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The 1977 Canal Holidays - The Summer Holiday
A one week high summer holiday. Just Llangollen and back from Andersen Boats in Middlewich. Boat was a 22ft Dawncraft. I can't remember if it was outboard or in board! This was the last plastic / wooden boat holiday. It was incredibly hot weather - probably the hottest boating we have ever done in this country. Much swimming was done! This was at the meres and in the canal. Neil got sunstroke at one point and put his hand through the side window.
Basic Log
Saturday 2nd July - Left home 10.20 and arrived at Middlewich at 14.20. Picked up boat and went up Middlewich Branch. Stopped just before Bridge No 13 and walked into Church Minshull across fields and by the infantile River Weaver. Went to the Badgers Arms pub - very good pub meal.
Sunday 3rd July - Left Church Minshull fairly early and went south at Barbridge Junction and the off the Shroppie onto the Llangollen Canal. Got to Ellesmere that night, by Blakemere. Ate on boat after swim to cool down. Extremely hot day.
Monday 4th July - Ellesmere to Llangollen. Neil put his hand through side window when shoving off boat after being put up the bank by one of those bloody narrowboats! This was on the narrow section after the Ponty skylight Aqueduct. Hand not badly cut considering that the window was NOT safety glass. This was probably just as well as we stuck it together with masking tape. (People in the motor trade always have this on them!) Found room on moorings at Llangollen. That evening we walked up to Horseshoe Falls and then went back to The Bridge Hotel, nice meal overlooking the river.
Tuesday 5th July - Stayed in Llangollen all day. Went shopping in the morning and bought stuff for packed lunch. After this we walked up to the falls again for a picnic. In the evening we went to The Bridge Hotel again.
Wednesday 6th July - Left Llangollen and started back. We stopped at Welsh Frankton and had the usual pilgrimage to the Frankton Locks at the top of the Montgomery Canal. Still in decayed state. That night we got to Ellesmere and stopped up the town arm by that bloody dairy bottling plant - chinking bottles all night! Sadly this is now closed. Had fish and chips in the evening. VERY hot all day and night.
Thursday 7th July - Ellesmere to Nantwich on the Shroppie. Linda washed hair in pans after a swim. Bought cider / fish and chips in Nantwich and went back to boat. BLOODY hot all day.
Friday 8th July - Nantwich to Middlewich. We stopped above Wardle Lock on the Middlewich Branch. Went to the Boars Head in Middlewich for a pint and chicken and chips.
Saturday 9th July - We got the boat down the final 4 locks and abandoned the wreck at 9.00. Boatyard bloke less than pleased with broken window, we lost deposit. Neil sad he could have lost his hand as not safety glass! Linda loves to keep bringing up Neil's boating disaster! we finally extract the RS from the car park (10.00) and are soon back home at 13.10. This was after a lunch stop at Watford Gap!
 Neil has had a swim / bath! Note the broken window! |
 So has Linda, she is now doing some washing |
 Neil, rather bronzed in places! |
 Linda |
 Nice shot of the Ponty skylight Aqueduct. |
 A lift bridge that is probably missing now. |
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