Ellesmere area

Thu 5th July   Ellesmere Arm

We got up early as we had things to achieve in Ellesmere. We realised that the boat behind us had gone, so we moved the boat back into his place under the tree.

We found some blood on the step and on the carpet, and we thought Hugo had caught another mouse, but we soon found that it was Hugo who was bleeding, from a wound in his head.  He had had a scrap with another cat a month ago at Aqueduct Marina, and there had been a small scab on his head.  Now it seemed he had been scratching it and there was an abscess.

Hugo’s wound

We checked in our First Mate Guide for Ellesmere Vets, and chose the closest one – Brownlow’s.  We rang them and made an appointment.

The map with vets marked

We used Hugo’s new pet carrier for the first time. It was much lighter and it was well worth getting when we were at Pets at Home in Crewe with our hired car.

We allowed half an hour for the walk to the vets, and it was just as well, as we took a wrong turning. We eventually arrived on the dot at the place marked on the map.  No vets. We asked a local, who said they used to be here, but they moved a few years ago!  We phoned them and told them the problem. They said they would wait, and we asked them for a taxi phone number.  We tried to phone the taxi firm, but the number was unobtainable. We did a Google search and found another firm – no answer. In the end we walked to the other vets, who had changed their name and phone number.  Thankfully they were able to see Hugo, and they washed his wound and gave him antibiotics.

On the way back we passed the Ellesmere Hotel.  We decided to go in and ask about a gig. We met Mark, who agreed to the event on Tuesday 31^st July.  Excellent! One job ticked off the list.

Hazel called in at a chemist to arrange for her prescription to be sent there. Another tick.

We returned to the boat via Tesco for some milk.

In the evening we went for a Greek meal, which was very good.  We rushed it a bit, as we wanted to get to the church quiz we had been told about in the town hall.  We shared a table with a family with teenagers, which was a good move, as they could get the questions about current pop groups and soap stars, and we could answer questions like who wrote “Mr Tambourine Man”. We didn’t win but we did well.

We met Phil Wright, who was heading up the evening, and who is the church leader for the Cellar Church.  We said we would see him on Sunday.

No boating today

Fri 6th July   Ellesmere Arm to Blake Mere

Hazel went to Tesco for a few more things, while James prepared a poster to advertise the gig we had arranged.  Mirjana had pointed out that unless we get an audience it will be an ineffective evening.  The mission literature has already been printed, so the gig has to be advertised separately.

After email correspondence with Chris and Tim to enhance the design, we sent off a pdf to the local printers, who can produce them by tomorrow. That means we can give some to the church on Sunday.

We also contacted Enterprise, to arrange a pick up.  Most of the moorings around here are time-limited, so we made a day by day plan of where we would be and when. The next two nights would be spent in the shade somewhere.

Moored on the Ellesmere Arm

Turning round at the end

We set off down the arm to turn, and then cruised slowly back to the junction, where we found fuel boat Mountbatten with diesel at 82p.  At the marina it was 95p, so we filled up.  Thankfully we had enough cash as he didn’t take credit card.  His pen ran out of ink, so we gave him a Canal Ministries one. Then we reversed on to the facilities wharf and emptied two cassettes, got rid of the rubbish and tried to fill the water tank.  The pressure was very poor, so we didn’t wait until it was full.

Mountbatten fuel boat

Nearly an hour later we finally set off downstream past the marina, through the tunnel, and past Blake Mere. We wanted to turn round and face back towards Ellesmere for a quick start on Sunday morning in time for church at 10am. 

Ellesmere Tunnel

Sculpture trail

The winding hole was nearly a mile beyond where we wanted to moor, and as we reached it a boat was coming towards us, so we waited until he was past. We then swung the stern to the left, to steer the bows into the winding hole, just as another boat was coming towards us. We judged that we would be completely into the winding hole out of his way as he came past.  Well, the winding hole was shallow and silted, so we were not able to get the nose onto the bank as planned, so we were broadside across the canal. The other boat kept coming, making no apparent attempt to slow down or change course, and he hit our stern. Fortunately there was no damage. When he had gone we were able to complete our turn. If we had been a full length boat we would have had great difficulty turning.

We had identified a good shady mooring before we turned and it was still there when we returned half an hour later. We moored up and put out our chairs overlooking the mere by a short fishing platform, and watched a family of great crested grebes swimming and diving.  It was very warm.  A little bank vole popped its head up between the planks in the platform, before wandering off among the bushes. Fortunately Hugo was still on the boat.

Our lovely view

Evening light

Hugo and his collar

Margaret Wright came by car to visit us later on, and we caught up with all her news. She had discovered that we were around because she had bought diesel from the fuel boat and the skipper had used the Canal Ministries pen we had given him. Hugo was out and about by then and he made a fuss of her.

A visit from Margaret Wright

It was dark by the time she left, so James walked her back to her car with a torch.

0 locks, 3 miles, 1 tunnel

Sat 7th Jul  Blake mere

Our shady mooring by Blake Mere

After a beautiful breakfast of salmon, scrambled egg and samphire, James walked in to Ellesmere to visit the printers and retrieve the posters and handouts. 

More sculptures – this one is called “Aqueduct”

A Buzzard

The printers was run by a pleasant elderly couple, and the service was very good. The literature was ready and looks fine.  They didn’t accept credit cards, and as we had used almost all our cash by buying diesel, James had to go and find a cash point, before he could collect the material.

The folk evening poster

He posted Greg’s birthday card – next collection 7am on Monday. He walked back via a hilly route up a lane past the castle mound, and down footpaths to the Mere, where he had an ice cream in the Boathouse Cafe.

The view from Castle Mound

Castle Mound

More sculptures and the Mere

From there it was just a short walk back to the boat.  We got the instruments out and had a practice. It was lovely in the shade, as the weather was still very warm.

No boating today

Next: Back to the Ellesmere Arm early tomorrow to moor up and get to Cellar Church, which starts at 10am. In the evening we sing at a session in the White Hart. On Monday we move again to a mooring near Margaret and Rex Wright where we leave the boat for a few days, hire a car and go to Anglesey to visit Andy and Vicki, friends for fifty years. Back in Ellesmere again for next Sunday.