Middlewich

 

A little later starting off today around 10 am, several boats had come by going uphill but we were following one who had been moored ahead of us all day, so most of our locks were against us even though we have them an hours start. We met several boats between Wheelock and Middlewich but that didn’t help us much.
In wheelock the footpath opposite the wharf has been upgraded and this notice was on display.

As we pushed on the weather got warmer and more like summer. I have heard the phrase getting your ducks all on a row , but I think this boater is taking it to extremes.

In the past when we have been this way there has been a half sunken old wooden icebreaker moored up, today there is no sign, is it being restored, has it finally met its maker? who knows.
On the approach to Middleditch Taylor Wimpy are developing another housing estate opposite the salt works.

There were only two swans to be seen between Kings and Rumps lock, normally we see about 30, maybe they have a paired off for breading, however we did spot a couple of these, one in the water and one sunning its self.

The pub at Kings lock was doing a good trade with people sitting out in the sun, lock side.
I thought all CRT signs were now blue, but today I saw a yellow one.

We were still behind the boat we had been following all day and as they left Middlewich top lock they closed up, so Diana turned the lock assuming, wrongly, there was no one coming up in the middle lock, so we ended up with two boats going down and one up in the bendy pound. There was another boat coming up in the bottom lock so we had to wait for them to do the middle lock before we could carry on down to moor beside the kiddies playground.
As I type this the clouds are gathering, I expect it will be a wet night.

Todays Journey

7¼ miles 10 locks in 4¼ hours