Visitors galore

Nikita & Magnus decided to come to stay as planned even though we weren’t able to travel anywhere, as Bosley locks were closed.

The four of us put together a Tesco order which was delivered to the boat.

It was like our own little island mooring by the feeder from the reservoir. Big kids also love blowing bubbles.

We had a BBQ.

Did lots of cooking and baked biscuits to share with the other boaters & volunteer lockkeepers.

They were a very willing hardworking crew.

Magnus watched the fish in the evening and tried to catch some with an improvised rod.

Nikita loved looking at the moths at night and in the daytime butterflies & bees.

We did lots of walking & exploring and found a pub a couple of miles away.

We strolled part way around Bosley Reservoir, which was huge. For safety reasons the water levels had been significantly lowered way back in the 1950s. Subsequently, most of the shore line is covered in established trees.

All the big kids enjoyed the park by the reservoir.

We had an e-mail from CRT saying the locks would open in a few days. Even the kids thought it was unlikely they would, as one of the pounds mid-way down the flight was empty on the day the message arrived. But indeed it filled, and we got down the locks in good time with the super crew.

Once down the locks & moored in Congleton, Magnus pleaded to check the propeller (John dreads this job). Bless him, he spent ages cutting fishing line off the prop.

   

  

There was a lot of algae on the water at Congleton when we first arrived. It cleared when all the boat came down the locks. We were 4^th in the queue & there were 11 more behind us!!

A few days after the kids went home. Ed came for a few days, joined by Joe for a day as he had to work.

We thought the lads would enjoy a brass band concert in Congleton park being musicians themselves.

Ed had only had one shallow stop lock to do on the lower Macclesfield Canal.

A few days after Ed went home, Hunson, Heather’s dog, arrived. Her & the 3 kids were going to stay with Ed in London and couldn’t take the dog on the Underground.

We discovered our perfect shop in Kidsgrove. A wool shop with the front ¼ a home brew shop!!

While moored at Kidsgrove we walked many times over the rather high Red Bull Aqueduct. A day & nighttime photo.

Closed until further notice

  

We had wished our journey along the Macclesfield & Peak Forest Canals would never end, as it’s just gorgeous here. So I guess our wish has come true!!!

Canal & River Trust (CRT) had already put restrictions on some lock flights in the south. We knew these two canals were very shallow, making for a slower than usual journey. Even during the wet winter a decade ago, when we moved aboard and the locks were closed for routine repairs. Now, with a busy summer and no rain for a good few weeks, it was inevitable there would be closures.

CRT closed Bosley Locks the very morning we had planned to descend the flight of 12. We had to moor at the water point & the boat following us moored alongside as a boat was halfway through the bridge. To free up the water point a lovely CRT lad asked us to move. The other boat is across the top lock bi-weir & he popped us down the little arm which houses the pump out station and where the feeder culvert from Bosley reservoir comes in. If a boat needs to use the pump out facility, we’ll need to back out & squeeze somewhere until they are finished. It’s unlikely anyone will come, as they’d have to reverse back past many boats to be able to moor.

Apart from the pipes to our starboard side, our views are stunning over to the Sutton Common’s BT tower on Croker Hill.

And the wild flowers from the galley porthole.

There is shade from the facilities building to sit in & plenty of room to pop the rotary washing line up.

The water tap is a few feet away and the sun is filling the batteries, so I’m washing & freshening up just about everything

We were moored outside Braidbar Boats for the 11^th anniversary of our boat’s empty shell going into the water at High Lane & being towed to the boatyard at Higher Poynton. This is their latest build.

It was extremely hot at Poynton, and we had a lovely shady spot from the afternoon sun. We walked along the Middlewood Way and picked the biggest wild raspberries we’ve ever seen. AND, we saw our first ever badger (alive), one evening, it ran right in front of us.

A quiet evening was disrupted as the Beavers & later the cubs paddled past having such fun.

 

We often comment on how few rabbits we see these days, well, they were out in force in the park at Poynton.

 

Luckily John noticed this chap hanging over his side of the bed. Hopefully the candles of an evening keep help to keep insects out.

We will get an update in a few days time, as to if & when the locks will open. The initial plan is to allow passage on 3 specified days/week.

The only problem with being marooned where we are is, it’s very remote. We have well stocked cupboards for now, but can feel a Tesco delivery coming on in a week or so if we are still stuck. We’ll be ravenous with all the wonderful hills to walk up here.