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gabble

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  1. The Willeymoor is a special place for me. Properly family owned and run, different generations on duty most nights and a nice atmosphere and cosy. All the eccentricities that go with that. Beer is generally excellent, multiple real ales well kept, more so in summer. Food is pub rather than gastro pub but fairly priced and welcomed after a day on the canal. There aren’t many places left like this.
  2. It was a bit chaotic earlier in the year when we visited. We’d booked NWM1 but ended up straddling NWM2 as well as there was a (needless) floating boom thing adrift in the way. Tied it up as best we could. Any of the berths would have been fine. Nice audience at the hotel as we did a neat pirouette in the basin after leaving the lock. That was after waiting 45 minutes for a demonstration boat to vacate the lock it was moored in ahead of a lock demo. Pretty quiet all in all. A surprisingly peaceful mooring. The whole site seemed a bit unloved really, sunken boats, lack of maintenance. Bit of a shame. But nice to moor amongst the history. As previously mentioned there is a door out into the real world via a BWB key at the top level past the old cottages. If going out onto the ship canal, remember the swing bridge needs booking with the council. There is a (non obvious) water point on the side of the building at the top of the locks. The visitor centre seems happy enough for crewe to wander through with lock keys to get to the lock, no other way… gabble
  3. Hi all, We’ll soon be heading along the Leigh Branch and up the Wigan locks onto the Leeds Liverpool. Interested to get mooring recommendations, particularly from anyone who has stayed at or around Dover Lock recently. I was thinking of stopping there and getting an early start through Poolstock and up to the Wigan locks, but wondered if it had deteriorated since the pub closed. Anywhere else nearby? Pehaps by Scotsman flash? Alternatively, at the wigan junction the consensus seems to be to go down at least one lock to moor. The pictures on google maps look a bit grim - recent first hand accounts? gabble
  4. Have a look at https://www.venetianhireboats.co.uk/ - pretty much exactly what you are after. Really well maintained boats, just 3 operate from the base so well looked after. gabble
  5. Going back to the original question, some other thoughts for this trip. Willeymoor lock tavern for a good range of well kept beers - but you probably already know this one if you are based at Grindley Brook. Turners garage canalside at Wheaton Aston for very well priced diesel. Tixall wide near Great Haywood is a very popular and unique mooring spot. Good (if expensive) farm shop canalside by the Great Haywood junction. Overall the four counties is a great route, lots of nice towns separated by glorious rural stretches even Stoke on Trent is quite a remarkable place by water. Goldstone Wharf pub on the shroppie has good moorings and great food last time we were there. Popular so might need a reservation on peak evenings. As already mentioned on the thread, the independently run chandlers at Venetian marina is excellent, bread milk etc here, very cheap Calor gas and well priced diesel & pump out. Don’t forget shroppie wheels to deal with the shelf.
  6. I feel the need to offer some support for the Anchor. It is certainly a special place I wish I was closer to. I’ve not had a bad pint in there (obviously that doesn’t mean others haven’t) but I would observe that 6x is perhaps quite a traditional tasting beer (not hop overload). Also I don’t think I’ve tasted the tang of carbon dioxide there either that many pubs now use to artificially preserve the life of beer, but at the expense of the natural flavour evolution/complexity and often the unmistakable tang of co2. Obviously taken to extreme the “natural flavour evolution” is vinegar so moderation in all things. It was certainly on form last summer. https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/116062-anchor-high-offley-current-opening-hours/
  7. Regrettably not. But will pass by again the week after next. Now we have the opening times worked out we can plan properly.
  8. I can confirm Glenn’s original response is correct, just called in. 6x is as it should be.
  9. Brilliant, thanks Glenn. This forum has answers to all the important questions…
  10. Hi all, Does anyone know the current opening hours of the Anchor at High Offley? Thanks gabble
  11. It is never a good sign on a forum when rules get quoted and the word “moderators” is included in a post (or even worse posts). I have nothing to add on that, but would say that despite boating for the last 45 of my 46 years I always feel I learn something from any post Tracy (and Tony and many others) give up their time to contribute their experience and knowledge to. Thanks guys. gabble
  12. Many thanks Iain and Tracy, brilliant to be able to ask a technical question on a Sunday and get comprehensive answers an hour later…
  13. Hello all I have a straightforward-ish dual battery bank setup with each fed by it’s own dedicated alternator. I’ve just swapped my domestic alternator for a new one and the new one requires a warning lamp on D+ whereas the previous one didn’t. I’ve wired it one up, fed from the ignition switch and all works as expected i.e. light comes on, engine starts, light goes out, alternator charges batteries. Great. But, then I got to thinking I’ve taken the feed from the ignition switch i.e. from engine starter battery and connected it through the warning lamp to my domestic alternator. Any issues with this? gabble
  14. Richard is very much still working hard, has spent the last couple of weeks rebuilding my RN. As stated above a really helpful and knowledgeable bloke who works hard. I’ve spoken to him and he is happy for his number to be passed on - 07973 826260
  15. Is anything else charging the battery? E.g. shore powered battery charger or solar? My rev counter goes weird when something else is putting more charge in or the alternator has turned itself off. In my case it shows approx twice the actual rpm which is a bit disconcerting to begin with.
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