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The 1970 Canal Holiday
The next canal holiday was a week at Whitsun. One of the snazzy new BWB hire boats was hired from their base at Nantwich. This craft was of the second generation "Buffodil" Morgan Giles GRP purpose built canal cruisers. It rained a lot - especially at Bosley - but then it always does! Neil can not remember the name of the boat (or much else about this holiday!) Our chosen route for the week was the Shropshire Union, Middlewich Arm, Trent and Mersey to Red Bull Junction. all of Macclesfield and Upper Peak Forest Canal. Return by the same route. The holiday was a bit fraught as the useless Morgan Giles hydraulic drive broke down twice. Neil remembers his dad, Maurice lifting the engine coves and having a good swear as he got squirted with copious amounts of hydraulic fluid! Neil was off the boat for all the lock flights and remembers doing and walking between all of "Heartbreak Hill" - Wheelock Flight and the Bosley Flight on the Macclesfield. There was a total lack of any other boat movements. Passage along the Macclesfield was a bit slow going. We would have found it better with an old, half a working boat, BWB hireboat! We got right up to Whaley Bridge and went to Pat Phoenix's pub, the Navigation. Neil remembers wandering around Buxworth Basin, wondering when / if it would reopen. (It finally has!) Neil's bunk was one of the terrible claustrophobic ones, which went under the lockers in the front cockpit! This was of course sheer luxury, compared with the two rear bunks of a Dawncraft Dandy!
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