More of June 10-6-10 to 25-6-10

We did get the car cleaned and covered, and to use up the electricity that we had bought while at the marina, we also hovered and ironed and did the emails and banking on the wifi as well before we left.  We got chatting to Mac and Jackie from Skyy before we left who happened to be friends of Judy on Angonuka who we’d met before we came into the Marina.  Also our claim to fame was that we while we were in the marina we ended up 2 boats from Phyllis May 2, owned by Terry & Monica Darlington, and he wrote ‘Narrow Dog To Carcassonne’.  We set off from the marina heading for Middlewich     and the Boat & Folk Festival, but slowly as it didn’t start untilthe 18^th, so we were planning to go through and onto Northwich and then back to Middlewich.  On the way I fixed the horn (new roof socket required), and fitted some extra step ups on the rear doors to make it easier to get on the roof when required.  At Church Minshall we just missed a ‘Vicar of Dibley’ style bring your pets to church service.  We had gone for a walk (with Charlie) and as we passed the church they were just turning out.  At Northwich we visited a Salt Works (it was closed) so we cycled on into the town and went to the Salt Museum, very interesting.  Cheshire has big salt deposits, and for years (even the Romans did it) it has been pumped out in the form of brine and then boiled and turned into salt at the many salt works that there were.  There is also still one salt mine in the area.  On the way back to the festival we stopped for a day and a half at a lovely spot where the canal opened out almost like a lake with lots of wildlife, and I did a load of little jobs on the boat, including starting to touch up the roof where the paint was peeling.  If you’re interested here’s a list of the wildlife we’ve seen so far.  Water Vole, Lapwings, Herons, Kingfisher’s, Goldfinch’s, Grey Partridge’s, Robins, Chaffinch’s, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Goslings, Ducks & Ducklings by the ‘n’ , Buzzards, Kestrels, Cormorants, Bulfinch, Bluetit’s, Reed Bunting, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck. When we  got back to Middlewich I collected a new water gauge that I’d ordered and fitted it during the weekend so now we know how much fresh water we have so shouldn’t run out anymore.     The festival was excellent, and we took in as much as we could with shows in the big tent each evening and fringe music at various sites during the day.  I managed to watch some of the England match in the pub next to the tent as well but I wished I hadn’t bothered.  We also met up with Richard & Liz on Dragonfly. On the Monday 21^st after the festival we set off for the Anderton Lift to go down on to the River Weaver where we were meeting Lady Godiva again.  The lift restoration was finished in 2002 after 20 years closed.  It consists of two 250 ton tanks, each can carry 2 boats, supported on hydraulic rams with the heavier top tank pushing up the bottom one and vice versa.       The Weaver is beautiful and we went to both ends and back which is about 20 miles.  We did most of that with Dragonfly and managed a BBQ on the Monday night with Lady G and a BBQ with Dragonfly on the Wednesday night.     We are going back up the lift tomorrow, Sat 26^th, as we have to push on in order to get to our rendezvous with Chris & Lyndsay on the Macclesfield Canal next Wednesday.  

June already 1-6-10 to 9-6-10

We had planned to do an open topped bus tour of Chester with Luke but as it was raining again (we seem destined only to see Chester in the rain) we didn’t.  Instead I spent the morning taking the loo out again as it was not pumping away again.  After not finding a blockage and putting it back in it still wouldn’t work.  That seemed to indicate that the pipe to the holding tank must be blocked, but no, after rod-ing it with an expensive but good sink and drain unblocker it still wouldn’t work.  Out with the standby porta potti and the last hope of the nice man at Chester Marine who operate out of Tattenhall Marina which was our next stop.  We set off for the marina as Luke was keen to do some locks. After an overnight stop at Christleton we arrived at the marina at about 3.30pm on Wed 3^rd .  This gave me time to chat to the man thinking that we would have to leave it to him while we      were away at the New Forest.  He was a nice man though and told me that it was almost certainly a blocked breather tube, and he was right so by the evening the loo was working again and I’m quietly confident that the loo will behave itself for the rest of our trip.  While I was doing that Margaret cycled back to Chester to get the car.  Thursday we drove down to the New   Forest for our annual family camp where we all had a great time and caught up with all the children.  Not one drop of rain all the time we were there and we left on Sunday afternoon and spent the night with Joe at Reading.  Monday we drove back to the boat and got back about 2pm.  I took the opportunity to change the engine oil and filter while I was at the marina.  It is supposed to be done every 200 hours but as I didn’t know when it was last done I did it after 100 hours.  Tuesday we drove back to Chester to finish our look round from the last time we were there, while we were waiting for Sam and the boys to visit and guess what… it was raining again.  It did improve and we had lunch in Chester and caught up with Sue & Clive who happened to be in the basin still, we had a walk by the river and then went back to the boat.    Next day the 9^th we went to Chester Zoo which was great, it was such a long time ago that either of us has been to a zoo.  We are setting off again tomorrow but I hope the weather is ok so I can clean the car and put the cover on as we won’t be using again until September.