ANOTHER SLIGHT CHANGE OF PLAN.

As we have 3 weeks until we go into Liverpool, and it isn’t really that far, we have decided to go down the wonderful Anderton Boat Lift, on to the River Weaver, and moor at Northwich for a couple of days.

But I am getting a head of myself, as we were in Barbridge at the end of the last blog.

We had 4 locks and 10 miles to do before we reached Middlewich and joined the Trent and Mersey. We split the journey in 2, and on the first day we did 2 locks and 5 miles.

It was a very entertaining day as the canal was awash with boats of all descriptions, hirers, share boats, private boats and day boats. This caused a boat jam at the first lock we came too, luckily for us the jam was in the opposite direction with at least 7 boats waiting to come up the lock. So off I went to help. With so many people helping out it didn’t take long to get a boat up and one down. But I still found the time to chat to the crew off a hire boat, turned out her boat was 6^th in the queue but like me she loved helping with the locks. She also told me they were in the process of buying their own boat, a 57ft cruiser stern, unfortunately I didn’t get the her name, or the boats name but I wish her luck.

At the second lock we met another boat jam, with 4 or 5 boats waiting to come up and a couple plus us waiting to go down. So off I went to help and was soon joined by the crew from one of the boats waiting to come up. We helped a few boats up including hers, then it was our turn to lock down. She stayed to help as they were waiting for another boat to join them for a cruise, and then a curry in Nantwich. As I left to rejoin the Captain she was helping a single hander up the locks, but no one off the next 2 boats showed any inclination to go and help her. They were both hire boats and too busy chatting amongst themselves. As we passed by the Captain pointed out to the hirers that she was now on her own, but it did not galvanise them into action. I hope she just left them to it. This wonderful ladies name was Leslie we found out as we passed her friends boat heading for the lock.

After a night in the MONW we headed for the last 2 locks and the junction with the Trent and Mersey canal at Middlewich. We also went on the shortest canal in England, the Wardle Canal, its only 154ft or 47m long, so don’t blink or you will miss it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardle_Canal

After mooring in Middlewich we did some much needed shopping and headed to the pub. The White Bear first, nothing on to the suit the Captain so only the one and then we tried the Narrowboat, again a disappointing selection for the Captain so not a successful night for him.

The next day we headed to Broken Cross, the canal is made very narrow in places along this stretch due to the encroaching reeds, which at times were growing over 6ft from the bank. They also make seeing approaching boats difficult, another thing for CRT’s to do list. We moored outside the pub with help from another boater and had a bit of a chat (in the rain). He had just come up the Anderton boat lift off the River Weaver. He told us of a disturbing rumour going about that the lift is to close in Feb 2022 for 18months and may not reopen at all. I found this hard to believe and did a little investigating but could find nothing. I have passed this titbit of information on to Peter Underwood, a boater who is also a journalist to investigate.

We tried the pub, called the Broken Cross, and although they had no dark ale on they did have John Smiths and Black Sheep bitter on, which the Captain found quite quaffable.

The Captain had booked the boat lift for 4pm next day and we made our way to the lift moorings a couple of hours early. He popped off to see the lift keepers and came back saying we could go down straight away. The lift keeper was an extremely friendly, chatty person and I quizzed them about rumours we had heard, but being a sensible chap he agreed with me that CRT would not dare to close the lift completely. Good News (I hope). The Anderton Boat lift is a magnificent feat of engineering and a joy to use, as we went down 2 boats were in the other caisson coming up, so of course we waved and smiled at each other.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderton_Boat_Lift

On exiting the lift we turned left to head to Northwich and the Captain recognised the boat coming towards us as NB Poppy. Now as you may know the Captain is well into vlogs, especially boating ones, and Poppy and its Captain Matt and crew Dawn have a very good channel called Boating Beyond. He called over and asked how Dawn’s finger was, in the last episode we saw she had cut it quite badly, but as with the majority of these vlogs (and my blog), they are weeks behind and her finger was all healed up.

https://www.youtube.com/c/BoatingBeyond/featured

Now the last time we were in Northwich we found 2 good real ale pubs, a decent Wetherspoons, and a rather pretentious expensive craft ale bar. We started in the Penny Black, the Wetherspoons, as I had promised the Captain to treat him to tea. They had a decent ruby ale on called Nosebag by Tring brewery, and I decided to try one of their new bottled lagers, Singha from Thailand. It was really nice, the Captain tried it and agreed. After tea off to the Barons Lounge, which last time was the best, but horror of horrors, although they had 4 hand pulls and 6+ taps not one dark ale. So out we came and off to the Salty Dog were he found Marble Stout by Marble Brewery of Manchester, plus 2 others on tap. It was band night and we enjoyed our pint whilst watching the band setting up, but we couldn’t stay as it was ticket only, and tbh not really our cup of tea.

We topped up on the essentials (beer and wine) before heading back to the lift and our onward journey. We shared the lift with NB Anvil and chatted with her Captain and Crew. Turned out, like my Captain they had been in the RAF, so plenty to talk about.

And now we have decided on another slight change of plan, we are going down the Runcorn arm of the Bridgewater canal to explore Runcorn.

DINGHY MADNESS

Our journey to Market Drayton was 11 miles and 5 locks. It snakes through the Shropshire countryside and has some of the narrowest parts of the canal.

Most of this stretch is just wide enough for 2 boats to pass, but the encroaching trees and bushes make it difficult to see what’s coming, and the majority of the bridge holes are only wide enough for 1 boat, as sods law always says this is were we meet most of the other boats coming towards us.

It was in Woodseaves Cut, probably the narrowest place, we not only met 2 narrowboats coming towards us, but 2 inflatable dinghy’s. Why anyone would pick such a narrow place to use them is sheer madness. But they did.

The first dinghy was coming towards us, it was bright yellow and the occupants were wearing bright red life jackets, so they we easy to spot but still not something we wanted to see. They smiled sweetly as we crawled past them, we did not respond in a similar fashion.

The second dinghy was in far more danger, going in the same direction as us, it was grey in colour with a darkly dressed guy on board, the only good thing was his mate walking by him on the towpath had a red shirt on. The boat was cruising down the middle on this very narrow part of the canal as we caught up with it. The Captain sounded the horn but the guy seemed unperturbed as our 16 ton boat bore down on him, he slowly pulled into the side to let us past and the Captain had a few choice words with him which fell on deaf ears. By being in the middle of the canal he would have been in the blind spot of any approaching boat, which surely would have spelt disaster and death for the guy. Some people.

At the 5 locks at Tyrley there was a boat going down in front of us, a little more work for me but hey, I needed the exercise. These are still single locks with double gates at the front. With 2 locks to go I realised that the boat in front was grounded in the pound below, so being a helpful soul I ran some water down in an attempt to free them. After a bit of effort they got free and into the last lock. I went down to help them. The crew complained there was no warning of the shelf in the pound they had been suck on. As I set the lock I read a notice on the lock gate telling boaters not to try and moor in the pound because of the shelf, but to set the next lock before leaving this one and cruise straight through the pound. There had been a similar notice on the lock above, but it was so faded I could not read it.

CRT’s decisions do make me wonder at times, as we approached Market Drayton we found a long stretch of visitor moorings were closed for towpath improvement, the busiest time of the year and they close essential moorings. On the other side of the town there are more moorings, but another problem reared it head here. The problem of boats leaving ‘git gaps’. I understand that you need to leave some space between boats, but on this stretch nearly every boat moored had a large space in front and behind, but not quite enough room for an average size boat to moor. The Captain worked out there was room enough for another 3 boats at least. This was highlighted even more strongly when a boat moored in front of us leaving similar gaps as we had seen. Next day when this boat left 3 boats got into the space he had taken up.

We went to the pub of course, The Red Lion which is the Joules Brewery taphouse. The Captain was very pleased with their Slumbering Monk, so we had a few.

After checking the town web page which said there was a Saturday Market we walked into town again, but the information was wrong and there were only a couple of stalls. The indoor market was nothing like last year ,when it was bustling with people and stalls. Such a shame.

With nothing to keep us in Market Drayton we decided to set off and do the 5 locks at Adderley and moor up at the bottom. We met NB Joka II going down in front of us and its crew were very helpful setting the locks for us as no one was coming up.

Next day and we did 11 locks in only 2 ½ miles to Audlem. We like Audlem. 3 pubs, a chippy and a Coop make it a good place to moor. As we left to try the pubs NB New Dawn moored in front of us and we had a chat with its Captain and Crew Alan and Dianne. They like us are Ccer’s (continual cruisers) but unlike us they are brave enough to keep going through the winter. As with most people who CC in the winter, they say it is the best time of the year with the canals being so quiet. I will take their word for it.

The first pub The Shroppie Fly was ok but no darks, so onto The Bridge Inn, no darks again but to make up with it we met a very very friendly cocker spaniel called Arthur. Then the Lord Combermere but still no darks. Not a successful day for the Captains palette.

6 locks, the last 4 of the Audlem flight and 2 at Hack Green, were the Not so Secret, Secret Bunker can be found.

https://www.hackgreen.co.uk/

We were heading for Barbridge, where we would leave the main branch of the Shroppie and join the Middlewich Branch of the canal. Also along this stretch is Hurleston Junction, this takes you on to the Llangollen canal. At Barbridge there is a pub (of course) and we were lucky enough to moor outside. But the choice of beer was disappointing again, and this is were I must have a rant.

Quite a few of the pubs we have visited seem to be of the opinion, that having hand pull real ales on does away with the need to have a bitter on. On the taps there is a multitude of lager and ciders but no bitter. Now this is fine if one of the hand pulls is a bitter, or even better a stout,,but we have been finding that more often than not they are all pale ales or amber beers. This limits the Captains choice even further (he is not a big fan of Guinness, unless its at our local Irish pub). And I am sorry to say he has resorted to becoming a lager lout once again. Bitter used to be a staple of any pub but things they are a changing, and not for the better.

We are now on the Middlewich branch and on our way to the River Weaver for a couple of days.