Worcester Floods

This is the River Severn at Worcester Bridge today, The Severn is nearly to the top of the arches with the debris piling up.

This was the Worcester Bridge from the River Severn in June last year. Plenty of head room.

This is the state of the bottom lock at Diglis locks, Worcester, pretty much underwater.

And this was Centurion locking up in the same lock last year.

Hope all narrow boaters are safe out there.

NB Centurion Trips 2006

In 2006 Centurion was moved to Nantwich Marina for a year, the boat was well looked after here, the turnaround for engineering jobs and maintenance was very efficient.
We where again covering old ground but we love the Shropshire Union Canal, we had our first experience of narrow boating on the Shroppie many years ago hiring from Norbury Junction. Usual story, about 5 minutes of tuition before been let loose to bump into all the moored boats and get jammed up in Grub Street. We broke down twice, had no water for a few days, and the vibration on the engine deck was so bad I had to stand on a life belt to ease the vibrations.
Gill and I had a trip up to the end of the Shroppie in a cold, wet March 2006.

Hack Green on a grey day.

Audlem Locks.

Hanging around waiting for Tyreley Locks.

As you can see by Gill all togged up in wet weather gear its not always nice weather when we go boating but we enjoy it just the same.

High bridge in Woodseaves Cutting, towpath in usual state.

Cadbury's Wharf at Knighton.

This old Riley is still garaged like this in Grub Street cutting.

Obligatory shot of the twin arched bridge and telegraph poles in Grub Street
cutting.

Shebdon Wharf.

The newly piled Shebdon Embankment in 2006, the stoppage
had just finished.

Our diary says we winded at Autherley Junction before making our way back to Nantwich.

Brighter weather at Tyrely Locks.

Challenger boats at Market Drayton. This is where it all started going
wrong for Challenger and Ed Rimmer. Some of the Stealth Hire Fleet
where sold to investors more than once.

Not sure if the Tug in the middle is the same Arthur we hired privately from Market Drayton early in our narrowboating life for a slow trip up the Llangollen. It was deep draughted, with a trad engine and big propeller. We had a job getting over the cills at Grindley Brook and trouble through Whitehouse and Crick tunnels as the boat grounded.

Gill hanging around in the bridge hole waiting for the lock to fill.

Prime mooring outside the Shroppie Fly at Audlem. On our following
summer trip up the Shroppie we breasted up here with Timothy Spall
when the moorings where heaving.

We had a couple more trips up the Shropshire Union in 2006, with different family members each time in better weather.

NB Centurion Trips 2005 Continued

Continuing with the early journeys of NB Centurion, July 2005 we left Anderton and headed for the Llangollen Canal. Our diary says we had decent weather and did not have to queue at any of the hot spot locks. The whole canal was rather quiet. We had daughter Toni and her boyfriend with us for the trip so had an easy time of the locks.

Hurleston Locks.

Waiting for Swanley no 2 Lock.

Waiting for Wrenbury Lift Bridge.

Incidentally Wrenbury is to be our new base for a year, we don't mind going back to the Llangollen, but not sure if the ABC base at Wrenbury is a good place to be! We will not have the luxury's we currently have at Alvechurch.

Think this is Willeymoor Lock.

New Mills Lift Bridge, Whitchurch arm to the left.

Our diary says we spent a day and night in the Whitchurch arm before carrying on towards Llangollen. Don't seem to have any photos of the Whixhall or Ellesmere area for some reason, we spent a night in the Ellesmere arm and ate somewhere in the town.

Nice Traditional boat.

On Chirk Aquaduct.

On Pontcysyllte Aquaduct.

Near Bryn Howel.

We spent a night and day at Llangollen, moored in the new basin on pontoons. We had a good look around Llangollen, walked to the source of the canal at Horseshoe Falls, and had a ride on the Steam railway from Berwyn.

Horseshoe Falls.

Berwyn Station.

GWR Prairie Tank at Llangollen.

We left Llangollen, down the 2 narrow sections, surprisingly meeting no other boats to head back towards the Shroppie.

Back down the Llangollen.

We had an uneventful journey until Maesbury Marine, where a boat came through the bridge far too quickly, we chucked into reverse, the throttle cable broke, and we went haring off backwards into something hard which lifted the tiller and bent the skeg. It was a Maesbury boat that came through the bridge, and as it was witnessed by Maesbury Marine they supplied a new cable and attempted to fix the rudder, however it would not go back in the spigot. Arrangements where made with Nantwich Canal Centre to dock Centurion so we limped there with limited steering.

Skeg straightened and rudder in its spigot.

We had an enforced remote handover to the following owners who where grateful to be nearer their destination of Llangollen.

NB Centurion Trips 2005

Carrying on with retrospective posts, we reach 2005. Following many complaints about our Warwick base NB Centurion was moved to Anderton early in 2005, using Alvechurch Boat Centre facilities. The facilities and services where much better and we had our own mooring pontoon.
Our first trip out from Anderton was in Febuary, just myself and dad.
We set out on the Trent and Mersey then Bridgewater Canal towards Manchester, past the lift, through Barnton and Preston Brook tunnels destination Lymm. We had terrible weather that week and spent a few days moored up sheltering from the rain.

Anderton Lift.

Gloomy Bridgewater Canal near Walton Hall.

Dutton Stop Lock.

Head of the queue at Preston Brook Tunnel.

Stop plank crane near Daresbury.

Gloomy mmoring at Acton Bridge.

We made it to Lymm in pouring rain, lovely place, but took no photo's. Then had a wet return trip to Anderton. One of the trials of an out and back journey in a week. The boat was always cosy and warm, so no problems.

Our next trip out was later in the year, in much warmer weather. We left Anderton, through Marbury Park, through the Brunner Mond brine works towards Middlewich. At Middlewich we took the Wardle branch, leading into the Shropshire Union Canal Middlewich Branch, then right at Barbridge Junction, down the Shropshire Union to Chester and then to Ellesmere Port Boat museum.
A few pictures of the trip follow.

Passing Marbury Country Park.

Brunner Mond Works.

Gill taking the turn at Middlewich Locks.

Centurion at Middlewich.

Near Church Minshull.

Bunbury Staircase Locks.

Peacock at Chemistry Lock, Chester.

We well remember the long drag at tickover past all the moored boats at Golden Nook, Hargrave, well over a hundred at the time.

Tower Wharf, Chester

Centurion at Ellesmere Port.

We spent over a day at the boat museum, met Gills mum and dad for the trip round the museum, had a good look around, saw much shipping on the Manchester Ship Canal and also took in a trip to Port Sunlight village. We then headed back to Anderton.

Coastal Tanker on Manchester Ship Canal.

Northgate Cutting, Chester.

Whilst at Chester I spotted some of the Marshall's Buses I helped to design,
a low Floor Dennis Dart on the left and a Mercedes Sprinter on the right.

Golden Nook Moorings, Hargrave.

Near Beeston Castle.

Cholmondesdon Lock.

Weaver Locks viewed from near Barnton Tunnel.

We had time to spare so carried on to moor after Barnton Tunnel before returning to Anderton.

Good time with good weather.

Next 2005 retrospective post will be on the Shroppie.