Moorings near Steer Bridge (24) – Friday May 24th

Today was Grindley Brook and its six locks in the wind but first we had some lift bridges to negotiate.  At the first one I opened the bridge and then stood there while four other boats took advantage of my good nature!  Muffin had a great time playing with a small dog in a ploughed field – you can imagine what he looked like when he got back on the boat!  I just washed his feet off in the washing up bowl as I couldn’t see the point of showering him.  At the second lift bridge the bridge was up but the lady operating it just shut it and went back to her boat – not a hire boater either.  Fortunately the third bridge was open for us – I was very grateful.

Grindley Staircase Locks

 

We arrived at Grindley Brook expecting there to be a queue but there was just one boat coming up the staircase locks.  I helped with the locks and the hire boater told me that they had left Chester yesterday morning – that’s about 30 miles and 27 locks!  Richard says he reckons they were talking b******s!!!!!  The lock keeper helped us down so it was a very speedy operation all round.  Muffin didn’t really like the staircase locks as he had to stay on the boat – he yelped most of the time.  As it was so windy I got Richard into the first lock then went and set the second one so he could just go straight in.  I repeated it for the third lock.  We pulled over for lunch at the bottom then motored on through three more locks before pulling over on some visitor’s moorings just before Marbury Lock.  It was an interesting manoeuvre with the wind blowing the boat away from the bank with gusto!!!  I have a lovely view tonight of cows munching away – they aren’t lying down so I guess it’s not going to rain!

Muffin's Spoils

Someone had set up a stall (though it was on the ground) of kindling, onions and eggs plus an honesty box at Quoisley Lock.  Muffin decided that the onions looked good and stole a bag!  Of course the bag split and the onions rolled everywhere.  I didn’t really need five onions but had to buy them as they did have teeth marks in them!  I guess it could have been worse – it could have been eggs!

Old Man’s Bridge (38) to Moorings near Steer Bridge (24)

6.37 miles
9 locks
3 lift/swing bridges