Tag: Narrowboat

Why is Pete’s Blog late?

I have been writing this public blog ever since I retired, nearly six years ago. I used to write a blog for my team when I was working and it sort of carried on from there. Typically I write it on a Thursday, fettle it a little and then publish it early on Friday afternoon. So why am I sitting here on Saturday morning?

I could give you many excuses.

If you remember in last week’s blog I was pondering whether to take Narrowboat Thuis north or south for our last adventure of the year. We decided south, but unfortunately after a couple of day’s boating, Lulu the dog had a rather nasty stomach upset and we decided she needed to get to a vet.

We do know a number of vets along the canals, but as Mandy and I reflected, we both came to the conclusion that we were just not feeling it on this last trip of the year. The weather was not great, I was not getting enough power on my solar panels, and it just felt that we were pushing to do another trip just because we have had less time travelling this year, what with weddings, anniversaries and stuff.

So we drove back to our house in Lancashire and took Lulu to her “home” vet here. The good news is that she is recovering well. So now we have three weeks before our next big adventure – a month in the wilds of Scotland.

If you read my blogs regularly you will know that I hate being bored. So I came up with a monster list of jobs I could now get on with. And that is what I have been doing this week. I have booked a “once in a lifetime” visit to Canada for this time next year, including trains, planes, automobiles and a cruise ship. I have sorted a new bank account to cover our travel insurance and motor breakdown. It appears that buying my own travel insurance would have been twice as expensive because I am old. I have bought a new heat pump tumble drier that I am ridiculously excited about. And I spent a day back at the marina, winterising the boat. That means taking off clothes, towels, bedding, cushions, crockery, glasses, cutlery, food; emptying the water tank, fixing and painting the side door, varnishing the window sills and many other little jobs.

I woke up this morning feeling good and preparing to take Lulu on a lovely circular walk by the sea, when suddenly I realised that after about 300 editions of this blog, for the first time I had forgotten to write.

So what do you think? Do I have good excuses? Or after six years am I finally learning to be retired and relaxed?

Nah. It’s just not good enough. Sorry!

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Shall we go North or South?

We are back at the boat and getting ready for our last trip of the year. Most of the drought closures are now being lifted so there are more options. Ideally we would go up the Macclesfield and Peak Forest, but Bosley Locks show no sign of opening. So we have two routes we are considering.

We could go North, up the Trent & Mersey, across the Middlewich and then up the Shroppie to Chester. We love Chester and haven’t visited for a couple of years. We usually moor in Telford Basin, overlooked by the city walls, and near the racecourse. And on the way we often moor near Beeston Castle with some of the best views from any canal. But much of the route is the same as we did at the start of the year. And some of the locks to Chester are very heavy for Autumn work.

Alternatively we could head South to Worcester. We haven’t been that way on the Staffs & Worcester for a while so it would make a nice change. There is also a chance that we could do a loop, travelling back through Birmingham.

So North or South? We could just toss a coin I guess. Either way would be lovely to it’s a nice choice to have. I’ll let you know next week.

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I love walking

With the boat moored up for a fortnight, I have been able to get out in the car for some more spectacular walks this week. Notably Lud’s Church in the Peak District, and Nicky Nook in the Trough of Bowland.

When we are out on Narrowboat Thuis I do get plenty of exercise. I usually go for a walk with Lulu first thing, and then there are locks to do, places to see and my legs get a good stretch. I have an Apple Watch and I like to complete all three rings when I can.

But the trouble with canal exercise is that is is always pretty flat. Water flows downhill so the canals are designed to run along the hill contours, using bridges, cuttings and tunnels to flatten things out. So at the end of a season like this, I have had plenty of walking but very few hills.

So it stretched my muscles this week and I ached a little the days afterwards, but it was well worth it.

Lud’s Church is a chasm in the hills. It is just a few hundred yards long but it is deep. Apparently it was used by Catholics to hold secret services when the Protestant Roundheads were in power in the seventeenth century. It is dramatic, if a little slippy. The walk to get there and back is beautiful, with a big climb, dappled woodland, and fine views over the hills. There is also a brewery at the end of the walk where I got a tasty pork pie and a lemonade (I was driving).

Nicky Nook is a hill in Lancashire. My brother in law and I did a linear walk, with Mandy dropping us off and picking us up. From damp moorland we walked down a wooded valley to a reservoir, thankfully much fuller than last time I saw it. Then up a steep, stepped incline to reach the top of the hill, involving quite a lot of puffing and panting from me, and use of both walking sticks from Steve. It was worth it, because from the top we could see for miles, across the hills to the east, and across the plane to the sea in the west. Then another steep descent to meet Mandy at the bottom, ready for a well earned lunch at one of my favourite country cafés in a villlage called Scorton. I had a burger and a milkshake, and wanted an icecream Sundae, but Steve is on Slimming World.

I do hope I can keep up walks like this through the winter. In the cold weather it can be tempting to stay indoors but I do love a good walk.

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What is the best time of year to be on a Narrowboat?

This week has certainly felt like Autumn. A lot of rain. Chilly mornings. Leaves falling from the trees. It is one of my favourite times of year on Narrowboat Thuis.

I know that other boaters take a different view. So let’s look at the pros and cons of going boating in each season.

Spring is a lovely time to be out in the countryside. The plants are beginning to grow. Birds are having their chicks. The days are getting longer. I love the sunrises and sunsets. But the remnants of winter remain. Towpaths are a mess. My fingers get frozen holding the tiller.

It is great to be outside on those long warm days of summer. Shorts and t shirts. Everyone seems cheerful. The canal is warm if I need to clear the weed hatch. But so many hire boaters are holding up the locks. And our tin can of a home gets so very hot when the sun has been on it all day.

Autumn has a great mix of cold mornings and warm days. We get the waterways back to ourselves. But it is getting darker and my solar no longer fills the batteries without help. And I don’t really like cruising in the rain.

For the hardy narrow boaters, winter is the best. There is a real sense of community on the canals. We are special because we are still out when everyone else is in a house. But it is just too muddy when you have a dog. You end up constantly cleaning. And there are so many winter stoppages for things to get fixed, that it is hard to travel.

I think the truth is that each season has its own attractions, and you can have wonderful boating days at any time of year. We are very lucky to have the opportunity.

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Is Ironbridge the best museum in the UK?

You may remember that I am a lifetime National Trust member. Whether we are tootling around the UK in Narrowboat Thuis, staying in a cottage on one of our long autumn holidays, or just being at home, there is nothing better for me than a day out to a stately home, or fascinating museum.

My NT card gives me free access to any of their properties which is great but the downside is that I resent paying to go to non-NT sites. One of those places I would have liked to visit but haven’t is Ironbridge, a small town near Telford, with about six museums celebrating their incredible industrial history. So you can imagine my delight last year when the Trust took over these museums. And on a very wet Saturday this week I went to see them.

I visited Jackfield Tile Museum, which was fascinating. I did not realise how complex tile making can be. I visited Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, with many displays showing how this area became the centre of iron making. My favourite museum however was Blists Hill Victorian town. It is a village of Victorian buildings staffed by volunteer actors. I got to chat to the blacksmith, chemist, post master, policeman, draper, publican, baker and others about what it was like in Victorian times. The baker sells their own bread, the pub sells local beer, and best of all there is a reproduction fish and chip shop, with everything fried in beef dripping. I felt I had to sample the goods for my history education. Yummy.

It was a great day out. We are back travelling on the boat now, and moored in a village called Alrewas. It grew up around the canal, so much of it is Victorian. It also has a chip shop but fish and chips twice in a week is possibly too much. Possibly.

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Back on the boat but is there any water?

We have been back on Narrowboat Thuis for over a week now and as always it has been very relaxing. There is something about this boat that makes us say “aaaaah” when we get back here. This time, after six weeks of weddings, anniversaries, doctors, dentists, visitors, visits and people, people, people, it has been especially special to be back in our tin can. Mandy has been watching Midsomer Murders and doing her craft. I have been finding jobs to do and walking the dog. The big question we knew we would face was whether there would be enough water in the canals to travel.

It has been a summer of drought, and we have seen more and more canals and rivers closing to boat traffic. From where we are in Stone the Northern routes are largely blocked. The Caldon is closed. Heartbreak hill on the Trent & Mersey is closed. Bosley locks on the Macclesfield are closed (yet again). We can go South, but the Atherstone lock flight on the Coventry is closed, and the Trent looks challenging beyond Alrewas.

We decided to go out for a recce trip just down to one of our favourite moorings near Weston. It was lovely, very peaceful with few boats on the canal. On the return journey we needed to wind (turn around) just below Weston lock and that is where the reality of low water became obvious. The levels were really low and boat after boat was getting stuck leaving the lock. We made it out and Mandy did a great job of winding without getting caught in the mud. But it was tricky.

The irony now is that we have come back to the marina because there is too much rain. As I write this, the skies are completely dark, the rain is rattling across the roof, and there are huge crashes of thunder and lightning. It is certainly more exciting being in a boat in a storm than in a house, but it is not great for travelling.

Will it fill up the canals? Probably not. We need weeks of weather like this to recover properly. But maybe it will top us up enough to allow us to go on a slightly longer trip next week. I hope so.

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How do I get back my walking fitness?

For the past year, while Ziggy Dog has been unwell, the lengths of my walks have reduced. Now that I just have Lulu I thought I would get back to it. So on Thursday I took her out to do a chunk of he Ribble Way in Preston.

It was a lovely day. The weather was mild. The countryside was beautiful. I got to pretended I was a train on the old tram route into the city. But after 3 miles Lulu had had enough, and got back in the car with Mandy. And after 6 miles I too was knackered.

This is a far cry from the days when I did many long distance walks including the Pennine Way and Wainwright’s Coast to Coast. In those days, 6 miles would be the first fast stretch before breakfast.

So what is the problem? I suppose that at 12 (Lulu) and 62 (me) we are not quite the young pups we once were. I think I need to learn not to push Lulu too hard. We went on a longish walk together when we were in Scotland and it took her three days to recover.

But that is no excuse for me. I may be older and more rotund, but I can definitely regain some of my walking legs. So rather like runners do with Couch to 5k (I hate running) I think I need to build up to longer walks step by step. They will mostly be flat walks when we are out on the boat because canals tend to avoid hills, but when the boating season ends I can try a bit more up and down. Time to see if my new blood pressure tablets are working.

All fine words, but as my Dad used to say “Good intentions butter no parsnips”. Let’s see if there is any action.

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RIP Ziggy

Our dog Ziggy passed away this week. I thought long and hard about whether to write about her in this blog. It is not really the cheery vibe I am used to. Some people will question why it is such a big deal. She was only a dog. Other people will object to having their own sad memories triggered. But I have decided that writing about something else would be disrespectful to Ziggy. She deserves a few words.

We chose Ziggy and her sister Lulu from a litter of Cairn Terriers born in Doncaster in August 2014. Actually, she chose us, walking over to ask to be picked up and cuddled. She was never the most elegant of dogs. She had a broken leg as a puppy because her bones grew too fast, and always walked with a strange gait, rather like muffin the mule. She had big brown eyes that frankly could get her anything she wanted. And what she usually wanted was sausages.

Lulu was our mad dog – chasing squirrels and snarling at the world. Ziggy on the other hand was quiet and loyal. There was nothing she enjoyed more than a “Ziggy cuddle”, where she lay on her back in my arms, with her head dangling to one side.

I would take the dogs on long walks. They particularly enjoyed the West Highland Way and the Southern Upland Way. Lulu would charge ahead till she got tired, and Ziggy would stay close to heel, hoping for treats. We went on long holidays to Scottish islands – Skye, Orkney, Islay and Uist. They loved beaches where they could run a round like mad things.

And both dogs have always liked being on Narrowboat Thuis, their home from home. Ziggy would sit on the back deck of the boat, watching the world go by, while Lulu scanned the towpath for something to bark at. In the evening Ziggy would try to push her luck, asking for an early tea because she was sooooo hungry.

Two years ago she was diagnosed with multiple cancers and given three months to live. The vets have been amazed how our miracle dog in fact survived nearly two years, and had such a happy time. The last few months were more difficult. She was dosed up with pain killers and couldn’t come on those long walks with her sister anymore. But until a couple of weeks ago she was still clearly a contented and happy dog. In the end I think she had finally had enough but obviously it has been very sad to let her go.

But I refuse to leave Ziggy with sad thoughts. My phone screen saver provides random photographs of the dogs and I was worried seeing Ziggy would upset me. But as I see her again, I am reminded of so very many happy memories. She was the best.

Rest in peace my wonderful, loyal, cuddly dog Ziggy.

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Is finishing a Narrowboat trip an end, a beginning, or just a pause?

I am writing this while eating a wonderful cooked breakfast at the Saracens Head in Weston, Staffordshire. As we have travelled the UK navigations over the past five years we have found certain places where we always moor for favourites. Weston for breakfast or a pub quiz. High Offley for beer. Rugeley for Tescos. Tixall Wide for the birds and Shugborough Hall. Middlewich for Fish and Chips. It has become less about exploring the new and more about reprising what we love.

The latest trip over the past two months has been a good example of this. We have done the Four Counties Ring many times, and the Caldon canal a couple of years ago. It has been lovely to go back and see so many old haunts. I discovered new places such as the Flint Mill Museum in Cheddleton, and Congleton Town hall. And of course no day is ever the same on a boat. But it has still been a comfort blanket of a trip this time.

And now we re heading back to the Marina and then onwards to bricks and mortar for a month. The end of a trip always gives us mixed feelings. Should we feel sad because this is the end of our latest adventure? Or should we be excited because we are going back to a holiday in Scotland, dentist and doctor appointments, neighbourhood barbecue, car service, three visits to the cricket and our Ruby Wedding party? Or is this just a pause on our Narrowboat life? In just a few weeks we will be back and probably heading down to Gloucester.

I think all three are valid emotions. We are just so very lucky to be able to have such a retirement. The breakfast is pretty good too.

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Five reasons why the Anchor Inn is the best pub on the waterways

I wrote a few years ago about one of my favourite pubs – the Anchor Inn at High Offley. We spent a couple of days moored there this week, trying to shelter from the worst of the heat. Here are five reasons why I love it so much.

  1. It is like pubs used to be. They don’t sell food. They don’t have music except an occasional customer that picks up a guitar. They open at 7pm and close at 11pm. The seats are reclaimed wood. The floors are quarry tiled. There is an open fire, though not in use this week! The landlady finds the right balance between friendly and no-nonsense.
  2. It is really isolated. We first found this pub while doing the Four Counties Ring on a hired Narrowboat forty years ago. I liked it so much that when we got home I tried to find it by using a road map and driving back to the area. This was before the days of Internet and Google. It took me weeks!
  3. It is a proper boaters’ pub. I went there for two evenings this week and both times got lost in chat with boaters. The first night I struck up a conversation with three solo narrowboaters who moor on an isolated stretch of the Birmingham Canal Network (BCN) and come out for trips together a few times a year. I have always been nervous about cruising the BCN because of rumours of rubbish, shallow canals and vandals. These guys recommended the “BCN Explorer”, where a group of boaters like us get together for a guided tour over a week, ending in a big celebration. I do fancy that.
  4. The drinks are well kept. The real ale has been Wadworth’s 6X for at least 45 years. It is served not from a pump on the bar, but collected directly from a barrel in the cellar. They also have scrumpy from the cask. They do have one cold lager and a few bottles of soft drinks and wine for new fangled customers, but this is primarily a beer pub for customers meeting and telling stories of the cut.
  5. It never changes. About sixty years ago Olive took over as a young landlady from her parents and grandparents who were there before. Olive died about ten years ago and her daughter Elaine took over. There are pictures in the bar of how it used to be, and apart from the lack of cigarette smoke, the pub looks exactly the same. When I arrived this week, Elaine was excited about a radical change. Because of an issue at the Wadworth brewery with 6X supply, she had added a second real ale, Renegade’s Good Old Boy. As far as I could see, noone was drinking it.

It really is a lovely pub, and even people like me, who do not really like talking to strangers, get caught in the beery chat. I recommend a visit if you are ever in the Shropshire area. Maybe use google maps rather than guesswork to get there!

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