08/23/2006

Sarah's entry - Wednesday, 23rd August

THE FIFTEEN HOUR DAY: AT JOURNEYS END TODAY - 288 MILES, 150 LOCKS.

Left at 6.15am this morning. We had a long way to go today. It rained for most of the day. We passed through Higher Poynton - close to Poynton where we used to live. Had arranged to meet family friend Jill there. She was standing on towpath at 9.30am as arranged. Plan was to take her on the boat for an hour (with dog) to Marple where our next set of locks began.

Moored up and went to buy spanner (misplaced original) in order to change gas bottle and be able to give Jill coffee on board. We also needed our porridge - after three hours motoring and no breakfast. Once we began to set off - Jill and Badger the dog on board - Badger decided boating was a little too risky for her liking, and jumped back onto shore as we pulled away. Penny had to go back in where she could to collect Badger. The place where we stopped caused us to meet Dorothy Denton - the mother of a good friend Sarah had at primary school. Having not seen each other for twenty years - there was a good session of news swopping before we set on our way again. It was lovely to meet her, and to hear about Katie, and to reflect afterwards on the extraordinary 'coincidence' that had resulted in the unlikely meeting. It was fun, too, having Jill on board, and she brought photos and caught up on news.

At Marple locks, Jill helped for the first few - thank you! They were a hard flight to conquor. Beautiful setting.

A thunderstrom developed during the afternoon - and for the second time - it was Penny's time to helm just as the lightning and thunder really set in. She found that an umbrella was no match for the rain, which poured right through the canopy, and caught in the low hanging trees. She did a heroic job.

As we approached Stalybridge, we passed Hannah and Alex, looking for a tow, so we did the honours for a second time, taking them two miles to the nearest boatyard. This involved going through a swingbridge which Hannah operated. AFfer dropping them off, there were six more locks through the fettid and graffitied outskirts of Stalybridge, and we finally arrived, 15 hours after starting off - in the car park of Tesco - which encompasses the town centre - and we have never been so pleased to see them - believe me!

Went for Italian meal. Got quite drunk on not very much. Sarah propped up an exhausted Penny back to the boat at the end of the night.