5th June 2015

Great excitement this morning when the engine hours digital read out appeared for first time since we had been on board (1999.3 hours).

We had an uneventful passage to Aqueduct Marina where we decided to pull in for pump out, diesel and water.  We found this to be a first class marina with very friendly, thorough service and a campsite under construction.  We met up again with the very friendly owners of Nighthawk who we first encountered at Harecastle. They had had to put in for a new prop shaft expected to take until next Tuesday.

It was VERY windy and although we got into the marina and reversed onto the pontoon without any problems getting out again provided a bit of a challenge.  Overcome, of course, with our usual panache.  To tell the truth it was about a fifteen point turn!

The approach to Barbridge Junction was not inspiring with wall to wall boats including numerous faded yoghurt pots.

Shortly after this we had to make a sharp right turn into the Hurleston Locks where we had to wait for one boat coming down.  Right by the entrance to the first lock is a sign saying “Please raise your fenders”.  Longer notice would be helpful but as a top deck sprinter Peter managed to pull them all up just in time.  It was just as well as there was barley room for a cigarette paper between Oliver and the lock walls certainly not enough for a fender!

We issued ourselves with certificates of merit for having made it into the Llangollen Canal.

We found a nice quiet place to moor just before bridge 5 and Peter managed to complete the construction of 2SP having remembered to charge the drill batteries during day.

4th June 2015

We left Oliver in Middlewich and went by the 37A bus to Northwich where we changed onto the 46 and carried on to Anderton to see the famous Anderton Boat Lift. How we love our bus passes!

It was a shame that the lift was not working but we still enjoyed the visit and had a good opportunity to look around the very comprehensive and interesting visitor centre.  We were a little surprised not to see a much larger number of boats waiting for the lift as it had been out of action for around a week.  The Stanley Arms provided a very good inexpensive lunch.

We arrived back at Oliver a little before 6pm having bought a few bits and pieces at an excellent hardware shop in Middlewich and a small tub of ice cream at Tesco.  The lack of a good freezer forced us to consume the latter at one sitting!

Construction of the “short person steering platform”, to be called 2SP, commenced.

The Anderton Boat Lift

Some classic rope work on “Saturn”

The making of 2SP gets under way

3rd June 2015

We were in record breaking mode today!  We left our mooring at 7:30 and by 8:30 had cleared the first six locks.

In spite of the rain the pounds were not that full and as we went down from lock 50 a boat was having trouble getting out of lock 51 (a single) and had to open the duplicate of our pair to provide him with enough water to exit his lock.

We stopped for water at Wheelock where the flow was fast enough to completely fill our tank in 25 minutes.  We had our lunch there and fed the swans who attacked us every time we tried to release the stern mooring line so we had to employ diversionary tactics i.e. feed them further down the boat.

Lock 66 contained a very large sheet of polythene sheet tight too k some removing with the boat hook and so we pulled Oliver in and out rather than risk getting caught in some that we may have missed.

We had made such good progress that rather than stopping at Ettily Heath, as planned, we decided to carry on to Middlewich.  It’s a very tight turn under a bridge into the SUC Middlewich Branch and we were concerned that it might be difficult as there was a fairly strong wind blowing from the west.  We put a bow line ashore as a safety precaution but it was not really needed. Although crowded just past Wardle Lock, there was plenty of space beyond bridge 29 and we found a pretty and peaceful place to stay for two nights.

Not what you expect to find in a lock!

Trent and Mersey Canal, Wheelock, Lock 66

Trent and Mersey Canal before bridge 166.  This helps to remind us that the canals were built to service industry.

Shropshire Union Canal, Middlewich Branch. The busy side of bridge 29 in the evening.

The quiet side of bridge 29 in the morning

2nd June

The weather seemed quite benign early in the morning however the wind soon started to blow quite hard and we were pleased to have decided to stay put.  We walked back to the Red Bull for lunch and on the way rescued one lady who was wedged at 45° across the exit from a lock – decision vindicated!

Lunch was OK but not special.

All in all a very lazy day doing a bit of cleaning, a few odd jobs and generally enjoying ourselves.  In spite off the wind there was a lot of very pleasant sunshine between the clouds and brief showers.

Oliver felt secure tied up to some substantial rings

But he said that he thought it was summer not winter!

1st June 2015

Our overnight mooring at Etruria was at the summit of the Trent and Mersey Canal.

We set off at the early time of 7:50 hoping to get into a good position for the second run through the Harecastle Tunnel.   This worked pretty well as we were second in the queue.  Unfortunately the down coming boats were a bit slow and we had a wait of an hour and twenty minutes.  We followed someone who had been through a few times before and managed the entire tunnel in 35 minutes without touching the walls once.  We did however have a little bump at the very end where the exit requires a sharp turn made a bit more difficult by a work boat on the left!

We noticed a significant change in the colour of the water which turns a deep brown as soon as the tunnel exit is reached.

We dropped down the next six locks and moored at the visitor moorings just past bridge 135.  This left us with a short walk back to Red Bull where we had arranged to meet Sarah.  That turned out to be an excellent arrangement .  Not only did we meet Sarah and collect our goodies,  including beautifully manufactured bum protectors, but we avoided travelling in some pretty atrocious weather and moored on some good solid rings.  This was really appreciated when we saw warnings of winds overnight reaching 51 mph.  With similar weather predicted for tomorrow we walked up and sussed out the moorings at Rode Heath.  Finding it crowded with most boats relying on stakes we decided to stay where we are for an extra day.

The tunnel entrance

After exiting the tunnel the water becomes a deep brown colour

31st May 2015

A rainy start to the day and the fact that nothing opened until 10am meant that we left Oliver fairly late.  Our first visit was to the Jesse Shirley’s Bone and Flint Mill, the last remaining steam driven potters’ mill in the world.  It was a most interesting visit and quite educational.  Not everyone knows that 50% of a bone china dinner plate is actually due to ground up bones.

We also had a great time watching twin brothers man handling the Butty Ilford and turning it by hand at the junction with the Caldon Canal.

We did some shopping, including the purchase of a pair of new walkie-talkies, that involved a tour of Hanley, and had a late lunch – about 4pm.  The weather had improved a lot so we decided to spend 45 minutes taking Oliver up two locks to get ourselves in a better position for heading off early the following morning for the Harecastle Tunnel.

The Butty Ilford

30th May 2015

We left our overnight mooring at just after 9am and soon cleared 2 locks.  We then stopped to pick up diesel and leave behind unwanted waste products at Stone’s Chandlery opposite the old Joule’s Brewery.  We met up again with single hander on Elk a 72 ft boat which had apparently been underwater for some years before being refloated but is still in need of a lot of TLC.  It took some time to reach the last of the Meaford Locks by which time we had climbed a total of eight.  We had by then covered 2.8 miles at an average speed of 0.8 mph.

We met quite a lot of boats approaching the locks before Etruria and learned that there was an “unofficial” festival so we moored up early between locks 38 and 39.  Our average was by then up to 1.3 mph and we had covered a total of 9.7 miles.  In the evening we walked around some of the traditional and not so traditional boats at the festival.

Is this the narrow boaters’ dream house?  A dock of your own in the garden.

Elizabeth and Victoria.  Elizabeth, we were told,  was one of the first narrow boats to ever be converted into a pleasure boat  in 1937.  Not the two layered superstructure.

Friday 29th May was a decidedly moody day. We awoke to the patter of raindrops and decided to stay where we were at Shugborough until it had passed. The passing was however not permanent. During the day we had bursts of rain, one including hail, patches of sunlight, ominous dark clouds, strong winds, cold winds and at the end of the day lots of sunshine.One amusing sight was that of three lonely sheep contentedly sitting on the towpath keeping the grass under control.

Only 9.9 miles today at an average speed of 1.8 mph. We were not quite so lucky with the locks and there were plenty of moored boats to slow us down.

 How’s this for moody? 

26-27-28 May.  Over the last three days we have travelled some 45 miles between Hawkesbury Junction and Haywood Junction. We have been very lucky with the weather, virtually no rain but variable temperatures and changeable wind levels. We have been VERY lucky with the locks, almost impeccable timing and have both done a bit of steering and a bit of the hard graft. We have met several very friendly people and only two grumps.

We have made copious notes on the way and could probably write a detailed guide to this section of the canal.

Thursday’s highlight was seeing a Gatso (speed) camera sited in someones back garden and pointing across the canal with a Trent and Mersey Canal sign below it. Or perhaps it was visiting Shugborough Hall the residence of the late Lord (Partick) Lichfield.

We have seen a few industrial eyesores but far more beautiful countryside.

Photography and steering do not go too well together but a few shots will hopefully give a feel for our journey.

26th May Coventry Canal.  Out in the countryside, between bridges 50 and 50B,  just before Polesworth.

27th May Trent and Mersey Canal.  Romy enters Shade House Lock.

28th May Trent and Mersey Canal, Ravenswood

28th May. Trent and Mersey Canal.  Beautiful scenery with trees blowing in the wind.

25th May 2015.  Oxford and Coventry Canals

It’s been a chilly day – all day. We wrapped up in fleeces and Paramos and succumbed to a hot water bottle at one point.There were some “moments of interest” today.

Traffic chaos at Roses Boat Yard.

We had our first experience of being walked over by cows – at bridge 11.

The Hawkesbury Junction turn – failed to manage it in one (turned a little too late) but disappointed the Gongoozlers by making it easily after only reversing once!

Tiller girl!