Anthea's Afternoon Tea Party

Saturday 5^th August

It was our friend Anthea’s 60^th birthday yesterday and today she is having afternoon tea at here house for all her girlfriends and I have been invited.  Her partner Dave is picking me up at 3pm.

Anthea opening her presents

In the morning we walked into the town and did some shopping, there was a craft market in the square so we had a look around there.  We also went to the book shop (we call it The Library) for a drink and a sandwich then we walked back to the boat.

We met Dave on the main road and he drove me to their house. 

Some of the girls

Still opening presents!

I had a really lovely afternoon and evening with all the girls, some I have met before and some I hadn’t so it was really nice to meet the rest of the gang.  Jane was there so that was good.   

Sitting with Jane

We had Pimms and also G&T and Anthea did a lovely Buffet/Afternoon Tea.  I made her a ginger cake and it is Dave’s favourite so when he came back in the evening, he was trying to guard what was left!  One of her friends made her some Rocky Road and it was scrummy.  Another of her friends made Scones and they were delicious complete with Jam and Cream!

Anthea and one of her cakes!

We had a great time chatting, drinking, eating and laughing.  Anthea had two birthday cakes so I took some home as after all the other goodies, I was full and of course Kev got a piece as well.

Dave dropped me back to the boat about 11pm, latest I have been out in ages but well worth it, it was great to see Jane, Anthea and Dave one more time before we leave the area and I was very grateful that they invited me to the gathering as I really enjoyed it.

We are staying here in Nantwich Sunday as well and then it is time to leave.

Bridge 89 to Nantwich (Shropshire Union Canal)

We are moving on only about a mile today to the moorings before the aqueduct at Nantwich.

Kev driving in the rain

Aroi Thai

We set off in the sun, but shortly after we had left our mooring, the heavens opened and we had a short sharp shower, luckily Kev grabbed the umbrella so he kept dry and I was okay as I was inside!

Beautiful carved tables and chairs

Lovely carvings on the tables

We chugged under a few bridges and when we got to where we moored, the space we saw last night was still there, so the cones had worked!  We moored up there and chilled out for a bit.

Sharing Platter

Thai Tapas

We then walked into the town, went to a couple of shops then went to have lunch in the Thai restaurant called Aroi Thai and they do tapas.  There was a great choice of tapas and some sharing platters, so we had one of them and a couple of the tapas.  It was really good, the best Thai food we have had in a long time.Also the tables and chairs were beautifully carved and imported from Thailand.

After lunch we did some food shopping and then headed back to the boat.

We are staying here now until Monday as tomorrow I am off to my friend Antheas along with all her other girlfriends for afternoon tea on her 60^th birthday, so looking forward to that.

Moored at Nantwich

Coole Pilate to Bridge 89 (Nantwich) Shropshire Union Canal

Beautiful Evening Sky

We were at Coole Pilate two nights and even though the weather hadn't been too good in the day, the evening skies were really beautiful.

Another Lovely Evening Sky

Coming up to Hack Green

We were going to move this morning but it has been raining on and off and was very blustery so we stayed put and just chilled out.  We had our lunch and then the wind died down and so we decided to move on a bit towards Nantwich.

Sign to the Secret Bunker

We left our mooring and it did start to spit with rain but didn’t last long and there wasn’t too much wind so we chugged on along the canal to Hack Green Locks.  We passed the sign to the Nuclear Secret Bunker, we didn't go because we couldn't find it as it's a secret!

In Hack Green Top Lock

There was a boat coming out the top lock so they came out and we went in and down we went which didn’t take long as these two locks are not very deep.

Going from one lock to the next

Another boat was coming out the next lock so that one was ready for us as well and when we were ready to leave the lock, a boat came along the canal so we left the gates open for them.

We chugged on a mile or so and moored up before Bridge 89.  We didn’t go right to Nantwich as it is a popular mooring spot and we thought this time of day, it would be full. 

In Hack Green Bottom Lock

We had a bit of trouble getting in the side at first as it was a bit shallow and silted up, but we got in eventually although the back was out a bit, but we got the front in so we could get on and off so that was fine.

We then went for a walk along the towpath as it was dry and the wind had dropped at last.  The moorings where we want to go tomorrow were not that busy actually which was a surprise so hopefully there will still be a space for us in the morning.

We walked back to the boat and just chilled out.  We are staying here tonight then moving on to the moorings before the aqueduct at Nantwich tomorrow.

Moored by Bridge 89

Moss Hall, Audlem to Coole Pilate

We are moving on today but first we needed to get some water and the tap is two locks above from where we are moored so we have two water containers so we took the containers and two trolleys to put them on and walked up to the tap, we must have looked like proper water gypsies!

Turning Around

Leaving our lovely mooring at Audlem

We emptied it into the water tank and Kev fetched one more and then we were full.

It was then time to leave Audlem, we have had a great few days here seeing our lovely Audlem family and going out and about but we will see them all again in September, so will look forward to that.

Chugging in a rain shower

We had to turn around so we waited for a couple of boats to pass and then Kev turned around in the winding hole and we chugged off along the canal towards Nantwich.

Can you spot the Oyster Catcher?

It was dry when we left, but we had a heavy shower while we were going along, I was okay as I was inside and Kev got the brolly out so he didn’t get too wet and it didn’t last long and then the sun came out again.

We went under a few bridges, past Overwater Marina and just before we got to where we were going to moor, Kev spotted an Oyster Catcher in the field along with the geese, they are a rare sight on the canal as you usually see them on rivers, so nice to see, unfortunately he was quite far away but I did manage to get some kind of picture!

We went on a bit further and moored at Coole Pilate Leisure Area, this is a nice spot with picnic tables and barbeques.  We moored up and then it rained again.

We are staying here now for a couple of days just to chill out and then we will head for Nantwich for the weekend.

Moored at Coole Pilate

Morning on the Driving Range, Hankelow

Monday 31^st July

Lovely area on our walk

We are off to Hankelow today to the Golf Club.  As we are moored down the bottom of the locks this time, we walked back up to Bridge 80 and got off there and followed the bridle path to a lane and along there and eventually we came out on the main road just before the Hankelow sign.  It was a nice walk and we walked over the River weaver where there was some old houses, I think they were mill cottages.

Kev on the driving range

We walked along the main road and soon came to the Golf Club.  We went and got a basket of balls and soon we were whacking them down the driving range, it is such great fun and I can actually hit them a fair way now!

Me on the driving range

Our lunch at the Golf Club

We then walked up to the club house and had some lunch overlooking the course, there were a few playing.  After lunch, we got another basket of balls and hit a few more before we walked back along the road to Audlem. 

We have to walk past Sheila and Tony’s house so we stopped off there to see them and had a cup of tea and then Sheila and I had a G&T and Kev had a beer.  They are so lovely and lots of fun, we had such a laugh hearing all Sheila’s stories.  They have a lovely little dog called Brock, he is a Dandy Dinmont Terrier and is so cute, he has huge eyes and wanted to play, so Kev played with him.

Little Brock greeting us

We said bye to them but will see them again in October when we are in this area again.

We called around to Janes on our way back as we had a parcel delivered there.  Harry wasn’t there as he was at the vets, he was having the snip, poor Harry!  We had a drink with Jane then walked back to the boat.  I will see Jane again on Saturday at Antheas and Kev will see her in September as we are looking after Harry while they go on holiday.

We then just chilled out for the rest of the day and tomorrow we finally leave Audlem, turn around and head back towards Nantwich. 

Festival of Transport and Historic Boats in Audlem

Sunday 30^th July

Boat Gerald

Historic Boats

Little Steamer

There is the Festival of Transport today here in Audlem, it is held every year and there is around 300 vehicles. They assemble in Hankelow, the next village and then parade along the street into Audlem and park up on the playing field there.  Also over this weekend, there is a gathering of Historic Boats on the canal and there was around 30 boats attending, it was great to see all the old boats and there was one called Gerald (which is my dad’s name) and it came from Halesowen (and Hale is our family name), how funny is that so had to take a picture of that one.

Old cars coming through the streets

We walked up to Jane’s house and then me and Kev, Jane and Malc and little Harry walked up the road and stood by the corner and soon they all started to come through, it was a great sight seeing all the old cars, bikes, lorries, bus, tractors, etc.  We stood with Malc’s parents, Tony and Sheila, it was lovely to see them again as well.

Three Wheeler Car

We then walked down to the field and had a look around all the vehicles, we met Malc’s brother Michael and his wife Ruth so had a nice chat to them.

Old Guernsey Bus

You can walk down the bank from the field to the canal where the Shroppie Fly pub is so we went down there and stopped for a drink.  Of course Jane, me and Sheila had Gin!

Suitable refreshed, we walked back through the village to Jane’s house, but on the way we have to pass the The Lord Combermere pub so obviously we had to have a pit stop!

Cars parked up on the field

They have a very good selection of gins and the girl serving us let me go behind the counter and look at the all the gins, I chose Slingbury’s Rhubarb Gin and the three of us had that and very nice it was too.  It had been dry most of the day, but we did have a shower while we were having our drinks, so had to go inside, but it soon passed over and we walked back to  Jane’s house in the dry.

Having a pit stop at Sheila & Tonys

In the evening Dave and Anthea joined us and the six of us went to the Farmers Arms which is owned by Dave’s relatives.  We had a really nice meal and a lovely catch up and lots of laughs as always. We then all went back to Janes for a coffee and then Dave and Anthea went home and Kev and I walked back down to the boat.  We had a lovely evening and I will be seeing Anthea at the weekend as it is her 60^th birthday and she had invited all the girls to her house for afternoon tea so looking forward to that.

Gin Tasting in Nantwich

Saturday 29^th July

Jane, Kev and I got the bus to Nantwich this morning.  They had gin tasting on in the Wine Shop so of course we stopped off to have a try.  It was the Manchester Gin Zymurgorium.  They had the original to try and also a Marmalade one and a Violet one which tasted just like the parma violet sweets, it was lovely, Kev wasn’t so keen as it was sweet but I loved it and have ordered a bottle.  The other two were nice as well.  We then had a wander around the shops and there was a Farmer’s Market in the square so we had a look around there and bought a few things.

Jane and I drinking Gin!

It was then time for lunch so we went to the Book Shop which is also a café and had some lunch, it is always really good there.   After lunch, we walked down to the museum and had a wander around there, it is very interesting and all about Nantwich.

It was then time for another pit stop so we went into The Vine pub and had a couple of gins.  They only had a couple to choose from so we had Tanqueray Gin which was nice.

We then went to get the bus and decided to get it from near the shops and not walk to the bus station, we waited for a while and it never came, we then looked at the timetable we had on our phone and the next one wasn’t until 5pm and it was only 3pm.  

We then decided to walk to the bus station in case the bus had been held up, so we got there and there was a few people on the bus and Kev asked them if the 3pm bus had gone and they said there isn’t one, it only runs on a Friday!  Our timetable was wrong, but then they told us there was one at 3.35pm which went to Audlem so we waited for that.  We thought for a minute we would have to wait until the 5pm one and therefore we would have had to sample some more gin in the pub across from the bus station but unfortunately the 3.35pm bus came along so we got on that and went back to Audlem.  We then walked back to the boat and Jane walked back to her house.  We had a lovely day in Nantwich with Jane and it kept dry as well.