Oyster Catchers on show – Sunday 1st May

This morning we made an early start and moved 3 boat lengths to the water point next to Barchetta’s  Restaurant where we went last night.

Could not resist this picture of the new captain of Autumn Myst in her usual pose.

We motored on to the old Elton Moss Boatyard which has now been demolished and the site cleared.

At the far end of the site this nice new house is beng built, I suspect for the owner of Elton Moss as it it is much grander than the houses in the surrounding estate.

This boat is not what we like to see on the cut. Great shame as it looked as though it had been a nice boat.

Opposite Albion Lock another new estate is being built around this lovely old Tudor house.

As we approached the Salt works now owned by Tata Chemicals we spotted an Oyster catcher on her nest. At first we could not decide if it was rubbish or not as it was well disguised but its partner flying across the canal gave the game away.

There is still piles of salt around the works even though it is greatly reduced in size.

Moored just before Kings Lock is this old steam vessel with is chimney smoking, Nb Emily Jane.

This stretch of canal into Middlewich follows the road and on the opposite side to the pub is the well know Fish and Chip Shop which we have frequented in the past.

The canal had been very quiet until we were going down the Middlewich 3 and there we met 2 boats coming up and this hire boat had great difficulty turning the tight right hand bend into the top lock. This is when a girly button  (Bow Thruster)is very useful.

We moored up by the park and went shopping to Tesco before moving off into the quiet of the countryside outside the town. I say quiet but being a bank holiday the afternoon was a continual stream of hire boats going in both directions.