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Happy fund-raisersTHIS happy bunch of Shropshire Union Canal Society members posed during a lull on Saturday morning.
They are some of the members at Cholmondeston lock on the Middlewich Branch for the August Bank Holiday, raising funds at the lockside with the approval of British Waterways Wales & Border Counties. The society took £2376 over four days at Cholmondeston, and the money will be put towards new and ongoing projects on the Shropshire Union Canal. Brian at Cholmondeston A visitorTHIS little creature that we found on the lock paddle spindle is a British Smooth Newt.
I'm not at liberty to disclose the location of the paddle or the 'do-gooders' may want to come in and close the lock as being a SSSI. We left it alone and it climbed down and went away. Luckily there weren't many boats about. And anotherWE FOUND this cricket in the sales marquee on Monday morning.
We think it the only visitor that entered the sales marquee during the Shropshire Union Canal Society lockwinding weekend without being tempted, coaxed or cajoled to buy. We brought it out into the sunshine and it soon hopped away. Shame really, because the cricket season finishes soon—unlike football that seems never to finish. We have a reader!I AM told that the rings on the towpath at Autherley between bridges 1 and 2 were installed opposite the airfield in the 1970's, and were the official moorings for the Autherley Boat Club. Due to the vandalism when the housing estates were built, the club moved to Barnhurst Lane, Bilbrook and became the present Wolverhampton Boat Club. Many thanks to our reader, Don Grey on Pensax. Here's one we missed
BRITISH Waterways workboat Boswell taking part in a canal bed inspection below Wolvercote Lock, Oxford Canal, June 4th 2008. Sign says work in progress. Maybe tomorrow!
Waterscape reported as follows: Oxford Canal Wolvercote Lock, Lock 45 Tuesday 3 June 2008 to Wednesday 4 June 2008 Due to a sunken boat at Wolvercote Lock, Lock 45, South Oxford navigation will be closed until 13.00 on Wednesday 4th June 2008. Photo courtesy of Bob & Moreen Peters who were held up for an hour or two! |
Mister MarmaladeFRED ARCHER, one of our oldest members, looks forward to meeting the crew of the boat ascending the lock at Cholmondeston. He happily welcomes boaters to the only drive-though marmalade outlet on the cut and distributes information and good cheer to everyone at the bi-annual lockwind helping to raise funds for the Shropshire Union Canal Society.
Fred is 86 and enjoys selling home made marmalade (not of his manufacture) to passing boaters. He has been known to sell, along with Vic, his apprentice, 240 jars of marmalade in three days. He can also sell a jar of marmalade to someone on the bow of a boat and without the boaters knowing or him knowing, he can sell another jar of marmalade to someone on the stern of the same boat. Slinging it downMY HEART goes out to the hire boaters coming through Audlem on Tuesday morning. As I breakfasted, two boats came through the pound. On up and one down. The rain was sheeting down and bouncing back six inches off the boat roofs. I know that they have to 'get on' in order to complete 'the ring'. But why, oh why, do all six of the crew of one boat have to be out in the torrential rain. Two on the stern, two on the bow and two walking the towpath to operate the next lock. No photo of this, the morning was too dark and too wet for me to snap! All cleanCONTRACTORS were cleaning the Dee Bridge at Chester today. They are removing the weed growth along the outside of the bridge.
To the left of the bridge is the weir gate that gives access to boats up the Dee when there is a spring tide and the tide tops the weir. And here's one I took earlier from Dee bridge at Chester. Several years ago, I was fortunate to see this boat coming through the weir gate onto the Dee.
A right angle turn under the Dee bridge and next stop is the three Dee locks giving into the basin below Northgate Staircase. The photographs on this page are by the author. |
