Posted by Alex & Linty.

‘NEVER trust a woman’ – evening of Sat 7th July

Moving back upto what’s become a favourite mooring at Lyme Green (near my mum’s) and experiencing the SHOCK of some SUN!!!… we decided to get the bikes out and take a ride out to Fool’s Nook and just beyond, to the winding hole to see if it really was a 60’ one, and allow us to turn there. (We’d not taken much notice of its actual condition on the way up, and sometimes they get a bit clogged with flag iris and become rather more constricted than the stated length). I said ‘it’s not far’ and in actual fact, we’d walked it on the way up, mooring at Fools Nook and walking down to my mum’s bungalow for a cuppa when we first came up the Macc. Alex took note of the swing of the swing bridge in case he decided to come up on his own and have a go at solo working while I’m back at work.

It was still gorgeous and hot, so I said let’s go on to Bosley locks,’ it’s not far and its too nice to go back yet’. I think my idea of ‘not far’ and Alex’s differ somewhat. Lynne’s idea of not far, is somewhere vaguely over there! We were both, however, suffering somewhat from numbumitis by Bosley toplock! We hopped off, gingerly restoring feeling to those parts that Heineken is required for (!!) whilst chatting to some canoeists, also resting - about our bikes and their electric powered canoe, and much discussion on the benefits of ebay followed, as both modes of transport had originated via that medium.

We decided to go on a short way to see if the bywashes had much water in now, after the rain. Riding past some moored boats and boaters preparing a BBQ, I couldn’t help but jokingly remark that they may well get some additional guests if the smell was anything to go by! We carried on only a short way to the road that crosses the canal and decided to set off back as the further we went now, would require some uphill work on the return, and I’d probably have to walk those bits. I have to add here that this was the inaugural ride on our folding bikes – and apart from one very brief tryout up at Bugsworth when we put them together, my first bike ride since falling off my mountain bike and tearing my cruciate ligament and I’d had 3 ops and taken the last 2 and a half years recovering, so it was a decent test! I have to add here that this is also my first time on a bike for a long long time, so wear and tear on those parts best not mentioned was somewhat extreme!

Coming back up the locks, we approached the moored boaters and had to get off to go past, since the towpath was now mostly taken up by the BBQ and chairs. As we dismounted, one of them asked if we would like a drink, probably taking pity on our slightly out of breath state. Probably the pained look on my face! Lol. We looked at each other, and it was a no brainer…….. of COURSE we would! Actually quite grateful, and even water would have done, but no, some lager was forced on us, plus chairs to sit on, although Alex preferred to stand for a while – not sure why!!! Strange that, as she had only just adjusted her attire because of the affects of many ‘bum miles’.

We were invited to stay for the BBQ – it never ceases to amaze me, how friendly the boating community is – even to complete strangers. However, having said that, we have always felt we’ve had to help out or offer hospitality in the same way – is this attitude some hidden bug that you catch?

Whilst cooking and sampling of lager carried on, a walker commented on a boat broken down with a snapped gear or throttle cable further down the lock flight – we missed quite where. One of the BBQ boaters, by now we knew them as Mal, Bruce, Alan and Anne – said he had a spare cable, if that’s what the problem was. We offered to bike down and find them and let them know, actually cycling to the bottom lock without finding them, but mentioning it to all we saw, including some towpath walkers. Let me point out again, Lynne volunteered us to go down the locks! I would have been quite happy to just stay and not have to sit on that item of torture yet again! Or even walk down!

On our way back up, we passed the same walkers, who laughingly told us ‘we found them, walked to the BBQ, collected the cable and delivered it to the broken down boat’ all in the time we’d taken to ride to the bottom lock and back. I can only guess that he’d been down below with doors and windows shut with the appearance of no-one home when we passed, but at least we tried, and in fact our efforts and passing on of the problem had allowed the walkers to provide the required assistance.

We were offered more liquid refreshment we couldn’t possibly refuse!! And enjoyed some lovely company – followed by sausages, ribs, herby minted potatoes and couscous salad. YUM. This was followed by musical entertainment. We had actually happened by ‘HALF CUT FOLK’ who had a ‘jam session’ on the towpath. Brilliant. They informed us they’d just been up at Swanley Bridge playing, which is where we are now ultimately heading for. They played some known - and unknown to us - irish folk songs, with Mal on guitar, Anne on accordion, Bruce on squeezebox and mouth organ, and Alan on various whistles to accompany the singing. I’ll never forget the Duck song, written by Mal, having been encouraged to join Bruce and Alex in a mad circling jig! Another couple from a boat moored further up came down and joined the audience. What a lovely evening, and a rather better finish after the unpleasant start to the day.

It came forcibly to an end by a sudden short downpour, but it made us look at our watches, and realise we still had to cycle back to Lyme Green. At the boat we looked at our watches – 10:30 - and realised it had taken an hour to ride back along a darkened towpath, and we were suffering another bout of numbumitis and bed beckoned very forcibly.

Out of curiosity I looked in the route book in the morning, and discovered the distance between Lyme Green and Bosley bottom lock was listed as 4 ½ miles. So we’d enjoyed/endured? a 9 mile round trip.

Alex said he wouldn’t trust my ‘not far’, ever again. Need I say anymore?

He says in bum miles it was a LONG LONG way. Oops. My only consolation was that I was not the only one to be suffering….lol.