Green canal water on Middlewich Branch

Another relatively early start today: we left Sandbach at about 0745. As we arrived in Middlewich we had a very short hail shower but, generally, the precipitation held off. We walked into the town centre and were saddened to see many closed shops. After lunch we set off again, planning to "get ahead" while the weather was fair. Tomorrow the forecast is dire.

We soon crossed the site of the breach of March 2018.  There's new concrete edging, smart towpath and new post and wire fencing, but nothing else to indicate the drama of three years ago.
 

Shortly afterwards we entered Stanthorne Lock, scene of another - shorter and much more recent - closure.

Above the lock we came upon a boat appearing to try to wind where there wasn't a winding hole. One of its mooring pins had been pulled out and the wind had done the rest.

We approached slowly and I pushed it by hand from our bow. When it was near the bank again I disembarked with a shaft and hooked the dangling mooring rope. Thankfully the mooring pin was still attached so I hammered it back into the bank and we got under way again.

As we approached Minshull Lock I could see a pair of old boats.  The one on the outside is Bargus, which we have seen delivering fuel on the Staffs and Worcs and on the Caldon canals.  I can't remember the name of the boat on the inside.
 

In the lock itself I was struck by how green the water was; especially visible in the bubbly foam as the lock filled.

The evening got better and better, with full sun and blue skies. It wasn't very warm, but these trees photographed nicely.

We had determined to get to Nantwich; as we neared we passed Mountbatten towing Jellicoe.

We found a space at the second 48 hour moorings beyond the aqueduct. We're planning to stay here during tomorrow's forecast rain - and Sunday morning's rain.

All hail the British weather!

After breakfast we went for a short walk on Rode Heath Ride, the site of a former salt works. I saw no evidence of the old industry, but there was a pretty river.

I thought the weather was meant to be dry today. It was anything but. I was inside making coffee when Jan steered through a hail shower. She reported that hailstones are not her favourite food.

At Hassall Green we passed under the M6, the stove still going overtime. I don't think it has ever been used so much in May.

We stopped for Jan's Zoom meeting at Wheelock. nb Recalcitrant came past, sporting what looked like scrap metal - but interesting scrap metal - welded to form a barrier round the stern. The cabin looked to be wooden, with intricately carved window frames (not captured in my photo).

By 6pm, with another shower starting, we had had enough. We stopped west of Sandbach, about a mile and a half before Booth Lane Locks. We tied to rings against very "coarse" piling, such that only one fender could work satisfactorily. Hmm. I think I know what's going to go "bump" in the night.

In a gap between showers the sun came out and bathed Jubilee in a yellow glow.
 

Middlewich tomorrow, and a diesel top-up.

Cold outside, cold in the tunnel, cold at the pub

As we moved onto the water point at Etruria this morning NB Olinda had just finished and was winding by Brindley's statue.

Olinda is diesel-electric, but I didn't get a chance to ask about the specifics of how that is done. Norman and Linda are fellow BCF members; they were off down the Stoke locks while we turned right to go north towards Middlewich. Norman designed the boat himself, taking inspiration from the Orient Express. He uses the wheel steering on wide waters such as rivers.

It rained as we passed Westport Lake but it had eased off by the time we reached Harecastle Tunnel. We had about 30 minutes to wait for two southbound boats, then we were the first of four boats going north.

The tunnel keeper said it would be cold in there.  I found it hard to believe it could be any colder that the conditions we were experiencing - we had sleet at one point - but he was right.  As soon as we emerged Jan took the helm and I went inside to revitalise the fire, which I had had to damp down before entering the tunnel.
 

After one lock at Kidsgrove we stopped for lunch and the very convenient new Lidl.

By one of the subsequent locks was what looked like a roasting tray fixed to a post.  What for?  Feeding birds?  Bathing birds?  Anyone know?
 

Many of the locks on this section are paired, but some of the "extra" locks are unusable, to say the least.

We tied up at Rode Heath, just past the Broughton Arms. After tea on board we met up with (BCF) friends Martin and Buff for a drink in at the pub. Despite overhead electric bar heaters I got cold sitting outside - the steel stools didn't help.  I did have an exceptionally tasty pint of Hobgoblin, though.

Tomorrow we'll see how near to Middlewich we can get, given that Jan has a Zoom meeting at 1500.

Early start, wagon wheels, rain at last

We made an early start this morning, getting under way from Stone at 0615 so as to beat the forecast rain.

In the event, the rain only really came at about 2100 so we would have missed it anyway had we got going at a more leisurely hour. These few spots dampened the roof for a few minutes at coffee time when we stopped at Hem Heath Bridge for Aldi.

Coming into Stoke-on-Trent I saw hundreds of railway wheels at a "DB" works just south of the (invisible from the canal) station. I missed the best opportunity for a photo so you'll have to make do with this.

In the fight of locks up to the summit level we quickly caught up with a hire boat. One lock down from the top, when emptying the lock to go in, they had failed to notice that a top paddle had been left partially up. This took about 18" from the pound above; I was in time to restore some of the loss from the summit pound.

At Etruria we turned sharp right onto the Caldon Canal and tied up outside the museum opposite a large tree covered in white blossom.  We had the curry part two: just as good!
 

Moove away, please!

Last night was quite breezy. We have a BCF burgee attached to a short whip aerial just behind a water can on the roof above our bedroom. The flag was slapping the can and making quite a racket.

After Zoom church we left our mooring and made our way to Stone.  The bulk of Salt Bridge gives the impression that there isn't much headroom but, as the photo shows, there is plenty.
 

Two cattle took a close look as we went past.

I expect the owner of this boat got fed up with the inevitable comments after the Evergreen container ship ran aground blocking the Suez Canal a few weeks ago.

Someone has gone to town planting vast numbers of tulips at the entrance to Stone.

We tied up on the 5-day moorings, i.e. below the locks, and walked into the town. We like Stone and will probably stay here a couple of nights.

A swivel bridge that doesn't, a lockdown memorial, a swallow that might be.

This morning we walked into Great Haywood to buy a paper from Spar, then I did a little painting: priming the bare patches on the front wooden doors.

The first bridge between Tixall Wide and Great Haywood Junction is called Swivel Bridge.
 

I'd like to see that swivel. (Perhaps the brick structure replaces an earlier conventionally swivelling bridge.)

At Tixall Wide there is a wooden plaque commemorating boaters who shared the first lockdown together there. It reads: 

 

Covid 19 Lock Down March to June 2020

Survivors

Tixall Wide Moorings

Keith & Carol  Serona Latis

Mark & Abigail  Utopia

David & Josie  Red Red Wine

Cornish Chris  Joan The Wad

Penny  Campanula

Lucky (with a paw print)

The plaque is lovingly etched and varnished.  Well, I suppose they had plenty of time ...

Near the bridge was a boat with an interesting wooden-framed, multi-panelled front window. Jan pointed out that the frame resembles a tree. Oh yes! A real work of art. The lower two panels are hinged so presumably can be opened for ventilation.

We turned left onto the Trent and Mersey where Jan spotted our first swallow. At least, we think it was a swallow.

I didn't think they rested, but this bird sat on an overhead line so I could take its photograph. Very nice, but next time could you please face my way? Thanks.

We tied up just past Weston upon Trent, away from the pub and the noisy chickens/cockerels. After tea we walked back to Weston and talked to fellow BCF member Peter who had joined his daughter's hire boat for a few days. We then looked round the churchyard before returning to Jubilee, where we saw red condensation trails from aeroplanes in the vicinity of the sunset.

We got us a convoy ...

We left Willington at 0900 and continued our way down to the Trent. We managed to share all the remaining locks, initially with our friends Alan and Glenda on Tranquility and then with Keiwa. On the way I touched up paintwork on the wooden front doors.

On the Trent I was looking forward to opening up the throttle but there was a slow boat in front of the boat in front of us.

He waved us on after we'd passed through Sawley Flood Lock.

We almost flew between Sawley Lock and Trent Lock - and suddenly we were on the Erewash Canal. There were two volunteer lockies at Trent Lock. The older one evidently hadn't operated wide locks before. He raised the ground paddle on the opposite side to the boat, causing the bow to swing over across the lock. The younger volockie gently instructed the older one how to do it, and we ascended the lock with no further problems.

A boat was tied up at the water point meaning we had to use our long hose. It had been there all day, apparently, and the volockie phoned CRT to ask if they could move it out of the way. There will be a large number of boats wanting to top up there over the next few days on their way to the IWA festival at Ilkeston. The message came back to move it, so the volockies and another boater did so. I was staying well out of it.

At Long Eaton Lock I saw an iPhone abandoned on a bench. There was no-one around, so I took it. At the next bridge I cycled to the police station in order to hand it in, but the police station was shut. Outside was a yellow phone for contacting them, so I tried but there was no reply. As I was hanging on the iPhone rang. On the other end was the owner. We arranged a rendezvous; a few minutes later he turned up and was reunited with his phone. He was understandably grateful.

We made slow progress along the pound above Long Eaton Lock. At the next lock I removed a large amount of plastic sheeting and a fair amount of weed from the propeller. This made an appreciable difference to our speed.

Sandiacre Lock

We tied up in Sandiacre and I cycled back to Swarkestone to get the car. Tomorrow's leg is very short, we should be at the festival site with the car shuffle complete by lunchtime.

Electric narrowboat

Not long after setting off this morning we met Arabia, a shortened 1907 Josher. And very nice it looked.

We have seen a few boats called Black Swan; this is the first real black swan I can recall seeing.

It was at Horninglow Basin, where we'd stopped for water and Elsan.

We saw our friends Chris and Joy on Wrens Nest at Willington, so we tied up and Jan went for a cup of tea on their boat while I cycled back to Branston for the car. On the way I stopped to talk to the owner of this boat, which appears to be called Ovaltine but which doesn't appear in the boat listing. Neither does the registration number. (To the right it says "Bob up & down".)

Anyway, Ken was very happy to talk about his boat which has an interesting drive train. The clue is in the signwriting: "Drink delicious Ovaltine for an electric experience"(!) This is what caught my eye as we cruised past. Yes, the boat is electric, in that the propeller is driven by an electric motor. Where there would normally be an engine there is a large diesel generator; where there would normally be a gearbox is the electric motor driving the prop shaft via a belt with a 3:1 reduction achieved by the size of the pulleys. There are four crates of lithium ion batteries, each crate not much bigger than a conventional lead-acid battery. The batteries are what are used in electric cars. The motor runs on 110VDC. Ken runs the generator, a "site generator" only while the boat is stationary and only for about three hours a day. He cruises on battery power with just a faint whine as the only noise in addition to the prop wash. Ken has installed a multiplicity of meters to monitor voltage, current, amp-hours and temperature. And probably a few other things which I didn't notice. I'm afraid I can't remember the amp-hour capacity of the battery bank, nor the power of the motor - although I think the generator is capable of 5kW and the motor might be similarly rated. The motor, by the way, looked fairly insignificant, certainly compared with the vast generator. One thing which surprised me was the almost complete lack of solar panels on the roof. Apparently they would have introduced too much extra complexity to the charging system.

I'm sorry I didn't take any photos "under the bonnet". I suppose I didn't want to intrude. I'd never make an ace reporter.

Thank you, Ken, for taking the time to talk to me about it all.

Keeping with the electric theme, after I dropped the car off at Swarkestone, my route back to Willington took me past the former power station's old cooling towers. A notice states that permission was being sought for their demolition between January 2017 and July 2017.

Well, they are still there, still dominating the landscape. I think they should remain. The power station itself seems to have been reduced to a few lumps of concrete.

Balance beam causes loss of balance

More shower dodging today as we moved from Alrewas to Branston. We didn't get to Willington, as I'd planned, because we drove to Newcastle-under-Lyme to visit fellow BCF member Chris in hospital. In operating a bottom gate at a lock she had fallen down a six feet drop onto the ground and sustained some nasty injuries. I understand that she lost her footing trying to negotiate round the end of the balance beam where it projects beyond the masonry. She is likely to be unable to be boating for quite a while - a bit of a problem as she and Adrian are liveaboards. We were glad to be able to visit, and I think she was glad to see us.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We were ourselves visited this morning, by Alan and Glenda on Tranquillity, also BCF members. After coffee we set off, descending Alrewas Lock onto the river section.

At Tatenhill Lock we passed Hadley in its idyllic-looking setting. Not quite so idyllic-sounding with the A38 dual carriageway not far away. I have left my camera in the car - this is an image from the timelapse recording.

At some point we passed another blogger's boat, or should that be former blogger? Yes, Granny Buttons was moored up in the locality.

I didn't have quite so far to cycle to retrieve the car - just six miles to Alrewas. My satnav doesn't have the new road at Branston, so I couldn't find how to get to the Bridge pub. In the end I picked Jan up from Morrison's and we drove straight to N-u-L from there. On the way back from the hospital visit we stopped off at the Wetherspoon's in Uttoxeter for something to eat.

A lot of effort for no gas

Our first task today was to get gas and diesel at Fazeley Mill Marina. We had overshot the marina yesterday so that we could tie up on the piling with other boats (and go for a curry at Kudos) - so we went to Fazeley Junction, winded and retraced our steps to the marina. Shared ownership boat Sorceress had just beaten us to it;' we had to wait while they had two pumpouts and a diesel fill. Meanwhile I opened the gas locker and removed all the things which are not supposed to be in there so I could get at the empty gas bottle. You know, the anchor with its chain and warp, the hose, an old barbecue, a hose reel, another old hose and a few spare pipe fenders. I undid the connector and lifted out the empty bottle. When Sorceress slid out we took its place and I told Jackie I'd like gas and diesel. Ah. She had sold her last gas bottle yesterday. Hmm. Now I had to put everything back and do it all over again when we found some gas. The moral of the story: check there is actually gas available before getting the old bottle out.

We were glad we got diesel, though, as it took 82 litres. This meant that there had been only 18 litres left in the tank where I thought we had about 50 left. It must have been all the upstream river cruising we did since the previous fill.

Back at Fazeley Junction we turned left from the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal onto what most people call the Coventry Canal. It is, in fact, still the Birmingham and Fazeley for another five and a half miles, splitting the Coventry Canal into two chunks. On my cycle back to get the car I found the place where the "detached portion" of the Coventry Canal meets the Birmingham and Fazeley.

The plaque below the ancient-looking boundary marker talks of it being "sponsored" by the local branch of the IWA. Is it not the original boundary stone? It's obviously been remounted but it looks genuine enough.

A certain blogger was not in as we passed through Fradley Locks this afternoon.

A shame not to see you, Nev. Percy's paintwork is very smart.

We stopped at Alrewas where there was plenty of space. I counted 30 boats on the move that we met today, surely a record for us for this year. (I counted them on a replay of my timelapse recording - I've had the camera going since Droitwich. The uploads will have to wait until we get home, and I hope I can remember how to do it.)

My cycle back to get the car from Fazeley seemed longer and more arduous today. Perhaps it was the wind. Strong and wrong direction. Even the drive to Alrewas seemed far further than it should have been, but I kept a close eye on the satnav and the route was a sensible one.

Sinking workboat?

We have stayed put in Middlewich today, giving ourselves a "day off". The high street was closed to traffic as it was given over to a "makers' fair", with lots of craft and food stalls. We weren't tempted. In the afternoon I cycled to Lidl in the sunshine and got a surprise when I glanced out of the window after being in there only five minutes. It was raining hard. By the time I'd paid for my purchase it had stopped.

We had the leftover curry from last night for tea. Why is it that curries lose their heat the next day? Mine had chopped fresh green chilli - plenty of bite yesterday but not noticeable today.

I took no photos today, so here are a couple from earlier. From the 20th, in fact, at Trentham, I think it was.

A work boat looks in danger of sinking, possibly as a result of all the rain we've had. You might just be able to see the water in the boat.

Hmm. Thinking about it, I should probably have told CRT. Bit late now. Actually, there's still a good few inches of freeboard, so perhaps it looks worse than it is.

Tomorrow we'll go to church in the town, then probably move up the Middlewich Branch. Depending on showers.

Flagging

We finished off the Cheshire Locks today without getting too wet. Soon after setting off we came across a motor and butty preparing to come up. The butty is Tewkesbury; I didn't get the name of the motor.

At the golf course at Malkin's Bank they were flying the flag. The EU flag.

I guess the golf club isn't too impressed with the result of the EU referendum. I was shocked - along with many others, I'm sure - when I heard the news; how can the UK stay together now?

Further on was this sad sight.

We tied up in Middlewich above Wardle Lock after topping up with diesel at King's Lock. For tea we got a takeaway from the Indian/Bangladeshi just along from Tesco Express. I think it's called something like the Middlewich Balti Takeaway. They give you a nice coffee - with cream - while you're waiting. When I got our order back to the boat we found a few extras: poppadoms, chutneys and a garlic naan. The portions were vast - we have more left over than we ate! That's tomorrow's lunch sorted.

No mobile phone signal in Harecastle Tunnel

And why should there be, you ask? We all know that mobile phone signals struggle to penetrate buildings and boats sometimes, let alone hills and tunnels. But since the death of a boater in Harecastle Tunnel a couple of years ago things were supposed to change. The waterways press reported that CRT was installing repeaters to enable emergency calls to be made from within the tunnel. The tunnel keeper on duty at the south end told us that, despite a successful initial trial, the technology has not worked. And then there is the question of what constitutes an emergency. The tunnel keepers have been told that a breakdown in the tunnel is not an emergency, and the system of blasts on the horn is to continue.

We left our mooring near the facilities at Etruria just after 0900 and stopped after a couple of hundred yards at the gas place (13kg for £19.43). At the tunnel we were 20 minutes too late for the convoy going our way, so we topped up with water and waited.

To add interest, Admiral class Effingham came along.

The young owner has had the boat only since the beginning of the year and has been working on fitting out the back cabin. The boat looks in very good condition; the owner is saving up for cloths. The gunnels look to have been made to take the blue fibreglass covers that other Admiral class and River class boats have, but the hoops and blue tops don't go together.

The tunnel is sporting a new profile gauge .

When the time came to go through we were the lead boat and did it in half an hour. We stopped just below the first lock to go to Tesco; I took the opportunity to cycle to Home Bargains. Then we made good progress down the locks, tying up for the night above Pierpoint Locks. Here Jan is steering into Lock 51.

Well, the polls have closed, we hope our postal votes arrived in time to be counted, and this time tomorrow we should know our relationship to the European Union. We shall not be listening to Jim Naughtie and Carolyn Quinn all night; tomorrow morning we should have a good idea of the result.