Sad day

Sad day we have signed the sale documents for Sybil today it was a difficult decision to make but after a trip from Poynton down to Nottingham we decided that the locks were now too difficult for Hilary to work ( the wide locks on the Trent mean that around six tonnes of timber has to be moved each time we went through a lock ).

Tulips from Amsterdam

I can`t believe it is  nearly a year since  I last posted but last year not much boating was done  due many things including our decision that total retirement was a  bit boring so we took on the  project of a house that  had been  pretty much untouched  for many years and gave it a total refit and only boating for long weekends .Anyway that`s out of the way now and we are on our first trip out up to Bugsworth for a few days , On the way up whilst moored we are trying a highly recommended paint restoring treatment called Polytrol this involves dewaxing the whole side of the boat then applying the Polytrol (looks and feels like danish oil!) the initial result seems pretty good .Before we came over here we took a trip to Holland to see the bulb fields but in a much larger boat , the  "Pride of Hull" fantastic travelling , as much as you can eat and then rocked to sleep ,to awake in Holland.

Above is one of the very high class river boats  in amsterdam and below one off a slightly lower class, the one that we were on was somewhere in between   !

We thought that there was a problem with bikes on UK towpaths .This is the bike park on the canal side near Amsterdam`s main station

Below a couple of pictures of the fantastic flower displays that we saw

Start of a new cruising year after a long winter , only boating on an occasional basis . 
This Spring Sybil has been into the dry dock to get her bottom blacked and some paintwork done to her  lower half . Our first real trip out was up to Bugsworth basin for my birthday in May where we were joined by some of the family for a picnic on the basin side and  then a ride  out on the boat up to Whaley bridge so that the grandchildren could have a go at driving , I think every one really enjoyed it 
.

                   Sybil in dry dock six feet in the air our access is by walking the plank as we stayed on board for the few days the work took place.

 Decorative work being done to the bow  whilst standing on a girder that is holding the  boat up

 We also did some voluntary work  to the canal bridges  in spring  , cleaning up rubbish and weeds 

              Moored up at Bugsworth see all the new decorative  paintwork around the bow  ,             although you cant  see the expensive bit as it is under the water

 Part of the work we did at home over winter included painting the back of the house !!!

                     An inverted grandmother at Bugsworth !

Another view of the boat in mid air

We have now left Brum and the Black country travelled down the Wolverhampton flight twenty one locks and onto the  Staffs & Worcester Canal,    Sybil then went for a weeks holiday at the Otherton boat haven while we used Mr Enterprise to go home  since we returned we have gently proceeded along and back onto the Trent Mersey, spent some time in Stone and Stoke , now after passing through the mile and two thirds Harecastle tunnel we are moored for the night on the start of the Macclesfield ,  last time we passed through the tunnel we had quite a bit of contact with the roof destroying one of our roof boxes but this time we flew through no contact at all ,in and out again in thirty eight minutes.

                                        Enjoying an ice cream at Gailey locks

Best display of flowers must be a fulltime  job looking after them 

A full moon rising over us 

A round lock keepers cottage at Gailey Locks

Nice and quiet here no neighbours , the way we like it

Leaving wolverhampton down the long flight of locks with the Chubb building behind us 

brass house pub

Brass house pub What can I say two for ten pounds no it was two for nine forty nine limited menu but proper sized meals , beer a bit dear but good grub.

Following a fun weekend in Nottingham we are back on the boat again having moved her out of Sherbourne Wharfe we are now moored opposite the Barclaycard arena for a couple of days , tonights tea will be a treat , two for ten pounds at the Brasshouse pub if we go before five o clock got to be worth a try .
The trains were very good coming back from Nottingham certainly cheaper than a hire car although I have just priced a car for our next trip home and somehow Enterprise won this time a weeks hire being much cheaper than the train back to Malton.


Out side New street Station is one of Birminghams new trams complete with  Barbi pink stripes , not tried one of them as the line does not yet reach the canal end of town , perhaps in a couple of years

Bit of a break from writing so just to get up to date again we are now back in Birmingham after some cruising around the Black Country including a three  day trip to Aldi  up the Essington and Wryley canal also known as the curly wurley before that we did spend some time in town including a visit to see the stage version of Mama Mia and also some street entertainment with  acrobatic snakes and ladders .Tonight just for a change on the way back from a rubbish run(walk) to the disposal point we called in at the Fiddle and Bone pub where there was a live band playing music from the sixties and seventies so had to stop for a pint only the one though at nearly four pounds a go but never the less good music Tomorrow we are back in the hands of network rail ? for a trip to Nottingham tickets bought online , collected today good gawping time at the stations ?


          Moored at Wolverhampton top lock quite a nice place despite the main road next to us

Spider men cleaning the windows in Birmingham no hose pipes just a good head for heights

The war memorial next to the library very nice flowers round it 

The two guys in the cherry picker were burning that steel off , it was around ten meters long
supported by the crane on the right  when it dropped and started swinging round , they were very lucky it missed them

a very interesting unit custom made from an Ivico panel van fitted with a new body to look like a full size unit and towing a fith wheel style caravan converted to a display unit they were selling Swiss made luxury wc`s which were complete with wash and blow dry at four and a half grand each
I was talking to the German driver who told me just after he got there his bike was nicked from behind the van ruining his plans of exploring the city while the sales team were in action in the u

                                               the Curly Wurly full of weed

Four young ladies playing three D snakes and ladders