Middlewich to Church Minshull (Middlewich Branch of Shropshire Union Canal)

We are moving on today but not until this afternoon as this morning the Cycling Tour of Britain Stage 3 is coming through Middlewich so we are going to stay and watch the cyclists come through.  Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish are riding but I doubt if we will actually pick them out as they ride so fast!

Workmen filling a pothole!!

We walked down into the town, picked out the spot where we thought was best to stand and then went for a coffee.  The town was quite deserted but when we came out of the coffee shop there was people everywhere and they were giving out flags and long balloons which you could bang together instead of clapping and there was a lovely atmosphere.

 

We sat on a wall and waited and then a council van turned up and we thought it might be putting up barriers or something but no two men got out with a shovel and a bucket of tar and went into the middle of the road stopping the traffic and filled a pothole.  Everyone started laughing and a chap near us said well the potholes on this road haven’t been touched for 20 years and because the cyclists are coming through, they have now filled them in!!  It was quite funny, I think the two chaps must have been quite embarrassed having to do that in front of hundreds of people!

A little while later, lots of police bikes started to come through followed by cars and one car with a microphone saying that the four leaders were out in front of the pack, about 6 and a half minutes in front and then the first four cyclists came through but they had cars with bikes on them in front of them and behind so it was hard to see them and they had gone through in a flash, I didn’t get a photo of them.  

Bradley Wiggins Team Car

After about 5 or 6 minutes the rest of the pack came through and somewhere in that lot was Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish.  

I managed to get some photos of the pack going through and also a photo of Bradley Wiggins’ team car and in a flash they had all ridden into the distance and then for about five minutes of so after all the team cars came through, it was incredible how much equipment and cars follow them.

Into Stanthorne Lock

Cows following us along the canal

It was really good to see and we were glad we stayed to see it.  We walked back to the boat and set off along the canal.

We are only going a few miles today to Church Minshull.  After a short while we came to the only lock we are doing today and there was a bit of a queue but it didn’t take long and then it was our turn and up the lock we went and on our way along the canal.

Don't think they have enough panels!!

The canal was really quite quiet and we only saw a couple of boats. We chugged on and moored in the 48hr moorings at Church Minshull just past Bridge 14.  We did pass a moored boat with more solar panels than you could shake a stick at, they must need a lot of power!!

We are staying here tonight then chugging on tomorrow.  It has been a really warm day today and dry as well, hope this nice weather lasts.

Moored at Church Minshull