As we have now resumed our journey heading south this feels like a good time to move the log on to Spring 2006.

5th Feb 2006.  For those of you still stuck in offices or who don't get out much we can report that summer is on its way (unless you are reading this in the southern hemisphere when sadly it is winter that is coming).  In Britain at this time of year each day brings with it another 2 whole minutes of light.  Whilst at the time of the winter equinox the days were dying soon after 4:00pm we now have daylight until gone 5:00pm, even though we haven't seen the sun for almost a week.  We have been under cold, grey skies since Wednesday and as we pulled out of Barton Turns Marina that morning there were even a few flurries of snow.  This time we turned to starboard and headed south west re-tracing our route back to Alrewas and on to Fradley Junction.  On Wednesday afternoon we went for a walk through the meadows alongside the River Trent, to the north of Alrewas.  We saw another kingfisher, second of the year, and a kestrel; put up a pheasant just a few yards in front of us; and across the fields spotted either some big rabbits or more likely hares lolloping along.   Coming back there were snowdrops and crocuses in the churchyard.  We stayed 2 nights in Alrewas, still one of our favourite moorings and welcomed back Cathy & Nick taking a quick break from moving house.  Hope you are settling in now.  On Saturday we were joined at Fradley by Colin Butterworth, his first time on board during this trip but an occasional passenger in the past.  This time we extended his canal experience by taking the Coventry Canal as far as Huddlesford Junction where the Wyrley & Essington Canal used to head off south of Lichfield to Ogley, north of Walsall.  The Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Trust aim to restore this link but for now the junction offers only the opportunity to turn the boat round and it will be September at least before we reach Ogley.  If you ever travel along the M6 Toll road look out for the aqueduct taking the W & E over the motorway, but not yet beyond it on either side - one day.  Today we have returned to Fradley, climbing the top two locks before saying goodbye to Colin - thanks for lunch in the Waterways Cafe.  Now we are ready to go back to Great Haywood and resume the adventure, heading for spring and summer.   

30th Jan 2006.  Ramyshome was smiling as we sailed into Barton Turns Marina, she was coming home again.  Certainly the weather gods were smiling on us as it was almost flat calm making moving around the marina a doddle.  Since then we have been taking our rest attached to a piece of wood again, the first time since September.  It has been good to catch up with friends old and new - Rex & Lin of Nb Winifred - thanks for the lovely meal;  Michael & Val of Nb Thistle still flying the RBOA flag - hope the battery saga has a happy ending soon; and webmaster Steev & Sally of Nb Wychway who drove over from Stenson with their two boys.  Great to see you all again.  Barton Turns has not changed much since we left in May apart from many new boats but most of the staff are still here and it was nice to see them again.  Being hooked up to a landline has enabled us to charge up the batteries, first time for several weeks, and to rest the engine which hasn't turned since Tuesday afternoon.  We have also caught up on a few jobs, particularly boat cleaning, even a little touching up of paint.  Over the weekend we rested again with a another visit from daughter Heather (taxied back and forth by partner Chris) and with more returnees, Chris & Carol who live nearby.  They introduced us to another interesting Burton on Trent pub and then on to visit the Bass Museum of Brewing.  As well as the recent activities of its little football team, Burton is famous for Marmite and Branston Pickle, named after a suburb, but most of all for its breweries.  Now there are just Marstons and several locations of Coors, the American owners of Bass.  In the 1920's there were over 30 breweries dominating the town many linked by railway lines that criss-crossed the town centre.  Sadly the Bass red triangle has been erased by the Americans but the museum is well worth a visit, not least because the entry fee includes a half pint in the onsite pub.             

15th Jan 2006.   A 5 hour cruise will take you from Great Haywood to Fradley Junction, after all there are only 13 miles and 5 locks between these two canal junctions.  We left Great Haywood on Wednesday morning and moored below Junction Lock at Fradley at  1:00 pm on Sunday.  We love speeding!  We also love the cruise from Great Haywood to the northern edge of Rugeley.  Very rural, unspoilt and with extensive views across the widening Trent Valley.  Rugeley proved to be a useful service stop with a cheap but good laundrette and an average Morrisons supermarket close by the canal.  It takes a long time by boat to pass Rugeley's brooding power station but the town centre is pleasant.  Pedestrianised but with most of the original streets and architecture still in place it still has several interesting shops and a small market.  Sadly the canal moorings are not exciting so after just one overnight stop we moved on and took a rural mooring for two nights, south of Handsacre.  Between Rugeley & Handsacre there are two places of note.  The first is the "Plum Pudding" on the outskirts of Armitage, one of the best canalside eateries we have found.  Well worth a visit and with its own customer moorings what more could one ask.  Round a few more bends is Armitage Shanks that well-known porcelain manufacturer.  The vision of toilets, washbasins and bidets piled high awaiting despatch is unusual, to say the least.  On Saturday we managed to sail about a mile to Kings Bromley Wharf where we met up with Ian & Sue Gregory.  They used to moor the other side of our wooden jetty at Barton Turns but have moved up the canal during 2005 and Nb Saltire now rests at Kings Bromley.  2006 will be their "freedom from full time work" year and we wish them well getting to know the canals better. Today we made our way down the first 4 locks at Fradley in the company of Cathy Harrison, an ex-work colleague of Maureen's, & her partner Nick Wass.  We now have a taxi to Lichfield next Wednesday.  Thanks Cathy.                     

8th Jan 2006.  The rain was turning to snow as we sailed into Tixall Wide yesterday but the weather has been kind this week.  We have seen no ice since New's Year Day and completed the journey to our second wintering grounds with little incident.  On Monday we had seven lockworkers (you know who you all are but special mention to "new on board" Lewis Shalders) to help us down Bosley Locks .  And make sure we really were leaving??  On Tuesday we pushed on for over 5 hours to Kidsgrove and spent the early evening doing laundry plus another visit to Tesco on Wednesday morning.  In the afternoon we and two other boats passed through Harecastle Tunnel.  30 minutes of darkness and this time lots of water dripping from the roof.   Poor Stoke is a dreary place to sail through, made worse by the major roadworks going on alongside the canal, although to their credit they are doing well to maintain navigation and, apparently, traffic flows.  We moored Thursday night below Meaford Locks.  The new houses of Stone have now encroached on the bottom two of the four but the locks retain a pleasant rural atmosphere and herald the start of one of the nicest canal cruises, to the outskirts of Rugeley.  Stone was the birthplace of the Trent & Mersey Canal where Wedgwood & Brindley persuaded the local business and land owners to invest in the first long distance canal.  We thank them for their enterprise.  The town has a good feel about it and makes use of the canal in a way Stoke hasn't yet learnt.  Before lunchtime on Saturday we were dropping down Hoo Mill Lock, scheduled to close behind us on Monday and after taking on water at Great Haywood we turned onto the Staffs & Worcs and moored here at Tixall almost a day and a half early.  On Thursday we watched two big buzzards wheeling around each other and saw a kestrel sitting on the wires.  On Friday we spotted our first kingfisher of the year and soon after 3 lambs in a field alongside the canal.  Maybe Spring is not so far away.              

1st Jan 2006.  We must start the New Year by sending greetings to all who have visited us during the 6 weeks since we arrived on the Upper Peak Forest Canal.  A very special thank you to all who have ferried or fed us whilst we have been "home".  Happy New Year to you all.  It has been a very sociable time which we have thoroughly enjoyed but please don't be offended when we say we are glad to be on the move again.  We slipped out of Bugsworth Basin for the final time on Tuesday 27th having shared Christmas moorings with 3 other boats.  We had to break ice to reach the water point but once on the main line it was an easy trip along to Furness Vale.  Over night we had a little snow and very low temperatures so we were well iced in on Wednesday night before Andy & Sue Altree had left after their visit.  A few moving boats broke up the ice but the channel was still not clear as we set off again on Thursday having said goodbye to Heather & Chris and received visitors, Rob & Sue Hancock who are more used to the open sea on their yacht.  2 miles later we moored up at Disley having had enough of ice breaking for the day.  Friday arrived wet but warmer and we reached Marple before hitting solid ice so we moored again.  The last day of 2005 was wetter and we thought the ice had gone but the first mile of the Macc showed us that wasn't so.  We had just about had enough when Nb Arcturus caught up and overtook us so we were able to follow in their wake, much easier going, to the moorings at Higher Poynton where we also loaded up with coal from the floating coalman.  Anne & Doug Shields had the honour of being the final visitors of the year.  I think they felt sorry for us all alone on New Year's Eve but this is our 5th New Year on board and at midnight we had another excellent firework display with views far out across Manchester.  Today with ice gone and sun in our eyes we have come a whole 10 miles and our now ready to descend Bosley Locks tomorrow.  Then we really shall be on our way again.

24th Dec.  "And there won't be snow for Ramyshome this Christmas time" (with apologies).  It's far too warm tonight, the best we'll get is brighter skies than of late.  Monday saw us climb back up Marple locks under clear blue skies. Back to just the two of us this time with Maureen steering for a change but once into the rhythm of it we were at the top in under 3 hours.  Tuesday was spent in preparation for Christmas but on Wednesday we sailed back to Disley and a meal with several friends at the home of Roz & Tim Holmes.  On Friday we shopped at the greengrocer's in Whaley Bridge before battling round Tesco for just a few final items.  Tonight we are back in Bugsworth Basin with 3 fellow boaters watching out for Santa and the reindeer.  This will be our first Christmas afloat but daughter Heather has arrived to keep us company and act as chauffeur.  With the rest of the Yorke family in Marple and several friends close by it looks like we shall have a busy but sociable few days.

To those who have sent us Christmas cards we say thank you.  Hopefully they all arrived!  To you and to everyone who has bothered to peruse these musings over the last 8 months we send Christmas greetings and wish you and your loved ones a busy but profitable New Year.

18th Dec.  Well we did make it to Bollington this week, found another cheap laundrette there and walked up the steep hill to see White Nancy and her distance views.  White Nancy is a monolith built to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo and not surprisingly painted white, although someone recently had tried a nice shade of pink.  Whether a gender statement or just pure vandalism was not obvious from the attempt.  She stands looking out over the Cheshire Plain from Kerridge Hill some 500 feet above canal level, so quite a stiff climb but as the sun was beginning to set, well worth the effort.  On Thursday we travelled back to Poynton and an "exchange of Christmas presents" party with Maureen's brother & sister-in-law, Martin & Carolyn at their home in Bramhall.  On Friday morning we entertained Jon Willis & partner Penelope again.  Pen had flown in from Portland, Oregon the day before but sadly not all the way with her luggage.  Fortunately it arrived in Manchester later on Friday so hopefully she is now less stressed and more clothed!  And on Saturday we took to new waters, descending the 16 locks at Marple.  As always we had booked a locking crew in the shape of Roger's sister Helen, with some help from husband Alan and, with 7 locks to go, from their son Mark & partner Adele.  Second son Andrew & partner Vicky had dropped in at lunchtime but had forgone locking for Christmas shopping.  Strange souls.  On the way down we also welcomed on board friends Joan Lomas & partner Keith with Joan's granddaughter Liberty.  She appeared to thoroughly enjoy going down locks but at 4 still a bit young to do much paddle turning.  Today, Sunday, has turned out to be a very frustrating day.  The night had been cold and there were several patches of ice on the canal but nothing to stop us moving.  The intention had been to sail to the junction with the Huddersfield Narrow & Ashton Canals at Ashton-under-Lyne.  For the first 2 hours we were doing fine although struggling with leaves around the prop as always.  However as we reached Hyde we found thicker ice and eventually had to abandon the journey.  We now had to reverse several hundred yards negotiating a motorway bridge and a 90 degree bend to reach a winding hole.  In addition to the ice there were lots of leaves, sludge & rubbish in the canal and in the next 2 hours Roger was twice down the weed hatch arms in very icy water pulling out plastic bags & something that may once have been a pair of curtains.  We finally made it back to our mooring at the bottom of Marple locks in the pitch black having been on the go for nearly 6 hours.  "A bad day on the water is better than a good day in the office" but sometimes only just.        

11th Dec.  The best laid plans of mice and men.........so often changed!   Of course, the central heating engineer didn't arrive until Tuesday lunchtime and Maureen had to go to Chesterfield on Wednesday so scuppering the planned cruise.  Instead we spent 4 nights back at Furness Vale and then sailed into Whaley Bridge before spending the weekend back at Bugsworth Basin.  We left Marple on Tuesday about 3:00 p.m.  Two lift bridges and a swing bridge later we were sailing in to the descending gloom as we approached New Mills.  With tunnel light on we slipped passed the moored boats to then meet another "night traveller" coming along from Whaley.  Falling snow, ice, darkness nothing seems to stop Peak Forest boaters.  On Thursday, having filled with diesel from the floating coal & diesel supplier, (44p per litre) we walked to the second hand book shop in New Mills to exchange some of our library.  Once read, books not for keeping no longer qualify for the boat's limited shelf space and must make way for replacements.  On Friday after another train trip to Buxton we spent the evening with Colin & Kath Peel aboard their boat "Lady of Hay" which they live on at New Mills having sold up both their house & Colin's business.  This is the first time this trip we have been entertained aboard another boat and it was a pleasant evening exchanging ideas, adventures, etc. and supping much wine.  Saturday was typical of how we pass our time now.  10:30 a.m. cast off, help a single hander through Furness swing bridge then sail slowly the mile or so into Whaley.  11:30 empty toilet cassettes and take on water whilst Maureen goes to the laundrette.  12:30 move to the visitor mooring and take lunch.  1:15 off to Tesco's then about 3:00 pm travel the last mile round to Bugsworth Basin before the sun goes down and the football scores come up.  In the evening we dine out with David & Jane Forshaw again & take Sunday lunch with Barbara & Jim Thornely.  Not terribly adventurous but very sociable.  This week we plan to cruise to Bollington....ha!      

27th Nov.  A week of fairly ordinary domesticity interspersed with short hops back and forth along the Peak Forest Canal.  Being close to our "land" home is enabling us to catch up with local friends.  After last week Maureen had attended a leaving do for an ex-work colleague, Celia Dunk, on Monday Roger was able to join in a retirement lunch for one of his colleagues, Helen Cullen.  On Saturday evening Helen & husband Mike transported us to a lovely party in Buxton celebrating the 25th wedding anniversary of more friends, Colin & Janette Sykes whilst on Thursday evening we shared a chinese banquet with Roger's sister's family, 10 of us in all.  What social lives we lead, returning each night to Ramyshome.  For once daughter Heather didn't bring the rain with her this week but the sunny skies have slowly disappeared as has the ice, for the time being.  Instead we have had fog & on Friday night the first flurries of snow.  On Tuesday we escaped the Peak Forest for a 4 hour run to Higher Poynton on the Macclesfield Canal, then back the following day.  As well as giving us a change of scene it was useful as a longer period for re-charging the batteries.  We run the engine each day for between 1 and 2 hours for hot water and to put some energy back in the domestic batteries which take quite a hammer now it gets dark around 4:00pm.  Tuesday was also memorable in that it was the first day we didn't see another boat on the move.  Just us mad fools braving the elements.  Tonight we are back in Bugsworth Basin arranging more visits and visitors for the coming week.