haggis

Another damp day! After getting coal and kindling we didn't need to stop in Newbury so we pressed on to the Anchor- and as it was open we moored up and went in for a pint. Lovely to sit at the fire and chat. It is open later tonight so we might just find our way back .

I have a mud daddy at home ( seldom used) but we just accept muddy feet when boating in this weather. The floor will wash and the mats will hoover or we can take them home and wash them. Got coak and kindling at High Onns, thanks for the suggestion, Glen.

I think we have had several muddy fog walks every day so far 😀 . Four muddy feed and four muddy paws do not make a clean boat!

Just back from our meal and it was very good. Good atmosphere in the pub and not just the usual pub menu. We'll stop here again. It started to rain as we went out and it must have been really heavy as the towpath which was just muddy before is now covered in big muddy puddles. Still the wind has dropped.

Nope. Turners are shut on a Sunday another couple of boaters were caught today too. They tied up, walked up the steps and found the gate padlocked. I noticed that the sign giving the price had bit in small print at the bottom saying add 4.9p for propulsion. Dont remember that bit.

Yes, that's the name. Does it not show Navigation somewhere? Might stop in Gnosall tomorrow night or might go on to Norbury . We could do with more coal and kindling but not urgent yet. A case of finding somewhere open 😀

I didn't look closely but didn't see Song of the Waterways. I think it was behind another boat and more visible wen going towards Brewood. I'll certainly report back on the Navigation - to avoid confusion it is the one in Wheaton Aston not the one in Gnosall. The one across the road fro Turners. We used to eat in the Navigation in Gnosall if we stopped there but haven't done that for a while. On the subject of the grooved metal plates on bridges. I have noticed that the ones in populated areas are shiny black but the ones out in the country look more scruffy .

Day 9. A change of plan. Neither of us are feeling 100% ( just colds we can't shift ) so we decided to turn and retrace our steps. Checked opening time for Turners and arrived an hour before they shut and they were closed. Still it is the holiday period. Moved across the canal and moored to have a lazy afternoon. Don't think we have ever moored here before but we'll give the Navigation our custom for a meal tonight. Ate in the Bridge Inn in Brewood last night and it was very good.

No problem, Alec, it is all much more interesting than Kelpies travels 😀. We have very fond memories of Jeff and the evenings we spent in the club with him Never mind short tillers. There is another crisis! The day before we left I lost the wallet containing all my credit and bank cards and I cancelled them all before the wallet was handed in by a kind person. This means that all holiday shopping is on Iain's cards which is not a problem but I read from my Kindle and I have exhausted my supply of books. Changed to Iain's card but Kindle is being it's usual awkward self and won't connect to the internet. We are going to the Bridge Inn for a meal tonight ( only the 3rd one of this trip) and I will take my Kindle withe me. The alternative is got out the jigsaw 😀 I need all the sympathy I can get 😀

It was Song of the Waterways! I momentarily forgot the name and when I asked Iain what the name of Jeff's boat had been he said Coronation. When we used to see Jeff when we stopped in Ansty, it was Coronation he had. I had suggested using bits of kindling as splints but was assured it wouldn't work 😀. I find it ok for short spells at the tiller but my shoulders get a bit sore if I steer for a while. Character building, I expect 😀

Day 8 Much less wind and dry apart from the last two miles Saw the late Jeff Dennison s boat (Coronation) .and Phyllis May ( Narrow Boat to C?) Moored at a boatyard just north of Brewood this short tiller is hard work !

Day 7 An interesting day ! A bit damp first thing but it cleared up about 11 and we set off. About 100 yards later the heavens opened but we pressed on till the foot of Tyrley locks and moored up again. When the rain stopped, we set off again and even saw a blink of sun. It didn't last. Finally moored just before the Anchor and it was a struggle fighting the wind to get moored - we are behind a small hedge too. We saw the first surly C&RT guy today at the top of Tyrley locks. We both spoke to him and we both got blanked. Most unusual and we can't think we did anything to upset him apart from using his canal.😀

Just about 😀 Oh Tony, that made me laugh! I can steer with the shortened tiller ( well I have to !) But I don't like standing on the counter when I am steering. I am getting used to it though as we did quite a few locks this morning. We wondered where you were and if we would see you this trip. Sadly not ! Hi Alec, I didn't read your message till after we moored. Too busy making the turkey soup! Day 6. 17 locks in 6 miles not bad for a wet and windy day. A boat came past just as we were thinking of setting off and we have him 10 minutes and set off. The only moving boat we saw all day but he back set a lot of locks in Audlem and Adderley which meant we made good time. We were sheltered from the wind most of the time but it was a bit breezy after the locks. Rather than moor under trees or in an exposed place we carried on to Market Drayton Good timing as the heavens opened as soon as we were moored . A good day's boating.

Day 5. Lovely sunny morning but a chill in the air. Met a boat at Hack Green locks which was good. Got to the Shroppie Fly and there were canopies outside, lots of people and Morris dancers in full flow. Moored up to take on water and dump the rubbish then moved along a bit to moor.

Raining here too 😀

He has tried drilling out the wood but not budging. He has jammed a chisel in which give a little more length. Happy Christmas , Di and Brian. Much nicer today. No wind and it is dry.

Days 3&4. No internet last night. Happy Christmas everyone! Yesterday was windy when we set off and it got worse. When I stopped in the lock mouth to pick up Iain at Chelmondeston lock the bows were blown right over to the non towpath side and we were just behind the first of the moored boats. Took some welly to get the bows out and Iain was so busy watching the bows that he didn't notice that the tiller was heading for the gate into the moorings. Result, one shorter tiller by about 15 inches. That's going to be challenging for the rest of the trip. Left Barbridge this morning and will probably moor just past the Nantwich aqueduct. Have a good day, everyone,

Oh, did you have a change of plan? I thought you were going to Bramble Cuttings today. Did you encounter a VERY slow single hander on the Middlewich flight? I think he must have been a new boater and was correctly taking his time. We thought of mooring on the aqueduct but it was very exposed and windy. Are you going to the Badger at Church Minshull? If so enjoy your meal. One of our favourite pubs but a bit far for me to walk now.

Day 2. Set off this morning and the first boat we met was at Crofton aqueduct. It got a bit more challenging for the apprentice steerer when we encountered a few boats moored on lock landings but I assume they thought with the canals being quiet that no one would want to use them 😀, all the Middlewich locks were against us and we waited for boats coming down at Wardle and Stanthorne. We have a meal booked in Barbridge tomorrow night so to split the journey we have moored just after bridge 26 and we are sitting here enjoying the sunshine. Noticed that a new ladder has been installed tow path side in Wardle lock. Bought some coffee logs and they stink and put out a lot of smoke. They will be used in emergencies only 😀

Another boat moving by trailer is Ray Bower. Like Tuckeys he has been moving boats for years

Tha plan is a couple of weeks which includes New Year .

I thought Wardle opened a while ago ! It doesn't come up on stoppages or didn't the last time I looked Just checked and it says it is due to open today 22nd but I am sure I read that because they finished Wardle early they could bring forward stoppages on the Shroppie.

Good drive down today despite a bit of dampness. We were going the right way as the north bound lanes were much busier - all those folk going to Scotland for the festive season. Car unpacked, fire lit, water filled, dog walked and Iain is doing boaty things 😀. Walked up past Orchard marina and it is full of water but no boats and stop planks are still across the entrance . We'll stay here tonight - might even put up some decorations - then head off in the morning. Down the Shroppie as Iain wants to visit a museum near Autherley.

We don't have fixed solar panels on kelpie and we have never felt the need for them. Nor to we have lithium batteries. We can moor up for a day or so without running our engine and if we are moored for longer (at a canal event) Iain puts a solar panel on the roof. I realise we are "old hat" but we don't see the need to install something we don't need.