Goldstone to Market Drayton.

Hi Folks.

Up with the larks this morning, when the alarm went off at 5am. I love this time in the morning. No honestly I do, it is the best time of the day, because everything seems so fresh and new. So there was I up, dressed and breakfast eaten before taking Paddy out for his morning stroll. A Magpie was sat in a bush welcoming in the morning, so I said good morning to it and wished it well. Some day that Magpies bring bad luck and they are the devils bird. We all know the song "One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret never to be told. "

Back at the boat, I started to get the boat ready for the off, so I put the engine exhaust chimney on, terret plume on, and opened the engine room doors and hatches. Keith then put the Klaxon on the slide and the tiller on, whilst I untied the bow. With the engine now fired up we left our mooring at 5.50am, creeping past the moored boats we set off through the Woodseaves Cutting. I could not help but wonder how on earth this was achieved, because the cutting is through solid rock. Woodseaves Cutting is about 2.7km long and up to about 21.3m deep they say but if we had met another boat coming in the opposite direction there was no way for us to move over because it was to shallow. The cutting was completed around 1832, so then there were no diggers etc around then, all the work was done by workmen using pick axes, shovels and chisels, so the task would have been massive.

After the cutting we arrived at the 5 Tyrley locks which are very pretty and not at all difficult to work. The drop down the locks is approximately 33ft, with sandstone walls in places. I walked between the locks because they were so close together.

Because we were so early getting through the narrows and down the flight, we stopped below the bottom lock at 7.30am and I made us some toast and a coffee. 7.50am NB Zola was heading for the locks so Keith walked up and opened the lock gates for them. I said to them " all the locks should be with you, as we have just come down the flight", this pleased them immensely as it meant less work for them to do.

 

Unfortunately when we came down all the locks were against us. We enquired as to whether there were any moorings spare in Market Drayton and were told there were spaces, so with the we decided to set off to Market Drayton some 20 minutes further up the canal.

Moored up we set off with our rucksacks for the town, and discovered a new small Asda, so in we popped and did our shopping. Upon returning to Hadar Keith and I got chatting to Colin & Carole on “The Wool Boat”. They are based at Burscough on the Leeds & Liverpool, and this is the first time we have met them. A lovely couple, who we hope to meet up with again. As we were chatting to Colin and Carole, Colin and Tina on NB Go For It arrived and pulled into a mooring.

After lunch, which I am about to make we are off to explore the delights of Market Drayton, so I may post again later with some photographs, as I have a 3G signal today yippee.

Chat later xxx