Zulu on a Misty Morning on the Middlewich Branch

A foggy start to the day and a bit colder than yesterday but still marvellous sunny weather for much of the day.  The canal was incredibly busy today – we set of at lunchtime to turn around and by the time we got back to Stanthorne lock we had to join a queue in sixth position.

Still, looking on the bright side, as long as people talk to each other then this is actually quite good quality time while waiting.

The same again at Wardle lock – so I tied up for late lunch and had a look online only to find that the missing/stolen boat Que Sera Sera had been reported right here on the Middlewich Branch yesterday.  I certainly didn’t see it go past but felt that I could still play a part in the search, so spent the rest of the afternoon chatting to boats coming down the Branch to see if they could remember seeing it earlier in the day.  With the choice of north towards Chester, south towards Nantwich or west towards Llangollen this boat could be anywhere in a 35 mile circle right now.

I then drove to Cholmondeston Lock which always has the biggest queue – and got some very positive feedback about a couple of guys on a badly painted cruiser stern boat asking for a lift at Christleton back towards Waverton, near where the boat was sighted yesterday.  This from one of the Historic Narrowboats which had left the Easter Gathering at Ellesmere Port this morning.

So if you are on the Shroppie, between Barbridge Junction and Ellesmere Port please double your effort in looking out for Que Sera Sera.  It seems the rear side panel bearing the name has been overpainted in purple and there is now no registration number or licence on the boat.

Today I have walked miles of towpath and chatted to many boaters.  What a pity this has not led to a conclusion but I have a feeling that if my new sighting at Christleton is accurate, then the net is tightening, as the top of the Shroppie is a dead end.

So tonight we still didn’t make it down Wardle lock, still have a pane of glass missing in the bedroom and still feel determined that if there’s anything more we can do to help find the missing boat then we will do so tomorrow.

Right now its definitely bed time.

LINK to details of Que Sera Sera, the missing/stolen narrowboat.

LINK to my previous posting about the missing/stolen narrowboat.

ps. to the lady at Cholmondeston lock who leapt a mile when my dog came near you, I hope you have now managed to remove the invisible hair from your trousers.  He was on the lead and did not touch you, so could not have left any real hair behind.  You should perhaps be more concerned with the way your husband smashed your new shiny boat into the stonework at the lock and stop criticising others before him.  Or maybe accept with a smile that paint will get scratched and trousers will get far worse than a dog hair on them while boating.

The most incredible aspect, apart from anyone being brazen enough to steal someone’s property from right under their nose, is the apparent unwillingness of the police to do anything except issue a crime number.  Apparently the officer who deals with theft is on holiday!!!  Nor has any interest been shown by newspapers (yet)…

The Middlewich Guardian today carries a story about Boat Engine Stolen… this is of course quite concerning in itself, as Zulu is moored only 200 yards from this boat, and there would surely be much more point to this article if it was able to give exact details of the stolen engine, but nevertheless the story has made it into the paper.  Canal World on the other hand has full details of Que Sera Sera, the stolen boat, but even if this reaches a readership of thousands there are still a lot of miles of canal to search.

Canal World have even published a poster but it would be great if this could appear in a local paper or two… this stolen boat is possibly now more than 100 miles from its starting point at Streethay Wharf, via the entire Ashby Canal and its such a shame it couldn’t have been found when sighted there earlier in the week.

It would be so nice to be able to report that it has been found, before the police get back from their holidays.  Please print out copies of this poster and circulate anywhere and everywhere!