Broken down

I'd intended to leave Midlewich several days ago, but have managed to find a problem - my engine is overheating. Hoped it was a thermostat, which I could fix but both checked and OK. Will get an engineer on Tuesday or Wednesday. I guess it must be the waterpump. I had intended to be at the Anchor on Friday after stops in Nantwich and Audlem. I'll miss out Nantwich now and see if I can get to the Anchor in 2 days. That's 35 miles and 34 locks. Two 10 hour days should do it.

I thought they ate fish

gh

Middlewich

A long days cruise from Lymm to Middlewich with the only stops being to get diesel and pull a boat off the mud in Croxton Flash. They thought they could just cruise in and do a U  turn only to be left stranded on the mud.

Called at the King's Lock to find it recently changed hands. It has been considerably smartened up, with what looks like new upholstery, a new (gas?) fire and repaint. The dartboard has been replaced by pastel paintings and it was very quiet, late Sunday evening. It feels more like a modern "bar" than a traditional pub and I don't like it, though I suppose it may bring in more of a different type of customer. I wonder where the locals I met on previous visits have gone? At least the beer was good - Deuchars IPA. So many modernised pubs lose real ale completely and concentrate on fizzy stuff. I'll be glad to get to a real pub when I'm at Audlum and High Offley.

Lymm

Moored for the night at Lymm. Not by choice but because I ran out of deisel. Hard to believe I've used 50 litres in 32 miles. I thought I'd been lucky, running out by a boatyard, only to find it was shut. I drained the dregs from a container, which got me into Lymm - just - as it ran out again whilst passing lines of moored boats, but managed to drift into a vacant slot. I am now relying on 5 litres from a garage to get me to Preston Brook in the morning. I hope they are open on Sunday, then I'll try to press on to Middlewich.

Rochdale Canal

After messing about on the Rochdale canal for two months, I've finally left the Pennines behind and am heading out onto the Cheshire Plain. The trip through Manchester is certainly different and I found it thouroughly enjoyable. I did have assistance on these nine locks as I'd read it was extremely difficult singlehanded but I saw nothing I could not have coped with and will quite happily go singlehanded in the future.


I found it facinating looking up at everything or being undeneath multistory buildings, including a lock under one.

The duck houses add a bit of colour, but I never saw any ducks using them.

Goslings

Why are the geese in Yorkshire well into producing goslings, whilst here in Littleborough, there is no sign of any offspring. Could it be that they lay later because Lancashire weather is so awful?