Watery Peregrinations - year three.

Hello again. Here we are at the beginning of our third summer, cruising the waterways of England and Wales. The plan is (remember the First Rule ... 'A Plan Is A Basis For Orderly Change') for us to conclude this stage of our peregrinations at our house - and mooring - in Shipley. That's in The People's Republic of West Yorkshire! That being said; one would assume that the politics of Shipley would be on the left of the political spectrum ... so why is its local Member of Parliament a Tory??? Who knows, 2018 might occasion a spurt in my own, personal, political activism.

Mind you: being already rather jaundiced with 'Brexit Britain'; next year might find these reports coming from the waterways of the Republic of Ireland! (I always knew my Irish passport - and, thereby, my European Union citizenship - could come in handy. 😏) Anyway; enough of that ... on with the cruise report.

Having spent the winter in one of the most rubbish-strewn environments we have ever experienced, we (yes; Lyn's still putting up with me) departed the Ashton-under-Lyne/Dukinfield area, as soon as the repairs were completed on the Marple Flight (16 locks in 2 miles) of the Peak Forest Canal. That was on the afternoon of March 28th.. Within 24 hours we had ascended the flight and were meandering down the Macclesfield Canal, towards Stoke-on-Trent.

Having had friends aboard, in Bollington, for dinner and wine; we carried on down the cut (and descended 12 locks), we decided to investigate the village of Mow Cop, and its (built as a ruined castle) folly. We made our climbing approach across fields, but were not greatly exhausted when we reached the top. There we discovered that the folly was the site of  the first Primitive Methodist camp meeting, in 1807; and in 1937 over ten thousand Methodists met on the hill to commemorate that event. We returned to Moonstone - nearly 2 miles, and 1,000 feet away - by the less arduous route of the road.

In Stoke-on-Trent we rented a car, in order to attend the funeral of our friend John McNulty (Cdr. R.N. Rtd.) It was our pleasure an privilege, over many years, to become friends with John, his wife Barbara, and their sons: Ned and Theo. The mere children when we originally met are now two strapping and handsome men ... one a newly qualified airline pilot, the other a newly minted copper. We know their Dad was proud of them both; as is the lovely Barbara. John Conolly not being in the country, I was allocated the pleasurable duty of rendering Fiddler's Green; John McN's favourite song.

The weather has been fairly kind; and is forecast to become even better ... so the Brexiteers can justifiably claim that; having 'taken back control'; benefits are fast accruing!

Our interim destination is Kidderminster, which lies somewhat to the South-West of Birmingham. There we shall be meeting up with our daughter: Jane; and her husband: Max. Jane's birthday is on the 22nd. of this month, but mine is on the 16th. (No flowers, please!) to celebrate both of these momentous occasions we will be dining aboard a train, hauled by a steam locomotive of the Severn Valley Railway. This will be Jane's first experience of a steam-train; and my first meal on board such since 1952!!!

One can only hope.

So ... on a quiet, sunny evening; tied up on the bank of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal; I leave you for now. Tom.