A FLASH BUT NO FLOOD

MONDAY 14TH JUNE 2010

Locksley got away first and at a more realistic time the other two boats set off for the couple of miles and one lock to be in walking distance of Middlewich shops. Whilst the three J’s (Jacquie, Judy and Julia) went shopping, I walked Duggie around the town, it didn’t take long and you only need to do it the once.

There was one more lock before we would turn onto the Trent and Mersey Canal and head north, but there was a queue, four boats in front of us and it seem to take ages before we got through, it was the first time we had been delayed since we set off in April, so mustn’t complain. Immediately after the tight turn there are three more single locks, and after a short distance a double lock. The queue had disappeared by now, but it was evident that we wouldn’t get to the Anderton Lift today.



The canal architecture had changed, now that we were on the T & M. The usual humpback bridges had gone and were replaced with a more functional and sturdy design.


All three boats moored opposite a flash. A flash is an area of subsidence caused by the extraction of salt and the lowered area floods, here the canal and flash became one and it appeared that we were in a large lake, very attractive.

NO WIMPS ALLOWED

SUNDAY 13TH JUNE 2010

N.B. Angonoka set of before us, but we followed in their wake a couple of hours later. The recent bright weather had deserted us and a threat of rain hung in the air as we approached the Barbridge Junction with the Middlewich Branch of The Shropshire Union Canal. We waited for a couple of boats to exit before we turned into the arm and after a mile and a bit and one lock we pulled up alongside Venetian Marina and bought the Nicholson guide to the North West & the Pennines, now we would be able to plan the next stage of our journey in greater detail.

We expected to catch up with J & D at bridge 22, but the expected rain arrived and I decided to stop several bridges short, until a phone call advised me that it was no longer raining and that Cressy was missing her play mate, and to stop being a wimp and get a move on. It did stop eventually and I did get a move on. The mooring was in a quite wooded area where J & D met up with with their regular cruising chums, Robin and Julia from N.B. Locksley and we were cordially invited to join the reunion party on board Angonoka. Not too late an evening as an early start was planned, (destination the Anderton Boat Lift) but a very pleasant one.

BEESTON CASTLE

SATURDAY 12TH JUNE 2010

The challenge was there, the climb up to Beeston Castle had to be done. Don & Judy had been there before, but were happy to accompany us up to the entrance to the castle. It was a pleasant and gradual climb and the cows were happy to move out of our way. Don and Judy would be moving on, but as it was probable that we would catch them up, it was Au revoir rather than goodbye. We paid the entrance fee and continued the climb up to the summit, the sky was clear and the views stunning and with the new cameras 10x zoom we could just make out SKYY far below us. There were enough of the walls surviving to appreciate the enormous effort in building this castle, although it had taken many centuries to arrive at the finished article before it was destroyed after The Civil War. We walked down through the wooded perimeter, enjoying an ice cream before heading back to the canal.



We wound up SKYY and set off up the four locks before arriving at the Bunbury Staircase. It was our alone so no shuffling required, who appeared over the top gate? Cressy, followed by Don & Judy, Jacquie and Duggie walked on with them until I moored the boat just behind them. The dogs played the evening away.

BIRTHDAY BOY

FRIDAY 11TH JUNE 2010

This would be the day to ask Jacquie “Will you still love me when I’m 64” or more correctly “Do you still love me now I’m 64” The answer was, wait for it, YESSSSSS!!! I am a lucky fella!! Presents and cards opened, my main present was a new all singing, dancing, 10x zoom digital camera to replace the one stolen in Chester, didn’t mention that at the time, but it was stolen from the top of the boat whilst we were moored a mile or so to the north of Chester, I shouldn’t have left it there, whilst I took Duggie for a walk, just a few cyclists and joggers, but also a group of lads and I guess it was too tempting, I will know better in the future, certainly as we eventually move on through the Manchester suburbs.



Today though, we moved out of Tattenhall Marina in convoy with N.B. Angonoka. We stopped after less than three miles, just before Wharton Lock with a grand view up to Beeston Castle, but we set of by foot in the other direction, for the three mile walk to Tarporley. Don & Judy lead the way, through huge fields of Rape, the two dogs chasing each other all the way. The Rising Sun Pub in the middle of the delightful small town, served up a delicious lunch, two huge pies for Jacquie and me and seafood risottos’ for Don & Judy. Coffee and cake was taken later in the afternoon before we walked back to enjoy Champagne and chocolates in the sunshine on the towpath, a lovely day.

DRUG RUNNING/ WALKING

WEDNESDAY 9TH TO THURSDAY 10TH JUNE

A couple more comfortable days in Tattenhall Marina, whilst Jacquie caught up on the laundry and I on the blog. On the Thursday Don, Judy and Cressy from N.B. Angonoka arrived back from their trip South just as we had set off on a walk into Tattenhall village to visit the local doctors surgery for repeat prescriptions. Immediately they offered to run into the village on the way to returning their hire car to Wrexham. Good thing they did as the surgery was no where near where we thought it was, but the helpful receptionist talked us in. Prescriptions fulfilled by the local pharmacy we set off on the mile and a half walk back to SKYY all set for an early start tomorrow, but not before Duggie and Cressy renewed their love affair.

PIE IN THE SKYY

TUESDAY 8th JUNE

The van had to be returned to Wrexham first thing Tuesday morning and we thought on the way we would call into Aldi. Out with the SatNav and in with the LLX XXX post codes, but it was unable to find Aldi or Enterprise Car Hire until Jacquie pointed out that maybe Wrexham isn’t in England, good point, enter ‘Wales’ first and up they popped.

I had forgotten to mention in my previous blog the wonderful steak and mushroom pie that Jacquie made, delicious, fortunately it was too big to eat in one go and it was just as good the next day.

Another moment of excitement, Jacquie had seen that PHYLLIS MAY II was moored on the other side of Tattenhall Marina, and when I checked it out, somebody, who might have been Mr Terry Darlington, was doing some polishing, surely Mr Darlington, with his celebratory status would have somebody to do that for him, but no, when I strolled around and introduced myself, it most certainly was Himself, a pleasant chat ensued, if only I hadn’t lent my copy he would have signed it, might be worth a fortune on EBay. Unfortunately there was no sign of Monica or Jim and his new chum, so I couldn’t introduce Duggie.

GOING SOUTH

TUESDAY 1ST TO MONDAY 7TH JUNE 2010

We spent the Tuesday at Waverton before entering the very smart, brand new Tattenhall Marina, on Wednesday morning, it only opened last year. To our delight as we were deciding which pontoon we should choose, who should we see? N.B. Rock & Roll. We had been leapfrogging one another without much of an opportunity to talk and after a very warm welcome by Sarah the manageress, we moored alongside R & R. and Carole invited us onto their beautiful boat for coffee, whilst Molly their two and a half year old Patterdale terrier did her best to ignore Duggie. We first met George, Carol and Molly, when Molly was a tiny puppy, two years ago on the Ashby Canal and it was lovely to meet up with them again.

On Wednesday Jacquie did lots of washing whilst we were plugged into the mains electricity and early on Thursday morning a young man from Enterprise Car Hire collected me from the end of our pontoon and took me to Chester to collect a van.
We had been given notice of a Ruby Wedding Anniversary Party, before we left on our adventure, two years ago, so we had no excuse not to attend Colin and Sue’s party, ( they were on SKYY April 2009). It was a fabulous party with Jacquie meeting up with many of Sue’s old friends and neighbours and with our kind of music, I did more than my usual amount of dancing., even though I only had one glass of champagne, I was the nominated driver as usual.

Don't scrub up too bad for a couple of old bargees

Whilst we were down south we put the van to good use, making a start of clearing out our garage. We also visited lots of other chums, including my Step Daughter Tor and her beautiful four month baby daughter Emily.

Our journey down south had taken a long time, with a major holdup on the M6, but our return to SKYY was very easy, arriving back at Tattenhall Marina late Monday evening, having stopped at Banbury to stock up at Tescos and at Homebase for replacement plants for the roof tubs. A very successful trip.