News & Diary  Archive 2003  Part Two

   

Further travels can be found in Archives

September 1	The Llangollen was the first canal Liz and I spent a holiday on and it has taken nearly 30 years for us to return.  After another early start this morning from Audlem we reached Nantwich about 10am, walked into the town for shopping and then came straight on to this superb mooring, developed by the Shropshire Union Canal Society, between bridges 4 and 5.  Over the next week or so we will cruise towards Ellesmere and then probably turn back.  I have crossed the Pontcysyllte aquaduct four times already in my early boating years and will never cross it again - too high, too exposed!  Our weekend at Audlem was pleasantly spent visiting the Shroppie Fly, which both of us liked, especially for the Flowers bitter which was new to me - delicious served without the sparkler on the pump. The pub also has a first-rate book exchange scheme.  On Saturday our friends from Derbyshire, Ken and Mary DeVille, joined us at the pub and then came back to the boat for a meal. Ken and Mary are always good company!  The following day we started talking with the couple on the boat moored behind us - John and Jo Williams of Willow Dreamer - and found we had a lot in common.  Although they have been living on their boat only for a month they are in some ways more experienced on the canals than we are.  Jo wintered out on an earlier boat she owned - something we have yet to experience.  They think they might winter this year on the Ashby and if they do that will be good news for us.  We like to be independent and able to move around whenever we feel like it, but many boaters with long experience have told us it's always good to have other live-aboards in the same area who can often form part of a support group if times are bad.  At very least you can leave your boat for a few days if there are others close by to keep an eye on it.  And that brings me to some very disturbing news in a email just received from Nigel Hamilton at Thorn Marine in Stockton Heath on the Bridgewater.   He and his parents Brian and Margaret, who run Thorn, were extremely supportive when we had engine and battery problems near them.  Coming out after normal hours to tow us in with their dayboat and refusing to charge for it was the biggest but not the only example of their kindness and generosity to boaters like us who regularly bought diesel, gas and chandlery from them during the six weeks we spent on the canal waiting for the breach in the canal at Anderton to be repaired.  "We have just been informed that Peel Holdings (Manchester ship canal company) are putting in planning permission for five Mews style houses to be built on the site of Thorn Marine, a central point on the Bridgewater supplying chandlery, water, elsan, diesel, pumpout and 20 years experience in canal boats," Nigel wrote.  "The planning permission is going in to Warrington borough council in two weeks.  We will be there to fight it and we hope to win. I will keep you all informed."  Boaters everywhere, but especially those who know Brian and Margaret and remember them with great affection, will hope they win their battle to stay open.  Apart from deserving to keep their livelihoods intact, there are not that many places on the Bridgewater where you can find all the facilities you need in one place.  It would be a hard blow for those of us who intend returning to the Bridgewater.
September 2	A less busy day today, even though we have done five locks, taken on diesel and gas at Wrenbury, and Liz has washed a pile of clothes.  The scenery on this first section of the Llangollen has improved with each mile and although I haven't been here for 30 years the improvements to the canal are obvious, especially the long stretches of good mooring at sensible places above and below groups of locks.  It's still rather shallow in places, however, and even this mooring, a couple of bridges above Wrenbury, was difficult to get into without scraping the mud.  But it's lovely countryside and very quiet.
September 3	The obversant will notice that apart from the opening page most of the photographs have disappeared from this website.  Today I received a text message from our boating friend and regular reader Roger Morgan telling me that he could not access the website. It had apparently closed down and was "parked" by the hosting company Directnic.  When I checked this out I found that every file, every picture that had been uploaded over the months had vanished. I had paid for my domain etc up to 2008 and had recently bought a great deal of extra bandwidth - but it was still all gone.     I have uploaded text again to keep the website open and will try to upload pictures over the next several days.  In the meantime we are enjoying the Llangollen very much, despite a couple of hold-ups in areas where dredgers are working.  When you see how remote and picturesque the canal is you can see why it's one of the most popular on the system.  We even enjoyed doing Grindley locks, partly because the lockie John was so helpful on the staircase.  STOP PRESS :  The following was later received from Directnic : "A few hours ago there was a disk space loss on the server on which your sites were hosted.  This caused hosted and redirected sites to be reset to No Hosting.  The issue has been corrected.  Redirections have been re-established and hosted sites were returned to the hosting status (free hosting and bannerless hosting) they were previously listed on. However, in most cases, the site content for hosted sites was lost and it will be necessary for you to re-upload your content through FTP. "
September 4	Summer seems to have returned to the Llangollen so we cruised for only a couple of hours this morning to another splendid mooring near Bridge 50 - the main idea to clear off our roof, give it a thin wash coat of midnight blue paint ready for the winter and then return the multiplying paraphernalia that marks out most live-aboards.   Unfortunately that summer sun delayed us for hours but early this evening I managed to get the last square feet covered.  Liz meanwhile replanted her decorative pots with winter pansies and all looks very colourful and pristine.  Probably not for long.  Meanwhile an email from our friend Jenny Howes of Ashted last night reminded me of yet another feature of the Shroppie and Llangollen I have forgotten to mention - the abundance of kingfishers, especially on the cuttings and embankments coming up the Shroppie.  Several of them flew out at us from the metal pilings just feet away and then returned as soon as we had passed.  Today, over the fields next to us we have seen buzzards after hearing their mewing cry for the last few days.

September 5	We left our rural mooring and cruised to Ellesmere where there was plenty of room close to the shopping centre.  Unfortunately we could not find a safe parking place for our daughter in law Sharon who arrives for a weekend visit tomorrow - the long stay park is usually full all day with local shopworkers etc who understandably take advantage of the free parking.  Anyway we needed no second bidding to turn around and cruise back to Bridge 50 where the owners of the nearby caravan park at Hampton Bank farm said there would be no problem parking the car in one of their outhouses.  Cost : £1.50 for the two nights.  The caravan site, by the way, looks first class, with electricity, water and other facilities laid on.  We've spent a happy few hours back here finishing a few chores on the boat and will now relax, mostly in the fresh air, and wait to see whether our visitor or the threatened rain is first to arrive.
September 7	Our daughter in law Sharon arrived yesterday after a day that threatened a rainy weekend but the sun began to shine and it's been sunny ever since. This morning I woke to an autumnal mist over the canal that dispersed as I walked the two dogs.  Curiously we were one of only two boats at this idyllic mooring last night but today there has been a steady stream of traffic past us, mostly hire boats, so it might be busier tonight.  Lunchtime Sharon drove us up to the Sun Inn where they serve a great pint of Deuchars IPA - a Scottish beer that's new to me.  She returns to London in the morning and we will set off immediately for Grindley Brook locks, mooring above them tomorrow night and locking down early on Tuesday morning. I've added a new picture of Snecklifter on Latest pictures - not to show the boat but rather the lovely rural setting here.
September 8	As planned, we set off as soon as there was a gap in the showers this morning and moored above Grindley Brook about 4pm.  We would have been here sooner but stopped for lunch near the Barn - the shop in the garden - where fresh tomatoes were picked for us while we waited and then again at Viking Afloat at Whitchurch where we took on diesel at considerably less than we had paid last week at Wrenbury Mill.  The Whitchurch stop was partly sentimental for Liz and me, of course, as our first canal holiday together had started from the same boatyard 27 years ago when it was owned by Bridge Cruisers.  This afternoon ended with a walk down to the locks where the duty lock-keeper Mike showed us how to operate the water levels if we decide to go down very early in the morning - i.e. before 8am when lockie John is on duty.

September 9	For our last night on the Llangollen (unless it pours down tomorrow) we are back at Bridge 5 where we spent our first night on this canal.  Through the side hatch we can see another rural idyll with both sheep and cows in the fields.  To get here we have done two of our usual days of cruising in one, setting off down Grindley Brook staircase locks at just before 7 am and completing them plus the three single locks in record time - thanks to a wonderfully helpful chap off Grog Blossom, an ex-submariner who borrowed a windlass and went from paddle to paddle, raising them before Liz could get near and then helping lower them and close gates. We weren't sure we would get very far east of Wrenbury Mill but it was such a glorious late summer day with only five minutes of rain as we came through the penultimate lock that we just kept going.  As I write this, however, Liz has fallen asleep on the futon and both dogs have followed suit on the floor near us.  Tomorrow we expect to be back on the Shroppie and will then spend the following week or two working our slow way down to Wolverhampton Boat Club where Jennie and Martin Howes have invited us to stay again for a pint or two in the club bar.
September 10	We are moored for the night at Hack Green, above the locks and close to the "secret" nuclear bunker that is now open to the public.  Liz spent £5.30 to get in and thought it was a bit expensive but enjoyed the different displays.  I stayed back with the boat and polished off a few routine maintenance chores like topping up the grease, mopping out the rain from the bilge and checking the agglomerator.  Despite the rain we decided to leave the Llangollen this morning and make our way to Audlem. En route we stopped at Nantwich Basin so Liz could get another load of laundry done at the excellent facility there and at the same time I called in to say hello to Peter Townsend, one of the owners of Empress Holidays.   Almost from the start of our voyaging Michelle Johnson of North Carolina USA has been one of our most loyal followers and when she knew we would we passing Nantwich she said to call in and see Peter or his business partner Alan Reid if we had the chance.  Michelle hired a boat from Empress and clearly enjoyed her holiday on the Llangollen.  She remembers Peter and Alan with affection : "They were exceptionally kind to us, despite the fact that our party were rather 'high maintenance' with many questions and needs." He, too, remembered Michelle and said he would be emailing to tell her that "Snecklifter had called in."  Among the recent emails received was confirmation from our friends David and Ruth Tomlinson that they are going ahead with their plans to live aboard.  "We have booked for Measham to build the boat and have sent off the build slot cheque.  Our boat will start late 2004 and hopefully be finished around March 2005. That gives us just over 18 months to sort the house out ready for sale and get rid of all the unnecessary clutter that we have accumulated over 30 years of marriage."  That last bit sounds awfully familiar to Liz and me !  Another came from David Biggin who passed close to us on the Llangollen in a Holiday Property Rental boat last week and hailed us with the words "I follow your website."  At the time Liz and I were wondering after the third website crash in almost as many months whether it was worth all the bother of re-uploading all the text and pictures.  Dave's words reminded us of the many friends we've made through this diary.  He and wife Lindsay own a steel Dutch river cruiser on the Thames and hope to buy a narrowboat and cruise the canals when they retire.
September 11	Rain kept us longer at Hack Green this morning than we had planned but we still arrived at Audlem in good time to shop and enjoy another marvellous pint of Flowers bitter at the Shroppie Fly.  I'll remember last night's mooring partly for the smell of the farmer spraying the field next to us but more for the sight of a fox striding down the towpath towards us early this morning - until it spotted Bess and Molly and turned sharply into the bordering hedge and vanished from sight.   Bess made a desultory attempt to follow but quickly came back when I called her.  I don't think Molly knew she had missed anything.
September 12	Sunny weather and an early start made our trip up the 15 Audlem locks a fairly easy task, especially as we were following another of those boaters who are so helpful in partly setting the locks behind them. We eventually caught up with Marian of Taupe et Loir (French for dormouse and mole), her brother in law Simon and Simon's wife at the lovely mooring below Adderley locks so we were able to thank them properly.  We had already decided that we would stay here for most of the weekend and were glad we did when Whaka Nui moored in front of us and we started talking to Peter and Margaret Jenner.  They decided to stay overnight and began planning a barbecue to which we would contribute whatever we had.    While we waited for the time to start cooking, another two boats arrived with very familiar faces at the tillers. We had first met Ian of Delamere and Ian of Wicked Lady at Lymm although the second Ian then had a boat called Mr Boo.  He now lives on his new boat with his wife Margaret and we chatted about "old times" for part of the afternoon.  They felt as strongly as we did about what was happening at Thorn Marine on the Bridgewater. (see above)  The barbecue was an excellent meal and Peter and Margaret good company (see Latest pictures ).  Later on we were joined by Delaware Ian, a natural humourist, and the evening turned into one of those wonderfully spontaneous towpath events that make life on the Cut so rewarding - good food, good wine and good conversation.

September 13	Richard and Margaret left on Whaka Nui this morning and within an hour or two another friendly couple arrived to stay the rest of the day and overnight.  Colin and Anne Toy on Anne Boleyn turned out to know Jenny and Tony on Jenny Rose and Colin in fact had helped build their boat at Steve Hudson's boatyard. We sat talking for some time - they've lived aboard for 15 years - and then Colin came round to look at Snecklifter's engine and electrics and advised us to get a battery management system to improve the performance of our seven Elecsols, especially during the winter.  Between the departure of one and the arrival of the other, Liz and I walked half a mile into Adderley for a newspaper and got talking to the chap who runs the village shop/post office.  We then visited the local church and fell into conversation with the "cleaner".  She turned out to be Rosie Lewis who lives near the canal and sells some of her garden produce at one of the Audlem locks.  On the way down them a week or so ago we had bought onions, potatoes, pickled beetroot and, I think, Victoria plums.  Rosie was taking her fortnightly turn at hoovering and dusting inside the church but couldn't get the hoover to work.  Neither could we and after a long chat when she showed us around the closed-off parts of the church, which need renovating, left her to continue using a brush.   Then later in the afternoon we had a surprise visit from Stuart and Mandy Cooper from Crewe (see Latest pictures ) who have been following this site since it started.  We had only heard from them by email before today and were delighted to be able to put faces to names.   They have been canal enthusiasts for some years both as boat hirers and as towpath walkers.  Now they are buying a share in a boat being built in time for next year and we'll be looking out for them on the Cut.  Later still :  just when we thought the excitement was over another familiar boat came past us - Blackstone with Liz and Carl on board.  We first met them when they helped us through the Heartbreak Hill locks and again on the Caldon. Once again they couldn't stop because they had arranged to go down some of the Audlem locks but it was great to exchange brief greetings and see they hadn't changed a bit.  One day we will be able to spend a few hours together and get to know each other better.   What a marvellous weekend it is turning out to be.
September 15	Yesterday was a quieter day but not entirely uneventful - another familar face arrived at Adderley sometime in the afternoon and he spotted me as I was rolling up the cratch cover side to get more air through Snecklifter.  It was Ralph Freeman who was out from Barton Turns marina and heading for the Llangollen with his new boat Grey Nomad.  As Ralph agreed, it's very much fitted out for one or two people but it's beautifully done, inside and out.  This morning another early start took us up the five Adderley Locks and onto a mooring at Market Drayton from which we could walk into town and get some badly needed supermarket shopping.  We are now well stocked up to survive another extended stay near the Anchor Inn, which we hope to reach tomorrow.
September 16	We are back at the Anchor Inn at High Offley and glad of it.  Our start was a little late this morning but we were still first to Tyrley Locks and three of the five were set ready for us.  The others had very leaky top gates.  Again, we had a trouble-free run through the narrow Woodseaves Cutting and when we arrived here there were only two boats moored, two of which left shortly afterwards.  So, amazingly, we have had this wonderful mooring to ourselves all afternoon, allowing us to sit out with the dogs more or less free to roam.  At lunchtime we renewed acquaintance with Olive and Elaine at the Anchor and were not entirely surprised to learn that Elaine has not yet been able to access on her new computer the pictures I gave her a couple of weeks ago  - the ones recording her first prize as Stafford gardener of the year.   Later today I have promised to show her how to view and print copies of them.  Regular readers of this website will have noticed a new shortcut on the opening page.  Our friends Roger and Sue Morgan have recently "done" the Thames Ring on their boat Ballard and Roger sent me a copy of his diary for those three weeks afloat.  I thought it was good enough - and contrasted enough with our leisurely pace - to be featured for a while as a  Guest diary.  Hope you enjoy it as much as Liz and I did.
September 17	A leisurely day at Anchor Bridge after yesterday evening spent showing Elaine how to handle and print pictures. She is a quick student and produced several prints after Liz and I had returned to the boat.  This morning we walked the dogs up to High Offley, borrowed the keys to the church and looked inside - it's a lovely building in stone with none of the over-decoration of so many churches.  When we got back Elaine was mowing the towpath and came over to show us her printing from the previous evening. She will obviously learn quickly now she has started.  We passed another hour or two in the Anchor this evening in the company of an American family - three generations of the O'Briens from North Carolina.  The language differences made for an hilarious exchange especially with people who are good company but obviously didn't understand cricket or Branston pickle. The confusion over chips (crisps) and chips (French fries) was just one example of the common language that divides us.  The O'Briens senior have holidayed on the canals before and own a sea-going boat on which they winter in the Bahamas.  Bit of a contrast to us on the Ashby!  We ended a pleasant evening by saying goodbye to Olive and Elaine who have been so hospitable at the pub.  No doubt we will see them again next year.

September 19	After a quiet morning at Brewood we have cruised down to Wolverhampton Boat Club to moor alongside Ashted and our friends Jenny and Martin Howes who made us so welcome on our trip up the Shroppie a few weeks ago.  Jenny was here to meet us again and we enjoyed a cup of tea followed by a tot of sloe gin before returning to Snecklifter to get ready for an evening in the clubhouse.  We'll be watching some films about canals and boating - not too long, Jenny assured us - and sampling a couple of pints of Banks bitter no doubt.  We left the Anchor mooring two days ago with the weather still dry and warm and cruised to Norbury Junction where we took on water before travelling slowly down to Brewood to spend the night in our favourite mooring there on the long open stretch north of the town with a view out across fields to distant hills.  If there is any drawback to the Shroppie - and it's not a serious one - it's the dark, gloomy cuttings that drive straight as a die through hills and high ground.  But once out in the open this is one of the loveliest canals in the system and understandably one of the busiest at the height of the season. Luckily it is now a little less crowded which make the narrows easier to negotiate.
September 20	We had a pleasant couple of hours at WBC last night with Jenny and Martin Howes, though watching two films about the Nene and the Stratford canal made extended conversation difficult.  This afternoon, after a quick bus trip into Wolverhampton, we made up for that when we sat out with our hosts for about four hours, drinking the odd glass of wine and talking about life, the universe etc.  Jenny is tremendous fun, irrespressible and incorrigible. Retirement (started just a few days after our first visit here) is clearly agreeing with her.  Martin, too, is good company especially as live commentary covering his football team Birmingham City as they beat Leeds kept punctuating the stories we swapped about our experiences on the canal - his covering many more years than ours.  Late in the afternoon another Heron boat came by with Janet and Joseph Cresswell on the tiller.  They were the couple based on the Grand Union we spoke to before placing our order for Snecklifter with Heron and the first thing Joseph wanted to know when they came within talking distance was whether we were still pleased with our boat.  I said we were and he shouted back that so were they.  With another boat approaching they couldn't stop, so our first meeting lasted little more than a minute.  Tomorrow we move on to Gailey and then we head for Tixall for mid-week when we hope to meet our friends from Barton Turns marina, George and Kate on Lady Kate.
September 21	Although we set off comparatively late for us - 9 am so we could say goodbye to our hospitable friends Jenny and Martin - we have kept going and instead of staying at Gailey where there were a few good moorings, we have ended up above Penkridge lock in an excellent spot which gives us easy access to the Boat inn tonight and to the town shops in the morning.    Once we passed through a very quiet Autherley Junction and got back on to the Staffs and Worcs canal it started getter busier, but we should have expected that on a sunny Sunday morning.  Most of the boats we passed were new to us until we began the approach to Gailey locks.  Then we saw a sadly familiar boat being poled towards us and we realised it was the one that had been moored next to us at Deptmore lock and two of the three people aboard were especially recognisable.  According to another boater closer to the lock the trio were "heading for Brewood" - a long pole away!  Seeing them could possibly have played a subconcious part in our decision not to like the empty mooring spaces below the lock and to put several more locks and miles between Gailey and us.   We'll wait until the morning to see what the weather is like before deciding if we stay here another day or move on towards Tixall Wide.
September 23	Rain through most of the day confirmed our preference to stay another day at Penkridge, so we walked into the small town to buy bread, milk and other basics before pulling up the drawbridge and spending a quiet day aboard.  This morning, however, despite intermittent drizzle, we set off early, watered above Penkridge lock, then cruised steadily to one of our favourite mooring spots below Deptmore lock.  The edge had been taken off it when we stopped here a month or so ago on our way to the Shroppie but as we had seen the problem boaters poling through Gailey towards Brewood we decided to stay here again to lay the ghost of Auugust 13 (see Archive 2003).  So far I'm sure we have made the right decision.  We look out on lovely views on both sides, with a few cows grazing on the hillside to the south.  There's a heron fishing between our stern and the lock gates.  And after a flurry of boats passing up and down the canal it is now almost totally silent except for the wind which is blowing from the north and offsetting the warmth of the bright sunshine.  We have spent the afternoon putting away our light summer clothing and digging out heavier woollens and jackets for the approaching winter.  This evening we had a call from Ruth Tomlinson who is holidaying with her husband David on a hire boat. They left Norbury Junction last Saturday travelling towards Ellesmere on the Llangollen. They spent an evening at the Anchor and Ruth was ringing from Audlem where they are moored next to John and Jo Williams on Willow Dreamer who we met at the same place at the beginning of the month when they were travelling northwards.  Ruth says before they left home she printed out the pages of this diary that cover our trip up to Ellesmere and are following it as they cruise the same route.  Hope they enjoy it as much as we did.

September 24	A gentle cruise brought us to Tixall Wide by 11 am and we settled down to wait for a call from David and Susan Lane from Stoke Golding.  They were looking at various marinas and arranged to meet us at the Clifford Arms in Great Haywood where I renewed my friendship with Old Speckled Hen at £2 a pint.  As we walked down to meet them we spotted George and Kate on Lady Kate - last seen at Barton Turns marina in March - and returned an hour later to find out how they were getting on.  George has had his hair cut after leading me in the long hair stakes by at least six months and I admitted I was thinking of having mine lopped but probably not before the Spring.   Tixall is especially idyllic at the moment and the same old kestrel hovers over the fields between us and the woodland surrounding Shugborough Hall.   A hundred yards from our mooring a memorial has appeared under a tree to a dog or cat named Declan and there are recent flowers there.
September 25	A call from George Harper on Lady Kate this morning to tell us that there were spare moorings next to him at Great Haywood made our minds up to move on from Tixall.  We are now nearer shops, pub and bus stop so that we can get to Stafford on Saturday morning to meet our son Jonathan who is travelling up by train from London.  It's busier here and the television and phone signals are not as strong but after Jonathan's arrival we might drop down below the lock to the long open stretch bordering Shugborough.  Mobile phone reception is certainly better there and the view across the fields is rather better than the hedgerow to our starboard.
September 29	The weekend at Great Haywood was most enjoyable - we caught a bus into Stafford on Saturday morning to meet Jonathan off the London train, had a light but first-class lunch at the Clifford Arms back at GH and spent the afternoon with our feet up while Jonathan fished from the cockpit.  That morning George from Lady Kate had gone to the rescue of a woman who had been taken ill and needed help to get her boat back to the River Nene so Kate joined us for a meal on Snecklifter and we gossiped the evening away.  Next morning they set off to Tixall Wide while we went down the lock and moored where we had planned to - excellent view, good phone reception, very poor television and no radio whatsoever.  It was the last of these that decided us to take off from Great Haywood this morning and cruise leisurely down to Wolseley Bridge where we moored for lunch, walked over to the garden centre and enjoyed a pint of Bass at the pub.  As soon as we got back we set off again and within half an hour were moored here below bridge no 69 where we stayed on our way up to Great Haywood.  The views over Cannock Chase are again splendid but so too are the tv and radio.  We'll stay here until tomorrow/Wednesday (whichever we feel like in the morning) and then go down to Rugeley for food shopping.  While we were at Wolseley Bridge we met a couple of American boaters (see Well Met) who had been told about us by their friend Lynn Mellors from Preston Brook who has been following the website.  Mike and Bonnie Goldberg, two recently retired teachers from Long Beach, launched their boat Californian in 1990 and have been coming over to enjoy long holidays ever since.  We saw Californian, in fact, when it was moored briefly at Lymm Cruising Club on the Bridgewater but didn't get to meet Mike and Bonnie.  This time we had chance for a brief, but concentrated chat - mostly about the problems of mobile phones and internet access - after Mike had helped pull Snecklifter closer to the bank for mooring.  Bonnie stayed too long talking to us and saying goodbye to friends on another boat and suddenly remembered she had left home-made soup on the stove.  It was ruined and thereafter she stayed inside preparing an alternative lunch, coming outside only to have her photograph taken.  Hope we meet up with them again.  Although that's more than I can say for whoever pinched our tall chimney and its rather expensive fitted coolie hat.  Most people on the Cut are honest, of course, but I got the chimney out of storage ready for the colder nights that are coming, cleaned it up and then made the mistake of laying it on the roof of the boat next to the chimney outlet.  It vanished somewhere between Adderley and Brewood.  Serves me right and that's another mistake I won't repeat.
September 30	We made a latish start this morning after a quiet night in the country and were shopping in Rugeley by mid morning.  It's not the greatest of shopping centres but we managed to get all the basics we wanted including fresh bread, meat and milk and were ready to move on as soon as we returned to the boat.  We stopped below Ash Tree boat club to take on water and came down to Handsacre where we are moored close to the Crown Inn as well as Michael's fish and chip shop which we remember as being very good when we stopped here on our way northwards.  The food was still good tonight, especially after a pint or so of Bass at the Crown which was very friendly and very inexpensive.  A pint for me and a J2O for Liz was the cheapest round we've had for ages.  Don't be surprised if we stay here tomorrow.

October 2	After another pleasant day at Handsacre we have cruised slowly down to Fradley Junction - it would have been faster but we and a hire boat were stuck behind a couple of BW workboats, including a dredger, that were moving slowly down through Shade House lock.  It was a slow process getting through the last two locks before Fradley but we were still here in time for a lunchtime pint at the Swan and a walk along the towpath with the dogs before settling down for a somnolent afternoon.  One the way here we called again at King's Bromley for diesel and to have a short chat with Ronnie Slater of The Robert Mylne who has been mooring there for some months.  He's promised to visit us when we reach Huddlesford next week.
October 6	We stayed longer than expected at Fradley, largely in the hope that George and Kate on Lady Kate would catch us up before they travelled on down the Trent and Mersey to Barton Turns for the winter.  But they didn't so we left this morning for the short cruise down the Coventry to another of our favourite moorings at Huddlesford, just yards from the Plough. When we called in this lunchtime, the Pedigree straight from the barrel was as good as I remembered it but the staff seemed different and I'm not sure the management hasn't changed in the last couple of months.  More on this when we get some definite information.  The other good reason for staying at Fradley, of course, was that we don't like travelling at weekends unless we have to get somewhere or meet someone.  The Swan is certainly an atmospheric pub and the beer is first rate and if we are a little half-hearted about the place it's just that this must be our fourth or fifth stay at Fradley and each visit we've been to the pub at least three or four times but we still feel like strangers.  On previous visits to the Plough we've always been remembered by the staff and by the second or third visit they can usually anticipate our order.  Fradley was good for walking though so the dogs got plenty of exercise and we enjoyed the fresh air even when it began to get really cold.  We lit the solid fuel stove three days ago and it hasn't been out since.  This afternoon, as I was writing this diary note, another familiar face has turned up at Huddlesford - Steve Ryan-Bell on River Otter who's out for a six week cruise.  Steve has the local franchise for mooring fees at Henley on Thames and came to collect our money shortly after our arrival there last May.  He recognised us immediately and said he followed the website. He certainly made us welcome during our stay and I told him this afternoon we would be down to see Henley and him again next year.
October 8	Our stay at Huddlesford was shorter than expected because our friends Alison Farthing and Lesley Swain rang from Derbyshire to say they would be coming to visit us this weekend and we needed to get on down towards Fazeley so we could take on more water, diesel etc.  The Plough still served a good pint but we could not find out whether the management had changed. All we could see during three visits was totally new staff in the bar and restaurant - not a familiar face from a few months ago.  Ronnie from The Robert Mylne called in yesterday afternoon for a cup of tea and a natter and after that there seemed no good reason for hanging about.  So it was no great heartache to pull up stakes this morning and cruise slowly down to Hopwas where we moored close to the Red Lion (Bombardier still first class) and relaxed for the rest of the day.  Our plan is to continue on to Fazeley tomorrow and then return to Hopwas where Alison and Lesley will find it easy to reach us by car.
October 10	We are back at Hopwas after a brief excursion to Fazeley where we took on water and met our old friends Mick and Barbara on Vavara making their way south towards the Ashby where they always spend the winter. Lesley and Alison are due to join us tomorrow afternoon and on Sunday we'll probably run up to Huddlesford, wind and then return to Hopwas for Monday morning.  This afternoon we had a telephone call from Susan Lane who sounds in joyous mood.  She and Dave expect to leave their house in Stoke Golding and move on to their boat Plodder on October 24.  The 55 foot semi-trad is moored at Banbury and I hope to go with them to help bring Plodder up to the Ashby where they want to spend their first winter aboard.  Seems good sense to me because they know the area well and will have friends nearby if they need help - including us.  They will undoubtedly cope because they've gone about their plans to change lifestyle in a sensible and organised manner (more so than us in many ways). This includes booking themselves in for a day's boat handling instruction at Rugby.

October 11	Our mooring at Hopwas is almost under a medium-sized oak tree and beyond that there are gardens leading away to bungalows.  This morning I spotted through our open hatch a squirrel sitting underneath the tree eating an acorn.  He scampered away but returned almost impossibly swiftly.  It was soon clear that there were two of them and they were only the immediately obvious beneficiaries of the acorn harvest above.  Within 20 minutes I counted at least four jays - there might have been more but they kept criss-crossing in the dense branches - several blackbirds, a wood pigeon, a crow and a robin.  Gliding about on the canal beneath the oak were two swans and their two large but still brown-feathered youngsters.  A marvellous way to start a sunny autumnal day.
October 12	Lesley and Alison arrived yesterday afternoon after they had spent a late evening (or rather early morning) at a dinner party with some friends so we enjoyed a fairly laid-back evening aboard.  This morning we left Hopwas after breakfast and cruised up to Huddlesford, winding in the entrance to the Lichfield canal and mooring close to the Plough for a lunchtime pint of Pedigree.  We're now a mile or so back towards Hopwas, close to Hademore Farm Bridge at Fisherwick, with a lovely view across fields on both sides.  The railway line is not far away but it's Sunday so it's not that busy.  Before our visitors arrived we enjoyed morning coffee with Jenn and Jim Cornell on dire straits who were moored near the village school at Hopwas (see Well Met).  We first met them at Tixall Wide last year and as they had moved onto their boat only a year before us found we had a great deal in common.  Jenn makes lovely greetings cards featuring glass painting on acetates and we bought some more from her to replace those we have sent out to friends on very special occasions - usually to make up for missing birthdays.  Finally, today, just as I was about to update this page, we had a surprise visit from Tony and Jenny Miller of Jenny Rose who were on their way back to Barton Turns marina by car.  They parked at Fisherwick and walked the 10 or 12 minutes to Snecklifter for tea and biscuits - and a good old gossip about life on the Cut. Although they both work long hours they've found times to visit us on many occasions whenever we've been within driving distance.
October 13	We are back at Hopwas under the same oak tree that provided endless entertainment a couple of days ago. Last night was as quiet as expected out in the countryside but we were woken by the first trains through this morning - around 6am I think.  It was still an excellent mooring and Liz has pencilled it into Nicholson's guide.  Our visitors left this afternoon after taking us for an excellent lunch at the Tame Otter, Lesley loaded down with shirts, pillowcases and other "heavy stuff" that she's going to put through their washing machine and return in about a week's time.  Alison has to go back to work on Wednesday so we won't see her for a little while - which will be something of a disappointment for all those lovers of visual comedy who spotted her at our tiller this morning, steering well for about five minutes before weaving back and fore across the canal.    I think they enjoyed themselves, however, and Alison certainly lived up to her reputation as our good weather witch - it has never rained while she's been on Snecklifter as readers of our archive pages will testify.  Tomorrow we'll start very early, water etc at Fazeley, take on diesel and another gas bottle, before setting off slowly for the Ashby.
October 15	As planned, we watered at Fazeley and then turned right to travel about 400 yards towards Birmingham and Fazeley Mill marina where diesel is 27p a litre and the woman in charge carries the full gas bottle in one hand before I struggle with both to lift it inboard.  We then turned back down the Coventry canal until we reached Polesworth where Liz could spend half an hour on the free internet access provided by the county library - an excellent service for those of us on the move who cannot afford to surf at mobile phone rates.  After lunch we moved on, but only for a mile or so to another favourite mooring - just above bridge 50 near Grendon.  There are fields on both sides and a small hill between us and the railway that reduces noise to almost nothing.  The most intrusive sound yesterday afternoon was the mewing of a small flock of lapwings and the distinctive call of gulls passing over the boat.  However, the downside of all this idyllic nature stuff is a stream of white splashes that have to be cleaned off the rear deck - a small price to pay. If the weather continues sunny and warm we could well stay here for a few more days because we've really only marking time now before reaching the Ashby for the winter.

October 16	We've not done a great deal since the last update except clean the boat, varnish the woodwork around the steps from the stern deck into the boat, cook and eat various meals, and walk the dogs along a marvellous stretch of towpath.  The reason for this entry is the photograph of Bridge 50 added to Latest pictures - it shows better than my words what a lovely spot this is.
October 17	Another fine crisp morning, with the distant tower of Grendon church just showing above the blanket of mist, has given way to sunshine.  We made a leisurely start and came down little more than a mile to the ringed moorings below Atherstone locks, close to Bradley Green where we topped up our water tank and got rid of rubbish.  The village is about half an hour away so tomorrow morning we'll walk in and buy fresh bread and milk from the village store and/or the farm shop on the way in.  There are also two pubs and a local chap passing the boat this morning recommended The Boot for beer and food.  Further report to follow.  Meanwhile we'll probably sit it out for the weekend and move on towards Hartshill by Tuesday where we hope to see Mike and Sue Richardson on Shania - Sue rang last night to tell us they were travelling north from Rugby.
October 19	Still below Atherstone locks we had a surprise visit on Saturday from some Derbyshire friends - Brian and Pam Edwards with their son Steve and their friends from Switzerland, Jacqueline and daughters Celia and Lara. (See Latest pictures) Brian is a well-known artist in and around Sheffield and a print of one of his drawings of Derbyshire scenes (given to me by Clive and Joy Thrower for my 60th) hangs on a wall in Snecklifter along with four or five others by people we know and like.  This time he brought us a copy of his latest publication - a book chronicling some of the history of Sheffield's Totley District in old photographs.  Liz and I look forward to dipping in to it over the next few winter months.   Late in the afternoon we took them all up through the first two locks so they had some idea of our life style and when they set off back to Derbyshire we stayed there for the night, leaving about 9.30 this morning to get through the remaining nine locks.  Within two hours we were at the top - partly thanks to a chap from Jasper out walking his pointer who opened the bottom gates of the first two locks - and then cruised less than a mile to another idyllic place near Mancetter that was recommended to us last year by Trevor Cooper-Tydeman on Zungeru.
October 21	After a day at Hartshill where we renewed acquaintance with Les and Cathy on All Seasons - first met at Branston when they were staying at Barton Turns marina - and with Sue and Mike Richardson of Shania, we have cruised for about four hours to get on to the Ashby canal, mooring close to the Lime Kilns Inn (good food, good beer, good prices).  Les and Cath were heading back to Barton Turns so we won't see them again for a while but Mike and Sue will be wintering on the lower section of the Coventry and, from January, hope to come on to the Ashby so we are likely to see them again soon.  Besides, they now have a camper van and have promised to drive over to see us.  The weather has turned very cold today but the countryside has still looked splendid and we are delighted to be back on the Ashby which is a lovely canal for most of its length - only around Hinckley does it become a little grotty and that's only comparatively speaking.  In this first five miles there have obviously been improvements to the towpath since we were last here - much of the canalside growth has been cut back and the dry summer has meant the usually boggy towpath itself is much drier and more pleasant to walk when Liz gets off with the dogs between bridges.  Tomorrow we will water, cruise up to Trinity marina so Liz can do some laundry and then continue to Stoke Golding where we intend to moor for the weekend.

October 22	We arrived back at Stoke Golding early this afternoon and if we wanted any confirmation of why we chose to winter on this canal we got it the moment we walked in to the bar of the George and Dragon.  Two of the locals remembered us the minute we arrived and one of them, Harry, immediately bought us a drink to welcome us back.  The first time we came to Stoke Golding, before we had even visited the three excellent pubs here, we had been greeted and good-morninged by most of the people we met in the streets. Our return visits have proved just as happy and even the rain which has suddenly started after what seems months of sunshine can't dampen our pleasure at being moored here again.  Obviously through the months we will be constantly on the move up and down the canal, and occasionally back on to the Coventry when lock and bridge closures permit, but it's a fair bet that we'll back to Stoke Golding fairly often.
October 23	A sunny but frosty morning seemed perfectly appropriate weather for our arrival in our "winter quarters" - the 20 odd miles of the Ashby.  If it had been as warm as it was last week we'd have felt as though we were here too early.  We've still been in time, however, to see some of our summer cruising friends before they head off for their winters - Trevor on Zungeru who joined our visitor from Derbyshire, Lesley Swain, and us for lunch at the George and Dragon - and Liz and Ken on Weasel who turned up this afternoon on their way to Barton Turns.  Lesley brought back a pile of washing she had taken away when she and Alison visited us at Hopwas 12 days ago and stayed on into the evening to take us for a Chinese meal - we've felt really spoiled as well as overfed !
October 30	I returned to Snecklifter shortly before 1pm yesterday after four days away - the main reason this diary has not been updated for a while.  On Saturday I travelled down to Aynho by car to help bring David and Susan Lane's boat Plodder back up to the Ashby for the early part of winter.  Dave and Sue recently sold their house in Stoke Golding and have moved on to the 13-month-old 55 foot semi-trad built by Michael Walker. They want to make it their home for the next few years at least.  Neither had any experience of cruising with a narrowboat though they have had several boating holidays on the Norfolk Broads so I went along to help them through the 30 hours of travel through locks and along four different canals.  As you will see soon when I upload a fuller account of the trip in a day or two they did remarkably well, especially Dave who handled the boat in and out of all the locks and through all the difficult and tight spots. And Susan did all the locks until the last lap when she went down with a tummy bug. They'll have few problems when they come to handle Plodder on their own - we all have some, of course!  Meanwhile, Liz and the two dogs have coped very nicely on our boat while I was away, and although she stayed in the one mooring the experience of running the engine for battery power and doing some of the routine maintenance jobs will be invaluable for the future.  She says she slept on my side of the bed and cups of tea didn't taste the same, so I suppose that means she missed me.

 

November 2	The last couple of days have been spent relaxing with me trying to cheer up Liz who had her birthday yesterday and only one card because of the postal strike.  We spent part of the day shopping in Hinckley but as always came back with very few of the items on our list.  Later this week - Nuneaton !  Dave and Susan Lane seem to be settling in on Plodder - we can see their boat at their winter mooring at Stoke Golding which they have leased from BW - and I have now posted the page describing our journey in Plodding Up From Ayno.
November 6	Although we are technically "still at Stoke Golding" as our front page has shown for the last week or so, we have enjoyed three cruises since this diary was updated - first to Sutton Wharf to get rid of rubbish, then down to Trinity marina at Hinckley for diesel and water and finally back up to Sutton Wharf to wind so we could face down the canal with the sidehatch out to the water for a few days.  Liz is off to London for the weekend tomorrow and I will be looking after dogs and boat.  But I won't be alone.  Yesterday we found that Mick and Barbara Hill on Vavara (first met on the Peak Forest canal and several times since) were moored just in front of us so they'll keep me company (at a distance) while Liz is away.  I have plenty of food on board and the pub is about 15 minutes walk, just far enough for me to tell myself that I'm taking exercise as I take sustenance. As soon as Liz returns on Monday we'll move on up the canal towards Snarestone.
November 13	Late on Monday evening Liz returned from an excellent weekend in London - for me as well as for her - and by 8.30 on Tuesday morning we were on our way to Ashby Boat Company where we took on diesel, gas and water ready for a cruise up the Ashby.  Even in the winter we get fed up after a week or so and want to move on, so we winded at bridge 22 and then travelled back through Stoke Golding until we reached a good mooring just before Sutton Wharf, the southern side of bridge 34.  The following day we pressed on to Market Bosworth where we walked up the hill to shop in the village (it was market day) and then enjoy a pint of Adnam's Broadside at the Old Black Horse.  We were half way through our drinks when the barman brought over a toasted teacake which we said wasn't ours.  "Yes it is," he said, "we like to do something special for customers who come in on market day."  The teacake was excellent and just added to our liking for what is already a first class, friendly pub.  That afternoon we cruised on through lovely sunshine, mooring up mid afternoon near bridge 50, a mile or so before Shackerstone and then continued this morning to another favourite mooring on the long open stretch to the south of Snarestone tunnel, within easy walking distance of the Globe and buses to Ashby - last time we waited for one it didn't turn up so perhaps we'll have better luck on this visit. Anyway, we're here for the weekend after a trip that has reinforced our earlier impressions that although the countryside around the Ashby is mostly flat it is still very green and very attractive.  Today I had a phone call from our friend Roger Morgan of Ballard who thought I might be ill because this diary had not been updated for a week.  It's nice to be missed but the truth is a mixture of idleness and an uneventful few days.  In fact, throughout the coming winter this website will almost certainly not be updated as often as during the spring and summer, but I plan to write something at least once a week, and more often if the excitement of life aboard warrants it. Liz and I hope you continue to send us emails over the next three or four months but please be patient if replies are slower in coming - we may have to conserve battery power if the weather deteriorates.
November 15	We stayed at Snarestone for two days through the worst of the high winds and rain but this morning began bright and sunny so we travelled up to the end of the canal, winded and cruised for a couple of hours to this lovely mooring near bridge 50, about a mile or so south of Shackerstone.  Even on a weekend day it has been quiet again, with only a few boats moving around.  In the four midweek days of cruising from Stoke Golding to Snarestone and back to here we have passed only one boat actually on the move although we've seen several moored that had passed us a week or so ago.  This is definitely the best time to be cruising the canals.  You not only have the Cut to yourself most of the time but there seems to be more wildlife about that is not being disturbed by constant passing of boats.  More jays, a kingfisher, the ubiquitous heron, a tawny owl and two buzzards flying low over Snecklifter at Snarestone have been the highlights.  We've had some more cheering emails in the last couple of days from some regulars who missed our updates last week - including Mike and Jo Edwards on Sarah Kate and Rose Philpott who hopes she and husband Barry will one day sell their cottage and live on a boat - and from new readers like Sarah Levick and her husband on nb Arcadia Carrying Co who are both in their 30s and have to enjoy their boating only at weekends and in their holidays and from John and Sue Richardson who also want to get their own boat.

November 17

We are on our way back to Stoke Golding to collect mail and meet some Derbyshire friends - Ken and Mary De Ville - but were sorry to leave the idyllic mooring at bridge 50.  Still, we intend returning there in a few weeks when we head north for Snarestone again.   The weekend proved to be a little busier than midweek.  Shortly after I uploaded the diary section on Saturday a "stream" of boats passed us heading for Shackerstone - well at least half a dozen, most of them hire boats determined to make the most of the sunshine.  Yesterday, as expected, they came back the other way but we did have one nice surprise - a short visit from Lynda Summerell on her boat Wi'Mopson, out for the day with her friend Lorna Anderson (see Well Met on the Cut.)  Lynda is from Sheffield so she and Liz had a lot to talk about when we first met on this same stretch of the canal three or four months ago and it was good to catch up on all the latest news.  Lynda moors her boat at Shackerstone so we plan to meet up again, hopefully for a meal and a pint, some time in the next few months.   Despite drizzle and light rain today the journey down to Sutton Wharf has been easier than it has been for the last few weeks because at last fallen leaves are clearing from the canal. They have been so thick in the water that they have continually clung around the prop and we've had to shift into reverse gear repeatedly to clear them.  Sounds a bit like a British Rail excuse - wrong leaves in the Cut - but it has surprised us just how much they can slow down progress, especially where the canal narrows.

November 23

Back at Stoke Golding we have had a few visitors - Ken and Mary De Ville arrived as planned to celebrate Mary's birthday with us, bringing with them a tasty meat and potato pie and fresh strawberries to follow - and Liz and I enjoyed another excellent Chinese meal with Dave and Susan Lane of Plodder, their way of thanking me for my help in bringing their boat from Aynho up to Stoke Golding - totally unnecessary but very much appreciated and enjoyed.    Most of the time it has either rained or we've been enveloped in a clammy mist and the towpath near us has steadily deteriorated into puddles and muddy patches.  Today has been drier - luckily because when I started the engine this morning to top up batteries it spluttered and died and despite my efforts to check out the agglomerator for water etc it was clearly another job for River Canal Rescue.    Pete Barnett, the same engineer who helped us earlier this year at Wychnor lock when our gear cable snapped, arrived on the boat within an hour and a half and after testing the fuel filters and pipes he diagnosed a blockage in the fuel tank that was fortunately cleared when he blew back through the fuel pipe itself.  Within 30 minutes of his arrival we had power again and if the same fault recurs I'll know what to do myself.  If it happens too often, of course, it could mean draining the fuel tank and giving it a thorough clean to remove any pieces of detritus that may be causing the blockage.

November 24	Nothing much to add except that the dreary weather disappeared overnight and we woke up to a bright, frosty morning.  I thought you might like to see two new photographs taken through our side hatch at about 8.40 a.m.  See Latest pictures.
November 26	We left our mooring under a large ash tree at Stoke Golding yesterday morning, took on diesel and water at Ashby Boats and then cruised down to bridge 22, where we winded and returned to a more open spot between bridges 26 and 27.  A fairly routine morning, agreed, but it was marked by one remarkable feature - an angler near the winding hole paid me a compliment.  Yes, of course, we've met many anglers over the last 20 months who have smiled and said hello and their cheeriness has offset the gloom of many others who have busied themselves with their tackle to avoid eye contact or simply looked the other way even when Liz has said good morning.  But a compliment ?  And it came after I had finished a slow, careful turn and started back up the canal.  Just to be sociable I called out "Hope it didn't disturb the fish too much" and was surprised by the reply: "Let me tell you that was the best I've seen it done.  Some of the boats make a terrible mess of it here."  I cruised on feeling very pleased with myself and pushing to the back of my memory all those times (and some of them recently) when I've made a pig's ear of winding.   Anyway, the glow didn't last long.  By early afternoon the rain began and continued through the night and into the middle of today.  The towpath in both directions was muddy and, in places, running with water. But we are still enjoying our first winter out.
November 30	Today was one of those late Autumn days that make living on the canals such a joy.  We had left Stoke Golding yesterday afternoon with the weather beginning to improve after a very wet couple of days and cruised for about an hour before mooring for the night.  This morning we set off fairly early, watered etc at Sutton Wharf and then came non-stop up to Shackerstone where we met Lynda Summerell from Wi'Mopson and friend Alex, took them on board and travelled up to the winding hole above Shackerstone before returning to tie up at the official moorings to wait for the arrival of our friend from Ashford in the Water - Brian Parker - who is coming for lunch on Tuesday. The cruise was wonderful, with sunshine all the way.  Even though most of the trees have now lost their leaves the countryside is beautiful and we met only two other boats on the move between Stoke and Shackerstone.  Shortly after our arrival I set aside my negative feelings about the Rising Sun and went with Liz, Lynda and Alex to enjoy a gassy but enjoyable pint of Pedigree topped by a superb half pint of Great Bear, a dark beer with a strength of 4.6. It's as close as I've come to the quality of draught Sneck Lifter so we have planned to meet Lynda and Alex back at the pub tonight when I'll have a full pint at least.  En route this morning we had a phone call from our friends George and Kate on Lady Kate who are wintering again at Barton Turns marina - they seem very happy - and this afternoon another from our other friends at Barton - Tony and Jenny on Jenny Rose. We felt very guilty about not speaking to either couple for the last month or so but we seem to have been as busy in our winter routine as we were during the summer.
December 6	After a pleasant couple of days at Shackerstone in which we joined our friend Brian Parker at the Rising Sun for an excellent lunch - their attitude to pleasing customers may be questionable but their chef is very good - we set off back to Stoke Golding.  Again the journey on a foggy, dampish day, confirmed our feelings reported above.  There were no other boats about, visibility was just enough to enjoy the shape of the canal, its twists and turns, as well as the immediate countryside around us.  The birds seemed totally unworried by the lack of sun and as I opened the back hatch to start up the engine a kingfisher flew off - either from Snecklifter's stern or from the towpath just behind us.  Our comparatively swift return to Stoke Golding was made necessary partly by the demise of our Nokia 6210 telephone.  When you think about the use we've had from it a two-year lifetime was not too bad.  Its complete collapse has meant no update to this site for a few days more than planned but now we have a replacment, a 6310i for which Liz paid only £10 at Vodafone in Hinckley, this latest diary entry can be posted.  We'll also be replying to email.  Yesterday we had a flying visit from Henk and Coby Schrijver whose boat Double Dutch has been at Stoke Golding for the last couple of days having some work done - they moor at Trinity marina for the winter. We met here earlier this year when they were blacking the boat's bottom and they've kept in touch ever since.  A shortcut to their own website is on the Links page.

December 12	Despite variable weather it has been a very enjoyable week since this diary was last updated.  The frost and ice of a few days ago has given way to heavy rain but we are snugly tucked in at Stoke Golding after taking on board another 10 bags of smokeless fuel.  We set off from our favourite spot between bridges 26 and 27 early in the week determined to ignore the thin ice which was being broken up for us by a couple of swans breasting their way up the canal.   Unfortunately by the time we rounded the bend into more open water we found the ice was twice as thick and though we broke through easily enough the crunching of the broken pieces by the prop was disconcerting.  So we pulled in to the towpath, moored again and stayed put for a couple of days before setting off on Wednesday for Sutton Wharf to dump rubbish.    We returned to Stoke Golding in time to join Dave and Susan Lane for a meal and a couple of farewell drinks before they set off on Plodder this weekend for their new winter mooring at Sandbach. Coincidentally they had decided to drive us by car to the Hercules pub at Sutton Cheney so we more or less retraced the route we had cruised on Snecklifter, this time taking only five minutes.   The meal at the Hercules was very good, the Bass excellent and the company enjoyable as always.  We are going to miss them both when they leave SG but they have promised to return to see us before winter is out and no doubt we'll meet up again on the Cut as we have so often with Mike and Sue on Shania. While we were in the Hercules we got chatting to a chap we had seen several times around Stoke Golding but not spoken to before.  He turned out to be another boater, in fact "Barry the Boat" of Lady Bee, which we have passed several times at the long-term moorings at Sutton Wharf.
December 14	While we were still at the official mooring at Stoke Golding with its easy access from the road, Liz spent Saturday morning in Hinckley mopping up as much Christmas shopping as she could manage, stopped off at Safeway's on the way back and gathered up heavy stuff like tins, vegetables, beer, gin, before getting a taxi back to the boat.  We then cruised to a quieter mooring where we can spend the next few days before watering, dieseling etc at Ashby Boats or Trinity Marina.  Earlier in the morning we said au revoir to Dave and Susan and they set off on Plodder for their 54 hour (approx) journey to Sandbach.  They had planned to reach the end of the Ashby on their first day but sent a text message about 1.30 pm to say they had already passed through Marston junction and were heading north on the Coventry.  A later message confirmed they had moored not far from Springhaven marina.  We hope they make continued good progress.
December 16	We returned to the roadside mooring yesterday so that our friend from Teddington - Roger Morgan of Ballard  - could reach us easily this afternoon.  He had been in Coventry on business and rang to say he would call in for "afternoon tea" before returning to London.  We had an hour together, chatting about life, the universe etc while drinking coffee and eating some of Liz's superb home-made tea loaf.  And after he drove off we cruised round the corner to our preferred mooring on the towpath side - quieter for us and safer for the dogs.   From here we have a good view towards Dadlington and can enjoy other people's Christmas lights!  This morning we had another thin filming of ice on the canal - thick enough for the ducks to walk on but no problem for boats on the move - and there was a superb sunrise.  This reminded me of a recent sunset photograph which I have now posted on Latest pictures.  Tomorrow morning Liz is being collected by Coby of Double Dutch to visit a craft club in Hinckley.  On Thursday Trevor of Zungeru has threatened to join us in time for lunch at the George and Dragon (se&c, for me, no doubt.)  If we had worried at any time that winter on the Ashby would be lonely all these visits and the many emails we still receive from regular readers of the website would have quickly reassured us that we are far from alone.  Late news :  a phone call from Dave and Susan on Plodder to say they have reached Fradley, ahead of their schedule.
December 19	We had intended to cruise up the Ashby for a few days, possibly for a long weekend, but more ice  changed our plans.  Again, it hasn't been very thick but we waited until another boat came down this morning - at least breaking up the ice - before setting off for the facilities at Sutton Wharf.  We then came back this side of bridge 33, a short trip from the Wharf, and tied up for the rest of the day and evening.  Yesterday Trevor arrived for lunch as planned and we enjoyed a couple of hours together before he set off south for Christmas with his family.  Shortly after he left our friend Lesley Swain came trudging up the muddy towpath, bringing with her lots of presents and cards from her and her partner Alison, and other Derbyshire friends.  One of these was the splendid pen and ink drawing of Harecastle Tunnel from Brian Edwards, the Sheffield and Derbyshire artist (see Latest pictures.)  He has been a friend for many years and is a regular at the folk club at the Packhorse in Little Longstone where Liz still sings whenever she gets the chance.  With his wife Pam and some friends he visited Snecklifter when we were near Atherstone locks a few months ago.

December 22

We have returned to Stoke Golding to pick up our son Jonathan on Tuesday and we hope then to cruise up the Ashby over Christmas if the weather is good.  If it isn't we will stay here close to our favourite pub, the George and Dragon.  Unless there is anything very unusual, however, this will be the last update of the diary for a few days so Liz and I wish all our friends - boaters and followers of boats - a Merry Christmas.   The support throughout this year has been terrific and all your emails have been very welcome.  The visits, too, from boaters like Tony and Jenny Miller whose Jenny Rose is based at Barton Turns Marina have been tremendous.  They have driven out to see us as various places around the Cut and on Saturday arrived in the afternoon bringing us flowers, bottles of Pedigree and news of so many friends not seen since the beginning of the season.  Today we heard again from Dave and Susan Lane who are making excellent time on Plodder.  They passed through the Harecastle Tunnel this morning and began on the "Heartbreak Hill" locks.  Susan has learned the hard way what can happen if a windlass slips and though she bruised her arm she is luckily not seriously hurt.  Looks as though they will make it to Sandbach on schedule.  PS.   After I updated this site earlier this evening, an email arrived from John and Sue Richardson which hoped we'd have a good Christmas and then went on to say "Not too sure about a winter aboard tho. Be interesting to hear how you find the cold, dark and wet evenings, against sitting on top having the odd pint in the summer."  So many people have made the same sort of comment that it merits these extra thoughts:  For one thing, it isn't cold and damp inside our boat - the solid fuel stove pumps out the heat and we invested in a special fan that sits on top of the stove and blows the warm air down the length of the boat as far as the bathroom.  The bedroom is certainly much cooler but we have always preferred that.   The long dark evenings on board are little different from the long dark evenings when we lived in our Derbyshire village.  We have television with a digibox fitted that gives us about 30 extra free to air programmes.  We watch films on video, listen to music in CD and MP3 formats, and read a lot.  Liz does  glass-painting - her greetings cards are very good and getting better - cross-stitching and, occasionally, knitting.   I cross-stitch, listen to music most of the time, and there are always little jobs to do with boat maintenance.  Add two or three walks a day with the dogs, walks two or three times a week to the pub, an occasional bus journey to Hinckley or Nuneaton, and those many visits from friends mentioned above and you'll understand when I say that boredom is the last of our problems.    That doesn't mean we don't welcome the bright sunny days when we cruise the Ashby or look forward to the summer and "sitting on top having the odd pint."  * * Late news on Tuesday December 23 :  Plodder has reached Sandbach in time to spend Christmas at its new mooring.  Well done to Dave and Susan after their first major cruise together.

December 31

After a warm and occasionally wet Christmas we have at last seen signs of real winter, waking up several mornings in a row to frosty towpath and ice on the canal.  There was also thick fog this morning and though that quickly lifted it has stayed cold and bracing.  Sitting at the table with a cup of tea this morning, Liz and I watched entranced as a pair of swans made their slow way down towards Bath Piece where the locals feed them and the many other ducks that live in the area - the male breasting ahead through the ice, breaking it so the female could follow in comfort.  Despite the unseasonal weather our Christmas was very enjoyable, with our son Jonathan joining us on the 23rd and staying until Saturday morning when he flew off to Spain for the rest of the holidays. Among the presents sent to us for the boat was the marvellous drawing of Harecastle Tunnel already mentioned and a beautifully painted bucket from our Ashford in the Water friend Linda Pelc - conventional roses as expected but a delightful surprise to recognise the castle on the other side as Riber near Matlock and the bridge as the famous Sheepwash bridge in Ashford.  We must have crossed it hundreds of times in our 11 years living in the village.  Our one moment of concern came when I dipped the diesel on Christmas Day and realised it was down to just over a quarter full but Jonathan and I decanted our 40 litres backup fuel and that lasted us through to Saturday morning when Ashby Boats re-opened for business. Other boaters are often surprised that we use so much diesel but we are unusually heavy on electricity so we have to run our engine three or four hours every day to charge our seven batteries - in fact, we passed another "milestone" today when our engine clocked up 2000 hours of running.  The re-fuelling run gave Jonathan another chance to drive the boat and he took advantage of his first attempt at winding to make a decent job of it, compensating for his steering the previous day when he went too close to overhanging tree branches that swept our tv aerial assembly from the top of the boat.  He seemed surprised when I didn't lose my temper - so I didn't tell him the same thing has happened to me several times in the last 21 months.  After slowly getting used to their new mooring at Sandbach, Dave and Susan Lane off Plodder arrived by road on Monday, collected us from the George and Dragon and took us for lunch, where they were able to give us a more detailed account of their "dash" from Stoke Golding.  It had been hard work some of the time even though they had the help of their son Richard for some of the heavier locking but they obviously enjoyed themselves.  It was obviously an experience worth having.  A final note for foodies.  Liz cooked her first roast joint in our comparatively small Vanette oven over Christmas and it was an outstanding success.  She removed the legs from a 10lb turkey bought from a local farm and cooked the breast on Christmas Day.  On Boxing Day she boned the legs, stuffed them with fillings from real sausages and roasted those.  Marvellous !