Keeping Up in 2011

[Smudge]

We had a fantastic weekend on the Black Sluice. Both the pubs on that waterway are VERY highly recommended indeed.

 

Finally we made the mad dash up with the tide from Black Sluice Lock to the Boston Grand Sluice, to get there in time to pass though on a level. After a last evening of drinks with the Fairies - and wishing them many many thanks for all their help in making the last 3 weeks absolutely magical - it was time to set off on our travels again and head back inland.

 

So long Boston, and thanks for all the fish.

Its been a pleasure you can come back as an honorary Dave when ever you like

[Keeping Up]

Its been a pleasure you can come back as an honorary Dave when ever you like

 

I'd be very happy to be known as "Dave Exit" again next time (those who don't speak Welsh should look up the meaning of the word "Allan"). It is certainly better than being called "Dave Out" which makes it really difficult to call people on the VHF radio - every time I said "This is Dave Out" they'd stop talking to me.

 

Well we're back on a canal again now at Nottingham, after a very windy trip on the river up from Stoke Bardolph this morning. Next we'll be making our way slowly along to the Trent & Mersey - passing through Rugeley at the weekend on our way to Manchester.

 

So if there's anyone around, especially if there's a pub in the vicinity, please wave furiously and we'll stop.

[paddy r]

Take care Dave Exit see you again soon,

Paddy

[Keeping Up]

Just a minute, our plan is to travel length of the T&M without hesitation, deviation, or repetition.

 

Well there has been a slight hesitation - we stopped at King's Bromley for a couple of days so we could go to our Grand-Goddaughter's christening (she's also our God-Granddaughter) and then hesitated again because our brand-new batteries weren't behaving themselves and now they've been replaced) - butthere's definitely been no deviation or repetition.

 

And now with Heartbreak Hill securely behind us, we're at Middlewich waiting for a man to come and declare us to be a ship so that we can go on the big canal near Manchester. So are there any other CWDF members around this area, who fancy a mini-banter?

[Ange]

Our paths so nearly crossed Allan!!

 

Keep an eye out for mum & dad's boat Monty - a 40 footer sporting a Sale Cruising Club pennant - they should be in or around Middlewich about now on their way back to their mooring. Say hello from us if you see them!

[Ange]

Just spoke to dad and they were waiting to go through Harecastle Tunnel so you won't see them!

[Keeping Up]

Well we've waited a day in Middlewich , and now we are officially a ship.

 

Setting off tomorrow, intending to stay a few days in Manchester.

[alan_fincher]

.............and now we are officially a ship.

Only "officially a ship" ?

 

I discovered we are officially an historic ship!

[Keeping Up]

Only "officially a ship" ?

 

I discovered we are officially an historic ship!

 

On what basis is Sickle a ship?

 

Our previous boat Thistle was properly registered at Hull as a 13-ton ship "complete with all guns, ammunition and appurtenances" and had her SSR number carved into tye front bulkhead.

 

Keeping Up on the other hand is merely a ship for the purposes of navigating the Manchester Ship Canal, having been today granted a Certificate of Seaworthiness.

[Janet S]

Where are you heading after Manchester Allan? Would love a chance to meet up again!

 

Janet x

[Keeping Up]

Where are you heading after Manchester Allan? Would love a chance to meet up again!

 

Janet x

 

That would be great!

 

We'll be turning around at Castlefield instead of tackling those big Rochdale locks again, and going down the Anderton lift before making a brief MSC excursion from Weston Marsh to Ellesmere Port.

 

Additional crew/passengers are always welcome of course.

[alan_fincher]

On what basis is Sickle a ship?

 

Well to be fair, although the register is called "National Hisatoric Ships", elsewhere it uses the term "Historic Vessel"

 

To quote.....

 

To qualify for the National Register of Historic Vessels, a vessel must:

 

. be at least 50 years old

. have demonstrable and significant associations with the UK

. be based in UK waters

. be more than 33 ft (10.07 metres) in length overall (length OA) measured between the forward and aft extremities of the hull overall excluding any spars or projections.

. be substantially intact

 

So in fact, despite her reduced length, she qualifies very easily.

 

The information in the register is not strictly correct, but my first attempt to get them to correct has only been partially successful. Hence we have a 2008 Lister, apparently!.....

[Keeping Up]

Well we've reached Manchester now, and are moored at Castlefield so if there's anyone around here this weekend, come and see us.

 

When we leave here we'll be going back to Anderton and down the lift to the river Weaver before using the MSC to get to Ellesmere Port on probably Monday 20th.

[Keeping Up]

After a thoroughly enjoyable stay in Castlefield, and a visit from a rain-soakes RJ, we're on the move again.

 

We moored at Lymm last night. What a delightful little town (and what a good selection of places to eat and drink!). If you ever stop here, take the time to take the footpath to Lymm Dam and walk around th lake, it is absolutely beautiful.

 

So now its onwards towards the Anderton Lift. Probably going down tomorrow or maybe Thursday. We've booked our passage from Weston Marsh to Ellesmere Port for next Monday, so if anybody else would to join us and see that stretch of the MSC just let us know.

[Keeping Up]

Haven't been able to post for a while, after Vodaphone's PAYG data network crashed last week.

 

Had a great week on the Weaver, including a visit from Kez on Ariel which was being fuelled up in Northwich where the Floatel used to be. What a wonderful improvement that has been to the waterfront in Northwich, I hope they find something good to do with the space.

 

So we pottered down to Weston Marsh this morning, and today had the most fantastic trip along the MSC to Ellesmere Port in brilliant sunshine.

[Keeping Up]

So here we are on the Ruabon arm (ie the basin at Trevor). We walked down the hill to the Mill Inn last nigt, for some excellent locally-brewed beer at just £2 per pint. It's a very basic local but extremely friendly and well worth visiting. The beer in Telford's Inn is over 50% more expensive - but their food is good.

 

These phone networks keep crashing, although this time it's the phone network that's gone, rather than the data network. We can't really blame the phone company (O2) though, the builders demolished the old factory chimney that their aerial was attached to.

[cotswoldsman]

So here we are on the Ruabon arm (ie the basin at Trevor). We walked down the hill to the Mill Inn last nigt, for some excellent locally-brewed beer at just £2 per pint. It's a very basic local but extremely friendly and well worth visiting. The beer in Telford's Inn is over 50% more expensive - but their food is good.

 

 

 

Yes the food at the Telford is great and the landlady (better not say!!!) Worth stopping at Mad Jacks on the way back good food and good beer.

[Keeping Up]

After a couple of great days in Llangollen, we did indeed stop and have a meal at Mad Jack's on the way back down the canal. Once again the food was superb.

 

We then ventured down the Monty for a couple of days. The peace and quiet of that short stretch of canal is just marvellous after the hurly-burly of the Llangollen. Back on the main canal I had to keep reminding myself to speed up again, otherwise I kept getting boats wanting to pass me.

 

A walk to the Swan at Marbury was fascinating, and we had a good meal there too. A fairly basic pub-food menu rather than posh restaurant, but good value for money.. If you walk around the grounds of the church, the view across the Mere which suddenly greets you is simply breathtaking.

 

We stopped for a couple of days at Wrenbury, so I could catch a train back to Milton Keynes for a day. This gave us the chance to call into the Cotton Arms (which is usually our favourite) and also the Dusty Miller. I must say, this time the Dusty Miller won in the categories of service, friendliness, cleanliness, atmosphere, beer quality, food quality, and of not over-charging us. In fact the only category in which the Cotton Arms was better was that of price (although this was more than cancelled out by their over-charging us).

 

Wrenbury was a most interesting sight, they had a scarecrow competition. The quality of most scarecrows wasn't up to the high standards of South Kyme, but there was maybe even more inventiveness in the range of subjects displayed. I particularly liked the 6ft tall model poodle, wearing Cruella de Ville's dalmation-fur coat, barbecuing a couple of dalmation puppies on the village green and selling them as "hot dogs".

 

Finally after turning right at Hurleston, we were pleased to be hailed by Dr Bradley who had been tracking our progress down the locks on Water Explorer. There was no traffic for 15 minutes so we were able to let the boat drift across the canal while we had a chat.

 

And now we're making our way slowly down the Shroppie, currently moored at the top of the Audlem flight (to watch the Grand Prix, and what an exciting race it was too! We're not hurrying, although the call of the Anchor is getting stronger all the time.

[Odana]

When does the good ship Keeping Up hit Birmingham? Or are you skipping it this time?

[Keeping Up]

When does the good ship Keeping Up hit Birmingham? Or are you skipping it this time?

 

Well yes and no, as it were. We're skipping Birmingham at first, going down to Gloucester/Sharpness and then coming back up-river to travel the Droitwich canals before ascending Tardy and into Brimingham in the first half of August. I do hope this means our paths will cross at some point.

[Ange]

Well yes and no, as it were. We're skipping Birmingham at first, going down to Gloucester/Sharpness and then coming back up-river to travel the Droitwich canals before ascending Tardy and into Brimingham in the first half of August. I do hope this means our paths will cross at some point.

 

When do you expect to be on the Droitwich canals? We're on the Stratford at the mo, setting off for Droitwich this Thursday - it'd be great if our paths crossed.

[Keeping Up]

When do you expect to be on the Droitwich canals? We're on the Stratford at the mo, setting off for Droitwich this Thursday - it'd be great if our paths crossed.

 

it would indeed be great, but I think you'll be there first as we're going to Gloucester (and maybe Sharpness) first.

 

What will you do when you reach the Severn, perhaps our paths will cross then?

 

You can track us on Water Explorer (see link in the signature)

[Graham Davis]

Alan, why is the "6 of clubs" from your link in the middle of Faversham?

[Odana]

We're loitering on the Avon now, aiming for Tewkesbury then Worcester the weekend after next (ie not this weekend but the w/e of 23-4 Jul), then Droitwich sometime in the last week of July/start of Aug. Will wave as we pass on the Severn - let me know when you're close and we could even drop by by car en route to/from Brum one day

[Ange]

it would indeed be great, but I think you'll be there first as we're going to Gloucester (and maybe Sharpness) first.

 

What will you do when you reach the Severn, perhaps our paths will cross then?

 

You can track us on Water Explorer (see link in the signature)

 

On the surface it would appear that we'll be there first, but our cruising patterns are very different. Unless we have to be somewhere by a certain date we regularly stop for days at a time on our way if we find something on the pink map we fancy exploring, or if there's a few dismantled railways in the area

 

We haven't decided yet where we're going after Droitwich - we tend to work one destination at a time. I know Dave wants to explore the BCN next but that could change in a second if a viable banter thread appears on the forum!

 

I'll follow your progress via your link - I'm sure our paths will cross!

 

Note to self - sort out this software so we can do the same sort of linky!!