Brian Davy Trip Notes (found by Mike Newport 2010) of the Four Counties Ring trip, 1988

Another great read and even more detailed than the 1987 notes.  These notes were written in a Anglo-Welsh Log Book, the front cover shows the crew as :- Ted Chapman G1ALF, Brian Davy G4TRO, Simon Gates G6RWT, Mike Newport G8VCN, and John Parmenter G6UGI   The boat is STAFFORD cruising from the Anglo Welsh base at Great Haywood.

The Great Hayward base No. is written as 0889-881711, a cell number. Simon had a trial cell phone on loan from his firm for testing coverage and the crew were able to keep in touch with family and friends. This was a massive thing having BIG Lead Acid Gell batteries. The following call logs out and in show how useful it was.

Calls out listed as to Brian YAD, Dorothy Davy, Joan Parmenter, Max McKenna

Calls in listed as Bob Davy from Cathey Pacific flight 282 at 29000 ft over the Baltic just about to enter Russian airspace, 1-5-88 Toby Davy from London, Brian YAD, Dorothy Davy.

Simon writes in his memories about this on the home page and says he is sure this was the first Narrow boat to Airliner cellphone contact.

Note Brian's spelling of "Under Weigh". Being a Navy man this may well have been the correct spelling to him as suggested in the following quote from the web.  "This a common enough misspelling to have become almost standardised; so much so that, in his 1846 Nautical Dictionary, Arthur Young wrongly suggested that under weigh was in fact the correct original spelling"

John Parmenter and Mike Newport have often referred to a boat from Harringay sporting the flag of the Bi-Gay-Lesbian-Transgender Group, was this the year and was that the boat Snowdrop(s) referred to by Brian?

Saturday 30th April
Total 5 locks, 9 miles.  4 hrs 30 mins cruised.  Evening meal of Chilli Con Carne

Time	Narrative
1630	Leave Great Haywood boatyard.  On arrival at Stone went through both locks to ensure a good start in the morning, only to learn that one of the locks immediately ahead is unusable.
2100	Stone

Stone, Sunday 1st May, overcast showery and chilly.
Total 13 miles, 11 locks.  6 hrs 35 mins cruised.  Evening meal of Stew

Time	Narrative
0700	Stone
0800	Reached Meaford locks, confirmed one lock, no 33 u/s.  BWB people (said to be arriving at 0700) nowhere to be seen. (QSO with G6YWB)
0830	Rang Great Hayward (x3) still on answer machine which gave number of AW engineer, Stafford (0785)211353, rang him, he will get things moving and report back.
0920	Rang Gt. Hayward - still closed until 0830 "tomorrow morning"
0925	Rang AW engineer - hasn't been able to raise BWB - is going to work now and will see what can be done then.
1005	Rang BWB Nantwich closed "in emergency ring freephone canals"
1006	BWB workmen arrived
1206	Paddle replaced
1240	Under weigh (sic) entered Meaford Lock 33
1355	Trentham Lock no 35
1415	Dep.  Sun and showers some heavy.
1800	Topped up water.  Ted cleared screw.
1915	Arrived Harecastle Tunnel, heavy rain later

Harecastle Tunnel, Monday 2nd May, weather mist then overcast, sunny patches, chilly.
Hours cruised 9 hrs 45 mins, 15.5 miles, 32 locks.   Evening meal of Pork Chops.

Time	Narrative
1000	Tunnel opened.  Slipped, entered tunnel 1006 fifth in convoy, one or two boats ahead proceeding much too slowly, necessitating occasional stops
1035	Half way through
1110	Emerged from tunnel
1115	Up Spirits.  Kidsgrove lock 41, is raining steadily from a leaden sky
1145	Rain stopped, lock 42 (the first of the five Red Bull Locks)
1255	Lock 47 (the first of the six Lawton locks)
1355	Through Lawton Locks
1450	Pierpoint locks 55 & 56
1540	Lock 59 is the first of the eight Wheelock locks
1640	Stopped at Wheelock for water
1700	Proceeded Stud Green Lock bridge 161
1804	Booth Lane Locks
1840	Rumps Lock
1910	Kings Lock Middlewich
1920	Entered Shropshire Union Canal, Middlewich Branch
1925	Wardle Lock
1930	Tied up in SUC Middlewich Branch near bridge 30

Middlewich (Croxton) Aqueduct Tuesday 3rd May, sunny chilly.  Hours cruised 10.40, 24 miles, 25 locks.  Evening meal of Spaghetti Bolognese

Time	Narrative
0630	Cross Middlewich Aqueduct, John heard his 1st Cuckoo
0640	Stanthorn Lock
0940	Cholmondeston Lock
0950	Barbridge marina Junction
1020	Hurleston Junction
1055	Stopped at Simolda for water
1125	Proceeded, spotting with rain
1130	Raining (crossed A51 aqueduct)
1155	Sunshine !
1235	Hack Green Locks
1345	Audlem Locks (15 in all)
1415	Tied up at Audlem, had lunch
1530	Left Audlem
1730	Adderley Locks Sunshine and Showers
1800	Through Addersley Locks
1855	Arrived Market Drayton, narrow boat Snowdrop moored astern.

Market Drayton (bridge 65), Wednesday 4th May.  Grey leaden sky, drizzling on and off, chilly.
Total miles 23.5.  Total locks 6.  6 hours 20 mins cruised.  Evening meal not recorded.

Time	Narrative
0930	Through Tyrley Locks, drizzle continues.
1140	Stopped at Bridge 42, Old Lea Wharf.  Anchor Inn (no sign of life).  Snowdrop passed us.
1215	Proceeded
1245	John UGI received phone call from Boatyard - his Father on Oxygen.  John will leave boat at Norbury Junction and return to Great Hayward overland en route for Royston.  Rang Anglo Welsh - they will come and collect him.  Very heavy rain.  Repaired to the Junction Arms to await Anglo Welsh driver, more rain.
1500	John left.  Ice cream at the shop.
1525	Proceeded
1540	Very heavy rain, then continued showery.
1715	Looks like being a sunny evening
1850	Arrived Brewood (pronounced Brood)

Brewood, 5th May, Sunny and crisp.  Bought milk, posted John's Cambeam letters
20.5 miles, Total 11 locks, 10 hours 25 minutes cruised.
Evening meal, Wimpy Bar Take away.

Time	Narrative
0745	Brewood (very pleasant village) Moorings
0930	Autherly Junction
0930	Enter Staffs and Worcester Canal
1205	Gailey Lock, left 1215
1300	Rodbaston Lock (alongside M6).  Morning weather - sun - overcast and chilly - warm sun - heavy cloud and rain.
1325	Stopped at Pembridge, Cross Keys Pub
1520	Proceeded
1530	Filance Lock
1905	Stopped for the night at bridge 106, Milford

Milford, 6th May.  Bright and sunny morning.
10.5 miles, Total locks 5, 4 hours cruised.
Evening meal of Steak

Time	Narrative
0838	Milford
0900	Left Tixall Lock
0945	Arrived Great Haywood.  The Four Counties Ring completed, sunny
1120	Left Great Haywood for a days cruise on the Trent and Mersey Canal towards Rugeley
1130	Haywood Lock
1210	Colwich Lock
1240	Wolseley, for Wolseley Arms
1515	Proceeded
1545	Reached winding hole by bridge 68 and began return
1645	Colwich lock
1750	Tied up just below Haywood Lock.  Sunny all day.

Time	Narrative
0730	Haywood Lock, proceeded to Great Haywood Anglo-Welsh Depot.  Packed up, cleaned up and disembarked.
0925	Party left Anglo-Welsh Great Haywood en route for Cambridge

Things not bought:- Field Glasses, Insect Killer, Ordnance Survey map(s) of the country to be traversed.