Sunday November 15th - Newtown

Tuesday November 10th – Adlington to Wood Lanes

Dave duly arrived as arranged and it really didn’t take him very long to replace the broken cratchboard and window with the new one and now Lady Arwen looks all smart again and we can see through the front window! Dave had brought his wife Lynda with him but whilst he was working on the cratch she took the dog for a long walk up the towpath.  When she got back I invited her in for a cuppa and also offered her one of my Anzac biscuits.  She was most impressed and asked me for the recipe, so I gave her the website address where I had got it from.

When Dave and Lynda had left we decided to cruise back to Wood Lanes because the rain had fizzled out and it would save us doing the trip first thing in the morning.  About an hour later we were tying up just before the bridge. Again we couldn’t get any nearer to the bank than we had before so there was a foot wide gap between us and the bank!

Wednesday November 11th – Wood Lanes

After breakfast we gave Lady Arwen a bit of a wash and brush up ready to receive guests.  We had arranged to meet Stephanie and Chris down at The Miners Arms and they phoned us soon after 12.00 to say they were here. 

We had a lovely lunch in the pub.  As we were all having dinner later in the evening we thought sandwiches would be best but  when they arrived they were absolutely huge - we were all stuffed!  Afterwards we brought Stephanie and Chris back to the boat for the guided tour and a cuppa.  It was great to see them again and catch up on all their news but of course it won’t be long before we see them again, it’s not long now to Mark and Zabrina’s wedding.

They left us at about 3.30pm and we relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and waited for our next visitor to arrive.  Thelma phoned about 7.30pm to say she had just left the motorway and should be with us in about half an hour.  So we got ready and sauntered back down to the pub again to wait for her.  We didn’t have to wait long then we ordered our second meal of the day at The Miners Arms!  The food really is good here, we can highly recommend it.

Thelma was very tired after her long drive up from Slough, where she had been visiting her daughter Alison, her husband Mike and their gorgeous little boy, Harry.   It wasn’t long before she was nodding off so we got her bed ready and then we all settled down for the night.

Thursday November 12th – Wood Lanes

Thelma stayed for lunch and then headed off home to Huddersfield mid afternoon.  We decided to stay put in Wood Lanes for another night.

Friday November 13th – Wood Lanes to High Lane

After breakfast we decided to move on.  We stopped off at Higher Poynton where there is a boatyard as we needed a pump-out. We also filled up the water tank and got rid of our rubbish bags.   Once we had done all the necessaries we set off again and it wasn’t long before we reached High Lanes where we decided to moor up. 

Once we were tied up we went for a walk up into the village and managed to get a few bits and pieces from the village shop but it was only a small shop and therefore didn’t have a huge stock. We also noticed that there was a Chinese take-away not far from the bridge – hmmmm that’s a good idea!  We went back to the boat with the shopping and then a couple of hours later Clive nipped back to The Happy Wok to fetch our dinner – just as the rain arrived!  The food was delicious.  However the weather got worse and worse!  The wind kept gusting across the canal and thumping us up against the bank and the rain was hammering down on the roof – still never mind we were lovely and cosy on board.

Saturday November 14th – High Lane

As the weather forecast was so horrendous we decided it would be safer just to stay where we were today, so apart from nipping up on deck to turn the engine on we never set foot out of the door!

At this point we would like to say Bon Voyage to Ben, Vicki’s boyfriend, who is off to Peru today.  He is on an expedition to Machu Pichu which has been organised to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital – I believe he has raised about £3.000 in sponsorship so far!   If anybody reading this would like to sponsor him, for which he would be very grateful, the link is:  http://www.justgiving.com/benharrisbjh

Sunday November 15th – High Lane to Newtown

The weathermen informed us that this morning would be bright and sunny but that heavy rain would be coming up from the South West and was due to arrive by lunch time.  So we decided to set off and get as far as we could before it arrived.  It didn’t take us long to reach Marple Junction where we turned right onto the Upper Peak Forest Canal.  We have never been on this canal before.  Last year we turned left at the Marple Junction onto the Lower Peak Forest Canal because we were heading for Huddersfield. 

We were certainly in for a treat.  This canal is absolutely beautiful, it isalso very high up!  We have been on some reasonably high canals before but they have been on embankments, this canal is actually cut into the side of the hills and there are some of the most fantastic views we have seen.  The scenery here is absolutely stunning but of course we are looking over the Peak Forest National Park. 

Peak Forest view

There are some lovely stone roving bridges along this canal but also there are lift bridges. The first of these was bridge 22. I hopped off the boat with both the BW key and my windlass as I wasn’t sure how they operated.  Another boat had just pulled up at the bridge coming the other way.   I realised that her helmsman was single handed so I offered to do the bridge.  It turned out to be the windlass that was required and I certainly gave myself a cardiac work-out during the lifting process – phew it was a bit tough!  The single boater went through first and then Clive brought Lady Arwen through and I lowered the bridge behind him, which was a darn sight easier than lifting it!

Lowering the bridge

A short while later we arrived at another lift bridge and the same process was repeated.  I decided it would be nice to have a walk along the towpath with my camera and managed to get a shot of the boat as she cruised towards me and also a few of the glorious scenery. 

Cruising along the Peak Forest Canal

Then we arrived at another bridge, this time it was a swing bridge and of course I had put the BW key back in the cupboard before I set off on my walk so I couldn’t open it! I had to trot back to the boat and Clive, much to my horror, threw the key over to me!  Fortunately it landed on the bank - men!!!  In order to open this bridge I had to insert the BW key in the lock, turn it a 3/4 turn then raise a lever to disengage the bridge lock, after that it was a simple task to just lean on the beam and the bridge gently revolved until it was parallel with the bank.  Lady Arwen cruised through and I closed the bridge behind her and hopped back on board - easy peasy!

By this time it was 1.00pm so I decided to nip inside and make us a cuppa and a sandwich for lunch. Clive said he would keep going unless he spotted a nice mooring.  I had just finished making the sandwiches when I realised he was pulling in.  Sure enough he had found a really beautiful spot to moor up.  There were glorious views across the valley on one side and a hillside dotted with stone cottages on the other – perfect.  There was still no sign of the rain!

As I am typing this my eyes keep straying to the window and the views beyond.  It is now 4pm and there are still very few clouds.  Clive is as happy as a sandboy with a pint of Guinness in his hand and Rugby on the TV.  We are a bit disappointed with our TV signal though – no ITV – which means we can’t watch the X Factor results this evening boo hoo!

Oh well, such is life!