upon Soar to kegworth

Sun 31^st May

Barrow to Loughborough

There was evidence of the demise of a mouse as we surfaced this morning.

We all walked up the hill to Barrow Baptist Church to share in their worship service. We took up two rows. The church was fairly full, particularly as they had other visitors following someone’s anniversary party the previous day.

Barrow Baptist worship band

BCF at BBC

Barrow Baptist Church

We met BCF member Judith Morrison, who had been very helpful to us a few years ago.

After the service we set off through Barrow Deep Lock and under the road bridge, heading for Loughborough.

Barrow Road Bridge

There were no more locks before Loughborough where we had some difficulty banging in the mooring stakes and holding a rope, with high winds. 

There was a convenient stone block where James straightened one of the mooring spikes. 

Moored at Loughborough

Hazel went to B&Q for a new clother dryer pole. James went to Aldi for some oddments.

Gospel Belle, Trinity, Mistol went past.

1 lock, 4 miles, 1 mouse

Mon 1^st June

Loughborough to Kegworth

We decided to visit the facilities at the end of the town arm !!!  There were several problems.

Firstly, there was a nice low quayside which would have been ideal for mooring onto, except that it was bare of mooring rings or bollards, and the tap was too far away. 

Bare quayside

 

The only place to tie to was a series of rings in a wall as high as the boat roof. There were two sets of steps, neither of which lined up with either the bows or the stern of the boat, so Hazel was unable to get off.  The steps were also sticking out beyond the fendering, all lined up to take paint off the boat side.

Inaccessible steps

Projecting steps ideal for scraping the boat

Projecting steps

The wall was topped with railings, and the cassette would not fit underneath, so it had to be carried to the nearest steps. This meant carefully walking along the gunwale, with no hands to hold onto anything. 

 Impassable railings

The elsan disposal had the often encountered silly brick wall round the top, presumably put there to stop the splashing, but which actually causes worse splashing, because the contents have to be dropped from on high instead of being gently tipped down from the edge.

We needed to dispose of our rubbish, and there were three wheelie bins clearly visible, where we put our litter. In hindsight these may have been for one of the local businesses.

Three bins - whose were they?

Then we saw a pair of locked doors marked Refuse Area, and a notice asking us to put rubbish in the bins inside. The notice gave no clue as to which organisation had written it. The doors were locked, and someone else had put rubbish against the wall.

Inaccessible refuse area

Anonymous notice

Then we spotted another locked caged area ideal for bins, but there were no bins.  Then there was an unmarked locked door, which opened with a C&RT key. Inside was a bin, absolutely full.

Locked caged compound

Anonymous C&RT cupboard

Inside C&RT cupboard

None of the doors or compounds had the usual rubbish symbol.  There was one on a post, which had an arrow pointing nowhere in particular.

 Bin sign.  Oh, is there one?

Bin sign closer. There it is!

 

So where are boaters meant to put their rubbish?  Come on, C&RT, get your act together and make it clear!   This facility is relatively modern, and money has evidently been spent, but were any boaters consulted about the design?

At least we had managed to fill up with water, empty our cassettes and dispose of our rubbish. We left the basin in the company of Sue and Eric on Remus, and cruised out of Loughborough, past Gospel Belle, Trinity, and Mistol.

Passing Mistol, Gospel Belle, Trinity

When we reached Bishop Meadow Lock we discovered that the elsan and toilet there are closed, although the elsan sign is still displayed.  The water tap and rubbish bins are still operational.

The elsan sign

A little further on we met Tupelo heading south. Last seen at Ellesmere a year ago.

After passing Normanton-on-Soar, we entered Zouch Cut and discovered that a boat had just pulled out from the moorings and was setting the lock.  This was Lion Heart, with a pleasant couple on board. We helped them through Zouch Lock, and then helped a boat coming in the other direction.

The next lock, Kegworth Deep Lock was more than two miles ahead, and we had caught up with Lion Heart, who were evidently going slowly.  We helped a cruiser up first, very slowly as the lock is aptly named, and there is considerable turbulence from the gate paddles. Then we helped Lion Heart down, then helped two more cruisers up, before at last it was our turn to go down.

 Lionheart in Kegworth Deep Lock

Strong flows from the gate paddles

Locking down - our turn at last

  

We moored on the bollards at Kegworth Shallow Lock, which is a flood lock, normally kept open. A little later Gospel Belle, Trinity,and  Mistol went past

We spent the afternoon practising songs and getting them in order, before going for a meal with Eric and Sue on Remus.

It was very WINDY.

4 locks, 6 miles

Next: Kegworth to Cotmanhay