Six intrepid explorers left the Museum at 2.00 on Sunday 24th March to navigate 'President' to the Port. We were hoping to float there but a set of wheels would have come in handy; during the winter most of the mud that normally resides on the edges had slipped down into the channel. However, there is good in everything - I can guarantee there is no rubbish left in the Wolverhampton level - we collected the lot!

We were joined by David Parry for the first part of the trip. David had made the mistake of walking alongside the boat on Saturday, during a trip to Brades, and saying that he was interested.... five minutes later he was a paid up member, and on Sunday he discovered firsthand, the malevolent habits of 'President' with a prop-full of rope and plastic.

We were greeted at Lock 5 on the 21 by both Big and Little Alan, who had walked up from Aldersley. Big Alan looked fitter than ever after his op. They helped us down the 21 in the dark and then went off to Autherley, where "Sir William Stanier". was tied up. After removing part of the Staffs and Worcs from our prop and a large member of the Water Travel fleet from outside the stop lock we moored near "Stanier" at 9.20.

Monday saw us away at 9.30 up the Shroppie where we continued to collect rubbish at regular intervals (including a bra, custom built for a 54 inch chest, which nearly stopped the engine). At Norbury Junction we met a gentleman who showed us "President's" old brass horn with "FMC President" stamped on it.

Going through Woodseaves Cutting was fairly ghostly and one can understand the old boatmen's feelings about it. "Stanier", which had left Autherley at 12.30 finally caught up at 8.45 at Tyrley top where we both tied up for the night.

Tuesday - Next morning, BW man Albert Ashton told us that he used to drive 'President' in 1950/51 when she carried cement, sand and gravel for concrete walling work. He well remembers starting "that big Bolinder" every morning.

Imprecations emitting from inside the boiler indicated that Eddie wasn't entirely happy with the state of the fire bricks and this coupled with refitting the front plate of the boiler, delayed our start until 12.30. A good run through the three flights saw us at the Shroppie Fly at 5.20. There we met a party from the Museum at Etruria who brought us our cargo of 5 x 1cwt* sacks of bone. This was duly loaded, covering all and sundry (and the boat) with a fine white powder.

We moored that night below the bottom lock at Audlem, between Daystar Theatre and a rich agricultural smell.

Wednesday - A visit from the Daystar Theatre Company, next morning, saw us in possession of a rose painted teapot, courtesy of George Naldrett, which was immediately put to good use. This, a pleasant morning, and a smooth run to Nantwich Aqueduct, gave the lie to what was to follow. A boat moored on our exit line from the left-angle bend after the aqueduct caused a sudden cessation of our forward progress. No damage ensued, except the crew's nerves. This was the herald of a number of interesting situations over the next two days; the underwater mountain just after Barbridge; the shallows after Bunbury; the lack of bank depth at Bate's Mill, where we were determined to moor for the night.

Thursday, beware the mudflats under the new bridge above Christleton (five tries to get through). Note for navigators - the new 3ft 6inch channel is ten feet out from the towpath.

A certain amount of forwarding, asterning and poling brought us to Northgate top where we paired up with FMC motor "Badger" - another Malcolm Braine restoration.

Little Alan (who wielded an oven and potato peeler with great skill for us on "Stanier") informed us that we were going to get soaked going down the staircase. Big Alan in "Stanier" had just found out that the top gates of the middle lock leaked impressively. We were lucky with that, but got wet instead removing the fore and after fenders so the gates could open.

Our biggest disaster followed. We were stuck fast on the mud in Tower Wharf and needed to be helped off - and the event faithfully recorded on film by the crew of "Badger"!

Friday - We set off at 6.30 next morning for an uninterrupted passage to Ellesmere Port where we arrived at 9.30. After passing through the narrow locks, we winded in the lower basin and returned to the short pound between the locks. Here we moored and opened for business and the interest of the public.

Richard Thomas

* Note: 1cwt is one hundredweight = 50.8kgm