Category Archives: Middlewich Branch

Paw Shaking. 13th June

Bonfire Night Mooring

A touch blowy this morning, but I coped well with it. They had their Zoom meeting with all the Geraghtys so I left them too it, bobbing in to say hello to the youngest members as I try to each Saturday morning. No Sheffield or Bangladesh today.

Topics today included Lupins and the new bubble guidance for those who live on their own. This is a great relief for Kath and Sean who will now be able to see each other properly, better than the socially distanced walks in the woods they’ve had for the last few months. It was good to see everyone and hear that Marion is now back out enjoying walking along Beachy Head.

Mick then set off on his puncture proof bike to ride down to Winsford for a newspaper, some milk and bread. The undulating towpath wasn’t so good so he walked to the third bridge where a footpath heads off to join the roads. He returned with everything he’d gone for from a small corner shop. At one set of traffic lights he found it quite liberating looking at glass on the road and knowing he’d not have to avoid it.

The Bonfire night mooring with grass half way up the boat

The blowyness came and went. A few boats did too. One boat had difficulty keeping to the centre of the outside, the outside wanted it to tie up. The man in control wasn’t! Even I know that if he didn’t want to tie this outside up then he would need a bit more umph, even whilst passing Oleanna! But he didn’t. Tom said ‘I don’t think he touched us’. I said, ‘He bloomin well did!’ I stood on the towpath and shook my paw at him! A quick check along the freshly painted gunnel!!! Some feline expletives now accompanied my raised paw. She did say that having been through a couple of locks that the scrapes might not all be from the boat this morning, I think she’s being very nice when she should be seething!

Oy! You! She’s only just painted that!!!!

The boat carried on being attracted to the bank as he scraped his way along towards Middlewich. Wonder if he’s any paint left on his gunnel?

A touch too late in the day to do big jobs on the boat, but one thing has been on the list for years. The front doors.

A few months after picking Oleanna up the front doors stopped looking quite so good. The finish looked a touch patchy, not helped by the lack of a cratch cover for a while. I think the new wood had been varnished, but maybe the second coat hadn’t been applied quite as well as it should have been. So with assistance from the elements the varnish wore in places.

I’ve been meaning to do this job for a couple of years and have had a pot of Woodskin for as long.

After the door furniture was removed they had a sanding down. They had a good wash and hinges and keeps masked off.

Then a first coat of Woodskin. Maybe I should have sanded them a touch more before hand as I can still see where the original coats had worn off. But hopefully with another couple of coats these areas will fade in with the rest.

After one coat though I can definitely see the difference. Just before bed I put a thin layer of washing up liquid on the surfaces that would touch and loosely attached the door handle so that it could be closed again, keeping Tilly in.

Mick in the mean time took the fan from our composting toilet out. A couple of years ago we replaced the original fan with a silent fan. This now has started to make a noise, I’m very aware of noises when trying to get to sleep, so it’s noise may not be a problem to many people. We’d bought two fans so had a spare to replace it with. Job done.

Tilly took some persuading to return this evening only getting slightly distracted by the swans showing off their babies. Once we were all fed the skies turned darker and darker, a long low rumble filled the air. Tonight we had natures firework display, forked lighting chasing across the heavy clouds. We put the TV on pause for a while so we could watch the display. The rain that accompanied it made me glad I’d not varnished any more exterior woodwork.

The wonderful light just before the storm broke

Tilly didn’t bat an eye lid, or shake a paw at the thunder or lightning. She was sound asleep.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 paper boy, 8 zoom participants, 2 doors sanded, 1 tin opened, 1st coat applied, 1 pooh dust covered fan, 1 clean new fan, 1 scraping boat, 1 inspection required, 1 tub of paint at the ready, 3/4 hour rumbles and flashes, 1 pooped cat.

Waiting For The Fireworks. 12th June

Bridge 12 to Bonfire Night Mooring, Lea Hall Bridge 22

Warmer today, no need for coats, well until it rained, which we managed to avoid. Tilly was kept in so that after breakfast we’d be able to push off. The view we’d come for was just visible if you stood on the gunnels on tip toe.

Someone else had obviously thought the view was worth a bench over looking it at some point too!

As we rolled back the covers I realised that the boat at the other end of the moorings was familiar, the chap stepping on and off his boat was checking the paintwork. It had to be one of our Pandemic Mooring Buddies from the bottom of Hurleston. As we came along side the sign writing confirmed it was the chap who had designed the yellow bicycle from when the Tour de France went through Hebden Bridge. He spotted us coming and bob out to say hello.

His plans are similar to ours over the remainder of the year so our paths may cross a few more times before summer is up, although I suspect we will be travelling a bit quicker than him. We were able to pass on the information about the Macclesfield Canal that Lee on Halsall had given us, so thumbs up all round. Maybe one day we’ll find out this chaps name. He’d certainly got the best stretch, just off the end of the 48hr mooring and with a gap in the hedge and trees, he had the view!

On we cruised, another short day. We’ll have longer days at some point this summer but for now an hour and a bit is all we need to cover whilst we wait for locks to open.

This stretch is very familiar, the coach house, the stable block now a nice home for someone and the fields of cows which used to wear very bad toupees! Wonder if the Yankee candle shop will open this coming week?

Through the last wooded section our destination for the day came into view. Two boats already pulled up, but we headed for the far end, our usual spot. From this mooring over looking Winsford and the River Weaver we’ve watched fireworks on two Bonfire Nights.

The view at the far end was okay, but the trees at this time of year have leaves, not normally present in November and we weren’t expecting a firework display. The doors were opened and Tilly set forth to see who she could find.

Much to her disturbance she found a herd of milk cows who were very very vocal in the field below. So when we realised that the two boats behind us, in a better position for the summer, were moving off I called Tilly back. Last time we were here we nudged to the very far end when a boat moved off whilst Tilly was out. A very bemused cat sprung out from the sideways trees and wondered why I was on someone else’s boat. But due to the cows today I had no difficulty in calling her home before we moved the outside with her in it.

Right in the centre of the mooring we have views on both sides. To the east the West Coast Main line crosses in view, there are more trains than we expected, but not too many to be annoying.

During the afternoon I went out with Tilly for a little walk and Mick chatted with his friend Chris who has just signed up with a boat builder and hopes to be cruising the network shortly before Crick boat show next year. All very exciting.

This evening we have watched the final part of Noughts and Crosses, we’d saved it to watch in a week and what a week to have chosen to watch it in! It charts the story of Sephy and Callum who fall in love in a dystopian London where the black elite rule the white underclass.

Veg box peas added into a quinoa salad tonight

At about 9:30 this evening we could hear fireworks down below in Winsford. How lovely of someone to think of us on our Fireworks mooring, just a shame it wasn’t a touch darker so that we could appreciate them.

0 locks, 2.82 miles, 2 outsides 150ft apart, 1 railway, 1 blowy day, 0 tupees, 39 bicycle locks, 1 snake, 1 bunny, 2 black cats, 142 peas, 1 flash view, 9 firework bangs.

https://goo.gl/maps/NxzAsjnkG6QKh1iT6

PS. The queue today at Snugbury’s had a wait of 40 minutes and caused mayhem on the A51. The police in the end had to turn people away. Glad I wasn’t there in a cardboard car!

Just When We’ve Got Going! 11th June

Cholmondeston Lock to Eardswick Bridge 12

NB Myrtle was the first boat to pass us this morning. We planned on moving after breakfast ourselves, but just as we were about to roll the covers back the heavens opened! Why have the seasons had to fast forward to Autumn just when we’ve got going?! This did mean that Tilly was allowed some shore leave. Now they are moving the outside again I only get to go out in the rain!

It’s wet out there, what did you expect?!

Such a dismal morning Mick decided to light the fire. The proper rain dissipated and Tilly came home all damp at the edges, so we quickly got ourselves ready to push off, we wanted somewhere with a view.

Along the overgrown towpath we could make out where boats have been moored during the lockdown, flattened grass at bow and stern, patches of yellower shorter grass where people had set up base alongside the towpath. At the barbecue mooring one boat was tied up, it’s owner and second mate having a bit of shore leave together, we decided to continue, not wanting to have another feline stand off.

As we approached the Queuing Lock (Minshull Lock) we could see a boat was just pulling away towards us, we’d come into view just at the right moment before they closed the top gate, so no queuing today, just straight in and down. I did have to close the gates though as nobody was waiting below.

Onwards past Aqueduct Marina where we once spent a week iced in on NB Winding Down (link to blog). We’ve heard that some marinas are limiting the number of boat owners visiting their boats, some even giving time slots, some only allowing one boat owner on a pontoon at a time so that social distancing can be maintained, helping to protect those who liveaboard. There were signs at the entrance of the marina saying that diesel and pumpouts were by appointment only.

Now we were on the look out for a mooring we’ve not stayed at before. A while ago we’d made a mental note of a mooring with views across to Church Minshull and we quite fancied trying it out today. The first possible mooring on our Waterways Routes map came into view, it wouldn’t be that one as there was a large hedge. We were quite glad as the local farmer was making quite a smell! Another look and guess, maybe it was the next visitor mooring. We came under Bridge 12, this could be it, but there was very little view, certainly not as we remembered it.

It was the right place, gaps in the trees showed the view we’d remembered, it’s just that in the last couple of years the hedge or trees have grown obscuring the rolling fields. We pulled in and deployed the tyres again, a concrete edge giving away the shelf lying below the water.

Tilly was given the rest of the afternoon to explore and find friends. Of course I was alowed out, just before it started to rain again! It did get sunny every now and then and with little footfall and only one boat at the other end of the moorings we only had birds and cows to keep us company. Just a shame the view is overgrown.

This morning as we cruised along we’d been able to see our breath, but this afternoon we sat with the hatch open (when it wasn’t raining) to try to bring the internal temperature of Oleanna down, who’d lit the stove?

I gave called York Hospital a call to see if an appointment in a couple of weeks would still be going ahead. It took a while before I got through but then the lady confirmed I still had an appointment, but clinics are constantly being looked at to reduce footfall in the hospital. We’d planned to have been in Leeds by then, just a short train journey away, instead we’ll plan to be near an Enterprise for a car.

A few weeks ago I’d started to follow Snugbury’s on facebook. For those unfortunate soles who don’t know about Snugburys, they are fine purveyor of chilled medication, numerous flavours and well worth a visit on the A51 a short distance from the top of Hurleston Locks, even in November there was a queue!

At the beginning of lockdown they had tried to continue but found it hard, so had closed. Then a while ago they had started a click and collect service, minimum order of three tubs. You would be given a date and time for collection. With no car of freezer space for that much ice cream we didn’t bother. But today on their facebook page they have announced a drive through, opening tomorrow! A chilled medication DRIVE THROUGH!!

But we’ve just moved away!

If I had known, we’d have kept the boxes from our veg box order and fabricated a car bonnet for the Brompton just so that we could visit! It is SOOO unfair, so so unfair!

1 lock, 2.57 miles, 1 wet chilly day, 1 fire, 2 boaters over heating, 1 soggy moggy, 2 friends, 1 appointment, 0 chilled medication, 0 chilled medication so far this year! 1 paint box rationalised as a distraction.

Second Turn On The Left, Straight On Till…. 10th June

Lockdown ‘Home’ to Calverley Services to 11ft 5 inches lower, Middlewich Branch

The Traders were ready to jump in our spot as soon as we moved, well that’s what it felt like as we’d been asked several times when we’d be leaving. Here’s hoping it’s a profitable mooring for them, although the weather the next few days won’t help.

Waterproofs were dug out from the cupboard, donned and we were ready to push off. Today we were most definitely going to be on our way, nothing to keep us anymore.

Straight on at Hurleston Junction, most boats have been heading that way to make the most of the canal before Hire boats come back out in their masses, but not us. This morning was to be a bit of a final farewell tour of the northern end of the pound we chose to sit out Lockdown in.

The fairys at the bottom of the garden are visible now their patch of grass has had a trim. Too early for the gardening boaters to say goodbye, but we waved anyway, the field behind their mooring looks like it will be maize as it is shooting up.

The pretty garden before Barbridge has a great display of blue Geraniums (that’s what our garden used to look like before a tenant thought they were weeds!).

Where the bins have been removed at Barbridge Junction, someone has decided to leave their bag of rubbish for someone else to clear up! It really makes me seethe seeing things like this, just because there used to be bins there!

Straight on at the junction. Past the services and on to the winding hole. No washing hanging out today, well it would only get another rinse if it was.

We waved to the people who live in the woods, Eeee’d with Yorkshire accents at the signs, waved to Dave and Brock from the Flag Bubble and wondered just how much longer NB Malvern would be sitting on the 48hr moorings.

At the services we came in carefully so as not to mark the new paint work, but it looks like Halsall left its mark the other day. Oh well that’s what rubbing strakes are for! The water tank filled up, our toilet refreshed, both solids and liquid. Plants watered and rubbish disposed of in an actual bin. The bin store was locked up with a C&RT padlock, presumably to stop house hold rubble from being deposited in the skips. We pulled along and moored up on the shopping mooring at the back of the Cheese Mill for lunch.

Diesel tank full, check.

Water tank full, check.

2.5 plus gas bottles, check.

Clean pooh bucket, check.

Clean pooh box, check.

Empty yellow water tank, check.

Freezer full, check.

Fridge full, check.

Fruit bowl straining under the weight, check.

Half a dozen eggs, check.

Rubbish disposed of, check.

2.5 bags coal, check.

Wine cellar extended, check.

Toilet rolls, check.

Second Mate, check.

But not enough porridge oats!

Mick soon sorted this out buying a 3kg bag from the mill shop. Now we were ready.

Back to Barbridge Junction, I stood as look out at the bow. A boat came out from the branch, no effort to move the tiller, just slowing down before they hit the far bank. Which way were they going? Straight on was not an option for them, but it appeared the chap at the stern really wanted to go that way! Back and forth, back and forth, I considered having a nap, but eventually they got round and headed southwards. Our way ahead was now clear.

Our time on this pound was nearly up. On the morning of the 23rd March we knew lockdown was imminent so we winded and headed up Cholmondeston Lock to a pound where we thought we’d manage better. Here we were 80 days later about to descend the lock.

New gloves and old faithful windlass at the ready I hopped off and walked up to the lock which sat empty. A refill required. Paddles checked on the bottom gates, paddles raised at the top.

The lady on her swing has had her garden trimmed the grass the last time we were here had grown over her head!

With the lock filled I opened the gate and Mick brought Oleanna in. The gate was stubborn and wouldn’t come out of it’s recess no matter how I tried, Mick came to help. Paddles raised at the far end and the water rushed out of the chamber, Mick and Oleanna descending into the full 11ft 5inch deep lock.

Oleanna has left Nantwich!

I got to do the hurdles as I opened the bottom gates, closed the paddles then had a request to leave the gates open as a boat was coming up. More hurdles and down the steps.

There were quite a few moored boats, so we pootled on to a reasonable gap where we could tell another boat had been, the long grass trodden at both stern and bow. Nappy pins were required and just normal fenders, no Shropie shelf to contend with here.

Ahead I could see that our nearest neighbour was NB Myrtle, hopefully the distance would be fine for two boat cats. Rules were read and Tilly was off exploring a new long grassy world.

As we sat listening to our leader on the BBC I saw Tilly charge past the boat. What the? Peering out the hatch I could see there was a towpath stand off going on. Tilly and Myrtle were stood a foot apart, backs arched and those strange noises just starting to happen before the sloooooooow manoeuvres. These two have had a stand off before in Nantwich. I decided to intervene, avoiding any possible vet bill. As I walked forward Tilly retreated. Retreated?! I had back up now!! Hardly retreating!!!! She wouldn’t be the queen of the towpath today.

1 lock, 2 straights, 1 wind, 2nd left, 8.54 miles, 3kg porridge, 1 boat ready to cruise, 3 crew members ready, 11ft 5 inches, 80 days, 1 new pound, 1 towpath stand off, 3 boaters on their way, 1 mystery left behind, 2 smiling boaters.

https://goo.gl/maps/r38hhu3Gx6uwjfo96

Dates. 8th June

Lockdown Pickup Mooring to Lockdown Mooring 4

There was a long wait this morning which stretched into the afternoon. But a little while after 1pm the familiar car pulled into the layby at Henhull Bridge. This is our last veg box delivery from Nantwich Veg Boxes or Clems Traditional Greengrocers before we move out of their area. Hoping the contents will keep us going for a while I’d ordered a £15 veg box and a £12 fruit box. We chatted with the chap and thanked them for looking after us over the last couple of months. We’ve no idea when we’ll be back in the area, but I hope they will still doing the boxes as I’ll be placing an order.

What treats lay inside our two boxes?

Cabbage, lettuce, aubergine, vine tomatoes, new potatoes, a courgette, parsnips, asparagus, peas, cauliflower, brocolli.

Satsumas, apples, pears, plums, peaches, bananas, a pineapple, strawberries, a melon and a tray of dates! Very festive, apart from neither of us are partial to dates. We’ll find someone who is.

The amount of boats going past all morning reminded us that we are of course on the Four Counties Ring, maybe we’ll have to queue at the Queuing Lock on the branch in a few days time! We’d held off having lunch and decided to wait a little longer so that we could get to a mooring where Tilly could be let out.

The rain last night had swollen the ground, my mooring spike at the bow was held tight and needed a good whack with the hammer before it would pull out. We then pushed off joining the moving boats, one appearing behind us, two coming towards us in the first short stretch.

The potato field has had another spurt of growth, the furrows having almost vanished now. Round the bend to the Flag Bubble Mooring. How many boats?! Five. This stretch has been taken over by trading boats. Plum has new neighbours, The Hippie Boat and Toastie Boat. He said it was better now the Australians had moved on, tongue in cheek of course!

A couple of boats were on our ‘Home’ mooring where we hoped to pull in. There seemed to be gaps, but one boat was on ‘the’ best bit. We pulled in at the far end, our original mooring here. Tilly sauntered off the boat, trotting into the field to check on it’s progress. The top of the grass is now yellowing with seed heads, wheat maybe? Someone else will have to stop and let us know how Tilly’s field is doing over the coming months, photos please.

NB Halsall came by and topped up our diesel tank. Chance to get local knowledge about the Anderton Boat Lift and the Macclesfield Canal reopening, would we still be able to cruise where we’d planned this year?

Current word on the boat lift is that it may open at the beginning of next month. There is a new chap in charge who has to learn the ropes. Various differing reasons are given when ever anybody asks when it will reopen. They are worried about operating the lift with social distancing measures (!), they are reluctant to open it without being able to run the trip boat and cafe (which will fund the whole operation, then there is the other worry that it hasn’t been used for a few months and will it still work? Lee and Roberta are keen to start doing their monthly trips onto the Weaver again.

News on the Macc is more positive. C&RT are going to open Bosley and Marple Locks a couple of times before the end of the month and then they plan on reopening them for July and August, the main boating season. They have been closed due to low water reserves following the Todbrooke Reservoir incident. But water is now being back pumped off the River Goyt and a damaged culvert from Combs Reservoir is currently being mended. We’d been a touch worried that we might get onto the Macc and then get stuck for the rest of the year, however Lee thinks we should be fine.

This afternoon the weather has been better than we’d thought it would be so I donned my dungarees, got out my dust mask and rubbed back the primer on the starboard side. A rinse off with canal water was going to take a while longer to dry than last week, so the paint will have to wait for tomorrow.

I also had some work to do, preparation for a chat with David the panto director for Chippy this year. The final decision as to whether the show will go on is still to be made in mid August, but I have agreed to do a bit of work before hand. So if the green light is given then I’ll be ahead of the game a touch.

0 locks, 0.81 miles to ‘Home’, 1 last time, £15 veg, £12 fruit, 1 pack of dates, 5 hours shore leave, 1 grown field, 204 reference photos, 1 gunnel rubbed down, 1 starter fed, 2 fingers crossed for a new pizza recipe, £16.40 refund from Sainsburys, Yay!

Face Rhino Business. 22nd May

Lockdown Mooring 4A

The forecast for today was for wind, quite a lot of it, but we hadn’t expected it to wake us at 3.15am! Blimey it was loud!! We did however manage to get back to sleep eventually, but this meant we were slower in getting up than usual.

As we sat with our cuppas in bed we talked about which way we’ll be heading when the time comes. We plan on loitering in this pound for a couple more weeks until we feel more comfortable about moving away from the safety of what we know, veg boxes and deliveries meaning we rarely now have to go to the supermarkets or town.

But where to go? The titles in my puzzle book gave us a plan. Our destination maybe a touch further east than we’d originally thought we’d go and we doubted canalplan would help us with much of the route planning. However we could make an educated stab at directions.

Up to Barbridge Junction, turn onto the Middlewich Branch.

Right onto the Trent and Mersey, keeping a straight course when we reach Fradley Junction.

At Trent Lock head down stream on the River Trent, passing through Nottingham and Newark.

A pause at Cromwell Lock before heading out onto the tidal Trent. Tides dependant we’ll have over night stops at Torksey and Keadby.

Then back out onto the Trent (new water for us), at Trent Falls, if the tide is right we will continue to head east onto the Humber. We’ll need a pilot for this next stretch, under the Humber Bridge. An overnight stop at either Hull Marina or Corporation Pier (now known as Victoria Pier).

The following day, we’ll join the ferries to Rotterdam following their route out to past Spurn Point where our course will then head northwards up along the North coast. We might stop off at Scarborough for a night to wave at our friends before continuing on wards.

One port of call heading northwards would be Edinburgh. We might have a night or two there. Then back out into the North Sea hugging the coast up to Fraserburgh.

A major restock whilst here, including making sure that the wine cellar was filled. Then after checking the forecast for the next few days we’ll choose our moment and with a bearing of east north east we’ll set forth across the 285 miles of North Sea to Stavanger. We’re really hoping that our diesel tank has sufficient capacity for this leg of the journey, if not maybe NB Halsall or NB Alton will be able to give us a top up.

From here Mick has previous knowledge from a holiday he once took up the coast of Norway, so we’ll hug the Norwegian coast maybe bobbing into the odd fjord to restock and for a touch of rest. At Tansoy we’ll pass to the north of the island and head out from the sea passing Brandsoy on our port side.

Keeping the 5 road within sight we’ll continue eastwards round Sandvikbotn. One last restock at the Spar shop in Eikefjord before pushing back west and mooring up after a cruise of around 921 miles from Hull.

No idea who this chap is, but the Spar looks good

What looks like a gorge could be our easiest route inland through a forest to reach our final destination, only half a mile away at face.rhino.buisness What3words

The first section of our journey, to Hull Marina entrance, has been calculated using canalplan. It would be 200 miles and 2 furlongs, include 89 locks, take 79 hours and 41 minutes, so just over 11 days.

Then with an average speed on the Humber and sea of 5mph we reckon cruising time will be 184 hours. Crossing the North Sea (284miles) we’d not be able to stop, so that would be a 57 hour continuous cruise, taking turns being tied to the helm, Tilly would be exempt from these duties. The rest of the journey at 7 hours a day (a long days cruise for us nowadays) would amount to 18 days.

So in total we’d cover 1121miles, 89 locks. Taking us a total of 31.5 days, so lets call that 32.

If my puzzle book had said faces.rhino.buisness we’d have been heading to Alaska.

If face.rhinos.buisness, New Mexico.

If faces.rhinos.buisness, then Queensland.

We’re quite glad our destination is only Norway!

In other news, today has continued to be very windy. Tomasz Schafernaker on the weather forecast said it would be a touch breezy this afternoon. He lied!

It was so windy that Tilly’s shore leave had to be curtailed as it was too windy for cats. We managed a walk up to the bins, but decided to go no further. The rest of the day was spent painting illustrations.

Following on from Tom’s post regarding Costco toilet rolls. We have compared the toilet roll tubes from our last two lots of paper. The wide one was from a pack of nine rolls we purchased when it was all we could buy in Nantwich about 9 weeks ago. The other a more established brand. This more established brand has the smaller diameter, yet the roll before being used had the same outside dimension.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 very very windy day, 1 boat pinned to the side, 2 mad cruising boats, 1 ivy clad tree a touch too close for comfort, 1 cruise planned.

One’s Better Than None. 21st May

Lockdown Mooring 4A to Cholmondeston Lock to Lockdown Mooring 4A

Time to fill up with water, we’ve not been so careful this last few days so the tank hadn’t lasted so long. But which water point to choose? I knew as there was something that needed to be picked up.

We reversed back through bridge 97 to Hurleston Junction, winded and headed up to Barbridge. Our Lockdown Buddies were all busy, some already with plans as to which way to head when cruising restrictions are lifted this weekend. Most of us will need to move off the 48hr moorings on Monday. At the moment we plan on staying around the area for another week or two with the hope that the Covid-19 statistics improve.

For the last two months we’ve hardly met another boat on the move, but now numbers are picking up. Those visiting their boats for the first time in a couple of months, maybe even this year, are out for a there and back day cruise. Others who can’t wait for the weekend and who have started to move already. So of course today we met a boat at a bridge hole, we were the closest, ‘Just like old times’.

I stood as look out at Barbridge Junction and signalled the way ahead was clear as we turned into the Middlewich Branch. The building site opposite is back up and running again.

Not what you normally see on the Four Counties

A cruiser with a huge engine sat on a trailer by the slipway at Barbridge Marina, bit of overkill for the canal system.

Now most of the Hawthorn blossom has gone, but getting going is the Elderflower. A few more days before the flower heads are out fully.

The plant pot lady on her swing now just about overgrown.

The length of boats we’d left a couple of months ago are still moored above Cholmondeston Lock. Each with their little patch and all very friendly now. A group stood round the water point as we pulled up, a boat just having finished filling. They wound their hose up and gave us room.

With the tank filling I took a large shopping bag with me and headed off on my own. There was a delivery I needed to pick up, sadly a second one hadn’t arrived. I returned to Oleanna where one half of Mick’s birthday present was presented wonderfully wrapped in a Sainsburys bag.

A while ago Paul, from Waterway Routes, had pointed us in the direction of Tannus tyres. These are solid tyres so therefore cannot get a puncture. As our faithful Brompton has had a couple of punctures lately I decided to fork out for a pair.

Delays had happened. The company only dispatches orders the following week as they were working with reduced staff. They sent no confirmation of my order and it was only when it arrived that I was informed that there was only one tyre, not a pair! I ordered a second one, luckily getting some discount from the company. Then I wasn’t able to pick it up until Wednesday. Hence all the delay. So either Mick will get his Christmas present early or Tilly has used up all her pocket money for the next five years in buying the second tyre.

Look at that de-lamination, that used to be plywood.

Lunch was eaten as the water tank filled, we then backed past the line of boats and headed back home.

They’ve lost the ability to change the outside!

Videos of how to fit a Tannus tyre were watched, they are renowned to be quite tricky as they are a solid tyre. Time to give it a go.

The Brompton had it’s front tyre removed, easier than the rear one, it also had a slow puncture. Then the choice of which pins too use, red, blue or black. The blue ones were the correct size for the wheel. These were fed into the holes and then Mick started to fit the tyre. He’d had the foresight to leave the tyre on the rear hatch sitting in the sun for a while. This made the tyre more malleable and considerably easier to fit than expected.

The wheel back on the bike it was taken for a test drive a short distance up the towpath. Just the second tyre to arrive now and he’ll be puncture proof.

I started on some details and shadows on my illustrations. This became quite satisfying, the characters now taking shape and form on the page. There is still more to do and the slight disappointment when I realised that the main character, Emma not only has a stripy cardigan but her coat is multicoloured also! I saved that as a job for tomorrow.

0 locks, 5.55 miles, 0.2 in reverse, 2 winds, 1 right, 1 left, 1 full water tank, 0.5 present, 1 solid tyre, 1 birthday boy kept busy, 1 endless coat, 2 neighbours gone, 1 new neighbour.

Vegging Out. 30th April

Almost Lockdown Mooring 4 to Marsh Lane Winding Hole to Almost Lockdown Mooring 4

Yesterday I’d checked with the greengrocer about what time they start delivering their veg boxes, luckily for us it wasn’t too early so we didn’t need to set an alarm clock. We had our usual cuppa in bed and then set off back to bridge 95 not quite a mile away.

Here we hunted for the holes in the concrete edge we’d made yesterday. Mick found the one for the stern, but try as I might at the bow it hid from me, only showing itself when we pushed off later! Once our spikes were in we made better note of where they were for next week.

Time for breakfast, we could have been there for half an hour or right into the afternoon, but fortunately it was the former. Around 10:20 I got a phone call to say our box had arrived. Mick got out and waved, our box was laid on the towpath for Mick to pick up so that distances could be maintained. The chap said he does a big delivery to a boater at Venetian Marina which then gets passed on along the Middlewich Branch. This is where I’d got the idea from, the local Covid-19 Boaters group on facebook.

What had we got? I was excited!

I’d requested no cauliflower, but some garlic and a sweet potato. The rest was a mystery, a £15 mystery.

1 lettuce, 1 very long cucumber, a bag of new potatoes, 2 huge parsnips, a bag of carrots, 1 sweet potato, 2 bulbs garlic, 1 aubergine, 1 small butternut squash, a bag of tomatoes, 3 bunches of spinach, 2 onions, 1 red onion and some broccoli. That would certainly keep us going until next week.

Clem’s (or Nantwich Veg Boxes) does different sized boxes, some just veg, some just fruit, some a mixture. I’d gone for £15 veg as that is roughly what I’d spent on their market stall a few weeks ago. Next week I suspect we might still have a few bits left so I’ll try a mixed box of a similar size and see what lies within one of those.

If we could put together a big enough butchers delivery then we’d only have to use the supermarkets for pasta, rice, flour, milk etc. oh and wine boxes! Mick managed to get another Sainsbury’s click and collect at the weekend so any gaps we have will be filled with a bike trip along with getting our Saturday newspaper. Plain gluten free flour however is proving to be impossible to get unless ordered direct from Doves Farm in a 16kg bag!

As we’d be needing to top up with water in a day or two we decided to headed on into Nantwich today, cutting down on our movements. I walked to give me calf muscle a stretch.

All the Blackthorn blossom has gone, but is now being replaced by Hawthorn, weighing down the branches so they almost meet the Cow Parsley reaching up from the towpath. I suspect in a few days time the blossom will be fantastic, Narnia in May. We’ve often been up near Crick and Houdini’s Field at this time of year and some of the stretches are glorious.

Rubbish and water dealt with we pootled on to the winding hole, turned and headed back out of town to Hurleston. We could see a very big black cloud heading our way, would we make it in time without getting wet. Sadly no.

The boat that had been in the spot we’ve started to call home had moved on this morning before we left, but this afternoon had been replaced by another. We knew we’d fit in the gap, so resumed sharing rings.

Time to plan our menu for the next week. Eating up the more perishable veggies first. We don’t tend to eat that much salad, but we may do over the coming weeks. Chicken Curry new style, salmon and spinach pasta will use the spinach up. Just how to shoe horn the glut of potatoes into everything. Well tonight we had fish pie with a mash topping (I normally do a crumble top) with a nice side salad.

During the evening I started sewing the button band onto my treat cardigan. This took quite a few goes to get right to start with, but it just about worked out before bed. I just need to finish the end with a few rows of blue, then just a few finishing touches, find those buttons I bought in Devizes, block it and it will be ready to wear. I seem to have enough yarn left over to possibly make a matching hat too, bonus!

0 locks, 5.5 miles, 2 winds, 2 straights, 1 cruise before breakfast, 1 box of fresh yummyness (see above for item numbers), 1 ray of hope, 1 full water tank, 0 rubbish, 1 big bag of recycling, 1 weeks menus just about planned, 1 cardi nearly done, 3 hours shore leave, 1 new neighbour, 3 pooh buckets on the towpath.

Surprises. 26th April

Lockdown Mooring 4 to Cholmondeston Water Point to Lockdown Mooring 4

A surprise biscuit was added to Tilly’s breakfast this morning. Fewer biscuits than normal too. The surprise biscuit is a touch smaller than the rest, a slightly different shape but a similar colour, that’s if the cut side is turned away from the consumer. The biscuits were put down on Tilly’s mat first thing and checked periodically to see if the surprise had been eaten.

After an hour or so of shore leave the doors were closed, despite the constant whinging the doors stayed shut and we made ready to push off. We reversed under Bridge 97, winded at the bottom of the Hurleston flight and then headed northwards to Barbridge junction.

This morning there hadn’t been as much weedy scum around us, yesterday at times there had seemed to be quite a flow on the cut, maybe intentional to refresh the water. But we soon caught up with the slime where it had congregated.

It’s good to be moving even if just for a short time

I stood at the bow as we approached Barbridge as look out. All was clear as we turned onto the branch. We’ve not been this way for a few weeks, so it was a nice change of scenery.

As we reached the end of the line of moored boats we came across the biggest patch of green so far. Bleurgh!! In a few weeks time will a trip to the water point no longer be an essential reminder of cruising but become one plagued with trips down the weed hatch to clear the prop?

A lady warned us that by Venetian Marina was very busy with boats, but we told her we’d be back shortly as we had no intention of descending the lock. We met NB Halsall close to a bridge, no need of a top up of diesel today, the sun has been doing it’s job with our solar so we’ll last a while longer.

The same boats were still moored towards the lock. As we pulled up the boat nearest the water point had just finished filling up so things were perfectly timed. The bathroom got a good clean as the tank filled. Vessels were also filled, the kettle, the bottle used to rinse the separator on the toilet, the spray bottles topped up too.

This outside looked very good, plenty of fresh green friendly cover. But all they did was get the hose out and give Oleanna a drink. All I was allowed to do was watch from my shelf. Then all too soon the outside was untied and allowed to drift away backwards until Tom turned it round again.

Will we be able to see this couple next time we visit?

Back to the junction and back towards Hurleston. One of the chaps moored by the bottom of the locks has been busy signwriting his boat. He’s been doing a very lovely job, including three coats of yellow paint before adding details and shadows. Yellow is always a bad colour for coverage.

He stood up as we passed saying that he had designed the perspex yellow bike from the Tour de France we have in our window from 2014 at Hebden Bridge. His son had made them. We’d seen them in shops around the town and had managed to hunt down one of the last ones. We’re not ones for plaques, but the yellow bike is a prized possession of ours.

The same two rings were tied to with innies and then the back door opened up.

Surprise Tilly!

We’re in the same outside yet again!!!!

At first she didn’t seem too impressed, the strands of grass she’d not finished eating this morning still sat on the hard edge. After a few minutes of confusedness, she was away through the sideways trees and back in the field hunting out her friends.

0 locks, 5.61 miles, 0.25 in reverse, 2 winds, 1 right, 1 left, 1 wormer consumed, 1 load washing, 0 blackthorn blossom, 5 scummy stretches, 1 coal boat, 1 covid hello,1 full water tank, 1 threatened rain storm, 1 synopsis read, vegetable research required, 1 lazy starter!

A Touch Further. 15th April

Lockdown Mooring 4

Today Mick had extra errands to do on his bike other than just the click and collect from Sainsburys. I’d managed to track down a local timber merchants that is open in the mornings Richard Potter Ltd. A quick phone call this morning and bingo they had dust masks! I go the chap to put a pack aside for me. I’ve been wanting to get on with some painting of Oleanna, which of course requires the existing paintwork to be rubbed back. When doing small areas I haven’t bothered with a mask in the past, but in the current climate I’d rather not be adding any dust to my lungs.

Just about any suitable masks on the internet were being snapped up by those wanting to wear them day to day when outside, so I was relieved to be able to get hold of some locally which are suitable for the job in hand.

As Mick cycled away I checked on my stock of sandpaper, nothing, well it wasn’t where it should be. I knew I was running low anyway so that and some masking tape were added to Mick’s list.

Whilst he was away shopping I continued to reread Communicating Doors by Alan Ayckbourn. The theatre in Vienna were interested in putting on the show next year, but had been told by previous designers that it wouldn’t fit on their stage. A month or so ago I’d come up with a possible layout that might work, the other day I read Act 1 and today Act 2. If the director can live without having a bath I think I have a solution. Who knows whether the show will be mounted, but at least I can say that they could do it. Austria this week are lifting a few of their restrictions, allowing smaller shops to reopen. It will be sometime before theatres open their doors again. Here they were the first things to close, so in my mind will be the last to reopen. But there is no harm in having a show up your sleeve.

Mick returned with the shopping, walking along the towpath. Only one thing was missing from our Sainsburys order and that was hand wash. We’ve just opened our last bottles and in normal times we’d buy more to have in reserve.

This afternoon I decided to extend my walk a touch and head off on footpaths to see what Stoke Hall looked like in comparison to the Manor. I walked northwards along the towpath to Stokehall Bridge 99 where I headed north east across fields.

A bridge over a stream meant I just had to have a game of Pooh Sticks. I both won and lost, the longer stick being faster than the shorter thicker one.

The hall soon showed itself through the trees. A Grade 2 listed building from the 17th Century it has been extended through the centuries, mostly during the 19th Century. Three storeys red brick in Flemish Bond it doesn’t look quite as imposing as the Manor does. But I hunted down the details from when it was last on the market and their photos are far better than mine. The interior has wonderful panelling and a small blue swimming pool adds to the seven bedrooms and similar number of reception rooms.

I crossed the freshly ploughed field aiming straight for the stile on the far side, few foot prints to follow on this field. Then a short distance along the road before climbing into a field with a couple of horses.

Stiles a bridge and a hedge to negotiate

The footpath took me across grazing land, over small planked bridges and over stiles in hedges. A farmer plough his field heading uphill whilst the path I followed took me past last years cut off stumps of maize.

My OS map showed a trig point, so I veered off the marked footpath to spot it. Not much good for it’s purpose now as it’s surrounded by trees, but it’s still there.

I then continued straight along the footpath to where a stile brought me onto the road that leads either to Cholmondeston or Nantwich.

Next I had a choice to walk to Venetian Marina and Cholmondeston Lock, returning along the canal and past Lockdown Mooring 1, or to follow a road to the west which would see me passing Stoke Hall again. The former won, the road was a touch busier than I’d expected.

Walking up to the lock and standing on the bridge above the bottom gates I sighed. On the 23rd of March we’d known what was coming and headed up the lock for the last time. This is starting to feel like another life, another time.

I now followed the canal back to Barbridge Junction. Many of the boats that had been there three weeks ago are still moored in the same places. I spotted a couple of boats that we’ve seen moving, now back on their home moorings and got to say hello to a lady who is a member of the local Covid boaters group.

Back on the main Shropie a lady paused whilst gardening to have a chat. Her and her husband have been busy tidying their mooring and we’ve said hello each time we’ve passed when going for water. She said I must have been a long way, which I had, a touch further than I’d imagined, but it was making up for not working our way up the Cheshire Locks on the Trent and Mersey today. We chatted away across the cut, their boat was being painted when lockdown happened. Luckily the painter has been able to continue work, but all they’ve seen so far is photographs. I suspect we’ll have another chat the next time I pass.

0 locks, 1 walked over, 0 miles, 5.7 miles walked, Act 2 read, 1 solution, 3 masks, 2 boxes wine, 7 black plastic bags, 2 grades sandpaper, 2 rolls masking tape, 3 days quarantine, 3 on the offside, 1 Hall, 2 horses, 6 kissing gates, 4 small bridges, 2 sticks, 2 gardeners, 15 minutes chat, 2 concerned home owners, 3rd chicken left over meal, hash with an Indian influence, 1 shouty boat up the locks, 1 shouty boat down the locks.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna