Category Archives: History

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

The Spiders From Anderton. 16th September

Baron’s Quay to Bramble Cuttings, Trent and Mersey Canal

Fog! Who ordered FOG!!!

No choice, we needed to move today. Thankfully as we pootled down to the lift waiting mooring the skies started to clear, still grey but not cloud filled. Tied up half an hour before our booking we could see the caissons were on the move, the chap up top could be seen chatting to a boat that had just gone up, it took ages before we saw the hat of a boater moving towards the aqueduct towards the canal.

A C&RT person walked round to see us. A few instructions to follow when we got into the lift, and they were ready for us. Round and into the caisson, stern rope tied up, engine off. Time to chat whilst two boats came in from above into the other caisson. Today was the lift operators first day going solo. Having just finished three years at University they were hunting for a job, had worked on the trip boat before and now was working part time on the lift. The occasional glance at a sheet of paper to make sure everything was being done in the right order.

**I wonder if the spiders prefer the gate being up or down?**

This morning the caisson we were in had had a slight problem. The gates that open to let boats in and out have shot bolts that hold them in place when they are open to boats, one set of them hadn’t been working properly.

They are a safety device, so should anything happen to the winches that move the gates the bolts will hold the gate in place. Anyone who’s ever worked back stage at the SJT will understand this problem very well, as the Round stage is a big lift and every now and again the shot bolts would need a good old hit with a hammer!

Once the two boats were in the other caisson, water drained out from the gap between the gates behind us, we were good to go. That slight judder and we were on our way up.

When originally built in 1875, the lift was operated with hydraulics, water from the River Weaver was used in it’s operation. The caisson going up would be drained just slightly to make it lighter than the other one. The heavier caisson would then sink pushing the water into the other side of the hydraulics and push the lighter caisson up. However the water being used was full of salt from the river and the pipes corroded. In 1882 one of the cast iron hydraulic cylinders burst whilst a boat was at canal level, the caisson descended rapidly, but thankfully water escaping the cylinder slowed the descent and the water filled dock at river level softened the impact!

The hydraulics were replaced by winches above the caissons, extra structure was added to the lift to cope with the extra weight. The winches lifted and dropped the caissons powered by electricity. The conversion happened over two years , but the lift was only closed for 49 days, reopening fully in 1908.

**The shiny pole is the hydraulic ram that pushes the caisson up**

This worked for quite some time, but commercial boat traffic declined and rust set in. In 2000 major refurbishment was carried out, new hydraulics installed and this is how it works today. The caissons can be moved individually, we think that is what happened 13 years ago, but it is actually cheaper to use both caissons whether there are boats in them or not, the counterbalance meaning they use less electricity. To book your boat on the lift it costs £5. It takes three members of staff to work the lift and if it wasn’t for the trip boat the lift would loose hundreds of pounds a day.

Next year is the boat lifts 150th anniversary. After the summer season it will close again for some more restoration, closing it for 12 to 18 months.

As we reached the top, the lift slows down for the last foot or so. The operator at the top greeted us and gave us our instructions. Once the lift had come to a stop, the gap between gates was filled with water, then the gates open, we move onto the aqueduct. Gate close behind.

Then the gate onto the canal can open. A thumbs up from by the bridge meant the way ahead was clear. A turn right, the only way you can turn out from the lift and we were back on the T&M.

Rubbish needed disposing of so we pulled in behind a boat that had just started filling up with water. I said we were only there to use the bins, ‘They’re getting rid of them!’ came the response. Well this was correct and wrong at the same time. The bin compound as we talked was being dismantled, the biffa bins already gone. However the new skip is there and replacing the bins. Once the compound has been dismantled the skip will be positioned where the bins once were.

We got chatting to the C&RT chap who was wielding a hammer and saw dismantling the bin compound. Recently there have been occasions when one bin was full and someone had put their rubbish bags by that bin, another two bins were empty. Other boaters arrived and just assumed the bins were full and left their rubbish on the floor too. This escalated until Biffa refused to empty the bin as they couldn’t get to it. There is also frequent use by non boaters as a lot of the local tips are now either closed or you are limited in your use. The pump out also gets misused, a new end to the sucky pipe costs in the region of £1000 every time. He said that the services here were ‘this close to being closed for good’ due to misuse.

Onwards, now on the flat, retracing ourselves along the long pound. At the power station progress was obvious from a week ten days ago. A fifth fan had been added to the sci-fi Swiss chalet structure. We counted the cranes, many different sizes, now 12 of them.

The sun was out, time to take off our precautionary waterproofs. Was that bow who we thought it was? Were those notes on the bow? A quick exchange of hellos with Andy on NB On A Fiddle, Nichola down below as we passed them.

Time to hope for a space at Bramble Cuttings. At 2pm would there be space? Yes! we had the whole mooring to ourselves! A perfect shore leave location for Tilly. I stepped inside gave her the rules and opened the doors straight away, 4 hours! Yeh yeh!

A late lunch for us and self catering for Tilly. With the weather due to be fine for the next few days it was time to attend to a leaking mushroom vent and whilst I was at it scrape off all the rust along the port side grabrail and gunnel! Gosh there was plenty! I also spotted a couple more little bits where the grabrail had caught in Froghall Tunnel.

Mick got busy in the engine bay, an oil change. Tilly was just BUSY!

Soon we got another neighbour who pulled up right at the far end, no woofer visible. Then an hour later a second boat came in to moor. Mick chatted to the chap and I miss heard thinking it was a boat we’d met a few days ago with a woofer, but there was no dog. Tilly could continue with her shore leave in safety much to the dislike of the squirrels.

Once the worst of the rust had been scraped off, a couple of patches on the cabin side too unfortunately, my knee was starting to complain. I’d really have liked to given things a go over with the attachment of doom, but that would take too long and it also felt wrong to do it at Bramble Cuttings. So instead everything got a coat of Fertan rust inhibitor. Hopefully that will stop things from getting worse before I can attack it again. As it was a lovely warm afternoon I dug out a spray bottle and filled it with water so I could keep the Fertan damp, helping it to do it’s job for longer.

Tilly had had a very good afternoon. Plenty of trees climbed and lots of pouncing. I’d had to rescue a few friends and then did my best to persuade Tilly to come in for her dingding. I could tell she was tired as she was doing that belligerent toddler thing of I’m not tired! Look I can do this and walk away from you. This tree hasn’t been climbed yet, so I’ll just do that first. She soon gave in, came inside, had a lick of her dingding and flaked out.

0 locks, 1 boat lift, 9.3 miles, 1 right, 2 many patches of rust, 9.5 litres oil, 4 whole hours! 1 big pan on the roof, pair 37 yarn selected, 1 2 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

To The Other End. 13th September.

Blind mans stretch to Winsford to Vale Royal Visitor Moorings

Some shore leave for Tilly as we did our morning routine, she was gone for quite a while but returned before we’d finished breakfast, the doors firmly closed behind her. Time to move on, we’d got the rest of the Weaver to cruise even though it would have been nice to be moored up for a day. Boats had already started going past, NB Lyndsey Jane had pulled onto the pontoon below the boat lift. As we rounded the next bend she could be seen winding and heading back to go up the lift, their time on the river over.

We soon caught up with a boat ahead of us, this was Sabrina on her electric boat. She pulled into the moorings in Northwich, there was chance to say a hello, we were carrying on.

Mick tried calling ahead to Hunts Lock. We had two phone numbers, neither of them worked! We’d have to hope someone would see us. First we were to cruise past Northwich dry dock. Here many old boats are moored, including Tyseley, Mikron’s boat, there were also several boats that used to moor in Stone. Two boats sat high up on a sideways slip (not sure what they are called) and boats were most probably in the dry dock under the viaduct which is reached from above Hunts Lock.

Activity could be seen at the lock, this and Vale Royal Lock are both manually operated, lots of handles to turn just like the clown at the end of Camberwick Green. A boat was coming down, perfect.

Our turn, we passed our rope up to the Lock Keeper, he tied it round a bollard and then as we rose up he passed it back down. Mick mentioned about the phone number not working. Apparently there had been a problem with the mobile used at the lock so a new sim had been got, this came with a new number. At the lift we were meant to be given a leaflet, I suspect they’d not bothered as it would have disintegrated in the rain last Sunday. We checked the number, his phone rang. He’d let Vale Royal Locks know we were on our way.

The Lock Cottage with it’s immaculate hedge is for sale, it comes with a mooring and it’s garden reaches the end of the lock island.

Now we passed old boat yards on the west bank, several boats sat out on the hard, some under cover. A couple of old fire engines too and a wooden boat shrouded under weather torn tarpaulins.

The number of boats along here has thinned out from 13 years ago, we remember quite big ships.

At Vale Royal Locks the lock was waiting for us, we just couldn’t see it as it was tucked in between the bigger lock and a weir that was bobbing us about. Rope passed up, gates wound closed behind us and up we came. Here our discussion about locks with swing bridges over them continued. We are now up to 8 locks with this layout across the system, we’ve been through all of them except Jesus Lock on the River Cam.

Now the top reach of the river to cruise. We passed a nice stretch of moorings soon after the lock, a good amount of space should we want to come back to it.

**The oldest working mine in the country**

What was that up ahead? An enclosed pit head? Yep Winsford Rock Salt Mine. A Looooooong conveyor stretched along the bank of the river to one of those salt igloo shaped buildings. It produces on average 1,500,000 tonnes of rock salt a year, used to grit roads in the winter months. The mine was first opened up in 1844, a down turn in the rock salt market forced it to close in 1892 but it reopened in 1928 when another mine near by was subject to flooding. The mine has over 160 miles of tunnels and still has reserves that are estimated to be able to last until 2076. In some of the empty tunnels documents are stored, the National Achieve have over 20 miles of storage.

Mounds of spoil or is it rock salt line the banks, behind trees more industrial units hide. Then the first mooring at Winsford showed itself, sadly with a burnt out narrowboat on it. Under the two bridges then round to the right then a hand break turn into the small basin which faces out onto the flash. We held back as a boat reversed out, then we tried mooring on the side away from the car park, but would have needed long legs to reach the bank. The other side was better and we settled down for a late lunch.

Some supplies to see us back to at least Middlewich were needed. The nearest supermarket Morrisons. Only down side was that we seemed to have to cross what felt like a bypass several times. We avoided it by staying on the river, but then had to cross at the next bridge to find a crossing where we’d not be run over. Another dice with death at a round about, Winsford is not intended for pedestrians!

**We hadn’t realised we’d been off CRT water**

We quickly made a decision that our mooring might be noisy this evening. Several vans were parked up and it had the look of a good place for deals to be done, add to that the number of geese and swans, it could end up being quite a noisy night. Oleanna was backed out, winded and we returned to the nice stretch of moorings above Vale Royal Locks, sadly after cat curfew!

This morning I’d started to write yesterdays blog, I finished it at lunchtime, just needed to be proof read. I logged in to do so, only to find three quarters of the post had vanished! The IT department couldn’t find it, I always click save, it just hadn’t! How annoying now I’ll have to write it all again!

2 locks, 11.6 miles, 1 U turn, 1 flash not investigated, 2 wrong phone numbers, 1 right one noted, 160 miles, 3 speedy roads, 43 swans, 25 geese, 1 cuddly toy goose, 1 slice of white sliced on our solar, 0 cat shore leave, 1 lovely mooring, 0.75 blog post vanished.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/cq3t1XNKoAeyyKXy8

Pig Comes To Mind. 11th Septemeber

Devil’s Garden to Runcorn and Western Canal Junction to Marsh Lock

Tilly awarded the Devil’s Garden a stamp of approval this morning despite it peeing it down for most of her shore leave. A boat we’d passed yesterday came past and pulled in next to the other boat on the field. This is such a lovely mooring, hope we have time to stop here again on our way back.

A lull in rain gave us the impetus to push off at 11:30am. The chap who’d pulled in asked if we’d got a brolly, well on Sunday we discovered our brolly was destined for the bin! It wouldn’t have helped today as it was very windy plus we were heading into the wind!

Soon we came across a rowing eight and rescue boat, everyone as soggy as we were. They had soon turned and could be seen gaining on us. Their cox wasn’t altering their course any and they were destined to meet with our stern fender. What to do? Hold our course, they were still gaining on us! Mick decided to pull over to our port and slowed down with the aim of them continuing straight on. This didn’t work as they also slowed right down and looked at one point as if they were about to turn again and head up stream. We carried on returning to the correct side of the river, after a while they came past us to port.

There was a space at the end of the moorings at Sutton Swing Bridge, but we wanted to continue further today despite the rain, maybe we’d stop here on the way back.

On the other side of the bridge sat the Daniel Adamson, were they on the water point? We spotted a pontoon just after them and pulled in to dispose of our rubbish. This is the boats home mooring, hooked up and filling with water. A chap came and asked if we’d like a look round. Silly question! Of course we would. A cruise on the Danny was on the list of possible things to do for Mick’s 60th birthday a few years ago.

The Danny (originally named the Ralph Brocklebank) is a steam tug which was built in 1903 in Birkenhead. She was built to pull long strings of barges laden with goods from Cheshire and the Potteries to Liverpool. She also carried passengers between Ellesmere Port and Liverpool this continued until 1915. During WW1 she had a short stint for the Royal Navy patrolling around the Liverpool coast.

She was purchased by the Manchester Ship Canal in 1922 for over £3000, she still towed barges and carried passengers along the Ship Canal including VIPs around the inland docks. In 1936 she was given a radical refit was renamed after the Ship Canals chairman Daniel Adamson. The wheelhouse and bridge were raised, she got an upper deck and two saloons. The interior decor was done by Heaton Tabb and Co who were owned by Harland Wolff Ltd and had worked on the grandest of Atlantic liners. The interior was renovated in the modern Art Deco style.

Trade on the ship canal and the docks changed through the following decades. With the rise in container ships Manchester docks could not compete and were closed in 1982. The Danny was retired and in 1986 she was towed to Ellesmere Port Boat Museum where she’d started out her life 83 years earlier.

Her upkeep dropped, she fell into disrepair due to funding cuts, she was vandalised and set fire to. By 2004 she was earmarked for the scrap, but word got round, and Mersey Tug Skipper Dan Cross set up the Daniel Adamson Preservation Trust and soon he’d bought her for £1 from the Ship Canal. By 2015 the Heritage Lottery Fund had awarded the trust £3.8 million to restore her to full working order, by which time volunteers had already given over 1000 hours of their time.

Gordon showed us round, what a treat. The saloons were restored to how they would have been in 1936 with beautiful wood, glowing with warmth, graceful curves and deco steps.

The steps up to the bridge have brass fretwork on them. The wheel is the original still with steam powered steering. The love for this boat shone through as Gordon told us the history.

We’d noticed the standard hose pipe to the water point. It takes them three days to fill their tank and tonnes of water is needed as ballast! She has a coal fired boiler and the volunteers are now grateful that the coal arrives in bags as they have ten tonnes to shift at a time and get into the holds.

Mick asked how she was to steer. Gordon’s reply was ‘Pig comes to mind!’ From the bridge you can’t see the bow due to the canopy over the deck below, so they use the Jack mast to steer by. Four turns of the wheel, then you wait to see what she’s doing before you have to compensate.

Not only does the water tank take three days to fill, but it also takes that time for her to get up to steam for a trip. If she’s moving two days in a row firemen have to stay on board overnight to keep the fires going.

Thank you so much Gordon for showing us round, what an unexpected treat when only wanting to dispose of our rubbish.

Under the M56 and onwards towards the Ship Canal. Blimey it was getting windier and windier. Now we cruised past the start of Koura Global a massive chemical works, followed by INEOS more chemical works. This continued on right up to Weston Lock where the Weaver navigation meets the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Weaver. We then turned to follow the navigation to the north for about another mile still accompanied all the time by chemical works.

**Last lock on the Runcorn and Western Canal**

Along here a narrow strip of land keeps the navigation from the ship canal, we couldn’t see it from onboard Oleanna sadly. At the far end the current navigation stops at Weston Point. Here there used to be three sets of locks.

One towards the Ship Canal to the west. A lock to the north which led to another two locks and then out onto the Ship Canal. Then to the east a lock up onto the Runcorn and Western Canal which finally led to the flight of locks up to Runcorn. The bottom lock gates of the later lock are still visible, today with a heron guarding them.

**A rare moment of sunshine after we’d winded**

We’d heard that it might be possible to bang spikes in here, but we couldn’t work out where. So instead winded and headed back to Marsh Lock where there is a pontoon. We’d been warned the other day that the pontoon has lost it’s access to the bank. Mick later in the afternoon managed to haul himself up onto the bank and go to have a look at the lock and across to the Ship Canal, the Mersey not far away either.

**Marsh Lock looking out onto the Ship Canal**

White horses and rain continued for the majority of the day. Tilly resided herself to sitting in front of the stove. I joined her to do some knitting. News came through later today that Hunts Lock on the Weaver has been successfully repaired and is now open for navigation. An adjustment of cruising hours now required to reach the other end too in the time we have.

0 locks, 6.4 miles, 1 swing bridge, 2 pairs of gloves, 1 guided tour, 1930s deco, 3 days for water, 3 days to get enough steam, 10 tonne coal, 1 stove lit, 1 cosy cat, 1 very wet and blustery day.

Welsh TV not from Manchester

https://maps.app.goo.gl/jDtbx9Af6LvNfL8H6

First Weaver. 9th September

Northwich 2 day Visitor Moorings to above Saltersford Lock

With all the rain yesterday we both were checking the river levels this morning. The Northwich reach had actually gone down, but above and below had risen, obviously there had been someone lifting sluices on weirs to control things.

A little bit of extra time was used to start catching up on the blog. It takes time, usually whilst having breakfast, but on longer more interesting days (well more interesting for me) it can take a while longer. Certainly sifting through photos eats up time. Plus early starts to cruising limits writing time, so I had a lot to catch up today.

Time to stock up on food for a few days. The nearest supermarket is Waitrose so we went to see what yellow stickers there might be.

Crossing Town Bridge we noticed the different gates at either end. On the west bank is a sliding gate that crosses the road to stop traffic, on the east side there are two gates that hinge closed. Then the bridge would be able to swing to allow taller boats to pass through. The bridge was opened in 1899, designed by J.A.Saner and was the first road swing bridge on floating pontoons and the first electrically operated swing bridge in Britain. In 1924 it was closed for several months for repairs and strengthening during the period known as the Northwich ‘big lift’ when buildings and roads were raised to combat subsidence. In 1998 further works were undertaken, the bridge being lifted off and put in a car park for repair. A crane was brought in which had been used to build the Millenium Dome, but the weight of the Town Bridge at 330 tonnes and was too heavy for the crane.

Back on board we had lunch before pushing off, we wanted to find a mooring for Tilly. Mick winded Oleanna, a lady watched from the marina and congratulated him on his expertise, then we were heading down stream back towards the boat lift. The new pontoon was even more chock a block than yesterday, NB Lyndsey Jane’s stern sticking out around someone’s bow fender. The pontoon below the boat lift on the other hand had lots of space, but we wanted a better mooring still, no pontoon would suit us, and Tilly better.

Yesterday the flag at the boat lift had hung down, not a breath of wind to go with the rain, today it was dry but blustery. Waterway Routes showed us three possible moorings around a bend downstream of the lift. We passed a weir guarded over by cormorants and under another swing bridge.

The first mooring had potential, we’d have been on our own. The second the bank was a touch higher, more difficult for me. The third was longer and lower, already with two boats moored, but with bollards, grassy field and bunny potential above it, this would do. We winded to face the current and pulled in, positioning ourselves in the middle away from the other boats, but space for two more to pull in either side of us.

Rules given, the doors were opened. Hmmm! It would be good if I didn’t have to share this outside with woofers! I’m not sure Tilly even made it into the field above, at least she had some outside time.

I managed to get up to date with the blog during the afternoon. Then our attention turned to our cruising plan for the rest of this year. Today a notice regarding the Huddersfield Narrow had looked promising, this route would cut down the miles of our cruise back to Yorkshire, but would our current set up work there? I’ve never had to clear the prop on Oleanna, in fact I’ve never actually cleared a prop on any boat! Would I even be able to reach the prop to clear it? This is one question that needs answering before committing to going over the HNC.

Ease of transport links are important over the next six weeks as appointments and engagements need to be met at different ends of the country. We also want to meet up with good friends and need to give them an estimate of where we might be. Having three possible routes is making this really quite tricksy. I think tomorrow we’ll need to knuckle down and make some decisions.

0 locks, 3.2 miles, 2 winds, 1 straight on, 2 boxes wine, 1 outside rejected, 2 loose ropes, 0.7m, 3 ways, but which one to go for?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/NEjAKuRivbF5VuqY7

Jiggering And Jolleying. 4th September

Bridge 118 to below Plants Lock 41

Well that new detector! It’s position on the ceiling directly over my head whilst in bed was a problem last night. Around the big test button is a ring of green light which flashes every 30 seconds or so. All detectors tend to flash, but this one was SO BRIGHT that it felt like the aliens were invading. Yes I tried turning over and I did have my eyes closed but the light flashed through my eye lids time after time after time! I’m aware that I was awake trying to ignore it for at least two hours, thankfully then I fell asleep.

**Byebye, see you again somewhere sometime**

We couldn’t be tardy this morning, we’d something to tick of the ‘Next Time’ list. A quick chat with Mike on NB Alchemy before we pushed off. It was really good to be able to meet up, until next time, happy cruising for the remainder of the year.

A mile and a half to cruise and we pulled in on the visitor moorings at Middleport Pottery, with a booking for Harecastle Tunnel this afternoon we hoped there’d be enough time for us to enjoy the pottery. You can wonder around the site for free, but if you pay then you get to go inside various rooms and workshops, if you pay more you can get to go round the working Burleigh Pottery Factory. We opted for the Heritage Trail. With green stickers and a key fob we could guide ourselves round the pottery.

Middleport Pottery was the first pottery to be designed by an architect, the whole process of the factory taken into account with the products flowing through from one area to the next. In came the clay by boat, off loaded, it was cleaned, made ready for which ever process it was destined for, slip for casting, put through a pug mill for Jiggering, Jolleying and pressing into various shapes and patterns. Drying. Biscuit firing in bottle kilns, patterns applied, glazes painted or dipped on, dried again, then into the Glosting bottle kilns for their final firing, then packed up and loaded back onto boats to head of to be sold.

**Dane returning with a hold full of people**

Here in Stoke they had both clay and coal, the canal alongside aided the more reliable transportation of the finished goods. Dane normally sits outside the pottery, but today it was on a cruise through Harecastle Tunnel. Those on the trip were on board from 10am, we passed them coming back a little after 2pm.

There’s a wonderful model of the factory how it originally was, made in ceramic (what else!) this shows the seven bottle kilns that used to be in the factory. Three for biscuit firing (the ceramics could be stacked close for firing) then four for glost kilns (the ceramics needed more space once glazed so as not to stick together in the firing). When the clean air act came in in 1956 new methods of firing were found, gas taking over from coal, tunnel kilns were developed to save having to stack everything up around a bottle kiln, blocking the door and then lighting fires to raise the temperature to over 1000 degrees. Six of the original bottle kilns were demolished, the one that remains does so as it was a part of another factory building and not stand alone.

We saw the old offices. Phones rang as you walked past, if answered you’d get the story of an office worker. We watched a film about the factory processes making all the pottery, then looked at examples of Japonica tea sets, Churchill Toby Jugs, other fancy items.

**Rooms now taken over by independent studios**

Round past various independent studios we had the opportunity to look round a quarter of the moulds used which had been stored in roof spaces around the factory.

Commemorative plates, Toby Jugs, vases all sorts, an amazing collection of jelly moulds too. A mould could only be used so many times before a new one had to be made from the master.

**Looking upwards between the brick walls of a bottle kiln**

The Placing House and Bottle Kiln were next. In the placing house Saggers (rough clay containers used to protect the finer pottery whilst in the bottle kiln) were meticulously packed to make the most of the space, then they were carefully positioned in the bottle kiln, piled high one on top of the other right to the top. More delicate items such as plates would be packed nearer the centre of the kiln. Then once full the door would be bricked up and fires lit around the outside of the inner skin of the kiln, ramping up the temperature to a maximum of 1000 to 1250C, this was maintained for two to three hours before the kiln was allowed to cool down. As soon as it was possible to enter the kiln, the men would start to unpack it dressed in many layers to protect them from the heat. Pay was based on the quality of the goods coming out of the kiln, so if a firing went wrong the wages weren’t paid.

The bath house has a wonderful line of sinks, just enough room to stand in front of them, no elbow room. A deep deep bath tub sat in another area. Was there just the one between all the workers, or several? During WW2 the bath house was one of eleven areas earmarked as air raid shelters, it could hold 38 of the 500 employees, thankfully the shelters were never needed.

The Lancashire Boiler produced steam to power the steam engine next door which kept many things moving in the factory.

Time for a break and some lunch. We could have had oatcakes, we could have had some Lobby (a beef stew) but we opted for jacket potatoes and a cuppa each obviously in suitable cups. Very nice and better than the potato wedges we’d had at Shugborough a few weeks ago.

Next we just had time to look round the Lodgekeeper’s House. A two up two down house with projections of people telling stories of their lives in Stoke. Very interesting, but the rooms lacked a little bit in atmosphere.

It was now 2pm time to push off, we’d the tunnel booked for 3pm. We’d enjoyed the pottery, however it still sits on the ‘Next Time’ list as I’d now like to do a factory tour and have a peruse around the independent studio spaces. The seconds factory shop was still WAY too expensive for anything to be purchased. I’m glad that around 30-40 years ago I visited the factory when it was closed and riffled through skips with a friend, we were students at the time. Items that were not too faulty in our eyes were pulled out and later I was allowed to visit my old school and give them all a clear glaze and fire them. Not the most expert job, but it did give me a set of Burleigh ware bowls and various other items which today would have cost me several hundred pounds.

We pushed off. At Westport Lake a hire boat pushed out in front of us. They went slowly, we followed at tick over, would we make it to the tunnel by 3pm? Thankfully yes. They pulled in ahead of us and a Tunnel Keeper came to talk to them. This took quite a long time as their English wasn’t so good, getting them to shine their head light and sound the horn was testing the keepers patience a touch. As soon as he’d decided that they’d understood everything he came to talk to us.

**Can you show me your light and sound the horn? Please?**

‘Your lucky!’ Why? We’d booked. ‘Your not in the book’. But we booked. I checked the confirmation email. The Tunnel Keeper and Mick were both correct. We had booked and we weren’t in the book for today because Mick had booked our passage for the 11th! We were lucky as someone else had booked and we could tag along behind them, phew!

We whizzed through our safety briefing and were let into the tunnel a few minutes after the hire boat. Our normal speed would be reduced by their normal speed, go too slowly in a tunnel and you loose your steering and end up biffing the walls. Once we’d cleared the portal the doors closed behind us and the loud drone of the big fans kicked in to help ventilate the tunnel. It took a few hundred meters for us to be able to hear each other again.

Around 50 minutes later we emerged at the Kidsgrove portal. The tunnel Keeper here doing his best to keep a group of school kids off the CRT boat. The kids then turned their attention to us, the usual ‘Can I have a ride Mr, I’ve never been on one before’ ‘How much did it cost?’ ‘I could run and jump onto your boat from here’ We talked to them, suggested it would be a bad idea, hoping that we knew they’d not try, but you never know. They soon walked up the steps towards the station and forgot about us as we did about them.

The hire boat had tried turning long before reaching the junction, but managed to get round after a bit of faffing leaving the way ahead clear for us. We dropped down Plant’s Lock 41, the first from the summit pound, and chose where to moor up, easy as we were the only boat in the pound.

A visit to Lidl was required, then Mick headed to Tescos for bits Lidl don’t do and to pick up a prescription whilst I set about preparing cruising sustenance for a busy day tomorrow.

1 lock, 5.5 miles, 1 tunnel, 1 pottery finally visited, 0 shore leave AGAIN! 2 jackets, £15 for a 2nds cup, 11th September, 2 lucky boaters, 1 straight on, 1 batch short crust, 1 tin of oaty apple energy, 1 folded bit of card over the flashing green light!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/JQRSHzqPx19ptvvL7

‘Rubbish’ 1st September

Leek Winding Hole to Stoke on Trent Boat Club

Chilling butter for pastry, Hiding the Merlot, Villains and Rhododendrons, Gen X or was it Z were the subjects covered in this morning’s zoom. Not the full compliment of Mick’s siblings present, one off digging up Scotland the other in Paris watching the Paralympics. Tilly arrived back just in time for us all to say goodbye until next week, we could now be on our way again.

The boat from the water point was just arriving, mooring up in front of us. The lady wasn’t impressed with the Caldon, I think her words were ‘It’s rubbish, I’ll be glad when we get off it!’ We have to say we quite like it up here, yes it’s shallow, overgrown in places, the first part from Stoke isn’t all that picturesque, but when the sun is out some stretches are wonderful. But each to their own.

Four fishermen sat along the towpath, yesterday we’d had the day boat at the winding hole, today it was fishermen. Then a boat came through the bridge hole towards us, one fisherman refusing to lift his rod until the very last minute. We were asked if we’d winded further along the arm by the chap at the helm. They must have missed the blue sign saying to wind here if you are over 45ft.

Back through the tunnel, the cows joined today by a fishing heron. We gradually made our way along the contour. We’ve been here twice before and remembered more views, these visits were when there was far less foliage on the trees, maybe that’s why we like it up here because we can remember the views.

The nice mooring we’d spotted yesterday was empty. We were curious to see if there would have been enough depth for us to pull in there. Mick slowed Oleanna and started to bring her in, we think we’d have made it if we’d been properly trying. But instead Oleanna headed off in a direction unintended and it took a while to get back on course.

NB Beatrice the trip boat was passed, then the day boat, another narrowboat, blimey it was busy today! A couple were rapidly trying to get some resin on some fibreglass to hold a wooden grab rail onto their roof, yesterday the chap had been sweltering in direct sun, today they were racing against the resin going off and it starting to rain.

**The staircase used to pass down the side of the cottage under the garden chairs**

Over the aqueduct, a right hand bend. Here at one time there used to be a staircase that took the canal down towards Froghall. Where it joined the canal below the current set of locks the channel is noticeable as you head towards Stoke. In fact there have been three lots of locks here in the past. These photos were taken yesterday.

**Where the channel used to come out on the left**

‘The Leek Arm was built in 1801 to bring water from the newly constructed Rudyard Reservoir to a newly lengthened summit level at Denford. This involved building a new embankment across the valley of the Endon Brook and a new staircase flight of locks at the edge of Hazelhurst Wood to replace three separate locks between there and Endon.’

’40 years later the staircase (having proved to be a bottleneck as John Rennie the Leek Arm engineer had warned) was abandoned and replaced by a flight of 3 new locks at Hollinhurst (the “New Hazelhurst Locks”). Part of the original 1778 line of the canal was re-used and a new aqueduct built through the Denford Embankment, thus creating one of the six places in the UK where one navigable waterway crosses another.’ Thank you IWA . The route of the old canal and locks is shown in grey.

As we got close to the junction, we could see there was a boat approaching on the other side of the next bridge. We held back, the boat ahead reversed, had they seen us? Or were they just manoeuvring themselves? In the end we approached slowly, they were right at the junction, maybe they were winding, maybe just turning. The two boats managed to get past each other just!

Pulling in at the services, we topped up on water, the washing machine had been on, disposed of rubbish and then carried on for a little while longer. The towpath had been trimmed where we’d tried to get in the other day, the grass now all yellow and flat hanging over the armco. We pulled in a little before the Stoke on Trent Boat Club arm, a late lunch, shore leave for Tilly and time to catch up on blog writing.

**Rope swings on the tree at the junction**

I had intended to walk over to have a look at the information boards by the old swing bridge, but Tilly was busy outside with a possibility that she would follow, plus it had started to rain. As we got ready to enjoy a roast chicken it rained heavier a rumble of thunder skitting across the sky.

0 locks, 1 aqueduct, 3 siblings, 1 stripy lawn in Surrey, 4.4 miles, 2 many boats, bridge 6 very shallow, 2 outsides, 1 test match, 3 different routes, 1 roast chicken.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/XPQYhMZrPaEkzH5h8

The Staffordshire Pretzel. 28th August

Bridge 30 to Top side Cheddleton Visitor Moorings

Cows slurluping at 5am across the way woke Tilly and myself, Mick totally oblivious as he was making his own noises! It took us a while to get back to sleep, but we managed it.

A load of washing was put on then we moved up to the services. Here we joined two more boats. The far one was the boat that had followed us up the staircase a couple of days ago. When had they gone past? They were facing towards Stoke too!? Have to say we’d been surprised not to have seen them yesterday. They are very early risers, 6am, so had passed whilst we were well asleep. They’d also been to the end of both arms of the Caldon! No stopping them. I asked where they moored on the Oxford, the bottom of Claydon before Cropredy, Yes I knew where they meant, we’ll wave next time we go past. They’ve certainly been going for it, our map suggests there and back with both arms is a 21 hour cruise from Etruria, I suspect they’ll be off the canal before the end of the day.

With water topped up, the alpine strawberry plants tidied up, their babies added to the hedgerow, we moved on towards Hazlehurst Junction. Here the canal splits into two. The right turn stays on the level and sweeps round over Hazlehurst Aqueduct and on to Leek. Straight on drops down three locks goes under the aqueduct and onwards towards Froghall where the canal used to meet up with the Uttoxeter Canal. We decided to go straight on, down the locks.

We’d brought with us a reed island, Mick hauled it out of the lock and deposited it over the lock bridge out of the way before lifting paddles. Just after the third lock there is Bridge 37, this had to be rebuilt a few years ago, closing the Froghall Arm for quite sometime. It does look new, some weathering required for it to sink into the landscape.

Landscape is what we’d have today, it’s nice to be back in the hills.

We wound our way down under the aqueduct, here we’d had two kingfishers sat on branches waiting for us to pass the last time we were here, no such luck today. The moorings at the pub were full, a large Hare sat behind a garden shed. Residential moorings ask for you to slow down, we’d no choice as Oleanna’s depth slowed us to just about a stop in one bridge hole.

Through plenty of wood, Rowan a common sight with it’s red berries. The moorings before the flint mill were just about empty. We pulled up as soon as we could a view to our portside to wake up to between the trees, that would do nicely. Tilly was warned not to eat her own body weight and let out for an hour whilst we had lunch.

Debby from NB Bonjour had mentioned about there being Pre-Raphaelite windows in St Edwards Church, we could just see the tower from our mooring, anywhere to the south of the canal would mean a steep hill to climb, but it couldn’t be that far! Surely!

With walking stick in hand we set off down past the flint mill both water wheels turning, crossed the canal and started to walk uphill. The first turn on the right gave us a steeper hill to climb, a very steady pace required.

St Edwards dates back to the 13th C, some walling possibly back to the 12th C. The church has had several restorations, one in Elizabethan times but the biggest was in 1863/4 when Sir Gilbert G Scott made major changes.

The chancel roof was repainted in the 1950s, symbols depicting local connections to the church. The book, for paper. The knot, the Staffordshire knot (not a pretzel!). The boat, for the canal. The plant, Madder from which dye is produced a favourite dark red used by William Morris. Morris spent three years in Leek learning about dyes.

At first glance around the church the one window that stands out from all the others is of three angels drawn by Burne Jones. The colours which were chosen by Morris sing out. It’s a lovely window.

Then closer inspection, the majority of the other windows are of a similar time. One depicts a couple facing each other. The chap is reported to be a portrait of William Morris stood opposite his wife. She is bare footed, he has red socks, but he also must have been a messy eater as he needed a very large napkin tucked into his collar!

What a lovely church, thank you Debby for mentioning it. My knee was going to have to walk down the hill, so as along as we found a fairly level path to the shops I’d not have to do too much more downhill. A footpath was found which connected the older part of Cheddleton to the newer busier Leek Road. A pint of milk and a loaf of bread, Bargain Booze managed to have both and tucked in the fridge were a pile of freshly made oatcakes. At £1.45 for 6 they make the ones you make yourself very expensive.

Back on board I made up the Oatcake mix we’d bought at Great Haywood, leaving it to rest for half an hour, so the yeast had time to do it’s stuff. I cooked up the last of our Oxford sausages and sliced them, some mushrooms were cooked and cheese grated. Four oat cakes were cooked, kept warm, then the filling was added to each in turn, cooked in the frying pan to melt the cheese. Two each, very yummy. The remainder of the batter was then cooked up, each cake left to cool before being popped in the freezer for another time.

Where we’re headed we may not have internet for a couple of days. Where we’re going has a low tunnel, we’re going to see if Oleanna can get through it! Tune in next time to see if we succeeded. If we never post again, it’s because we’re stuck in Froghall Tunnel!

3 locks, 2.8 miles, 1 straight on, 1 speedy cruising boat, 1 pretty wooden canoe, 1 late night boat, 1 church, 1 steep hill, there and back, 3 angels, 0 pretzels, 5 oatcakes, 6 for another time, 0 oxford sausages left, 2 bricks purchased, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/bEZaQce8uu9w5Rrm8

How Much Of A Half Would You Like? 21st August

Before Iron bridge 72A to after Iron Bridge 72A

Mick walked up towards Haywood Lock to see if there were any spaces available for us to move up. The internet coverage where we were moored was poor, therefore annoying! He’d checked on a map and we seemed to be sat in a little hole, further along the signal should improve.

A space behind one boat and another in front, but this was under a leaning oak tree. With gusts of wind this mooring wouldn’t be so good. We needed to act quickly before the first mooring was snatched up, so as I finished my exercises Mick pushed us off. Have to say doing lunges whilst Oleanna was moving was very wobbly! However I was ready to help moor up, as close as we could to the boat in front which just so happened to be NB Winding Down, our old shareboat.

Breakfasted, we got ourselves ready for a day out, just as a breasted up pair of Jules Fuels boats was pulling out, we decided to move up and not be that annoying boat a touch too close to a bridge hole. As we moved I spied people onboard Winding Down, we had to at least say hello. Just as well we did as it was Paul and Aileen Jordon one of the last few original syndicate members. We last bumped into them in Braunston a couple of years ago before WD moved base to Aston Marina.

It was great to have a chat and reminisce, only one other original owner left, Roger. They had two of their grandchildren with them and more were expected shortly for a picnic before the youngsters were heading home.

Time for us to have a day out!

**The plaster of this ceiling was carved by the artist laying on his back and took 2 years. Hope he got paid well**

Back in June 2015 we spent several days at Shugborough, then ran by Staffordshire County Council and the National Trust. We’d had a tour of the house at break neck speed back then, little could be remembered so we decided to visit again, dust off the cobwebs on our National Trust cards. In 2016 the management of the Hall was handed back to the National Trust, so today we could get in for free.

There were plenty of people about, lots for kids to do in the park. At the front door of the house we showed our cards and were let in to walk around the house at our own pace. As with most NT properties the house has been laid out with the story of it’s occupants, here it is the Anson brothers who travelled the world. Also as with many NT properties we didn’t get to find out much about the actual house. Plenty of information boards about the brothers, a huge map with interesting facts about their voyages and how they started off with 1900 crew, arriving back in England with just 188! But I’m interested in the house too, I’ll have to look it up.

Once we’d looked round the ground floor, walked through the red drawing room and the library with disguised door and taken note of how quickly Elizabeth and Betty had grown we then could climb the back staircase to look round the rooms upstairs where Lord Patrick Lichfield had lived and taken many a photograph. This is the part of the house we remembered most, the kitchen, the deep deep baths, the photographs. Here you’re not allowed to take any yourself.

One room which had been Patricks bedroom had photographs he’d taken. Another couple walked round ahead of us. She said ‘That looks like him. That looks like Sophia Loren’ He said, ‘No it won’t be’. I wondered who he’d think were in the royal family photographs when they came to them, and yes that was actually Mick Jagger!

Time for lunch, we hunted out the cafe. Chock-a-block, but we’d timed our arrival very well as just about everyone was finishing. Jacket potatoes were finished for the day but we could have potato wedges instead with a filling on top of our choice, a little bit of a strange combination. Sat next to us was a family, the teenage daughter had just gone to get them pudding. Three scones and a huge slab of carrot cake with a good layer of cream cheese frosting. She said how she’d not been able to decide on a scone or the cake, Mum offered to go halves with her, half a scone for half the cake. ‘How much of that half would you like?’ came back the answer from the daughter!

Back in 2015 there were carriages to look at. The house kitchens were in working order with a cook baking scones and ginger biscuits. Sadly today these areas are closed, I think the collections have been moved elsewhere as they belonged the Staffordshire County Museum. Such a shame, but at least we’d seen them last time.

Time for some chilled medication, we joined the queue and selected our flavours, Devilishly Chocolate and Rolo, basically the same ice cream but one with mini rolos and a swirl of caramel added. As the medication level had been topped up we walked round to the formal gardens at the back of the house. Past the Chinese House built in 1747, crossing the red bridge and onto the island to look at the Cat Monument. Why does that cat have a moustache?

The monument (c.1750) possibly commemorates a cat which travelled around the world with Admiral Anson on the ‘Centurion’. Or that it was built as a memorial to Kouli-Khan, a Persian cat kept by Thomas Anson. He also kept a heard of Corsican Goats which feature around the base of the monument.

We then returned to Oleanna, enough walking for today and time to let Tilly out. She wasn’t that enamoured with it this afternoon, even if we had a chatty parrot for a neighbour. Well you’d told me I wasn’t allowed to talk to it!

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 bridges crossed, 1 Georgian Mansion walked round, 1 formal garden, 2 years, 1 ceiling back to front, 35 Weetabix, 1,313,843 pieces of 8, 2 brothers, 0 carriages, 0 puppets, 2 far to go to the farm, 1 odd cat, that’s not me!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/odPiG95YvgNVPTBr7

Fake Or True Signal. 18th August

Bridge 55 to after Bridge 67

**Slightly under cooked egg for the size of toast**

Mick did the honours this morning and we’d just finished when the Geraghty zoom started. Subjects covered this morning, Personal Weather Forecasters (we’d like Shefali please), new toasters, freezing portraits and people pretending to be going into a tunnel whilst on their mobile, who actually broke their arm and Will Bailey.

Quite a few boats passed us heading away from Fradley, then the majority of them returned heading back towards the locks, most probably out for the weekend. We managed to push off without too much hassle today. Jumpers were required as the temperature has dropped, last night we considered lighting the stove.

I turned a heel on my lastest pair of socks, ten minutes of quiet whilst I counted stitches back and forth. After I’d reached a certain point I had to stop myself from doing too many rows otherwise I’d run out of knitting to do in front of the TV tonight.

We passed The Little Chimney boat, without them our original flue would have been too tall to get under the Basingstoke Canal bridges, they are usually found somewhere around here. I’d not noticed their collection of things on the roof before.

Good to see the houses with their blue pots are keeping things going. In front of each house are slightly different blue pots and the further west you get the plants get less loved, the last house looks like they just nurture weeds now.

Then Armitage Shanks factory right along the canal. Big vats sit behind the dusty patched up windows, are these full of giant toilets or pristine white glaze? In the yard I could still see pallets of toilets waiting to go off to new houses to be plumbed in. They are really hard to get a photo of and the sign for Local Facilities is way over grown.

As we approached the Plum Pudding we checked our phones, both on with signal and the ringer turned up. Time to walk through the tunnel to check no-one was coming and more importantly to stop anyone from coming. The tunnel, which is about 120 metres in length, had its roof removed in 1971 because of subsidence damage being caused by nearby coal mining, a ten yard section having collapsed in 1965. What remains is a deep narrow cutting through sandstone, wide enough only for a single narrowboat to pass. NB Holderness has some interesting photos of the tunnel here.

I walked ahead, no boat coming towards us. I was out from under the road bridge and about two thirds of the way through, I called Mick. ‘No boats coming, you can come through’ ‘What? I can’t hear what you’re saying, you keep breaking up!’ How amusing that after this morning’s zoom where we’d talked about people faking going into tunnels whilst on their mobile, I was now in a roofless tunnel and my phone signal was breaking up. I ended up repeating myself very loudly and slowly, not sure if Mick heard via the phone or not, but he started to come towards me.

The water point before Ash Tree Boat Club was on the port side, handy for yellow water extraction. As we got close we could see there were two boats already there. A lady asked if we wanted to pull in, they’d be moving off in a couple of minutes, just about perfect timing. We did our chores and then moved on to find a mooring near to Tescos in Rugeley.

A big shop and provisions for a roast chicken as we’d been feeling chilly yesterday. Today however was that bit warmer. How come young whipper snappers get all those flavours of biscuits and me being that bit more mature, I only get one and that can’t even stand up on it’s own! I’d like lamb please Whiskas!!!

Mick was certain we’d managed to bring a trolley back to the boat before, but the wheel jammed on the long walkway back to the canal. I stayed with the trolley whilst Mick did the first load of bags to the boat.

Now to find a better mooring, one not too far out, but where we’d be happy to let Tilly out. All the 7 day moorings were full, quite a few boats coming the other way too. As we approached Bridge 67 just passing the last boat a bow came into view. Mick did his best to tuck in in front of the moored boat, the boat coming towards us hit the bridge and then us in turn. A lady in the bow stood up and went inside, possibly to avoid any confrontation from us, when there was none she gave us a filthy look! As the helm came past they apologised, there actually was nothing to apologise for. They were being followed quite closely, so had nowhere to go, we tried tucking in out of the way as there was nowhere else to go too, what happened happened.

A familiar boat from St Pancras Cruising Club, no John in sight to say hello to. Past all the houses and out to an open field alongside the towpath, this would do. We found a gap between trees and pulled up, sitting on the bottom. Tilly was given an hour and a half, she didn’t use it all, I’m keeping some on account for tomorrow.

The chicken was popped into the oven with potatoes, parsnips (not in their prime), carrots, garlic and some broccoli. It feels like an eternity since we last had a roast, it was very nice.

0 locks, 1 glitching nebolink, 5.8 miles, 1 topless tunnel, 33 pairs of socks completed, 1 sockathon back on track, 2 boxes wine, 1 big chicken, 1 bump, 90 minutes, 45 kept for tomorrow.