Water pumps, ice and junctions.

Having survived the gale we set off yesterday along the Middlewich Arm, it's a lovely stretch going through perfect English farmland but is not that photogenic,

somehow views of fields just don't come off that well so we took photo's of the only two outstanding structures,

the old stables, now a des. res. and

the house with the Dutch Gables, just what everyone takes photo's of.
Having moored overnight above Cholmondeston (Does anyone know how that is pronounced?) lock, this morning I bounded out of bed with a merry cry to greet the day as is my wont and then discovered that the water pump had gone belly up and we were getting nothing through the taps, that put the dampers on it. It is lucky that I am a belt and braces man, out came the spare water pump and on it went. As I removed the old one a mixture of water and grease ran out of the body, I think that could have something to do with its demise. Jill then gave me egg and bacon as a reward for not sulking, only swearing a little and actually getting the new pump working.

As we headed to Barbridge Junction we found the first ice of the winter, only a bit of cat ice but, oh well, this time last year we had been iced in for three weeks.

Barbridge junction under a winter sky and then

Hurleston, B.W. have removed the " Canal Closed" sign on the bottom gates so I assume the Llangollen is now open after the stoppages.
At Nantwich we passed Go For It, another blogger, just time for a quick "Hi" and on we went. I think it's a first for us, through Nantwich without stopping.

Hack Green Locks, I know I always take the mick out of the secret bunker but they also have some old stables and

a large chunk of masonry that was obviously part of the lock gate fittings.
Coole Pilate tonight, on through Audlem tomorrow, weather permitting.

Blow blow thou winter wind.

Well that was close, yesterday we set off from Middlewich and as we came up the bottom lock there was a B.W. workboat coming down the middle lock, they were on their way to shut big lock as the blocked top paddle needed more work doing on it than had previously been thought and they were draining the cut as far as Croxton aqueduct. Apparently they feel the need to inspect the bed of the canal, for what they did not divulge.
Thanks for the warning Alf but we have slipped through in time.
"Blow blow thou winter wind, thou art not so unkind as mans ingratitude," well that was Shakespeare's opinion,

Jill might not have agreed as we worked through Stanthorne lock in a howling gale with hailstones coming in horizontal.
Today we are sitting in the lee of a hedge whilst the promised weather batters us, there is no way we are moving. Snooker on the red button from 1230 so that will be us settled, unless the wind blows the satellite dish off the roof.

Mostly weather, not much excitement.

Well winter seems to have arrived at last, we're still in the Middlewich area but intend heading back to the Shroppie on Thursday.

Last Friday we headed out on the T&M, Croxton Flash seemed to be home base for a number of Canada geese, I wonder what they taste like? The number of them that are infesting the canals they surely wouldn't miss a few.
We moored above the valley of the River Dane,

It winds through the fields

and here there seems to be the remains of a weir, can't see any reason for it at this point on the river but there is definitely a masonry lip between the far bank and the little islet. One more little mystery that probably has a totally mundane explanation, if only I knew what it was.
Today it was back to Middlewich, as we watered below Big Lock the weather decided to add a little entertainment to the day,

up came the clouds and down came the sleet, it made life just a little more interesting.

Top up the victualling cupboard tomorrow and then off.
Struggling for anything of interest today but at least there is snooker on the telly this week.

Fungiphobia.

Having a couple of days on the moorings above Winsford Top Flash.

On one side you have a view over the flash

and on the other the main line, sorry it's only a Pendolino, a minute later an old H.S.T. 125 in an amazing yellow livery went through but by then I'd stowed the camera away.
This morning we went off up the towpath for a leg stretch,

more autumn colours and lots of

fungi, unfortunately the camera didn't pick up the brilliant mauve of this one, I  think it could be a Wood Blewitt, Lepista Nuda.

and could this be The Miller, Clitopilus Prunulus? Both of those are edible, am I going to eat them? Not a hope, unless it has the name of a well known supermarket on the package there is no way they will pass my lips.
I should like to add an acknowledgement to the Collins Gem Guide to Mushrooms and Toadstools, my sole source of knowledge of  things fungal, apart from athletes foot that is.

No idea what this is though, can't find it in my little book.

Watch this space.............

BLUE mesh, the future?

First the good news, I remembered which particular bramble patch my lure was hanging in so yesterday when we set off through the murk I retrieved it.

This is Beeston Castle in the murk.
I have just realised that I described myself as an inefficient pike fisherman, I did of course mean incompetent, sorry for that.

With all that width of water you would think there would be at least one pike interested.
We headed onwards

through the two Beeston locks, above the stone lock there is one of the odd little circular lengthsmans huts but the most important thing here is

blue warning mesh. Is this the future with C.A.R.T? A complete break with B.W? I can hardly wait.
We turned off onto the Middlewich Arm and moored above Cholmondeston lock and as we are now in winter routine, killing time basically, we spent the day here. A wander down to the junk antique shop at Venetian Marine was a highlight, lots of badly battered furniture at ludicrous prices, definitely not Antiques Road Show fodder.
Then this evening a rather spectacular sunset,

get a load of the reflection in the cabin side, honestly, Armadillo is not that shiny but I do like the photo'.

Watch this space...........

Pike fishing, huh!

Out of Chester yesterday, those five locks coming up are real stinkers, no matter how careful you are with the paddles, no matter in which order you open them you will get blown all about the chamber, each one seems to shoot the water in from a different angle and to add a little variety the bottom lock has one ground and one gate paddle. At least we could get on the waterpoint on the way up as one of the boats had gone.
We moored at Tattenhall and are aiming for at least a couple of days here. I dusted off my pike tackle this morning, sorted out the lures and set off for a spot of predator fishing. At least I only lost one lure, left hanging in the brambles on the off side after an overenthusiastic cast. Never had a sniff at a fish, I appear to be the most inefficient pike angler ever, just the occasional toothy fellah would be more than welcome. Perserverance will pay off, eventually.

Watch this space...........

A circumnavigation of Chester's walls and some disappointing Christmas lights.

In all the times we have been to Chester we had never actually walked all the way around the walls in one go so today, after the usual visit to Tescos to top up the store cupboard, we set off.

Kaleyards Gate, so called because in the 13th C. the monks from the abbey knocked a hole in the wall so they could get to their vegetable gardens which were outside. Kale = cabbage. Every night at 2100 the cathedral rings the curfew bell and dutifully locks the gate, as none of the other town gates have been closed at night since medieval times it seems a bit pointless,

but tradition demands it will happen and of course it does.

King Charle's tower, so called as the eponymous king watched, from this tower, the parliamentarians give his lads a bit of a duffing up at the battle of Rowton Moor, 24th September 1645.
The Chester Canal runs alongside this stretch of wall,

the canal builders used the old town ditch as their starting point and simply enlarged it.

Jill emerges from Pembertons Parlour, a medieval tower much knocked about in the Civil War and rebuilt by John Pemberton, mayor of Chester at some time in Queen Anne's reign, he used it to keep an eye on the workers in his ropewalk below the walls, R.H.I.P.

Bonewaldesthorne's Tower, I only put this in because of the name. If the enemy attacked here, by the time you'd shouted a warning as to where the attack was it would be all over.

The Roodee Racecourse,

I thought they raced horses here, I was obviously misinformed.
As you walk on you pass

the remains of Chester Castle,

the Old Dee Bridge and

Chester Weir, built about 1087 and the oldest mill dam in Britain, at one time it powered eleven waterwheels.
Much to my surprise as it approached lunch time we happened upon

The Albion, a favourite hostelry of ours,

with its wonderfully atmospheric interior and a sign outside announcing "This pub is not child friendly, no one under eighteen allowed", music to a curmudgeons ears.
Suitably refreshed we proceeded onward, passing the Roman amphitheatre,

then walking under the clock on Eastgate which celebrates Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee and on to

the cathedral, which brought us back to Kaleyards Gate. It made a most pleasant walk in autumnal sunshine.
This evening we ventured forth to see the Christmas lights,

 they were not exactly awe inspiring although

this, outside the cathedral was quite attractive, I have no idea what it is meant to represent but it was different.
Tomorrow we shake the dust of Chester from our feet and set of for.......

Watch this space...........