Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 21:41:05 +0000 From: Tony Mealing Reply-To: Canals To: Canals Cc: canals@ukwaterways.net Bcc: nonet@yahoogroups.com Subject: Two Weeks of Leisure. (XP) [ The following text is in the "ISO-8859-1" character set. ] [ Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set. ] [ Some characters may be displayed incorrectly. ] Today has been an interesting day to say the least. Rose at 5:15 while Helen materialised at 5:40 Had breakfast and left the mooring in Whitchurch at 06:00. Today was a totally eventless day other than passing Joe Jones and exchanging pleasantry's. Joe caught us up at New Marton Locks, the first of which I'd worked single handed as Helen was catching some ZZZZ's. I arranged to meet Joe at Fron wich is where he's currently based, and where I'm currently writing this, while waiting for dinner to arrive, in the Aquaduct Inn. This pub is set quite high up on one side of the valley and has an amazing view across the valley, although the aquaduct is somewhat obscured by the trees. Today's journey was broken by us stopping above New Marton locks for a half hr break, and another stop at Chirk for an hrs shopping break. Chirk and Whitehouse Tunnels were slow going due to one boat trying to pull away from the tunnel entrance mooring while still tied up, which sent him pointing in totally the wrong direction. Also slowed up immensely by the lack of water coming through both the tunnels. Arrived at Fron 18:30 and managed to moor directly ahead of 'Will Crooks'. While walking up to the pub I discovered that the chap who came through Chirk tunnel ahead of us used to read the canals list in the days of 'blacksheep' He'd brought the boat up from London and was Leaving her in Llangollen for three weeks before starting a trip back to his London base by weekending. If I stand by the window of the pub I can see the cut and the line of moored boats for at least half a mile each way. Tomorrow we're off across the aquaduct who's name I won't even attempt to spell, let alone pronounce properly, then on to Llangollen where we'll spend several hours before coming back here to celebrate my 42nd birthday with Joe and Friends on Saturday. One of the locals in here has just walked out the door while saying to me "seeya, I must say your daughters looking lovely tonight". Bloody cheek!!!!! -- As you Do! Tony M. ---