Anderton, Trent & Mersey Wednesday 15 August 2012
Yesterday I bought a newspaper because it had a headline I could relate to: “Chocolate can halt dementia”, I always knew that my chocoholic cravings were really doing me good!!
Their weather forecast for three days is:
          Wednesday    Strong winds, torrential rain
          Thursday    Blustery, heavy rain
          Friday        Wind and rain
I therefore decided to start early to avoid the worst of the weather.  Others were already going towards Middlewich and I was in the “Big Lock” at 08:15, but no-one to join me so carefully operated and safely through.  The canal is wide, but that only means that the reeds have more room to grow – for long stretches they have reduced the canal to just over one boat width, although there was a river cruiser that initially looked like the reeds had just grown round it but as I went past it became like a car in a garage, an ‘arm’ had been cut through the reeds giving it its own private marina.  At one of the wide stretches (due to subsidence from salt extraction underground just like coal mining) nb Chance pulled out so there was some company from there on.  I passed them when Doug had to get off to let Oscar (their dog) have a walk.  I have moored just near the Boat Lift and will stay here tomorrow as family are visiting.
The threatened rain did hold off until I had moored, then the hoses were turned on.