Leaving Ellesmere Port for Middlewich

Saturday morning 1st March …

 … it was another very cold morning with a skim of ice in the basin as we prepared to leave Ellesmere Port

We didn’t expect this!  It was the model boat weekend and a Boat Museum Society volunteer ...

… up there on the right used the opportunity of Rock n Roll rising in the locks to explain to the visitors how it all works. It was 11:30 and the sun was becoming quite warm - lovely!

Photo’s above and below were taken as we filled the water tank ...

 … before setting off to on our return journey, we had a lovely couple of hours cruising in the warm sunshine - no coats, hats or gloves - is it spring yet?

We stopped at Tower Wharf where we met up once again with Nicky and Keith on Badger Sett.  They had hired a car and offered me a lift to Tesco on Monday morning before they returned the car - brilliant!

18:45 and the setting sun makes the apartment buildings opposite glow red

After Tescoing we set off to share Northgate Staircase Locks - Keith on Badger Sett joins me ...

… and we enter the bottom lock together

There’s (my) George and Nicky waiting to close the gates

…. perfect!

Nearly ready now to enter the top lock.

We shared all the double locks up to the Cheshire Cat where Badger Sett continued on.  We stayed the night on the visitor moorings and had a very good meal at the pub.

Tuesday saw us leaving by 09:30 and just as we reached Bunbury Locks Badger Sett was leaving the top one - we waved as we passed them pulled in just short of Calverley. We continued on in the watery sunshine and arrived at our destination just past Aqueduct Marina on the Middlewich at 17:30.
The longest cruising day we’ve done since about October!