Parliament says YES.

Parliament say yes to CRT 

Minutes of Proceedings of Wednesday 27 June 2012 
House of Lords
6 British Waterways Board (Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 Lord De Mauley, on behalf of Lord Taylor of Holbeach, moved that the draft Order laid before the House on 29 February be approved. The motion was agreed to. 
7 Inland Waterways Advisory Council (Abolition) Order 2012 Lord De Mauley, on behalf of Lord Taylor of Holbeach, moved that the draft Order laid before the House on 29 February be approved. The motion was agreed to.

House of Commons
Statutory Instruments: Motions for Approval
(3) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Inland Waterways Advisory Council (Abolition) Order 2012, which was laid before this House on 29 February 2012, in the previous Session of Parliament, be approved.-(Stephen Crabb.)
Question agreed to.
(4) Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft British Waterways Board (Transfer of Functions) Order 2012, which was laid before this House on 29 February 2012, in the previous Session of Parliament, be approved.-(Stephen Crabb.)
Question agreed to.

Sad News.

We were sad to hear that Rose Skinner, who was the daughter of Arthur Hone has passed away. Rose and her husband Jack used to run Redshank and Greenshank and worked for Willow Wren. A sad loss for the working boating community, but Rose is now reunited with Jack, may they RIP.

Festival in print.

The Northwich River Festival made the local papers today.

http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/9782967.River_festival_heralded_a_gr/

Hadar passing the Anderton Lift.

Vale Royal Moorings to Sutton Weaver Moorings, Frodsham.

Travelled 15.1 miles, passed through 4 locks in a time of 5 hours 55 minutes.

Last night we were rewarded with a stunning sunset, which ended a perfect day.

We left the over night mooring at 9.15am and turned around to head down river.

We pulled in on the pontoon at the Vale Royal Locks and Keith went to see the lock keeper.

Onward to lock 2 Hunt's Locks.

It was then back into Northwich.

We pulled in to empty the toilet cassette and met up with Alan and Lin on NB Farthings Hook, who had been at the festival. Their retriever Jamie was best in show at the dog show. We agreed to travel together so we could share the locks. Whilst Lin put their shopping away, I took the photographs off of my camera, because the memory card was full. Cassette emptied, camera memory emptied and coffee made we untied and headed off.

We headed off in front of Alan and Lin and it was not long before we were passing the Anderton Lift.

There are some lovely views across the valley as well the industrial structures, which have a charm of their own.

On arriving at Saltersford Locks, Alan and Lin breasted up with us on the pontoon. The lock keeper informed us he was going for his lunch, which we said was not a problem because we would do the same. So whilst he had his lunch we had ours and nattered to Alan and Lin. 12.45pm the lock keeper was back and three boats came up and we then went down.

On exiting the lock Alan and Lin went first.

After Saltersford Locks, we actually saw some housing after such a lot of countryside.

There was also the Acton Boat Club, some of the members bought their boats to the festival.

Acton Swing Bridge is very impressive, there are moorings near the sanitary station, which are very handy.

A very sad sight, but a much photographed sunken boat before Dutton Locks. I wonder what sort of life it had when it was afloat?

Dutton Locks can be seen from the canal.

Alan and Lin were first into the lock and we followed on behind, the lock keeper took the centre line, placed it around a bollard and then handed it back to me. The lock keepers on the River Weaver have all been very helpful and chatty.

Having exited Dutton locks and once again thanked the lock keeper, we followed on behind Alan and Lin. There are some lovely bridges and viaducts on route. This elegant viaduct came into view.

We passed by Pickerings Wharf and The Belt, trundling through some beautiful green countryside.

Devil's garden was ahead of us, this is a place we will stop at on the return trip, many boaters have said how lovely it is.

Frodham cut, which is no longer in use.

We arrived at Sutton Swing Bridge, which looks like it needs a coat or two of paint. Alan and Lin pulled into the 48 hour moorings first and we followed.

 

After what was a longish day for us this will be home for the night.

Keith wanted to change the engines oil, so whilst she was hot we pumped the old oil out and will put the new oil in once she has cooled down a little. Although we are on a 48 hour mooring we have our very own water tap, so I made good use of it and filled the water tank, whilst Jamie watched on. Jamie is Alan and Lin's dog and he is so adorable. The sun has shone all day and even when dark clouds threatened to rain on our parade, they blew over with the ever increasing breeze. It has been an excellent day with great company.

It's all over.

Monday. 

It seemed such an anti-climax after such an amazing weekend, but Monday saw more boats leaving, which meant reshuffling a few of them. For us it meant a day of food shopping, brass cleaning and getting rid of rubbish. We spent some of the day just chatting, as if we had not done more than enough chatting over the weekend, there is always something to talk about with other boaters. We had a really good laugh with Andrea and Andrew on Dove and Dawn on Canis Major. Marmite got rather wet during the afternoon, she was standing on the back counter and some how Paddy managed to knock her overboard. Thankfully she was wearing her harness and lead, so another boater pulled her out of the water for us. As you can well imagine she was very unimpressed at being wet. I dried her off with a towel, but this did not improve her mood, so she sat in the back cabin washing herself off for the rest of the afternoon. That was her once a year dunking, bless her. Paddy was probably rather smug, that he had got his own back on her for all the times she has bitten and scratched him.

As the day drew to a close and we were all chatted out, I made a suggestion that we should eat out at Wetherspoons, because to be honest I did not feel like cooking, so after feeding mog and dog and dog getting his walk, we put on some smarter togs and headed to the pub for a cheap meal and cheap pint of Ruddles.

This morning we said cheerio to the Northwich River Festival site at 8.55am.

 

We went  the river, winded and waved to Roy on Gerald No13 as we passed him by, heading towards the sanitary station.

We past the few remaining boats moored from the festival, gave them all a wave and carried on to Hunts Lock.

Before approaching Hunts Locks we passed the old Yarwoods boat yard. The Basin which is now home to pleasure boats was part of a backwater which became the boat building yard of John Thompson, he built timber barges and sailing flats for the emerging trade in carrying locally mined salt by water. In 1896 the boat building yard was purchased by ‘William James Yarwood’ and the yard started using iron to build its boats where riveting came into fashion. For the following 70 years the Yarwoods built over 1000 vessels, some of those boats were at the Northwich River Festival.

On arriving at Hunts Locks there were three boats waiting to come down, so I walked up to the lock to let the lock keepers know we were there, not that they did not hear us coming ha ha ha.

I am so glad, I did not have to wind the gates open, it is not for the faint hearted.

The three boats exited the lock and we made our way in, with me standing on the roof with the centre line ready for the lockie.

The lock keepers said they would ring ahead to let the next lock know we were coming.

Paddy and Marmite were in bed together whilst we were on the move, I think she must have forgiven Paddy for her soaking.

As we exited the lock three boats were there to go in.

We passed by a boat yard, with boats of all sizes and condition.

The Weaver is stunning.

In no time at all we were at Vale Royal Locks, with a boat just exiting, so great timing.

Into the lock we went with me on the roof.

On this occasion no rope required.

Love the ladder.

On exiting the lock I thanked the lock keepers for their help. It pays to be polite and costs nothing. Whilst Keith steered the boat, I made us a coffee.

We passed the Vale Royal Moorings on the Valeroyal cut, which we would come back to. We then had to get under the Newbrodge Swing Bridge which is rather low, so I was ready and waiting to take the engine exhaust chimney down and Keith took the back cabin stove off.

The mine is the oldest working salt mine in Britain.

Lining the offside bank is a huge mountain of rock salt.

When we got to Winsford we winded at the Red Lion pub at 11.20am

We did not want to go up to the flashes and wind in case we got stuck. Having winded we headed back down river to the Vale Royal Moorings, passing back under the swing bridge.

At the moorings Keith winded the boat again, so we would be pointing up river and pulled into the moorings.

Moored in front of us were some people we knew from Ellesmere Port at Easter and to some others we were at the Northwich River Festival with. it was then the rain began to fall, so we all made for the shelter of our boats. I prepared some lunch and watched as the rain kept falling. We will stay put over night and head down river tomorrow.