Retirement with No Problem

Calveley to Beeston Castle, Shropshire Union Canal, 3.75 miles 5 locks

Well we sure had an eventful day today.  I was surprised that the sun was shining this morning.. the weather forecast was not that good the evening before.. I wasn’t going to complain! .

Within a hundred yards of pulling the pins a BW tug passed, the crew calling across that there were a lot of boats coming up the locks behind him, and for sure as we got to Bunbury staircase locks it seemed rather chaotic with not much room between the doubled up moored boats and two boats towing butties coming out of the staircase.  One waited in the lock while I went in, leaving Charles with Moore2Life behind me trying to squeeze past one boat to allow it to move away which then allowed the boat beside me in the lock to get out for Charles to come in!..

Now if you found that confusing then try to get your head around this Bunbury Shuffle.  Remember this is a staircase lock, No Problem is in the top one of two.. the water from this lock will be dropped into the empty lock below which will equalise the water allowing the centre gates to open.  We will then let the water out of the bottom one to travel on our way.. but not before a shuffle.

There was already a boat in the lock below!.. so No Problem and Moore2Life are in the top lock!.. here we go then..

The water has been let out of the top lock, and there is the boat in the other lock.  That boat needs to be where we are, and we need to be where he is.. No Problem moves forward into the next lock next to the other boat.. then…

Moore2Life moves over in the top lock allowing the boat that is now beside me in the bottom lock to go next to Moore2Life.. then…

No Problem moves over to where the other boat was, and Moore2Life comes into the bottom lock beside me..

Yeah! The Bunbury Shuffle!  

I hope you all understood that.. teehee!.. But there was more excitement to come at the next lock, when we saw NB Rufford adrift across the canal with the crew stranded on the towpath.. seems they went off to the village shop and came back to find Rufford had drifted off the moorings..

No Problem gently nudged the stranded boat to the side to the relief of the crew.. I think they had been there quite a while wondering what on earth to do.

On through Tilstone Lock then with it’s lovely round ‘house’..

Look at that gorgeous sunshine.. we did enjoy our short cruise today and finally put the pins in just short of Bate’s Mill Bridge.  They are doing some fence laying in this area, and there seemed to be lots of students learning the art..

A close look at the work in hand later as I took Lucy and Meg for a look at Beeston Castle, or at least the ruins of..

Couldn’t get the the top of the castle ruin today as it was shut.. but was no worry, there are plenty of footpaths in this area to keep me busy, and the views from below were spectacular.. this from round the other side to where the canal is..

And views across to North Wales and the refineries of the Mersey Estuary..

Gonna have a pint out tonight at The Shady Oak.. under new ownership it says on a big banner on the side.. it looks nice.  Probably onward tomorrow to Chester if I can pull myself away from the delights of this area..