Shiralee Cruise 2012 #8

Hurleston Locks to Grindley Brook


Tuesday 15th May

Don’t moan, the man said, but what else are you supposed to do with this continuous rain? Looks like we’ll be staying here at the bottom of Hurleston Locks today.

Wednesday 16th May

Surprisingly enough, no sooner had Wifey dressed and sat down to brekky, the rain stopped and the clouds started clearing. So, we gave it a while, just to make sure it was going to stay that way and, at about 07.45 we set of for Hurleston Locks, of which there are just four, all clumped close together. By 0915 we were through them, watered up and moored at Burland. Later in the day, after the rain made its dramatic return, several boats did stop, either for the occupants to dry off, or simply for a spot of lunch, but nobody else stopped overnight.

Burland is a place we have stopped at in the past and, at the designated moorings there is room for just two boats, although it is possible to tie up using hooks or pins all along this stretch of the Llangollen. The village boasts just a small shop and not much else that can be seen from the canal. It doesn’t even appear to have a bus service, although, if there is one, it doesn’t cross the bridge in front of us.

Today we will stop at the local marina for coal and diesel, then we’re off to Wrenbury. We like Wrenbury because, just a short walk across a field full of cows, is the village with a Post Office, Surgery, Hairdresser and Stores with Off Licence. Further along the canal is a Holiday Hire Company and a caravan park, along with a couple of pubs, one of which is rather posh and expensive, the other being a normal village pub that does reasonably price beer and food. That one is for us and is one we’ve sampled on our last trip up here.

Thursday 17th may

So, what’s this about Global Warming? For the past month, 21 days have had rain at some point. This morning is no different although, I have to say that, when we cruised the Llangollen last year, albeit somewhat earlier, the situation was very similar.

Yesterday was, in complete contrast, bright and sunny for the most part, although the wind was pretty chilly at times.

Just a couple of hundred yards from our moorings at Burland, lies the Swanley Marina, which is where we spent two days last year, mainly in order to give our batteries a well needed boost. Yesterday though, we simply had to wait for them to open in order to fill up with go-faster juice and purchase some coal.

After that it was simply a matter of cruising the 4 miles and 5 locks to Wrenbury, which we easily achieved in just 2½ hours.

We were going to walk into the village for a few bits and pieces, but decided to leave that until this morning. Instead we took a stroll along to the local chandlery looking for a new Tunnel Light and Horn. But, with the chandlery there simply to satisfy their own needs for their hire boats, the only item that attracted us was the brass light.

We asked the receptionist there about a horn but, although she felt sure they had some, she didn’t know where they were kept. She did promise to give me a call just as soon as their engineer returned from whatever mission he was currently on but, to date, we have heard nothing.

With the Tunnel Light costing £57 and a similar amount probably being asked for the Horn, if they have one, there’s a good chance we’ll wait until we find a bigger chandlery with a more varied selection.

Now, I’m not one to cast aspersions upon any particular group of people. Not being perfect myself I don’t expect others to be either.

However, if even a small percentage of the following is true, I have to wonder just how stupid we are when it comes to electing the people who tell us what to do and, more importantly, what NOT to do.

According to information recently received by yours truly, of the 635 members of the House of Commons that we, as tax payers, actually employ:

29 have been accused of spouse abuse
7 have been arrested for fraud
9 have been accused of writing bad cheques
17 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
3 have done time for assault
71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
8 have been arrested for shoplifting
21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
84 have been arrested for drink driving in the last year

Their collective expenses for the past year alone have cost YOU a staggering £92,993,748!!! And that, in case you are wondering, averages out at almost £150,000 EACH!!

On top of that, and despite their behaviour, all 635 members are assured of the very best in Gold-Plated Pensions.

WOW! Don’t you wish you could be an MP?

“Incidentally: If you get an E mail telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tins of ham then delete it. It's Spam.”

Yesterday evening, for only the second time since leaving Mercia, we actually watched TV, but just the one programme, Lewis. But, with the plot being so convoluted, I have my doubts about watching the next one in the series. In fact, as I understand it, this will be the last series although we will get the repeats.

Friday 18th May

We have a slight drizzle of rain this morning, probably because we’re moving on again. No doubt it will get heavier before we go. But, that’s just my cynical side showing. As usual, depending upon the weather, we stay or go. A light rain is bearable. A howling gale is not. If we do manage to get away we’re hoping to reach the bottom of Grindley Brook Locks, which is about 5 miles and 4 locks away, with a couple of lift bridges in between.

Yesterday we had the pleasure of seeing a Woodpecker climb a nearby telegraph pole, and watched a Wren flying to and fro with material for its nest. Whether this bird had finished by the time we settled down for the evening, I have no idea, but it was certainly at it for most of the day. The material it carried back always looked the same and could have been discarded swans feathers.

We also purchased a solid brass tunnel light from the local chandlery. This will be added to the new horn, as and when we find one. After that, and when we can find a few days of dry weather, we’ll be prettying up the front of the boat with some painted triangles and such, prior to fitting the aforementioned items.

The reason for the prettying up is because the timber of the cratch is looking a wee bit drab and so, instead of simply rubbing down and re-varnishing, we thought we’d try doing a reasonable paint job.

The next thing will be the back doors, where we intend to add some panels with roses and castles on. I also might add a dragon and fair maiden. Well, why not? On top of those two jobs there are quite a few scratches that need repairing. Where we’re going to find the time and, more importantly, the weather to carry out these tasks, your guess is as good as mine.

“There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did”

Now, it’s not as if I don’t have enough to occupy myself with in the early a.m., but I’ve now set up my page on Facebook. So, anybody out there reading this that also has a Facebook page, please let me know. If I find enough ‘friends’ I shall probably keep it going. If not…….!!

Saturday 19th May

Ah, Saturday, the weekend is upon us, a time when we try our best to avoid cruising. Saturday morning is the time when many holiday boaters are returning their craft, whilst the afternoon is when they are starting out. So, although you have probably spotted the fact that we have cruised on most Saturday mornings, this has only been in order to be at a 48 hour spot for the weekend and our sacrosanct Sunday lunchtime drink.

Today we only have less than a mile and six locks and we’ll be moored up for the weekend. The locks are those at Grindley Brook, the bottom of which we are currently moored. If we get our skates on and leave early, we could be at the top and moored up before other folks have had their breakfast. We know for a fact, that there are at least two holiday boats ahead of us, so we really do need to move early.

Yesterday started dull but calm, with the threat of rain, but enabled us to reach our current moorings without problems. In fact we did have some light rain, but we made the 5 miles, 2 lift bridges and four locks in 2½ hours.

Sunday 20th May

At last, the weather seems to be improving and, although a wee bit cloudy this morning, it’s certainly much warmer.

Yesterday, since we had no other plans and the weather not too bad, just a bit drizzly, we decide to set out early and go through the six Grindley Brook Locks, three of which are staircase. Fortunately we got away before the holiday boaters, otherwise it could have taken us all morning. Two of the holiday boats contained American holidaymakers on their first time out but, even so that ½ mile or so took us 1½ hours, even with the aid of the lock-keeper.

In the afternoon we watched a pair of Sedge Warblers going about the business of feeding their young. At least, we assume that’s what they were doing, because they were flying hither and yon, but coming back without nesting materials. Their song is quite charming although, with my limited hearing range, I have to really perk up to hear them. They’re only tiny birds, similar in size to a Wren, so it could have been one of these that I saw at Wrenbury.

Today we’ll stay here and sample the beer at The Horse and Jockey. Tomorrow we’ll toddle off to Whitchurch, which is only about half an hour away, and we’ll get the bus into town.

I’ve changed my mind about using screws for the TV support section and will be looking for some long bolts instead. Somehow I don’t think the screws will be strong enough, especially in strong winds.

Monday 21st may

Our intention today is to take the short run up to Whitchurch, but that depends upon how long it takes for the sun to burn off this thick fog. When I sat down to the computer I could clearly see the outline of a tree in the field opposite, that tree has now completely disappeared.

This state of affairs has not prevented the sedge warblers from going about the business of feeding their young

Yesterday was quite pleasant, with our visit to the Horse and Jockey, where they do not keep Draught Guinness, but do sell the canned stuff, something I won’t pay pub prices for. Sadly I had to settle for a Beck’s lager instead. They also don’t sell decent salted peanuts, only those bullets called Bobby’s Nuts. These have never been a lot of cop and I believe are now made by Walker’s who, you would think, would have enough savvy to know how to process peanuts so as to be edible.

Now, from here until we reach Ellesmere, which is several stops away, I’m not too sure of the signal strength on the dongle. I do know that there are several places along this stretch where the mobile is pretty useless. Therefore, and since I have already typed up eight pages of this current adventure, I shall proceed to post this blog.

Hopefully my comments about our esteemed and crooked parliamentarians doesn’t get my collar felt by the fuzz, otherwise you probably won’t receive any more such info.

All the best for now from,

Dave, Sheila and Rusty.