The Peak Forest Canal, has been lovely again, especially
Bugsworth basin. So much history here,where limestone was mined and processed
in years gone by.
Great walking, IF ONLY it had stopped raining. The pub was good. Had some nice beer. Went
for Sunday lunch which was good, but my tates tasted strange….. sort of mouldy,
although they weren’t. But the lady was good enough to knock off the price of a
pint. Fair enough.
Will definitely come back again, and hopefully when the
weather is better.It was dire.
Just harking back to the wonderful Caldon canal. Sometimes one can be in the wrong place at
the wrong time .
This was posted on Canal Forum, by a boat from Cambridge.
“Had by far the most unpleasant experience of
my boating career last night.
We spent yesterday boating from south of Barlaston on the T&M through Stoke and onto the Caldon. Around bridge 14 we seemed to have moved out into the country, it was getting late, and starting to rain hard, so we found a deep bank and moored up, just past the railway bridge. Big Mistake. We subsequently found out the that largest council estate in the country is just across the valley: described as "Feral" by a Staffordshire PC.
As it got dark, the attacks started: jumping in the back deck, followed by pulling the pins and throwing them in the canal, serious verbals. Feeling very insecure we phoned 999. It took a lot of effort to get the police control room to understand where we were. They don't do canals well. Then we started to be stoned: serious stoning with ballast from the railway line. No sign of the promised police. When the windows started to come in, it became obvious that we had to get the hell out, and fast. Not easy on a narrowboat. In the dark.
I started the engine and got on the back in a hail of stones and set off. The inevitable happened and I took a rock in the face. It hurt, but I had the presence of mind to ham up how much and bellowed like stuck bull. That seemed to work and they ran off. Either that or they couldn't be bothered to transport ammo from the railway as we got further away. In retrospect I should have pretended to be half killed _before_ I was hit, but you only think of these things later.
We made it in the dark to the offside pub moorings at The Foxley, where the police eventually found us. We got a few flash photos, but they're not good, and don't really ID the hoody-wearing scrotes.
Damage to me is bust glasses, bloody nose, contusions and a black eye. Damage to the boat is lost pins, broken windows and serious paint damage. Add two lost nights sleep - we didn't rest well last night - and a certain amount of peace-of-mind.
The lesson for boaters on the Caldon is not to stop anywhere before you get to Engine Lock. I'll be contacting CRT and suggesting that they make this advice available at Etruria.
I shall be starting The Campaign to Nuke Stoke-on-Trent.
If anyone is around later in the week and fancies riding shotgun when we have to head back that way, it would be much appreciated.
Cheers,
MP. “
We spent yesterday boating from south of Barlaston on the T&M through Stoke and onto the Caldon. Around bridge 14 we seemed to have moved out into the country, it was getting late, and starting to rain hard, so we found a deep bank and moored up, just past the railway bridge. Big Mistake. We subsequently found out the that largest council estate in the country is just across the valley: described as "Feral" by a Staffordshire PC.
As it got dark, the attacks started: jumping in the back deck, followed by pulling the pins and throwing them in the canal, serious verbals. Feeling very insecure we phoned 999. It took a lot of effort to get the police control room to understand where we were. They don't do canals well. Then we started to be stoned: serious stoning with ballast from the railway line. No sign of the promised police. When the windows started to come in, it became obvious that we had to get the hell out, and fast. Not easy on a narrowboat. In the dark.
I started the engine and got on the back in a hail of stones and set off. The inevitable happened and I took a rock in the face. It hurt, but I had the presence of mind to ham up how much and bellowed like stuck bull. That seemed to work and they ran off. Either that or they couldn't be bothered to transport ammo from the railway as we got further away. In retrospect I should have pretended to be half killed _before_ I was hit, but you only think of these things later.
We made it in the dark to the offside pub moorings at The Foxley, where the police eventually found us. We got a few flash photos, but they're not good, and don't really ID the hoody-wearing scrotes.
Damage to me is bust glasses, bloody nose, contusions and a black eye. Damage to the boat is lost pins, broken windows and serious paint damage. Add two lost nights sleep - we didn't rest well last night - and a certain amount of peace-of-mind.
The lesson for boaters on the Caldon is not to stop anywhere before you get to Engine Lock. I'll be contacting CRT and suggesting that they make this advice available at Etruria.
I shall be starting The Campaign to Nuke Stoke-on-Trent.
If anyone is around later in the week and fancies riding shotgun when we have to head back that way, it would be much appreciated.
Cheers,
MP. “
This
won’t stop us going back to the Caldon, but it’s so unfortunate that they
didn’t’ meet Rob the Lock, he had already told us NOT to stop on Hanley park, as nice as it looks, and it does look a great place to stop, and to go at
least as far as Milton. This is just before Engine Lock.. I really feel for these folks.
Anyway,
making our way back to Marple Locks, we passed Peruvian Skies with Dick and
Netty. Netty has found my blog, and more importantly, she rather likes the
Daily Puppy. !!!! Hi to you.
Today,
we are stuck at the top of the flight, due to some damage being repaired
further down the locks. Not a prob for
us, but it is for the Bride to Be, waiting to come up the flight. !!!! ooeeerrrr, they are getting married at 11am
Wednesday in Macclesfield. Well, they
are not going to make it by narrowboat., that’s for sure. I do hope they can
find another way. We looked at the map, to see if we could take them to
Macclesfield, but we would not get back here in time for getting down the lock
tomorrow.
The town of Marple seems nice. Some good charity shops, and strangely, I have not found time to have a mooch around them. !!! whats wrong with me ????
must get Finlay some stabilisers !!!! Thats Mick back there, I bet you can guess why he is so far behind. !!!! 
and I managed to get some dung for my rose bush ( Chris Frost !!!!! take note) 
the bride to be is t'other side of this. !!!!
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