Thursday 20 May 2010

To go or not to go, that is the question.

Well can't wait for the next three weeks to pass as we are off on our summer jolly on Minnow. As I have mentioned earlier we are planning to take a leisurely trip up the Trent and Mersey spending the week end at the Middlewich Folk and Canal Festival the returning back up the Shroppie. We have been to and through Middlewich many times over the years and moored above Kings lock as well as below the town but we have never been to this festival before. I was warned recently about trouble on the canal at this festival from gypsies who jump all over the boats removing anything loose or valuble especially brass etc and was also told not to leave your boat at any time during the weekend. I just wondered if anyone reading this blog had any - good or bad - experiences of the Middlewich festival. Any comments would be much appreciated as at the moment we are having second thoughts about going.
Blossom

3 comments:

  1. Hi Blossom, I am going to be at Middlewich again this year on Ariel, then heading over to Braunston for the gathering the weekend after.. I've been to Middlewich a good few times now as it's only a days boating from home. Over this time I've never had any problems personally and I haven't heard of anyone else having problems either.

    Last year I took Ariel up the weekend before, so it was tied below Big Lock for the week. I was a bit dubious about doing this as I'd only had the boat a month, but I did have somebody keep an eye on it for me.

    I hope you do decide to go, it's usually a good weekend!

    Liam

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  2. Thanks for that Liam. My mind is a little more at ease now so hope to see you up there, come and look us up, the kettle is always on!

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  3. Last year when Starcross was at the festival we had the brass chain stolen from the chimney (and, bizarrely, the mop thrown in the cut) but this was in the early evening and when we were on board! I think it was local kids rather than gypsies and I feel it was partly because with the visitor moorings being full we were tied up near the embankment on the "branch" and had stopped at a place which they considered their own hanging-out spot.(It was where the footpath from the town centre comes out onto the towpath). I wouldn't be worried about stopping at Middlewich again, although I would be a bit more careful about what I left on the roof.
    Jim

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