Bollington Underpass to Pickering’s Bridge
Sorry Tilly, it’s time for us to get moving again, we need water!
As we pootled along we wondered if we’d be joining a queue at the next waterpoint at Ye Olde No 3. We weren’t disappointed, one boat hooked up and another waiting, the usual wind pinning everyone to the bank. The first boat still had about 15 minutes to go, the second boat said they’d be a while filling up, we had no choice but to wait as our tank was only quarter full. After a while the boat ahead of us decided they had enough supplies to last them a few more days, we compared notes as to where the next tap was, that would do them. It took quite a bit of effort to get off the bank and around Oleanna, Mick pushing thier boat out as much as he could to get past our bow and pick up speed to be able to stay away from the long line of moored boats behind us.
We nudged up and it was soon our turn. As soon as the hose was filling our tank the washing machine went on. This is normally a Mick job, but today it was mine. I forgot to turn the temperature of the wash down to 30C, so it took ages for the water to heat up, at least I’d remembered to put it on a quick wash.
Next stop Lymm. Time to post the next batch of socks off and stock up on a few things to tide us over till we reach a bigger supermarket. Sooty’s house wasn’t quite so picturesque as normal, scaffolding up to a probelmatic chimney stack by the looks of it, but the obligatory bright blue sky zinged the white walls out as usual. The new owners not quite such keen gardeners as Matthew and Sooty used to be.
How far to go today? It was already later than we’d planned. To reach our planned for destination (Shhhh secret handshakes and milk shakes) it was another three hours. Another hour of cruising would have us mooring around Stockton Heath, not so good for Tilly. In the end we pulled up just after Pickering’s Bridge, the towpath muddy, but not as muddy as elsewhere, a small bench should we want to sit on it and a tree for Tilly to claim as her own.
We passed two canalside houses for sale. One a short distance before Lymm the other possibly the nearest property to the M6, which strangly enough isn’t shown in the photos. Obviously someone hasn’t been put off as it’s SSTC. Click on the photos for a nosy.
Unfortunatly Mick didn’t receive any phonecalls back from either the hospital or the boiler people today, so the next trip to Scarborough is still a little up in the air. This doesn’t help us in planning where to be to catch trains, or to pick up a hire car! Now such planning will have to wait till after the weekend.
0 locks, 5.4 miles, not quite far enough, 1 full water tank, 1 load washing, 1 very helpful shop assistant, 5 pairs posted, 2 votes posted, 2 hours shore leave, 1 big tree, 1 bouncy woofer.
