Milepost 6ish to Bramble Cuttings
Pootleing along the loooong pound this morning it was chilly, you could see your breath. We soon passed new fencing, high, blocking off the view to what used to be a sweet little tree house, at least the fence is wooden. Lion Salt Works, well worth a visit if you are in the area. Plenty of bags were piled up outside Thor, they make biocides and disinfectant.
Round the bend to Wincham Wharf. In amongst the boats we could see NB Halsall’s bow. Last night we’d finished a bottle of gas just as the roast chicken was finishing. Rachel was just about to pull away from a boat, we checked on her gas stocks, ‘Plenty!’ We’ll hopefully see her before we’re out of her patch and if we don’t there is always the place in Stoke.
Now under all the bridges and pipes, passing the moored boats. At the far end a sea of cranes of different sizes surrounded a building. This will be a sustainable power station once built. Then we got a reminder of New Year 2016/17 as we passed NB Tench. We spent the evening sitting in her hold trying not to be cold with Heather Bleasdale, Alex (Tench’s then owner), Brian and some other people whos names escape me now. Good to see Tench again.
By now the gentle rain we’d woken up to had set in, with the occasional heavier interlude. A strip of land with what looks like planning permission for a house and a mooring, no details of who is selling it or any agents. A new house for sale a short distance on with a roof terrace.
Orchard Marina has water in it now, last year it was very dry. A few narrowboats sit at the far end, but it looks like there is still plenty of work to be done. HS2 was going to strtech right across this area, crossing the canal three times. As we’re north of Birmingham this won’t happen now. We wondered if the people whos homes had been compulsively purchased had been given the option to buy their property back?
More old woodland along the east bank. Gnarldy oak trees covered in ivy, how much longer would these stay standing for, too wiggly for use in lock gates.
Down below in the wide valley the fields are lush green, if not covered in water. One was speckled in yellow. Were these buttercups, Mick thought more likely to be dandelions. He doesn’t like dandelions, so every year I give them a different name. In the past they have been daffodils, he likes them. This year they are gladioli, Dame Edna would have a field day in that field!
Up ahead we waited to see if there’d be any space for us at Bramble Cuttings, a much sought after offside mooring. As it came into view it was empty! Brilliant!! We pulled in, made sure we moored consideratly then let Tilly out. Meowow!!
Tilly’d just had time to climb a few trees in excitment and run around like a loon when another boat approached. They’d concidered pulling in, but they also had a cat and neither cat would want to share Bramble Cuttings. They carried on, we’d tied it up just in the nick of time.
Despite the rain Tilly played out for quite some time. We were joined by another boat at the other end of the moorings and then mid to late afternoon a third boat pulled in inbetween. A woofer was on the mooring, so no longer just feline terratory, just as well I’d got bored of getting wet!
A quiet afternoon as it rained outside, some knitting done. Micks hospital appointment was sucessfully moved to an afternoon so he can now have his 65 year olds aneurysm check. The boiler people insist on ringing us to make a new appointment, not the other way round! More dates of where and when we’ll be places were worked out with the hope of rendez vousing with foreign friends and family.
Did we ever take it slowly? Or have we always had places we need to be on certain days? One person I doubt we’ll see this year will be Heather Bleasdale as she is now busy exploring Irish waterways on GT the boat we got to meet two summers ago in Earith. She has blue skies over there!
0 locks, 6.4 miles, 1 prat doesn’t mean you can be too! £1.14 diesel on Halsall, 5826437393653 gladioli, 1 unconvinced Mick, 1st cat to claim, 2 neighbours, 1 soggy cat, 1 toe and heel turned, 5 weeks planned, 1 more boat on Lough Erne, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.
Interesting about the power station, the drilled under the canal when we were up there and put the big carpark/compound on the off side. The piece of building land has been up for sale for a long time and at one time a boater was going to buy it and moor there while he had the house built, but that fell through.