Etruria to Rode Heath and Kidsgrove: Part One of the Dog Days

After the family left, most heading for their hols in Poland and one (Olek) back to work in Chipping Norton, David and I were left alone but with an additional crew member: Yogi, the teacup Yorkshire Terrier. He is little and very cute. But frankly, not much use when it comes to steering or lockwheeling. He is good at wheedling. To be fair, he doesn't have to do much of it because David is an absolute pushover. Just as he anthropomorphises Mel, he does the same to Yogi. So it's David's wishes that get expressed and then met, ostensibly for the dog's benefit ...

The family had just left and he was already on the bed ...

In the morning, we had some errands to do: some banking and some washing - there were pairs of sheets and duvet covers. David suggested we take them to the launderette in Hanley so they could be washed and dried within an hour or so. A good plan. However we forgot two vital ingredients - pound coins to feed the washing machine and dryers, and our laundry powder. So the washing came back unwashed... Doh! 

The trip to the bank prior to that was successful though - and I did manage, along with the other deposit, to bank an old £20 note that I have been carrying around since we got here. 

And it was David who decided an Uber back to the boat from the launderette was required - I think he thought Yogi wouldn't cope. Not that I complained, mind you!

On our way into Hanley from Etruria we saw this - I thought it was a weird street name:

I'd be interested to find out why it is called that! I haven't been able to find anything about it on google.

We decided we would find a launderette near Westport Lake. So we set off the next day - and as a great start to the day, I right royally messed up winding at the corner below the staircase locks at Etruria. And of course, at least two people in the sheltered accommodation there leaned out their windows to watch the debacle. I just know if I'd been doing it superbly they would not have taken any notice! There was much gnashing of teeth and several tears - all mine...

But bread production must continue... Love that crunchy crust!

Getting to Westport Lake was a far longer journey than I remembered from when we travelled this way with Helen and Alan and Adair's brother and sister-in-law some years ago - a thunder and lightning storm that time, I seem to remember! 

I knew that it was very old/derelict/industrial in places but I hadn't remembered how wide the canal was or how long the trip was. Old and derelict as it was in parts, the water was deep and wide - and that is probably because of how much reliance there was on the canals as commercial transport. Barges continued to be used by the potteries well after the railways were developed because china transported by water suffered far fewer breakages than when it travelled by train.

After mooring up, we walked back with the dog to Longport Wharf to purchase some chandlery supplies. The only thing they were able to do was provide us with the contact details of a motor factors not far away who would deliver air filters to me at or near the boat. Smithsons were wonderful - two air filters were delivered the following morning to the visitor carpark at Westport Lake. I'd recommend them highly.

I think the chimney and part of the old buildings are being preserved but the amount of debris is pretty huge!

He's a little dog but an intrepid and energetic walker! Building being demolished across the canal.

It had been a lovely old building - but once the windows start to be broken it's the kiss of death, I understand.

I was able to indulge my desire to remove git gaps (other people's) - a hire boater arrived quite late and there was room but only if people budged up a bit. So I went and asked the woman in front of us who we were button to button with if I could help her moved forward a few feet. And then we moved our boat forward. That way the hirer could fit in. See, easy peasy to get those gaps filled...

In the morning, after our air filters had been delivered and David had fitted one without supervision! (note for Ian and Julia) we headed for the entrance to Harecastle Tunnel. We had decided to abandon doing the washing in a launderette and got it started in the trusty Zanussi on board.

As we trundled along and went under a bridge, I felt my hat being lifted off my head - damn blackberry cane hanging down had snagged it. Into reverse I went and retrieved it - not before I took a photo though!

Hat in suspension...

This looked to me like a large heap of mullock, however it was probably mainly bricks and concrete from demolished buildings.

David's worst fear about Yogi being unrestrained nearly eventuated when he blithely jumped off the boat on to the wet grassy bank and had to scramble not to fall in...

There was a wait of about an hour for people coming the opposite way, and then a quick chat with one of them, an NZ resident, about how to apply for National Super when he gets home and how to contact them from here - he couldn't find how to find their website: www.msd.govt.nz

The stern doors are closed to prevent ACD* from escaping. (*A Certain Dog, fyi)

The boats coming from Kidsgrove still hadn't arrived.

I'm not sure Yogi approved of his life jacket ...

 

We were first of two boats going towards Kidsgrove and the trip was really good. David had found two torches the size and thickness of felt pens with 2 lenses, multiple lighting functions and strong magnets on the bottom. He positioned them down on the stern deck each one facing the wall. Brill! The trip through took 34 minutes, 8 minutes slower than Mick and I did it some years ago. It did feel pretty fast this time, but clearly not! Although I read on fb yesterday that a woman took an hour to go through. I would have hated that! Being underground is not my thing at all, so I have to count off the 100 metre markers to console myself the journey is going to end ...

We moored up at Kidsgrove after the first lock, near the second lock and just before the aqueduct to the Maccie; and I walked to Tescos to do a fairly big shop. When I came out I had the same struggle I always do when at a supermarket in an unfamiliar place - finding the way I came in so I can find my way out! I had to ask this time... 

We remember taking Olek there a few years ago looking for a football - after England had bombed out of the World Cup - it was very cheap...I wonder (given I am writing this the day after England missed out on the final to Spain) if footballs will be going cheap again?

David took Yogi for a couple of walks that evening and the tracks they followed led up on to the Macclesfield Canal - quite an amazing feat of engineering, these canals!

The second lock at Kidsgrove and the Macclesfield aqueduct.

The aqueduct for the Maccesfield Canal over the T&M just ahead of where we were moored. There is a path or two up to it from the T&M towpath and the water is very red from iron, I understand.

We headed on the next morning along some lovely stretches of canal and found a beaut mooring at Rode Heath - right next to the Rode Heath Rise, the site of a former salt mine, I think. What a beautiful amenity - much used by local dog walkers and picnickers. The houses alongside the canal were lovely and made good use of their canal frontage.

I once again worked at filling git gaps when a narrowboat arrived and was keen to fit behind us and in front of a poorly moored yoghurt pot, which had a big gap between it and the next boat. The yoghurt pot was tied two ropes to one ring and floating fairly freely out partway across the cut. I undertook to move it, having called out to people in the pub garden to ask if they owned it.  We (the man off the narrowboat and I) moved it forward and tied it to two rings, so it was more secure. The owner came back not long after, drunk but amiable, and was fine that we had shifted it. I know it's against the rules really to move someone's boat without their permission, but his was moored hazardously - if it had only been tied with one rope, we would have been expected to remedy it, so I just slightly extended that permission...

The boaters who moored up behind us turned out to be Denise and Malcolm  - that gave us a start as my little sister is Denise and her first husband was Malcolm. We sat out with them at the top of the Rode Heath Rise - much laughter and their dog Chester and Yogi played pretty well together - considering Yogi was the tiniest and Chester was fairly bouncy, it worked reasonably well for the most part.

Yogi and Chester - David had Yogi on the lead at first as he was worried Yogi would require rescuing - not at all!

Three happy dogs playing on Rode Heath Rise

The next morning we realised there were two boats with problems moored ahead of us, one on the winding hole entrance (rudder problems) and a hire boat (battery/starter problems). The hire boaters missed a whole day of their holiday which must have been a pain given it was one of the few lovely days! The rudder problem man was still there when we left after a couple of days.

I had an urge to do some baking and delivered cheese scones and strawberry and lemon muffins to Denise - just as Malcolm was about to bike off to get their car from Congleton. I think Denise saved his scone and muffin for him although she did threaten to eat them...

We had lunch at the pub with them (and 2 dogs) when Malcolm came back with the car - with much getting to know each other and seeing how much we had in common. After respective nana naps, we got together for nibbles and card games on nb Waka Huia - a lot of fun and laughter. 

 

Me, Denise, Malcolm, Yogi (on the table, courtesy of ACP) and ACP

Dessert at the pub after lunch. No dinner required apart from nibbles with cards.

We have told Denise and Malcolm they need to come to NZ and that if they hire a motorhome, we could do a bit of tripping around together. And of course they have to come to stay with us in Waikanae.

It was a pretty late night for me, and we had planned an early start the next day. I think it was 6.30am when we moved off, as quietly as we could. I resisted the temptation to sound the Mack truck horn - aren't I good?

Nice houses on the offside at Rode Heath

 

Squirrels on the roof by the lock

For his own safety, Yogi had to be tied to the fence at the lock. He waited pretty patiently for David.

After being tied to the fence, I thought he deserved Business Class treatment - his lie flat bed, food and drink...

 The following was certainly true for July. The weather is proving to be more settled in August, but I am not convinced it'll last ...