Anyway - pedantics a side, whilst we'd wanted to stay another day, the forecast for the days ahead was going down hill so we'd escaped Wales and headed back down stream.
Still very few boats encountered on the return journey - which as we were going WITH the flow was now using a bit less diesel and poor weather ignored, was a pleasant (if speedy) journey.
By the time we were back in Nantwich, things had brightened up again and I also got notifction my new fenders had arrived (click and collect) - the previous ones going "pop" few months ago with the galaes in Granary Wharf.
NOT the easiest of boxes to carrry 2 miles on foot but worth it in the end as cushioning is now restored... a good job as no one seems to slow down any more... I mean, ok We HAD to race across from Skipton to Wigan the other week due to CRT 's imposed deadlines but I'm quite sure the rest of the boats on the Shroppie are not under the same constraints....
The Wheels that have been a godsend were about to be put a side (well shoved on the roof for a while) until next time they are needed and I got to thinking about how to improve their aesthetics...
I came up with a plan to turn them upside down so to speak, plonk a plastic bucket in each and have plants cascading down... well, that was the plan.
The reality was that the bottom needed cutting out of the buckets to take into account the actuall shape of the wheel... THIS necessitating in insertion of a hanging basket liner to stop the soil going everywhere (and enable the buckets to be lifted out when the wheels are needed as fenders/spacers)
The only plants available in Nantwich seemed to be a bit of trailing lobelia (from Morrisons which had seen better days) , a few Impatiens in M & S and some dried up Nemesia from Aldi... suffice to say, I DON'T have high expectations for the outcome... we'll see... if they don't perk up by the end of July, I'll sling them in a hedge somewhere and write this years floral display off lol.
On leaving Nantwich, our route took us once again on to the Middlewich branch - stopping as before to fill with diesel and pump out in Venetian Marina... Ellis had used 87 litres to Llangollen and back which is more or less what I expected. Rather than spend a night on the branch, we chugged straight through this time and tied up at Kings lock - really, just to go to the chippy for tea.
Having gone up the lock to be close, I turned round in readiness for our continuing journey the following morning and just as we were tying up for the night (school boy error there as that road is SO loud all night!) - I looked up to see my friends Eddie and Wendy tootling along in their boat... ALSO planning to stop for the night and have a chippy tea. THEM having more sense than us and turning on to the branch we'd just come off for a quieter evening...
IT was a lovely surprise to see them and share a (socially distant) tea with them. Plans were hatched for us to all head towards the Anderton lift and have a jaunt on the Weaver once my dental visit was completed.
After tea, we said our goodbyes for now, and returned to our respective boats. Next day we chugged along to Anderton as the car hire was booked from Enterprise (Northwich)... I hadn't quite realised how long the walk is from the top of the lift back to Northwich... ergo, 3.5 miles later in the rain the following morning, meant spirits were a little low.
No matter, Once we'd picked up the hire car, we could stock up the boat and then I went off the following morning for my 2.5 hour drive to the dentists... I'm pleased to report, they completed the rebuilding of the collapsed teeth - all PPE'd up to the eye balls and I've no pain at all now... RESULT.
Whilst in Anderton, came the news that Eddie and Wendy had to turn around as they had some pressing matters to attend to with their conservatory roof back at home. Oh well... best laid plans and all that... we'll do it at some point again in the future I'm sure.
We still had the booking for the lift so went down it anyway and I'll fill you in on that later.
Until next time...
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