Tuesday morning (23rd July) on the Staffs and Worc Canal ...
9:15 and we've said cheerio to Margaret and Geoff; it has been really lovely to spend some quality time with them again, we've throughly enjoyed travelling with them once more. It may be some time before we meet up with them again and we wish them happy cruising in the meantime.
I'm on the tiller again today (it's where I want to be) so the majority of photos on these blogs are credited to George ...
Half an hour later we're at Tixall Lock (the first of seven today) ...
with it's lovingly restored lock cottage now in private ownership.
Coming from the 'other' direction I remember in the past having difficulty seeing round the bend because the willow tree used to hang into the water!
These few photos are mine as we cross the aqueduct ...
over the ...
River Sow
because George has taken over the tiller for a few minutes.
Tiller back in my hands and camera in George's ...
the railway line runs very close to the canal as we pass through Milford Common ...
and bridge.
Past a long line of permanent moorings ... one with a spooky name!
Swapping roles again!
Tom Bombadil moored by Lodgefield Bridge 102
Tolkien's poems of Tom Bombadil
The canal is quiet so far today, this is the first boat we've passed and it's now 11 o'clock.
Restoring the Stafford Waterway Link and local places of interest
Not a lot of room under the railway bridge at Baswick ...
We had an unfortunate encounter with this bridge way back on our first boat nb Rock 'n' Roll when BW advised us that repairs had finished and the canal was open but it wasn't ... you probably couldn't have even paddled a canoe under the scaffolding! To make matters worse the boat's bow thruster had stopped working and I towed RnR, with George at the helm in reverse, past a long line of moored boat about a mile in distance to a winding hole where we could turn around and return from wherever it was that we'd come from! Unfortunately I can't find the appropriate blog!
Stafford Boat Club
George is ready to open Deptmore Lock top gates whilst I look back down over the tail gates
A fabulous display ...
of wild flowers as we approach Acton Trussell ...
where the houses take pride in their canal side appearance as well as creating imaginative scarecrows during the Best Kept Village competitions
Crocosmia (montbretia) growing wild
This one made me smile!
The Moat House Hotel
Shutt Hill Lock ... quite deep at 6'
Midland Chandlers by Park Gate Lock where we purchased lots of expensive goodies for Still Rockin' on a Freaky Friday way back in 2013
George is chatting to No.1 son as I ascend Park Gate Lock to arrange a meet-up in Penkridge this evening
Teddesley Park Bridge ... I think that this was the only one today that is square-on to the canal!
It seemed dark in Longford Lock the last one today ... it's 1:45 and hot, hot, hot and a glaring blue sky ... but not far to go now.
We found a good place to moor about 500 yards below Penkridge Lock ... easy walking distance to the Boat pub where we'll eat with son Mark, daughter in law Ange and niece Louise later.
So, today we've risen 29-feet through 5 locks in 4.5 hours in sweltering heat and I for one was glad to stop and find some shade.
Our view from one of What a Lark's portholes ...
and over the canal ...
and sunset through the garden gate at 9:15 as we waved cheerio to the family.
George was sat on what I call the Pixie Seat, for obvious reasons...
ReplyDeleteHope you had a sun hat on today.
Hi Lisa, didn't move an inch at all today so no sun hat needed. x
ReplyDeleteHa! I thought George might have got a telling off for having his feet on the cushions 😂
ReplyDeleteKath (nb Herbie)
So did he Kath!!
ReplyDeleteI like the commentary on role swapping. Towing R&R backwards must have been hard work! I’d love to read that post. What glorious weather you’ve had!
ReplyDeleteWe have till yesterday and today Val, now it's rain and more rain. Looks ok for tomorrow (Monday) but rain every day after that for the foreseeable here in the Midlands!
ReplyDelete