Category Archives: Boat cats

Seconds Away. 3rd October

Uppermill to Diggle moorings

Just the last eleven locks up to the summit today, that’s all. They shouldn’t take us long to do. We already knew we might have trouble with one pound being low, it’s been low the last two times we’ve come this way. Our map suggested it would be about 2.5 hours, we added a bit more for good measure but we should still be moored up in time for lunch and to give Tilly some shore leave.

Before we pushed off I got Tilly’s Escape Pod out of the cupboard and zipped it together, she was straight in it before I’d even got the top on. Should anything go wrong in the tunnel tomorrow we’d need the pod at the ready, so best to get it ready today and let Tilly move back into one of her favourite places, only when the doors not closed!

The first two locks were the same as the one’s we’d come up. Although Lime Kiln Lock can’t quite be classed as just a HNC lock. It has Saddleworth Railway Viaduct right across the bottom of it. Then there is Mytholm Bridge just below the lock too. The approach is slightly skewed and I half expected to mess it up, with a bywash coming towards me at the same time, but no it was pretty easy. Up Oleanna rose in possibly the most picturesque lock on the west side of the canal.

**Another fender to add to our collection!**

We pulled in at the services, topped up on water, the washing machine running, emptied yellow water and refreshed Tilly’s toilet. The weed hatch was also checked. No weed but a fairly new looking rope fender! Mick walked up to set the next lock.

The Diggle flight have single big bottom gates, similar to those south of Banbury on the South Oxford. All the paddles are on the lock beam side of each lock. The bottom paddles are geared and have a pawl to keep them in place. The top paddles wind up as normal but the pawl on these is a flat bar that you need to angle in to slot into place to hold everything up.

We worked our way up the first two locks without too much bother. Then there was the expected low pound. It was VERY low. Mick lifted the paddles to fill the lock, no chance of getting over the cill without more water. He walked up to the next lock and ran water down through the lock. He also called C&RT to check it would be okay for us to do this, they were fine about it. The next pound looking pretty healthy, it wouldn’t stay that way as the one we were trying to raise was really quite big. Mick phoned me, would I prefer him to be at the helm through a low pound, so for us to revert to the A team. I did, so he returned and helped me climb off the boat with the aid of the stern lockers. We needed so much water to fill the pound enough to get over the cill. I walked up ahead and once Oleanna was over the cill and in the pound I closed the top paddles on the lock, let it finish emptying and opened the bottom gate, hoping the pound was deep enough to get across. Thankfully it was. Once Oleanna was in 27W I returned to close the gate at 26W.

The same process was now required to rise up the next lock 27W, the pound above very depleted of water. I walked up to 28W and ran water down, Once over the cill Mick managed to encourage the gate to close behind him, the flow of water into the pound helping and saving me the walk back down to do the job myself.

Same process at 28W, each pound above was lowered just enough to get Oleanna from one lock to the next. Each time, each pound above looked that bit higher than the one below.

Getting across from 28W to 29W was a little bit more tricksy, getting over the bottom cill took more effort. All the way up the flight we’d had walkers stopping for a chat, saying how they’d never seen the pounds look so low, it must happen especially for us! A chap possibly with a dog had walked up, not chatted then sat down on the bench to admire the view.

I stayed to see how we’d do. Opened the top gate when it was level. A guestimate on how deep the water was over the cill had been met. I closed the top paddles and waited to close the gate. We now should be fine.

Mick gently brought Oleanna forward to the cill. Her bow crossed it, but then she came to a sudden stop. Possibly the cill or was there something under the water stopping her. We’d need more water to get her over whatever was stopping her. I started to walk up to the next lock, Mick put Oleanna in reverse to get away from the cill.

Mick shouted. ‘QUICK, really QUICKLY!‘ He’d not been able to get Oleanna to reverse. She was sitting on the top cill. The bottom of the lock was doing it’s best to empty itself!!

I ran. I ran. The towpath curved around the pound, a small bridge to cross over the bywash, up the side of the lock was steep. Which paddles to lift first? I have no idea if there was any water in the lock or not. One bottom paddle was raised, followed by both top paddles, then the second bottom paddle. Now all I could do was gasp for air and watch through the camera 100 meters away.

Mick had climbed off Oleanna, he wound the top paddles up as Oleanna was stopping water from getting past and into the lock chamber. The first paddle dropped and needed lifting again. He was wondering should he get Tilly off, would she be nice and comfortable in her escape pod, easy to pick up. But adding weight to Oleanna would be a really bad thing.

All we could do now was watch, hope there was enough water getting into the lock. Mick walked to the bottom gates, checked the paddles were down, they were, but there was still a big leak. From 100 meters away the angle Oleanna had reached was alarming, I suspect it was more alarming close to. Had we done everything in time? Would she rise back up? Or had she reached the point of no return.

What felt like a good ten minutes actually it was only one. Oleanna’s stern seemed to be coming back up. Taking a photo to check whilst out of breath and with shaky hands was hard to get in focus. Thankfully down at lock 29W Oleanna was floating again and Mick had to get back onboard to stop her from hitting the bottom gates.

**Floated back into the lock behind the cill mark**

Mick rang, ‘She’s floating!’ ‘I’m going to lift the engine board to check if any water got into the engine bay’. He disappeared from view, then reappeared, waited a while then gently brought her out of the lock. THANK F**K for that!! The gate closed behind and Oleanna made her way across the pound to 30W.

The only witness to her very near sinking was a dog who’s owner had sat admiring the view all the time a major drama had been happening behind him. As the lock gate closed, the man stood up and walked away with his dog, totally oblivious.

Up 30W, we had a moment as the lock levelled out. It had possibly only been a matter of a few seconds between saving the situation or sinking. If Oleanna’s stern had got any lower and water got in through the engine vent that would have been it!

The next pound was a touch low. We made sure the top paddles were left open until Oleanna was well clear of the cill.

I walked on to 31W. My phone rang. It was a jolly chap from Standedge Tunnel control checking to see if we’d made it up to Diggle yet and were we still on for our booked passage tomorrow morning. Two more locks to go. I asked if I should report our incident to him or was it the west side of the HNC we should contact. West side, he was the East.

Grandpa Greens looked attractive as we came up the next lock, but we refrained from indulging. I have to say I was extremly relieved when I opened the top gate on lock 32W and Oleanna easily passed over the cill and onto the top pound of the HNC.

We moored up. The only thing out of place inside was a galley drawer. Tilly was checked on. What’s all this with the big hug! Yuck!! It looks great here, just get on and let me out!

The flight had taken us 4.5 hours, it was time for a late lunch. The sun was out. Time to carry on with prep work for the grabrails. The attachment of doom was attached to the drill and I ground back the fertaned rust patches to bright steel. Then another coat of fertan which could work it’s magic overnight.

11 locks, 1.6 miles, 1 extremely close call, 2 boaters who will never close top paddles on a low pound again! 100 meters personal best, 1 canine witness, 1 horrible day, 29W reported, 1 grab rail prepped, 4 hours, 2 many pesky woofers!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/mGQ9fhhbRB2zsthi9

Show And Meet. 2nd October

Uppermill Visitor Moorings

An alarm. Breakfasted and some none boaty clothes on we set off to walk to Greenfield Station which was a bit behind us. Today we were going to the seaside. With split ticketing Mick had managed to get our fares at a reduced price, but it did mean that we had three tickets in each direction. One train to York where we had time to pop into Sainsburys to pick up something for lunch, that pack up I’d planned on hadn’t happened.

We’d left the Pennines in drizzly merk and whizzed through the Howardian Hills in sunshine. Opposite us sat a couple who referred to OS paper maps as we travelled. They obviously had quite a bit of knowledge of the journey, but were miles off where we actually were. Mick and I managed to stay quiet. The amount of water in the low lying fields was quite impressive. Small lakes had formed, the land had been marsh land way back when and after recent feral weather has returned to its former self.

Where to have lunch? It was a touch breezy but we opted to walk down to the Town Hall and enjoy the view across the South Bay. The tide was coming in, a spring tide that had most probably cleared the entrance to the harbour at it’s lowest.

Show and Tell is the latest Alan Ayckbourn play, his 90th. We’ve had two of the company staying in the house for the last eight weeks and now we were on a convenient train line we’d decided to make the effort. A story of a man who plans a birthday present for his wife of a play performed in his own house. Alan describes the play as an homage the theatre. I suspect there are a few observations I made that others would not, were they intended by the playwrite? Or was my own experience being played on?

A very good afternoons entertainment. Out of the company of five actors I knew four and it was time to meet the fifth, Olivia, who’s been sleeping in our bed at the house. A cuppa with Bill and Olivia in the bar after the show and chance to say hello to Paul Kemp for the first time in decades. All the performances were great, Bill unnervingly looking like my Dad and Olivia having the role that initially reminded me of Evelyn in Absent Friends here’s hoping her career flourishes as Tamsin Outhwaite’s did.

A direct train called us back to the station and let the actors get on with their break between todays two shows. I managed to knit a heal and get part way up the leg of a sock as the world darkened around our train.

Tilly was a touch hungry. The stove relit and then an Indian takeaway ordered, very nice it was too. Far too much for one meal, the spare rice and spinach saved for tomorrow.

0 locks, 0 miles, 3 trains, 90th AA , 1 sea view picnic, 4 out of 5, 1 boat moved, 3 not 2, 2 mains 1 side, 2 glasses of wine, 1 very good day.

Hoods Up For Nine. 1st October

Tescos Stalybridge to Uppermill visitor moorings.

Having had yesterday off, we needed to catch up no matter the weather today. Last nights weather forecast had been for the occasional light shower. Well the rain was lighter than yesterday, but it hung around so could hardly be considered occasional! We pushed off shortly after 9am with our hoods up.

Lock 7W another lock that was rebuilt during the restoration of the canal at the millennium. Only one top paddle worked so it took quite a while to fill. Todays locks as yesterday were all gentle. Only a slight nudge to the stern and hardly any pull towards the top gate. But today there were obvious bywashes coming in below most locks, a nudge off course that needed compensating for, thankfully the B team managed without too many bumps.

When the canal was restored a pylon was in the way, so the channel had to avoid it’s legs. A narrowing was needed and you now pass directly underneath it, an obligatory photo.

Maybe on Sunday we should have done our shopping, then carried on to the service block above 8W. We did this on our first trip up the HNC, I think one other boat was moored there. There is a long line of bollards and you should not moor on a water point, but we’d pulled back leaving room at the lock landing and room at the tap. So far we’ve only seen the Community boat moving and one boat moored up away from a home mooring.

There was something about the water point here, I couldn’t quite remember. The key of power didn’t open the box. I spied a hole at the top, just the size of a handcuff key. I tried it, then Mick tried it, putting down the claw hammer he’d brought to prize the door open. Several turns of the handcuff key did the trick and we could top up on water.

This is our third time up the HNC, I don’t think we’ve ever managed to do the next stretch in sunshine, it’s always been wet. The first time we’d enlisted Kath and Sean to assist us up to the summit pound as I was bandaged up and one handed at the time. It rained and rained most of the day. Then in 2021 I remember us being bundled up and getting soggy whilst waiting for news on where I’d be painting the set for Chippy’s panto Rapunzel. Today we’d be soggy again, but avoiding yesterday had been a good thing.

Through Dave Scouts Tunnel, our tunnel light assisting a chap on a bike with trailer who had got stuck where the towpath had got narrower. We suggested he get himself a front light.

We passed soggy gardens. The water gradually getting more and more peat coloured. Church spires stabbed themselves into the grey cloud that seemed to be getting lower, but then we were getting higher with every lock.

Below Roaches Lock we pulled in. Well we tried to pull in several times! Here the bank used to be all over the place, now it looks neat and there are mooring bollards. However the depth leaves something to be desired! This should have been our mooring last night, we’d made it for lunchtime. With the bow just about in we tied up for some food and a sit down, it didn’t matter that the stern was only just close enough for us to tie a rope, we wouldn’t be long even though Tilly was making eyes at the friendly cover.

Onwards. The bywashes seeming to get stronger, yet a few pounds seeming to get shallower. Several planters filled with herbs and strawberries, some chicory was spotted in one all for use of people passing by.

After one slow pound we paused before exiting the next lock to check the weed hatch. A full demonstration was given by Mick. Since the cover was adapted a few years ago it has become a little harder to lift out as it now requires both hands to lift it to access the prop. So A steadying head on the outer lid of the access is needed, this explains why Mick’s cap is as filthy as it is! He selected one of our two prop mates, the thinner one and started to delve the depths. Only the smallest amount of weed was found on the prop. Conclusion the pound being shallow was the problem.

Three years ago this section of the canal was filled with sunshine, wonderful views through the trees stopped us in our tracks. Today we just carried on, the merk surrounding us. A third boat was moored up by the little marina by the handy Tescos after Frenches Bridge 80, still only 1 moving boat seen.

Once up Wade Lock 21W Mick requested the boat hook. the top gate was clogged with tree detritus. He lifted as much as he could so the gate would open enough for us to pass through, then Oleanna had to glide through the remainder, plenty of branches and leaves.

Time to moor up. Easier said than done. There are 2 day moorings on the offside, one boat already there, but a tree overhangs the rest of the mooring. Then a length of bollards on the off side. We pulled in before a boat, the bow came in but the stern simply wouldn’t get close enough. We moved up to try between two boats, managing to get close enough to manage to reach the bank. That would do us, we caught up with where we should be. A long day for us nowadays, but the kind we used to do frequently.

Sorry Tilly. The mooring was a no go despite it looking fantastic. Trains pretty close and on the other side a car park and busy road. Two years ago today we managed to moor on one of the Cliveden Islands a special treat for Tilly’s seventh birthday. Sadly today wouldn’t be so good. Instead her birthday treats included some Webbox sticks and the Secret Passageway being opened up for her to explore with ease. It also stopped me from getting wound up because she was trying to dig her way behind the sofa to access it. You should see what’s down here! It’s brilliant. I don’t know how I managed to get her so easily when it’s normally impossible! That’s because it’s your birthday Tilly. Magic things happen on birthdays!

15 locks, 5.3 miles, 2 days in 1, 1 pylon, 2 jaunty moorings, 1 birthday wish come true, 1 secret passageway, 9 YEARS OLD!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/3QVzxvub61Kbb56L8

Very Big Rain. 30th September

Tescos, Stalybridge

The rain started yesterday evening and I think it has been a constant for a least 24 hours. Our current schedule has days off built into it, but they are just about all spoken for. At least the wind had subsided a bit this morning.

We waited to see if the rain would ease. Maybe it would, maybe we’d get a soaking. An early lunch with hope of moving on afterwards. Waterproofs donned. Engine on. The yellow water needed emptying, that was none negotiable.

Mick came in doors, he’d been thinking, so had I. The rain was very big drops, after five minutes out there he’d got pretty soaked. The plan was to do 8 locks today, we’d be dripping wet before the second lock. Could we do an extra long day tomorrow instead? If the weather eased off then we’d head on, but we both knew that wouldn’t happen, even so we both kept our padded waterproof trousers on for much of the day.

Tilly agreed, the weather was SO bad even I didn’t get to go out! You wouldn’t have got to go out anyway, we’re in a car park!

The day was spent doing a blog writing master class with Mick. Writing a post is one thing. Adding the photos, changing fonts to black and bold to make them easier to read is second nature to me now, but it all takes time.

In between giving guidance I watched A Million Little Pieces 2018. A jolly little number about an addict who after injuring himself ends up in rehab, he falls in love and battles his past to save himself. As I say a jolly film, not. But good to knit in front of.

This evening (still raining), I had a go at my own version of the chicken, ham, leek dauphinoise pie I bought in Northwich the other week. It turned out pretty well, very tasty. Not too healthy, but then dauphinoise potatoes never have been with all that cream. Very indulgent and not a standard midweek meal and I did manage to use nearly every pan we have! I’ll write it up when I have time, and next time I’ll see what it’s like using soya cream instead to reduce the fat content.

Mick had spied that a new series of The Traitors started tonight on BBC 3. It’s also available on demand, so that’s our viewing sorted for the next ten nights. But what a measly prize pot $70,000, that’s just over £33,000 a third of the UK prize pot!

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 wet Mick, 1 dry Pip, 1 dry Tilly, 1 very nice meal, 1 long day tomorrow, 1st NZ season, it’s not the same without a castle!

A Rounder O. 28th September

Hyde Bank Tunnel to Dukinfield Railway Bridge

Quarter of an hour earlier than of late we managed to push off, a small achievement but at least it was in the right direction.

Once down the Marple flight the Peak Forest Canal is just flat, there are two tunnels and a lift bridge for a bit of interest, but no locks. We pootled along, tunnel mode engaged for Hyde Bank Tunnel all 308 yards of it. I then bobbed below to give Tilly’s pooh box a refresh as I could tell she was desperate to go, wanted to use shore based facilities, wouldn’t be allowed onto the outside, her pooh box smelt! I can tell these things easier now I spend half an hour every day at her level on the floor!

A touch of autumnal knitting at the stern as we made our way along the tree lined canal. At Woodley Tunnel a Dad was cycling with his two kids along the towpath which goes through the tunnel. His daughter wasn’t peddling, just pushing herself along with both feet, making her Dad’s progress behind quite difficult. As soon as we passed there was no light in the tunnel and the daughter really wasn’t happy! I’m not sure how Dad coped with it all, I suspect the easiest way would have been to reverse out of the tunnel, but his son was way ahead. I hope next time they’ll equip their bikes with lights!

Past Joseph Adamson and Co, Est 1885. I wonder if originally they had planned for a rounder O than was used Or was the company actually Jo Seph Adamson and Co?

Under a couple of roving bridges. One with metal sides. Going under this it looked like the bridge has been expanded several times, I think we counted five different archways

The next bridge was under the M67, I think this is just about as close as we can get to Fallowfield where my nephew Josh is currently living at Manchester University. 5.3 miles as the crow flies.

Who would wind up the lift bridge? I remember doing so on a hire boat, this I’m pretty sure would have been the first lift bridge I ever worked, unless I got the job on the Llangollen way back when! First thing was to remember what would be needed to unlock it, a handcuff key, not a Key of Power! I remember making the same mistake last time. 31 turns up and 21 down, it was hard work, maybe I’m loosing all my windlass lasspower.

We pulled in a short distance on, enough outside before the drop down to the River Tame for Tilly to have some shore leave and not too close to the railway bridge. Before sitting down for lunch I gave the nettles along the bank a trim, intentions to do more to the grabrail.

Over lunch it decided to rain, this along with the bank not being right alongside Oleanna put me off getting the attachment of doom out to grind back the rusty bits. I just hope that I get a suitable mooring and suitable weather to get more done to them and the mushroom vent before too long.

A walk up to Lidl then Asda to do a ‘just in case’ Sunday roast shop and to buy a newspaper in the wet kept us busy. Three buildings caught our attention. The first not very architecturally significant, Ashton Primary Care Centre. This is where nine years ago a lovely nurse practitioner redressed my missing finger despite them not being allowed to do such things.

Next was Ashton Old Baths. Opened in the 1870s, Ashton Old Baths is one of the finest example of a former public swimming baths in the North of England. The building has housed concerts, held tennis matches and closed in 1975, the building remained derelict for 40 years until Tameside Council and Oxford Innovation decided to reinvent the space for the digital age. It’s a grand Victorian building from the outside, inside it holds a wooden pod. More info can be found here.

The other building is Cavendish Mill a former cotton spinning mill. It was built between 1884 and 1885 to a fireproof design and was the first mill in Ashton to be built with concrete floors and a flat roof. What stands out though is it’s octagonal staircase around the base of the chimney. The mill ceased spinning cotton in 1934, then was used for various purposes until it was converted into housing in 1994.

0 locks, 6.4 miles,1 lift bridge, 2 tunnels, 1 great looking outside, 1 mediocre outside, 2 many woofers, 1 plan postponed, 1 Sunday roast purchased just in case, 1 dormant pizza boat neighbour.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/71R28WmF9pvizJ2d6

Mine, It’s Mine! 26th September

Holland’s Bridge to Bullocks Bridge

A late morning waking up, it must have been all that sea air. No time for a cuppa in bed, we’d places to go, a new outside to tie up for Tilly. But it was raining! It had been dry virtually all the time Mick was away, now it just rains! Radar checked, it might be dry by 11:30. Time to edit more socks.

By 11:45 we were bored of waiting and made ready to push off, full winter waterproofs today, have to say I prefer my padded waterproof trousers , my summer ones need replacing. Through a couple of bridges to the water point by the C&RT yard. Here we could also empty the yellow water into our big container ready for an elsan. It rained.

Now how far would we get along the summit pound. Our aim was not far from Marple, but would we last that long? Thankfully the rain started to ease and with a locker lid mopped down I had somewhere to sit down.

One boat on the Macclesfield pontoon with a git gap in front of it! The pontoon isn’t straight so maybe they didn’t feel the need to nudge up as maybe there wouldn’t be enough room for one behind. Onwards towards Bollington. Under Bridge 29, a roving bridge which is always picturesque even if you can’t fit it all in the frame. Up on the hillside I could see a tower, I zoomed in. WC in it’s brickwork at the top a little white door next to it. Just what could it be. Mick checked the OS map and nothing was obvious. Was it a folly, a water tower, a ventilation shaft, a toilet?

On an old 1923 map the hillside shows several quarries and Turret Cottages, the tower had turrets. The cottages, now three, used to be two cottages, a smithy and an explosives store. More info can be found on the Happy Valley website Sadly I can’t find anything about the tower.

Under Bridge 28. The house right by the bridge for sale. This is where the Bollington zoo commences. Giant turtles, Crocodiles, Gorilla, a Panda and her baby, Giraffes everywhere if you look hard enough through the town.

Opposite the Adelphi Mill is Bollington Wharf the home to NB Alton the coal boat. Paul must have just stoked the back cabin stove as it wasn’t being a very good advert for the smokeless fuel! We waved and said hello to Brian and Ann-Marie busy filling the back of a van with 20 litres containers of red diesel, these most probably headed to boats in the area but not reachable on Alton.

The embankment would have had room for just one more boat, but we weren’t anywhere near ready to stop for the day. Earlier in the year the embankment sprung a leak. Clay was puddled a couple of times to stop the water escaping. New stop planks sit close to bridges either end of the embankment, just in case.

Past Clarence Mill where we slightly spooked a hire boat coming towards us. Then on under the wonderful Sugar Lane Bridge 26, built on a skew but retaining all the curvy attributes of the Macclesfield Bridges.

Past Lime View Marina. Would the same boats still be there? Was there still a phone in a pramhood, yes! The hedge alongside the towpath a touch too leafy to be able to see across towards Stockport. At last the Blue Boat, NB Jubilee Bridge whom we’d met on the Huddersfield Narrow back in our yellow days on NB Lillyanne.

Hang on! That boat, it’s mine! Well it’s got my name on it. Handy size for a theatre designers studio and it has a stove too. I wonder how many feet long it is? Wouldn’t need the outboard if we towed it. Hmmm.

A modern house is for sale overlooking the canal on the way into Poynton. A boat had just pulled up on the water point, taking their time in tying up. We wanted to drop off our rubbish, hoping that the bins were still there on the way to the car park. They were. So was the little conveyor belt in Bailey’s Trading Post that we’d seen back in 2020. Three boats nestled together behind the arched bridge at Braidbar Boats, two new boats being fitted out for excited boaters, the other we’ve seen about.

The wind was building up, rain couldn’t be far behind. Should we pull in opposite the moorings where the Del Boy boat now resides. The fencing now just about Tilly proof would stop her from getting lost for hours, but might not leave her with enough interest. Onwards that bit further and a space showed itself before Bullocks Bridge. We slotted in playing dog shit hopscotch as we tied up.

One job left to do, light the stove, we’d gradually got colder and colder outside, time to get Oleanna all cosy again.

I mastered some popcorn bobbles on pair 39 of my socks, these look a touch like autumnal berries. Unfortunately when I’d got so far with this pair I’d checked my gauge and it all seemed a touch too big, so I’d reduced my stitch count to four less. Now it was finished it seemed to have shrunk! I should have stuck to my instinct and kept the extra 4 stiches. Well at least it will allow me to add in a red line or two to help tie in the berries better when I re-knit the first sock tomorrow!

0 locks, 8.3 miles, 1 hour short of planned mooring, 1 full water tank, 1 Pip boat, 1 better than expected day, 2 hours, only 1 taken, 1 Tilly proof fence, 20 x 20 litres, 1 smoking boat.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/abSXfcJo5isRGdnR7

Duvet Day. 25th September

Holland’s Bridge

Tilly had the right idea this morning. I then had a better one.

To help use up some yoghurt I hunted out a recipe for some pancakes. It sounded good, light fluffy pancakes made with yoghurt, eggs and gf flour. I added in some blueberries too. They were nice, but I wouldn’t say they puffed up that much to be classed as fluffy though.

More sock editing, by the end of the day I’d managed to get half way through the photos, reducing the space they use up to about a fifth. I’ve also added a page to start showing off the socks I’ve knitted. This will gradually get added to, as and when I have the time.

I considered walking into Macclesfield to have a look round, but that would have meant a walk down a hill, to then walk up a hill, then the same on the return. My left knee suggested that my time would be better spent editing photos instead.

Quite a few boats have come past today, plenty of hire boats doing the Cheshire Ring, all bundled up to keep warm.

The ash bucket was moved to the stern of Oleanna for ease of access and the fire lit. Tilly only popped out a couple of times today then she just settled down on the sofa, being cosy. Much better than having an altercation over who the towpath belongs to with another boat cat two bows away. I’m sharing it nicely with them today as you suggested.

Mick’s train journey was a lot easier back from the south coast, this time via London, his final train arriving back into Macclesfield 7 minutes late. He managed to bring back the rain with him and some strong winds that make the nappy pin on the cruiser in front squeak in a really annoying way! I think tomorrow we’ll have to move on.

Left over campfire stew tonight with mashed potato. Just as nice as it was first time.

0 locks, 0 miles,10 more socks edited, 9 added to the blog, 357 photos deleted, 1 stove lit, 1 Mick home, 7 minutes late, 1 handy mini glass dome for model making, 1 rainy evening.

Coming Out Of My Ears! Pip and Tilly’s 23rd 24th September

Holland’s Bridge

Our location had been chosen for three reasons.

1 An outside that Tilly hopefully wouldn’t use up within one afternoon.

2 Somewhere not too far away from civilisation and shops to keep me occupied should I need supplies.

3 Near to a train station for Mick. Bollington had been considered but that would have meant a bus ride, here was just a walk down the hill to Macclesfield Station.

Monday.

Mick packed a bag after breakfast, then checked the status of his train, a direct service to Southampton. It was cancelled! Thankfully there was a train an hour earlier, so the packing had to be a touch quicker and off he went. Thankfully Tilly was far too busy to follow him along the towpath.

His trip? A belated 65th Birthday present from Marion and John, a days cruise around the Isle of Wight on the PS Waverley. Last year they had been booked on a trip from Portsmouth, but a storm meant it was cancelled and the PS Waverley ran away around the coast before the winds arrived. He is under instruction to take photos, even been sent with my camera, I’m hoping he’ll write a post about it.

Why haven’t I gone too? I don’t like lumpy water and the thought of being on a boat that might be lumping around all day is something I simply wouldn’t enjoy, I’d feel quite trapped, so I’ve opted to stay on board with Tilly.

My main job today was to wait for NB Alton to arrive. Out on their fortnightly run along the summit pound, we’d placed an order for some coal and a diesel top up. At 1:30 I heard the hooter as they came under Holland’s Bridge. Brian at the helm and Paul lugging the coal about. 2 bags on the roof and one in the well deck. Then they moved up to top us up on diesel, £1.04. Good to see Brian out on NB Alton, it’s always good to support the coal boats.

My knees were complaining today after working the locks on Saturday, but I managed a walk to the nearest post box and then around the block before returning to get on with some knitting. Pair of socks 38 had the top finished off. Yarn for pair 39 was selected, Autumn Golds. I may add some berries to them too as up on the Macc the trees are filled with them at the moment.

The afternoon was spent knitting in front of On The Basis Of Sex 2018. A film based on the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg who was the second woman to serve as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. She specialised in sex discrimination and the law, and takes on a case where a man was unfairly discriminated against because of his sex in a tax case. If she won then the case could be used as precedent challenging laws that discriminate against women.

**Tilly did a good job of keeping my knees nice and warm**. ***It’s a very important job***

Tuesday.

Mick was guaranteed to be having a cooked breakfast in his hotel this morning, so to be fair to myself I cooked some mushrooms on toast, very nice they were too. This was to give me enough energy to start weeding out photos. Our storage is constantly filled, so some time editing photos was needed.

Long gone are those days when you took a camera on holiday with you, a roll of film, maybe two if you could afford it. 36 frames if you were extra flush. Photo opportunities had to be considered, you couldn’t go wasting that film or flash cubes! Twelve years ago I took it upon myself to scan all my Dad’s slides and I was surprised at how few were rubbish! Maybe he’d wheedled them out, but knowing him they would have been there to keep the numbering system correct. I had to edit them, so scanned any with people and places that meant things to Andrew and myself. This gives us a wonderful resource to look back on when ever we want without having to arrange a dinner party, dig out the projector and a screen, then spend hours sorting the slides into order (that’s where the numbering system came in).

Now we have digital cameras, phones, all so easy to press the button three four times to get that one good shot. On a day like today I’ll take just a handful of photos, but on big days when ascending the Anderton Boat Lift I took getting on for 120, the night time flotilla on the Thames, well it could have been 3 to 400! As I go through them I edit out the bad ones, but there is more editing needed. Mick has already moved a couple of years of boating photos to a different Onedrive as we keep reaching our storage limit and we don’t want to pay for more space.

**Socks socks sock coming out of my ears!**

I had an idea when I started this years sockathon, a means of showing all the socks off. So as I finish a pair they need recording. Not just one photo, but several, hopefully one day I’ll find enough time to compile them all together. So I have a LOT of photos of socks, several of each. Today I sat down thinking I’d manage to get through the big folder and make it considerably smaller. Well after 4 hours of auditioning photos, I needed a walk.

Along the canal, past the Old Hovis Mill and the basin. The collapsed wall just by Black Road Bridge has been rebuilt, for years the rubble of the wall lay across the closed towpath. Now open, but big cracks are showing, it looks like someone has hoped that adding more mortar in places will help. I fear it’s only a matter of time before big chunks collapse again.

The pontoon moorings were full. I turned up Buxton Road to walk to the Co-op. A few new shops/cafes/bakery. Tommys Bar and Pizza looked interesting even though there was a big shutter behind the windows. Then a couple of doors up was Early Bird Bakes. Not open today and sadly they are unlikely to sell anything for me, but it looked very interesting. They are open four days a week and their bread takes 48 hours to make, lots of tasty sounding pastry labels sat on the empty shelves. I suspect it’s a place well worth a visit if you come this way.

This evening I’ve had a go at stuffing some peppers. The outcome was tasty, but I should have got the peppers cooking before I stuffed them! Next time! There’s two left over for lunch in the next couple of days too.

Reports from the south coast came through all day. Lots of every exciting things to look at, an hour of lumpy water, I was right not to go. I could track PS Waverley as it made it’s way round the Isle of Wight, even visiting a garden in Portsmouth!

By the end of the day I think I’d achieved editing 1/3rd of my sock photos. Guess what I’ll be doing tomorrow?

As a reward I turned on The Great British Bake Off, it must be autumn. Maybe I should have a go at the technical challenges each week as I’m not going to be busy with panto this year. But maybe our waistlines would like it too much!

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 sausage days, 0 one told me they were sausage days!!!! 79 litres, 3 bags coal, 2 short walks, 253 photos of socks down to 74, 53347279 left to edit.

What’s In The Trees? 22nd September

Crow Holt Bridge 52 to Hollands Bridge 39

There was an hours worth of shore leave whilst we had breakfast and joined the Geraghty zoom. Subjects included Blue Peter badges, pig swill, Tuesdays or Thursdays, copper nails and chicken costumes. Everyone was present today apart from Sean who hopefully wasn’t wearing a green trouser suit!

A few brave boats had come past us already. The wind and quite a lot of rain in the air. We’d have to brave it too as we needed to move nearer to Macclesfield or Bollington today. Winter waterproof padded trousers came out to go with waterproof coats and we pushed off a little after 11am.

Back in our NB Winding Down days we’d headed up this way one bonfire night hoping to be able to watch other peoples fireworks over looking Macclesfield. We didn’t manage to get far enough, so moored up close to a house and enjoyed our sparklers and a couple of fireworks of our own.

Today on the offside there was lots to glimpse at between the trees. What looked a bit like a bike track with ramps etc, all covered in plastic sheeting. Some of these have been made around trees and sections of walling have been added. Is this a hobbit town in the making on the steep bank? I’ve tried to find out about it but to no avail.

No locks today, just two swing bridges. Royal Oak Swing Bridge behaved itself and I managed to catch two cars as Mick brought Oleanna through. The Fools Nook pub is still for sale and a canal side house is coming along nicely with a very large glazed room which currently looks like it’s being used as a carpenters workshop. Wonder if they are aware that the end wall and french windows are leaning out at the top?

A line of armco right next to a great stretch of wood, perfect for Tilly, but too far away from shops, we carried on leaving a lady washing her roof down in the rain.

Broadhurst Swing Bridge was closed. I hopped off with the key of power to do the honours. This bridge is manual, pop your key in, turn, lift the handle to release the bridge, then push. It’s always been tricksy to find the right place to turn your key to, but someone has marked the position on the lock, very handy you just need to know to turn your key anti clockwise.

Now the big swing round to the Gurnett Aqueduct, views opening up to the hills even on a very wet day. There were a couple of spaces on the aqueduct, but what lay behind the fence was a little worrying for the cat health and safety committee, so here was rejected. NB Amy Jo and NB The Boat were moored up together at the far end, we’d last seen NB The Boat on the New Junction Canal in March.

**Looking down the houses at Gurnett Aqueduct**

Under Foden Bank Bridge 43, one of our favourites with it’s canal roving bridge hugged by a road bridge. The bridge builders had perfected their curves by the time they got to this bridge. Then we made our way along the side of the big wall that holds back the land east of the canal.

Between bridges 40 and 39 there is a stretch of mooring, we’ve once managed to pull in here. Back gardens open out into a wild field just perfect for cat exploration. Enough to keep Tilly occupied without needing to venture near to roads. We pulled in, adjusted our position a touch to avoid something under the water. Now we could settle down and get out of the rain. That’s when they open up the doors for me, so that I can get wet!

After lunch I put together a pot of Campfire Stew, so that it could slowly cook on top of the multifuel stove. I’d seen the recipe a week or so ago and fancied a go at it, you are meant to do it in a slow cooker, but it worked well on the stove. Jacket potatoes cooked in their too to accompany it, plenty of left overs for another meal next week. Very tasty, I’ll be making that again.

0 locks, 4.3 miles, 2 swing bridges, 2 held up, 1 wet and windy day, 1 ideal mooring 4 cat, 4 Mick, 4 Pip, 1 big vat of campfire stew.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/R2VXzQcfCxMfwujW7

Robing Peter. 21st September

River Dane Aqueduct to Crow Holt Bridge 52

Supplies were on board for a breakfast, best to use them up before they go off, plus it would give us fuel to work up the Bosley flight this morning. Tilly was given an hour to explore, returning in good time for our departure. Several boats arrived to go up the flight. Two ascended the first lock, here there is enough space to wind and then descend back to the long pound below. When we arrived one such boat was just starting to come back down, they’d had to empty the second lock to have sufficient water to wind. They were planning a cooked breakfast too, the lady stayed to help with gates and paddles leaving the men on board to put the frying pan on.

**Such a lovely mooring below the locks**

I opted to work the first few locks, knowing there would be some problems with levels on the flight, we could always swap over should we need to. The Bosley flight have double gates both top and bottom, meaning no heavy gates to push, you just have to do a bit of walking round as there is no walkway across the top gates.

**Turning under the bridge for lock 11**

Today would be spent trying to estimate whether there was sufficient water to get Oleanna over cills. At Lock 12, the bottom lock, it didn’t look too promising, I walked up to run some water through. Half a lock and the wave it created helped to get Oleanna out of the lock and into the pound on the corner.

The next pound also looked a touch low, we’d not see any by washes flowing today on the flight. Third lock up there was a boat coming down, that would help with levels. They were taking their time, so when Mick could step off Oleanna I walked up to lend a hand. As I went to lift a paddle I turned to check the chap on the boat was ready, his partner said, ‘you won’t get anything from him!’ Oh well, if something happened as the boat descended I’d be blaming it on the bottle of red at the stern.

We thankfully seemed to meet downhill boats at most locks, bringing down water with them, rather than us robbing Peter to pay Paul. People kept mentioning the pound between locks 6 and 7 being really low, but they also mentioned that it was most probably sorted by now, but keeping to the middle would help.

At every lock I’d gauge how far down the cill was before the water raised over it. Trying to work out where the level would need to be for Oleanna to get over the cill, every pound looking a good 18″ to 2ft low.

I requested my walking pole. I’d rather be operating the locks than trying to get Oleanna out of a fix due to low water. The A team were needed both on the ground and at the helm, if my knee complained I’ve a few days rest before anymore locks.

Up lock 7, I could see a boat just coming into 6. I lifted the paddles at 7 and up rose Oleanna, the level stopping a good couple of feet low. Mick brought Oleanna out of the lock, enough water, and then reversed back in so as to avoid any affects from the building wind the higher we got on the flight. Water came down from above and then both boats headed across the pound. Oleanna had already grounded by the time the downhill boat got close. They got closer still just about nudging one another before the other boat could continue.

**Lots of mud moving about, but not Oleanna**

Oleanna didn’t slide back into the channel as hoped as the other boat headed away. Plenty of revs, swilling up the mud, it took some time to get free and back heading to the lock. Then she stopped again. We’d need more water no matter what. The pound above looked okay, hopefully a wave of water would lift her and get her moving again. I wound up a paddle, it had the required effect, Oleanna started to move again, only to stop short of the lock. More water required enough to help her in over the bottom cill. Here’s hoping there was enough water in the pound above to reach the next lock.

Was that a boat ahead coming down or going up? I’ve been fooled heading to lock 5 before as it’s actually lock 4 where you can see people moving. Which ever lock it was they were heading away from us.

I walked up to lock 4, leaving Mick to close the gates behind as he exited. Only the wind caught Oleanna’s bow, pushing it towards the towpath and leaving it there on the bottom. Mick reversed back to the lock and tried to straighten her out, to no avail. The boat pole was needed to give her a big shove, this took time for her to start moving, then it was get back on board quickly before it could happen again.

The higher you get on the flight the better the views. Today the sun was out, only a few clouds in the sky, just a shame that the wind was getting stronger. In the past we’ve had fog, we’ve had murmuration’s of birds, we’ve had very hot days sandwiched between two single handers, plus we’ve had lots of mud. But every time we’ve enjoyed the flight.

**Not bad looking the other way either**

A downhill boat came into view, but they were pinned against the bank by the wind below Lock 2. The lady went to help. Pole and engine together got them moving and into the lock, more water for the pound below. I warned them about the levels further down, the lady warned me about the level up to lock 1!

I walked on ahead, not wanting to end up with both of us on the boat stuck in the middle, not being able to let water down. But the pound was pretty good, just about on the bywash, the only one that had been!

We rose up to the top. The A team had succeeded bringing Oleanna onto the summit pound of the Macclesfield Canal. Low levels hadn’t stopped us and Mick being at the helm giving her some wellie helped too and thankfully the lock gates were light enough not to cause me problems.

**Sadly the beautiful day wasn’t to last much longer**

Water, rubbish and yellow water were sorted. Then we fought our way off the bank and gradually cruised our way past the line of moored boats without the wind pushing us into them. Time to moor up. Thankfully there was some armco a short distance on which would do us. Tilly was given three hours shore leave, most of which she used despite rumbles of thunder rolling around the hills.

The wind got stronger. The rain came, thunder, lightening, a few good cracks. The upturned pan over the mushroom vent PINGed as rain hit it. One or two rogue drips made it inside, but it was far far better than it had been with a rusty bottomed mushroom vent. Here’s hoping the pan is still there in the morning!

12 locks, 1.7 miles, 1 bottom cill, 4 top cills, 0nly just enough water, 6 or 8 downhill boats, 2 poles, 1 attempted push, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, 27 cracks of thunder, 1 very very close, 1 upturned pan pinging away.