Well well how are you Reader? We are very well thank you and back on WaL raring to go.
Before we came away I was visiting my mother (Don't tell her I told you but she will be 95 next month) anyway when I got back I was informed by David that he had booked a couple of nights in my favourite place, that is to say the Buxton hotel.
But I have to tell you that this month is David's significant birthday so I called this his treat not solely mine.
This is the first time we have visited in the summer and oh boy did we pick a lovely day to go walking.
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| That line above David's head is the main road to Great Haywood. |
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| We were going towards Solomon's Tower, a folly. |
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| Walking away from it back to Buxton. |
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| The view from the tower of Buxton. |
A day later and we drove away in mist and cloud.
So we arrived back at Tattenhall Marina where WaL was staying in our absence. Loaded up, watered up and off we jolly well popped about an hour away back to the Shady pub and nice moorings. One side of the bridge there is open and sunny with almost zero 4G and the otherside of the bridge with tall trees has good enough 4G, so how does that work?
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| Leaving Tattenhall Marina. |
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| It will be an early harvest, just look behind that pink boat... |
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| Sloes formed already and since I took this I have seen purple ones already although you should not pick them until after the first frosts. Frosts... I wonder if we'll even get one? |
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| Our mooring that evening, yes taken from the pub.... hic. |
The next morning we set off early to get through the four or five is it locks, I walked along to the first lock around the corner to be greeted with the sight of a couple putting their shoes and the tiller in place.
Marvellous.
Would you like to share the locks?
Oh yes they both replied delightedly.
So grand it was. We did the Iron Lock separately as that particular lock is distorted so only single boats can use it. Then joined up again for the last ones. Charming couple, Tracy and Mike, only had their share of the boat for three years but by golly he was a good helm. Turned out he was an ex-RAF pilot so he was good at manoeuvring.
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| Tracy and boats in the lea of Beeston castle. She didn't keep that jumper on long, it was boiling before 8am. |
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| No not the Amazon but the tow path here, I'm convinced that the huge insect bites on my legs came from here. |
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| David waiting below for the lock. |
Well we did Bunbury locks together. Having talked to a CART employee early that morning and him telling us that the water levels here are "okay" but it should be saved as much as possible...
When we got to the double staircase there was a boat coming out, so the locks, so it was set for us to come in the bottom lock. I walked up to see the situation and there was a single boat on the landing. I said that we were coming up, we could do three but not four boats,
that's aright I'm coming in.
Well if you don't mind waiting just ten minutes or so then that boat approaching behind you can come in too...
No I'm coming in!
So Reader this would mean that the approaching boat would have to repeat the lock sequence on his own thus using unnecessary water.
I was staggered and bent David's ear about it for the rest of the day.
We said goodbye to the Mike and Tracy here, we are going to Hurleston Junction and they back to their marina, Overwater, just along the way.
By now it was boiling, sizzling hot. All talk was of finding shade. We passed a good spot but by the time I'd said it and David had said "Wot 'ere?" it was too late and the moment lost. Just like when a man is driving and the woman says can you pull into the next ladies loo, it's Oh I forgot, oh I didn't see it, oh you should have said earlier... Every woman has had this.
Anyway although I wasn't crazy about doing the locks up onto the Llangollen Canal in this heat, as we approached them I waved to the volunteer at the bottom lock and he prepped it for us so straight in. As I turned to move up to the next lock all the attendant lockkies had already done the same so each lock had the gates open. It was marvellous.
I thanked them profusely of course.
We went along to look for shade and found some, just behind NB Briar Rose, with Adam and Adrian onboard. We had dwinks later on WaL, Reader you may remember that we finally met them both for the first time last year despite all our friends already having met them. So nice to catch-up again. I'm just sorry I didn't take a photo.
Supper was breaded fish and peas. Good to get a bit more space in the fridge.
