Hurleston Junction

A day of waiting. To while away an hour or so we had a walk up the Hurleston flight to have a look at the troublesome narrow chamber of the bottom lock. However it was full, so we couldn’t see much. Below there are signs saying to lift your fenders, they have been there for a long time. Just the width of a pipe fender down the side of your boat can make the difference between travelling through the lock with no problem and getting stuck! We don’t travel with fenders down as you tend to loose them and someone else inevitably finds them wrapped around their prop. When we moved onto Oleanna we left Lillian with a full set and gave away another set that we have gradually picked up through the years.

A gushing bywash passes the locks to their south side, sometimes audible as you walk up the towpath and sometimes underground. Other bywashes join the intermediate pounds all flowing quite freely today. At the top there is a service block which unfortunately is closed at the moment, so no toilets or pump out, but the water taps are still usable.

To the north of the four locks is Hurleston Reservoir. The water flowing down the canal from the Horseshoe Falls at Llantysilio fills the reservoir and is used for drinking water. It holds 85 million gallons of water and around 12 million gallons flows along the canal each day to keep it topped up. You can walk around the edge of the reservoir and today we had a great view eastwards towards Mow Cop and the Pennines. You also get a good view of the locks from here too.

Back at the junction there are some twisted garden railings intertwined with the undergrowth. This is all that is left of a two story house which was most probably a toll house as seen at many other canal junctions. The demolition of this building in the 60’s was the catalyst that helped start the Landmark Trust. Sir John Smith was so outraged at the buildings destruction that he was determined to prevent the loss of other small historic buildings that the National Trust and it’s likes were not interested in. The buildings that the Landmark Trust saves do not become museums, but are places people can inhabit, staying for short periods of time and enjoying the history that surrounds them. The wonderful Gate House at Tixall is one of these as is Lengthsman’s Cottage on the Stratford Canal.

Back at Oleanna we pottered away the day, an episode of Inspector Morse ‘The Wench is Dead’ kept us occupied.  Morse solves a murder on the Oxford Canal back in the 1850’s. We tried to work out where it had been filmed as the Oxford is a narrow canal, but it seemed to have broad locks, electricity and TV well in advance of most places! We did our best not to ring the chap at Midway Boats. We’d kept Tilly indoors for the morning just in case. But with no word we relented and let her out, thinking that this would surely mean he’d call. Luckily for me there was no call and I got to find friends and play for hours.

0 locks, 0 miles, 4 locks, 85 million gallons, 1 big bath, 9 waiting gulls, 2 waiting boaters, 1 murdering cat, 3 lemsips, 1 pair wrist warmers, 0.5 hat, 1 mackerel bake, episode 2 series 2.

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Nantwich Basin to Hurelston Junction

Waiting for a phone call from Midway Boats we decided that we should move on a little so as to be nearer Barbridge for when the filter housing arrives. But first we wanted to pop back into town for a couple of bits. Our five litre bottle of Rapeseed Oil is just about empty and it will be a few weeks before we can call in at our friends farm on the Yorkshire Wolds for a top up. This bottle has lasted us just over a year and calling in gives us a good excuse for a catch up with Jennie, Adam and their kids. But if we want a roast dinner between now and then we need more oil.

A trip back into town also meant that we could spot the last two clocks from our walk yesterday. The first one had been underneath our feet at one point and the other we’d missed by about 20ft when we turned a corner.

Today I realised that we’d been walking past a shop that a few years ago I’d have taken more notice of. Bratts. When I was about 16 for some reason I started to call my Dad, Fatso (Mum fed him well so he had some padding, but not too much). This was an affectionate name for him and he soon returned the complement and called me Brat. He remained Fatso to me for the rest of his life. So I had to have a photo taken outside my shop, I should have struck a pose to match the ladies behind.

As we were at the end of Pepper Street there was only one thing for it. A visit to Clewlows as there was no pie left on Oleanna. Another Pound Pie for Mick and as I’d been alright with the pastry the other day I tried a Steak Pie. This turned out to be better than the chicken, the steak was plentiful and very tender with a tasty gravy. We did our best to support the local shops and buy the rest of our bits from them, but as the only rapeseed oil we could find was at the grocers and was well over priced we relented and had to go to Morrisons for a bottle.

A quick lunch and then we pushed off aiming for Hurelston Junction in time for Tilly to have an explore. Coming round a bushy bend I could see a little bit of turquoise and darker blue, so I reached for my camera for todays Kingfisher photo. However as we got closer it turned out to be two fishermen and their rucksacks!

Further on though another bit of blue caught my eye, it was a Kingfisher. He kept zooming along to strike another pose for me on the next tree and then the next before swooping back behind us skimming the water surface out of view.

Just before the junction we pulled over to join other boats at the 48hr moorings. As usual we checked what was about before deciding on letting Tilly out, who by now was SHOUTING out of the bathroom window! There was a dog up the way, but it seemed far more interested in what was going on on the boats. So the front door was opened up and Tilly let loose. She wondered into the sideways trees only to have to dash the last bit as the dog came charging along the towpath towards her. I called out for her to keep going, but she just arched her back and puffed herself up facing the dog. Not sure if it was her or me who scared the dog off, but it soon turned round and sauntered back up the towpath. Tilly might have been alright with this, but we weren’t. She had a wonder around and then returned to the boat at which point the doors were closed and we pushed off again, cruising to the next stretch of moorings on the other side of the junction where we could be on our own. The trees here were far better anyway, don’t know why they didn’t come to this outside first of all!

The chap at Midway was still waiting for the filter and he would call us ‘as soon as it arrives’, translated as stop ringing me, I’ll ring you. So here’s hoping it arrives tomorrow.

0 locks, 1.93 miles, 1 straight, 2 moorings, 1 shelf, 2 more pies, 500ml oil, 2 clocks, 2 courgettes, 1 pepper, 1 pesky woofer, 2 imposters, 1 kingfisher.

Nantwich Aqueduct to Nantwich Basin Entrance

My it was chilly even in the sun today. Padded trousers and extra layers  were put on before pushing off this morning. Our water tank was showing a quarter full so we needed a top up, a load of washing was popped on too just to make the most of being at a water point. Despite the tap only being a few hundred yards behind us we crossed over the aqueduct and pootled to the first winding hole where we turned and returned to the service block. Further south on the Shropie there are already stoppages, so I doubt anyone is going any further for a while. The number or lack of boats surprised us along the embankment, plenty of room.

As one tank filled another was emptied and passersby stopped for a chat, mostly concerning the lack of facilities  in the area and what was going to be happening with the bottom lock at Hurleston in a weeks time. One chap was certain that they were going to rebuild it, but our stoppages list says that they are going to do a full survey of the narrowing lock chamber so that they can come up with a solution with the works being carried out next winter. Other works are going to be carried out on the flight through to mid December.

Once we were done we carried on through the next bridge and pulled up on a shadier visitor mooring. From here we walked back into town to go exploring some more.

A few days ago I’d noticed a metal plaque in the paving outside the Almshouses, this had a clock face. On hunting round the internet I could only find one reference to the Nantwich Hidden Treasures trail and this wasn’t much help. So yesterday we popped into the museum to see if they could shed any light on the plaque. They rummaged around behind the counter until they produced a leaflet. Fifteen places of interest around Nantwich each having a clock face with a different time somewhere nearby. We’d already visited quite a few places on the map, but there were others a little bit further out that might warrant a visit.

So with a different route planned, edited by me, we walked back into town to see if we could collect the clock faces and see interesting things.

Our walk took us to an island on the River Weaver where two mills used to be, numerous houses, churches, stocks, more almshouses (one that was moved brick by brick in the 70’s), the Civic Hall.

Plenty to see and learn about. One old chapel is being renovated and turned into 8 luxury apartments, sadly the building was covered in scaffolding, so not much of it could be seen. However looking on the company’s facebook page it looks like an interesting project. Who wouldn’t want an organ at the top of their stairs.

Overlooking one roundabout a large half timbered building stood surveying all around it. From across the way it looked sad and unloved, maybe all the black and white painted buildings elsewhere in town had clouded our minds to a greying building and the For Sale sign outside didn’t help. As we crossed over to look more closely at it our minds changed completely. The patches of lawn outside were neatly manicured, not a weed anywhere to be seen. Churche’s Mansion was built in 1577 for Richard Churche a local merchant. This Elizabethan Mansion is Grade 1 and will set you back £1,050,000, vacant possession, so you could move in straight away! It has recently been a restaurant and part of an antiques salesroom. Here’s a link to what it looked like about a year ago inside, a rare surviving merchants house, maybe something to do with the Salamander on the front of the house (indestructible by fire).

Plenty to see on our walk, but we were glad it was edited as we were now really rather chilly. We only missed two clocks.

Tilly was sat waiting for us to return in a window. I was actually watching the masses of stupid woofers running up and down. None of them doing anything useful, just sniffing each others bottoms and chasing each others tales as people shouted names at them. Then they came home, I don’t know why they bothered, I knew it was far too late for them to let me out! Selfish!!

0 locks, 1.69 miles, 1 aqueduct crossed twice, 1 wind, 1 full tank, 1 empty tank, 1 shaded mooring, 2 horses, 13 clocks collected, 2 missing, 1 kingfisher photo op just missed, 440 year old house, 1970’s move brick by brick, 1 stopped  millenium clock, 1 set of stocks  unusable, 1 Sunday roast to warm us up, 1 internet working better, we think.

Nantwich Aqueduct

We had a rekey at the marina this morning once Tilly returned from the trees below. Here there is a Laundrette with large driers. You can get a service wash done and they will also wash your duvets. This is one thing we’d been thinking about as ours were last washed before we left Kings Marina two years ago. The lady gave us a quote of £23, if we had more than one then she’d do us a good price, the only problem is the drying time. With it being not so warm anymore and our duvets being feather,to get them fully dry would take about four days. We should have thought about this earlier as once we know our filter can be sorted we want to be moving again and that might be Monday. So the duvets will have to wait for elsewhere or on our return journey at the beginning of next year.

At the chandlers we bought ourselves a smoke and CO alarm. Oleanna came with two alarms, but we have recently sussed that both are heat alarms which detect sudden changes in temperature and not CO. Now that the stove is alight pretty much 24/7 we’d feel happier to know that we are covered for the silent killer CO. Just a shame an American lady will tell us very loudly that we are in danger.

We then walked into town to check out the market and buy some baking potatoes. Stalls were outside the indoor market and there was plenty to see. With four potatoes and a new baseball cap for Mick (the latest having been swept off his head on the Ribble Link and the old ones once washed have disintegrated) we had made our purchases. I then wanted to have a look at a building we’d walked past a couple of times since we’ve been here, yet we’ve walked too close to it to see what lay above street level.

1 Pillory Street was built in 1911 for P H Chesters a local grocers.

The corner of Pillory Street and Hospital Street had been occupied by Chester’s Stores since 1869. Chesters was the largest grocery business in Nantwich with several premises in the town. In 1910 the existing premises on the corner were demolished along with adjacent properties so that Pillory Street could be widened as it was an accident hotspot. In it’s place the new store was built, designed by E H Edleston a local architect, in the French Baroque style of the 17th Century. A very fancy façade with large arched windows and a double storey attic with porthole windows, yet the goods inside remained at reasonable prices and Chester’s remained here until 1939.

The building is currently for sale, Rightmove has a guide price of £500,000 but the estate agents don’t mention a price. Along with the two lines of porthole windows with their cascading fruit and a dome with flagpole on the corner we were entranced by it’s guttering. This levitates sweeping it’s way around the building and across the lower attic windows. A rather wonderful building.

0 locks, 0 miles, 4 potatoes, 1 baseball cap, 2 pints milk, 2 mackerel fillets, 3 pavement clocks, 1 picturesque building, £600,000 needed to have a fantastic attic room apartment (donations gratefully received), 2 late to get duvets done, 2nd night of chilli, 2 jackets in the stove, 3 patterns worked out, 3/4 of hat knitted, 1 cat loving these none moving days.

Bridge 14 to Barbridge Junction

I knew it had been a cold night when the condensation created from our breath that had settled around an open porthole had frozen. Little icy dots slid around the frame as I tried to absorb the moisture with a sponge. Outside the world had a crusty white frosty coating, but the sun was out and it all soon disappeared (before I got the camera out). I was glad I’d turned our clothes around as we both put on our padded trousers ready to move.

As the covers were folded and rolled up out of the way the frost melted. The bow fender, button, steamed away as we pushed off. Onwards to Barbridge Junction.

Approaching Minshull Lock there were no boats waiting, in the summer you can queue here for hours awaiting your turn. Today we could see the bow of a boat just appearing as the bottom gates opened, the crew saw us and left the gates open for us. We were soon up and joked that we just needed a boat to appear above so that we could leave the gates too, one appeared as I waited to heave the gate closed. Perfect timing.

We like the Middlewich Branch, great views across down to the Weaver, wooded stretches, barbeque areas, friendly and user friendly. The two marinas were quite full as we passed, most boats now tucked up for winter. In fact the majority of boats on the move at the moment are share boats making the most of their last weeks this year. At Venetian Marina cafe they have a deal this November, two cooked breakfasts for the price of one (mention facebook). The pictures on facebook look good, but we managed to cruise on past, Mick’s are far superior anyway.

A short wait to go up Cholmondeston Lock and then we were on the flat for the rest of the day. Mick’s diesel clothes were put on a hot wash as we were now heading to a water point. At Barbridge Junction we turned right entering water we’ve not been on for six years. Nearing Calverley Services a boat was about to pull out, he waited for us to pass and then pushed off. Another boat was at the services and pulled out between us and the following boat, they’d rushed to untie, think we’d have patiently waited.

We carried on through the next bridge and pulled over for some lunch and to let the following boats pass. A good place away from the noisy A51, we considered staying here. But with a leaking bin bag full of diesel mop ups we needed a bin sooner rather than later and if the weather stayed cold we could find ourselves stuck for a while and the water was down to quarter of a tank. So once we’d warmed up we pushed off and carried on to the winding hole above Bunbury. Once we get off the Llangollen at the beginning of next year we may well head up this way to Chester.

Another shareboat was on the water point right in the middle, they moved up to make space for us as soon as they realised our intensions. Mooring was quite interesting. Now back with the busy A51 Mick couldn’t hear me shouting ‘Innie, Outy!’ A chap from the shareboat kept trying to engage in conversation with me, but Mick thought my replys were comments to him and then my gestures got misread. But in the end we got moored up and managed to have a conversation with the chap enjoying his beer whilst the rest of the shareboat crew washed  the boat down.

Whilst the water tank filled, three people chatted away to Mick as we emptied the yellow water tank. Just what is it with us emptying this tank, it always attracts people to stop and have a chat even if we are in the middle of nowhere! Soon after Mick had explained about or toilet and what he was doing the three moved off, maybe they’d got a wiff from the tank!

I took the opportunity to give the well deck a good sweep and rinse out whilst Mick did his best to wash out the mat we have at the stern which had had the leaking bin bag sat on it. None of this will stay clean for long, but it makes you feel better for a short while.

As we made our way back to the junction we got a call from Canal Contracting regarding our filter replacement. The engineer yesterday had inferred that we’d get a call today with a quote and it would all be sorted in a couple of days. However, despite photos of the filter having been taken the chap who rang didn’t know what the part was we were in need of. He wanted to know our whereabouts, to see who might come out to see us along with reading out a prepared script about the service. So no quote today. He’d email the quote in the next couple of days, we’d then have to accept it before an engineer would be arranged to meet us somewhere. This last bit could take a week to ten days! Really!! Mick asked if there wasn’t a way to get this done quicker as it would just be a straight replacement and we still had a diesel leak, the chap thought it might be possible.

So whilst we wait for him to send us a quote, we pulled in just before the junction and Mick headed over to Midway Boats to see if they might be able to help quicker. We’ve emailed them a photo of the filter and the chap in charge will have a chat with engineers in the morning to see what they could do to help. Wonder who will come up with a solution quickest?!

Now almost dark, we decided to stay put. Our mooring isn’t the nicest with the A51 about 25 ft away! But we are positioned so that we can turn into the branch should Midway want to have a look, or we can head straight on to Nantwich if we have to wait a day or two. Even Tilly seemed to be resigned to a noisy mooring for the night.

2 locks, 9.02 miles, 1 right, 1 wind, 1 big circle of ice, 2 pairs padded trousers, 1 deputy dawg hat, 2 pairs gloves, 0 cooked breakfasts, 1 lovely mooring left, 1 extremely noisy mooring, 2 weeks to replace a filter! 1 Buddy’s boat.

Bridge 14, Middlewich Branch

Whilst eating our cereal we got a call from an RCR engineer who’d be out to us within the hour, his first job of the day. When he arrived he had a look and suggested that as the temporary repair was leaking that we’d best get a new filter sooner rather than later. He gave the nuts on the bypass a couple of little nips to tighten them, didn’t want to go any further as that might have split the pipe and then we’d be worse off. Apparently RCR now have a sister company, Canal Contracting, who can order you in the parts required and then come and fit them for you. Mick liked the idea of an engineer fitting a new one and showing him what to do and not to do. So we are now awaiting a quote from them. The bypass is still leaking but less than it was, so we can move without loosing too much diesel. Not sure why the engineer didn’t replace the bypass to keep us going though.

As the day had started off wet it then continued that way. A couple of share boats came past, making the most of their time afloat. But as we didn’t fancy getting wet, we just put some more coal on the stove and pottered about whilst Tilly had a great time exploring and getting soggy.

I kept hearing a high pitched tweet and had a feeling that it was the call of a Kingfisher. When I stood up to see if I could see it there he was on a branch on the other side of the cut ruffling up his feathers. He sat and obliged in having his photo taken for a few minutes before zooming away in a flash of blue. For the rest of the day when I heard similar bird song I’d stand up and have a look round, but there was no sign.

By 2pm we decided that we wouldn’t be moving today. The remains of the pork stew went on the stove and a full episode of Inspector Morse was watched whilst I tried to finish off the sontag. Only another eight inches of cord to knit and it will be finished. It’s taken far longer than I’d expected, so I may have to put my labour charge up on it. On the other hand the amount of yarn needed was far less than stated on the pattern, so I may have a go at a matching hat.

Thank you Jen for the suggestion of underlay for our mattress, we’ll look into it.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2nd engineer, 2 nips, 1 quote awaited for, 24 inches sontag, 8 more to go, 1 noisy electric blue neighbour, 0 cut out on a stick, 5 hours of mighty wetness.

Above Winsford Top Flash to Bridge 14

After breakfast Mick climbed back into his diesel smelling clothes and returned to the engine bay to see if he could work out why the in-line filter was leaking. The sun was out and I so nearly got my painty clothes on to sand back the cratch board to give it a coat of Woodskin, but not knowing when or if we’d be moving I didn’t want to get everything out to then just have to put it all away again.

‘Five more minutes’, ‘A bit longer’, ‘Should be able to tell you in about fifteen minutes’ I really wasn’t pressurising Mick.

The Wasp Fuel Filter has bolts both top and bottom. The top one releases the container which houses a metal mesh filter, the bottom one you use to bleed any water from the system (my old D reg Peugeot used to need this doing). This type of mesh filter you check to see if it is clean and then return it into it’s housing to carry on doing it’s job. The inside of the container has a central post around which the mesh sits and the two bolts screw into. Problem found, the post was no longer fixed in position, sheared off.

Thanks Alf for your suggestion, Lillian had a cartridge filter, but sadly as you can see not quite such a simple solution as a washer here.

A call out for RCR was called for. Might as well make use of our membership. But being nowhere near a road would mean that an engineer would have quite a walk to get to us. A road a mile behind and another two miles in front. If we were to move Oleanna for easier access we’d have to cruise to the next winding hole which was a mile ahead, so the one behind was actually three miles away. Mick managed to find where the central post in the filter sat best and carefully reassembled it. With the diesel turned back on there was a slow but steady drip from it. A foil tray was positioned underneath attached with cable ties. This would hopefully do us for the two miles or so.

Everything that needed charging was plugged in to make the most of the engine running, who knew how long it would be before an engineer would be with us. We counted down the bridges and as 14 came into view with plenty of traffic going over it we had reached civilisation. Moored up, kettle on, call RCR. We may have been back in civilisation but our EE phones didn’t have signal. Walking down the towpath Mick managed to make the phone call, they would ring us back. Time for Houdini`s phone (our emergency phone) which is on O2, this had full coverage. With Mick`s phone on divert we could now receive the call back. Lunch time and shore leave for me.

Within an hour of the initial call we had a tap on the window. RCR. The chap clambered down into the engine bay, Mick explained, we then showed him photos of what was wrong, this saved dismantling the filter and getting diesel everywhere again. A bypass was needed to keep us going until we could get a replacement. He went off to his van to get some suitable bits. Once these were plumbed in the engine was turned back on to make sure there were no air locks. All sorted for £4.50 and within 90 minutes of our phone call.

With Tilly out we decided to stay put for the rest of the day, running the engine to charge up the batteries fully. The broken filter was still leaking as it had diesel in it. But then Mick realised that the bypass was also leaking! We were no better off than before, good job the drip tray was still in position. These things happen, so another phone call to RCR. We didn’t expect anyone to come back out to us, it was now dark and it would be a lot easier in the morning.

So we settled down for the evening, with full batteries. Mick was allowed to have my shower to help get rid of the diesel smell and Tilly stayed out until she was really hungry! We’ll see what can be done tomorrow morning.

0 locks, 2.44 miles, 1 turn of a bolt too many? 1 broken filter, 0 yankie candles, 2 phones 1 signal, 90 minutes, 4 hours! 4 windows removed and cleaned and all channels cleared and cleaned, 1 test frame with washing up liquid, 1 new leak, £4.50, 1 fish crumble, 1 pot homemade hummus without the zuzzer, 16 inches sontag, 0 nappies left.

Above Winsford Top Flash

Someone outside kept turning a tap on and off last night. A wave of major rain would come overhead and then just stop as suddenly as it had started. This lead to an unsettled nights sleep. So when we woke to brilliant sunshine this morning it was a bit of a surprise.

Whilst waiting for the boat behind to move off this morning we made good use of the time and had a cooked breakfast. Tilly was allowed out early and didn’t show her tail tip for at least a couple of hours. Why were we waiting for them to move? Well as good as our view was, they had a better position with a big gap in the trees looking down to the flash. So after a dignified pause we pulled Oleanna back to the end of the moorings. The chap on the boat in front hoped he’d not disturbed us last night. He’d run his engine and turned his TV up to help keep his old dog calm as all the fireworks were going off. I explained that he hadn’t and we just wanted a better view, a bit more space between the boats would also mean that Tilly and his dog would get along better.

We then set about with our chores for the day. Whilst Mick got himself ready to do a 750 hour service, I got out the cast iron dish my Mum used to bake rice pudding in. I was going to have a go at making stove top rice pudding. In an oven it takes around three hours to cook, I was hoping that around seven on top of the stove would achieve a similar result. My 1970’s copy of Perfect Cooking by Margarite Pattern came off the shelf (the Blue Print recipes never fail you just have to avoid looking at the pictures for too long!). Using soya milk instead of full fat I hoped it would be a touch less unhealthy. Covered with foil I left it to cook by itself.

Next was packing away the summer clothes and getting the extra layers out from storage. Mick was after an old work coat to give him an extra layer in the engine bay, but it looks like this must have been culled when we moved boats. The storage area at the back of the bed seems to be getting a little bit damp. The bed base has plenty of holes in it, but with the mattress on top there is no movement of air down into this space. The space in front has two large drawers, one of which gets opened at least once a day, so air is moved around. We’ve been moving our mattress away from the cabin side during the day, but this isn’t far enough out to expose the holes in the base, so we may have to ask for a ventilation grill to be added here. All part of getting to know your boat through the seasons.

I took the opportunity to have a cull of t-shirts as I packed away my summer clothes. These could have just gone in the bin, no future life for them as clothes. But instead I decided to make some jersey yarn out of the main body of them, I may use this to make a rug or something, not sure yet. Cut into one continuous inch strip, several shades of blue and a couple of red now added to my bag of fabric yarn.

Summer clothes now in a vacuum bag had to wait to be reduced fully as Mick was hard at work changing the oil, filters and filling up the greaser etc.

I had very busy morning sorting out my local friends. Time for a quick bath before getting muddy again I came back to the boat. But it wasn’t there, or was it, it didn’t smell right or look the right colour! Then familiar voices came from the boat that had been behind us, why were they on that boat? What had they done with ours? As I got closer I realised that they’d been at it again, moving the outside with me in it. That was a relief, I could now have a drink, visit my box and have a quick wash before going out again.

Half of the remainders of yesterdays stew had some more veg added with a glug of cider. Once up to temperature it was put next to the rice pudding on the stove top to gradually simmer away, jacket potatoes added inside too. The sunny day kept inviting us to go for a walk, but with Tilly out and Mick in the engine bay it wouldn’t be fare so I carried on with my knitting. This sontag is taking an age, but at least I’m now over half way with it.

As the day went on the sun started to set, Tilly came in for a good long snooze, but Mick was still in the engine bay. He’d been there a very long time. The 750 hour service included changing a fuel filter he’d not done before, maybe this was causing problems. An occasional big sigh came through the vent from the engine bay, it was starting to get dark now. The engine was started up several times, there was quite a smell of diesel.

The change of the fuel filter on the engine had gone well, that was fine. It was the in line filter that after being checked today decided to develop a leak. To stop the leak Mick had to turn the diesel off, which meant we couldn’t run the engine. The sunshine today had helped top up the batteries, so we’d be fine for power tonight. A nights sleep and daylight will help. Hopefully he’ll solve the problem, if not then we’ll see what RCR think.

Once cleaned up we walked a good distance up the towpath with our Immortal Jellyfish firework, found a gap next to some armco to slot it into lit the blue touch paper and retired to a safe distance. Twenty seconds, 12 wizz bangs with showers of red, blue and silver stars and our £11 had gone up in smoke. We retired inside to warm up and eat stew. The rice pudding was cooked and very yummy with a blob of my 2015 Trent and Mersey Blackberry jam stirred into it. No brown skin on top, but a success and no gas used in it’s creation.

0 locks, 120 ft backwards, 1 confused Tilly, 8 t-shirts culled, 2 summer chairs under the bed, 2 fat winter coats in the cupboard, 2oz rice, 1 oz, sugar, 1 pint milk, 1 knob butter, 7.5 hours on the stove, 1 creamy rice pudding, 1 fuel filter changed, 9 litres oil, 1 oil filter, 1 leak, 1 smelly boat, 16 inches of sontag, £11, 12 bangs, 20 seconds, 1 exhausted Tilly.