Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Hopwas
Monday morning in much cooler weather we used the same method as yesterday. I drove on to Hopwas, near Tamworth where Pete arrived on the boat some 2 hours later!
The CRT volunteers were at the locks this morning - a very cheery man greeted me and we had a chat where I carefully explained to him that we would be stopping after going through the lock because there was a convenient road right alongside to bring the car up to the boat, so that we could unload a bag of coal we needed on board and possibly take off an empty gas bottle and did he think that it would be ok to moor there in order to do all that? He very kindly said yes, that's all fine, then I told him that was all rubbish because my small brain suddenly recalled that Pete and I had had a conversation just before where we had scrubbed that plan completely and were just continuing our journey.
"So," he said, "forget everything you've just told me then?" "Erm, yes" I said (t...t) .....he must have thought I was a complete berk...... and he'd be right!
At Hopwas, we moored on a pretty stretch where we have been before with our friends, George and Carol. We had lunch at the Tame Otter pub as we'd had with them.
Good this retirement lark.... Though it can turn your brain to mush.
Shugborough peace, Fradley popularity
Back on this lovely mooring at Great Haywood. We decided to stay put from Friday to Sunday.
Saturday, we were curious to see what all the caravans and marquees were about in the grounds of the Shugborough house. It was a food and drink and craft fair but looked a little sparse, so we didn't investigate further, instead walked through the gardens to the walled garden where there were wood turning demos, hurdle fence makers and blacksmiths. Also interesting was the head gradener's house which is now derelict but had once been very grand with glass houses and a vinery flanking the front door. We bought a poker and 4 hooks from the blacksmith - poker very necessary, not sure about the hooks, but they were so nice we just had to have them!
On Sunday we progressed to Fradley Junction - using an unusual method of travelling. As we now need to move the car with us because Pete is not paddling back to get it, I drove, stopping at Colwich lock to meet Pete and see him through, then continuing to an incredibly busy Fradley junction and the famous Mucky Duck (actually the Swan) pub. This is a favourite day out for many and the sun was shining. I walked back the mile to Woodend lock to meet Pete and we moored in the sunshine above the last two locks before the turn into the Coventry canal. Had a beer at the Mucky Duck, which is a bit scruffy now and we were very surprised they had no wifi. When we first started boating with technology on board, Internet was hard to find. Now it seems every pub (except this one?) and cafe has a connection, which is great given that we have all got so used to being able to get online. We are still behind with our iPad though as it's not 3G! Pete's iPhone is more useful and the map app has been a godsend for me driving to find the canal with only a large scale road map especially as my sense of direction is rubbish. Yipee for Apple gadgets! We reminisced that when Pete first got Ani and was bringing her back to our first mooring in Milton Keynes, he used to walk to find a phone box to ring me from! How spoiled we are now. Mind you, my poor Mum is still finding it tricky to ring from her mobile to mine - I have half a dozen blank texts from her instead, which is sweet.
Think this boat stands a better chance of a TV signal with an aerial that high, but ours still worked eventually.
Balloon taking off at 7pm
Saturday, we were curious to see what all the caravans and marquees were about in the grounds of the Shugborough house. It was a food and drink and craft fair but looked a little sparse, so we didn't investigate further, instead walked through the gardens to the walled garden where there were wood turning demos, hurdle fence makers and blacksmiths. Also interesting was the head gradener's house which is now derelict but had once been very grand with glass houses and a vinery flanking the front door. We bought a poker and 4 hooks from the blacksmith - poker very necessary, not sure about the hooks, but they were so nice we just had to have them!
On Sunday we progressed to Fradley Junction - using an unusual method of travelling. As we now need to move the car with us because Pete is not paddling back to get it, I drove, stopping at Colwich lock to meet Pete and see him through, then continuing to an incredibly busy Fradley junction and the famous Mucky Duck (actually the Swan) pub. This is a favourite day out for many and the sun was shining. I walked back the mile to Woodend lock to meet Pete and we moored in the sunshine above the last two locks before the turn into the Coventry canal. Had a beer at the Mucky Duck, which is a bit scruffy now and we were very surprised they had no wifi. When we first started boating with technology on board, Internet was hard to find. Now it seems every pub (except this one?) and cafe has a connection, which is great given that we have all got so used to being able to get online. We are still behind with our iPad though as it's not 3G! Pete's iPhone is more useful and the map app has been a godsend for me driving to find the canal with only a large scale road map especially as my sense of direction is rubbish. Yipee for Apple gadgets! We reminisced that when Pete first got Ani and was bringing her back to our first mooring in Milton Keynes, he used to walk to find a phone box to ring me from! How spoiled we are now. Mind you, my poor Mum is still finding it tricky to ring from her mobile to mine - I have half a dozen blank texts from her instead, which is sweet.
Think this boat stands a better chance of a TV signal with an aerial that high, but ours still worked eventually.
Balloon taking off at 7pm
Saturday, 18 May 2013
Swan attack
On Thursday, Pete canoed back to Stone to collect the car and was attacked by a swan. It threatened and then retreated, so Pete carried on and then to his horror, heard it flapping towards him from behind. He couldn't get out onto the bank because of moored boats, but after unsuccessfully fighting the thing, even having hold of its wing at one point, he decided to abandon canoe and get in the water using the boat as his defender. Apparently the swan continued to have a go at the canoe. Eventually, with the help of walkers passing by, he got pulled out of the canal and a boater fended the bird off with his boat hook and rescued the canoe which was floating free by this time. Pete arrived back to Ani very shaken, with severe bruising and swelling of his ribs and upper arm - so bad that we decided to go to Stafford hospital to get him checked out. 2 hours later with a stack of anti inflammatories, anti biotics and strong pain killers we went back to the boat.
In all his 40 years of canoeing, he has never had such an experience - the boater told him the swan was well known as being particularly aggressive even going for propellers on boats. She/he obviously had a nest nearby but Pete couldn't have been anywhere near it on the canal.
We all know that swans can be dangerous, but I never realised quite how much damage they could do. Later, talking to a chap at the boatyard at Great Haywood we heard that it is common for them to attack canoeists. Maybe they see the paddle motion as the flapping wings of some enormous predator.
Paddling Predator Pete won't be on the water again just yet, at least not until the swelling goes down!
In all his 40 years of canoeing, he has never had such an experience - the boater told him the swan was well known as being particularly aggressive even going for propellers on boats. She/he obviously had a nest nearby but Pete couldn't have been anywhere near it on the canal.
We all know that swans can be dangerous, but I never realised quite how much damage they could do. Later, talking to a chap at the boatyard at Great Haywood we heard that it is common for them to attack canoeists. Maybe they see the paddle motion as the flapping wings of some enormous predator.
Paddling Predator Pete won't be on the water again just yet, at least not until the swelling goes down!
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Stone lock trouble
Wednesday and the rain that had come down all night persisted along with a viscous wind again. We are wrapped up to the nines once more. Through 4 Meaham locks down to Stone, which weren't too heavy for me to do. Then Pete took over the Stone locks, where we moored before the fourth to do some shopping. When we returned and had started off for the final lock, Pete having beckoned me, I then had to back up and moor again because the top gate was completely off its hingeing. Looks like Stone for the night then. No idea how this happened but can only be by a boat smacking into it very hard, which must have happened in the short time we were in the town. Pete let the CRT volunteer know and half an hour later 6 chaps in high viz jackets were on the scene. The volunteer optimistically saying they 'just' have to lift the thing back onto its housing!?
Meanwhile Pete decided to set off on the bike back to Barleston for the car. He arrived back just as the Canal and River Trust heroes had completed their task - in just one hour from being called out - brilliant.
As Pete told them though, we don't feel like 'christening' the repair, so will stay here for the night.........Marston pub? Yes!
Meanwhile Pete decided to set off on the bike back to Barleston for the car. He arrived back just as the Canal and River Trust heroes had completed their task - in just one hour from being called out - brilliant.
As Pete told them though, we don't feel like 'christening' the repair, so will stay here for the night.........Marston pub? Yes!
Harecastle, Stoke and Wedgwood
We travelled through Harecastle Tunnel with 4 other boats this time. The tunnel warden telling us tales of people expecting him to allow them in after time and demanding to know where to expect to see the ghost and after reminding us of the break down procedure ( long blast on your horn every 30seconds until it is acknowledged by 3 short blasts by the keeper) he told us that last week someone had broken down in it's 2926 yards of long, dripping, cold gloom because they had run out of fuel........not very bright of them and not very bright of the people ahead of them who didn't offer a tow. Apparently one hour and 40 minutes later they succeeded in getting them out! I know I wouldn't want to be in there and stationary for that long....it is so spooky, like fairground ghost trains and Dickensian prisons rolled into one. We saw the skeleton man this time - just past the 475 marker on the left coming from the north end, info for those tunnel visitors who may want to frighten themselves even more witless.
We hurtled on against the wind through to the Stoke locks, where of course we caught up with our fellow tunnel travellers, none of whom, like us, wanted to spend the night in Stoke on Trent, because the canal is decidedly rough there. Consequently we had to queue at every lock. We were very pleased to moor up finally in Barleston ( Monday evening) on a pretty green leafy stretch, ready for a trip to the Wedgwood Outlet shop next morning. We have done the factory sight-see before, which was great fun, especially trying to throw a pot, haha - I used to be able to, honest! There is actually a Wedgwood train station here, although none of the 4 trains we had to wait at the level crossing for stopped! Not much help if you work there.
Blurred, but gives the atmosphere - note the red water, apparently due to iron oxide......?!
This photo makes it look lit up which of course is only because the boat following us has a good tunnel light.
Light at the end of
Family at the Wedgwood mooring
Friday, 10 May 2013
Fish and chips in Bollington, Jamie's in Manchester
We are now turned for home, travelling back the way we came.
On Tuesday we moored near Bollington in the warm sun. This is a lovely town (cotton industry originally) real Hovis ad stuff; hilly streets and cobbled courtyards. It is obviously strictly preserved, I am sure you would have to have planning consent for every shed or new gate you might want to add, but it's well worth it. We found a deli to buy Pete's much loved Cheshire cheese, had a beer in a wood panelled pub bar and fish and chips in an immaculate cafe/restaurant before returning to the boat for the night and just catching the end of the day's sunshine in the bow.
On wednesday, we travelled on through Macclesfield back to another favourite mooring that we'd found on the way out; Gurnett Aqueduct, with it's 480year old, very grand Sutton Hall pub. Apparently the original home of the earls of Lucan, although their nowhere to be found! The weather had drastically changed however and that wretched wind is winding up again.
Thursday we took the train into Manchester where I had some retail therapy whilst Pete looked on bemused and then we both enjoyed the canal basin area - James Brindley engineering and Duke of Bridgewater's clever ideas. Again the opulent architecture showed how this city had become wealthy in the industrial revolution.
We had lunch at Jamie's Italian which was located in a beautiful high ceilinged, high windowed, galleried building. We were told it was once a Midland Bank. Jamie Oliver must have been delighted to have found it. We wondered if the marble bar was his addition or the original bank clerk's counter! Really enjoyed Manchester, a lively, youthful city. Mind you, as Pete said the commuters on the train back looked whacked - obviously a hard working city too.
The wind was horrendous again - nearly blown over in a gust. And it rained and was cold. Glad we weren't cruising on the boat for once. Got back there and lit the fire again whilst Ani bounced about on the windy waves. bah!
Bollington
On Tuesday we moored near Bollington in the warm sun. This is a lovely town (cotton industry originally) real Hovis ad stuff; hilly streets and cobbled courtyards. It is obviously strictly preserved, I am sure you would have to have planning consent for every shed or new gate you might want to add, but it's well worth it. We found a deli to buy Pete's much loved Cheshire cheese, had a beer in a wood panelled pub bar and fish and chips in an immaculate cafe/restaurant before returning to the boat for the night and just catching the end of the day's sunshine in the bow.
On wednesday, we travelled on through Macclesfield back to another favourite mooring that we'd found on the way out; Gurnett Aqueduct, with it's 480year old, very grand Sutton Hall pub. Apparently the original home of the earls of Lucan, although their nowhere to be found! The weather had drastically changed however and that wretched wind is winding up again.
Thursday we took the train into Manchester where I had some retail therapy whilst Pete looked on bemused and then we both enjoyed the canal basin area - James Brindley engineering and Duke of Bridgewater's clever ideas. Again the opulent architecture showed how this city had become wealthy in the industrial revolution.
We had lunch at Jamie's Italian which was located in a beautiful high ceilinged, high windowed, galleried building. We were told it was once a Midland Bank. Jamie Oliver must have been delighted to have found it. We wondered if the marble bar was his addition or the original bank clerk's counter! Really enjoyed Manchester, a lively, youthful city. Mind you, as Pete said the commuters on the train back looked whacked - obviously a hard working city too.
The wind was horrendous again - nearly blown over in a gust. And it rained and was cold. Glad we weren't cruising on the boat for once. Got back there and lit the fire again whilst Ani bounced about on the windy waves. bah!
Bollington
Sunday, 5 May 2013
People
Waited quite some time for Pete to rejoin me after opening a swing bridge to let us through, as he was talking to an attractive young blonde. He walked back to the boat with her and it turned out she is 'Baddie the Pirate' - the name of her business. She specialises in solar and LED lights for boats and her ex boyfriend was responsible for fitting our solar panels, which we would now not be without as they provide us with domestic power to keep us going if we stop for longer than one night. Fantastic things. She lives aboard her boat and I would love to have a longer conversation with her as to how she decided to live this life. She is unusual for a boat person in that she is running a modern business and seems very clued up.
We had been alternately leading and following NB Emma through the swing and lift bridges. It's owners very cheery and we met them later in Bugsworth Basin. They seem to have had parallel boating experiences to us. Thinking about selling their boat at one point, then sentimentally changing their minds (familiar) and their Morso Squirrel fire started to drift apart as ours is beginning to do after 13 years. Comparing notes we now know what we had already suspected - that we will need a new one next year. It's been brilliant all this time, so efficient and responsive, so we will probably buy another.
One experience they had had that I'm glad we didn't share is that they came to their boat on its mooring during this winter to find a snow drift up against it that had blown through their windows and was frozen into folds of their curtains and had collected on their bed! Luckily they caught it before it had melted! Boats! Who'd 'ave 'em?!
Today, Sunday, we have been chatting to a lady in a Piper Boat Owners Club sweatshirt, who came to chat to us as we have a Piper boat. Hmmmm, interesting as it was to discuss David Piper and his son, Simon and the fact that we are moored next to another boat like ours which she told us was built in 1995 (ours being one of David's last builds in 2000) we could have done without the whole story of their life afloat, their boats names, their pets, etc etc. harrumph, some people!
Not to mention the bloke in the pub who could bore for England. Another to give boaters a bad name, he prattled on about technology and we lost the will to live. He engaged anyone and everyone he could, (including the miserable landlord) whilst his wife looked on smiling inanely. Don't know why she didn't just punch him and have done with it.
We had been alternately leading and following NB Emma through the swing and lift bridges. It's owners very cheery and we met them later in Bugsworth Basin. They seem to have had parallel boating experiences to us. Thinking about selling their boat at one point, then sentimentally changing their minds (familiar) and their Morso Squirrel fire started to drift apart as ours is beginning to do after 13 years. Comparing notes we now know what we had already suspected - that we will need a new one next year. It's been brilliant all this time, so efficient and responsive, so we will probably buy another.
One experience they had had that I'm glad we didn't share is that they came to their boat on its mooring during this winter to find a snow drift up against it that had blown through their windows and was frozen into folds of their curtains and had collected on their bed! Luckily they caught it before it had melted! Boats! Who'd 'ave 'em?!
Today, Sunday, we have been chatting to a lady in a Piper Boat Owners Club sweatshirt, who came to chat to us as we have a Piper boat. Hmmmm, interesting as it was to discuss David Piper and his son, Simon and the fact that we are moored next to another boat like ours which she told us was built in 1995 (ours being one of David's last builds in 2000) we could have done without the whole story of their life afloat, their boats names, their pets, etc etc. harrumph, some people!
Not to mention the bloke in the pub who could bore for England. Another to give boaters a bad name, he prattled on about technology and we lost the will to live. He engaged anyone and everyone he could, (including the miserable landlord) whilst his wife looked on smiling inanely. Don't know why she didn't just punch him and have done with it.
Friday night at Marple Saturday night at Bugsworth.
Moored at Marple ; junction with Peak Forest canal at end of Macclesfield canal. Apparently a favourite day out for Mancunians and a pretty canal frontage, flight of locks and view across the valley, but Marple itself is not so interesting, it's centre consisting of more recently built shops, the kind you find anywhere.
However on Saturday morning we were able to top up supplies and head off again along this high canal that runs along the hillside and overlooks the Goyt valley below. The Peak Forest canal ends in a fork, one way to Buxworth, or Bugsworth as it was and one to Whaley Bridge. We took the Whaley Bridge fork and were disappointed to find it followed the noisy A6 closely and was mainly taken up with permanent moorings. The very end was scruffy and all the public moorings were taken, so we turned around and went back down the Bugsworth arm which we'd intended to do tomorrow. Bugsworth terminal basin has been lovingly restored and is a pleasant place to moor, with a good pub on its doorstep, always a huge plus point for us. Originally a busy working complex built as close to the nearby limestone quarries as possible so that the tramway constructed in 1799 could bring the stone down the hills to Bugsworth where it was transferred to canal boats. The canal and this basin became disused until volunteers started clearing them in 1968. We are very lucky they did as it's an interesting place to moor with quite a community feel with other boaters.
Goyt Mill
Marple
Part of Bugsworth Basin with tramline
Ani backdropped by lime kilns
However on Saturday morning we were able to top up supplies and head off again along this high canal that runs along the hillside and overlooks the Goyt valley below. The Peak Forest canal ends in a fork, one way to Buxworth, or Bugsworth as it was and one to Whaley Bridge. We took the Whaley Bridge fork and were disappointed to find it followed the noisy A6 closely and was mainly taken up with permanent moorings. The very end was scruffy and all the public moorings were taken, so we turned around and went back down the Bugsworth arm which we'd intended to do tomorrow. Bugsworth terminal basin has been lovingly restored and is a pleasant place to moor, with a good pub on its doorstep, always a huge plus point for us. Originally a busy working complex built as close to the nearby limestone quarries as possible so that the tramway constructed in 1799 could bring the stone down the hills to Bugsworth where it was transferred to canal boats. The canal and this basin became disused until volunteers started clearing them in 1968. We are very lucky they did as it's an interesting place to moor with quite a community feel with other boaters.
Goyt Mill
Marple
Part of Bugsworth Basin with tramline
Ani backdropped by lime kilns
Friday, 3 May 2013
Back on board photos
Hovis Mill, Macclesfield
Bollington
Adelphi Mill
Middlewood Way. Disused railway between Macclesfield and Marple, now a footpath/bridlepath/cycle route. This must have been the platforms at Poynton.
This is a photo from internet as I can no longer find ours ( in 2017). Having to update all our photos because the blogpress ap has lost them.
Wednesday evening's pub overlooking Middlewood Way. (from internet)
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Back on board
We have had a week back at home (where Liz and Neil joined us for a stay before going on to holiday in Dorset) and also visited my Mum in Kingston, having left the boat in a boatyard in Macclesfield by the Hovis Mill (now converted to flats).
Before we left the boat we had discovered that the water pump had been leaking quietly and puddling below our bed. I'm glad to say that when we got back it was dry again after the yard had replaced pump. There is always that worry that it might be something else although Pete was sure it was the pump. More expense though. There's always something!
Today we travelled to Higher Poynton, crossing several aqueducts on this high canal, one above Bollington which looked down on winding hilly streets of dark brick houses backed by green hills and ended in a huge old silk mill; Adelphi Mill, now converted into offices and a canalside cafe. Again, the Macclesfield canal proves to be one of the most picturesque we have travelled on and today has been warm and sunny with only a mild breeze. Enjoyment is greater too because there are no locks; 3hours of slow motoring from mooring to mooring, easy.
Our mooring this evening has woods one side and a public park the other. Pete canoed back for the car some 5 miles and then we went to the pub. There are very few other boats moving around, perhaps the previous bad weather has made people stay put. We still need the fire lit this evening.
Don't seem to be able to include photos with this, it will not publish, so am publishing without - a shame.
Before we left the boat we had discovered that the water pump had been leaking quietly and puddling below our bed. I'm glad to say that when we got back it was dry again after the yard had replaced pump. There is always that worry that it might be something else although Pete was sure it was the pump. More expense though. There's always something!
Today we travelled to Higher Poynton, crossing several aqueducts on this high canal, one above Bollington which looked down on winding hilly streets of dark brick houses backed by green hills and ended in a huge old silk mill; Adelphi Mill, now converted into offices and a canalside cafe. Again, the Macclesfield canal proves to be one of the most picturesque we have travelled on and today has been warm and sunny with only a mild breeze. Enjoyment is greater too because there are no locks; 3hours of slow motoring from mooring to mooring, easy.
Our mooring this evening has woods one side and a public park the other. Pete canoed back for the car some 5 miles and then we went to the pub. There are very few other boats moving around, perhaps the previous bad weather has made people stay put. We still need the fire lit this evening.
Don't seem to be able to include photos with this, it will not publish, so am publishing without - a shame.
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