Retirement with No Problem

Elworth to Middlewich, Trent & Mersey Canal, 5 miles 8 locks

Oh dear, I really didn’t want to. Any other time I wouldn’t have done it, but I had to do it!

The wind was howling and the ice on the canal looked uninviting, but we need to get to Anderton by Thursday for a rendezvous.. Back and forth to free us from the ice and we were off.  Once on the move my mood changed somewhat, it is always OK once on the move it’s just the thought of it, leaving that cosy saloon after a hearty breakfast can be hard sometimes..

Eight locks to do today, and if any of them were like the last 16 of this flight then it was going to be another tough day.. and they were!

But a little respite was waiting at Rumps Lock in the shape of Geoff from Seyella who arrived on foot just before us, opened the gate and taking the windlass out of my hand as he saw me struggling to raise the paddles.. great stuff.. All that was needed for me to do was to crack a paddle (lift a paddle slightly) to refill the lock for Moore2Life who was following behind.

I nipped into the handy Chandlers beside Kings Lock in Middlewich for a length of rope.. I snapped one the other day.. my fault, I wrapped it round a bollard and I think NP was going just too fast and it just snapped.. it was quite old and maybe I asked too much of it, anyway Vic has spiced the new one tonight ready for use tomorrow. 

I made the effort to get out Alex’s ratchet windlass not long after… oh why had I been so lazy and not dug deep before.. easy peasy on this one that I couldn’t even turn with an ordinary windlass.  It works the same as the ratchet in the toolbox and fits into the end of the winder on the lock mechanism.  This makes it so easy to get the paddles up!  I would seriously consider getting one if you have problems.. especially with ‘Heartbreak Hill’!

If you leave your email address in a comment, I will pass Alex’s phone number to you to obtain one.  For sure this is not going to the bottom of the box again!

Mooring in Middlewich by early afternoon we ventured across town to Seyella which was moored on the Wardle Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal some three or four bridges up from the canal junction, it was shorter by a good quarter mile that way instead of back along the towpath to the junction and walking up..

Scrummy choccy cakes and tea were on offer, it was great to see them both today.  We will be moving with them towards Anderton for a couple of days, Meg and Lucy are going to enjoy the company of their Meg too..

PS Sorry Andrew for calling you Andy… oops hope writing that again didn’t make you itch too much..