Anderton Lift and
the Weaver.
Back again.. the
next chapter in our old age travelling.. I mentioned the Harecastle
tunnel in the last blog. Before we left Westport lake at Stoke I was
talking to a couple who were moored behind us. They had just bought a
‘new to them’ narrow boat and were on the way home with their
pride and joy. They were asking questions about the best way to
tackle the tunnel, my advise, in the middle and as fast as you
can….the bow wave will keep you in the middle. It was a lovely
looking boat, a Hudson semi tug in great condition. We wished them
luck and sailed off to continue our adventure.
On Facebook, we are
members of the Narrowboat users group where we can keep in touch with
other boaters, ask for help, discuss issues and generally be
sociable. There was a situation reported of a narrow boat sinking in
a lock a couple of days later. Complete with pictures. I was shocked
to see it was the boat belonging to the people I was talking too. It
seems the boat didn’t have a rear button, that is a rope fender
which stops the rear of the boat hitting and damaging the tiller or
propeller. When they closed the gate on a lock, the tiller was caught
between the gates. As she lowered into the lock the rear didn’t go
down, causing the bows to drop into the water until the water level
caused it to sink.
So sad, locks can be
very dangerous places.
I just hope they
were insured and the company pays out. Not a good start to their
boating experience.
When we first told
people of our dream to live afloat one of our friends Frank and Susan
who lived on the same park as us in Norfolk, said to us ‘if’ you
ever go to the Anderton Lift please let us know because I want to
have a ride on it !!
 |
| Frank and Susan |
To say Frank is a
character is an understatement, eccentric is perhaps to far, but he
is a great guy. When the lift fell into disrepair and a group raised
money for the restoration Frank and his friends did various motor
cycle events to raise awareness and cash.
He is into small
vintage motors cycles and other memorabilia. When we knew a day we
would be arriving we emailed them as they only live a few miles from
the lift.
The lift drops
narrowboats down the 50 or 60 feet onto the River Weaver. It’s a
huge construction which works on a cantilever system. You sail into a
big trough they seal the ends then you are lowered down as another
boat comes up the other side.
To say Frank was
pleased to hear from us was an understatement !! He was like a kid
on Christmas morning.
We had a couple of
hours wait before we could go down so it was time for a lunch and
coffee in the restaurant and a look round the visitor centre before
boarding the boat and having the downward trip. Susan didn’t go on
the boat sadly, a bit of a phobia but Frank was in seventh heaven. It
was great to see.
 |
| Entering the Anderton Lift |
 |
| Frank and Bob |
 |
| Anderton Lift |
We turned out of the lift on too the River Weaver
moored up for the night and we set off the next morning. Before he
left Frank asked for a passage on the return trip of course we said
yes. The River Weaver runs from the Anderton lift to Middlewich its
was only this part of the river we wanted to see. There were some
really big boats here. One sea going tug. Various wide beam boats and
big locks.
The first lock we came to too was being repaired so we had
to wait for the guys doing it ..a voice drifted out from the CRT
(Canal and River Trust) barge ‘so you made it then’, it was guy
called Steve who we had met in Wheelock a few days earlier. Turned
out he worked for CRT and lived in the canal side cottage.
The main cargo being
moved on the river in the early days was salt, there are huge and I
mean HUGE piles of the stuff down the river on the right hand side
going down. Also lots of broken down walls and brick work. . I
wondered what they were in the heyday of water transport.
 |
| Salt Works |
 |
| Salt mountain |
26th July
was my birthday and after an overnight stop half way we arrived at
the end of the navigable river, just by a pub called The Red Lion’
a new mooring outside under trees so had a very continental feel
about it. We don’t usually use pubs in the lunch time but, it was
hot, my birthday and the cider looked very inviting. A couple of
pints later I remembered why we don’t drink at lunch time I was
ready for a kip. Two hours later and refreshed it was decided we
would go for a meal and a bottle of wine to celebrate my 68th
year.
The staff were
absolutely lovely, we had a great laugh, I have a habit of pulling
bar staffs legs, especially if they are new. One was a beautiful
barmaid who was a full time worker in a bank but does evening work to
get out of her flat. She even came over and sat with us for a while
after she found out it was my birthday. Ok... I was flirting !! but
it was my birthday. We only had a fish and chip supper and a few
bottles of white wine but it was good.
Towards the end of
the evening there was some live music which just rounded it off.
A great day..two
girls ?? Well one girl and a quite unconvincing transvestite but
could he/she play that guitar. Yes he/she could, I didn’t know any
of the songs in the middle set but jazz blues style. Having just seen
the film about Amy Winehouse it could have been some of her works.
When Jenny left, just before the end, to take the pooches for a walk
I was left on my own, I took the long way home one step forward, two
side ways and one back . . repeat until you arrive at the boat. Well
it was my buff day. I don’t get wobbly leg syndrome very often
these days.
 |
| Red Lion Mooring area |
While we sat outside
talking, a guy turned up on a bike after riding up the tow path. Jake
as people may or not know hates bikes !! As soon as he saw him, or
rather the bike he went into a barking fit, and tried to bite his
tyres. We obviously apologised profusely
for his bad
behaviour and the guy just laughed and said he’d seen worse, after
he obtained a drink from the bar he came and joined us on our table.
It turned out his
name was Rick and he was a dog behaviourist. We talked about Jake and
his problems, not that he really has any apart from his bike phobia.
Then Rick put Jake through the paces. Took him for a short walk. He
had him walking to heel, stopped him doing what he wanted and
generally showed him who was boss. He was very good.
At the end of his
drink he bid farewell and mounted his bike but before he pedalled off
Jake said bye bye . .. by playfully biting his foot !!
It was Jake having
the last word. As usual. So funny.
 |
| Rick and Jake |
When we awoke next
morning we had to reverse out of the mooring as there wasn’t enough
room to turn around. Manoeuvring a 62ft narrow boat backwards on a
flowing river is easier to say than do, however it was completed with
out running aground and/or wedging ourselves across the river. I was
quite chuffed. Returning back along the river with the flow this
time. On the way down because of the width and plenty of room we did
run the engine up to 3200 rpm the fastest we have had her.
We phoned Frank and
he again joined us on the lift and waved us good bye as we sailed off
to the next chapter of our old age adventure. We are retracing our
steps due to various canal closures. Heading back toward home now
via Birmingham...Have to be back by end of September.. TTFN Over to
the editor for the pictures and you never know a video.
