Magnet to the rescue.

Leaving Nantwich on Wednesday morning we went up the two locks at Hack Green. Near the locks is the Secret Nuclear Bunker With all the signs pointing to it, it is not a very well kept secret. It is of course a museum, we took Stephens boys there in 2009. On Wednesday we carried on and moored for the night between bridges 83 & 84. The following morning we cruised down to Audlum Locks. After the first two we moored and walked into the village before completing the other thirteen locks. We had a good day with most of the locks set ready for us. We moored for the night just before bridge 62, it was not a good mooring as a shelf stopped us getting right into the bank. Next morning we discovered that if we had gone past bridge 62 there was a proper mooring. Starting out on Friday morning our first task were the five locks at Adderley. With these behind us we moored two mile before Market Drayton, as is our habit we went for a walk. On our return I dropped the keys in the canal. We were locked out, our only hope was to try and fish them out with our magnet on a length of rope. It took some time but we were finally rewarded when our keys came up on the magnet. Lesson learned we now have a cork float on the key ring. Just a short run saw us in Market Drayton on Saturday morning where we filled up with diesel at the Talbot Wharf. As we arrived at Market Drayton we met an old work mate of mine(Dave Woodward)who we had last seen in Nantwich in 2009. Today we are still in Market Drayton, walking and relaxing. Tomorrow we tackle the five Tyrley locks a rise of 33ft.

Hire boaters?or Regular boaters?

As planned we spent the weekend at Wheelock. On Sunday we went for a walk along a dissused railway track. On Monday morning fully rested we Moved on to Middlewich it was a warm sunny day but still windy. We did the six mile and five locks, arriving at the left turn onto the Shropshire Union Middlewich Branch at two pm. After completing the turn and rising up Wardle lock we moored and had a late lunch. Staying at Middlewich till Wednesday we then carried on to the mooring at Church Minshull. At this point I discovered that my Vodaphone signal was none existent, which is why this post is my first since the tenth. Right where was I, yes we stayed at Church Minshull until Thursday evening, when after a walk through the village and back over the fields to rejoin the canal at bridge eleven then back to the boat at bridge fourteen we moved the short distance to moor near Aquaduct Marina. Leaving the mooring we came to the first of two locks that day. As we approached the lock gates opened for a boat to leave the lock, as we were very close we expected them to stay open for us to enter. We then witnessed the people closing the gates, I blew the horn but they ran to the other end and proceeded to refill the lock. It was quite clear that they had seen us but had no intension of waiting. When I challenged them about it they mumbled an unconvincing excuse. At the second lock that day the very opposite happened. Although the view from the lock was obstructed by a bridge the people checked before refilling the lock and waited for us to enter the lock. That is I suppose the difference between hire boaters and regular boaters. The first group were just on a booze cruise. At Barbridge Junction we turned right heading for Chester, however we were only going to the service point then turning round just above the Bunbury locks. This done we moored at Calveley. As I needed to buy my lottery ticket for the weekend I walked the mile into Bunbury village while Marlene did some baking. Bunbury village is in two parts and I had to ask where the shop was as it was in the far side of the village. We spent the weekend at Calveley and on Saturday we both walked into Bunbury for a drink and a sandwich at the Dysart Inn. Yesterday morning we went back through Barbridge Junction, mooring for lunch at Hurleston Junction( where the Llangollen Canal goes off)and took a walk round Hurls-ton Reservoir. Later in the afternoon we moved on to Nantwich where we are now moored for the night. This morning we walked into Nantwich in the rain for some shopping. We have decided to stay another night before moving on.

Damson Jam

First thing Tuesday morning we reversed Doublefracture to the corner where Marlene turned the boat in text book fashion. Heading back down the Macclesfield canal to the Trent and Mersey where we turned left and went down the three locks to the service point so we could water up and get rid of our rubbish.A further three locks and we arrived at Church Lawton where we stopped for the night. Our next mooring on Wednesday was at Rode Heath after another six locks. At one of the locks we met a lady selling jams and cheese scones for St Orman Street Hospital, we bought some scones. There was some nice walks round Rode Heath. On our Wednesday walk we found a damson tree. So on Thursday we went back and picked about 7lb of Damsons. On Friday we made jam, nine jars in all. This morning we left Rode Heath heading for Wheelock where we plan to spend the weekend. The weather took a turn for the better as we set off. After three days of cloud, wind and the odd shower, the sun finally came out. We arrived at lunch time after dropping down fourteen locks. Although the sun stayed out the wind caused Marlene some problems at the locks, but she coped.

As planned we were moored back at Etruria around lunch time on Thursday. After lunch we went into the Etruria Industrial Museum for a look round. This was Jesse Shirley's Etruscan Bone and Flint Mill, grinding bone and Flint for the pottery industry. Bone for bone china and Flint for earthen ware. The flint first had to be roasted (or calcined)to make it easier to grind. It was an interesting afternoon the highlight being the 1820 beam engine that powered the machinery. That afternoon they were running it for a test so we saw it working, normally it only runs on a weekend and bank holidays.
Come Friday morning we move on to Westport Lake, the morning was bright with a little cloud around midday. In the afternoon we walked into Tunstall the nearest town so Marlene could have her cut. Saturday we stayed at the lake walking and generally relaxing. This morning we took the short trip to the Harecastle Tunnel, after about half an hour it was our turn to go through there were four boats going through we were third in line. We have done the tunnel twice before but this morning it seemed to take forever, in reality it took 40 minutes. Now we are moored at the start of the Macclesfield Canal, a mooring we like, having moored here twice before. It is interesting as the Macclesfield Canal goes over the Trent and Mersey at this point. We aim to stay here a couple of nights and do some walking, before dropping back down to the Trent and Mersey and on to Middlewich.

Froghall community day.

After a sunny start to the day the showers finally arrived Wednesday evening. By this time we were moored for the night at the start of the Leek Branch of the Caldon. Before the showers hit us we had walked down the locks on the main line of the Caldon which drop the canal
25ft 10ins from Hazelhurst Junction to take it under the Leek Branch on it's way to Froghall. Passing under the aqueduct which carries the Leek Branch we came to the Holly Bush pub where we were to meet Pamela , Nathan and Archie on Friday evening. Carrying on passed the pub we walked as far as the Deep Hayes Country Park before turning back to retrace our steps to the aqueduct only this time we climbed the steps and returned to the boat along the Leek Branch. The morning of Thursday saw us complete the two and a half mile down this very picturesque branch of the canal to moor at it's terminus just outside Leek. We didn't actually find the town centre but did some shopping at the local Morrisons. While there I spent a short time talking to one of the men that crew the narrow boat Beatrice which gives needy and disabled children a chance to experience the canals.
Heavy showers greeted us on Friday morning, however we had to travel back to Hazelhurst Junction then down the locks to the Holly Bush pub. The wettest part of the trip was while we were descending the locks. In the evening our quests arrived leaving their car in the pub car park for the weekend, this was by arrangement with the landlord and included booking a table for our return on Monday afternoon. Cruising down to Froghall on Saturday was a damp affair due to short sharp showers, but we finally moored for the night just before the Froghall tunnel. This tunnel is only about five foot high and at the last lock before the tunnel you go under a gage to see if you can pass through it. We failed mainly because of the boxes on top of the boat, although the cratch and the solar panels my have been a little wide.
Sunday was the day of the Froghall Community Day a fund raising event for the Caldon and Uttoxeter Canal Trust and the Beatrice Charity. It was a small but interesting event. Afterwards we walked down to the Churnet Valley Railway where Nathan and Archie went for a ride on the steam train. Around three o clock we started back up the canal on the return leg of our journey. At Consall Forge I took some photo's of doublefracture passing the Black Lion pub, this is the pub on one of our place mats. Unfortunately we missed getting the train in the photo like the place mat. We stopped at Cheddleton to look round the Flint Mill on Monday morning having moored for the night at Wood's Lock. Alas the mill wasn't open that day. Once again it was a showery day when we arrived back at the Holly bush where we moored than had a pleasant meal before Pamela, Nathan and Archie went home.
After a pleasant but showery bank holiday Marlene and I left the Holly Bush one Tuesday morning we climbed the Hazelhurst locks in rain before mooring at Park Lane for lunch, then down the Stockton Brook flight and mooring for the night just below Engine lock.
Today was washing day so we are still at the same mooring for tonight. Tomorrow we will arrive back at Etruria, after that, well that will be the subject of my next posting.

A bad start to the Caldon.

Well so much for not getting a signal down the Caldon canal, I have a better signal than normal. Anyhow, we had rather a bad start on Monday morning. I went up to the staircase lock while Marlene came round in the boat. It seemed to take ages before she arrived. When the boat came up level on the first part of the lock Marlene said there was no power in the engine. I decided to look in the weed hatch, low and behold I found a cushion rapped around the propeller. We continued into the second part of the lock,coming out at the top we still had little power in the engine, back in the weed hatch. This time I found a green plastic sack rapped round the propeller.
Finally we were on our way, the first five mile is through the urban sprawl but then we came into lovely countryside between Milton and engine lock,so we moored for the night.
We didn't expect to move this morning, as the forecast was for heavy rain. Infact it is warm and sunny so we travelled up engine lock through two lift bridges and then up the five locks of the Stckton Brook flight a rise of 41ft 1pm. We are now moored in open country near the Stoke on Trent Boat Club. Just before we got here there was an obstruction in the middle of the canal, which looked a bit like a mini roundabout, wiered.

Westport Lake.

The morning of Tuesday the16th Aug saw us leave Stone heading for the Couldon Canal. Climbing the Meaford flight of locks (32ft 5ins) we reached Barlaston where we stopped to have a look round and visit the shop. We were surprised to see that the local train station was closed and in it's place a replacement bus service. Mooring just out of the village for the night we relaxed and watched the geese fly in and out of the fields opposite. Wednesday arrived warm and sunny so we stayed where we were and painted some more of the roof.
We left the peace and quiet on Thursday morning up the 11ft 11 ins Trentham lock heading for Stoke on Trent. This is not the most picturesque stretch of canal but we finally arrived at the bottom of the Stoke locks. On arrival we were behind two more boats, it appeared the elderly chap in the first boat was on his own and needed help through the locks, so he waited for another boat to come along. So for the five Stoke locks we helped him through between us. After two of the five we were caught up by another boat, the man on this boat was not amused and said he should not be on the canal if he couldn't do the locks on his own. As the old chap had lost his wife and still needed to live on his boat, a little tolerance is not a lot to ask surely, after all none of us are in a hurry, are we?
Right having got that off my chest let's carry on. At the top of the Stoke flight the Couldon Canal goes off to the right, however we decided to go past the junction and on to Westport lake a small oasis in the urban sproal that is Stoke. Going up to the Harecastle Tunnel on Friday we watered up the turned the boat (i must admit I made a mess of it the first atempt) and returned to the lake for a second night.
Today we are heading back to the Coulden Canal, we are told that phone signals are hard to come bye down the Coulded so it may be some time before my next posting.