Iron Lock, Beeston to Calveley

Friday 25th July

Chugging off from Beeston

Approaching Beeston Stone Lock

Heron in Field

It’s my birthday today, so got up and opened my presents and cards I had from Kev and my family.  Went outside and there was a Heron sat in the field opposite.  Pat and Patrick came by and gave me a present and a rose which was lovely, then we all walked down to the café for breakfast.  We sat outside in the sun and the breakfast was really nice.  Walked back to the boat, then started the engines as we are off today and set off along the canal to the next lock, through there, then onto Tilstone Lock which was closed earlier in the morning for repairs, but when we got there, it was all open  so through we went and onto the Bunbury Staircase, it is really busy around there as there is a hire boat company at the bottom of the locks and being Friday and change over day, there was lots of boats there, so Kev had to stay back down the canal until it was our turn to go in the lock.  Three boats were coming down so we had to wait a while, then it was our turn, we went up with Patrick and Pat and there was one coming down, so had to do the Bunbury Shuffle again, what fun!  Through there nice and easy and on around the corner to the moorings.  Tied up, then sat outside for a bit.  Went back to the boat to chill out for a bit in the shade as it is very hot again today.  Made a ginger cake to go with our afternoon cup of tea and then we all sat outside again eating cake and drinking tea, very civilised! 

In Panama Hatties

My Birthday Cake

We are going out with our friends from Audlem tonight for a meal, so got ready and walked up to the main road where Dave picked us up and took us to the restaurant, Panama Hatties, they serve Mexican, Caribbean, South American, Thai, etc. It is a really nice place.  Jane and Anthea were already at the restaurant as Dave had dropped them off abit earlier.  Unfortunately Malcolm couldn’t make it as he had to work late again, poor Malc!  We went to our table and Jane and Anthea had put a balloon on it for me, how nice and we had a really nice meal and as always with them a great time, lots of laughs.  After our main course, they came out with a cake organised again by Jane and Anthea and the waiters and everyone sang to me, it even had sparklers on the top, very embarrassing but a lovely thing to do as I usually only get a cake if I make it myself, so it was great.  We all had a piece and another drink, then headed back.  Dave dropped us off at the bridge and they also gave me some beautiful flowers, so I did really well.  We walked back to the boat, chilled out for a bit, then off to bed.  I had a really lovely birthday and it was great to spend it with our special friends.  We are staying here until Monday as we are off to a Vintage car, bike and boat gathering in Audlem on Sunday, so looking forward to that.

Chester Basin to Christleton, then Christleton to Iron Lock, Beeston

 Tuesday 22^nd July

Another sunny day, very hot.   When we were mooring up yesterday, Kev was banging the pins in the ground to tie our boat up to and the head of the lump hammer snapped off and flew into the canal, didn’t know Kev was that strong!  Our friend Pat has a sea searcher magnet and he dangled it around in the canal for a bit and did find it and fished it out, but we can’t be without a lump hammer so will have to buy a new one until we can get a new handle and repair the old one.  We needed a few supplies, so we walked up to the Aldi about 10 to 15 minutes walk away, got what we needed, then back to the canal, then up to the shops to buy a lump hammer, which we did get, then back to the canal for a bit and chilled out.  We are off for our posh meal tonight which my work colleagues gave me when I left work back at the end of March, so got ready and walked to the Abode Hotel which overlooks the race course.  It is a really lovely hotel.  Michael Caines restaurant and Champagne Bar is on the 5^th floor, so we went up in the lift.  We had a drink on the terrace overlooking the race course, it is a great view from up there.  We went into the restaurant which is really nice and had a table by the window.  We thought we would go the whole hog and have the 7 course tasting menu (which includes a cheese course) with the matching wines and port with the cheese.  Well, the whole meal was fantastic and so was the service, when they brought out the food the explained what it was you were going to eat and when they brought the wine for each course, they told you all about it and why they had chosen it for that course, etc, everything about the whole evening was just wonderful, we both thoroughly enjoyed it.  We also had coffee and petit fours to finish just to ensure we were fully stuffed!   We walked, well waddled back to the boat and flaked out in our chairs to rest our tummys!  But it was a superb evening and the food was just wonderful, a lovely experience and a brilliant gift from my work mates. 

Roast Brixham Scallop

Roast Quail

Roast Fleetwood Cod

Roast Chicken  Breast

Cheese

Exotic Fruit Salad

Raspberry Mousse

Menu

In top of Staircase

 Wednesday 23rd July

In Bottom of Staircase

 

In Middle of Staircase

Well, we are finally leaving Chester today, but it has been a great stay and we have thoroughly enjoyed Chester and this part of the canal and Ellesmere Port, but time to move on now.  We are going to travel with Patrick and Pat and Poochie on Diligent 2 for the next few days which will be nice as there are quite a few double locks and it will make life easier for all of us, so we set off up the staircase out of Chester Basin, got up there nice and steady and on up the next five locks, there was a hire boat in front of us and they didn’t really have a clue so Patrick went and helped them a few times to chivvy them up so we could get through as well.  The fender of the hire boat was hanging off and apparently they had been coming up the staircase lock yesterday and had been too near the gates and when they tried to open them, it got jammed in the gate.  They had to call the hire company out to fix it, glad we weren’t traveling with them!   

Going in Hoole Lane Lock

We went on up through the locks and moored at Chistleton just before the Cheshire Cat pub.  It was a lovely sunny evening so we all decided to have a BBQ, Patrick said he would walk to the Sainsburys to get a few things as it was only about ½ mile away, we thought it was quite a bit further than that, so we didn’t go!  Patrick was quite a long time and when he got back, it was actually more like 1½  miles away, we all laughed about it, I don’t think he will be walking there again!!  We had a lovely BBQ together and sat chatting until it was nearly dark.  We are on the move again tomorrow, but only two locks to do, so an easier day.

Thursday 24th July

We are on the move again today and another hot and sunny day.  Chugging with Pat and Patrick again today.  We set off down the canal towards Beeston.  Up through Wharton Lock and the Iron Lock at Beeston and moored at the top.  We are staying here overnight, going for breakfast in the nice cafe nearby in the morning, then onto Calveley.  Having a BBQ again tonight so that will be nice.

Chester Zoo (Bridge 134) to Chester Basin (Shropshire Union Canal)

The Rural Shropshire Union Canal

Chugging under Railway Bridge

It was another hot and sunny day as we set off to Chester basin.  It was strange as from this point, there didn’t seem to be any weed in the canal, yet the stretch from here to Ellesmere Port was covered in it.  Chugged on down the canal, didn’t see one boat.  Got to the basin and there was a lot of boats moored, but there was a space for us.  We stopped for water, then moored up, unfortunately it wasn’t the best spot for the solar panels, as there was a tree there and they would be in the shade by the afternoon, but it was the only spot available.  We had lunch, then headed up into the city.  Got our bits and pieces, then headed back to the canal and had a drink at Telford’s Warehouse which is right on the canal in the basin.  Patrick and Pat were moored just up from there, so we walked up to say hello and had a cup of tea and cake with them.  Patrick makes fenders and the chap he gets his rope, etc  from was delivering some stuff to their boat.  Kev wants to make a button fender for the front of our boat, so he chatted to Dave the Fender man and ordered some rope and a core so he can have a go.  Dave is going to deliver them to our boat tomorrow morning.  Walked back to our boat and had tea.  There is a chap called Stevie that sleeps on the bench by the canal, he is harmless enough and friendly, so I offered him and his mate some chicken biryani which they accepted and seemed to enjoy, I wouldn’t give him money but I would gladly give a meal, that was our good deed for the day.  Then just chilled out.  Staying here tomorrow as well as we are off for our posh meal tomorrow night, really looking forward to that.

Back to Chester Basin

Ellesmere Port to Chester Zoo (Bridge 134) (Shropshire Union Canal)

Leaving Ellesmere Port

Weed in the Canal

It was hot and sunny again today, so we set off down the canal to Bridge 141 to where the Cheshire Oaks Outlet Village is, the canal is very weedy this end so we had to weave our way through it, I was lookout at the front, but not very good with my right and left, so a few times I said one way and I really meant the other, never mind just got a lot of muttering from the back of the boat, wonder who that was!!  Moored up and walked over the bridge to the roundabout, across there and into Sainsburys car park, across there and into the outlet village, its about a 10 minute walk, so really close to the canal.  We spent a couple of hours mooching around there, its really good and lots and lots of shops and lots of people.  We got a few supplies in Sainsburys, then headed back to the canal.  Had lunch, then headed off a bit further down the canal dodging the weed as we went to Bridge 134 (Chester Zoo).   We are staying here tonight as it’s a lovely spot in the middle of nowhere and then heading back to Chester tomorrow.

Cheshire Oaks Outlet Village

Moored at Bridge 134