All Change, No OIL Change

Overnighted at Higher Poynton just past bridge fifteen.  Below the view from the side hatch this morning looking out over the 'flash', a mining subsidence that has flooded and created a lake. The decision this morning was to stay put and for Joe to change the engine oil. We are relatively close to a municiple recycling centre so oil disposal is at hand....

Leaving Joe this morning I headed off with the two dogs for a walk - an oil change was planned so I thought I needed to make myself scarce for at least a couple of hours. 

This is ex-mining country, very EX.  I think there are the remains of fifty pits hereabouts and below is the former Engine House for one of the pits, now pressed into alternative use. 

When we returned himself was down the engine hole.  The old oil was out, the filter changed and new oil was about to be poured.

After a lunch of homemade bacon and corn chowder we set off to the local facilities to dump rubbish and cassette contents and I carried on the recycling centre to dispose of the old oil.  Ten litres of old oil.  My knuckles were scraping the pavement by the time I got there!!
Still,  that's another job jobbed as my dear Nan was fond of saying.... 

Up the Marple and beyond...

We came up the Marple flight on Saturday, not without incident however.  BW had turned the water off at the summit - reminiscent of the Standegde trip of only a few days ago? - and the water in the pounds was getting very, very low.  NB Matilda Rose was leading the way and they managed to flag down a passing BW truck and its crew because the gate paddles on one of the locks were not engaging.   The gate sorted, the BW boys arranged for the water to be turned back on and we soon saw the side washes bubbling with water once again. 
Once up and in Marple we found that the water point was only accessible to a small rowing boat because BW working boats were occupying most of the wharf.  Work is due to start on the towpath on Monday but it was already underway as we passed through bridge number two.  When the work of repairing the collapsed canalside here is complete it will mean that there are another stretch of good moorings once more available in Marple.  However, having spent best part of the last five months passing in and out of Marple in one direction on another I don't anticipate seeing this part of the world for a number of years....
Sunday morning we moved on to Higher Poynton - pouring with rain again - filled with diesel, bought more coal and an oil filter and watered Caxton.  Lunch in the Boars Head and a doze in the chair by the fire in the afternoon - part of our membership commitment for being middle aged...

Sodden

Yesterday we woke to rain, heavy rain.  Normally we would simple turn over and forget about travelling but we have to get from Portland Basin up through the sixteen locks on the Marple flight ahead of a stoppage on Monday. In addition, NB Matilda Rose has to be in Whaley Bridge on Monday morning because they are having a new central heating boiler fitted so it was travel we must.  

The first job ahead of setting off  was to load the two boats with some prime Ash we had earmarked.

Then we were away.  I walked Fletcher and Floyd and for most of the journey up to the bottom of the Marple flight it continued to rain.  We were all sodden by the time we moored up and just a little miserable but a hot shower and a change of clothes for the humans and a rub down and a warm fire for the canines soon had us feeling a lot better.

Turkey stew and herb dumplings did the rest.....

Tesco Shopping Trolley's

I have dropped a wee line to Tesco's Corporate Responsibility Team, who cover 'environmental impact', about the 'impact' their trolley's have when they are not confined to Tesco retail premises - see yesterday's post.  It will be interesting to see their response but what's the betting that I get passed to some customer service unit and get a standard fob-off reply?

I have, have you?

I have signed the Downing Street petition to protest at the Government plans to sell off British Waterways (BW) property.  This is property that BW uses to raise income for maintenance of our canals and their infrastructure.  If this income stream is lost BW's financial plight becomes even more acute and we all know what that means..
Now that this petition is in the public domain the worst thing that can happen is that it receives little support - so, I've signed, how about you?

And then there were SEVEN!!!

This morning we pulled pins at 08.30 and slipped quietly down through two locks to the Tesco moorings at Stalybridge, right outside, how convenient.   I did the shopping got back to Caxton to make tea and put the food away and half an hour later we moving off again heading towards Ashton. At lock 4W, the last lock in Stalybridge we encountered a problem. Joe could not get Caxton out of the lock because Caxton was not 'floating', Caxton was sitting on something.  I closed the gates and let enough water in to get Caxton afloat and Joe starting rumaging around with a boat pole. No surprises, a shopping trolley.  Managing to dislodge the trolley and push it back away from our prop we tried to exit the lock again but Caxton was sitting on something else.... We filled the lock and reversed the boat out, closed the gates and paddles and I called British Waterways. Ten minutes later I got a call from the Supervisor to say help was on its way and would be with us in under thirty minutes.  Twenty-five minutes later, along comes Terry and Mark and their BW truck.
We all set about removing the obstruction.
The obstruction turns out to be SEVEN Tesco shopping trolleys.

Thank you Terry and Mark of British waterways. 
I am now about to send an e-mail to Tesco!!!

What is at the bottom of the canal? - We are!

We pulled pins at 08.30 yesterday morning and headed east up two more locks to the services immediately below lock 24W. The water was lower in the pounds which seemed a bit strange given the amount of rain we had had overnight.  Our plan was to service Caxton, wind (turn) and head back down past the slumbering crew of Matilda Rose leaving the locks prepared for them as we went.  Mice and men...... the water pressure, pressure being perhaps not the appropriate word, was abysmal and Caxton was taking an age to fill.   We then had a prop snag whilst winding (turning) and Joe had to submerge himself in the weed hatch to clear the obstruction. 

Below, Fletcher inspects the haul from around Caxton's prop!

NB Matilda Rose had called to say that they had set off and were watered and were through the first lock - so we were now the tail runner rather than the vanguard.  The water in the pound had dropped further since we had serviced and Caxton was scraping bottom at times.  We got grounded between locks 23 and 22, a very short pound.  I let another lock full of water down from above and we managed to get Caxton into Lock 22.  The next pound, the one we had been moored in for three days and our starting point at 08.30, was fine and we made our way to the next lock, 21W.  We were aided by the owner of the one other narrowboat hereabouts, NB Chug. His wife had called BW to say that the canal had de-watered.  Caxton got out of the lock to find that there was barely a cupful of water in the canal.  Joe called BW. A couple of hours later, I called BW. We were sitting on the bottom and there we stayed.  I ran down closing paddles of locks that had been prepared for us.  I ran up opening paddles to let more water through. By 14.30 we had got Caxton to the mouth of the next lock, the lock that had caused the problem.  Here the gate paddle mechanism was so knackered and stiff that the paddles had not been fully closed. I literally had to force them closed cog tooth by cog tooth using my shoulder under the windlass. And then I watched water gush from the lock through the brickwork.

My call to BW had explained the mystery of the low water, the flow from the summit reservoir had been turned off because of the flooding in Cumbria - I am still trying to work out the connection - but had now been turned back on.  It would take three hours to re water the canal apparently.

Then help arrived.

No not BW, but Graham from NB Matilda Rose.

He went back to lock 21W and opened the paddles to let water through. As soon as Caxton was afloat and making her way into the lock I called Graham ot close the paddles above us.

Two hours later and in the dark we moored up behind Matilda Rose below lock 15W.  It had taken eight hours to cover barely 2 and quarter miles.

Not an experience you would want to repeat but hey ho it happens.  We do owe a big thank you to Graham and also a big thank you to Jill because as we arrived our dinner was being served up? 

And very nice it was too!

Going over the Top

With the greatest respect to those whom that title really meant something, the soldiers in the first world war, we went for a walk today 'over the top' to see the war memorial that was erected in 1923 to commemorate those men of the Saddleworth villages that lost their lives in the Great War. The memorial was built on a ridge overlooking the villages and at 440 metres above sea level it was quite a climb.

This spot is called 'pots and pans' by the locals.  The shape of the stone outcrops and how they have been weathered and eroded is the reason for this rather domestic name.   AS we turned to set out down the hill again I telephoned  Graham and Joe to say we would meet them at the Tavern.  The Church Inn had been recommended as THE place for Sunday lunch, a pub that welcomed walkers, and dogs, and children.

The pub is next the church and I am sure that as the service finished I saw a number of the congregation head straight for their 'local'.  The place was packed, there were numerous dogs about, food was being served and no one was in the least troubled by dogs lying quietly under tables while there owners dined - what a pleasant change!

This chap belonged to the pub.

Standedge Tunnel

We are moored here at Uppermill just below lock 22W. The three mile Standedge Tunnel is just ahead of us but closed for the winter. BW secure lock 24W so we are unable to get the boats any closer but we did walk up to the tunnel entrance on Friday - well you have to, don't you?

We passed this transhipment warehouse, now the home of the Huddersfield Canal Society (HCS)but formerly built to service Stonebottom Mill. The presence of our two boats has not been missed by the HCS, one of their representatives stopped to have a chat with Graham yesterday. They, the HCS, were interested in any comments we had about the canal and why so few boats use it.

My impressions - the geography in this part of the world is fascinating, you are travelling through the backbone of England, the Pennines, and it is majestic. The villages are hewn out of the stone of the hills as are the remaining Mills. This is hard country but quite beautiful and well worth a prolonged visit. To encourage more boat transits there need to be be more moorings posted. Thirty-two locks need to be in very good condition and moorings interspersed at reasonable intervals would encourage more use perhaps. Would I come back? Oh Yes, most definately.

Close shave - not really

Yesterday morning I toddled off into the village and finally, yes finally, got a hair cut.
Perusing the menu of charges I spotted the cost of hi-lights, £22; very reasonable I thought so I asked if they could fit me in.
Yes?
Yes!
Late afternoon I returned and had hi-lights put in to give a lift to the winter drab. Now I am all shipshape again and you farmers can stop trying to drag me off into your fields for scarecrow duty!

Uppermill

We left Frenchies Marina at 13:00hrs yesterday. There were strong winds and gusts to deal with and it was with some trepidation that Caxton and Matilda Rose manoeuvred through the lift bridge and out into the cut. Neither boat managed to slam their flanks into the bridge so all was well as we set out to go through two locks and find moorings at the village of Uppermill. This is a typical Saddleworth village, the mills are gone and now tourism seems to dominate things.


The trip boat moored in Uppermill. This is owned and operated by John, the harbourmaster at Frenchies.

Uppermill Museum and art gallery.

Caxton's present mooring.

Any room at the Inn?

I left us Wednesday evening with the rain falling and the light failing. A dog walker had told us that through the next bridge was a pub with moorings - beggars can't be choosers we thinks, that will do nicely, so Jill and I hurried on ahead to have a look.



Sure enough their was the new pub and the brand new marina! No mooring bollards or rings outside the pub and the entrance to the new and almost empty marina is a hydraulically operated lift bridge, a locked hydraulically operated lift bridge no less. Jill hares off into the pub to find out how we might access 'their' marina and I find the single boater in residence. The single boater in residence turns out to be the harbour master, John. While I was having the 'can we come in for the night please' and he was telling me that 'they didn't do single night stays', Jill returns and joins me in trying to persuade said harbourmaster to let us in.
'There will be a charge.
Of course, we expect that.
It's £15 a night.
What?
Each?
Yes each.
How about twenty quid for the both boats?
Not really, I could do £25 for both boats but you have to help me to lift the bridge.'
We helped wind up the bridge.

Apparently the brand new marina has been developed by a property developer. Charges for mooring are it seems based on market reseach in the Channel Islands and bare little relationship to what people are prepared to pay 'up north' on the inland waterways. £2500 per annum plus VAT - hence an empty marina.
Anyway we were in and secure for the night and the hostelry next door was about to provide us with some much needed sustainance...

Nowhere to moor!!

I took the dogs for a walk yesterday morning - in the rain. By eleven the weather had eased and it was decided to move up five locks to Roaches Lock, less than two miles away, where there were overnight moorings, countryside and an Inn that had been recommended. We thought we could go out an celebrate Joe's birthday here.


During the night Graham had got up and dragged Matilda Rose back a boat length because they had been moored against a culvert that was discharging a lot of rainwater into the canal - not something he could sleep through.



Above, a view of the R. Tame in raging torrent mode. The Canal runs alongside the river, sharing its valley.


Above, Scout Tunnel, all 205yds of it.

Lock 14w in Mossley where there is a lot of building work in progress. New stone houses are being constructed, the paths were being laid and painters and decorators were busy about their trade - encouraging signs that things may be picking up?


We pass some industrial heritage - the Mill lad, the Mill.


When we arrived at the moorings just before Roaches lock there was a tent encampment. Heaps of wood and braziers and sodden individuals without a proper roof over their heads. Young men and therefore not on the radar screen of the Authorities I suspect. We chose not to pitch up next to them though so we moved on while the weather held aiming to moor just above lock seventeen - only another two then.



Another Mill and its associated cottages now converted into apartments etc.


Our plans to moor were scuppered by being unable to get either boat into the bank. Lunch time had long since past, it was raining steadily and the light was failing - what to do?
The next post will provide the answer........

New Waters - The Huddersfield Narrow

We left our mooring at the Portland Basin yesterday morning in glorious sunshine and light winds and turned right onto the Huddersfield Narrow, passing through the 'Asda Tunnel' as we headed up into the Pennines. New waters for us.

At the first lock just after the tunnel which psses beneath the store, I encountered this contraption. This is the hydraulic mechanism that opens the bottom gates. 490 turns later, no I must not exaggerate, it was only 300 turns, I 've got the gates open - stop for breather.

Here are the rams on the gates. I was hoping that the rest of the gates were not going to be in this format or my day was going to be either very short or I was going to be very knackered. Fortunately this was the only one - so far that is.




Some of the canalside buildings as we make our way out of Ashton and into Stalybridge - not that you would know where one town ends and the other starts!


Here we are moored on the first visitor moorings at Stalybridge, just above lock four west. Do we stay? I quick recce of the possible moorings in Stalybridge proved not to be cat friendly and as the weather was due to be awful on Wednesday we were anticipating having to stay put for at least two days so Stalybridge was not going to have our company - we need to move on but before we do....



Joe and Graham remove two shopping trolley's from the visitor moorings. They will probably be back in the wink of an eye but hey, we tried.




We moved through the CENTRE of Stalybridge, the canal is now a focal part of the Town, crossing through the town square and out into the countryside. I rather liked it despite the litter and graffiti. We passed under the electricity pylon that spans the canal and serviced the boats just after lock eight. The services are festooned with razor wire so sadly they must attract the wrong kind of attention.

Taking advantage of a ready supply of water we emptied the well deck and gave Caxton a clean before moving off through locks nine and ten into a lovely wooded cutting - now it was raining, and the wind was picking up, and there was no pub or restaurant to hand to celebrate Joe's sixtieth, so I cooked last night for the crews of Caxton and Matilda Rose - chicken curry, sag aloo, sag paneer and tarka dhal.
It is now hammering down outside but if we get a window of fair weather this afternoon we will move on again.

Sixty! Who Him?

Joe is sixty today!!!
He will be tracking down his £250 fuel allowance and the Bus Pass within minutes of climbing out of bed I suspect..
Happy Birthday dear...

Hey, Worzzel..

I tried in vain to get my hair cut yesterday - I am developing a familial connection to a certain well known scarecrow. Why is it OK for men to just walk in off the street and get a trim at a barbers but ladies hairdressers look aghast if you want the same thing? Second thoughts - perhaps that is not why they are looking aghast Lesley....
Anyway, we stayed here at Ashton yesterday, gathered a bit of wood (lovely ash) which is now sitting on the roof, shopped at Asda, bought a case for the new phone and treated myself to a new body warmer in Marks. Joe DID get a haircut, naturally, got a spare pair of glasses made up and got gas for Caxton.
That was about the sum total of yesterday...

Selfish Boater

This Nb Blue Berry. This is the boat that was moored behind us at Marple. The owner of this boat thinks it is fine to run his generator at 10.30 at night. Joe had to get up out of bed at 10.45 and ask him to turn it off. Joe had to go because by this time I had worked myself into a bit of a lather about the noise and perhaps my approach would have been less than diplomatic - more like Israeli diplomacy !!

We're going down..

We left Marple at 09.00 yesterday morning, no rain, no wind and lots of warm autumn sunshine to speed us on our way. Caxton started the descent first followed closely by Matilda Rose. As Graham and I got Caxton (Joe as tillerman) into the first Lock, Jill went on ahead and set the next three. Thereafer I got a lock open and Caxton coming in before heading for the next lock and setting it in our favour, returning to let Caxton out and reset the lock for Matilda Rose. We got both boats down the 16 lock flight in 2hr 50mins; and did I know it! There were plenty of walkers about who stopped to watch the exercise but it wasn't until the final lock that 'dad' helped his two sons with opening the gate with me. The children were fascinated by the locking process - future boaters maybe?
From the bottom of the locks it was rapid progress to Bridge 14 and Romiley where we had a date with a Sunday Lunch.


Another visit to The Friendship Inn where a home cooked roast beef lunch was presented. If you are in this part of the world do try the landlady's home cooking - grand!

After our lunch we headed off to Portland Basin but had to negotiate this tree that had fallen across the cut.






We had misjudged our journey by perhaps 20mins, half an hour, arriving in the dark on tunnel lights and mooring by torch light but hey ho, all good experience!

Change of plan no less

Up sharp yesterday morning, boated prepped, dogs prepped, a cup of tea and a slice of toast for the human crew and we were off to the water-point here at Marple to service Caxton before heading down the locks. Once serviced I wandered around the corner to find Matilda Rose and start preparing the locks for both boats. Their curtains were still closed and there was no sign of life - had they overslept? No. But we on Caxton had not switched on our phones and when we did there were no end of missed calls and messages to say the forecast was awful and MR was staying put. Silly Caxton crew.
We moored up again and went into Ashton to the Vodaphone shop to get my new phone and mobile broadband dongle. Now I just have to figure out how it all works...

Belted - part two.

We said goodbye to the southern part of the Peak Forest Canal today and trundled up into Marple in preparation for our trip down the Marple flight tomorrow. Joe 'popped' into the local car spare and accessory shop here in Marple to enquire about the belts we need for Caxton. Arriving back on the boat twenty minutes later was a delighted Joe who had met 'a man that knows what he is talking about and couldn't be more helpful!' The chap ordered the belts, 'Come back after four and I will have them in and bring me your fuel filter and we will see what we can do.'
So we now have three belts, a fuel filter and an oil filter for £35 instead of Betamarine's £100. Result!!!

The shop in question - Harrods.

The phone rings...

The phone rings on Wednesday evening as I am cooking dinner - a glance at the number, I don't recognise it, so answer formally - it could be the PM, who knows? It's Matt, from Vodaphone.
Hello Matt?
Your contract with Vodaphone is about to end so here are the following options for consideration -
a) if you are happy with your current phone we can offer 600 inclusive minutes plus more texts than you can use in your lifetime for £15 per month, or
b) a new phone, (I name the phone I might want)the same bundle of services for £25 per month.
I an currently paying £35 pcm
Why thank you Matt, can we speak tomorrow perhaps after I have had a chance to talk to my Husband - and finish cooking dinner?
No problem he tells me.

Yesterday the phone rings, it's Matt.
Have I made up my mind?
Yes, I will change my phone but can you send it to one of your shops please?
No.
Can I just pick it up from a shop then?
No.
Ok, can you send it to a Post Office, Post Restante, so I can collect it?
No Problem, what is the address?
I rattle off the address of Whaley Bridge PO.
When will it be sent?
The courier will deliver it tomorrow Matt tells me.
Courier? The Post Office won't accept courier deliveries you will have to put it in the post says I.
No can do, says Matt.
What can we do then I ask.
I think you will have to upgrade your phone at one of our shops says Matt.
Really?

Dear Deer

Taking advantage of the fact that we are moored at Disley, we set off this morning to walk the Parish footpaths up into Lyme Park. We stopped for a coffee at the NT cafe before continuing our circular walk back to the boats. We were priviledged to see this pair grazing near the Gritstone Way - further on was the herd or hinds with Mr BIG, their Stag but sadly they were too far away to photograph.

Belted

Joe E-mailed Betamarine enquiring about some spares for Caxton's engine. Oil filter, alternator belts etc. This morning Betamarine replied. An alternator belt will cost £27.50, less 10% discount, plus 15% VAT and then £10.80 delivery.
On looking on line for the said belt it seems we can buy it for £7.
Is it me, or are people taking the proverbial?

Post ...please

An empty watertank forced us to move off yesterday but by the time we had serviced Caxton and moved on to the moorings at Tesco, Whaley Bridge, the rain had stopped. I toddled off (it's the way I walk these days) to the Post Office in Whaley Bridge to collect our mail and also the mail for Matilda Rose. I was priming myself for an imaginary confrontation, or not, about collecting post for someone else but in the event the Postmaster barely glanced at Jill's driving licence before handing over the single letter that was expected. "Any mail for x please?" No, none for that name came the response. "Are you sure, it was posted on Friday?" Rolling his eyes he shuffles off out the back and returns with an envelope. "It was with the registered, you should have said it was Special Delivery."
I bit my tongue.
The letter had been delivered to Whaley Bridge PO on Saturday but I had been sent packing Monday when I enquired and nearly sent away again on Tuesday.
I returned to the boat via Tesco and then headed off with Fletcher and Floyd as we walked back up The Peak Forest canal towards Disley, followed by Caxton. We are now moored up for two days to allow Graham of Matilda Rose to return to Grantham and sort out some probate matters.

It's raining, it's pouring

And we have opted to stay put - for now anyway. We were going to move off this morning at 9.30 but a look out of the porthole at the teeming rain persuaded me to pick up the phone and call NB Matilda Rose - "We're not going in this are we? - (Subtle or what?) - and the predictable answer came back - "No let's hold off and see what the weather does."
So fire lit, heating on, cup of tea to hand, I will watch the wet stuff outside, from the inside for a wee while.
Wimp!

Costs

Just a few words on running costs..
Here we are a year on and our records indicate that Caxton uses 1.456 litres of diesel per engine hour. Included in this would be the running of the Hurricane central heating boiler as it is served by the same diesel tank. We have averaged 3.25 engine hours per day at an average fuel cost of 73p per litre so our diesel costs are in the region of £3.55 per day, circa £1300 per year. When I compare that to the cost of running a car and heating and lighting a home what a difference.. Of course there is coal on top of that and that is in the region of two bags per week when we are running the fire 24 hours per day, supplemented by wood of course.

Diesel Delivery

We were awaiting a visit from Alton the working boat that sells diesel and coal and fenders etc. Joe had given them a ring to say that both Caxton and Matilda Rose needed theire services and they had told us to expect them between one and four on Sunday Afternoon. At three o'clock we saw Alton nose into the basin here at Bugsworth - spot on..

A Dales Diary..

Yesterday Jill and I took advantage of access-to-wheels and took up Graham's offer of a lift to Dove Dale in the Peak District. Arriving at just after noon at Beresford Dale we were going to walk the length of Beresford, Wolfescote, Mill and Dove dale and meet our lift some three hours later at the bottom of Dove Dale. Above, the R. Beresford at the very start of our walk: A notice saying Keep out of the river, no fishing, no paddling, no access (GO AWAY you scum)! So I took a photo out of bloody mindedness before turning away and heading in the opposite direction.

Here we go...

Fletcher and Floyd are in doggy heaven, look at all this water to play in. Mudlark aka Muttley makes a valient effort to join in but he doesn't do 'swimming'..

Squeeze stiles in the dry stone wall are no problem for Baxter or Mudlark or for that matter, Fletcher. Floyd is a different case however. It seems that my beloved little man is a dog with special needs, not quite a full picnic in the intelligence stakes. Every stile saw three dogs squeeze through or leap over leaving Floyd bewildered and whimpering the other side... the Dog's an idiot!

By the time we reached the start of Dove Dale (above) the rain had started and the tops of the dales were now in the cloud.

Above bedraggled Jill and Baxter.

A bedraggled Me...

Checking out the Dove Holes (caves) en route.

Above, a drain from a mine?

Now almost at journey's end, the stepping stones across the R Dove. I walked across these, followed by my two dogs - Jill wimped out and walked to the bridge. Who would have looked silly if they had fallen in though?

End of walk, the final bridge.. 7miles. Wet, cold and very pleased with ourselves! What a wonderful place!

Walk to Bugsworth

Yesterday morning I had the job of transferring Graham's car (tank) to Bugsworth Basin our next 'port of call' and then walking back to meet the two boats as they made their way along to Bugsworth. We were last here in mid August and I expected to see quite a few winter moorers here at the basin but no, almost deserted. The advantage of covering the same ground is that you have a idea where it is good to moor etc. and the best Bugsworth moorings were vacant and beckoning us in.

As you can see from the photo's, the morning walk was in weak winter sunshine, a nip in the air ensured a brisk walk to keep oneself warm. There were hardly any boats about but plenty of local dog walkers and hikers on the move.

Above, looking out across the Goyt Valley towards New Mills and beyond. Today we are planning a trip to the Blue John mines at Castleton and over the next few days we plan to walk some of the scenic Derbyshire dales, Monsal and Dove and Millers maybe.

Road Trips

We have the use of a car over the next few weeks and although the 'mindset' is now very much disassociated with any form of car travel I must admit to rather enjoying getting behind the wheel again. I thoroughly enjoy driving and today it was a trip to Streethay near Lichfield sone 65 miles each way - unless you rely on satnav and it becomes 88 miles and a tollroad? Those in the boating know probably realise what is at Streethay that might have stimulated a trip there and they would be right. We met with Ray Bowern of Streethay Wharf to discuss possible amendmnets to Caxton's length etc. We are currently looking at either a Caxton mark two or a Caxton realignment. Over the next month we should be able to make a decision about what we are going to do.

A rainbow over Streethay Wharf...

Buzz saws and things

Last week whilst out walking I stumbled across a place that sold chainsaws and log-splitters and 30 different types of axe. I went in and found a saw horse that could be used to support the logs that we forage for in the winter and here it is pressed into service this afternoon.

A couple of hours of cutting and splitting and each boat had seven baskets of logs prepared and ready to be stored. Free winter fuel. We had just about exhausted the first of this winters supply, those logs we had gathered from the Mersey estuary when we were on the River Weaver. This is the second lot so far this autumn and should last about a month.

A packet of pork scratchings please...

Just a quick update while I wait for the last race of the F1 to start. Above are the four dogs playing in their own personal water-park yesterday - 'orrible mutts! Jill and I had gone out for a walk with the dogs who'd suggested that we might like to find The Sportsman in Strines village. Apparently the canines fancied a packet or two of pork scratchings which left us humans having to have a pint of real ale - just to be sociable so to speak.

Here is Caxton on her current mooring and as I type the boat is being buffeted by VERY strong winds. Just as well we are staying put - not many others about today either.