NbMuriel

Blacking

2011-11-20T15:53:00.004Z

Muriel came out of the water on the 14th of November to have her hull blacked - the protection her steel needs against corrosion. Pillings Lock carried out the work for us and we are very pleased with the result. Not least with the fact that the sacrificial anodes are still in reasonable condition after nearly four years - a testament, maybe, to the marina itself if there is little electrolysis going on. Pilings Lock also fitted a copper sleeve in the cup at the bottom of the tiller shaft - there had been a lot of play which allowed vibration in the tiller arm.

The procedure to get her out involved a large, hydraulic trolley pulled by a tractor. The trolley`s rams adjust the relative height front to rear and keep the boat as level as possible. We lightened M - minimum fuel and water, and a pump-out - in order to lessen the risk of distortion and she seems to have come through the experience well. And, after an end of season polish and touch-up (previous post) she`s looking great.

M will probably spend the winter on her mooring now as I think it unlikely we will venture out before next spring.

M`s stern showing rudder, prop and one of four anodes

She was on the hard for about a week having the blacking done. Thankfully the weather was dry (although Pillings Lock Marina do have large workshop she could have gone into) so the work progressed uninterrupted. We could have stayed on board (some do, especially if they are doing the work themselves) but the lady in the black fur coat is getting on and would have struggled with the climb up. So we just popped in to see her refloated and headed back to Devon.

On the trolley - M prepares to be refloated

Off her trolley - nearly. M being relaunched

Me, M and the lady in the black fur coat

Wash & Polish

2011-11-01T18:40:00.002Z

Muriel is now back home in Pillings Lock Marina and we are at our home in Devon. We`ve had a great end of year cruise, blessed by the weather and the presence of Vera, our aging Labrador. The final few days were spent outside or close by Pillings Lock, washing and polishing. And touching up the paintwork - an endless task as any boater will tell you. The thing to remember every time you go into a lock, head towards a bush or go alongside a concrete side wall, is that everything below the gunwale (top of the hull) is fair play; everything above is sacred. In other words: expect to do a bit of T-cutting and touching up.

Polishing M outside Pillings Lock Marina

We use a car wash & wax on M and then polish her sides above the gunwale with a good `pure` wax, and below it with an ordinary car wax. The latest batch of touch up paint has come from Halfords (all you need is the RAL number and they mix it for you) which Sue applies with a small artists brush. The whole affair takes a couple of days but it`s worth every minute, not just in looks but also in protection.

M`s turned around and coming back through Pillings flood lock - for more polishing

M will come out of the water in a couple of weeks time for blacking and I will head back to Pillings to see her. There are a couple of issues we need to address while she`s on the hard standing. Number one is whether or not the anodes need replacing (M has 4 x 2.5kg) and the second, if the juddering we are experiencing in the tiller is due to a problem with it`s bottom mounting. Neither is a big problem - anodes are easily tacked on next to the remains of the old ones and the bottom of the tiller has a simple cup type fixing, so there is probably an easy solution.

M sits at Millers Bridge near Pillings Lock

End of the year - M enters Pillings Lock Marina

We pumped-out and had a well deserved drink in the cafe-bar at Pillings. (Pumping out the waste tank, running the water down and not filling the deisel tank limit M`s weight as much as possible for when she is hauled out for blacking). The following morning we said goodbye to friends and headed South to a lunch invitation in Towcester - it was a pleasant way to end our trip. Then it was South-West to a mountain of mail.

Back up the River Soar

2011-10-27T15:19:00.012+01:00

The Trent & Mersey canal starts, or in our case, finished, at Shardlow - the distinction decided by a bridge labelled number 1, which we passed under shortly after leaving the mooring. After travelling through Shardlow flood lock and then the main lock (Derwent Mouth), we entered the River Trent and headed down to the River Soar. It`s a sudden change from canal to a wide, open river, one overlooked by massive bridges and bordered by weirs. M always gets up a bit of an umph along the Trent, as it`s so wide there`s little or no waves left by the time her wash reaches either bank. Before the Soar, there`s Sawley with its large boat yard and moored cruisers, some of which are very Thames like - big and expensive with sea going capability - and two locks. The first, a flood lock, was open and the second, a pair of automated wide locks was, thankfully, not too busy. A wide beam went into one of them as we approached and a narrow beam with which we had shared Derwent Mouth Lock was opening up the other. The locks are hydraulically operated by the push of a button, so there are no heavy gates to `Suehandle` or paddles to wind. The problem, which we found a few years ago when we first used them without a lock keeper being there (which is more often than not), is knowing which button to push. This time we were lucky, the chap and his wife on the other boat got us in and then, very kindly, let us out while they closed the gates and picked up crew; not always an easy task on these high river locks.

R. Trent

Approaching Sawley - R. Trent

The junction of the Trent and Soar at Trentlock is also the location of the start of the Erewash Canal, Thrumpton Weir and the Cranfleet Cut. The cut is a short section of canal that takes boats using the Trent around the weir and off to Lincoln and beyond. The Erewash goes through Long Eaton and up to Eastwood, on the Northern edges of Nottingham. The River Soar takes us South to Loughborough and M`s home at Pillings Lock Marina. But the river carries on from there, passing through Leicester and becoming the Grand Union Canal, which then continues all the way to the Thames. The River Soar is part of the Leicester Arm of the Grand Union Canal, the navigation that links London to the North.

The weather was bright and clear as we headed up the Soar, and with all flood locks open, we had a pretty quick trip up to Loughborough. We accompanied the other narrowbeam from Sawley (retired physics teacher and his wife, a retired midwife) through the locks at Ratcliffe, Kegworth and up to Zouch (pronounced Zoch). There was a cruiser on the high, very small and awkward (especially in any wind) conctrete lock mooring at Ratcliffe. I squeezed M in front of it and asked the owner if he was waiting for the lock. "No", he said, "I`m cooking my breakfast". I said, "Don`t you realize these moorings are for boats using the lock, you idiot" (pronounced "Oh. OK").

Waterside - R. Soar

Waterside - R.Soar

The usual procedure in double width (wide) locks is for the crew - almost always the female - to work the locks and the helmsman to stay on board. This is the way it was as we came up the Soar. You always end up chatting to the person next to you - in this case, Sue up on the lock gates with the midwife and me on the boat with the physics teacher. They seemed extremely nice people, as most do, and we fell into conversation about bow thrusters. Neither boat had one and we agreed that the electric ones were of limited use - low power and short bursts only - but would be handy when reversing in a tight spot. Going backwards is a nightmare at times, and always in confined spaces when the winds up a bit. The bow of the boat has more windage (and becomes a bit of a sail) because it`s the highest part, and it has less draft (depth in the water) to resist disturbance by the wind. The physics teacher (I don`t know his name) suggested a mud weight. I`d never considered one before but it has merits. A mud weight is simply a weight on a length of rope that you attach to the bow when reversing. The weight drags along the bottom of the canal keeping the line taught and pulling the bow straight - we might try it one day.

Kegworth Deep - R. Soar

Perfect day - R. Soar

Bit frothy in Kegworth Deep - R.Soar

We are now at Millers Bridge, about 500 yards from the marina where M lives. Weather permitting, washing and polishing will begin.

M is now home at the top of the Liecester Arm - Grand Union Canal (R. Soar)

Big Locks

2011-10-25T18:47:00.028+01:00

Since our last post we have moved off the Trent & Mersey narrow beam section and on to the wide bit. The canal itself doesn`t look much broader, it`s the locks that are bigger - big enough for two narrow beam boats to enter together, or one wide beam to go it alone. (Narrow beam boats like M are 6`10" wide, while wide beams, with all the accompanying luxury and extra living space, can be up to 12`). We haven`t seen many on the move but they are out there, moored up in marinas or alongside on the rivers, plotting. They`re just waiting for the chance to come towards us on the narrowest section for miles, at a bridge, close to a bend, by overhanging trees ... .

After a night above Fradley junction (still on the narrow part of the Trent & Mersey, and where it meets the Coventry Canal) we dropped down and moored above Keepers Lock, in `the junction` itself. Fradley was busy (probably more than usual because of restrictions on the Leicester section of the Grand Union, the other route to the North) so we had a pleasant evening watching boats go by and walking V a short way up the Coventry.

Fradley Junction - from the Coventry Canal

The next day saw us through Alrewas and its short river section, and then onto Burton-on-Trent. We passed the Burton breweries, Shobnall Basin`s chandlery and the watering point at Horninglow without hesitating - despite the pull of beer tasting tours, more shiny bits for the boat and the usual, "have we enough water"? conversation. We had a night at Branston Water Park - always a favourite spot because of its views - and then stopped, after passing through Willington, at the Ukrainian near Western.

Shardlow Lock

By then we were using wide beam locks. The first on the way down is Stenson, which has a problem at the moment with its bottom gates: apparently, there`s a build up of gravel that`s preventing them from opening fully. The two boats going down ahead of us got wedged together trying to leave and remained stuck long enough to receive advice from every direction imaginable - other boaters waiting to come up, boaters (us) waiting to go down, the adjacent pub, cyclists, dog walkers, dogs - and cause an eight boat queue on the other side. But like all advice, the source is as important as the information - and if in doubt, do your own thing. Eventually, one of them, an American on a hire boat (an inexperienced boater) was switched on enough to get them both extricated from the lock. Things then resumed to normal, but a bit slower, as two boats couldn`t enter or leave the bottom gates together.

A boat nudges into Stenson Lock with a view to pulling out a boat that`s wedged in

M drops in Stenson. Advice: do your own thing

Do your own thing. A boat at Willington with a foredeck hydraulic motorcycle ramp

There`s been little rain since we`ve been out these past two months and the water levels on both canals and rivers are noticeably low. Canals are artificial waterways and unless water flows into them from rivers, it has to be pumped. To help prevent water loss, we`ve been very careful to make sure that all the lock gates are closed properly when we leave them. Despite being heavy, it`s surprising how many bottom gates will open of their own accord when there`s no water pressure in the lock to keep them shut.

Deep locks on the Trent & Mersey - there`s always water passing through the gates

M`s been putting a few hours in now in order to get back to Pillings Lock Marina before November and it`s shorter days and (an assumed) change to winter weather. From the Ukrainian we dropped into Shadlow and stayed the night on the town moorings opposite the old wharf. Although there`s still a boat yard, most of the buildings have been converted to waterside apartments. It`s a nice place, with it`s pubs and old buildings, and the canal lined with drooping willow trees.

The wharf at Shardlow

M on the Shardlow town mooring

Now that we are getting close to home and the prospect of normality returns - living in a house and in one place for a while - Sue`s wondering how long she`ll be able to cope with her long(er than normal) hair. I think she`ll persevere.

Water Gypsy

Communication

2011-10-20T20:36:00.012+01:00

Yesterday morning was damp and cold, there was no 3G signal and we got rammed by a hire boat. The dampness and cold are purely down to the time of year, so all we could do was wrap up warm and have the coal burner going all day - it makes it really toasty down below for when you stop. The 3G signal on Sue`s iPhone has been, on the whole, good the entire trip with only a few days seeing us without wi-fi for the laptops. Yesterday was one of them days, so we just read instead of blogging. (Sue`s phone is on the One plan from the company 3. She gets unlimited data plus generous phone and text allowances). The hire boat came flying through a blind bridge and couldn`t stop. Thankfully, M`s approach from the other side had been at tick-over, so we were able to come to a halt, reducing the crunch factor. They were far too fast, as I told the chap holding the tiller - he was, as you`d expect, of the opposite opinion. At that speed the least he could have done was given a blast on the horn - giving us a chance to dive for cover.

We stopped at Great Haywood last night, close to Shugborough, and continued down towards Fradley today. We are now moored above Woodend Lock, so an hour or so will see us in Fradley tomorrow. The weather has been clear but cold; it`s been a woolly hats and gloves day. We stopped at Rugeley to shop at Morrisons (wine), visit the local pet shop (gravy bones) and have lunch (turkey `bacon` sarnies). Sue went into the Nationwide to inform them of our change of address, having been told over the phone that phoning was not an option. She was told, personally, to phone, as a personal call was not an option. I sat outside with Vera.

Clear blue sky at Rugeley`s market square

Vera had a bit of a barney with an Alsatian in the market square; well, barney`s a bit strong, it was more of a roll over and beg for mercy. She`s too old for that sort thing and, although active, she likes quiet routine above all else - except food, of course. V wakes us at 0710 every morning for me to take her out; she does whatever she has to do and is back on the boat munching breakfast before I get back carrying a bag containing whatever it is she`s done; at 1630 she gets very affectionate; at 1631 Sue feeds her; by 1900 she`s sparko.

V`s spot in M`s cabin - the coal burner`s not far away

This afternoon we continued down the Trent & Mersey through Armitage, the site of Hawkesyard Priory, and finally stopped just short of Fradley. Most notable along this section has been the property. Yesterday it was the adjacent open countryside but today it`s been the canal side houses. The area is far more built up than further north and some of the houses have been great. As I said to one lucky owner as we passed - boat at the bottom of your garden and a workshop next to it, and a nice part of the country, fantastic. He smiled and gave us a thumbs up.

Open country - Trent & Mersey, Staffs

Lovely country - Trent & Mersey, Staffs

Hilly country - Trent & Mersey, Staffs

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For sale

Canal at the very bottom of garden

Colwich lock cottage

Working Boats of Stone

2011-10-18T20:29:00.015+01:00

In some ways it`s nice to be back on a wider bit of canal, despite the fact that it`s not quite as pleasant as the Caldon. But today we`ve been through nine locks and covered a few canal miles, so M`s engine has been able to work a bit. The run has been good for her domestic batteries as well and they were sitting above 13V for most of the afternoon - they havn`t been that high since we plugged in at Norbury.

There`s some nice canal side properties along this section - Barlaston to Stone - and they`re not necessarily big or expensive looking. Many are just small semis with an added balcony or conservatory from which the owner can enjoy the canal. There is one place, though, an old boat yard, now a private residance, that has everything - private dock and all.

The old Barlaston Boatyard

Coming down through Stone we caught the aftermath of a meeting held this weekend, so there were a few boats around. Prince, a Thames/Grand Union working boat has been leapfrogging us for a few days - we first saw her on the Caldon - and her sister, Victoria was moored amongst the group at Stone. These boats date back to the 1930`s and were originally designed to carry large loads but apparently they were never fully used and not many were built. As far as the Caldon was concerned, Prince was a bit too deep in the draft and apparently ended up touching the bottom quite a lot.

Victoria - a big old working boat

Brand new - Emma Louise Too

Stone Boatbuilders looked busy and there were a couple of nice boats outside, including Emma Louise Too, a narrow beam barge.

We stopped and shopped in Stone, a pleasant town with a busy pedestrianized shopping area, and Sue went into the Co-op for supplies while I waited outside with V. I`d collected 58p by the time Sue came out, which usually represents about 25 minutes. I bought some gloves - the weather is getting colder by the day - and some waterproof tape to repair our domestic water hose, which now washes the side of the boat instead of filling her water tank every time we try to use it.

We are here

Tomorrow we head down to Great Haywood where we will come off the Four Counties Ring. Thursday will be a rest day - possibly. Today`s been a good day - sun, boats and a nice town along the way.

Graffiti, Stoke and Graffiti

2011-10-17T17:40:00.005+01:00

We stayed at Engine Lock on the Caldon last night (Sun) and early this morning headed down into Stoke to rejoin the Trent & Mersey. It`s the last leg of our journey and should see us back at Pillings Lock in a couple of weeks.

Going back into a large city was a bit of a wake up call after the lovely countryside of the Caldon and the bygone era of its historic railway. Stoke, from what you see of it from the canal, is all litter, graffiti and the feeling of `get through quicklyness` - it rained as soon as we saw the first discarded supermarket trolley.

Railway engine - Consall Forge, Caldon Canal

Railway engine - Stoke, Trent & Mersey Canal

At Etruria Junction (where the Caldon meets the Trent & Mersey) we stopped and pumped-out using the BW self service kit. The token needed to work it costs £10 and for this you get 10 (smelly) MINUTES PLUS MULTIPLE PAUSES - far better than the three minutes for £15 offered at most of the marinas we`ve visited. Considering that all new marinas seem to have self service `services` anyway, you`re not getting anything extra for your money. In future we`ll try and use BW whenever we can.

Coming out of Stoke the wind picked up and a few rainy squalls set in. I lost my hat in one of them and it was fished out of the drink by Sue, expertly wielding the boat hook. We went by a boat yard called Dolphin that advertised a wide range of services that included fishing tackle and line dancing. We didn`t stop.

We are now at Barlaston, moored below bridge 104, just past the Wedgwood factory. Tomorrow we`ll continue down to Stone. The Trent & Mersey has been busy, something to do with half-term someone suggested today, although most of the boats we`ve seen have been crewed by couples - of a certain age, like us - with not a child in sight.

Bottle kiln and graffiti - Stoke, Trent & Mersey

Diversity - fishing tackle and line dancing

Directions to The Potteries, and graffiti - Stoke, Trent & Mersey

A week up the Caldon Canal

2011-10-16T21:18:00.002+01:00

We've spent a lovely week up the Caldon & are now back at Engine Lock where we were last Sunday. It's all a bit remote up there, edging into the Peak District, so apart from a couple of brief moments out walking when we've been on the top of a hill, we haven't had a signal, either phone or 3G.

We spent a couple of nights at Cheddleton both on the way up & back. It has an interesting Flint Mill that was used to grind flint (funnily enough) for use in the production of Earthenware pottery. There is no local flint, it was all brought in first by pack horse & then canal to be ground using water power, then steam power for use in the local potteries.

Cheddleton Flint Mill, run by volunteers, was open for visitors on our way back.

Cheddleton is also the end of the line for the local historic railway. We'd been following the disused lines since Engine Lock, the tracks have been left in place as they are trying to extend the distance over which the old diesel & steam trains are used. However, apparently the locals have objected to the reopening of the line beyond Cheddleton.

End of the line - Cheddleton Station

Autumn is definitely here & we regretted our initial mooring spot under a tree.

camouflage!

On to the end of the canal at Froghall. It was a bit disappointing. We'd forgotten the fact that although it's a very remote location, it's also the site of a huge copper wire factory. Or at least it used to be. The majority of the site has been flattened, apart from a huge chimney that was apparently saved from demolition at the last minute. According to our source (a local from Stoke) the first Transatlantic communications cables were produced here. Part of the works are still in operation, which was part of the problem as they made a real racket that went on all night. Still, the old basin beyond the low Froghall tunnel was still worth a visit. We're way to high to get through that, so had to walk around the outside.

Froghall basin

Heading back down the canal we again passed through a particularly significant bridge for us. It's called the Cherry Eye Bridge (number 53) & is a very unusual shape. During our previous trip on the hire boat, whilst passing under this bridge Jack, our notorious black lab, decided that he'd get back on the boat having been walking along the towpath with me & V. He put his front paws on the boat & as Simon slowly crawled through the bridge, he told jack to get the rest of himself on pronto. He told him several times, but as usual with jack, he did his own thing. The consequence was a loud splash, an upside down Labrador & 4 paws sticking out of the water! I dragged him out & he was fine, in fact he probably quite enjoyed himself!

The Cherry Eye Bridge, or Jack's Bridge as we call it.

We'd passed by Consall Forge on our way up without stopping. This is the site of another of the historic railway stations that literally borders the canal...... it's a bit of a tight squeeze, as in fact are large parts of the canal & most of the bridges!

the canal goes right beside the platform

Consall Forge station

On Friday we saw carriages being pulled by an old diesel engine called 'Captain Charles' (one of the first batch of Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon built Type 3s ordered in 1957) & moored up at Consall Forge overnight in the hope of seeing a steam train or 2 on Saturday. It worked as we saw the steam train go past a couple of times. It stopped at the station near to our mooring & as it pulled away it made an awesome noise. We'd better get our anoraks out......

Captain Charles crosses the Caldon at Consall Forge

The steam train leaving the station

A lot of the woodland around the area is owned by the RSPB & on Friday afternoon I'd taken my bins for a wander up into Chase Wood. It was quite a steep climb up & I saw few birds, although it was a lovely walk. Then I came out near the top of the path & was suddenly surrounded by birds, more Nuthatches than I could shake a stick at, several Treecreepers & Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and loads of Coal Tits& Goldcrests. It was fab. The views back down the Churnet valley were pretty spectacular as well

View down the Churnet Valley

The weather on Saturday was glorious so we decided to take V for a walk up into Chase Wood. This was a bit of a different style of walk. The only birds we saw & heard were pheasants, which Vera had great fun chasing! We did keep reminding her that she's nearly 15, but she was acting like a 5 year old. She hadn't had as much fun in ages. I don't expect that the pheasants would agree.

HarecastleTunnel and Stoke

2011-10-09T13:21:00.009+01:00

The night at Red Bull (Kidsgrove) was OK and a lot more appealing than the moorings closer to the tunnel, although we did have some halfwit climb on M and bang on her side during the evening. When I went up with a torch, there was no one about.

After coming up the three locks from Red Bull, we entered Harecastle Tunnel, the 2926 yard (which is 1.75 miles and takes about 40 minutes) passage through Harecastle Hill. The tunnel keeper gave a pretty thorough briefing compared to the last time we went through - he was even wearing a life preserver. We had been through the tunnel about seven years ago and at that time the keeper simply rolled a cigarette and waved us in. When I asked how far we should keep behind the boat in front he replied, "Two chevrons". This time was different and the instructions were clear:

no cooking or naked flames
keep to a good cruising speed of 3 to 4 mph; if you bounce off the sides, you're going too slowly
If you break down, give one long blast on the horn every 30 seconds, until acknowledged. They would then leave it about an hour before coming to assist with their boat, in case we managed to effect a repair & make our own way out
The tunnel is `one-way` and alternates direction depending on demand - there`s a tunnel keeper at each end
We were to enter the tunnel behind another boat 30 minutes ahead of us - the keeper at the other end wouldn`t let anyone in until we came through

We put on the tunnel light & all the interior lights & I tried to get Vera below so we'd not have to worry about her. She declined & we went straight in. After a few minutes, V decided that there wasn't much to see & went down to her bed for the rest of the way! At first the tunnel is quite spacious, but as you get in it gradually shrinks, until at about half way it's quite a tight fit. It gets a bit wet at times too.

The tunnel keeper had confirmed that there is a skeleton painted on the wall in the tunnel, & gave us it's rough location (475 yards in). We managed to spot it in the gloom & even get a flash photo.

Skeleton painted on wall

The tunnel is one of three that go through the hill, but is the only one still in use. It was built by Thomas Telford & completed in 1827. It originally had a towpath which has since been removed, so it was once an even tighter fit than it is now. The first canal tunnel was completed in 1777 (a world beating feat of engineering) and for a while both were open with one used in each direction. The original was finally closed due to subsidence. There was also a train tunnel built about 40 feet above the canal tunnels, but it was shut in the 1960s & the trains now run around the outside of the hill.

After the tunnel we turned left onto the Caldon Canal. There is a staircase lock not far from the start, where 2 locks are built adjacent to each other & the water from the top lock fills the lower lock. The botom lock is incredibly deep & the gates massive. We got through that & continued in the drizzle to Engine Lock where we stopped for the night. It had been our longest day & we were quite damp & cold by the time we got below. For the first time this trip we lit the Squirrel coal/ woodburner as well as putting the Webasto diesel heater on for an hour. It soon got nice & warm. It was a bit odd showering to the smell of wood smoke as the chimney is next to the bathroom mushroom!

Kiln at Stoke

Old works in Stoke

New on old - building at Stoke

Etruria Junction - entering the Caldon Canal

Staircase locks at Etruria

Ivy Bridge - lift bridge

It`s a bit windy - again

2011-10-07T15:10:00.007+01:00

Last week, when we were basking in sunshine, another boater made the comment that the glorious weather would have to be paid for. We now know what he meant. It`s rained on and off for three days and the wind has been howling most afternoons.

We entered the Trent & Mersey at Middlewich and intend to head south to Stoke on Trent and then divert up the Caldon Canal for a few days (maybe longer if the weather`s bad and we decide to sit it out for a bit).

Our first overnight stop was at Wheelock (`unspoilt Wheelock`, said a notice board at the mooring) after a breezy run down from the junction. It`s not a pretty bit of canal but it is interesting with industry (salt processing works) and suburban life in general on full view. The canal travels beside a main road for a few miles and on one side there are terraced houses and shops all the way along - and the best smelling Fish and Chips for miles.

At Wheelock we stocked up with food for V at an unspoilt pet supermarket and watched lorries hurtling through on the unspoilt main road, their drivers braking sharply to prevent the vehicle`s mirrors swiping the head of any tall pedestrian. In the unspoilt car park of the pet store, above the sound of racing traffic, I asked a local man about the Foden and ERF factories (the lorries, now sadly extict, were made in nearby Sandbach). Spoilt, he told me, and it`s the fault of Margaret Thatcher.

The next day, after 12 locks, we stopped on a rural mooring in time for lunch. Most of the locks along this section are `paired`, in other words there are two, side by side. Handy if both are in operation, as they allow two boats to go up or down together, or boats travelling in opposite directions to pass. A disadvantage is that it can be a bit of a squeeze leaving them, as the canal becomes narrow again almost immediately. I walked M out of a couple using the centre rope, pulling her over as I did, so the bow didn`t chaffe along the concrete edges of the canal.

The wind and rain were such that we stayed put on the rural mooring `till this morning. It was a cosy night with the heating on and wind and rain lashing the canal outside - along with several cows and a horse in the field opposite. We are now below lock 44, just outside Stoke and within striking distance of the Harecastle tunnel - we go through in the morning.

The Middlewich Branch meets the Trent & Mersey

Leaving the junction, high up and beside the main road

Bargain booze - plus. What more is there?

Salt

Leaving low bridge on the Trent & Mersey

M in a lock - Harecastle Hill in the distance

Looking back down the locks leading up to Harecastle and Stoke on Trent

Deep locks and a bit of planning

2011-10-04T17:08:00.005+01:00

Todays section of the Middlewich Branch had a couple of deep, deep locks compared to what we`ve become accustomed to over the past week or so. Instead of flights where individual locks are about 3 - 5 feet deep, these ones were 11`3" (Cholmondeston) and 11`0" (Minshull) respectively. It took a day`s work (10.30 `till 12) to cover the 3 miles to our current mooring, a couple of miles short of Middlewich. It`s a very picturesque bit of the canal, high up overlooking the river Weaver and surrounded by farmland - and other boats.

We were the only ones here when we arrived but the mooring has now filled up, many of the boats heading back to Overwater Marina (Audlem). Sue has been photographing Buzzards and catching bugs for her 60 foot blog - it`s a perfect day for both; bright and sunny.

Some careful planning is now afoot and the big question is: how far do we go in the next few days? There are two problems - the weather and Stoke. The weather can be uninviting and even grim, but it can change quite quickly; Stoke, like any other city, can`t. And Stoke is looming on our horizon, in fact it`s just a day or two`s cruising away. So, we either stay put for a few days and let a forecasted windy Wednesday and rainy Thursday pass, then move on to Wheelock (Trent & Mersey) to be within striking distance of Stoke, or we get going in the wind and rain. What`s the problem? Well, not Stoke in itself because it is an interesting place to go through on the canal, we just don`t want it to hit us at the weekend. Weekends are like all school holidays - they allow schools to be rebuilt and injured teachers to be evacuated while the country`s youth educate themselves by the canals, especially in cities. Leave here tomorrow and get out of Stoke by the weekend, or potter and go through on Monday? We`ll decide in the morning.

But that`s to come, today has been another great day of sun and boats and people - and some interesting canalside properties.

The Middlewich Branch is surrounded by farmland

Canalside house

Converted stables, now a fine canalside bungalow

Working boat with covered deck and deck hatches

A leaky Cholmondeston Lock

Windy Middlewich

2011-10-03T17:07:00.001+01:00

Having got up at the normal time of just after seven, Sue went off to have a look around Nantwich (The `come on, come on` call depends how V feels - a lie in would mean she comes to get us up at about seven-thirty) . We headed off at about 10, washing machine on and batteries and alternators working hard. Unfortunately, the water point was full so we continuued on past the Llangollen junction (Hurleston) and watered at the junction with the Middlewich Branch (Barbridge). It was already windy when we turned at the junction, although still warm and sunny. We are now moored just above Cholmondeston Lock.

The `wich` bit of Nantwich and Middlewich (and all other `wiches`, presumably) means salt, we are reliably informed. There are a number of salt mines nearby that also serve as very dry storage for foodstuffs and documents. Apparently, some are large enough to drive large trucks into and are used by supermarket chains and by the Government as archives. We recall on our last trip through here seeing enormous mounds of salt near the canal. These, we have been told, have disappeared because of the demand for road salt over the past two winters.

This afternoon it`s more cleaning and polishing, then books and tea, and a walk with V.

On the Shropshire Union, approaching the Llangollen.

M moored for the day on the Middlewich Branch and work begins - we`re both flat-out

A wave breaks over M`s stern as the wind picks up.

Nantwich

2011-10-02T20:51:00.005+01:00

We are spending a couple of nights moored at Nantwich, a town whose architecture mixes old with new - but with an emphasis on the old.  There`s a lot of the new development that seems to have the olde world, Tudor type wood effect, so the only way to tell if a building is modern is to see if the walls are vertical - and it`s over 10 feet tall.

Natwich is surprisingly large with supermarkets and lots of coffee shops and bars. A large church dominates the town square (St Marys, I think) and there seemed to be lots going on - not just shopping, there were guided walks and church events, and just people of all ages hanging around. It was nice.

And it`s obviously affluent: the women at the checkout in front of us in Morrisons, after buying her fags and lottery tickets, told the till lady that she was off to Thailand on holiday - "it`s only a week", she said, "but it`s better than nothing". A short while later, when it was our turn, the lady working the till said, "I`d be happy with a week in Rhyll".

There are a number of 48 hr moorings (as well as long term ones) along the canal and we stopped south of the aqueduct to make sure we got a place. A good call as it turned out - all the moorings beyond had been taken. It was a busy Saturday, probably more than usual because of the incredible weather - hot and sunny; a summer day, not an October one at all.

Sue had a near miss with a swan that seemed to have mistaken the gravel tow path next to M for water, and tried to land on it. Apparently the bird had swerved to avoid M`s pram cover, which resulted in it flying straight for Sue. After Sue ducked down pretty rapidly, it crash landed on the path and there were a lot of missing feathers before it finally toppled into the water.   It then swam off as if nothing had happened - what a professional.

Simon`s sister a her family (minus one daughter and two dogs) arrived on Sunday and we all had lunch on a picnic bench opposite the marina after moving M beyond the aqueduct. We had winded just north of the town and then went back to Hack Green to wind again. They seemed to enjoy the ride on M and Carolyn (12 years) had a go at steering, doing a pretty good job of it. It was lovely seeing them and we had a really enjoyable day.  We dropped them off just as it started to rain, back at the same spot we had moored at on Saturday night. And here we`ll stay until tomorrow.

New building - old style

Geese on the way in to Nantwich

A Church dominates the centre of Nantwich

Sign by canal......we obviously can't tell you where it is!

Carolyn up front....

........and at the tiller

Simon, Lou, Alan & Carolyn.....V must be hoovering the bank nearby!

Cool Pilate

2011-10-01T10:39:00.004+01:00

We`ve stopped at the Cool Pilate picnic area, a mooring south of Nantwich, after pumping out and picking up a Flogas canister at Overwater marina (Audlem). The journey from Audlem has taken less than an hour, so our domestic batteries are suffering again and our only option is to run the engine while moored up. This has got to be the least efficient way to charge the batteries but our only option at present - we`ll research power solutions this winter and hopefully come up with something before next season. A combination of solar and fossil fuel will probably be the answer, but it`s whether we use a generator or fit a power-pack to the engine that needs some delving into. Long term cruising, we`ve discovered, involves long term parking-up and the batteries don`t like it.

Our Flogas propane canister was delivered (we run one Flo and one Calor) thanks to a very helpful driver, who phoned on consecutive days to check on our location. Ordered by phone and delivered free of charge, we`re sticking with Flogas for the time being as it is supposed to work out cheaper than Calor. Overwater was very nice with helful staff and after pumping out we watered and then sat on a visitor mooring until the Flogas lorry arrived. The boat next to us was in brokerage, as the couple who owned her were moving back home to Canada - they`d been on her since 2005, selling Welsh cheese.

Watering up at Overwater Marina

Cool Pilate is only accessible by foot - or by water - and there were a number of boats moored overnight. Spoke to Unlocked, a very nice Piper (for sale after 9 weeks, as chap who owns her can`t quite get used to the cruiser stern), and Thuis, a live aboard couple with a rescue Spaniel , Charlie, and his fellow boat dog, Dizzy (or was it Tizzy).

Cool Pilate - looking back along the Shropshire Union canal

Cool Pilate residents

Cool Pilate V-isitor

Thuis and Dizzy the spaniel settling in to her cruising position.

Sunshine

2011-09-29T20:56:00.008+01:00

We came down the Audlem 15 yesterday and are now moored below bridge 79. The wharf moorings outside The Shroppy Fly at Audlam were full when we arrived, so we carried on through two more locks. To be honest, it`s really nice where we are and only a couple of hundred meters from the Wharf.

The weather is still absolutely stunning with cloudless blue sky and temperatures up to 25 degrees. Audlem village is one of the nicest we`ve visited so far this trip and the surrounding countryside is very picturesque.

Audlem has won prizes over the years for being `best village`, or whatever, and that`s no surprise when you see it. In the village centre there`s a monument to a much admired local doctor (19th Century); the old County Constabulary building (now a private residence) still stands, proudly displaying its history above the front door; the original fire station building is now a private garage but still has the old red doors, which are just big enough to get a horse and mobile fire bucket through; and there are flowers and Union flags everywhere. And there`s a Co-op.

We met a boat in Market Drayton called Edward that was crewed by a very nice couple, Maxine and Frank. We followed them down the locks to Audlem - Frank, a working boatman, filled the locks ahead of us when he could, which was a great help. They moored close to us when we arrived. Edward`s 1930`s built two-cylinder Fowler deisel had developed a problem on the way down - a pulley that drove the alternator had come adrift from its drive shaft. It used a type of interference fit that had a brass sleeve between the pulley centre and the shaft. The sleeve was US, so we tried to fabricate a new one from an aluminium can (chopped tomatos in basil, with a hint of pepper). It didn`t work. The following day Frank called out RCR (River and Canal Rescue) and they fixed it - by using our can, and the bits salvaged from the old sleeve. "I wondered if they`d try that", I said. "I was going to suggest it, myself", said Frank.

Apart from that its been the usual - walks, books and rescueing mice from the canal with Vera`s dinner bowl.

Locks are sociable occasions - Sue chats with the crew of a boat waiting to come up, as M drops in one of the Audlem 15

A mass of lock gates ahead - M descends the Audlem 15

Sue scans the river valley below M with her bins - mooring at Audlem

Mill house on the river Weaver, near Audlem

Bikes and Boats AND they're next to the pub - Heaven! Outside the Shroppy Fly, Audlem

Frank and Maxine`s Edward.

Edward`s 1930s two cylinder Fowler deisel

"Where's my Dad?"

Simon enjoying himself

V cools off in the Weaver

Audlem church & old covered Butter Market

Collection of 'Best Kept Village' awards

Indian Summer

2011-09-27T18:37:00.005+01:00

Oh what a perfect day............

Can't believe that we're sitting here after 6 in the evening in shorts & T-shirt! It looks like it's going to stay this way for a few days too. Great!

The day started off well with 2 Treecreepers in the trees beside M. We didn't set off until 9 as we weren't going far. We stopped to water up before leaving Market Drayton & that took ages as the water pressure was low to say the least. Still, we're in no hurry so we just had another brew!

Vera supervises the watering up at Drayton Wharf

We recognised this section from the last time we did the 4 Counties ring on a hire boat about 8 years ago. I'd made a mistake when I set the alarm, so we were up at 5am & cruising by 6! It was actually loveley & peaceful at that time of day, but we don't plan to repeat it.

A beautiful blue sky!

We've been though 7 locks today. For the first time since we set off there was a chance for some canalside shopping. A lady by one of the locks was selling farm produce & cakes so we indulged in a large slab of sponge cake for lunch. Then, just like with buses, a few locks later there was another lady selling cakes. Couldn't resist so bought some chocolate fridge cake for tomorrow & some rocket which she went and cut from the greenhouse. We were eating some of that in a butty within 20 mins.....talk about fresh!

We're now moored near Audlem in Cheshire. This is one of the nicest morrings we've had, & we've had some lovely ones. The views across the countryside are fab & I guess the sunshine just makes it all even better! We haven't been idle though, I've cleaned the 5 windows & hoppers on the bank side whilst Simon did some more chrome polishing & a bit of T-cutting & polishing on the stern.

Muriel maintenance at magnificent mooring!

An old workboat (Saturn) went by towing a butty (the canal equivalent of a trailer). The butty has to be man-handled through the locks. It looked a bit like hard work.....

One man-power.....

Took V for a lovely evening wander down some of the Audlem locks & it's now time to relax!

Audlem locks, to be tackled tomorrow

Market Drayton

2011-09-26T19:06:00.003+01:00

We`ve spent the day moored at Market Drayton and had a brief explore of the town. It`s called a market town by all the posters and information boards jotted around and, true to the image these created, it was quiet pleasant. By market, though, we`ve assumed they call it that because its got Morrisons, Homebase and Poundstretcher stores. There`s plenty going on all around us with boat movements, fisherman and some wildlife - ducks and swans are ever present on the canals but this morning we had an excellent view of a Kingfisher living up to its name. Unfortunatley & very unusually we didnt have a camera with us, a great shame as it sat about 20 feet away on a rotary washing line having just dropped a fish. Sue didnt even have her bins with her, which is a first as she normally takes them everywhere. And its getting warmer.

Drayton Wharf

Swans are always present, usually nibbling the algae on M`s hull

Drayton Wharf - and a bollard

The canal network was heavily fortified during WWII

On the Shropshire Union - (not today!)

Signal - at last.

2011-09-25T19:43:00.004+01:00

We arrived in a wet Market Drayton this morning (Sun 25/9) having spent the last week trying in vain to get a decent 3G signal, one strong enough to upload to the blog. Since Tixall we`ve rescued V from the drink (nothing to do with her alchohol consumption, which is minimal by anyones standard - a small sherry at Christmas at most); had a cover welded over the fuel cap (to stop anyone coming along and filling us up when we`re not looking); and had our domestic batteries tested (they`re OK - but only just).

We joined the Shropshire Union at Autherley Junction and from there it was a lock free passage (except for one at Wheaton Aston) all the way through Norbury Junction to Tyrley. We stopped for two nights at Brewood, where the moorings are within easy reach of the town, and had a night at Norbury Junction. Sue wanted to visit a floating bog - despite the fact we already had one - close to bridge 40 (Norbury village), which is a place to find interesting plants & bugs. It was a very pleasant nature reserve (Loynton Moss), so we spent a night moored there before moving to a mooring with rings near Nighton Wood (bridge 47). We spent last night above Tyrley locks (five) and came down this morning - in rapid time due to lock-key weilding, "I do it for the excercise" local. (Sue called him the 'Lock Fairy' but I don't think he took offence).

Modern tractors in a ploughing competition beside the canal, vintage tractors had their own competition on the other bank a little further along.

Sue relaxes on the Staffs & Worcs

Vera supervises a lock near Gailey, still on the Staffs & Worcester.

The site of Vera's unauthorised swim which caused panic - except with Vera, who quite enjoyed it.

Soggy V following rescue. Good thing Simon has long arms. The bank was sheer rock & he could only just reach.

V modeling her now compulsory canal-wear. A bit late, but it was hard dragging her out by the scruff! Now in search of a V sized life jacket in case there's a next time.

During our 2 days at Brewood (Shropshire Union) we came across a nice little reserve developed in an old sand quarry - (Barnfield Sandbanks)

Heron beside the boat at Brewood

First tunnel of the trip, the 81 yard Cowley Tunnel

Our mooring at Norbury Junction, up the old Newport Branch. Had our electrics investigated here due to problems charging the batteries.

Bridge just N of Norbury Junction

Loynton Moss nature reserve

2 sheds & a Bentley!

A definate Autumnal feel....

Woodseaves Cutting, bit tight! I hung on to V!

'going down' at Tyrley Lock

Interesting geology through Tyrley locks

...and a Little Grebe. Haven't seen many of them on the canals

Tixall and Shugborough

2011-09-16T14:14:00.006+01:00

Our morning walk took us into the Shugborough estate

We are having a day at Tixall Wide (Fri) and decided to walk into Shugborough estate - with its hall that dates back to the 17th Century (and prices that date back to the 21st century - £37.50 for a family to get in!!!). Apparently the original house was owned by the Bishops of Litchfield until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. There are inscriptions on the Shepherds monument (found in the grounds of the estate) that are thought to be a cipher text that has been associated with the Holy Grail, the knights Templar and UFOs. The estate has been visited by experts from Bletchley Park.

Simon explains our proposed route through Shugborough - follow the twig on the right, turn left at the leaf ...

Shugborough Hall - built late 17C it looks like somewhere Jane Austen might have visited

One of Shugborough`s many follys, arches and towers, created by James Athenian Stuart

A lodge on the estate

Monuments are all over the place.

We looked for JA but with no luck, unfortunately

Our route took us back through Great Haywood

We finished up at Great Haywood and walked back to M along the towpath. It was a nice circular walk - towpath to Tixall Bridge, turn left along the road for a short walk to the entrance to Shugborough estate and then back in the park to Great Haywood.

There`s lots of activity at the junction at Great Haywood (where the Staffs and Worc and the Trent and Mersey meet) and plenty to see. In its day - the Staffs and Worc canal was completed in 1772 - Great Haywood was a busy, working junction. In many ways it still is but now for the leisure industry, with a hire fleet, a marina, boat builders and moorings.

A fisherman displays a 17 pound pike caught at Tixall

Old and new - Sheppard, boat builder at Great Haywood

Anglo Welsh hire fleet getting ready for the weekend

On The Move

2011-09-15T20:31:00.006+01:00

Approaching Rugely. Power stations seem to be popular on the Trent, which runs close to the canal - good cooling water, no doubt

We’ve actually had 2 days on the move, all be it that we haven’t moved very far.

"'scuse me, where's the loo?"

Yesterday we finally left our lovely mooring near Handsacre & travelled through Armitage, passing the loo factory which still borders the canal. Just beyond that the canal narrows to the width of one boat where there used to be a tunnel through the rock before the roof was removed due to subsidence & replaced with a concrete bridge. Simon had to drop off me & V so we could walk through & let him know when it was safe to enter. No need for arm signals when you have an iphone in your pocket!

Breath in.....

Over the River Trent

Into Rugely for a wander, a food shop & lunch before crossing the Trent on an aqueduct & heading off to Colwich for our only lock of the day. Several times we saw houses for sale & being nosey I used my ‘Right Move’ App to see how much they were & what they were like inside! “Such fun!”....as Miranda’s Mum would say!

We had planned to carry on to Tixall Wide for the night, but decided to stop just short of Great Haywood lock with a lovely view of the Shugborough estate & Cannock Chase in the distance.

View from M

Took V for a wander up to the junction where we’ll start our tour around the ‘Four Counties’ Ring. We did it about 7 or 8 years ago when we had our first canal holiday on a Viking Afloat boat. We had 2 weeks to go round that time and managed to go up the Caldon Canal as well. We plan to be somewhat more leisurely this time.

Essex Bridge over the River Trent

Today we had a nice walk up to the Essex Bridge on the Shugborough estate, a stone packhorse bridge built in 1550 by the then Earl of Essex so that Queen Elizabeth I could use it to cross the Trent to go hunting. It only has 14 of the original 40 arches but is still quite impressive, although Vera seemed far more interested in swimming after sticks!

Vera enjoys a swim

We had a chat to a lady with a lovely chocolate lab called Ivy. There was interesting artwork on her boat & it turned out that it had a very interesting & novel history. Apparently a chap in New Zealand had it built, finished it in his garden and had the rear panel painted by an Aborigine. He then had it shipped over here in a container & then after all that he only used it for about 18 months before selling it. The lady we were talking to is the second owner since then and has been living on board for about 2 years. Bizarrely the chap is now having a Dutch Barge built, again in New Zealand.

Built in NZ

When we eventually set off we went through our one lock of the day & turned left at the junction to enter the Staffs & Worcester canal, promptly stopping at the Anglo Welsh hire base to diesel up. We moored for a late lunch at Tixall Wide having travelled all of a mile or so. We’ve been over flown by a hot air balloon & nibbled by a swan! It’s all go on the canals.....

Lovely evening for a flight

The average speed so far since we left Pillings Lock is about 35 miles a week!!

WIND!!!!!!!!!

2011-09-13T17:11:00.004+01:00

The winds are still strong, so again we decided not to move today and M is still sitting just short of Handsacre and Armitage.

M`s position 13.9.2011.

The day is filled with walking V, books, Sue`s nature watch for her 60-foot blog and a bit of M maintainance. And some short bread making by Sue - which came out delish.

Morning walk along the canal with V ...

... with plenty to see on the way...

... including someone who has got it right - boat and shed at the bottom of the garden

Draining M`s sediment bowl, ensuring there`s no water to fowl up the fuel system. We use an addative called Fuel Set but still find M`s fuel tank collects a bit of water, probably due to being idle for the last six months or more

M`s `engine room`

M has two alternators that the battery management system uses to get the domestic batteries charged asap. We are running the engine a couple of times a day to keep everything working.

At the end of another hard day the canal has plenty of pubs to choose from

WIND!

2011-09-12T16:06:00.004+01:00

Wind generator on an adjacent boat earning its keep

We are staying put at our rural mooring outside Handsacre while the weather system that is bringing such high winds passes through. Surprisingly, there are a few boats on the move and we've seen several pass today without slowing. It`s a problem for us if they don`t slow down, as their wash bounces us off the bank, and one for them if they do because the wind makes it harder to maintain a course - and they bounce off us. Thankfully, all in all, we've been incident free so far.

Simon directing operations - ensuring they pass M safely!

We had a caller yesterday evening (Sun) - a young chap came knocking on the side of the boat while we were preparing tea - and we ended up assisting a young couple in a bit of distress. Having just bought their 67ft narrow boat from a yard at Fradley, they were having difficulty and had ended up on the mud about 50m behind of us. We gave directions from the bank - remembering all the advice we had once been given - and they were soon free. Sensibly, they moored and are still alongside today, waiting for the wind to subside.

Sunday was an eventful day for Sue, not only was she involved in rescuing new boaters but she was also attacked by ducks. We've got a little gang that like to hang around the hatch, waiting for someone to mug. Sue was trying to take a photograph of them when the first scream was heard. Apparently, one jumped up and bit her - it actually drew blood, but was rewarded with some bread.

Hooded Mallards engage in Flash-Feeding

Blurred at the moment of attack!!

V's new step covering & non-slip mat

We are settling down to a routine now, as we always find we do after a week on the boat. V is as well, we are pleased to say, and she seems to have got used to her temporary home. She is even happy with the rear steps from the galley to the cruiser stern now that Sue has covered them in non-slip matting - it gives her more confidence if nothing else. V`s coming on 15 and her age is starting to show.

M is safely moored, double pinned bow and stern and happy in the wind

The days seem full of books and boats, bugs and birds, walks with V and new people and places round every corner.

Wind

2011-09-11T09:25:00.003+01:00

We moved through Fradley Junction on Saturday and pumped-out at the barge opposite the shop at the junction with the Coventry Canal. Saw Blue Eyes heading off to Coventry and then queued for the locks to climb up and away from the junction - filmed all the way by a Malaysian lady on her iPad.

Pumping-out at Fradley. £15, so that`s about 25p a ...

Fradley Junction - and boat entering from the Coventry Canal

Front of the queue leaving Fradley

We continued towards Atmitage and found a rural mooring about a mile short of Handsacre, passing the new(ish) marina at Kings Bromley Wharf . This will be it for a few days as high winds are forcast for late Sunday and into Monday. Looking at the BBC`s weather prediction, it may be Wednesday before we head off to Great Haywood and Tixall.

Trees line the Trent & Mersey as it travels from Fradley to Armitage - bit of a lean as we`ve just pumped out

Home for the next few days ...

... a bit exposed but a nice veiw and away from the trees

Graves at Alrewas

2011-09-09T19:06:00.002+01:00

Grave stones at Alrewas have a distinctive style, as did those at Weston (Ukrainian) - but these have personalized, contemporary themes

Bagpipes and Chrome

2011-09-09T15:07:00.006+01:00

We`ve actually managed to revamp a lot of the chrome work so that now only one roof step needs replacing (we bought a couple at Shobnall, just in case). We spent a few hours polishing the fittings and cleaning the algae off of the cratch cover while at the water park near Branston.

Autosol has renovated the chrome work ...

... bar one roof step, which we`ll replace at the start of next season.

After any polishing session we always have a lone piper to bring proceedings to a close.

From Branston we travelled to Alrewas, stopping just above the lock and immediately short of the town. There`s a boat opposite with a parrot on board that has a wide vocal repertoire - "Why are pirates, pirates: `cos they arrr".

The Ivy May - Alrewas parrot boat

Old Gardner engines are popular. Simon worked on Gardner powered Lorries throughout the 1970`s so that when we bought M he insisted on a ... Isuzu.

We arrived at Alrewas just before lunch, so that now we are doing a bit of polishing - as the weather is nice - and watching the boats go by. Ducks are nibbling away at the algae on the hull - doing their bit to keep M looking good.

Shrinking locks

2011-09-07T21:12:00.008+01:00

For the first time this trip I have that windblown outdoor feeling! We actually travelled about 15 miles today & went through 4 locks. Swarkstone & Stenson locks were both deep at 10’11” & 12’4” respectively & were the last of the double width locks. When we arrived at Stenson lock a brand new widebeam was on its way down. The owner was very wisely having a lesson with a professional as he’s planning to travel solo. He had just left Willington Marina & was still looking worried!

Into Burton Upon Trent, where, if you don’t know it’s famous for its brewing industry when you arrive, you certainly do by the time you leave. The smell of hops follows you through & the Marston & Coors breweries are visible most of the way.

Coors brewery

Marstons

Reversing in supervised by geese

Horninglow Wharf on the edge of Burton Upon Trent is not like most watering points that allow you to moor parallel to the canal to fill up, this one requires a bit of manoeuvring. Simon did a spot of nifty reversing whilst being heckled by a bunch of geese with very dubious parentage. At least the adjacent A38 concrete embankment has a mural to cheer it up a bit.

Watering up

Dallow lane Lock

Just beyond the wharf Dallow Lane is the first of the narrow beam locks & as it’s only 3’6” deep it seemed like a real tiddler! Branston Lock was the last of the day at 3’

Branston Lock

Mooring just before Branston Water Park

We are now moored near the Branston Water Park.

This 15 mile trip took just over 8 hours, although we did stop briefly for supplies & lunch at Willington. We saw a boat with “don’t forget to take the time to smell the roses on the way”. We took the time, but all we smelt were the hops!

Another day at Weston

2011-09-06T18:05:00.000+01:00

Another stationary day at Weston. We were planning to move a few miles up the canal to Willington if the wind died down , but it didn’t, so we’re still here.

We took Vera on a different route up to the church. As we started off along the canal towards Weston lock there was a novel sight. A small yacht was motoring towards us with the mast lying down its centre & across the roof of the cabin. The yachtsman was in pucker sailing gear & said that he was on his way to London from Nottingham.

An unusual sight on a canal!

Walking to the church from a different direction gave us slightly more conclusive evidence of the continued presence of a Ukrainian influence.........

Vera is being very reluctant to use the steep steps down to the galley from the rear deck. We decided today to try out the ramp we bought her to make life easier for her & Simon’s back. She’s not at all impressed & has so far refused to go near it. We’ve left it on the bank in the hope that she’ll get used to walking on it.

'If I ignore it, it may go away'...V

Happy Birthday Elizabeth!!!

Gravestones, canopies & bridges

2011-09-05T20:43:00.005+01:00

We’ve spent today moored up, just as well as the weather has been a bit variable, some sunshine but mostly showers & quite strong winds.

We took Vera for a walk up through the old Ukrainian settlement. Just as we were discussing whether or not there is still any Ukrainian presence, we passed a vehicle with a clue!

Ukrainian?

The local church is quite impressive but it’s the graveyard which is really interesting. It contains lots of old gravestones which are made of slate so that the inscriptions are still fairly readable even though they are in quite elaborately engraved. The age often gets given the biggest billing of any of the details, and many of them have little rhymes at the bottom. One of them is particularly spooky, which is difficult to read in the photo so copied below:

Spooky rhyme:

Aged 21 yrs...

Walking back to M in the rain we saw Jack in the Box, a 35ft cruiser heading towards the low bridge with its rear canopy still up. We decided to stay and watch, expecting either some very accurate steering or a mess! Just as the boat got to the bridge, the canopy folded forward just enough so that it fitted easily under the bridge & as it emerged on the other side, it went back up again. Very niftily done, especially as it was a chap on his own on the rear deck holding a dog! It’s the first time we’ve seen that technique & we were impressed. I don’t think we’ll be trying it though.

Jack in the Box approaching the bridge, canopy up..

out the other side, canopy up again

We went in search of the steam crane used by the Bridging School in the war to build a suspension bridge, which unfortunately is long gone. We found it's remains covered in graffiti beside an impressive cast-iron bridge that used to carry the railway, but is now used by the Derby Cycle Route. There was also a small section of the old line.

Cast iron railway viaduct

The Trent below

Remains of the steam crane

Old lines. Simon asked 'What's the point?'

Ukrainian

2011-09-04T19:30:00.009+01:00

M is now moored on the Trent and Mersey below `The Ukrainian` an old army camp that was used to house Ukrainian refugees in the last years of WWII. The camp was built originally as a training establishment for bridge engineers and there are apparently some relics of that period nearby - we will explore tomorrow.

Below `The Ukranian`. V`s nose obscured to hide what she`s eating

We had intended to stop at Shardlow, a popular spot just off the river, but as expected it was full up. It wasn`t really a problem as the run down the Soar and Trent from Kegworth had gone well and we had plenty of day left to continue through the two locks between Sharldow Lock and our mooring spot.

On the Soar - Sue says she doesn`t know how anyone can sleep living on a river that floods so often.

Old launch - R.Soar

Radcliffe on Soar power station is visible all the way to Sawley

On stilts due to flooding, but fantastic - Sue says she could definately sleep here. R.Soar

Past Sawley and the wide bit before Derwent mouth and Shardlow

A great looking boat - Tamar outside the marina at Shardlow. Trent & Mersey

Traditional boats at Shardlow. Trent & Mersey

Sue pulling M to the side in Shardlow Lock

Veiw from the top - looking back to Shardlow, lock full.

Cruel Neglect

2011-09-03T19:51:00.005+01:00

Moored above Kegworth Deep, we have just got back from an evening stroll with our V. We spotted an old wagon in a field by the river, looking much the worse for a bit of damage and neglect. I think it`s an ERF, but I might be wrong.

Cruel neglect

Whatever it is, or was, the old lorry made us think of M and how we must get out the polish, touch up paint, WD40 ... wallet, and get her back to her old self. It has been a bit of a suprise just how thin the layer of chrome is on some of M's fittings. The mushrooms are surviving best, along with the hull`s other skin fittings, but the roof steps and some other cheaper bits have lost most of their coating. We followed advice to use light oil (cycle oil), as it gets among the flakes of chrome, and then use a wax to coat the part. So, we are a bit disappointed, having looked after M's chrome, that it has deteriorated so much. Maybe the big freeze last winter was too much.

M at Kegworth lock cut. TLC starts here!

The river is quiet for a late summer(ish) weekend but there are a few cruisers and canoes about. Met Blue Eyes a 40ft cruiser stern heading for Coventry, and helped with the heavy gates at Kegworth.. The young couple on board (who have just bought the boat) picked her up from Pillings Lock earlier today and are intending to live aboard.

S on her iPhone in M`s galley watched by V

A must have gadget is surely the iPhone. We are tethering on Sue`s to write this blog and to keep an eye on the weather, and to keep in touch by email and to ... .

Thirty geese have just flown over in formation and landed in a field by the river, and a family of swans are begging for scraps at the hatch.

Still here

2011-09-02T20:56:00.002+01:00

Last night after a nice meal at The Boat House at Pillings Lock we went for a drink with Graham & Della aboard nb Ardea. We had an extremely pleasant evening chatting & having a drink or two.

Today we've been busy but haven't actually managed to leave the marina yet. Simon serviced the engine & gearbox & had to do a juggling act with the new and old oil as he didn't have enough containers. I meanwhile tried to stow away our gear & found homes for most of it. Then 2 trips to Tesco, a huge shop followed by a return trip for all the stuff I'd forgotten!

Vera has decided that she doesn't like getting on or off Muriel onto the pontoon so Simon is having to carry her, which isn't doing much for his back. We decided that we'll finish the chores in the morning before we head off. It's been a beautiful sunny day today so we're hoping for the same again tomorrow, although we don't really mind as we're just happy to be here!

Start of an era!

2011-09-01T19:43:00.003+01:00

We've finally made it!! I'm typing this on my iPhone sitting outside the Pillings Lock cafe waiting for tea to be served. We're celebrating Simon's first day of retirement, his 55th birthday, and the first day of our life afloat.

Cheers!!!!!

Not quite there....

2011-08-23T09:14:00.000+01:00

Another update from dry land. We've been working like mad to get our house in Herts ready to rent out after our sale fell through at the last minute. We've almost finished & have now officially moved to Devon. It's taken longer than expected as we keep meeting 'challenges', the latest of which is a water leak under the drive. We still hope to get to Muriel soon, hopefully by the end of the week, or maybe early next week. We REALLY can't wait now!

Testing testing.....

2011-08-04T14:06:00.000+01:00

Being a complete techno numpty, I've just spent half of the day trying to work out how I'll post to this blog from my gmail account rather than my ntl one. Even Simon couldn't figure it out. As soon as we move on board we'll be stopping our ntl phone & email accounts so I needed to get it sorted. I think I've managed to do it now & I've also set up a linked blog which I'll be using when we're cruising. My '60 foot' blog will be my record of the wildlife I find beside Muriel whenever we moor up for any length of time.

Time to stop playing and get on with the packing......

Nearly there.....

2011-08-04T09:40:00.000+01:00

A brief update......

We have now left work & are hoping to be on board by the 2nd week in August. We're planning to go up the Llangollen, although we haven't as yet worked out our route to get there. We will probably stay out until the end of October.

We are coming...

We've been looking forward to this for years, having been introduced to the idea of canal boating by our friends Gloria & Derek. They have been living aboard nb Completely Foxed for about 12 years now, so it's rather an odd cooincidence that they're selling up and moving back onto dry land next week! We really enjoyed the cruising that we did with them & are sad that we wont be doing it again. We are all starting new lives!

... G&D are going.

Still here!

2010-04-03T08:57:00.000+01:00

It's been over a year since we last updated the blog. That's not to say that we haven't been out & about in Muriel over the year.

We had a 2 week trip in June 2009, when we went from Pillings Lock to Tixall Wide. We met our friends Gloria, Derek & Jake the dog there on nb Completely Foxed, and after a few days R & R in the rain, we then ambled back to Pillings Lock together.

Then in August we set off on a fantastic 5 week trip around the Thames Ring. It was a real taste of what we'll be doing in the future when we finally manage to give up working for a living! We went down the Oxford Canal to get on the Thames at Oxford & headed for London. We stayed in some fantastic places e.g. Cliveden, Runneymead & Hampton Court. To say we enjoyed ourselves would be a gross understatement. Our first ever trip on a tidal waterway between Teddington & Brentford went without incident and then we headed back North up the Grand Union. We met up with nb Completely Foxed again in Uxbridge & cruised together to Foxton, where we went our separate ways.

We really can't wait to move on board & start cruising for real!

A Pain in the Blogside

2009-01-23T10:26:00.000Z

Back at the start of December we decided that it was about time to update our Blog at http://narrowboatmuriel.spaces.live.com/. We were on board at the time, so I sat and merrily typed away on my laptop. Then when we got home, I tried to post it. That was about a month ago. Whether it’s because we hadn’t used it for so long, or for some other reason I don’t know, but we couldn’t actually access the site to post the update. I tried e-mailing the Spaces help desk on numerous occasions, but they haven’t even replied. So, finally we gave up, and decided to start again on a different Blog site.

Having chosen this site, we now have to try and figure out how to use it! We’ve moved one of old posts over as an experiment.

As for Muriel, we’ve just had a rear cover fitted by Wilson’s. It looks pretty good, and after a seriously wet and windy night, it’s still upright which is a good start. She’s much better equipped inside too. Before Christmas, apart from The Pan, most of our kit was odds and ends that we didn’t need at home. Now we have a second and slightly smaller Pan, again from Mary, which means we can save even more gas. Then there’s the new matching kettle, T-pot, jug, and crockery, all courtesy of my sister. Muriel’s galley no longer looks like a stall at the jumble!

We haven’t actually been out for a while due to the cold, wet or windy weather every time we visit. We’re still suffering from a few minor glitches which we must get back onto the New Boat Company to sort out e.g. a couple of the windows still leak a bit, some of the roof panelling has dropped slightly, and the front doors are snagging. However, we still think she’s great, and spending a weekend on board all snug with the fire glowing is great, even if we don’t get out. We have popped into the Boat House café in the marina a few times and had some very nice meals, which makes up for not getting out on the canal.

The End of an Era

2009-01-11T18:15:00.000Z

It’s been a while since we’ve updated the blog, and a lot has happened. The main change has been the serious reduction in our numbers. Back in mid-August we lost Liam and Jack on consecutive days. Liam was 17 ½ and succumbed to old age. Jack was just short of his 13th Birthday and his brain tumour finally beat him. It was not a pleasant time and we’re still trying to get used to life with only Vera. She seems to have adjusted pretty well, although it was very sad at first when she sat by the gate waiting for them to come home. We had them both cremated, and have sprinkled their ashes on the Coast Path in Devon, at a spot on their favourite walk where we always sit on a bench to admire the view. It’s now an even more special place to stop and ponder. One day we will join them.

This change, unpleasant as it is, has at least allowed us to start using Muriel. Mainly it’s just been weekend visits, when depending on the weather we have either spent time exploring the area on foot whilst leaving Muriel in the marina, or bimbling up and down the canal to Loughborough. It’s not far, but we actually quite like the trip, and have regularly stayed out on a nice mooring just up from the marina at Miller’s Bridge. That is actually where we sit at the moment whilst I type this update. There’s a lovely view across the water to the canal side vegetation, and then across to the trees beyond. There are houses across the field, but sitting here I can’t actually see them, and we could be in the middle of nowhere rather than about 10 minutes cruise from Pillings Lock .

This morning was the first time that we’ve been out and pulled back the curtains to see a white world. There had been a very heavy frost overnight. Even the condensation on the inside of the windows had frozen. We were glad that we’ve recently had a timer fitted to the Webasto, so the heating had come on to warm the boat up before we crawled out from under our nice thick duvet. The frost has nearly all melted now, but the sun is shining and we really wish we didn’t have to leave Muriel and go back to work tomorrow.

We went on one proper trip out at the end of August. Here’s a summary of the events:

Day 1: We headed North from Pillings Lock late on 30th. At Bishop Meadow Lock and old chap sat reading his paper at a bench. He showed us the headline on the front page “10 Days Rain Due in 1 Day” at which point we started to worry a bit that this may not be the best time to be heading onto the river. We spent our first night just above the lock at Zouch. A pleasant enough spot, and only a few hours from Pillings.

Day 2 was filled with the sound of racing cars and aeroplanes. We didn’t have an OS map, but I finally spotted Donnington Park on the Nicholson guide, which explained the cars, the planes were going into the nearby East Midlands Airport. The scenery along the Soar was lovely and we had a very pleasant first day. It rained over lunch, so we just had a more leisurely break, and then again as we moored up near Weston on the Trent & Mersey. As usual we were helped by ‘insider’ knowledge. When Gloria and Derek got a new set of Nicholsons, they very kindly gave us their old set, which are very handily annotated with useful info such as good places to moor.

Day 3 was Simon’s 52nd Birthday. What a lovely way to spend it. We did have one incident that marred it, when we had a close encounter with a bridge. The wind blew Muriel onto the brick arch as Simon slowed down to let me & Vera on after a walk. A nasty 3 ft gouge out of the paintwork on the roofline, and another notch up the learning curve. Passing through Willington, we spotted Seyella. We recognised the name as Gloria & Derek had spent some time cruising with her and since then I had been regularly reading her blog. It rained towards the end of the day so we stopped earlier than planned at the Branston Water Park.

Day 4 started with a bit of shopping to get some glass paper for the roof repair, walking back to Morrisons on the edge of Burton Upon Trent. After the bit of DIY, we headed off towards Barton Turns for lunch, although our plans were scuppered by a dodgy gate at Tatenhill lock. It had been reported, but with no idea how long it would take for someone to come out, there was a collective effort by the crews of all the boats waiting to move the gate with our combined muscle power. We all got through, but it did take a while. We had a bit of a disagreement on board. Simon wanted to wind at Barton Turns and head back due to the forecast rain and the possibility of getting stuck out if the rivers flooded. I wanted to go a bit further as we still had quite a few days left. Simon won and we winded and headed back to stay at Branston Water, a few yards from our mooring the day before.

Day 5 started with a bit more painting. We then began to retrace our route. We stopped at Willington for some shopping, and passed Seyella who was still moored there. We decided to move on and stay near to Weston again, to be a bit further away from the railway. We had a phonecall from Gloria letting us know that they were forecasting lots of rain in our area, and advising us to head back to Pillings Lock ASAP or risk getting stuck out. Simon’s decision to turn round at Barton Turns was obviously the right one!

Day 6. We made a dash for Pillings Lock. It was a very pleasant trip, reminding us that the riverside scenery compensates us for the inconvenience of flooding! We were pleased to see that the Trent and Soar were both still open, and carried on to the mooring at Millers Bridge, and few miles from Pillings Lock. Safe!

Day 7. Into Pillings Lock in the rain. The Soar was now in the red, and stayed that way for the several days we spent in the marina before heading home. That was quite close, if I’d had my way and we’d gone a bit further, we would have been stuck out on the cut and had the problem of leaving Muriel on the bank, getting back to the marina to collect the van and get to work – even if it will be without J&L.

We now can’t wait for another big trip, although I guess that won’t be until the Spring now. We’re having a cup of tea before heading back to Pillings Lock, and then heading home until our next weekend visit. We really really can’t wait to be living on board and criuising.

The Pan

2009-01-11T17:51:00.001Z

I was reading Granny Buttons’ blog the other day and was interested by the entry on the boat-friendly food processor. Well, we have another very boat friendly bit of kitchen kit that was given to us as a wedding present last year. We admired The Pan, used it once or twice like any other pan, but mainly kept it in its box so as not to damage it. It is after all a very nice looking pan, and our kitchen cupboards are a bit of a mess, well a lot of a mess really. You open them, lob something in, and shut them quickly before something else falls out.

Then, whilst kitting out Muriel, we decided to give The Pan a nice home in a well ordered kitchen (or should I say galley) where we could put it to good use. And good use it was put to. In fact we used it for every single meal of our trip.

So, what is so special about The Pan? Well, it is constructed so that it will keep food hot for up to 2 hours. We had been told this, and read it in the accompanying bumf, but hadn’t really used the pan enough to test it out. And, as we usually just cook and eat, this particular facility didn’t seem overly useful. Then, as the major chef of the house/boat-hold, Simon used The Pan’s thermal properties in a slightly different way. He would for example, briefly fry up some veggies in The Pan for about 5 mins, then take it off the heat, sit it on the base plate for 20 mins, and hey presto, perfectly cooked, hot veg. Worked just as well for pasta, spuds and rice. This would obviously be an equally valuable technique in a house to reduce your energy bills and carbon footprint, but is even more important when all the gas you have is in a bottle, which could run out (which is particularly true for us as we have yet to buy a second bottle).

When we stopped off at Napton Junction, Gloria & Derek our live-aboard friends came for dinner. Well they actually brought dinner with them in the form of a rather nice spaghetti bolognaise. The sauce was ready, and we used The Pan for the spaghetti. They were suitably impressed, and are now in the market for one.

There is however one problem. You can’t actually buy The Pan in the UK. It was a present from our friend Mary who lives in Switzerland, and she brought it over with her. It’s made by Kuhn Rikon, and the only pans I’ve been able to find here that are made by them are pressure cookers. If I was an entrepreneur, I’d think about starting an import business. As it is, I’ll be talking very nicely to Mary before her next visit to see if she can squeeze another one into her rucksack.

Although Simon independently invented the ‘blast it & wait’ cooking method, since arriving home I’ve discovered the Kuhn Rikon website, which I’m sure wasn’t there before! They have a section on the ‘hot pan’, which looks different to ours but obviously has the same basic construction. It includes a demo video, where they use Simon’s technique!

http://www.kuhnrikon.co.uk/products-hotpan.asp