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familyfive

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  1. We hired Isabel for a rainy week in July last year and despite the weather had a fantastic time thanks to the beautiful boat! We had the pleasure of meeting Karen who really went the extra mile to make our holiday so special. The canal hire business has lost one of the best firms out there. Wishing you and the family all the best for the future
  2. What about the western end of the Kennet & Avon? Stunning scenery with chance to visit Bath. Nice pubs, aqueducts, not too may locks and south enough for those that believe the weather might be better??!!
  3. We hired Canal Boat Escape's Isabel last summer and were absolutely delighted. The inside is beautifully finished with a very luxurious kitchen and bathroom. Such a stylish boat, complete with stove and side hatches, I can't recommend it highly enough!
  4. We hired Isabel, the trad stern tug in July this year and can highly recommend it. The boat is really well fitted out and beautifully finished. They provide a really good handover and are very welcoming and are great people to hire from.
  5. Shame the weather wasn't better for you and that you finished a day early but it seems that you had a good time overall. Like you I holidayed a lot on the canals as a youngster and decided to take the family on the Llangollen in July 2009 and it POURED, much like the weather we've had this week. I can't believe I told my husband not to bother packing wellies - we haven't made the same mistake again! I thought it would put everyone off but it had quite the opposite effect, we had a fantastic time and decided to do fortnight holidays in future, thinking that weather can't be bad for the whole 2 weeks - we were wrong! Last year though we had a great fortnight weatherwise - third time lucky - however I think we've enjoyed all three trips equally. We are going on the Leeds and Liverpool this year but just for a week as it doesn't really lend itself to a two week holiday. I remember going from Bank Newton (Inland Marine Leisure?) in a wet October but it was a great holiday. Thank goodness for radiators now!! How did the dog enjoy it?
  6. Excellent photos - thanks!! Thanks also for the link to The Now Show - I missed that it was on - great!
  7. There is a place to tie up when you go onto the Severn so that your crew can get back on after closing the lock gates if no ones coming up. It's just on your left as you exit the locks on the river going towards Worcester. There are lock landings for you to wait on before the manned locks on the Severn if the traffic lights are against you. We found that the lock keepers that we met on this stretch friendly and happy to give advice for first timers in the locks. I don't remember seeing a lock keeper on the wide locks going from the Severn to Diglis on the W & B. Anyway they are quite straightforward manual locks. Even though you haven't been on a canal holiday for a long time it will all come back to you, like riding a bike. Enjoy yourselves!
  8. Yes I think Adam's suggestions are good. I see you said you prefer old villages and nice scenery to cities, however I wouldn't worry about going through Birmingham. The combination of Warwickshire/Avon ring's route through Birmingham is quite allright. We did a combination of the Black Country Ring and Stourport Ring last time in a fortnight, which was nice and steady and a good combination of villages and places to stop off at - Shugborough Hall on the T&M, Cathedral at Worcester, Steam Railway at Kidderminster if you want to see a bit of British heritage. The route through Birmingham would have been the same as the Avon/Warwickshire ring combo as we didn't need to do the Netherton tunnel/Wolverhampton 21. We moored in the centre and it was v pleasant with hanging baskets of flowers etc around the place. The boys enjoyed the visit to the Sea Life Centre right next to where we moored and the excellent take away curry we had! In the past we,ve done the Four Counties plus Caldon and Macc in two weeks. Again a route of nice scenery/villages and going through Stoke on Trent is worth it for the Harecastle tunnel! We had time to do both Caldon and Macclesfield extensions but of course you don't need to do both, see how time goes, or perhaps you could do the Llangollen as a side trip add on instead? Enjoy your planning!
  9. I would highly recommend the The Old Kings Head by Gurnett Aqueduct that you have listed. Doesn't look much from the outside but nice and cosy/comfortable inside with great food. Huge and tasty portions - we went for Sunday lunch & the boys couldn't finish the roast which is unheard of and pie was delicious. Nice and informal atmosphere - no separate 'restaurant' part despite the description in the Nicholson's guide. Made it more relaxed. Very child friendly and welcomed dogs inside too. We moored at the aqueduct and the couple on boat next to us went to Sutton Hall and recommended it though it sounded a bit too upmarket for our rainsoaked rabble!
  10. I would go with your choice of Beeston. We hired 'Strider' a 65' from Chas Hardern and think it would be suitable for 2 couples. It's a lovely boat and Chas Hardern take such good care of their customers.
  11. We would recommend doing the Aston & Farmers Bridge flights and then moor at Oozels. Farmers Bridge is one of our favourite flights - fascinating mix of old and new.
  12. Hope you have a great time - fingers crossed that the good weather lasts. BTW we stopped at the Dog and Doublet on the Curdworth flight and found it an easy run in to Birmingham from there and would highly recommend the place.
  13. Thanks for your suggestions which were very helpful - we were lucky enough to moor on the Oozells loop which was great and so was the Dog and Doublet!
  14. Bruce Wake Trust have two narrowboats and one widebeam based at Upton on Severn: www.brucewaketrust.co.uk The Lyneal Trust on the Llangollen have a 70 foot, 8 berth narrowboat 'designed for use & operation by people with disabilities': www.lyneal-trust.org.uk
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