Bugsworth Basin Fun Day

We’ve been at Bugsworth Basin, near Whaley Bridge for 4 days now. It was the fun day yesterday & the warden asked if we’d moor along side the trade boats & demonstrate spinning/weaving. So many people asked what I had to sell that we are really considering getting a trade licence. It was a beautiful day with lots of interesting stalls, a dog show, radio operated boats and Olympic games. I’ve hardly used my spinning wheel since we moved aboard, I tend to use drop spindles, so I spun on my wheel just about all day. There was a beer stall that had the choice of two real ales. We sat out until it was dark and the huge full moon peeped over the trees. 

The three resident cygnets have grown a good bit since we were last here, their parents are very friendly and bring the family really close for a dose of porridge oats.

Two weekends ago we were at Bugsworth, this time to meet up with our friends from the Kawasaki GT Club, who were having their National Rally at Buxton. The plan was for us to all have lunch at the Navigation Inn, however, there was an hours wait for food. So I nipped back to the boat & made us sandwiches and had already made cake. As they all rode off we both wanted to hop on a bike and join them, but, once we got back to the boat we decided it’s such a lot of bother to put the tent up & down, when we can float around!!

So our boat went into the water 2 years ago last Friday and it feels like we’ve come home being at Braidbar. Plus, the luxury of ‘Alton’ the fuel narrow boat coming by like clock work every other weekend, they have supplied us with diesel, a bag of ‘just in case’ coal and gas. Most of our teething problems have been done by the Braidbar lads. It just so happened when they were going to take off our side doors it poured and they have got a lot of work on. We’re in no hurry to head south and are quite contented to potter up & down the Macclesfield & Peak Forest Canals. So we didn’t get in the lads way we caught the train to Manchester and visited the Science Museum.

 

These canals are pretty shallow with few places to moor, however, we’ve moored in some lovely spots. John fed the tiny ducklings from his hands. Last Sunday we were treated to a brass band concert when we were moored beside the ‘Ring ‘O Bells in Marple. While we were in Marple we got our solar jars out and set them up with a linen bag, water and onion skins to have a go at dying the bags in the sun.