What a wonderful couple of weeks. We’ve ended Anne and Mike’s boating adventure with two more days of sunshine and warm temperatures. We spent last night in Congleton, with one of the most moving ‘remembrance’ ceremonies I have ever experienced. We were in the pub right by the canal, and about 50 costumed persons arrived. All in period dress, we were told they had done a re-enactment tribute earlier in the village. Oh well. Then they all disappeared around the corner towards the rail station. We had finished, and were going to find food. As we came to the station, the group had assembled in front of the station, and were singing. I’m a soft spot for choral music and stopped to listen.
Rememberance ceremony in front of Congleton station
This was a local theatre group, commissioned to do remembrance presentations in Cheshire County villages to mark the centenary of the start of WW1. They were accompanied by a small band: sax, flute, a squeezebox accordian, and a proper keyboard accordian, and a drummer. They had a series of announcements, small speeches, and a series of period songs, all sung in full harmony. It was by far one of the more effective commemoration ceremonies I have ever seen.
We then casually upped stakes, and moved along to Astbury, with one of the oldest parish churches around. Not open, but very striking.
Astbury parish church
We are now moored in Scholar Green, the last easy place to moor before Anne and Mike depart tomorrow. We’ll do the last stop lock, then join the Trent and Mersey canal at Kidsgrove where the train station is located. (Scholar Green station closed in the Beeching era- prompting the team of Flanders and Swann to write this piece of music- interpreted by the Kings Singers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0bfRvfW3WA
114 locks, three canals (Huddersfield Narrow, Peak Forest and Macclesfield), and two weeks of the very best that touring of the English canal system offers. We’ve had a memorable time.
Bosley bottom lock: 114 locks since we left Huddersfield
cottage in Astbury
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