NB Alton

Coalboat Alton is continuing regular fortnightly deliveries on the Macc Summit/ Upper Peak Forest, with fortnightly road deliveries around Manchester, Lower Macc, River Weaver & Caldon (monthly). Meanwhile our Four Counties deliveries are bit more of a challenge:- It's taken a bit of work to reschedule our deliveries for the coming month due to a number of emergency stoppages on our route including the culvert collapse nr Audlem on the Shroppie, the breach on the Chester cut at Beeston and the landslip to the north of Anderton on the T&M. With all this in mind Fuelboat Bargus & Halsall schedules are as follows:- BARGUS'S LATEST SCHEDULE:- (Working a 200+ miles 180+ locks Four Counties Horseshoe!) Text your orders to Jason on 07486 872158 8 - 9th: Church Minshull through Nantwich to Green Locks (wind) to Bunbury 10 - 12th: Road deliveries from Bunbury through Chester to Ellesmere Port 17 - 18th: Calverly through Nantwich to Hack Green (wind) 19th - 21st: Nantwich to Bosley Bottom Lock via Middlewich & Hardingswood Jn 22nd - 24th: Harecastle Tunnel to Gailey via Stoke, Stone, Great Haywood & Penkridge 25th - 28th: Gailey to Audlem Bottom Lock via Brewood, Wheaton Aston, Norbury & Market Drayton (this assumes tge Woodseaves stoppage will be clear by then). If not we will deliver from Norbury to Audlem by road ? 1st - 3rd March: Audlem to Stone via Norbury, Brewood, Penkridge & Great Haywood 4th to 8th March: Stone to Nantwich & Hack Locks via Stoke, Middlewich & Barbridge 9th - 11th March: Road deliveries from Bunbury through Chester to Ellesmere Port HALSALL'S LATEST SCHEDULE text your orders to Roberta & James on 07491 149149 15th -19th: Anderton to Middlewich area as well as road deliveries on the T&M North of Anderton 1st - 5th March: Anderton to Middlewich area as well as road deliveries on the T&M North of Anderton As always these schedules are our current plan but can be subject to changes due to further stoppages, weather conditions, etc, etc. But with all the pubs still closed at least we won't have that distraction to hold us up! ??

Fuelboats Halsall & Bargus Delivery Schedule December 2020 We're thankful that we've been kept busy during Lockdown 2 & we'll be continuing our regular reliable deliveries as much as we possibly can given current CRT winter & emergency stoppages Halsall (07491 149149) continues to work in the Northern T&M (currently between stoppages at Broken Cross & Whatcroft Hall), whilst Bargus (07486 872158) will be working the full Four Counties Ring & Chester Cut to the Port. . Halsall's December Schedule:- 6th - 9th: Acton Bridge to Anderton to Broken Cross (by Road) Orchard, Park Farm & Oakwoods Marinas by boat 19th - 22nd: Acton Bridge to Anderton to Broken Cross (by Road) Orchard, Park Farm & Oakwoods Marinas by boat Bargus's December Schedule :- 5th: Middlewich to Bunbury (wind) 6th - 9th: Bunbury to Brewood 10th -12th: Brewood to Stone (via Autherly Jn & Great Haywood Jn) 13th -15th: Stone back to Barbridge (via Stoke & Middlewich) 16th - 19th: Barbridge to Ellesmere Port & back to Barbridge 22nd - 23rd : Barbridge through Nantwich to Audlem 31st - 2nd Jan: Audlem to Brewood Other areas such as River Weaver (11th /12th and Caldon (12th) will be covered by road delivery Please note the above schedule is only our plan & things may change due to stoppages, weather, customer volumes, so please bear this in mind when ordering. To help us provide a good service, please:- 1. Pre-order by text to the relevant fuelboat, stating your boat name, location & what you would like. 2. Have a very clearly visible boat name 3. Pay promptly wherever possible, but let us know if you have any issues & we will do our best to be flexible 4. Let your neighbouring boats we are coming 5. Keep to the Covid-19 advice of social distancing etc. 6. Please don't panic buy, if people are sensible we will be able to keep everyone supplied regularly

Halsall & Bargus's Schedules for Four Counties:' November is the time when things start getting seriously busy for us coalboaters. Despite Lockdown 2 we will be continuing our regular deliveries as we are an essential service. The team have grabbed a bit of much needed R&R and will be back to work in the next few days. Halsall (Tel:- 07491 149149) is working on the Northern T&M, whilst Bargus (Tel:- 07486 872158 ) is working the Four Counties Ring & Chester Cut to Ellesmere Port. Halsall's November Schedule:- 9th: Acton Bridge to Anderton 10th - 12th: Anderton south to Broken Cross, Orchard, Park Farm & Oakwoods Marinas 23rd: Acton Bridge to Anderton 24th - 26th: Anderton south to Broken Cross, Orchard, Park Farm & Oakwoods Marinas. Bargus's November Schedule :- 10th: Church Minshull to Bunbury (wind) 11th - 14th: Bunbury to Brewood 15th -17th: Brewood to Stone (via Autherly Jn & Great Haywood Jn) 18th -21st: Stone back to Brewood 22nd - 25th: Brewood to Barbridge 26th - 29th: Barbridge to Ellesmere Port & back to Barbridge 30th: Middlewich Branch, Barbridge to Middlewich Other areas such as River Weaver (13th /14th and 27/28th & Stone to Middlewich area (17/18th) will be covered by road delivery Please note the above schedule is only a plan & things may change due to stoppages, weather, customer volumes etc. To help us provide a good service, please:- 1. Pre-order by text to the relevant fuelboat, stating your boat name, location & what you would like. 2. Have a clearly visible boat name 3. Pay promptly wherever possible, but let us know if you have any issues & we will do our best to be flexible 4. Let your neighbouring boats we are coming 5. Keep to the Covid-19 advice of social distancing etc. 6. Please don't panic buy, if people are sensible we will be able to keep everyone supplied regularly

Your welcome, hopefully you can find some space ??

Hi, unfortunately there's no longer any coal / fuel boats doing a regular delivery run on the southern Staffs & Worcs through Kinver. Halsall covers the Four Counties Ring so does Autherley Jn to Great Haywood. Mountbatten I think did one run down there last Autumn. John & Jenny Jackson sold their business to Charlton Whitehouse who do road deliveries, or if you want one of 2 tons then we could deliver by road or a drop by boat in the Summer. Hope that helps. Cheers, Brian Renaissance Canal Carrying Four Countries Fuels Ltd

Halsall works the Four Counties Ring, so is through Autherley Junction, Wolverhampton at least once a month (Currently heading north on the T&M from Great Haywood to Middlewich, then across to Nantwich area next week. Seehttps://www.facebook.com/fourcountiesfuels/ for updates or call Lee & Roberta 07491 149149

Once again we're running a series of traditional canal crafts workshops. Our team are really keen that these skills & crafts are passed on from generation to generation and kept alive on our living, working waterways. Many CWDF members have had enjoyable weekends on our previous courses. Our first course this year is Roses & Castles with Phil Speight weekend 23-24th Feb 2019 It's a fabulous two day hands on Workshop where you will learn how to paint traditional narrowboat roses and castles with renowned master Craftsman Phil Speight. Phil's skills, knowledge & passion for this traditional method of decoration shine through to guide, teach & inspire trainees. You don't need any previous experience, just an interest in this fascinating traditional skill & a desire to learn. Lunch and all materials are included, plus you'll take away your completed practice board. The course takes place at our working boatyard at Bollington Wharf. Throughout the year we'll be running more courses including signwriting, boat painting, fendermaking and advanced roses & castles. For more details of all our courses & dates see:- https://www.bollington-wharf.com/canal-crafts Cost: £135. We require a £50 deposit to secure your place. To book, please just call us on 01625 575811 or email enquiries@bollington-wharf.com Cheers, Brian - NB Alton

Brilliant, that really does bring back those memories. Thanks for sharing the photo. It's incredible to think that's all filled in now, such a shame they can no longer have supplies brought in by water. Cheers, Brian

I'm pretty sure this is one of the first working boats I ever saw. I used to love to stand on the New Chester Road bridge & watch these barges work in from the Mersey & Bromborough Pool Dock into Lever Bros Works, Port Sunlight. On a Friday evening, my Dad would take some of the barge men their wages. That really is a big Northwich! Now where could we do a fuel round with that ;-)

Thanks for the mention Tim. We had a fab weekend, catching up with old friends & making new ones, demonstrating fendermaking to the public & a few pints of an evening. Big thanks to Andrew & Liz for organising. I'll try & upload some photos. Cheers, Brian

Preparations for investigation

The 4 holes in the canal bed

Sorry I've only just seen your pm. I'll try & upload some photos but I don't always succeed on here. Cheers, Brian

I saw Dean this morning he was alive & well in the real world ;-)

Over the next few days (27 - 29th Feb) Alton will be delivering fuel supplies on the Macclesfield summit & Upper Peak Forest Canals, we'll be out again next weekend 5 - 7th March & 19th - 21st March. We also make regular road deliveries around Manchester (including Hyde, Ashton, Droylesden & New Islington) as well as on the Caldon Canal. If you need supplies, just give us a call or text on 07791 345004. Cheers, Brian

Engineers were taking core samples through this "island" to determine its contruction/ constituents to try and work out how to repair / stabilise the lock last year.

The Cheshire Locks are one of my favourite flights & I must have worked the hundreds of times without much heartbreak. Alton was built & remains 7'+ width and passes through all the currently open (and some of the currently closed) locks designated as 6'10" only. Cheers, Brian

Lock 60 at Malkins (towpath side) has been out of use since June this year https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/3585/lock-60-towpath-side-trent-and-mersey simply because the CRT noticed that the chill bumper was broken and after a boat sinking in Cholmondeston Lock just prior to this (primarily as a result of a broken chill bumper), they then decided to close this lock, despite it being a relatively simple job to repair it they haven't got round to it yet. Lock 63 has towpath side has been getting narrower over the past 5 or 6 years, it is thought this is possibly due to movent in the centre island. Alton used to be able to pass through lock 63 towpath side without a major problem, but a few years ago it became increasing difficult to pass through and other modern boats where also getting stuck BW then closed this lock but CRT have recently been investigating the issues with this lock & it is currently being repaired.

David Jones previously worked & owned working boats, including the Bletchley, so I would guess he knew back cabins were a great use of space on a boat. We'll try & remember to ask him when we next see him, he's now retired but still has his own boat. Cheers, Brian

Well it's getting to be a busy time for us coal boaters, Myself, Ann Marie, Martin, Hannah & Jon have all been working our socks of, out in all weathers. :- This weeks deliveries are as follows:- Alton:- we've just returned from our fortnightly run on the Macc & Peak Forest from Macclesfield to Whaley Bridge. For the rest of the week we'll be making road deliveries to areas that we're unable to visit due to stoppages. So we'll be delivering on the Caldon, on the T&M from Great Haywood to Wheelock, the lower Macc and the Staffs & Worc from Coven to Great Haywood. Then later we'll be delivering on the northern T&M from Wheelock to Preston Brook and on the River Weaver Halsall is fully loaded & delivering on the complete length of the Shroppie from Ellesmere Port to Autherley Junction, the up the Staffs & Worcs to Coven. Mountbatten is delivering on the Llangollen, by boat on the western / upper end & by road in areas effected by stoppages. If you need fuel supplies please just get in touch & we'll arrange delivery. Cheers, Brian

Ha, you're on my kind of pub walking times! Have you actually walked it?! It's got to be a similar distance to the one stop shop from Cheddleton top lock (i.e coming on for a mile ;-)) & the beer was undrinkable last time I waas there. However the Dyesrt Arms is worth the mile or so walk from Bunbury Staircase. Maybe you can check them out tomorrow night? Cheers, Brian

Once again, we've had a last minute cancellation for our fendermaking course, running this weekend 17/18th October at Audlem Mill. If anyone would like to join us, just give us a call or text on 07791 345004, cost is £125 including all materials, lunch & refreshments. We start at 10am tomorrow. Cheers, Brian

Thanks for the mention Liam, & yes, just to confirm, Alton & Halsall, both do pumpouts. Cheers, Brian

I'm not expert but I would think that a mobile phone' could be used to connect the wi-fi , then have the hotspot turned on to share this connection. Worth a try? Cheers, Brian

Yes, very sad news indeed. Our sincere condolences to Liz & family. Tim has done a lot of work on Alton over the years both in our custodianship & Georges, including re-bottoming, re-footing, & riveted repairs. At dockings I would stay on the boat & work as his labourer / trainee, on my second day whilst waiting for the blacking to dry, I asked if I could do anything to help & he said if I was feeling energetic I could dig & scrape some of the mud & silt out of the bottom of the dock. When Tim & Roy came back in the morning they couldn't believe they're eyes to see a totally clear brick floor :-) . My reward was some of Tim & Liz's fine, freshly brewed proper coffee. Tim was a real engineer, equally as good with hands as with his head. When we needed to do some riveted repairs, he had the time & patience to show me how to make the rivets & together we completed the repairs. He was always willing to give others the benefit of his knowledge or advice, either in person, over the phone or via email or the net & he obviously loved CWDF & got pleasure from helping others. Tim didn't seem himself when I saw him early in the spring & said he was feeling run down & must have had some sort of bug. Then a few months ago when I called in at Dutton he was sat in the garden, I sat down & we chatted in the sunshine, he told me the news of his recent diagnosis. It was one of those very rare conversations (for me at least, that I felt I could drop all barriers & speak from the heart), I'm crying again now just thinking about it. He asked me to keep the details & severity of his illness private. I believe that Tim's funeral will be a private / family affair, but I think it is planned to have a celebration of his life prior to, or during the Acton Bridge Steam & Boat Gathering on the Weaver 2nd - 4th October, an event Tim loved & has attended for very many years. I'll post more details when I know them. RIP Tim, you'll live on in the many boats you've helped keep afloat. Cheers, Brian