Canal Voyagers 2009 Newsletter
Second season, and looking forward to a third!
With a quiet and beautiful beginning to 2008, we cruised down the Kennet and Avon, completing the Caen Hill flight in record time. Previous owner Emma Fearnley came to lend a hand and some experience with guests pitching in on a seamless decent on a warm spring morning.
We also had surprise guests on the K&A, as one duck hitched a lift between locks and another tried to make a nest in the engine room, only to be ushered out by Neil!
We were bowled over by the Staffs & Worcs in June – a stunning canal hidden behind the industrial towns of the Black Country that has now become one of our favourites.
In Oswestry on the Montgomery Canal, we found ourselves caught up in the middle of a National Canoe Marathon. We sat quietly in a lock in the rain, observing the chaos around as 50 canoeists portaged around us!
The Macclesfield and the Peak Forest Canals were firsts for us – surpassing our expectations with breathtaking views and charming towns en-route. The finale for the cruise at Bugsworth Basin was the icing on the cake, a marvel of industrial heritage.
Corinne was wowed by the Caldon Canal in July, and took her first trip on a steam train on the Churnet Valley Railway. Quote: “It was very noisy and rather hot… but quite exciting really!”
This year also produced another first – our first guest to take a dip! Don’t worry, there was no harm done, he merely stepped off the boats onto what he thought was the towpath but was actually the cut. Wet to the knees, his shoes were dried in the engine room for the next day’s adventures.
A long day up to the boat museum at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire was an unexpected bonus to the season, with a warm welcome from the staff and so much to see we’ll have to plan a return soon.
What 2009 has in store for Snipe & Taurus
Beginning our season at Easter weekend, we’re going to swiftly head North. Our routes take us through Worcester & Wales to Liverpool, the European Capital of culture for 2008, where we will explore the newly rejuvenated Albert Docks. The newly built Liverpool Canal Link will permit access to the dock complex from the Leeds & Liverpool Canal for the first time and carry Snipe & Taurus past the famous Liver building.
Another new trip on our schedule this year, from Kinver to Gloucester, includes a trip down the River Severn visiting Worcester, Gloucester docks and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. The beauty of the Staffs & Worcs Canal in July and the chance to explore some fascinating riverside towns and cities en-route we anticipate will make this a popular cruise.
Continuing our river adventures, we’ll be heading upstream on the River Avon to explore Shakespeare’s Stratford for the first time. With Gloucester, Tewksbury, Evesham and Pershore on the way, mid-summer in the Cotswolds will be a real treat.
In September, we have two cruises offering a chance to see the Wey Navigation, exploring the River up to Godalming and Guildford. These cruises also includes one of the grandest stretches of the Royal River Thames, with time at Windsor, Hampton Court and Henley on Thames.
And Finally…
When we see you next year we will be Mr & Mrs! We have a date set for February, and being handy with a rope, tying the knot should go without a hitch!
