Sunday 26th January 2020



With Kenny and Sue having to be back in Middlewich for Wednesday, we started the return journey. It was a drizzly morning. Brenda went to the laundry in the marina while the boat was taken the mile down the canal to the winding hole beyond bridge 91. On the way we passed the new Braidbar Boat, ‘Eh-Up’, the first Braidbar Boat we have seen without the full panel advertising Braidbar along with the Braidbar build number. When we were looking into a Braidbar, we almost had a fight with the then-owner when we requested not to have this panel. We also witnessed the older, restored working boat, ‘Leopard’, open their side doors and deposit their rubbish directly into the canal.

We picked Brenda up at the service point with the finished laundry and watered, dumped rubbish and emptied the loo. Brenda was pretty annoyed when she found the machines in the laundry were industrial sized and would have taken both sets of bed linen.

Passing below the village of Acton, the canal meanders around a few long bends before the A51 road bridge. This would be the exact area of the Civil War battle and must be worth a later visit.



A proper Man-Shed at Barbridge, complete with Observatory and Gym



We passed by the progressing work at Hurleston Locks, still another 2 months before they are due to reopen. Then at Barbridge Junction, we again turned onto the Middlewich Arm. The drizzle had gradually turned into rain, so we were glad to moor above Cholmondeston Lock at Venetian.



Weather: a drizzly start then rain. A miserable day.

Day Total: 0 locks; 6 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Lift Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; Day’s running hours 5.0    
Overall Total: 865 locks; 1508 miles; 53 tunnels; 61 Swing Bridges; 17 Lift Bridges; 2 Boat Lifts; total engine running hours 997.5      

 




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