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Back on the Canal (4)

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Braunston to Itchington

Before setting off this morning we were visited by a family of swans at the duck hatch. It was lovely to feed them through the hatch, until one of the parent swans began hissing at us and trying to get its head through the hatch. We bid a hasty retreat and shut the hatch, as none of us were keen on battling with protective swans.

Travelling from Braunston was a mostly rural area, peaceful through roaming countryside with no locks for miles. Just before our overnight stop at Long Itchington, are a series of wide locks, big enough for two boats. As there was no one else travelling in our direction, we managed the locks with a single boat.

It was a much shorter journey today and we arrived at our mooring spot close to the Two Boats Inn. It was a lovely sunny afternoon and we walked up into the village to buy supplies.

Ling Itchington was a very pretty village and although we walked up along the roadside, we managed to find a footpath through the fields, which brought us back on to the towpath. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing in the sunshine, before heading off to the pub for tea.

Long Itchington to Warwick

The first part of our journey from Long Itchington took us through picturesque countryside once again. As we reached the Bascote staircase locks we were joined by another boat, and a lovely couple, meaning we could share the double locks and the work of setting all the locks between us, which meant we were able to get through the long series of locks within a couple of hours.

After mooring up for brunch, we continued our journey into Warwick, with a short stop at the big Tesco to stock up on provisions. This part of the journey is much more built up, passing industrial and residential buildings on each side of the canal.

We chose to look overnight at the Saltisford Arm, which is owned by a charitable Trust. Away from the main canal, this is a lovely little haven, with well kept grassed areas, a small shop and facilities for boaters. It certainly felt safer than being in the city centre and was worth the £10 per night fee.

As we arrived, it had started to rain and began to get heavier as the evening wore on, so we decided to cook food on the boat and stay in out of the rain.

Over the past couple of days we have met some lovely people on the canal, chatting about the weather (well what else, we are British?), where they were heading and admiring their boats. We have also unfortunately met some quite rude and condescending people, who on seeing a hire boat automatically assume you have no idea what you are doing and like to offer unsolicited advice often in the way of shouting “You need to slow down” even though the boat is only just ticking over. Thankfully the friendly people outweigh the not so friendly which is a good thing!

Back on the Canal (3)

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Leaving Ansty, we headed along the Oxford Canal towards our next overnight stop at Braunston Junction. The majority of the journey, other than the area around Rugby was rural with fields and woods.

We passed through our first swing bridge at Stratton Top and filled up with water. At Brinklow we came to an area that had suffered from a landslide some time ago. The canal had been closed here due to the blockage. Lots of work has taken place to clear the area, but there is still work going on and you can see the remains of the devastation caused due mainly to the high amounts of rainfall.

Our next new experience was travelling through Newbould Tunnel, which is quite a short tunnel at only 250 yards long. Just before entering the tunnel you are advised to put your light on and toot the horn. I took great delight in tooting the horn, whilst our friends were sat on the front of the boat, completely oblivious until the sudden sound made them both jump a mile! After some abuse, I let them settle down and tooted it again telling them I was only following the rules.

Continuing through beautiful landscape we came to the very pretty area of Hillmorton Locks. Here there are two sets of locks at each level, to allow the swift passage of boats on a busy stretch of canal. Here we purchased some duck food, as we had given them some cereal previously but were aware that some human foods aren’t great for ducks.

We travelled past Barby Marina, again very rural and peaceful. There was very little breeze, so it was warmer afternoon, although there was the odd short shower. Before long we could see the spire of the church at Braunston. The turn at Braunston took us on to the Grand Union Canal, as all the moorings in the area were busy, we continued a little further, mooring up and having our tea before relaxing for the evening.

Back on the Canal (2)

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On Sunday we spent our day travelling back down the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, retracing our route to Fazeley Junction and on to The Coventry Canal. We had a fairly steady day, until reaching the Atherstone Locks, which were quite busy. Unfortunately the first half of the locks we were stuck behind an elderly gentleman, a lone boater who refused to let us help him with the locks and it took him what seemed like an eternity to get through each one. Luckily part way up, there were volunteers from the Canal and Rivers Trust who were assisting with the locks as just were travelling both ways. This speeded things up enormously and we manage to make it just in time for the table we had booked at The Anchor Pub.

We had an impressive roast dinner in the pub before heading back to the boat for a game of cards. Once again it was a fairly early night as all the fresh air had wiped us out and we were all shattered.

Day 4 – Nuneaton, Hawkesbury Junction and Ansty.

On Monday morning we awoke to the sound of rain pattering on the roof of the barge. Luckily by the time we got up and had a coffee, the rain had stopped and the sun had come out. We continued retracing our steps, stopping off at Springwood Haven Marina for a few minor faults with the boat (centre line had worn through, fridge wasn’t very cold and the battery wasn’t charging properly). Luckily whilst these little issues were solved we were able to have our breakfast, ready to set off for the day ahead.

We travelled down the canal, through the built up area of Nuneaton. Although this is a more populated area, it wasn’t as concrete as the approach to Birmingham. On the outskirts there were some lovely houses backing on to the canal. It didn’t take us long to pass through and we were back out into the countryside.

Through the slightly straighter area of the canal Julie and I decided to have a go at steering the boat, as Andrew had done it all up to this point. He very patiently talked us both through it and we did okay, but neither of us were keen on padding other boats, or going under bridges, of which there are many.

We then came to Hawkesbury Junction, which joins the Coventry and Oxford Canals. This is a very pretty area, with cottages by the lock and a lovely pub on the side of the canal. We didn’t stop at the pub, but may get chance to call in on the way back.

There is a stop lock which joins the two canals. The drop is only four inches of water, but was put in place after a dispute between the two canal companies. Once through the lock we travelled a short distance before mooring up for lunch.

I walked on the canal with Nick for the next hour, catching up with the boat at Antsy, mooring up ready for a couple of hours relaxation before heading off to the Rise and Castle Pub for tea. It was lovely to meet up with our friends who live in Coventry, so only had a short distance to travel.

We had a great meal and a catch up, then headed back to the boat for a game of cards, before heading off to bed.

Back on the Canal

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It’s been a couple of years since we had a holiday on the canal, but decided to return to it this year. For one reason and another it has been a hectic, busy and stressful few months. We know that canal holidays are an excellent way of slowing down and chilling out, which is just what we need right now.

We’re doing two weeks with our friends, rather than just one week. Our plan was to travel the Warwickshire Ring, which needs two weeks to allow some downtime in between cruising.

Our journey started at Springwood Haven Marina, with a hire boat from ABC Boathire. After loading the 66ft boat with all our belongings, we had a quick tutorial and safety briefing before setting off on our travels.
We set off in an anti clockwise direction, mainly to get the built up area of Birmingham out of the way early on, rather than coming back that way.

Day 1 – A short journey to Atherstone

Setting off along the Coventry Canal at around 3pm we knew we had only a few miles to go to stop at the locks at Atherstone. We were booked in for a meal at the King’s Head. The afternoon was slightly overcast and a little breezy, but the sun soon came out and we were enjoying watching the world slowly go by as we cruised along.

After about three miles or so, we reached our first locks at Atherstone. This is a really pretty area with a series of eleven locks. It took us a few seconds to remember the routine for the locks, but once we had completed the first couple we were soon back in the swing.

We travelled through locks one to five, before mooring up near the Kings Head Bridge. After having a short break and a shower, we headed off to the Kings Head Pub for our evening meal. It was a very picturesque pub and the food was excellent.

Returning to the boat, we were all tired out and headed off for an early night.

Day 2 – Atherstone to Curdworth (or not?)

Day 2 was a little cool and breezy. We started out by completing the remaining Atherstone locks, by which time it had completely clouded over and started to pour it down. Undeterred we continued and within half an hour the rain had cleared and the sun came back out.

We moored up and had breakfast, allowing coats and shoes to dry out, before continuing on through the scenic area of Tamworth and through the Glascote Locks. There are only two locks here but they were quite leaky, so took a while to fill. Once through the locks we headed towards Fazeley junction where we filled up with water before turning left onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal towards Birmingham.

Shortly after the junction we travelled through a quiet open area, passing Middleton Lakes Nature Reserve and reaching Kingsbury Water Park, adjacent to Curdworth Locks. Here there are eleven locks. We had been told earlier in the day that the canal in the Curdworth area was low and it might be difficult to moor here.
A passing cyclist also told us that there was no water further up the canal (but what did he know!?)

We made our way through the first three locks (numbers 11, 10 and 9) easily. By now it was really hot and sunny and we were looking forward to getting through the locks and mooring up ready for a relaxing evening in the sun. It soon became apparent that this wasn’t going to happen!

In between locks 9 and 8, is the Dog and Doublet Pub. It was quite busy outside the pub and there were a few boats moored up. I walked up to speak to the people on the first boat who said that there was no water in the canal from here for the next nine miles up to the Aston Locks in Birmingham. This was unlikely to change until the lock had been repaired, but no news of when this might be.

We moored up and got cold drinks from the pub. The people on the other boats were staying overnight, but we realised that if it was not repaired soon, we may be stuck there for a few days and the situation was only likely to get worse. We rang the boat hire company who had no further information about the closure. There was no notification on the app from the Canals and River Trust, which wasn’t great as lots of people were heading that way.

After our drinks we decided the best option was to head back the way we had come. Due to the size of the boat and width of the canal, the only way to do this would be to reverse down the canal through the three locks and turn in the next winding hole at the other side. Andrew controlled the boat as best he could, as it cannot really be steered in reverse. After a few false starts , bumps and getting caught in the bank, the boat was safely reversed into the first lock. There were some helpful tips and quite a lot of jeering from the audience of pub customers.

To reach the next lock, the boat had to be towed in the old fashioned way, unfortunately not by horses, but by us (mostly Nick) pulling the boat along and me holding the centre line trying to stop it drifting too far, or hitting another boat.

Slowly we worked our way through the locks and to the winding hole, where all our problems were over as we turned the boat to face on the right direction. This didn’t quite go to plan as the boat wasn’t far enough into the winding hole and found itself with the rudder trapped under the edge of the towpath and the bow wedged against the bank at the other side.

Barge poles were used to try and never the boat of the bank but it really did not want to budge. We were then joined by a local resident and two boaters, who came to help. They all made their way to the opposite bank where there was much levering, pulling and pushing until eventually the boat came free. After much thanks to our helpers and offers of beer, we managed to turn around to head back down the canal.

We travelled a little further before finding a quiet spot to moor up and replan our route. We are now going to head back up all the way to Springwood Haven and towards Warwick in a clockwise direction and return the same way rather than doing a circular route.

It had certainly been an interesting day, but we worked together and accepted help from others to solve problems and find a way through. It had given us a lot to talk and laugh about as we continue on our journey.

Relaxing canal boat holiday anyone?

A Weekend In Wales

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At the beginning of October, we spent a lovely weekend in Anglesey with a group of friends, to celebrate a 60th birthday. It was also my brother-in-laws birthday and a long time since we had been together as a group due to all the restrictions. This was finally the weekend when we could all get together. Unfortunately it didn’t quite work out like that, as some of the group were unable to come and some of us that did make it ended up being struck down with the really nasty cold that is going around at the moment. Even with all that, we managed to have a great weekend, helped by the unseasonably warm weather.

Perfect Conditions For Paddle Boarding

On the Friday and Monday, my husband and I decided to visit Llanberis Lake, which is part of Padarn Country Park. There are a number of parking areas, some of which are free. there is also a café and toilets. We parked in one of the areas that was free, bit was also easy to reach the water. There were quite a few paddle boarders, kayakers, and swimmers. It was great to see everyone out on the water. Because the lake is so big, it did not feel crowded at all.

The lake is stunning, with lots of small inlets as well as the wide expanse of open water. As there was very little breeze, it was a great place to practice paddle boarding. I managed to stand up for long periods of time, practicing paddling and turning , which was a great boost to my self confidence. Getting from kneeling to standing is still a little tricky, but I am definitely getting much better and only need a small amount of support from my husband, who steadies the board for me. Hopefully with a little more practice I will be able to improve this even more when we go out again. As the weather was so warm, we were able to spend a great deal of time out on the water without getting chilly.

Meanwhile, our friends went out in their kayak on the water and managed to make their way around most of the lake. My brother in law and sister in law chose to take what they thought would be a gentle walk around the lake, which turned into a five mile hike.

A Longer Walk Than Expected

On Saturday we had a restful morning around the house which we had rented for the weekend. Clynnog House, is situated at Dwyran and is a stunning six bedroom house, which would not look out of place on Grand Designs. However, it was not quite as clean as it should have been, particularly in the current climate. Although the layout and size of the house is impressive, there were some features that were a bit disappointing. We worked around this and enjoyed the space and lovely gardens.

On Saturday afternoon, we decided to take a walk to the beach. On reading the leaflets at the house, we believed we were taking a “short” path to the beach and would then be able to take a slightly different route back to the house. We took the path to the beach, which meanders through the very pretty Newborough Forest. However, the short walk turned out to be over an hour to get to the beach. We had passed another path on the way, so in our wisdom thought we would meet this further down the beach. this was not to be, and by this time some of our group who were feeling the effects of having cold, were starting to struggle. At this, we turned around and walked back up the beach, to a car park in the forest. Gallantly, my husband and brother in law walked (or possibly ran) all the way back up to the house to collect the cars to ferry us all back. Thankfully we all survived and despite achey legs were none the worse for our experience.

Gorgeous Anglesey Coastline

The glorious weather continued on the Sunday, so we decided to have a drive down the coast and make a few stops on the way. Our first stop was Porth Trecastell Beach, where we had a walk across the headland. The coastal path stretches around the whole of Anglesey and is absolutely beautiful. This particular area has a a petty, flat beach, with a craggy, rocky area around it. There is also an ancient burial chamber hidden in the hillside.

We then travelled on to South Stack, passing so many beautiful beaches and coves along the way. South Stack is a on a stunning area of coastline, with a lighthouse on the craggy out crop. It was busy here, but there was plenty of room for everyone to enjoy the scenery. As we were all now gasping for a cuppa, we did the very British thing of putting the kettle on! Our friends have a camper van, so we boiled the kettle, making tea and coffee, then cutting up the birthday cake and copious amounts of biscuits. It was certainly quicker than queuing for the café.

Once we were all refreshed, we took the path towards the lighthouse. Due to Covid restrictions the lighthouse was not open, but the scenery is still well worth the steep walk. We then walked past the lighthouse and up to the top of the hill behind the lighthouse. There are lots of steps and it is a little uneven underfoot. The views are amazing from the top. It is such a beautiful part of the world and I would definitely go back for another visit.

My Foodbank Challenge (2)

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At the end of the first week of my foodbank challenge, I have to say it has been an interesting week as far as food is concerned. I’ve managed quite well with the food that I would have been allocated, but in all honesty, most of it is food that I would not normally eat.

That’s not in anyway a criticism of the foodbank, as the food it provides has to have a long shelf life and be fairly straight forward to cook, with the minimal amount of preparation.

I started the challenge on Saturday, with cereal and milk for breakfast. I soon realised that I could only have a small amount of milk on the cereal if I was going to have enough for the rest of the week. Consequently the cereal was pretty dry (either that or I normally have an unusually large amount of milk), but I managed to eek out the milk for cereal all week.

I did feel constantly hungry the first day, but I’m not sure if this was all in the mind. I think that I was fairly strict with the amount of food for the first few days, as I was worried that there would not be enough food for the rest of the week.

I have found that a lot of the processed food has very little texture to it and also left me with quite a bit of indigestion. Some days I wasn’t sure which foods to put together to make a meal, but it definitely helped having a small amount of fresh food to add to the tinned food during the week. I had tinned chilli with potato wedges, made from a fresh potato. I also had a jacket potato one day with a tine of beans and some grated cheese. My pasta sauce was mixed with pasta, a tin of sweetcorn and a tin of mushrooms and a sprinkle of cheese on the top. This made enough for two days.

I had super noodles which I really didn’t like. Tinned rice pudding had, for me, the most awful taste and texture, so I’m not sure that I’ll be having that again. I also ate more bread than I would in a normal week as it helped to fill me up.

I didn’t use any sugar at all, as I don’t have this in tea or coffee. I didn’t have any coffee at home, as I didn’t have enough milk and I can’t drink it black. I had herbal or fruit teas, again because I can’t drink normal tea black.

I did have one cheat this week and that was on Thursday when it was my mum’s 85th Birthday. I took her out for lunch, which I appreciate I would not have been able to do if I had been relying on the food bank, but as there are no other celebrations at the moment, it did not seem fair to not treat my mum on her birthday.

I’m really missing freshly cooked food and a wider variety of foods. It hasn’t probably been great for me eating so much processed food, but not snacking on sweets, biscuits etc during the day has probably been good for me. I am definitely a grazer so it’s been hard for me not just being able to grab what I want when I want.

So now I’m all ready for week 2!

My Foodbank Challenge

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There has been so much controversy and discussion over the last few weeks around foodbanks, free school meals, Covid Assistance etc. In March I started volunteering at my local foodbank two afternoons a week. I really enjoy being around other people and it also made me feel that I was doing something worthwhile.

There are so many people in need of assistance these days and thee foodbank provides a really good service to people who need it. People can end up needing help from a foodbank or similar service for all sorts of reasons. It may be that their personal circumstances have changed leaving them struggling financially. They may have difficulty with mental health issues, disability or addiction. This year has been particularly bad, with people losing their jobs or having lower incomes due to furlough .

I have met people who have been embarrassed to find themselves at a foodbank for the first time in their lives and apologising for needing assistance. I have met young people who find themselves living alone without any support from their families and finding it impossible to keep to any sort of plan or budget. I have put food parcels together for people fleeing domestic violence who are living in hotel rooms.

Yes there will be those that know how to play the system and take advantage. There are those who may not prioritise food for their families. There are those that may have come too reliant on assistance and may not ever be able to mange on their own.

Whatever the reason being someone needing this type of assistance, I don’t feel I am in any position to judge.

Never Gone To Bed Hungry

I realise that I am in a very privileged position having never really known hunger. As a child, our family weren’t particularly well off, but we always had food on the table. Dad would hand over his wage to my mum each week and she had a tin with slots in for all the different bills. We always had money for food. My mum tells me that there was a short period of time when my brothers had free school meals when my dad was off work, but I certainly can’t remember this. The only time we ever went to bed hungry was if you had been naughty and got sent to bed without supper, although my brother informed me recently that he kept a stash of food in his room just for those particular moments!

I also know that my children have never known real hunger. They have had three square meals a day throughout their lives. Even after my eldest daughter left home for university, she always knew that we would help her out with either money or a few bags of food when she came to visit.

I know that I over eat. My meals are generally healthy but I top that up on a far too regular basis with sweets, crisps, biscuits, chocolate and baked goods. I also buy too much food, waste too much food and have the privilege of being picky about which brands I choose.

So What’s The Challenge?

At the foodbank, we have sometimes discussed whether we would manage on the food that the service users receive. The food is mostly tinned, dried or long shelf life. It is the staple things that most people have in their store cupboards. We also are really lucky that we receive donations of fresh food which allows us to give out fresh food alongside the staples. The food is expected to last for a week.

So I have decided to set myself a challenge of living for a month on the food that I would receive if I relied on a food bank. I’ve not done this to prove that it can be done, but to understand the harsh realities of people who are really struggling to make ends meet.

Armed with the standard list, I went to the supermarket today and bought the items (thought I’d better clarify that I didn’t take them from the foodbank!) Luckily today in the foodbank we also had a few fresh items, so I added those to my list too, to give a true reflection of what I would have received had I needed a food parcel today. My challenge will start tomorrow morning and the food should last me for a week. I am hoping to continue the challenge for four weeks.

I will update you next week on how I have got on. I will be honest if I have waivered, cheated or just given in altogether.

The whole point of this is to raise awareness around food poverty and the work of foodbanks and other similar services. I want people to think about the amount of money they spend on food and to count their blessings that they don’t have to wonder where their next meal is coming from.

I would also like you to consider making a donation to your local foodbank. You can donate food, toiletries, cleaning products, feminine hygiene products or cold hard cash. If you’re unsure what to donate, contact your local food bank and ask them what they need.

As one of my daughter’s friends posted on twitter recently : “You’re a lot closer to having to use food banks than you are to doing your weekly shopping at Harrods”

  • My Standard Food
  • My Extra Fresh Food

A Cornwall Holiday (1)

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After all the ups and downs of the last few months and lots of “will we, won’t we” in relation to holiday bookings, we finally had our foreign holidays cancelled for this year (I thought I would be disappointed, but actually quite relieved). We were fully refunded for all of them, so a few weeks ago decided to book something in the UK.

We decided to book a week in a cottage in Cornwall. Pretty straight forward you would think, but not as easy as it seems. After lots of searching on the internet, most places being fully booked, we finally managed to find what looked like a lovely cottage in Coombe, near Truro.

An Overnight Stay In Bristol

As it is such a long drive from Yorkshire to Truro we decided that we would have an overnight stay in Bristol to break up the journey (in truth it was also because I had a voucher for a free overnight stay at any Village Hotel and Being a true Yorkshire girl, I didn’t want to waste it!).

One of the lovely things about the journey was that my husband had put some CD’s in the car just in case we got bored with listening to the radio. One of the CD’s was one that had been recorded by our daughter. It just said “The Jennings Family Favourite Music” on the front. It had so many great tracks on there that were linked to lots of events and memories over the years. We had a really good sing along and also reminisced about why each particular track was on the CD. Neither of us could remember when she had made it, but it was definitely a good way to pass some time on a long journey.

We arrived at the Hotel at about 4pm. The hotel itself is very modern and quite Hi Tech, well especially for us over 50’s. The room was clean and had a huge bed. Other than wearing masks in whilst moving about in the hotel and being unable to get in the lift with anyone else, it was very much business as usual. We had a table booked for the evening, so decided to have a quick coffee before getting changed and going for food. However, it was a lovely sunny afternoon and after sitting outside in the sun for a while, decided to order from drinks from the bar. Needless to say we never got changed before our meal, as it was just so lovely to be sat in the sun enjoying a drink and a chat.

The following morning I got up early and went for a swim in the pool before breakfast. I was in the pool on my own for the first 15 minutes or so which was lovely. A couple of other people got in soon after, but I was able to enjoy a nice peaceful swim to start the day.

We then went for breakfast, which was slightly different due to the current restrictions in place, so there was no ” help yourself”, everything was served to you. This didn’t alter the enjoyment and all in all it had been a relaxing start to the holidays (A bit like staying in the hotel at the airport the night before you fly)

An Afternoon In Polperro

As we couldn’t get into our accommodation until 5pm, we made a stop at Polperro along the way. This is somewhere I had not been before on my holidays to Cornwall. It is a picturesque fishing village, very quaint and pretty. We had a walk through the village and then stopped for lunch at the museum café. The museum itself wasn’t open, but the café was serving food outside and as it was another beautiful day, we sat overlooking the harbour eating delicious sandwiches stuffed with fresh crab.

We then had another walk through the rest of the village, then onto the beach and across the rock pools. By the time we had been to the supermarket for supplies, before going to the cottage.

Ruan Dinas

The cottage we had booked is called Ruan Dinas and is situated at Combe near Truro. We followed the directions given by the owners of the cottage, which took us down a small track. There were a few hairy moments or two along the way, but at the bottom of the track was a beautiful bungalow with an amazing view of the river.

Once inside we were impressed with the open plan layout, well equipped kitchen and comfortable seating. The bedrooms are large and lots of storage (always pack too much stuff!). We unpacked and had a coffee before walking down to the waters edge. It was high tide and there were young people swimming in the river, as well as people kayaking and fishing. It was such a beautiful evening and it really felt like I was on holiday at last.

We had a hearty home cooked tea, including a couple of glasses of wine and pudding and custard. The ginger sponge pudding had been made by my friend, who had been to the eye hospital for an examination and had to wear sunglasses whilst making it as her pupils were so dilated. As you can imagine, she got a lot of sympathy and from then on the pudding was renamed “one-eyed ginger sponge”.

It’s The Little Things

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Time is really marching on this year and as we are still managing the effects of Covid 19, it has been quite hard to find things to write about. However, I decided to look at the positives and concentrate on the little things that have become more important over the last few months.

Celebrating A Milestone

At the end of July, it was my youngest daughters 21st Birthday. In the weeks leading up to it, the “lockdown” situation was altering on a weekly basis, so we had to adjust our plans accordingly. Luckily on the weekend of her birthday, the weather was fine and warm and we were able to have some family and friends over to celebrate her birthday.

The planning was very different to a normal party, with the shopping list including masks, antibacterial spray and wipes, as well as hand gel. We managed to stagger the guests so that there weren’t too many people at the house at one and as the weather was good we were able to keep people socially distanced in the garden.

I was so glad that we were able to do this and at times it was a little emotional, seeing people that we had not seen in person since March.

Walking In Burnsall And Trollers Gill

One of the things that I had missed whilst we were restricted with mixing with others, was going out for a walk with friends. Again at the end of July, whilst we still had a little more freedom, we went for a walk with friends.

We started at Burnsall which is a lovely area of the Yorkshire Dales. The walk takes you down by the river and it was lovely to see families out in the fresh air, playing on the fields and in the river. It was a dull day, but the weather forecast promised that the showers would stop by around 11am. Unfortunately, true to form, this was not quite right and for the first hour or so we had heavy showers and got absolutely drenched.

Our spirits weren’t dampened and we carried on walking. I think we were just relieved to be out in the fresh air and having a good laugh whilst we walked. eventually, the sun came out and we dried out and remained dry for the rest of the day.

After walking along the pretty river, you then come to more open land and then eventually walk up Trollers Gill, which is a limestone gorge. It is quite rocky and due to the rain, it was also quite slippery. Once at the top, you then follow the paths and farm tracks back into Burnsall.

We walked nine miles in all and then treated ourselves to coffee and cake at the café. This si one of my favourite walks, as the changes in scenery make it really interesting and there si so much to look at. It is also a good length and challenging enough, but not exhausting.

All in all it was a great day out, a beautiful walk and a chance to relax and enjoy being out in the open air, having a laugh with good friends.

Welcome Back Theatre..

Last week I travelled to London to go to the Regents Park Open Air Theatre with my eldest daughter. I can’t explain how excited we were to finally be able to go and see a live theatre performance after such a long time. I have never been to this theatre before and it was a really great experience. The seating was set up so that you were not sat near other people, vastly reducing the capacity. We also wore a mask throughout the performance, but once the show started, it was easy to forget.

The show was Jesus Christ Superstar, which was performed socially distanced. It was amazing to see how the production had been adapted to accommodate the measures, without affecting the emotions and the feel of the story. Before the show started it had been raining and the staff did a stellar job of sweeping the water off the stage to make it safe. The announcement “Welcome back to theatre”, elicited a big cheer from the audience.

There was also a break after the first three songs, as it was raining again and the stage needed to be cleared of water. Luckily, once it was up and running again, it stayed dry and warm and the performance was able to continue without another break.

The voices of the whole cast were outstanding. The movement and dance on the stage was amazing . As soon as the first notes were played I felt really emotional and it was clear that most of the people in the audience were really moved by being back at a live performance. It was one of the best productions I have seen.

I, like many other people have really missed live theatre and can’t wait for some measures to be put into place so that performances can begin again. The industry at the moment is devastated and the loss of jobs and income for so many people is really worrying.

If you’re not a fan of theatre, it might be hard to understand how important it is, but for me it is the one place that takes me away from everything else in life. Whether I come out wanting to sing and dance, or crying my eyes out, I always feel so much better. Over the years it has been so good for my mental wellbeing and has been something to look forward to after a hard week.

Sarah, My Friend

~ 50themusical ~ 3 Comments

Yesterday I sadly said goodbye to my lovely friend Sarah, who lost her fight with breast cancer. Throughout her illness Sarah remained positive, determined to live her life to the full, provide for her family and to have no regrets. She was a shining example to all those who knew her and will be missed by so many people. So this is my tribute to Sarah, an amazingly beautiful and brave friend.

When colleagues become friends

Sarah and I had been colleagues for some time, working within the same department, never working on the same team, but passing the time of day, chatting whilst we worked and occasionally working on an enquiry together.

Then, a supervisor made a decision that would change both our lives forever. The teams were shuffled around and Sarah and I began working together on a day to day basis. We were both a bit put out at first, not because we didn’t like each other, or couldn’t work together, but because we were both quite happy on our own teams, we had our own friends, but we decided to make the best of it and crack on with our work.

I am eternally grateful for that decision. Working with Sarah brought us closer and we soon realised that we had quite a lot of things in common, crafting, reading, musicals travelling, amongst other things, but we also had the same ethics. We both valued family life, knew how important our friends were and were both determined in our work to provide the best service that we possibly could to some of the most vulnerable people in society.

When the teams were re-shuffled, Sarah and I continued to be firm friends both in and out of work. We were able to talk about anything, had some amazing experiences and supported each other through some really difficult times.

A shock diagnosis

Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was called for an early mammogram due to a trial in the local health authority. She had no symptoms at all, but it was discovered that her cancer was already well developed and she was swiftly taken into hospital for a mastectomy, followed by gruelling rounds of chemotherapy. Although Sarah knew that her cancer was incurable, she certainly didn’t take that lying down. She did this without complaining, always smiling and having a firm belief that when one treatment wasn’t working, there would be another one that would.

She was determined to live her life to the full and no matter how ill she was she always had time for her family and friends. She cared for both her girls and her mum, despite being exhausted some days. She told me often that she was not afraid of dying, but was always concerned about the effect that her death would have on other people. She was reluctant to let people know when she was suffering and always had a goal to work towards.

Sometimes there were tears, when she was clearly worried, particularly in relation to her two daughters, but generally when you asked her how she was she would say that she was doing alright.

The hardest time was a few weeks ago, when her treatment was stopped and she knew that there was nothing else that could be done. She was initially rocked by the news, but again set about making plans for her family, dealing with unfinished business and trying to make things as easy as she could for those around her.

Sarah never stopped fighting and was determined to keep active for as long as possible and it was only in the last few days of her life that she was unable to do this. She was able to be cared for at home and spend the time that she had left with her family and close friends. I feel blessed to have been able to spend time with her, not only in the last few weeks, but over the last few years. I am also really grateful to her family for allowing me to be there and to the other friends who have given unending support.

A lesson in living a good life

I have learned a lot from being friends with Sarah. Mostly that you should live a good life, not waste time complaining about the things that life throws at you, but to accept those things and do all the things you want to do anyway.

It is true that none of us know how long we have left with our family and friends. Sarah taught me that it’s important to make each moment count. Take pleasure in the little things. Make goals for your life, no matter how small they are. Don’t let small things grow into big problems and don’t put off things that you really want to do. Try not to bear a grudge and remember that a small  kindness can be a huge thing to someone else.

I am definitely a better person for knowing Sarah and I hope that some of her kindness and selflessness has rubbed off on me.

Long lasting memories

I didn’t want to end this blog on a sad note as Sarah would definitely not approve of that. Everyone that knew her will have their own memories, from nights out, lunches at the Ivy, theatre trips, Christmas do’s and many other celebrations. There are so many memories, some of which I talked about in my previous blogs,  but here are just a couple of my favourites

Sarah wanted to raise money for Breast Cancer Care and talked myself and Sharon into taking part in the moonwalk. This was a 26 mile walk, through London, in the middle of the night, wearing a decorated bra. This was a tough but amazing experience. Sarah encouraged us around the whole 26 miles, never losing her enthusiasm. When we reached the finishing line the following morning, Sarah was the only one out of all three of us that was still able to walk around. It was through this experience on the night and the training before hand that I got to know Sharon and we have been able to support each other and I hope we will continue to do so in the future.

In February this year Sarah and I went on an overnight stay to a spa. We had a lovely relaxing couple of days in some very luxurious surroundings. We were able to spend some quality time together, talked, laughed and cried. As Sarah was feeling quite tired at this stage, we weren’t exactly party animals and ended up tucked up in bed at 9pm, with a bottle of prosecco, watching Love Island.

 

I know that it will be hard over the coming weeks,  months  and years as we will all miss Sarah so much, but I will do my best to remember the good times, to focus on the laughter rather than the tears and to live the best life that I can.

Sleep well Sarah you’ve earned your rest.

I will look for you in the colours of the rainbow, the brightest star and the prettiest snowflakes.