Fishfinger Sarnies are Just Yummy

Bottom Bosley Locks to Congleton to Scholar Green to end of Macclesfield Canal; onto Trent and Mersey and now moored at Red Bull Services pointing north.    Plan now is to go up the T and M to Middlewich; across Middlewich Branch onto Shropshire Union and turn south to bottom, then to Great Haywood onto the T and M again down to Trent Lock at start of Erewash Canal.    We are booked into our boat builders (John and Mick of Kingfisher Narrowboats) from Mon 8 August for several jobs including bottom blacking and solar panels fitting.   


Last Sunday was first Sunday since I have known Dai (7 yrs) that we didn’t have a “proper Sunday dinner” - had fish finger sarnies instead !!    It was so so hot that we thought we’d break a tradition and have salad instead.    Yes, you guessed right - no salad to be had, hence the fish fingers on squotchy white sliced bread (well, it has to be that sort of bread, our normal homemade bread just doesn’t do it !!).    Yes, I did say “so so hot” - wonderful sunny Sunday.     Not hot and sunny since but it was a lovely Day!!


We were actually in Congleton so walked down to the town where they had their annual Food and Drink Festival on the same Sunday.    Lots and lots of stalls in the streets and it was heaving with people (moaning about the heat!!).   We could have spent a fortune but settled on three types of coffee beans and a big pork pie.    Also had coffee in Costa Coffee - what a treat to have an iced mocha !!!


You’ll all be delighted to hear that the new batteries are settled in nicely.    Last Saturday was first day since we have lived on Jandai that we didn’t have to run the engine for electricity at all.    If we are now not moving for the day it only takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to charge them up instead of the 4 hrs previously.


Had our first medical emergency today - Dai woken up in night with raging toothache so this morning he trundled off to find a dentist.    Luckily nearest town to here is only about half a mile away - Kidsgrove.   First dentist he went in only did NHS work and not taking on any new patients and no private work at all.   Second dentist however was great and pulled his tooth this afternoon as it was past redemption.   That’s great service but then, of course, when you’re paying privately, most things can be done quickly.


Since last blog we have done …  11 miles and 3 locks
Total since Setting Off ….. 1298 miles and  1065 locks  

The heron and ducks liked having the pound drained !
Tasty delicacy of crayfish for dinner  just for a change

Broken paddle at Lock 15 on the Marple Flight.  
Emergency repairs got it sorted in a couple of hours

Pounds drain incredibly quickly when a lock fails

No stress up here !

Tubs of lettuce; sage, thyme and pansies on Jandai's roof

I'd definitely recommend watering your pansies with canal water
proof is in the pudding as they say!