Shortbread and good udders.

The two Lovelies George and Carol who had volunteered to help us here at the Audlem Locks, a flight of 13 or so were arriving at about 10am.  

We were moored up at the very bottom and here the first two or three are spaced out, so at about 9:30 we set off and started those ones. 

The first one we met a boat coming down, the husband was winding down the paddles with great gusto , when he finished he leapt onto the roof, jogged along the roof and jumped down to drive out.... He's lively I said to his wife, 

Oh yes he is, he drives me mad, never sits still for five minutes, 

You can get treatment for that these days, says I

Yes I know and together we both said "A bang on the head" I did tell her that my husband does not have that problem.

The two treasures arrived and off we set after hugs and kisses.  

George went ahead prepping and Carol and I stayed with WaL and in turn we too each went ahead.

Here is Carol finishing off and George walking.

Action shot of Carol.

We finished two locks short of the top.  We were going to have breakfast together, this was a open spot whereas at the very top you are in dreaded trees.

We had bacon rolls, pink sparkle (Thank you Carol I shall look out for that one again in Morrisons) followed by that porridge cake, this time an odd combination of apricot and pistachios, but thats almost empty larders for you.

They told us before they departed of how the famous Shroppie Fly has been taken over but this time by a couple who've had previous experience in the town with a tapas bar...  

Even though we had supper organised I felt it was important to not only try out but also to support canalside pubs, so after a pleasant afternoon reading we trotted off downhill.

 As we went crunching on carpets of acorns as we went, evidently this is a mast season for acorns, the towpath all along is carpeted with them.

So supper was beef stroganoff with tiramisu.  Good value I thought for very good food and super service too.

Recommended.

The next morning we did the two remaining locks of the  Audlum flight finishing at the farmhouse with the farmerswife bringing out freshly baked pasties (David choice one) and I couldn't resist her shortbread.  Still warm and absolutely not on my regime but oh my word how delicious they are.

Highly recommend!  She even takes card payments.

I happen to mention that we too were farming, yes and dairy farmers... (I use the expression WE lightly) and oh no we sold the cows and brought a boat... The husband's face looked askance at me not exactly a frown, she said oh my husband could never do that!  The lady followed me out again with stocks to go onto her covered stall of cream teas, scones jam and clotted cream.

Tell your husband that he has some fine heifers here says I.  They are good aren't they?  Fine enough for the Dairy Event 

(That's prestigious show for the finest dairy cows in the land) 

I didn't say that David had shown our cows there in the past and won prizes.

So attractive these fallen leaves on the water.  

On the Adderley locks now, a very pleasant run of five, we passed 3 or 4 boats making it a doddle.

So here below and out of sequence is a good quality cow, not one of the heifers as they'd walked away.

 Note the topline, nice and straight, the depth of her chest, not too bony, the good attachment of the udder to her body but we can't see the feet but feet are very important too. A nice Holstein cow.

Periodically there will be tests for you.

Hopelessly out of order. Its taken ages to do these photos and then they are in the wrong order, where I am now trying to upload these photos is driving me bananas.  

Please bear with me until normal service is resumed.

We stopped briefly in Market Drayton to service the boat.  David walked over the bridge to the boatyard there to buy some black rubber tubing and some shackles to adjust the bow fender with.  He was very pleased with the cost, under £5.  I was very irritated that the rubbish receptacle being closed. but we set off soon afterwards to do the last five locks here at Tyrley.  Rubbish point there okay, in fact a local lady resident was using the bins.....

The locks at Tyrley can be problematic after rain due to their fierce by-washes that can bash a boat bandy.  I changed into my wellies for the most attractive walk up to the first lock, I was dazzled by a Kingfisher too.  This walk has always been muddy, everytime, except for today.

The lovely walk up to the first lock.

Beautiful open undulating hills at the top of the Audlem flight.

The charming Farmers wife who even closed the gate for us, buy her shortbread!

So we reached the top of all the locks on the Shroppie, bar one more at Wheaton Ashton, plus we reached the limit of my affection for the Shropshire Union canal, from here on I dislike it.  Too many trees, too many bushes and rubbish interweb.

I went in to have a shower and wash my awful boat hair.  David sailed on with a podcast on on his bluetooth hearing aids, sometimes he puts that on when I am with him and just occasionally says "yes" to keep me quiet...

He moored up at Goldstone Wharf  with the help of two other boaters who kindly adjusted their ropes and we could squash in.

Supper was chicken pasta, its one of those 500 calorie meals per person to make up for the tiramisu last night.

 

Oh I say, one of these charming cottages is for sale, any takers?

 

A long day to Audlem.

 So this morning at the crack of 9am, we untied WaL and as we did so noticed the boat in front was also making a move, good I thought, always helpful to have two boats in these doubles although boaters will know that Bunbury are the last of the double locks heading southwards.

I walked and greeted the crew on the other boat.  So when I got there I prepped the staircase flight of two locks, this involves filling the top lock and emptying the bottom lock (but this time the bottom one was empty.

The other boat arrived first and I had opened both heavy doors.  The crew emerged and ambled up to the first lock gates. 
Am I getting old and crotchety to think that a thank you or even an acknowledgment of setting the gates might have been expected?  She looked clueless frankly and copied my actions.  Where are you headed today? I asked breezily

To the Llangollen 

Oh lovely says I, have you been there before?

Oh yes...   So not a rookie.

Anyway David left the top lock first to more easily negotiate the slight bend and remains of the fallen tree from a few years ago and I walked on.

Finally on at the service point and glad that WaL was in front as they made very slow progress behind us.

It was breezy and grey with the wind taking the bow in places.  We looked over to our right at Hurleston junction as we passed and didn't see a single volunteer today, they may have been having tea in their wee shed of course, but when we had ascended earlier in the summer every lock was prepped for us, that day.

Lucky strike.

Easy though Nantwich,  below is the attractive aqueduct, back in the summer we went several times in both directions under it.

 

Out of sequence but this is Hurleston Junction without helpers. 

Barbridge junction pretty quiet today onto the Middlewich Arm.

We headed on down towards Audlem past the very pleasant moorings of Coole Pilate where more boats were moored than I was expecting to be out and cruising in October, but it is dry and not freezing.

We inched slowly to the moorings at Audlem, there were a few spaces but only a few.

Heating on, showers and a spot of relaxing for David who'd had an early start today, he'd thought it would take six hours but in the event only five hours.

Supper was a very tasty beef stir-fry with double teriyaki sauce.

Up and at 'em tomorrow but help is coming.... I hope.  

Two good eggs and cheeses.

Hello Reader and welcome back, lots to tell so settle down.

Well after the last trip home from Tattenhall marina a few weeks ago taking about six hours I declared this was too long and that we should break the journey, David didn't think that an overnight stop in Buxton was a very direct route so we settled on Warwick service station, the Days Inn.  A snip at £40 although there was a £5 charge for the overnight parking on top.  The room was spotlessly clean and the bed very comfy.  I'm going to go about booking another one to see if it was an introductory off or their usual price.

We had been overnight in London where we had attended our daughter's 40th Birthday party.  I don't usually admit to having a child of 40 and this is probably the last time I do.  (She's not the eldest either).

Here's a snap of David at the party...

It was an afternoon party, where all the children were invited and much crafting available for them to do....

As we drove up the motorway David continued the fun by picking all the jewels and stickers off.

For supper I googled good pubs and we picked The Malt Shovel at Gaydon half a mile from the M40.

I wanted to eat some veg so ordered the roast beef and as we are married David ordered the same and the same wine too.  

I have to say Reader it was the very best Sunday Roast I have ever had out,  thick slices of medium rare beef, spicy red cabbage, parsnips, carrots and a mixture of mangetout savoy cabbage and broccoli, we even ordered a portion of cauliflower cheese, the whole lot served with "Proper gravy" in all it was absolutely fantastic.  So if you are a user of the M40 at Junction 12,  try out the Malt Shovel at Gaydon.

So we arrived at Tattenhall an easy 2 hours later.  While we were loading the luggage two boaters walked past and said nice things about WaL.  They thought she was new, well she kinda is again now.  The conversation went on a bit and one said (as many people do) that red paint can fade and that was why he would never buy a red car....

Reader my car at home is red, my boat is red and at the time I was wearing a red top.  We have been advised by the new pigments and paints available that this isn't likely to be the case going forward.  Who knows?  Who cares?  We love it.

I'm glad to say that WaL was absolutely fine, started first time and after David had returned from planting the car further along we departed.

Farewell Tattenhall.

Poxy Canadian geese, we reckoned over 100.  Maybe if they re-introduce wolves they would eat the bloody things? 

As we past The Shady (Oak) pub David recognised NB Briar Rose,     HERE       David wasn't sure whether the new owners had already taken her over or Adam and Adrian were there, problem solved when Adam popped his head up.  Their new boat is going to be ready soon.  A brief chat as we were to get ahead to meet George and Carol otherwise we would have stopped and chewed the fat.

Adam very kindly came to our first lock of the afternoon windlass in hand to lendahand.  

Adrian and Adam, both good eggs.

Just look at this weed!  This stuff grows like Topsy, grows in great drifts that breaks off drifting down the canal and can get around your prop and definitely under our bow several times.

 

Almost blocking the canal in places.

Just room for one boat here on the best mooring with uninterrupted views of Beeston Castle

Another great drift.

I spotted this on the horizon that I hadn't noticed before.  Can it possibly be original?

But just look what's been built on it's doorstep!

See what I did here....?  Red berries red boat.

The above pictures of the beginnings of autumn colours are for you Marilyn, I think it's still a bit early.

As I walked along on stretch the perfume from this was so strong, I couldn't decide if I liked it or not.

 I'm not a great one for cats although I had several as a child.  But I tell you Reader this small black cat was simply begging to be adopted, he was right next to me doing the last lock of the day.  I was on the verge of taking him and would have done so if David hadn't of had some strong words of abjection.  But is it theft if the cat in question is itself wanting to come and live with you?

I had to say goodbye to him.

Time by now was getting on.  With only Bunbury to do we had a choice to do it now or in the morning.  On seeing a short section of armco we did moor up despite David saying we'd be fine to moor at Bunbury locks either below or above.  I did not share his optimism, so Bunbury in the morning it is.

Supper tonight was a shared carton of thai chicken soup and some of the load of cheeses David had picked up from the Cheese Shop in Nantwich this morning.

Shropshire Blue is a cracker.

 

 

Leaving on a jet plane....... or not.

So then after hurrying home in the car, a journey that took something like six hours, absolutely no fun at all.

We had one day to pack, well obviously David went off to play golf and I did everything else.

We were going to join friends on a cruise around the Adriatic coast of Croatia, touching on the Dalmation coast.  Anyone know the difference?  No? Well nor did I.

Finally ready we left home to stay the night at the hotel at our local airport.  It was a tremendously antisocial flight at 6am hence the hotel.  Sadly one half of our friends had to pull out due to illness, the husband had cancelled the 4th place a fortnight before, a week ago the boarding passes had been issued to the remaining three of us.  Our friend had decided against the hotel room as he wouldn't sleep anyway, so he'd arrived at 3am to check in.  We joined him at 4am to tell us the unbelievable new that all our tickets for the flight had been cancelled.  We were speechless.

Some human had, I hope in error, cancelled the entire booking instead of the one place.

Not at all annoying.

Hours later and many phone calls to the travel agent, we were luck enough to; 

A) Get rebooked onto the next flight 

B) Get the very last spaces on the next flight 

C) Have a next flight available.

But we did and landed in Split to a comfy 25C.

So a few photos of historical sights for your delight and a few others in the mix.

This is our wee boat, we think it could accommodate 28 passengers, we were 23.  I would not consider a whopper, this was plenty big enough.   

Lovely views whilst we motored along.

El Capitano reversed into sheltered coves for swimming.

I'm working on one of these for the back garden.

We three were watching the sunset from the luxury of a deep sofa on the quayside then literally in minutes all these ships had zipped into the moorings, blocking the view. 

Oh my word the Gelato...

Approaching the town of Korcula.

The birthplace of Marco Polo, Wikipedia lists him as being born in Venice, but here they insist although his parents were Venetians, Marco was born here in what was then part of the Venetian Empire.  

Luxury whopping yachts, someone onboard looked up the prices but it was so high I can't remember but thousands a night.

And down to Dubrovnik, "The Jewel of the Adriatic"

Dubrovnik is really stunningly beautiful in the very real sense of the word.  It was a place I wanted to visit for years.  The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has in turn been occupied by many, each leaving their mark on the city.  What was impossible to understand was why why oh why did the Serbs shell it during their siege of seven months back in the 90's.  Hardly any buildings were undamaged, the rebuilding took a decade.

The Keep on the right and although not in sight the keep on the left were both used in the filming of Game of Thrones.

Pretty amazing castle.

Split is wonderful.

Republic Square in Split, built by the French.

   

We followed our noses around the also very historic Split and came across this square not exactly a copy but built in the style of the famous square in Venice.

So there you have it.  A great trip and if I were to be invited I'd go back again like a shot.  

In a few days time the packing starts again to go back to Tattenhall Marina to move WaL back down to Staffordshire and Great Haywood marina again.  We would have chosen to go via Middlewich, Heartbreak Hill, Harecastle tunnel, Stoke  and down to Great Haywood but I doubt "The Cheshire Locks" are open yet after this dry summer so we will head down via the Shropshire Union, not my route of choice as I consider it a little on the dull side but I'll take a good book.

Oh I meant to have said, a few posts ago, I made a mention of Mr Elon Musk in the title.  Ordinarily the view numbers in the days after a post are in the few hundreds, they grow after a bit.  But tonight the number of views is getting towards 11,000.  I can only suggest that people were searching for said 

Mr E Musk and found my little old diary.  

I bet they were disappointed.

Great boat but a horrid day.

 Well well Reader, lots of news.  Most of it non boaty but stick with me.

We left you having returned along the Llangollen canal and popped WaL into Swanley Marina for a long overdue repaint.  

I say overdue as when we collected WaL from new after being at the Crick Boat Show in 2012, our boat builders, Fernwood Designs, had recommended that we'd be looking to repaint her after about seven years.  I told David way back then to save £1K a year and all would be fine. 

Did he.....? Did he heck, but what he did do or rather say over the years was, not yet, she's fine, maybe next year.  

So while WaL was in dock we went home for a summer holiday!

Frequent Flyers to this blog will remember that in August we have a flurry of family birthdays, one of which was my mother's.  She was 95 but wasn't frightfully pleased when I told other people so keep it under yer hat.

She has ten great grandchildren and eight were present at her tea party, one was let off as he has a job and the other is in New Zealand, so pretty good excuse and four out of five her grandchildren.

We didn't do all the candles due lest we cause a safety incident.

We also had the two six year old grandchildren for the best part of a week, a few days were needed to recover after that, as divine as the children are.

A sizzling hot day out for these two divine creatures.

So that pretty much brings us up to five weeks later and the collection of WaL, it was a bit like Christmas with the excitement building.  

So over the course of the seven years I, (and only I) had been considering a new livery, I have over time, really really liked Kingfisher blue and then cream with navy lines and then all the way back to red again.

So just by way of a reminder her is WaL earlier this summer looking pink, very pink.

Here she is, red again

As I said to Amanda, do you like my diamonds?

A grey roof again, we had some fancy design on the roof previously but I had forgotten what it was as it had considerably been worn off.

This is my favourite part I think.  Nothing ever again to be put on the hatch David!

A kingfisher and an owl now.

New font and a new compass

So there we are, I hope you approve Reader, we are thrilled even if it slightly surprising to have it red again and not pink plus the blacking done too. 

We set off for our sister marina which is Tattenhall marina, it was about 14:30 but I was kinda confident we could get pretty close to it.  It had been a while since David had helmed so I'm not judging but he bumped the first bridge, then a bit of madness struck as he slid all the way down a nasty bush.  I didn't need to admonish him as he was a tad upset himself. 

 

Anyone got some spare blacking paint?

Well we made progress with the help of a couple of volunteer lockkies at the Hurleston flight, it was all going so nicely when later on we had a bit of trouble.

It was at The Iron Lock.  It's close to the lock before so I walked between the two.  I filled the Iron Lock, so called as the sides are lined with sheets of iron, in recent times its become a bit bowed so now the instructions are for single boats only to go through, not that there was another boat around.

So I filled the lock and due to the leaky bottom gates, I heaved and heaved to absolutely no avail.  I kept trying as David brought WaL onto the lock landing from mid canal where he had been loitering.  He too heaved and heaved and together we got nowhere.

I was ahead of him in my thoughts that we would have to spend the night on the lock landing until the CART staff man would come along in the morning....

At the 11th hour who should come around the corner but a lovely couple out for a walk who lived locally.

They had helped another boater a couple of nights before, but I have to say that even with four of us on the one beam success was not a certainty but at length the gates did open and in went WaL.  They asked repeatedly if we were okay I declined further help as I thought all was well.

Then WaL got hooked up on the cil, so Reader although we have been down through this lock this summer without incident, WaL was diagonally across the lock when the hookup occurred, he yelled at me, I ran to close the paddles which are higher up than the average, so winding down was slow.

David told me later that he was on the verge of jumping off when WaL slid off and flolloped into the water again.

Phew.

That was a close one, a really close one.  We were both shaken and not stirred.  

After all this delay, twilight was coming fast.  We just wanted to moor up and relax.

The photo above was the sight that met us when we got in, so that is the entire larder on the floor, several glass breakages, sundried tomatoes in oil, lazy garlic, peanut butter and a jar of pickle.  All the unbroken jars and packages had to be washed and the smell was awful.

A bad end to a bad afternoon.

The first place we could get WaL in was just above the last lock landing that we had to do.  The next morning was forecast wet so we knew we would be having a lie-in.

But we did get WaL into the marina at lunchtime the next day.  Car packed up and away home again.  We had to pack for a busman's holiday, we were going on a cruise a day later.  I'll save that to bore you with next time.