Saturday 25th August (cont)
Here at Marple there are two trip boats, one belongs to the local pub, ‘The Ring o’ Bells’ and the other is a charity boat called ‘New Horizons’, which is used for short trips for local handicapped people. This one is moored directly opposite us, whilst the Ring o’ Bells usually moors up outside the pub.
When we returned from the surgery last night the charity boat was already moored up. According to Wifey the Ring o’ Bells didn’t return until about 1.30 am but, instead of mooring up on its own designated moorings, it is now sitting on the one and only water point. This means of course that, until he moves nobody can top up with water this morning, and that includes us. But, we have a cunning plan, because we can top up at Higher Poynton after we top up with diesel.
Sunday 26th August
Ah! It seems the ring o’ Bells was making an early start and had moored on the water point in order to save time. Problem solved.
So, we made it to Poynton and only suffered a short shower on the way. After filling up with diesel and mooring up, the rest of the day was given over to more rain and a thunderstorm, the likes of which I haven’t seen since my early days in Harlow. Except perhaps for monsoons in Africa and the Far East, where they really know how to put on a show. I’m pleased to say that, with the temperature falling in the boat, the heater decided to work for us. It also started up ok this morning. Wonders will never cease.
I tried forwarding a couple of messages on Friday, but they came back as undelivered and, at the top of the list was Glo. The reason given for the failed delivery was that the sender had been rejected. I am assuming this was because your Inbox was full Glo, and not because you had put a block on my messages. Aside from that everything is ticketyboo, as they say.
It’s calm and peaceful this morning, although the towpath is somewhat flooded and we may have to swim to the pub later, or dig out the wellies.
Monday 27th August
Great! Once again the heating has let me down this morning and, to add to my frustration, Rusty needed to go out at 4.30 this morning. And, as if that wasn’t enough, having lit the oven to take the chill off, the gas has run out and it’s a wee bit too early to be clattering about in the front locker, waking up our neighbours. Looks like a pretty good start to the day!
Not that we have much planned for today anyway, because we’re staying here until tomorrow morning and, when the nearby boatyard opens, ask if they can help us clear our chimney of crap which has built up due to the inferior rubbish they call smokeless fuel in this area.
I spoke to our friendly car mechanic yesterday; that’s Andy from Mercia marina; and he suggested a visit to B&Q for a long, iron bar with which to attempt to break off some more of the blockage. As it happens there is a B&Q in Stockport and it’s not too far from the bus station, so, if all else fails we’ll pay them a visit on Tuesday morning.
As for today, well, since Emma has yet to set up her Landscape project, I’ll dig out a photo and have a dabble.
Tuesday 28th August
“What we need,” I said to Wifey yesterday, “is a nice long and slim length of steel rod, with which to break through the crud in our chimney.” She agreed and off I trotted to the nearby boatyard, hoping to find somebody there, which there was, but he disappeared almost as soon as he spotted me. No matter, it’s a bank holiday and I wasn’t expecting anybody to jump for joy at the first sign of trouble.
We popped into the wee, canalside shop later and asked there, but they were unable to help either. However, one customer did suggest, jokingly he admitted, that I might give the chimney a few whacks with a hammer. Hmmm!
We gave that boater’s suggestion some consideration and, since we would be no worse off for doing so – the chimney already leaks smoke around the lower collar – I did just that. Then with more poking and prodding from top and bottom, we eventually succeeded in releasing quite a bit more rubbish.
However, our flu brush would still not go all the way down, but I do think we have enough of a space there for smoke to escape and, once I’ve spoken to the nice man in the boatyard about finding someone to do the rest, like take the stack out and clear it, we’ll decide on our next move. If he doesn’t know anybody who can help, I’ll run some sealant around the collar, light some paper in the grate and hope for the best.
Now, with the weather quite bad again yesterday afternoon, there was nothing for it but to batten down the hatches and retire for the rest of the day. This morning looks set to be no better, and so we may have to stay another day but, with a bit of luck and a tail wind, we’ll be off to Bollington. If not, well, since I haven’t heard from Emma yet about her planned landscape, I’ll start without her. I do have a picture of Derwenwater in mind and have already printed it out for reference purposes.
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| Shiralee moored at Bugsworth Basin in 2008 |
Wednesday 29th August
Yesterday turned out pretty fine weather-wise and gave us the opportunity to have another go at the chimney. First of all we paid a visit to the local boatyard to see if we could scrounge a suitable length of metal for removing the deposits. This needed to be over 3ft long, but the only thing he had available was a huge length of very wide piping, so we had to revert to the old method using the TV support tube.
I then hit upon the idea of cutting off the wooden end of our boat hook, and giving the deposits a good whack with the metal tube end, and this seemed to do the trick, inasmuch as it removed quite a lot more gunk. Having spent another hour or more on this, I’d had enough and called a halt to the whole process. If that’s not enough to see us through until we get back to Mercia, tough!
After cleaning myself up, I then got to thinking about my painting and realised I needed a couple more bits and pieces, so we trotted off to Stockport again to the art shop. We followed this with a bit of shopping – surprising how early in the day even bakeries run out of bread – then waited half an hour for our bus back.
By the time we got back to the boat it was an hour past Rusty’s dinner time and, when it was put down for her, she merely sniffed at it and proceeded to sulk for the rest of the evening. She even refused her little treat this morning.
We’ve now been here at Higher Poynton for four days, so, even though we have yet another windy morning to contend with, we’re off to Bollington where, with a bit of luck, we’ll find some bread.
Later………..
More rain and wind this morning, so, instead of moving on to Bollington, we took the bus into Stockport again. Upon our return at about 1pm, down came more rain and up sprung the wind. This now means five days in one spot, which is most unusual for us. Hopefully we’ll be on our way tomorrow morning.
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| Another photo of us at Bugsworth This is where we would have moored, had the rings still been available |
Thursday 30th August
Once again we have a strong head wind this morning but, so long as it doesn’t rain too, we’ll be on our way.
We came upon something rather unusual in Stockport yesterday, Crumpet Loaf. In fact we came upon it a couple of days ago, but this time we thought we’d buy some. We usually have crumpets for breakfast on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, so this thing will, I hope, make a pleasant change. We’ll see.
Friday 31st August
We made eight miles yesterday, from Poynton to Gurnett Aqueduct, and not a drop of rain to be seen. In fact, even the wind dropped for us and we were moored up by 11.30.
So, there was I, nicely relaxed in my armchair, when Wifey spotted a couple of boaters walking along the towpath with plants and stuff under their arms, and in carrier bags. Out comes the Nicholson Guide, which is when she had her Eureka moment. “There’s a nursery down the road”, she says.
‘Uh, oh’, I thought, ‘another long walk’.
“Where is it?” I asked
She showed me the map and, there it was, about half a mile towards Macclesfield. Shoes on, take brolly and off we go. But, after a good half mile with no sign of said nursery, I stopped a young lady and asked if she knew where this place was. “Well, there’s nothing further along this road”, she said, “but there is a Garden Centre about 10 minutes walk, back the way you came. There’s a signpost pointing to the right, you can’t miss it”
After profuse thanks at being saved further walking, we turned around and made our way back. “It must be in the other direction then”, I said, “or we’ve simply missed the turning”.
I don’t know quite how to tell you this but, just before the aqueduct, on the opposite side of the road is a lane and, on the corner of that lane is a signpost to? Yep! Macclesfield Garden Centre! It didn’t take long for Wifey to find a few boxes of Chrysanthemums and a nice, new choir mat for the stern deck. In just payment for the strain on my legs, I was awarded an ice cream. Aaaaah!
The rest of the day was spent recuperating.
And, finally, after all my hard work, we now have the fire alight, so I'm warm and toasty in the mornings.
Only seven pages long? Surely too soon to post. Nope, let’s get it done before the weekend gets here.
All abreast for now.
Dave, Sheila and Rusty.
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