Bartimaeus

Yesterday morning was another misty day, not just a faint mist on the water but everywhere misty and damp. I got a dry pad out to sit outside while Shane was driving. It wasn’t very cold though. Passing dogs are very common and are out whatever the weather. One man was very keen for his dog to stay away from the water – some love it and some hate it. Cats are not seen very often as they aren’t taken for walks down towpaths and don’t seek out water, but they are seen sometimes in gardens, or boats. It was a novelty  when I saw one trotting along right at the edge of the water. It was probably going a little faster than us, but paused occasionally and I could see some overgrown plants on its path,  causing an obstruction. It decided to turn away but gave us a  hard stare first and kept checking as it slunk away.

The Macclesfield canal has more boats on it, even on a misty midweek day we met several, often at the narrow points. It must have been busy in it’s heydey too as the stone bridges were worn in multiple grooves cut by ropes, from years of hard rubbing.

There were plenty of moorhens about, a cormorant flew over and there was a robin on the tow path. The towpath changed sides at a turnover bridge. There seem to be several here and I loved the shiny wet cobbles.

Picturesque as they are, Shane had to clear the leaf clog after each bridge, to pick up the pace after. Still we were in good time for our schedule. He had a train to catch and our aim was to be at Macclesfield by lunchtime. Ducks flew overhead in formation but we had our gulls in a row in stead.

A few flew off but some just stayed put as we passed. We were unsure if we would get moored in the centre of Macclesfield as it is busy sometimes. We had time to adjust so headed in hopefully. There was plenty of space to moor. As we came in I stepped carefully on the wet jetty and despite the grippy strips it felt slimy. I warned Shane it was slippery. He said that even though he heeded the warning and took care, thinking he was choosing a good spot to step, he still felt a bit of a slither.

We recalled that last time we were in Macclesfield, it was frosty and I was very nervous on the jetty as I had a twinging back and was even more worried about walking or slipping and now it was slithery again. I was happier once we were off there and on the solid paths into town. I was expecting seasonal spooky decorations but saw a post box topper that I didn’t understand. In Scotland (perhaps other places too) as well as lanterns, dressing up and treats, a Halloween event will include messy thinks like dooking for apples, picking up sweets with your teeth from a plate of flour and eating a treacle or syrup covered bun/scone – all activities done with your hands behind your back. Treacle isn’t usually made a central Halloween theme, though I did notice the bakery in Marple selling treacle flavoured things as well as Halloween themed biscuits, but they seemed aimed at bonfire night. This post topper was really going to town on treacle though.

There is no suggestion that there was ever a treacle factory or toffee maker in Macclesfield, to lend the town it’s name. Apparently a wagon of treacle did once spill its contents once and the poor came and took it in handfuls, not an easy thing to carry, perhaps they brought bowls. This event was significant enough that there is a monthly market called the treacle market held on the last Sunday of the month, though treacle is not necessarily for sale. We have missed that for this month. I was driven to do a bit of research into the athlete on the gold pillar box. She’s the most medals of any Paralympic athlete – golds, silvers and bronzes altogether and the most golds too, competing in swimming, as well as a cyclist, and she has also won medals in the able bodied Olympics. 

After lunch Shane went for his train and I returned to the boat. I haven’t overnighted on Bartimaeus alone but I wasn’t boat handling and had plenty of knitting and reading to do. We had experienced hi jinks in Manchester when late night revellers popped our rope of a bollard on the way past, but I reckoned anyone who attempted the jetty on the way back from the pub would have slipped up before they got the boat untied, so even in ‘trick or treat’ season I would be safe.

In the morning I headed to the shops for the margarine that had eluded me in Marple, and to get lunch from a deli/bakers. It was tastefully seasonally decorated, though the  products were not. 

The house across the road from the co-op had gone to town on its decorations including an inflatable ghost and life size (death size?) skeletons. I got in the Halloween spirit by buying a  cauldron brand pack of falafels.

Shane was giving me regular updates on his journey and connections. He was going to be much earlier back than expected. He got into the spirit of things too by sending some spectral science comedy on the family chat.

I had a howked veg plan for the evening. I had bought 2 white acorn squashes in Bollington as they looked a bit ghosty. I have never eaten (or carved) one before. But the insides made a tasty mash with butter and cream cheese served with the cauldron falafels and a beetroot, shallot and mushroom medley. Another of those “never had that before” meals. Ghost guts on a plate and a ghost on the table and tasty enough to be happy using the other one another night.