Audlum Day 4 at Hack Green

With overnight temperature dipping to -3C we woke to a bright morning and deliberated whether we could move due to ice.  The sun was out and again not a cloud in the sky. The cut where we were was free of ice so we figured if there was any it would be thin and would easily break up.

At 9am we got under way.  We knew a change in weather was coming and so wanted to get settled somewhere before the wind and rain forecast hit.  

We should have stayed put as rounding the first bend we were met with a layer of thin ice.  A boat had passed 30 minutes before so we simply followed the path he had taken and the ice still broken.

Chris had been looking out for the 6 wooden sculptures shown on the plaque opposite Nantwich services.  The horse we had seen so kept and eye open for the others.  We spotted two but as one can see they are barely recognisable.  In fact one could not help thinking that perhaps a squirrel had been eating them, and I don't mean the 4 legged version.

Not sure what this was supposed to represent but what ever it was it is now unrecognisable

 A short way on and another sculpture.  This one could be two birds or two leaping fish.  Any ideas?

Not sure if this sculpture is complete or been beheaded

 A long the way cats ice formed in sections sheltered from the wind and in places started to get fairly thick making a horrendous noise as it gave.  We did think we made a bad mistake at one point but as we got closer to Hack Green locks the ice was less frequent.  

We arrived at Hack Green Locks expecting both locks to be against us as the boat that left earlier must have gone up them but surprisingly borth were in our favour.  By now the wind was increasing and clouds were forming.  We wanted to visit the not so secret secret bunker so decided to call it a day on the 48 hour moorings above the top lock and save Audlum for when this latest weather system had passed tomorrow.

Entering the first lock, the first narrow lock since we left Tattenhall.

 We found a spot between two boats leaving ample room ahead and behind us for other boats to moor.  The tow path here, whilst soft, was not too muddy and we had rings to moor by.  As it was only 11.30 we had a welcome cuppa and an early lunch then set of for the bunker.

Moored up at Hack green visitors moorings

 The bunker is only a short walk from the moorings along a narrow lane and could be seen from the bridge

I know it was a secret but how did they hide a building that size?

 The entrance fee of £8.25 each was well worth it and I found the bunker extremely interesting.  More so than I thought I would.  It put the reality of what I had live with as a kid into context.  One is allowed to walk its corridors and a sequence of numbered rooms tell the story of the bunker,what life in each room was like and it's purpose.  All lit by gloomy light and with recorded tannoy messages to add to the atmosphere.

One of the main corridors running the length of the bunker

One of many communications rooms, though I doubt red bikinis would be the fashion there, let alone red ones.

 There are a number of communications rooms ranging from radio transmitting to a full telephone exchange to aircraft control rooms.  All set out with equipment of the cold war era

This room housed the British Telcom Emergency Communications Network E.C.N.  It consists of an advanced telephone and high speed teleprinter exchange.  The room was known as the Message Switch Exchange.

Every panel was a myriad of knobs ad dials. Must have taken some training to use.

 In each room a board gave a description of its use.  They even have a room in which they  reproduced a mock up of a Russian Missile launch centre complete with the twin launch key console.

The bunker house 130 civil servants working shifts 24/7 so there were dormitories for the staff.  In the female dormitory 18 beds and wardrobes were provided for their off watch rest.  The sign on the wall invited visitors to rest and sleep on the M.O.D. beds for a while.  Chris, being Chris, duly obliged. 

Whilst all this was very interesting what really bought the cold war into focus for us was one room set out as a secure blast bunker complete with flickering lights, loud crackling radio sounds and every 5 minutes the simulation of a nuclear bomb going off nearby. Deafening and not for the faint hearted!  

After saving the country from a nuclear holocaust we needed a coffee in the canteen to celebrate, together with "Secret Scones" peculiar to the bunker canteen.  I guess the secret was what was in them but they tasted OK.

Outside the bunker

 The bunker was commissioned as a radar centre during WWWII and later expanded to provide a centre to run the region in the event of a nuclear war.  Out side remains a RADAR dish as a monument to the bunker's latter day use.

Cold war radar played a big part at the bunker when it was in use.

 We both felt the bunker was worth a visit but through out, several doors were off limits and locked in the basement level. The bunker is now a branded tourist attraction and is decommissioned.  In the grounds next door is a new RAF building and hanger (in the background of the photo above)  Both fenced off and off limits to civilians.  Is it really fully decommissioned I wonder, or just dormant behind those locked areas?  My imagination getting the better of me perhaps.

Total distance:2.72 miles Elapsed time:2h13m14s Locks:2 Bridges:7 

Average speed:1.22 mph (2.13 lock/mph) 

Audlum Day 3

We woke at 8am this morning to a lovely warm cabin as the fire stayed in over night.  Outside a sharp frost and -1C did not look inviting but the sun was out in a cloudless bright blue sky.

We planned to stay on our mooring today and as the sun was quite bright I was looking forward to see how the solar panels would perform and they did not disappoint.  At midday we saw 99watts being generated and the battery charge go from 92% to 95% over the next few hours.  This  meant with the inverter and fridge running we were still getting a charge into the battery's as well.

After breakfast we set off to have a wander round the town.  We did this last time we were here in 2014 but for some reason this time the town felt different probably as we were more aware of our surroundings this time.  We also had more time on our hands to explore in more detail.

One thing Nantwich is renowned for on the waterways is the height of its embankment.  One does not see the true size of it from the canal.  Its only from the road below that its immensity becomes apparent.  Must have taken the navvies an age to build.

The embankment towers over us at roof height.  AmyJo can just be seen above yours truly.

 Following the street from the canal towards the town centre are these lovely Almshouses in Welsh row.  All 6 have been modernised giving double occupancy and are beautifully maintained.

Welsh Row Almshouses

 Above the door is a shield and inscription.  Anyone up on their Latin?  Answer in the next post.

 The houses in Nantwich are far from boring.  This particular house may have been a school perhaps with its own bell tower, certainly from the slats thats what it would appear to be.  Or was it a small church at some time I wonder?

School house of just an elaborate dwelling.

Just before the town centre is what looks like a tutor beamed building housing the Cheshire Cat restaurant.  Looks like any other old building until one reads the plaques outside.  The one on the right reads

"Widows Almshouses"  Built in early 17th century as cottages.  Converted in 1676 to almshouses for 6 widows by sir Roger Wibraham, moved by the death of his wife and sons"

The second tells of structural repairs made by W.A.Schofield.  He saved the almhouses from deterioration and colapse and preserved them.  The work took 6 years and included the creation of the Cheshire Cat. 

The widows almshouses with the restaurant on the left

 The town centre was bathed in sunshine but, unlike last time we were here the blooms are only just starting to grow, whilst the war memorial has now been restored completely.

Down one of the side streets we came upon the Vine Inn pub.  As it was lunch time we decided to go in for a meal.  We can highly recommend the food here and for the real ale lovers like me there are several superb ales to slake your thirst .  Excellent value for money and I can reveal the burger tower is just that, a large tower.  Two home made 8oz burgers in a batch with salad and Chips.  Each burger was a good inch thick and topped with a rasher of smoked bacon and cheese.  It beat me!  It not often that happens!

Back at AmyJo, still bathed in sunshine, we took advantage of the near calm conditions and got the drone out.  This was the first time I got to use it fully and had it in the air for a good 20 minutes

Did this before but could not resist.  The white square on the grass is my make shift landing pad.

Our mooring.  We reckon we are in exactly the same spot we moored back in 2014.

With such a fine day we hoped to capture a great sunset but sadly whilst good, it just did not have much effect on the clouds that were now starting to appear

The start of the sunset.

Disappearing behind the trees

We know the sun would set behind the trees so once more the drone was pressed into service but the results were disappointing to say the least

This is the best of several shots by the drone taken from 60meters up.

Tomorrow we plan to move on to Audlem  and winded below the bottom lock as they are closed still for repairs.  One issue might be the winding hole.  According to Pearsons its only 60 feet but Hutchinsons makes no mention that its under 70 feet so could be interesting.  Will be be able to wind or will we have to reverse back to Overwater Marina?  We see tomorrow

February Half Term Cruise Days 1 and 2

Its half term for Chris so she has just over a week break.  For some the mere mention schools out brings forth groans.  Time to entertain the kids/grand kids so they don't get bored whilst ticking off the days until they return to school.

For others it heralds the start of the hire boat season and scenes of kids running on boat roofs without life jackets on.  Insisting on working the locks and so on, you know what I mean and we've all been there and thanked them for their help.  This trip is no different.  I love kids but I do wish the grown ups would take more care of them on the water than some do.

For us school holidays mean its time to leave the marina and get out on the cut. Did I hear you say your brave :-)  This half term is no different and so we're on our way down to Audlum for a few days.  Yes I know the locks are closed for the winter but its still a chance to cruise all the same.  We'll wind below the locks and retrace our steps.

Yesterday we woke really late after a heavy night in the Shady Oak pub (this is becoming a habit) so did  not get under way until gone 11am.  We knew we would have plenty of time to get to Audlum so was happy to cruise for just a couple of ours in the afternoon.

Chris still prefers to lock Wheel than helm in double locks

The weather blessed us again with light winds but a  chilly 5C meant wrapping up to keep warm.  The Sun even made an appearance though hazy through the thinning cloud.

At Tilstone lock there were several Floral tributes for retired Hairdresser, Jane Morris, who, after several years of debilitating illness committed suicide here.  So sad.

Lovely floral tributes at Tilstone Lock in Memory of Jane Morris who died here in 2014.

On a brighter note we had a pleasant trip down through Bunbury locks on our own and then, as it was 4pm,we moored up just North of the bridge at Calvery services.

Moored north of Calvery.

We woke at 8am this morning to  0C outside and a cold boat inside as the fire did not stay in overnight.  I remade it and together with boiling the kettle AmyJo's cabin soon warmed up.

We upped pins at 9am and had a steady cruise in the sun through Calverly but the low sun made it hard to see up ahead at times.  I'm not complaining.it felt so good to see blue skies.  We have not seen much if the sun lately so it was really good to see it today.

Low sun as we approached Calvery services

The trip to Barbridge junction went without much to write about.  One or two boats were on the move but otherwise it was pleasant enough in the sun.

We had a bit of a wait at the junction as a hire boat about to turn onto the Middlewich branch had to reverse out to may way for another boat coming the other way.  With us coming down from Chester and another boat the other side of the junction coming towards us the poor hire boater started to get into difficulty.  Those of us on the main line waited patiently and eventually the hire boater stopped on the bank opposite the junction.  Fortunately the boat coming out of the junction was only 40ft so could make the turn towards Hurlston easily despite the hire boat right opposite.   To be fair he had nowhere else to go.

 We then waited for the hire boat to go through.  The North bound boat had moored while he waited so once the way was clear we proceeded on our way.  We did feel for the hire boater.  He was clearly a novice and must have been embarrassed with the other boaters (us) looking on.  Not an easy situation to be in.

The hire boat on his way along the Middlewich branch

 Later at Hurlston we waited for a boat to make the turn into the locks to go up onto the LLangollen and passed through the bridge 'ole continuing our way along the Shroppy.  LLangollen will be seeing us again later.

Just after the bridge 'ole we came across this sorry sight

Add caption

 Such a shame to see this but reading the blogs this seems to becoming more common these days.  There appears to be no reason for the sinking but something had clearly gone wrong.

We soon found ourselves at Nantwich.  The moorings north of the aqueduct were full but we found a good spot just South.  In fact we think its the same spot we moored at last time we were here.  As it was only 2pm we walked back to the services to dispose of our rubbish and have a look round the marina.

The Nantwich Shire horse now looks weathered and has its side missing but still impressive in the sunshine.

Up stream of the bridge.  By now the sun had some warmth to it but still chilly

Here we found Jim and Sheila on nb Islonian (click).  We had bought coffe from them at last year's Middlwwich Feastival.  We chatted with them for a while exchanging stories of our cruises.  Good to meet you both and we'll see you on our return.

AmyJo,s Solar panels making good use of the sun

 With clear sunshine our solar panels were pumping out 103Watt keeping the batteries fully charged so were beginning to pay for themselves.

As we're on 48hour moorings we may stay for a couple of days and do Nantwich

A sort of Birthday

I just noticed AmyJo has been on the cut for 2 years, 2 weeks and 2 days so I guess its some sort of birthday for her.  Not that we are counting :-)

Hope everyone is surviving these vicious winds we're having. Do take care when walking near the banks. One of our neighboring boaters nearly got blown off the jetty but for the quick reactions of her hubby. Poor woman was quite shaken.  

We have taken the precaution to lash everything down on the deck but the wind was so strong it has pushed the folding bike in its bag across the roof!  Good job it is locked to the pole supports with a padlock and chain otherwise it would have gone in the cut.

Last night we got serenaded again with waves booming on the stern and the windows making like bagpipes again.  Quite musical really but not when you are trying to sleep.

We even had white caps on the waves in the marina yesterday!  According to the beaufort scale  small waves, becoming longer; numerous whitecaps equates to Force 4 wind.  Clearly it was much stronger than that.

Poppys

Thank you to all those who commented congratulations to my announcement in the last post.  Having made the decision it feels like a weight has suddenly lifted of my shoulders and June cannot come quick enough.

We had a rare free day on Saturday so Chris and I took the train into Liverpool for the day.  On the itinerary was a visit to see the ceramic poppy's that originated from the huge display at the Tower of London in 2014.  Not all the poppy's were sold off as artist Paul Cummins had incorporated two elements of poppy's called the wave and the weeping window into the display.  He wanted these elements to remain as a lasting legacy to commemorate those who gave their lives.  The poppy's are now touring the UK.

The breath-taking sculptures were initially conceived as the key dramatic sculptural elements in the installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London in the autumn of 2014. Over the course of their time at the Tower, the two sculptures were gradually surrounded by a vast field of ceramic poppies, each one planted by a volunteer in memory of the life of a British and Colonial soldier lost during the First World War. Over 30,000 people volunteered to take part in planting the poppies, with the final one placed in the ground on Armistice Day, 11 November 2014.

Nowadays the element called Weeping Window is housed outside St Georges Hall in Liverpool.  As we missed them at London Chris was really keen to see them whilst they were here.  They will be moving next week to Lincoln Castle so Saturday would be the last chance to see them before the display is dismantled for transport.

Not as large as the London display but still as poignant none the less

Each poppy is hand made and unique.

Now I don't consider myself an emotional person by any means  but for some unfathomable reason this lone poppy standing tall above the others really got to me and I just stood staring at it for some time.  Daft I know but I just could not help looking at it.  Somehow out of all the poppy's I could see before me this one poppy struck a chord for me.

The one poppy stands tall amongst the sea of the others.

After lunch in Costa coffee we wandered round the Maritime museum then headed home, cold but enjoying the day.

Pottering and a life changing decision.

Hi all

Not this much going on at the moment hence the once a week posts.  We have been pottering about doing the odd jobs on AmyJo this weekend.

Yesterday we went out to buy two sockets to make up a new shorter mains cable.  We found them in our local Go Outdoors store in Saltney.  This is on the outskirts of Chester and is a huge store selling anything one might want for camping, caravanning, climbing, walking as so on.  Well worth the taxi fare for a visit.

We did spot, and bought, this little gem for £20.  Its a folding trolley but what took my eye to it was its compact size.  Stores away nicely in the cupboard but strong enough for the cassette or gas bottle.  Whether the small wheels will work on a dirt tow path remains to be seen.

The two litre coke bottle gives an idea how small the trolley is folded down

and when fully opened out

 Another job I've been meaning to get round to is a battery charger for our starter battery.  As AmyJo is a 24V boat the starter battery, being 12V, is not connected in any way to the electrical system so relies on an engine alternator to keep it charged.  During these winter months we are not running the engine every day in the marina so I needed a way to keep the battery topped up.  I found this charger in Halfords.  Its a smart charger giving a better charge cycle it has the 3 Bulk, Absorption and Float charge cycles.  In addition, a winter option to trickle charge at 0.8amps to keep the battery in prime order.  It also has a recondition option to assist when the battery is almost discharged.

I mounted the charger on a support post in the engine bay with zip ties and plugged it into a socket near the steps in the back cabin.

In Maintenance mode for Bulk Absorption and Float cycle charging.

One other piece of news is the life changing decision. 

As of 30th June I will be joining those in the largest leisure group of all by retiring.  We (Chris and I) have been thinking about this for some time but I now feel the time is right, I've had it with work these days as its just not the same any more and no longer enjoyable.  With this in mind Chris and I have starting to look at our cruising options this year.  With only Chris working we can extend our cruises considerably.  During the summer holidays we plan to cruise for the whole period of 7 weeks with other shorter trips during her other school breaks, hell we may even stay out of the marina all summer with Chris commuting to work whilst I move the boat when necessary.  This brings us one more step closer to our dream of continuous cruising.

New year online.

Due to the naff wet weather not many photos in this post I'm afraid.

Having spent Christmas Day at the bungalow with the girls Chris and I returned to AmyJo.  Chris was flying driving south to visit her mum but as I had to return to work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I remained here.

We had tickets for the New Year celebrations at the Shady Oak pub just down the cut.  As there are no locks to contend with I moved AmyJo on my own together with our mooring neighbour on her boat to the moorings outside the Shady on the Monday.  There were two boats on the pub staging and two on the tow path side.  Sheila moored in the gap between the latter and I winded AmyJo and pulled in upstream of all three.  We were joined by a further 8 boats as the days leading up to New Year passed.

Over the following 3 days I commuted to work from there and when Chris returned on New Year's Eve we enjoyed the festivities to see the New Year in.  A great night was had in the newly decorated Shady Oak but unfortunately all the photos were blurry.  Not sure if this was the camera settings or we were more inebriated than we thought. 

In the end we stayed a full week and only returned AmyJo to the Marina today (Monday).  We were quite happy moored out so were in no rush to return, enjoying the excellent food and carvery (on Sundays) provided by the pub .  In fact we have enjoyed these stints out of the marina so much I think this will become a regular feature if weather allows.

Yesterday, Sunday, there was a short break in the wet and windy weather that was calm and dry enough that it enabled me to get the drone out for a brief flight and thus managed to get these photos.

The road bridge over the canal that passes the Shady Oak looking towards Chester.

Seen from directly above, AmyJo (centre) moored opposite the pub (top left).
By now the tow path was becoming a quagmire after all the foot traffic over new year..

The Shady Oak from above

AmyJo on her mooring

 I have to admit I'm having great fun seeing the canal from this new angle but I'm always concious not to annoy other people with the drone.  There is a lot of bad press about near misses by drones with aircraft at the moment  so I'm careful when and where I fly now.

Today Chris went back to work so after bringing AmyJo back to the marina I washed her down (the boat that is) and tidied up.  I also replaced the water filter as this was due to be renewed.

After two years of reliable service the Erberspacher heater has decided to play up and will not always start.  I guess its long overdue a service so we'll get that organised over the next few days.  I know it should be serviced annually but that got over looked.

Today the sun made a rare appearance so I checked our Solar panel output and was pleased to see

Does not look much at 60watts max but it was enough to bring the batteries up from 92% to 95% charge.  With this in mind it looks like they should make a big difference if we get a good summer (if we get one that is).

We've escaped!

Well we left the marina for a week out on the cut. Last Friday was my works Christmas Dinner do at the Coconut Grove Indian resuarant in Chester. Now this restaurant is just round the corner from Harker's pub. Boaters that have visited Chester will know Harker's fronts the canal here in Chester so to save a breathalyser and taxi fares I slipped mooring lines on Friday morning and moored up in Chester outside the new Waitrose.

Chris was at work I single handed AmyJo as far as Eggbridge near Waverton and was then joined by my good friend Dave who helped me work AmyJo down the locks. Many thanks Dave. Stopping in Chester for the weekend meant I could enjoy a beer or 4 without worrying about transport home. In fact, oddly, until late Saturday afternoon AmyJo was the only boat in town upstream of the winding whole, we had the cut totally to ourselves.
I have to say the food at the Coconut Grove was OK being more traditional Indian cousine but personally I still prefer the Barton Rouge.  Nothing wrong with Coconut Grove food mind, in fact it is really nice and well presented. Its just I'm not a great lover of Indian food so its that I enjoyed the atmosphere more in the Barton Rouge.

As we did last year, we made good use of the weekend to do all our Christmas shopping in town, once more beating the queues for the now diminishing car parks (the big open air, Gore stacks, car park now given over to re-development of a new bus terminus).  Whilst car parks seem to be disappearing in town the Christmas market has grown in size and looks great.  Loads more to see and sample than last year.  We spent the whole day in town and managed to get all the gifts we intended to buy. The bank manager's smile now replaced with a frown. It was nice to get back to the warmth of AmyJo and put our feet up though. 

We stayed out for the week this time as Chris's last day of school term was on Wednesday and they were all booked into the Cheshire Cat for meal at lunchtime.  We took the oppotunity to move AmyJo to the moorings outside the Cheshire Cat and again found, apart from one other boat, that we had the moorings to ourselves. This meant it was Chris's turn not to have to worry about taxi's or parking.  I do confess we have been really naughty by overstaying on the mooring and its not a habit we intend to adopt, but, as only one other boat had stopped all week there was still plenty of mooring space available.  We would have moved on if this was summer and traffic on the cut was busier.  Being both at work its too dark when we get home to cruise so we had no real choice but to stay or cruise in the dark, not something we wanted to do nor felt comfortable with.  One could argue we should have stopped in the marina but we do hope we have put anyone out by staying just this once.

The girls Chris works with all wanted to see AmyJo for themselves after their meal and at one point all 12 were aboard.  I'm so glad I was at work at the time :-)  Chris did say she had to marshall them carefully for fear of sinking the boat.  It must have been interesting showing them all around and maintaining boat trim (not that I'm implying any deference to their size by the way).  In hind sight having this many aboard was a tad foolish but AmyJo coped quite well and she's still afloat so no harm done.

The good news is our new AGM batteries are holding up well and we only run the engine for an hour or two in the evening to top them up but mostly to give us hot water.  Tuesday night we gave them a boost charge using the travel pack whilst running the engine.  At 1.5KV output the travel pack fools the invertor into thinking we are on mains so it charges through the normal bulk, absorbsion and float cycles when on mains so this helps top the batteries right up and condition them. Despite the poor weather even the solar panels are putting a small charge in, though nowhere near enough to keep the batteries topped up, but as a certain advert tells us, every little helps. 

What is it with this weather?  First weeks of wind making 2015 the windiest year so far, then heavy rain almost making it the wettest, now unseasonally high temperatures are likely to make this winter the warmest on record.  I guess if you wanted evidence of global warming surely this must be it.  

This week we spent our time decorating AmyJo to give her the Christmas feel.  At last we are beginning to feel like the holiday is close at hand

So all that is left to say is have a very Merry Christmas to all our readers and hope you have a fantastic festive season.  May you can your family enjoy good health and happiness in the coming year.

All our love
Steve and Chris.

The Anchor Inn, High Offley

Following a post by Maffi (Click) I have copied his post to share the fact that the Anchor Inn is not shut as advertised as he requested we let everyone know to support Olive.  Having sampled Olive's pub it would be such a shame to loose this rare little gem.

Copied from Canal World and Maffi's post.

The e-canalmapp App for the Midlands has this pub erroneously listed as 'CLOSED'. Consequently she has seen a big decline in customers this year, including (importantly) campers who used to bring their caravans and tents in the summer.

The Anchor Inn is NOT CLOSED! Maffi told Olive that he would ask you guys to take note and spread the word, if you know anyone who is remotely interested. Olive is attempting to have the app corrected, but so far after 3 months of reporting the issue, it still lists it as closed.

Winter opening hours are weekends only, Friday and Saturday evenings from 1900-2300 (often later!) plus Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes from 1200-1430 (often later!). Note: Closed on Sunday evenings.

Summer hours increase to weekday opening, both at lunchtime AND evenings.

Please help by passing this info onwards.

Those who complain of the pub hardly ever being open simply don't know her opening hours. They are regular and consistent, as listed above. She HAS been know to close early, but only if there's no customers.