We were going to start heading towards Chester yesterday, but the weather was so awful that we decided to postpone until today.
We made rather a late start and it was lunchtime before we had finished dumping our rubbish and taking on water at the services but then it was off down the cut, which of course was when it started raining. Luckily it didn't last long and we were soon cruising in alternating shade and sunshine on towards Barbridge. It was a bit unusual for me to be cruising somewhere that I know better by car, but until we got to Bunbury we were in what was my area while I was working on the census.
The Shropshire Union is uninspiring between Barbridge and Calverley as it keeps close company with the A51, if I wanted HGVs for company I would use the car! After Calverley you escape the road but are soon joined by the railway, but at least there aren't too many trains.
The canal banks are a herbalist's delight with a great variety of plants growing wild, they could also be a poisoner's delight as I spotted foxgloves and belladonna!!
After an uneventful journey we moored above Beeston Stone Lock for the night. Nimue and Gwyn decided to go visiting other boats as usual but unfortunately decided to jump on one which had only stopped to pick up their crew after coming up through the lock. They both had a slight panic when they realised the boat was moving off, as did the lady on board. Nimue managed to jump ashore but Gwyn jumped and missed so ended up a soggy moggy!!
This evening the cats are spending their time stalking ducks and hunting, Gwyn managed to catch a young rabbit, it appear unharmed and there wasn't enough meat on it so we made her let it go. If she can catch a full size one it will be rabbit stew for dinner
We plan to visit Beeston Market tomorrow before we move on so probably won't get very far.
Today's journey was 8.4 miles and 3 locks
This year we have travelled 67.2 miles, 68 locks and 13 lift bridges.
Since Ray retired we have travelled 805.6 miles, 710 locks, 55 swing bridges, 17 lift bridges and 25 tunnels.
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Monday, 23 May 2011
Freedom, well almost
I have to confess to feeling a little bereft. My contract with the ONS, working on the census may have only been for a few short months but now it is over (apart from the final collection of laptop etc) I realise I will miss the great team of people I was working with. Hopefully, we will stay in touch.
Morgana is now almost free of census "stuff" and life can return to normal. We are now embarking on a round of visits to friends and family while we still have the car and then we will be heading north to Ellesmere Port. In a way I'm glad we weren't planning to go anywhere today, it is extremely windy. I realised it is nearly eight months since I have really cruised with Morgana as most the time I have been driving the car while Ray cruised. My waistline has suffered from the lack of lock wheeling and walks along the towpath and to the shops.I'm sure I'll soon be back in the habit of walking everywhere.
We haven't travelled at all since my last post, we should have moved on today but as the census stuf is being collected tomorrow we will be here for a couple more days at least.
Morgana is now almost free of census "stuff" and life can return to normal. We are now embarking on a round of visits to friends and family while we still have the car and then we will be heading north to Ellesmere Port. In a way I'm glad we weren't planning to go anywhere today, it is extremely windy. I realised it is nearly eight months since I have really cruised with Morgana as most the time I have been driving the car while Ray cruised. My waistline has suffered from the lack of lock wheeling and walks along the towpath and to the shops.I'm sure I'll soon be back in the habit of walking everywhere.
We haven't travelled at all since my last post, we should have moved on today but as the census stuf is being collected tomorrow we will be here for a couple more days at least.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Work and more work
The past few weeks have been mainly work and more work. At least now the end is in sight and we can start looking forward to some travelling next month. My contact finishes at the end of May and then we will be off on our travels again. We have managed to have a bit of time to do what we want to do but it hasn't been easy.
We enjoyed a few beers and some music at the Nantwich Music Festival, paid a visit to Kathy and Co. for Scott's birthday and visited Ellesmere Port (by car) to see the working boat gathering on Easter Monday.
As ever our plans are flexible but heading up to Ellesmere Port is in the plan, so is going to Llangollen and also cruising as much of the Montgomery canal as is possible. Apart from that we might go back to the Trent and Mersey to cruise the stretch between the Macclesfield canal and the Middlewich branch which we missed last year. At the moment our plan is to head south for the winter, but that could change.
Since my last post we have travelled 3.3 miles and 4 locks
This year we have travelled 58.9 miles, 65 locks and 13 lift bridges
Since Ray retired we have travelled 797.2 miles, 707 locks, 55 swing bridges, 17 lift bridges and 25 tunnels.
We enjoyed a few beers and some music at the Nantwich Music Festival, paid a visit to Kathy and Co. for Scott's birthday and visited Ellesmere Port (by car) to see the working boat gathering on Easter Monday.
As ever our plans are flexible but heading up to Ellesmere Port is in the plan, so is going to Llangollen and also cruising as much of the Montgomery canal as is possible. Apart from that we might go back to the Trent and Mersey to cruise the stretch between the Macclesfield canal and the Middlewich branch which we missed last year. At the moment our plan is to head south for the winter, but that could change.
Since my last post we have travelled 3.3 miles and 4 locks
This year we have travelled 58.9 miles, 65 locks and 13 lift bridges
Since Ray retired we have travelled 797.2 miles, 707 locks, 55 swing bridges, 17 lift bridges and 25 tunnels.
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Lurking and Working
It has been ages since I last wrote anything, mainly because I have been busy working. now that census day is over and all my staff are working I will, hopefully, be a bit less frenetic and a bit more administrative.
At long last we are now travelling under our own power, i was going to say steam but that isn't a good word to contemplate with a diesel engine. We did travel a bit further up the Llangollen with Kathy towing us but I was missing seeing the countryside so she dropped us back at Whitchurch where we waited to get the injector pump sorted while she carried on to Ellesmere.
Once the pump had been replaced we found a fuel leak on one of the fuel lines, so had to replace that too. At last the engine was running, then the fan belt broke, luckily we had a spare!
Once everything was sorted we moved down to Grindley Brook, found an oil leak, sorted that (mostly) and then headed down to the top of Hurleston Locks.
On Monday on the way down we met up with Richard aboard "Maid of Fibre", I think that's right, apologies to him if I got it wrong. He was travelling single handed and trying to get to Wheaton Aston by last night. A tall order with all the locks he had to negotiate, especially as he was trying to move his car each evening. Ray, being the kind person that he is, and also being a bit stir crazy after spending so much time on Morgana not going anywhere, offered to crew for him on Tuesday. They managed a very impressive 18.1 miles and 31 locks. I picked them both up from Goldstone Wharf after work, dropped Richard back at his car, and took a very tired Ray home.
We will be staying here for a couple of weeks, then probably move down to Nantwich for the Music Festival over Easter weekend.
Since my last post we have travelled 18.4 miles, 15 locks and 9 lift bridges
This year we have travelled 55.6 miles, 61 locks and 13 lift bridges
Since Ray retired we have travelled 793.9 miles, 703 locks, 55 swing bridges, 17 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
At long last we are now travelling under our own power, i was going to say steam but that isn't a good word to contemplate with a diesel engine. We did travel a bit further up the Llangollen with Kathy towing us but I was missing seeing the countryside so she dropped us back at Whitchurch where we waited to get the injector pump sorted while she carried on to Ellesmere.
Once the pump had been replaced we found a fuel leak on one of the fuel lines, so had to replace that too. At last the engine was running, then the fan belt broke, luckily we had a spare!
Once everything was sorted we moved down to Grindley Brook, found an oil leak, sorted that (mostly) and then headed down to the top of Hurleston Locks.
On Monday on the way down we met up with Richard aboard "Maid of Fibre", I think that's right, apologies to him if I got it wrong. He was travelling single handed and trying to get to Wheaton Aston by last night. A tall order with all the locks he had to negotiate, especially as he was trying to move his car each evening. Ray, being the kind person that he is, and also being a bit stir crazy after spending so much time on Morgana not going anywhere, offered to crew for him on Tuesday. They managed a very impressive 18.1 miles and 31 locks. I picked them both up from Goldstone Wharf after work, dropped Richard back at his car, and took a very tired Ray home.
We will be staying here for a couple of weeks, then probably move down to Nantwich for the Music Festival over Easter weekend.
Since my last post we have travelled 18.4 miles, 15 locks and 9 lift bridges
This year we have travelled 55.6 miles, 61 locks and 13 lift bridges
Since Ray retired we have travelled 793.9 miles, 703 locks, 55 swing bridges, 17 lift bridges and 25 tunnels
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Moving slowly on
We have continued our slow progress northwards to Hurleston and then on to the Llangollen Canal. Still being towed by Kathy, as our attempts to track down a second-hand injector pump have been unsuccessful. We don't have the money for an exchange replacement one at the moment.
We spent nearly a week at Tyrley while Destiny's water pump was fixed, then a few days in Market Drayton before moving on to Audlem. We spent a few days at Audlem, celebrated Imbolc, enjoyed the folk music at the Shroppie Fly on Monday night after Ray and I had been to Mandy's place for the weekend.
We moved on to Nantwich on Tuesday after the wind had died down. Thursday saw us move onto the Llangollen and we are now just outside Whitchurch "enjoying" yet another windy day. I have to work tomorrow so it will be at least Tuesday before we move on. Kathy and I are starting to feel Spring is on it's way as we saw snowdrops on the bank at the bottom of Audlem flight, catkins on the trees on the Llangollen and even our first daffodil.
We are now famous (or infamous!) as someone posted a photo of our boat convoy on Canal World. I'm not blogging very much, as nothing much is happening.
Since my last post we have travelled 29.7 miles, 46 locks and 4 lift bridges.
This year we have travelled 37.2 miles, 46 locks and 4 lift bridges.
Since Ray retired we have travelled 777.5 miles, 688 locks, 55 swing bridges, 8 lift bridges and 25 tunnels.
We spent nearly a week at Tyrley while Destiny's water pump was fixed, then a few days in Market Drayton before moving on to Audlem. We spent a few days at Audlem, celebrated Imbolc, enjoyed the folk music at the Shroppie Fly on Monday night after Ray and I had been to Mandy's place for the weekend.
We moved on to Nantwich on Tuesday after the wind had died down. Thursday saw us move onto the Llangollen and we are now just outside Whitchurch "enjoying" yet another windy day. I have to work tomorrow so it will be at least Tuesday before we move on. Kathy and I are starting to feel Spring is on it's way as we saw snowdrops on the bank at the bottom of Audlem flight, catkins on the trees on the Llangollen and even our first daffodil.
We are now famous (or infamous!) as someone posted a photo of our boat convoy on Canal World. I'm not blogging very much, as nothing much is happening.
Since my last post we have travelled 29.7 miles, 46 locks and 4 lift bridges.
This year we have travelled 37.2 miles, 46 locks and 4 lift bridges.
Since Ray retired we have travelled 777.5 miles, 688 locks, 55 swing bridges, 8 lift bridges and 25 tunnels.
Friday, 14 January 2011
It wasn't us - we never touched it!
This week has seen our first cruising of 2011. Our trials and tribulations continued as we developed a diesel leak from the injector pump on the short hop from The Anchor to Goldstone Wharf on Tuesday. Ray tried to resolve the problem on Wednesday intending to carry on towards Market Drayton on Thursday. After trying, unsucessfully, to continue, "the comittee" decided that we would carry on with Destiny towing us. This worked fine and got us as far as Tyrley Top Lock on Thursday where we stopped intending to continue northwards today.
About an hour after we had moored a gentleman in a rowing boat came along and told us there had been a rockfall in the cutting we had just passed through. Hence the title of this post! This has now closed the canal to the south of us for, according to BW, an indefinite period. Apparently there is a risk of further collapse.
None of this really mattered to us as we are past the closure. However, as we attempted to continue, with Kathy towing us, she noticed steam from her engine bay! Her water pump which was only replaced in October had failed! So we are now moored up, Morgana with dodgy injector pump and Destiny with dodgy water pump. Luckily Calcutt Boats who supplied her pump are happy to replace it so we should be able to resolve that problem soon.
This week we have travelled 7.5 miles
About an hour after we had moored a gentleman in a rowing boat came along and told us there had been a rockfall in the cutting we had just passed through. Hence the title of this post! This has now closed the canal to the south of us for, according to BW, an indefinite period. Apparently there is a risk of further collapse.
None of this really mattered to us as we are past the closure. However, as we attempted to continue, with Kathy towing us, she noticed steam from her engine bay! Her water pump which was only replaced in October had failed! So we are now moored up, Morgana with dodgy injector pump and Destiny with dodgy water pump. Luckily Calcutt Boats who supplied her pump are happy to replace it so we should be able to resolve that problem soon.
This week we have travelled 7.5 miles
Friday, 31 December 2010
Goodbye to 2010
It is New Year's Eve, the ice has eventually started to disappear from the Shopshire Union and maybe, just maybe we will be able to move on next week. After nearly five weeks frozen in here at The Anchor I will be glad of a change of scene. Pretty though the view has been! The company has been pretty good too, but I think we are all starting to go a bit stir crazy!
Unfortunately the thaw has come too late for us to hope to get onto the Llangollen and past the closures before January 4th so we will be on the Shroppie until February now. The snow has all gone and everything is rather grey and dismal outside.
2010 has not been a brilliant year for us, we have had some really good times and some really bad times. Ray says he will settle for mediocre in 2011 but I think you appreciate the good times more if you have to suffer a bit. There are things from 2010 I will treasure, like the good friends we have made and my memories of the places we have been, ther are things I will gladly leave behind particularly those people who are less than honest and the problems we have had!
However, I don't want to end the year feeling down so I will think about all the good cruising we have done and that which we have to look forward to next year. I will, hopefully, be working from February through until the end of May but we should manage to explore the Llangollen and Montgomery Canals while I am working and maybe the part of the Shropshire Union towards Chester. We haven't made up our minds yet where else we will go. Plenty of time to decide.
During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels.
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