KELPIE and Christmas

[ditchcrawler]

15 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Hope you have had better weather today than we have.

 

With family packed off home we have taken the van out. Supposed to be heading for Scarborough but given the heavy rain and strong winds we decided against it and are now in Lincoln for a couple of nights instead.

 

Could have used the boat on the A1 it was that wet! 

 

Just starting to brighten up now so it's pub time in a minute. 

We have had a very bright morning from about 8 am until now, we have just had 5 minutes of heavy rain and its stopped again.

[agg221]

On 27/12/2023 at 14:14, haggis said:

Hi Alec, I didn't read your message till after we moored. Too busy making the turkey soup!

Day 6.

17 locks in 6 miles not bad for a wet and windy day. A boat came past just as we were thinking of setting off  and we have him 10 minutes and set off. The only moving boat we saw all day but he back set a lot of locks in Audlem and Adderley which meant we made good time. We were sheltered from the wind most of the time but it was a bit breezy after the locks. Rather than moor under trees or in an exposed place we carried on to Market Drayton

 Good timing as the heavens opened as soon as we were moored .

A good day's boating.

No problem - hope the soup was good!

 

I rather like Market Drayton as an overnight mooring. It's a pleasant little town with a three convenient supermarkets all in walking distance (we tend to go to the Chinese restaurant in the centre too).

 

Alec

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Naughty Cal said:

Hope you have had better weather today than we have.

 

We had a pretty poor journey home yesterday (we had had Christmas with the Kids up in the Highlands)

Forecast was not good with snow forecast from 9am and particularly heavy for the A9 between Aviemore and Perth, so we left at 5am hoping to get in front of it.

 

As we went thru Inverness it started to gently snow, by the time we got to Aviemore it was horrendous, a few inches settling on the road but with 4WD we kept going, as we got to Dahlwinnie we were passing cars stuck and we needed to engage diff-lock to keep moving at a steady 20mph. It was almost a white out and the headlights just made it worse.

 

We made it past Perth and it changed to 'storm force rain'. Stopped for 5 minutes to refuel, SWMBO got a coffee and we set off into the safety of Englandshire. You realise how having travelled for almost 6 hours and you are still in Scotland, how 'far away' the highlands are.

 

Arrived home after 10 hours 45 minutes and just the one 5 minute stop.

 

Looked on the news to see that the Scottish Police had declared a 'Major Incident' and had closed the A9 not long after we had got thru, they had hundreds of stuck cars and were trying to proritise who to rescue. The road was finally opened around 5pm after the snow ploughs got thru.

 

10:10 am

 

 

12:30

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[Naughty Cal]

34 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

We have had a very bright morning from about 8 am until now, we have just had 5 minutes of heavy rain and its stopped again.

Heavy rain and strong winds pretty much all day where we have been. There was a lot of standing water on the roads.

 

Had to keep the speed right down as we were being badly blown around and the van was wanting to take off on the larger puddles! 

 

Horrible journey. Glad we decided against Scarborough.

 

Lincoln is surprisingly busy for a Thursday afternoon which is nice to see. Looking forward to a couple of good nights out. 

[Guest]

On 25/12/2023 at 11:03, haggis said:

Days 3&4.

No internet last night.

Happy Christmas everyone!

Yesterday was windy when we set off and it got worse. When I stopped in the lock mouth to pick up Iain at Chelmondeston lock the bows were blown right over to the non towpath side and we were just behind the first of the moored boats. Took some welly to get the bows out and Iain was so busy watching the bows that he didn't notice that the tiller was heading for the gate into the moorings. Result, one shorter tiller by about 15 inches. That's going to be challenging for the rest of the trip. 

Left Barbridge this morning and will probably moor just past the Nantwich aqueduct.

Have a good day, everyone,

 

We snapped the wooden section of a tiller once on a hire boat. 

 

It was quite surprising the amount of additional effort required to steer the boat with a shorter tiller but we managed. Napton narrow boats thankfully didn't penalise us either.

[haggis]

Day 7

An interesting day ! A bit damp first thing but it cleared up about 11 and we set off. About 100 yards later the heavens opened but we pressed on till the foot of Tyrley locks and moored up again. When the rain stopped, we set off again and even saw a blink of sun. It didn't last. Finally moored just before the Anchor and it was a struggle fighting the wind to get moored - we are behind a small hedge too.

We saw the first surly C&RT guy today at the top of Tyrley locks. We both spoke to him and we both got blanked. Most unusual and we can't think we did anything to upset him apart from using his canal.😀

[haggis]

Day 8

Much less wind and dry apart from the last two miles

 Saw the late Jeff Dennison s boat (Coronation) .and Phyllis May ( Narrow Boat to C?) Moored at a boatyard just north of Brewood 

this short tiller is hard work ! 

[agg221]

2 minutes ago, haggis said:

Day 8

Much less wind and dry apart from the last two miles

 Saw the late Jeff Dennison s boat (Coronation) .and Phyllis May ( Narrow Boat to C?) Moored at a boatyard just north of Brewood 

this short tiller is hard work ! 

Was it definitely Coronation you saw, rather than Song of the Waterways (both formerly belonged to the late Jeff Dennison)? The latter is definitely currently at Stretton just north of Brewood so if Coronation is also in the vicinity that would be quite a coincidence.

 

Alec

[PCSB]

4 minutes ago, haggis said:

Day 8

...

this short tiller is hard work ! 

Can you perhaps cut a broom handle and lash/strap/gaffer tape it to the remnants?

[haggis]

20 minutes ago, agg221 said:

Was it definitely Coronation you saw, rather than Song of the Waterways (both formerly belonged to the late Jeff Dennison)? The latter is definitely currently at Stretton just north of Brewood so if Coronation is also in the vicinity that would be quite a coincidence.

 

Alec

It was Song of the Waterways! I momentarily forgot the name and when I asked Iain what the name of Jeff's boat had been he said Coronation. When we used to see Jeff when we stopped in Ansty, it was Coronation he had.

24 minutes ago, PCSB said:

Can you perhaps cut a broom handle and lash/strap/gaffer tape it to the remnants?

I had suggested using bits of kindling as splints but was assured it wouldn't work 😀. I find it ok for short spells at the tiller but my shoulders get a bit sore if I steer for a while. Character building, I expect 😀

[agg221]

7 minutes ago, haggis said:

It was Song of the Waterways! I momentarily forgot the name and when I asked Iain what the name of Jeff's boat had been he said Coronation. When we used to see Jeff when we stopped in Ansty, it was Coronation he had.

This was me steering it down there (current owner is sat on the cabin top) back in October:

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2624035521068163&set=gm.6859427404141463&type=3

 

Since Jeff had it, Song now has a Lister JP2 fitted so we tend to go boating together on the grounds that whoever breaks down the other one can tow it. So far that has been us being towed! We went up the Llangollen together in October at half term and then took Song down to Stretton to have some new cloths fitted. There are often some interesting boats about at Stretton (Industry Narrowboats) including Caggy quite recently.

 

Alec

Edited December 29, 2023 by agg221

[ditchcrawler]

26 minutes ago, agg221 said:

Was it definitely Coronation you saw, rather than Song of the Waterways (both formerly belonged to the late Jeff Dennison)? The latter is definitely currently at Stretton just north of Brewood so if Coronation is also in the vicinity that would be quite a coincidence.

 

Alec

A few years back I passed them both within 100 yards of each other near Norbury Wharf, strangely I didn't record it

[agg221]

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

A few years back I passed them both within 100 yards of each other near Norbury Wharf, strangely I didn't record it

That would have been quite good to see. Song of the Waterways is a Les Allen that was acquired through a Section 8 order and nobody seems to know its earlier history, but it has been a well loved boat from Jeff to Anton to the current owner, who occasionally frequents this site.

 

Sorry Haggis - will stop derailing your thread now!

 

Alec

[haggis]

19 minutes ago, agg221 said:

That would have been quite good to see. Song of the Waterways is a Les Allen that was acquired through a Section 8 order and nobody seems to know its earlier history, but it has been a well loved boat from Jeff to Anton to the current owner, who occasionally frequents this site.

 

Sorry Haggis - will stop derailing your thread now!

 

Alec

No problem, Alec, it is all much more interesting than Kelpies travels 😀. We have very fond memories of Jeff  and the evenings we spent in the club with him

Never mind short tillers. There is another crisis! The day before we left I lost the wallet containing all my credit and bank cards and I cancelled them all before the wallet was handed in by a kind person. This means that all holiday shopping is on Iain's cards which is not a problem but I read from my Kindle and I have exhausted my supply of books. Changed to Iain's card but Kindle is being it's usual awkward self and won't connect to the internet. We are going to the Bridge Inn for a meal tonight ( only the 3rd one of this trip) and I will take my Kindle withe me. 

The alternative is got out the jigsaw 😀

I need all the sympathy I can get 😀

 

[haggis]

Day 9.

A change of plan. Neither of us are feeling 100% ( just colds we can't shift ) so we decided to turn and retrace our steps. Checked opening time for Turners and arrived an hour before they shut and they were closed. Still it is the holiday period.

Moved across the canal and moored to have a lazy afternoon. Don't think we have ever moored here before but we'll give the Navigation our custom for a meal tonight. Ate in the Bridge Inn in Brewood last night and it was very good.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Report back on the Navigation please, I’m interested to know what it’s like these days,

the Boat’s the one I use at Gnosall.

with open fire by the bar and wood burner in the other bit,

I enjoyed one of their pizzas once, the other food always looks good when it comes out,

[agg221]

8 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

Report back on the Navigation please, I’m interested to know what it’s like these days,

the Boat’s the one I use at Gnosall.

with open fire by the bar and wood burner in the other bit,

I enjoyed one of their pizzas once, the other food always looks good when it comes out,

I too will be interested to hear how The Navigation is. We had a very pleasant lunch at The Bridge in Brewood in 2022 on the way back from the BCN Challenge and also enjoyed an excellent (although more upmarket) meal at The Staffordshire Grill in the centre of town, but have not yet tried The Navigation.

 

Bad luck on the cold - I am still trying to shift a persistent cough which I would rather get rid of before going boating so I can empathise. At least you can now pootle back gently. Did you get another look at the boats at Industry on the way by?

Alec

[haggis]

20 minutes ago, agg221 said:

Did you get another look at the boats at Industry on the way by?

Alec

I didn't look closely but didn't see Song of the Waterways. I think it was behind another boat and more visible wen going towards Brewood.

I'll certainly report back on the Navigation - to avoid confusion it is the one in Wheaton Aston not the one in Gnosall. The one across the road fro Turners. We used to eat in the Navigation in Gnosall if we stopped there but haven't done that for a while. 

On the subject of the grooved metal plates on bridges. I have noticed that the ones in populated areas are shiny black but the ones out in the country look more scruffy . 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

didn’t realise there’s a navigation in Wheaton Aston so thought you’d meant you were moving up to Gnosall for the evening,

sure you don’t mean the Hartley Arms?

 

[haggis]

8 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

didn’t realise there’s a navigation in Wheaton Aston so thought you’d meant you were moving up to Gnosall for the evening,

sure you don’t mean the Hartley Arms?

 

Yes, that's the name. Does it not show Navigation somewhere?  Might stop in Gnosall tomorrow night or might go on to Norbury . We could do with more coal and kindling but not urgent yet. A case of finding somewhere open 😀

[agg221]

6 minutes ago, haggis said:

Yes, that's the name. Does it not show Navigation somewhere?  Might stop in Gnosall tomorrow night or might go on to Norbury . We could do with more coal and kindling but not urgent yet. A case of finding somewhere open 😀

Is Turner's open tomorrow? Do they have coal and kindling (I believe they have gas and a shop so it's possible)? If so it might be the easier option while you are there.

 

Alec

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

The wharf at Little on might be ok tomorrow?

for coal and logs,

turner’s is shut on Sundays 

Edited December 30, 2023 by beerbeerbeerbeerbeer

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, haggis said:

I didn't look closely but didn't see Song of the Waterways. I think it was behind another boat and more visible wen going towards Brewood.

I'll certainly report back on the Navigation - to avoid confusion it is the one in Wheaton Aston not the one in Gnosall. The one across the road fro Turners. We used to eat in the Navigation in Gnosall if we stopped there but haven't done that for a while. 

On the subject of the grooved metal plates on bridges. I have noticed that the ones in populated areas are shiny black but the ones out in the country look more scruffy . 

Ate there a few years ago and it was very good 

[haggis]

36 minutes ago, agg221 said:

Is Turner's open tomorrow? Do they have coal and kindling (I believe they have gas and a shop so it's possible)? If so it might be the easier option while you are there.

 

Alec

Nope. Turners are shut on a Sunday another couple of  boaters were caught today too. They tied up,  walked up the steps and found the gate padlocked. I noticed that the sign giving the price had bit in small print at the bottom saying add 4.9p for propulsion. Dont remember that bit. 

[Tracy D'arth]

3 minutes ago, haggis said:

Nope. Turners are shut on a Sunday another couple of  boaters were caught today too. They tied up,  walked up the steps and found the gate padlocked. I noticed that the sign giving the price had bit in small print at the bottom saying add 4.9p for propulsion. Dont remember that bit. 

But who ever does?  If you look at his sheet, nobody does. I asked him once and he said he kept the record but nobody ever asks to see it.  Noebury is probably the same price, they seem to copy one another.

I prefer Turners though, its easier to moor for fuel and he sells more so its always fresh. The don't sell petrol anymore since they were told to re-tank. The shop is well priced too for grease and stuff.