The Yellow Van

After more than a week without a longish walk I really needed to get out into the lovely Cheshire countryside.  The plan was to walk the towpath from Barbridge Junction back to Bunbury staircase locks and then turn inland and complete a circuit.  Whilst walking I would also forage for blackberries.  The plan actually worked, although I was delayed on the towpath because there were so many blackberries to pick.  No doubt Jan will sort through them and discard any that don’t meet the required standard.

The circuit was just under 18 kilometres and almost totally flat.  I could do with some hill walking !

The countryside was enjoyable; apart from the stinging nettles.  I didn’t record any new footpaths for the Open Street Map (OSM) because the map looks current for this area.  Halfway through the walk I realised I hadn’t taken any photos and then I remembered all I had was the 3.2mp camera in the Garmin gps.  It doesn’t take very good photos but I particularly looked the look of a roof in the distance and used the gps camera.

What caught my eye was the double curve of the roof on the high portion at the left end.  Constructing it would have been more complex (and expensive?) than using straight lines.  The upper portion of the roof also looked as if it was clad in lead sheeting.

Back at Waiouru there was time for a hot shower and a quick late lunch before a knock on the roof announced the arrival of Mark, The Yellow Van marine engineer.  Peter (nb Kelly-Louise) had recommended Mark when I told him we wanted to find a good marine engineer to do the scheduled major service on Waiouru. 

Mark – The Yellow Van marine engineer.

Mark quietly and professionally went about checking out our garden shed.  The big green noisy thingee had a transfusion and all the connections were checked.  There was no water in the urine sample (diesel) and he even lubricated our wet shaft.  I attentively watched what he did as I intend to do the next major service.  We have a very slight weep from the engine cooling system connection that runs to the calorifier.  Mark suggested I monitor it and only take remedial action if it gets worse.

Whilst I was out walking Jan had made a visit to the local Elderberry tree and returned with a large number of berries some of which she has now frozen and the remainder have gone into a blackberry and elderberry pie which is tonight’s dessert!

The assistant mooring enforcement officer passed by today and noticed the name on our boat.  He told me that he is very shortly emigrating to NZ.  Apparently his his visa took six months to be approved which he thought was too long.   So I told him my UK visa tale of woe which appeared to cheer him up! 

The cupboards are getting empty so we’re off to Nantwich tomorrow for a top-up.

Oh, I have read nb Rock ’n’ Roll’s blog and George & Carol have decided to sell her.  George showed me through Rock ‘n’ Roll when I saw them outside Reading.  The new owners will get a nice boat!  She is also advertised on Apollo Duck <link here>.