Not quite such a cunning plan after all

Yesterday we had to do 'navigation'. In other words we had to turn right off the Bridgewater and on to the Trent and Mersey canal.  Not quite as easy as it sounds as there wasn't the usual signpost but we managed to get it right (I am an RYA Yachmaster (Ocean) after all).  Maybe the sign was in the Preston Brook tunnel which is the first thing you come across on this canal.  Its quite nice to be back on a narrow canal, ie one which can only take narrow boats because of the size of the locks and bridge holes.  Mind you, each bridge is on a bend and each bend is hidden by an overhanging tree so it can get quite amusing as there always seems to be boat coming the other way just at these points.
We spent last night at the 'the breach'  a refurbished part of the canal which is on an embankment and which collapsed a few years back and dumped a squillion gallons of canal water into the neighbouring famers field.  Its all fine now and they've even put in mooring rings which makes a nice change as on the last two canals we needed to bang in sticks nearly everywhere we went.
Anyway, as I said in previous posts, our intention was to go down the famous Anderton boat lift onto the River Weaver for a few days.  There's a beer festival on at the bottom of the lift and we were warned that the place was absolutely full.  As usual it was all b****ks and there was plenty of space.  the only problem is that as its a bank holiday weekend and there's the beer festival, the lift is booked solid until Tuesday and we are on a 48 hour mooring.   So next time perhaps.  It means we will probably arrive at Macclesfield early although there are a few options we can consider - of course this will mean making a 'decision' at some time, something I strenuously try to avoid doing.

From the top it doesn't look all that exciting

But from below its really quite spectaclear