More Ramblings

Since the last witterings, we moved on up the Staffs & Worcester canal to Great Heywood for a few days, whilst there we met up with Eric and Elsie on Bendigedig and caught up on the latest gossip. Moving on from there we put the boat into Great Heywood Marina for a week whilst we went over to Norfolk, to see Lisa and Megan and Ffion our granddaughter's. Martin, Sophie and grandsons Ethan and Ptolomy came over to see us during our visit as well. It was great to see every one.

Once back at Gt Heywood we headed for Etruria junc on the Trent & Mersey and turned onto the Caldon canal, about 8 miles along the canal it splits, one arm going to Leek, the other going to Froghall. We took the Leek arm, but soon found the boat touching the bottom in some places, so we turned at Leek and beat a retreat back to Etruria junc. Whilst on the Caldon the weather was very kind to us, with just one day of rain.

At present we are moored at Stone on the T & M heading back to Gt Heywood junc

Moving On

Two weekends ago, when I last did the blog we were just short of Worcester Basin, we moved down to the basin and on the Saturday we had a visit from Richard, Sian and kids Sophie and Ellis. They were on their way home from a Game Fair, it was really good to see you all and thanks for coming over.

Sunday lunch time and my sister Sheila and Baz my brother in law turned up for our trip to Stourport on Severn. After locking down on to the River Severn, we headed up stream for 12 miles and through 3 manned locks, (so nice not to have to do anything for once). The trip was made all the more enjoyable by the weather, it was a wonderful day, hot and windless, apart from the headwind we created as we moved through the water. We eventually moved up in to Stourport basin and found a mooring for the night. The following day Baz jumped on to a bus and went back to Worcester to fetch the car and they left us in the afternoon, after a great 2 days.

At present we are on the Staffs and Worcester canal making our way to Great Heywood.

This is catch up

Try as I might I can't get my pictures to upload. So we will have to do the blog without for the time being.



When I left off last time we were on our way down the Coventry, we arrived at Sutton Stop for the left turn onto the North Oxford, but having spoken to some of the locals we decided to carry on down into Coventry basin which just happens to be in the middle of the City centre, so 'E' had a great day at the shops, it really is a very nice place to stop for a couple of days.



Having left Coventry we worked our way back to Sutton Stop and turned right onto the North Oxford and travelled down to Braunston where we saw nb Blue Diamond but no one was at home. We turned right onto the Grand Union canal heading for the first of the big lock flights, Lapworth 20, then next day we did Hatton along with Cape flights 23. On this flight we paired up with a very nice couple on their boat 'nb Tarka' which was a great help.



Following on from there we made our way to Kingwood Junction and turned left on to the Stratford canal and 12 miles and 30 locks later we were in Stratford Upon Avon Basin for a well earned rest. It's really lovely their, but the tourists can be a bit over the top, looking through the windows and taking pictures. Whilst there Lisa, Chris and the girls came for a couple of days. Lovely to see them,and the weather was so good for their visit.



On leaving there we retraced our steps to Kings Norton Junc and turned left on to the Worcester and Birmingham canal and then to the biggest flight of locks in the country Tardebigge 30 locks, we went down quite quickly 5 hrs 7 mins, thanks to a BW man who opened the last 10 top gates for us which kept us going.

Tonight we are 2 mls from Diglis Basin in Worcester, where we will lock down on to the River Severn and cruise up to Stourport on Severn.

To date we have covered 290 miles and 294 locks, however the locks to miles ratio will go down from now on.

Down the Coventry

Over the course of this week we have moved on down the Trent & Mersey canal onto the Coventry, during our first evening halt near Streethay we were treated to a display of touch and go flying by an auto gyro and a microlight. Microlight's are common enough but auto gyro's are very few and far between and this guy could handle it really well

We have finally ended up at Hartshill, just outside Nuneaton for the weekend. The weather this week has been mostly sunny, a couple of cool days including yesterday, but today is very hot, inside the boat it is still 28deg and it's half five, not that we are complaining.

Tomorrow we move on down towards the Oxford canal

Sunday 13 June

We moved on from the Shroppi last week and turned on to the Staffs & Worcester, shortly after we passed nb Cartref whom we hadn't seen since last year on the Macc, after an afternoon in Stafford we arrived at Tixall Wide near Great Haywood on Friday afternoon.

Saturday was a really hot day and we got a few jobs done, Sunday, not so warm and now it's raining quite heavily. Next week we will be moving on down the Trent & Mersey to the Coventry canal.

No pics this week my dongle signal is very weak.

Off at last

Just after draining.


Pressure washed, awaiting the scraper

After first coat of Bitumastic

Waiting for BW to fill the dock

It's seems to have been a long winter. We left our Llangollen winter moorings as usual on the 1st April, but had to hang around for 5 weeks waiting to go into the dry dock at Ellesmere which we booked 14 month ago and the first 2 weeks in May were the earliest available. Bendigedig went in for the first week and I gave Eric a hand, then we swapped over and Eric gave me a hand, it certainly helped the week go faster.

'SHUSH' looked great for the first few days, then we arrived at Grindley Brook staircase locks plus 3 more after them, the rules are no fenders when using these locks and with the very strong by wash at the bottom of each it's almost impossible not to scratch some of the paint on the sides as you go down, hey ho it looked good for a while.

We arrived at the end of the Llangollen on Wednesday and turned onto the Shropshire Union canal heading for Autherley Junction , the end of the SU where we will turn on to the Staffs and Worcs canal. Our summer cruise is not set in stone this year we are looking at Oxford and Stratford on Avon at the moment but things could change.

Back at last, after 5 weeks of broken dongle

This lucky fella has 30 young heifer's to keep happy!!!!

A warm wind less day on the Weston Arm of the Montgomery canal

One of Colin the lockies immaculate locks on the Monty

Just about to start crossing the Pontcysyllte Aquaduct behind Bendigedig

Halfway across the Ponty

Trevor basin, on a very busy day, we stopped to fill up with fuel before turning up under the bridge for Llangollen

Finally I have my dongle back from '3', first it was a suspect sim card, then it was scrambled software in the dongle. "we can't give a new dongle, we have to send it back to the manufacturers sir"!!!. so the whole job took nearly 4 weeks, partly due to my moving about.

We are in Llangollen now, arrived on the 30th Oct, there are eight of us this winter, staying till end of March. During this summers cruise to Leeds and back we have covered 608 miles, 440 locks and used 1123.23 litres of fuel.

Over the last four weeks we have been down the Mongomery, around Ellesmere, were we met up with Bendigedig, and finally up to Llan. Thats all for this year folks, unless something dramatic happens we shall be back on line in April

Oops it's Stuck

Most narrowboats are 6 ft . 10 ins wide, this one must be at least 7 ft as she was stuck fast in the bottom lock of the Hurleston flight last week ( and yes, her fenders were up as required for this flight )

Morning mist at Hurleston Junction.

Sunset Friday evening 11th September on the Llangollen canal.

Well it's been another two weeks of cruising up and down between Middlewich, Clovely and Nantwich. Whilst in Nantwich, Eiddwen went to Crew shopping. We have been waiting for news on the stoppage on the Shropshire Union canal, whilst there was a chance that the leak might be fixed quickly, but it would appear now that it is going to be some time before that happens. So we have now moved on to the Llangollen canal and are presently in Swanley Marina for the weekend. Our son in law, Emyr brought the two granddaughters over on Saturday for a 2 day visit which the girls enjoyed again. Lovely to see you all. We will start slowly making our way up to Llangollen itself for the winter this week.

The recent improvement in the weather has been much appreciated, I have finally managed to get some paint on various bits of the boat that were looking a bit tatty after this summers trip up to Leeds and back. The upper rubbing strips get scratched all the time and soon start to rust if they are left.

That's all for now folks

This fortnight we have covered 32 miles and 11 locks

A Quiet Fortnight

Anderton Boat Lift, two boats in the left hand caisson going up.

And one in the right hand caisson coming down.

Out pops the BW trip boat.

Ptolemy in the museum, dressed as a lift operator 150 years ago.

First mate sorting out the drinks.

Due to the stoppage on Shebdon Wharf Embankment we were stuck at Audlem for five days. Since leaving Audlem a week ago, at BW's request (we were told on Monday morning that they had twenty plus boats coming down from Market Drayton and they needed the room, so please reverse down three locks and go ) so we went down to Nantwich, where nb Bendigedig caught up with us, ( they were further up the Audlem flight than us ) then we moved on to Middlewich. At Middlewich we split up temporarily, Bendigedig going south and Shush going north and on to Anderton having stayed a few days in each place.

Yesterday Martin and grandsons Ethan and Ptolemy came for a visit, and we took them to the Anderton Lift museum and whilst there two boats were being raised up to the canal from the river, they enjoyed that, after that we went and had some food, then back to the boat for a couple of hours before they had to go home. Thanks for coming boys, hope you had a good day.

This fortnight we have done 39 mls and 22 locks

See you all next time.

The Waiting Game

Moving up in the lock que

The girls give a hand

Over night mooring

Last week was a quiet one with Eiddwen away in Norwich with Lisa and the girls for a few days, so I made my way up to Swanley Marina with Eric and Elsie's help up through Hurleston locks in readiness for their return on Monday. I booked in there so they would have somewhere to leave the car and if the weather was bad we could go into Nantwich, as it happened the sun shone it's socks off and we had a lovely three days with them. Thanks for the help in the lock que girls.

When they left on Wednesday, E and I Moved back on to the Llangollen for the night and the next day down the Hurleston locks and back on to the Shroppie, we got as far as Audlem on Friday night intending to catch up with Eric and Elsie on Bendigedig the following day, having spoken to them, we knew they were just below lock 14 on the Audlem flight that was ten locks above us.

The next morning when I was opening the rear doors I found a note from BW saying do not move your boat, we will be along later to explain. It turns out there is a hole in the base of the canal 12 miles ahead of us and the water in that pound has gone. So we may be here for a week or so, that's a real hardship !! as we are 100yds from the shops, 10 yds from two pubs and the same distance from the services for water etc, how lucky was that.

That,s all for now folks

Back on the Shroppie

Arrived at the lock 9th boat in que, left lock 2 hrs later with 10 boats still in que

Day or two old calf with mother.

Harry Heron catching his breki.

No blog last week due to signal problems, so a double helping today. First lock, we joined the que for two hours, Minshull lock is very slow both filling and emptying. We filled with diesel at Venetian Marine, we wanted water as well but he was a jobs worth!!, so we didn't get any. After the last lock we moved down to Barbridge Junction and turned right, having decided to go down to Christleton for a couple of days. On the way we called at Calveley services for much needed water before cruising down to Beeston Iron lock for the night, next day we moved on to Christleton.

Eiddwen and I went into Chester the following day to get a few bits. Making our way back, we had a chaotic time at Bunbury Staircase locks, there are signs which we thought were idiot proof, that tell you how to use the staircase. However if you can't read ! the signs don't help. A pair of boats going up grounded on the cill between the two locks due to not having filled the top lock first. To top that the next boat down didn't empty the bottom lock first, so as they emptied the top lock into the already full bottom lock the water went over the top of the gates and nearly went into the small shop by the gates, hey ho just another Saturday on the Shroppie. Moving on we arrived in Nantwich on Sunday lunchtime. Eric and I will be around here for the next few days due to both the girls going off in different directions to do their own things.

In the last 2 weeks we have done 37 miles and 14 locks

That's all for now.

Retracing our Steps.

This hill is known as The Cloud.



They are getting bigger!

At the bottom of Bosley locks, the rain has done some damage to crops.

Another quiet week, leaving High Lane on Monday, we stopped at Lyme Green, Bosley locks, ( we went down the 12 Bosley locks in just over 2 hours, and we weren't in a rush ) Dane aquaduct and Red Bull aquaduct. Friday we shopped in Tesco's and Saturday we moved down to Church Lawton and stayed till Monday.

The weather has been very mixed this last week, but it is looking a bit better today.

We covered 26 miles and 19 locks in the last 7 days.

Happy birthday to Martin, Ffion and Ptolemy. xxxxx

Peak Forest and return.

Bugsworth Upper basin.

There are many of these signs around the basin.

Looking back down the upper basin.

All that's left of the old tramway that brought the limestone down to the basin.

The saddles that carried the sleepers. Up to 800 tons of limestone a day left here in forty boats.

Well it was a short week, we cruised up to the Peak Forest on Tuesday and turned down for the Whaley Bridge arm, didn't stop long!. Stopped at Tesco's on the way to the Bugsworth Basin arm and what a difference, the group of volunteers who rescued the basin from it's derelict state a couple of years ago have done a great job trans forming it to it's present condition. It was a pity we could only stop 48 hrs, because there was so much to see.

We left on Friday and worked our way back to High Lane for the weekend, jumped on the bus to Stockport with the girls, managed to find a B&Q and picked up some bits for a couple of jobs I have to do. Couldn't get this out on Sunday as usual, no signal on either of my dongles in High Lane (so it can't be that high!!)

This week we have covered 19 miles and no locks'

That's all folks

We're on the Mac.

Locking up the Trent & Mersey canal, with the M6 in the back ground.

Some of the locks on the T&M were duplicated to speed up traffic.

A family of swans having some greenery for supper.

How does something so ugly grow into a lovely swan?

Climbing up the Bosley flight on the Macclesfield the scenery is getting better.

We have a visitor staying with us this weekend, Ben from nb Bendigedig.



Leaving Wheelock on Monday we worked our way up toHassall Green, Tuesday found us at Kidsgrove and the junction with the Macclesfield canal. Wednesday we turned on to the Mac and were at Congleton that evening and Thursday we got up to Lyme Green, Friday we cruised up through Macclesfield and Bollington and arrived at Higher Poynton where we are moored for the weekend.

Next week we are back to the old chesnut of getting Eiddwen a re-supply of tablets, when we left Llangollen her doctor gave her 3 months worth of tablets, which are now running out, so we start looking for a surgery that will give her a repeat prescription.

Eric & Elsie from nb Bendigedig, who we travel with, have gone home for their daughters wedding this weekend so we are looking after Ben the dog. We have had him before for a day, but not over night, as it turned out he has been as good as gold, no problem.

This week we have covered 43 miles and worked through 39 single locks.

That's all folks.

Another Scortching Week

Moored at Moore!

Emerging from Barnton Tunnel

Anderton Boat Lift, Trent and Mersey down to River Weaver.

First Mate having a mad moment.

Moored for the Weekend at Wheelock

Wheelock looking toward Kidsgrove and next lock in the distance.



Weather wise it's been a glorious week, and we are still basking in 27 deg temperatures now. We left Oldfield Brow on Monday and worked our way to Lymm, Tuesday found us mooring at Moore, and Wednesday we were in the country above Acton Bridge.

Leaving there on Thursday we stopped at the Anderton Lift for a quick look around, as we were mooring a lady walker who was passing spoke to Eiddwen in Welsh and it turned out she was from Boncath in Pembrokeshire, a mere stones throw from Crymych where we used to live, isn't it a small world, unfortunately before Eiddwen could find out her name, she had to run to catch up with the rest of her party. We left Anderton and moved on to stop near Broken Cross for the night. Friday saw us in Middlewich, for a tesco run and some of the best fish and chips on the cut. Unusually for us we moved on a bit on Saturday to Wheelock where we are stopping till Monday, this is to lesson the number of locks we have to do next week. This week we have covered 38 miles and done 10 locks.

That's all for now.

Back on the Bridgewater

Not big enough for dinner!!

After a very busy week we finally turned onto the Bridgewater canal on Thursday afternoon. We left Hapton on Monday morning, and by Tuesday evening we had cruised down to Adlington, Wednesday dawned wet and cold so we stayed put. Thursday was a long day for the girls with 9 miles and 23 locks, 21 of the Wigan flight and 2 round the corner on the Leigh branch. Friday, we sailed down to the marina at Worsley for Diesel and water, then on down to Oldfield Brow, Sale for the weekend. Last week we covered 55 miles and 36 locks.

That's all for this week.

Hapton, Lancashire

On our way up to the summit

One more lock to go

In the summit pound, the views are wonderful.

Part way across the summit pound.

That's a good sign!.

Looking into Lancashire.

First lock on the way down.

Summit reservoir. Rumour is that the canal could close by August if they don't get some rain.

Only two to go in this flight.

Moored for the night below the first flight of locks.



We have had a very good week, progress and weather wise. We left Skipton on Monday morning and went through the first flight of four locks, the next day we did the other eight. On Wednesday we crossed the summit and left Yorkshire, moving into Lancashire, Thursday saw us through Foulridge Tunnel (1640 yds long ), another seven locks and down to Barrowford.

As we went through the town, Eric spotted a waste oil bank, so we stopped and left them some, that's the first waste oil bank we have seen on the system. Just after leaving the recycle facility we came across a Summerfield supermarket on the off side, complete with it's own moorings and access gate, so the girls did a little shop. Through Burnley and Rose Grove on Friday and down to Hapton for the weekend.

Thats all for this week.