THE BIG SUMMER CRUISE-Sept. 1st--7th


Monday, September 1st
What a wonderful way to pass the first day of term!
I got up at 9.30, the sun was high in the sky, the clouds were a perfect blue,
and there was that lovely crisp smell of September.
We walked up to Bunbury locks, and then in to Bunbury
to check out the pubs to meet my old school pal tomorrow.
It's a lovely vilage, lunch at the Dysart Arms was excellent
--well we had to make sure that it was OK for tomorrow.

We went in to the church for a look around, and there was a group of parish ladies
--always ladies isn't it?--who were cleaning.
They meet on the first Monday of every month.
We remarked on how light the church was,
and one of the women told us that, during the war,
a German bomber had a couple of bombs left over after bombing Liverpool,
so he kindly donated them to Bunbury.
It took the roof off the church and destroyed most of the stained glass windows.
The roof was built, and the windows were replaced with old plain glass,
and it certainly gave the church a very airy feeling.
A row of cottages had also been demolished, and their occupants killed.

Tuesday, 2nd September
As we lay in bed this morning, we kept hearing men's voices.
We thought the locals must be a very active sort of people, and were out walking.
However, when we eventually got up, and stuck a tousled head out of the hatch,
we discovered we were in the middle of a fishing competition!
All along the bank, as far as the eye could see, stretched a line
of men sitting on stools, gazing intently at the canal!
They seemed good humoured about us being in the middle of it all.

We met up with my old school pal at lunch time.
Neither of us had aged a day........
We got on so well together, it was very much like 'the old days'!
And she remembered some hilarious incidents I'd completely forgotten about.
We had another good lunch at The Dysart Arms, and came back to the boat.
The fishermen were just packing up.
I was glad we'd taken the trouble to meet up again, sometimes it works, other times it doesn't.

Wednesday. 3rd September
Trev was up and raring to go this morning.
We'd been at the same mooring for four nights,
the longest we'd stayed anywhere on this cruise,
and now his gypsy instincts were coming to the fore!
I was still in bed, and he was turning the boat round in the winding hole,
to go south down the Shroppie.
So I had to get up!


I don't seem to have taken many pictures this week, so here's a pretty one to make up for it.

Our plan today was to get as close as possible to the centre of Nantwich,
as we have a friend, Cherry, coming to stay with us.
She's arriving at Nantwich station tomorrow afternoon.
So we went down The Shroppie, past the end of the Middlewich Branch,
and past the end of the Llangollen canal, and in to Nantwich.
We found a mooring spot, went and shopped in Nantwich
and then came back and had a good clean of the boat.
We were all ready!
Nantwich is a pretty town, and the centre is delightful.
There is a big grassy area around the church,
and seating, which was being well used, as it was a lovely day.
There's a good variety of shops, too,
and it's the only place where I've seen women's names on the war memorial
for the second world war.
I suppose they were nurses?

In the evening, I went on the bike to look for the station.
I asked a man the way, and, as he was also on a bike,
he rode all the way with me to show me where it was.
People really are so nice when they're not in a hurry.
It seems to me that we're finding the opportunities to meet more people
now that we've slowed down, and almost everyone we meet is helpful
and wants to chat.

Thursday, 4th September
Today Cherry arrives.
She's the first visitor to sleep on the boat.
We've been reluctant to ask anyone to stay, as there isn't a lot of room,
and there's only one bathroom.
But we thought one person would be a good start!
So poor Cherry is the guinea pig, and she knows that
the future of our guests rests entirely on her shoulders!
Nantwich station is tiny and unmanned, but the train stopped and off stepped Cherry!
She'd travelled light--just a small case on wheels, and a shoulder bag full of
chapel apples, home grown tomatoes and a bottle of wine.
After a look around Nantwich, we walked back to the boat,
and set off south on the canal.
This was in the opposite direction to where we were planning to go
--the Llangollen Canal--but there was a reason.
We wanted to visit a nuclear bunker which was a couple of miles south along the canal,
and also to eat at the Shroppie Fly, a proper canal pub.

Friday, 5th September
We turned the boat in a winding hole, and went back to the nuclear bunker at Hack Green.
Apparently it was a real up and running bunker to be used in the event
of a nuclear attack in the days of the cold war.
So much of the equipment looked old fashioned, and of course there were no computers.

On the way down last night, we'd noticed numerous sloe bushes
on the off side of the canal, loaded with sloes.
So, on the way back, we pulled the boat over and picked lots, for sloe gin.
The bushes were loaded down with beautiful purple fruit.
We had to keep moving out of the way of passing boats.


FRUIT PICKING

Then we continued north to turn on to the Llangollen at Hurlsdon Junction.
It was an exciting moment to actually get on to the Llangollen,
after setting out with it as our goal three months ago.
We've certainly covered some ground since then.
There are four locks as soon as you turn on to the canal,
but with Cherry helping, we soon got those done,
and then moored at the top, as we had heard that there is a farm
selling home made ice cream with a choice of forty flavours!
The rumour was correct, and it was worth the white knuckle walk along the main road to buy some.

Then on again, along the canal, to find a mooring spot.
We lit the fire, ate in and played Trivial Pursuit, and were very snug.



Saturday, 6th September
We continued along the Llangollen, through locks, lift bridges and swing bridges.
There is one swing bridge at Wrenbury where you have to put down a barrier
and stop the traffic,
before opening the bridge.
What power! But what a responsibility.
We moored up near a little village called Marbury
and went in to the village for a bar snack.
When we got back it was Trivial Pursuit again, and Cherry won again.

Sunday, 7th September
We spent a perfect, peaceful night on the moorings
and in the morning went up through Marbury lock.
Just above the lock we found trees laden down with damsons--juicy and sweet.
Trev obligingly pulled the boat in to the bushes
and we picked ten pounds in about a quarter of an hour,
much to the amusement of the occupants of passing boats.

We continued through glorious countryside, to Grindley Brook.
Here there are three separate locks and then a staircase of three.
And of course you know what a staircase lock is, because I told you some time ago!
There were some BW staff here to help with the locks
and we were soon through and on our way again.
(And you remember what BW stands for......)
We continued along the canal to Whitchurch and the end of Cherry's cruise with us.
We moored in the Whitchurch Arm, a short piece of canal
left from a much longer one that used to go right in to town.
We ate on board, and played Trivial Pursuit again, but this time, I won!

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