Sorry how many locks did you say....?

I was expecting the day to be wet.  The forecasts had said rain in the morning and then showers, the other forecast said showers in the morning then rain setting in...  I have a new book and I was happy to have a day off, BUT cracks of blue sky appeared, then bigger cracks then loads of blue and we set off just to see if we could do a few locks before the rain appeared.

I was peeling off layers after the first lock and by the second lock we both had our sunglasses on. We have been down this flight a good few years ago but we had three young crew visiting and we just shot down the whole lot in one day, so I haven't much recall of the beauty of the surrounding countryside.

But it's really lovely.

Slightly out of sequence, as you can see the lock below is full and prepped, this was the only one of the day that helped.

This was our first lock of the day, see why we quickly donned sunglasses?

Now we are on the Staffs and Cheshire border which is big dairy farming country.  So good to see black and whites for us, a sight which is becoming uncommon down in the south of England.

I asked David if his heart missed a beat and would he of liked to have hopped over the fence to help the farmer get the cows in for milking for old times sake?

NO.

So that's okay then.

So Reader, you might recognise the photo below as Mow Cop.  Its accessible by foot from the Macclesfield Canal and we did just that some years ago but although I've searched I cannot locate the blog post to show you the photos from the top of the amazing views.

(It's called Mop Cop in our house but my SIL always corrects us.)

The views of the surrounding area from the top are spectacular.  

This was a "Turnover bridge" that is to say to my Reader in Brazil, when the towpath crosses from one side to the other and  the horse pulling the boat by rope could cross the bridge and not have to unclip the rope. 

Very very clever and the bridges are things of beauty.   But they are hard to photograph.

One half of the Turnover bridge

David was trying hard to avoid me curling up on the lock beam and going to sleep again so he jumped off and did some donkey work.

When I was down one lock I noticed these marks, I presume left by the stonemason, but I have seen similar on the door entrance at Tewkesbury Abbey and also on a house in Lecce South Italy in a house used by the Knights Templar.   

Well as you can see the sun still shone and I had wanted to stop here in Rode Heath, the moorings were full with no signs of anyone out and looking like they were thinking of moving.

So we carried on down towards Hassel Green, full moorings and so onto Wheelock. 

Rode Heath was full so on we went.

I might just like to say that I managed to get WaL into that lock below at the funny angle without any bangs or scrapes.  Not bad for a Rookie methinks.

  

Well sadly,  the clouds did arrive later in the day and the last few locks were done in a stiff breeze and steady rain.  Pity, but I was pretty shattered I have to say.  We had done 20 odd locks and bar one we had had to turn each one not meeting any other boats bar that one.

We exited the last lock at Wheelock and dived onto the first available mooring which was in front of the lock landing.  The creaks all evening from the lock being emptied each time were pretty noisy, anyway,  wet kit off and hung up in the bathroom, I was cold, laid down on the sofa under a blanket and promptly fell asleep,  David said it was an hour I say much less more like 50 minutes.

Too sleepy to go to the Italian here.  Supper was avocados with poached eggs on toast and tomatoes.

A long day but a pleasurable one.

I forgot to put these few photos up last night of when we were at Weston a couple of nights ago.

A big local boy.

Then this was spotted over a lovely glass of white on the back deck.

Quite a good zoom.

A bloody brilliant zoom, rather them than me though.

Now who can tell me what this small door was for?  Farmers used to count their sheep while stuffing them through small door but something tells me this is for a different purpose,  Anyone know?

Back to Barlaston.

We were up early the next morning and slipped quietly out of the line of boats here at Barlaston.  We got in easily last afternoon but in high season it's a different matter.  There are the Stoke locks to tackle today.  
A few years ago when we heard of a family crisis at home and we were in a real hurry to get back, at these Stoke Locks we met "Rob The Lock".  Now we think Rob is a good egg and he used to help people through these locks with the aid of his bike and at one point his son although his son has moved onto pastures new, well Rob found us that day and locked us down at great speed helping us tremendously.  I paid him generously but today he has his own rates.
In fact just last week I had an email from Jaq "Mrs Valerie" as she is known in this house,  HERE   Jaq is the widow of Les who very sadly died after only a few precious years together.  Jaq returned to her native USA and from there wanted to know Rob's phone number for another friend who needed help with the locks all around Stoke.  I didn't have it after changing phones from Apple to Android, several numbers got lost in translation.  I have it now as Geoff had booked Rob this morning.

So as we arrived at the first lock there he was, already helping a single hander down.  There he was going to be meeting Geoff later.

An early sight in Stoke, an old Bottle Kiln.  Stoke and the surrounding areas was known as The Potteries making all England's finest bone china exported all over the world, there were these bottle kilns all over Stoke, in the heyday over 4,000 today I read just 47 remaining and all listed. 

No date on this shot but I would estimate late C19th. 

Caption reads

The Mersey Weaver Wharf - Burslem Branch Canal

note the amazing number of bottle ovens on the skyline
The skyline is the district known as Dale Hall - between Burslem and Longport

The above photo taken from HERE

  

This one below looks in a sad state, but the whole site looked as if it might be going to be redeveloped.  Time will tell.

These two have been restored to my satisfaction, but even then they have green growing out of them.  I would want all the old buildings preserved but there again I'm not paying for it.

A famous name, but these are not the original premises

Along this stretch of Stoke, it looks like they are clearing the site, certainly of the saplings and weeds, David was disappointed that much remained in the canal or had been dropped.  I'll keep these photos to contrast and compare in the future.

Sad to see the old fabric declining.

We arrived at Westport Lake and could easily see why boaters stop here after Stoke.  Its most attractive with its visitor centre and cafe in the sun.  We almost moored up forgoing our 3pm Harecastle Tunnel booking but in the event we did keep going as we would have a couple of hours to have lunch, relax and rest before tackling the locks downhill from the tunnel.  

However on arrival, at 12:30 the nice little CART volunteer manning the tunnel waved us straight in "To get rid of us" we of course complied and chugged in.

I had found the life jackets under the bed and I donned my cycling helmet too and helmed WaL most of the way.  The roof of the tunnel is VERY low in the centre but today with water levels so low there wasn't a problem.

WaL nose and indeed interior was full of spiders, this should get rid of a few.

The south portal of The Harecastle Tunnel.  It took about 45 mins to get through in the dark and cold.

Initially we were completely blinded by the light changes. 

Exiting the northern portal.  From way back the light was again completely blinding, so much so I was convinced the boat in front had a backward shining light that I was cursing, but no it was the sun.

Looking back and just look at the change of water colour here.

Looks like caramel something to do with iron content....?

This adorable wee place is looking the worst for neglect since I was last here, I can't make out the wording now on the sign.

And so we start downhill.  It was beautifully warm now and with missing out on lunch I was beginning to flag.  David spotted the tell tale signs when I curled up on a lock beam and stopped moving.  He decided I needed to swap places...

Very nearly a split bridge.  

Last vestiges of summer colour here, same shade as the water.

The famous Red Bull service point but former BW Yard.

We rocked up at the Church Lawton moorings, which are about 5 or 6 locks down from the summit.

Sitting in the sun right beside a dairy farm.

This is where the day finished for me.  

We had nibbles and olive bread with cheeses, followed by peach surprise.

Tomorrow I can't quite believe it, is going to be rain either all morning or all afternoon, they haven't decided yet.

I am quite looking forward to DOING NOTHING.

 

Sandon to "Great friends"

So frequent flyers to this blog will possibly know of our association with Geoff and Margaret that started way back in 2015   HERE   when four narrow boats went over the ocean together called Crossing the Wash from Boston in Lincolnshire to Wisbech which is possible in Norfolk...  It was a great adventure for all the boaters involved and such an experience makes friends for life (Geoff and Margaret).  

So the other day when Nev from NB Percy  said he'd passed by Geoff we definitely  wanted to catch them up.  Geoff is the sort of boater who is at place A for a day or seven then in a blink of an eye is four counties away when he's on a mission.  

Well we were on his tail. 

We stopped at David's favourite shop, M&S Foodstore at Stone but this time I went in purely for essentials.  Last year David went in and spent £90 on treats and no food....  but the treats were delicious.

He did the water top up while I was in there.  I spent £42 and got lots of meals sorted. 

We worked nicely through the flight at Stone meeting all sorts of lovely folk, a Welsh couple of advanced years in a wee cruiser, the wife told me how many wonderful memories the boat held for them and here they are still boating and on the surface of it still coping, but she said her daughter wants them to give it up as they worry about them.... My advice was to carry on as this life keeps you younger and fitter.

What would you say Reader?

Another chap at the service point was telling me that he had recently had to give up his CART residential mooring in Stone as CART had given the space behind him to a violent drug addict who when asked to keep his noise down had threatened to kill him and set his boat on fire....  

He was pretty upset about his lack of recourse.

The water levels were pretty low as we got to the middle of the flight, passing boaters had spoken of the Harecastle closing and The Cauldon Canal too, with this in mind, as we got to two very close together locks and set against us with a boat approaching, I walked up to check the approaching boats plans then set the lower of the two for them giving them a quicker passage.  I went off to make coffee. Some twenty minutes or so later they came past and thanked me, but also said she had closed the bottom gates of the upper lock to preserve water.  

This somewhat irked me. 

The next place I had wanted to visit was The Plume of Feathers at Barlaston but neither of us could face the thought of food again so quickly, so we went passed but the car park was rammed!   

We'd eaten at the Plume of Feathers with daughter Verity and SIL Mitchell (NZ) a few years ago (David has just told me last year but I simply can't believe it),  what with Covid playing timeline tricks on us all I can't be sure how many years it was but today as we passed a NB with a middle-aged male only crew, casting off after leaving the pub of about 6 or 7 I asked if the food was still good?  He replied that he didn't know as their lunch had been a liquid one....!

We moored up in a sunny spot that was good for the jolly old SP (Solar Panels) and I messaged Geoff to ask how far they had got today. 

No reply.

Later, only a wee bit later a knock and a friendly voice saying that he'd recognise that bald head anywhere (David he meant not me) and Geoff had walked down 100 metres to say Hello. We walked back to have tea and a good catch up with him and Margaret in the comfort of NB Seyella.

Good times, a little of what Boating is all about, meeting friends in unexpected settings and having a good laugh, actually not just boating but Life is about.

We will make apoint of catching up with both of Mr & Mrs Seyella's or "Group Captain" next year, I still sometimes refer to Geoff as, because he was the Leader of our Merry Band of Boaters to The Wash and across it.

Geoff with crew member Amber,  Margaret was inside Seyella as we departed.

Supper was nibbles and a nice glass of, and a Happy Birthday to Margaret tomorrow, she will be an age to be proud of. 

Nearly ready to go.... oh no I'm not quite.

 So cruising started in earnest today, we were moored up just north of Weston, but oh my, the sun was shining, it just seemed too good an opportunity to miss, so we went for it.  David, in enquiring tones asked if I was okay to cruise today, I was as we were only going about thirty minutes northwards to Sandon.  A booking was made and a good thing too as there were only two slots available at The Dog and Doublet.  

We moored up in a sunny gap in the trees suitable for a longer afternoons sun on the solar panels and in the smart clothes I had especially brought for such a purpose.  In the event we sat in the courtyard instead of the dining room and yes we really enjoyed it.

For a short time we pretended we were in Italy.

 So the three courses took up most of the afternoon and we retired to WaL for coffee and petit fours other wise known as chocolate.

No supper was required, but lunch was walnut pate, herby crust chicken with creamy leeks and spinach, I hate spinach but this was delicious, cheesecake, lemon ice-cream and blackcurrant sauce.

Proper proper boat will start tomorrow.

Here we are again, happy as can be....

Greetings dear Reader, yes I expect you thought we'd left the country, but no.  

We've been tucked up at home awaiting the birth of another beloved grandchild in this case a girl, mother and baby had a bumpy start after she made a lightning entrance to this world, the midwife managed to catch her, but mother was on the poorly side and an SOS call was made.  So although it was just heavenly to be with her big darling sister for some time it's pretty wonderful to be back on WaL.

We had a wonderful quick journey up from the south coast, one of the best ever.  We were to have travelled up the afternoon before but as I had been up four times the previous night with Darling Big Sister we delayed it to the next morning, we were all packed and ready so decided to leave 05:30-06:00, which we did and what a jolly good thing too as Extinction Rebellion were out in force on "Our" section of the M25 that day shortly after we passed through.

Funnily enough I support ER's aims but not their methods. 

Please welcome Emma to the world.

and her big sister.  This is us having a picnic in the park. Happy happy days.

We left Great Haywood Marina, still unsure until we approached the marina entrance if we would go north or south, in the event I won and we went north!

Here below is us, we were spotted and photographed by Nev Wells from NB Percy as we came out of the marina entrance, you can read it all here   HERE, it was lovely sunshine but I was very soon chilly when the clouds moved in front of the sun, but that's September for you.

Thank you Nev for allowing me to use your photo.

We had decided to have a bash at the Four Counties Ring.  We've not done it before, but some years ago ex-boaters Steve and Denise from then NB Riversides Escapes another Fernwood Boat and a beauty at that, wrote out for us detailed notes for the Ring as they particularly liked it.  Thank you Denise if you still read the blog from your Motorhome.

Well you know what it's like when one half of the boat crew think one thing and the other half think another...?  Well I had quite thought that we would find the first sunny spot and moor up, the boat looked like a bomb had hit it and I wanted a nap after driving.  David on the other hand said 

"WHAT?"  

"Moor up?  We've only just got started" 

So on we went for ages, well an hour, we did moor up just outside Weston.  I had also wanted to go to all the fabulous pubs on this section, the trouble is they are a bit close together and that would mean having a blow out meal each day for three days.....

So we passed by The Saracens Head at Weston, with the firm intention of driving there from Great Haywood on our return.  

 Just north of Weston on a paddock were approximately 200-300 Canadian Geese, ghastly creatures to my mind but I must try to be more like Chris Packham and love them.... but that will take a while.

Supper was quiche, coleslaw with peaches and cream to follow.  

I was in bed at 8pm and lights out at ten past.  Seems Grandma's take longer to get over broken nights than when I was in my 20's, I don't know why. 

Oh boy this sun is a bit much, but hey the boats are all pretty today.

 By the time David got back from the car run the sun had come out properly so we stayed put.  I seem to remember a football match England v Denmark... 

 

We got chatting to the couple on the boat behind, we talked toilets, well we listened and they told us about their toilet.  It's a gas toilet!  

Now I had heard a small amount about gas toilets, but frankly Reader I thought the concept was a April Fool's joke.  I mean would you sit atop a gas burner????

But, it seems I was wrong, firstly all products are incinerated to an ashtray and in the winter the loo seat is warm to the touch!  They insist there is NO SMELL at all,  their boat is a gas free boat apart from the loo so it costs a gas bottle every month to six weeks or theirs does.  

I still reserve judgement though.

We didn't share our recent story.

So we made our way to Braunston with the intension of going down to water up and drop off the rubbish and as we crept past the moored boats "Hey David!" we looked over our shoulders and there were Patsy and Tony form NB Pedal.  

David breasted up against them and we yakked and yakked for a good few hours.

We had first met them on the Kennet and Avon canal back in 2013 when we were lock buddies on the dreaded Caen Flight.

The lovely Tony and Patsy.

WaL slipped away at about 8:30pm save disturbing all the moored boaters in the morning when a very early start was on the cards to avoid the heat.  

We moored on the North Oxford canal miles from anyone and the next morning very early we set off for Hilmorton.

On we went to Hawkesbury Junction and The Greyhound pub, (I had steak and stilton pie and the pastry was beautifully crisp underneath).  

We had moored up button to button, as we always do on popular moorings and here there were not many spaces, I had thought the wee boat in front of us was unoccupied but no the owner returned with two carrier bags of shopping.  

I spoke to him apologising if he felt cramped but he was fine.  We chatted about how Covid had impacted him and other grandparents who hadn't seen their families for months and months, his own grandchildren are in Wales and he didn't fancy the train journey yet.

His boat NB Bosley was a wee thing 27'9".  He said his daughters are unsure that he should continue this boating liveaboard life but he said it keeps him young.  Then he very sweetly said how pleased he was that we had moored up behind him, wasn't that nice?

Crack of dawn, to avoid the heat, we crept away as silently as we could so as not to disturb the nice gentleman.

Much later in the day we did the Athlestone Flight.  Now it was a Wednesday, and on a Wednesday there is a group of volunteers who are a Great Gang of Guys.  They have been together years having fun away from all wives and wifely supervision.  

I had a right laugh with one chap, but I said that on a different trip the three volunteers stayed at the top lock, which although I don't feel that the volunteers should just be doing the lock wheeling all day, it was a bit disappointing he simple said make sure you come though on a Wednesday!!  So that is my advice to you all.

Walking down to the next lock in the town two ladies said how much they liked my skirt.  Nice to hear I must say but this was the second time that day.  David says the third time as he had complimented me too.  Now this skirt is years old.  I had told David that I was going to buy myself two new summer boating skirts as these two I have date almost back to the millennium.... almost but now I have delayed their humane cull for another year.

Reader this is the earliest photo I can find of said skirt, 2015, I am still wearing the top and cardi too, I feel I should buy more clothes.

We moored up near Willingdon to avoid the worst of the heat.  I sat in the shade of the boat trying to hide from the sun, it was scorching, in the end I went inside WaL.

Two amazing boats and their paint jobs in the region of Rugby, firstly  this one, NB Scribendi   HERE   its a library boat specialising in poetry, out of shot was a film crew there too.

and the other one;

I don't think this one was a "Special" boat like the one above but I thought them both really stunningly gorgeous.  I wonder if Adam would call them "A bold choice of colour"?

I didn't catch the name of this one but inside it was most colourful too.  I complimented the owner.

The next day proved trying for David.  He started off with a 20 mile plus bike ride to put the car back into our marina then cycle back to Whittington, then hours helming the boat in the hot sun, with drinks and a good hat.

  

We were aiming for Great Haywood, but the heat and sun proved too much and with the sight of a straight bit of armco north of Rugby we suddenly stopped and David just wilted and had a good sleep inside the boat as it was just too darn hot.  

It's such a waste of good weather, we've all waited in the cold for so long then all of a sudden it feels like we are on the equator.

The next morning and again early to get to the marina early and get going home on the road.  At Colwich lock which is often a bottleneck there was a big queue mostly due to a paddle being out of action.  But we were told that the day before when the paddle broke there were queues of two hours at one point.  Can you imagine how David would have coped?

Below is Holly.  If you haven't heard of Holly, have a peep        HERE  This lovely young couple have done this attractive Day Launch up as a cafe and have a Vlog instead of a blog.  I had recognised them yesterday in Rugeley centre in their canoe and exchanged a few words with them.  

They actually live on NB Zero behind the cafe boat.

The sun proved too much here and we stopped.  Cannock Chase begins to come into view.

So finally back to our Marina.  We prepped the boat for our departure and then later we headed home.  Not sure when we will be back, there's David's birthday to be celebrated, a new grandchild to be soon welcomed, so it will be a while till we are back but lets hope for an Indian Summer so we can come out and have more fun. 

Does anyone know if the Four Counties Ring is going to have closures this autumn?

Bye for now Reader.