Well we could do the flight...... or we could sit in the sun?

We have again been hampered by the lack of signal on the is stretch so as by way of a catch-up, I will fill you in as to what we've been up to.

Just before we left our mooring pretty early today, the same boat as yesterday went past us, this again meant that we turned every lock again. 

Oh! how we laughed.

The rest of Heartbreak Hill was done in substantial drizzle which left off now and again and became drizzle.  It really does mess with my hair I can tell you.

  

My washing line holding up two fenders.

Next morning more cobbling together, he did a magnificent job, for a farmer.

Finally arriving at Red Bull, we had wanted to service the boat but as it was rammed with boats all doing the same we didn't.  Well of course I ran and did the rubbish as we waited for the lock.

Pretty wet now and I was getting chilly, we looped the loop and got onto the Macclesfield canal and for those non Boaters  of you it was a bit like a motorway junction when you go over the Trent and Mersey canal that we had just left.

We had a slow start to this canal as its a bit shallow in places. But we stopped just short of the pub called The Rising Sun.  
We three jumped into our car which was hidden here, loaded up  with Amanda's bags and drove back to Macclesfield where her car was hidden and she departed.  She had worked hard for us these last four days.
Thanks Buddy, see you soon.

Arty shot by Amanda of WaL coming into view-between the cranes arms

The CART offices at Red Bull.

Supper was actually in the pub and very good it was too, we met up with Steve and Denise, fellow Fernwood Boat owners of NB Riverside Escapes and whom we try to cross paths with in the summer.  I am sorry I didn't snap a photo of you both.  
Rather amusingly we all ordered the same dish, Hake and chips.  It was really delicious, I usually only want to eat F&C's once a year, but I could be tempted to when we come past again...

Very late that evening, our next visitors arrived, daughter Fliss and her new husband Leon.  Now Leon is a local to this part of the world.  He informed me that we are not in the north, as I am always saying, that we are in the Staffordshire Moorlands.  We we are tonight anyway.  

I always worry about Leon coming to stay because he is a bit of a giant in narrow boating terms, I always worry for his head banging on the sliding hatch, his knees walloping on the cratch embarking and him fitting into the spare bed, he is always very polite and says all is fine.

Casting off the next morning

Aqueduct in Congleton, (or Macclesfield...)

Wonderful Turnover bridges on this canal.

We had a really lovely run up to the Bosley Locks, a bit annoyingly there was a boat directly in front of us just going into the bottom lock.  
I was only annoyed Reader because Denise this morning passed us by going the other direction and off of the canal told us the locks would take 2 hours roughly and with this ex-rugby player I was keen to test that out.

I walked up past the boat in front and discovered that there was another one too going up.  No chance of a quick time, I walked back and within seconds we all decided to get the chairs, beers, gins, books and nail varnish and relax in the sun as those blasted weathermen have reneged on a promise of sunshine tomorrow, but to be fair they have done this all summer long haven't they?
This was our afternoon view, not bad eh?

Fliss elpilating, if you don't know what that is, its a girls thing.

 For lunch Leon (A fine and capable chef, I love people like this coming to stay)  Leon knocked up a big bowlful of Guacamole.
  
Supper was wild Alaskan sock eye salmon with paprika sweet potato skinny fries and salad, followed by cherry and almond tart with extra thick cream.