Return to Stanley Ferry.

Monday morning we walked up the river to mothers, staying till just after lunch. On our return to the boat we cast off and set off for Stanley Ferry. The flood lock was closed but the light was on Amber meaning we could proceed with caution. Entering the lock with another boat I was on the electric controls. It is a very large lock and even though the difference between the canal and the river was only about two feet it took a long time to equalise.the trip up the river section was calm and peaceful. The next lock was with us so I opened the gates and Marlene brought the boat in with grandson Duncan. We passed through the remaining locks quite quickly and arrived back at Stanley Ferry just before the rain came. Tuesday we went into Wakefield to get Marlenes phone sorted out as it would not receive texts,it kept saying the memory was full although I had deleted all the past texts and the history. The young lady at the three shop soon put it right. Wednesday morning Pamela came with Archie and Amberley so we could take them and Duncan into the soft play at the pub. They had a great three hours playing. When they left they took Lucy back with them. Gill came with Luke on Thursday morning to collect Duncan and stayed to have lunch with us. Stephen came back to the boat after staying at his Nans while Duncan was here. On Friday I finally decided that we needed new leisure batteries as we were having to run the engine for four hours to try and keep the charged and the electric was still failing. I walked to the Marina office and asked if the could get me some and was told they should be here on Saturday and they would phone me when they arrived. Friday night Marlene and i went to the pub while Stephen watched the football on the television.We took the bus to mothers on Saturday morning and just be fore lunch the call came to say my batteries were ready for collection. By three thirty they were fitted and working. Stephen went into Wakefield with his mates in the evening while we had a quiet evening in. Jennifer and Malcolm came to see us on Sunday after their week in Filey. It was a warm afternoon so we sat out in the sun. Monday morning I cleared the cratch and cleaned and painted the floor with a good two coats of Hammerite paint. In the evening Stephen left for home. Yesterday we took the bus to the National Mining Museum at Overton. We arrived for lunch before taking the underground tour at one o clock. Twenty of us including our guide got into the cage to decened to the pit bottom and may I say it was a tight fit. Our guide was from Barnsley and was great with the four children in the group. The tour was very informative and confirmed by belief that I would not have wanted to work for the Coal Board. We were underground for one and a half hours before coming back to the surface and the bright sunlight. Unfortunately we had very little time to look round the rest of the site as the buses are few and far between. Today the rain has kept us in except for a walk to the shop for my lottery ticket. This morning we did a five hundred piece jig saw. The rain has just started again, let's hope the river stays down as we have to move again this weekend.