Carl's Ponderings

Tyrley Locks

Dear All

Today's jottings are an attempt to raise a small smile. Firstly, I'm appalled at the sad state of the world and the vileness that is needlessly suffocating and breaking our beautiful country. Sadly I could go on and on and on, but I wouldn't be saying anything that the huge majority of sane people don't already know. Of course, successive "Governments" are not included in the previous sentence. How could they be? They are, as always, in complete denial of what they have done to this nation, and believe that everything is absolutely spiffing. Sigh. Secondly, there are family members and dear friends of ours who are dealing with sadness and illness and so, for them and the huge majority of sane people out there, I'll try to inject a little humour into this week's offering.

Tricky on the Middlewich towpath

Last Sunday we tied up on the witch's middle, or the Middlewich branch, as it's traditionally called. After a good night's kip we decided to turn and start making our way back to Shobnall to get our sign-writing done. The cruise back to Nantwich was uneventful but very enjoyable, in spite of the cloudburst from Wales, that hovered over us. Luckily, we were able to thwart the deluge with our trusty brolly and we tied up above Nantwich Aqueduct, completely dry.

Tea in Nantwich

After lots of hours had passed it was Wednesday already, so we slipped our lines in the early morning drizzle, left Nantwich behind and pottered off to our next mooring at Coole Pilates. On route we passed many moored boats. On one of these a crew member, "Bear Hugger" McGee, was putting out his washing. How it caught fire is anyone's guess.(Linda inserts 'eye roll' emoji)

Cool Pilates mooring - note Malc's giant aerial!

By mid afternoon the weather had dried up considerably, so out came the paint and associated accoutrements. Two and a half hours later the hand rail was finished off in bright red, the back panel was a light grey (with a hint of blue!) and my coffee cup was displaying a combined red/grey/blue motif, as was my tee shirt. Altogether a good afternoon's work.

Battling the by-wash at Audlem Lock 3

Thursday was a perfect summer's day. Soft blue sky melting into the horizon, warm sunshine, green fields and herds of sheep and cattle resting lazily in the shade. As we drifted along, lonely as a cloud, we watched swallows dipping and diving, a family of swans paddling serenely by and, occasionally, a leaping fish. From a clump of rushes, a flush of ducks hove into view. Seeing them got me wondering. Who do I prefer? Donald Duck or Daffy Duck? Well, to be honest dear readers, I think Daffy, of Looney Tunes fame, has to be the winner, taking first prize. Even better than Daffy though are the old Fred Quimby era Tom and Jerry animations. Sadly, the modern PC Tom and Jerry cartoons are about as enjoyable as a slight migraine. But I digress. While I'm digressing I'll just mention that those little labels they stick on pears and apples in supermarkets are really annoying. Anyway, to continue the progress report. After working our way up the fifteen locks at Audlem we finally moored for the day just below the locks at Adderley. 

Setting off in convoy up the Adderley flight

To continue with the method by which each day's voyaging has at least one paragraph devoted to it, I shall move onto Friday. The day of the gentle breeze. Yes (Linda again - I think that was an ironic 'Yes'). Well, we were up and about fairly early anyway, so we tackled the five Adderley locks and ascended without any queuing. A mere ninety minutes after we'd cast off we were safely moored near a bridge. Bridge number 67, I think it was. Later that afternoon, while suffering from seasickness due to the huge windswept waves on the canal, we watched the gentle breeze wreaking havoc with the trees around us. An interesting weather forecast, wouldn't you say? Oh, I almost forgot. I know that a lot of you will be eager for reports of the state of our gas locker. Well, I spent another hour or two in there dealing with the odd bit of rust that had appeared again, and generally making a better job of it that I had at Bogg's lock. It was hard labour, though. I think if I need to do any more work down there I'll have to evolve some longer arms. 

Shroppie Bridge - so iconic!

You know, Linda usually makes the coffee while on board. I always make the tea. I have to insist on it. Do you want to know why? Well, I read the Bible once, and it definitely says Hebrews. So I do. (Come on, think about it).

If that joke didn't make you smile, this definitely will. 
Great Grandson Oakley in Grandad's hat

 The weather is so changeable, isn't it? The Atlantic Ocean has a lot to do with it apparently, as does being in a temperate zone. Whenever I see or hear the words "temperate zone" I can't help being reminded of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". You know, the discussion about how they got hold of the coconuts that they used to make the sounds of horses hooves for King Arthur and his retinue in ancient Britain. Were they flown in by a European swallow using a line from the dorsal feather or was it an African swallow? Classic stuff, unless you don't like Monty Python of course. I'll get my coat.

A canon? I've no idea why as the Captain looked perfectly normal.

Yes, changeable weather. Saturday was hot hot hot. Humid as well. We were in Market Drayton and had to go shopping with rucksack and trolley (not a tartan trolley, but one with a dark green bag and a clever triple wheel arrangement for going up and down kerbs, although the wheels squeak loudly and Linda reminds me every time we use it that it needs oiling. It was so hot that we were compelled to buy an ice-cream from the extremely air-conditioned chocolate shop on the High Street. Lidl was also nice and cool thankfully, so we shopped as slowly as possible and milked the experience for all it was worth. I couldn't help noticing that all the apples and pears had stickers on them, but I didn't get too annoyed as the store was so deliciously cool.

Cool Cutting on the Shroppie

We had an evening cruise to a quiet mooring just outside town, where we met up with Pat and Malc on the Naga Queen, who we have been travelling with all week. After climbing the five Tyrley locks today and chugging through the very narrow and rocky Woodseaves cutting, we have moored on the Shebdon Embankment. Currently we are being buffeted by another gentle breeze.

Emergency Tree Trimming

Well, I suppose it's time to sign off. Bye for now.

Love from 

The Floating Chandlers

ps. Apparently, there are lots of people all over the world that stay awake all night wondering what it's like to suffer from insomnia.

Pps Apologies for the ps – Carl has a very strange sense of humour. I'll be back next week with a little less moaning about the weather and more Tales from the Towpath.

Tea with Shirley and Homer's Big Fish

Audlem Flight

Hello my friends 

The Summer Solstice has passed and we've finally been able to enjoy some summery weather as we float along. If you wondered where I'd got to last week, then I apologise for leaving you in the lurch but when it rains every day, there's really not much of interest to write about. This week we have travelled from Norbury, through Market Drayton and Nantwich and turned up the Middlewich Arm and tied up for the day just below Cholmondeston Lock - it's pronounced Chumston I think - I do love the way the English language is so unexpected!


Last week we moored the boat at Norbury for a few days and my daughter came and picked us up in her VW Beetle. I was reacquainted once more with the very low slung suspension and it was a test of my motherly instincts to keep quiet as we bumped and bounced along the narrow flooded lanes. Claire seemed totally un-phased as I clung onto the grab handle and whimpered a little as she swished the passenger wing mirror through the wet cow parsley- she's an excellent driver but I'm an exceedingly poor passenger.

Evening Views

This week has been a completely different kettle of fish. The sun shone down on the Lady Aberlour and her crew have been exceedingly happy about that. The covers have been rolled up and the hatches and doors flung wide to catch the breeze. The raincoats and boots have finally dried out and been put away, replaced by sun hats and sandals at last. We are travelling in convoy with the Naga Queen this week and there has been much frivolity of an evening with our friends Pat and Malc. Pat and I have been testing out a Gin, Grapefruit and Black Pepper Liqueur which has scored very highly on the Gin'o'Meter while Carl and Malc stick to the odd glass of Merlot. Altogether a very pleasant way to spend an evening

Naga Queen on the Shroppie

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The Shropshire Union from Norbury to Nantwich is probably the most photographed of all the canals - there are deep cuttings, spanned by high bridges and lined with trees that filter the light and dapple the water with shafts of sunshine. The rolling Shropshire pastures are lush and verdant after all the rain, making an emerald green backdrop for the ever changing skies. Pretty cottages are dotted along the watersides and the farmers have rented out their water side fields for boaters who are waiting for the day when they can cast off and be free. We slow down to tickover as we pass these long lines of moored boats - Carl is checking out their paintwork and I'm watching the swans teaching their cygnets to beg from the side hatches. The swallows are dipping and diving around the boat, flying fast and buzzing past us as we enter their air space.

Swift reflections

As we chug along towards Goldstone Wharf, we see a boat push off towards us, just as we reach the bridge. It seems that he wants to turn his 70' boat in the winding hole there and wants an audience.(Tongue in Cheek Emoji) Carl and I watch anxiously as he hits a fence and slots himself neatly into a private slip mooring - luckily the boat that normally moors there is out. He carries on posting himself into the narrow opening without seeming to realise what's happening. There's nothing to be done except creep by and leave him to work it out for himself, he has learnt lesson number one in the boaters rule book. 'When things go wrong, there will always be an audience'

Swan family

There's been a bit of locking this week - Tyrley and Adderley are short flights and I managed them without breaking into anything more than a ladylike glow. Then we reached the Audlem flight and the forecast was for heavy showers! There are 15 narrow locks down through Audlem and I was dripping by the time I got through the first two - the rain was back! We moored up by the Shroppie Fly, just before lock number 13, and brewed up. Pat and Malc passed us and waved to let us know they would carry on and moor at the bottom by the aqueduct - they looked fresh as daisies and I wonder what they put on their Shredded Wheat in the morning to give them so much energy. I trotted off into Audlem looking for strawberries and a chemist and in Boots I bumped into a lovely lady called Shirley. 'I'm looking for something to make me look younger' she quipped and we were immediately best friends. We passed the waiting time sharing a potted life history and giggling together like teenagers. She even invited me to call in for tea at her home just across the way. I walked back to the boat smiling and feeling warm inside - some people just have the knack of making you feel happy. I wish there were more people like Shirley in this world.

Wooden Horse-Nantwich Embankment

 The moorings at Nantwich were very busy, but we managed to find a place by the aqueduct and counted ourselves very lucky as boat after boat came by looking to moor. The Naga Queen was far away from us, through the next bridge and past the wooden horse ( there are lots of wood carvings along the tow-path here) We met up with them at Nantwich Marina where Pat and I visited the Craft Shop and Carl and Malc popped into the Chandlery. If you get the chance to visit this lovely town then you won't be disappointed. The beautiful architecture and independent shops, the indoor market and the tempting eateries (love the Ginger and Pickles Cafe) are reminiscent of bygone times. A visit to the famous Clewlow Butchers is a must for us and after that, we joined the other pensioners sitting around the market place, listening to the brass band playing. A 10 year old busker was playing his guitar in the main street. I stopped to listen and admired his courage, I doubt I'd be brave enough to busk with my ukulele!

That's all for this week, I hope the sun shines where you are and if you get a minute, I'd love to hear how you are.

Love from

The Floating Chandlers


ps I watched a fisherman fighting to land a huge fish on Friday, I clicked away with my camera and helped him weigh it in at 17lbs. Wow! Well done Mr Homer.

Wow Big Fish

 pps Many thanks to Dave at the Grooming Parlour in Nantwich Marina. A very lovely man and he made a great job of clipping Tricky. She's glaring at me now and keeps running away to live with Pat and Malc. How ungrateful!

View from the aqueduct at Audlem

Shropshire Bridges

Tree Man at Market Drayton - i can never resist taking his picture

Market Drayton bridge

Mooring at Market Drayton

Adderley Mooring

Setting off in the sunshine

Coffee Time Nantwich Marina

Pat and Malc

Nantwich Mooring

Nantwich Cottage

Kingfisher at Boggs Lock

My first Kingfisher photo - at last!


Morning All

It's been a race against the weather this week, chugging along under lowering skies and mooring up when we feel the first spit of rain. We've been sitting out the worst of the showers with a good book and a mug of tea and although it's June, Carl the Fire-starter has lived up to his name and kept us warm during the chilly evenings.

We do like an early start in the summertime, especially when the sun is shining and we have the water to ourselves – well, just us and the ducks! We slip along past the holiday boats, inspecting their slapdash mooring lines and trying not to disturb their still slumbering crews. We're heading for the Shroppie and we know this route well – from the sharp bend as you leave Rugeley, the aqueduct over the river Trent, the spot where we tried to turn once and got stuck, the busy junction at Great Hayward and the splendid views across Tixall Wide - we never get bored with travelling through familiar places and it's been a joy to slip along past Acton Trussell and by the Stafford Boat Club to moor once again in Penkridge for the Wednesday market and the delights of Jasper's Bakery.

The day we left Penkridge, we found a queue of four boats ahead of us at Otherton Lock - unusual so early in the day. I went up with my windlass to lend a hand and had a very sociable time chatting to the other lock-wheelers and being introduced to their dogs. Tricky mooched around at my heels, ignoring the overtures of an elderly one-eyed Labrador and hardly blinking when a large brown rat ran across the grass, jumped into the water and swam away. Considering that we spend so much time on the water, we rarely see rats and certainly not one doing the backstroke and thumbing his nose at our two dogs. Really Tricky - you're supposed to be a ratting dog!!

We only got through three locks, arriving at Bogs Lock just as most people were setting off. The sunny spot was empty, so we moored up and Carl donned his 'Painting' trousers again – Carl has found more rust and it must be banished! The forecast was good, breezy but dry so the Battle of the Gas Locker commenced. For those of you who are not familiar with boating terminology - the gas locker is situated in the very front of the boat, in the pointy bit, and is accessed through a square hatch that is just large enough for a 13kg gas bottle to fit through. Luckily, Carl isn't much wider than a gas cylinder and can squeeze himself right inside – very handy for doing the preparation work. Any boater will tell you that its completely against the rules to keep anything in the gas locker, except the gas bottles, so it didn't take Carl long to clear everything out and make a start. (I will insert a 'long-nosed Pinocchio' emoji and a 'raised eyebrow emoji' here and leave you to draw you own conclusions) I knew the rust was bad when I saw him going in with a hammer and chisel and much thundering and clanging rang through the boat. Carl finally emerged with a carrier bag full of bits of old iron that used to be the gas locker floor. Apparently, some boaters have hit water during this operation but Carl reassures me that ours is nowhere near that bad. I sat out on the tow-path later, crocheting in the sunshine and wishing I could have a cup of tea but the gas bottles were disconnected and it didn't look like they were going back in anytime soon. It was late afternoon before Carl was ready to put the paint on and just as he took the lid off the paint pot, in rolled the clouds and big fat raindrops splashed down. How very annoying! Being English, we thought we'd do what any self respecting Brit does in a crisis and brew up. We struck up the engine and used the electric kettle – now why didn't I think of that before! The work is complete, the gas bottles are back in their locker and that's another job ticked off Captain Carl's long list of 'Boaty Jobs'.

It has long been my ambition to capture my very own kingfisher photograph and I've tried several times over the years but not yet managed it. They fly so fast that I've only managed a blurry blob or a picture of the place it just left. We've seen several Kingfishers this week; the usual streak of brilliant blue flashing across the water and gone before I could even think 'Camera' never mind take a picture. Then I got lucky! Carl was still busy with the gas locker and the rain had cleared so I set off with Tricky and my camera, to see what I could find to photograph. I saw a blackbird sitting on a metal gate and clicked a shot- it wasn't very good. Then I framed a pretty scenic shot of the water with the lock gates in the foreground - not bad. A flash of blue caught my eye and I saw a Kingfisher alight on a branch and stay still for long enough for me to get my camera up and press the shutter. I walked along, clicking and zooming, getting closer and closer until I was just across the width of the canal from it. I stopped clicking and just stood watching until he zipped off and was lost to me. I ran back to the boat to download the photos and gloat over my very first Kingfisher photo. It's never going to make the Springwatch calendar but I'm very happy with it.

Take your waterproofs if you're going out this week, I think it's going to be really wet. We're heading for the Shroppie and the delights of Audlem and Nantwich. I'm looking forward to that.

Love from
The Floating Chandlers

Ps We managed to capture 3 'birds' of a very different kind today - a Hurricane and two Spitfires circled us several times as they practiced their formation flying. It brought everyone out of their boats, to stare up into the sky in wonder . What a spectacle!

Tixall Wide - Early start

Evening Sun at Boggs Lock

The Battle of the Gas Locker

Brick Kiln Lock

Evening mist after the rain

Beautiful sky

Lovely Evening

Beautiful.

Grey Turns to Blue

Sunset 

Hi everyone – Carl here.

In these uncertain times (Linda interrupts – Carl,no political ranting please – we are not that kind of blog), I thought I'd give Linda "a day off" from the jottings. No, no, please give me a chance and at least read the first couple of paragraphs before you give it up as a bad job.

  

Summery afternoon

We've had a lot of extra weather this week; wind, hail, rain that was wetter than usual, thunder that was louder than the exploding garden (more of that later), hot sun, dull sun, no sun at all and so on. To be blunt, a typical late spring week. This week we have travelled from just above Derwent lock, Shardlow to the other side of Rugeley. After Derwent lock there are five more broad locks to negotiate before the first of the narrow locks at Dallow Lane (Burton on Trent). After the huge river locks on the Soar and Trent, and the five broad locks on the Trent and Mersey canal, it's quite a novelty to pass through narrow locks again. Linda usually operates the locks, while I stand at the tiller, taking it easy. The few times I work the locks does, I have to admit, tend to slow us down a bit. Hmm. (Linda again - each to their own Captain Carl, you're much better at steering, you don't leave several coats of paint on the lock gates!)

Coming up Swarkestone Lock

We tend to listen to the radio a lot while we are out on our boat, or rather we used to. Years ago, Radio 2 was our station of choice. Sadly, those days are coming to an end. Radio 2 now seems to be a constant replay of endless trailers for "The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show", "The Sara Cox Drivetime Show" and "Rylan on Saturday". The stuff they play between these annoyances has become a relentless dirge, an ear-bullying mishmash of drippy, bland singers that all drone on with their own versions of the same song, some renditions made even worse by irritating, jerky drum rhythms. And many of them finish too long after the end. The rap "music" (spelt with a silent "C") that is being edged in through the back door, is just another pound of nails in the coffin. "Serious Jockin' (with no G)" adds insult to audio injury. Thankfully, we've discovered Bubblegum and Cheese on BBC Radio Solent (9 til 12 Saturday mornings). The records on this show are mostly from the fifties, sixties and seventies, that golden age of popular music, and are astonishingly wonderful and joyous. Perfect for this boating life. (Interruption from Linda – change the record Carl!)

Rainbow

Our moorings each night have, with two exceptions, been very quiet and pleasant. Exception number one was on Thursday night at eleven thirty when we, and a lot of others I would think, were suddenly shocked into wakefulness by some berk deciding to set off a load of fireworks. It sounded like World War 3 had started. Exception number two was yesterday, Saturday. We had moored at Handsacre, a couple of miles from Rugeley, in what we thought was an ideal spot. Unfortunately for us, we didn't realise that some Jeremy Kyle type guests lived in one of the houses opposite us. As the afternoon wore on, the sound of shouting, swearing and inane shrieks of manic laughter emanated from this house. Interspersed with this was someone, possibly the "alpha male", yelling at the top of his voice, the most appalling expletives. We were just deciding to move the boat when their garden exploded. The idiot who'd been yelling and swearing had tried to start a barbeque using petrol or gunpowder. The whole lot went up like an atom bomb. By one of those strange flukes, no one seemed to be hurt, and the whole lot of them started whooping, cheering and swearing a lot. With that we untied the boat and moved her to somewhere quieter.

We do see a lot of wildlife from this boat. Early on Wednesday morning we enjoyed the antics of a squirrel running up and down the towpath, which was also being watched by a young rabbit, sitting only a few yards away. I remember a few years ago, in an early dawn, we stood silently, watching a stoat dancing and jumping about near our mooring on the South Oxford canal. I've never seen anything like that before or since. As we left Burton Upon Trent, we saw a turtle/terrapin sunning itself and Linda clicked the shutter quickly before it could dive . Then, last night as I put the dog out for her late night ablutions, I spotted a young toad near the boat, busy making plans for the building of his hall. Thankfully, Tricky didn't see it and walked nonchalantly off and wandered around for a few minutes until she found a toilet shaped clump of grass. Then there was a repeat of this procedure while I took the shovel for a walk, "just in case". We strolled back to the boat and Tricky sat down on the tow-path gazing at nothing in particular, while the toad watched. Eventually, she noticed the toad but was totally unfazed, she yawned sleepily, clambered back onboard, and prepared herself for her main sleep.

Turtle or Terrapin?

For some time now our boat has needed her name re-writing. This week we bit the bullet and arranged for a sign writer to redo both panels next month. The panels need to be prepared first, which is why I bought yet another tin of paint on Friday. Much sanding down of one of the panels has followed, and by Saturday I had applied the undercoat. Early yesterday afternoon I masked the coach lines again ready for another painting session. I opened the tin of light grey gloss, and found myself looking at a can of bright blue paint. I shut my eyes and re-opened them, but the paint was still blue. I thought maybe the paint needed lots of vigorous stirring, but it remained blue. I wondered if it started out blue and dried grey, but no, it stubbornly refused to be anything other than blue. While I was thinking "oh dear", and searching for an unopened tin of Atlantic Grey paint that came with the boat ten or eleven years ago that may or may not be any good, Linda contacted the place we'd bought it from. The latest on that is that they will get the manufacturers to get a replacement to us. Fingers crossed then. (Linda again – I'm expecting that the paint will come by drone, now wouldn't that be something to write about!)

Looks like smurf paint to me!

That's all from us for this week

Love from

The Floating Chandlers

ps Linda here - had a lovely day out with my Mum and sister Jenny at Easton Gardens.  Loved that my Mum managed a go on the tree swing - not bad for 88 years old (Sorry Mum, did I give the game away? - cheeky face emoji)

Toad

Mum and Jenny

pps There's a Cat Cafe in Burton Upon Trent - we'd have liked to go in and suss it out but we had Tricky with us. might have been a CATastrophe!

Purrocious Cafe 

If you want to see the clip of my Mum on the tree swing then click on the link and have a big smile x
Mum on a Swing