Still pottering about.

We might be pottering a little longer than anticipated now. We had a call from Airedale Hospital earlier in the week to advise us that they’ve cancelled Mags’ appointment with the specialist on the 27th. Apparently the chap assigned to the case has reviewed the notes and has decided that he can’t deal with it, so we’re now waiting once again. Not really good enough, is it? Hopefully we’ll get to see her GP next week, and she might push things along a bit.

We moved out of Skipton on Thursday, swapping black tarmac for green fields, the twitter of schoolkids on their smartphones heading for school for the bleat of sheep.

Brewery Swing Bridge, semi mechanised and always busy with traffic avoiding the town centre.
I think we held up half a dozen this morning.

Archie off NB Greenfinch gave me a shove on the obstinate Gawflat Swing Bridge, then we were out of town with three more rural bridges to deal with.

Niffany Swing Bridge


Thorleby Swing Bridge


It wasn’t a bad day, overcast and cool but calm. These exposed bridges up to Gargrave can be a right bugger if there’s a westerly blowing.

Shepherding the easy way – the collie dashing around while the farmer cruises on his quad-bike.

We spent the night below Holme Bridge, then tackled the three locks up to the Gargrave moorings on Friday morning.

Emptying Holme Bridge Lock
 

I’d arranged to pick up a load of solid fuel from Fred Greene’s canalside warehouse, and it was there waiting for us on the old wharf next to the converted canal warehouse.


I usually buy Excel when  can get it, but was advised to try RED, a pound cheaper and just as good. First impressions are favourable.

The trees are rapidly losing leaves now, unfortunately they finish up wrapped around the prop.

Up Eshton Road Lock and Higherland Lock, we pulled in to fill up the water tank and I washed the left side of the boat while we were there. Then we moored just beyond the winding hole.


We’ve Mags’ son Howard coming across this afternoon, and Val and John, the “Welsh Stalkers” coming to spend the night with us tomorrow. We’re not going to make it over there for Christmas now, but should be there early in the New Year. Maybe.

Not sure what we’re doing the rest of the week, I reckon we’ll hang around up here till we get any phone calls from the surgery or the hospital.

Locks 3, miles 5¼