Victor—Bugsworth and back

The Trent & Mersey Canal

A LEISURELY cruise ordained She Who Must Be Obeyed. Then it was to Barton Turns the first day! Then just short of Stoke in three days? Some leisurely cruise!

But what of this September outing to Bugsworth and back? First of all, that bottom gate on Aston Lock. All of you who have fought with the gate will know which one, that which one person just cannot close. It was She Who etc., etc. turn to work the lock, and though she actually opened the easier of the two gates to allow the boat that was already in the lock to depart, and asked that the impossible to move one be left closed, the boater wanted them both open, and the daft sod obliged. Then wished she hadn't, for in went our boat, but could she close it? No way. So though I am far from a lock ladder climber, up I had to go, and both of us straining our backs, eventually getting the thing moved.

Two men struggling with the Aston Lock gate—notice how it over-leans inwards

It was over a year ago when I first pointed out how this gate could injure those trying to close it, but our masters obviously don't care. But I do, so it's yet another report form, but if that fails it looks like going to a much higher authority. I'll let you know.

The Shakespeare hire boats, based at Barton Turns Marina had become much more evident in the couple of years since we cruised that-a-way—but still don't slow down, says I, peeling myself off the bank.

Insecure Shakespeare hire boat crew

But I felt sorry for the crew of Shylock who wanted to go up to Haywood Junction, but were told they had to have instruction through Barton Turns Lock—which was in the opposite direction. This meant though they started out on their holiday at 4pm on the Saturday, a round journey through six locks to a winding hole at Burton resulted in their arriving back at Barton Turns on the Sunday at 12.30pm to start a very curtailed holiday. Surely it would have been no great hardship for the hire company to meet crews at Wychnor Lock—in the right direction. Perhaps customer satisfaction is not paramount...

But at least they had lock instruction, which one woman of a crew on a Canaltime boat at Wynchor Lock, complained bitterly to me that they had none.

I have to admit, I was worried about spending hours at Fradley Locks, so once again it was a fairly early morning attack, with not too many boats about, allowing us to get through in just over one hour. Not bad at all.

Remember the unlicenced black boat that I often complained about that for two years moved between Swarkestone and Stenson locks?

Years go by, yet still without a licence

At last it has gone, but alas not very far I'm afraid, for we espied it above Burton, and in the meantime had collected a mate, also of course, unlicenced. Come-on you patrol officers, pull your fingers out.

Had a close look at Kings Bromley Marina, sorry, Kings Bromley Wharf as it now calls itself—attempting to go up-market—even though the actual wharf it some 100 yards along the cut. I also noticed that ner a boat had any of that familiar rubbish on its roof and not a single clapped-out model.

Very tidy boats at Kings Bromley Marina

And yes, none of those nasty residents allowed in its hallowed portals, for boaters are only allowed 100 nights a year on board. Status Symbol Boaters welcome.

Rugeley means Morrison's supermarket, so handy just over the bridge, but this time She Who, etc., etc. described the cut there as 'manic'. Boats were packed in solid without a chance of mooring anywhere near.

Wall to wall boats at Rugeley

Taking note of the moored boats, would you believe some of them were still at the 48 hours moorings when we passed on the way back over a week later...

Then it was Colwich Lock, with six boats awaiting, so it took an hour and ten minutes to get through. Longer than the Fradley five! The M1 indeed.

All waiting at Colwich Lock...

After this, She Who, etc., etc decreed we should start before 7am every morning. And so it came to pass.

Are those 'For Sale' notices in boat windows a big con to avoid boat licences? Of the line of moored boats above Haywood Junction there were five with such notices, and four of them with either none or expired licences.

Quite early in Stoke, with the roadworks still in progress, with restricted navigation, together with some handy bolts ready to get you where the rubbing boards had given up the ghost.

Restricted passage at Stoke

Surprisingly a boat at every lock up to the junction with the Caldon, and a further delay owing to about two miles of video tape wrapped around the propeller shaft followed later by a complete coat and then a shirt. But where is Alan's body?

Then the boats suddenly disappeared after the junction with the Caldon, with us going through Harecastle alone, which we well liked, as there is nothing worse than following a slow boat and losing 'way'. I have never understood why so many boaters slow right down through tunnels making it harder to steer. Fear?

One thing for sure, even though it's after the school holidays, the Trent & Mersey had far more boats that when we last ventured up to Harecastle some three years ago.

And so to the Macclesfield

THE 'Mac'—"It's like driving in sludge!" The words of She Who etc., etc... And mooring? If like us, you prefer to moor in the country, then your boat will be on the bottom every time. Which of course has a distinct advantage—passing boats have no effect.

Once again our Principal Reporter, Alan Tilbury, joined us, this time at Congleton, just right for the Bosley Flight, which we did in a respectable one hour 20 minutes. I wonder though how new boaters manage with neither bollards or rings to tie up to at any of the locks?

Climbing the Bosley Flight in glorious sunshine

The Macclesfield is a lovely scenic waterway along the hills of the Pennines, over some spectacular embankments and through most attractive woodlands. To my mind, certainly putting the over-rated Llangollen to shame.

But alas, it is also very attractive to what one boater named the 'tags'—the unlicenced, uninsured and Boat Safety Certificate-less scroungers who pollute our waterways.

Another invader is the ubiquitous unlicenced boats in grey primer. I counted many, all most likely uninsured and without a Boat Safety Certificate, and of course, with no sign of a licence plate.

It would seem owners have a sailaway built, then slip it into the Macclesfield Canal, 'forgetting' of course, to tell our masters. One such boat was so rusty it must have been in situ—unlicenced—for years.

Then I was congratulating myself that I had actually found a grey boat on trade plates—which officially are only for moving unlicenced boats—but was disillusioned to be told by a resident of the Mac that it had been on those plates for over two years! What you might call misappropriation, as it means that though it is licenced, no mooring payment is made.

Boat on trade plates, but going nowhere

Here's a few of the licence-less grey boats for Watford's perusal:

Grey boat with no licence above Bridge 20

Grey boat with no licence above Bridge 22

Grey boat with no licence above Bridge 25

Grey boat with no licence above Bridge 51

The Peak Forest Canal

THEN it was the Peak Forest Canal, but no left turn this time for the 'Narrow', but right for the short journey to Bugsworth Basin, through the swing and lift bridges.

We were warned that the second swing bridge had been reported last year as being stiff to operate, and surprise, surprise, it still was. So we did a little maintenance, taking all of three minutes, and hey presto, the mechanism then worked much better.

A little self-maintenance at a swing bridge

There's a new clever policy of self-mowing 'veg pledge' along this top stretch of the Peak Forest. Real cost cutting—cows grazing the towpath! Bullocks really. Yes, bullocks... Good on y' Robin.

The 'veg-pledge'—organic style

During April when we did the Leeds & Liverpool there was a profusion of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels on the towpath, but on the Peak Forest it was Beagles—four of 'em on the six miles. Trying to make my mind up which is the most up-market. I expect the King Charles has more snob value.

"Have we met before?"

Bugsworth Basin

A small part of the extensive Bugsworth Basin

SO WE arrived at the caravan park for boats—Bugsworth Basin, its tranquility spoilt for us by the incessant running of a boat engine for hours on end. Otherwise we had a pleasant stay, once again exploring the many parts of the basin and wondering at the activity which must have taken place in its heyday.

Rather wet rafting at Bugsworth Basin

The Edale kids on their self-made rafts provided some good entertainment for the moored boaters, with one crew only just making it to shore before sinking.

Then at dusk we were entertained by the music of old played on English bagpipes and hurdy gurdy performed by members of the renaissance band Piva, from the stern of their narrowboat Captain Starkey. And delightful it was too.

Relaxing music from the stern of Captain Starkey

Since our last cruise up to Whaley Bridge, a very handy Tesco's has been built just down from the junction to Bugsworth, right by the side of the cut, with good moorings to boot.

The return

THEN the return journey, with a boat moored just at the entrance to the Macclesfield. Two blasts on the horn to signify we are turning left, then just as we enter, there's another coming out. Why he didn't answer our signal I've no idea, but it was a very hasty stop on She's part to avoid a collision.

Then we espied the horn way at the rear of the boat, which is pretty useless.

Just why do boaters moor in such awkward places?

Down the Bosley Flight, but this time a few dilatory boats coming up, which rather hindered our normal system, so it took over 30 minutes longer to get down. But no doubt Alan will have us believe this was because he was not there to contribute.

There was no list of supermarkets for the Macclesfield, but a Spar shop just up from the mooring at Bridge 75 at Congleton, came in handy, to replace our Tesco bread that had gone stale.

Back then to the Harecastle, and a long, long wait to enter the tunnel, as it took a Black Prince hire crew one hour and twenty minutes to do the half hour journey from the other end, obviously ricocheting the whole way through.

A long wait at the tunnel waiting for the hire boat

Luckily we were in first, with She Who Must Be Obeyed, as usual, at the tiller—no way was I getting wet—doing it in just 32 minutes.

Then an upset She Who etc., etc who wanted to visit the Doulton factory shop, but couldn't, owing to police 'Do Not Enter' tape all over the place.

Then down through Stoke Locks, and I surely must agree with our Pam about the paddle gear on one of them, it's diabolical.

Trouble at the bottom lock with seven boats waiting as the bottom gates wouldn't open, but a call soon had the men in blue on the scene, with plastic barrier planks and timber fished out, then the boats once more all on their merry ways.

Leaving Stoke bottom lock under the new road bridge

I had a good look at that line of moored boats below the bottom lock and espied 10 without or with expired licences—one, would you believe, showing 1999! Obviously one part of the system that was definitely missed in the licence purge of last year.

Moored for the night just outside Stoke, by the incinerator plant, but it was no early start the following day—it poured it down. Managed an hour in the drizzle, then She espied the Wedgwood factory, so that was it.

Wedgwood factory as seen from the moorings

It was a tour of the works, but we enjoyed the experience thoroughly, seeing the actual production and being given an hand-held recorder giving all the information. Recommended. What a difference to that pathetic tour of Cadbury's, where they shove a couple of bars of crap chocolate in your hand, and then all you get is video presentations, with none of the actual working seen at all.

A very handy leaflet in that box by the side of the top Stone Lock depicting the delights of the town, but it's all private mooring towpath side, so nowhere to pull in. Ahh, but an offside mooring as been built for access to the shops, which will take three boats for short periods.

The limited shopping moorings at Stone

Good in theory, but when there's a boat there for a week, it makes a bit of a mockery of it all. Oh yes, it was complete with a ridiculous notice stating the owner had applied for a licence on 23rd May that hadn't been received! Another con!

One boater I met at the water point at Haywood Junction had me somewhat baffled with his utterance that you wouldn't want to drive your car for eight hours a day, so why drive your boat for such a length of time? I think you will agree, that he has somewhat missed the point of it all.

But now it really was leisure time with most of the day at Tixall Wide, with our luck to be moored close up to Petronella, whose engine was running all afternoon. Obviously another continuous cruiser who hadn't been. I'm not in to confrontation, so we moved on to quieter pastures.

Dusk at Tixall Wide on the Staffs & Worcs

Come 6.30am the following morning and the first boat came steaming past at a very healthy rate of knots indeed, with the thump, thump of it's engine, and of course engine room doors wide open, so if we like the sound or not, and I most certainly don't, we had to have it, with all but the deepest sleeper of the assembled boaters rudely awakened by that selfish private boater. Some ten minutes later there gentle swish of a Stone Cruisers hire boat, on tickover, which could hardly be heard. What a difference.

Just why is it that those with such noisy engines in engines rooms always seem to have side doors open so that all hear the racket? So, they like the thump, thump, and that's certainly their prerogative, but others prefer the peace of the waterways, so how about keeping the clatter to yourselves?

The scenic Trent Valley above Rugeley

It was leisure time indeed with three days to get back to Sawley, and so another stop at Rugeley, with a little more mooring space on the Saturday morning, but the boater on Tic Tac still managed to turn the three moorings capacity topside of the bridge into two, by refusing to moor to the end ring. What is it with boaters these days, don't they think about others?

Rugeley has always been lucky for us. Many years ago our old boat's engine was leaking around the water pump, yet we managed to get the correct gasket in the town. Then this time our press button door lock wouldn't open, yet we found one of those ironmongers, a rabbit-warren of a shop, most of which have long gone, stocking the actual lock. And stocking many of those things that the quick turnover big boys don't want to know about. Straight through Morrison's car park to get to it. We came out with a bagful of goodies.

A gem of a shop with all manner of things

Sunday is normally an 'off' day for us, but She Who Must, etc., etc. dictated we were away on an early start through Fradley, and I do mean early, and so through the locks and Burton to a favourite mooring to the piling by bridge 25 before the hub-bub of Willington.

It was going through these locks that brought home just how busy is the Trent & Mersey. At Alrewas Lock we had two Canaltime boats at the front of us, one behind us and another coming the other way—with a Shakespeare Line boat and a couple of privates in the mix. We lost one of the Canaltime boats from the front, its crew deciding to tie up on the lock moorings, even further adding to the congestion.

Now there was just space for one...

The last day, and back to the broad locks again, but why is all the paddle gear so hard to operate now? Poor engineering or somebody who is most definitely anti-boater? It's definitely one or the other.

Two boats moored on the piling above Stenson Lock, each with a red British Waterways sticker pointing out that it is an offence not to show a licence, promising dire consequences. Yet the notices were affixed on the 24th May, and still nothing done.

Two unlicenced boats resident on prime moorings

What's so annoying to boaters, us included, is that these two unlicenced boats have been taking up prime mooring space, on piling, just above the lock, since last November. Made worse by the fact that there is no piling at all between there and Willington.

And the unlicenced black boat and its mate are back at their normal stamping ground again above Swarkstone Lock. What did I say about those patrol officers around there? It's three years now...

And so to our most unfavourite lock—Aston of course, yet it often provides entertainment, this time in the shape of a boat well and truly stuck across the cut below the lock with another attempting to drag it free. How did it get there? Looking at the object on its front, it's a wonder the steerer can see anything, let alone where he is going...

The last entertainment for us at this lock was a Canaltimer who forget to tie his boat up whilst the lock was being emptied. So it drifted away, and call and whistle as the boater did, the boat took not one bit of notice but headed back home. So it was left to us to take him on board and reacquaint him with his craft.

And whilst on the subject, between Willington and Sawley it was a count of 15 Canaltime boats littering the waterway.

So that was the end of our little Bugsworth adventure, and thoroughly enjoyable it was to.