A lorra lorra boats

 Cute horse and foal

It rained in the night, but when we woke up, the sun was shining! The canal quickly started to get busy as we had breakfast with boats streaming past in both directions. We joined the throng, heading towards the junction with the Shropshire Union Canal Main Line, and by the time we reached it, boats were coming from all directions. We had to wait for several minites before we could turn south, and when we did, we were in a convoy of 6 boats. Then it all changed - we reached the junction with the Llangollen Canal, and everyone else was turning onto it, while we headed past on on southward. From here on the number of boats reduced dramatically. We would like to travel the Llangollen Canal and it seemed a shame to get so close but the amount of boats and the start of the school holidays means long delays at each lock- perhaps next year?

 Passing Troy!

As we entered Nantwich, we spotted this wooden sculpture of a horse.

 View from the aqueduct in Nantwich

We stopped in Nantwich to find a shop and re-stock the larder. It isn't always easy to find shops - today's Spar was in the middle of a housing estate about half a mile from the canal - without the help of someone we met on the canal bank, we could have been wandering round in circles for ages!

 Typical view from the Shropshire Union Canal

The Shropshire Union Canal passes through rolling countryside frequently on high embankments which means you often get the most spectacular views.

 Graham with a face full of meat and potato pie

We stopped for lunch in the middle of nowhere, but at some well maintained moorings complete with picnic tables - luxury indeed.

 More fab views

 Angela buying eggs and sausages from lockside stall

We reached the Audlem flight of locks in the afternoon and set about the ascent. There are 15 l;ocks in the flight, but thankfully they are narrow locks which are a lot easier than wide ones.

 The centre of Audlem

There are a couple of canalside pubs in Audlem and a visitor centre and shop which means there are also a lot of sightseers which gives the place a real holiday atmosphere. We stopped at the shop and bought a map and a mug!

 A cute rabbit

This rabbit seemed largely unaware of us and let us photgraph it from quite close. As we left, Angela left a couple of apples for it.

 View up the Audlem lock flight

Tonight's mooring at sunset

We stopped two locks short of the end of the flight and set about washing Banjo and doing our laundry which we have left out overnight on our small rotary drier on the stern. Clean clothes and a clean boat - won't we look just fabulous as we set off in the morning as long as the washing hasn't blown into the canal!

Shropshire Union

 A reclusive cruiser

The river was busy with other boats when we woke up this morning. The start of the school holidays heralds a dramatic increase in the number of boats on the canals and a corrseponding decrease in the experience of the average captain! Yesterday we met a boat approaching round a bend flat out. There was a girl with a frightened look on her face at the front, shouting to her dad who, on seeing us, turned hard to starboard(!) and shot into the reeds! We are going to see a lot more of this...

 Beautiful scenery on the Shropshire Union Canal

We passed through Middlewich and up several locks with other boats constantly around us. The good thing about the number of boats is that most of the narrow locks were set for us and shared with other crews coming in the other direction. In Middlewich we turned right, leaving the Trent & Mersey canal behind and joining the Shropshire Union Canal. As we cleared Middlewich, the scenery turned to rolling farmland with fabulous views over the Weaver Valley.

 The clouds gathering

The sunshine we had set off in started to disappear and more and more black clouds built up, leading to a prolonged downpour. Kagouls and wet feet yet again.

 The cow rush hour

The weather improved  by late afternoon, so that the cows were able to enjoy sunshine as they headed for the milking shed.

 Angela sheltering from the rain

 Barbridge Marina

We stopped at this marina to fill up with water and diesel. It was a massive place and we were on best behaviour as we sailed up to the quay where the diesel pump was - whereupon I selected forward instead of reverse and we ploughed into the quayside! A guy watching whilst on a mobile phone just turned and walked away - I'd like to have heard the conversation!

Todays cute creature- a horse modelling this season's outfit -for Clare.

 Tonight's mooring

We are moored in the country just beyond some permanent moorings with views across open farmland.

 Beautiful light between downpours

Once the rain stopped this evening, the light changed and the scene above appeared from the galley window, looking like something you might see in a gallery.

 Sunset from Banjo

Banjo's fairy lights

We have a set of solar powered fairy lights on the front of Banjo which are much admired and help us to find our way back if we go to the pub....
Thanks to Lorraine and Andy whose comments about the blog are more random and bizarre than the our ramblings.

 Intriguing Northwich building

We jumped up excidely this morning, having decided that we would be really awful and have breakfast at McDonalds! So, into Northwich, passing the building above on the way. A lot of the buildings in Northwich have been rebuilt in the original style or moved following subsidence caused by extensive salt mining in the area. After breakfast, Angela explored the charity shops while I went in search of bungee straps!

 The River Weaver

Having dragged our purchases back to Banjo, we set of to wait our return trip on the Anderton lift. We arrived on time and were immediately called into the lift.

 A dove taking a free ride

Whilst ascending, we spotted this dove sitting on the underside of the descending caisson - apparantly unfazed by the movement!

 Boats in the other caisson

We had entered the lift on the side which enabled us to look down on the other boats as they went down, and we up. A truly memorable experience and great fun.

 View from the top of the lift

 Leaving the lift for the last time

 It's not all beautiful

We exited the lift and headed south on the Trent and Mersey canal, in the direction of Middlewich. The stretch of canal around the northeast of Northwich has some dreary bits, including passage through the middle of this huge ICI plant.

 A boat which strayed from the right channel

Along this stretch of canal there are lagoons - bits of submerged land adjoining the canal which look inviting but which must not be entered. Steering the correct course requires a bit of guesswork since the edge on the channel is not marked. The boat above appears to have strayed of course, possibly lured there by sirens?

 A cute crow

We spotted this crow in the middle of one of the lagoons. Picture for Clare - sorry we could't find a pony!

 The canal narrows

Parts of the canal are really wide, but in other places it is really narrow, parts with beds of reeds. We had many meetings with other boats which required on or other boat to stop to let the other through.

 Checking out possible mooring

We initially found this lovely spot called Bramble Corner where we initially moored. However, we could not get a TV signal here because of the trees and we wanted to watch a couple of things on TV tonight.

Tonight's rural mooring

So, we moved a few yards down the canal onto the other side and next to a couple from New Zealand. These guys had a house and a flat in Christchurch and both properties have been destroyed or condemed on the February earthquake. Still, they are both fine and are now trying to decide where to make their new home. It's lovely and quiet here, which makes a change from the past few days where we have been in towns or near motorways.

3 Tunnels and a Lift

Waiting to enter Preston Brook Tunnel

After a night within earshot of the traffic on the M56, we awoke refreshed and set off in time to catch our time slot on the 1500 yard Preston Brook tunnel. The tunnel operates a timed slot system to ensure boats do not meet head-on in the narrow tunnel. Going south you need to set off between 30 and 40 minutes past the hour. Angela took the opportunity to make more friends.

Approaching Saltersford Tunnel

 Next came Saltersford Tunnel - shorter but narrow and so operating a similar timing system - this time, between 30 and 50 minutes past the hour.

 Negotiating bends in Saltersford Tunnel

The tunnel has several bends in it and is really narrow making it a real challenge to get through without hitting the sides. This tunnel was clearly built by the B team! After this came another short tunnel - Barnton Tunnel - only 500 yards or so long and almost straight.

 The Anderton Boat Lift

And then we arrived at Anderton where the amazing Anderton Lift is situated. This incredible feat of engineering takes boats up and down the 50 feet between the Trent and Mersey and the River Weaver. Boats sail into one of two caissons, two at a time, and the mechanism working like a see-saw lowers two boats while raising two others. We just had to have a go since we were this close, so we booked in to what turned out to be the last available slot for the day, 15:30.

 Watching boats in the lift

 While waiting we eandered about the information centre and watched other boats coming and going.

 In we go

 Now it was our turn, and we and another boat sailed onto the aqueduct leading to the lift.

 View down to the River Weaver from the lift

 The view from up here is pretty spectacular with an enourmous salt processing works opposite and the River Weaver stretching away towards Northwich.

 About to descend

Once into the caisson, large guillotine gates descend and seal the ends. After a lot of whirring and clanking, we slowly started to drop - just like an elevator, but on a massive scale. It was really weird to be on a boat, floating, but going down in a lift.

 Our lift mates emerging after us

 Once down at river level, the water levels in the caisson and the river are equalised and another guillotine gate opens to let us out. As we exited, the freshly raised gate was pouring water down and even though it wasn't raining for once, we got wet.

 The River Weaver

 It was nice to be on a big river again and the views were lovely.

Tonight's mooring in Northwich

 We made it into Northwich, and found a good spot to moor for the night. We had a walk around the town which was quite a bit bigger than we expected, and gathered some provisions before returning to Banjo.

Another wintry day

 Leaving Lymm

After a peaceful night we left Lymm in cool drizzly conditions. The counrtyside is very pretty and there were a lot more boats - generally moving in the opposite direction.

 Moored boats on the aqueduct at Lymm

 Us dressed for November, but in July

As the weather got worse and the temperature dropped we had to resort to hats and at one stage G was wearing yellow rubber washing up gloves to keep his hands warm - we got some funny looks from other boaters as he waved and forgot he was wearing them!

Familiar site on the Bridgewater Canal

This is a feature that we have omny come accross on this canal - the cranes lift and place huge pieces of timber into slots in case of a breach to act as temporary locks. 

The Cockcroft Institute

This is a huge science park noted for the development of particle acceleration. It combines scientists, academics, business and education and looks very impressive.

 Graham with Karen and Alan

We moored mid afternoon in Preston Brook. We pulled in to the boatyard as the Nicholson Guide said it had a launderette - but it hasn't. However the owner said we could moor for the night for no cost and an electrical hook up - very kind. It was also convenient to meet up with Karen and Alan who we met at a caravan and boat show in Feb. We had a lovely meal and a fun evening. Thanks for the lift and for being such good company.

Is this really July?

 Setting off from Castlefield

It rained all night and it was still pouring this morning. It was also cold and windy as we untied wet ropes and set off, leaving Manchester behind and headed for Cheshire. Angela set about cleaning up inside Banjo while I enjoyed myself standing outside in the rain! We returned back along the Bridgewater canal, to the junction imaginitively named "Waters Meet", and then turned into new waters, heading South.

 Riverside pub in Sale, Cheshire

We made our way through the suburbs of Manchester, passing Salford, Sale, Altringham and Dunham Town, getting steadily wetter and colder.

 Offices in Sale

By the time we reached the water point south of Dunham Town, we were completely soaked and pretty cold. Can this really be July? We filled the water tank and had lunch and by the time the tank was full, the rain had eased off a bit and we had warmed up. We pressed on and arrived in Lymm where we decided to moor for the night.

 Tonight's mooring in Lymm

 Lymm Cross

We explored Lymm this evening - it's a pretty little village with an inordinately large number of places to eat and have your hair done!

The centre of Lymm

We were having dinner when we heard a knock on the door. It was the guy from the boat moored in front of us - one of his ropes had come loose and he had dropped his hammer in the river, while trying to drive a mooring spike into the bank. He asked if he could borrow ours, which he did, and I suggested we could use our magnet on a rope to try to find his. After a couple of minutes fishing about, hey presto, up came the hammer. Only it wasn't, it was someone elses - amazing co-incidence that someone else should have lost a hammer at the same spot. He was happy to keep this one, which was better than the one he had lost.....

A wet day in Manchester

 A Big Wheel

It rained all night and was raining in the morning. The forecast said today would be awful and the forecast was 100% accurate! We pondered moving off but decided that another day in Manchester would be infinately preferable, and so after breakfast we walked to the nearest supermarket and re-stocked with food.

 Half a fairly big wheel

There are signs of this area's industrial heritage all around here with beautiful old warehouses and bridges at every turn. We jumped on a tram and headed into the city. We have both loved the trams and are like a couple of excited kids as we stare out of the windows marvelling at being on a train driving down the street! The sales are on and Angela checked out most of them in some detail. We didn't do much in the way of sighseeing since it just didn't stop raining all day.

A local flower girl

We enjoyed our final tram trip back to Castlefields and returned to Banjo to dry out and get something to eat. We plan to cast off again in the morning, and will retrace our steps back out of Manchester before heading south on the Bridgewater Canal towards Lymm and Preston Brook where we plan to meet up with some friends.