Flights and a sad farewell that galvanises us once more

Water has ruled the start of this week for us – too little and too much.

The Bosley and Marple flights which between them account for 28 locks on our journey, have both been subject since 5 July to restrictions due to a lack of water. Both flights were due to close on 31 July because there just wasn’t enough water in the reservoirs that feed both the Macclesfield (Bosley) and the Peak Forest (Marple). The significant rainfall that we’ve been well aware the area has been experiencing for the past few weeks has now led to Canal and River Trust extending the closure notice to 14 August. They have said they will keep reviewing it though, so there is hope that we could extend our stay in the delightful village of Bollington in what’s known as Happy Valley. Our life is after all a journey, not a sprint, it’s about savouring experiences and enjoyment.

So last Saturday saw us moored on the River Dane aqueduct at the foot of the Bosley Flight, ready with 10 others waiting for the Sunday opening of the locks at 8.30am. The flight is currently open from 8.30am on Sundays and Thursdays with the last entry up or down at 1pm.

We and others began the day clad in waterproofs from head to toe, helping those ahead of us.

I headed up to Lock 8 with Unforgettable, the first boat for its owner who had just bought it and is single-handing up aiming ultimately for York – maybe we will see them there in due course. Unforgettable was ahead of Forget-me-Knot the 94 year old power for Hazel a 108 year old wooden butty (unpowered) boat, whose original purpose was to carry salt. Through Bosley Locks the two cannot travel together, so a crew of volunteers emerged through the rain to come and act as ‘horses’ bow hauling, or towing the butty up the entire flight. Every moment I glimpsed them it was through driving rain so I don’t have any pictures of them making their way up the flight. My pictures were from later in the day as they moored up in Macclesfield, or passed us the following day.

Hazel is now working as a wellbeing boat, supporting people to improve their mental health by getting close to the water, to nature, getting people active whilst also enabling them to experience the values of a slower pace of life for a time  Profile – NCBA (national-cba.co.uk). These are all advantages those of us who live afloat are well aware of and it is wonderful to see one of the old wooden working boats coming back to life providing such a vital service to communities.

We were well behind Hazel – about 4 boats behind, just behind Wojtek named after the wonderful soldier bear who lived with Polish troops until he retired from active service and found a new home in Edinburgh.  Edinburgh: Soldier Bear Statue in Honor of WWII’s Wojtek the Bear Unveiled at Princes Street Gardens (warhistoryonline.com) The floating Wojtek’s crew are headed for Sheffield where they will moor their home and take up places at Sheffield University and Sheffield Hallam University next term.

With six boats coming down we were able to benefit from crossing over in the pounds at times which speeded our passage up the flight. Sandpaper weather was a feature of the day – wet ‘n’ dry, wet ‘n’ dry.

We managed the services at the summit – I dropped off the rubbish bags and an Elsan to empty whilst waiting for the final inches of the lock, and Steve dealt with those whilst I moved the boat on slowly, clearing the lock for the next boat, and reuniting at the next bridge. Boatdog and I then jumped off so she could enjoy a good walk to the first of the swing bridges, a key and button operated one. The second is a manual swing bridge just outside Macclesfield.

Whilst others were stopping in Macclesfield one of our favourite locations was calling us – Bollington.

We have little time on the boat this week as we will be heading south to bid a fond farewell to our lovely sister-in-law, Linda who died last month, and whose funeral is this week. She was amazing – suffered hearing loss as a child after contracting rubella but shd didnt let that or worse to come hold her back. Myotonic dystrophy is cruel but Linda taught us all to win with the hand you’ve been dealt, and make the most of the life you have.

We were brought together by marrying two brothers in the same year. Since then we’ve shared much together over the decades in England and in France. For many years in the UK we lived not far from each other. Christmas and particularly Boxing Days used to be great family get togethers usually involving nerve-wracking dramas of trifle transportation and ferociously competitive games.

In recent years although unable to access our boat, she has been able to visit us afloat, and we were hugely grateful to be able to see her in May at her lovely home when we were working nearby.

It will be an emotional week, but we don’t have to worry about leaving the boat thanks to Bollington Wharf who found space for Preaux whilst we have to be away. Since we made it up the Bosley Flight it’s been a strange time – Steve will only be on the boat for two and a half days this week because his mum needs help with hospital appointments and other items, so we have grabbed time together with gratitude when the rain paused, to blow away the cobwebs.

The climb up the Gritstone Trail to White Nancy perched on Kerridge Hill has to be one of our favourite walks just as  Bollington has to be one of our favourite locations on the canals. Shaped like a sugar loaf, White Nancy was built by the Gaskell family in 1817 to commemorate the British victory at the Battle of Waterloo. It was originally a summer house or folly but the entrance to the inside was blocked many years ago. 

The views from the top are expansive – across the Cheshire Plain to the mountains of North Wales and the Pennines to the north and east.

Climbing up to see the beauty laid out beneath you is breathtaking. It was the first visit for Boatdog 2, a walk which Cola her successor made and enjoyed several times even in his old age. Walks and views like this make us hugely grateful, not just for the life that lets us discover them, but also for the health to be able to enjoy them. Linda’s sad loss makes us determine once more to make the most of every moment.

That gives us pause for thought, and pause in our travels for a while if we can. We have now got ourselves to just 22 miles and 34 locks from the Rochdale Canal. Steve is perhaps more excited at being just 38 miles and 69 locks from the Yorkshire border!

What will determine our next move will be the opening times of the Marple Flight which we need to tackle before they close. At the moment the locks are open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 8.30am with the last entry at 12 noon because of low levels in the feeder reservoirs. We won’t make those locks this week because I don’t want to singlehand the boat down the flight while Steve is away on those days this week. We would love to be able to make it down the locks on Tuesday 15 August but that all depends on whether the rainfall means the locks really will have to close on 14 August in which case our last chance to travel up will be the Glorious Twelfth. It could be one way to spend our wedding anniversary (no. 34) although we had planned a somewhat quieter day!