Category Archives: Shropshire Union Canal

A Gurney And A Cinema Inside A Cinema. 5th 6th February

Chester

Chester Cathedral was extensively rebuilt from 1250 and took around 275 years to complete. The red sandstone gives the interior quite a dark feel, good job there are lots of lights, it must have quite eerie just in candle light.
As we entered the organ stuck up with a very capable organist at it’s helm practicing several pieces, air could be heard circulating up to the pipes from below. Music is always a good thing in such big churches, not only is it nice to listen to (when in good hands), but it makes the place more welcoming and less like you have to tiptoe around so as not to disturb other’s prayers.

Works were on going on a lego model of the Cathedral, the higher parts of the building either not built yet or just removed to be able to see the interior. For £1 you can add a brick, but there was nobody around to enable us to build one tiny part.

Dotted around are large black stove like things, radiators. Closer inspection revealed them to have a hinge on the back and the start of a pipe from the rear. The Gurney Stove was developed by a surgeon, Goldsworthy Gurney, who had an interest in engineering. In 1825 he patented a steam carriage, going on in 1842 to patent a system of heat recovery from light fittings. In 1852, Gurney was appointed to investigate the ventilation problems in the House of Commons where he flashed off large quantities of gunpowder in the chamber to observe the motion of the air currents, he was said to have posed a greater risk than Guy Fawkes!
His interest in heating led him to invent a new type of warm-air stove. It was described as a metallic vessel having a number of plates extending from its outer surface, standing with the plates vertical in a shallow trough of water. This provided humidification to counteract the drying feeling caused by the warm air. He soon sold the rights for his invention to the London Warming & Ventilating Company which advertised itself as ‘Proprietors of the Gurney stove’. The largest sized stove was 1 m in diameter and 2.7 m high. It consumed about 200 kg of coke a week and was said to be capable a heating a space of 120 000 ft3. By 1897 an advert claimed ‘over 10 000 churches, schools, government and other public and private buildings successfully warmed by our system’. Some working examples still exist, some in Chester Cathedral. We considered getting one installed on Oleanna, but that would mean the ballast needing to be altered and the only space big enough would be in the bathroom with both doors open or closed all the time!

The West Window catches your eye when you first enter with it’s predominant blue, The Holy Family by W.T. Carter Shapland in 1961. The Westminster Windows also stand out. Three windows installed by Alan Younger to mark the 900th anniversary of the founding of the Benedictine Abbey on the site. The windows were a gift from the 6th Duke of Westminster and replaced 19th Century glass that was damaged in WW2.

In the Chapter House is an installation by the artist Liz West, Our Colour Reflection. This piece takes up the whole room. Over 100 circular coloured mirrors sit at differing heights on the floor, reflecting coloured light from the windows up to the ceiling and in turn showing to the viewer dots of coloured reflection. It’s a rather mesmerising piece and deserves a visit whilst it is here.

We had a second visit to the Storyhouse on Tuesday, this time to visit the cinema to see Darkest Hour. A very good performance from Gary Oldman as Churchill and an enjoyable film. Artistic licence has been used when Churchill uses the tube, which apparently wasn’t the right sort of carriage for the line in question.
The cinema itself was interesting. Going into the older part of the building up the original staircase to what is now called the mezzanine, the skirting boards reminded me of what I would have been doing at this time of year at the SJT in Scarborough over a decade ago, giving the front of house some TLC with a paint brush. I have to say I prefer the colour scheme here to the original Odeon salmon pink. The cinema itself seats 100 and is a pod like box which has been installed where the circle used to be. Walkways for the library curve round it with work spaces retaining much of the feel of the balcony and the restaurant and bar being sited underneath.

Inside the pod the red theme of the building continues. You enter either side of the screen and step down to your spacious seats. These seats have plenty of leg room and for those with little legs who find their feet dangling there are extra cushions available to assist. By the end of the film I wished I’d picked one up. On Tuesdays and Thursdays before 5pm you can get cheaper seats if you are over 60. Mick decided to age himself by a few months to make use of the saving. With no Box Office as such in the building you purchase your tickets online or at one of the kiosks in the building, so self service really, having your ticket checked in entering.
Sat behind us were two visually impaired people who were being given head sets for the audio description of the film. The staff were setting up their headsets and said to let them know if they had any problems. Sadly and awkwardly we had a problem, the headsets leaked sound. So all the way through the film it sounded like someone was listening to loud music through headphones as they do on trains. At one point I thought that there must have been a technical problem as the noise coming from behind didn’t sync with the film and was getting louder and louder. This of course was actually the very good sound system in the cinema with an effect very similar to the head sets. As we left we managed too have a word with one of the ushers, not a complaint as we believe in accessibility to all, just that maybe someone should look at the design of the headsets. Unless you sit near someone with them on, you’d never be aware of the problem.

Our other observation was next time we will book seats nearer to the screen. Because access into the cinema is from either side of the screen you are aware of anyone sneaking out to the loo, ushers checking people are okay and the occasional library user who has lost their way whilst trying to find 851 in the Dewey Decimal Classification. Maybe entrances at the back of cinemas were a good idea after all.

Sometimes post finds us all by itself.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 loads washing, 18 inches of blanket, 100 mirrors, 6 giant black stoves, 1 not so naughty seat, £1 lego bricks, 500g dried plums, 2 tea balls, £2.50 off for 60’s, 3 stepped skirting, 1 booster block required, 1 blanket also, 851 Italian Poetry, 1 invite accepted, 1 snowy day in Chester.

Eyes, Walls And Puddings 3rd 4th February

Chester

It’s that time of year again when we get our eyes tested. During the week Mick had booked us both appointments at Boots. Our thought was that should either of us need new glasses then we’d be able to pick them up in a couple of weeks on our way back from Ellesmere Port and we’d be able to keep ourselves amused in the meantime.

Going to the same brand of opticians (but in different towns) each year, we thought would give us some sort of continuity. But that will only happen later this year when all their customers records will be accessible from any branch. So when my optician pointed out the little wiggly veins in my eyes he only had my word for it that they are always there and my blood pressure is okay. And I am also assuming that the wiggles haven’t got any worse over the two years since my last test and since the last time my blood pressure was checked.

My prescription had changed, especially for reading (which I was aware of). So new glasses. Before we moved on board I tried out varifocals, but these just made me constantly feel like I was about to get a migraine, so they went back and I’ve been living with two pairs of glasses since. Now that I spend my evenings knitting in front of the TV, I end up choosing one pair and either peering over the top at the TV or under at what I’m making, not ideal. So I’ve decided to go for a pair of bifocals and a new pair of distance glasses for outdoor use.

The lady who looked after me did her best to get me to part with large amounts of money on new designer frames, walking straight to those that don’t have a price tag on them! I hate this process and would so much prefer to be left alone to make my selection having had a little bit of guidance as to what frames would be best for my prescription. If I could reuse my old frames I would. It took a while for her to get the message that I wanted simple, none twiddly glasses, most definitely not pink! The first pair that I let her price up for me came up at over £450 with everything added, most of which I don’t feel are necessary for my life style. I think my reaction, which wasn’t of surprise, got the message across and she started to look at the priced range. Mick did better than me and successfully managed to put off the need for new glasses for another year.

The sun met us on Sunday morning and after breakfast we decided to make the most of the day and go for a walk around the city walls.

Each day they open up the doors for me, but still no change! It is hardly even worth stepping off the boat here, other than to gain access through the side. Watching from inside the pram cover is different, but all really rather pointless. I’m beginning to realise why the Cheshire Cat grins, he’s grinning and bearing it!

We joined the circular walk just by where the new Inner Ring Road punched a hole through the walls in 1966. The footbridge over the road is certainly of it’s period and slightly strange adjoined to Roman Walls of pink sandstone at either end. Views over the basin gave us a glimpse back to Oleanna opposite the new student accommodation. These new buildings from this angle looked quite warehouse like but with a modern feel to them.

Walking anticlockwise we soon came to the racecourse. In Roman times this was the port of Chester, busy and thriving, second only to Bristol on the west coast. By the Middle Ages the river had gradually silted up and the area became known as the Roodee. The first horse race was held on 9th February 1539. Henry Gee was mayor of Chester at the time and because of his surname horseraces became known as ‘Gee-gees’.

Next came the Castle, it’s red sandstone standing out against it’s grassy bank. The first timber castle was built here in 1070 by William the Conqueror. In the 12 and 13th Centuries a stone castle took it’s place and was extended by successive Earls of Chester.

The views over the river come next, the walls dipping down to the bank, never really reaching the heights that the Bar Walls get to around York. Here there is a weir holding back the tidal waters below, although the tide was in, so the weir was submerged. At one time there was a gate added to the weir to allow boats access to the non- tidal river above. This sits just alongside the Old Dee Bridge and a precarious cat ladder leads down to it. The gate is now out of use, but there is talk of building a lock to replace it along with work on the Dee Branch of the Shroppie to enable boats access to the river.

Approaching Newgate the architectural styles of the city sit close to one another. The NCP Pepper Street car park a testament to the times it was built. Sitting on the very top of the stairwell was what looked like a stone lion. We shall have to return for a photo from below as it turns out that the car park was built on the site of the Lion Brewery. When demolished the Lion that had sat high on the building was removed, looked after and later positioned up on the top of the stairwell surveying all around it.

Eastgate Clock Tower is just as pretty close to as it is from below. The views along Eastgate with all it’s tall half timbered buildings is wonderful, although we seemed to be the only people stopping to have a look.

As the city wall popped out into the open again at the back of the Cathedral we were greeted by the overwhelming noise from the bells being rung. In 1975 a new bell tower was built to rehouse the bells from the cathedral. The building, another of it’s time, was the first free standing bell tower to be built by an English cathedral since the 15th Century and it is now Grade 2 listed.

From here we dropped down into the city for a bit of shopping. I headed to Abakhan for some wool for my next project before finishing off the walk around the walls and heading back to the boat.

We’d been made aware that today was Yorkshire Pudding Day. Oleanna was built with a double oven with Yorkshire Puddings in mind. So along with our roast chicken (no need to only have them with beef!) I had a go at gluten free puds. They came out much better than I’d expected, but definitely need eating straight away as they get a little bit tough as they cool. My Mum however wouldn’t have approved. Her Yorkshires were the very best, cooked in 1lb and 2lb bread tins and served before the meat with homemade gravy. They would rise right to the very top of the tins and curl over still having greasy bottoms (which was a test set by my Nana to see if she was a suitable girl for my Dad). Never would she have produced her Yorkshires in muffin tins let alone served with the meat! She would however have liked the rise I achieved, it’s all to do with the eggs and really really hot fat.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 eye tests, £450! 2 pairs for less than half, 15 minutes to choose wool, £5 Tesco Indian, 1 wall walk, 1 racecourse, 1 castle, 1 river, 1 pants artist, 3 giant balls, 1 roast chicken, 6 Yorkshires, 1 new project started, 1 cat sliding into depression!

Into Chester And Everything Goes Wrong 1st 2nd February

Cheshire Cat to Tower Wharf

When the weather arrived on Thursday, with the ducks surfing the waves past Oleanna we knew we’d made the right decision to stay put. Only one boat went past us all day and Tilly became an inanimate cat, she really wasn’t enamoured with it here!

At 2.20pm our delivery from Sainsburys arrived with a very jolly driver, Gilly. He chatted away as we unloaded our shopping at the stern, no pressure from him ‘You take your time’. One substitute today which hadn’t been put in a substitute bag, so when I came across flaked almonds we handed them back, as I’d wanted ground. Gilly handed them back to us after scanning them, we’d get a refund and get to keep them, I suspect it takes a bit of time at the end of the day to return things to the store.

So now our stocks were replenished and we had choices of what to eat again. The wine cellar was full with cat food, cereal and some wine.

We pottered away the rest of the day. I had a go at knitting a toe up sock for the first time which was mostly successful once I’d got the gist of the pattern. I think on the second one I’ll do some slight alterations and hopefully improve the finished result.

The sun accompanied Friday morning and the wind had died down. We got ourselves ready for our finial approach into Chester. This is when we hoped that our timings would work out as I’d given our friend Sue a time we thought we’d be leaving the Cheshire Cat and when we thought we’d arrive at Northgate Staircase Locks. A message part way through the morning suggested that she’d try to meet us at the staircase as she was working her way through petty cash.

At Christleton Lock a boat was just entering the lock to come up. So I popped down to see if I could help. Having been this way only twice in our earlyish boating days we never really got the hang of how to come up these locks other than very slowly. Using a rope to hold your boat into the side and opening the same side ground paddle works a bit on some of the locks, but not all and your bow can move pretty quickly across the chamber to hit the other side. So when the chap asked for me to open the paddle slowly I did as I was asked and the boat stayed put at the side.

It soon became obvious to us that the couple must be fairly new to boating. Plenty of fenders hanging off their gunnels to get caught and drop off into locks. They thought they had got to the basin in Chester and hadn’t known about the staircase. The next locks were set in our favour, but we soon learnt to check all the paddles were fully down as Greenfield Lock was taking an age to empty. The paddle had been lowered but the last two inches, which is hard to see had been left up.

The buildings by the locks are lovely. The rather grand cottage by Tarvin Road Lock and the interesting buildings by Hoole Lane Lock. No donkeys though today, only duck houses on the off side.

The levels are rather high at the moment, most probably due to all the rain of late. So along one stretch instead of walking I hitched a ride, saving having to paddle. A couple who had recently moved to Chester stopped by the last lock to watch, they had recently moved up from living by the Solent and knew very little about canals and narrowboats, their knowledge being about sailing boats. We both chatted away to them and suggested that they should also walk down towards the basin and visit the museum at Ellesmere Port.

We were ahead of schedule, so we pulled into the new 2hr Stop and Shop mooring outside the new Waitrose. Here I picked up some ground almonds and stocked up on Verde Lasagne (my favourite which is hard to find anywhere else). Then we were back on our way. There was plenty of space along this stretch where we could moor, but the number of bars here would make for a noisy weekend.

The canal bends round and follows the line of the City Walls which sit high above whilst you travel through a deep sheer sided cutting through stone. Then up ahead the staircase.

The top and bottom chambers were full, the middle one empty. So I set about emptying the bottom one whilst Mick brought Oleanna into the top. We disposed of rubbish at the bins here which stalled our descent long enough for Sue to arrive. Sue is a keen sailor back in Scarborough, but also didn’t understand the mechanics of locks, never having to use them. Once the principle was explained it all made sense.

Slowly we worked our way down the three chambers. This time I made sure everything had been set correctly before we started and kept a close eye on proceedings, whilst chatting to Sue. The last time we were here a paddle had been left slightly up on the bottom chamber which hadn’t been spotted by us or our fellow locking partners, more water had to be let down, conversations were too interesting, too much water was let down and we had to wait a long time for levels to equalise! Basically we’d messed it up, got everything wrong! But today all was fine and Sue had just enough time to hop on the back of Oleanna to travel round into the basin with us before having to return to her paperwork.

We’d heard a week ago that down here was rather full, but as we rounded the bend there were only two boats, plenty of space. So we pulled up on the nearest mooring to the water point. Shame we’d not thought to put a load of washing on earlier in the day as it would have had a good go at drying on the whirligig this afternoon. It’s changed a lot since we were here in 2011, I’ll see if I can find some photos.

Please can we go back to Welsh Wales! It was good there. Everywhere in this Chester outside is boring. This one doesn’t even have any trees, just a stupid woman who fed the flying rats right by our boat. You would have thought having all those birds about Tilly would be engrossed, but around a hundred pairs of flapping wings were really quite scary.

This evening we went along to the Storyhouse. Opened last May in a converted Odeon (sounds familiar) this is a really interesting building. Here is the library, two theatre spaces, a cinema, restaurant and two bars all pretty much intermingled. The old cinema auditorium is now the foyer, library, restaurant and bar space with the original curved ceilings and new walkways added. The 800 seat theatre sits at the back of the 1930’s building in a new purpose built extension. It felt like a mix of the Lowry, HOME and Birmingham Rep and library. A very welcoming space for all, young and old, even the dressing up boxes had clothes for all sizes.

We’d come along to see The Play That Goes Wrong that Sue is working on. She’d managed to get us two tickets for the show which is playing to sell out audiences across the country. We knew that these were restricted view seats so before making ourselves comfortable we made sure we had a look at stage right of the set so we knew what there was. The show is not High Art, but with that title you’d not expect it to be. But if you want a couple of hours laughing at the sheer slapstick farce of it all then go and see it. Winning the Best New Comedy Olivier Award in 2015 and the set won a Tony it is slick, fast paced and a reminder to any theatre professionals of all their anxiety dreams rolled into one, anything that could go wrong does time and time again!

After the show Sue met us and showed us around back stage seeing all the workings of the set as stage management tidied up. A few drinks in the pub next door with her rounded off a very good day.

The temperatures are forecast to drop in the next few days to below freezing. So we think we’ll stay put for a while by the water point instead of heading off to Ellesmere Port.

8 locks (3 a staircase), 3.24 miles, 0 donkeys, 3 boxes green lasagne, 200grams ground almonds, 1 Sue, 1 pole position mooring, 3 days of pants outsides! 2 comp tickets, 1 new theatre, 1 blank spot, 2 pink pills, 1/3 stage not visible, 1 very physical show, 1 long interval, 2 glasses wine, 1 sunny lovely day.

Life Without Technology. 31st January

Beeston Stone Lock to The Cheshire Cat

Being in a Black Hole meant not being able to log onto the internet this morning. Over breakfast I usually catch up with boaters blogs that I follow, but not today, no checking facebook either! We had been taken back to pre mobile phone days. We’ve often wondered how life would have been cruising the canal network with no means of contact other than the phone boxes marked in Nicholsons. Maybe we’d have talked to our family more, ringing in every couple of weeks so that they knew we were still alive and roughly where we were. Of course then we knew no different. Would we have felt isolated? I wonder if we’d still be cruising or have headed home to the comforts of regular post and the telephone. Trying to get hold of my Mum, 30 odd years ago, with news that one of her best friends had passed away when she and Dad were on a holiday touring Scotland proved impossible even though we knew their vague itinerary. Yet today in 2018 I heard of the passing of Mick Hughes the day after. I know what friends are up to all across the world and how wintery showers and gusts of wind have inhibited boaters moves all whilst eating my cereal.

However today, well over breakfast, I read the inside of the label from my yoghurt pot! Quite a nice recipe for Chicken Tikka Kebabs, might check their website out too, when we get the internet back. Along with keeping in touch we also rely on the internet for information, maps for shops, good pubs, history and the weather. We usually watch the news and weather on TV every evening, but with no signal this meant we had to rely on our memory for the days forecast. No knowing whether we should wait till 11.30am for the big cold front to have gone over before pushing off, what we did know was that it would be cold and we had a pub to reach four hours cruise away.

So with breakfast finished, much quicker than normal, we pushed off. The boat ahead of us had beaten us to the locks this morning (maybe they didn’t have a yoghurt pot to read!) so they all needed filling. The sun was out but the wind was biting.

First was Beeston Stone Lock made from, Stone. Large blocks form the chamber. Next was Beeston Iron Lock made from, Iron. Around this lock there are signs warning boaters not to share the lock as the chamber walls are contorted and your boat can easily get caught. NB Blackbird and others we know have shared the lock but taken care, keeping an eye open for any problems before they become serious. Today we couldn’t share as there was nobody to share with. As Oleanna descended Mick’s phone sprang into life, emails, texts, the rest of the world was back at our finger tips.

Through the next bridge is Chas Hardens Boat Hire. The brightly painted boats two abreast with a third boat tied up waiting for some attention, it’s owner sat at the stern. At first it looked like the chicane was going to be too tight for Oleanna to pass through, but she managed it, if she’d have been any longer it would have been really tight.

The hills surrounding the canal now open up, the nearby railway line elevated along the flat valley and Beeston Castle looking down from it’s craggy perch. On our way back we’ll hopefully stop near here and walk up to admire the views.

I left Mick at the helm and retired indoors just as the first wintery shower hit. First a chilli was put on the stove top to slowly cook. Now we had done all the locks for the day there was no danger of it being dislodged and covering the cabin floor. Next computers were updated, yesterdays blog uploaded and the label from the yoghurt pot (having now served it’s purpose) put in with the recycling. I arrived back up on deck with hot drinks just as we started to pass the long long line of boats moored at Golden Nook.

Our last trip up to Chester, back in October 2011 we didn’t recognise any of the boats here. But now several were familiar, some more than others. NB Bergen Fjord was the boat we hired to do the Cheshire Ring for Mick’s 50th ten years ago. It now has a stove and is most probably quite cosy on an evening, back then we sat in coats on the high dinette, my legs dangling, whilst we enjoyed our holiday with snowy showers and used three bottles of gas for the central heating. A few gaps in the moorings brought the total number down a little to 117, yes we did count. The blog post I wrote back in 2011 I believe was the first to include my list of numbers rounding up the day.

The wind was quite strong so we had to pass a little bit quicker than we normally would. Meaning that we couldn’t pull up alongside the most familiar boat and leave a little present under the pram hood for it’s owners. Wintery showers and dark dark skies ahead kept us forging on to our destination The Cheshire Cat.

This should be an ideal mooring for me, but NO! An ivy clad wall with loads of cars behind it. Some trees to climb, but too many woofers about to be able to reach them. I did manage to scale the wall and popped out when the hatch was opened, having to make a very swift dash across the towpath as a stupid big pompom woofer charged after me. The pub needs renaming, The Cheshire Woofer!

During the afternoon we did a big online shop to be delivered to us tomorrow. Our stocks are low of just about everything as we’ve had to carry food distances or not had much choice in what to buy for a while. Having been able to refer to a weather forecast we shall stay put tomorrow avoiding the strong winds, just hope they aren’t too strong as our mooring has a big old tree hanging right over us!

This evening we met up with Bridget and Storm for a drink at The Cheshire Cat, which is a nice pub despite what Tilly thinks. A lovely evening with a few pints and lots of conversation as ever.

3 locks, 8.7 miles, 0 emails, 25 emails, 1 chicane, 1 vat of chilli, 5365754 turns of a windlass (I still hate those very low geared paddles), 117 boats, 29 mins 32 seconds, 107, 4 boxes only, 1 fed up cat, 0 to hunt, 2.5 pints each, 3.5 days for Blackbird, 135 days for Oleanna, 1 party invite, 100% phone, 100% TV, 100% internet, 100% caught up, 1 black guiding light delivered.

Farewell To The Llangollen. 30th January

Stoneley Green Bridge, Llangollen to Beeston Stone Lock, Shropshire Union

Tilly was first up, pretending to admire the sunrise, but I think the dawn chorus was more appealing to her sat in her curtain hammock.

No dashing away, but no dillydallying either this morning, we had a proper days cruise ahead of us. Plenty of layers on to keep warm. Swanley Lock 1 was just ahead and we soon made it down the two locks and wound our way back towards Hurleston.

At Bridge 4 Mick was a spoil sport and wouldn’t let us moor. The signs to Snugburys made me plead with him. A third visit would mean a much more considered choice of chilled medication, but he wasn’t having anything of it! On the moorings NB Higgler sat waiting for it’s crew of Old English Sheep Dog and Corgies, bet they’d been allowed medication! This was really the first boat through the bridge yesterday, before it was officially opened. They had passed us at Wrenbury on Saturday and must have been waiting for the dam to be removed and waved on.

Traffic cones stood on ether side of the top lock at Hurleston. Two chaps then walked across the lock wheeling wheelbarrows! It looks like the lock cottage will be having an extension this year and two chaps were busy with the ground works, everything having to be carried across the lock. They lifted their walkway to let us into the lock and put it back again as soon as Mick was out of the way. So far they’d had to move it only three times, but they certainly weren’t looking forward to the start of the boating season, I suspect it could add a month to the build schedule.

We worked our way down and soon we were being followed by another boat.

New ladders were evident at the second lock, not having had chance to get discoloured yet. The last lock, the narrow one, we took slowly, only lifting one paddle to empty the water, keeping an eye on Oleanna descending, not wanting to get stuck. There were signs of the investigation works that were carried out in November to see if a total rebuild is needed.

Then with the bottom gates open, that was our time on the Llangollen over. We’d headed up the locks on the 17th November and have enjoyed our last two months immensely, but we are looking forward to being in a big city soon.

Mick turned Oleanna left at the junction and waited for me to cross over the bridge and join him. We were now back on the Shropshire Union Main Line, it suddenly got busy! We’ve got so used to only seeing one boat moving a day that all of a sudden it felt like we were on the M25! The first bridge hole and there was a boat coming towards us. Blimey where had all the traffic come from? Well three boats.

Being back on the Shroppie I made sure my camera was handy for all those kingfishers. Not long to wait as one flashed it’s blue back at us just before Barbridge and then obliged by sitting in a tree as we passed.

A brief pause for lunch before the junction and then we topped up the water tank and dealt with rubbish at Calveley.

Arriving at Bunbury we were a bit disappointed that we’d not be able to do the shuffle, no other moving boats in sight. This is our first wide lock since we came down from Wigan last year (that’s if you don’t count Big Lock in Middlewich). So much water, so much space, huge and heavy! Quite a shock to the system really. Bunbury is a staircase of two wide chambers, so you can fit two boats in at once. Should a single boat want to be going in the opposite direction they can enter the other chamber, the water is then moved from top to bottom, the central gates opened, then the Bunbury Shuffle can take place. One of the two boats moves into the gap in the other chamber, the single boat then moves into the new gap, the third boat into the next new gap. Gates closed and boats carry on up and down at the same time.

Another lock was worth doing today and as we approached Tilstone Lock we could see a boat that we thought was waiting, we could share! But no they were moored up. However at the lock there was activity, a boat was coming up. Such a busy world! I recognised it as a Carefree Cruising share boat and chatted to the lady. It was only their second week out and they were loving it, apart from the tent that they’d picked up around their prop yesterday which meant they didn’t have long to explore Chester.

We pootled along the wide canal, it felt like a river after being on the Llangollen for so long. Above Beeston Stone Lock we took advantage of the 48hr moorings and pulled in for the day, letting Tilly have the last hour of daylight to stare at the little twitches coming from the ivy clad hedge next to us and to practice her pouncing.

We’ve been this way twice before back in our share boat days, so somethings we’d forgotten about. The lovely little pepper pot buildings at the locks, the wideness of the cut, however we had remembered the total lack of phone, internet or TV signal by Stone Lock. Oh well that’s more we’ll have to catch up with on the internet, hope EE reset our allowance early again!

9 locks, 8 miles (rounded up), 1 left, 1 straight on, 1 tasty looking robin, 1 stunning sunrise, 10 minutes that’s all, 0 chilled medication, 1 big meanie Mick, 1 kingfisher, 5 moving boats so busy, 0 boats to shuffle with, 1 mooring close to road and rail, 0 signal of any sort! 0 map.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna