Hastings

Thank you for your good wishes. We have thoroughly enjoyed our 16 years at Audlem Mill,and we hope that whoever takes over our business continues to serve boaters in much the same way.

CRT own the freehold of the Shroppie Fly and its carpark, or certainly did when I recently talked to them (we're next door)

He has, over 30 years

We're next door - the Shroppie Fly is good, and very welcoming, with four real ales. Food will be available from Wednesday 14 December. It helps that the new landlord has been a boater for a long time.

Click to see a fascinating video looking at the Up Nateley brickworks arm on the unnavigable top section of the Basingstoke Canal, and a historic, if rather delapidated, boat that has been exposed by the dry weather. Paul and Rebecca Wightwick produce regular weekly videos on Youtube of canal, railway and historical subjects.

This post was about food in Audlem, but it has been hijacked by people with personal agendas which have nothing to do with the subject. Can we get it back onto track please?

Summary of current situation (from an Audlem resident): Bridge Inn open, good pub food every day except Tuesday, cheap beer (Marstons) and even cheaper on Tuesdays (but no food) Lord Combermere closed, but reopening 10 October (menu here https://www.audlem.org/lib/lord-combermere-menu-F692893.pdf ) Shroppie Fly closed, Star Pubs are advertising for new licensees Ayaans Indian Cuisine, takeaway indian food + pizzas, burgers etc. - excellent, large portions. https://ayaansindian.co.uk/ Village Chippy, closed Sunday - excellent Tearoom @ No. 11 - open daytime from Tuesday - Saturday Old Priest House, home cooked meals, open daytime but closed Tuesday. Believed to be changing hands at end of September. Linden Stores, expensive but reputedly excellent meals - check website https://www.lindenstores.co.uk/ for more details and opening times There's still lots of good reasons for visiting Audlem, including Audlem Mill for the biggest selection of canal books in Britain, gifts and needlework.

Glad the book arrived. Do enjoy it. The John Liley book you are thinking about is probably "The Trouble With Canals", which we have in stock at www.canalbookshop.co.uk

I think that I've still got my cycle permit somewhere. It cost about 2/6 (old money). Better use it now, in case they introduce a higher charge!

If you want to enter your historic ex-working narrow boat (built up to 1962), and haven't yet, please phone 01270 811059 and also please complete and return the form (file attached). No charge to boats. Booking Form 2022.pdf

The "Working Waterways" titles can be obtained from https://www.canalbookshop.co.uk/history-tradition/boatmen-boaters.html "Ramlin Rose" was discontinued by its publisher OUP seven years ago, so you will need to find a secondhand copy. We don't have one at CanalBookShop, so try abebooks.co.uk or Amazon (same thing really, Amazon owns Abe Books). "Women and Children of the Cut" is also long out of print, and again none at CanalBookShop - so try the other websites mentioned.

Update on the Shroppie Fly - we live next door. It's closed today, as it's their day off. A sign on the door says they will be open this Friday - Saturday from 12.00 - 6.00, then the pub will close till a new licensee is found by Heineken/Star Pubs. Apparently, they have not been able to recruit staff, and without staff, a proper food menu can't be offered. And I suspect that without food, the pub won't be financially viable.

The latest position in Audlem (from a resident): Shroppie Fly - Recent new management, friendly, good, clean, up to 6 real ales. Basket meals but currently only lunchtime/afternoon, tasty and good value. Bridge Inn - several real ales, Marston tied house, no food, changing hands soon. Lord Combermere - very comfy, excellent food, several real ales, but landlord leaves on 31 July. Chip Shop closed until further notice (owner has died). Aayans takeaway - Indian, pizzas, burgers - excellent

David - I could be wrong, of course, but that's what two separate people who'd been there told me. No doubt we'll hear more later.

The Audlem flight (Shropshire Union Canal) is closed at lock 2, as the bumper on the cill was lifted out of position this morning by a boat going uphill. CRT have inspected, and will report more tomorrow. By late pm, there was a total of 21 boats waiting to go through.

Not as far as I know - and we live next door to it, and were involved in some discussions with CRT.

Having carried out more research in Audlem, I can now confirm that the crane erected on Audlem Wharf in the early 1970s is definitely a Great Western Railway crane that came from inside the goods shed at Audlem station (which was on the Wellington to Nantwich double tracked secondary main line). I have spoken to two people involved in its renoval after their firm bought the site after closure. I found this out just in time to include the information in my new book "Audlem Locks - A Walk Through History", from www.canalbookshop.co.uk

Hi Sorry it's off, but I' sure you can understand why. I'll check our Facebook and web pages! Peter

As you will know, the Government has postponed the removal of COVID restrictions until 19 July – at the earliest. The Downing Street briefing last night also particularly highlighted the significant, and growing, number of cases of COVID in the north west, which Audlem is in. In these circumstances, it is impractical to go ahead with this year’s Gathering of Historic Boats at Audlem on 24/25 July. Beside the work and expense that would need to be committed over the next few weeks, there can be no guarantee that the date will not be put back again. We are also very concerned about the significant growth in COVID cases anticipated in the north west over the next few weeks. We are therefore sorry to announce that we must cancel this year’s event, and we are sure you will understand the reasons. But please accept our apologies. Hopefully we should be ok for next year! The event will be on 30/31 July 2022, and we hope to see you then. Peter and Christine Silvester Audlem Mill

I'm nearly 75, and I went to the Pictures regularly in my teens - the 1950s-1960s. I lived in a Thames-side town in Buckinghamshire, and going to the cinema was universally known as "going to the Pictures". The Flicks was hardly used, and was a slang term.

Correction to the quoted website - it's canalbookshop.co.uk (with a co before the uk)

MECCA is on the left (taken some years ago in Braunston)

By that I presume you mean BILSTER, EDGEWARE and GLOSSOR to name but a few.

As you know, we're at Audlem. If you're going north, you're a bit short of destinations. North of Nantwich, there's normally three ways you can go, but ... Llangollen closed from Monday near its start due to a culvert problem (possibly for a few days, but could be a month or two); Chester Canal closed near Beeston till early summer probably; and the New Cut (Middlewich Arm) closed at Stanthorne for a week or two from Monday. Why not just stay in Audlem and enjoy all the pubs, cafes and shops. No point trying to go anywhere!

True, David, I forgot Delhi, and I shouldn't have, especially as it's now spelt correctly again!