Narrowboat Aussies

Category: Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal

  • Cruising South July to September 2019

    Cruising South July to September 2019

     

    Holt Bridge, Wychavon, England, United Kingdom

     

    We returned from our Greek Odyssey tired but happy, and ready to continue our waterway journeys.

    Repairs and Maintenance

    Prior to our holiday we had arranged for a new gearbox to be fitted to Celtic Maid in the Marina where we had left her. The very leaky and noisy old gearbox was a reconditioned one which we had fitted way back in 2014 on the River Thames at Abingdon very soon after we began our journey. The first attempt at replacement was foiled because it didn’t fit without modifications but the very next day the job was successfully completed, and we were on the move again – quieter but poorer.

    We then had to get across the Middlewich Arm to Nantwich in time to get our Boat Safety Survey (BSS) done. This a certification that is required every four years to make sure that your boat meets the safety requirements for gas fitting, ventilation, fire extinguishers, etc. and for licensing and insurance purposes We passed of course!!

    Friends and family

    Our first joy, one cruising again, was catching up to Jim and Chris who had their great-nephew and his mother, Joseph and Catherine, visiting them from Australia. We had a lovely couple of days cruising, stopping for ice-cream and enjoying a happy hour or two before they left to enjoy the last legs of their holiday in Paris and Singapore.

    My sister and her husband Juergen caught up with us again in early August, and finally got to travel with us for a few days on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, joining us just out of Worcester and returning to their camper, Bertita, in Stoke Prior where we bid a very sad farewell. It has been such a special pleasure to be able to share my love of narrowboating with my sister and spend some quality time with her before we part to pursue our individual lifestyle pursuits.

    We also had a multi birthday celebration at the Two Boats Inn at Long Itchington in late August, where Michael and Jane Moody drove to meet up with us. When the 6 musketeers get together fun follows!!!!

    Later as we headed south towards London, Bob’s cousin Julie came for a visit – sadly her Dad was unwell and couldn’t join us. We enjoyed a jazz and cider festival at The Barley Mow and Angie (Bob’s cousin’s wife) joined us for breakfast the next day. A big part of this lifestyle has been meeting up with relatives that we have been unable to spend time with whilst living so far away in Australia.

    A little further south and a friend of Jim and Chris’s, Marian, who we met a few years ago on her narrowboat, came to visit them to cruise for a while from Aylesbury to Hemel Hempsted. We thoroughly enjoyed her company and our towpath evening happy hours together.

    Our last, and thoroughly pleasing social event for this part of our cruising was a much-anticipated catch up with Jonathon, Mija and baby Leo, who met us outside Tesco at Bulls Bridge Junction where Sylph and Celtic Maid had moored on our way into London and Moody Blues had met us coming out. Despite a few hiccoughs with timing, a lovely afternoon was shared in a somewhat unusual social setting and much laughter and story-telling accompanied the eating and drinking.

     

    Waterways both new and old

    During this time, along with friends Jim and Chris on NB Sylph, our journey took us on the Shropshire Union Canal from Middlewich to Barbridge Junction and then south through Nantwich, Market Drayton, Gnosall, and Brewood before turning south onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal at Autherley Junction. We have done these sections before and enjoyed stopping off in these small towns to explore, get provisions and enjoy the many pubs en-route.

    From Aldersley Junction near Wolverhampton, we were in new territory for us and it proved to be a delight meandering through cuttings and villages, farmland and city outskirts, conquering 29 locks and 25 miles before reaching Stourport on the River Severn. Along stretches, we passed cliffs forming one side of the canal – some sheer rock faces and others covered in greenery. At times it was disconcerting to see minor rockslides but given the age of this canal perhaps not surprising. So many cottages, pubs, buildings, and landscapes to experience in what is a relatively short stretch. We were so pleased to have decided to come this way.

    Once through Kidderminster, we came to Stourport-on-Severn where we navigated through some very deep locks to begin a journey southwards on the River Severn. Three years ago, we came north from Gloucester to the Droitwich Canal on the Severn, which we both agreed is a rather boring stretch of waterway. This time was very different as the river is treelined and interesting rather than feeling like navigating a deep ditch.

    Our first night was spent moored outside the Hampstall Inn, site of the Hampstall Ferry Disaster which occurred 100 years and one day prior to our visit. Nine of the seventeen people aboard the ferry were drowned when the overloaded boat capsized as a result of the wash from a passing steamer. New memorial plaques on the site had been erected on the site to commemorate the centenary of this disaster. Lunch and drinks from the pub were enjoyed in the afternoon sunshine.

    The following day we moored on the River Severn at Worcester before leaving the river to cruise up the Worcester and Birmingham Canal – another waterway new to us until it reaches the junction with the Droitwich Canal. Continuing on, we conquered the Tardebigge 30 Lock Flight (again), and on the outskirts of Birmingham turned onto the Stratford-on-Avon Canal at King’s Norton Junction.

    Once away from the built-up suburban areas the landscape is again beautifully rural but once through the Lapworth Lock flight we were back onto the Grand Union Canal at Kingswood Junction – familiar waterways again.

    From here we continued down the Hatton flight and through Warwick, Leamington Spa, and Braunston before turning south again at Norton Junction to take us toward London. Both Sylph and Celtic Maid had a near mishap at the Reservoir near Marsworth Junction where the wind was so strong that both boats ended up sideways across the canal. Fortunately, a few people walking by helped us to pull them in until we could safely and securely moor up. A trip to the nearby Angler’s Retreat pub was required to steady our nerves.

    We moored briefly by Stocker’s Lake at Rickmansworth and again above Denham Deep Lock to enjoy walks through the Colne Valley parklands. After a short stint near Cowley to replenish supplies and a social gathering at Bulls Bridge Junction we were ready to embark on our London excursions.

     

     

     

     

  • So Much Excitement

    So Much Excitement

    Giverny, Normandie, France

         We followed up our summer holiday with more exciting adventures. The first visit by one of our children, Thaao, to Celtic Maid. The celebration of Bron’s 60th birthday. A trip to London and Paris for Bron as a tourist. So much excitement indeed.

    End of summer Cruising

    Although we were coming to the end of our summer cruising we still had some miles to cover and canals to cruise. We left the marina at Rufford and followed the Leeds and Liverpool canal back to Plank Lane for a few days. Here we made our latest addition to Celtic Maid, and two of Malcolm and Julia’s grandchildren arrived to spend a week with them during their school break. Sadly we had to move on after just one day with them to reach Kidsgrove via the Bridgewater Canal and Dunham Massey Hall, along the Trent and Mersey Canal – mooring at Marston and Paddy’s Wood along the way, and arriving at Kidsgrove in time to catch up with Bron’s sister Yasha and her husband Juergen to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

    After a trip to London for treatment for Bob’s eye condition and to pick up precious cargo, and a day trip up the Macclesfield Canal with the family, we moved on through Harecastle tunnel and Stoke on Trent to moor in Barlaston near the Plume of Feathers hotel for birthday celebrations.

    From here we headed south with a stop off in Stone, Burston and Salt before arriving in Great Haywood and onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal to stop at Tixall Wide for a week of maintenance.

    Then it was down to Rugeley for washing, shopping and a trip to the dentist for Bob. Julia and Malcolm sadly left us here to make their return to their home moorings and the end of their summer cruising. We miss them very much.

    Eventually, we arrived in Fradley Junction where we pause for breath before the next phase of cruising. Quite a busy few weeks we’ve had.

    Upgrades to Celtic Maid

    We were very excited to pick up our new top box storage kit once we returned from the Lancaster Canal. We had ordered it online and had it delivered to the Fettlers Wharf Marina where we moored both before and after our trip to the Lancaster Canal. Due to lack of time and space, it sat on our roof until we arrived a couple of days later at Plank Lane on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

    Soon after arriving it was unpacked and Julia wisely kept Bron away while Bob and Malcolm undertook the assembly. That took about an hour and no arguments, rather than the much longer and more expressive alternative!

    Once this stage was completed we let the boys help with the undercoating then sent them off to the pub while we did the final coats. The photos in the gallery show what a great job was done – must have been all the helpful comments of the gongoozlers as they wandered past us while we were hard at work.

    We also took the opportunity to give our planks and pole a freshen up so the roof of Celtic Maid looks much more organised and tidy. That can all change though.

    While Bron went off to London with her daughter and sister, and then Paris with cousin/friend, Julie, Bob stayed at Great Haywood to undertake some painting jobs. Julia supervised while Malcolm painted the gas locker in the bow and Bob painted the engine bay. Being a metal construction that lives in/on water it is vital to keep a step or two ahead of the rust spots and making the most of the downtime available to complete the task.

    Thaao comes to visit

    We were very excited to find out in late June that our daughter, Thaao, was planning a visit in August to coincide with Bron’s birthday. She is the first of our offspring to make the journey and we were very chuffed to meet her at Heathrow Airport. This was her first long-haul overseas trip and she held up well from the journey despite having left Adelaide with a very sore neck – not what you need for a long-haul flight.

    Once reunited we took the Underground back into London and proceeded to wear her out even more while exposing her to Piccadilly Circus, the theatre district, Chinatown and her first pint and chips in a real English pub. All a bit surreal with jet lag. Eventually, we got her on the train back to Kidsgrove where she took a quick but necessary shower and then took advantage of collapsing into bed. Her goal for the visit was to “make a Thaao shaped indent in her bed (at other times our sofa), Thaao lip marks on a coffee cup and the same on a wine glass”. She was successful in these endeavours.

    We think she might also have enjoyed the tea delivery in bed first up followed on several occasions by breakfast in situ. And of course a bit of Mumma and Bob cooking, the pub visits and finally understanding why we love this life.

    She got to experience a bit of a cruise on the Macclesfield Canal (with Yasha and Juergen on board), a few locks where she helped a couple of times and videoed once, a tunnel – not her highlight, a couple of morning runs with Malcolm, a precarious roof walk atop a congested Celtic Maid, getting up close and personal with swans – sheer terror- and ducks, and seeing a squirrel for the first time.

    At the end of her stay, we left Bob with work to do on Celtic Maid, while Bron, Yasha and Thaao went to London to be tourists.

    We found a lovely little hotel just near Kings Cross Rail Station giving us easy access to the Underground to travel around. Highlights of the three action-packed days included dinner at Jamie Oliver’s first restaurant, “Fifteen” where the food was amazing; a tour around the London must-see spots aboard a hop on hop off bus, changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, a river cruise along the Thames, crossing the Tower Bridge, a walk through Regent’s Park, shopping in Camden Markets and Oxford Street, breakfast in Covent Garden, a night out at the musical “Kinky Boots” and an afternoon at the cinema viewing “Mama Mia – Here We Go Again” again! We were all exhausted by the time Bron left for Paris, Thaao returned to Australia and Yasha got back to Juergen and their camper Bertita in Chester.

    But we loved having her with us. Absolutely.

    Bron turns 60

    A big year for Bron as she turned 60 – just another day really. But we decided to invite a few of our closest friends to complement the party that included Thaao, Yasha and Juergen, to join us for lunch at the Plume of Feathers at Barlaston. This pub is co-owned by Neil Morrissey of the 90’s TV series “Men Behaving Badly” fame.

    It was lovely to be joined by Sue and Chris (who provide us with huge support, love and a UK address), Julia and Malcolm (NB Figment and our co-adventurers for our recent summer holiday on the Lancaster Canal) , Jim and Chris (NB Sylph, great company and fellow travellers for lots of our time on the canals), and Julie and Phil (cousins and friends) as we celebrated the day. It was also a great opportunity for some of our closest family and friends to meet each other and finally understand who we have been talking about all this time.

    Julie and Bron go to Paris

    For the last year or so Bron and Julie have been talking about visiting Giverny in France, home to the artist Claude Monet’s gardens which are featured in many of his works. We decided to celebrate turning 60 this year by making the trip to Paris and taking the time to visit Giverny.

    We arrived at the Gare Du Nord aboard the Eurostar and found our way to the Art Hotel Lafayette nearby. This put is in close proximity to some great restaurants and a pickup point for the hop on hop off bus tour of Paris. We chose to spend the Saturday on the bus stopping to explore the Plaza de la Concorde, Jardin Tuileries, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, and to take a cruise along the River Seine. It was amazing just being there and seeing these iconic sites. Given the brevity of our stay, we knew that exploring the Louvre, Montmartre or Versailles was out of the question.

    Our Sunday was devoted to a coach trip to Giverny and our long-awaited experience of Monet’s house and gardens. The lily ponds were particularly beautiful and peaceful and we could have sat and meandered here all day.  Well worth the trip if this had been all we had been able to see. Alas, our time there was too short but memories were made.

    One of our discoveries in Paris was a lovely restaurant called La Maison Bleue. They had stunning food and the best gin and tonics anywhere. We returned every day of our stay and our favourite waiter brought our order straight away. We even tracked down the gin to enjoy at home.

    On our last day, we walked to Galeries Lafayette – a seven-story department store of designer brands. What appealed to us was the view from the roof or terrace level over the city of Paris – just beautiful. Far more appealing than all the merchandise within.

    Too soon our Paris sojourn was over and we returned to London for our last night, enjoying a brilliant Indian curry and Belgian breakfast before returning to our ordinary lives the following morning. A great celebration marking this life milestone.

    Another busy few weeks but so enjoyable and full of excitement – we need a holiday!!!!!

     

     

  • Great Haywood and Leicestershire 22/2/15

    Penkridge, Stafford, Staffordshire ST19, UK

    After braving out the weather of the last six weeks in Great Haywood we have finally moved on and are now moored safely at Penkridge on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal North, a stepping stone to the great big adventure planned for this summer!.

    It has been a month since the last blog and whilst Celtic Maid has been stationary we have had another side adventure to  visit friends in Leicestershire, and shared our boat – and Bunion’s space – with Gina (Chris and Jim’s dog from NB Sylph).

    We celebrated Chris’s 70th birthday with dinner at the Clifford Arms in Great Haywood on 24th January before Chris and Jim left for a warm break on Grand Canary entrusting both Gina and their home, NB Sylph, to our care for the next couple of weeks. Whilst we envied them the sunshine, we enjoyed the discipline of taking Gina (and Bunion) for morning, afternoon and evening walks and the resultant exercise. Well Bob did. We shared the responsibility – Bron took care of inputs (food, water, warm place to sleep) while Bob took responsibility for outputs ( no explanation required!). We took the opportunity of exploring the canal both northwards and southwards as well as the grounds of nearby Shugborough Hall, Cannock Chase (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty AONB), the village of Milford (featuring a Wimpy hamburger eatery) and the local sights of Great Haywood.

    Amongst all this walking (often up to 10km a day!) we took a bus trip to nearby Stafford for a wander around the shops and to get some provisions. Our proficiency badge for accessing all manner of public transport is being well earned. Gina and Bunion behaved themselves very well in our absence with minimal damage and only one long term outcome (the arrival of their offspring Bungi a few weeks later). We were also called upon to relocate both narrowboats as dredging of the canal was commenced close to our moorings and the free floating barges used to transport the mud and debris created havoc for the safety of any nearby boats. The relocation for a week was achieved with minimal fuss by Bob while Bron wrestled with the excitable Gina who hates being confined to quarters when something interesting is taking place! We were able to move back just in time for Chris and Jim’s return on the 10th February.

    Both Gina and NB Sylph were returned to their owners in good condition – none the worse for our care and attention in their absence. Despite Chris and Jim having a few problems with the electrics in their trusty Volvo they arrived back in time to join us for a light dinner and a catch up about their travels and our adventures.

    We handed back all of Gina’s accoutrememts the next day before being picked up by Malcolm and Julia, our friends from NB Figment, to spend a few days with them  at their home near Leicester.We spent the time very productively – exploring the city of Leicester and its connection with King Richard III, convincing Julia that it wasn’t as unattractive as she had assured us, shopping, eating, sampling the beers at the local pub (Malcolm and Bob did anyway!), briefly visiting Bradgate Park (850 acres of parkland bequeathed to the people of Leicester and not able to be developed further thank goodness) and most importantly planning some cruising together this summer. We have now booked both the Ribble Link connection to the Lancaster Canal for  late July and some time in Liverpool a month later.

    Malcolm and Julia dropped us back to Celtic Maid last Monday morning after a very enjoyable visit. We appreciate both their fabulous hospitality and caring friendship – feeling very blessed with the friendships we have made since becoming narrowboaters. We also belatedly celebrated Jim’s birthday on our return and were so happy to receive momentos from Chris and Jim’s trip. A beautiful Paua shell bracelet, bright vinegar bottle and spoon rest in appropriate Celtic Maid interior colours,  a towel with the most perfect quote ( Marriage is a relationship where one person is always right and the other is the husband!), and of course Bungi!!!

    After waiting a month since the London Boat Show for our bespoke mattress to be made and delivered it finally arrived in the rain (thankfully well covered) last Thursday. Oh how we have waited for the comfort of a supportive, firm but gently yielding mattress. Three nights on and we are so very happy with this rather expensive purchase. Sleep comes more easily, stays longer and we awake feeling much refreshed. Back aches are lessening and relaxation is increasing. Given that in these winter conditions we are spending almost half our time in bed this is perhaps our most important investment to date!!

    On Friday we finally made the move from Great Haywood. After making sure we had emptied our waste and filled with both water and diesel we cruised to nearby Tixall Wide on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal – our first new scenery for six weeks. Full of birdlife (apparently very full in summer) this is a beautiful spot despite the constant noise of the Canadian Geese. Bob captured some lovely photos to add to the gallery.

    Saturday saw us making the run toward Penkridge through some beautiful countryside through the valleys of the Rivers Sow and Penk before mooring near Shutt Hill Lock overlooking the very busy M6 motorway which runs very close to the canal through this section. It was not as noisy as we feared but this morning we were keen to make tracks to our next mooring near Penkridge before the weather turned really awful. Alas we didn’t beat it and by the time we moored at 1.00pm today we were drenched (well our wet weather gear was!) had slipped over in the mud whilst mooring and were keen to retreat to the warmth of our beloved Celtic Maid to recover from the cold and wet.

    So here we are. All caught up (thanks everyone for the gentle reminders!!!!). With a plan for the coming months and already in new territory. The adventure continues unabated!!!!!!