Killing time.

We’ve been hanging around Anderton for a few days. The mail is due at Barnton Post Office, so I’ll go up and collect that tomorrow. Then we’ll be off, heading towards Middlewich.
We’ll not go into the town till after the weekend, though. It’s the Boat and Folk Festival, and the place will be heaving, especially if this fine weather continues.

There’s been a lot of boat traffic, a lot heading south. The water point has been particularly busy, queues of half a dozen boats in the mid-morning not uncommon.

This is probably why…..
From BW –

Middlewich Boat and Folk Festival

Friday 18 June 2010 - Monday 21 June 2010

The organisers of the festival have asked British Waterways to inform customers that the Elsan disposal facilities will be very limited in Middlewich during the festival.
Where possible please can customers make use of facilities on their way in to or out of Middlewich to avoid any problems.

Enquiries: 01782 785703

We moved closer to the services yesterday, to be moored in the sunshine. Where we were before is shaded by trees, so it’s quite cool first thing. It’s a lot warmer here, and also a lot lighter!

There are laundry facilities in this service block, so we’ve taken advantage of being so close and got a couple of loads washed and dried.
The first was fine, but when I shoved my pre-payment card in for the second load, the reader chuntered, displayed “Card Error”, and spat it out. I tried again, and this time it displayed “Help Help”, then “No Credit Available” before rejecting it. It had swallowed all 11 remaining units on the card! I unloaded the machine and was walking back when I started chatting to John and Cath on NB Me and Er moored next to us. They rescued the situation by lending me their card so I could get the load washed and dried after all. Thanks, both.

John and Cath leaving for a trip down the lift this morning.
Kipper the cat is on his first voyage, and he’s not all that impressed.The hire boats are out in force.
I felt sorry for the steerer on this Anglo-Welsh boat.

See-through crew?
We need to be around Nantwich for next weekend. I’ve booked our first Boat Safety Scheme examination for the 25th. This is the narrowboat equivalent of the MOT. Up till now we’ve had a Certificate of Conformity from the boatbuilder, but now, after 4 years, the safety check has to be done independently.
We’ll see then how “compliant” our boat actually is. I’ve spent this afternoon sorting out the rat’s nest of wiring alongside the batteries. The circuits for 220v domestic, 12v domestic and 12v charging and control are now separated and neatly clipped up. It looks a lot tidier.
Locks 0, miles ½

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