Spring Trip to Chester
19th February – 7th March 2010
Part 1: Norbury Junction to Nantwich
Crew: Jim and Bernard
Friday, 19th February
I took the train to Shrewsbury, stopping off to do the shopping in the much improved indoor market. It has several good butchers, two bakers, three fruit and veg stalls, including an organic one and a top-class fishmongers. Such a shame its in an uninspiring 1960s building.
Shrewsbury Indoor Market
From Shrewsbury I continued by bus to Gnosall, where I unloaded the folding bike and cycled the remaining two miles to the boat by which time it was about 12.00
Bernard, coming from Leicester, wasn’t due until late afternoon, so I busied myself unpacking and then tried to light the fire. I’d made the mistake of sweeping the flue first. What this does is to deposit most of the soot on a plate inside and at the top of the stove, where it blocks the air draught from the fire, causing smoke and fumes to remain inside the stove, extinguishing the flames and filling the cabin the smell of coal smoke! The only way to deal with it is to remove the soot from the top plate by hand; and as its very difficult to get to, due to the configuration of the stove you end up with scratched and filthy hands and a very bad temper.
Eventually I got it all clear and was able to light the fire but we still endured a cold night aboard as I managed to forget that I’d left a window open overnight.
Saturday, 20th February
We left the mooring at 8.45 and made some progress through Grub Street cutting and High Offley to Shebdon wharf, where we stopped for breakfast, which always tastes much nicer when you’ve been boating for an hour or so. There weren’t many other boats on the move, but as we went to untie “Lady Arwen” came past and we followed her towards Tyrley. We were relieved when she stopped at the top of Tyrley locks allowing us past, but it still took us an hour to do five locks, one of which had a broken paddle. The main reason for the slow locking was that I am still not fully recovered from my recent heart problems and am “not allowed locking”. Bernard was therefore having to do all the lock work himself. It was 14.00 before we got to Market Drayton, where we stopped to refill the drinking water container. The main water tank had been drained for the winter and although I had intended to refill it for this trip I didn’t do so as more cold weather was forecast.
Back on the move, we reached the five locks at Adderley by 16.00. Some of the lock gates were getting icy and Bernard found it prudent to walk round rhe lock rather than do the “leap of faith” from one bottom gate to another. This, of course, slowed us down and it took 55 minutes to complete the descent and then another hour to Cox’s Bank, just below the first two locks at Audlem.
In the evening we walked down to the Bridge Inn, which has been refurbished internally recently without changing its character, although whether you think that a good thing or not depends on your taste in pubs.
21st February
It had been a cold but clear night as we walked back from the pub so we were absolutely astounded to wake to a carpet of snow on Sunday morning!
Starcross in the snow at Cox's Bank
The snow was still falling, so we walked down to the next lock to assess the situation. Staying where we were wasn’t really an option as there is no Sunday bus service from Audlem to anywhere and I had to be back at work on Monday morning. We decided that if we could devise a method of working that eliminated, or at least minimised, the need to walk across the gates that we would carry on.
Our first plan was that Bernard would open the top gate and I would take Starcross in, getting off on the opposite side to Bernard. We would then each open the paddle and gate on one side and Bernard would haul the boat out using the centre rope. We would then each close a bottom gate and get back on the boat. This didn’t quite work, as the by-washes that take surplus water around the lock got in the way and I was unable to reboard from my side. I therefore had to walk across the gates after all, although this was definitely the lesser of two evils when compared with trying to clamber on from above the by-wash. After a few locks I remembered the old trick of letting water into the empty lock to create a flush that would help Bernard pull Starcross out and by this method we made our way down the flight.
To be continued
Back on the Move
Norbury Junction to High Onn and Back
6th/7th February 2010
Saturday 6th February
I drove up to Norbury early on Saturday morning, stopping at Newport for a bit of shopping and a second breakfast in the market hall cafe. Never very busy, the Market Hall appears to have suffered another blow with a couple more stalls closed and empty. Its only in use two days a week, Fridays and Saturdays, as it is and at this rate I do wonder how much longer it will carry on.
The plan was to go down to High Onn, wind and return to Gnosall for the evening, but it didn’t work out quite like that. First job was to get some diesel at Norbury Wharf. Unlike some boatyards, Norbury Wharf is very good at leaving enough space for boats to come alongside and buy fuel – or anything else for that matter. But with all the hire and shared ownership boats being “in” at present there wasn’t a lot of room for Starcross. A line of boats was moored stern on the wharf, then a space of about 50ft and then the Norbury Wharf day boat. As I was sizing it up from the bridge a boat appeared from the north, executed a neat turning manoeuvre and itself tied up stern first. I wasn’t sure I could do that, so left getting fuel for a while to see if more space became available. As I eventually approached the wharf, which from the north is hidden under bridge 38, a boat suddenly appeared from the wharf, causing me to take evasive action. The steerer saw me and held back to allow me room to pass the bridge but not on my intended line. Indecision is a boat steerer’s worst enemy, yet now I couldn’t decide whether to try the “end on manoeuvre”, attempt to get in side-on or abandon the attempt altogther! I’d just decided on the last course of action, but as the bow swung out away from the wharf I suddenly saw the perhaps it would be possible to reverse on after all. Trying to look as composed as possible, I brought the boat to a stop and then took her back gently alongside the last boat in the line, coming to rest with my stern just kissing the wharf edge alongside the diesel pump. Jumping off to tie up I looked around for the admiring glances of the lookers-on, of which there are usually many at this location, to find that there had apparently been no witnesses as all! Always the way when you get in right.
I took on 88 litres at 56p a litre (plus tax on a 60/40 split), which with a copy of Waterways World came to £78. (You have to buy something in addition to diesel at Norbury Wharf if you want to pay by card otherwise they sting you for an extra quid!). Then it was across to the sanitary station to empty the cassette and fill the jerry can that serves as the water supply whilst the system is drained down over winter.
Then it was time for lunch and so it wasn’t until nearly two o’ clock that I set off towards High Onn, which is the first winding hole south of Norbury. I reached Gnosall at 2.45 and then realised that as it would take another ninety minutes to get to High Onn and back I wouldn’t have much time to get to the pub to watch the rugby internatonal if I carried on. So I stopped at Gnosall, lit the fire, did a bit of tidying up and later strolled up to the Horns Inn in Gnosall village to watch England beat Wales 30-17 (but only just!).
On the way home I called at the local chip shop for some rather mediocre fish and chips for tea.
Starcross at Gnosall 6 February 2010
Sunday 7th February
After an early night I was up bright and early. Gnosall is well stocked for shops and so I tooo the opportunity to replenish a few supplies ready for the weekend after next. Then it was down to High Onn on a cold, grey winter’s day to wind and return, back through Gnosall again, and on to Norbury Junction where, by the time I’d moored and tied up securely it was just 1 O’clock.
The afternoon soon passed, being taken up with exciting things like getting the vacuum cleaner out and black-leading the stove and soon it was time to leave and drive back to Hereford.
After the Frost
16th/17th January 2010
At Norbury Junction
Saturday 16th January
The first weeks of the year had been some of the most “wintry” for a number of years, with snow and ice and temperatures that remained below zero for day after day. I’d had to cancel a trip up to Norbury due to the weather last weekend so this was the first opportunity to see what damage, if any, Starcross had suffered.
Fortunately I had had the foresight to drain down the water system, including the water heater, to avoid a repetition of last year when the frost damaged our old Paloma beyond repair.
There were no obvious burst pipes and as both the water pump and the shower pump are well insulated I have high hopes that they are not damaged, although I won’t really know until I refill the system in the spring. One casualty, however, was the old beer bottle we use as a candle holder and fill with water to add stability. The water had frozen solid, bursting the glass and leaving a cylinder of ice sitting on the table!
Some water – or more probably snow – had come in through the pigeon box, soaking the bed beneath, but we were overdue for a new duvet anyway, so Hil promptly went and bought one in Newport (or rather from a “shed” on the by-pass!). The only other damage was self-inflicted. Despite reading on the Canal World Forum about someone who managed to crack the glass in his stove by warming it up too quickly, I managed to do exactly the same thing when lighting ours. Strangely, the crack was within the thickness of the glass and didn’t break the surface, but as we had a spare on board we fitted it anyway, just to be on the safe side.
During this time, what had been a fine winter’s morning had become a cold and foggy afternoon
A cold, foggy afternoon at Norbury Junction
so, after running the engine for a while to charge up the batteries we settled down to an evening on board, enjoying a meal and listening to “Carmen” from the New York Met on the radio.
Sunday 17th January
There was still quite a bit of ice in the cut both on the main line and, particularly, at the wharf
Ice at the mooring
so we abandoned any plans to move the boat and went for a walk along the quiet lanes and field tracks around Norbury, under Shelmore embankment and westwards towards the A518 Newport to Eccleshall road, crossing this old canal bridge on the Newport branch on the way.
Old Bridge on the Newport Branch
All in all I was quite relieved to find Starcross in the condition we did, but I left looking forward to my next visit and hopefully a trip up the cut!
