WaL days 10 and 11 ...

Were both wet!

Very wet!

Saturday (27th) as I say ... was very wet ... we're expecting visitors this afternoon and will be going into Brewood (Brood) for a meal early evening.

Barbara and Dennis arrived about 3pm and we had a quick catch-up over a cuppa and then walked into the village to the Staffordshire Grill housed within the 18th century, grade II listed Lion Hotel. 

We had a really fantastic meal, all had steaks and all were cooked exactly how we liked them whilst we caught up on at least four years of family, gossip interspersed with lots of laughter.  A really good evening.

They stayed with us on What a Lark that night and in the morning (still raining heavily) walked once again into Brewood, this time to The Mess Bistro for brunch ... a full English for George and mini-breakfast for the rest of us.  If you're in the Brewood area I would definitely recommend the Mess bistro, the food was good, fresh, well cooked and well presented by lovely (albeit very busy) staff.  Barbara and Dennis then returned to their car for the drive home to Stockton Brook near the Caldon Canal.  Altogether a we had a great time eating drinking and laughing and talking ... a lot!

George and I discussed our next move when we got back to WaL and when we checked the forecast it looked as if the weather might ease up a bit.  We're on a bit of a mission on this trip and so decided to move off ... destination Wheaton Aston ... just three miles and one lock.  At 1:45 we donned on waterproof jackets and trousers and untied ...

 leaving the gloom of the deep cutting at Brewood behind ...

 20 minutes later we were peering into the rain as we reached Stretton Aqueduct ...

 which crosses high up over the A5

and passing working boats Lincoln and  Hampstead

3pm and we've arrived at Wheaton Aston Lock where a young couple had arrived on a hire boat at their first lock and had no idea what to do.  The hire company had given them a windlass, told them that there were two sizes of holes for them to use to wind up the sluices, then they open the gates, take the boat in and do it all in reverse to leave the lock.  Not good enough at all!  George showed them the drill as I went in and down the lock and left them to it ... I do hope those newbies managed ok.

Once down the lock we pulled into the services to empty one tank and fill the other then moved through two bridges onto the visitor moorings by Dirty Lane Bridge 20 absolutely wet through but back on schedule.  For the third time in two days we went out to eat at The Hartley Arms a pub that we've visited before.  We each had lamb shank with lots of lovely vegetables before retiring back to WaL and an early night.