Well there was no body else about at the moorings last night although there were 4 other boats here plus a resident and 2 charity boats. The fishermen were on the hotel car park until about 10-30, they did a shift change around 6 pm, some went and others arrived. Its good to see as they keep the riffraff away.
This morning I went out before the museum opened and there was a chap with a Harris Hawk patrolling the covered dock for feral pigeons, but there wasn't one to be seen, so he does a good job.
When the museum opened we went for a wonder round, not much has changed since our last visit apart from lifting all the wooden hulks from the top basin. These have been taken off site for measuring and drying out before assessing whether any will be restored or just preserved. One that is all ready drying out on site is Mossdale, she is well past restoration and will be preserved in the state she is in. To restore her would actually be to build a replica as she is completely rotten. Click photo to enlarge
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Two of the new exhibits in the main gallery are crochet works by the "Coffee and crochet ladies" One is a rather grand horse, probably about the same size as a horse used to pull a Narrowboat this is covering a wire frame. The other is a large Friendship wall hanging.
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We had lunch in the museum cafe before returning to the boat to set sail. While I untied and made my way through the lower basin Diana went and set the locks which we had refilled after we came down yesterday. We had lots of help from the children and also a CRT employee/volunteer I'm not sure which, but he organised the kids on the top gate on the other side for us. Before we left the port we topped up with water and dumped rubbish, well Diana did while I stood talking to Mike Turpin about things.
We didn't meet any boat today but we did see this chap up a radio mast, I bet he was feeling the wind chill.
As we got neat bridge 130 I noticed the footpath mile posts, first a wooden one saying 8 miles to Ellesmere Port and then about 100Mts further on an iron cast one saying it was 6 ¾ miles. I think the newer wooden one is incorrect.
As we made our way along the canal this plane was circling the town, I wonder who picked up the bill?
When we got to Chester just passed the locks to the Dee there was just one free mooring at the far end, I could see a lady feeding ducks but she was also feeding the pigeons and there must have been between 50 and 70 on the ground around her feed. She had a carried bag full of food she was throwing about, so I hope there are not too many rats about tonight.
Yesterday morning we came down the Northgate Staircase meeting Nb. Oleanna in the second chamber, well Pip has posted a collection of Photos on her blog of us passing, please take a look
Today' Journey 
3 comments:
That woman comes round about every other day. She always has a full carrier bag full of bird feed and the pigeons swoop round to reach her. It totally freaked Tilly out. Then when the woman wants to leave she seems scared of them! Chester Council tried a few years ago to stop people feeding the pigeons so that they could reduce their numbers. On the outside of the city walls near the Cathedral there is what I first thought was a large dove cote, but it is actually a pigeon cote and one of the few places they allowed you to feed them. sounds like the basin has filled up since yesterday, when we left there were only two boats. Pip
Loved the crocheted horse but couldn't quite make out the message on the other one!
When we came down that stretch a couple of old boys were pole fishing, staring at everything but us. I assumed they would do the usual trick of grumpily lifting them at the last minute so headed on. When I realised they weren't going to I did as near to an emergency stop as you csn in a boat – and realised they hadn't heard us coming because of the motorway noise! Much relief all round and thanks and apologies from them.
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