Quick David, the kids are all busy let's go boating....

 So it came to pass that the family are quiet, the weather is fair to middling but most of all the golf calendar is not pressing.

New edition to the family, our fourth grandchild, Theo, a brother to Luca.  I especially like to cuddle newborns, preferably for hours.

We packed the car thoughtfully, then forgot as usual handy things but we'll bring them up next time.

In point of fact this isn't the first trip to a boat, no indeed we went to stay a weekend on The Boat Sharers own boat.  The fabulously smart, gleaming and beautifully refitted NB Caxton.  We all had tickets to see a pantomime in Oxford, But due to stoppages they could only get Caxton to Stratford-upon-Avon in the time available so we met them there and after the panto which Reader was truly hilarious in the very real sense of the word.  Then we drove back to Stratford which is approximately an hour north on the motorway not on a narrow boat.  It was most odd but very nice to be a guest on a boat instead of a host.

That Sir Ian McKellen and John Bishop it was brilliant.

So our time now.  The Lewis's (aka The Boat Sharers) are this week entertaining their family so can't come and play.  We decided just to potter out of Great Haywood marina and waft off northwards.  Dodge the rain if we can, got a supple of books, wine and wellington boots.

Firstly the boat was serviced that day it in turned bucketed down and  blew a hooley.

"Shall we go out in the morning?" Says I looking at the trees around the marina bending this way and that,

It will be fine says he.

I heard the marina manager say it will only be Share boats out today as it's so windy.

Well off we went with me on the bow holding onto the horn bracket to see if anyone was coming past the marina entrance but no, no one moving but as we approached the first lock just a few hundred metres up the canal the wind had dropped, the sun was peeping around the clouds, it wasn't nearly as cold as it was at home and frankly Reader everything in the garden was rosy.

Cloth in hand ready to wipe off the solar panels. First job in the first lock always.

Coming into Weston Lock.

White violets, David's father always picked his wife the first violets of spring.  It's a tradition I'd like to continue even if I have to pick them myself.... cough cough.

Big sighs of gratitude to be out, almost alone.

We have five nights, the forecast is telling us today that Sunday is going to be a right off with wall to wall rain.

We have tried in the past to visit all the really nice pubs along the route but you just can't fit them in.  This time we fancy The Greyhound at Burston, The Dog and Doublet and the possibility of that new place in Stone is it called Joules?  Anyway David says they do nice beer.

We approach Weston (Weston has another cracker of a pub called the Saracens Head but we've been before so are passing this one.  The moorings at Weston were marked by 

"Git Gaps" that is to say spaces left between boats preventing others from getting in.  We went on in the sure and certain hope that we'd get in just past Weston out on the countryside.  Well would you Adam and Eve it?  Two boats moored where we usually have the place to ourselves.  We do get in easily though, put on the tonneau cover, half a plan to walk back to the pub but we snuggled down, watched the sky cloud over later and really enjoyed the sound of the rain on the roof in bed later.  

Nice bit of hedge trimming here too.

A good night's sleep was had by all.

Supper was Cheesy Leeky Mash with sausages from the farm shop at Great Haywood.