Bartimaeus

From Ellesmere Port the next step was to turn around. While we were there I had been in touch with a former colleague who was no longer working in Edinburgh. She was now near to places we had visited in our first six months aboard. At that time Christine was still in Edinburgh. In fact when choosing my Ortomarine Slack profile pic, I had failed with selfies, and chosen one of me at Christine’s house in Edinburgh where I had had a farewell retirement prosecco picnic lunch. We weren’t too far away from her now and I  was keeping her up to date with our movements. After a few exchanges she had said she and her husband could come to Chester on Sunday.

We set off back towards Chester knowing we wanted to be there by Saturday night so that we would be able to tell them where we were in good time, in case it helped with parking and not be panicking about getting there and have time to shop if need be. I was wondering whether I would be offering food. I was happy to do that but I knew of some food sensitivities and so didn’t want to offer something unsuitable. Neither of the two boats we saw were suitable foods for her. It is unusual for boats to have food names at all (drink names are more popular Rosé and Gin, Red Red Wine, Brandy). These were homely foods.

I did have a think about a stew I could make that I thought would be safe but they were coming in the morning. I suggested a cafe, Fork & Flavour that we had been to and suggested she check its menu as it did specialise in brunches. We agreed to meet there. 

Getting to Chester on Saturday we found that the place we had moored before was full up so Shane reversed back under the elegant bridge and we found a space that didn’t seem official but wasn’t disalowed either.

The weather was sunny and Shane shopped and told me there was an Italian Deli so I went to visit and found the owner and her friend very friendly. When I went to the till I was offered some free bakery items. Irresistible! I was glad we had moored further back as we wouldn’t have gone to that shop otherwise.

We had done a load of washing which was drying quickly in the sun and breeze. But we kept our eye on the sky as rain was forecast. It came a little late and we got the washing in and it was all dried by the morning so there was room should they wish to see Bartimaeus.

We got to the cafe slightly early and there was only table free. It had four seats so we nabbed it and got a drink. Several other people put their heads round the door and retreated before Christine and Geoffrey arrived. Shane and Geoffrey had never met and he had only briefly met Christine but I knew the conversation wouldn’t falter. Not a bit of it! They were both up for walking to the boat and we showed them around. 

I wasn’t sure if they had a deadline, either for an appointment or a parking restriction but they had time for a short cruise. Christine sat out the front as we set off. A short cruise meant going through the staircase locks. Having messed up before I wasn’t sure about doing them again so I opted to drive and Geoffrey gamely grabbed a windlass and jumped off. I was preparing to rope up and then ask Christine to join me at the back. There can be spraying water at the front and she had no company. The gate opened before I had finished with the ropes so I flung them back and drove in. While I could see Shane and Geoffrey, I saw that there were CRT volunteers on duty so there was not much for Shane and Geoffrey to do but help push gates and take photos.

When a volunteer asked if I was ready for the sluices to open, I asked about the front passenger and spray to be told this lock was fine but the next was unwise and the doors should be closed. I decided to run to Christine and explain and she was on it for closing the doors already, but then decided to come to the back and brought her cushion in, sensible move. She didn’t have her camera but Geoffrey did, so he got some pictures, since he wasn’t needing to wield the windlass.

We had some gongoozlers. A couple who waved us into the next lock, and a family at the next lock. The man was interested and asking questions and then asked if he could get on. I didn’t want him to damage himself climbing on while the boat was rising in the lock. It didn’t seem safe. I am normally happy to show people round but it seemed a bit forward and not the right place to try coming aboard and I had guests already I wanted to attend to. Christine, who probabaly knows from work days that I find it hard to say no to requests, said to me “but it’s your home!” This reminded me that some people think it is a commercial trip boat and this might have been his misunderstanding. I explained to him that it was where I live and not a trip boat. His family had meantime been saying to him that he couldn’t just get on so he had moved away from that request but asked if he could touch it. We were higher now, so he certainly could and he did reach out and tap it. He asked how much we paid for it and then they moved away and it was time for us to move into the next lock.

The volunteers do the lock nice and slowly so it was a gentle rise. Shane and Geoffrey got back on at the top and I drove on a bit. Shane took over as I was conscious I had handled a rope going in and still wanted to wash my hands. I had shared with Christine the important message that canal water is far from clean and she was prepared with hand gel. She always was very well prepared, reliable and organised. Edinburgh might be missing her, but Cheshire know a good thing when they see it and won’t be letting her go easily.

I was really pleased she had time in her busy schedule and that she and Geoffrey had made the journey to see us. We dropped them off in an area they recognised so they could find their car and we hope they might join us again.