Middlewich to Chester

We arrived early for the Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival (FAB) as the trade moorings were unallocated this year and we really didn't want to end up under the trees. As it was a few traders had already arrived but we managed to get in the stretch where we wanted to be.

Heidi, the pirate providing some entertainment

We had decided to make sure we went to some of the evenings entertainment this year as last year we missed most of it being to tired after a day of talking to loads of people. Our thinking was we can always catch up on sleep after the event and not miss too much. We missed Saturday night but spent Friday and Sunday nights in the Boars Head and had great fun with lots of the other traders.

Once the weekend was over we slowly made our way to Chester.

27 miles and 24 locks

TOTAL 333 miles and 266 locks

Burton-Upon-Trent to Middlewich

Next stop was Burton-upon-Trent for another RCTA (Roving Canal Traders Association) floating market. This was our second year at Burton for this event and again over the bank holiday weekend so four days of selling. The weather was kind to us and we were moored up at the end of a really lovely couples garden.

That was our busy month of May over, we now had a bit of time to enjoy cruising and catch up on pen making ready for Middlewich.

Pump Out in Stone

Time for a bit of paining

A visit to the Eturia festival

Harecastle Tunnel

Salt works

60 miles and 69 locks

TOTAL 306 miles and 242 locks

Mercia Marina to Burton-upon-Trent

Wow, I can't believe it's been three months since my last blog post. So going back to our busy month of May with festivals and floating markets along with loads of travelling (well for us anyway). 

Mercia Marina hosted a floating market weekend, we traded off pontoons which was a first for us and proved a little awkward at times. The pontoons we were on by the boardwalk were only 40ft long and with our boat being 60ft we had to make sure our displays were well away from the end - we didn't want people walking off the end! We were sharing our pontoon with the trip boat which disappeared for 45 minutes every hour leaving us with 2ft wide pontoon and nothing to stop you stepping back and plopping in the water. But thankfully we managed the weekend without mishap.

All the other traders left on the Monday, we we asked if we could stay an extra night and celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary on 23rd May in the restaurant on the boardwalk so we didn't have far to walk to get back home.

Lovely sunset from our front doors

LJ by the boardwalk after the other traders had left

On Tuesday it was time to unplug from the luxury of electric hookup and make our way back up the canal to our next market at Burton-upon-Trent.

6 miles and 1 lock

TOTAL 246 miles and 173 locks

Fazeley to Mercia Marina

The market in Fazeley was organised by the RCTA (Roving Canal Traders Association) and was a great success, the people of Fazeley were friendly and welcoming, we had a flying visit from James' Uncle Dave and Aunty Liz, which was a complete surprise as they live in Scotland but happened to be on their way to France stopping over nearby at the campsite at Drayton Water Park. They had heard there was a floating market in Fazeley and popped over to see if we were attending it - what a lovely thought. We also managed to get to our favourite Indian restaurant in Fazeley again.

On the Monday after the market we headed off early so we could get in a few days pen making before the next market at Mercia Marina in Derbyshire.

James with Dave and Liz

The river section at Alrewas

Moored at Alrewas

The dreaded weir

Looking back

Stop of at Burton

26 miles and 11 locks

TOTAL 240 miles and 172 locks