Busy few weeks, Grumbling guests and 'the heat wave'.

 What a rough few weeks it's been.  Since our little diversion up the Caldon, we got 'Ellis' back to where we needed to be to pick up the next cuntstomers.  

It was supposed to be a trip from Middlewich to Anderton... DOWN the boat lift and then ending in Northwich Quays... a simple 3 night trip with a time to visit Lion Salt Works and the final afternoon free to explore Northwich.

Of course, despite assuming the boat lift would have re-opened at the time of planning (2 years previously), it wasn't - ergo, we had to do 'something' - whilst still ending in Northwich to pick up the next guests.. (albeit not the marina as planned but the Broken Cross).

The best option seemed to be pick up the punters as planned in Middlewich, chug down the locks and towards Anderton.  The guests hadn't arrived by the planned 1.30 start but HAD Made it to Kings lock pub... I went to find them and direct them to where we were moored. Luckily just up Wardle lock and after the 1st bridge.  

It all seemed fine when they arrived and after the usual blah blah and glass of bubbly, we chugged off down the locks.  American couple, friendly, engaging all happy to be on a boat.  The next day (after a quiet evening at Brambles Cutting) we chugged on to Lion Salt works for a lunchtime visit.  Our guests didn't seem too enthralled by the museum and only spent an hour in there.    Hey ho.  Anyway, we then went on to Anderton before the boat lift visitor centre closed so they could at least have a quick look around there too.   The original plan would have been to moor in Anderton, go down the lift first thing, chug up the Weaver and be tied up by lunchtime.

Obviously, as this wasn't going to happened, there didn't seem much point hanging around Anderton so we had a late finish instead and went on through the tunnels towards Dutton.  Weather wise it was miserable and the rain pretty much didn't stop.  We made the best of it and thought the tunnels would have been appreciated as a bonus.

During dinner (which was one of my best if I DO say so myself) the guests expressed their desire to take us OUT for dinner the next night to show their appreciation.   Sometimes we decline such offers so as not to waste food already allocated...  on this occasion, we accepted and we agreed to go to the Broken Cross Pub (which was the now planned final destination) and next morning we chugged on to the winding hole, back through the tunnels and re-traced our chugs.  Everything seemed ok... the weather had improved and we stopped for lunch about 12. During lunch, I explained we'd have to go past the Broken Cross pub to the winding hole and return so as to be pointing the right way to go for services once they'd left the following day... HE seemed a bit anxious to double check we would still be ending at the Pub - presumably to arrange their transport for the following day and I reassured him we would.

Anyway - we arrived outside the pub (well ish) about 1.45.  Having moored up, I nipped off to eh Coop down the road to get some fresh bread rolls for the next mornings sausage sarnies.  Once back aboard I noticed the fella had gone a bit quiet and they were sitting in separate parts of the boat.  This isn't unusual - couples OFTEN have squabbles so I put it down to that and went out the back to lay in the sun and read.

The bosun did the same and periodically we nipped inside to offer drinks.  The atmosphere was decidedly frosty but we kept out of the way.  Anyways, around 5.30 after a couple of bottles of wine, things had improved and we all went off to the pub.  The food was ok - nothing special but everything seemed friendly by the end of the meal and on return to the boat, we shared another couple of bottles before retiring.

It came as quite a shock on departure when, having carried their bags off the boat, hugged the woman and went to shake the fellas hand, he got agitated and (I'll have to paraphrase 'cause I can't remember the exact wording) said "I'm really not happy with you because you stopped working yesterday afternoon far too early and on short trips we would expect more time chugging".

I have to admit I was totally taken aback and annoyed on several levels...  I apologised and explained there wasn't anywhere else we COULD have chugged without having to go a long way passed the planned ending point  and also pointed out we HAD chugged a lot longer the previous day towards Dutton through the tunnels which we wouldn't have done, had the boat lift been open.  

This didn't seem to placate him and we parted company on sour terms.

I ruminated for an hour or so whilst stripping the bedding and beginning the laundry etc but couldn't get it out of my head.  I'm really not easily offended but his passive aggressive strike on departure had really gotten under my skin.

Anyways - I emailed him to further explain ... without being overly apologetic but for me, actually quite diplomatic.  The content basically being I was sorry that he hadn't brought it up AT THE TIME when I could have actually DONE something about it... we COULD have chugged on for a few more hours and come back... and more to the point, if he'd asked at the time, we WOULD have.

Naively, I thought there might be a reply thanking me or at least acknowledging our miscommunication .  SILENCE.  Hey ho.  it's done now and I doubt they'll be back.  It STILL left a sour taste and I can honestly say they were the first American guests who weren't happy with our offering.

                                                                             *

Moving on - The next couple of days were spent loitering near Anderton - walking down to  Northwich and back to restock the boat a few times... usually in the rain.  It's a nice walk down by the river through the woods on the way THERE but the return journey with full back packs and carrying a couple of carriers each, it gets a bit tiring. Still, we made the best of it despite grumbling that when the trip was planned, we would have been moored on the riverside NEAR Asda rather than1.6 miles asway.

Our next visitors - ALSO from America couldn't BE any nicer.  This was their 3rd return trip and once again, even though disappointed not to be going up the boat lift, we made the best of things by going towards Dutton again before setting off to Nantwich on the planned trip.

Weather wise, things were generally improved with only a little bit of drizzle.  As we got a bit ahead of schedule with them, we decided to detour towards Bunbury and chug up to Beeston Castle... this was fun as we palled up with a hire boat and shared the staircase with them - really good company.

ON the return leg, we went a bit too far so ended up over-nighting on the Cheese shop moorings where we had a lovely sunset.

Our trip with (the nice) Americans ended in Nantwich as planned after lunch and the Bosun cooked a Bulgarian special of his for our final dinner.

Another few days were spent around Nantwich restocking the boat etc. before our next guests (Aussies this time) joined us for yet ANOTHER revised trip... Nantwich to Chester and back.  We HAD originally planned to go to Llangollen with them but due to the breach, that was no longer an option.  Instead,  Chester and back seemed a good plan and HEAT wave a side, it was.  

For the Aussies, the heat was normal... for us, well me in particular, it's been awful.  Maybe it's a ginger thing I don't know but I've been liquifying pretty much 24 hours a day for the duration.   Even finding shade to moor under was difficult due to the blooming shelf on the shroppie.  One night it got up t 34 degrees inside!

On return from Chester, we decided to take them up to Wrenbury and back so as to have least been on SOME of the Llangollen Canal.  Nice enough journey but WAY too hot a day to be working the locks... and once up them, the horseflies were horrendous.  I've been eaten alive.  Truly the worst they've ever been.  I don't know if it's due to the new medication (statins/blood pressure/thinners) but my body's reaction TO the bites has also been much worse than usual.  Luckily for everyone else, they only seem to seek ME out!

In fact, as I type this, I'm sitting covered in cream, doped up on Piriton trying NOT to scratch...it's a killer.

Thankfully, the heat has calmed down for a few days but the weather forecasters are warning of more heat to come .  At least this time we'll be on our own so won't HAVE to move from under a tree OR cook meals... that's a killer having to put the oven on in an already baking boat.  For now, we've moved on to Middlewich for a few days to meet friends and play pool (badly) before a trip back to Northwich for more shopping.  Only 2 more sets of guests to go this year and nearly 4 weeks on our own until the 1st trip.  I hope the water holds out  (as in canal) cause we plan on going from Nantwich to Stone up Heartbreak Hill rather than the boring way.

Until next time...

A Segway up the Caldon Canal

 It's funny how hard it is to 'do' nothing... I'm really bad at it.  I've got one of those brains that can't go to sleep unless I've a list in my head of things to do when I wake up.  Actually, lately that's not strictly been the case - tbh, I'm still feeling very fatigued following on from the incident.  Having done a bit of googling, I've discovered this is totally normal as the brain recovers.  

I wish it would hurry up.  I've ALWAYS liked a little 'nana-nap' of an afternoon but at the moment, I'm managing LOADS of em.  Oh well - luckily we're quiet this year so it doesn't really matter.

Having spent a couple of days moored in Stone, on Sunday morning (after a quick visit to Morrisons so the Bosun could experiment with some sea-food for breakfast)

, we chugged off up through Stone and Meaford Lock-flights and went on as far as Barlaston... or rather Wedgewood.    I WAS expecting to lose the bosun to the bathroom ... the last time I tried the things, I spent an hour on the floor trying to vomit up a kidney.

He got away with it!

The weather was glorious  - most unusual for a bank holiday weekend and my ginger lallies are finally getting their summer colour... well by colour, I'm meaning that the freckles are joining together nicely. Monday morning was another lovely day and enjoying my morning coffee, (already in the shade of a parasol) it was nice to see the cows coming into the canal for a drink... they ARE stupid creatures though - drinking from one end and emptying from the other at the same time.

I think we chugged off around 8.30 and soon worked our way up to Stoke - on arrival at Etruria Industrial museum, a brief bit of excitement as smoke was coming from the chimney... it's rarely open so we were excited at the possibility of having a nose around... SADLY... they were prepping it for the following weekend Steam rally/historic boaty thing.  

Tail between our legs, we ummed and arred a bit as to what to do.  Should we continue our plan to get to Middlewich (slowly) or take a diversion up the Caldon Canal?  We turned round, moored up and had lunch whilst thinking about it.    

It really was one of those  yes / no decisions that kept changing with every mouthful.

The outcome (after many changes of minds) was stuff it, lets go.  It was only about 2pm anyway so rather than sit in sweltering sun, we may as well create a little breeze and move the boat.  

Dob's not overly familiar with Staircase locks yet (only done a few) but I sent him up to work it out for himself .  The instructions (which I've never looked at before) are ONLY for going one way ... only CRT could get that wrong. 2 boards, with the same wording.

They should say "whether you are going up hill or down hill, the top lock needs to be full and the bottom lock needs to be empty" .

Oh well... we made our way up and enjoyed the chug through Hanley park in the sun - it's a lovely looking park - especially given where it is.  It's a bit of a shame it doesn't feel safe of an evening to moor overnight.  I suppose that could be a load of rubbish but I for one, are happy enough to continue on to after Ivy lift bridge before stopping overnight.  THAT said, I'll happily moor up for an hour or so to nip into the new Lidl store.

In our case, we went nearly as far as Engine Lock to moor up in the shade for the the remainder of the day.

and even then it took MANY hours for the boat to cool down enough for comfortable sleep.

Thinking about it, this was the first trip up the Caldon in nice weather... every other attempt has usually been wet and miserable.  It REALLY is a pleasant canal in the sunshine.  

We'd wanted to go down to Froghall (or is it Frogall?) but as per usual, CRT had issued a strange notice about locks being closed between 10am and 2pm Mon to Wed but then changed it to Thursday... knowing our luck, we'd get stuck down there when something broke and the season would be shafted.  SO,  expecting  CRT to bugger things up as usual using our experience from previous stoppages, we took the safer course of action and went up to Leek instead.

STILL very hot, we moored in the shade again and I took a couple of  (my now many) afternoon naps .

When I'd woken up, the sun had found it's way back to the boat so we moved along again lol.

I forget which day it was, but by the time we'd finished with the Caldon for this year, we headed back to Etruria.  Dob had a couple of errands to run and I nipped to Morrisons for a camembert to bake for supper... check me out... calling tea, 'supper' .  I must try and stick to my roots!

Chores complete, we went onto Westport Lake and moored for the night.  I didn't bother to make a booking  for Harecastle tunnel for the next day - it's all a bit of an un-necessary faff these days... easier just to turn up at the end of an allotted passage window and if they can tag you on, they do... if not, you just wait an hour until the 'open passage' window which runs from 10 until 2 (I think) .  As it happened, we got there about 9.15 and the last boat of the 'booked convoy' was just going in so the chap waved us in at the back.  

Not the nicest place to be with a couple of hot smelling boats up ahead and once the door closed and tunnel fans came on, my tunnel phobia returned - with extra imagination of being suffocated in a potential tunnel fire. 

Glad to be out, we began our descent of the Cheshire locks - more commonly know as 'Heartbreak Hill'.

We'd heard towpath rumours they were already short of water but we found them MUCH better than recent years. STILL knackered and leaky but plenty of water around to make up for it... for now at any rate.

The plan HAD been to take it easy and split them over 2 - possibly 3 days.  Problem was, with the weather being so nice again, we felt obliged to continue... so we did. getting stuck behind a couple of oldies making SLOW progress - the latter of which let us go ahead in one of the twin locks and we ended the day down in Middlewich about 8.30pm.  

In hindsight, that was too long a days boating for me atm and because of the uncertainty as to whether there'd be space below Kings Lock, we hedged our bets and moored in the first space we could - sadly, next to the noisy road.  

We presumed we'd be so tired we'd not notice the road overnight - we were wrong... the night went on forever and we were very relieved to move on the following morning.

Working our way down the Middlewich lock flight, we topped up with water after Anderson Boat yard and then came across 'Big Lock'... I still have no idea WHY it's a double lock on a narrow canal but more worrying was the broken balance beam.  Clearly rotten as hell and no doubt CRT will blame it on Vandalism - the reality being that a few blokes from the pub drinking beer simply sat on it during the sun and it snapped.  

This made us re-think our plan to nip to Anderton.  IF CRT slap a closure notice on it before we get back through, we'd have to re-route our ALREADY re-routed upcoming customers again.

We pretty much abandoned the Anderton plan, chugged to the winding hole and went straight back up the lock.  On to the Middlewich branch of the Shroppie to kill some time.

Luckily at the bottom of my mate Dave's back garden was available so we'll spend a couple of days here before chugging on to Calverley ... there's no rubbish disposal in Middlewich and we need bins so a 10 hour round trip coming up in a couple of days... meanwhile, time to begin my new book and have another afternoon snooze in the sunshine.

Until next time...