I set off early while my travelling companion was still getting up, 'cause I like to sometimes and I wanted to get away from the flies if that was possible. It wasn't far to the facilities but it still managed to drizzle enough to be uncomfortable. Filled up with water and remembered to fill the 25 Lt container as well. Being an inveterate skip diver I could not resist looking through the rubbish skips while I was there. Low and behold there was a VAX cordless vacuum cleaner exactly the same model as the one I already have, tried the switch and the motor ran - grabbed that. By the time the water tank was full it had stopped raining so I continued on our way.
An hour later we reached the first of two locks that we had to negotiate today. There were two boats moored on the lock approach and one coming out of the lock so we pulled over and waited a few moments. As the boat left the lock the other two boats pulled away as well. They were actually on a water point which doubles as the lock landing, hence my confusion. Both locks in our favour so we took no time at all to get through. At the bottom there were three boats waiting to come up and we could see another two coming along in the distance. As we passed those two we could see another two approaching. Altogether there must have been ten or more boats waiting to go through the two locks.
my travelling companion took over the tiller and I had a quick look at the vacuum cleaner, same style, even the same battery, the only thing missing is a charger, but then I already have one. If all I keep of it is the battery then I will have a spare. Continued on to Tamworth where we moored up so that I could go to Sainsbury's to return a cable that I had purchased at Hinckley that was the wrong one. I made sure that I had a bite to eat before shopping. While there I inevitably made a couple of purchases once I had returned the cable. 6 punnets of apricots, reduced, two punnets of plums, reduced, two punnets of raspberries, reduced some cream, lettuces, beer and a couple of bottles of wine.
On to our final destination for the day, Hopwas where my travelling companion wants to go for a walk in the woods. The woods are actually the firing range for the local army barracks but they do put up warning flags if they are going to be shooting, otherwise it is open to the public.
While my travelling companion was off walking it gave me a good opportunity to examine my new find more closely and on examination it is missing a filter, so I might end up just having the battery (which costs 49.99 as spare part) but I will investigate the possibility of getting a new filter.
Waited at Hopwas while my travelling companion went up to the Swiss chalet style Church, St Chads
Just as I was about to cast off a couple of boats hove into view so I let them go past me. Big mistake, the second was slow, painfully slow. After an hour or so he did pull over and let me past but I think this was because it was starting to spit. That soon cleared up as did my mood now that I could stop putting Dennis into reverse so as not to bump into the boat in front.
Arrived at Fradley Junction and took the rubbish around the corner to the facilities and to check to see if there were any volunteer lock-keepers on duty. No. Boiled eggs and toast for a late lunch before settling down to watch the Olympics. Didn't have to put the aerial up as the signal was good enough without it.
do to amuse boaters.
Overcast at first with a blue haze on the horizon. Set off after breakfast and found that the volunteer lock keepers were already in place and had the locks in our favour so all went exceedingly well for the first two locks. A boat had just left the third lock as we approached so that was good also. Then there was a free run into Rugeley where we arrived in bright sunshine and moored at my favourite place to go shopping.
I had investigated washing machine suppliers on the internet and found that there was a place in Rugeley that had the one I wanted and supposedly in stock so as soon as we were moored up I went to find them. Got there and there was a notice on the door saying that opening times vary on Tuesdays. Guess what, it was closed. Wandered through the town and found the hardware store that seems to have everything to look for a shackle to fix the anchor to the chain. It was closed down and gone away. Not going too well so far.
Meandered around town looking in the charity shop windows as most of them looked too crowded to actually go into. A little shopping in Morrisons for some bacon, I have been fancying a bacon sandwich for several days now, I think it is the smell of cooking bacon from all the boats that we have been passing.
Back to the boat, bacon and lettuce sandwich and off to Tesco for some proper shopping, lots of soft fruit, blueberries, raspberries, apples, apricots and some cream and yogurt.
Basic needs covered we could get out of town and find somewhere a little more quiet to moor up, which we did, just past the aqueduct over the river Trent. Not surprising as we are on the Trent and Mersey canal.
Dinner consisted of today's fruit with oranges and plums and cream.
Moored up early as we got caught in a heavy shower and there seemed to be no point in carrying on once we had pulled over to get dry clothes.
Quick check with Anglo Welsh to see if they have a large shackle for the anchor. No, so I'll have to try Penkridge Market when we get there. Lazy afternoon followed by a walk around the grounds of Shugborough Hall accompanied by an ice cream.
Set off about eleven o'clock after watching the Omnion finals on TV. Through Great Haywood Junction and Tixall Wide which was comparatively deserted, I have never seen it so empty, and along to Tixall Lock where there was a queue. Didn't have to wait long and we were through that one. Continued until we judged that it was about to rain so moored up just before Deptmore lock in time to miss the downpour.
During s break in the rain I wandered up to the lock and met the couple from a boat called Dragonfly. They purchased it last year and were on the Ashby at the same time as ourselves. At that time they had no water, no electricity and no heating. Now they have water, heating and electricity and are enjoying their life on the water.
Decided to make an early start as it was not raining yet. Deptmore lock was in our favour and I discovered why when trying to fill it. The bottom offside paddle had not been fully lowered and was letting water out as fast as I was letting it in at the top. I went back and checked it and although it looked as if it was about eight inches too high I could not lower it. Want to the top of the lock, still not filling properly. Back to the bottom of the lock. Lifted the paddle a few inches and tried lowering it again. This time I managed to lower it properly but it was a struggle. I can see how an inexperienced boated could easily think that it was fully down and leave it like that.
No problems at the next three locks and moored up for the day before midday.
Checked the times of busses into Cannock and then to Argos and decided to catch the 12:38. No problems getting to Cannock where I had thirteen minutes to wait for my next bus. Looking around I noticed that Cannock has a 'Variety Shopping Centre' so I just had to investigate. It turned out to be what I would call an indoor market. They must be really posh in Cannock.
Got to ARGOS and collected one of the two items that were there for me. I had a collection code for the one item and only a picture of the Hermes delivery driver dropping off the second item at the ARGOS store. No collection code, no collection.
Two more busses back to Penkridge and a grumpy Chris sent a message to the supplier complaining that they have not sent me the collection code, either by email or text message. When I investigated the order details it appears that the supplier has a collection code, they just haven't told me what it is. I'm not going back again tomorrow and exposing myself to another four loads of bus passengers who may or may not have Covid, especially as one of the passengers was not wearing a mask. Maybe they are exempt, but I don't know that and they sure didn't look as if they had any excuse not to wear a mask.
Penkridge has changed a bit since we were last here. A hardware shop has disappeared and been replaced buy a door and window shop and a new greengrocers has started up. Jasper's the bakers is still there and seems to be doing well.
A short walk into Penkridge this morning to catch the market. On the way popped into a charity shop as I had spotted a book in the window that reminded me of the CAM books Blynda collects. Purchased it. my travelling companion spotted a shirt for me and a pair of shoes that actually fit, even with my (still) swollen foot.
On to the market where I could not resist buying some more G cramps and some other bits and pieces. (A man can never have enough G cramps).
On the way out I spotted my favourite cheese, Fiery Dragon, (much to my travelling companion's dismay) and purchased a 2½ pound block.
In the book stall I got a copy of Warlock, the fourth book in the Taita series. I've just finished the other three so this will complete the set and a new Lee Child book, so now I have something new to read. I have recently worked my way through all the Reacher books and now I am reduced to reading my travelling companion's Maigret and Tony Hillerman books which are not really my cup of tea.
Did the vegetable shopping as we left the market and got a couple of loaves of bread at Jasper's.
Decided not to journey today as the rain keeps threatening and we are in no real hurry. The aim is to get to Stourport on Severn and go down the Severn and up the Avon to Stratford on Avon, as long as we don't get too much rain.
Late start as it is still threatening rain. Just far enough to get out of town and away from the motorway and the railway for a relatively quiet evening.
This evenings weatherperson was Sarah Blizzard a most appropriate name. Talking of weather people the two main forecasters at the present seem to be Ben Rich and Tomasz Schafernaker. Ben Rich always seems to be immaculately turned out but Tomasz Schafernaker just can't quite make the grade. Whatever he tries he still looks scruffy so much so he has been nicknamed Tomasz Scruffernacker.
Leisurely start. Along to Brick Kiln Lock with no troubles, then to Gailey Lock where we made use of the facilities. As usual I went skip diving and found a goodly length of stovepipe and a chimney, always good to have a spare as we nearly lost one a few days ago in a bridge hole. Badly bent the china-man's hat on top of the chimney.
All the time we were filling up with water boats were coming up through the lock and just before we set off another came out of the lock. It gave all the indication of trying to get into the boat yard adjacent to the lock but eventually straightened up and came past us very slowly. I pulled out behind it with some trepidation expecting to have a very laboured journey following it to Autherley Junction. As it happened it sort of pulled in in front of us so I glided past it being careful to avoid the oncoming boats. As I went past I explained that it looked as if they were mooring up and was told in reply that they were just letting the oncoming boat through. Really, there was loads of room but I was glad I had taken the opportunity to overtake them in a timely and gentlemanly fashion.
Two hours later we pulled over at Autherley Junction and I pointed out to my travelling companion that we could change our plan and go to Chester instead of Stourport if we wished. She gave it some thought and said that she would like to go that way but stop off at Hurleston and go along the Llangollen as she has not been there for nearly 15 years. Plans are made to be changed.
Went shopping at Morrisons a 20 minute walk away and sourced provisions for the next few days, returned to the boat unpacked it all and settled in for a bite to eat and an afternoon nap, I have taken to having an afternoon nap of late. Rested we decided to reverse past the junction and go through the stop lock and head off towards Brewed where my travelling companion had spotted a round walk that she wanted to explore. I was just getting out of the boat to cast off when who should arrive but the boat I had overtaken at Gailey, nearly four hours behind us. So glad I got in front of them. They manoeuvred round to enter the stop lock only to find that a boat was coming out. Then the fun started. Blagdon, for that was the boat's name, reversed out just far enough for the exiting boat to go past. Unfortunately Blagdon was blocking the path to turn left, which is what the exiting boat wanted to do so they were forced to turn right instead. They hovered while Blagdon went into the lock and then tried to reverse up to turn round but ended up at the side of the canal facing the wrong direction, partly because there was another boat coming along behind Blagdon waiting to turn and yet another coming along from the opposite direction, also wanting to turn. We decided that it would not be worth trying to set off just yet as it looked as if it was going to be fun with all these boats jockeying for position. Blagdon took nearly half an hour to negotiate a stop lock that would normally take just five minutes for any half way competent boater. Meanwhile the boat following Blagdon nudged their way up to the lock behind Blagdon not checking for oncoming boats. There was one. It was plain to see that the oncoming boater was, to say the least, not impressed but reluctantly allowed them to come through the lock. As they cleared the lock, only a few minutes later yet another boat started into the lock entrance way. The oncoming boat had had enough by now and decided that enough was enough and entered the lock.
Now we have another boat reversing out of the lock entrance into the main thoroughfare with boats trying to go past in each direction holding them all up. The oncoming boat exited the lock and found themselves unable to turn left as they wanted to as they were a 70 foot boat and the slight breeze was just enough to prevent them making the (quite tight and more than 90 degree) turn.
Meanwhile I got chatting to a boater who had, unfortunately, got stuck behind Blagdon after I overtook them. He was not at all complementary about the way Blagdon had zig zagged across the canal all the way from Gailey Lock to Autherley Junction nor the way Blagdon had stopped in a bridge hole for some not inconsiderable time for no apparent reason.
I gave up and left them all to it and we decided that we would set off early tomorrow to try and get past Blagdon before they got up.
Pizza and beer for dinner. Finished my new Reacher book.
Trying to show how straight
the Shroppie is.
Set off early, I wanted to get ahead of Blagdon who were last seen mooring up alongside the chandlery at Autherley Junction and find somewhere that I had a good phone signal as I had an appointment with the practice nurse at my Doctors for a medication review. Reversed up, turned into the junction (after making sure there was no-one coming) and entered the lock, negotiated that, only to realise that Blagdon had already left. Expletives.
Carried on anyway and arrived at Brewed in time to have my review. I had breakfast while my travelling companion took her planned walk.
Set off again and caught up with Blagdon at the top of Wheaton Aston Lock. They were first in the queue and my travelling companion walked along to the lock to check on progress. Going past Blagdon the old man on the tiller proudly proclaimed that he was an experienced boater as he had been having two weeks on the canal every year for nearly twenty years, apart from last year. She said nothing. He also explained that they were intending to turn around at the next winding hole. Hurrah!
Blagdon went down and another boat came up. Our turn in the lock and we were through with no problems. We passed Blagdon who had stopped off for water (which surprised me as it looked as if they had filled up at Autherley Junction while they were there), mine not to reason why and all that. Stopped off at the garage just past the next bridge as it is customary to fill up with diesel at the cheapest place on the system, in this case 69p per litre instead of 83p per litre we last paid at Ashby Boats.
Carried on in the full knowledge that we were ahead of Blagdon and they were going the other way. Such relief.
Really pleasant cruising in the sunshine and continued until my stomach called for midday food, so we moored up for the day in a shady place that still allowed the sun to hit the solar panels from time to time.
24 separate telephone cables.
but I love them.
I made an early start allowing my travelling companion to have a lie in. Set off just before seven to a yellow gold streak in the sky but mostly cloudy. The sun came out and warmed my back beautifully by half eight and I pulled over and moored up for breakfast just before nine.
The intention was to moor up as soon as possible after the Tyerly flight but there were no spaces available so we had to continue into Market Drayton. The bad news was that CRT are doing tow path refurbishment and there are not many spaces to moor up anyway. We managed to slip in just after Betton Bridge leaving enough room behind us for a 40 ft boat possibly.
Re tuned the TV as we have moved area once again, this time we are getting North West which covers Manchester and Blackpool. Up until now we have generally been getting Midlands which covers the Birmingham and Coventry areas.
I popped into town to see if Boots had my prescription, which they did so that was a positive. Shopping in Lidl for a free range chicken, organic carrots and onions along with a few other bits and pieces. They had some reasonable fruit but I wanted my travelling companion to pick her own so left the fruit shopping till tomorrow.
Back at Dennis another boat was trying to get in behind us but the helmsman was new at it and having trouble so I assisted with instruction and hands on, catching a thrown rope and pulling them in to the bank. At this point the other crew member arrived, they had been stranded the other side of the tow path works and had to walk the long way round.
With that sorted out I proceeded to get dinner, another spaghetti, this time on a bed of cabbage. I forgot to do the cabbage yesterday. The chicken is for tomorrow. Just after dinner I was presented with a bottle of Old Peculiar from the couple behind us for the assistance provided, what a nice gesture.
Walked into Market Drayton this morning to do the fruit shopping. Tried Lidl but the queue at the only checkout that was working was way too long so I put my purchases back (well I put them all in the same place with the vegetables) and went to Morrisons. Got everything we wanted there and walked back to the boat past the funeral parlour that is next to the Spare Body Parts shop (car spares).
Set off after lunch and cruised for three miles to the Adderley flight. All the locks were in our favour this time and there were a number of boats coming up so the whole flight went very well. Moored up at the bottom as I did not fancy another fifteen locks today. Only another mile and we would have reached the Audlum flight. Leave that till tomorrow.
Pot Roast chicken for dinner with roast potatoes and broccoli.
my travelling companion's sister had rung and was telling her about a dog that keeps appearing in her garden which reminded me of the first dog that we had as a family. It was called Beauty and had a penchant for roaming. I sent a text to Blynda to ask her if she remembered the saga of Mrs Fortune and the disappearing Chicken. She replied asking if it was a story or a memory. I rang her to relate the story of Beauty stealing a roast chicken fresh out of the oven while Mrs Fortune's back was turned. Then it all came back to her, including the fact that if Beauty thought she was in trouble she would lie on the ground with her paw held in the air. Now who could resist that. As soon as pity was dispensed Beauty would leap up and run away again.
Watched a little TV to the strains of the Fly-swatters Symphony played with rolled newspapers folded tea towels and thin books against any hard surface that was to hand. Finished the day with a shower and an early night.
boat with damsons.
Leisurely start to the day as we wanted to give boaters a chance to come up the flight and set some of the locks in our favour so I took the opportunity to dismantle the skip dive vacuum cleaner and remove the impacted dirt and hair. I am convinced that the previous owner got irritated with it not picking up their dogs hairs very well and so removed the filter from the main body. That made their problem worse as it clogged up th inside of the cleaner. Initially the tube from the motor to the brush head was chocker with dog hair and once that was removed it was much better but on today's examination managed to see that the main body was clogged as well. Ten minutes with a pair of tweezers and I cleared and cleaned that, now it works really well, almost as good as new.
Set off and got to the top of the flight and there was a boat about three locks away going down so we were probably going to have all the locks against us after all. Can't win 'em all.
The process in this situation is that once my travelling companion has the boat in the lock I open one paddle to empty the lock slowly while I walk to the next lock and fill it, open the gates and walk back to let my travelling companion out, then I close the gates on that lock, walk to the next lock again and by that time my travelling companion usually has put the paddles down and closed the gate. Repeat fifteen times. This flight is spread over a mile so by the time we have gone from top to bottom I have walked three miles.
And then there are the changes to the plan. In this instance while walking between the second and third lock I noticed that there were a myriad of Damsons on the tow path, so many that is was hard to avoid treading on them. Got my travelling companion settled in the lock and checked for oncoming boats. In luck, there was a boat coming towards us about three locks away. It would have been churlish to fill the next lock when it was ready for the oncoming boat so we decided to wait where we were. While waiting my travelling companion walked back to the Damsons and collected some. Well actually about 4 kilograms of them by the time the oncoming boat had come through our lock.
We continued on our journey but this time there were a couple of locks set in our favour, then we caught up with the boat that was in front of us so back to plan 'B' and walking backwards and forwards. One lock past Audlum proper the wind picked up and we decided that thirteen locks was quite enough for one day so moored up.
I prepared a salad for myself while my travelling companion checked out the Damsons, perfect stewed for ten minutes and consumed with a little cream, they need no sugar or honey at all. I tried some with a scoop of ice cream, delicious. my travelling companion spent the rest of the afternoon preserving the Damsons. The first one litre jar was not quite full as my travelling companion kept testing the quality of the product, the other three one litre and three half litre jars were topped right up. Four and a half litres of preserved Damsons plus my travelling companion's lunch.
Because my travelling companion had been slaving over a hot stove all afternoon we had chicken sandwiches rather than cooking chicken soup for the evening meal.
Ginnel or Tink-a-Tank or Snicket or
Mews or Jitty or Gully or Twitten or
Twitchel or Vennel or Loaning
(pronounced 'lonnin') or Cut
or Drang or Shutt or Slip or Entry
or Tchure.
“a ginnel is a snicket with a roof on”
In the top end of the Rhondda valley
alleyways are called gulleys
pronounced goleys!
Kilkenny city has its “Slips”,
as in Butter Slip and Horseleap Slip,
while Belfast has its “Entries”, as in
“Pottinger's Entry” and “Joy's Entry”.
wheelbarrows did it take to build
this embankment? which goes
on for a mile or more.
Had a lay in this morning. Breakfast and changed the loo. I had just got the laptop out to try and catch up on 2013 narratives when I heard some shouting outside. A guy from the boat coming up the flight was walking towards the next lock and started yelling to his wife to reverse back as there was no space at the water point. The boat coming down the flight was not unsurprisingly confused and asked if the oncoming boat wanted to go into the lock. At this point the upcoming guy seemed to lose his rag and had a real go at the down coming boat owner. The guy from the upcoming boat 'Demby Rose' from Brownstone walked back to his own boat, which was by now nicely settled in to the mooring, and continued on to the lock where he was most abusive to the 92 year old boater going down. Both I and the guy from the boat moored up in front of me want along to the lock to see what was going on. The guy from the boat in front of me had interposed himself between the 92 year old and the heavily built, corpulent owner of the Demby Rose who was thrusting his face right up against the older guys face and swearing and spitting venom at him. I approached as closely as I dared and asked what was going on. Fat guy told me to keep out of it. Meanwhile the volunteer lock keeper was working the lock in an attempt to make the situation disappear, a sensible thing to do without getting involved in the altercation.
The upshot of all this is that I would strongly recommend that everyone should avoid 'Demby Rose'. The boat moored in front of us and between us and The Demby Rose moved off an hour earlier than they had intended (he told me as they went past) and we planned to move on at the first possible opportunity when we could avoid the offending boat.
At the bottom of the flight, just two locks, a woman was tending a little plot of vegetables at the lock side. Apparently the lock side is split up into a dozen six foot plots for the villagers to use as tiny allotments one of which is used by another lady to grow Golden Rod which she uses t dye clothes with.
Managed to get past the Secret Nuclear Bunker without being accused of spying.
Got to Nantwich without any hitches and moored up early so as to avoid the possibility of nowhere to moor up.
A quick jaunt into Nantwich for a few bit of shopping and a look around to see what has changed if anything since I was last hear a few years ago. The bus took a diversion so I walked instead of catching the bus, no notification of a change in timetable. Checked out the charity shops without going in them and had a wander around the antiques market without finding any bargains. Back to Dennis for a nap and evening meal of chicken soup.
I find it interesting that boaters seem to lose the ability to read after about six o'clock. Up until then they can read and obey the No Mooring signs put up by Canal and River Trust but after six they will moor anywhere, even if there are vacant spaces in approved mooring places.
Lay in, it's Sunday. Walked into Nantwich to pass the time. Today the bus took the diverted route and I lay in wait on that route at a place where I felt the bus could safely stop but the driver just drove past shaking his head.
Looked in a couple of charity shops for trousers and although there were several which were probably my waist size they were all much too long in the leg so I gave that a miss. Popped into Aldi but soon exited as there were too many people not wearing masks so decamped to Morrisons.
Walked back and had a bite to eat followed by watching 'Up' an animation that I really enjoy.
Took time to write an email to Arriva about their lack of information about the diversion of the No 84 bus and and email to Aldi letting them know that I had tried to shop in their store but was concerned about the lack of face masks in an enclosed area.
see the architecture.
Trip into Nantwich this morning to do the charity shops where I purchased a book and a kit of a working car engine driven by a magnesium salt battery and the tiniest electric motor I have ever seen. my travelling companion got several items of clothing.
Cruised along to the junction after stopping off at the facilities to fill up with water.
We decided to try to get to the Hurlston flight about half nine to give the volunteer lock keepers a chance to arrive and settle in. As it happened the rain persisted till nearly half ten so we delayed our start.
Set off with a brisk wind making life difficult but my travelling companion negotiated the turn admirably and we were just in time to go straight into the lock as another boat came out. This did mean that I had to walk along the gunwale to the front of the boat to climb up the ladder leaning against the wet slimy vegetable covered wall all the way.
Up at the top I worked the lock and watched two other boats approach the lock landing area. We had got there just in time to miss the queues building up.
No problems through the flight of four and we moored at the top to empty the loo but the elsan disposal was out of action so we will have to leave that for a day or two. It's a good job we have two spare cassettes.
Set off from there and carried on through the next five locks which are quite well spaced out and moored up just before Wrenbury Church Lift Bridge. Checked out the caravan park a few hundred yards further on where Hermione and Edie Rose should be arriving tomorrow.
Spaghetti Bolognaise a on a bed of wilted cabbage for dinner and an evening watching the snooker.
Walked into Wrenbury this morning to get a few provisions from the local post office cum general store and on the way back bumped into Hermione and Edie Rose who were walking along the tow path looking for Iowner, I had forgotten to tell Hermione that we were in Dennis.
Spent a very pleasant day playing chase the wolf, out of the side hatch, along the gunwale, in the back door and out of the side hatch again. my travelling companion was the wolf and Edie Rose was the wolf catcher. Took a short tip in the boat to turn around so that we can go for a proper trip tomorrow.
Hermione is on holiday and has borrowed a camper van from a friend and is parked in the camp site next to the canal at Wrenbury. I make it sound like some kind of weird coincidence but it was planned a few days ago, almost as soon as we decided to come to the Llangollan instead of going down the Severn and up the Avon.
Edie is a typical three year old in that she has boundless energy and kept us at it all day long. I cannot remember the last time I felt this tired this early in the evening so no more narrative, I'm off to bed as we are up early to do a ten mile ten lock round trip tomorrow so that Edie Rose and Hermione can have a proper trip on the boat through some locks.
Six miles 6 locks , round trip back to our starting point, day out for Hermione and Edie Rose. Found a winding hole that was no indicated on our maps and took the opportunity of turning as it was threatening rain all the time. Stopped off halfway back for some lunch, the rain held off and the afternoon was quite sunny.
We all dressed up for a meal at the Cotton Arms and I, for one, was full to capacity by the end.
Got back to Dennis and we parted for another year or so. my travelling companion and I then cruised for a couple of mile to get away from the bells. The bells from the church tower that chime the quarters all night long.
Fairly nondescript day, travelled a bit, moored up, had lunch, went for a walk to the petrol station and purchased a loaf of bread for £1.75. Planned a trip in to Whitchurch tomorrow by bus to get some green stuff to eat.
Early night last night as TV reception only good enough to get the BBC's so up early this morning. Wandered along to the facilities and watched a bunch of guys working the staircase lock all wrong. They obviously had not read the instructions as they were in the bottom lock and the top two locks were empty. (The instructions clearly state that you should fill the top two before entering the bottom lock.) They then proceeded to open all the paddles on the top two lock gates as well as the bottom gate paddles. By the time they had filled the bottom lock the top two locks were full as well so they had to overflow the bottom lock to get into the middle lock. What a palaver? I just let them get on with it.
I had planned to go into Whitchurch this morning but as it was chucking it down at a quarter to nine when the bus was due I gave that one a miss. By half eleven the rain had stopped so I got kitted up and wandered along to the bus stop. There was no physical bus stop so I wandered backwards and forwards just to make sure. I was at the exact spot that Google Maps and UK Bus Checker said the bus stop should be. The bus arrived and went straight past me the driver pointing back over his shoulder as if to say the bus stop is back there.
Went back to Dennis where I promptly sat down and composed an email to the bus company, CCing to two local councillors the local newspaper and the Chamber of Commerce explaining that not only had the bus driver deprived the bus company of income he had also deprived the local businesses of income as well. I attached a screen shot of Google Maps showing the bus stop.
I could have caught a later bus, but if I had gone to the same bus stop, would it have stopped, and if I had gone to where the bus driver seemed to be indicating, would he have stopped there or would he have pointed to the stop I had been at earlier on? I will never know, I didn't want to take the chance, especially since it was due to rain.
Late start as we wanted to avoid the early morning rain and we wanted to catch the lock keepers. With boats coming both ways it was going quite well till someone stole a lock and got everything out of kilter. With each pound being so short there is barely enough room for a boat in the pound, having stolen a lock there were now two boats in the pound and another trying to come down and another trying to come up.
Got to the pound below the staircase and there was a boat already waiting to go up, however the lock keeper had decided that it would speed things up if he let four boats down and then allowed four boats up. This actually works well but it does mean that there are four boats moored up in a short pound with another trying to pas them all to get into the lock to carry on down the flight. The first boat had to go into the lock so that the other three could budge up enough to make room for the down going boat to get into the lock.
Through the staircase and we moored up to empty the elsan(s) and get rid of the rubbish. That achieved we moved long to the water point and filled up with water. Had a quick bite to eat while the tank was filling and them moved off the water point to a mooring.
I walked to the Whitchurch arm to check it out and found that the main moorings were closed due to refurbishment, however the moorings along the arm were almost empty so we should be able to get in there tomorrow and catch the bus into Whitchurch to get some well needed provisions, we seem to be running low and nearly everything.
Moored up and walked into town. my travelling companion checked out the charity shops while i went to Tesco to do some shopping. I had just cleared the checkout when I spotted the bus I wanted to take me back to the Arm parked in the bus station, which happens to be in Tesco's car park. Got the bus driver to drop me at the right bus stop and found out that it is called Chemistry.
Unpacked the shopping and had a quick cheese and tomato sandwich before going back to the bus stop to catch the bus back into town. The same bus driver was on duty. I stayed on the bus till it got to Tesco. I should have got out at 'The Bulls Head' which is yards from Tesco but stayed on and went all round the houses before returning to Tesco.
Walked through town up and down hills till I got to Iceland where I got our usual choice of three packs of trout for a tenner and four litres of orange juice for three pounds.
Caught the bus back to the Arm again, the same bus driver (I'm getting the hang of this). Unpacked the shopping and put the frozen trout in the freezer.
Just had time to go back to the bus stop and catch the bus back into town to collect my travelling companion, the same bus driver.
Met my travelling companion outside Halifax and went into a charity where she had reserved a shirt for me, it fitted so I purchased it. This time we walked back to the boat. I'll do the Aldi shop tomorrow.
The plan was to shop at Aldi for a dozen litres of long life milk and a free range chicken, however after walking along to the bridge next to Aldi it transpires that there is no access from the canal to the road. It would have been a short walk with lots of heavy items but was now out of the question as the other route to Aldi is a half mile walk in each direction.
Decided to catch the bus into town and get the essential items at Tesco. Caught the bus into town, did the shopping and spotted some shallots which are always nice in a chicken hot pot so decided then and there to walk to Aldi to get a free range chicken as I could carry that a half mile back to the boat even if I couldn't carry 6 litres of milk. Went to the bus stop outside Tesco (which happens to be the bus station) and logged into Tesco wifi to check the times of busses back to the boat.
Time now 10:22 next bus according to UK Bus Checker 11:15. I didn't want to hang around for nearly 45 minutes and there was no way I could walk back to the boat with all that weight in the rucksack so checked for alternatives. None really. Then I spotted the bus timetable on the wall so checked that out.
There was a 205, the bus that I wanted to catch, going at 10:45, maybe UK Bus Checker has it wrong. Boarded the bus and settled down with my tablet to monitor the journey with Google Maps. The bus set off and for the first part of the journey all seemed well then it took a diversion, all around the houses, up to the hospital, round a big triangle, past Sainsbury's and then started heading back to where I wanted to go. At one point I am sure I heard the bus driver say something like "We're off to the seaside" and I was almost convinced that I had been hijacked but as none of the other passengers reacted I stayed calm myself.
Did not take the turn that I expected to go to my bus stop but returned to the bus station just in time to leave at 11:45 on the route that I wanted. I had not realised that the circular route that the no 205 takes varies from trip to trip.
Got back to the boat about an hour later than I had expected.
Unloaded and had a drink then set off to Aldi to get a free range chicken. The walk there was not as bad as I had expected as it was mostly along quiet country roads. Horror upon horrors, they had run out of free range chickens so made an executive decision and purchased a half leg of British lamb and some baby new potatoes.
Eventually set off on our days journey shortly after one pm and after a comparatively uneventful journey moored close to Prees Branch.
I had started preparing the evening meal when my travelling companion suggested a walk along to the end of the Prees Branch, so off we went. Got to the marina at the end and I turned around and went back to the boat while my travelling companion continued on with her walk.
Managed to get dinner in the oven by six o'clock which meant that it would be ready by eight. Pot roast lamb with shallots, carrots, green beans and baby potatoes accompanied by roast potatoes, roast sweet potatoes and roast peppers all served on a bed of steamed savoy cabbage leaves.
As an aside, saw Tomasz Schafernaker doing the weather forecast and he looked quite smart for a change.
Pleasant but uneventful journey, probably the best sort of journey to have. Moored up with views of Blakemere through the side hatch.
Walked into Ellesmere to find the launderette to do some washing and Euronics to see if I can buy a washing machine. Euronics no longer do the washing machine that I had picked on as suitable, in fact it has been discontinued by the manufacturer.
Checked out the local charity shops. They had their carnival a few weeks ago and part of the carnival was to decorate the town with mermaids and also decorate the post boxes.
Tesco is less than 25 yards from where the boat is moored up so I did a big shop of heavy items like tinned beans and tomatoes, bottled beer and long life milk, cartons of orange juice and sugar free soft drinks. All carried to the boat in a trolley along with normal shopping.
While I was doing this my travelling companion investigated the damson trees on the far side but they are just not ripe yet. So lucky with the ones we got two weeks ago at Audlum.
27th sneezed.vowel.bags - Frankton Locks - 3 miles
A little bit of last minute top up shopping and off to The Montgomery Canal where we moored by the lock. Walked along to the Weston Branch and back, there were loads of damson and plumb trees but none of them were ripe yet, guess we were lucky with the damsons on the Audlum flight.
No signal on my phone or my travelling companion's but I managed to book passage using someone else's phone. Explained that I was using someone else's phone and gave my number as the contact number. Canal and River Trust sent a text confirming the booking to my travelling companion's phone. It is a good job that she is with me and that I have not borrowed her boat and gone for a trip on my own!
shed in the background and the
water tower straight ahead.
Changed the return booking with the lock keeper from Monday to Friday
Very pleasant but uneventful journey to the limit of navigation passing, and using, the facilities at Maesbury Marsh.
Popped in to The Canal Centre and had a scone with cream and jam while my travelling companion had a latte and a piece of cake. The owner runs a smallholding and because of a hangover law from the first world war that entitled smallholdings to install small railways so as to help transport fodder to their animals he has installed a model railway on his property. The local authority did try to object as he has no animals to feed at present, but as he argued, he has to provide the means of feeding his animals before they arrive.
29th
Looked out of the side hatch this morning and watched a duck struggling to swallow a frog. We could see the body and legs of the frog sticking out of the ducks mouth while it worried away at it sawing backwards and forwards with its beak while two other ducks nearby made half hearted attempts to snatch the frog away from it. It took nearly five minutes for the duck to completely swallow the frog, but it managed it eventually.
Later on we watched a kingfisher perched on a branch not twenty feet away from the back doors. Both the closest and longest kingfisher observation I have ever made.
30th
Turned around and moored at the same place. The mooring is a 48 hour mooring but as soon as you reach the end of the navigation (which we did) all the clocks restart, so we could moor in the same place for another 48 hours, not that I expect anyone would complain as we did not see any other boats at this mooring all the time we were there and there was room for at least another two.
31st
Caught the bus into Shrewsbury which stopped at 'The Knockin Shop' on the way. Got some English plums at the market.
Shrewsbury is a town almost completely surrounded by the river and probably deserves a much better wander around at some point in the future when the bus journey to get there is not so long.
