TNC On Tour 2002 Page 16

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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour

Tour 2002

16 - York to Castleford, via Selby - River Ouse, Tidal River Ouse, Selby Canal, River Aire and Aire and Calder Navigation.

Friday 12th July 2002

We met up with John, Pat and John's grandson Chris the evening before. We were booked out of Naburn Locks at about 10.00, so as we had to get diesel and John's pre-ordered Morse Control from Naburn Marina, we decided to leave at 08.00. John had tided up Frogmoore and had got the smashed front window replaced. Neil completed the titivation with his can of T-Cut. This even removed the blue paint, but not the scratches on two of the side windows. It was about an hour run down to Naburn Marina. Diesel was 31p/Litre and John's Vetus Morse Control was there and waiting at £105! This "Vetus" control was slightly different from John's original Vetus one and was exactly the same as Earnest's Teleflex one. The handle came off with one Allen key grub screw and it was a direct replacement. Neil could then retrieve his "Mole Grips" control lever!
At 09.30 we were off for the short run to the locks. It was straight in at Naburn, Frogmoore was lagging and a Banks Hire narrowboat beat him in. The intruder was also bound for Selby, which is the Banks hire base. At 10.00 we were all locked down together. We were going down on the last of the flood and met the ebb below Cawood. Cawood Swing Bridge was passed at 11.40.
By the time we got to the Selby Swing Bridges the ebb was fairly whistling along with us. Neil, with the longer boat had got in front of the Banks hire boat and Frogmoore, so he could have the whole chamber of Selby Lock to aim for. Here we gave the customary phone call to the Selby locky, to make sure the lock was open and he was ready for us. Neil tried his normal approach to and ebb situation, go passed the lock, wind and then creep up against the flood. Using the new technique of getting as close to the bank as safely as possible a respectable entrance was made.....well we only touched the chamber wall!
We were in at 12.50 and soon were out on the water point (with hose), just to the right of the lock. Frogmoore was next in, John did it his way - wind before the lock and come down past the lock stern first, then turn and power in forwards. This worked a treat and we awarded John 10 for style. The Banks hire boat also made a good entry beside John.
Frogmoore was out of the lock at 13.05. The Banks hire boat proceeded on to their new base just out of town and a wide beam barge arrived, also off the river. On the BW moorings beyond the lock was the "floaty thing" Serena, that John had deposited on BW's doorstep, It had been impounded!
A provisioning exercise was carried out., Eventually Neil could not suffer his botty problems any more any Peter kindly went back for a pack of Imodium (after a couple of days overdosing on these, Neil's "problem" was finally sorted!) We finally set off from the visitor moorings, the other side of the swing bridge at 14.20.
We ended up following the rather slow wide beam barge that had come in at Selby after us. Eventually they moored up just before Haddlesey Lock. The Selby Canal is an un-remarkable canal, after it clears a bit of industry coming out of Selby, it is completely rural, the peace only shattered by the new ECML rail bridge. This is part of the new railway diversion built in the 1980's to miss some serious subsidence in the Selby coalfield. The old bridge is dismantled and much nearer the town.
We were surprised to find that Haddlesey Flood Lock was still being used. In non flood conditions it is usually set to straight through. There was only a few inches difference and we were soon through (15.50). The upper gates, on the river side have recently been replaced with extended height ones and the top of the chamber sympathetically heightened.
As we had worked Haddlesey, John went ahead to get Beal Lock ready. This lock is on the River Aire section and has a long low weir beside it. Beal is meant to be a nice little village, but there being really no where to stop, we have never investigated it.
Around 16.45 we arrived at Bank Dole Lock, which locks you up onto the Aire and Calder Navigation, missing out the weir below Ferrybridge. There were a few rather large tree stumps to pole out of the way to get the top gates open. We were soon out and passed the shell encrusted lock cottage.
We were just going to get as far as we could that night, the plan was to get to Sowerby Bridge Sunday evening. Linda had agreed to take Peter Arlidge up Saturday lunch time, with a meet in Wakefield. Linda could then give Trevor Burridge a lift back to London, Thus making his journey home easier. Roger Hare was to also to meet us in Wakefield. Ferrybridge Flood Lock was, predictably straight through. There did not seem that much activity on the Ferrybridge coal pan loading area and no tugs were milling about as on all our previous passages. Bulholme Lock was as usual, set to boater operation. Eventually Neil called it a day on the visitor moorings below Castleford Flood Lock (19.45). That night we ate in.

Looking back at Scarborough Railway Bridge and the slumbering Frogmoore on Lendal Visitor Moorings. York. River Ouse.

Passing under Ouse Bridge, Skeldergate Bridge in the distance. York. River Ouse.

Naburn Reach. Moorings for The Ship Inn at Acaster Malbis. River Ouse.

Earnest and the Banks hire boat wait for Frogmoore in Naburn Lock. River Ouse.

Leaving Naburn lock. Frogmoore behind. Tidal River Ouse.

West Mill in Selby. The tug has started to move the grain pans. Tidal River Ouse.

Steaming through the Selby Bridges. You can see from the water surface the power of the ebb. Tidal River Ouse.

Frogmoore's neat arrival in Selby Lock. Chris is already out and tending to the ropes. Selby Canal.

Leaving Selby Swing Bridge and the out of basin visitor moorings. Selby Canal.

Light Industry present as you exit Selby. Selby Canal.

Bawtry Road Bridge. Selby Canal.

Brayton Railway Bridge. Selby Canal.

Burn Bridge. The Anchor pub is just to the left. Selby Canal.

The new ECML Railway Bridge. Selby Canal.

Paperhouse Bridge. Selby Canal.

Selby Canal.

Peter Wright and Trevor Burridge seemed confused by Neil's misinformation, telling them that West Haddlesey Flood Lock should be straight through. Selby Canal.