TNC On Tour 2004 Page 10

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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour

Tour 2004

10 - Middlewich to Chester, Middlewich Arm, Shropshire Union Canal.

Friday 2nd April 2004

We started off from above Wardle Lock at 09:15, there was an extended stop at Nanney's Bridge from 11:50 to 13:10. This was, as promised to call in on Peter and Jean Stockdale - http://www.thecanalshop.com - for a chat and welcome cuppa. Much talk about the Ashton and it's impending 30 year reopening celebrations.
14:20 saw us at Barbridge Junction, to turn right down the Chester line of the Shropshire Union. At Calverly Services we tooted hello to Peter Robbins aboard NB Thumper. It was rather quiet until we caught up with an Anglo Welsh hire boat at Beeston Stone Lock. This boat "Westport", as well as "Beech" and "Earth" were crewed by what can only be described at total pi$$ head 25ish year old lads, open case of Stella at the ready.
We wish we had not shared the stone lock (iron lock is single NB only, due to sides subsiding) and tied up. The first incident was Neil narrowly averting "Westport" hanging up on the cill. Then there was "Westport" getting stuck in the low pound below (fixed by Ian letting down water) and then stuffing Earnest up the stern, chipping a lot of paint off the white and cants........enough said.
We stopped at Chas Harden's for a diesel top up (not too much as we wanted stern light for the Chester Weir.) That night we all stopped below Wharton Lock to go to "The Shady Oak" PH at Bates Mill Bridge No 109. Earnest was moored a fair way up from the pi$$ heads, who were well away in the pub when we arrived, sporting pirate hats and Viking helmets......we retired to the somewhat less rowdy conservatory for a rather monster steak and chips and a couple of pints of insipid Theakson's.

Saturday 3rd April 2004

Earlyish start as the "Pirates and Vikings" were stirring - soon left well behind. Interesting to see the sight of the railway cutting floods at Christleton Lock. The side by-weir had become blocked and had washed a lot of the adjoining field into the cutting (railway tunnel underneath the next pound down) All now seemed sorted out - field restored, with a new fence and gate into the field.
Arrival at Tower Wharf, below Chester Northgate Locks was at 12:50. Moorings totally deserted, apart from a liveaboard on the BW yard moorings opposite. Not long after we arrived intermittent rain started. Ian left around 15:00. After this Neil did a water fill up with the long hose, then retired inside as the rain was now constant.

Bridge No 29. Middlewich. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Bridge No 28. Middlewich. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Stanthorne Bridge No 27 and Stanthorne Lock. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Railway Bridge No 22 A. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Looking back at Cartwright Bridge No 23. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Good clear spring view over the Upper and Lower Winsford Flashes. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

The at risk stable block has found a new use. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Looking back at Church Minshull and Erdswick Hall Bridge No 13. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Erdswick Bridge No 12. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Hoolgrave Bridge No 11. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Weaver Embankment. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Nanney's Bridge No 8. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Nanney's Bridge No 8 and Pete Stockdale's smallholding. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Minshull Lock. The burnt out lock cottage has finally been rebuilt in a similar style - only the chimney seems out of place. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Minshull Lock. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Cholmondeston Railway Bridge. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Cholmondeston Lock and Bridge No 5. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Looking back at Venetian Marine from Cholmondeston Lock. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Cholmondeston Lock. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Barbridge Junction. Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Looking up at Goodwin Bridge from Barbridge Junction. Shropshire Union Canal.

Barbridge Junction. Shropshire Union Canal.

Calveley Service block is now in the old warehouse. Shropshire Union Canal.

Calveley. Shropshire Union Canal.

Bunbury stables and Staircase Top Lock. Shropshire Union Canal.

Bunbury Staircase Lock. Shropshire Union Canal.

Anglo Welsh Bunbury. Shropshire Union Canal.

Looking back at Bunbury Staircase Lock. Shropshire Union Canal.

Tilstone Lock. Shropshire Union Canal.

Tilstone Lock hut. Shropshire Union Canal.

Leaving Tilstone Lock. Shropshire Union Canal.

The incompetent pi$$ed crewed Anglo Welsh hire boat "Westport" at Beeston Stone Lock. Shropshire Union Canal.

The Stella flows aboard NB Westport..............Beeston Stone Lock. Shropshire Union Canal.

Beeston Iron Lock. Shropshire Union Canal.

The Shady Oak pub at Bates Mill Bridge No 109. Shropshire Union Canal.

Large Dutch barge wide beam visitor to the wide Chester section of the Shropshire Union Canal. Shropshire Union Canal.

Golden Nook moorings with Bridge No 115 in view. Shropshire Union Canal.

Egg Bridge No 119. Waverton. Shropshire Union Canal.

The Cheshire cat pub / restaurant. Shropshire Union Canal.

Shropshire Union Canal.

Quarry Bridge No 121. Shropshire Union Canal.

By-Pass Bridge and Christleton Lock. The new fence and ploughed field is due to the blocked by-weir flooding the adjacent railway line a couple of weeks earlier. Shropshire Union Canal.