Bartimaeus

We covered a good few miles yesterday. Much of the canal is straight and Shane remarked that he could see another boat a long way off and was expecting to have to wait for it at the next bridge, only to realise it was four bridges away. Similarly I though I saw workers in hi-viz orange clothes because it didn’t look like a tree, but as it took over ten minutes to reach them I eventually saw it was two boshes where the colours blended to orange from a distance.

During the day I got word of a new great nephew so I wanted to know where the post offices were so I could send a parcel. I had finished of the wool to make a hat but was  over ambitious about how much yardage there was and had to skimp on the bonnet. The baby is a hefty eight pounds and twelve ounces so the hat may be an ill fitting skull cap, but the cardigan is ample.

Shane looked at our route and found the place where there was a post office and it was near a lock so he and Bryn could work through that and moor up while I went off. It was apt that I was sending a baby present from Kidsgrove. I got off at a bridge just as Shane was turning at the junction on to the Trent and Mersey. In days gone by the official end to the Macclesfield canal was at a stop lock, and the last mile and a half was a branch of the Trent and Mersey but now it does not announce any change and people regard it as the Macclesfield until the junction.

I found my way to the Post Office and also bought a card there, then wrote it and popped it in with the parcel. Then I went to a supermarket which involved crossing both the Macclesfield and The Trent and Mersey, but I was pleased to see that since my last visit, a pedestrian access to the supermarket had been added at the canal side. I had forgotten until I saw it about the striking colour of the water here.

Missions accomplished we settled there for the evening. Bryn had an early night to catch up from two poor nights. He seems to have caught up a bit but we were making a start and I  knocked on his door to let him know we would manage without him if he wanted a lie-in but the locks were soon if he didn’t want to miss them. Shane had already cast off then grabbed a windlass to walk to the first lock. I saw a boat with interesting paintwork.

Bryn emerged when we were in the first lock. Shane and I both agreed he would be best to have breakfast while the boat descended and then he would have the energy to help with all the rest and he disappeared again.

I could see from the deck we had been moored under a birch as it’s yellow leaves were scattered like confetti. Once in the locks I could see they had accumulated a great many leaves. We met some Canal and River Trust workers who had a leaf rake and were clearing the locks as well as the grass. They also had a windlass and helped with the gates.

Most of the locks are in pairs but many of the pairs only had one working while the other one was taped off or locked or labelled out of use. Luckily at this quiet time of year there was no backlog and though we met three boats there didn’t seem to be anyone going the same way as us.

It was another misty day, but we didn’t get wet. With regular locks and the odd heron, robin or kingfisher, it wasn’t a dull day. Without sun the kingfisher is less bright, but the field of sheep we passed were more colourful than usual daubed with large splodges of yellow or orange

The locks had a dainty crossing bridge at one end and there were many large bridges along the way.  Shane and I swapped driving after a bit. As Bryn ran ahead to the next lock I saw him duck his head. There was a yellow warning but only for the pedestrians. Shane seemed to fit under. I did too, as a pedestrian.

We made excellent progress and Shane revealed that his planned arrival point for the day would be reached by lunchtime, so after lunch we decided to get the next four locks done so we would be ahead and have slack to add in any activity or avoid bad weather in the coming days. We also picked up water before mooring up and now we have all had a shower and rewarded ourselves with a meal out at the Italian restaurant on the canal side. We all had tasty colourful meals and enjoyed the ambience and learnt a new Italian word, a variation on The Barge Inn but without the pun, I am guessing.