R's Birthday!

Saturday 5th September, 2015 at Lock 31E outside Marsden.
R's Birthday!
The Birthday Boy doubled up as bread delivery boy, with a fresh seeded loaf from one of two local bakeries in the town.

Having gone out to get the bread, R then cooked our special "Smiley Breakfast" made with Aston Marina's delicious middle-cut bacon. Yum!

We set off in the sunshine through the three locks in the town; M went ahead to set the lock and to make sure that there was nothing coming the other way as the channel is very narrow.

Lock 24E has a very unusual "guillotine" gate. M viewed it with extreme distrust, so R gallantly operated it but even he found it hard going. The gate has a counter-weight but it has to be wound up by hand using a windlass and it was very heavy going!

Eventually the gate was raised up all the way and MM came safely through although it felt very tight and quite intimidating to have this great heavy gate hanging over us.

The next stretch of waterway is probably the loveliest we have ever been on; the locks come every 150 yards or so but they are easy to operate and in such a picturesque setting that they're a pleasure. The pounds continued to be short of water, at one point M actually stood IN the canal (on dry land) and photographed MM as she went past.

So few boats pass this way that we generated a lot of interest from the many passers-by on the towpath.

We moored up for the day just after Lock 31E in a beautiful setting between heather covered hills. A walk to the top was irresistible on such a lovely afternoon and we set off on a grassy footpath through the heather.

At the top, there was a style across an old dry-stone wall and M decided to take a "Birthday Portrait" of R.

The view from the top was wonderful - you can even just see MM way below in the valley.

Back on board, we had birthday afternoon tea with our best china.

As it was R's birthday, we decided to eat out as a special treat. The guide books spoke highly of a pub/restaurant called the Olive Branch and, most conveniently, a signpost right beside our mooring pointed the way to it!

It was a lovely walk across one field, through a small wood and across the river on a foot bridge and then across another field of fresh cut hay. The Olive Branch is the building just on R's right. It could hardly have been closer.

We were warmly welcomed and dinner was excellent. There was a lively crowd of locals at the next table (also celebrating a birthday) and we had a fun conversation with them as we were leaving. Everyone here has been so friendly and easy to talk to.
Walking back across the field in the dark was slightly hazardous on account of numerous cowpats on the path - good job that R had brought a torch!
All in all a great day for R's birthday.
Today: 2 miles, 10 locks and 6.3 hours (+1 day's power).
Trip: 283 miles, 204 locks and 197.6 hours.