Originally sent as an email from Andrew Dyke
Morning All,
Cutweb Northern
Christmas Cruise
Boxing Day 2003
Wendy and I arrived at Kings Bromley at 10.30am having had a very quick
drive from Evesham. Not much traffic about and the opening of the new M6
toll road knocks about 10 minutes off the journey. Mr and Mrs Millin, our
guest's for this years tour, were already in attendance and after loading
LT with goodies, we set off just after 12noon. Windy and dry. That's the
weather not Mr Millin. The journey down through Wood End lock and on to
Fradley Junction was quiet and uneventful, except for the normal smooth
running of LT's engine, being interrupted every 1/2 mile by jumping out of gear.
A short stop at the Swan for a quick pint and to meet up with fellow
CNCC travellers, Chapman's times 3 and Jane's
Brother, Guy. On to Huddlesford and our overnight by the Plough
in cold windy and very heavy rain. Not nice. Moored up in front of Pendle
Magic. Arthur and Beverly were already warming inside.
At 7.00pm the CNCC party of 10 walked to the Plough
and were warmly
welcomed. Good food, wine, conversation, was followed by the bill, a little
more than I was expecting, however apart from one slight communication
problem tween dinners and waitress all was very good and can be highly
recommended. Back to our boats for 11.00pm ish. A great start to this years
festivities.
Saturday December 27th 2003.
A late start, nothing new there, I hear you cry. Weather is better, bright,
dry but still very cold. Eggs Benedict for breakfast, with lashings of tea
and coffee. Mr Millin checks my nuts and decides they are all too loose and
that's why
the gear keeps slipping. Nuts get the spanner treatment. 11am and we are the
last to leave. Turning at Huddlesford junction is a dream and we head
towards Alrewas for the next leg. We arrive just about 2.00pm and moor about
half way through the village having turned in the new, very tight, winding
hole and backed down. I check my mobile phone for messages and on returning
one of the calls, am informed of the sad news concerning Sid Arkless. Great
shame, he will be missed by many, many people.
It was at this point I tried to send the above mail. No chance, kept getting
error messages in the send box. Yahoo not accepting my emails. Downloading
was not a problem very strange. In the evening we joined the others in the
King William 4, for a most excellent dinner and lots and lots of merriment.
Beeky has covered this in his posting so I will not expand except to say
that the expected transfer of pictures tween northern and southern Cutweb
Christmas revellers was all one way. Graham Keens was able to send me some,
rather fuzzy, just discernable images, but the return picture sending was a
no go. Orange will be hearing from me. What is the point of mobile picture
sending technology if the darned system lets the side down.
28th/29th/30th have again been covered by the most amusing Beeky posting.
30th ppm
Wendy and I left KB and had a somewhat slow return home to Evesham. The
evening was spent in quiet reflection of recent days. A truly great trip
with contributions from everybody, apart from Orange and Yahoo groups on the
picture/email front. The Mikuni also provided a slight problem. Seems it
thought it was blocked and kept shutting down. The SMH infallible valve, with
hand adjustable setting, required a screwdriver. OK now.
Thank you all for your company.
Wendy and Andrew Dyke
From the Cut - Nb Lord Toulouse - or not, as it happens. From the office at
home 1/1/2004
Originally sent as three e-mail's from Andrew Goodland AKA Captain Beeky
So here it is, the first McTrip Report
from Uncle Mort, which will
hopefully soon be bluetoothing it's way through the ether.
Sat 27th
========
Truly awful journey from Dorset to Kings Bromley. About 5 hours
including 1/2 hour vittling at Safeways, Litchfield. Our worst ever
trip to the Midlands, time wise, courtesy of that pesky A34.
Uncle Mort in good order. Lit stove and started the JP and the Mikuni
for max heat generation then accepted invitation to join the Rigdens on
Maximus, for tea and nibblettes. We had already decided by phobile moan
that the traffic delays had put the mockers on any attempt by Maximus
or Uncle Mort to reach the King Willy at Alrewas by means of canal. We
went by car instead, thanks to Christine for driving.
We arrived at the pub simultaneously with Brian and Susan Dominic and
got stuck in to the guest ale being Marstons Yuletide Goose. The party
swelled as the boating attendees arrived - Jane & Will Chapman, J's
brother Guy, son David (later with Hannah), Arthur & Bev Naylor and the
Dyke/Millin quartet.
The evening passed in a melee of drinking, eating and conviviality
punctuated by the arrival of small and hazy fone-o-pics from the other
mob at Weedon. We did manage to recognise a few of the usual suspects
and played pass the handsets to exchange pleasantries and/or
alco-fuelled insults.
The Millins had prepared faux-chains of office from purple ribbons and
chocolate medals which were presented to Andrew & Wendy. There should
be some photographic evidence of Wendy tantalising the menfolk and
allowing certain of the party to nibble the delicacies dangling from
her chest.
The plan for the following day - get to Rugeley.
Sun 28th
=========
It had been a cold night and we awoke to find clear blue skies and a
frost. I fiddled about with boaty things for an hour or so and had a
little Puccini, on the CD player. I decided to top up the water tank
since the hose pipe was not frozen. Then as we drank our (not very)
early cuppa it began to snow. Aaaah . . . . . luvverly.
When life was spotted on Maximus by about 9:30 we agreed to leave the
marina circa 10:45. It was closer to 11:00 when Terry eased Maximus
backwards from the mooring and then sideways in the wrong direction
thanks to a fresh crosswind. After a certain amount of pole-work they
chugged away and we followed suit. Same antics, similar pole work.
We had been given one of the Maximus radios, which wasn't a great
success. Eventually a change of batteries improved comms from boat to
boat. We knew we were some hours ahead of the rest of the fleet (Lord
Toulouse, Quidditch and Pendle Magic). Shy Talk had been stood down
from the duty roster due to family circumstances.
It was a very pleasant 2.1/2 hour cruise to Rugeley. Perhaps 3 or 4
other boats on the move. No rain to speak of, though the wind was
strongish. Terry, in the lead, probed the towpath on the approaches to
Br 67. After a grounding we advanced further and found decent enough
moorings with rings buried in the grass path edges. Unfortunately there
were numerous other nasties in and on the grass so diligent use of the
poo spade was made. This is most certainly the length of path most
enthusiastically abused by dog's arses that I have ever come across.
And believe me, I have come across more than a few sad examples of
abused towpath.
After securing the boats we assisted Chris & Terry with some wine that
their stove had been gently mulling. Then back to UM for a bite of
lunch and a replacement of one of the Travelpower drivebelts that had
been twisted at some time and then stretched.
Attempts to contact the rest of the pack failed, until we called
Quidditch refuelling at KB, with Pendle Magic using the interlude for a
well earned pump out. Lord Toulouse was reportedly the last away from
Alrewas, not before 11:00, but had passed KB while the other 2 were
occupied.
I had strolled back through Rugeley centre to the towpath in time to
intercept Lord Toulouse approaching. I hopped aboard and bantered a bit
for the last 1/2 mile to the mooring spot. While we were clearing poops
and mooring LT £-itch pulled in behind. I assume Pendle Magic is also
somewhere near, Arthur having pulled over for a NPBC-style lunch break.
In the absence of the Perkins we are not sure where we are eating
tonight. Since I don't have the old laptop I cannot search the
archives. Its believed to be The <blank> <blank> Hotel which Brian had
said was the only place in Rugeley offering food on a Sunday night.
Hope we find it, or maybe not. More news tomorrow as we head towards
Tixall, and perhaps a little excursion a bit further down the S&W
towards Stafford. Tixall is the intended venue for the 5 boat/5 course
maxi supper. Since Shy Talk will be absent I think we are short of a
soup course. So if any boater in the area wants to join in, and can put
up a decent fist at a mulligatawny for 14+, do let us know. And we'll
share our other stuff in return.
Hopefully we'll have a bit of a natter about the 2004 GiG options
Cheers for now.
Captain Beeky
This message was supposedly sent from Tixall yesterday evening, but has
apparently not routed to canals & Cutweb lists.
After the cruise to Rugeley and a successful coalescence of the boats
adjacent to Br 67 dinner occurred at The Olde Eaton Hotel. It was less
than busy but they served us well with Marston's and Banks's ales, and
an over sufficiency of red wine, a large portion of which was poured
over Mrs B's new pullover by a young serving wench. Oh how we suppressed
our mirth.
The meal itself was unremarkable, being neither exquisite nor grim. It
was comfortably in between, if you disregard the claret flavoured
undergarments. As I recall it was a reasonably early night, in
anticipation of high jinks at Tixall.
Monday began sometime between 8 & 9 am. Clear and frosty, 5 boats + an
interloper in line at Rugeley. There were various plans for breakfast.
Seven of us trudged downtown to find the recommended diner named
"George & Betty's" or similar where we were served a selection of baps
with beverage. Very nice thanks. I managed to get a new poo shovel
from the ironmongers having exposed the weakness of the original by
energetic removal of the residue from the digestive exertions of the
vast majority of the local canine population.
Departure was staggered. Maximus first away with a positive weather
report and Quidditch last due to reluctance of the heating system to
live up to it's name. Somewhere in between were PM, UM and LT.
Mr Millin, guest of honour with his lady wife on LT was loaned to UM
for the cruise. It was an excellent trip in fresh weather. We were 2nd
to arrive at the drop zone, behind PM. The other boats occupied
themselves with extra-curricular cruising (M), taking on fresh water
(LT) and plain and simply getting lost (£i) !
In addition to the 5 of us there are 3 or 4 boats here. Our cluster
comprises PM facing Stourport and the other 4 facing Gt H, with UM & LT
snuggled together with Max and £-itch breasted behind.
Shortly, we shall be mainly attending pre supper nibbles on LT which,
from what we can see through the porthole appear to include Thai Bites,
Amaretti Virginias, Walkers Sensations and several other bags I hope
they do not put back in the cupboard before we get on board.
Then it is Chilli-a-Gogo on £-itch, Choc cake on Maximus (possibly with
cream), cheese course on PM followed by coffee/mince pies and the odd
disgestif on UM.
9:00 am Tuesday - set sail for Kings Bromley.
G'night
Beeky
At six pm sharp on 30th, Mrs B and I boarded the adjacent Lord
Toulouse, where Wendy had been espied, preparing a variety of nibbles.
Soon afterwards the others clambered aboard taking care because of the
extremely icy decks on Uncle Mort and we collectively inflicted a
battering to the Dykes' hospitality, which lived up to it's usual
standard. I mean the hospitality, not the battering.
I must briefly mention Arthur Naylor's festive head gear. That's enough!
After an hour we were all feeling mainly relaxed and it was time to
move to Quidditch, moored behind, for Chilli which had been prepared at
Alrewas and bulk tanked aboard the boat. There were two interpretations
to be enjoyed, one con carne and one carne-less. Folks brought their
own rice/pasta/bread/potato sub layer and oodles of the delicious brew
were consumed.
And so to Maximus for Christine's mouth watering chocolate cake and/or
trad Xmas cake available with cream of numerous denominations. There
may have been the odd gallon of mulled wine in the vicinity as well. It
is hard to remember {:>)
And then to the tardis-like Pendle Magic which appears to be 92ft long
from the inside. Arthur and Bev seem to have individual state rooms so
we could all relax with handfuls of cheese and crackers and home made
sweet niblettes - petit fours or whatever they're called.
It was just after 10pm when we de-camped to Uncle Mort for the final
session. We were just getting settled when there was a distinct metal
clangggg. No splash, no shout, but no Jane. Fearing that she, or
another, had slipped into the canal Will rushed off to account for all
souls. Everyone was safe and sound and so the refreshments continued to
be circulated. And circulated. Conviviality ensued with erudite and
witty discussion on numerous important topics. The 2004 GiG was one
subject given an airing.
There was false optimism that Arthur's hat batteries might expire.
By bedtime, whenever that was, it was very cold and the surface of the
"wide" was iced. By 8am Tuesday morning it was snowing and a wonderful
scene was taken in through bleary eyes. There was great commitment to
the 9am departure and all crews were surprisingly up and about. Arthur
had to wind, which he achieved commendably well in the ice and he
joined in the middle of the procession following icebreaker Quidditch
to Gt Haywood. I'm sure there will be some good photographs of the 5
boats cruising in close order up to the junction.
After the self imposed congestion at Gt Haywood lock the group spread
out and made steady progress back towards Fradley. Maximus and Uncle M
halted briefly for a lunch stop at Rugeley and then arrived at Kings
Bromley just before 3pm, in good time to inconvenience the marina staff
by requiring pump out/diesel/solid fuel/gas at 5 mins to closing time.
Lord Toulouse had arrived more than an hour previously and the Captain
allowed his stoker and companion an early finish. Such generosity,
seldom seen these days.
I assume Pendle Magic was back on the mooring by about 1:30-ish though
I did not notice in the excitement of getting the chores done while
some daylight remained. I spoke to Will Chapman this evening and they
were back at Alrewas by 3-ish.
Thanks to all involved for the great hospitality and friendship. See
you all again soon.
G'night
Beeky (back in Dorset)