MIDDLEWICH FESTIVAL

Being delayed by Johns alternator problem meant we were in Middlewich for the annual festival which was quite nice and attracted a lot of boats. All over the town at variouse venues some being halls and others marquees music of all types was being played. Many of the pubs had continuse entertainment from the friday to sunday night.

The parade through the town was small but a lot of effort had been made on costumes. A fun fair was on hand for the youngsters and many stalls of all types filled the local playing field

Down by the canal a large grassed area housed a large cicus tent that gave anyone a chance to juggle and try their hand at variouse cicus stunts. Also in this area was the horse boat society giving a talk and demonstrating harnessing and the control of the horse using only voice commands, very impressive and most enjoyable.

Anyway in the last week or so we popped up the Caldon canal and being in the Churnet Valley the reception for TV, phone and internet was poor and at times non existant.

Coming back we had to use a section of canal that a river also used and because of the heavy rain of late.......so much for flaming June..........the river name of which escapes me at moment was in flood and we only just got under the bridge you can see Nb VALERIE moored by at the top of the blog and then i had to remove stuff from the roof. So having cleared the bridge by no more than a half inch, yes half inch it was that close the next 2 miles was hard goimg against the flow and was i glad to see Tina/Andy at the lock where the river flowed into the canal waiting for me with the gates open as the lock moorings were under water!
Anyway i am sitting in a library doing this blog because with so many pictures to show it is so much faster on a landline with Broadband speeds. Where we are moored at the moment is a good internet signal so i must get a picture of Molly and tell you about a bit of trouble with the boat on the next blog.

So i will leave you to look at the pictures.
This is `HOLLY` a hire boat of Middlewich narrowboats. Now Holly is famouse all over the canal system as earlier in the year she was stolen by a chap who hired her leaving his van in the boatyard car park and paying by credit card and i am told having hired from the yard before.
He was traced on the South Oxford canal having painted the boat and altering the inside.
The canalworld Forum i belong to played its part in tracing Holly so she is now known all over the system.

Tina holding an Owl that the handler told us was capable of taking a Fox.

Ahoy shipmates. Lot of boaters have Parrotts on board.
Kings Lock pub was our local during the festival. The top picture was also taken at the pub.

MIDDLEWICH

Taking this picture i am standing on the Trent & Mersey, well not in the canal but on the bankside and from the bridge to the lock in the distance flows the shortest canal around. The Wardle Canal flows for about a hundred or so yards.
Now what happened is that in 1826 the Ellesmere & Chester canal co. now known as the Shropshire Union wanted to build a branch into Middlewich from their canal at Barbridge. The Act that gave them permission forbade them going closer than 100 yds to the Trent & Mersey canal.
In 1829 the T&M Co. built the arm and the lock so they could control this jct. and charge for access to their water. Can you see the chimneys, they are on the Wardle Lock cottages and one





of them is home to Maureen who has been on boats all her life. Nowadays she spends her time helping boats through the lock opening and shutting the gates which at the age of ......( did you think i would reveal that) is quite something. At the age of 16 she was working a boat as a No. 1

(owner) moving all sorts of cargoe around the system. I had many a chat with Maureen both in the pub and outside the cottage and boy had she some tales to tell, her childhood was a facinating tale in itself but that`s not for me to tell here.
I saw this wooden narrowboat in a shop window and as you can see in the first pic it was meant to hold CD`s and as my CD`s are on a shelf above the TV i stood looking at it wondering if


it would be any good to put my dinette place mats on. Now as you know place mats are larger than CD`s and would keep falling off the boat so i cut the boat in half and as you can see i now have a home for the mats and coasters.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEO

ONE YEAR OLD TODAY

JOBS ON BOARD

While we have been hanging around getting Johns alternator sorted - ok now by the way - i managed to get a button fender made up by a boater i met several times over the last couple of months by the name of Mal Edwards MBE, yes MBE we have some mighty fine people on the cut, his honour came through charity work.
While downloading the pics to my laptop i noticed some other things i have done over the last few months i thought you might like to see.

Anyway as you see in the pic it`s fitted below the main bow fender and the reason i wanted it
was when going up in a lock the boat tends to go forward as the lock fills and hits the cill and this can after a few knocks cause damage. The pic above shows a boat in a lock and the bow fender up against the gate but if you look at the waterline the lower bow is up against the cill so you can see in the top pic my extra fender would be on the cill not my bow.
Of course if you have crew to do the locks you could remain at the tiller and use the engine to keep the boat back from the cill but as i am all alone Aaarh i cant be up top and aboard.


I `ve put this light on the wall above the dinette to give a good light when doing my blog ( it`s on now) or just spreading the newspaper out. It uses less power than the four overhead lights and also the light is directed where i want it. The wire is concealed in the hardwood strip that i channelled out on the back.

This door panel is in the back of the dinette on the kitchen side and is held in place with magnetic catches. When removed it gives access to space below the dinette seat and holds my toolbox. It`s much quicker to access than removing the seat cushion and seat panel.
These 3 angled shelves at the end of the sink unit fill a dead space as you walk past the dinette and turn left into the kitchen area.
Well folks as i sit here at midnight in Cheshire the rain is coming down heavy with plenty of lightning and having done a few locks today on an empty stomach we all went to the pub this evening - yes Bev i know what`s new - and had a roast lamb carvery.

Like to say hello to Elsie who came upto me at a lock to say she reads the blog. Happens now and again and it`s always nice to meet a reader.

Oh just remembered we have all decided to head done to Gloucester now and not York as original plan, but that`s what this life is about freedom and the right to change your mind.

Also Molly is coming to stay for a week!..............You`ll have to wait for the blog......sorry

UNEXPECTED DELAY TO THE VOYAGE

I have made a few changes to the blog layout, one change is the pic i have added to the heading. The pic was taken on the Caldon canal last year and shows NB `VALERIE` moored outside the Black Lion pub at a point that the Churnet Valley Railway crosses the canal in front of the pub. I had seen a pic of this scene in a waterways mag and decided to capture the same scene with my boat.
Having all met up at the top of the boat lift after our different lift bookings we set off south on the Trent& Mersey. The delay we now have is the failure of the alternator on Johns boat `TUI`.
At the moment it has been sent away for repair. Poor John is not having much luck of late having only a few weeks ago replaced his leaking calorifier(hot water tank) at a cost of £250.
Between Anderton and Middlewich is Marston that has for hundreds of years been an area of many salt mines the workings covering a large area underground. Subcidence caused the forming of Flashes as at Billenge Green & Croxton. In some of the flashes old work boats have

been sunk and left. The original edge of the canal in some places is just below the surface and in the pic taken as i cruised by the canal edge is about halfway between me and the sunken boat.
Bridges and roads in the area have been raised several times over the years because of the subsidence.
In 1958 the canal was re-routed for a half mile and some months later the area of the old route collapsed leaving a large crater full of water.

Pictured an old sign recently. The word Board follows British Waterways on modern signage


only British Waterways is used. Also in the bottom right can be seen the name LEEDS before the number nowadays we use an std number. Wondering when did these number changes start?

FROM RAIN TO SUN

After coming off the Llangollen we spent the May Bank holidayw`end at Nantwich and what a wet couple of days that turned out. Sitting on board relaxing i felt sorry for the holiday boaters going by in the rain trying to make the most of their short time afloat.
After a few days moored up we all decided to head upto Anderton and go down the boat lift onto the R. Weaver as Andy/Tina had not been on the lift before. The lift takes 2 boats at a time from the Trent& Mersey canal down to the Weaver. Arriving at the booking office we found that there were 3 slots vacant enabling us all to go down the same day. At 13.45 i went down with Andy/Tina and John followed on the 17.30 decent.

Andy/Tina exiting the lift

There are 9 up & down passages each day except on Wednesday when the first 3 each way do not run due to maintenance. Coming back we had to take 3 seperate lift times spread over 2 days so a coin was tossed for choice of time slots. John ended up having to stay overnight at the bottom of the lift and in the pic below that i took from the top he can be seen moving off to find a mooring.

The lift passage can be pre-booked for a fee of £5 but no charge is made if you arrive and take a chance on a vacant slot. I prefer to take a chance because i don`t want to be tied to a time schedule, not my idea of freedom.

At the top of the lift the seat above has been provided and below you can see the top is a Mosaic story of the salt being mined and transported up the lift.

Also in the same area a living Willow seating area has also been created.

So the weather has been good and as you can see in the following pics ideal for the mums to launch their new arrivals.

LOOKING BACK

This collection of chinaware contains if i remember the landlady correctly 172 Teapots displayed


in all bars and the restaurant of the Willeymoor lock Tavern on the L`gollen. I have seen many collections of all sorts in the many HIC! pubs along the canal but thought this one the best so far.
The close up shows the artists easel with the tubes of paint his hat and coat hung on the side and a pot of brushes at the top Every teapot was a different subject and all could produce a cuppa eveven this Jukebox.

This canal wear shop is on a butty (unpowered boat) and is towed behind a narrowboat that

the husband/wife lived aboard. All the paint decoration on the many items on sale was done on board. Sales were good at this spot on the Llangollen as it was a popular stopping place for holiday makers and the people in cars just out for a canal walk.

The sun was shining and the pitch was canalside so why not put your feet up and have a grandstand view from the front deck of NB `VALERIE` And while i watched this little Robin

flew on and off the boat hopping around my feet picking up insects from between the non slip deck matting and at one time he perched on my foot and also had the cheek to fly into the boat
and knick the breadcrumbs off the breadboard in the kitchen half way up the boat.

Goodnight everyone.

BIRTHDAY BOY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIERNAN

2yrs

Here with his arms around his sister and cousin

OFF THE LLANGOLLEN

Have now come off the Llangollen and stopped at Nantwich so that Tina`s mum Sandra.....hi Sandra.............could catch a bus to Crewe for her journey home. Sandra arrived at Wrenbury for a weeks holiday and we cruised part of the Llangollen, Shropshire Union and Middlewitch Arm.
I was looking through the pictures taken in recent weeks and decided to blog some of the ones of unusual things like the pub landlady who collects teapots and the floating canal shop but at the moment sitting here in the middle of nowhere the sun shining through the windows and needing the binoculars to see the only building(a farm) in any direction i can`t get a strong enough signal to download pics onto the blog. Tried the first and gave up after 20 mins.
So i`ll just bore you by chattering on. Have some pics of a white duck with her brood of golden fluffy chicks, some goslings and although cygnets are about now have not got a good pic YET.
Funny how when you have all the time in the world you notice more of the nature side of life. You see the nests being constructed and the mating rituals and then the babes start to appear.
It`s life and death happening around you something that when you charge around driving all day like i was pre-retirement you just don`t notice.
I say life and death because only a couple of days ago i watched as 3 males mated with a duck and because all 3 were fighting to be the ` one` they ended up drowning her. This is common and often females can be seen floating by.
Another instance was a duck with a brood of 6 chicks that she led upon the towpath and then went back to retrieve a dead chick and brought it upon the towpath and all 7 ended up sheltering from the cool evening beneath her wings. The following morning she had gone off and the dead one was laying on the grass.
Had any rain your way today? Had a few showers earlier but the thunder could be heard in the distance and by the black clouds i would think just to the north of Birmingham had a wet day.
The comments problem seems to have been solved and i now ok comments before they get on the blog. One i did refuse said just `YAY` so i binned it. If you want to say something say it, if not just read and enjoy because as i`ve said in the past the blog is mainly for the family and g`children but all are welcome if it brings you pleasure.
Right thats it gonna go for a stroll and come back for a cuppa and watch something on the tv.
Bye hope i didn`t bore anyone.
Love to the little ones
Jordan, Nicole, Kiera, Lena May, Jack, Teo, Keirnan xxxxxxx

COMMENTS

Just lately you may have noticed that the comments section has contained a large number of spam ie adverts. Also a lot of the blog content has been copied on to the comments section, this i am told is possible by cut and paste. The advert are electronicaly generated and affect a large number of blogs and as you know our e-mail inboxes, this i understand but what i can`t get my head round is why someone wants to add blog content onto the comments. Sad? Sick? Childish?
who knows.
Anyway my son Andy has cleared all the comments of late as he has a high speed Broadband connection and as the comments, some 80 plus have to be deleted one by one it would have taken me hours.
I have changed the comments part of my blog in a way that all comments have to be approved by me before they appear on the blog.
In no way does this mean i will pick and choose what i allow to be read. Other than the spam comments i have mentioned i will publish all comments from genuine readers even if i don`t agree with the content unless of course i think it might be offensive to anyone.
So to all genuine commenters nothing has changed except you will not see your comment as soon as you make it but i will publish them as soon as i can.
Thanks

MONTGOMERY CANAL

At Frankton Jct. on the Llangollen canal is the start of the Montgomery canal. Access to the Montgomery is restricted to 12 boat movements up or down the locks per day and advanced booking with BW is essential.
When booking our passage we were told to be at the locks for 12 noon as all boats booked that day would go between 12-2pm. Our return trip was booked for a couple of days later.
So on the day we passed down a staircase of 2 that was closely followed by 2 single locks and started our trip of approximately 6 miles to the end of navigation at Maesbury Marsh.
This canal is in fact 35 miles long but a large middle section has upto now not been re-opened.
In fact Frankton locks were restored and re-opened 1987 and the aqueduct across the River Perry l 1/2 miles along the canal was put back in use in 1996. This was after the complete aqueduct was re-placed.
Parts of the Montgomery canal have speed limits of 2/3 mph and white posts have been put up
along the towpath to help you monitor your speed. At 3mph it will take 10secs to pass between each post and at 2mph it will take 15 secs.
A very rural stretch of canal with just a couple of pubs and not much else untill you reach the turn round point at Maesbury Marsh and there on the edge of the canal stands a post office.

Ok so what`s so special about a PO i hear you say. Well this is no bricks and mortar building but all wood that comes from sustainable forests and contains on the ground floor the post office, a small grocery shop and a tea room. Now if you look at the picture the staircase on the left is the private entrance to a self cotained holiday flat that will sleep 6. A huge glass sliding door leads onto the balcony in the picture and the view is across fields.

The hot water system is solar powered and the wall insulation is of re-cycled newspapers. Bathroom facilities include a low flush eco toilet. The whole site is less than a year old and guests will be loaned a laptop to access the internet.

This accomadation would make an ideal base for walkers as well as car trips to explore the surrouding Shropshire countryside.
WWW.CANALCENTRAL.CO.UK will take you to the site and contact details.

CHIRK

With all the newborn ducklings around there are plenty of nurserys like this. Mum upon the bank watching over her `Tyred` brood.

Tina takes the helm across Chirk Aqueduct. Leah has popped up through the hatch to see the view. This was on the way up to Llangollen but i forgot all about it. Alongside can be seen the railway viaduct. This Aqueduct is brick built and not a metal trough as the Ponty` Aqueduct.

On the way back from Llangollen John on `TUI` is about to cross Chirk and behind i have just exited the tunnel. Chirk tunnel is 459yds long and like all the tunnels on the Llangollen is one way. As you can see to go through the tunnel you need to get over on the right to see if any boat is coming through before you enter.

Heres another nursery, nine in this bunch and mum was just a couple of webbed feet away.