Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th August
Saturday we just managed to paint the red on the side of the boat, then it rained! Fortunately the rain didn’t come to much so all is still intact. I decided not to do the gas locker lid (tomorrow maybe?).
After painting we trundled off to Tesco’s for some heavier items (beer and wine mainly). On the way we had a chat with a chap moored two boats in front of us, adjacent to the park. Apparently the rowdy youth in the park on Friday night got a bit more rowdy and started throwing apples at the boats moored opposite. The apples were then replaced with stones. Some locals came out and berated them and they went. The landlord of the Big Lock also called the police about it because, as he said, if people don’t want to moor up there because of these idiots he will lose trade. Last night there was another gathering in the park but apart from a bit of noise and rubbish there wasn’t any trouble.
Talking of the landlord of the Big Lock, his name is Mark and I told you he has 2 Bull Terriers. He took them out yesterday when we were sitting outside the pub with George and we got chatting. When he got back from his walk he took his two back in the pub then he came over to see George. George was well impressed because he got chews and a drink of water, then the chef appeared with more roast beef as well!
Mark also wanted to pick our brains (such as they are!) about buying a boat because he is thinking about it. His girlfriend, Julie, had never been on a narrowboat. He wanted her to see George as well but she was out and didn’t return before we left the pub. Ken said he could bring her round later to see George and they could have a look round the boat as well. So when we got back I had to hoover round and tidy up!
Mark and Julie turned up about an hour later and she was really taken with George. I’m not sure she was quite so taken with the boat, especially when she saw how small the wardrobes were! Mark was very interested though.
Today we took 2 hours to come about 1 mile! This did include 4 locks and a water stop. While we were at the water point 3 boats went past us so ther was a bit of a queue at the first lock by the time we got there. We were following some Americans who didn’t really have a clue so I helped them up 2 locks then passed them on to someone else when it was our turn to come in to the first lock! The boat behind us had plenty of crew but none of them were interested in helping, (there was a lot of cleaning and paint spraying going on while they were waiting), so when it was my turn I was on my own as usual!
The Americans were going up the Middlewich Branch of the Shroppie but by the time we got to the junction unfortunately he had over shot the turning and was blocking the whole canal as he tried to line up with the bridge. Just as he got lined up another boat wanted to come out of the Middlewich Branch so he had to back up and lost his line again, bless! The emerging boat was going the same way as us and as Ken was trapped the other side of the American’s boat at the junction I let them into my lock. I said it didn’t make any difference to us because – a) Ken couldn’t get past the American and – b) we were going to moor up at the top anyway. She said they were going to moor up at the top and I said they better not nick the last space! As it happened ther was loads of room and as they had ‘gazumped’ us she stopped and helped me with the lock.
Before we could go up there was a boat coming down which wouldn’t have been a problem except that when they came out of the lock they wanted to go to the water point at the junction and tried to pull in for it while Ken was trying to move off the bank to come in the lock! He was trapped between their boat and the bank! He had to glide along the bank, on the inside of them, for a few yards to get clear, thus damaging the new paintwork!
We were glad to moor up I can tell you! On our way to The Kings Lock with George later we saw J J moored up and had a chat with Clive, who we met at Hassall Green when we came down here a few weeks ago. He has been to Manchester and Liverpool since we saw him.
We are staying here tomorrow ostensibly because we want to have some more of those lovely fish and chips we had last time we were here! Mind you, I have just heard from Barbara and the way they’re going and the way we’re going they will get to Kidsgrove before us if we don’t pull our fingers out!
