Some Lovely Cruising
(Pass your cursor over the picture to see the title)
Monday, 8th October
Well, we survived the rellies: two aunts, one uncle and a cousin! Actually, we enjoyed it all and Trev was pleased to catch up with family news. We also ate out, at the Mermaid again. We ought to be on commission, because we ate there on Sunday too, when an ex-colleague of Trev's came to visit with his wife, daughter and son-in-law. The daughter and son-in-law are boat builders, and so were interested to see our boat.
You can read about their boat building business here:
Grand Waterway Voyages
But on Monday, duty done, we set off again. Oh it's so good to be cruising. We left Wightwick around 9.00 and our first stop was at Lime Kiln Narrowboats for diesel and some oddments of chandlery. The diesel was 54p per litre, the price is creeping up all the time. Then we continued to Aldersley junction where the Staffs and Worcs meets the Birmingham Canal Navigation and then in less than half a mile, we arrived at Autherley Junction, where the Shropshire Union goes off to the left and the Staffs and Worcs continues to the right to eventually meet the Trent & Mersey.
We followed the T&M, past the outskirts of Wolverhampton and then out into the country. The canal twists and turns on its route, some times within sight and sound of the M6, other times meandering through delightful countryside.
We passed the end of the Lichfield & Hatherton Canal, sadly abandoned and filled in, but scheduled to be reopened one day. There is a group of people working hard to achieve this end, David Suchet is the President of the Trust. He is a boater, too. If you travel on the Birmingham Northern Relief Road, known as the Toll Road, you might spot an aqueduct high up in the air and attached to nothing at either end. This remarkable construction was built because of the determination of the members of the Trust, who lobbied Parliament and the European Parliament to ensure that when the Toll Road was built, provision was made for the future restoration of the canal. If the aqueduct had not been included at the time of building the Toll Road, it would never have been possible to have restored the canal.
You can read about it here:
Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust
Trev rode ahead on the bike to set the locks, and, as I was cruising along, I noticed a couple walking along the towpath towards me, As I got nearer to them I realised that it was 'more of the rellies"! Trev's cousin Ann and her husband had walked from Penkridge to meet us. Wasn't that nice? So they got on board and had a ride back to Penkridge, experiencing a few locks on the way. In the evening we shared a Chinese take away--well we hadn't eaten much lately, had we?
The plan had been to move on on Tuesday, but the weather was miserable, raining and cold so we stayed put, and enjoyed a lazy day. I got on with putting the finishing touches to my book--it has to be with the publisher by the end of November.
Wednesday, 10th, Thursday 11th October
Today we set off for one of our favourite mooring places--Tixall Wide. I've probably bored you already with details of how nice a place it is, how wide it is, how peaceful it is and what a lot of wildlife we see here. However, this time we didn't see any Great Crested Grebes. Usually there are lots. Do they migrate? I didn't think so.
On the way to Tixall, we passed a Park Home estate, and cogitated about how it would be to live on one of them. The prices are good, the properties look very nice and there is more space between them than there is between houses on a new housing estate. But then Trev reminded me that we're going to live on the boat forever, so it was a pointless conversation...........
We moored up at Tixall and spent two lovely nights there. The people on the boat next door came and had a drink with us in the evening, and we enjoyed their company.
Friday, 12th October
Eventually we left Tixall and in about a mile we came to Great Haywood and the junction of the Staffs and Worcs Canal and the Trent and Mersey Canal. We turned left onto the T&M. We had been hoping to fill up with water here, but, as usual, there was a queue and so we went on without stopping. We had a long day today and moored up between Stone and Stoke-on-Trent, ready for a quick trip through Stoke--about the best thing there is to do at Stoke. The scenery was rural all the way to Stone. We moored up a chandlery to buy a new bilge pump. The name of this chandlery always amuses me--Stone Boats! Sounds like a whole new concept in boating.
We stopped in Stone and went shopping. It's a pleasant town, and today was Market Day, so that was a bonus! I needed a new Bluetooth bongle for my computer. I can't find the other one anywhere. I walked right out of town to a computer shop in uncharted territory, only to be told that 'They will be in tomorrow'. How many times have I heard that one. I'm sure he really meant it too, it was just frustrating at walking so far and not getting one. When I got back into town, I tried the Orange shop, but they didn't have one and suggested I try Woolworth's, where I was most surprised to find one! Needless to say, as soon as we got back to the boat, I found the original! Trev had found it on the floor the day before, not realised what it was, not looked at it properly and thought it was a clothes peg and put it in the peg box! Why did he chose yesterday of all days to be tidy and put something away?!
We moved on along the canal and moored up at Barlaston, near the Wedgwood factory. We visited there a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it, but we didn't visit it again this time.
Saturday, 13th, Sunday 14th October
Old habits die hard. If I were many many years younger and still living in Warwick, I would have been very excited today, for the fair always came to town on the first Saturday after October 12th. The wagons all rolled past our house on the Stratford Road on their way from Stratford-on-Avon where the fair had been the previous week. Huge lorries rumbled by, smelling of hot diesel and carrying The Waltzers, Bumper Cars, and children's rides. As if that weren't enough of a load, they also towed the wonderful show wagons: old wooden caravans high off the ground on two axles, with the fair women standing at the stable doors as they passed. Magic! My mother told me to stay behind the hedge in the front garden, or else I might be kidnapped and never seen again!
However, sadly I'm not eight any more, and the fair no longer thrills. But we have a boat--that's pretty exciting, and four thousand miles of waterways to cruise, so there's lots to do! And today we did have lots to do. We want to get through Stoke-on-Trent and up the Leek and Caldon Canal to a spot where we feel comfortable to moor. So we were up early and away. We went through Stoke as far as Etruria, then turned right onto the L&C. We went up through the staircase locks and Planet Lock.
It's been nearly four years since we came this way, and there were two surprises for us at Planet Lock. A whole new housing development is under construction, with lots of three storey flats being built. I suppose it's an improvement on what was there before, but they seem awfully high and very close to the lock, making it feel enclosed. The second surprise was that there was a BW barge at right angles to the bank, barring our exit from the lock. It had somehow become untied--we won't speculate how. Trev went to the front and pushed it away with a pole, and then he climbed on to it and tied it back up, doing his good deed for the day.
Then on we went, keen to get away from the urban sprawl and back into the country again. Bridge 11 is an electronic lift bridge. I had to go and put a BW key into an electric box, switch everything on and then lower the barriers at each side to stop trhe traffic. Then I pressed a button to lift the bridge and let Trev through. Fortunately it's not a busy road, and no cars were held up.
At last, after about five miles, we were back in the countryside again. It's very pretty from here to the end of the canal, as it's going into the North Staffordshire Moors. There are no towns until the very end, where the canal termintes near Leek. We moored up near the village of Stockton Brook and stayed for two nights. We had remembered a pub where we'd had Sunday lunch when friends came to see us, and wanted to go again as it was so nice. So I rang and made a reservation, and, on Sunday morning we duly set off to walk the half mile or so to the pub. It started to rain and I hadn't got a coat or an umbrella. Then we got to the pub and, yes it was the right one, but.....it wasn't the one where I'd booked for lunch today! I'd got the information out of the canal guide, and chosen the wrong pub. The trouble was, we didn't know where the pub was where I'd booked! So, we waited until this pub opened at noon and asked if they had any tables for lunch. Our plan was that if they had, we would cancel the other one and eat here. However, they didn't have any room for us. So we asked someone how to find the other pub, and off we set. It was about three quarters of a mile away, and up a steep road, but when we got there, it was absolutely delightful. Good food, excellent service and very cosy. So it all turned out OK in the end. We rolled back down to the boat, read the papers and slept off the effects!
Monday, 15th, October
Part of the way along, the Leek and Caldon Canal divides into two , the main canal going to Froghall. It was built to bring limestone down from the Caldon quarries. The Leek branch was constructed to bring water from the Rudyard reservoir. In 1811 yet another branch was completed from Froghall to Uttoxeter but this branch had a short life and its bed was ultimately used as a railway track.
We turned right at the junction, onto the Leek branch, and went to the end of the canal, which is about mile from Leek. We moored up here and Trev blacked one side of the boat. It was beginning to look as though it had seen service in Iraq. Then we turned it round and he painted the other side. Now it looks really smart--until we start crusing again. That will soon put a few scratches on it. We enjoyed the peace and quiet and lovely countryside. Trev walked down to Morrison's to shop, but I was thoroughly lazy and did very little.
Tuesday, 16th October
Today we went back to moor near Stockton Brook. Tomorrow we have an appointment with the coalman at 8.30 at Bridge 25! Catharine and Mamdooh have sent our post to the local Post office, so we need to pick that up too. We moored right by a smallholding with rare breeds of poultry, including ostriches. There were some very odd sounds coming from the other side of the hedge! Fortunately they quietened down at night.
It's been quite difficult to find mooring places in certain areas on the Leek and Caldon. There seems to be a number of boats moored up here on 48 hour moorings which look more like they've been here 48 years. We even saw a man filling his petrol tank with a can of red diesel. Maybe it's because it's a real backwater that people feel they can flout the law and BW regulations, but I feel that if there is a rule then it should be enforced. It makes those of us who tow the line rather cross. Moan over!
Wednesday, 17th October
A Big Day Today! The coalman said he would deliver 'any time after 8.30' so we needed to be there in case by any chance we were first on the list. So we set off around 7.30 and, lo and behold, as we pulled into Bridge 25, he arrived, looking for us! I think he was as surprised to see us as we were to see him. Perfect timing. We took twelve bags of Homefire on board, then Trev went to the Post Office and the post had arrived. This meant we could put the plan for today into action. As long as the post and the coal arrived early, we would be able to get back to the junction of the Leek and Caldon Canal with the Trent & Mersey and get through the Harecastle Tunnel in one day.
So off we set, back through the electric lift bridge, through Planet Lock, through the Etruria staircase lock and back onto the T&M. We turned right and set off for the dreaded tunnel--2926 yards long. How I hate that place! All the time I'm in there I pray that it won't collapse on us or the boat engine won't seize up. When you go in, you can't see the other end for ages. Light has never been as sweet as the first rays as you emerge at the other end from the total darkness! Again we were lucky. We went straight in without waiting. If we had just missed a convoy, we could have had to wait up to two hours. It's one way traffic through the tunnel, with a tunnel keeper at each end. He makes a note of how many boats go in, then 'phones his colleague at the other end to tell him how many to expect. ('I counted them out, and I counted them in.....' ) It takes at least forty minutes to go through, so it would be quite a while before the alarm was raised if you didn't come out.
So, we were out and safe, and set off down 'Heartbreak Hill', a modern name for what the old boaters called 'The Cheshire Locks'. This is a flight of twenty-nine locks which drop the canal down from the Midlands to the Cheshire Plain. We did six of the flight and moored up for the night at a very pleasant mooring at Church Lawton. We stayed here last time we did this route and had remembered it as a good place to moor. We'd had a long but very successful day and felt pleased with ourselves. I was particularly pleased as our good progress meant that I would be able to go on a course at The Quilt Studio in Wheelock. I had been hoping to get there in time and, thanks to Trev's hard work on the locks and steering, I would be able to go.
Thursday, 18th October
Another long day, not so much in terms of distance-we only did about six miles-but as far as the locks were concerned, we did nineteen. Or rather Trev did, I steered. We've had the most wonderful weather for days and today was no exception. Glorious sunshine, cloudless blue skies, cool fresh air, a real Indian Summer. We've had a long trip to do and we've been really lucky to have had such perfect weather. The countryside was not spectaular toady, but so peaceful and rural, with lots of cattle. I've been thinking about this. When we had the Foot and Mouth Epidemic some years ago--I can't remember the exact year--thousands and thousands of cattle were killed. Yet the fields are full of them again. Where did they all come from?
Any way.......! We moored up at Wheelock, ready for me to do my course tomorrow. It's so rare that I can get to do a course, I'm really quite excited about it! It's the first patchwork place I've found near to the canal. When I go on a patchwork course I need to take my sewing machine, material and sewing equipment and it's impossible to carry it far. In the evening friends Angela and Michael came to visit and we all went to The Old Mill Restaurant right by the canal and had an excellent meal.
Friday, 19th, Saturday 20th October
Up with the lark and looking forward to my course today. After leaving Trev a list of jobs (!) to make sure he didn't waste his time, I spent a very pleasant time learning how to make a doll. This was quite a new departure for me, and it wouldn't have been my first choice of course. But it was the only one which fitted in with our schedule, and I'm very glad I went. I've made a beautiful doll and it's given me a great deal of satisfaction. She was made from scratch, head and all, no bought stuff! I did the main part of it in the two days, but she still needs some extra titivating. When she's finished, I'll put a picture of her on the website.
You can read about the Quilt Studio here:
The Quilt Studio
Whilst I was on the course, Trev was busy. He sawed up all of the logs we'd collected on our way, washed the roof of the boat and did lots of other manly things. So now we're ready to set off again.
Sunday, 21st October
We travelled on along the Trent & Mersey to its junction with the Middlewich Branch. On the way we passed through one of the dreaded fishing competitions. There was over a hundred of them, spaced out about every ten yards. They are SO RUDE!!! Sorry, but they are. Well 95% of them are. We always slow down and keep in the middle of the canal as requested, but they won't have eye contact and won't speak. Sometimes Trev calls 'Good Morning' to try to get a response. I'm sure we'd get a response if we went through at full throttle. But they never ever thank us for going slowly.
We wanted to turn left at the Middlewich Junction, but unfortunately so did a lot of other boats and we waited over an hour for our turn in the lock. We got through eventually and moored up just beyond the lock to visit Somerfield. Then we moved on a few miles and moored up high on an embankment with lovely views over the Cheshire countryside.
Monday, 22nd October
Today we shall reach the Llangollen Canal. We set off along the Middlewich Branch, queuing at MInshull Lock for nearly an hour to take our turn. It's half term, you see. The last fling of the year for hire boats and privately owned boats alike. We don't mind, we don't have to go to work next week! We got to the end of the Middlewich and turned left onto the Shropshire Union. Nearly there now lad! Just over a mile to Hurleston Junction, where we turn right for Llangollen and leave the Shroppie to wend its way south to the Midlands. And there it is, the junction. We swing right, expecting a long queue and.........we're the only boat. We were up the flight of four locks in about half an hour and there was Linda, the summer lockie at the top. We swopped gossip and ordered a new bow rope from her, which she will deliver to us 'somewhere along the canal' when it arrives.
I've just found the answer to something I've been wondering about for ages. How does the farmer harvest the sweet corn in the fields? Because it's far too closely sown for anyone to get in there and pick it individually. Also it's far too late to be harvesting it to eat right now. Linda told me. It's not the sweet corn we know and eat. it's a type grown especially for animals and the whole plant is cut to a few inches above the root. It's shredded and put into a silo. I saw it happening today.
So here we are at last, back in the Golly for five months. What a treat. We shall take our time getting to Llangollen, our mooring there starts on November 1st. Meanwhile we are looking forward to visiting all our old haunts, favourite pubs, special mooring spots and maybe even seeing a few familiar faces. Come back and see how we're getting on.