Stanthorne Woods, Middlewich

Calveley services were a short walk along the towpath and over a bridge from our previous night's moorings so Vicky took the dogs on foot while Will piloted Rainboat. The air was too cold and damp for Leo to want to be outside, so he was tucked inside her coat. A few minutes later she took pity on Tiger's efforts to pick her way through the claggy mud and tucked her under her other arm. Not quite the dog walk we'd hoped for!

After emptying bins and the pee pot and filling with water, Vicky and the furries travelled inside while a well wrapped Will steered on the stern. The journeying was slow going with what seemed like miles of moored boats lining the banks. When passing any stationery craft it's expected that you drop your engine into tickover (about 2mph as opposed to the usual 4mph) so your wake doesn't unduly disturb the floating homes. Despite the slow pace it wasn't too long before we got to Barbridge Junction, taking the tight left turn off the wide Shropshire Union mainline on to its narrow Middlewich Branch. From her vantage point at the side hatch Vicky didn't think Rainboat would make it round, but the feared collision never came as Will executed the manoeuvre in one- bravo Will 👌

There are hardly any other boats moving at this time of year so it was a surprise when we saw one ahead of us going into Cholmondeston Lock. It was even more of a surprise to realise it was Paul and Antony from the very successful YouTube Channel Narrowboat Life Unlocked. We got chatting while helping Paul work NB Morning Star through the lock and he remembered that it had been here on the Middlewich Branch where we'd first met, before spending Christmas 2023 moored in the Llangollen Basin together.

The narrow lock was easy and quick to refill and get through compared to the heavy gated wide locks of the mainline and it wasn't long before we were overtaking Morning Star as she filled with fuel at Venetian Marina. We passed through Minshull Lock and pottered on to moor at Stanthorne Woods; another favourite spot of ours. Whiskers loves stalking down the bank into the mature copse and the towpath has been hardpacked so the dogs were happy to potter and we weren't traipsing in great clods of mud every time we stepped aboard.

Someone has installed a series of homemade wooden bird feeding stations along this route. They are kept topped up with a seed mix and the hawthorn hedge is alive with the flutter of tiny wings and the chirps of happy birds; a real joy to witness.

On Saturday Will cycled and Vicky took the chair the 2km in to Middlewich high street. We arrived at Rowlands Pharmacy at 12:04pm to pick Will's prescription up, only to find it closes at noon on Saturdays. Oh well, we could wait 'til Monday. The independent pet shop had neither Dreamies nor lickilicks for the cats and no sweet potato chews that Vicky had been looking for for the dogs. We did a Lidl shop and treated ourselves to a beetroot burger and chips at the friendly White Bear hotel and pub. Thankfully Tesco Express had Dreamies so we were welcomed back aboard by Abby and Whiskers!Read more