Sham 69

Bright but cold start to Thursday 8th April 2021 in Middlewich.

We walked down to Wardle Lock AKA Maureen’s Lock to get it ready to enter.

Coming out of the lock we negotiated the tight blind bend to turn right on to the Trent & Mersey Canal.

There was some thought-provoking graffiti along the way.

Got an email to say that our glamorous cousins, the paddle boats are back in action on the lower Mississippi.

Hoping to go on the American Queen or similar in the future.

We went through 5 locks today: Wardle Lock, Kings Lock (by Kings Lock Inn, sadly closed), Rumps Lock (where we met sister boat Marquess on 3 month hire from Heyford Wharf), and Booth Lane Locks 69-67 before reaching the C&RT services at Wheelock. As we swung onto the Trent & Mersey Canal the next pub we passed was now a Thai Restaurant.

We passed British Salt, with it‘s big white mountains being bagged up, and Brenntag who are apparently the global market leader in the distribution of speciality, bulk and packaged chemicals and ingredients. Booth Lane Lock 69 made me think of Sham 69 (Hurry up Harry, come on. We’re going down the pub!).

These narrow locks had a long drop down in level for us of 28 feet and 9 inches.

We used the services at Wheelock and as the weather forecast was poor we decided to moor up for the day.

We walked into the village to explore and then retired to the boat with the diesel stove on.

This is where we are currently moored on Thursday 8th April 2021.