Shiralee Cruise 2011 #8

Saturday 28th May.

Yesterday we came down the Montgomery from the Weston Branch, turned around at the last winding hole and returned to the shop moorings. After settling and walking doggie we ventured to take a look at how restoration work is progressing on the Montgomery Canal. This entailed a walk of about a mile to where the canal is dammed up so that work can be carried out beyond.

Two years ago when we were last here, Sheila walked to that point and, as far as she can tell, not much has been done since. This is not meant as a criticism of the volunteer workforce. After all, able bodied workers have only so much free time and funding is always a problem. Reading one of the posters attached to the works, it seems the first weekend of each month is set aside for this work. With the best will in the world progress is going to be slow. I do hope I will still be around and enjoying my boating when a new section is opened up. This really is a beautiful canal.

Today we are staying here at this spot near the shop, which we visited yesterday. The shop doubles as a café and sells postcards etc. and we even managed to purchase bread and milk, along with frozen pies and fresh baked scones. Sadly they no longer sell newspapers because, apparently, it is not cost effective. There are times when running a small business, that you have to put yourself out to accommodate your customers!!

Tomorrow we’ll make our way back to The Queen’s Head moorings and enjoy a Sunday drinky poohs! This assumes we can find a space to stick the boat. Moorings there are fairly limited but, if we’re a wee bit crafty, we’ll arrive after people have left and before a new bunch of boaters arrive.

Sunday 29th May and we’ll be off to the Queen’s Head later today, but first I must tell you about yesterday and the arrival of Dave and Jackie, our neighbours from our days at Pillings Lock.

At the time I was reading “Theodore Boone” by John Grisham, whilst Wifey was doing her ‘queen-is-in-the-counting-house bit. Wifey is not one to ever react when surprised, a simple scream is enough to yank me out of my reverie, which she immediately did, causing me to drop the book and jump out of my seat. Having achieved the desired effect, she then pointed out of the window shouting, “It’s Dave and Jackie, Dave and Jackie”

After I’d gathered my wits and felt my pulse rate return to something approaching normal, we both went outside and, while Wifey stood there with an OMG look on her face, I assisted with the mooring of their boat.

Dave and Jackie left Pillings Lock several months before us, in fact they left before I’d had my knees done, so it was a wonderful surprise to see them again. The last we heard they were moving to another marina and Dave was doing a motorbike ride for charity, and we have heard nothing about them since.

Now, the canal grapevine is pretty much like any other and one of the pieces of news imparted to us by these two concerned our old friends Brian and Marian. We had heard rumours that they wee selling their boat and moving back to Swindon, but we were going to wait until returning to Mercia for the truth of it. But Dave and Jackie have confirmed the part about leaving Mercia but, whether or not they have sold the boat, they weren’t sure. They weren’t surprised we had fallen out with them either; Jackie in particular thought it was no great shame. “I didn’t really think they were your type”, she said and she was probably right.

The news they imparted about Pillings Lock didn’t come as a great surprise either. It seems the Pump-Out barge has broken down along with its ability to dispense diesel and the Elsan disposal unit has become blocked. No doubt Paul has remedied these problems, otherwise he would have a riot on his hands, followed by a mass exodus of boats. Although, the thought remains that, if that barge has broken down completely, how quickly can Paul replace it or, better still, install proper facilities?

According to rumour or, as they say in the legal profession, allegedly, the situation regarding dog mess around Pillings Lock marina, has become so acute that Paul has threatened to collect samples, have them DNA tested and then have all the dogs on site DNA tested to find those responsible. Just what he intends to de about all those visitors who are bringing their dogs there to pooh is anyone’s guess. I think I said all I needed to say about that man long before we left there.

Dave and Jackie have a new Cairn terrier; their old one, Sam, having finally departed this life. He was getting rather slow when we last saw him and he wasn’t very well either. Sadly this comes to all our pets eventually. The new one, whose name escapes me – really must concentrate – has been a show dog and won prizes, but he seems to be taking to the boating life quite well. Although he’s not happy with traffic noise, so they couldn’t moor up by the Queen’s Head yesterday because the moorings are too close to a busy main road.

Well, we’re off to the Queen’s Head today, whilst our two friends are staying here, despite the disgraceful prices at the Navigation Inn. Goodness knows how long it will be before we bump into them again, but we wish them well on their travels which, from Monday, will take them on to Llangollen, they have to be back at their home moorings sometime in July and will then spend three weeks in France.

Internet access is pretty poor here, for some reason, even though I have all five bars up on my signal strength meter, the darn thing will not connect every time. Yesterday morning, no problem, later that morning, no connection, yesterday afternoon, no problem, this morning, no connection. I suppose, even though the stupid thing is registering strong signal, it is unable to connect to 3, but I’m hanged if I can figure out why. However, not to worry, this is only one spot in just a handful where we have this problem and, just as long as I don’t receive big emails from Alan or Sandra, I’ll pick them up when we get back to Weston.

I am now keeping a feeding log for Rusty, to see if we can isolate what may be giving her trouble. Ordinarily we would give her a Baker’s or Pedigree pouch on alternate mornings, with a change to hard food the next day. She would then have a small amount of the hard food in the evening, followed by a treat before bed.

On Friday, when we took our walk to check on restoration progress, I found a mucky looking tennis ball and gave it to Rusty. Naturally, being Rusty, she proceeded to tear it apart and we’re wondering if that could be the cause of her latest upset.

Our Sandra has also given us some advice about feeding, which we will take up just as soon as we can find the products she recommends. Until then our pooch will have to be content with her normal food, and we’ll have to continue monitoring same. T These little problems continue to plague us throughout our lives, don’t they, but what would life be without the occasional challenge?

The entry locks to the Montgomery only operate between the hours of 12 noon and 2 pm, so we must ensure we arrive at the Queen’s Head before they do, but after other boaters have left for those same locks. Should be a doddle!! Actually this canal is not that busy, despite it being a Bank Holiday weekend, so I see no reason for there not to be spaces where we’re going. Meanwhile I’m going to try getting online again.

Monday 30th May

We came down from Maesbury to the Queen’s Head yesterday morning, with the express intention of paying a visit to said pub. For about £15 a Sunday lunch can be had at The Navigation Inn at Maesbury, whereas, here at the Queen’s Head, that same lunch will only set you back £8.95. And what a lunch it was, plenty on the plate, piping hot and very tasty. The half a chicken was indeed a full half and the bird itself was probably not small either. Including two pints of Guinness, a J2O and a coffee, our total bill came to £28.

It’s raining. Hopefully it won’t be doing so later this morning, because we really do need to get back to the Weston Branch, where we will stay overnight. It being a Bank Holiday Monday we have no intention of joining the happy throng of weekend boaters on the Llangollen.

Last night, just as I was about to take Rusty for her final walkies of the day, we heard voices. No, this is not unusual on a canal towpath but, with the pub car park empty and with no houses along the towpath side, there seemed no reason for people to be walking here. On closer inspection, and it was getting dark by now, it appeared that a couple of fellows were standing at the end of the moorings, chatting and drinking beer.

Oh dear! This we do not want. But, I then noticed what appeared to be the outline of a tent. Why anybody would want to camp out on a towpath is anyone’s guess, but that’s what they were doing. The tent is still here this morning and, apart from Wifey’s coughing, we’ve had a peaceful night. Probably just a couple of school kids camping out for the night, as they do. It is half-term after all.

Yes, poor Sheila has a nasty cough. She may well have picked up the bug from me, poor thing. However, she usually gets over these things pretty rapidly and, unlike yours truly, simply works through it without dosing herself up too much.

So, off to the Weston Branch later, even if it does rain.

Tuesday 31st May and, at last, a sunny start to the day.

We are undecided as to whether to go up to the locks early, or wait until everybody else has gone through and go through last. If we go early this morning we will be able to moor up properly but, if we leave it late and try to moor up, we’ll have no luck because there is only room to moor two boats. Any more than two and the rest have to stand there until it is time to move forward.

On the one hand, if we go very early then, just a soon as the lock keeper starts the ball rolling, we’ll be the first through. If we leave it late, depending on how many boats are going through, it could be as late as 3 pm before we are through and moored up somewhere on the Llangollen. Decisions, decisions!

Wednesday 1st June.

It’s almost 05.30 and I was about to say that summer had finally arrived but, as I glanced towards the canal, I couldn’t help but notice the rain. Having hauled myself out of bed at 05.15 to a bright and sunny morning, this has come as something of a surprise.

Anyway, yesterday we were the first boat through the locks at Welsh Frankton and moored ourselves up between bridges 64 and 63 by about 13.00. There would have been little point in continuing on to Ellesmere, simply because the Ellesmere Arm would, most probably, have been full. This morning we will probably leave for Ellesmere at about 09.30, arriving about 10.30, thus giving all those moored there ample time to have their breakfast and be on their way.

I had hoped to post this blog this morning but, alas, even though we’re only moored a couple of hundred yards from the spot last time through here, I was unable to get online yesterday. Still, after the huge amount of shopping we’ll have to do today, I should find time for that small task.

Thursday 2nd June and despite it being a little warmer, we have started the day with heavy cloud.

Several more boats attempted to moor up along this arm, not all of which were successful. However, when Sheila took Rusty for her final constitutional of the day, she found a couple of boatloads of holiday makers whooping it up at the bottom end. Thankfully we are moored at the top end.

We are staying here at Ellesmere for another day and then, on Friday, we’re heading for Grindley Brook, I think! At 5.30 in the morning my brain is not at it’s best and I am unsure as to what we decided for Friday. I do know that we intend being there for Sunday, because there’s a pub there that we haven’t tried yet.

Anyway, enough of this chatter, time to post.

Enjoy the rest of this week and the upcoming weekend.

Dave, Sheila and Rusty.