Tuesday 8 August 2017

Weaver Navigation & Chester (Wednesday 9/8/2017) - Trent and Mersey Canel (Between Bridges 181 - 180a) to Church Minshull

Engine hours start: 306.8 end: 312.2 = 5.4 hours

Miles:10 Locks:5  Lock miles 15


Lovely quiet mooring - the adjacent railway line barely used. Heavy rain overnight clearing to sunny periods and warmer temperatures.

No major delay at Middlewich Locks: paused to see if Kings Lock Chandlery had some mooring pins with rings - no luck (will try Venetian later).

Encountered a boater who was was trying their first lock ever - at Big Lock of all places - despite having their boat for 3 years. Gave them some help and tuition; guess we all have to start somewhere!

Paused near Bridge 28 on the Middlewich Arm for shopping run to Tesco. Lunch back at boat then on our way again.

Another overheat and 2 litres of water added. Need to find out where it is going! There is a small dribble round the jubilee clips but they seem pretty tight....

Arrived 16:00 at our favourite moorings overlooking Church Minshull.

Alison finally got to visit the Badger in Church Minshull - Andrew had been once but a later joint visit got rained off... Fine pints of Badgers Best and Off the Rails (switching to Titanic when Off the Rails ran out...).

While enjoying our pints we noticed a lady at a nearby table addressing large envelopes and wondered what she was up to. Looked similar to when Alison sends out sheet music for various choral events.

Anyway, she is then approached by a gentleman asking her, in a Scottish accent, whether she wanted a drink. Turned out to be Sylvester McCoy (who we had narrowly missed seeing at the Red Lion, Winsford)!

Then a few minutes later, another chap arrived and we realised that it was Robert Picardo (Star Trek Voyager & Stargate Atlantis among others!). Andrew remembered reading on Twitter that he was doing some sort of show with Sylvester McCoy but had not realised that it was here and now.

They then sat down with the third person in the show (Richard Oliver) to run through a script!

Some quick Googling revealed that they were taking a show to Edinburgh Festival and about to do two preview nights at the weekend in a small community theatre venue in Winsford of all places!

So as we sat listening we researched public transport to see if we could get from Chester where we plan to be at the weekend to Winsford. Booked train tickets Chester to Winsford via Crewe and two tickets for the show. Got to love the internet and Paypal!

After their run through Andrew was brave enough to ask for a photo of the Two Doctors!

Totally random and surreal experience!!!!

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