Never Two Late Our Journey

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Back on the cut. First Cruise of 2025

Hooray! We’ve finally escaped the marina for the week. Marina life always gives me a bit of cabin fever. While it’s convenient with electricity and water readily available, I much prefer the simplicity of being moored alongside the canal and minimising our reliance on those amenities.
After stocking up on diesel, coal, and another gas bottle (the marina prices were astronomical!), we cruised for about half an hour before finding a peaceful spot to moor.

The bird song was delightful, and we enjoyed watching the steady stream of boats pass by, exchanging friendly waves. Even Mr. Owl made an appearance, which was a real treat.

Steve couldn’t resist the sight of a fallen tree, so he donned his work clothes and got to work with the chainsaw – a task he clearly relishes!

To celebrate our return to the waterways, we treated ourselves to a delicious Greek takeaway using a gift voucher from Maxine’s brother.

The next morning, Maxine was up early for a run along the towpath. There was a bit of mud, but it was wonderful to be back on the canal. After a five-mile run, she returned, and Steve got the boat ready for our next move.

We set off again for another short but enjoyable cruise. The canal was bustling with boats, all eager to find a safe mooring before the predicted storm arrived. We found the perfect spot and quickly settled in, erecting the pram cover as if we’d been there for ages.

Now, we’re all set for the storm and enjoying the simple pleasures of being back on the cut. Next weekend, we’re off on a sunny holiday, and then at the end of February, we’ll be back on the water for good, embarking on a full season of cruising the waterways.

Featured

Epic Fail, Check for Closures in-future.

We, at long last, left the marina. We were well and truly ready. Marinas are not for me; I prefer to be out on the cut. We had a lovely cruise to Braunston; it was so lovely being back cruising, watching all the nature, seeing the lambs and the plants trying to burst out from winter into their spring blossom. We saw a beautiful kite soaring above as we slowly meandered along the canal.
We arrived in Braunston just after four o’clock. The weather had started to cool down, so we moored up, quickly put the pram cover-up, and stoked the fire. It didn’t take long for the boat to become toasty. We popped into The Boat pub for dinner. It was delicious; we returned and caught up on some vlogs we had missed over the weekend.
Monday morning, Mexi and I went for a morning walk along the canal; seeing different scenery was lovely. Mexi found a small animal’s house and wanted it to come out to play, it kept squeaking at her, and I had to move her along. We had a cup of tea and popped into Braunston to the post office, then back to the boat. I had an hour’s work to do before we could set off. At just after one o’clock, we set off. We only had a few locks; this was the first time we had seen these types of locks; they were tough and heavy to work. The weather was not too bad; we had a bit of drizzle. As we cruised, I prepared a tasty Beef & mushroom casserole for tea cooked on the wood burner. The smell was wonderful. We kept going until we started to get too cold and moored up in the middle of nowhere which was great. There was a lovely view over the fields and nothing around us so that Mexi could play on the towpath without annoying anyone else.
Tuesday morning arrived, and we set off by ten o’clock. Today, we had lots of heavy locks to do. I was still not confident enough to take the boat through, so I had to find some extra strength from somewhere. It was a nightmare doing the locks. The pounds were empty, so we had to keep filling them up and releasing water into the next one before going further. By the end of the flight of ten, I had enough, I was shattered, but we still had more to do. We ended up completing sixteen locks in the end. My eyes were extremely heavy, as were my arms. We moored up again in the middle of nowhere near the last lock. I made a cheese sauce between locks and cooked the cauliflower. So we had a quick, tasty tea of cauliflower cheese and sausages. I fell asleep watching tv and slept like a log.
We only had four locks to do on Wednesday, which made me happy. We were heading to Warwick, where we planned to spend a few days before tackling the Hatton flight. The weather was not great. It kept raining, but we knew we didn’t have far to go today, so it wasn’t too bad. We stopped at Lidl just outside Leamington Spa, and I bought far too many goodies. We then cruised onwards to Warwick. As we arrived, we started to look for a mooring. There seemed nowhere we really fancied, so we decided to go through the other two locks. This is where we had an epic FAIL. We had missed a closure when planning the trip. I walked up to the lock. It had a padlock, and eventually, I found the closure. Oh great, we are not stuck at the bottom of the locks until the 17th of March. Hey-Ho looks like lots of knitting and earring-making for me, and I’m sure Mexi will get lots of walks, and Steve will enjoy pottering about and keep checking on CRT to see how the work is going.

Featured

We have moved on board

We’ve now moved onto the boat and are living in the marina for a couple of weeks. It has taken some getting used to, but we are enjoying the new way of life so far. We have electricity and water on tap. We’ve had many trips back to our hometown of Redford where we have a lock-up, we’ve bought boxes down, and we’ve taken boxes back we thought we’d done quite well with what we’ve got already got rid of. Still, it’s incredible how little you need. The charity shops around us have been fortunate as they have had some nice things gifted to them; I’m looking forward to setting off because marine life isn’t what we’re looking for; we are just waiting for a CRT to complete the repairs on the bridge near us.

I’m still trying to get used to the gas cooker; it’s completely different to what I’m used to. Still, I’m managing to cook some nice meals. My parents gifted us a Ninja, which is good, and obviously, we’ll use that mostly when travelling as it is electric, but we’re taking advantage of being on hook-up at present.

My father has altered the steps at the front, making them wider, which is much better. He also made us some lovely shelves in the galley area. He and Steve put pictures up, making the boat into our home. My parents made the curtains and the bungs for us which is fantastic, and we absolutely love them and are grateful for their support.

Mexi, our boat dog, took some time to get used to the boat. Still, now that we have the back steps also changed by Andy, who has done the fit-out for us, she can run up and down on his thoroughly enjoying life on the boat

so far. I can recommend this lifestyle. It has been very stressful getting everything sorted, but you have to think about why you are doing this and what you want to achieve and block everybody else out if they’re giving any negativity.

The one thing is I can say everybody we’ve met so far on the water is friendly. We’re looking forward to meeting lots and lots more once we’re out on the cut, so here’s for CRT getting the bridge fixed as soon as possible and so we can actually start making the journey around the waterways, and I will do another blog once we’re out and about.

You can watch our videos too on YouTube.

Thank you for reading love from Never Two Late Crew.

Never Two Late – Our Journey This Week’s Newsletter

We’ve had such a lovely time cruising along the Macclesfield Canal these past days. One of the highlights has definitely been our trip to Lyme Park — a beautiful place with stunning scenery and plenty of space for long walks.

We moored at High Poynton for a week, which gave us the perfect chance to explore the town of Poynton. It may be small, but it’s full of great shops and has a really welcoming feel. We loved getting to know the area at a slower pace.

The weather has started to shift now, and we’ve had a few frosty mornings creeping in. There’s something quite magical about waking up to a silver-coated towpath, even if it does mean the layers are getting thicker!

We’ve also got a new vlog live on YouTube:

Rain at Bosley Locks (Again!)… But What a Rainbow at the End!

Watch here: https://youtu.be/3pWHnPcMofg

We hope you enjoy it — it’s a lovely mix of the real, rainy reality and those moments of canal magic that make it all worthwhile.

Maxine has been enjoying some refreshing runs along the towpath, and Steve has been busy keeping up with Christmas orders for his coin jewellery. It’s definitely that time of year when everyone’s hunting for something unique and meaningful.

Thank you so much for reading. We hope these weekly snippets give you a little window into life aboard Never Two Late.

Wishing you a cosy and happy week ahead,

Maxine, Steve & Mexi

Never Two Late – Our Journey

This Week’s Update

What a week it’s been! We took a little trip over to Wales to celebrate Steve’s birthday, and it was absolutely lovely. Mexi, our boat dog, had the best time of all — running and playing on the beach is something she really misses since moving aboard, and she made the most of every moment!

When we arrived back on the boat, we had a nice surprise: Robbie Cumming moored right behind us in Bollington! We hadn’t seen him for a couple of years. Steve gave him one of his keyrings, which Robbie was really appreciative of — such a lovely little moment to end the day.

We were also lucky enough to catch Alton, the fuel boat, and stock up on coal while we were there. This is definitely a bonus of being on the Macclesfield canal as the fuel boat is a lifeline for continuous cruisers.

Bollington has been such a treat. We’ve been exploring the town’s cafés, finding some great new favourites, and enjoying brilliant walks in the area. The independent shops are full of charm too, and we’ve popped into more than a few!

We’ve now moved on, and the scenery has been breathtaking. The colours of the trees right now are stunning — every bend in the canal feels picture-perfect.

Our latest vlog is now live!

From Groceries to Bosley Locks – Cooking Afloat & a Lovely Surprise!

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/JpAvwDwdkvM

If you’re looking for unique, handcrafted gifts, don’t forget to take a look at Steve’s coin jewellery collection on the website:

http://www.nevertwolateourjourney.com

We also had a lovely moment this month — we were featured in Waterways World! You’ll find us on page 85, and we’re really pleased with how the article turned out.

Thank you so much for reading and for joining us each week. We hope you’re enjoying these updates as much as we enjoy sharing our journey with you.

Until next time,

Maxine, Steve & Mexi

Narrowboat Never Two Late

Never Two Late – Our Journey Newsletter

Up the Bosley Locks!

We’ve made it up the Bosley Locks, and it was remarkably smooth going! We’d been told there were 31 boats waiting, but when we arrived at the bottom at lunchtime, there was just one boat ahead of us — so off we went. The weather held up for most of the climb, though of course, it started raining just as we reached the last few locks (typical canal timing!). ☔️

Once at the top, we filled up with water and found a great mooring with no trouble at all — plenty of depth and space, which always makes life easier.

Steve’s been busy at his workbench making more of his beautiful coin jewellery, and luckily we’re moored close to a post office, so it’s nice and easy to post out orders. If you’re looking for a unique handmade gift for Christmas, drop us a message — they make something really special. 🎁

Mexi’s loving the area, with lots of great walks to explore and new smells to discover. 🐾

Maxine’s been running regularly, enjoying the peaceful countryside, and spending time working on her Healthy Living project — as well as doing plenty of cooking aboard. 🍲

Our latest vlog is now live, and this one’s called:

🎥 Did We Make a Big Mistake on the Macclesfield Canal?

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/G4m2uUg_Yu8

If you’d like to keep up to date with all our travels and adventures, you can follow us on Facebook or Instagram — we love sharing snippets from life afloat!

Thanks for reading, and we hope you have a wonderful week ahead.

See you on the waterway soon,

Maxine, Steve & Mexi 🐾

Aboard NB Never Two Late

🎙️NEW EPISODE ALERT 🎙️

Ever wondered what life’s like on the water? Dive into the story of Patrick & his 70-foot narrowboat Little Miss Sunshine where every day brings a new adventure (or a mishap!). On this week’s episode of Alternative Living Chats, we cruise through:

✨ The joys of canal-living: peace, community, floating through the seasons

⚠️ The reality-check moments: sinking mishaps, living tight quarters, wildlife surprises (yes–swimming squirrel!)

🎶 Music on the move: turning canal-inspired poems into a folk album, gigs on water and songs about boat-life and canal maintenance

🛠️ Practical advice for anyone dreaming of life afloat: what works, what doesn’t, and how to make it a full-time lifestyle

👉 Tap the link in bio / swipe up / head to altetnativelvingchat.podbean.com/… to listen now.

🎥 Bonus: If you’re also into our canals & narrowboat world, you might recognise these themes from ‘Never Two Late – Our Journey’! Living aboard, exploring villages, turning life into story.

Handcrafted Afloat – Unique Coin Jewellery from Never Two Late

As the festive season draws near and twinkling lights begin to reflect on the water, life aboard Never Two Late feels extra magical. It’s that lovely time of year when we start thinking about meaningful gifts — something personal, thoughtful, and made with love.

One of the ways we like to share that spirit is through our handmade coin jewellery, all crafted right here aboard Never Two Late.

Each piece is created by hand with care and patience, often using old and unusual coins that carry their own story. Whether it’s a pendant, bracelet, or keyring, every item is truly one of a kind — making them the perfect bespoke Christmas gift for someone special (or a little treat for yourself!).

If you’re looking for a particular year – perhaps a birthday, anniversary, or a memorable date – just drop us a message. Steve has an incredible collection of coins from many different years, and he’s always happy to see if he can find the perfect match.

All our jewellery can be posted directly to you, making it simple to order from wherever you are.

You can explore more or get in touch here:

📧 info@nevertwolateourjourney.com

So as you start ticking off your Christmas list this year, why not choose something handcrafted, heartfelt, and full of history? Each piece is made with care aboard our little floating home — a true keepsake from the waterways. 💧✨

👉 Visit our shop page to see our latest handmade creations and find the perfect gift.

Afloat – Unique Coin Jewellery from Never Two Late

One of the ways we like to share that spirit is through our handmade coin jewellery, all crafted right here aboard Never Two Late.

All our jewellery can be posted directly to you, making it simple to order from wherever you are.

You can explore more or get in touch here:

📧 info@nevertwolateourjourney.com

👉 Visit our shop page to see our latest handmade creations and find the perfect gift.

Never Two Late – Our Journey

Latest Update

We’ve just got back from spending a wonderful week with Maxine’s parents in our favourite village of Grassington. We went out for amazing meals, had some lovely walks, and most importantly, spent quality time with very special people. ❤️

Now we’re heading north at long last! We’ve made it through Harecastle Tunnel and onto the Macclesfield Canal, which turned out to be a little more stressful than planned. It was really busy — we had hoped to moor up in Congleton for the night, but after struggling to find a spot, we ended up turning around and, after what felt like forever, finally found a mooring we could squeeze into! ⛵️

That little adventure will be in an upcoming vlog, but this week’s vlog (out Friday at 6:05 pm) marks the start of our journey north — so pop over to our YouTube channel to watch it! 🎥

Back aboard, Maxine’s been back to bread making, and it’s definitely improving (even if she does say so herself!).

She’s also signed up for another half marathon in March, this time in her hometown — looking forward to it in a slightly sadistic kind of way! 🏃‍♀️

Meanwhile, Steve’s been adding to his collection of cutlery, so keep an eye out for even more unique and creative pieces coming soon.

We’re also excited to share that Maxine’s latest book, Never Two Late: Three Years Afloat, is now available! If you’d like to buy a copy, please drop us a message — we can post them out directly.

And don’t forget, all of Steve’s handmade jewellery and gifts can also be posted — perfect for thoughtful Christmas presents! 🎁

🐾 Mexi’s Corner

After a little setback with an abscess on her toe and a trip to the vets, Mexi is thankfully back to her happy, bouncy self! It certainly didn’t stop her from having a great time playing with her best pal Canna, and lately, she’s developed quite the addiction to apples — she’s convinced she should share ours every time we have one! 🍎🐶

Until next time,

Maxine, Steve & Mexi 🐾

Aboard NB Never Two Late

✨Set sail with us on a unique journey! ✨

Our brand-new 360° YouTube video is live: Explore the Macclesfield Canal in full immersive view!

🔗 Dive in now: youtu.be/kf5rQRsrxXY

🎥 Drag your screen or move your phone around — experience our narrowboat adventure as if you’re right there aboard Never Two Late with Steve, Mexi and me.

🌿 Why watch?

Discover hidden locks, peaceful towpaths and gentle wildlife as we cruise the canal. Get behind-the-scenes of our live-aboard life, floating home and furry co-captain included! Feel part of our community of travellers, creators and canal-lovers.

📣 How you can join the voyage:

Click the link and watch in 360°! Like & comment your favourite moment. Share with friends who love canals, narrowboats, or just immersive adventures. Subscribe to our channel: Never Two Late – Our Journey and hit the bell 🔔 for more weekly uploads.

📸 Bonus: Use #NeverTwoLate360 #MacclesfieldCanal and tag us — we’ll feature your screenshots or favourite framing of the 360 view in next week’s story!

Thanks for cruising with us. There’s always a new lock, a new village and a new story just around the bend. 🛶💙

— Steve, Mexi & Me

#CanalLife #NarrowboatLiving #360Video #WaterwayWanderers

Never Two Late – Our Journey

October Update

We’ve booked our passage through Harecastle Tunnel for the end of the month — it’ll be interesting to see just how spooky it feels at this time of year!

We’ve been enjoying some more lovely walks through the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, taking in the changing colours of autumn along the towpath. Before we left, we paid another visit to our favourite Italian restaurant in Stone — it really is excellent and will be missed!

Not every stop has been a highlight though — we tried the Plume of Feathers again, but sadly since it’s changed hands, the service has really gone downhill. We won’t be bothering again.

On a much brighter note, we had a fantastic evening at the Shroppie Fly in Audlem, where we enjoyed a great Elvis act and caught up with our friends Marianne, Phil, Paul, Antony, Emma also Sarah who we hadn’t seen for six months— it was a brilliant night full of laughs and good music

At the end of this week, Never Two Late will be heading into the marina for a short stay while we spend a week on dry land. Then our next adventure begins as we head onto the Macclesfield Canal.

We’ve got to make it to Bosley Locks by the 1st of November when they reopen for ten days, so it’ll be all go once we’re back aboard!

Meanwhile, Steve’s been busy making some new keyrings — lovely little elephants that have turned out really well. These are available to be ordered and posted out.

Maxine’s been creating leaf pots, some wool felted keyrings and is deep into writing both a Healthy Living Journal and a novel, keeping the creativity flowing even when moored up.

I will drop in a newsletter next weekend about our cruise to the marina.

Until next time,

Maxine, Steve & Mexi

Aboard NB Never Two Late

Never Two Late – Our Journey Newsletter

Autumn Cruising Around Barlaston & Beyond

Life on the Cut – This Week’s Update

We’re staying in the Barlaston area for a couple of weeks, enjoying the village, local walks, and friendly faces before we book our passage through the Harecastle Tunnel. It’s been lovely to slow down and really make the most of this peaceful stretch of the Trent and Mersey Canal.

After our stay here, we’ll spend a few days moored at Westport Lake — a favourite spot for relaxing and recharging — before tackling the tunnel and continuing north.

Favourite Stop or Find

We’re looking forward to a cosy Sunday roast at The Plume of Feathers in Barlaston before we leave the area. It’s always a welcoming stop with great food, friendly faces, and a big thumbs-up from Mexi for being dog-friendly! 🐾

Canal Life Reflections

There’s something special about the waterways in autumn — the rustle of the leaves, the smell of wood smoke, and that quiet stillness that makes you slow right down and just be.

Behind the Scenes / Vlog News

We’ll be restarting our YouTube vlogs as we cruise through the Harecastle Tunnel and head back onto the Macclesfield Canal for the winter. We’ve got a few exciting new ideas for the channel too — so keep your eyes peeled!

Coming Next…

In the next few weeks we’ll be making our way north to one of our favourite cruising routes — the Macclesfield Canal. Expect beautiful scenery, peaceful moorings, and a few familiar faces along the way.

Mexi’s Moment

Mexi’s been enjoying her walks around the area this week — especially when they involve a paddle in the river and pub stop too.

Stay Connected

Don’t forget to:

📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel

📸 Follow us on Instagram

💌 And sign up to this weekly newsletter so you never miss an update from life afloat

Thanks for joining us aboard Never Two Late – see you next week on the towpath!

Steve, Maxine and Mexi the boat dog x

Hey there!

Guess what? Summer is almost over, and we’ve had a bit of a rough time cruising this year. We were delayed because we had to wait to get the boat blacked. You know, you can’t have Tupac put on in the cold weather, right? Well, it turned out to be a waste of time because the place we took it to said they wouldn’t do it because it hadn’t been prepped properly in the first place. Talk about hindsight! If we had known, we could have left the area months before.

Anyway, we finally started heading north, and you know how it is, this year has been the driest ever recorded. The water levels are slowly going down, and each mile we go, it gets worse. CR&T did their best by sending us emails to keep us informed, but I do think if there was less fire fighting and more general upkeep of the canal systems, we wouldn’t be in quite as bad a mess as we are now.

But hey, boaters also need to be mindful and not waste so much water by being patient and doubling up when going through locks. It’s easy to do, and it’s also a good idea to check before emptying a lock in case another boat is coming in the other direction.

Anyway, it’s not worth moaning because it’s happened now, and many people are stuck in areas they wouldn’t have expected to be.

We were hoping to do the rest of the Caldon Canal and then get up onto the Macclesfield Canal, but we haven’t managed to do that yet. We’re stuck on the Trent and Mersey, waiting to see when it reopens. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that we can get up there by the onset of winter.

My brother took us back to my parents’ recently, and we decided to bring our car back. It really annoys me having to have it as we usually manage and only use it when visiting the family or sometimes over winter, but needs must, I suppose.

Just before he got stuck and I had to let water down

The good thing for us is that where we are, there is an excellent pub, a local butcher’s, and a supermarket, so we don’t need to use the car too often. The best things are that Steve had had plenty of time to keep up with his orders and start to build up some spares, and I’ve loved getting on with my book that hopefully will be out in October, all about life aboard.

Then there are the great towpaths, so I’m able to run without getting mudded up as I train for the Great North Run, which is coming up this next Sunday.

I do feel so sorry for all the hire companies and the hirers too, as their holidays will have been ruined, and the businesses will be struggling to stay afloat.

Now, as we wait for the rain to appear, we need to take it in our stride, try and help each other when we can, and be mindful of the water we use. Hopefully, next year’s cruising will be much more fun, and we will actually get where we are planning to go.

Thank you for reading; hope you enjoyed my little ramble. I will be back soon.