Sunday 8th June to
Wednesday 18th June
Monday 9th June
It’s been raining quite
heavily this morning, but has now stopped and the sky seems to be clearing.
With a bit of luck and a tail wind, we’ll get down the five Adderley Locks
without getting wet. I was hoping to get some painting done when we get there
but, with the downpour we’ve just had, that’s looking doubtful. It only needs
the roof to be ever so slightly damp and laying on paint would be a total waste
of time.
The weather was kind to us
yesterday though and we spent a very pleasant hour sitting in the garden of The
Talbot, here at Market Drayton. We were a wee bit later than usual, having
walked into town again for yet more shopping. This Hairy Bikers diet does seem
to cost more than normal, simply because we’re buying stuff we wouldn’t
normally buy, and because we’re organising our meals a week ahead.
Wednesday 11th
June
Will this nasty rain ever
stop? For goodness sake, we’re trying to get some paint repairs done, and all
it seems to do is rain. Yesterday, for example, having arrived at Audlem and
walked into town, I thought I might get on with it, having nothing better to do
at the time. But then I looked at the sky and thought, ‘hmm, is it worth it?
Should I wait until tomorrow’? Yeah, no point taking chances, I’ll leave it for
now’. Then after I would have spent less than an hour out there, down it came
by the bucket-load.
Today, according to the
lovely Shefali on West Midlands Today, it’s supposed to be dry and warm.
Indeed, it’s supposed to stay warm and dry throughout the weekend too. This
morning after we’ve read the Mail and had our coffee, I shall get stuck in.
Tomorrow we’ll be leaving
here later than usual, because we have mail to collect at the Post Office. We
have four locks to do and then we’ll moor up just past Overwater Marina and,
with a bit of luck, get some more painting done. We could probably stay there
for a couple of days, because we don’t want to be in Nantwich until Saturday.
Friday 13th June
I missed a couple of calls
from Alan yesterday, so I didn’t realise that he was unable to send our mail.
We took the boat down three of the locks quite early, so as to miss the rush
later and then Wifey walked around to the paper shop. By this time I had
switched my mobile on and had a message from Alan about mail.
We then went down the final
lock at Audlem and continued on to Cool Pilate, one of our regular mooring
spots. The weather was great; if anything a wee bit too hot and humid; so I got
some roof painting done, whilst Sheila sat on the stern deck and scraped away a
mass of loose paint.
We’re staying here today in
hopes of getting some more work done. I will probably finish the starboard side
today, but we’ll have to wait until we’re on the Llangollen to do the port
side. Sadly, my legs don’t take kindly to me balancing on the gunwale for any
length of time and, if I were to attempt the port side today, I’m rather
worried about taking a swim unintentionally. Let’s just call that half of the
roof that’s not done, ‘work in progress’.
Saturday 14th June
Yesterday was another
brilliant day, but we had to get started on the paintwork early, because
Thursday was too hot to do anything in the afternoon. However, we managed some
more repairs to the roof. Having taken off the top box and flower boxes, we
found more patches of lifted paint, so, before those bits could be painted,
they first had to be sanded down and undercoated, by which time the temperature
had risen to the point where the roof was too hot to touch.
Opposite the Cool Pilate moorings
lies a field full of heifers. On Thursday afternoon, after we had finished all
we could do to paint repairs, we heard a terrific splash and, when we got up to
investigate we found a heifer standing in the canal.
Now, along that side of the
canal, just like the mooring side, is a long strip of corrugated metal, into
which we boaters insert our hooks and tie up. This strip makes it impossible
for any unfortunate animal to haul himself out of the water. However, just a
short way away from where he had fallen in is a gap, through which he could
easily clamber out, and he did so after much prompting by his fellow heifers.
Yesterday afternoon the same
thing happened, this time to a different animal. Only, this time, instead of
walking towards the gap, he wandered over to our side of the canal and just
stood there between our boat and the next. We tried to shoo him over to the
other side, without success. We then tried to find the nearest farm online, no
luck there either. Wifey was just about to walk up to the nearest bridge to see
if she could find the farm, when the beast decided to walk back to the other
side of the canal.
We thought perhaps, that he
might head for the gap that the other animal had used, but, no, he walked off
in the opposite direction and, from where we were looking, he seemed to have a
long way to go before he could climb out. Eventually, having come to the end of
the field in which he should be living, he turned around and slowly made his
way back and clambered out at the right place, all the while being egged on by
the rest of the herd. And we call them dumb animals!
Now, did those two animals
actually topple into the canal whilst taking a drink? Or, did they jump in
because the water looked so cool and inviting? We will never know!!
Sunday 15th June
Today we’re at Nantwich,
having passed through two locks and travelled four miles yesterday to get here.
Now, having arranged with our
surgery for a further three months’ supply of medication; mostly mine; we had
to walk into town just as soon as we’d had our coffee. However, not only did we
have to collect the medicines, we also had to do some shopping, especially now
that we’re back on the Hairy Bikers diet. We had a shopping trolley and two
roll-up bags, the trolley and one bag used for the shopping. The Co-op Chemist
managed to squeeze the medicines into two plastic bags.
This ability to order
medication in advance, and get three months’ supply, does have its problems,
not least of which is finding storage in our fridge for the Insulin. As for the
rest of the stuff, well, that’s in a separate cupboard and, what can’t be put
in there goes under the bed.
We were pretty fortunate with
the weather yesterday, which is more that can be said for this morning, where
it’s already been raining. Still, we hadn’t planned on doing any paint repairs
today, so it can rain all it likes. Hopefully it will stop for long enough to
allow us to visit the chandlery and walk into town at lunchtime. Hey, it’s
Sunday!!
Monday 16th June
As per instructions from
Wifey, we did no work yesterday, despite the fine weather. Instead, we popped
into the nearby chandlery and spent £50 on essential stuff for the boat. This
included oil and filter for our oil change, which I’ll do when we’re on the
Llangollen in a few days’ time. We also bought a small bottle of Diesel Bug
Treatment, which mixes with the diesel when we top up.
Whilst we were in the
chandlery, I happened to mention that it seems impossible to buy an ordinary,
wooden broom handle these days. This was after Wifey had already paid for the
other stuff. The nice man then walked to the other end of the shop and brought
back one and gave it to me for free.
What, you may ask, would I
possibly want with a broom handle? Well, I don’t want to attach our other, flat
aerial to the aluminium pole, just in case the metal interferes with the
incoming signal and I don’t want it fixed to a long pole either. So, for while
we are travelling around, I want a short pole, i.e. the wooden one, which I can
cut to the required length. For when we’re at Crick; which doesn’t enjoy a very
strong signal, I’ll use what remains of the broom handle. Simple!!
Darned wireless mouse has
just packed up again. Grrrr!!!
We walked in to Nantwich
yesterday morning and bought a few bits that we’d forgotten on Saturday and
then enjoyed an hour in The Red Cow. We won’t be returning there though
because, at £3.70 for a pint of Carling, we think the owners are just downright
greedy. Alan suggested they’re thieves because, Ray and Les, at the White
Admiral, enjoy a couple of good holidays a year, and they only charge £3.20,
plus, they only charge £2.00 on Monday nights. He does have a point.
Tuesday 17th June
Took a slow cruise down to
Barbridge yesterday morning; only three miles and no locks; and found the place
to be almost empty of boats. Most unusual!! Those that were moored there were
outside the pub, on the opposite bank. I don’t think any other boats moored
here at all last night.
We took the bus into Crewe
and found it to be much like any other big town. However, I did manage to find
a pair of Cargo Pants with a stretchy waistline. All I need now is for Wifey to
alter the length. Couldn’t find the denim jacket I’ve been looking for. Looks
like an Internet job.
Wednesday 18th
June
We took the bus into Chester
yesterday morning, strolled around the shopping centre, had coffee and scone,
walked around some more and I still haven’t found a decent denim jacket. In
fact, we only saw one shop that sold them, but they only had those common blue
things. The one I wear at the moment is a grey one and that’s the colour I’m
after. I’ve actually saved a search on eBay, so I’ll probably buy that one and
send it to Alan for safe keeping.
For the rest of this summer
we’re going to use the local buses much more than usual. For example, from
Ellesmere we’ll go to Oswestry and Shrewsbury. We’ve already seen Chester and
Crewe as you already know. We’re doing all this now, just in case we get
another pooch during the winter, and we wouldn’t be able to leave him/her alone
for such long periods.
We think we know why there
were no boats here at Barbridge when we arrived on Monday. We reckon it’s
because those who had to return their holiday boats had already left, and those
picking their boats up hadn’t arrived yet. Besides which, we’re normally here
at the weekend, so as to enjoy a Sunday drink at the local. Yesterday boats
began to arrive and, by the time we had returned from Chester, these moorings
were really filling up.
We’ll be climbing the
Hurleston Locks up the Llangollen this morning and, with a bit of luck we’ll
get some more painting done.
Take care folks
Dave and Sheila
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