The Bunbury Shuffle - 25th July 2019

Thursday 25^th July 2019

The Shady Oak, Beeston to Cholmondeston Visitor Moorings, Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal

7 miles, 6 locks

Today was forecast to be the hottest ever recorded in the UK and we had six big locks ahead of us.  We set off at 08:35 hoping to get ahead of the crowd – we were five minutes too late.  Just as we were about to untie two boats came past heading for the lock ahead of us.

Monty and I walked to the lock – there were many hands there, so we went to have a look at the path Sue and I had hoped to take in 2016 which goes across some fields and under the railway line up to Beeston Castle.  

We were thwarted then as the fields were full of young frisky cattle – not a good mix with a dog not used to them.  Today there was not a cow in sight, so we went as far as the railway tunnel, but the ‘cow remains’ deterred me from going further

There is a pretty good view of the Castle

Back at the lock at 09:00 the two boats ahead of us were rising sedately 

We took a peek at a footpath that goes from the other side of the lock – ripe for exploration if we come this way again

Fifteen minutes later and it was our turn to go up in the world

But look what is happening above the lock!  A very hasty untie and they are off.  There will be more, much more to this tale to follow... 

Back on the boat and we are heading to the Beeston Iron Lock that can only take one boat at a time – we knew there were three ahead of us, so took our time in transit with the umbrellas being used as parasols rather than parapluies.

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 It is the construction of this lock that makes it unsuitable for 2 boats

The first two ahead of us made their way up slowly, meanwhile the queue behind us was growing and wondering why we were holding so far back

 – as you approach the lock the towpath has fallen away into the canal, so it is very shallow. Too close to the lock and the current as the lock empties makes for interesting times.  Add to that a waiting boat using the bridge for shade and a boat travelling down trying to get through made it even more fun!

The boat that had taken off with indecent speed at the previous lock was waiting just below the lock feeling the full force of the current as the lock emptied - another good reason for holding back.

I think the man hanging on to the rope for dear life was the helmsman

When he got back on the boat at the stern to join the two ladies the boat was grounded and not going anywhere.  It took a shouted suggestion from Ken to ‘get the weight off the back' for two crew members to move to the bow and  magically the stern floated free.

It was not a happy boat – I think the crew were about to mutiny!  It was a share boat – the helmsman was the share owner and was in a highly stressed state.  The male from the couple travelling with them told me that he thought this was supposed to be a relaxed enjoyable affair.  Apparently, they were having breakfast today where they had moored overnight above the first lock and as the first two boats went past the helmsman threw his toast away and ordered them to all get moving!  I somehow doubt they will ever holiday with them again!  At least not on a narrow boat!

Worse was to come.  He brought the boat into the lock, issued instructions standing on the bench in the semi trad stern – that was bad enough – worse was to follow.  Sue and I obeyed his instructions regarding the paddles, but – the boat went all over the place and the poor man trying to hold the rope was ordered to throw it onto the boat at which the helmsman left the stern and climbed onto the roof to sort the rope out!!  I have to confess that I bellowed at him to ‘GET DOWN’.  His wife was saying she keeps telling him not to get on the roof, but he won’t listen.  I know that a lady died in a lock at Atherstone last week – locks are not to be trifled with.  Once the boat was up, he disembarked and came and ‘thanked me’ for shouting at him!  I apologised and added in my defense that he had frightened the life out of me.  I am glad to say that we never caught up with them again. 

We eventually got both of our boats through the lock – from arriving to departure took 1 hour 10 minutes.

Our wait was rewarded in some ways – there was a steam train doing a test run to Chester and back – had we got through quicker we would have missed it!

The next couple of locks passed without incident or delay and we arrived in a timely manner at our last locks of the day – the Bunbury staircase.  The site of the ‘Bunbury Shuffle’.  There was one boat coming down and two of us going up.

In we went

The singleton entered at the top

Level the water and ‘shuffle’

Chris moved in to join the singleton

Ken shuffled across and the singleton filled his space

Chris moved across and Ken moved in to join him – the Bunbury shuffle. 

We had both done this before, but it was the first ever staircase for the other boat.  It all worked splendidly

From here it was just straight sailing with a stop at Calverley services to empty and fill as required.  It was definitely a day to break out Monty’s cool coat.

Opposite Barbridge Junction (we were turning left back towards Middlewich)

there is a lot of construction of rather posh houses taking place

The prices start at £569,950 - The Moorings - it sounds idyllic with a view of a canal.  There is one major downside - a very busy main road between them and a canal means lorries thunder past just a few feet from their front doors.

We need to go into Venetian Marina tomorrow for diesel, so we stopped just above Cholmondeston lock.  It was a very long, hot day and as we moored there was a very short, sharp, wet cloudburst.  Sadly there was no shade, so we have been condemned to a very hot afternoon and evening on board,  The fan has been unearthed and is doing its best to help.