Happy Christmas!

Norwich City Hall at Christmas

Yes, I know I'm a couple of days early, but there's a chance I might be too busy to post for a bit. And anyway, we all wish each other Happy Christmas early if we're not going to see them before the actual day, don't we? So a Happy Christmas to all my readers, and I'll continue with the log of the nine week megacruise later.

An evening to remember

Nine week cruise - day 10 - 11th July 2005

Oakgrove to Bugsworth


Isn't that Tracy Island on the hillside above the Peak Forest Canal?


reversing out of one arm of Bugsworth Basin

Got up at 0730 and under way at 0820. Hot and sunny today. Through Royal Oak swingbridge into very pleasant countryside. We stopped at Bollington Wharf at 1100 for diesel and the butcher's. Got going again at 1155.


a boat for son Andrew (Zebedee)

We stopped for half an hour at Marple Junction for a look round and turned right onto the upper Peak Forest Canal. My notes for the time say that we stopped at Bugsworth Basin for tea at 1930 and then moored finally at Bugsworth at 2045. So what did we do in the meantime? Oh yes, I suppose we must have eaten tea and then moved to a different part of the basin for the night.

Here we met Bruce Coleman of NB Boston and his friends Alan and Ann and joined with them in an impromptu folk music session by the boats. I played along as well as I could on my descant recorder. David got the whisky out and we shared it, handing round the closest we could find to whisky tumblers: egg cups. This was one of the most memorable evenings of the whole trip. If our schedule had allowed, I think we'd have spent another day here. But I'd booked a passage through Standedge Tunnel, and I didn't want to miss that.

Today:
10.5 hours
22 miles 1 furlong
0 locks

Cumulative:
84.5 h; 180 m 2 f; 75 l

Mow Cop in the heat

Nine week cruise - day 9 - Sunday 10th July 2005

Harding's Wood to Oakgrove


on Mow Cop

0705 got up; 0810 under way. Moored by Bridge 85 so we could walk up the hill. We had our fair share of rain on this holiday, but today was one of the hottest. We'd run low of drinking water while we were on Mow Cop. Jan spotted a woman gardening in the nearby village, so she got her water bottle refilled. Fantastic weather, but too much of a heat haze for long distance views.



Set off again at 1215 and made our way up Bosley locks, reaching the top lock at 1700 where we watered up. By 1745 we were on our way again.



At 1820 we moored at Bridge 50 and had a towpath barbecue.




Today:
7.0 hours
12 miles 1 furlong
13 locks

Cumulative:
74.0 h; 158 m 1 f; 75 l

Norwich, where I work

The Forum: home of the Millennium Library, Pizza Express, Origins and BBC East



St. Peter Mancroft church as viewed from the newsroom



Every winter an ice rink is built on Millennium Plain between The Forum and St. Peter Mancroft

Losing Harecastle Tunnel

Nine week cruise - day 8 Saturday 09/07/05
Weston-upon-Trent to Hardings Wood


Tree surgery on the T and M

Up at 0555 and off at 0645. Continued north on the Trent and Mersey, and met Jan at Etruria at 1500. She'd driven from Norwich, having now broken up from school. Embarked upon a bout of car shuffling: I drove from Etruria and looked for the south portal of Harecastle Tunnel. It's a lot easier finding it by boat! I eventually found it and parked up. Met the boat and just made the last passage through the tunnel at 1615. On the other side I cycled back over the hill to the car and then drove to Scholar Green where I left it in a residential cul-de-sac. I hoped it would be OK for a couple of weeks. Then I cycled back to the boat.

At 2000 we moored just past the Hall Green Branch on the Macclesfield Canal just north-west of Hardings Wood Junction. Now we're on unexplored territory and looking forward to Bugsworth and Standedge.

Today:
10.8 hours
21 miles 2 furlongs
16 locks

Cumulative:
67.0 h; 146 m 0 f; 62 l

Nine week cruise - day 7 - Friday 08/07/05 Generator chickens

Fradley to Weston-upon-Trent

0650 Up. 0805 Set off. 0830 Stopped at Woodend Lock as BW were replacing a paddle in a bottom gate. I got off at Handsacre for provisions. David picked me up at 1005 outside the Armitage Shanks factory. At 1110 we moored at Rugeley to go and have a look at the town.

At about 1430 we got going again and had bacon sarnies for lunch while cruising.

We stopped again at 1705 at Haywood Lock to have a look at Shugborough Park.

At 2005 we moored at Weston-upon-Trent and dined on board (one of David's famous Pasta Bakes). In the morning we were awoken by what sounded like a generator trying (and failing) to start. It took a little while to work out that what we were hearing were chickens just the other side of the towpath hedge. Still, it meant that we were on our way again reasonably early the next morning.

Today:
7.0 hours
15 miles 7 furlongs
5 locks

Cumulative:
56.2h; 124m 6f; 46l

Nine week cruise - day 6 - Thursday 07/07/05 Bad news from London

Polesworth to Fradley Junction




Under way at 0755 (must have had a lie in!) Daughter Alison phoned during the morning to tell us about the terrorist attack on London. It became the talking point of the cut. We stopped at the Canal Craft shed to buy postcards, a windlass and a painted watering can. The windlass was an unnecessary purchase as we found a few with our Sea Searchers later on: indeed, David actually sold some windlasses back to Mr. Canal Craft the next time we passed his shed. If I remember correctly the man's grandson painted the various cans and ornaments for pocket money.

At 1405 we paused for half an hour outside Streethay Wharf to watch (and for me to film) a boat being lifted out of the water.

At Fradley we turned left onto the Trent and Mersey Canal and moored up at 1640 just above the locks. Fradley Junction was busy: many boats were moored breasted up. David and I cycled to Alrewas and had a look round the church graveyard.

Today:
8.0 hours
16 miles 7 furlongs
4 locks

Cumulative:
49.2h; 108m 7f; 41l

Not all Volvos are bricks

Here's my car. It's a 1969 Volvo 131, known (but not officially in this country) as an Amazon. I've had this one for about five years. It replaced a maroon 1968 131 which had suffered too much rusting to be worth while restoring. This one is in much better condition, although, as you can see, it needs a bit of TLC. By the way, that's my son's old BMW 5-series in the background (any offers?); a corner of our (more brick-like) 240; and, reflected, our daughter's Clio (still awaiting repair).