Shorter days, longer nights.

It seems that the nights have drawn in a lot this week, by six thirty it is getting dark. As a result the solars don't work as long and we are using more power. I surpose with the good weather we had last week it appears to have happened all at once. So as winter gets ever closer we get ever closer to our winter mooring. On Friday we left Coven Heath and moved on to Penkridge having stopped at Gailey to water up. Gailey was the first of six locks that would take us into Penkridge. At the side of the lock is a round tower that is the home of a craft and gift shop. Penkridge is a lovey little town and is a good place from which to visit Stafford. Taking this opportunity on Saturday we caught the 9-43 bus for the twenty minute journey into Stafford, returning to the boat for lunch. Sunday was a warmer day so we went for a walk over the fields finding paths to make it a curular walk taking about an hour. First thing Monday morning we did four and a half mile and four locks and moored near the village of Acton Trussell. This morning we only traveled two mile and one lock to Radford bank. From here you can walk into Stafford, which we propose to do tomorrow.

Unseasonable Weather.

First thing Monday morning we climbed the Tyrley flight of locks without any problems. Carried on past the moorings at Goldstone then couldn't find a suitable place to moor. Along most of the banks of the Shropshire Union is a ledge that prevents getting close in with the boat. We finally moored near bridge 47. While there I made the effort and painted some more of the roof. We arranged to have the engine serviced by a mobile engineer, we were to meet him at high bridge on Thursday. To check there was a good mooring we moved down there on Tuesday evening and found it was unsuitable, so we carried on to Norbury Junction for the night. Having over shot our meeting point we had to find another place to meet him. Wednesday was another warm and sunny day(we are doing well with the weather)so we did the two mile to Gnosall, then phoned the engineer to inform him of the change of venue. To our surprise he came that afternoon and did the service. So free to do what we liked on Thursday we decided to take the bus into Telford, now I know I shouldn't criticise places but Telford is just a large shopping centre surrounded by retail parks. In my defence Marlene and I thought we must have missed the town centre, however people we have asked about this say not, what we saw is what there is. Moving on on Friday after a walk along the old railway track at Gnosall we moored at bridge 25 before moving to Wheaton Aston for the weekend. More very warm weather caused us to have to call in the Hartley Arms after our walk, just to cool down. A warm day with a little more cloud on Sunday so our need for refreshment was not as great after our walk round the fields. At the start of yet another week(dosn't time fly by)we found a nice mooring where I could carry on with the painting without leaves blowing on it. This was just before Brewood,( pronounced Brood) but within walking distance of the village. In the afternoon a garden umbrella from the caravan site opposite blew into the canal. Attempts were made to retrieve it by its owners failed, in the end we untied the boat and with Marlene steering and me on the bow we drifted over and managed to hook it out with a boat hook lent to us by another couple. Staying a second day at this mooring we took a walk to a local reservoir to do a little bird watching, when we got the hides they were locked and a code was needed to unlock them,not knowing the code we left by a different path to discover you had to be members of a club to use these hides. Yesterday we moved down to the village moorings and had a night out in the bridge Inn. Today we came to the end of the Shropshire Union and turned left onto the Staffs and Worcester, it is windy and we are moored near Coven Heath. Once again we have an intenet conection, a rare occasion since my last posting. Today the unseasonable weather has come to an end, although it's bright it is cold and windy.

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.