Holiday Diary

Dear Diary,

We left Middlewich early (for us) on Sunday morning as we wanted to get the boat back to Boothstown by Monday night. At 8.30am we went down the last of the narrow Middlewich locks, got a fuel top up from newly trading fuel boat Halsall, then down big lock - the last lock we will encounter for a while - and spent a long day cruising. Once more through the three tunnels where at Preston Brook you emerge onto the wide, deep Bridgwater Canal to Moore, where we tied up about 7.30pm. 

The mile long line of boats on the Middlewich Branch leading to the main festival

We spotted this at Ellesmere Port a few weeks ago - an interesting 1936 conversion of a working boat 

Lots of bunting!

We just caught the fuel boat as he was about to set off

Hose through the hatch as the filler cap is on the other side

It's great to see the boats trading

The livery that inspired nb Mervyn's 

Loved this unusual boat

This boat had come adrift overnight...

Once through the last wide lock 'Big Lock' outside the pub of the same name, the boats were moored for a mile or more in this direction too

Waving goodbye to our friend and his daughter who had also been at the festival

Lovely butty, we saw this last week when we moored at Croxton Flashes

Back in more rural surroundings, the herons were out in force again

Such beautiful creatures, it's great to see them close up

The really interesting, industrial site at Northwich saltworks where the canal cuts straight through the middle of the works

A reminder of the reason for the canal network in the first place

Strangely beautiful and peaceful

An abundance of orchids along the canal bank, such a pleasure to see wild flowers 

Standing stock still as we glide by

Work boat at Anderton

Great little vessel at the top of the Anderson Lift

A boat just come up the lift off the River Weaver below

Back into beautiful English countryside once more

Arrrr! Pirate on patrol

Despicable scarecrow

Learning the ropes from mum

Passing Dutton again but this time we can't stop

Managed to snap this shot across the valley as we pass

Storm chasers...this black cloud followed us all the way to Moore. It caught up eventually but luckily long after we had tied up for the night. It was a a very wet and windy summer solstice!