Weather just keeps getting better!

On Tuesday 15 May set off in blustery showers.  Unusually, no boats moored at Queens Head but I will stop on way back.  Continued through 3 Aston locks and then on to Maesbury and moored outside the cafe a few hundred yards beyond - am not turning until wind drops!

Wednesday was forecast a sunny and dry day so, after going to lift bridge to turn boat, I packed a lunch and set off to walk to Crickheath, possibly more.  The first part with newish gritted paths to Redwith is not pleasant walking but it was good to see progress made since last year.  After 2 miles I reached Crickheath Wharf - can't wait to see the canal restored through this lovely settlement but it won't be the next stage completed.  Ebony was walking fine so we continued on through Pant and then to Llanymynech, another 2 miles.  Had lunch and a rest near the Hoffman lime kiln in the fascinating heritage area.  Walked back, diverting into Pant village, but Ebony was walking a lot slower the last 2 miles back to the boat - think I will have to stop these long walks - she is 14 1/2 after all!

Thursday - after a stroll (Ebony a bit stiff today), few jobs and lunch at the cafe (bit disappointed with the small menu, but the soup was delicious), I set off for Queens Head.  I managed to get the very last mooring - under the A5.  I walked to find Tony and Margaret, and friend Jean, on Huffler (fellow bloggers) and Daphne on Charlotte.  Sat for about an hour catching up since we last met (thanks for the tea!).  Decided to escape the roar of traffic and at 5.30 (very late for me)but in lovely sunshine, I set off for Perry Aqueduct - boats moored both sides here so continued on to moor in the open on gobions - just possible to get pins in!

Friday - took on water below locks and got rid of rubbish (forgot there is no facility at Maesbury!) then joined 4 other boats at the bottom of the locks.  I finally entered locks but then had to stop to let another boat down staircase.  Moored 2.15 for late lunch at top and then decided to stop the night - love it here - bit like being in a lake!

Saturday 19 May - in a few showers, travelled the 1 1/2 miles to Tetchill (where I used to live) and where I had left my car.  Drove into Ellesmere for a good stock up at Tesco.  Continued to meet lots of local residents, as well as boaters on the farm moorings.  That evening went to Oswestry with my former neighbours, Dave and Viv, for a great pizza meal rounding the evening off at theirs.  Another fond farewell!

Sunday - last walk around my old village then set off for Ellesmere, mooring in the arm, beside hedge and with no view. In afternoon walked along canal, through woods and over to mere (wonderful view as you descend).  Overcast today, sun trying - but lit fire in eve - is it the last?

Monday did a quick stock up at wonderful Vermeulen's deli, butcher etc.  Chatted to couple on MV Arkholme (still don't know their names) but we had gone backwards together down Ribble Link 2 years ago.  Their friends Phil and Doreen had previously fitted out my boat and 'Arkholme couple' had a boaters wedding and used the boat (then named Honeymoon) to leave the Reception!  Set off for Colemere, had lunch then a walk round the mere.  Repotted my herb tub in the shade of a tree, then set off to moor for the night at Hampton Bank - open and sunny.

Tuesday - stayed put as friends were coming in the afternoon and bringing my bike back after borrowing it for their holiday.  Nice and sunny day - good to get some jobs done.  Sowed some more seeds (2 months after the first lot which were pretty poor after the cold/wet weather returned).

Wednesday - travelled just 3 miles to moor in Prees Arm.  Had a lovely walk on mosses (weather now HOT!) and met chap who showed me some wonderful photos of insects and butterflies he had taken - I had seen very little!  Walked back along canal - good to sit in shade on return.

Thursday - coolish but got warmer.  Travelled to Whitchurch and moored in the arm - empty!

Friday - forecast hot and sunny.  Left boat at 8.30 and walked into town.  Got 9.10 bus to Shrewsbury and spent hour and a half in shops and market before getting bus to Ellesmere.  Was asked by lady in bus queue if I lived on a boat - she was Jean, a friend of Tony and Margaret on Huffler and had been on their boat when I saw them at Queen's Head - small world!  Got car, now at Ellesmere, and drove back to Whitchurch - good to get back - it was a hot hot day!  At 5.30 I moved the boat to Grindley Brook, ready for the morning's early start.

Saturday 26 May - Decided to make an early start to work locks before too hot - Ebony really suffers in the heat in last couple of years, since she was diagnosed with Cushing's Syndrome - constant thirst etc.  At 8am moved boat, sorted cassettes, helped a single hander up staircase.  The lockkeeper had now arrived - wearing pale top and shorts for coolness - shunning black uniform.  Apparently a lockkeeper had fallen into the water (somewhere) yesterday and they were all told to keep out of the sun!  Where did you last see enough trees at a flight of locks to provide shelter!  Only 1 boat coming up flight so made good progress and decided to press on through the next 3 - Povey's, Willeymoor and Quoisley.  Moored a mile later with the only tree to be found and spent much of the day sitting in shade or dappled shade - it was HOT HOT HOT!

Good time in Llangollen - but a scary aqueduct trip!

After spending 4 days in my old village of Tetchill - wining and dining, tea/coffee and chats with about 15 of my previous neighbours, friends and dogwalkers (the canal is on the dogwalking circuit so lots of chatting!) I set off  after a quick lunch on a sunny Wednesday 2 May to go the short distance to Frankton Junction (another favourite mooring of mine) where I moored at the top of the locks and facing outwards to watch passing boats at the lake-like junction.  Had to have a few walks down the locks and around the junction but set off next morning. 

As usual there was a queue at New Marton locks.  At the top I took on much needed water (after only taking on a weeks worth at the very slow Ellesmere water point).  I was then joined for lunch by boating friends Fiona and Ann who now have a share in a boat at Market Drayton.  After a good chat and time to catch up they left me to continue on through the edge of St Martins, past Lion Quays (1 boat moored today), under the A5 (Little Chef was Chinese, now Indian - they are taking over everywhere!) and on to moor almost outside a row of cottages just before the Poacher's Pocket pub at Gledrid Bridge (19).
 
This area fascinates me - opposite the cottages appears to be the stonework of an old wharf (just visible) and a boat-length inlet.  As there is a disused shaft and works shown to the west on my Pathfinder map, I assume this was an old coalworks and/or quarry - but now it is a lovely low area where the local ducks congregate with the cows.  Worth going without the TV signal! 

Just up the road from here is the excellent Moreton Park Garden Centre  also walking (Mountain Warehouse), Cotton Traders etc etc, and restaurant and next door a pub.  Also nearby a 'fire shop' to get Morso etc spares plus a pet superstore.

Friday - white cloud and coolish - I set off at 11.20 through Chirk Bank and onto the Chirk Aqueduct (no sun so good photos - think positive!) then through the tunnel, thankfully without any problems - with the flow on this canal it can play havoc with your steering so diagonally is best - and didn't scratch the boat - phew.  Took on a small amount of diesel at Chirk Marina - it is 110/litre! (offered 80/20 split).   Then moored opposite, halfway along its length, where there is a good TV signal.  Time to do some sorting and cleaning before visitors arrive over the BH weekend.

On Saturday I travelled to Froncysyllte (village just before Pontcysyllte Aqueduct) and moored by winding hole to wait for old youth club friends (from the 60's!) Peps and Sue who were coming from Sussex for lunch before travelling on to Liverpool.  At 12 they rang to say horrendous rain and now stuck in stationary traffic on M6.  Later rang to say eta 2pm.  OK lets have lunch late then.  Rang again at 1.30 to say done 20 miles in 1 hour will have to call lunch off - they eventually got to Liverpool at 5pm - poor things.  Meanwhile I had my lunch and returned to the mooring opposite the Marina where I moored with Graham and Kath on nb Stougham Hall.  We had arranged to meet so that Graham could watch the Cup Final on my TV, after which we hade a lovely roast meal prepared by Kath, with quite a few glasses of red wine!  We had last met by boat on the Montgomery last year when we did a lot of walking down the unrestored section - and a few BBQ's too!

Sunday (warm and sunny, slight breeze) - time to say goodbye to lovely friends and for me to return to the Fron. winding hole.  This time I was joined by my daughter Lesley and her 2 girls, Louise 3 and Caitlin 7m, while her husband went off on a boys jolly.  After loading up all the gear we set off across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and continued on along the side of the Dee valley (so lovely) to moor by a lift bridge on the outskirts of Llangollen with gorgeous views of the hills.  Lesley couldn't understand why she was so tired after only 1.5 hours car driving and a bit of walking - that's boating for you, all that fresh air and winding down!

BH Monday - the girls would have slept longer but Ebony woke as usual at 6.30 (Cushings Syndrome gives you a constant thirst) so we all had an early but relaxed start.  Since 7am boats had been leaving Llangollen so we decided to go in after breakfast, setting off at 9.40.  It was cool when we left and Lesley walked the 2nd longer narrow to give us the all clear.  Light rain started at 10.30 but by the time we got to the Moorings Warden's hut it was heavier so the girls went inside and I took the boat into the basin - finding a mooring in the far left corner, nearest to the canal but with a good area of grass to play on (if the rain stops!)

The rain stopped after lunch and we had a walk into town to browse gift shops and to find the much talked about new Stans Superstore (Nisa).

Tuesday was due to be a sun/cloudy day so Louise and I walked Ebony to the station to get a timetable - singing "Down at the station, early in the morning" which became our theme song of the holiday!  We all left the boat soon after 11 to have an early lunch in the Wharf Cafe (very good) and then went to the station below to get the 1pm train.  The engine whistled loudly when Louise was beside it which made her cry but we got her onto the train and she soon cheered up when we were on the way as we said we would alight at the 3rd station where their were swings and slides.  We got the same train back after it had gone to Carrog, the terminus - although they are fundraising to continue on to Corwen.  Back at the station we had tea and cakes in the station cafe before returning to the boat.

Wednesday was to be a wet and sunny day so we walked into town to find a cafe in the high street with a large 2-floor soft play area behind it - converted from the old town cinema!  We spent a good 2 hours here, Lesley and I taking it in turns to spend some time in the shops - some good gift shops here.  It started to rain as we left the cafe and we made our way back to the boat - spending the afternoon indoors - Louise and Caitlin having good after-lunch naps, me to do a food shop.

Thursday forecast: cloud, sun with odd showers.  We set off after 10, stopping briefly at the sanny station and then following another boat through the narrows.  We stopped at the Lift Bridge for coffee and a long lunch break, then Caitlin had a nap as we set off. It was very exciting when the boat horse we had seen being led past us earlier, later returned pulling Saturn - the last Shropshire Union fly boat to be built - and now restored. Wonderful!

At Trevor we took on diesel (89p/litre - you decide) and continued further in to moor in the basin to put food to cook and have a cuppa.  At 4pm we set off to go over the Pont. aqueduct - but as we started going over we found the wind had got up immensely.  At a 1/4 of the way across, the boat was tipping madly towards the towpath side, but rocking back the other way between bursts, also progress was also extremely slow because of this.  I am terrified of heights and dislike crossing at the best of times but now Lesley too is scared so I suggested that we back off and return to Trevor basin.  Of course we had to confess our fear as we went back through the boatyard.  The mooring was pleasant - and out of the wind!

Friday (11th April) morning was sunny with a light breeze so we went over the Pont aqueduct with no problem - although with much fear at first, after yesterday!  Moored, yet again, at the winding hole and after coffee Lesley loaded the car whilst I prepared lunch.   We all said a sad farewell after a lovely girls 'jolly hollyday' - and look forward to their next visit, in August with dad.  I continued to moor opposite Chirk Marina for the night. 

On Saturday, 50% sun/cloud and fairly breezy, I continued on through Chirk Tunnel and the easier aqueduct.  I stopped at Gledrid to walk up to the garden centre for presents, plants etc.  Tomato plants were poor so I bought a sale waterproof coat instead!  Returned to the boat and as TV is bad here I continued on to moor on the straight before New Marton locks.

Sunday was due to get very windy again so I set off at 8am - to find locks getting busy already and by the second it was really windy already (always is here tho) and was very glad to be able to moor up just before Frankton Junction Br 1W at 10.30 where it was sheltered and I later enjoyed lunch in the sun.

Monday 14 April - due to be mostly dry and little wind (anything over 14mph makes me struggle mooring etc) so I moved the boat into the junction before breakfast and rang BW to book to go down the locks onto the lovely Montgomery Canal.  Also Spoke to Colin, the usual lockkeeper - after his stroke he is not expecting to be allowed back to work until October - getting really fed up now.  Nice to chat to him tho - he is usually full of lock keeping tales!  At 12.20 I was the 3rd boat to go down the locks - the lockie and another boater helping me down the 2 staircase locks, then another lady insisted on helping me down the next 2 and the lady from the boat in front came back to assist as well - how lucky I am and how kind boaters are.  After the single Graham Palmer lock (again given help!) I continued on to moor at the Perry Aqueduct - where I could hang out the washing in the sun/wind.  Will stay here the night - getting more windy again plus a few showers.

Must try to update the blog more often - especially now most of the busy spell of visitors/visiting is done for a while.

I'm not quite used to missing afternoon naps!