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  • Vicky 'n' Will's Travels

Rainboat

Life continuously cruising the canals and rivers of England and Wales. Read more
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    Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    The Whit Walk
    Words to their anthem so people can sing alongBands set off from the Saddleworth Museum & Gallery by the canalFrom the websiteCrowds gathering on the streetsThe contest stage all set up for later in the dayQuite a lot of waiting around for the music to start

    Uppermill Whit Friday Band Contest

    May 29 in England ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    When we arrived at Uppermill, one of the first things we were told was that the Uppermill Whit Friday Band Contest was being held in 6 days time. During the course of the week the local level of excitement only grew. Though we'd never heard of it, it was obviously a big and much anticipated event. Will picked up a program that told us it was the 138th annual contest!

    The organisation was a bit baffling to us outsiders but we gathered that Uppermill was one of 11 villages in the Saddleworth area that holds a band contest on Whit Friday. The contests all start at 4pm and the bands travel between the villages in coaches. Each contest has its own stage and adjudicator. The adjudicators sit in vans or nearby houses so they can listen but not see who is playing. Each contest has its own cash prizes, including some for deportment, but if bands take part in 6 or more village contests they are eligible for the grand prize. Apparently each village and contest has its own unique style so visitors are advised to do their research and find one that suits them. Each contest starts with the bands marching through the streets before performing their competition piece on stage.

    As well as holding its own band contest in the late afternoon, Uppermill is the destination of the morning Whit Walks. Several villages walk into the town centre with their church banners and village bands before congregating in the centre for a joint church service.

    We'd not come across this festival before but according to Wikipedia it is particularly strong in the manufacturing towns of North West England. Events are held in Stalybridge, Uppermill and Mossley and are internationally renowned. They even have their own Wikipedia page:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whit_Friday

    We heard the first strains just after 9am and the intermittent music continued until about 10:30pm. A lot of traditional tunes were played alongside more contemporary pieces like The Village People's YMCA. The general hubbub of visitors and competitors died down after midnight so it was a long day. Ironically the walks first originated as a distraction from the drinking, gambling and 'demoralising recreations' of youths attending Manchester Horse Races. It sounded to us as if there was quite a lot of drinking and demoralising recreations going on in and around the local hostelries 🍻

    Will popped down a few times. He enjoyed the marching and the music but there was far more time spent hanging around waiting for each song to start, which put him off staying for too long. Vicky could hear the music from the boat and it was fun to start with but wasn't really her thing. Nonetheless we are glad we stayed for this huge cultural event. With over 1000 spectators in Uppermill alone it is obviously a massive deal in the North West and something we'd never come across before. Just one of the reasons we love to travel!    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Lovely and cool in the shade. The gangplank was required though!
    Goodbye to Frenches Marina and its handy TescoA long narrow bridge before Lock 20WEntering the pound with low waterWill we make it?You can see how far the water has droppedCreeping along. The bumps are where Rainboat's hull hits the canal bed 😬Interesting back gardenAnother sunken boat at Uppermill. Beech flowers littered the water & path. Leo's legs were covered!The first Saddleworth Garland Day celebrating May and the coming of summer.Saddleworth Women's Morris and Clog2More dancingA summery prawn salad at the Waggon Inn. Tasty but quite expensive.A beer named Tiger at the Albion Tap. Brewed just 3.5mi away. It would have been rude not to! 🍺🐯The Albion Tap. A refreshing break from the sun in an interesting little pub.Uppermill highstreet. Vicky was very happy the Cake Kitchen did takeout 😋Biscoff loaf from the Cake KitchenFamilies enjoying the hot Bank Holiday weekend by the Tame CrossingVicky started to sew a little bespoke harness for Leo. He wasn't impressed 😒2Shakshuka with iced coffee at Our Place.

    Uppermill, Lock 21 West

    May 23 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    The hot Bank Holiday weekend was upon us. The adjacent beer garden of the Kingfisher would be packed and our unshaded boat would roast. It was time to move on. Will had previously taken a walk up past two locks to scope out the next moorings at Uppermill. They were in a cutting with a steep bank and a green tunnel of Beech, Oak, Sycamore and Ash providing cool dappled shade underneath. Perfect. The only question was, could we reach them in Rainboat?

    Will emptied and opened the nearby first lock, ready to drive in. As Rainboat was ascending, another boater who had walked the length of the next pound, told Will there was a problem. The water was very low, perhaps making it unnavigable. The boater had already called the CRT as he was wanting to come down. He said he'd wait and see how we did. There certainly wasn't enough water for two boats to pass each other. Taking it as gently as possible to keep Rainboat level and to enable us to back off any sections the bow got stuck on, we inched ahead. It took an age and lots of reversing in order to chart alternate courses but we made progress. The other boater had filled the second lock in preparation for their descent but when he saw how difficult it was he went back and released the water, sending a sizeable wave rolling towards us and easing our passage somewhat. We were super relieved to get through the lock and didn't even mind that Rainboat was so far away from the mooring that we needed the gangplank to reach the bank!

    As we settled in we heard sheep bleating and the music of a Morris band marching through town. Jamie who was moored opposite on Lady Mickfee struck up a conversation with Will, telling him there was a festival next weekend; the Whit Friday Band Contest where brass bands from the 12 towns of Saddleworth compete for a cash prize (separate post to come). Jamie had been cruising but had become so frustrated with how difficult the water levels made it, that he'd stayed here for the last month. He had a car and offered to fill our diesel and petrol cans when he was filling his own the next day. Will leapt at the offer. It would certainly be a lot easier than lugging gallons of fuel along uneven pavements on the trolley!

    When Will explored later he found Uppermill to be a gem of a place. The Morris band was still marching through streets lined with atmospheric grey stone buildings, whose bricks were probably millstone grit quarried from the surrounding South Pennine Hills. They housed lots of independent pubs and cafés, a cake shop, greengrocer, butcher, craft, book and DIY stores. Will even got to visit the the new artisan cheesmonger Tyromancer, on the day it opened to sample and buy three different organic cheeses. Will was in cheesy heaven 😇 If you've never heard of it (we hadn't) Tyromancy is the art of fortune telling using cheese 🧀

    Our spot provided the best protection from the heat we'd ever had. It also meant we didn't have enough solar power to run the fridge freezer 24/7 which in turn meant we just had to gobble all the icecream Will brought back before it melted. Oh the hardship 😋😂

    We stayed the whole week to listen to the bands on Friday. Will pushed Vicky up and down the short stretch of towpaths between the two locks and tried to stop Leo running off and getting into mischief. He took the bus to nearby Oldham to pick up vacuum cleaner bags and a soda stream gas canister from Argos but decided that the pubs and cafés in Uppermill were a lot more exciting so didn't stay for lunch. The mooring's close proximity to pubs meant it was rather noisy at night and during the day the other boats often had dogs barking and their engines or generators running. The couple behind us even brought out a power sander, so it wasn't the quietest of stays but it was what we needed and Will really enjoyed exploring the pubs, cafés and little shops.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Bit of a gap between the stern & bank. Whiskers wasn't impressed being so close to civilisation.
    View under Bridges 87 and 86 in to leaky Lock 16 West1Inside Lock 16. Not the most comforting of sights from the bedroom 🫣Gates usually last about 25 years. The 2004 plaque shows these are nearing the end of their life2The pups were happier than on our last journey2Looking ahead to Wharmton Hill 348m with its transmission aerial.Looking ahead to Lock 19 with restored mill buildings on the rightWelsh Poppies & Aquilegia growing on the wall. Kind CRT volunteers worked us through this lock2Rainboat's new figurehead 😬 Don't go too far Leo!Will enjoyed a steak lunch at the Kingfisher with a view of Rainboat.2Cormorant perched on the near bank.4We hope Rainboat never meets this fate. It's been here for a year while insurance gets sortedWill and Leo enjoyed sitting out with the marina crewLovely Michelle was smittenSo was LeoGetting a bit chilly in the evening so of course they provided a blanketSnuggle pupCuddles with Lyndsay2Leo showing off for his new admirers (and cheese of course 😂)Even more fussHe stole Tiger's soft corduroy harnessSmiles all round2Frenches Wharf Marina with Alderman Hill in the distanceA pedestrian lift bridge spans the entrance to Frenches Wharf Marina

    The Kingfisher, Greenfield

    May 21 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today we managed 5 locks, totalling 1.4 miles over the course of 3 hours. At an average speed of less than 0.5mph that's slow going even by canal standards!

    Will single handed again and Vicky had enough energy to sit up in bed so she employed a different strategy to keep the dogs as happy as possible. Piling the duvet and pillows at the bow, she removed the blind and opened the doors while we were travelling so the dogs could see where we were going and scent the air. When it came to locks and mooring, she closed the doors and put the blind back in place so Leo wouldn't react to people outside and Tiger wouldn't get scared of being in a lock. This was complimented by relaxing music and squeezing blobs of Primula onto licky mats to distract and calm when there were bangs or scrapes from grounding. We can report with great relief the strategies worked reasonably well. Leo especially liked role playing as Rainboat's new figurehead 😂

    We tried mooring just after Lock 19 but once again Rainboat couldn't get into the side. Will, who had hopped off under a bridge where the channel narrowed, had pulled her forward and found himself stranded on the bank as the gap was too wide to get back on 🥴 He managed eventually but when we came across accessible moorings outside the Kingfisher pub we didn't question whether it was suitable for the furries, we were just glad to have found somewhere!

    As it turned out, the Kingfisher is adjacent to Frenches Wharf Marina, where Leo and Tiger introduced themselves to the resident boaters, primarily Michelle, Lyndsay and their fur babies, who were sitting out enjoying the warm, dry day. When it was time to go back Leo was a little tyke, ducking under the pub railings and running rampant in the beer garden. When Will took him out later, the only option was to use the dreaded harness and lead. He didn't like it but when his marina admirers invited them to pull up a seat Leo forgot all about it and both boys had a great time socialising. Leo came back smelling strongly of perfume from all the cuddles he got 💕

    The next day was warmer still so Will picked up icecreams at the nearby Tesco to keep us cool, then took Leo to sit out with the Frenches Marina crew. They were such a friendly bunch. The 'Leo Fest' photos are courtesy of Michelle.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    The wide channel made it feel a bit like a river
    2Meadow on one side, trees on the other 👌2Not a happy parrot. Nor a happy pirate during our journey 🙄Five year old Molly informed us that the resident swan's name was RichardBistort, a type of dock that grows in wetland. There were hundreds in the meadow.Meadow in the foreground with lots of Bistort flowering.View out the porthole. Glad we were inside!Harking back to the 80's with a prawn cocktail starter at Roaches Lock pubNo hand pull ale again so lime and soda with Will's fish n chips2What we girls miss out on 🫣😂 (Roaches Lock pub)

    Roaches Lock, Mossley

    May 18 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    The journey between Lock 11 and Roaches Lock (15) was difficult for everyone involved. We waited for the morning thunderstorms to pass, hoping they'd take the torrential rain with them. Come afternoon Will single handed again while Vicky stayed in bed with the dogs. It rained intermittently but Will donned his long waterproof coat and was working hard so didn't get cold. Tiger's trazadone didn't seem to reduce her travel anxiety the way it usually does so she was worried the entire 2 hours 40 minutes of the journey. The pounds had refilled but water levels were still low despite all the rain we'd had. This led to frequent groundings and being unable to get close enough to the bank to moor where we'd planned at Lock 13, or at any of the other points Will tried before the official site at Lock 15. Inside, Vicky had closed the blinds to stop Leo reacting to movements outside. This worked but the noise of the hull scraping against the canal bed was amplified in the steel box echo chamber of the bedroom, which put Leo on edge (easily done to be fair). When Leo is on edge Leo makes noise, which in turn didn't help Tiger or Vicky's nerves.

    A boat had recently descended the first lock and kindly left the gates open for us so Will was able to drive right in. He'd put the canoe on the roof so Rainboat had more room and he didn't have to worry about Little Rainboat getting crushed as the water surged in and pushed the heavy steel vessel backwards. The second lock was also in our favour and Will got chatting to a family interested in boating who were only too happy to close the gates after we left, meaning Will didn't have to moor and get off to shut them himself. We were only 45 minutes in at this point. It was the next two locks, groundings and failed moorings that took nearly 2 hours. As if to complement the hull grounding, a low bridge scraped the top of the canoe as we entered. Will had to reverse, take it off and put it back into the water to tow which slowed us down in locks. At least it was beautiful scenery!

    Arriving at Roaches Lock visitor moorings was such a relief. We could slot right into the side and there were bollards to tie on to. The channel widened out and the wooded offside was bordered by bullrushes and spotted with yellow iris blooms. We took the dogs for a short decompression walk, doubling back along a path in the flat swathe of meadow between the canal and the River Tame. The sun had come out by this point so we sat out for a little while afterwards with fluffy Willow seed floating in the breeze, Red Campion, yellow Broom and creamy Wild Carrot umbellifers flowering amongst the tall meadow grass. Half a dozen friendly dogs kept Leo and Tiger amused as we chatted with their various walkers. Then little Molly came along with her family to feed Richard, the resident swan. We locked Leo away to prevent him trying to steel the swan food. All of the delighted five year old's attention was focussed on Tiger. They both revelled in it and it was a joy to see 🥰

    The sunshine didn't last but Will dodged the showers over the coming days, visiting the nearby Café @ Woodend Mill for a melted brie with caramelised onion toastie and Roaches Lock pub for a fishy lunch. He stocked up at the hilariously named Veg Lord farm shop. Overall it was a peaceful, scenic spot to moor, with friendly dogs and walkers, one of whom told us that the canal gets even prettier the further we go!    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    2Rainboat's rear moored just past the bend. Lovely to see hills beyond the trees
    Rural view on the journey but the rubbish is piling up in the canoe due to lack of bins1The pound above Lock 11, drained of water 😪The pound is filling up as water gets released from locks upstreamJapanese Knotweed growing up around a wooden bench2Will nipped off to get groceries and had lunch at The Bridge Inn. No ale on tap thoughThe pound drained again after all the boats came through 😥Drone shot with the clouds reflected in the water3We moored close to the lock.There were stumps sticking out of the water to keep boaters away from the sloped bank360° from the path between the canal and the River Tame below4Beautiful light glinting off water dripping from the lock gates. Doesn't show well on phone screens.

    Lock 11 West

    May 15 in England ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We'd been at Grove Road service moorings for 5 days and Will was getting 'itchy tiller' (easily cured by a change of scenery 😉). Vicky's health hadn't improved so she stayed in bed with the dogs while he 'single handed' Rainboat through locks 9 and 10, mooring just before the 11th lock. The pound beyond this was still drained so it was impossible to go any further.

    At Grove Road Will had encountered someone from the CRT letting water down the locks to help a boat grounded at Stalybridge. Apparently the CRT Directorate were meeting and travelling through Standedge Tunnel. The tunnel is situated in the top pound (the highest point on a canal with locks) so the workers had been told to keep as much water in it as possible. They wouldn't want the high an mighty getting stuck in the tunnel! Never mind the rest of us regular licence payers deprived of water downstream to the point that stretches are empty 😵‍💫 Ok, rant over 😂

    The surroundings below Lock 11 were beautiful. Mature Oak Woodland giving occasional glimpses of the Pennine Hills beyond. The canal is in the valley of the River Tame and here they ran side by side, separated only by a footpath and a steep sided slope. Will and Leo enjoyed crossing over to the path via Lock 11 and walking along it before crossing back to the towpath via Lock 10.

    On our day of arrival we received an email saying the cill at Lock 29 (ahead of us) had been repaired and the lock reopened. With this work complete and the CRT visit over, water would hopefully start to flow downstream again. Sure enough, the next day a boat came down Lock 11 and cruised past us, meaning the pound was full enough to use 😁 It turned out to be the first of many. Low water was no longer a problem for us so we moved on to the next most pressing supply; diesel. Our diesel stove is still necessary to keep us warm and its drip feed does gradually drain the fuel. The number of locks combined with Vicky's health are really slowing our progress and it's been a while since we filled the tank. There is no fuel boat on this stretch and the marina Will telephoned didn't sell it. After a bit of research he managed to find a petrol station on a road near our route that he could roll the 14 litre jerry can to on our trolley when we got nearer. Phew! Boat life does require a certain amount of flexibility!    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    2
    We're used to dates in the 1800s, not 2000s1Temporarily stuck in utilitarian looking Lock 6W in Stalybridge. Will eventually managed to fill it.We called the CRT to report the fault and left a note for the engineer2Risen above the concrete walls to see the lock beam sundial commemorating reopening the canal.Cute boat style plant trough2Approaching Pylon 4ZO251BGot to go through it! 🐻Rainboat between the pylon legs1Arty farty photo2What fun 😂Last lock of the day was a lot more scenic than the first3The services building looked like a rough border crossing office - look at that razor wire!

    Delays at Grove Road Services

    May 10–15 in England ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Water! We finally have a full tank of water! What a relief. We set off from Stalybridge, straight into the first lock of four on the journey. It wasn't long before we reached the second but we were in the second a long time. Lock 6 West is a utilitarian structure with flat, prefabricated concrete walls. It is located bang smack in the centre of Stalybridge and it was broken. The notched bar used to winch the paddles open had come out of its channel and wasn't catching on the cog used to wind it upwards. There was a second paddle but the anti vandal lock on this had either broken or erm, been vandalised. Either way it wouldn't open when Will tried the key in it. Stuck inside the lock, thankful she wasn't claustrophobic, Vicky telephoned CRT and reported the issue as urgent. Meanwhile, Will was being inundated with curious inquiries from people wanting to know what was wrong and wanting to help. He eventually managed to open the vandal lock manually by pushing the broken springs. This allowed him to wind the paddle open and water came gushing in to fill the lock. Phew! The phone signal inside the lock was poor and Vicky all but got cut off from the CRT so we wrote a note for the engineer to find and carried on with our journey.

    The scenery quickly changed from grey to green. We passed Canadian geese on their nests or mustering their hatched broods, we saw glades of richly hued bluebells beginning to thin out and the year's first yellow iris blooms. A number of electricity pylons came into view and Vicky radioed Will (who was walking Tiger) to tell him about a unique site she'd read about. When the Huddersfield Narrow Canal was officially closed it was filled in and an electricity substation built on the land. When engineers were working to reopen it, they had to figure out how to get past this obstacle. Like Rosen's famous Bear Hunt they didn't tunnel under it, they didn't go over it, they went through it 😂 The most practical solution was to divert the channel slightly to the east where a single pylon stood. We hadn't realised it was on this stretch of canal but the channel narrowed to one boat width and Vicky found herself driving Rainboat through the legs of a 179ft tall electricity pylon. Apparently it is the only place in the world where you can travel between the legs of a pylon by boat. It is so unique it even has its own Wikipedia page 😂 Ok, it's a little tongue in cheek making such a big deal of this but we did find it fun.

    From Pylon 4ZO251B we went into Lock 8W almost straight away. Immediately beyond lay Grove Road CRT services and its wondrous water tap. We'd seen hardly any other boats so moored very close to the service point as we wouldn't be blocking anyone and could refill before we left. Whilst it had water, the compound no longer contained waste or recycling bins. The last ones were 24 locks behind us in Marple. The closure of these services is really beginning to impact on continuous cruisers such as ourselves.

    Perhaps it was the excitement of boating through the pylon but the journey left Vicky pretty much bed bound for the next five days. When she had enough energy Will took her and the dogs out for a trundle in the Escape. Unfortunately it isn't as good on uneven ground as her broken powerchair so we couldn't go far. Ableworld engineers have said they can't fix the snapped foot peg so Will spent some time on the phone and they will try and send it to the manufacturer to see if they can do anything. One thing is for sure, it isn't going to be a quick fix so we are thankful we bought a temporary replacement instead of hiring one.

    Will kept himself busy during our stay by visiting the local shops at Millbrook, only to find 8 out of the 10 of them closed for refurbishment. He returned to Rainboat announcing he'd bought all the fruit in the village... 3 bananas and 4 oranges from the two shops 😂 He caught up with composting, only for one of the coolbox handles to break, spewing its contents into the engine bay. He therefore took full advantage of being stationed next to a water point, removing most of the detritus using the wet and dry vacuum, then hosing the entire bay down, pumping and vacuuming the water out, generally giving it a thoroughly good clean 👌🌟

    Late on Wednesday morning we saw two boats reversing back towards us. Their crew told us that the pounds between locks 11, 12 and 13 were drained and they couldn't continue. Having only a limited time on board, they were having to reverse to the nearest winding hole to turn and go back the way they'd come. We knew that Lock 26 was drained to repair a damaged cill so the lack of input from the water upstream could be the reason. If this was the case it would be easily remedied. If it was something else it could see us stuck for a longer period. Another boat was coming up the lock behind us. Each time the lock was used it would take water from the pound we were in, lowering the water level 😬 At least we'd got access to clean water!    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Moored in a short pound between two locks
    Signs towards the Ashton and Huddersfield Narrow Canals making sure we turn the right wayLooking left to the cotton mill chimney on the Ashton CanalTurning right towards the Huddersfield Narrow CanalA restored cotton mill rising from the waterThe ASDA tunnel!Signs signalling the junction of the Ashton and Huddersfield Narrow Canals at Whitelands BasinLock 1 of 74 on this canal 😵‍💫Bendy lock beam to fit into the tight spaceOne of many narrow tunnels that needed to be dug under modern infrastructure to restore the canalThe canal was restored bit by bit. Locks have plaques at boat level commemorating their reopeningLeo travelled with Vicky like a baby kangarooA mill that hasn't been restoredAmazing art on a garage wallYet another industrial building and chimneyStalybridge Street FestSweet and tangy Pad Thai for teaArmentiéres Square with Stalybridge Civic Hall and Holy Trinity church in backgroundThe highlight of our stay. We got to be butterflies!We got chatting to the host in the purple wings. She was lovely and interested in boat lifeCommemorating the first general strike. Reform took control of the council while we were there 🫤Vicky's bridge 😂Florence and Amelia's Café. Cake for us and puppuccinos for the furriesLeo didn't hold backIt got a little messy

    Stalybridge, Street Fest & Puppuccinos

    May 8 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    From Dukinfield we'd only planned to travel a short distance but found ourselves going all the way to Stalybridge. Will walked ahead with the pups to open Stanley Lift Bridge then rejoined Vicky. We left the Peak Forest Canal by taking a right at Dukinfield Basin. Technically we turned onto the end of the Ashton Canal and travelled a few hundred metres, through ADSA tunnel (yes, it did have an ASDA built on top of it) to join the Huddersfield Narrow Canal at Whitelands Basin. We'd planned to stop here but the first lock came upon us so suddenly and the area looked dirty and was noisy so we decided to plough on up 4 locks to the first available mooring at Stalybridge.

    The Huddersfield Narrow was originally opened in 1811 but fell into disrepair, closing in 1944. It fully reopened just 25 years ago in 2001. Over a course of 20 miles it travels across the Pennines up 32 locks, through the 4.951km Standedge Tunnel, then down a further 42 locks. It's going to be quite a challenge!

    The short section we travelled today was very industrial, with lots of waterside mill buildings, two brick chimneys, multiple bridges, graffiti and new factories. There were also many short tunnels. We think the reason for these is because when the canal closed, many sections were infilled and built upon. Restoration required the excavation of the original course underneath the established structures. Unfortunately the maintenance isn't as good as it has been on the Macclesfield and Peak Forest. At several points Vicky had no choice but to drive through low, overhanging hanging tree branches.

    We moored in the second of two spaces available on the off side in a short pound below Lock 5 West in Stalybridge. A scrubby, narrow treeline stood between the path and a roughly surfaced car park where Leo took great delight in foraging 😒

    A great advantage to travelling this far is that we were only a short distance away from Stalybridge Street Fest that evening from 5-9pm. Armentièr's Square was filled with food trucks proffering culinary delights from every cuisine you could imagine while music from a live band contended with chatter from people arrayed at and around wooden tables and benches. Contrasting with the leisure walkers of the Peak Forest Canal, the people of Stalybridge are quite loud, rough and ready but so warm and family orientated. Vicky's chair wheel got stuck in a grating, but it wasn't there a second before a festival goer in a hi vis vest stepped forward and hoiked it out for her!

    We postponed our traditional Friday night pizza for yummy sweet and tangy Pad Thai noodles, followed by an espresso for Will and a cucumber and mint iced tea for Vicky. Afterwards we went to a stall where they were loaning out large butterfly wings for free. The current clientele were all under five but Vicky couldn't resist and the facilitators were happy to oblige. Once they'd picked a red set out for her they asked Will if he'd like some and to their delight he said yes. We had our photo taken and went did a circuit of the square. There were a few surprised glances but people were in a live and let live mood and our cheeks were aching from grinning by the end.

    On Saturday we managed to get out ahead of the thunder, lightening and torrential downpours when taking the pups into Stalybrige in the morning. Will left Vicky at a cafe with a pot of tea while he popped back to Rainboat to video call his Great Niece for some maths tutoring then rejoined her for a look around and cake at Florence and Almelia's Café. Tiger Lilly and Leo had been really good so when we saw there were puppuccinos available we caved and got them one each. We don't know who they gave more pleasure to; the dogs eating them or us watching them eat them! 🥰    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Moored outside a rather grand country residence
    Illegal 'No Mooring' signs on the railings of new build houses near HydeThe scenery is turning more industrialBut the canal corridor still feels rural most of the timeA trio of goslingsIntroducing the Escape Lite, Vicky's stop gap chairFaraway shot of pretty Moonlight who Vicky got to meet when she & others were led along the towpathThere were quite a few horses nearby. Vicky even got to say hi to some on the path outside RainboatViaduct over the River Tame with the Junction Cotton Mills 64m octagonal chimneyCanal bridges usually have numbers but this railway bridge was simply called Bridge AWill canoed to Portland Basin Marina to pick up oil for Rainboat's upcoming serviceGoslings out en masseOn River Tame Aqueduct looking at Portland Basin Stone Bridge & the Dukinfield JunctionPortland Basin and museum. Left onto the Ashton Canal and Right onto Huddersfield Narrow Canal

    Dukinfield

    May 6 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    With the need to get to the water point 8 locks away still playing heavy on our minds we took another short hop from Hyde, north to Dukinfield. While we were waiting the 2 hours it takes for Tiger's trazadone to kick in, Mr Whiskers decided to go for a wander. Again. 😖 At first neither of his trackers picked anything up, so Will tramped up and down the towpath for about 20 minutes until the GPS eventually found him buried amongst dense brambles. The sickle cleared a path but scared Whiskers off. Will eventually persuaded him to come to him and managed to get him back to Rainboat. By this time it was afternoon so Will had a rest and some lunch before setting off. We love our furries and wouldn't be without them but they do make life difficult sometimes. One thing is for sure. Mr Whiskers has lost his outdoor privileges on travel day mornings!

    We are in the Greater Manchester area now and approaching Ashton-under-Lyne. The canal corridor is still beautifully green but more often than not, corrugated metal factory walls and red brick housing estates lie behind the screen of trees and the bridges we pass under are tagged with graffiti. The water's surface is sprinkled with catkins and fluffy seed heads and we are seeing more and more chunky yellow goslings with their Canadian Geese parents. The gaggles of babies have been two or three in number but we're beginning to see larger broods now. We wonder if the early hatchlings are few in number in case the weather turns bad and the parents have to try again or if it might be something to do with the ubiquitous pesticides in the water 🤔

    We moored opposite a large country house with newly landscaped terraces switch-backing their way to a waterside patio complete with large wooden gazebo. We were only a short way from Portland Basin Marina whom Will had been in contact with about getting everything he needed to service Rainboat's engine. He began clearing the canoe out to paddle there but as he was pulling some fishing line out, it slipped through his fingers and the hook got stuck in his finger pad. He only buys barbless hooks so attempted to pull it out, only to find that it wasn't one of his hooks... it was a barbed one he'd picked up on his last paddle, intending to dispose of it so no wildlife got tangled 😬 It was impossible to pull back out without causing a lot of damage so he ended up clipping the eye off the end and pushing it out the other side. OUCH! Amazingly he did all this without alerting Vicky, telling her later that the burn his hands were still recovering from really put the pain in context 😱 He still managed to canoe to the marina for oil and walk from there to an industrial unit selling air and oil filters. Well done Will!

    The next day we took the dogs on a trundle up to Portland Basin, detouring via a path overlooking the River Tame in its steep sided valley. From the rural beauty of the Peak District we've moved to an area imbued in industrial heritage. From the brick and iron viaducts over the river valley to the tall industrial age chimneys we've passed along the way, this landscape had been engineered around production and transport. At Portland Basin a canal aqueduct passes over the Tame before the towpath goes under Portland Basin Stone Bridge and you arrive at the junction, faced with the Portland Basin Musuem, the former Ashton Canal Company wharf, with arched access for boats to load and unload inside the warehouse. Ashton Canal leads off to the left and Huddersfield Narrow Canal to the right. We're looking forward to exploring a new canal but are pretty apprehensive about the 74 locks required to take us through the Pennines.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    You wouldn't believe there was an Aldi just 20m up the bank
    The sign was the least beautiful thing about this canalside reservePretty Carpet Bugle2Poor Tiger got very confused by this roving bridge, following the grass to be close to Vicky onboardImage taken from www.thecheshirering.co.ukManchester Road roving bridge close to our mooring. Quite industrial looking and covered in graffiti1Terrible picture but look closely in the shadows and you can see tiny tadpoles!Pregnant Alder Leaf Beetle. Previously considered extinct in UK. Numbers have grown in NW since 20042A very chill Mr Whiskers

    Hyde

    May 4–6 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Another short hop from Woodley through 5 bridges to Hyde. There have been loads of steep woodland trails leading off the towpath and today's journey took us alongside Haughton Dale Nature Reserve, with its towering Beeches rooted on the slope far below while their fresh green canopy coloured the light filtering through above us. The dogs are enjoy trotting alongside the boat with one of us driving and one of us on the path with them. It was all going so well until we go to Captains Clarks Bridge; a roving bridge that took the towpath from our port to our starboard side. Poor Tiger Lilly got very confused trying to follow Vicky on the boat and missing the ramp 🥴

    We tried to moor shortly afterwards but first there was an underwater shelf distancing us from the bank, then there was hardly any grass between the canal and path and the ground was too hard to hammer pins in to. Will walked ahead with a canoe paddle, testing for underwater obstructions and it was third time lucky at a spot very close to an Aldi. While Vicky rested that afternoon, Will got some groceries in and treated himself to a pint in the Cheshire Ring pub. The Cheshire Ring is the name of a popular cruising circuit along sections of six canals. We joined it at Middlewich when we turned onto the Trent and Mersey and have followed it along the Macclesfield and Peak Forest Canals. We'll soon leave it when we turn right onto the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. At this junction it turns left onto the Ashton and Rochdale canals, which we've not yet visited, before rejoining the Trent and Mersey via the Bridgewater.

    The reason we needed to stop in Hyde was because it has an outlet of Ableword nearby. We bought Vicky's chair from an Ableworld almost a year ago but the peg that the right footplate slots onto is broken and we are hoping they can fix it. On Tuesday Will dropped it off and returned with a non-powered transport chair. He was going to hire one from Ableworld but £70 for the first week and £30 every subsequent week made him pause for thought. A few doors down he came across a Cash Converters selling a nearly new similar model for £99. Buying instead of hiring would take away all worries about time pressure we could either sell it back or donate it to a charity shop when we were done with it. Not having the electric chair is frustrating for Vicky as it takes away her independence but fingers crossed it won't take too long to fix 🤞    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Our mooring. The Horse Chestnut candles are beginning to flower
    Travelling under the railway bridge. The water is covered in Willow seed.The dogs are quite happy following the boat along the towpath with VickyWill relaxed with a spot of fishing1Such a poser, but cute.Leo loved sitting in his little trug and going on an adventure with his Dad2But he was glad to see Vicky again when they returnedWe got fish and chips from the Click and Collect window at Taylors (on the right).2Woodley & Bredbury Community Garden bottle top Garden Tiger Moth mural3Put the sound up to listen to the birdsong

    Woodley

    May 1 in England ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Romily Visitor Moorings had been a little busy and the Aldi lorries loading stock at night kept Leo on edge. We'd decided to trundle on a little way to find somewhere quieter, but first we needed to locate and retrieve Mr Whiskers! The sun was out, the day warm and he'd wandered off a short distance to chill. We both went out armed with lickilicks, dreamies and the tracker apps on our mobiles! We called and called with no response. Down the bank in the housing estate, Will ended up knocking on someone's door to ask if he might be able to check their back garden. The homeowner was really helpful, coming out to search with him. It was her that eventually spotted the lazy rascal curled in a nest of tall grass just behind the garden. He tolerated Will scooping him up and trudging back to Rainboat with him. Will was pretty tired by this point but we only planned to go a short way so he set off on board while Vicky took the dogs along the towpath in the chair.

    We found a quiet place on a wooded embankment near Woodley that all of us were happy with. Will fished and even took Leo for a trip in Little Rainboat. Leo was a bit nervous to begin with but we'd put a bed in a shallow tub trug and sitting in there his confidence quickly grew. He ended up loving the experience and all the attention he got from people on the towpath who spotted him!

    Another thing Leo loved was the Woodley and Bredbury Community Garden about 100m in front of our mooring spot. It was just a small area, supposedly created by a few locals without much funding, but it was a peaceful place to explore and contained a large mural of a Garden Tiger Moth made from plastic bottle tops. Apparently it is one of a trail of ten pollinator murals accross Stockport. A 'Community Benefit Society' called Plastic Shed designs and puts them up to draw attention to plastic waste and nature's plight. You can see more info here: https://www.plasticshed.org/

    Sunday May 3rd was International Dawn Chorus Day. Vicky didn't make it up in time to listen at dawn but the birds were still singing away happily at 06:30 🐦‍⬛    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Looking back at Romily Visitor Moorings
    2Vicky knocked up a wild garlic pesto while Will made vegan pasta with a hint of turmeric and paprikaWe're seeing dozens of well disguised lone geese brooding their eggsInside Hyde Bank Tunnel 308 yardsWelsh Poppies with forget-me-nots against a stone wallSchool Brow Footbridge in RomilyWide and tall railway bridge 13ACanadian Geese and their three goslings at the bottom of someone's gardenThe poshest takeaway bag ever! It was even insulated!Whisky glazed butternut squash and pearl onion tart at the Duke of York

    Romily Visitor Moorings, 3 Years Aboard!

    April 28 in England ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Up until this point the fuel boat has been keeping Rainboat topped up with diesel. However, its run ends at Marple Locks. Not to worry though because the company delivers to boats by road, using a van, large containers and a wheelbarrow. With a delivery due we made the short journey to Romily Moorings where there were other boats moored and easy access to the road.

    Rather than give Tiger her Trazadone (which is brilliant for reducing travel anxiety but does tend to knock her out for most of the day) Will walked her and Leo along the towpath and over the top of Hyde Bank Tunnel while Vicky piloted Rainboat through. The route over the tunnel wasn't suitable for wheelchairs but we were able to swap on the other side, with Vicky walking the dogs the rest of the way and Will taking Rainboat.

    Romily is more practical and less picturesque than the towns we've recently passed through but it was good to have access to so many shops and services. We were kept awake a little with the sound of Aldi lorries offloading stock but got to treat ourselves to a Chinese takeaway and pub lunch so the disadvantages were balanced out by advantages.

    The warm weather has allowed us to hang washing outside. We've been keeping on top of the laundry pile but depleting our water. Just to be on the safe side Will checked where the next water point on our route was. We were immediately put on edge when we discovered it was on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal another 7.5 miles and 8 locks away! The previous one was in Marple, 16 locks away. We could do a five mile detour to reach one on the Ashton Canal but didn't want to spend the time and energy going out of our way so we immediately went into water conservation mode. We've been toying with the idea of getting a Water Freedom System fitted. This technology takes water directly from the canal and forces it through multiple filters and an optional UV light to remove all sediment, parasites and chemicals. There is also an optional tap filter that would make it safe to drink. With it, we wouldn't be forced to conserve water or worry about where the next water point.

    The 29th of April saw the 3 year anniversary of moving on to Rainboat. We didn't do anything in particular to mark the occasion but used it to acknowledge how very happy we are living this alternative lifestyle.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    We were grateful for the cool of the glade to moor in
    Turning out of the Macclesfield onto the Peak Forest towards the first lockThere were always plenty of gongoozlers. One lock down, 15 to go.The first few locks ran alongside a roadAfter that the dogs could go off leadBeautifully restored Oldknow's Warehouse previously used to store cotton bales, now officesAqueduct House at the bottom of the flightPassing under the rail bridge onto the aqueduct2Reminiscent of the Chirk Aqueduct and Viaduct in WalesBeautiful stone arches1The view warranted getting the drone outHyde Bank Tunnel was walking distance from the mooringRose Hill Cutting 100yards (used to be a tunnel but it's roof was left open after collapse)Beautiful Wood Sorrel on the bank next to the boatWhat a lovely view from the portholeWill cooked up curry with our homegrown spinach and coriander leaves 😋Alpine Strawberries in flowerKala Walsh of Kala Walsh Ceramics outside her studio at Lock 1Kala's beautiful lockside cottageWe bought a pot from Kala. She was happy for us to take it and drop the money in later.Sitting out on the grass with TigerLeo didn't sit at all but was very happy sniffing and saying hello to passersby1Whiskers even joined us in the sunshine1And brought Vicky a 'present' 🤦Will paddled Little Rainboat over Marple Aqueduct

    Marple Locks and Aqueduct

    April 25 in England ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Our mooring was just round the corner from the start of Marple Locks. A flight of 16 descending a total of 209 feet over the course of a mile and a half. With Vicky's poor health and Will's hand still fragile from its burn we knew we could really do with some help. We'd therefore planned to travel on a weekend and Will had contacted the CRT a few days previous to ask if they could arrange for any volunteer lockies to assist us. They were very obliging, contacting the regional coordinator and getting back to us to confirm that there would be someone to help us. What a relief that was!

    10 minutes before the arranged time Gina found us at our mooring to say she'd be helping us down the flight. At a sunny 21°C it was the warmest day of the year so far so Vicky packed suncream and water for her and the dogs before setting off with them in the chair, meeting Will with Rainboat at Lock 16. Gina was amazing. Friendly, capable and very efficient. We met another boat coming in the opposite direction at lock 13 and when CRT volunteer Chris had finished helping up them, he joined Gina in assisting us.

    There were tons of Gongoozlers watching Rainboat and who could blame them on this beautiful stretch of canal? The first locks ran alongside a quiet road but after this the dogs were able to trot along the towpath enjoying the attention they attracted. Vicky lost count of the number of times she was asked what breed Leo was 😂 Tiger Lilly stuck to Vicky like glue and Leo was as good as Leo gets at staying close by. Will felt guilty for 'just' driving the boat and winding a few paddles up and down but he did all he could on a descending flight and with the help of Gina and Chris and Vicky doing what little she could we got through all 16 locks in 2.5 hours. At the last lock Will gave Chris a bottle of Proper Job and Gina a bottle of fizz that he'd placed in the freeze. She said she'd look forward to drinking it later but in the meantime
    rolled the cool glass on her hot forehead. It had been a hot one!

    Round a bend in the canal lay a railway bridge and beyond it the stunning Marple Aqueduct, flanked by an arched stone viaduct. At 30m it is the highest canal aqueduct in England and the tallest masonry arched aqueduct in the UK; the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct being made of stone with cast iron. It was due to be demolished in the 1960s by British Waterways after neglect and leaks caused it to be unnavigable but Cheshire County stumped up the extra cash to repair it as part of the restoration of the Peak Forest Canal and it is now a Grade 1 listed Scheduled Monument.

    We crossed over it and found moorings in the shade of a woodland glade immediately afterwards. It really was a beautiful end to our journey down the Marple lock flight.

    The sun continued to shine and we enjoyed the birdsong all around us (apart from the owls at night which freaked Leo out 🦉😱). The glade was filled with the white flowers of Wild Garlic and Wood Sorrel with a smattering of Woodland Strawberry blossom and Bluebells. Whiskers loved the woods and Leo was excited to spend time outside, sniffing all the scents left by walkers and their dogs as well as greeting his adoring public.

    We took the dogs on, through what used to be Rose Hill tunnel. Since its collapse sometime between 1849 - 1888 it has been left open and is known as Rose Hill Cutting. Beyond it, Hyde Bank tunnel also collapsed but was repaired.

    On a separate outing we took Leo and Tiger Lilly back up towards the locks and saw Kala Walsh, the owner of the cottage adjacent to Lock 1, with her spaniel Billy. We'd both talked to her while Rainboat was descending but now we had a bit more time and Kala was really interesting. She is a ceramics artist who organises the Treacle Market in Marple that we'd visited last month. On Vicky's request she showed us into her studio (what used to be the cottage's double garage). She sells her creations at markets but holds ceramic classes here every so often. She'd grown up in Marple but always admired the beautiful canal cottage and when it came up for sale 2.5 years ago nobody seemed to want it because it was off grid, with a septic tank and oil that needed to be refilled by tanker. It dropped in price a little and Kala and her partner were able to buy it. Since then the weight limit on the towpath has changed to below that of the oil tanker, making it even more difficult to get fuel, but Kala seemed happy with the compromises needed to live in this beautiful location.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Looking back at our mooring from the roving bridge at the Macclesfield and Peak Forest junction
    Boat themed bird boxes at Marple servicesThe obligatory 'pup in bluebells' pic2Tiger was very obliging1Leo was not. Disclaimer: bribery was involved in the taking of this photograph 😂A double Celtic Triquetra with flowery filling2And again with watercolourHouse at the junction of the Peak Forest and Macclesfield with the 16th Marple Lock on the left4View of the same house from under the junction's roving bridgeMr Whiskers went a bit wild not having any bushes to explore outsideIvy Leaved Toadflax

    Marple

    Apr 23–25 in England ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Once the high winds had settled down we cruised through the beautiful Peak Forest scenery back to Marple. The crew of a day hire boat opened the first lift bridge for us and we overtook them to return the favour with the second.

    Back at Marple we turned left, back onto the Macclesfield Canal to use the services near the junction. We'd hoped to find moorings with somewhere Whiskers would like to roam between here and the winding hole a short distance away. Unfortunately the few spaces available were too short for Rainboat so we turned and moored back opposite the services on a short stretch between two roving bridges. Because of the roads crossing each bridge it turned out to be quiet in terms of passersby and a tall sandstone wall made it a bright sun trap. Mr Whiskers wasn't impressed with the lack of bushes to explore though and took his excess energy out on the rest of us, bopping Leo and biting the back of Vicky's leg 👹🩸

    Will enjoyed the easy access to shops, stocking up on food for humans and furries alike. The towpaths along the Macclesfield and Peak Forest Canals have been consistently good allowing Vicky to enjoy longer trips out in the chair with the dogs.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    A camouflaged Rainboat moored opposite the bank of oak copse
    The 'Fairy Orchard' beside the towpath on the way back from BugsworthSign near the head of the canal pointing to its twin termini at Bugsworth & Whaley BridgeTerraces making the most of their access to the waterThere are lots of viaducts and aqueducts in the Peak Forest hillsApproaching the old mill at New MillsSwizzles Matlow factory at New Mills. Home of Parma Violets, Love Hearts & Drumstick lolliesSarah made Vicky a delicious almond encrusted birthday cake. Thank you SarahIt was good to spend time with familyDad having a very serious conversation with a rapt LennyElsie making sure Vicky wasn't missing out on furry cuddles while away from her broodSarah and Vicky stormed through this Wasgij Destiny covid themed jigsaw in a dayVicky had a new cultural experience in Newcastle......a Bao Bun for breakfast with Al before catching the train homeSpot the tiny ducklingsWill feasted on meat while vegan Vicky was awayLamb shank from the Whaley Bridge Food and Art marketMr Whiskers went a wandering. It was around this time last year that he disappeared for 6 weeks.Leo and Tiger enjoyed relaxed walks along the quiet towpath while we enjoyed the sceneryThe year's first hawthorne blossom was so fragrantUsing colour and Celtic knots in a mandala designMr Whiskers was pleased to have his mummy back

    Back at Disley

    April 13 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    From the beautiful Bugsworth Basin at the top end of the Peak Forest Canal we cruised back towards Disley. Will knew the fuel boat was headed towards us and spotted it as we were passing under the wide A6 road bridge. This was fortuitous in two ways; not only did the bridge provide a gap in the long line of moored boats, allowing us to pull into the bank, but it provided shelter from the heavy downpours. When the fuel boat had finished with the long term moorers they were able to tether alongside us and refuel Rainboat in the dry.

    We'd planned to stop in exactly the same spot at Disley that we'd been at previously but it was occupied so we carried on through Higgins Clough Swing Bridge and moored in an even more beautiful stretch opposite a bank of oak copse.

    Vicky had an appointment with the Haemotologist in the North East so had booked the train to Newcastle from Marple to stay with her family. Mooring Rainboat in Disley meant she had to get a taxi to the station but it was such a good, relaxing rural location for Will and the furries it was definitely the right thing to do.

    The appointment went well and the consultant was happy that Vicky's iron hadn't yet risen high enough to damage her organs or bones. It was agreed we'd do a blood test and checkup in clinic every 6 months and do venesection the following week if the Haemochromatosis had caused her to load too much iron. She enjoyed spending time with her brother, Stepmum, Dad and their two energetic young Labradors Lenny and Elsie.

    Meanwhile Whiskers was on an adventure of his own. He hadn't returned to the boat for 24 hours after Vicky had left but thankfully we'd kept his GPS tracker charged and Will was able to find him using it. Whiskers was pleased to see his Dad and happy to follow him back once he understood Will was taking him home.

    While Vicky was away Will was cooking himself up some meaty treats with lambs shanks and a large, rare steak on the menu. He saw the first little ducklings of the year paddling past the boat and fished to his heart's content while watching a Tree Creeper a Jay and a nesting Canadian Goose in the oak copse.

    We were both glad to be back together when Vicky arrived home and spent a few more bright but chilly days waiting for the wind to die down before moving on.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Nestled in the basin proved to be a lovely quiet mooring spot
    Overview of the lower, middle and upper basinsThe Bugsworth Basin Heritage Trust installed several information boards sharing the basin's historyThere are Upper, Middle and Lower Basins at Bugworth, which was expanded to meet increased demandOld draw off valves that used to control the flow of water from Todd Brook Reservoir to the canalA replica tram wagon carrying limestoneTowpath board detailing different areas of the Peak District providing different mined productsSaxifrage in flower on a mossy stone wall

    Bugsworth Basin

    April 12 in England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Travelling back down the Peak Forest Canal from its ending at Whaley Bridge we turned right along the short arm to its second terminus at Bugsworth Basin.

    We were unprepared for how unique the basin is. Surrounded by terraced stone walls the channel forks off at different points into multiple fingers, wide enough for two boats. It exuded history and purpose, making us want to find out more.

    According to the CRT, Bugsworth Basin was once the largest and busiest inland port on the narrow canal system and is the only one to survive intact. It was used to transfer limestone from the Dove Holes quarries. Gravity driven tram wagons brought the stone downhill to load into boats before horses pulled the empty wagons back uphill.

    It ceased work in the 1920s after which it fell into disrepair. The Inland Waterways Protection Society worked hard to restore it, reopening it in 1999. Unfortunately it sprung a leak which took a further 6 years to repair, finally reopening for good in 2005. The site has been scheduled a Grade 2 Ancient Monument and is beautifully maintained with daisy's sprouting from the goose grazed grass.

    We moored in the farthest finger of the upper basin. There was no through route either on the water or the land so it was a very peaceful spot and we were able to open all the window blinds without worrying about Leo raging at passers by. Will dodged hail showers while cycling back to the big Tesco at the junction to pick up lots of fresh greens for a risotto then spent the rest of the afternoon fishing.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Filling with water at Whaley Bridge Basin
    Leo couldn't help but pee on all the planters on the towpath 🫣One boat went all out for EasterSigns for the FAB market caught our eyeTrains would enter the transhipment warehouse either side of the canalMarket stalls where trains would have been and a model chinook helicopter hanging above the canalWe bought the large spalted alder bowl which came from inside the bark ring lampOnly a few stalls but they were good quality2The indigo Blue John gin Will bought looked disconcertingly like methylated spirits.The junction at the head of the Peak Forest Canal with arms to Bugsworth Basin and Whaley BridgeAn unusual feature of a horse tunnel leading under the Bugsworth Arm

    Whaley Bridge

    April 10 in England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    The upper section of the Peak Forest Canal branches near its head and comes to a Y shaped end at both Whaley Bridge and Bugsworth Basin. The cruise from Disley to Whaley Bridge was just beautiful and Vicky was even well enough to take Rainboat through the swing bridge while Will opened and closed it.

    We weren't the only ones to appreciate the scenic rural surrounds. Our route was lined with hundreds of narrowboats at permanent moorings on the towpath and at marinas. Luckily there weren't too many out and about because their presence narrowed the channel and it would have been a tight squeeze to pass an oncoming boat.

    The sun was out when we arrived at Whaley Bridge, turned in the basin and tied up under the white blossoms of a leafless cherry tree to fill with water. A sign announced that the boaters' bins had been removed and that the nearest facilities were at Bugsworth Basin, along the other terminus arm. A lot of refuse sites have recently closed because of a law coming into force that composting must be provided. The CRT don't have the money / space / contracts to provide this at every existing site so rather than break the law they've closed many down altogether.

    We'd planned to continue to Bugsworth but another sign advertising a food and arts market caught our eye. It was due to take place in and around the transhipment warehouse at the head of the basin the following day so we decided to take advantage of the one mooring space available and stay. It was a noisy spot with the A6 running along the off side and a railway up the hillside beyond that. Even the water was noisy, being whipped up into waves and slapping against rocks where the bank had collapsed. A thin corridor of towering Beech trees separated the canal from the River Goyt running a similar course down the valley.

    Permanently moored boats had commandeered the strips of grass either side of the towpath. Steps, trolleys and firewood along with buckets and troughs filled with plants, plastic flowers and decorations narrowed the passage. It was difficult to pass people at times but the Leo and Tiger Lilly loved sniffing all the scents left by other dogs and it was impossible to stop Leo cocking his little leg against every peed on patch he found.

    We are really pleased we stayed for the market. It was only small with a dozen or so gazebos set up outside and a smaller number of tables inside the transhipment warehouse. The canal entered the warehouse via an arched hole in the wall. Boats would be loaded and unloaded onto train wagons on the tracks either side of the channel. A large wood and paper model of a chinook helicopter hung from the beams above the water, commemorating the 2019 military action to avert disaster when the nearby Toddbrook Reservoir wall was at risk of collapse, potentially flooding Whaley Bridge and surrounding settlements.

    Will tasted and bought two bottles gin from the Blue John Distillery in Whaley Bridge. It is named after the UK's rarest semi precious gemstone that is found only under the nearby Treak Cliff. About half a tonne is mined annually in the off season, while in the peak season the miners become guides showing tourists around the Blue John and Treak Cliff Carverns.

    We got some bottles Dunham Massey apple juice and lamb shanks from a farm stall that also sold wool spun from its own Texel and Jacob sheep. Marmalady sold us a couple of jars of marmalade, lemon curd and a homemade plum crumble but our best find was a spalted Alder fruit bowl made by Crafty Clive. He was so enthusiastic about his work, showing us how he made use of all the little offcuts by crafting pens and curios.

    We climbed the short distance into the village in search of a light lunch but the pubs were either closed or didn't serve food and the cafés were too full. Will picked up some fish and chips on the way back and we chilled for the rest of the day.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Two Cain Narrowboats together. Waving thanks and bye to Dun Eideann
    1A lovely rural spot to moor inWith great views2Vicky has been doodling mandalas againWhat a name for a pub!Will's lunch at The Dandy Cock2Bluebells at the beginning of April!A little garden curated alongside the wall of Bridge 262Wood Anemones2Waterside CowslipFarmhouse nestled in the valleyThis shop front sums Disley village upSuper salad at the White Horse for Vicky's birthday2Will managed to keep the cake intact while cycling along the towpath!1YUM! 😋

    Disley

    April 2 in England ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Will's burned hands had been gradually improving with multiple trips to Stepping Hill hospital. He'd been getting the bus from Marple but didn't want to be tied down so used Google Maps to find a bus from a village called Disley, along the Upper Peak Forest Canal. We were both keen to move on and see new sights so set off as soon as the weather allowed.

    Shortly after Marple services the Macclesfield Canal came to an end, joining the Peak Forest Canal at a T Junction. We turned right along the shorter 'upper' section that led south and east to its end at Whaley Bridge. Vicky found it difficult to get her head round the fact that the most southerly stretch of canal was the upper part, but Will explained it was because it climbed up the locks at Marple to its highest point at Whaley Bridge.

    By taking this turning we'd put off the 16 locks on the lower section but hadn't factored in the three swing and lift bridges between us and Disley. As luck would have it a guy with a windlass called over to Will from the towpath. He was from the boat following us and it turned out to be Dun Eideann; a boat that like Rainboat was made by Cain Narrowboats! He said he'd open the next bridge for us and when Will explained the situation, he kindly said he'd do all three to save us struggling. People are kind!

    It felt good to be on the move again and the scenery was stunning. Dry stone walls separated the canal from criss crossing hills lined with hedges and dotted with farmhouses, hamlets and villages. We pulled in just after Higgins Clough Swingbridge and waved our thanks and goodbye to Dun Eideann. The mooring was a little way out of Disley and felt very rural. Whiskers immediately leapt off to explore the wooded area beside the towpath and carried on popping in and out for the rest of the day. The spot had definitely got his seal of approval.

    The towpath was good enough for Vicky's chair so she was happy to be able to take the dogs out in the beautiful countryside during our stay. There was a bike track in the woods a little way along from us that lots of teenagers enjoyed using. One day there was a boat called Yongala moored opposite it with a dog and a number of metal crates on the towpath. We got chatting to its owner and soon recognised her as a friend of a friend. Molly travels with her dog Buddy, cockerel Billy the Bastard (who was sunning himself in the crates) and her cockateel Sid Vicious. Molly took a shine to Leo, especially when he growled and tried to bite Vicky for taking him away from Billy's food!

    The Dandy Cock Robinson's pub provided Will with lunch one day and a fish and chip shop by the bus stop for the hospital fed him on Saturday. Amazingly the nurse took his dressings off and deemed his burns sufficiently healed to leave them off and be discharged just 2 weeks and 2 days after the accident! He needs to keep lathering on E45 and protect them from the sun but we are both over the moon that they have reached this stage so quickly.

    We'd planned to move on but a tree brought down by Storm Dave blocked the canal at New Mills for a few days. Even after it was cleared, the Disley mooring was such a gorgeous spot we decided to stay on for Vicky's birthday. She rested a few days prior and was able to make it up the lane to the village for lunch at the White Horse. Back on Rainboat we popped a bottle of fizz, broke out the Thunderbolts Marvel movie and she made a good go at demolishing a triple decker bespoke chocolate cake Will had cycled to collect from a cake shop in Marple that morning 😋    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    1Our mooring spot from under Church Lane roving bridge
    Will could see Rainboat from the terrace of The Ring O' BellsBread and humus at the Ring O' BellsWill went for an explore in the canoe and took the bins to the rubbish point at the same timeMarple sees the end of the Macclesfield Canal and the start of the Peak Forest CanalBack home after A&ELeo was cross at being abandoned while we went to the hospital and concerned about his DadAbby was such a good girl at the vets she got a certificate when they discharged her1Getting the 3rd set of dressings in hospitalWill got to know this nearby pub wellAnd Vicky was well enough to visit once too.Staying as long as we did in Marple, Will got to book and attend a cheese and wine eveningTiger proud of her new harness and lead from Barkley and FetchGoyt Mill, a 1905 cotton mill now the home of many businesses including an indoor climbing centreA black rabbit on the golf courseNot a great photo but the first lambs of SpringMr Whiskers became quite poorlyIt was a relief when he began eating againThe geese are pairing up and beginning to build nestsSome lovely decorations at Marple servicesSea Bass and king prawns with a view of the canal at the Ring O' Bells verandaWill ate out lots because cooking and washing up were difficult

    Marple

    March 17 in England ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    *Warning* One of the photos showing Will's injured hand looks gory so don't look at them you'd rather not see.

    Though Marple is a really pleasant, welcoming little town our stay there was not a happy one. Vicky's health hadn't improved much and we made the decision when we arrived to dial down our plans for onward travel, to focus on her getting enough rest and just move on as and when we could.

    We found a mooring spot near Church Lane Bridge, a roving bridge giving ramped access to the main road leading down to the town centre just 5 minutes away. From the boat we could see the Ring O' Bells veranda up the hill; another good Robinson's pub that Will got to know quite well during our extended stay.

    Sadly Vicky wasn't the only one feeling poorly. Abby had been gradually getting more and more lethargic and losing weight. We'd been buying her favourite gourmet pate in an effort to feed her up and she'd been keen to eat until she came down with a bout of sickness and diarrhoea. We hoped it would resolve itself but she was so unwell on Thursday that we called the nearby Marple Vets. They were a vet down but were amazing, rearranging another client's appointment so we could take Abby to them that morning. They admitted her as a day patient to rehydrate her with an IV line, give her anti sickness medication and take blood and urine tests. We were to pick her up when they closed and return her the following morning.

    During the day Will visited the Ring O' Bells for a light bite and returned home to light the fire. He'd bought a bottle of methylated spirit to use instead of firelighters in an effort to reduce residue build up. He put a capful in but it didn't seem to light so he poured another cap. As he put it into the stove the spirit in the cap caught light and in shock he tried to put it back on the bottle in his other hand, which also caught light and spilled all over his hands, the floor and ottoman. Leaping to the sink he was able to extinguish his his hands while Vicky put out the flames from the liquid splashed on his clothing, the floor and furniture.

    The burns were bad and it was necessary to keep his hands in cold water. His temperature began to drop and he was at risk of going into shock. Vicky bundled a duvet round his shoulders and got him a woolly hat and blanket for his lap. Thankfully at 0.1°C away from shock his temperature began to rise again. He eventually let Vicky call 111 who said he needed to go to hospital. Ambulance waiting times were 2 hours so we decided to get a taxi but before we could do this Vicky needed to pick Abby up from the vets. It was a relief to see her looking much better but her blood results showed the start of kidney failure, which was a blow.

    The pain of having Will's hands out of water was excruciating as we made our way up to the Ring O' Bells and waited outside for the taxi. He nipped into the pub toilets to run the taps over them a few times but in the taxi on the way to Stepping Hill the pain became too much and he passed out for a short time. A&E triaged him at the taps in the toilet and sent him to the Urgent Treatment Centre where he found a small sink. The nurse cut the blistered dead skin away and dressed his hands, giving advise to keep up the painkillers, keep hydrated and keep the worse hand elevated and fingers moving. We left around 9pm and all four furries were very relieved to see us.

    The following morning Vicky took Abby back to the vets for her second day of treatment. They were pleased with how she was doing and discharged her at the end of the day with a special certificate to say how good she'd been.

    Life was difficult. Vicky didn't have any energy, Will was dosed up on painkillers and incapacitated. At least there were shops close by, places Will could eat out and takeaways to keep us fed. We applied online to the CRT for an extended stay on medical grounds which was granted until 10th April. The laundry and dishes piled up. The place became even messier and muckier than usual as we eaked out the limited water we had on board and ran the engine instead of the generator for power.

    Will returned to hospital on Saturday to have his hands assessed and redressed. Thankfully he'd managed to extinguish the flames quickly enough that the burns hadn't penetrated so deep as to need skin grafts but he'd need to keep going back every few days to have them seen to. If we'd been registered in the area a District Nurse would have come to the house or perhaps GP surgery to do this but we were just grateful of the help offered by the hospital.

    Heartbreakingly Abby became more tired and stopped eating over the weekend. She was very frail and by Monday her sickness and diarrhoea was back. With her arthritis, heart murmur and now kidney failure her quality of life was poor. We made the decision that we didn't want her to suffer any longer and made the appointment with the vets for that afternoon. The staff had grown fond of her during her stay and were great with her and us, creating a calm and caring environment. She died quickly and peacefully in Vicky's lap. She was 16 3/4 and the most gentle, loving companion. We miss her.

    They say that when it rains it pours... well as we were struggling on, Leo became poorly to the point he stopped eating and Whiskers followed suit, hiding away under our bed for nearly two days. It was a very worrying time so soon after Abby's death but thankfully both are now recovered.

    We poured love into all three remaining furries and even took Tiger Lilly to Barkley and Fetch, a shop in Marple that makes dog harnesses on site. She's always had hand-me-downs so we got her fitted with a matching harness and lead of her very own.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    1Will couldn't resist pushing Vicky up the skate ramp in her chair 🫣
    The Bull's Head was the closest Robinson's pubIt kept Will entertained while Vicky restedSuch a joy to see each new raft of flowers blooming, even if they are a bit batteredFalafel salad and a meat pie at the Bull's HeadHigh Lane Park notice boardMushrooms on sourdough and delicious mushroom ravioli at The Royal OakNot one but two vegan deserts, which we shared.2Abby looking after her mum

    High Lane

    March 7 in England ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    From Macclesfield we took quite a long cruise to High Lane and moored alongside High Lane Park. It was an affluent area with not one but two Robinson's pubs, The Bull's Head and The Royal Oak. It would have been showing unfair preference to visit one but not the other so we overindulged and visited both 😉 The Royal Oak was particularly good.

    Unfortunately it soon became clear that Vicky's health had crashed. She rested in bed while Will took care of her and the dogs but she wasn't bouncing back. It got to the point of not being able to stand without becoming breathless and having chest pains and when trying to move her GP appointment forward the surgery insisted she call 111. We got a call back from a clinician who insisted she go to A&E to get checked out. We spent 5 hours at Stepping Hill hospital and came back even more exhausted with nothing to show on any of the tests they did. She eventually got an earlier GP appointment and was prescribed a low dose of sertraline, which seemed to help with the breathlessness and chest pains but not the fatigue. It's quite scary when your body feels as if it is shutting down but Will is being an amazing support.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    One silkworm produces 1km of silk when it makes its cocoon
    The looms were just left as they were when the mill went bankruptTina demonstrating how readers would decipher a pattern to punch holes in Jacquard cardsChains of Jacquard cards strung ready to create the pattern shownSilk threads on a loom and a shuttle on top holding the weft thread.Daniel, one of the experts restoring a power loom.Delicate design made on a hand loomBobbins behind a beam bearing the marks of tools used to fix machine parts.The manager's office calendar still shows the date it was set to when the firm went bankruptLunch at The Fountain, an old Coop building repurposed as a barCrispy tempeh salad and a veggie burgerA historian was given a grant to sort, catalogue, restore and display the fabrics left behindThere were hundreds of boxes and she was keen to show her workFamous local illustrator Charles Tunnicliffe's paintingsVicky met the woman whose grandparents were featured in this display

    Paradise Mill, Silk Town

    March 5 in England ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Macclesfield is also known as 'Silk Town' owing to the fact it was at one time the world's largest producer of finished silk. We decided to learn more about it by going on a guided tour. Paradise Mill was one of 71 silk factories in the town. It operated right up until September 22nd 1981, when the business went bankrupt and workers walked out, leaving the equipment, goods and materials where they were. Today it is run by a charity and a handful of dedicated enthusiasts who preserve and restore the machines and pass on their knowledge of the industry to people like us.

    Our guide Tina packed a whole lot of information into the hour she spent showing us and another couple round the factory floor. Silk cocoons were imported from Italy via London. Each cocoon is made from about 1km of silk thread and the moths inside them were gassed or boiled to stop them munching their way out. There had been some form of silk making as a cottage industry in Macclesfield since the late 1600s, when French Protestant Huguenots sought refuge from religious persecution bringing their silk weaving skills with them.

    The town started off making silk buttons and progressed to silk weaving. Women and children were employed in the mills with a few men taking the 'skilled' jobs. Tina didn't skirt round the hardships of the trade, telling us that census data recorded a high rate of deformity among children, mangled, scalped and sometimes dying in accidents while working with the equipment. She ran a few of the machines to show us how loud it could get and said workers would quickly go deaf. They learned Mee-Maw talking; a cross between exaggerated lip movements and mime in order to communicate. Eyesight problems were also widespread, working with such fine threads in low light for hours on end.

    We were shown fabric designs drawn on paper using 8x8 grids. Tina then demonstrated the machine where a skilled reader would convert them line by line into holes punched in Jacquard cards. The cards were then strung together and attached to a loom, allowing cylindrical weights attached to the end of hanging threads on the weave to drop through the hole or be lifted en masse . Hand looms were smaller, slower but far more precise, whereas power looms could produce a less intricate pattern relatively quickly.

    The mill manufactured small items like ties right the way up to silk parachutes during the war. As well as silk, it wove synthetic materials like crimplene, terylene and rayon. There were hundreds of boxes of fabric left behind and after an enjoyable lunch at The Fountain we returned to the Silk Museum to be shown some of these boxes as they were being sorted, catalogued, cleaned and displayed as part of the Cartwright and Sheldon Archive project using a grant from the Pilgrim Trust. The Jill Brown, the artist and historian in charge was very enthusiastic to share her work with us and Will even spotted a fabric he used to have a tie made out of.

    The museum also contained a selection of paintings by local artist Charles Tunnicliffe, the illustrator of Tarka the Otter. Downstairs was an Ancient Egyptian display as well as more local historical artefacts. One woman stopped Vicky to tell her that a new exhibition set up in the corner was based on the lives of her grandparents, with a slideshow of photographs projected onto the wall and an interview with her playing on a loop. It was a nice touch. Vicky had already done too much by this point so we made our way back to Rainboat but we'd definitely recommend a tour of Paradise Mill and a visit to the free museum if you are ever in the area.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    View of our moorings from one of the high bridges
    Waterside homes near Brook Street WharfThe old Hovis Mill at Brook Street WharfA restored canalside milestoneMarine themed mural on the side of Rumba cocktail barArt inside Nomas GastrobarAnother Nomas muralSpanocopita and stuffed tomato and pepper at NomasThe cannoli was so good we bought some to take away tooA musical themed muralLovely windows and wooden shutters on this churchAnother snake bridgeSnow geese mural on the side of the The Snow Goose PubWe even got to see a mural being painted and talk to the artist!Everywhere was on a slopeThe town hallSt Michael and All Saints Church

    Macclesfield

    March 4 in England ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Apologies for the delayed publication of this post, I had a bad ME crash and am only just beginning to adjust to the new normal so the next few posts may be a bit skimpier than usual, Vi x
    __________________________
    At Macclesfield we squeezed Rainboat into a gap in a line of moored boats between two high road bridges. A stone wall separated us from a field on the towpath side. Gardens backed onto the canal to our port side. Past the far bridge lay Brook Street Wharf and an impressive looking restored mill that once belonged to Hovis.

    The Macclesfield Canal runs above the town it was named after and we made the most of exploring it over the sunny days ahead. Steep hills, narrow pavements without drop kerbs and cobbled streets made it difficult navigating the wheelchair between the boat and the towncentre almost a mile away but we managed and it was well worth the journey. Macclesfield is a town of art, with several large commissioned murals decorating the sides of buildings and smaller works brightening interior walls.

    There were several impressive old buildings including the Town Hall and St Michael and All Angels Church standing side by side in the centre. Macclesfield has more than its fair share of churches but what really struck us were the old red brick mill buildings with their grids of tall, rectangular windows. Back in its hey day there were 71 silk and cotton mills and many of them have been sympathetically restored and renovated into homes and offices.

    We found a friendly Greek gastrobar called Nomas for lunch where the chocolate canola were so good we bought some to take home too. On the way back to the boat we popped into a sweet shop and a small independent book shop. The town had a good vibe and we resolved to return the following day to visit the Silk Mill Museum (see separate post).    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Moving on to quieter, more rural surrounds
    The dogs were good trotting along behind Vicky on the towpathA good mooring with access to a garden centre and pub up those stepsOur tiny daffodils have finally bloomed 🌼Vicky came away from Fairways Garden Centre with a lot more than planned 🙈Yay! The fuel boat is here!Look at that blue sky! It does help to lift the mood2Whiskers enjoying the warmth of the sun3 of the 4 furries had to join us in the sunshine on the sternEvening sunshine and a backlit Pomeranian under Leek Old Road BridgeSpent puffballs

    Gurnett Aqueduct

    March 3 in England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    To escape the noise of the adjacent building site and the stress it was causing Leo, we decided to cruise to the next available mooring spot, wherever that may be. Vicky took her chair on the towpath with the dogs while Will steered Rainboat alongside. The chair travels up to 4mph and the canal speed limit is 4mph so it worked well.

    We soon left the noise and industrial surroundings behind and the scenery opened up to fields and trees. Rainboat slotted into the one space available between Leek Old Bridge (no.44) and the long line of boats tied up at Gurnett Aqueduct moorings. The name Gurnett comes from the small village nestled in the valley of the River Bollin below but the aqueduct appeared more like a continuation of the embankment than any bridge-like structure that would draw the eye.

    The sun was shining and our rooftop daffodils had bloomed. Will and Whiskers spent the rest of the day fishing from the stern, enjoying the warmth and a natter with passersby. Vicky and the dogs joined them later. Using a combination of post it notes and notes on the phone, we planned which of our seeds and plants would be planted in in which of our rooftop troughs. What prompted this scheming was the proximity of Fairways Garden Centre, just 150m down the lane running alongside the towpath. We visited the following day to restock on Vicky's houseplants. We also came away with a couple of hardy perennial evergreen plants that are supposed to be good for pollinators so we'll keep our eyes peeled for butterflies and bees when the flowers bloom in early summer.

    Vicky returned to Rainboat to rest while Will visited the nearby Kings Head for a spot of lunch. He'd only intended on grabbing something light but couldn't resist a lamb burger when he saw one on the menu. That evening our TV viewing was interrupted by loud yowls from outside. Vicky marched along the towpath with a torch and discovered Whiskers fronting up to a large tabby tomcat, who scarpered under the glare of the light and Vicky's abrasive admonitions. Whiskers trotted happily up to her when she called as if he was the best boy in the world. We locked him inside until bed time, hoping to give the tension time to cool down. At 2am Vicky was woken by more yowling from Whiskers and the territorial tabby so His Lordship was confined indoors for the rest of the night and we moved on the next day. Spring is definitely in the air!    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Will managed to film 11 of the 12 locks before the drone ran out of range
    Particularly dark chamber stones quarried from the surrounding hillsOrchard Lock, our 2nd of the 12.Leo got tired travelling on the sternTiger Lilly helping at the locksShe needs a lot of reassuranceAlpacas alongside the canalA rainbow made up for the one short shower as we travelledBroadhurst Swing BridgeOne of many Elf Cups we found on the woodland floorAlthough the Macclesfield is well cared for there is clearly a lot of maintenance neededBoat moored next to an industrial site with a lot of fly tipped rubbishRainboat's mooring through the bridgeMoored in a long line of boats waiting for fuelThe building site opposite was too noisy for Leo to handle

    Bosley Locks & Lyme Green

    March 1 in England ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    We stayed longer than planned at the beautiful Dane Aqueduct because Vicky wasn't well enough to cope with a dozen locks. Our rubbish was piling high and our cupboards were depleted as it was a long way to the nearest shop.

    We eventually cast off on Sunday morning; Vicky steering with Leo and Tiger tackling the locks with Will. Despite not setting off early, we were closely followed by two other boats who'd been moored nearby and had had the same idea. The Macclesfield is a narrow canal so sadly there could be no sharing of the locks or the work.

    Apart from the Stop Lock we passed through early on at Hall Green with a rise of just 1ft, the dozen Bosley Locks are the only ones on the Macc and they are clustered together over the space of 1.5 miles. Together they raise the water level by 118ft to 518ft above sea level. They are a beautiful flight, set amongst rural surrounds. Short, wide pounds, just large enough for two boats to pass are all that divide most of them. Beside each lock lies a now redundant side pond. These were designed as a water saving mechanism, whereby opening a sluice would allow half the water in the lock to flow into the pond, ready for refilling the chamber when the time came. They used to work and would certainly have come in handy during our recent summers of drought, but they were decommissioned by British Waterways many years ago and now stand as a mere monument to the ingenuity of the past.

    According to the Pearson's guide, the chamber stones were quarried from the nearby hill nicknamed The Cloud. Unfortunately for Will, all the lock gates were mitered pairs instead of (as is usual) the top gate being a time-saving single wide gate. To make it even more difficult, the walk planks that are usually attached to lock gates allowing boaters to cross from one side of the chamber to the other did not exist on any of the Bosley Locks. Will either needed to use Rainboat's bow and stern as stepping stones (no easy task when the bow is uneven and slippy and the stern gates stay shut to keep Leo safe) or trek back to the small bridges crossing each chamber downstream of the lock gates (no easy task when Tiger is either dragging slowly behind on the lead or getting stressed about being left by herself). He worked very hard and we made steady progress, cheered by the wooden troughs of daffodils about to come into bloom at each lock. The Macc really does seem a well cared for and loved canal. We get the sense that the voluntary Macclesfield Canal Society is very active, keeping towpaths maintained and adding little touches such as these planters.

    A several hours and only one short spell of rain later we cruised out of the top lock and moored almost immediately at services. Will filled with water and quickly relayed all our rubbish, recycling and composting to the wheelie bins. We didn't have the luxury of stopping for a rest as the boats who'd followed us also needed the services and a long line of moored craft ahead meant there was only the one spot to tie up.

    We were both exhausted by this point and Vicky was in no mood to carry on. For the first time in six years she isn't taking any antidepressants for her fatigue and her mood is still stabilising. Poor Will got the brunt of it, much to the shock of a passersby who heard her disembodied yells and saw a map book flying out the stern doors 🫣 Will gallantly took over at the tiller, mooring at the first place he could find; a rough bit of bank where he slipped and fell in a patch of nettles 🤕. This allowed us both to eat a very ate lunch and Vicky to go to bed.

    Regrettably our extended stopover at Dane Aqueduct meant we couldn't stay the night here. The fuel boat was due to deliver us diesel and a bottle of propane the next day but its route didn't come down as far as the locks. We needed to cover another couple of miles, including an electric swing bridge and a manual one before we could moor at Lyme Green winding hole; the southernmost reach of the fuel boat. With relief, Rainboat slipped into a line of about a dozen other moored boats, many of whom were also awaiting a fuel delivery. Vicky returned to bed while Will cooked us some tea and we both vegged infront of the TV that evening.

    Early the next day we were awoken by Leo's worried growling, woofing and the beeps and bangs from a building site directly opposite. So much for a lie in! What a contrast to the quiet of our previous rural surrounds. At least the towpath was good enough for Vicky to get out in her chair to walk the dogs. She'd been keen to explore Dane's Moss Nature Reserve that we were close to but sadly there was a railway line with a high bridge and many steps separating it from the towpath so it wasn't to be. Despite this disappointment and being in an industrial area, we enjoyed our outing. The day was warm(ish), the other walkers friendly and our route ran alongside a lovely strip of mixed woodland, where we had fun spotting Elf Cup funghi among the leaf litter. Vicky even took her chair back out to photograph the wooden swing bridge we'd passed through the previous day.

    Will went out afterwards and returned with his large rucksack bursting with fresh fruit, veg and other groceries. We had aimed to meet the fuel boat here but they'd messaged to say they were running a day late. Leo was really on edge with the noise from the building site so we decided to move on a short way that afternoon.    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    Bridge layers. F-B a road, flyover road, railway and pedestrian bridge looking back to Congleton.
    The long North Staffordshire railway viaduct blending onto the wooded slopes.Loving cruising outside in the sunshine2Happy Leo 🥰The land opening up to pastureThe Cloud or Bosley Cloud; a hill of 1125ft whose shape was carved during the ice age2Approaching Stanleys Bridge with stop planks on the leftLooking back on Stanier 1st Bridge with its swathe of snowdropsCongleton Bridge with Stanier 1st Bridge beyondWhiskers heading to the cobbled overspill. Free for the first time since the night before his op2Happy puss 😸Vicky found what she thinks is a Robin nest near our moorings. Small, mossy and lined with fleece.Heading back to Rainboat over Dane AqueductScreenshot of our position on a terrain map. You can see the Pennine Hills to the east and northLooking over the aqueduct railings to the River Dane 45ft belowLooking up to the aqueduct from the River Dane2Proud of Tiger making it down the muddy, overgrown slope. Leo wasn't having any of it!BT tower on the distant Suttons Common and the cobbled overspill in action2You can really see the embankment and shape of the aqueduct from this angle2Freshly baked, warm fruit scone with honemade strawberry jam courtesy of WillTreecreeper spotted on the offside

    Dane Aqueduct, below Bosley Locks

    February 25 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    The cruise from Congleton to Dane Aqueduct was a true pleasure. Starting off, the sun warmed the air and made the colours around us pop. The course of the Macclesfield runs mainly straight with only a few bends so steering was a breeze. We began in a cutting, passing under numerous rail, road and footbridges, mostly constructed with huge hunks of squared off sandstone; probably Chatsworth Grit quarried from the surrounding hills.

    Our views had been somewhat limited within the confines of the cutting but now the channel emerged and was carried over a series of embankments and small aqueducts. The Shaw Brook and Dane Valleys sprawling away underneath and to our port while The Cloud hill rose amongst the Pennines in the distance to starboard. Beautiful!

    We'd seen Narrowboat Lexi setting off before us and timed it well because she was just leaving the water point on the offside as we arrived. Will even managed to return the tap connector they'd left behind after they'd winded and were passing us in the opposite direction. Another narrowboat arrived just as we were finishing, but apart from this we saw no other vessels on the move.

    We moored just before the impressive Dane Aqueduct that passes over the river some 45ft below. Will got busy stirring our compost boxes and Vicky did a little more on a macrame window drape for the bedroom. Later, Will worked with his niece, going through her online maths homework, while Vicky walked the dogs past 6 of the 12 Bosley Locks that we had yet to navigate.

    The following day it rained and we rested inside, blogging, learning on Duo Lingo, making marmalade, scones and fajitas. Being around 1km from the nearest road, it was wonderfully quiet and wonderfully dark when the sun set😊    Read more

  • Vicky 'n' Will's TravelsRainboatVicky 'n' Will's Travels
    2The refurbished Congleton Wharf building opposite our moorings
    2Growths on Mr Whiskers' gumsCongleton Community Garden2Lamberts Lane Roving Bridge allowing horses to switch towpath sides without being unhitchedDog Lane Aqueduct passing over Canal RoadThe three (noisy) geese who had made the wharf their homeCongleton Town Hall and Tourist InformationThe Tourist Info sold apple juice pressed in CongletonWill sitting on a 'Chatty Bench' hoping to find someone to chat to 😊The container village where we had lunch. It was quiet for a Saturday3Thai dishes from Nam Ploy with beer from R&Gs Tap House 😋An ornate water tower we spotted while walking to the closed garden centre2Fallen roadside daffs and newly sprouted seedlings brightening our dayMr Whiskers insisted on accompanying the dog walk. We had to turn back when he began crying 🙄1Morris Change Bridge being restored. Also called a Snake or Snailly bridge.Avo on toast for Vi and a Scottish Bap for Will at Sienna's with its 'carnivore based' menu.1Vicky loved visiting the North Rode Wood Yard2Congleton high street with Orso Lounge on the leftVegan cake at last 🥳 Raspberry chocolate torte and carrot cake at Orso LoungeGetting up earlier than usual for Whisker' op, Vicky spotted Goosanders in the wharf basinThe male leading the female Goosanders who took off pretty quickly when Vicky popped her head out.2Mr Whiskers returns from the vetsA post op Mr Whiskers wanting to be out exploringWill caught a few big fish in the Wharf basinWill's caught a big one and Mr Whiskers is there to 'help' 😬

    Congleton

    February 21 in England ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    Before the journey to Congleton, Vicky had looked ahead to see that there was a vets less than a mile from the canal. We've been keeping an eye on some growths on Mr Whiskers' gums and felt it was time to get them checked again. Wright and Morten Vets had good online reviews and the added bonus of another branch close to our route through Macclesfield, should further appointments be needed. An evening phonecall managed to get Whiskers registered and booked in for the following morning.

    The journey wasn't an easy one to take in the wheelchair, with narrow, sloping pavements and too few drop kerbs, but we got there in one piece. Jo the receptionist offered to pop the rained on fleece we'd used to cover Whiskers' carrier in the dryer, very kind! Olivia the vet had already reviewed Whiskers' medical records and the photos of the growths Vicky had emailed through the previous day. Whiskers made himself very at home in the surgery, soon spying the packet of Dreamies and giving Olivia 'the eyes' until she did her duty and fed him 😻 He even jumped up on the counter and stole a gravy bone from the dog treat jar. Cheeky puss!

    The oral masses didn't bring up any red flags in their appearance but they had grown and become inflamed. The longer they were left the greater the risk there was of them causing infection and damage to his teeth, so it was decided to give him a dental and have them removed. Jo was able to get him booked in on Tuesday, just four days away, with Olivia, who he'd taken a shine to. All in all we were very happy with this.

    Saturday was market day so we repeated the journey in to Congleton. Joining the main street at the impressive Town Hall, we saw it was buzzing with activity. Cafés were full to bursting and footfall was high in and out of the many independent shops. The market seemed deserted in comparison. There were a few indoor and outdoor stalls selling books, phone cases, veg, eggs, meat and dairy. Will found some organic cheese but the offerings in general weren't very inspiring. What did look exciting was Congleton Market Quarter; a 'container village' that opened just over 2 years ago to help breathe new life into the town centre. This too was strangely quiet but held an exciting range of eateries and bars with shared seating. We chose Thai dishes from Nam Ploy, which we ate in R&Gs Tap House with their lagers 👌

    Knowing Whiskers would need some soft food after his procedure we went a little off the beaten track (difficult in the chair) to find a pet shop using Maps.Me. If it had ever existed it had shut down a long time ago because there wasn't any sign of it. (There was plenty of provision for dogs and even a pet fish shop in town but nothing for cats 😿). We headed back towards the Town Hall and the nearby North Rode Timber Company in the hope of getting plywood for replacement 'Boat Cat' signs and a plank for a bathroom shelf. We arrived to find it had closed at noon 😭

    We didn't fare any better the following day when we walked a mile to a small garden centre, where Vicky had high hopes of getting some replacement snowdrop and crocus bulbs, only to find its gate padlocked. The hours on both google and facebook said it should be open but there was nobody around so we had no option but to turn around and head home. Vicky picked some broken stemmed daffodils on the way back and Will bought some alcohol free bubbly from a Spar to cheer us up. Feeling slightly better we decided to swing by the closest pub to the boat; The Wharf Inn. This was also closed, despite google stating otherwise 😕

    Monday saw us catching the 91 Beartown Bus into Congleton. With services every half hour and only costing £1.50 it's a good community service that we felt happy supporting while saving our feet. The wood yard was open, friendly and very helpful in cutting us the pieces we needed. In search of a café lunch we found Congleton high street wasn't a good place for vegans. FEAST, the first independent we visited didn't have anything and Sienna's, the second, turned out to have a 'carnivore based menu' 😳 They did however make everything fresh and were keen to veganise their avocado on toast by subbing spinach for the egg, so we dined here, then asked at the Tourist Information for a source of vegan cake. After recommending the two places we'd already tried, the helpful advisor pointed us towards Orso Lounge. The Lounges are a chain but one that we like and Vicky found herself in heaven sitting on a comfy sofa amongst the quirky interior tucking into carrot cake and sampling Will's raspberry torte 🥳

    On our way to the bus station Will, who was wearing his rainbow scarf, was accosted by a street preacher asking him if he believed he was created by a higher intelligence. Will had seen the chalk board listing LGBTIQ as a 'perverted practice' alongside abortion and Islam. 'Not by a higher intelligence that wants to ban LGBTIQ!' he retorted angrily. The preacher sought to explain that they didn't want to ban those with 'sexual deviancy' but save them from hell. Oh dear. After doing some digging, Vicky found the guy had been arrested back in August for harassing people and 'preaching' against abortion even when conception happened under the most terrible of circumstances. She wtote to the town council who got back to her straight away thanking her for relaying the experience, which was useful to add to the body of evidence. The police had been called by several shopkeepers who were also accumulating evidence and a Code of Conduct had been implemented which limited expressions of free speech such as this to 30 minutes. It was good to know.

    The wheelchair came in handy for transporting Mr Whiskers into Wright and Morten for 08:45 the next morning. It would have been a real struggle to carry his nearly 6kg weight for the 20 minutes it took to walk otherwise. We weren't too worried about the anaesthetic and minor procedure but it was still a relief when Olivia called that afternoon to say everything had gone well. They'd offered him some soft food when he came round and apparently he'd been so enthusiastic he gave himself a gravy bath! There was just one small extraction needed of a tiny front incisor, all the previously visible growths had been removed as well as some small flaps further back on his gums and everything had been scaled and polished. Pupils huge in his green eyes, he made it known he was very happy to see us and didn't seem at all phased by the taxi ride back. The drugs had hyped him up and he bolted later on when we took the dogs out. Luckily he came back so we put his harness on and all sat out on the stern in the evening sunshine while Will fished and Whiskers looked on excitedly whenever the rod twitched.    Read more

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