Monday 10^th September. Woke up reasonably early and stoked up on eggs, bacon and toast (yep, you’ve guessed it, fired up the generator again) Well, didn’t want Brigid to flag half way through the locks, did I!? We met a mixture of folk in the locks, some full-time travellers, others out for a week’s boat hire, some in their own craft just out for a week or two. The problem I have is that they all ask the same question – ‘Where are you off to?’ And I always reply ‘Don’t know!’ I do explain a bit after that but usually I’ve forgotten the names of places en route and so I end up burbling on about retirement and time to explore.

At the top of the locks we needed to take on water and dispose of rubbish.

The floating weed in the picture got under the boat and nearly stopped us going anywhere. Although a lovely canal, there is a lot of this floating weed and the canal is also very shallow. So, anything going under the boat tends to stick there until you either stop and reverse to shake it off or go into deep water where it can drop away.

Came across our first swing bridge, hydraulically operated, complete with electric barriers, warning noises and plenty of whirring and ggrring. The ggrring was me trying to understand the instructions! You had to press buttons and then wait whilst, apparently, nothing happened, and the bridge swung open. In point of fact, locking pins were disengaging and things were going on underground. The trouble is that when cars are waiting and you don’t really know what you’re doing, it’s hard to look as if you are in total control of the proceedings. Anyway it was so traumatic that we just had to stop for lunch at The Fools Nook. Definitely another favourite! The food was well cooked and the portions were, again, generous. I think the first time we came here was 27 years ago. And it’s still good! After lunch we came to another swing bridge – NOT hydraulically operated – and was it hard! I was just straining to close it again when Brigid shouted out that another boat was coming through – lucky them – I smiled and waved and then started straining again. Unfortunately no pub anywhere near! In Macclesfied we passed the birthplace of Hovis flour.

The word Hovis is derived from the Latin hominisunvis meaning power to the man. The mill is now up-market apartments. Saw another heron which, braver than most, didn’t fly away as we passed bye.

Also saw another traditional tug and butty moored by the side of the canal.

And then what should we see but a tufted duck. There were a male and female but we only managed to get the one.

Have stopped for the night near Bollington. We had one or two short showers during the day but it was not as bad as forecast.