Here We Go Again!

21st May 2012

This is IT! Hasn’t the rest of 2011 gone quickly, with 2012 briskly following. This year we haven’t half got a line up for our tour with Python, the Chesterfield Canal Trust’s floating publicity vehicle. (More to follow). But first check out Python’s new entrance covers meaning this year, hopefully, we won’t have a gale blowing in the entrance at 4 in the morning!

This year we have had an influx of new crew, bringing new roles and help to the further restoration, all for the purpose of using Python to attend Waterways Festivals and to promote the Chesterfield Canal and what the Trust is trying to do as a whole. As there are more crew this year, I’ve asked them to send me their blog of the day or week, depending on the skippers, attaching some of their photos which I can then put together and use to bring you the latest goings on at festivals we attend and what the movements of Python are throughout the waterway system.

We are booked into four festivals up to the end of July, with possible water shortages meaning that planning beyond will be done later.These are;

– Etruria from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd June. Celebrating the canals of Stoke-on-Trent and the Royal Diamond Jubilee. Involving historic canal boats, the Etruria Jubilee Flotilla and a Jubilee Tea Party, local foods, crafts and historic engines combined with music and dance to give a good time to all in the middle of Stoke. The historic beam engine, Princess, will be in steam all weekend during this, the twentieth year of canal festivals at Etruria.

– Middlewich from Friday 15th June to Sunday 17th June. We will be attending the Folk and Boat Festival on the Trent & Mersey Canal.

– Northwich on the weekend of Saturday the 23rd and 24th June. Going along to the River Weaver Festival which promises a program of water-based entertainment, cultural and family events, including ‘Wild Over Waterways’ for the children, bell boating, music workshops, arts & craft demonstrations, historic working boats, brass bands and trade displays. All this in the proximity of the historic Anderton Boat Lift, one of the wonders of the waterways (which Python will be travelling on in MY Hands) and the Manchester Ship Canal.

– Audlem on Sunday 29th July for the Audlem Festival of Transport.

This year our main aim is to publicise the Chesterfield Canal and its restoration along with its great accessibility. Hopefully we’ll be able to achieve this, with you following us along the way whether through reading our blog, following NB Python on Facebook or coming and seeing us at any of these events.

Thomas Flewitt

On To Today’s Blog

And so it begins:- Python sets off from Shireoaks Marina onto the Chesterfield Canal where the water level seems higher than of late.

Unfortunately Python has other ideas as we bottom out slightly in Shireoaks Top Lock.

British Waterways (BW) help us out magnificently by flooding the pound for Shireoaks Middle Lock but still Python hits bottom.

We easily solve this by having only one person on the tiller.

How does he do it? Just how does he know about all that happens on the canal? Roger Bunting the famed Chesterfield Canal Photographer, turned up to witness and record our progress down to Stret Lock, where the very large pound was being flooded. We had nearly an hour’s wait outside the Lock Keeper pub (how tempting).

When we set off, the lovely Python had settled onto the bottom again and needed a lot of pushing and manoeuvring to get into Stret Lock – eventually leaving the lock nice and gently… we get stuck halfway out. A little bit of flushing by BW and Python pops out of the lock like a big blue cork.

We eventually moored up overnight courtesy of BW on Sandy Lane. (Thanks very much for your assistance over the day).

Well that’s it for the tricky, Python stopping, Chesterfield Canal we think! – lets see what tomorrow brings.

Dave Kiddy