Thursday 25 May 2017

Whitchurch to Majorca then not onto Llangollen!

Thursday 25th May    (I didn't notice this post didn't publish until after my post 27th May)
A busy week, last Thursday 18th May we managed to get moored in the basin at Whitchurch. As the moorings there are run by the council and not CRT we asked if we were ok to stay for more than 48 hours as I had a train to catch first thing Friday morning. We walked to the train station on Thursday to see how long it was to walk and it took us about 40 minutes! But we walked a different way back to the basin which only took 30minutes! My train was at 7am on Friday morning so we were up early and Kev & Jaz walked with me. I got the train to Manchester Piccadilly, then got the next train to Manchester airport.
I had a flight at 10.20 am to Palma Majorca, I was going to surprise my daughter Kirsty as it was her 40th birthday on Saturday 20th May. I had arranged for Kirsty's partner Phil to pick me up from the airport, and when we got to their home Phil let me get out of the car just before he pulled into their drive, I then walked into the garden where Kirsty & Samuel were Kirsty turned and saw me and she just stared at first before realising I was actually there!
We all went out for an Indian meal in the evening for a pre 40th birthday treat.
Kirsty & Phil

Phil made Kirsty a cake, not too many candles to blow out!
A lovely meal in the evening
Toby, enjoying his bath!
I had a lovely weekend and on Monday morning Kirsty took me to the airport at Palma, when I arrived back to Manchester airport I was able to get the train back to Manchester Piccadilly straight away but had an hour to wait for my train to Whitchurch, where Kev & Jaz met me.
On Tuesday morning we were away from our mooring in the basin fairly early and  while Kev stayed on board I walked Jaz along the towpath.
Tilstock Park Lift bridge
Passing the Prees branch
Entering Ellesmere tunnel
And leaving Ellesmere tunnel!
We managed to get moored in Ellesmere and I went to the Tesco for some shopping, I managed to use the shopping trolley to get it all to the boat! I did take it back though and didn't throw it in the canal Lol! I managed to do 2 loads of washing and got it all dry too!
On Wednesday morning we moved off and turned around and left the Ellesmere arm and went to the services where we filled with water etc. The water took ages to fill, long enough for me to get my ironing done!
Moored at Ellesmere
Starting to turn around
Nearly round!
And leaving Ellesmere arm.
Pulling onto the services.
A lovely property, very immaculate!
Passing the Montgomery Canal.
We decided to stop for a bite to eat and let Jaz stretch her legs and moored before Brooms Bridge.
Jaz loves being outside
We then let go and carried onto New Marton locks, and as we were approaching the first of the 2 locks a boat had just left and had left both bottom gates open and also they had left the paddles open. So we went straight in and Kev climbed the ladder and coded the paddles & the gates. As we were ready to leave the first lock a boat was just approaching the lock landing so we were able to leave the top gate open and carry onto the second lock. I went to the lock where a boat was coming down so Kev stayed back on the boat while the boat came out of the lock. As we got up the lock there was a queue of 9 boats waiting to got down the lock. We were glad we was going in the opposite direction!
Approaching the lock with the paddles open!
Another lovely property
This old man was sat at the bottom of their garden having a fag lol.
Approaching Chirk Aqueduct
I was hoping a train would pass.


Ok who's going to drink first!
The weather was glorious and the scenery was too and when we got to the PontcysllteAqueduct Kev got off the boat with the camera while I brought the boat across the aqueduct.
Here I go.
There was a boat ahead of us who wanted to get moored at Trevor, and so we followed him passed all the Anglo Welsh hire boats through the bridge where he turned round and came back towards us as there wasn't any moorings. Kev was talking to a man from the trip boats and while we we turning around to leave the basin a hire boat that was moored there said he was leaving so we managed to get moored!
We wanted to leave early this morning to head for Llangollen and didn't want to meet many boats and   so we left at just after 6am!
Heading to Llangollen
Lovely and peaceful.
Some lovely views too.
Made it! Moored in the basin at Llangollen.

No comments:

Post a Comment