Over this break we had noticed that rain drips run down the outside of our multi fuel stove flue, originating from above the ceiling. Mike had taken a look from the outside but not worked out what was happening. As a result of new regulations, Morse have re-designed their kit and the way in which the flue is fixed to the roof etc. As a result it is rather different from what we have experienced hitherto. Directing a hosepipe at the base of the chimney also confirmed that this was the origin of the drips.
Yesterday we emailed Phil (Stem to Stern), our boat builder, in order to seek details of the assembly - this was not something we could find in the otherwise voluminous box of manufacturers' manuals that we were given at the outset. In particular, we needed to know just where to put any additional sealant.
Much to our surprise we had an email first thing today from Phil, who is based just up the motorway in Stafford, that he would like to pop down straightaway to take a look and see if he can fix it for us! Now we call that after sales support!
In fact, he arrived much quicker that he estimated and a quick inspection revealed that the seal had actually 'cracked' - not sure how best to describe it - although it was in a slightly different location from where we had imagined it to be. (It is on the outside of the upstand rather than, as before, on the inside) At least we now know if the problem occurs again.
Thinking about it, we suspect that the immediate cause was that we had left the chimney in place from when we arrived in the marina at the start of November. There have been some high winds, especially over the last few days, and this may well have created high strain levels at the base of the chimney, enough to cause the seal to fail. Of course, we were by now all packed up ready to set off back home so no time to allow the sealant to set properly and to give it a hosepipe test - that will have to wait until we next return but at least full marks to Phil for his assistance.
We were away around noon and the journey back home was remarkably uneventful. Given the strength of the wind when we left the marina we had wondered what we might encounter but we quickly passed out of the highest storm conditions - lorry traffic has still not picked up again after the Christmas and New Year break and there were no delays.
Wednesday, 3 January 2018
Tuesday, 2 January 2018
Cleaning Day
Not a lot to report today as we return home tomorrow and so we needed to clean and sport out a few things. Mike was at least able to spend a little time looking at the new ideas for CanalMap (our home built logging and mapping system). After lunch we went into town for a little shopping.
Monday, 1 January 2018
Windsor
Again, don't be fooled by the blog title - we did not go by boat to Windsor! In any event, when we did see the Thames it looked in full flow and we did pick up from another blog a couple of days ago that it was then on Red Boards.
After the later night to see in the New Year, no-one was in any hurry once again but we did make it up an hour earlier than the day before (not that was much of a challenge!)
At 2 o'clock we set off by car to take the Alice and Jess back home - hence the trip to Windsor. They start back at school in two days time so that left them just one day to get ready. The roads were quite clear - almost no freight traffic around and so we arrived just a few moments after four. We stayed to chat and have a cup of tea for an hour before setting off for our return trip. It was by now completely dark but the driving was not as difficult as we thought it might be. Once we had cleared the M5 and onto the A404(M) there was only one spot where there was any traffic at all and that was only a slowing down. No real congestion at the usual trouble spots.
We arrived back at the boat before 19:30 and set about preparing dinner - sausage and mash with a onion, pepper and mushroom sauce that made good use of the remainder of the jar of pizza topping that was not needed the night before!
After the later night to see in the New Year, no-one was in any hurry once again but we did make it up an hour earlier than the day before (not that was much of a challenge!)
At 2 o'clock we set off by car to take the Alice and Jess back home - hence the trip to Windsor. They start back at school in two days time so that left them just one day to get ready. The roads were quite clear - almost no freight traffic around and so we arrived just a few moments after four. We stayed to chat and have a cup of tea for an hour before setting off for our return trip. It was by now completely dark but the driving was not as difficult as we thought it might be. Once we had cleared the M5 and onto the A404(M) there was only one spot where there was any traffic at all and that was only a slowing down. No real congestion at the usual trouble spots.
We arrived back at the boat before 19:30 and set about preparing dinner - sausage and mash with a onion, pepper and mushroom sauce that made good use of the remainder of the jar of pizza topping that was not needed the night before!
Sunday, 31 December 2017
New Year's Eve
Don't be fooled by the date given for this post - it was, of course, actually written the next morning but it is easier for later use if the date of the post relates to the day described!
After the late night yesterday, no-one was in the mood for an early rise today. In fact, the last of the 'getting up' occurred just before high noon.
Eventually we managed to construct lunch after which we planned to walk into town for some milk. However, having kitted ourselves out for a walk along the damp (aka very muddy) towpath, and getting out of the boat, locking the doors etc, rain arrived and in the sky it looked as if there would be heavy showers for some while.
So Mike was dispatched back to the boat for the car keys - which also meant changing from walking boots into shoes for driving - and we drove to Morrisons. Alice had just finished all of the books she had brought with her, both hard copies as well as a load on Kindle, so she and Christine went off to WH Smith whilst Mike and Jess collected the various items on our list. Yes, we know that we originally said that we only wanted milk but lists grow. This time, Jess had written out the list earlier and came prepared with a pen to tick each item off as we found it. Naturally, there were one or two extras along the way as well!
After driving back to the marina, leaving Alice to make a start on her new and substantial book, the others went for a walk along the towpath down to the new locks towards the motorway. You see, that rain never really materialised - that's British weather for you!
Along the way we showed Jess how the new stretch of canal had been built and how modern techniques (ie reinforced concrete) were used to make the locks, both the double lock staircase as well as the single Lock 6.
We walked as far as the footbridge just before the culvert under the motorway. Today the water level had receded and was well down into the green section of the measuring board below the last lock.
Back on the boat and later in the evening, Jess set about making a pizza for tonight's meal - using some of the extra ingredients (olives and pineapple) which she had bought earlier. It also gave us a chance to try out the new pizza tray and to see if it bakes the dough better than a solid tray. (It did)
When it came to loading up the top of the pizza, we had to make a map of the four quarters as everyone had different preferences for what to put on. More accurately, each of us had views on what not to put on! Christine put together a salad and, with some heated up hash browns from the freezer,. we had a good meal. The pizza was followed by eating up some of the left over dessert items that were still taking up space in the fridge!
The evening television programming was not that brilliant but we did find a very interesting documentary on More Four about the present restoration works on Big Ben (or more correctly the tower in which the famous clock and bell are housed).
This took us close to midnight and we tuned to the fireworks display from central London. Even though we could only see it trough the small screen, we could tell that it was a really impressive display. Each year the technology seems to move on to enable the designers to surprise even the most seasoned firework watcher.
We had drinks at the ready and saluted the New Year, just as Big Ben chimed - it was allowed to ring out today even though we knew from the documentary that it is currently normally silenced for the protection of the workers on the restoration.
Eventually we all drifted off to bed . . . but not before some of us had to cope with a small glitch with the washing machine. Fortunately, all is now well!
Welcome to 2018, folks!
After the late night yesterday, no-one was in the mood for an early rise today. In fact, the last of the 'getting up' occurred just before high noon.
Eventually we managed to construct lunch after which we planned to walk into town for some milk. However, having kitted ourselves out for a walk along the damp (aka very muddy) towpath, and getting out of the boat, locking the doors etc, rain arrived and in the sky it looked as if there would be heavy showers for some while.
So Mike was dispatched back to the boat for the car keys - which also meant changing from walking boots into shoes for driving - and we drove to Morrisons. Alice had just finished all of the books she had brought with her, both hard copies as well as a load on Kindle, so she and Christine went off to WH Smith whilst Mike and Jess collected the various items on our list. Yes, we know that we originally said that we only wanted milk but lists grow. This time, Jess had written out the list earlier and came prepared with a pen to tick each item off as we found it. Naturally, there were one or two extras along the way as well!
After driving back to the marina, leaving Alice to make a start on her new and substantial book, the others went for a walk along the towpath down to the new locks towards the motorway. You see, that rain never really materialised - that's British weather for you!
We walked as far as the footbridge just before the culvert under the motorway. Today the water level had receded and was well down into the green section of the measuring board below the last lock.
Back on the boat and later in the evening, Jess set about making a pizza for tonight's meal - using some of the extra ingredients (olives and pineapple) which she had bought earlier. It also gave us a chance to try out the new pizza tray and to see if it bakes the dough better than a solid tray. (It did)
When it came to loading up the top of the pizza, we had to make a map of the four quarters as everyone had different preferences for what to put on. More accurately, each of us had views on what not to put on! Christine put together a salad and, with some heated up hash browns from the freezer,. we had a good meal. The pizza was followed by eating up some of the left over dessert items that were still taking up space in the fridge!
The evening television programming was not that brilliant but we did find a very interesting documentary on More Four about the present restoration works on Big Ben (or more correctly the tower in which the famous clock and bell are housed).
This took us close to midnight and we tuned to the fireworks display from central London. Even though we could only see it trough the small screen, we could tell that it was a really impressive display. Each year the technology seems to move on to enable the designers to surprise even the most seasoned firework watcher.
We had drinks at the ready and saluted the New Year, just as Big Ben chimed - it was allowed to ring out today even though we knew from the documentary that it is currently normally silenced for the protection of the workers on the restoration.
Eventually we all drifted off to bed . . . but not before some of us had to cope with a small glitch with the washing machine. Fortunately, all is now well!
Welcome to 2018, folks!
Saturday, 30 December 2017
101 Dalmatians
Today saw our long-awaited trip into Birmingham to see the evening show at Birmingham Rep - 101 Dalmations. After brunch, or early lunch, we set out just before midday to drive into town and to the rail station. On the way we paused to pick up the weekend paper from Morrisons.
Whilst Mike parked the car - using the app he installed last week to pay for it - ours was the only car in the park - the others went to buy tickets and to check out that the return journey was not affected by the advertised engineering works or industrial action. Whilst we had just confirmed it from the on-line service, it is good to have it confirmed by a real person as well! We had arrived much earlier than expected so had a bit of a wait on the platform but at least there was a seat and a shelter.
When our train arrived it was already quite full and a good number of people were waiting with us - this was the fast train to Birmingham. Mike and Jess had to stand throughout and, after stopping at Bromsgrove to pick up more passengers, it became even more crowded. It seems that the service on this line is frequently well over-subscribed but still the operators do nothing much about it. Still, 36 minutes later we were on time at our destination.
After leaving Grand Central - the new name for the complex that has recently been finished and covers the whole station, replacing a worn our previous development - we walked up to New Street. We were heading for the Museum and Art Gallery but took time to check out the various eating places along the way to see if there was something suitable for an early meal before the show.
As soon as we reached the art gallery we headed for the Edwardian Tearoom for a welcome drink - tea made with proper tea leaves and needing a tea strainer!
After that we split up into pairs to take different routes around the many displays and exhibition galleries. Christine and Alice concentrated mostly on the Pre-Raphaelite section which is especially well represented here. This painting by Ford Madox Brown is one of the better known and uses the painter, his wife and his daughter as models.
One of the first items that Jess looked at was this modern piece that re-created techniques devised centuries earlier. The infinite array uses glass that is both reflective and transparent.
Jess wanted especially to follow the sheet of paper that we were given at the start that picked out a few Nativity or seasonal items around the different galleries. Alas, someone forgot to take any photos of these items (we were not too sure whether photography is allowed so most were taken surreptitiously, but others were doing likewise!) but there was plenty of interest in the rest of the displays.
This bust of one of the 17C Doges of Venice caught Mike's attention - Francesco Molin looks as austere as the reputation that the Doges seemed to gain.
The modern art gallery had a wide rage of items but this one is by Halima Cassell, born in Pakistan but grew up in Lancashire. The sculpture is called Calliope and she says it is meant to be inspired by the shapes of Arabic lettering.
After completing all of the galleries on the main level, Mike and Jess climbed the stairs to the next level, looking at this stained glass window along the way. Great care was taken to ensure that it was not damaged during WW2 bombing raids which did affect the museum as a whole.
One of the main displays on the upper floor shows the way in which the present day city of Birmingham has evolved from a tiny medieval village. Its growth was sparked by an enterprising local lord of the Manor who bough a charter from the king that allowed him to hold a weekly market on his land.
One of the seasonal items Jess was looking for was a bust of Charles Dickens which took a little searching for. The reason for including this item was that the first public reading of A Christmas Carol took place here in front of an audience of over 2000.
We saw how the industrial explosion demanded lots of cheap labour and that included children as young as 9. W also listened to a number of folk songs that related the life of ordinary people - sometimes the only way of understanding what life was like for those whose lives are otherwise rarely recorded. One, about a Jack of All Trades, showed how many had to take work wherever and however they could find it - not for them was there a career (or trade) for life.
At the agreed time we all met together again and checked out the walking route to the theatre. The centre of Birmingham, where the old Brutalist library once stood, is now under extensive re-development and some of the older walking routes are blocked off.
Time then to meander back to New Street in search of an eating place. Jess was keen to have a burger whilst Alice much preferred something with pasta. Fortunately, Mike had spotted Wildwood earlier and, when we arrived, there were plenty of tables free. Just as well we did not leave it much longer as before long it was completely full.
We were able to take our time over the meal and were well fed - each of us having something rather different and the two girls were able to pick their favourites. If anything, the starters of garlic bread (which turned out to be large rounds of baked pizza dough) and bowl of olives were the real treats!
We then walked back to the theatre where the grownups were allowed to have a cup of coffee before we all went to take our seats in the main auditorium.
The show was an amazing version of the 100 Dalmatians story by Dodie Smith but made popular by Disney. The dogs and puppies were portrayed as puppets whose animators spoke their lines at the same time. We were just amazed at the skill that brought the puppets to life and at times it was difficult to forget that they were not real live animals!
Of course there were never quite 101 on stage at one time but it really did feel as if they were all there.
This was a show for all ages - many of the adults in the audience were not with families and everyone obviously enjoyed it. There was plenty of action and the small music group made a great accompaniment. The loud applause at the end was well justified.
For Mike a particular benefit was that all performances of this show are captioned so that "everyone, deaf, deafened or hard of hearing can enjoy the performance" as the captions before the show explained. The caption display was well placed and designed so that it did not interfere with the action for anyone not needing it.
The show finished around 9:20 so we had plenty of time to walk back to New Street Station for our fast train back to Droitwich. No stops this time and so we were back within 25 minutes.
Whilst Mike parked the car - using the app he installed last week to pay for it - ours was the only car in the park - the others went to buy tickets and to check out that the return journey was not affected by the advertised engineering works or industrial action. Whilst we had just confirmed it from the on-line service, it is good to have it confirmed by a real person as well! We had arrived much earlier than expected so had a bit of a wait on the platform but at least there was a seat and a shelter.
When our train arrived it was already quite full and a good number of people were waiting with us - this was the fast train to Birmingham. Mike and Jess had to stand throughout and, after stopping at Bromsgrove to pick up more passengers, it became even more crowded. It seems that the service on this line is frequently well over-subscribed but still the operators do nothing much about it. Still, 36 minutes later we were on time at our destination.
After leaving Grand Central - the new name for the complex that has recently been finished and covers the whole station, replacing a worn our previous development - we walked up to New Street. We were heading for the Museum and Art Gallery but took time to check out the various eating places along the way to see if there was something suitable for an early meal before the show.
As soon as we reached the art gallery we headed for the Edwardian Tearoom for a welcome drink - tea made with proper tea leaves and needing a tea strainer!
After that we split up into pairs to take different routes around the many displays and exhibition galleries. Christine and Alice concentrated mostly on the Pre-Raphaelite section which is especially well represented here. This painting by Ford Madox Brown is one of the better known and uses the painter, his wife and his daughter as models.
One of the first items that Jess looked at was this modern piece that re-created techniques devised centuries earlier. The infinite array uses glass that is both reflective and transparent.
Jess wanted especially to follow the sheet of paper that we were given at the start that picked out a few Nativity or seasonal items around the different galleries. Alas, someone forgot to take any photos of these items (we were not too sure whether photography is allowed so most were taken surreptitiously, but others were doing likewise!) but there was plenty of interest in the rest of the displays.
This bust of one of the 17C Doges of Venice caught Mike's attention - Francesco Molin looks as austere as the reputation that the Doges seemed to gain.
The modern art gallery had a wide rage of items but this one is by Halima Cassell, born in Pakistan but grew up in Lancashire. The sculpture is called Calliope and she says it is meant to be inspired by the shapes of Arabic lettering.
After completing all of the galleries on the main level, Mike and Jess climbed the stairs to the next level, looking at this stained glass window along the way. Great care was taken to ensure that it was not damaged during WW2 bombing raids which did affect the museum as a whole.
One of the main displays on the upper floor shows the way in which the present day city of Birmingham has evolved from a tiny medieval village. Its growth was sparked by an enterprising local lord of the Manor who bough a charter from the king that allowed him to hold a weekly market on his land.
One of the seasonal items Jess was looking for was a bust of Charles Dickens which took a little searching for. The reason for including this item was that the first public reading of A Christmas Carol took place here in front of an audience of over 2000.
We saw how the industrial explosion demanded lots of cheap labour and that included children as young as 9. W also listened to a number of folk songs that related the life of ordinary people - sometimes the only way of understanding what life was like for those whose lives are otherwise rarely recorded. One, about a Jack of All Trades, showed how many had to take work wherever and however they could find it - not for them was there a career (or trade) for life.
At the agreed time we all met together again and checked out the walking route to the theatre. The centre of Birmingham, where the old Brutalist library once stood, is now under extensive re-development and some of the older walking routes are blocked off.
Time then to meander back to New Street in search of an eating place. Jess was keen to have a burger whilst Alice much preferred something with pasta. Fortunately, Mike had spotted Wildwood earlier and, when we arrived, there were plenty of tables free. Just as well we did not leave it much longer as before long it was completely full.
We were able to take our time over the meal and were well fed - each of us having something rather different and the two girls were able to pick their favourites. If anything, the starters of garlic bread (which turned out to be large rounds of baked pizza dough) and bowl of olives were the real treats!
We then walked back to the theatre where the grownups were allowed to have a cup of coffee before we all went to take our seats in the main auditorium.
The show was an amazing version of the 100 Dalmatians story by Dodie Smith but made popular by Disney. The dogs and puppies were portrayed as puppets whose animators spoke their lines at the same time. We were just amazed at the skill that brought the puppets to life and at times it was difficult to forget that they were not real live animals!
Of course there were never quite 101 on stage at one time but it really did feel as if they were all there.
This was a show for all ages - many of the adults in the audience were not with families and everyone obviously enjoyed it. There was plenty of action and the small music group made a great accompaniment. The loud applause at the end was well justified.
For Mike a particular benefit was that all performances of this show are captioned so that "everyone, deaf, deafened or hard of hearing can enjoy the performance" as the captions before the show explained. The caption display was well placed and designed so that it did not interfere with the action for anyone not needing it.
The show finished around 9:20 so we had plenty of time to walk back to New Street Station for our fast train back to Droitwich. No stops this time and so we were back within 25 minutes.
Friday, 29 December 2017
Bicester but not by boat
First thing we had to collect a couple of bags of coal from the office as we used up most of what we had during our trip out. Keeping the stove going all day does maintain a warm temperature inside the boat but also needs frequent feeding! We were also low on logs but they are not stocked at the marina so we will have to look elsewhere later on.
At 11 o'clock we set off by car to drive over to The Trigger Pond, a 17C pub on the outskirts of Biscester where we had agreed to meet up with Adrian , Alice and Jess for lunch. (Andrew left for home just before we set out).
It was a friendly and popular pub with a range of meal options but three of us took the fish 'n chips option - the portions were huge, well overlapping the size of the plates. Surprisingly (at least for some of us) this meant that we had to forgo the sweet options. alas).
Eventually it was time to leave and for the girls to transfer their luggage to our car - they are coming to stay on the boat for the next few days. Tomorrow we take our customary theatre trip, this time not in London but Birmingham which is only half an hour on the train.
Although Droitwich seemed to be just a couple of miles south of the snow line, the motorways had been well gritted and salted and, apart from a couple of congested intersections,. flowed smoothly.
Before checking in at the boat we set about tracking down some logs, thinking that a filling station might be a good bet. However, this meant finding them as the only two we knew about were on the road to Worcester which we had yet to explore. The Texaco garage had cheaper diesel than the other garage opposite so we took the opportunity to fill up whilst Christine checked out the logs. They had just a couple of nets, were not especially good and very expensive but we took one, just in case.
The other filling station proved to be even more expensive so we then thought of B&M on the other edge of town. At first we thought that they only stocked solid fuel but Christine did find them eventually and they were less than half the price of the first net as well as better looking, so we took a couple.
Time then to complete the journey to the boat - although Alice and Jess have stayed on this boat during the summer they have not visited it whilst in this marina.
After settling in they both eventually decided that more food today was a requirement so they were given instructions on how to prepare their own. Alice made a good go at eggy bread - and only set the smoke detector off once, it always does so when frying anything! - and Jess put together a good open pate sandwich.
At 11 o'clock we set off by car to drive over to The Trigger Pond, a 17C pub on the outskirts of Biscester where we had agreed to meet up with Adrian , Alice and Jess for lunch. (Andrew left for home just before we set out).
It was a friendly and popular pub with a range of meal options but three of us took the fish 'n chips option - the portions were huge, well overlapping the size of the plates. Surprisingly (at least for some of us) this meant that we had to forgo the sweet options. alas).
Eventually it was time to leave and for the girls to transfer their luggage to our car - they are coming to stay on the boat for the next few days. Tomorrow we take our customary theatre trip, this time not in London but Birmingham which is only half an hour on the train.
Although Droitwich seemed to be just a couple of miles south of the snow line, the motorways had been well gritted and salted and, apart from a couple of congested intersections,. flowed smoothly.
Before checking in at the boat we set about tracking down some logs, thinking that a filling station might be a good bet. However, this meant finding them as the only two we knew about were on the road to Worcester which we had yet to explore. The Texaco garage had cheaper diesel than the other garage opposite so we took the opportunity to fill up whilst Christine checked out the logs. They had just a couple of nets, were not especially good and very expensive but we took one, just in case.
The other filling station proved to be even more expensive so we then thought of B&M on the other edge of town. At first we thought that they only stocked solid fuel but Christine did find them eventually and they were less than half the price of the first net as well as better looking, so we took a couple.
Time then to complete the journey to the boat - although Alice and Jess have stayed on this boat during the summer they have not visited it whilst in this marina.
After settling in they both eventually decided that more food today was a requirement so they were given instructions on how to prepare their own. Alice made a good go at eggy bread - and only set the smoke detector off once, it always does so when frying anything! - and Jess put together a good open pate sandwich.
Thursday, 28 December 2017
Back to the Marina
Today's Canals - Worcester and Birmingham, Droitwich
It was a bright blue sky that greeted us as we awoke and which stayed with us all until nightfall.
However, this also meant that everything overnight had frozen and, somewhat to our surprise, we had to break ice almost all day. There were some gaps in the more sheltered spots and it was only a few millimetres thick so broke reasonably easily.
First came the two single locks, starting with Blackpole and followed by Tolladine.
At the edges of the canal the ice is caught in the grass or reeds and cannot go up and down as the water level changes - either in short pounds when locks are filled or emptied, or in longer pounds where the effect of the boat is to create a wave as the prop pulls water from under the boat and pushes it out behind.
After a gap we reached the bottom of the Offerton flight of six locks, all close together. With the sun still low in the sky, there were still icy patches alongside the locks to catch the unwary.
Alongside Lock 12 we could see this odd looking building and were unable to work out why it was there, unusually tall and thin. Later, looking at modern and older maps a hydraulic pump is marked here.
Unusually, the lock house is alongside the next lock to the top of the flight - normally it is found at one end of a flight or the other - sometimes both.
Once through the top lock and immediately under the motorway we had a level four miles until Hanbury Junction.
Along the way we passed through Dunhampstead Tunnel. As it is a comparatively large bore and only a couple of hundred metres in length, there is plenty of light - so much that we forgot to turn on the headlight until half way! We only passed one moving boat all day - typically that was as we both reached a bridge hole.
By the time we arrived at Hanbury Junction it was almost lunch time so we stopped on the landing above the top lock.
After lunch - the second part of yesterday's soup - we worked down the three remaining locks before turning into the marina. The ice on the canal here seemed not to have been broken at all today and so the turn was unusually difficult - the boat turning sideways does not break the ice easily, unlike when taking it head on. The marina itself was free of ice and so before long we were snugly tucked up on our berth and reconnected to the services.
After a cup of tea we drove into town to do some food shopping at Morrisons.
7.0 Miles - 11 Locks
It was a bright blue sky that greeted us as we awoke and which stayed with us all until nightfall.
However, this also meant that everything overnight had frozen and, somewhat to our surprise, we had to break ice almost all day. There were some gaps in the more sheltered spots and it was only a few millimetres thick so broke reasonably easily.
First came the two single locks, starting with Blackpole and followed by Tolladine.
At the edges of the canal the ice is caught in the grass or reeds and cannot go up and down as the water level changes - either in short pounds when locks are filled or emptied, or in longer pounds where the effect of the boat is to create a wave as the prop pulls water from under the boat and pushes it out behind.
After a gap we reached the bottom of the Offerton flight of six locks, all close together. With the sun still low in the sky, there were still icy patches alongside the locks to catch the unwary.
Alongside Lock 12 we could see this odd looking building and were unable to work out why it was there, unusually tall and thin. Later, looking at modern and older maps a hydraulic pump is marked here.
Unusually, the lock house is alongside the next lock to the top of the flight - normally it is found at one end of a flight or the other - sometimes both.
Once through the top lock and immediately under the motorway we had a level four miles until Hanbury Junction.
Along the way we passed through Dunhampstead Tunnel. As it is a comparatively large bore and only a couple of hundred metres in length, there is plenty of light - so much that we forgot to turn on the headlight until half way! We only passed one moving boat all day - typically that was as we both reached a bridge hole.
By the time we arrived at Hanbury Junction it was almost lunch time so we stopped on the landing above the top lock.
After lunch - the second part of yesterday's soup - we worked down the three remaining locks before turning into the marina. The ice on the canal here seemed not to have been broken at all today and so the turn was unusually difficult - the boat turning sideways does not break the ice easily, unlike when taking it head on. The marina itself was free of ice and so before long we were snugly tucked up on our berth and reconnected to the services.
After a cup of tea we drove into town to do some food shopping at Morrisons.
7.0 Miles - 11 Locks
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