Wednesday, February 23, 2011

has spring sprung?

Its so good to be able to state where we have been this last week instead of “umm, we still iced in, not been or going anywhere” !   This last week we started at Nantwich; turned onto the Middlewich Arm down into Middlewich; turned left onto the Trent and Mersey going north; through Anderton and Preston Brook onto the Bridgewater Canal and now moored at Moore by Bridge 7.


The Middlewich Arm is quite desolate in February and for most of it (about 12 miles) was bitterly cold cos of the wind.   We only stayed the one night in Middlewich as neither of us likes it much there.   Don’t really know why, just one of those things.   


Passed by the old old Lion Salt Works (left click to display web page for links in today's blog) yesterday which is being "resurected".  The link will tell you more but in a nutshell .....The Lion Salt Works at Marston in mid-Cheshire is a rare, perhaps unique, survival of a traditional inland salt works which once produced this essential commodity. The standing buildings and structures on the site illustrate the whole process of salt production and date from the late 19th and 20th centuries, however, many of the buildings and structures are now in a very poor state of repair. Limited emergency structural repairs have been carried out in recent years but decline still continues. In the late 19th century Cheshire provided 86% of the nation’s salt – the Lion Salt Works is the only tangible surviving structure of this important industry.


Stayed by Anderton Boat Lift last night which is quite a piece of engineering “lifting” boats from the Trent and Mersey onto the River Weaver.    Just as well we had decided to do this another time (always the danger of the river flooding this time of year) because it was supposed to start working at 0800.     We had filled up with diesel off the working boat Renaissance the night before as they were off down to the Weaver this morning so Dai wanted to take some photos of the action - durrr, what action was that then?     None!    Computer prob ---- but they had it fixed in about 30 mins.     One boat went down to swing round and come back up again (presumably just to say we have done it so can tick the box) but then it got stuck as the barrier refused to budge to let them out!     We left them to it and carried on northwards with 3 tunnels and a stoplock.   First two tunnels (Barnton and Saltersford) both very kinky and the third (Preston Brook) very straight.   Look at the photo I took as we left Preston Brook Tunnel to see the smoke trail we left behind !


Did I tell you before that Dai has to have an afternoon nap these days?     Ha ha - well he has had this past week.    Age must be catching up with him!!


Spring is coming - yes it is !    This last week we have seen masses of snowdrops, catkins, the yellow flowers on gorze, pussy willow tips and crocuses - even some daffodil buds.    Please no more ice or snow (I know, its only mid Feb but you must be positive).


I would show you a photo of a magnificent Welsh dragon tiller pin that we purchased from another boat this week but Dai still needs to give it a good spit and polish - I’ll post it next week.


Since last blog we have done …  33 miles and 9 locks
This makes total since Setting Off ….. 988 miles and  888 locks


Oh Dear

an even bigger Oh Dear


being restored to former glory

still the Lion Salt Works - needs an awful lot of work on it

Anderton Lift

Yes, that's the smoke trail we left behind exiting Preston Brook Tunnel

An abandoned crane in the middle of nowhere on the Bridgewater Canal being put to good use holding stop planks











Wednesday, February 16, 2011

nearly got arrested

Yes, we made it to Nantwich on Friday !   Big, big shop at Morrisons necessary - well, we had run out of port too !    Some nights we have supper - inevitably cheese and biscuits and you just can’t have that without a nice glass of LBV port now can you.


I deserted Dai, Foxxie and Jandai on Saturday morning to go to Nottingham - Nantwich to Crewe; to Derby; to Nottingham.    Took Amy to Loch Fyne as her birthday treat (a week early cos she is spending her birthday weekend in Liverpool with friends).    We had an amazing meal including Lobster Platter, then painted the town red !     Sunday was good too as Amy and I went to Hucknall where ma cooked us Sunday dinner and also for Mand, Shaunie, Sam and Millie.      Came back Monday and we are still at Nantwich cos of the bitter wind and cold since then.    Probably moving tomorrow still northwards to Barbridge and maybe moor next on the Middlewich branch of the Shroppie - depends on what the weather is doing.


Dai managed to get the TV aerial fixings glued back on after trying 3 different types of adhesive…. And he has replaced our kitchen window blind with a new roller blind.    The old one was one of those pretend metal venetian blind things which has been fine but when I tried to clean it the other day, it is so flimsy that once bent, the slats won’t return to a nice straight position so it looked awful.  


Got homemade steak and kidney pudding steaming away on top of the fire for dinner tonight and another in the fridge for tomorrow as we had too much filling for just the one as it turned out.


Since last blog we have done …  9 miles and 17 locks
This makes total since Setting Off ….. 955 miles and  879 locks


Lobster Platter to share with Amy

Amy scooping out crayfish flesh


my niece Millie who asked us for a policeman's outfit for her 6th birthday last week to go with her nerff gun and walkie talkie (what happened to dollies ??)

Amy getting arrested - luckily (for me at least - sorry Amy ) then the handcuff keys were lost !

Yes, we made it to Nantwich on Friday !   Big, big shop at Morrisons necessary - well, we had run out of port too !    Some nights we have supper - inevitably cheese and biscuits and you just can’t have that without a nice glass of LBV port now can you.


I deserted Dai, Foxxie and Jandai on Saturday morning to go to Nottingham - Nantwich to Crewe; to Derby; to Nottingham.    Took Amy to Loch Fyne as her birthday treat (a week early cos she is spending her birthday weekend in Liverpool with friends).    We had an amazing meal including Lobster Platter, then painted the town red !     Sunday was good too as Amy and I went to Hucknall where ma cooked us Sunday dinner and also for Mand, Shaunie, Sam and Millie.      Came back Monday and we are still at Nantwich cos of the bitter wind and cold since then.    Probably moving tomorrow still northwards to Barbridge and maybe moor next on the Middlewich branch of the Shroppie - depends on what the weather is doing.


Dai managed to get the TV aerial fixings glued back on after trying 3 different types of adhesive…. And he has replaced our kitchen window blind with a new roller blind.    The old one was one of those pretend metal venetian blind things which has been fine but when I tried to clean it the other day, it is so flimsy that once bent, the slats won’t return to a nice straight position so it looked awful.  


Got homemade steak and kidney pudding steaming away on top of the fire for dinner tonight and another in the fridge for tomorrow as we had too much filling for just the one as it turned out.


Since last blog we have done …  9 miles and 17 locks
This makes total since Setting Off ….. 955 miles and  879 locks



Wednesday, February 9, 2011

All Systems Are A Go Go

Yippee - we are on the move!    Last night BW opened Woodeaves Cutting with a restriction past the fallen rocks from landslide.    Our wanderings between Brewood and Norbury can stop at last - not that we don’t like this stretch of the Shroppie but we have been here a long time now - since Nov 25 when the Great Freeze began at Wheaton Aston.


So today we have had our longest day cruising since last March when we started living on Jandai - 15 miles and 10 locks !!!    We need to get to Nantwich on Friday as I am going by train(s) back to Nottingham to celebrate Amy’s 22nd birthday for the weekend.       I’m sure we’ll both be zzzzz-ing by 8 o’clock tonight !


We are now in the Six Nations spell so HAVE to get telly on certain days to watch the rugby (even though Wales lost last weekend - oh dear, don’t let’s mention it - sorry Dai).    Prob is that during the wild winds on Monday our TV aerial ended up going for a swim in the canal.   Dai managed to hook it out but all the fixings have been pulled from the boat so we are in a bit of a pickle right now!     Another reason to get to Nantwich before Saturday as more rugby this coming weekend.


Saw a sparrow hawk chasing his dinner yesterday ----- trouble is he was after my tits.      They were all feasting on nuts and fatballs when down the hawk swooped.     Didn’t see that he caught anything but probably did as the tits round the boat had had several days filling their little bellies to bursting ---- it all happened so quickly of course that I couldn’t get the camera sorted in time but then whilst travelling today spotted another bird of prey who then settled on  a branch so managed to get a quick photo.


Happy Birthday to Millie and Mand who both celebrated this week - drinks are on me Sunday!!


Since last blog we have done …  17 miles and 10 locks
This makes total since Setting Off ….. 946 miles and  862 locks

magnificent bird of prey - not sure which one though
beware !
"proceed with caution" - you're not kidding!  narrow cutting with  landslide obstruction, another boat coming and a bridge!  Does it get better than this ?     Steady as she goes Dai

side of cutting where the landslide came from

and some of the offending rocks !

looking back after we crawled by

you can see better here how long and narrow Woodeaves Cutting is

Sunset over Gnosall on February 4

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Feb 1 declared a Honorary Sunday

Still wandering up and down Shroppie waiting for the stoppage at Woodeaves Cutting to be lifted ---- have been south to Brewood and then back north to Gnosall this week.


We woke up to a big surprise last Monday …… it wasn’t freezing when we went to bed but obviously did during the night - severely.   Ice on the canal this morning and we couldn’t stay at Brewood cos no water and no loo emptying facility.    After a war council, decided we better try and get at least to Wheaton Aston just in case we were beginning Ice Age Two.    Had to pole break ice in the winding hole which was only a few yards from where we were moored but we managed to turn around.    Then off we went ---- ice covering varied from about one cm to slush to nothing.     Used the services at Wheaton Aston and also filled up with diesel there but as the ice seemed to be getting more non-existent - and the fact that the narrow boat following in our wake passed us as we were dieseling up - it was our  turn to follow them doing the ice breaking.    Only prob was that they were only travelling at tickover so took us an age to go the 5 miles to Gnosall.     No ice here so we moored up - plan is to go on up to Norbury Wharf tomorrow in the hope that the stoppage will be gone by the weekend.


Yesterday - February 1st - we decreed was a Honorary Sunday!!   It was a lovely sunny, warm day and  before our daily walk, we had gone to get some meat from the local butcher, fancying pork chops.   I asked for 2 fairly hefty chops - well, the butcher didn’t fail us !    So with so much meat and the fact we had a bottle of tonic water that would be non-fizzy by next Sunday, we decided to go the whole Sunday hog with G & T, bottle of wine and even my homemade apple pie.     Perhaps every first of a month should be a Honorary Sunday in future!


Today is dull, drizzly with a bitter wind - weather is back and forth, back and forth - just hope it isn’t snowing tomorrow!


Since last blog we have done …  12 miles and 2 locks
total since Setting Off ….. 929 miles and  852 locks


skittering ice as we go through
this was about as thick as it got



our very own way through the ice

 

avandia