Leaving Middlewich the weather starts getting even worse than before. Now it is cold, and we have rain. The towpath is very muddy, the locks very hard, and one day, when we decided to call it a day at one o’clock, we get a deluge, no water proofs would have withstand that.

Deluge

The next day it’s sunny, a bit cold, but later the wind drops and it even gets warm(-ish). Don’t ask who’s on the tiller…

On this part of the Trent&Mersey most locks are double. No, not for two boats, but there are actually two locks. You hope hat one will be set for us, but that’s not always the case.

I’m at locks 46. They are not set for us, and a yoghurt pot is going down one of the locks. In the distance I see another (narrow)boat, just coming out of the next locks. Having nothing else to do I open the gate of the other lock. It’s set for them anyway.

It’s a light blue boat, and it reminds me of Solitude, Roy and Carol’s boat, who lived next to us in the marina for a while. Even the woman on the boat is blond, like Carol. And the name of the boat is Solitude…
Even Lawrance, still around the corner, waiting to get into the lock, can hear the screams of joy!

Ships that pass in the night

We stay in the locks as long as possible, until we see in the distance another boat coming.

We only do one more lock, and moor up at Red Bull Services. Have a drink at the Red Bull pub, and decide to have a meal there as well.

After a very nice meal the landlord asks us if we want to have desert. My answer: “No, but I would like to have your curtains.” His answer? “Yes, no problem.”

Roses, in the right colour scheme, matching the cushions I got from Ann. The pub is under new management, and they want to replace them. I just can’t believe my luck!

What a day!

* I know, ships that pass in the night are not supposed to meet again. I hope we do. But ‘ships that pass in the day’ is just meaningless.

2 thoughts on “Ships that pass in the night*

  1. Wendy Cook on April 29, 2018 at 1:49 pm said:

    Hi both! It has taken me ’til now, (wendy and John on the fjord princess) to find your card and so catch up on the blog – I have really enjoyed reading it- all the archived ones too!!
    The weather updates and your stop around Red Bull brought it all back!! It reminded me that we did have some warm sun….for a little while!!
    Did you get your curtains done then? (food was scrumptious there wasn’t it and they were so friendly!) Back home in Wales and apart from a weird heatwave of less than 24hrs we are still cold/wet/and almost frosty at night – so some improvement, however, I long for those cold wet days, and struggles with the particularly stiff locks, the sense of achievement when mooring with ‘proper’ knots, general movement and chugging engine sounds!! And the meeting of so many lovely folk again – got to save a frog too (whilst waiting for a lock to be drained/cleaned due to some idiot flytipping oil etc down a road drain) so lots of moments to remember!! Until the next holiday I shall have to live out my dreams via blogs such as yours ! Thanks!
    Lovely to have met you both, x Wendy.

    • Maggie on April 30, 2018 at 6:18 am said:

      Didn’t hear about the curtains, yet. I’ll get them when I get them.
      Enjoying our favorite canal at the moment: Staff & Worcs.

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