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Post by mouse on Aug 10, 2015 4:51:45 GMT -5
recently a group of friends and I went on a three day canal trip in Cheshire the barge would be driven.steered by its owners who would also do the cooking and so 7of us interepid ladies of a certain age armed with champers/wine/chocolates and other stuff we couldn't live without made our way across the county border and to our bording point said goodbye to the family members who had driven us there...and set off on our jaunt as we boarded I took a photo of where we were leaving..a rather darkish stretch  |
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Post by mouse on Aug 10, 2015 4:59:47 GMT -5
so as the crew cast off we went to our sleeping quarters..two open ended cabins both containing 4 narrow in sets of two and a narrow walk way .. now northen ladies of England are not exactly delicate little flowers..but we managed to get our very limited luggage unpacked and stowed..choose our bunks...bit of a tight squeeze and being watchful of elbows..though Hillary did very nearly knock out Erica a cause of considerable merriment the photo indicates just how tight it was as Madeline and Hillary try to unpack and kates shoulder gets into the picture  |
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Post by mouse on Aug 10, 2015 5:11:23 GMT -5
after unpacking we all met up in the living/dinning area for nibbles and bucks fizz...at both ends of the barge was where we could be out in the open air and some where to sit...we were told we could kyak along side if we wished and also learn to steer and how to do locks..locks are terms for areas where one can climb or decend according to the lie of the land..but for now we were content just to travel quietly and relax and whatch the scenary drift by...lots of wild flowers on show if any one wished to walk there was the tow path alongside...in the days before engines barges were pulled along by a horse or horses  |
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Post by mouse on Aug 10, 2015 5:20:14 GMT -5
we headed toward what would be the first of many bridges we would go under...quite narrow...the canal too narrowed and widened..but mostly they are wide enough for two barges to pass each other also cannals are not very deep about 6ft max and of course they are very muddy with the water being constantly churned up    |
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Post by Dex on Aug 10, 2015 10:21:21 GMT -5
recently a group of friends and I went on a three day canal trip in Cheshire the barge would be driven.steered by its owners who would also do the cooking and so 7of us interepid ladies of a certain age armed with champers/wine/chocolates and other stuff we couldn't live without made our way across the county border and to our bording point said goodbye to the family members who had driven us there...and set off on our jaunt as we boarded I took a photo of where we were leaving..a rather darkish stretch This is great Mouse. Thanks! I wouldn't even be able to get into one of those compartments. I'm about 6'3" and muscle not skinny. They need a sign that says "NO BIG AMERICAN MALES"  |
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Post by mouse on Aug 11, 2015 0:52:59 GMT -5
DEX YOU SOUND LIKE MIND KIND OF MAN  |
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Post by mouse on Aug 11, 2015 2:36:02 GMT -5
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Post by mouse on Aug 11, 2015 3:07:43 GMT -5
we reach to spot we will spend the night Pat and Erica secure the ropes fore and aft....after that dinner is served up..lasagne followed by apple crumble and cream..the wine flows as does the conversation..our hosts are a nice young couple in their late 20s who look slightly shell shocked and rather bemused..we don't think they have sussed out yet that we are all quite harmless.....eventually after cups of tea or coffee and all being very mellow..we get off to explore..those alble to walk stride off down the tow path..kate follows at a more sedate pace and I retrace where we have come from as ive seen some thing I wish to photo graph..and then into our little bunks all hoping that our individual snorings will not disturb the others   |
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Post by mouse on Aug 14, 2015 2:46:52 GMT -5
in the morning we were all up early adter a surprisingly good nights sleep a hearty breakfast and Erica casts off then jumpa aboard and were are off many locks to get through today.. every one in passing barges are very friendly and every one acknowledges every one else    |
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Post by mouse on Aug 15, 2015 22:21:48 GMT -5
we approach our first lock...with many more to go controlling the waters allows barges to get up inclines and rising ground or down.. shutting the rather massive lock gates ensures the waters pouring into raise the level cannot escape..while at the other end of the lock the water is allowed in until ground level is reached again    |
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Post by mouse on Aug 19, 2015 9:55:04 GMT -5
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Post by mouse on Aug 19, 2015 10:07:36 GMT -5
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Post by mouse on Aug 21, 2015 8:42:25 GMT -5
sorry to be so tardy but photo bucket is acting up..
fingers crossed for tommorrow
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Post by mouse on Aug 22, 2015 5:16:46 GMT -5
we moor up for another night..all tired from the opening and shutting of the lock gates..various walks on the way..and of course from being out in the fresh Cheshire air all day.. a beautiful sunset rounds off the day perfectly  half 6am..and these two have already had a brisk morning walk while the rest of us fall out of our bunks in varing stages of awakeness people pass the barge and all smile and say good morning..a family of ducks hangs around hoping for titbits..seems there were originally 7 baby ducks..now they are down to two so a lady walking her dog informed us our hosts appear to have taken to us...and we all engage on topics from politics to baking bread to book binding to public speaking..we find they are both graduates but wanted to do something quite different..and they in turn were quite taken aback by our varied lives..things we had done etc...they both said it had given them an insight and they would never look at older people as they had done before meeting us...   |
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Post by mouse on Aug 22, 2015 5:43:47 GMT -5
we pass a couple of old mills..this one is still producing things and hasn't been turned into over priced luxury flats once its good would have been loaded onto barges and taken to the nearest town or city for distribution...the chimney on this one is huge   |
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