Bottom of Wigan Flight - Leeds and Liverpool Canal

We got to the bottom of Poolstock Locks at a quarter to seven to be met with this site.  Apparently someone unscrewed the collar of the lock gate and threw it away yesterday afternoon.  The CRT team arrived this morning, found the collar and were able to fix it. 

At noon we were able to set off, but not before there was this queue for the locks.

Once through the locks we turned right at the junction and moored up ready for the Wigan Flight tomorrow.

I used some pretty handmade paper for this card.  I used a wet paintbrush to make a general rectangle shape the size I wanted and wetted the paper.  It is then soft enough to tear apart.  When dry I stuck it down onto a white card blank and added the pink daisies, green leaves, a pink ribbon and the "thank you" banner.

Wiggins Hill Bridge, Birmingham and Fazeley Canal

We set off today at 0730 (late for us, but whatever).  Set off down Farmers Locks, all but 2 against us.  Hadn't realised until today that you can see the Council House and Museum from Saturday Bridge.

The weather was lovely and sunny after a slightly chilly first thing and mist hiding the top of the BT tower, so the lock wheeling was fairly pleasant.

We did not pass a boat until after the bottom of Aston Locks and that was a single hander who dropped his dog off for a crap on the towpath!

We were absolutely knackered by the time we got to bottom of the Milnworth locks and stopped just after the winding hole on pilings, a bit shallow, but as there were no boats around we didn't get grounded.  And it was straight to bed for a couple of hours to recover from all those locks.

It was so nice to be out in the country again (apart from being under the flightpath for Birmingham Airport), and got to see a proper sunset for a change.

I know it's long gone now, but here is a Mother's Day card made with a Flower Fairy picture, lots of flowers and a yellow bow.  Mind you, looking at it again, with that sentiment, it could be a birthday card or a thank you card as well.

Below Dashwood Lock, Oxford Canal

"Jolly was off at top speed heading to Wolvercote"  Presumably slowing down to tickover past moored boats.

A 6am start but still we had boats in front.  We had a great display of flying from a buzzard.

A nice easy card for a Thank You.  A white square panel with a grey strip on the left hand side and 5 coloured gems on the right hand side.  The sentiment is made from peel-offs.

Bettisfield, Llangollen Canal

A couple of lovely autumnal scenes on the Llangollen.
















We stopped off in Ellesmere to do some shopping and then travelled on for couple of hours before mooring up in Bettisfield.

We have an amazing engineer who has done some really crappy jobs for us.  I made this card as a thank-you for some work he did for us.

As he usually wears dungarees I made this thank you for him. It is a white card blank with some red gingham paper stuck on the top, but with a slit at the top to form a collar and used brads for buttons.

I made faux stitching around the edges and die-cut the tools which were tucked into the pocket.

Stonely Green Bridge 10, Llangollen Canal

Surprising what you can find on lock gear!

The morning was spent in Chester, we caught the bus just past the bridge at the top of Hurlston locks.  David bought a very expensive box of chocolates and then we came back.


So, we set off at 1 o'clock and stopped at Stoneley Green Bridge at 3 o'clock, having travelled just over 3 miles and done 2 locks.  Enough for one day.

Don't know what this card is for really, could be a birthday card, or a thank you card, or a retirement card, or a new home card, or most things really.

I just matted the picture onto blue and then silver mirri card and stuck it onto the front of a white card blank.  Three blue gems were stuck onto the bottom to give it a bit of a lift, and that was it really.

Cuckoo Wharf, Birmingham and Fazeley Canal

A long day today, 11 miles and 14 locks.

It started with a beautiful sunrise, and then the weather steadily went downhill.

The locks were all for us (except one) and we never saw another boat on the move all morning.







This lock had a row of little yellow flags stuck across it.

  
And this is what they said.  So, was the gas pipe line dug under the lock before it was built?  Or did they dig under the lock?  And, who is going to dig there anyway?

When we got to Cuckoo Wharf there was room for a boat, though the sign did say "Permit Holders Only" we ignored it and moored up.


Only 2 boats passed us in the afternoon, quite a difference from the last two weeks.

This is a Thank You card.  Firstly I cut a piece of patterned paper and then embossed it to give it texture.  A piece of ribbon and a decorated edge was wrapped around it just over 2/3rds down and the matted onto white card.

This panel was then fixed onto a white card blank. 

The sentiment was made on the computer and added with sticky fixers and two gems were added.

This card could have almost any sentiment added though.

Gas Street, BCN

 Another lovely day and lots of people, but the awful singing finally got to us at 2pm and we set off for home.  There were out of tune singers, wailing singers, religious singers and nearly all were appalling.

We followed Tony on Trent down the locks and traveled back in glorious, warm sunshine.

 We have an ongoing problem with our bog.  It all started exactly a year ago, while we were at Tipton!  We had a new LeSan HeadMaster toilet fitted a few weeks ago, but it is absolutely useless.  It will flush away only intermittently and even then there is a back flush so it never goes away.  We dare not do anything serious and are  having to use the toilets in the Hyatt Hotel.  There is talk of a warrenty, but the firm don't seem to think it an emergency.  (Southampton Boat Show).  They are getting back to us.

This is the card that I made for Richard the first time we had the problem.

I dry embossed some brown paper with a bark folder and cut it into 4 panels, sticking three on the front to look like planks in the outside loo.  I made a mini toilet roll using a sheet of loo paper cut into strips and wrapping it around a small tube.  String was threaded through the tube and knotted then fixed to the front of the card with a brad.

The fourth panel I stuck inside the card adding a cream matted with gold sentiment.

I thought about making it a "smellie" card, but decided against it.

Hopwood, Worcester and Birmingham Canal

 The first Saturday that we had sunshine and the stag parties were jumping the lock and swarming over passing boats as they negotiated the narrows.  I think the police must have had a word with the owner of the Canalside Cafe because several signs have appeared (though only one seems to remain at the moment).

We have actually taken the boat out of the basin (apart from pump outs).  We visited Sherborne Wharf to get the windows finished and sealed off and then set off down the Worcester and Birmingham.

Hopwood is about the first decent moorings a good run from Birmingham so we moored up by the bridge.

Three fellow moorers passed on their way to Alvechurch and we arranged to meet them tomorrow.

It was so nice to be out.  I have missed so much of Spring this year.  We saw ducklings and moorhen chicks, lots of butterflies and dragonflies, roses, foxgloves, meadow-sweet and the last of the yellow flags.  And best of all, the sun shone all day!

Poor Richard at Sherborne Wharf had the joyous job of fixing our toilet.  I managed to drop a wet wipe down (though I have no recollection of doing so!)  Consequently the macerator came to a grinding halt.

This is the third time that he has had to play with our outpourings.  I made this card as a small thank you.

I printed off the stamp about 4 times, coloured them in with pencils and markers, then decoupaged them using sticky fixers.  I was really proud of myself as I managed to get the pig to peek out of the door.  I did this by sticking the hinge end of the door directly to the shed with double sided tape, cut a flap at the side of the pig and stuck him behind the door with sticky fixers.

The sentiment was done on the computer and I matted both onto gold and green pearl card.

This is a side view showing how the pig peeks out of the door.

Gas Street Basin, BCN

 Last night I perpetrated the ultimate sin on a boat.  I managed to drop a "wet-wipe" down the toiled bowl.  Consequently the macerator died a death.

So it was round to Sherborne Wharf and to beg Richard to fix it for us.

Bless him, he managed to fix it for now, but we need a new toilet.  So yet more expense!

Coming back from the boatyard we saw that the bridge at Brindleyplace is being repainted from the contraption slung from the railings.

To say "thank you" and "sorry" to Richard, I made him this card.

I printed out the pig in the Khazie four times and coloured them with pencils and markers.  I then decoupaged them, using sticky fixers and glue (I glued the hinge side of the door down and used the sticky fixers on the open edge.  I then cut out the pig with a tab on the left hand side and stuck the tab to the door with double sided and then sticky fixers on the right hand side.  The topper was then matted onto gold and green pearlised card.  I was really pleased with the result.

The sentiment was matted and stuck down with sticky fixers too.

Inside I grovelled my apologies!

A side view of the card showing the layers.

Galton Valley, BCN Old Line

Walked into the Hindu Kush this morning - well Smethick anyway.  I don't know which shop came first, the dentist or the sweet shop but one must be keeping the other in business.

To get to the shops you have to walk along the Old Main Line canal and then cross over the New Main Line. then the railway and finally, a road.


Another lively, sunny day, but cold.  The BCNS AGM tonight.  David said it had the worst Real Ale he's ever tasted.

I made this card using some free papers from one of the card magazines.  The oval panel was cut from a Spellbinders die and a bunch of flowers was added to the top with a red and white check bow.

The Globe, Linslade, Grand Union

 So, you wait at the lock for an hour for a boat to come along and it's a wide beam!!

Do you let it go through and wait for another narrowboat?  Do you heck!

 Just before Stoke Hammond we pulled in for the day and noticed The Cheese Boat.  An excuse for David to do an interview.

We had not come across Geraldine and Michael before, but were bowled over with their friendliness and kindness (she gave me some card stuff!).

After were just setting off  but stayed so David could do his interview.  We then decided to join them through the next few locks and moored up at The Globe where we all had a wonderful meal.

So I made a thank you card for my card stash using one of David's photos.  They said it was one of the very few photos taken of them together.

I matted the photo onto white, red and more white card.

I Cuttlebuged some red card and added a white strip which had been decorated with an edge punch and wrapped some red and white dotty ribbon around it, tying it in a knot.  This was stuck down onto a white card blank and the photo was added with sticky-fixers above the ribbon.

Radford Semele, Grand Union

 Rain for most of the day, glad we decided to stay here for another day.

Eventually the sun came out and I set off to walk to Bascote Locks to see what was going on.  I failed and turned around after 4 locks.  The towpath was muddy and slippery, but I did see these violets.

Saw this sign at Radford bottom lock.  Didn't have any money on me, so didn't go and take a look to see what it was like.  Anywhere selling food near the cut is fine by me.

The hire boaters are out.  I met a guy in Radford bottom lock looking for a winding hole, so I was expecting to see him when I was walking back.  I did, he had just turned around again before the 3rd lock and was mooring up in the same spot he had left earlier, facing the same way.  What was that all about?

The reason Bascote Locks are closed is because they are fixing the leaks.  Need to do this one too. 

Why do BW always seem to make out that boaters are the ones wasting water when all they are trying to do is use a lock to continue on their journey?  How many lockfulls will come through this lock before the next boat comes along?

Finally got around to the "thank you" card for Kathy, for helping us down Farmer's Locks.

I matted the photo with silver and pink card and then made a floral panel and stripy panel the same sizes which I stuck onto a white card blank and a fan shape.

A scrap of sticky backed pink ribbon was stuck along the bottom of the card and the bow was made with two short pieces of organdie ribbon, tied in the middle with more pink ribbon.  (The organdie came from a hair scrunchie.)  I made a bunch of pink rosebuds and stuck then down with some glue dots and then added the bow with another glue dot.

Engine Bridge No 84, Leeds and Liverpool Canal

I have noticed this year that the canals seem to be covered in some sort of gooey, slimy, scum. Are we discharging too much washing up water and having too many showers?

A lovely sunny day, though cold to start off with. We did the 7 Johnsons Hillocks locks without any trouble (ie: didn't lose the boat in the pound) and did not see another boat on the move until 5pm.





I have been recycling again. This card was made from one that I received as a birthday card. I just cut out the picture and matted it onto some gold card which has the edges decorated with a Martha Stewart punch. I stuck little red gems along the bottom and top and added a "Thank You" topper with a red ribbon.

Gas Street Moorings, Birmingham

Well, the ice has almost gone. This picture was taken a few days ago. Originally the chair and stool had just been thrown onto the ice, then the next night someone went out onto the ice and stood them up!

We managed to get water by using the tap in the sanitary shed, passing the hose across the lock and using lots of connections and hoses then having to set the water flowing before the hoses froze again. The proper tap has now defrosted and there doesn't seem to be any damage to the pipes.


Then at midnight, last night, the fireworks. There can't be many moorings where you can get a sight like this every New Year.

Now we have a new cruising season to look forward to. The plan is to go up to Liverpool for the boat show there, and maybe the Grand National. Then to Leeds and back in time to meet up with Wildflower for a trip down the Nene and up the Ouse and Cam. And somewhere in there, two weeks in Spain with Caroline and Curtis! And what with a new mooring, a busy year ahead.








Two cards. The last Christmas Card this winter. This one was for Bruno. I used the photographs from the other ones I made for him this year, matting them onto silver, red and blue card.

I added two pieces of red card and a blue strip for a "background" adding holographic peel-off corners and strips for some bling and a silver ribbon tied in a knot and wrapped around the blue card. The pictures were then added. To finish off I used some "merry Christmas" peel-off strips.



The second card is a "Thank You" to Hannah (Cubie). She spent hours sweeping away the snow off the pontoons. It was almost a full-time job.

I matted a piece of "winter" paper onto some silver card, wrapping some silver ribbon around it, tied in a knot, before sticking onto the white card blank. I used one of my new Nestabilities to cut out a frame in silver card and fixed the photograph of her behind it. To finish, I printed out a "Thank You" on the computer and matted that onto more silver card before adding it below the ribbon.

Gas Street Basin

The dirty deed is done. The wedding has taken place. We are free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been up to my eyes in wedding stationery for our daughter Caroline's wedding which took place yesterday.

Everything went to plan except for the weather, but it did manage to stop raining for the photographs. She was married to Curtis at Eastnor Castle in Ledbury, so we spent last night in a four poster!

Now we have got our lives back I can start blogging again - and maybe even go on another cruise. We missed the 10th anniversary of being on Mr David last week, I didn't remember until two days after the event. At some stage we had a visit from Jan and Bowman from Rivendell who we met on the Leeds and Liverpool earlier this year and he and David managed to get through half a bottle of whisky - so no-one remembers much about it.

On Friday night we accommodated an very old working boat called Spey crewed by a group of young people (calling themselves The Young Friends of Spey) - see the picture above. They repaid us with Pimms and wonderful English folk tunes (well until one of them dropped her flutey thing in the water.

IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED DO NOT READ ON ANY FURTHER

I made a Thank You card for Sidney, the owner of the Legs Eleven lap dancing club for his present of a bottle of wine. This is it.




I found the picture from the Legs Eleven Website (quite an eyeopener in itself) and made a shaker card using my new Nestabilities for cutting and embossing the frame. I added sequin flowers to cover her modesty

BUT

if you jiggle it about a bit,












All is revealed.

Reedley, Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Waiting for the Greenberfield locks to open. Lovely views, all the fields were full of cows or sheep; and the sun is shining.










There are five (5) notices on this lock beam. Slight overkill maybe?




More sunshine and showers. We did the first three locks to the summit with Heather and after getting diesel at Lower Park Marina just managed to catch Foulridge Tunnel at five past noon. We managed a bacon butty from the kiosk at the top of Barrowford Locks and descended with another boat (sorry don't remember the name) - getting thoroughly drenched on the way. A quick shop in Morrisons at Nelson and on to Reedly for the night.

A thank you card. I know I am getting forgetful in my old age, but I can't remember who I was thanking so very, very much. The photograph is of Roach and partner in Gas Street Basin. It is matted in silver, red and green, as is the sentiment (which I did on the computer). I tied a stripy red and green ribbon around the card and another piece around the sentiment, both tied in a knot.

Gas Street, Birmingham

Well, we got back from Poland safely last night. The difference in the temperature was 15 degrees C (warmer here).

So, today we caught up with the gossip... not much, the police only got called in once!!! And then it was off to the sales - but not for too long, fortunately for David, he came back to the boat early and didn't have the boat keys.





A thankyou card for someone who looked after a friend (twice) during a stroke, then a heart attack.

Biddulph Aqueduct

Back to the glorious view, though we are sharing it tonight with three other boats.

We must have had a fairly heavy frost last night as the canal was frozen over when we woke up. But the sun soon began to melt it, but not before an Alvechurch hire-boat had broken up all the ice. Talking to them at the top of the locks David discovered that they had an electrical problem and had had no heating overnight - icicles on the inside!! We left them waiting for an engineer.

We left the mooring at 0945 and proceeded down the locks. Apart from having to walk all around the locks twice as there are no walkways on the top locks, and having to close the locks after David as there are not many places to close the locks from the boat, and all the locks were empty we were at the bottom by noon.

After we moored up here I walked to Congleton railway station and caught a bus into the town. I have still been unsuccesful in buying a Canals and Rivers magazine which should have published David's review of the narrowboat Golden Cross, a hotel boat with a difference run by John and Kathryn Hackett. They are both comitted Christians and run holidays for people who cannot afford to pay for a holiday.

I sent this card as a thankyou to friends who had us to stay for Christmas. I had persuaded them to watch the ballet - I don't think the men were too impressed.