Chased the Dull Weather away.

 We lit the stove for the first time last night, of no sorry, second time. I had forgotten that after replacing the fire cement around the collar I had lit the fire a little to dry it off. Despite all the extra work and dust etc etc I still think you can't beat a proper fire. I'm sure an oil burning stove is very efficient and a nice looking think sat there, but it isn't a fire. I have never had a house without a fire of some sort in either.

I hadn't kept the fire in over night, but there was plenty of residual heat in it, on top of a frost free morning, to make it easy to get up this morning. Outside may not have been cold but it was wet so there was no rush to get off today, and when we did it remained dull and overcast for a while, but no rain.

This guelder rose small tree or shrub was like a beacon among the greens of the rest of the hedge. The leaves are starting to turn to their wine red and the beautiful shiny red berries are like Christmas tree lights. The leaves and bark are poisonous and another name for the tree is 'crampbark', however it seems that you can eat the berries when cooked or made into wine, with a slight 'acidic' flavour!

Weston Pool does't seem to be connected to an old mill, or anything I can find, but is a fishing pond now at Weston on Trent (north).

There was nobody on the water point at Great Haywood so we stopped to top up. When I checked they have recycling bins here so I dropped out stuff off too. We were soon on our way. After dropping down Haywood Lock we moored up before Colwich Lock. After a bite to eat we headed off for a walk about 3 pm

We walked over Little Haywood Bridge over the Trent and straight over the A513 up to the Seven Springs Car park for Cannock Chase, Last year we were at the eastern end of the Chase at Beaudesert, Cstle Ring where the Iron Age fort is. It was first really established during the reign of William the Conqueror as a Hunting Forest. It was then gifted to the Bishop of Lichfield in 1290, but by 1546 it had passed to the Padget family that lived in Beaudesert Hall. They were to introduce the blast furnace to the area a few years later, and coal mining had gone on around the Chase since 1300's. By the 1600's most of the oak trees had gone from the Chase to make charcoal to feed the furnaces. Sheep were then put to the cleared land and that was when the heathlands appeared. Rabbits were introduced to the area in massive warrens as a cash 'crop', until riots took place to get rid of them in the 1750's. 

The heath land has to be managed and we passed two of these beasts cropping the bracken, saplings and old heather to help rejuvenate the heather. The 'mowings' have to be collected and removed so as not to over feed the land and to avoid incubating nasty bugs and parasites.

In the sunlight some of the old hardwood trees look spectacular and we could be on the set of Middle Earth and wouldn't be surprised if a Hobbit popped out from behind it!

There was a good view from the top there were views across towards the Blithfield Reservoir and Abbots Bromley.

The Chase has been the site of two major military training bases in WWI and a large RAF training base in WWII, but was taken of as one of the largest Forestry Commissions forests in 1921. It became an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1958 and the forest today is managed today and produces around 19,000 tonnes of sustainable timber a year.

Cannock Chase attracts about 2.5 million visitors a year which means that it has a density of visitors 4 to 5 time higher than the Lake District. Today there were few people about, and we had a nice long chat to the old feller who was waiting to pick up the heath land mowers in a big tractor trailer.

The lichen on the hedge on the road back to the canal seems to indicate that the air is pretty good round here.

The Ivy flowers were attracting plenty of late bees to them. Watch out for the webs Mr. Bee!

We got back to the boat and lit the fire once more and 'bangers and mash' for tea. Heaven.

Stone Down, Plotts and Parks.

 We had a bit of a lazy start, even putting the heating on to take the chill off as it said it was 3.3 deg outside, and may have been a bit of grass frost. We still managed to off and at 'em by 10 am. Today however we weren't heading off in the boat, instead we had our boots on and went for a walk.

We walked up the canal, no naked cyclists today, and to the top of the Meaford Locks before heading down the lane. Here we spied an old house, which is Grade II Listed and used to be an old corn mill that had a mill race running through it.

We continued on to the ford over the stream that fed the mill and that was when we realised we had been here before. We had walked to here from Barlaston previously! We walked up the Downs Banks valley with the many families and their small children dressed to splash in the stream and the hundreds of dogs too. This may be a little controversial, but are we at maximum dog levels now? I really hope so as there are just too many of them now, and many don't seem to be overly obedient. I wonder if this economically testing winter will mean that charities have many passed on to them. Maybe a time not to buy one for the massive prizes and wait to see if that happens as there may be just what you are looking for there.

What a great thing for John Joule the brewing man from Liverpool and Stone to give to the public to remember the heroes of WWII. I hope some of those passing this stone reflect on this a time or two.

We did the circuit of the Down Banks NT enclave and then back towards Stone and over the Common Plott. This 75 acres is all that is left of the land used by all the locals as common land and fields. This is all that is left of the 360 acres that was allocated to landowners in 1801. Since 1920 it has been administrated by a Charity and is grazed by cattle. Nice place to have on your doorstep.

Just down from the Common Plott is Stonefield Park. It is a very traditional park. This little pocket park was purchased by the Stone Council in 1920 from the Joule's Brewery. It was opened in 1928 as an adults only park with a bowling green and two tennis courts and formal beds. The layout is much the same with the bowling green and tennis courts still there along with an aviary. A rose garden has been removed and a children's playground added.

As we walked down the hill to the town I spotted this ghost sign writing as we crossed the railway. It is surprising how much of it can be seen around still. It wasn't too easy to read in the light of a dull day but seems to be a bakery on the left and the Co-op on the right.

We called in to the Royal Exchange as we were passing minutes after it opened the doors and I had a pint of Cherry Porter. One of my favourites is Titanic Plum Porter, bu the Cherry is up there too. We stopped in M&S for a couple of bits and then back to the boat for a bacon sandwich before heading off. We heading down to Star Lock and as nobody was on the water point we went and topped up before backing down back to the winding hole to turn and head off back to Aston, now that we have been stymied from heading north of Stoke, again!!

Only one lock today and it had to be filled. Helen did the honours. Although it wasn't very sunny there was little breeze so it wasn't too bad at all. We call this weather 'Hull Fair' weather in East Yorkshire, but really needs the smell of piles of leaves too to be really authentic. 

As we continued on we saw a kingfisher keep flying ahead of us. Helen grabbed the camera and we had fingers crossed that it would sit still long enough for a picture. I thought Helen had got distracted with this one, but no she swears that it is a kingfisher as indicated.

Helen assured me that she had a better picture of the dazzling blue and orange bird. I have indicated where it is just so you don't miss it!

Where did all the bridges go? Originally Bridge 90, now 85! I am used to seeing new bridges added since the canal was built and road transport increased so much since the canal was built so I was surprised to see that 5 have disappeared. Small farm accommodation bridges may have disappeared, but still.

There were no boats on our favourite spot in the area so we had the pick of spots. TV aerial up, fire lit and a glass of red. The perfect end to a pretty good day.

Stopped in Stone, again.

 There was no need for us to get up early today as we now need to reappraise out intentions for the next week or so. The sun gave up, but the trees stopped it shining on us until we left the mooring.

The sun was shining on the Trentham Tower in Sandon Park as we approached. This is the tower that was part of the Trentham Hall (near Barlaston) that was erected in 1840. It was demolished in 1910/12 but the tower was purchased for Sandon Park for £192 and was fully restored in 2016, as a folly.

Still taken with the lovely autumn light, and I liked the way it looked like the canal was disappearing into the distance.

As we passed the railway line next to the canal I was also taken by the red leaves and berries, however the reds never come out too well on my camera.

After Sandon Lock, where we had followed a boat up, as we had at Weston Lock too, is Brg. 84 and then a part of the canal I really enjoy. Nice open country side, with a few bridges and bends to stop you getting board, and a few moorings too. The reflections, whilst not perfect were worth a picture.

Another reflective picture, this time after Aston Lock and approaching Stone. At Aston Lock there was a very strong smell of weed, but not sure if from the marina, passers by or the boat ahead of us.

We were thinking of heading up a few locks to moor, but as we were coming up to Star Lock it started to spit a little so as there was a space we pulled into it and had lunch. We shouldn't have delayed for lunch as by the time we got into town and headed for Mountford's Ironmongers for a few bits I arrived just after they had closed. Never mind, we can wait. Helen was off looking through the charity shops etc so I had a look around for what I wanted else, but no luck.

Everybody knows the story of Joule's but the other brewery in Stone was Bent's, and I have never noticed this sign before. It seems that Joule's and Bent's are quite interwoven. Bent's New Brewery was built in 1888 and was built by Thomas Montgomery who had started out as a house painter in Liverpool and then owned a pub and decided to build a brewery. However in 1888 he was taken to court by Joules for 'sort of'' using the name and stating his beer was Joules, and his brewery was for Joules too. He lost.

Bent's had started in Newcastle under Lyme in 1761- 1772. The next generation moved the business to Liverpool. By 1902 the company had expanded massively and they purchased the Montgomery Brewery in Stone. It never quite reached the reputation of Joules beer but ended up with around 520 pubs before Bass Charrington took them over in 1967. Despite being one of the most modern breweries in the area Bass closed it down in 1968. Bass also closed down Joules in 1974 and brewing in Stone stopped.

The Falcon Hotel on this site may have started prior to 1800, but this building dates from about 1860/70. It was known as the home of the Gooseberry Show from 1860 to 1901. It seems to have become a nightclub in 1984 and is now a Thai Restaurant.

On the way we called in at the Swan by the canal bridge. They have just won the regional CAMRA pub of the year again and have several beers on, enough for me to have a nice porter and a dark mild too. We may go back after 'Strickly' too, if I'm a good boy. The Swan was built in 1771 as a warehouse for the Trent and Mersey Canal. It is a Grade II Listed building. It was converted to a pun in around 1850's.

We still have to decided what we are going to do now Heartbreak Hill is a no no.

Lightening does Strike Twice.

 What a lovely morning to get up to, sun shining and not too chilly even first thing. I love this time of the year when the sun still has warmth in it and the leaves are just starting to go. The light is also so beautiful.

After passing the Armitage Shanks factory, where I resisted taking a photograph,  couldn't resist the light and dark at Bdg. 60 on the bend with the church above. No boats to avoid today either.

There was nothing coming either as we passed through the ex Armitage Tunnel. The dappled light is great, and I was pleased that despite taking several photos I didn't touch the sides, which are very close together in places!

On the approaches to Rugeley (Ash Tree Boat Club, I think) this heron was using the fender as a vantage point.

We stopped in Rugeley for some shopping and to look for a few other bits for me. I was unlucky with my search, but we did get food etc for the next few days, and top up the store. We arrived about 1020 and finally left about around 2pm, after lunch.

The clock tower and entrance is all that remain of the Town Hall and Indoor Market Hall. The joint building was erected in 1878/79. It was also the local police station until 1908! The rest of the building was knocked down in 1978. The new market is a corrugated shed type affair.

There is to be even more moorings at Rugeley as the piling is steadily extending after Tesco's Bridge. It is a shame that more towns and villages don't make it easy for boaters to moor up as I expect the town of Rugeley take a fair bit over the counter from boaters over a year.

Above Colwich Lock is this shed. I can't help thinking that it could be utilised for something. Maybe a coffee stop/cafe. Or do you think there is anything stored in it?

The sun was shining on Shugborough Hall as we approached Great Hayward and I couldn't resist taking the picture. It wasn't too busy and we hadn't really to wait at either Colwich or Hayward Locks, just a little to let a boat out.

As I was waiting for the boat to leave at Hayward Lock I took a picture of the fudge boat and the carriage bridge looking back towards Colwich. I just love the light and shade.

As we were popping up in the lock these gents passed us. It is interesting to note that they are practicing river rescues and the like at a time of 'drought' in the country. There was another group doing the same as we passed this way last, going in the opposite direction.

Just another picture with the lovely autumn low and reddened light I'm afraid.

We were up through Hoo Mill Lock in the sun and looking forward to a mooring after Weston Lock. Helen was looking at the Pearson's Guide to look up what we had ahead of us as we were doing the Four Counties Ring, when my phone dings. It is an alert from the C&RT. I look and see it is regarding the Trent and Mersey so open it to check it out. And there it is! Heartbreak Hill is closed once again!! So we have another day in Stone, like our last time, before turning round and finding somewhere else to go! Thinking caps on.

Boating Therapy begins again.

After a frenetic time at home we have now embarked on our therapy sessions by coming away on the boat for a couple of weeks. It was the usual 2 hours or so to get from home to the marina, and everything was fine at the boat. It didn't take us long to transfer the contents of the car to the boat. I wen to get my gate key fob reprogrammed on the way back from parking the car up. 

We were soon ready for the off and I started to disconnect the shore power, when I realised that I hadn't started the engine yet. I turned the key and it started with a satisfying roar and hardly any smoke so I got busy with coiling up and stowing the cable when the engine abruptly stopped. It sounded like fuel starvation when I remembered that I had changed the fuel filter before leaving last time. I had tested it afterwards but it seems that I hadn't left it running long enough as it was just using the fuel in the engine. It only took a few minutes to prime it and we were off and running. All the boats around us were away or have left so we felt a bit like Billy No Mates, but it did make it easier to vacate our pontoon.

 

We were soon out of the marina and heading north. Last trip out we hardly saw a fisherman at all and we encounter our first almost opposite the entrance, but he wasn't really in the way. We were pass another one before the end of the day. Is there a rough angling season?

The bright green colour has gone gone out of the tree leaves but they aren't really dropping yet. That is other than the horse chestnut trees. They seems to have particularly suffered this year from the shortage of water. The leaves went very brown and crispy quite a while ago and have been falling for a while now. The 'conkers' are nowhere as numerous as other years but it seems that those there are are of a larger size to compensate.

We didn't go very far as rain was forecast later. We found a spot at Handsacre. The bow was off a little bit, but that was as we were on a slight bend so bound the stern in for easy access. As soon as we got inside following securing up there was a shower of rain. I hope this is how our timing in such things is going to work this trip! We had a letter to post so no further excuse need to head off to the pub. The PO box was between the Old Peculiar and the Crown by the bridge. 

After popping the letter in the box we headed back to the Crown that was evidently open. Once inside we joined about half a dozen others, and as the time passed it filled up as folk finished work. I like to see a pub busy at this time as we don't very often visit a pub after 7pm. At one time is seemed that there were nearly as many dogs as people in there. Not my favourite ratio, but they were all pretty well behaved.

The other benefit of the Crown over the Old Peculiar is that the chip shop is next door. Helen had made a chilli to bring for the first night on the boat and she decided it would be nice to have half rice and half chips with it. So a bag of chips was purchased and there was enough to have some tomorrow as well.

It is so good to be back aboard and cut the umbilical cord to the rest of the world (in a small way, as we still need it!). It makes me nostalgic for when we used to stay on the boat for six months or so and just pop home when required. It is a good job I like the grand kids. Mind you I was very busy with Heritage Open Days where I live. It seems to have been quite successful and I'm sure I will do it all again next year. Did you lot out there visit any unusual places etc over the HOD's? (Heritage Open Days).

Good to be back.

Back to the Beginning.

 After tying up in the marina we had washed the st'bd side of 'Holderness' in preparation for me to paint it with raddle black paint. After all this time, before I had finished, there were a few small drops of rain. Typical thought I, but it didn't turn into anything and I was able to finish it. It certainly looks better for doing. One reason I wanted to do it was to not such a poor neighbour next to the boat with the live aboard next to us on the pontoon. How ever he has sold up and moved ashore, but I am glad it has been done. There are bits of hull paintwork to do now, but the main place requiring work is around the control stand where the switches and Morso control are. This will require removing them from the steel and I really will have to do that in the Marina so we will have to wait and see when that gets down.

Last night I also tried to replace the fuel filter, but I couldn't budge it. Never mind hand tight. And why have they positioned it just where the dip stick comes out, and with the inlet and outlet hoses make it almost impossible to take a good grip of it anyway! I was sure I had a chain filter wrench, but I couldn't find it last night. However, whilst looking for something else I came across it so that was another job done this morning.

I also filled up with water, without getting the newly painted hull wet either. It was then a case of filling the car up with all the stuff to take home. We left the kitchen sink, but took a lot of the flowers from the bow. The bloke on our pontoon used to water the plants for us, so I'm not sure what will happen now he has gone.

It has been a great almost three weeks and around 167 locks too. Visiting Brum. is always fun, but with the Commonwealth games thrown in it was great.

Whilst certainly not in new condition it made me think of when we were looking for a boat in the first place. Everyone has a list of things they are looking for. Some where marked down as deal breakers and some can be compromised on for other possible benefits. Once the list is created then the trawling of the website magazines and brokerages starts. In fact 'Holderness' was the first boat we physically viewed. We both liked except for the bathroom set up. We still had about a year before we were ready to get use out of the boat so we left. Later on, when we started to look more seriously, we noticed it was still on sale and for a reduced price. We looked at other boats, but still felt this one fitted our list almost too perfectly, other than the bathroom. So I spoke to the builders and we did a deal that included making the bathroom into a walk through, and that works much better.

These are the original details that we saw. As you can see there is no name and now artwork on the boat. It was on the way to the yard to have the name painted in and the bits and pieces been done to the boat that we decided on the name for the boat. There is only one 'Holderness' on the register, and the closest other is 'Pride of Holderness' which was owned by a lock keeper at West Stockwith I think.

All in all we are still really very pleased with our purchase and I think about 3,800 engine hours later, and many days aboard we still so enjoy our time aboard.

Back to Base.

 We were very close to the railway line last night but conveniently the ASLEF Union had their drivers on strike and we had an extremely peaceful,night with just the occasional bleat of a sheep. In fact a train hadn't passed until after we had arrived at Cowich Lock.

Last night I managed to get the undercoat rubbed down that I had previously done and also washed and coated the partly done area near the stern. It looks a little like the hull has had a dash of dazzle paint applied, but hopefully we are no expecting a submarine attack today.

A little more paint than I want to commit to here, but a great example of dazzle paint work on the SS West Mahomet from WWI. This form of 'camouflage' was not designed to make the ship 'invisible' but to make it very difficult for a submarine of surface vessel to be able to estimate its range, course and speed. This in turn would make it difficult to calculate where it would be in the next few minutes so that setting the direction of torpedoes or shells would not be so accurate.

There was a short queue for us going down Cowich Lock, but about 6 boats waiting to come up. One was the newly revamped 'Caxton' That was owned by two famous bloggers in the past. Helen got the story from the new owner, who told her that they had been pretty well known bloggers. She obviously doesn't read this stuff. Never mind. If she does she may get in touch.

The fields appear to be very dry now, especially as a lot have been harvested now and just the yellow stubble is left. This was rough pasture, but not much there for the sheep who were keeping to the shade anyway. 

No Boats moored near the Trent Aqueduct, but there seemed to be plenty of water in the river as we passed over it.

There were plenty of boats moored up as we approached the centre of the town. We had also caught up with the boats that had gone down Colwich Lock ahead of us. We had seen the NB 'Dancing Sheep', in Penkridge I think it was, and it was only as we passed Naomi's Landing that I realised that this is where it was normally found.

Rothern's are contracting for C&RT doing another length of Armco on the way into Rugeley. There will be even more moorings for folk wanting to stop and shop here soon.

I resisted my usual picture of the Armitage Shanks Factory, and istead just passed opted to take a picture of a small read island. It made me ponder if the reed plant is designed to break up like this so as to colonise away from the parent plant. I also wondered if the it carried it's own little world with it. In the 'Old Days' off the coast of Africa and Asia quite a way out to see, you quite often used to see small little rafts of logs or bamboo lashed together with a palm frond sticking up from it to indicate its presence. The local fishermen used them to congregate the fish as they seemed to attract the small fish under them, in the shade, and so the bigger ones knew where to come, as did the fishermen.

We arrived back at the marina and headed straight on to the service pontoon. I guessed 150 litres would be needed, but it only took 147! I should really start logging everything and do my annual comparisons. I got out of the habit over COVID and not having everything to hand. It seems out neighbour has sold his boat and returned to land so we have a space on both sides for now. Helen and I managed to get the st'bd side washed, despite it still being a bit warm to work, but I wanted to get it ready for painting the next day. I tried to change the fuel filter but couldn't budge it, and it was still a bit warm. I was sure I had bought a filter strap/chain wrench but could I heck as like find it! I decided to put it off until the next day, put the TV aerial up and decided to see if we could make any sense of Sean Bean and Nicola Walker in 'Marriage'.