Chester

Yesterday evening we got absolutely soaked in a torrential downpour in Chester, so much so that we needed a complete change of clothes. Today was much better. 

We went and found a cafe for breakfast, settling on Chalk Coffee for poached eggs on toast. Then we walked along to the city walls and the canal. We walked along to the basin. 

From there we headed back to the Northgate Locks, and on under the Bridge of Sighs and by the converted mill buildings. 

By the lead shot tower there are new flats and bridge.

Opposite is a new Waitrose and a hotel. We walked back through the city to the river side and round some more of the walls to the Eastgate clock. 

It was getting towards lunch time, so we went and got the car and picked up my dad to take him out for lunch. We had a pretty decent roast at the Cheshire Cat. He likes to go for a ride in the car, so we drove down to Grindley Brook, where we knew there was a cafe with a car park near the lock. There were several boats coming up, and we spent a while watching them and then having tea and coffee at the cafe. 

We returned via a different route, and dropped my dad off again. As we’d had a big lunch, we got a few bits from a supermarket, and walked down across the river and back across the footbridge. 

We sat on a bench and had a picnic, before returning to our hotel.

Another staging post

A drive up to Chester today, but we stopped off on the way, at Alrewas.

The reason was to see Helen and Andy on Wand’ring Bark  and the Jam Butty. It was really good to catch up with them, and Helen provided a very nice lunch. When we left them to walk back to the car, we made a slight detour along to the lock which goes down onto the river section, where a boat was just coming in. 

We walked across the walkway over the River Trent — river to the right, up to the canal on the left. Then we walked across a field back to the car to continue our journey.

Staging post

We spent last night in London after a Drake Milligan gig, and came up to the boat today. Adrian came via Langley, where his car had been parked, and I came up after work to Milton Keynes. In the evening, we met up with Catherine, Nigel, Grace, and Matthew for dinner at a The Plough at Shutlanger. Very nice food, pleasant staff, and highly recommended. It was also lovely to catch up on all the family news.

Just the one night on board, because tomorrow we drive to Cheshire. 

Crick boats — the winners

The August Canal Boat is out, and includes the first part of my Crick Boats review.  This one features the winning boats: narrowboats from Kingsground, Stone Bespoke, Braidbar and Boating Leisure Services; and the widebeam by Bespoke Boats.  Somehow, they managed to have a joint third for the narrowboats, but because of the small number of widebeams this year there was only a winner rather than a top three. 

June weekend: Day 5

Lovely and sunny yet again.  Before breakfast, while Adrian was in the shower, I popped across the field next to our mooring to have a closer look at the ruined church.

We set off at about 9, covering very familiar territory.  The sun was strong, and the back of my steering arm which got a bit burned yesterday, was taking the brunt again.  At Cosgrove Lock, a Gayton hire boat was just coming down, so we could then go in.

Not sure what happened next, but we were up the lock by the time they got their boat onto the water point on the lock landing.  I’ve never seen the Cosgrove village moorings so empty — just one boat in the whole length.  When we got to our marina, we went straight past.  We were heading for Baxter’s boat yard for a top up of diesel, and a new gas bottle to replace one which ran out when we were on our way up to Crick.  Once all that was done, we turned around, headed back to the marina, and were secure in our berth at about 12.45.  We had lunch, packed up the car, and got on the road about 1.45 — for a slowish journey home.

9 miles, 1 lock.  (49 miles, 14 locks)

June weekend: Day 4

Sunny again this morning.  We were forced to have another cooked breakfast, to use up the rest of the bacon etc from yesterday.  But we were up and about quite early, and set off at 8.45.  

At the Soulbury Locks, there was a boat going down the middle lock, so we had to turn the top one.

Then there was a boat coming up, so we waited and swapped with them.  The same happened with the middle lock, we swapped with a boat coming up the bottom one.

At Stoke Hammon Lock, we’ve always liked the converted pump house alongside.  They sometimes have tomatoes or beans for sale, but nothing today.

At Fenny Stratford, there was a WRG work party, which included Martin from Canal Boat.  At the lock, a boat which had turned around was just ahead so we went through with them.  All through Milton Keynes there seemed to be a lot of herons, intent on fishing.

There were also new ducklings, presumably at least the second clutch, and tiny moorhen chicks.

It had clouded over somewhat, but the sun came out again by the time we moored at about 2.30 just through Bridge 75, near the Stanton Low park.  We washed the side of the boat, and then did the Bullet colour restorer.  This is the worst side of the boat, so I think the difference is more pronounced; Adrian isn’t so convinced.  Either way, we’ve earned a G&T this evening.

12 miles, 5 locks.  (40 miles, 13 locks)

June weekend: Day 3

There was rain forecast overnight, but we didn’t hear any until about 7am, and even then it wasn’t much.  It was much more cloudy though.  We had a cooked breakfast, then set to using some Bullet Colour Restorer on the towpath side of the boat.  The cooler and cloudier conditions were ideal.  The side (which is the better one anyway) does look better, but the product wasn’t the miracle cure it makes out to be.  It was about 10.45 when we set off; Adrian brought the boat while I walked the mile or so to the locks.

I had the bottom lock ready and open when Adrian came round the corner, and there were a couple of volunteer lock keepers on duty so we made rapid progress.  We hadn’t seen any moving boats all morning, and the lockies said they’d had two up before us, but nothing going down.

At the top of the locks, we started meeting boats, first a widebeam, then a whole load of narrowboats; we probably saw more boats in this pound than the rest of the weekend put together!  We went through Old Linslade and past the Globe pub, and got to Leighton Lock.  There was a boat to come down, so Adrian went up to help.  The lady said there was no room on the shopping moorings by Tesco.  Then a second boat came along and joined them in the lock, and they said they’d just come from those moorings, so we would find a space.  Once they were down it was our turn to go up.

When we got to the 2 hour shopping moorings (where there’s space for up to four boats) the whole length was free.  We moored up, had lunch, and then walked into town, where the Saturday market was in the main street.  The weather had also begun to cheer up, and was now much better than forecast.

Adrian has been really suffering with his hayfever, and our surgery said he should get something stronger over the counter from a pharmacist.  We did that in Boot’s in town, then came back via Tesco.  Then we went and turned around just through the bridge and started re-tracing our steps.  It takes a while to get to the lock, because there are permanent moorings, then the Wyvern Shipping hire base.

Only one lot of holiday makers were being shown a boat, as far as we could see, but there appeared to be a family having Buck’s Fizz on the terrace of the holiday cottage.  Wyvern appears to be reducing the size of the fleet, as two boats are up for sale, at what I thought was quite an ambitious £38,000 each. After our visit of a few hours to Bedfordshire, we crossed back into Bucks, aiming for a spot before Bridge 109 that we like.  There are only three or four spots here, and this morning three of them were taken — but now one was vacant so we pulled in.  

It’s probably the third best as it’s on a bit of a curve; the plan had been to tackle the other side of the boat, but with most of the length a good foot from the bank, we thought the possibility of a mishap was too high so it’s not getting done!  We have a couple more days!

8 miles, 5 locks.  (28 miles, 8 locks)