Date: Mon, 8 Sep 1997 08:50:53 -0700 From: Julie Shook Reply to: canals@blacksheep.org To: canals@blacksheep.org Subject: Trip report, hotel boats, part 1 Now, by popular demand (well, David K. asked), a trip report about my week on a pair of hotel boats in June. I've been fascinated by English canals and narrowboats since a brief stay in Stratford several years ago. ("Look! A lock! And skinny boats. Tell me more!") I've been trying since then to get a group of my friends to go, but we've never managed to be solvent all at the same time. Silly things like car payments, mortgages, and grad school kept interfering. My parents were willing to do the canals with me, but I didn't think that three tyros trying to handle a boat was a good idea. We'd like to still be speaking afterwards. Anyway, we decided on a hotel boat, and after pouring over the various brochures, chose Country Hotel Narrowboats and selected their trip from Chester to Whaley Bridge. June 7, 1997 We arrived in Chester by train, then took a taxi Tower Wharf, found the boats (Conwy and Caernarfon), and met three of the crew - Mark, Pam and Jess. We dropped off our luggage and went out to explore Chester. Chester is lovely. We walked quite of bit of the city walls and went to the visitor's centre. We had planned on taking one of their guided walking tours, but the guide never showed up. We took one of the Guide Friday narrated bus tours, walked some more, got drenched in the rain. We made our way back to the boats and met rest of our fellow passengers. The others were all English - a retired couple around my parents' age, two older ladies, and one older man, all traveling separately. They were all very nice, and some had had quite a bit of previous experience on the canals. After dinner, my parents and I walked around Chester some more, marveling at how light it still was at 10 p.m. It rained a bit, and we saw a huge rainbow. Back to the boats to settle in for the evening. Couldn't help but listen to the music from Telford's Wharf. (Mother thought it was me at first, playing my radio too loud.) Sunday, June 8 Beautiful, glorious sunny morning. Breakfast at eight. We set off about 9:30, still breasted up. Our pilot, Mark, described the hurry the other boats moored nearby were suddenly in when they saw us getting ready to leave. Up the Northgate staircase locks. Boy, do they leak! Walked along the towpath until Christleton lock. Mother was fascinated by the elderflower plants. The weather started out fine, but got colder and more overcast. We heard thunder and saw lightning in the distance by the time we were approaching Beeston Castle, but only had a few sprinkles. Beautiful countryside. I kept consulting my Nicholson's, comparing it with the new version from the boat's library. We moored up for the night at Chas Hardern's at Beeston. I looked for Thumper, but saw no sign of her. All the female passengers went and explored the canal shop there. The pug dogs were introduced to everyone. My, she's got a lot of stuff in that shop. We all came out with our purchases, and it was "Shirts? Were there T-shirts for sale in there? I didn't see those. And where were those cute little painted flower coasters...." After dinner we walked up the towpath for a little while. We saw fields full of rabbits, and saw a couple of men shooting (presumably at the rabbits). Monday, June 9th We got a bit of a late start on Monday morning. We needed water and a pump out, but the nozzle for one of the hoses was leaking, so the people at Chas Hardern's cut it off, and spent over an hour trying to fit it back on. It was rather like a comedy sketch, and the weather was lovely, so none of us minded. We passengers had thought, reading the sign at Beeston Iron lock, that both boats would not fit in the lock. To our surprise, they did, though it was a very tight fit. Up next to the Beeston Stone lock, where we stopped and got wonderful ice cream from the lady there. Before we got to Bunbury, we came across a boat that had drifted free of it's moorings. No sign of the owners. It had grounded itself rather firmly across the canal, and it took quite a bit of work to get it back where it belonged. At Bunbury, we came across a group of schoolchildren on a field trip. They had great fun opening and closing the locks for us. Sharp left turn at Barbridge Junction, quite fun with 140 feet of boat(s). We pushed on and made a late stop at Middlewich, as we had arranged to meet our fourth crew member, Barry, there. He'd been away until then. We wandered around Middlewich after dinner. Moored up above King's Lock we saw a sort of camping narrowboat. They must have had 8-12 young teenaged boys aboard. There had drying socks and jeans and such draped all over the boat. Julie Shook catnap@primenet.com Date: Mon, 8 Sep 1997 08:51:15 -0700 From: Julie Shook Reply to: canals@blacksheep.org To: canals@blacksheep.org Subject: Trip report, hotel boats, part 2 Tuesday, June 10 Our first day on the Trent & Mersey. I'd chosen this trip because I'd wanted to see the Macclesfield Canal, but was quite pleasantly surprised by the beauty of parts of the T&M. Mother loved all the foxglove. Saw the salt works first thing after we got started in the morning. We noticed the bulldozers first, then realized those huge hills they were moving were salt. Had a nice chat with a farmer near Malkins Bank (I think). We admired his mares and foals. Onward through Heartbreak Hill. At one point the butty, Caernforn, took quite a jolt while trying to stop. The appetizers for dinner ended up on the floor, and it was later discovered that the oven had gone out. Jesse, the cook for the day, was Not Amused. Dinner was late that evening. We moored just past the Church locks, just outside Church Lawton. Wednesday, June 11 We had an early start this morning, because several of us had put on our booking forms that we would like to see Little Moreton Hall. We passed some BW workers busy doing something at the southern side of lock 45 near Church Lawton. We stopped to get water before the junction with the Macclesfield, so we wandered up to look at the aqueduct we were soon to be on. Then on to the Macclesfield Canal. We passed a large group of people on the towpath by Hall Green lock. (A rise of 1' 0"?) They seemed to be there to see an old narrowboat called William. Anybody know the history of this boat? On past Ramsdale Hall, where there were setting up a large tent on the lawn for some sort of function that evening. We moored for lunch just past the bridge nearest Little Moreton Hall and after our meal set out towards LMH. A "No Trespassing" sign where the footpath should have begun threw us into some confusion. Barry had left to get some parts for the boat. Pam tried finding a taxi firm that was anywhere close. It sounded like we were not going to make it to LMH, so I walked up to the phone box at the next bridge and called David Kitching to let him know our ETA for Bosley on Thursday. I had posted to the list before we went for people to say hello if they saw us that week. David emailed and offered to help with the Bosley Locks if he could get away from work. We didn't have a firm ETA until Tuesday evening, and I didn't get to a phone box until Wednesday afternoon. I dialed the number and got David's wife. I felt like a bit of a ninny, "Hi, I'm an American tourist, and David said to let him know when we'd be going through the Bosleys, and it looks like it's going to be late tomorrow morning." She said she'd give him the message. I got back to the boats in time to find out that the others had just left to go to LMH. I caught up with them as they were heading out into the field. ("What 'No Trespassing' sign?") Anybody else heading that way be warned: avoid the fence rails, they've been coated with axle grease. Apparently there's some sort of dispute with the farmer, who sound like a charming character. David K. has to deal with him as part of his job. We trekked across the fields. Mother has bad knees, and on a couple of occasions would get stuck at the top of a stile, unable to go forward or backward. Our laughter didn't seem to help the situation. Little Moreton Hall is gorgeous, well worth the effort to get there. We moored for the night across from the Congleton Wharf. After dinner we walked down to the next bridge, which was one of the snake bridges, managing to avoid the gnats that had attacked our fellow passengers. We were quite impressed by the small cat who calmly walked on the edge of the aqueduct high above the street that runs below the canal. Thursday, June 12 We headed out Thursday morning, and reached the Bosley locks just before noon. As we could see the locks approaching I could see a man and two dogs at the top of the lock. Yes, it was David, come to help us with the locks. David was marvelous, telling us bits about the canal's history, like the relocation and restoration of the stone distance markers, as well as helping the crew with the locks. I had commented to him about how well-behaved all the dogs I'd seen had been, so of course, at the next lock, there were 4 Yorkshire terriers, trying to prove me wrong. They seemed to take offense at Barry dropping his windlass near them and wanted to let everyone know that He was a Bad Man! The weather was beautiful at first, but then it got grayer, and started to drizzle, and started to rain, and started to pour. David had his rain gear handy, including a raincoat for his whippet. We moored up after the last lock, and had lunch. David was able to join us. French onion soup, as I recall. Very warming. After lunch, David offered to drive ahead and get the swing bridge set for us. Pam (Mrs. Captain) asked if he'd mind taking Barry (Mr. Captain) ahead into Macclesfield as they need to get a few provisions from the store. David quite kindly agreed and after helping get us unstuck from our mooring spot, took off with Barry. Onward to the Royal Oak swing bridge. Waved at David and all the waiting cars, and continued on into Macclesfield. On the far side of town we came across Barry and David again. David had not only taken Barry to the store, but brought him back to canal. Thanks again, David, for assistance above and beyond. With groceries and Barry back aboard, we waved farewell to David and continued northward. The plan was to get as far as we could that evening, because we had to be in Whaley Bridge by Friday. We had dinner on the move, and finally moored up about 8:30 somewhere between Bollington and Higher Poynton. In the field across the way were several families of Canadian geese. It was a very quiet evening. Julie Shook catnap@primenet.com Date: Mon, 8 Sep 1997 08:51:36 -0700 From: Julie Shook Reply to: canals@blacksheep.org To: canals@blacksheep.org Subject: Trip report, hotel boats, part 3 Friday, June 13 Our last day on the move, and none of us want it to end. We saw some deer at the deer farm past Bancroft bridge. We stopped at Marple for water, and all the passengers walked down the Marple locks. They stopped at lock 9, I dashed on down to lock 5. We got back just as it started to rain. One of the passengers, Phil, actually lives in Marple, and while he can't see the canal from his backyard, he can see boats when they go by. Lunch on board, then we were off on the Upper Peak Forest canal. The rain had stopped by then, but our pilot, Mark, said any little bit extra in the canal would be a help, as shallow as it is. Lovely views across the Goyt Valley, and the only bit of unpleasantness on the trip. Mark had a bit of a verbal altercation with the crew of a narrowboat behind us that left him muttering for hours. We smelled the Swizzles in the air from the Matlows' factory in New Mills, just like the Nicholson's said. We dropped off Pam and Jesse in New Mills so they could go do the shopping for the next week's trip, which left Mark and Barry to handle both boats. Luckily there was only one swing bridge left on the way to Whaley Bridge. It's a bit disconcerting to have one man steering two 70 foot boats. In Furness Vale we saw a man with 2 small donkeys out for a stroll. We arrived at Whaley Bridge in the afternoon, and moored up across from the winding hole. There was some concern that we would be in the way of the Judith Mary restaurant boat on her way back in, but it turned out we were fine where we were. We moored behind Shackleton, and Barry spent some time talking with the just-that-day ex-owner of the boat. I found out later that one of the topics they had discussed was the internet. It wasn't until we were in Scotland the next week when a lightbulb went on and I went Shackleton + Whaley Bridge + internet = Peter Neville. Peter, was that you? Sorry I didn't say hello. Somebody (Shackleton's new owner? Or Peter?) taught Mark how to dry his mop by spinning it with his forearms. There was quite a bit of laughter while he tried to get it right. Mark was quite pleased with his new skill. That evening we set out on our usual postprandial stroll and ended up at Buxworth/Bugsworth basin. Phil-who-lives in Marple went with us. He said he thought the WRG had been doing some work out that way. True? Then it was back to the boats for our final night. Saturday, June 14 Breakfast, our final meal, so we got the works: sausage, bacon, oatmeal, tomatoes, toast, fried bread, fruit, cereal, etc. Then it was time to collect our luggage, exchange addresses, and make our final good-byes. Off to the train station, Whaley Bridge to Manchester, Manchester to York, and the rest of our trip. Assorted bits: At one point I saw a fox in a field. We stared at each other for a moment, then he took off. I was thrilled, but to everyone else it was "just another fox." I was tickled in one canal-side shop where the proprietor, when she found out I'd arrived on the pair of hotel boats, asked if I was part of the crew. Apparently I wasn't old enough to be a passenger. (Let's see if I can get this right.) The Macclesfield canal is unattractive, dull, not worth anybody's time. The people are mean and surly. And there was something about whippets. (Is that how it goes, David? ) Really, the Macclesfield was gorgeous. I'm so glad we were able to see it. I couldn't seem to stop taking pictures. Almost every curve, bridge, vista, had me going "click" with my camera. When I get my web page up I'll post the address of my canal pictures. All in all it was a wonderful trip. I loved the canals, the pace, the people along the way. Now I'm working doubly hard to get my friends organized for self-hire trip. But until then, I may be traveling for a week or two on Conwy and Caernarfon next year. If anybody sees Conwy and Caernarfon traveling along, give them a wave from me. They're on the Kennet and Avon this week, traveling from Devizes to Bath. We now return you to your regularly scheduled mailing list. Julie Julie Shook catnap@primenet.com