Boat Jumble

March 22, 2009 by Mike · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Canals, Events 
Middlewich Boat Jumble

Middlewich Boat Jumble

On the way from Middlewich to the M6 I was about to drive past a car boot sale when I suddenly realised it was actually a Boat Jumble. Swiftly changing plans I parked up and braved the £3 entrance charge – and I have to say it was worth every penny.

Not really catering for narrowboats as such, but boats in general, the range of stuff on display was amazing. Far too many stalls to even pick one out to mention but every single one had something of some interest – I could have spent a fortune with prices so much below chandlery rates. The last time I found anything like this was back in the good old days of windows 3.0 computing when the early computer fairs were an Aladdins cave of genuine stuff at knock down prices, rather than now being stall after stall selling the same second rate unbranded cloned electronics.

An amazing range of specialist products on display

An amazing range of specialist products on display

I resisted temptation to pick up sheets of rubber hex matting at 16 pounds per square metre – about 1/3 of the chandlery rate, or a huge range of dented tins of paint for 1/4 their shelf price. The list goes on and on – I made do with an almost new Dometic 3 way boat fridge for… well lets say a very, very good price indeed.  As well as exceptional prices, it was actually the range of specialist products which was the real star of the show.  If only the IWA could do a deal with this group of exhibitors to share the annual IWA National Rally then this really would create a boating event second to none.  When I criticised the Autherley Junction rally last year, this is exactly what I would have made the event so much more than a boater’s get-together.

It was a complete revelation to discover that these weekly Boat Jumbles, organised by Practical Boat Owner magazine, follow a nationwide circuit and will almost certainly be coming to a place near you soon. Check out the 2009 schedule here and if you go along with an open mind you will amost certainly be returning with a bargain.

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Back to Middlewich

March 10, 2009 by Mike · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Cruising Log 

Bramble Cutting to Middlewich, Trent & Mersey Canal: 2 miles, 0 locks.

Here we are back home after a lovely week out.  The windy weather has at least helped dry up the mud on Zulu’s moorings and so I am a bit happier, and still intregued with BW who have now laid compacted red sand all the way from Croxton Bridge to the centre of town.  There seems to be no stopping them, as the new crushed stone pathway extends all the way to Wardle lock, and then disappears up the Middlewich Branch and no doubt going to be sanded today… a total distance of well over a mile of sand.

Following the towpath up to Kings Lock confirmed that the Kings Lock pub is still closed with a To Let sign above the door.  I guess the problem with this pub is that it is one of so many similar pubs in the same street, except with a superb location with canal side seating and gardens.  I hope it finds a new tenant or manager before the Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival, which is fast approaching, since this is one of the main performance venues.    The festival runs over the weekend of 19-21 June.

Meanwhile work calls down south and so reluctantly I secured the boat and set off down the M6.  I may be back at the weekend though, as I was just getting the bug for painting, and Zulu certainly has plenty of bits which need a coat or two.

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Middlewich to Northwich

March 3, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Cruising Log 

Middlewich to Northwich, Trent and Mersey Canal: 6 Miles, 0 Locks

The first cruising log entry of the year in which Zulu takes a battering from the weather and spends the first night away from home amidst the spotlights of Northwich chemical works.

I was actually hoping to get to Marston but with darkness upon us and the wind blowing a gale, not to mention the lashing rain I thought enough’s enough and stepped off the boat holding both bow and stern lines into mud which covered my shoes. It is an awful feeling when you know you are about to fall over but the thought of Zulu’s high bows being whipped over to the other side of the canal and through someone’s window was suffficient to hold on and stay upright while attemting to bring both ends of the boat to a standstill at the same time, preferably against the bank.

Knocking pins into mud is about as much an anticlimax as I can conjur up - one tap of the mallet and 8 inches of steel sinks out of sight.  No chance that’s going to hold for the night.  Perhaps prayers do work occasionally, as about 1 boats length further on was a single unoccupied ring set into concrete.  We were able to moor safely after all, without having to spend a midnight vigil out on deck worrying about where the bows went.

Apart from that nothing much to report – 6 miles of wind and rain with a tricky ending.

Ah.. yes there is… for the last 4 months BW have been improving the towpath through Middlewich – and not before time, as half of it was permanently under water.  A marvellous job has been done – the lowest sections have been raised well above the waterline and a hardcore path with wooden borders has replaced the worn and muddy towpath.  What more could we want?  We certainly do not want the top coat of compacted red sand which they have laid today.  Imagine a muddy dog and a couple of muddy boots.  Soaked to the skin and well caked with mud.  What could possibly be worse than all of the above coated in a layer of red sticky sand.  Well thats what we got today.

Middlewich towpath improvements - before (Oct-08) and after (Mar-09)

Middlewich towpath improvements - before (26-Oct-08) and after (03-Mar-09)

I don’t know why every time I think about BW I come up with a negative, but once again they have ruined a wonderful improvement with a poorly thought out finish.  Literally.  And why?  Something to do with it being a national cycle path, according to word on the towpath but I fail to see the connection between this and dumping 200 tonnes of red sand for us to trail into our boats.  I will say no more and simply wait while the rain washes it away, when it will once again be a clean hardcore surface, cycle path or not.

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