Home James, Home.

Now for the Boaters among you, what do you perceive is the etiquette in arriving at a flight of several locks, mooring up on the water points, emptying the elsan, rubbish filling with water and then expecting to keep your place in the queue whilst other boats are arriving?

This happened here with the first boat that morning arriving and doing all the above and then them having faces as long as yer door and muttering about how there was no one here when they arrived and now 4 boats were in front of them.  

Now here Reader I confess to smirking.  I hold the view that you are either servicing the boat or queuing....  I as the crew jump off and take rubbish with me but not stopping WaL. 

What say you?

The iconic Gailey tower.

Now here is a view I have never seen before, the moorings at Gailey empty.

Wind machines going in here.  I hold mixed feelings about these.

Charming single bridge over this lock.

Debby any ideas on this very lovely Pretty?

My garden doesn't look this nice.

Are there two boats of this name?  (You have to say it out loud)

A disappointing stop in Penkridge this time.  We really wanted to try out The Boat Inn, as on the way through we discovered too late that it had been taken over, so this time we were properly hungry.  Kitchen closed tonight!  So on we walked past The Star where we had not enjoyed a very average meal to The Littleton Arms HERE, so as we had time to kill until they started to serve dinner, we sat in the hot sun, in their garden terrace watching the people and very very much enjoying triple cooked chips.  We had supper too but frankly I can only remember the chips.  David has read this and says that the Littleton Arms has suffered a disservice at my pen, he says it was a lovely afternoon, we shared whitebait and those chips as a starter, then had a butternut curry which he reminded me was delicious.  So at his behest I have now added in these details.

The next day a sunny flit down to Tixal Wide.

The steps are a struggle to even a vertically challenged man.  This means I actually did the driving here.

Not far from Great Hayward were these two.  NB Brighton and Nuneaton, they were on their way somewhere to pick up a load of something.... I would tell you more but I couldn't hear what the man said, bit of a grumpy face too.  Why do these vintage boats like mooring on bridge holes?  Two years ago when we were the on the South Oxford, we had just moored up and sat down when these two came past and pulled out both of our pins....  mutterings under his breath from David.

Lovely sight.  

Finally arrived here.  We have always passed through Tixall Wide never stopping.  David wanted to moor up before but I wanted to get here and so glad I did as it was lovely and quiet.

Next morning we pottered off and saw that although there was plenty of space when we arrived in the afternoon, there weren't any spaces left.  The water was like a mill pond.

Below you can see Tixall Gatehouse  HERE  and here you can book it!!

Tixall Gatehouse, much photographed.

I did the lock here at Great Haywood and I was getting into the swing of it too after the entire summer.  Just in time to put the boat to bed for the year, hahahaha

Grey sky but the sun shines on Shrugborough Hall

Shrugborough Hall and moreover the National Trust have not endeared themselves to the locals here by effectively closing down the football club.  HERE.  

Its a tough one but the estate they say is losing £1 million a year.  Can't see how closing the only local football pitch is going to save much money and farming is certainly not going to stem that financial flow... a great pity really.

I think this is the pitch under threat.  Nicely kept too.

All of a sudden here was someone we knew, Sharon and Richard form NB Oakapple, but as there were boats coming just a waved greeting.  See you both for longer next time.

The lovely NB Oakapple.

Playing chicken in Plum Pudding Cutting!!  David didn't win and reversed.

Our mooring tonight just five mins from Kings Bromley Marina

So WaL goes into the marina here for the next three weeks whilst our presence is needed at home.  When we return and move WaL back to Debdale, she will need washing, polishing and dusting.
I have convinced David that Lincoln is nearer to Debdale than home so we should pop north on our way south.
I am very excited as I LOVED Lincoln almost as much as I loved Chester.