Sybil is now in her winter mooring , we are here for a few days ,yesterday we had to go to a chandlery, at Middlewich to get an oil filter for the engine on the way we passed close to Joderal Bank telescope an impressive piece of equipment but had no time to visit or take photos , perhaps another time . see here jodrellbank .on our way back we called in at Poynton to see Mr Titterton the butcher got some frying steak for tea  (beef knuckle he tells me) each customer was getting a free pie due to an error in ordering which led to overstocking in the pie department  ,we picked an apple and cinamon very tasty it was made more so by the price .
Today I have spent a greater part of the day in the engine bay  draining down and refilling the engine oil , changing the oil and air filters and adding extra  insulation to the hot water tank , then later we tackled some corrosion on the roof  around the wood burner flue outlet , always a job to be done .

Grand and warm tonight all closed down tv on

We are yet again back on Sybil we had a fantastic weekend back in Yorkshire including a fun party with all the family there .We returned the hire car to Scarbrough and have brought our own car back to Poynton , a couple of days  have been spent around Poynton checking out charity shops including Bramhall a nearby town possibly the poshest charity shops we have found .
Friday;we decided to attempt a visit into Manchester , great fun , drive a few miles to free parking at Aston Moss then one of the new  trams into town to Picadilly station , nightmare of a place ,badly signed but  finally got some information as to where to go by visiting a reception office which I think was really for staff but a helpful lad who knew the area we were going to pointed us in the right direction to get the correct  bus and a good bus driver who shouted out stops to those who needed help  ,  all this on a free town bus out to the museum of science .MOSI
Really needs more than five hours to see all , but another fun experience all went well found our way back with no problems  Dark when we got back to Sybil
We had considered visiting Quarry Bank Mill yesterday as its only a short drive from us but with the miracle of the internet we discovered that entrance and parking would have cost over thirty five pounds!
I have been checking train costs this morning and for four pound and forty pence each we can travel from Poynton to the centre of Manchester and then use the free buses to visit all the sites and museums and there are quite a few to visit .
Most of the last few days have been spent exploring this area and the suburbs of manchester from the very upmarket Wilmslow to some much more  needy areas  and also a trip to Manchester airport.

Those of you who watched the great british bake off may remember Luis in the final and his cake here is the basis for the design at the entrance to Poynton his home town a memorial to the local mining industry

                                        Concorde in her resting place at Manchester airport

One of the brand new tram station at Aston Moss a short journey to the city centre  

a quick efficient way to travel 

Top end of the Macclesfield canal with the Pennines in the  distance

Nice stir fry 

for tea with all the trimmings

the pick up looking lonely at Aston Moss tram station  park , loads of space to go at

One of the live steam engines in the museum of science

Manchester airport dodgems ,These three on the move ,two more to the right taxiing  plus two more in the air to the left

Tuesday night moored just outside Macclesfield there are no buildings , roads , boats  or railways near us just woodland very dark outside very quiet but we are warm and cosy
Ok we all know Tuesday should be before Wednesday but then the computer does know better .

Wednesday night moored in Macclesfield  town its wet and wild outside we went into the town centre today ,too many charity shops really  perhaps they suffer with not enough stuff to go round ? but still a nice town only trouble its down a hill then up the other side to get there and for every down there is  an up to get back , moving on tomorrow  as it`s only a twenty four hour mooring but any way we much prefer the rural dark moorings such as last nights with no passerbys or traffic noise .

After a stay in Congleton during which visited the street market and car boot on Sunday and did the rounds of the shops on Saturday we have now turned and are heading back to Poynton

The weather forecast is for warm again I certainly hope so .

Congleton town hall an interesting building ,you can hire the meeting rooms for weddings etc , very grand

Congleton wharfe we have spent two nights here you can just see us on the left

These are known as  snake bridges you can see the reason why they do bear a resemblance to a coiled snake .

This is a double bridge half for the horses the other for the road

Fantastic country side we are travelling through the weather is fresh but dry and bright 

Thursday night moored at Gurnett aquaduct lovely view up the valley . Friday morning  a bit of a damp start but soon cleared up and we set off to the Bosley locks Twelve all together in the space of a mile first job at the top is a service area so water topped up and all three loo tanks emptied , then down we go twelve in a row we have got a got a system going Hilary walks lock to lock while I have to sit on Sybil and steer , but after she has set the lock ie filled it and opened the top gates I get Sybil in then dismount , close one gate and open one bottom paddle at which point I have to jump back on as she (Sybil ) sinks down into the lock then Hilary opens the bottom gates to let me out then closes both bottom paddles and gates , walks to the next lock then the procedure is repeated , hard work.
Any way when we reached the bottom decided that was enough for the day and moored up on the Dane aquaduct

This was the view on Saturday morning when we woke at the bottom

of the locks as the sun burnt off the mist sign of a nice day to follow

The aquaduct next to where we are moored in Congleton for Saturday night ,we passed over this road earlier this afternoon  then walked down it on our way to the town centre  it has been a beautiful autumn sunny day , ideal cruising weather

Top sill of one of the Bosley locks see the size of the curved blocks  that form the corners nearly four feet along each side the design of these locks has been refined over the years and they are some  of the newest locks to be built

Back out and on the move again  ,last night moored just out side Bollington This area is known as Happy Valley I haven't found out why yet , I did read in a local information centre that when this area was full of mills that the workers were better treated than in the cities , could that be the answer or is there a more modern reason ? I shall try to find out more .Moving on today through Macclesfield we will see if we can get a mooring this time so we can visit the town.

Doing a bit of gardening while moored in the marina

Mr heron sat on the end of the pontoon waiting for a fish to come along 

Autumn is here 

This is what could happen if your not carefull ,it is sat on the bottom of the canal which shows how deep they are ,it is said if you fall in the first thing to do is stand up and see who is watching 

Canal side mill in Marple

Lovely views across the Goyt valley

Sunday night we are back on Sybil She has been moored outside Poynton last week , we have lit the fire to get her and us  warmed up again ,the batteries are a little low after sitting a week but enough to run the TV tonight .Tomorrows forecast is wet and wild .Sure enough Monday morning has arrived wet and wild it is , we are running the engine to boost the batteries and heat up the hot water.
The wind is supposed to drop by lunchtime if so we will move up to the fuel supplier a couple of hundred yards away fill up with diesel , the water point is also nearby so that can be topped up as well and subject to the wind we can move on again , probably back down the Macclesfield to explore
more unvisited parts.

Sunday morning moored just outside Poynton ready to move on tomorrow to the marina for Sybil to go into storage for a week whilst we are back in Yorkshire.
Looking at Google Earth yesterday I was surprised to see an enormous runway and airfield with the runway ending just on the edge of the village .
A bit of research showed that it wasWoodford the site of Avro aircraft (BAE) who over the last ninety years produced many aircraft there from Lancaster's to Vulcan Bombers but is now closed down and awaiting redevelopment.
I bet that when they overflew the village the noise would have been horrific .
Have once seen a Vulcan fly past at low level at Church Fenton airshow very loud and very impressive just for its sheer bulk.

This was the view over the Goyt valley as we came back down the Peak Forest Canal

While scuffling about in the adjacent woods I discovered this structure each of the stone blocks are around three feet long and fifteen inches square looks like it could have been a basin as it was level with the canal and swept round to join up ,To the left and below is the railway line.

But it had been used as a tip perhaps dredgings from the canal and was overgrown with saplings and rubbish

.

Update for tonight ; we are now out in the woods a mile or so from any other living soul; its really dark outside,down hill is a railway line ,up hill another line ,  I guess we are on a railway island , the rain is lashing down and  the wood burner is lit and we have tv and Internet , really cosy .
When we arrived I spent an hour trimming weeds and foliage and gathering sticks . I feel that if everyone cleared a bit of tow path when they moored  the system could be a lot better
Hilary sawed some firewood to keep us warm tonight ,We have a proper little camp site.
Friday morning decided to polish the  Rh side of the boat , lh side was done a few days ago .
The canal is running at five hundred feet above sea level at the moment which means that it can go round the side of hills and along valley sides which does give us some surprisingly good views at times.

Thursday night in the woods near New Mills

Tuesday night in the country with a view across the valley to the railways

Operating one of a number of swing bridges we have to pass through

Quite a tight fit past overgrowing vegetation

Yet another moored picture ,this time Bugsworth basin

Last night moored in Bugsworth basin ,but this morning we had to reverse  a hundred  yards to the turning point after trying to turn in the basin and grounding on the mud this with quite a breeze blowing to make it interesting .
Then we went up the arm to Whaley so that we could say we have done it , no where to moor up there it is mainly residential moorings so we turned and followed the trip boat back down and headed back down the upper peak forest , tonight we are just below New Mills where we passed behind a sweet factory gorgeous aromas ( they make love hearts etc) Matlows sweets I did email them to ask if they had a visitor centre but got  apologising for the lack of one.

After a week now without an internet signal ,as we move further into the hills at last  a signal .
We have travelled the full length of the Macclesfield It really is a pretty canal very scenic as we head towards what I presume are the Pennines rising in the distance .
The last few days have been spent moored in Poynton ,although the actual town centre is over a mile from the canal as we found out when we first arrived while searching for fresh milk when  a " kind " local suggested it was a quarter of a mile to the shops so we set of down a hill as directed and an hour and a half later returned with milk and sore feet ( it goes to show there are some good people around as when Hilary stopped to adjust her  shoe sat at the side of the road a lady turned her car around and came to ask if where ok and could she help ) later we wished we had said yes as a lift back up the hill would have been nice .
After that we discover the local bus service with the geriatric pass coming into use again.
Last Sunday was a steam  and craft day at the Poynton (Anson)engine museum just the sort of thing I love
engine museum
I think Hilary enjoyed some parts but was one of  a minority of ladies there ,It was mainly men attending who proceeded around the site as the lady who through  an ex BR pa system announced which engine was going to started next .
Our next move is up to Marple junction , turn right and along  the Peak Forest to Bugsworth basin .

This is Poynton main street They are trying a system called shared space no real definition between roads and paths , minimal signage you have faith and walk where you want and hope the cars slow down it does work most of the time also there are roundabouts and junctions with no markings only changes in the texture of the surfaces 

Blacksmith at the museum using a power hammer

one of the engines looks a real Heath Robinson affair ?

Marples junction 

An action shot of a gas engine with wheels spinning 

After a night spent in Middlewich moored next to one of the main roads into town , we were glad to move further along the Trent Mersey canal for a  few miles on Wednesday , that night then  being spent moored at Wheelock which is a suburb of  Sandbach. Today (Thursday )we caught the bus into town I got my free geriatric  ticket but Hilary had to pay£2.20 for one mile!! , it was market day so was quite busy , another nice town to visit , with some interesting buildings , nice floral decorations and clean streets.
Tomorrow we shall start the first climb of locks , heading towards the Macclesfield junction.

To get an idea of the size and scale of these  locks see Hilary taking a well earned rest on he left hand lock beam

This was Friday night  and the twentieth lock we passed through , we moored  just around the corner

for a well earned nights rest .We don't think this flight of locks deserved it name of Heartbreak Hill as most of the locks are well maintained and easy to work

A salt works we passed on Friday just outside Middlewich

An owl sat on the pub fence at the Red Bull pub at lock 42 on the Trent Mersey while his keeper enjoys a well earned drink after a morning spent removing pigeons and starlings from a local abattoirs roof 

Double locks ie two separate narrow  locks side by side each with its own entrance arch there are no set rules as to which one you use so there can be two boats going up or down or one in each direction

This is a boat we moored near earlier this week  the boat was fifty feet with a seventeen foot butty behind so both could fit in a lock together.

The butty was originally a self contained boat  complete with stove and a single cylinder engine but now is used as a store and workshop , a sort of mobile shed I suppose

A foot bridge over the lock entrance with a split down the middle so that the horse can walk up the ramp at the side letting the tow rope slip through and pulling the boat into the lock

Saint Marys church Sandbach  with an unusual bell tower open underneath forming an entrance porch ,

After a week back in Yorkshire it is good to be back on Sybil although Enterprise did us good with a Hyundai 30i lovely car for the same price as a small A class , A meaning tiny , sad to give it back!! nearly 20G new 9G after 3 years now thats a drop.
Now moving back towards the Trent Mersey then turning right this time we will head towards the Macclesfield canal the first part of our journey includes a group of locks called heartbreak hill ! we shall soon see why.

Our return to Yorkshire was a bit of a food extravaganza , first as soon as we hit Pickering on Monday night we had to call at Eastgate chippie  for proper fish and chips .

Then Tuesday night see above , flat brisket with veg,gravy,and yorkies , yum yum .

This will be the view from our bedroom window tomorrow morning looking down into the valley , 

Flowers still looking good ,again thanks to the people at the marina , Thankyou 

Relaxing tonight , see our bovine neighbours for the evening .

Heading along on the Trent Mersey canal after an uneventful rise back up from the river .
Thursday night was spent moored out in the wild on one of the flashs ( small shallow  lakes caused by land settlement through which the canal passes ).Friday night in Middlewich and a walk round the the farmers street market on Saturday morning rather expensive though , it seems to be call it a farmers market and double the price .
 Saturday night will be out in the wilds on the Middlewich branch of the Shropshire Union canal .
.

Heres a boat that is moored (resting ) just above Dutton lock on the Weaver , an interesting restoration for some one perhaps.

"Ouse Dunit "with Raggs on the rear deck keeping an eye on the locking up procedure .

Looking up to the adjacent caisson which contains a few hundred tonnes of water and a large trip boat ready to be lowered down to the river while we rise up

The railway viaduct crossing the River Weaver carrying I believe the West Coast mainline

This is the view as we reach the top of the lift from the back of Sybil , a guillotine gate with a few inches of upstand and a fifty foot drop beyond