Junemc153

Called in at the Shady Oak at Beeston on Saturday. It is under new management and things have improved greatly. The food is good home cooking at reasonable prices and the new landlord and landlady are trying their best to make a go of it. They also have some real ales too. Had a really tasty home made meat and tater pie with chips and peas - £5.95. Fish and chips £5.95. Good selection of desserts to. They inherited a lot of the previous tenants debts and have a lot of work to do to make a go of it. Saturday night they had put on a 70's disco - didn't stay for that but at least they are trying to attract business. There is also a psychic night on 9th May. I know there has been some negative reviews on the forum in the past but give it a go. Just for information, I am not in any way connected to the Shady Oak but have visited on a number of occasions and have always enjoyed it there. Having said that the new tenants are doing an excellent job.

Our first nb holiday was from the hire base at Autherly. We went to Stourport, turned round, went past Autherly and got as far as the Cross Keys pub before turning round. As novices it was a great trip and there was lots of different things to see - good facilities too with shopping at Kidderminster and Stourport. It is by far my favourite canal now and I would recommend it to anybody as a first trip

Can recommend the Shady Oak at Beeston - good food. With regard to moorings in Chester we usually moor just under the bridge past the winding hole opposite the OAP sheltered housing. Have moored there on a number of occasions and found it to be great - good access to the shops and near the walls. Try to avoid mooring by the pub just before you go under the bridge (by the winding hole) as it can get very noisy - particularly at weekend.

I can recommend Napton Narrowboats - used them a couple of times. Particularly their Edwardian Elite range.

Had one of the worst meals I have ever had in a pub in the Red Lion a couple of years ago. They had no meat as the "butcher hadn't delivered" so half the menu was off - they offered us "a hand made local beef burger" which when it came was out of a package and like cardboard - my husband refused to eat it and said that it certainly wasn't hand made or local". The response was "yes but its made of meat"! they got really snotty about it too. And it was nearly £10 for the burger - we refused to pay. At the time everybody was saying how good the pub was but it was just expensive and not good. Best pub on the canal I have eaten in is the Navigation Inn on the Staffs & Worcs. Had all day breakfast for £5.95 (inc tea) which could have fed all four of us!

We did Aqueduct Marina to Chester and back in September last year and the year before onwards to Boat Museum at Ellesmere port. It's a lovely run I think and what's more you moored exactly where we did (although we winded at the winding hole in Chester and backed up under the bridge to be away from the noisy pub there. Shady Oak has been closed on Monday's during quiet periods since September last year - not sure about the summer.

a big YES for a new Boat. Friends of ours got brand new boat and are now in litigation over the stuff that was wrong on the boat that has shown up in less than 12 months - the majority of which are structural and relate to electrics (i.e not earthed!). The boat is not fit for purpose and some of the stuff wrong with it is downright dangerous. Boat survey was done by boat builder (common practice I understand) - need I say more.

Really enjoyed it. Found Guy and Mave to be interesting and genuinely interested in what they were doing. We don't have our own boat - but wished we did. Hubby was frothing at the mouth at the sight of that engine (he's a mechanic) and really enjoyed the segments about the smelting of the iron and the pottery and wedgewood. Visited Blists Hill at ironbridge and lost other half for nearly whole day as he stood in the foundry there watching them making sand moulds, casting and the eventual end product. I love industrial heritage and canals and all the stuff related to coal, pottery, iron making and so on go together. The canals are part of our industrial heritage and I think this is what the programme makers are trying to show (perhaps the title is a bit misleading). Can't wait for next week - steam engines are my passion! Off to Shropshire for our hols and will be spending lots of time in Ironbridge at all the lovely museums there! BTW I loved the show "Industrial Revelations" with Mark Williams which has been shown on Discovery Shed (along with more Industrial Revelations). He makes the topic really interesting (he used to be a history teacher). You learn how things used to be done and how lots of common terms we use in speech today are related to our industrial heritage (mad as a hatter, carry the can, etc., etc.)

Hi Macclesfield and maybe on to Bugsworth Basin. We did this last year in 10 days from Aqueduct Marina (a bit further down the line than you) but we only had one long day and spent the rest dawdling along with long lunches! There's heartbreak hill to contend with but we really enjoyed it. Navigation pub at Bugsworth is excellent (lovely home made food and real ale) and the Village Fryery in Whalley Bridge is by far the best chippy I have ever been to - they only do English food and the fish is suckable! (hope you understand this!). Worth the short walk from Bugsworth. Lovely scenery too. The romping donkey at Hassall Green (lock 57 on T&M) serves great food at very reasonable prices. Dandelion & Burdock too (also at Navigation). Red Bull Hotel just before you get onto Macclesfield is also worth a visit. Hope this helps June

Why don't you approach premier inn to see if they will give you a room for free as you are collecting for charity? It would give them a bit of free publicity and would be part of the sponsorship! Same with the other big chains travel lodge/holiday inn express Saves you paying June