Good days, bad days.

Tuesday was showery and unsettled, but it was a far better day yesterday. We were going to move on, but I’d some outside jobs I didn’t get done Tuesday, so we stayed put.

Meg and I went to visit the deer in the park first thing..

Mist rising off the canal

The old mill on the estate wasn’t primarily used for grinding grain, it’s main use was as a water-powered sawmill.

The deer were relaxing in the morning sunshine…



The sundial in front of the main entrance is carried by a moor representing Africa. It dates from the mid-18th century.

I bet this oak could tell some tales!

Busy bees in the rhododendrons

The main job in the fine weather was to get the platform that I built for coal and wood cleaned up and given a coat a decking oil.

Donald was refitted to the aerial. He’s been languishing in the well deck since we got the new aerial, but now he’s in his rightful place, looking ahead. I also put the England flag back up, Mags finds it useful as a wind-vane if she has to hover while waiting for me to get a lock ready. And I removed, cleaned and stowed the chimney… a bit premature that in the light of today’s weather.

Yes, today has been a complete contrast. A lot cooler, cloudy all day and with frequent spells of rain. Our postponed moving on was postponed once again.

I find no joy in cruising in the rain, but we really will have to go tomorrow, rain or shine. The forecast is a little better…

Thanks to KevinToo, Arthur, Shardlow Carol and Val for kicking off my fundraising for Macmillan. As I said, I’m aiming to raise £500, just another £448 to go!

Charity donation websites

Every year I run the Great North Run for a charity, usually a cancer organisation. With the introduction of donation websites it makes it easier for contributors and fundraisers alike to raise money for a worthy cause.
But at what cost? The recent media coverage of the remarkable efforts of young Stephen Sutton has shown how effective this method of fundraising can be, but there has been criticism of how much the websites actually take from each donation.

I did a quick internet trawl and came across this Daily Mail article… and was stunned.
I generally use Justgiving, but this year I’ve switched to Givey, who take NOTHING out of the donation. OK, the website isn’t as fancy as Justgiving’s, but that’s not the point, is it? Go on, take a look… And while you’re there, click on the link that says “Donate”, please.

I’ve also set up a text donation service for those who don’t like to use their banking details online. Just text SEYE98[space]£[your donation] to 70070. It’ll cost you a standard message, and the donation will be added to your monthly bill. All of the donation will go to the charity.
I’m running for Macmillan Cancer Support this year.

There are a couple of links for these services on the right.

It doesn’t always rain in Manchester!

KevinToo, make a note!

In fact we’ve had a splendid weekend, weatherwise, in the city. The fine weather brought the Mancunians out in droves…

The Saturday evening sunshine had people out on the steps above the events area…

…and when the sun went down there was an impromptu performance by a group of fire jugglers.

Sunday morning dawned bright and cloudless, already warm by 9 o’clock.

I joined the other 39,999 runners at the start line of the Manchester 10k, getting off after the gun at around 10:45. I found the the latter half of the run hard work, we had a brisk headwind on the way out to Trafford, which didn’t seem to help much when we reversed direction to head back to the finish in Deansgate.
My time was the worst for the last three years, but to put it in perspective, it was my best finishing position for three years too. So I guess everyone else was struggling with the warm conditions too. My training through the late winter and spring has barely been above 10°, more often nearer zero, and I just wasn’t able to run hard in 25°.
It didn’t bother the Ethiopians however, Bakele and Dibaba romping home for the Men’s and Women’s titles respectively.

Getting back to the boat I was met by our visitors, Mags’ son George, grand-daughter Mel, grand-son Steven and his partner Anne-Marie and their two children Luke and Courtney. We had a good catch up (after I’d showered…) and they enjoyed a visit to MOSI while I unwound, then we sat in the sun for a while chatting before they had to leave for home. A good afternoon.

Knee aches and the humid night prevented comfortable sleeping, and I slept in this morning not waking till gone eight. I’m normally awake at half-six and up no later than seven.

We were still away by ten, though, out under the three railway bridges that cross the basins.

Leaving Potato Wharf



We swung onto the services to fill with water and empty a loo, then set off back down the Bridgewater Canal.

This lot will feel a little more confident now they’ve appointed a new manager.

Van Gaal appears to have a proven track record, and Giggs will be assistant manager.

Begging bowls out in Stretford

We stopped for a bit of shopping at Sale Bridge, pulling onto the rings just south of the bridge.

There’re banks on the high street, and there’s a handy Co-op on the opposite side of the canal.

Looking north from Sale Bridge, that’s us, nearest boat on the left.

I spotted these on the way up, but wasn’t quick enough with the camera. I was ready this time…

Mandarins at Marsland Road Bridge

Beyond Broadheath Bridge, on the offside, are three factories, all built at the same time judging by the architecture. The first and the third don’t give away any hints as to their original function,

but the middle one is unequivocally proud of it’s builder’s purpose.

The linotype process revolutionised volume printing in the late Victorian era. Before it’s introduction, individual letters had to be laboriously set into frames to reproduce the printed page as a mirror image. It was also prone to mistakes between similar looking letters. The phrase “mind your p’s and q’s” comes from the printing industry.
A linotype machine produced a complete line of text generated from a keyboard, which was cast in a reusable alloy. The process was quick and accurate, allowing far more type to be “set”, and therefore more information to be printed. It’s now been superseded by  offset lithography and computer typesetting.

We moored once again near Dunham Woodhouse Underbridge, on our own for a start.

Meg was pleased to see grass again!

She’s in there somewhere!

Mum bought the little ones to the food bank

Another boat pulled up a boat’s length in front of us mid-afternoon. Then, just half an hour ago, another has inserted himself between us. I wouldn’t mind if we were on an official mooring, but there’s half a mile of unoccupied towpath behind us!
Now all we can see is his back canopy. If he doesn’t clear off in the morning I’ll move back a boat’s length. We’re staying here till Wednesday.
Locks 0, miles 10½

Into town.

We had a pleasant cruise from Dunham Massey into Manchester on Friday. Fine and warm for a change. Most of my memories of cruising the Bridgewater involve varying amounts of rain!

It took us 3½ hours to cover the 10½ miles at a steady pace, then we filled with water, emptied a loo tank and pulled in to moor on Potato Wharf.

Leaving Dunham Massey, early for us, 09:30!

Expectant mum being demure…

Nothing much changes on this trip through Sale, Ashton in Mersey and Stretford.

The long straight past Sale, nearly 2¼ miles under just three bridges.

Sale Bridge is a good place to stop for supplies, there’re rings north of the bridge.

Ducking under the M60 the canal crosses the River Mersey, running from it’s start point in Stockport, out to Liverpool Bay. It’s formed from three tributaries, the Etherow, the Goyt and the Tame. It once formed the historical boundary between Lancashire and Cheshire.

Under the M60…

…and over the Mersey

Mags takes a turn on the tiller while I make a brew, Watch House Cruising Club behind

We were pretty well guaranteed to spot Canada goslings somewhere along here, I reckon Stretford’s got a bigger Canada geese population than Canada!

Waters Meeting is where the later, southerly branch to Runcorn and the Trent and Mersey (now considered the main line) joins the original route from Worsley to Manchester.

Waters Meeting

Left to Worsley, right to Castlefield and the junction with the Rochdale Canal.

Along the last stretch into Manchester, past Salford and the old docks, new construction continues.

This wasn’t even here last year, they’d just started sinking the foundations.
Here’s how they do it. They drill a dirty great hole, put in a cylindrical framework of reinforcing bars, then fill it with concrete. Simples!
Drilling the hole…

Arrival at Castlefields

The most popular moorings are round to the right, up to Grocer’s Warehouse. But we try to get in on Potato Wharf, under the bridge to the left.

Moored on Potato Wharf
Pretty much the same place as last year.

I had a bit of dashing about to do, first a trip to Maplins to buy a new TV amplifier, then Sainsbury’s for groceries, and finally a ride on the Metro up to Droylsden to pick up another solar panel. The one I fitted in the winter was bought via ebay, but the seller is in Droylsden, so I’d arranged to collect a second, rather than worry about where to ship it to.
I don’t very often do public transport, but the trip on the modern tram was easy and painless, and only £3 return.

Metro trams crossing the canal near Pomona Lock

Today started out clear and sunny, so I set to and had the second panel fitted by late morning.

Taking advantage of “free” power.
With 70 watts of panel, I was getting 4½ amps at midday. Enough to run the fridge, anyway.

This afternoon we watched the coverage of the Great City Games on the BBC, when Deansgate, through the centre of the city, is transformed for the day into a sprint track. The events attract major home-grown and international athletes.

Tomorrow morning I’ll be heading up into town again, this time to compete in the 10k. My start time is 10:35, so I should be back on the boat by 11:40. Mags is staying home, we’ve visitors coming and they’ll not be landing till after I’ve left for the start line.

Wish me luck!

Locks 0, miles 10½

A day at Dunham

Tescoman (although it turned out to be Tescowoman) duly arrived yesterday morning, so, with larder replenished we pulled back and did the same for the water tank before heading off. Not so far, we intended to moor near Dunham Massey.

Pulling off the water point.

The local coot will have to find someone else to bum bread off…

Moored up again, less than a mile further on.

I had a few minor jobs to get on with, annoyingly mostly inside on such a beautiful afternoon.
One of these tasks was to remove the two small brass cleats I’d fitted on the gunwale either side of the well deck just behind the cratch board. These were intended for Mags to use when we in locks with lock-keepers, requiring ropes at both ends. They gave her something to take the rope around, reducing the strain on her arms.
But more and more I found them useful for mooring, a lot easier and safer than climbing out onto the fore-end. And more sympathetic to the paint, as well.
They were never intended for this and have distorted with the strain of keeping the boat secure. So I bought a couple of substantial steel ones in Midland Chandlers the other day as replacements.

New cleats fitted today

They may look a bit numb, but they’ll do the job splendidly.

Apart from finishing that job today I’ve dropped the secondary glazing panels from the windows, and got them cleaned and stashed ready for next year. Then I set to to give the frames and inside of the windows a good cleaning.

Mags has giving me a good trim, “down to the wood”, and I attacked my beard, so I now look presentable again. 

With me done it was Meg’s turn, we had a good hour alternately playing ball and grooming. Of course, she had to have a good rolling session when I took her out this evening…

I had my last training run this morning, all set for the Manchester 10k on Sunday. So it’s into Castlefield Basin in Manchester for us tomorrow. All being well we’ll be having visitors as well on Sunday.

We had a pretty spectacular sunset and moonrise last night, I tried to get some pictures, trying various camera settings, but didn’t do too well..

Sunset sky

Moonrise

Locks 0, miles 1

When does a shower become rain?

According to Collins English Dictionary online :-
“A brief period of rain, hail, sleet or snow.” Note the “brief period”
The Met Office predicted “Showers, some heavy” for today, but frankly it’s been chucking it down most of the day!

It started as we set off from Moore, paused for a few minutes while I loaded a couple of bags of solid fuel at Thorn Marine, started again as I was taking the rubbish and recycling to the tip near London Road Bridge in Stockton Heath, we got a brief interlude as we cruised through Lymm, then got thoroughly soaked again for another three-quarters of an hour till we got to the moorings near Ye Olde Number 3 pub. Brief it wasn’t!

Needless to say, it stopped almost as soon as we arrived, and we’ve bright sunshine now!
So I didn’t take many photos today, here’s a few…

Cock pheasant in a rare patch of sunshine.
He was very unconcerned at us passing, in fact if it’s the same one, he ran alongside me for several paces when I was out on my run this morning!

The unusual concrete bridge carrying Chester Road

The rhododendrons at Walton Hall are just coming nicely into flower…

Just past Walton Lea Bridge, a regular on this stretch, NB Harry with it’s astroturf roof.

And a little further on, someone’s attempting to hide from the mooring enforcement officers. (Do they have those on The Bridgewater?)

I was pleased to see that Thorn Marine is still here, but still hand-to-mouth with the lease from Peel Holdings. They want to redevelop the site, but the Hamiltons, owners of Thorn Marina are determined to stay put. The downturn in the property market is helping their case, but that is showing signs of change now.

Thorn Marine
I'm surprised that the canal-side buildings they use aren’t listed. At one time this was the terminus of this leg of the canal, while the Duke’s agents negotiated a route through the grounds of Walton Hall. The buildings were offices and warehousing, built around 1770 when the Runcorn section of the canal was constructed.

Looking over the rooftops of Stockton Heath towards a grey horizon, Christ Church visible in the murk.

After a damp four miles, the sun came out briefly as we cruised through Lymm. The popular moorings on the town side of the canal were full, but there was space on the towpath side.

Lymm moorings

Not for us though, we pushed on, heading out of town for another 2½ miles.

The towpath was being excavated just out of town by National Grid. They had this mechanical elephant, a giant vacuum cleaner to remove dirt and rubble from the hole.
It wasn’t being used, though. I was told it doesn’t work in the wet…

We pulled over on the moorings alongside the main road near Ye Olde Number 3. A bit noisy here, but it’s only for one night. Tescoman is delivering to us here in the morning.

Locks 0,  miles 9½