We'd promised to help with the Save Our Waterways stand in Macclesfield town centre, where Roger Olver, the organiser, had arranged for a replica Victorian steam launch to be the centre piece, starting at 10 am. Accordingly, it was up bright and early at 7, and Sheila set off boating while I breakfasted, and then we switched over.
Got to Macc at about 9.30, tied on the so-called Visitor Moorings, and made our way into town. The boat looked excellent, and was in a great spot in front of the Town Hall. We spent three hours getting signatures on the petition, with good support from the local boaters. At one point we had twenty clipboards in use, and we had to get some more petition forms copied courtesy of a helpful guy from the Town Hall. Packed up there at 1 and went back to the canal to take part in the blockade.
Not such a good turn out as at Bugsworth in November, but we still had around twenty boats, which made a convincing barrier. Duly listened to speeches from the local MPs, Sir Nicholas and Lady Ann Winterton, and two poems from Cheshire's Poet Laureate. It was all over by around three. The Puss In Boots public house supplied everyone with free teas and coffees, and even biscuits, so we decided to patronise them for a meal in the evening.
Good standard pub grub, and an excellent pint of Deuchars IPA, then back to the boat for a remarkably quiet night considering we were on a town mooring on a Saturday. It's just a shame that the canal profile of the Macc makes it so hard for BW and the council to install a decent edge to moor to.
Sunday 4 March
Woke to a windy morning, but after checking the forecast decided it wouldn't necessarily get any better, so decided to do some boating anyway. We were still pointing away from Poynton, and I didn't fancy turning in Macc Marina in the wind, so we went further on, beyond the Gurnett Aqueduct moorings to wind. Enough wind to make both boating and turning tricky, but managed both without mishap, the latter skilfully aided by Sheila with the shaft from the bow.
On the way back it started to rain, as well, so it became a bit of a test of dogged boating, keeping going, taking it in turns to lunch, and finally arriving at the Lyme View visitor mooring at 1.30. Despite the weather, it was good to get a decent run in. Only one more week, and we'll be off on our travels again, hopefully.
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