Friday 26 th June 2020 We both had a terrible night. It got to 28 ˚ and was airless. Rain started at 4am but it did nothing to cool the place down. The rain stopped as soon as it started but came again before 8am and continued heavily until midday. Once the rain had cleared we walked up into Christleton village. It felt so good to be back out and exploring again, although the church was only open for private prayer on Wednesday and Sunday. The centre of the village was delightful, a pretty village, full of some lovely old buildings. Even outwith the actual centre, there was an abundance of gorgeous properties. St. James Church, Christleton Christleton Village Centre We returned to the boat, picked up Harvey and went for a walk around the site of the Battle of Rowton Moor, a Civil War battle fought on 24 th September 164
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Thursday 25 th June 2020 After breakfast we walked up to Beeston Castle. It was open but visiting was by prior arrangement only. However, we both enjoyed the walk although it had been hot before 8am and the day just got hotter. We then decided to head for Christleton and resume our exploration of the Shroppie and visit the castle on the return journey. Once down Wharton’s Lock it is an 8-mile, lock-free somewhat boring cruise. The countryside is lovely but there is the 2-mile stretch of privately moored boats at Hargrave to contend with. The algae was not quite as bad as yesterday, but there were numerous floating islands of reed, some completely blocking the canal and had to be pushed gently aside with the boat. Floating Island of Reeds Slow Moving Boat ahead of us Towards the end of the long line of m
Wednesday 24 th June 2020 Again, last night, the farmers were cutting and turning grass in the nearby fields but then, about 10pm, a heavy dew came down and stopped them working. And gave us a quiet night. We left the mooring just after 9am in order to arrive at Venetian when Susan opened at 10. We passed up Minshull Lock, such a pretty place. The lock-keepers cottage here, we nearly bought when we first moved back to Cheshire in 2000. Minshull Lock-Keepers Cottage Marina Dwellers at Syke’s Hollow Syke’s Hollow had been reclaimed by the marina dwellers, Gazebo Wharf as they term it, 6 boats in all. Good for them. I suppose they will be there now until the end of the summer. At the marina, we took on fuel and a gas cylinder, bought some goods and Brenda had a well-earned ice-cream. Susan was pleased to see us
Tuesday 23 rd June 2020 It was a funny morning with the weather undecided which way to turn. The day though, became very hot, too hot for me, and Harvey and myself spent most of the afternoon inside. Harvey has not been quite right these last few days. He has always suffered with his belly in the summer heat and he has been having runny poo’s, normal in the hot weather, but with a touch of blood, although he is bright enough himself. The morning, and into the afternoon, became busy with jobs that we had got materials for while in Middlewich. The side doors were removed and the hinge pins cleaned and greased, the brassware on one being repositioned evenly. Wedges were made for the galley and dinette windows, to enable them to be just partly open, an idea we came up with during the winter cold. The front cratch and back end locker covers were given another coat of paint and felt pads were fitted to protect the paintwork when opening and closing. Then the engine room, again,
Monday 22 nd June 2020 Brenda went to Devaney’s, the Middlewich butcher’s first thing, only to find them closed on account of a family bereavement, so went instead to Morrison’s. I stayed on the boat, readying to move and doing more work on family history. On Brenda’s return we both went to Morrison’s for a mega shop. Such hard work lugging loads of shopping back to the boat. We have decided we need to buy a second sack trolley. After the shopping was unpacked and stowed away, we had a cup of tea and some lunch and left the mooring just before 2pm. It felt so bloody good to be off cruising again, picking up where we left off when we left Middlewich on 10 th February, over 4 months ago, supposedly on the start of the cruising year after spending most of the winter static, in and around Middlewich, before the Corona Virus lock-down stopped us, and everybody else, dead in our tracks. We had an uneventful trip as far as Aqueduct Marina where we moored. When Bridge Street wa
Sunday 21 st June 2020 The morning was spent largely hanging around. More family history was done. Manny was born around the time the TV series “Who Do You Think You Are” started and both gave me the impetus to start researching his family story. After 14 years, it sometimes feels it will never be complete. There are now about 14 lever arch ring files in Tracey’s loft that contains the research and only a few are completed. Sometimes, you wonder if anybody will ever read through it all. In the afternoon we visited Moira, Tracey’s father’s partner, and spent a nice few hours with her. Then, in the evening, we had a Chinese take-away with Tracey and the kids before leaving tomorrow. Eva’s hamster had been dying for over 24 hours and he passed away while we were there, so he was buried in the back garden with due ceremony and topped with a sunflower plant.
Saturday 20 th June 2020 Brenda took the dog out this morning and, after an hour, Harvey turned up back at the boat on his own. A frantic search for Brenda found her on the towpath talking with someone. At Tracey’s, the fencing was finished and the gate hung. Well pleased with the job but hard work. In the afternoon, we met with Martin and Shelley in the grounds of the Kings Lock pub, bringing our own beer. Again, it was nice to meet up with old friends. The Kings Lock would be our usual meeting place but it did feel funny not being allowed inside. There were quite a few groups meeting up in the same way with most tables being full. Roll on when the pubs reopen. Of course, there were no toilet facilities so we had to break up early. Brenda went for fish and chips, while I dragged the dog back to the boat, desperate for the loo. It was a long way back! We sat in the front cratch and ate our fish and chips, very novel. After a bit of TV, it was early nights. We heard tod
Friday 19 th June 2020 I spent the day at Tracey’s working on her job list. The front drive pillar had already been moved and just needed bedding on mortar, the job today was to start on the fencing and making and hanging a new gate. The job went much better than planned and was a lot further ahead than expected. Brenda called briefly, but still felt too uncomfortable to enter the house. In the evening, after showers, we visited Chris and Donna sitting in their garden. We had a really nice time. It was good to catch up and Chris had made a lovely Sea Food Chowder followed by Strawberries soaked in Framboise with fresh cream and an almond biscuit. Chris always turns up trumps when it comes to entertaining. It turned out a late one and we didn’t get back to the boat until 1:30.
Thursday 18 th June 2020 It had rained all night and then rained all day. Tracey’s job list is out of the question today. We hibernated, with Brenda going shopping in the morning and myself going to the DIY shop and the chandlery in the afternoon, just to get off the boat. It was very noticeable, once the rain stopped about 6pm, just how many people were walking the towpath. Dozens of them. We watched a bit of TV in the evening and had early nights.
Wednesday 17 th June 2020 We eventually set off at 11am. It was to be a sad day. We have a new toy. A water flow-meter that attaches to the water hose. So, before leaving, we emptied the water tank. It took ages to empty despite the gauge showing just one notch above empty. Danny collected a commission to make a set of wrap-around fenders for the Fudge Boat. Good for him. I had taught him loads of knots during our time together and it good to know that Gaia’s fenders that I made, are noticed. We said an emotional goodbye to Danny, Jemima and Jacob. We had been together with them for 38 days in total and have become quite close. The time has been special, and unique on the canal were, normally, two boats would be together for a few days at most and then part company. We slowly cruised into Middlewich, dropping down Wardle Lock and sitting on the water point at the junction. Here we tested the accuracy of the water flow-meter by filling water containers, the capacity of wh
Tuesday 16 th June 2020 Brenda went shopping while I went to Tracey’s to make a start on her jobs list. A hard day’s work as it turned out, but it was nice to have our Manny working alongside me. Once back on the boat, I made a fruit curry and Danny and Jemima joined us for what will be our last night together. After dinner we went onto Gaia and didn’t leave until 3am. The bottle of Pusser’s Rum, came to an end. We caught the sun just about to rise. An amazing sight with dramatic clouds framing the sky.
Monday 15 th June 2020 So far, this year has been bad for pollen and my hayfever, which has been barely under control despite the normal medication, has been exceptionally bad. Last night I had a really bad sneezing fit followed by a bout of coughing which had left me, this morning, with pulled muscles on both sides of the rib cage. It was all I could do to move and even hurt to breath. My job list at Tracey’s is on hold. In the afternoon I managed a walk to Kings Lock Chandlery to ask about our roof flue collar. Steve reckons that an integral collar will not fit our flue pipe and that we have to remove one of the clamps on the pipe to allow for expansion. Makes sense, but it doesn’t seem as though the stove will be lit again until autumn to prove it stops popping the seal on the roof. I also called on Paul and Dawn at the Middlewich Narrowboat site to arrange for Paul to measure up for some jobs we want done. An extension to the TV unit, edging to the dinette table and a
Sunday 14 th June 2020 We awoke late and so didn’t have too long to wait before we walked up to see Tracey and the kids. We were so excited walking up there and, apparently, the kids were very much looking forward to seeing us. Not only has Manny’s voice broken, but he has also had a growth spurt and now Brenda falls somewhere between his nose and mouth. Tracey had made a lovely afternoon tea which we all enjoyed along with a bottle of Prosecco. We had a really nice few hours with them. We had wanted to hug them but, once we got there, it just didn’t feel right which felt very strange. The afternoon and into the evening, was spent fishing and lazing in the sunshine. Yet again, the evening brought another thunder storm with dramatic skies and clouds with a lot of thunder and lightning.
Saturday 13 th June 2020 Danny and myself walked into town. Middlewich DIY were serving across a barrier outside at the back of the building so it wasn’t ideal for getting what we wanted, although we did get most. Similarly, the angling centre were also serving at the front door, there was a huge queue but we did eventually get some maggots. Back at the boat we fished and lazed the afternoon away in the sunshine and heat. Jemima got a lift from a friend back to Aqueduct Marina to collect their car and Danny then met her at the chippy and brought back fish and chips for us all. The sky grew darker and darker with massive storms forming and the heavens opened up, so I walked to meet them with umbrellas. The fish and chips were an absolute delight. Sometimes you don’t know how much you miss something until you can’t get it. The storm became much worse, really dramatic. At one point we lost sight of Gaia just fe
Friday 12 th June 2020 We waited until the rain had stopped and Jacob had held his Maths on-line ‘battle’ with his teacher before moving off. A boat moored overnight ahead of us had trouble. His calorifier had ruptured and filled his engine room bilge, overflowing into the cabin. They had only bought the boat the day before. I helped Trevor bail it out, using our vacuum pump for the last of the water. They now have to call into Kings Lock Chandlery for repairs. Just as we were about to set off, a boat came around the corner. We let them pass but then discovered they were going even slower than our sedate cruise. At Park Farm we witnessed a cow calving right beside the canal, actually seeing the calf drop before staggering to its feet and immediately finding the cows teats. A remarkable thing to see from a canal. After descending Stanthorne Lock, we moored above the River Wheelock Aqueduct at the site of the 2018 breach, just on the outskirts of Middlewich. Once moore
Thursday 11 th June 2020 It had been a night of heavy rain and strong gusting winds. While the wind calmed before morning, the rain continued for most of the day. Brenda spent her day laying on the bed reading while I did more on family history. Jemima had been picked up by her daughter to spend the day with her and her grand-daughter in Manchester. Danny was alone with Jacob so, before dinner, I spent an hour with him and a few beers. Brenda had an early night and I caught up on some TV in the evening. A nothing, lazy day.
Wednesday 10 th June 2020 It was not a good night or morning, rain, cold and persistent drizzle. Brenda and Jemima went into Nantwich shopping. They came back with reports of many more people out and about, lots more shops open, but everybody looking scared and haunted. With the lock-down being more and more relaxed more people will venture out, but there seems to be a lot of fear and uncertainty and confusion in the country. This is all largely passing us by. With the ‘Black Lives Matter’ demonstrations taking place and statues being torn down, with appeals for a lot more to be removed, the country doesn’t seem like a nice place at the moment and we consider ourselves lucky to be where we are and doing what we do. The rain had stopped by the time Brenda and Jemima returned and we set off. We had a slow 4-mile, 2 ½ hour cruise that seemed like a nature walk, we saw so much. Travelling a full 4 miles, has been the longest we have cruised in months. We stopped between
Tuesday 9 th June 2020 Thankfully, we both had a good night’s sleep, woke later than usual and had a lazy morning with breakfast and showers. The front and rear locker seat covers were removed and trimmed. These have always been slightly too big and scratched the paintwork. Again, another job never quite attended to. Once trimmed, the cut edges were sanded and given a first coat of paint. Danny’s birth certificate arrived at Jemima’s mothers house after waiting 3 ½ weeks. Most of the afternoon was given over to researching his family line further. A birth record was found for his mother, backed up by news from his adoptee mother and this certificate applied for. No method though, could be found for searching forward for his natural mother. It was a pleasant enough afternoon to sit outside although, by dinner time, we were back inside as it turned chilly. Jacob returned at 8pm, so tomorrow, we continue our trip towards Middlewich and the grandkids.
Monday 8 th June 2020 Not particularly being cat people anyway, we have never quite understood cats being kept on board a boat. They tend to be more independent than dogs and roam freely. Gaia have two cats on board, One-eyed Madge, who is more of a home bird and teases Harvey endlessly, and Nethy, the more independent of the two. Nethy had not been seen since we arrived at this mooring spot on Thursday and they were becoming concerned for her as we had planned on moving today. Fortunately though, she turned up at 10pm last night, no worse for her expedition. It must be a constant worry for cat owners when they disappear for days. When would you give up and leave? We left the mooring at 10am when we were all ready. It was a very short move of just less than a mile, passing through Minshull Lock, and stopping at the 48 hour moorings just beyond Aqueduct Marina. It did feel really good to move though and the moorings were much nicer than those above the lock, much more open
Sunday 7 th June 2020 Whatever happened to Flaming June? It has rained every day for the last 5 days, heavily at times. Rain was needed though, it had been many weeks since any significant rain, the grass was turning brown and water shortages on the canals are just around the corner. We sat on board in the morning, Brenda reading and myself on Family History. We managed a phone signal at mid-day and spoke with Tracey and the kids. Manny’s voice has well broken now, he reckons he has grown and is as tall as Tracey and we spoke of global currents affairs amongst other things. He sounds a nice young man. We miss them terribly and are looking forward to seeing them at the end of the week. Matt’s ship has anchored off Singapore for stores and bunkers. The onsigning crew are isolating in hotels in Korea so, when Matt arrives there in the middle of the month, he should pay-off. The end of a long 7-month trip that should have only been for 14 weeks. Once the rain stopped we walk
Saturday 6 th June 2020 It had been a wicked night of heavy rain and strong gusty winds. Fortunately, we are quite sheltered with trees on both sides of the canal. Unfortunately, the weather prevented us seeing the full Strawberry moon. Although the rain subsided and became intermittent during the morning, the winds continued. After the two of us having had a bad night’s sleep, Brenda had breakfast in bed, a rare treat and we spent a quiet morning. The chimney roof flue collar had been leaking worse than ever so, in between the rain, it was resealed yet again. Not a neat job but it should do. There has to be a reason for the seal popping so often. In the afternoon I went out for a walk with Harvey, the first time I seem to have walked any distance for a while, and continued with the Somerset Harris line of family history. Brenda had an off day and so sat reading. We had a visit from Jess off ‘Beccles’ and in the late afternoon Sonia called on us. It was lovely to see t