As I write this, we're in the dreaded Harecastle Tunnel! Well, dreaded for me. I never was in to potholing! The Harecastle is just over three thousand yards long and it takes about forty minutes to go through. The boats are allowed in one way at a time, up to eight at a time and, as one enters the tunnel, the BW man at the entrance takes the boat details and number of passengers, which he phones through to the man at the other end. Presumably the man at the far end counts us all out....... Then in we go and the doors are closed behind us, the fans start up to extract foul air, and we're off!

I've left Trev at the back to steer and come down below decks, drawn the curtains, put the lights on and am pretending it's not happening! This is the second time we've been through, and, actually, this time, it doesn't seem as frightening. I think it may be because there's about six boats going through together and we can hear the occupants laughing and talking amongst themselves. We were lucky in that, when we arrived, the boats were just going in, so we went straight in and I didn't have time to think about it!

However, I digress. I'm aware that this web page has been a long time coming, and I aopologise for that. As you read it, you will see that not a lot happened! We had a four night stay and an eight night stay, with nothing worth writing about. However, back to Thursday, 30th March, if I can remember that far back!

Thursday, 30th March--Saturday, 1st April
We stayed on the same mooring at Whitley Green for four nights, the weather wasn't very good, and we were to meet our friends on Monday at Higher Poynton, which is only a couple of miles away. It was a nice spot, and we didn't really do a lot!

Sunday, 2nd April
We moved on to Bridge 15 at Higher Poynton today. a spot called Lord Vernon's Wharf, presumably after some local dignitary. The wharf was built to move the coal which was mined here. First we filled up with water and then we moored up. It's a popular spot, and we were lucky to get the last mooring. The canal is wide here, and is known as a flash. It's where the bank on one side has subsided, due to underground mineworking. So it's like a small lake, and there is lots of wildlife. The Canada Geese were particularly active, it being Spring and the males wanting mates. They fought and swooped and ducked and dived and preened themselves, to the accompaniment of loud honking, even at night.

Monday, 3rd April
Our friends Angela & Michael came to pick us up today and we spent the day with them. It was the first time we'd been to their house, and we caught up on so much gossip and news! Well, it was forty years since we'd had time for a proper chinwag!

Tuesday, 4th--Tuesday, 11th April
We started up the engine to set off today but soon realised we had a problem. The coolant hoses were leaking. We were lucky to be right by a marine engineer, Charles Hills, who came to sort the problem out. We had three leaks and needed new parts. So, we turned the engine off and settled down to await the parts. Whilst we were there, Charles also serviced the engine. He's an expert at his job and we would recommend him.

So, what was supposed to be a two night stay turned in to a week! We took the train to Manchester one day, and that was a good day. Manchester is an interesting city, and we enjoyed our day. Piccadilly in Manchester city centre is an excellent station, very modern and with shops, cafes and a variety of facilities.

Wednesday, 12th April
At last we are sorted out and can move on. We filled up with water and diesel and our friends Angela & Michael came with three grandchildren and Angela's sister Jan to wave us off! They came for a ride to the next bridge and then stood and waved us in to the distance. They probably wanted to make sure we really went! Angela & Michael have been really helpful during our enforced stay, fetching shopping for us, receiving our mail and inviting us for a meal on several occasions.

We didn't have far to travel today. We were due to meet our friends Lindsay and Malcolm on 'Plan B'. They were on their way back along the canal, and we planned to have a meal together. Just as we were tying up at the appointed meeting place--between Bridges 7 & 8--they appeared from the opposite direction and moored just in front of us. We shared a coffee--well not the same mug, we had one each, you understand, the pension will run to that--and made arrangements to meet tonight for a meal.

Thursday, 13h April
We said goodbye to Lindsay & Malcolm. We don't know when we shall see them again, that's one of the aspects of boating! Then we went on down to the Marple, and moored up between Bridges 1 & 2 whilst Trev went in to Manchester to sort out a bank account. When he came back, we decided that we would stay there overnight, and in the evening we had an excellent meal at an Italian restaurant in Marple--La Dolce Vita.

Friday, 14th April--Good Friday
We were up and about, thinking off setting off, when lots of boats started to come by. We asked them where they were all going and they said that there was an Easter weekend rally at Bugsworth Basin, at the end of the Peak Forest Canal. We'd forgotten that it was Easter weekend! We live in this bubble and time rolls by and I often don't know which day of the week it is! This information made us reappraise our plans. We had planned on going down to Bugsworth Basin at the end of the Peak Forest Canal, to stay for a couple of days. But if there was to be a meet, perhaps it wouldn't be a good idea. We didn't know how big it was, or if there would be room for us, so we decided instead to turn round and head back to Harding's Wood and the junction of the Macclesfield and the Trent & Mersey Canal.

So we went through the bridge, turned at the junction and came back along the Maccie. The canal was quite busy, but most of the traffic was going the other way, to the meet at Bugsworth. The weather today was absolutely perfect, an idyllic Spring day. We moored up opposite Lyme View Marina. I hung the washing out on the airers and it dried in a couple of hours. The birds sang to us and we ate our dinner sitting in the cratch--the front part of the boat--for the first time this year. On the opposite side of the canal in the marina the boat owners were all out polishing and painting and revving the engines and generally having a whale of a time playing with their boats!

Saturday, 15th April
Another good day for weather and travelling. We got to the top of the Bosley Flight today, ready to drop down through the twelve locks tomorrow. On the way we stopped in Bollington and Trev fetched some shopping. There's an excellent butcher in the town and Trev came back with some goodies! We saw a family out fishing--what a change from the usual grumpy fishermen we see! And we saw our first ducklings of the year. A mallard was swimming along with about eight tiny fluffballs, which only looked about a day old.

We continued on along towards Macclesfield, but at an incredibly slow pace. There was a boat two ahead of us and it was going so slowly, we had to keep going in to neutral to avoid hitting the boat in front. We were stuck like this for about three miles. The man on the boat in front didn't seem put out by it at all, and didn't try to pass. But then he pulled in to Macclesfield canal Centre, so we realised why he didn't try to overtake. Then we were immediately behind the slow boat to China and I went to the front and said we would be coming by.

As we passed, the woman steering said she was going as fast as she could. But why she didn't move over before to let other boats through is a mystery. However, we got past, we didn't have canal rage, and we continued on our way. All along this canal the views are special, sometimes spectacular. Today was no exception and we realised that we shall want to come back again to savour it all.

We passed a man doing his laundry--complete with mangle!

Sunday, 16th April
We went down through the Bosley Flight today. We narrowly missed having the locks all set our way. A boat had just come up, and we were contemplating setting off when a boat in front went instead! But there was quite a few boats coming up, and some of the locks were full, ready for us, so it wasn't all hard work. It was good to see the other boats out, we've been on our own on the Llangollen for a long time in the winter. Trev cycled ahead on the bike to get the locks set, and I steered. We were down the locks in a couple of hours.

We carried on to Congleton, where we had two stops. The first was to buy a paper and a few basic grocery items, the second was when we got something in the weedhatch. I had said to Trev only a couple of days ago that he hadn't had to delve in the weedhatch all year....... Perhaps I should have kept that remark to myself. There was an accumulation of nylon rope and polythene sheeting round the propellor, and we went along much faster after it was removed!

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