send more sea sick pills please .....

Blooming wind again !!    Two days of it this time.   Started evening time when we were moored between Marbury Lock and Bridge 24 (about 3 miles after Wrenbury towards Ellesmere) last Friday.   Saturday morning Dai decided it wasn’t fierce enough to stop us upping pins and moving on ---- yeah, right !!    We went about 100 yards and came into land again just through Bridge 24 where we stayed rest of Sat and all Sunday.    Not that it was such an hardship as very lovely countryside.      Wind gone Monday so we went on about 3 miles and 9 locks - three of the locks being the 3-lock staircase at Grindley Brook.      I’ve never done this staircase before without the lock-keeper directing operations so I chanted the “bottom lock empty; middle and top locks full” mantra as I left Dai on the boat after the first 3 locks in the flight to check no-one coming down and then set them up for Dai to ascend.   Bottom lock was already empty so I had to fill the top 2 chambers before opening the bottom lock gates for Jandai to come up.    Chanting the mantra worked and we were up the staircase in no time!     Moored at the top and stayed there until this morning - tonight we are at Bettisfield ----- (oh no, we are not!    Couldn’t get enough internet power last night to post this so am posting today but stats below are as last night.     Tonight we are moored in the Ellesmere Arm.)


Since we hadn’t had a meal out since before Christmas, we decided to go to the Dusty Miller while in Wrenbury.     Eaten there a few times before and it’s always been good food albeit a bit on the pricey side.     Since we were last there (July 2010) it has been “done up” (although it wasn’t really run down before) and extended at ground floor level into what was living quarters which has meant the bar being turned around and made longer.    They have made a lovely job and the meal and service very good - albeit still rather pricey!     


Nature really is now thinking it is spring - we saw our first daffodils last week and this week have spotted cherry blossom and snowdrops.


Since last blog we have done … 14 miles and  10 locks
Total since Setting Off ….. 1577 miles and  1257 locks  

the ducks came down next on their surf boards

BW men working on the lift bridge at Wrenbury for
a few days but they were raising it on request for boaters

cherry blossom on 23 January, 2012

if this is your fender, you'll find it on the
towpath by Wileymore Lock after Dai
had to cut it from our propellor

Janice raising New Mills lift bridge
just before the Whitchurch Arm

All lift bridges we have come across so far
have been painted black and white.
Did BW give in to the local property owner at
Tilstock Park so it blends more into the background?

"Stop and Shop" property at Whixall by the moorings
between Bridges  43 and 44 up for sale.
Must do a roaring trade in the summer months
but always shut out of season

Much lying water on the Whixall Moss site
just before the Prees Branch.

Here's me snapping you !
Geoff of NB Seyella's Journey as we passed by