The Happy Band

So here we sat and waited, well when I say sat, we went walking a few times, visited both pubs on the walk which we did last year with David and Amanda Lewis this time of year but in reverse.

David was clueless about how to get there but I felt strongly I knew, and so it proved..... or very nearly.

I was certain of the start, but in the year since we have been here the farmer has done some tree planting, completely changing the look of the place so instead of coming out of the woods close to the Church Lawton moorings we were six locks down virtually at Rode Heath, well in between anyway.  I asked locals who were walking and they too were unsure of which village we were closest to.  Anyway all tow paths lead to Red Bull pub and that's where we rested.

So the photo below is of Mow Cop from the bridge near to us, it is amazing that Mop Cop (as it is known in our house) is there to see from so many places in the surrounding area.

Zoomed in on Mow Cop

WaL from the same bridge.

Very pretty blue pretties.

As I sat on my blogging seat, this was the view to me, Hawthorn in full bloom, glorious.

Some things all farmers enjoy at their expense of their neighbouring farmers, a bold mistake in drilling that will only get more noticeable, a giant bald patch.

Sadly our meeting of boats was not to be for a variety of reasons.  Luckily as we had the car here we were able to drive Mohammed to the Mountain so to speak and met them all back at Barlaston and a fine lunch at The Plume of Feathers.  

For those of you unfamiliar with the crew, we are the four ladies who all went boating in France two years ago, all are boaters and Sarah was the Helm Extradinaire, she now keeps her narrowboat in Holland, opps sorry Bob the Netherlands.

From Left to Right:  Sarah, Lesley, Amanda and Lisa (moi)

Later when we left this is moi encore with my present husband and my second to be husband aka David Lewis.  Did I say it was cold?  I had a vest on a shirt, a jumper and a warm wrap plus coat.  Missing from the photos is Joe, Lesley's husband.

 It was great to catch up and both of us were sorry to leave the happy band.  

So after thinking about ourselves and the timetable we did decide to turn at the lower reaches of the Macclesfield canal, we felt it best that we try to do this canal and the Peak Forest canal in September when I am back from NZ and all the family birthdays are celebrated.  We did decide to go down Heartbreak Hill again, same as last year instead of back through Stoke and Stone, we both very much love this area and it will give us another opportunity to see George and Carol again as we will almost pass through their back garden.