Moles afloat

[Moley]

Saloon bed/seating will be installed this afternoon/evening, then the Moles are ready for off. (Cries of “good riddance” are premature).

 

Well, we should have been away yesterday. The idea was to drive down to Cropredy for 3 nights camping at the festival, back on Sunday and straight off on the boat, but with one thing and another we've missed that. Our departure could still be delayed thanks to one of our cats, who's had an expensive run-in with another animal, a rose bush and the vets. He's got a post-op checkup this afternoon which will determine when we go and whether the cats stay at home with the neighbours or come along for the ride.

 

I'd contemplated taking in Stratford on Avon, either via Tewkesbury and up the Avon or down the cut from King's Norton, but time might not permit and a closure notice has been posted, so here's the plan: Tomorrow's been scrubbed, so casting off (hopefully) Sunday morning.

 

From Kiddy, down the S&W to Stourport, then Severn to Worcester.

Worcs & Brum, up Tardebigge etc. to Worcester Bar.

BCN excursion to Black Country Museum (we were trying to work out the last time we went there, reckon it must have been BC, and Ben's approaching 14).

Back to Fazeley, Fradley, Trent & Mersey to Great Haywood

Back down the Staffs & Worcs, and when we get to Autherley see if we've got time in hand to chug up the Shroppie at least as far as Brewood.

Back home on familiar waters through W'ton, Bratch, Stourton etc.

 

So, who are we likely to encounter on our travels or share a non-virtual beer beer beer with? Alternately, you have had fair notice of our intentions, should anyone prefer to chug off in the opposite direction.

Edited August 11, 2006 by Moley

[Janet S]

You may have to prepare to repel boarders if I can persuade R.J. to move our camping trip a bit further south!

 

Just watch out for fast approaching Wet Betsy and two passengers in need of BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER!!

 

Janet

[Moley]

Just watch out for fast approaching Wet Betsy and two passengers in need of BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER!!

Will do, and Ernie's just sent me fifty quid

(not the bloke who's online at the moment, the Premium Bonds computer)

 

Think I'll cash in and turn it into beer beer beer, so we should be well stocked.

[bottle]

Will do, and Ernie's just sent me fifty quid

(not the bloke who's online at the moment, the Premium Bonds computer)

.

 

 

same here

[stuart]

Good luck with the trip, when you get to the museum, come and say hello!!

[stuart]

Well Moley's boat must be doing okay, had a note left on me boat on Wed...

 

 

"Moley was ere!"

Edited August 18, 2006 by stuart

[Ernie]

Will do, and Ernie's just sent me fifty quid

 

The first line of the post nearly gave me a heart attack…..

 

On a Friday as well.... Enjoy the beer...

[Janet S]

Another text from the travelling Moles:-

 

"Well, Fridaaay and only just opened 1st beer! Still damp but only drizzly. Note for forum: diesel at Wheaton Aston 43.9"

 

Janet

 

PS. I have had a couple of text messages from Moley, with update on his progress, but I can't get my phone to send them to the 'puter thingie, so will try and do it tomorrow when the boss is off work and can't see what I'm doing!!!

[Janet S]

Further update on the travelling Moles - text messages from Moley. Judging by the spelling, possibly sent after several BEER BEER BEERS!

 

Wednesday 16.08.06

 

By time we'd sortd out few lastmin probs & loaded up, we didn't get away til 5pm Sun so only2 Stourport. Mon took 2hrs getting thru and down2 river, stil say it's boring. Got through Worcstr and onabit. Tues, sorry but took 3hrs 45 up Tardebig 15 miles 42 locks yesterday but lazy 2day only 18.3. Now at Black Country Museum but no sign of Stuart.

 

 

Thursday17.08.06

 

Well, spent good day @ Black Country Museum. Moved off 4pm. Plan was2 go back through Brum on2 T&M, down2 S&W then maybe litlway up Shroppie. But we didn't think much of BCN so have cum thru W/ton, now at Autherly heading4 Llangollen.

 

 

More updates as and when I get them!

 

Janet

[Janet S]

Latest text updates from Moley & Co.

 

Saturday 19th August

 

Saturday, rain rain rain. Getting an idea wot yr hols wr like. Did 2 flights of 5 locks then 12 of the Audlem and it was chucking down. Just had to take shelter in Shroppie Fly. After 3 pints didn't care about rain and now on to Nantwich.

 

Sunday 20th August

 

Sundaay, I think. Got absolutely drenched this morn, but then I did take kids to Nantwich baths. Other than that, not 2 much rain. Carried on up Shroppie, now in lock keepers cottage converted 2pub a few miles up Llangollen and the beer is good. Quite Snibbled already. TTFN, Mole

 

Hope the weather picks up for them!

 

Janet

Edited August 21, 2006 by Janet S

[Janet S]

Today's update from the Mole boat:

 

Monday, very little rain. Sorry, but not over-impressed with the Llangollen, been a long hard slog against the flow. About 4 miles from aqueduct, meeting inlaws in morn and going over into town. By wknd we'll be on Shroppie or S&W and almost home.

 

Janet

[DHutch]

....not over-impressed with the Llangollen, been a long hard slog against the flow...

Yeah, its a bit o a mission isnt it!

- And the wat the leval (and flow) increases dramatical overnight, before falling at around 07.00, ploking you hard on the bottom just before you get offthe next day!

 

 

 

Daniel

 

(been there, done that, t-shirt stall closed.)

[Janet S]

Tuesday's update:

 

I suppose every boater has to be able to say they've 'done' the Llan & the Pontythingy. Well we've been there, done that and couldn't be arsed to get the t-shirt. The 'duct is quite amazing, but the Llan is the only canal in the country that has a recognised flow (carries 50 million litres of water a day to Cheshire). Nice 2 have turned round. She's making much better progress downstreat, All ok. Couple of minor glitches with boat but not too bad.

 

Further updates to follow.....

 

Janet

[Sir Nibble]

Update from Moley.

Now at market drayton on the way back down the Shroppie. Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink, shurflo pump burst, carpets soaked. Still sodiiit fridaaaay got plenty beer. Cheers to all, Moley.

[Moley]

Many thanks to Janet and Snibble for relaying txts.

 

Report with pics will follow, when I can get around to it, but nothing major to relate. A few niggles but no catastrophes.

 

But 15 nights, 253.5 miles and 218 locks later, we're back.

 

And now the sun's shining

[Yoda]

Update from Moley.

Now at market drayton on the way back down the Shroppie. Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink, shurflo pump burst, carpets soaked. Still sodiiit fridaaaay got plenty beer. Cheers to all, Moley.

 

What happened to the pump? Most want to know how to avoid the problem.

[Moley]

What happened to the pump? Most want to know how to avoid the problem.

Old age, covered elsewhere:

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...t=0entry73221

[Yoda]

Old age, covered elsewhere:

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...t=0entry73221

 

Sorry, I was asking about the pump!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bones]

Many thanks to Janet and Snibble for relaying txts.

 

Report with pics will follow, when I can get around to it, but nothing major to relate. A few niggles but no catastrophes.

 

But 15 nights, 253.5 miles and 218 locks later, we're back.

 

And now the sun's shining

 

 

WELCOME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alan_fincher]

But 15 nights, 253.5 miles and 218 locks later, we're back.

Ade,

 

Congratulations, and hope you enjoyed yourselves, despite pump problems and weather.

 

I was struck how close your summer trip statistics were to ours!....

 

I reckon we did around 245 miles and 217 locks over a similar time-spread, (although CanalplanAC came up with 258 miles, which I suspect is more than it actually was).

 

I look forward to your trip report, as I've now abandoned just about any hope of my OH evercompleting ours!

[Moley]

Well I said I'd post a cruise diary when I got back, when I got a round tuit, and when my sidekick at work was back from his hols and I was only doing the work of 1.5 (instead of 3), but reading back through this topic it seems that Janet has done an excellent job of progress updating. Still a few things to add though.

 

Seems logical to extend this topic, rather than posting a new diary, so here goes:

 

As mentioned in post #1, the start of our hols was delayed until Sunday.

 

The menagerie didn't need to come too, cat was signed off by the vet, both stayed home with neighbours. Budgies went to my mothers and probably couldn't get a word or squalk in edgeways for 2 weeks. So it was just the 4 of us and one guinea pig (which got more attention from the kids in those 2 weeks than its entire life to date).

 

Sunday morning saw me cleaning up all my sawdust etc., final fixing the carpet and screwing down 6ft sofa/bed frame then came the big load-up. And I mean big. Enough food for a month, clothing for all seasons, bedding and duvets and sleeping bags, plus beer for a fortnight (think it lasted at least 4 days), wines and spirits. Plus plant tubs for the roof and stern, folding chairs and other camping kit, and (to kids' disgust) only one bike.

 

But eventually we were ready. We didn't really care what time we got away, so long as we did get away, it was obvious that we wouldn't get to the river and would overnight in Stourport, but finally, late afternoon, 5pm, I'd parked up and secured the car. This was it, at last. Fuel on, lectrix on, key in, morse disengaged, throttle open, key to 1 (lights on), key to 2 - hold on glowplugs, over to 3 (starter motor) ..... Nothing!

 

Not a click, not a clunk, not a whirr; not a sausage!

 

Lynn came out on stern, “are we off then?”

“Doesn't look like it” says me, removing deck boards so I can listen properly while I try the key again. Nothing. Out comes the multimeter, I go to the back of the instrument panel while Lynn turns the key.

1 - power to oil and charge lights. 2 - power to glowplugs. 3 - no power to solenoid.

Lynn tries again and again, and then I read volts and the starter kicked.

Hooray - starter motor's fine, switch is dodgy, but push and turn and jiggle and she fires, and we're away. Only 3.5 miles and 2 locks, but we got down to Stourport and straight into The Rising Sun (Old Hooky £2.35)

 

Monday morning was a late start, after a full breakfast onboard, didn't move off 'til 9.15 but must have got the hang of the push, turn & jiggle as she started first time. Down the deep lock into the basin (Nicholsons says 12'0" - that must be one of the deepest on the system?) and head for the staircases.

 

While negotiating Stourport basin, some guy titivating the paintwork on a new boat yells over to me “did your boat used to be called Deal?”

“Yes” I called. “That was my first boat” shouts he. So we turned around, dropped fenders and breasted up against his shiny new boat, and had quite an interesting chat for half an hour. She must have been briefly privately owned by one other person when she came out of hire, this guy bought her around '95/6. Seems that nothing mechanical has changed, and he remembered most of the internal layout I inherited, though the chap I bought her from had changed the front end around and put in a new water heater. But he approved of my refit.

 

Then we joined the queue for the locks to the river, and what a palaver. Tried to take the lock, as we assumed one chap had just come up it, and a tupperware pot didn't seem to be making any move from the lock moorings. Turned out the guy was reversing down to lock into drydock. So we backed off behind the GRP and drifted about a bit. What with them going down, and others coming up, and no-one knowing what the others were doing, it was 11.30 before we turned out onto the Severn.

 

Flow was minimal, but it was much nicer going downstream, and didn't seem anything like as boring as I'd thought coming up it, at least not for the first ten minutes. But then we were into long stretches with no landmarks or other boats, then a few minutes' interest through a river lock, but I suppose we got down to Worcester in about 3 hours.

 

 

Up the two wide locks into Diglis, despite the work that’s meant to be in-hand, nothing much has changed in the last year, and I was a bit disappointed not to see any of the folks I’d got to know in the first month when I was travelling down there and starting to strip out.

 

Much preferring to be back on the narrow system, we carried on another 6 miles and 16 locks to Tibberton (unremarkable big modern pub/eatery, Old Hooky £2.70!)

 

Lynn had already prettified the boat with tubs and baskets of geraniums, begonias and stuff (I dunno, not my department, I don’t ‘do’ flowers, if you can’t eat it or smoke it I don’t plant it), but Tuesday also saw the boat decked out with baloons and a birthday girl onboard

 

 

I don’t recall to much about the day and have few notes. Had a gentle plod up Tardebigge (sorry Janet, took about 3:45 but most of the locks were set against us) then on to Hopwood. There’s a cross in my Nicholson where we moored, by a pub, but no notes, so I either didn’t go in or it made no impression. Day’s total. 15.5 miles, 42 locks.

 

Wednesday: continued through Wast Hill tunnel and on to Birmingham. Strange how you can enter such a major city and not really be too aware of it. Going through the centre of Brum was quite interesting, and picturesque in places

 

 

but then continued out on the Birmingham level main line. Straight, wide, some industry, some dereliction, got a bit bored of that after a while and cut across to the Wolverhampton level, and was amazed at the clarity of the water, the number of fish, and the amount of weed. Got fouled up a couple of times but didn’t have to stop, a burst of reverse was usually enough to clear, then on to the Black Country Museum. No sign of Stuart though.

 

 

Spent the next day at the museum, moved off about 4pm, changed our minds about going back through Brum / Fazeley etc. to the T&M and went on to Wolverhampton. Started through the 21 locks, contemplating mooring at some point, but really didn’t feel comfortable.

 

Having done perhaps the first 5 locks, we were suddenly surrounded by a group of Chinese teachers, on some course of study at Wolverhampton University (hah! it was a town, with a Polytechnic when I did my degree there, and always will be to my mind).

 

 

They were absolutely fascinated. What were the canals for? How long had they been there? Was this our boat? Did we live on it? Did many Brits take this weird sort of holiday? Why did we? What fruit was that? (I’d picked a tub of greengages somewhere, they demolished them). They stayed with us for the next few locks, took it in turns to ride the boat into and down the next lock, collectively fired off a few hundred photos of boat, Lynn steering, kids helping with or sitting on lock gates, yours truly, eachother on or against boat, then disappeared as suddenly as they’d arrived.

 

Then the heavens opened, and we plodded on, still looking for somewhere to moor, but still not over-enamoured at the prospect of tying up around the back end of Wolverhampton. It didn’t seem too bad when we got down towards the last 2 or 3 locks around Dunstall, but by that point we figured we may as well press on to the Shroppie, got through Autherley stop lock around 9pm with the light almost gone, and tied up.

 

By Fridaaay, it had occurred to me that our domestic batteries weren’t charging properly, although I couldn’t for the life of me see where there was any fault. Anyway, I spent a couple of hours in the injin’ole, in the rain and drizzle, re-routing alternator output and trying different things. Set off about 10am, taking on fuel at Wheaton Aston, (43.9p) and provisions at Gnossall (good butchers).

 

We like the Shroppie, it’s cuttings, embankments and leafy glades.

 

Did 23 miles before stopping at The Wharf Tavern (bridge 55) for an excellent meal, sensible prices and decent helpings of proper home-cooked fare. Also Speckled Hen at £2.20 a pint - can’t be bad. Highly recommended.

 

 

Saturday was horrible, 16 miles and 27 locks, discovered my waterproofs weren’t, and at one point going down the Audlem flight it was so bad that I just had to take shelter in the Fly. Sometime later we continued to Nantwich.

 

Sunday morning, up early (as usual). Most mornings I was up an hour or two before the rest of the crew and out for a walk or a cycle. So today I biked round, found the shops, baths, marina and chandlers.

 

By now the ignition switch was showing definite signs of giving up the ghost, so picked up a new one from the chandlers at Nantwich, fitted that, then took the kids swimming.

 

Departed at lunchtime in the direction of Hurleston, having taken on water and dumped waste, while Lynn and the kids waved maniacly to her parents, kids' grandparents, on the webcam, and everyone passing wondered just what the hell they were doing.

 

Incidentally, what do you think of the story so far?

 

Well it's time I was doing some work, so here endeth today’s installment,

 

.... to be continued.

[charles123]

Excellent report Moley, keep them coming, and try to fit in a little work between thinking about narrowboating as I try and do

[Janet S]

Brilliant Moley. Worth waiting for. Look forward to the next instalment!

 

Janet

[Bones]

ooh the suspense.... don't stop now! I'm looking forward to the next installment!

 

The boat looks great!

[Moley]

So where had I got to? Oh yes, Hurleston:

 

Turned the corner towards the Llangollen and could see that the bottom lock of the Hurleston 4 was empty, so motored into the jaws of the lock, and Lynn said “so how do you plan to get up there?” Well there’s a damned great big sign saying ‘Narrow Locks - Lift Fenders’ so I climbed on that and the bolt holding its chain, jumped up and opened the gates. And they are narrow, and they mean it about the fenders.

 

I have to say from the start that, although every boater probably has to be able to say that they’ve ‘done’ the Llangollen and the Pontywossname, and ticked that box, I didn’t enjoy it that much.

 

It flows, like a small river, and carries water to Cheshire. There are some ferocious sluices and by-washes. Going upstream through narrow bridge holes you are almost stopped by the flow, and I don’t think we’d gone two miles before I had to pull over and remove weed and a black bin bag from the prop.

 

It seems a long uphill slog, but the scenery’s pretty enough, and varied, and we’ve never come across lift bridges before. We went up it 10 or 11 miles and a few locks, and moored up just below Willeymoor lock, just round a bend, and with a large duck and goose population on the far bank.

 

The former lock-keeper’s cottage is now a decent pub. All in favour say “hic”.

 

Monday 21st, was woken early by aforementioned waterfowl, and went out for my customary couple of miles walk before breakfast. Pulled pins and did another 24 miles, 10 locks.

 

Got through the Grindley Brook locks easily enough, then there’s a very long pound, punctuated by the occasional lift bridge. And then we came to New Marton locks, and stopped.

 

It goes without saying that the Llangollen is busy with hire boats and canaltime timeshare boats, and novice crews, but it should also be remembered that we were all novices once - in our case only this time last year.

 

Arrived at New Marton to find 8 boats in front of us, and not a lot seemed to be happening. In that situation I get to the side, tie the centre line (or Lynn holds it and chats to those around us), and I go straight to the lock to help other crews through, my thinking being that helping them through gets us through quicker. But it did seem that me and a woman from the boat two in front of ours (a regular hirer) were the only ones that seemed to know what we were doing, and were doing most of the work, but hey-ho, it’s something to do, we can chat and speed things along and, as she said, “it’s hardly rocket science”, and every now and then I can nip back to the boat for another beer. Where else can you enjoy traffic jams like that? Rather irritating though, when a woman from the 5th boat, now their turn, comes up to the lock and announces that it’s their first lock, and what do they have to do? Wouldn’t it have made more sense and been good practice to come and help us with the previous 4 boats?!

 

Anyway, an hour and a half later, and seriously tiddly, we were through and continued to The Poachers Pocket at Gledrid Bridge (19). Unremarkable, food poor value.

 

Tuesday: Off from Gledrid and through Chirk tunnel, I’m driving, Lynn’s starting a big steak stew for later, she calls to me that we’re out of water. Quite amazing how much you use, it’s a big tank and we fill every other day.

 

So I pulled into Chirk marina, was directed where to moor by a few Black Prince boats on turnaround, grabbed a hose and started taking on water. Then Lynn asked if I’d turned the gas off. I hadn’t.

 

From years of camping and caravanning I seem to have collected quite a few Calor bottles. Before we set off I’d exchanged previous owner’s propane ‘dumpy’ spare for a part-full 13kg from home. Yesterday I had switched over to this spare, so now had an empty 13 and, I would guess, a third of a 13. There was definitely gas in the bottle, but hob had gone out, no smell, assumed FFD had worked. Reset everything, checked all taps, turned on. No hiss, no smell. Lynn says “could it just be low pressure?” I couldn’t see any sense in this, but the empty bottle needed changing anyway, so went and bought a refill. Put the new full bottle on, checked all taps, turned on. No hiss, no smell, no ‘kin idea why not. Can regulators stick shut? Went and collared a Black Prince bod, who came and had a shufti. Removed regulator, checked cylinder - hiss. Refitted regulator, turned on, checked all taps - no hiss. “Your regulator could have stuck, they’ve got ‘em in the shop, or it could be this (brass block connector gizmo), but you only need this (brass block connector gizmo) if you’re running two cylinders and a changeover (manifold widget), so try connecting your regulator direct to that pipe.”

Did so, and it was ‘all systems go’ again. Handy that it packed up where it did.

 

On to Froncysomeplace and picked up the in-laws (kids’ grandparents). Nanny (who hates heights) walked over the Pontythingy with Victoria, clutching the handrail, but Lynn (who hates heights) was very good and stayed at the tiller all the way across.

 

 

Ben (who’s not bothered about heights) rode on the roof, under strict instruction not to move a muscle. Taid (pronounced Tide, that’s Welsh for Grandad) took up his customary seat at the pointy end, with a beer, to make sure we went the right way.

 

The run on from the ‘duct through the Vale of Llangollen to the town itself is very pretty, also very narrow in places, and you really need someone on a bike (guess who) going backwards and forwards to warn of or stop oncoming traffic, of which there’s plenty. Stopped briefly at the town’s visitor moorings and gave the batteries a quick jolt of free BW lectric (you only pay if you’re staying past 5pm) and had a good hot lunch before returning to the Unpronounceable Bridge, where this time Lynn’s knees gave way and she went below while I steered.

 

Thanks to Taid we made it all the way there and back without taking a single wrong turning, then we dropped them off (Nanny drove home) and went on to moor in Chirk.

 

 

I started us off back downstream the next morning and made good progress to New Marton locks, where there was no queue, hopped off, opened the top gate, back on and motored in. Lynn was cooking breakfast but asked if I needed a hand. “No, you’re okay, I can manage” I called back, and duly raised one of the bottom paddles (one of those with hydraulic gear which take a long while to open, and just as long to close). Shame really, as the water started going down I realised something wasn’t quite right. The boat wasn’t! Correction, one side was! Penny dropped, someone had lowered fenders when we moored last night, and they were still down. I wound frantically and lowered the paddle, dashed to the top gate and started to refill, as Lynn emerged from the boat looking rather shaken, wondering why the kitchen drawers had suddenly flown open, and tugged at the fender as boat levelled again.

 

Yes, they are narrow locks. Funny how 12 tonnes of steel can wedge on a bit of knotted rope. Anyway, no harm done, lesson learned.

 

Continued back to Willeymoor through BIG rain, once more proving inadequacy of boots and overtrousers. This time, moored just above the lock, away from the ducks.

 

Thursday: Up and about an hour before anyone else, started off about 8am, down the lock and slowly past boats moored below. As we passed the ducks’ bend, today there were cows too, and I watched as one cow walked slowly but purposefully towards the water’s edge behind six big white geese. I swear that everything about that cow’s body language said “I’ve had enough of you lot, you’re leaving” and as I watched they reached the edge and 5 geese jumped in. One hesitated briefly, until cow’s nose connected with parson’s nose and all 6 geese were away. I must have been doubled up laughing at the tiller for the next mile.

 

The run back to Hurleston was uneventful, easily through the locks, nicer going downstream, and then back to the Shroppie, just eight miles or so and up the first couple of the Audlem locks, straight back to the Fly.

 

Friday was lazy, only 10 miles, 23 locks. Caught up with a Viking hire boat going up Audlem but then got into a good system. Minimal traffic coming down, so I’d bike on one or two ahead and set them for him, he pulled paddles behind him, and the kids actually worked some gates.

 

Approaching Market Drayton, the kids rushed out onto the stern to tell me to pull over, there was water everywhere. While trying to moor safely but quickly I was yelling inside to try to ascertain where the water was coming from, and what colour it was. Eventually got back that it was coming from the front steps (where the water pump and accumulator live) so yelled to turn off the stop tap. Lynn had already done so, and I rushed below and killed the water pump. Front 6 feet of carpet were indeed sodden. Removed the steps and found the cause, Shur-flo had burst its casing. Proceeded to Market Drayton and while Lynn and the kids walked into town I biked off to the chandlers (“sorry mate, sold my last one a couple of days ago, got to get some more in.”)

 

Went on a bit, no way we’d reach Norbury before closing time, debated going on farther but thought a return to the Wharf at Goldstone (br.55) was in order. Sponged a couple of gallons of water out of the inspection hole at the back of the cabin, thankful that I put so much effort, vactan and bitumen under the floorboards, then went for another excellent meal.

 

Saturday: Another lazy one, only 18 miles and one lock, (including a stop at Norbury to buy and fit a new water pump), but having been seriously impressed by The Bridge at Brewood last year, had been planning an overnight there.

 

Incidentally, on the way up there had obviously been some incident on the A5 and the traffic was backed up as far as the eye could see. It gave a wonderful feeling of smug superiority drifting over their heads, 3mph faster than them, and waving at all the idiots in their shiny metal carapaces. Coming back down, it was clear. Spoiled my pic.

 

 

The Bridge (br.14) has changed hands since last year, it’s still good, but only 9/10 (sorry, The Wharf beat you). Different owner but same bar staff, one particularly pleasant female who I remember chatting to last year, though I would suspect a Professional Beer Fairy (tight lace-up top, lacy bra, flirtatious manner, barbed wire knickers).

 

Sunday: Up early and biked down to Avenue Bridge (10). A lovely morning, nice light, still water and a suggestion of Autumn approaching. Returned to boat and took us on while the crew still dozed, off the Shroppie and back onto our Staffs & Worcs, and the weather was fine, and it was particularly beautiful on the homeward run. Just that little bit too far though, only made it to Kinver, moored up and lowered the tone of the neighbourhood opposite Tarren’s Aventurine.

 

Monday: Just another 6 miles, 5 locks, home late morning, bringing the total to 253 miles, 218 locks - not bad going. A few niggles, no disasters, all-in-all a pretty decent outing.

Edited September 13, 2006 by Moley