All is well!!! We had a rough couple of weeks when she was first born due to her reflux. But we are good now and have a solid routine! It’s so fun being her mama!
Many thanks Alex🙂. One thing that has me scratching my head, though, is your reference to an old wire factory. I had to have another look in case I'd missed something..🤔🥴☺️
Ah, ok😊. Yes, I'd love to have had the time for a closer look, though I imagine it's all fenced off for safety reasons, especially looking at some of those doorways and rooflines. From what I understand, having chatted to a friendly guide at the Middleport Potteries, the site has been bought by a local entrepreneur with a possible view to some sort of restoration and regeneration. It's a very long process, though, with many hoops and hurdles along the way with bureaucracy, so it may never happen, sadly.
Another fabulous instalment Ralph - I really do feel like I'm being taken along with you on this trip and all the little adventures you've all had along the way. I must say some of those locks look a tad in need of some TLC but I think that all adds to the character of the canal - as for your navigation of the 'tunnel of terror', well done on getting through in one piece. I can imagine almost total darkness can be disorienting and even with headlights on one misjudged movement would add another characterful mark to the Jubilee!
The photographs make a great essay - I love the b&w of the old teapot factory with nature reclaiming her place; the sunset is beautiful; the image of the workmen hard at...um... resting made me laugh, I thought you only ever saw that on our great British roads! And of course the images of Percy and Irene - he is a good boy for not flying off at the sight of some tasty morsel on the towpath...I can imagine he's spoilt rotten so knows where the best grub is already!😂 Finally all those dandelion clocks on the central canal bank all intact - it felt like they were waiting for one gust of wind to send them all on their way in synchronised flight! Wonderful work!😊
Thank you so much for your kind words, Lin! 😊 Percy couldn't fly even if he wanted to, poor chap. His wings and everything are fine, he just doesn't know how to use them. He first lived in a pub and the people he lived with almost never let him out of the cage, so he never learned. He went on to live with a couple I knew at my old workplace, but they had to let him go when they moved into a new rented house - no pets allowed, well, certainly no parrots, anyway. That's when we took him on, nearly ten years ago. We worried he wouldn't cope very well with the tunnel, but he was quite content down on the cabin floor, shredding a large piece of paper, oblivious of outside. I suppose it was dark out there and nothing much moved or changed to upset him. Many thanks for the restack, btw, much appreciated 🤍🙏🙂
Oh my goodness poor Percy not being able to fly and not let out of his cage is horrible - he must be very content with you both taking him on these grand adventures. So there's no plans for you to don 'birdman' wings and show him how I suppose?!😂
Ralph, I love this latest instalment! In fact, I felt as though I was there perched with Percy on the cabin roof, watching the grumpy old man thread his way through locks, sunsets, abandoned teapot works and that great orange‑mouthed beast of a tunnel! Oh my goodness! You honestly made the whole journey feel alive ... even the ghost‑laundrette with its lights on and nobody home. Hahaha!
It really does sound like a wonderful stretch of the ring ... steady days, good company, a few quirks to keep you alert, and your camera clearly having the time of its life. I mean ... that sunset was ab-soul-utely gorgeous! The Harecastle description alone had me ducking my head and those photos of the old factory were so beautiful in that melancholy, nature‑reclaiming way you capture so well.
Thanks so much for taking us along. Your writing has that rare gift of making the whole world slow down and feel so very rich and full. One more to go! 🙏💖✒️
@Deborah Gregory mm, my last comment could have come across wrong. It's intention completely sincere, but may have seemed a somewhat 'sarky'. I'm sorry if this was the case😬😟. I hope it read as I intended it...
Oh no, Ralph. Not all all! Sometimes I ramble on a bit (well, quite a lot!) and laugh when I remember how the blue thumb folk of Facebook would roll their eyes with all this talking malarky. 😁🙄🤗
Well, it’s enjoyable to chat, isn’t it? I wasn’t inferring the rambling bit, either! lol. I feel your words come from something far more than just casual talking.
I never used to be the chatty type, never had the confidence, but in recent years I’ve become much more like my Dad (just ask Irene - I often watch her eyes glaze over when I’m trying to tell her something!🥴). I’ll even strike up conversations with complete strangers these days, something that would have been a total anathema to my younger self 😏😊. Even doing my Substack thing, if the internet had been around back then as it is now, would have made climbing Everest seem like breeze..😎
It's true, I love depth of things but laughing is most welcome too. Probably a great balancing act! I know what you mean ... me I'm an introvert, a happy one, I like to natter and previously struggled on other social media platforms until I joined the Stack where I met kindred souls who also enjoy this talking malarky more than button talk. Saying that, sometimes a button (or emoticon in my case!) is just the answer. Lol, what a contradiction I am! 💖🙏🤗
What a magical set of photos, Ralph! I especially love the sunrise photo and the one under the bridge! What a magical corner of the world!
Thank you so much, Razlyn! 😊
Btw I hope all's well with Mum and Sprog 🙂
All is well!!! We had a rough couple of weeks when she was first born due to her reflux. But we are good now and have a solid routine! It’s so fun being her mama!
Ah, good to hear all's well now!🤍😃
I would be hard pressed not to stop and try to get into that old wire factory ;) great stuff!
Many thanks Alex🙂. One thing that has me scratching my head, though, is your reference to an old wire factory. I had to have another look in case I'd missed something..🤔🥴☺️
I'm not sure where I got "Wire Factory" from. I meant Price and Kensington’s Teapot Works.
Ah, ok😊. Yes, I'd love to have had the time for a closer look, though I imagine it's all fenced off for safety reasons, especially looking at some of those doorways and rooflines. From what I understand, having chatted to a friendly guide at the Middleport Potteries, the site has been bought by a local entrepreneur with a possible view to some sort of restoration and regeneration. It's a very long process, though, with many hoops and hurdles along the way with bureaucracy, so it may never happen, sadly.
What a great experience. Another enjoyable leg of your adventure.
Many thanks, KB! 😊
Another fabulous instalment Ralph - I really do feel like I'm being taken along with you on this trip and all the little adventures you've all had along the way. I must say some of those locks look a tad in need of some TLC but I think that all adds to the character of the canal - as for your navigation of the 'tunnel of terror', well done on getting through in one piece. I can imagine almost total darkness can be disorienting and even with headlights on one misjudged movement would add another characterful mark to the Jubilee!
The photographs make a great essay - I love the b&w of the old teapot factory with nature reclaiming her place; the sunset is beautiful; the image of the workmen hard at...um... resting made me laugh, I thought you only ever saw that on our great British roads! And of course the images of Percy and Irene - he is a good boy for not flying off at the sight of some tasty morsel on the towpath...I can imagine he's spoilt rotten so knows where the best grub is already!😂 Finally all those dandelion clocks on the central canal bank all intact - it felt like they were waiting for one gust of wind to send them all on their way in synchronised flight! Wonderful work!😊
Thank you so much for your kind words, Lin! 😊 Percy couldn't fly even if he wanted to, poor chap. His wings and everything are fine, he just doesn't know how to use them. He first lived in a pub and the people he lived with almost never let him out of the cage, so he never learned. He went on to live with a couple I knew at my old workplace, but they had to let him go when they moved into a new rented house - no pets allowed, well, certainly no parrots, anyway. That's when we took him on, nearly ten years ago. We worried he wouldn't cope very well with the tunnel, but he was quite content down on the cabin floor, shredding a large piece of paper, oblivious of outside. I suppose it was dark out there and nothing much moved or changed to upset him. Many thanks for the restack, btw, much appreciated 🤍🙏🙂
Oh my goodness poor Percy not being able to fly and not let out of his cage is horrible - he must be very content with you both taking him on these grand adventures. So there's no plans for you to don 'birdman' wings and show him how I suppose?!😂
Hahaha! Flying would work for me like it works for him - we’d both drop like a stone🤣
🤣🤣🤣
Excellent series highlighting a beautiful trip. well done, Ralph.
Many thanks, Paul, much appreciated☺️
Ralph, I love this latest instalment! In fact, I felt as though I was there perched with Percy on the cabin roof, watching the grumpy old man thread his way through locks, sunsets, abandoned teapot works and that great orange‑mouthed beast of a tunnel! Oh my goodness! You honestly made the whole journey feel alive ... even the ghost‑laundrette with its lights on and nobody home. Hahaha!
It really does sound like a wonderful stretch of the ring ... steady days, good company, a few quirks to keep you alert, and your camera clearly having the time of its life. I mean ... that sunset was ab-soul-utely gorgeous! The Harecastle description alone had me ducking my head and those photos of the old factory were so beautiful in that melancholy, nature‑reclaiming way you capture so well.
Thanks so much for taking us along. Your writing has that rare gift of making the whole world slow down and feel so very rich and full. One more to go! 🙏💖✒️
Ah, your kindness know no bounds, Deborah, thank you so much! 🙏🤍😊
@Deborah Gregory mm, my last comment could have come across wrong. It's intention completely sincere, but may have seemed a somewhat 'sarky'. I'm sorry if this was the case😬😟. I hope it read as I intended it...
Oh no, Ralph. Not all all! Sometimes I ramble on a bit (well, quite a lot!) and laugh when I remember how the blue thumb folk of Facebook would roll their eyes with all this talking malarky. 😁🙄🤗
Well, it’s enjoyable to chat, isn’t it? I wasn’t inferring the rambling bit, either! lol. I feel your words come from something far more than just casual talking.
I never used to be the chatty type, never had the confidence, but in recent years I’ve become much more like my Dad (just ask Irene - I often watch her eyes glaze over when I’m trying to tell her something!🥴). I’ll even strike up conversations with complete strangers these days, something that would have been a total anathema to my younger self 😏😊. Even doing my Substack thing, if the internet had been around back then as it is now, would have made climbing Everest seem like breeze..😎
It's true, I love depth of things but laughing is most welcome too. Probably a great balancing act! I know what you mean ... me I'm an introvert, a happy one, I like to natter and previously struggled on other social media platforms until I joined the Stack where I met kindred souls who also enjoy this talking malarky more than button talk. Saying that, sometimes a button (or emoticon in my case!) is just the answer. Lol, what a contradiction I am! 💖🙏🤗
🤍😊
Wonderful essay, Ralph. I think that you should wear an eyepatch, and keep Percy, the pirate parrot, on your shoulder, as you motor down the canals.
Harharhar, me hearties! Shiver me timbers! 😂 Oi be thankin' thee for thy koind words, Sirr!
If I had his lordship perched on my shoulder for any length of time I'd be stone deaf from his inordinately loud shrieks....🫨😵💫😁
The bridges and tunnels look beautiful Ralph.
Thank you, Shital, much appreciated! 😊