16th to 30th July

This last week, we had many phone conversations regarding our plans for the next fortnight, mostly revolving around what the weather was doing – RAIN or NO rain? It had importance because we could either decide to move the boat at a leisurely pace or crack on. This was the last fortnight Lynne has off to join me in order to get the boat to the marina for electric hookup before our long planned for holiday to China, and Lynne’s daughter had expressed a desire for us to journey down to Cornwall the following weekend for a mediaeval fair – which meant us camping out (!) and would mean definitely cracking on with the move. It would also mean a long drive through some of the worst of the flooded areas affected by the horrendous downpours during June/July, and if the forecast was bad, they’d be affected again. Plus, neither of us was keen to campout in the rain, if we could avoid it. We’re not old, but our bones feel like they are sometimes!! Anyway I like our king size double bed!

In order to do the Cornwall trip we would have to get the boat sorted by the Thursday.

Dilemmas. The move, in the time, was just about do-able but would include a couple of long days, and that would be absolutely NO fun at all in the miserable weather. We watched the reports like a hawk. One day, we were saying, no good, it’s going to be wet, the next.. hmmm might be ok. In the end, the decision was to prepare as if we were going, and decide whether we actually were going to go for it on the Monday when Lynne arrived at the boat.

It also involved my old navy mate, who had offered to let us leave Lynne’s car at his place and had kindly said he would provide a ‘taxi service’!! – this was the only way we would achieve things in the timescale. After Lynne had meticulously used the Canal Route Planner with various options and what-ifs, we knew we could do it, if everything else fell into place as planned.

30th July.

‘A UTOPIAN attitude?’

Monday morning, saw Lynne driving across the Pennines, missing the morning rush hour both through Hull and the approaches to Sheffield, arriving at the boat mid morning. A decision to go drop some stuff off first, meant I would have a chance to chat to Dave and Sue before we set off enroute again. We did have a momentary worry when there was no answer on their phone as we neared Audley, but he had just popped out to see his dad, phew!

Everyone, friends and family, have our big thanks for all the help they’ve given with car parking and the ‘taxi-ing’ during this summer. We’d not have achieved it so easily without their assistance. To name but a few – Dave & Sue Myers, Dave & Sue Lovatt, Jason & Jane ?????

THE MOVE!

13:30 Trumpets should sound, fanfares………… WE ARE ON THE MOVE again!!!

- after nearly 9 weeks on the Macclesfield Canal. (original plans were only 3 days for visiting!!) A cloudy day, but bright we were all excited again at being on the move.

Fools Nook swing bridge opened as we approached – was this an omen for things falling into place? Hoped so. We arrived at Bosley Top Lock and the services mooring was empty, allowing us to slot in neatly for emptying the elsan etc. As I waited for Alex to finish, a boat moored opposite at the water point and started to water up. As we were casting off, ready to start off down the locks, we moved back to manoeuvre around to approach the lock, when the woman from the boat opposite legged it down to the lock gates, and the man pulled his hose off the waterpoint without finishing, threw his hose on deck, just so that they could beat us to the lock, how pathetic! Not a word to us about do you mind if we go first, or even the courtesy of recognising we were on the move first. We re-approached the bank, and held the boat whilst they used the lock, Lynne hopped off and closed up the waterpoint cover they’d left open in their haste. The boat was called ‘Utopian’. Hmmmm not such a utopian attitude.

We passed them moored at Bosley bottom lock, with plenty of space still, so it gained them nothing anyway. Rather a petty minded attitude, as we had the same opportunities for locks being set for us, as they did, with the number of boats coming up. We carried on to Congleton Wharf arriving at 7:45pm and stayed the night in the exact same spot we’d had on our way up way back in May, even the same swan pecking at our boat and fenders, this time with cygnets in tow.