The past week - Final

The Banter has been great fun. Good food, warm welcome and great to catch up with people that we have met at the past 2 banters. We have also met some new forum members, so Andrew will need to update his list! If he can remember them all that is :)

I discovered a rather refreshing cider served at the pub and even Andrew liked it so much that on the odd occasion he passed up the beer for a cider.  I really should have taken a picture of that!

On Saturday we were offered a lift in to Newport, which we gladly accepted and we had a great few hours wondering around the town center and partaking of more food. A bit more than we were expecting for some. The light bites nacho's presented was a meal and a half!

Some of the lovely old buildings in the town center:

 With some infill housing!

We also had a look at the old canal which used to run from Norbury Junction to Shrewsbury.  Unfortunately here in town the lock has been filled in with concrete along with the canal which ran under the bridge.

Sunday saw a bunch of us making the trip to Ellesmere Port, to the Easter Festival at the National Waterways Museum

A lot of the historic working boats which are still in use gathered there. All the current working boats now sell coal and diesel to other boaters on the cut. Some even offer a pump out service!  Plus there are a number who are keeping the old crafts alive.

There are also a number of historic boats which have been 'rescued' from various places and they are sitting immersed in water, which helps preserve the wooden exterior as much as possible from further deterioration.  I guess eventually they will be restored as time and monetary donations permit.

The highlight of the afternoon was some boat, tug-o-war. Some of the historic working boats trying to show their strengths.

Andrew waiting for me to take my photo's

Some other bits and pieces that I saw

Unfortunately for Andrew and myself, on the trip back we both started coughing and during the night the dreaded flue has struck and we are popping neurofen and tea and coffee. Not the best end to a great weekend. Hopefully it will pass quickly. 
All in all a very interesting day.  It would have been much nicer if the weather had been on our side. It was sunny but again the wind was blowing off the Mersey, sending most people inside as much as possible.