Bartimaeus

Despite the very hot conditions, Clare has made a couple of meals recently using the oven.  In both cases I made a point of removing the window above that part of the galley so that most of the waste heat could escape that way.  The meals turned out well, but afterwards the oven started complaining.  Instead of displaying the time it displayed error code F24.  In that state it was also not prepared to turn on again - fortunately that wasn't needed.

Switching it off and on again appeared successful to start with, but it soon reverted to the error code.  Many hours later it returned to normal - perhaps it needs to cool down, sometimes difficult at the moment.  I searched for information and found that it was either a faulty temperature sensor (cheap and easy to replace) or the main control board (less so).  The package we collected from Ortomarine last week was a new temperature sensor.

I resisted doing anything with the oven on Clare's birthday, but yesterday morning I started to look at it.  Only two screws needed to be removed to release the oven.  Clare helped me lift it on to the floor while it was unplugged, and then we took it to one of the tables so that I could get to work.

Removing the panels was simple enough and it was indeed then easy to replace the temperature sensor.  It wasn't long before I had the whole thing back together again and Clare helped me put it back in place.  Unfortunately, the error code still shows!  While I was inside the oven I took a look at the control board too.  It will be more fiddly to replace, but it should just be a case of moving all the connectors from the old to the new.  I've ordered one, so we'll see.

While we were at Ortomarine I'd also blagged some wire so that I could switch to a different set of speakers for the saloon.  I shut down the small computer that plays the music while I was messing with the wiring.  It took me longer than I had hoped because my soldering iron seems to have stopped working too.  Once I'd finished, I plugged everything back in and switched it on, but it didn't work.  I've concluded that the solid state disk has failed - perhaps overheated - so I've ordered another one of those too.  It's handy to be able to use the Ortomarine HQ for deliveries just now!

In the afternoon, we moved along the canal a mile or so to a mooring spot I'd noticed on the way.  Later on we went for a walk along the canal and on to a path through a nature reserve.  We saw very little in the nature reserve, but at the far end we came across some very dry looking fields with horses including a number of foals, some of which were suckling.

Last week's train ride came with a bargain extra - another day pass on the trains (terms and conditions applied).  So this morning we set off on the tandem for the three miles to the station to catch the second train of the day.  A friendly volunteer staff member suggested some railings to lock the bike to and we set off for Bridgnorth.

We arrived ready for lunch and found a tea room with a view over the river valley.  Afterwards we headed for the Northgate Museum.  It hadn't been open last time we were here, so I'd made a point of visiting on a day when it was.  We were warmly welcomed by the two volunteer curators, one of whom was especially keen to tell stories to visitors.

The small room above the Northgate was packed with an eclectic mix of items from the local area.  I was very taken with a running clock mechanism that dated to the 1600s.  It had apparently been thrown out during renovations and rescued from a lawn by a passer-by.  The exposed mechanism was much easier to understand than most clocks.  I was able to see that it was near to striking and predict how the parts would move when it did.

On the way from the station I'd noticed a small sculpture of a locomotive called Catch Me Who Can.  A model of this engine was on display in a case too with a further explanation.  This locomotive was the first to be used to transport fare-paying passengers.  It predates Stephenson's Rocket by twenty years, but was only used on a circular track as entertainment.  A broken rail caused derailment and led to the demise of the attraction.  A full sized replica is meanwhile nearing completion in the railway sheds nearby.

A collection of models made from matchsticks also caught my eye.  They were built by a local barber, with slightly conflicting stories about where he got his matches from - perhaps they were all true.  One of them was a model of the building we were currently inside.

We headed back towards the station through the park.  At the ice cream and coffee stall we sampled the home-made ice cream - some of the best I've tasted.  At the station we found a train waiting, but it turned out it was not the last train of the day as we were expecting.  Another track-side fire near Bewdley had brought trains to a standstill, so this was the earlier train.

We had time to refresh ourselves from the station bar before joining the delayed train.  We eventually departed thirty minutes after the train we had expected, but made good time back to Kidderminster for the pleasant ride back to the boat.