I hate being under trees

We spent the night in Market Drayton.  We moored up okay thinking it was visitors moorings then looked at the sign and it talked about market days, afternoons, I had no idea what the meaning was.  We asked another boater who'd already moored up what it meant and she said Oh they are just really anti social here.  She's been boating over 25 years and moored up here before the attractive modern houses alongside here but on the off side, when they first came there were all sorts of signs saying don't do this and don't do that.  She told us we were two hours early and that you could moor here after 4pm.

Baffling.

We went off towards the next flight and last flight on this canal, Tyrleys Locks.  Only a handful but hazardous, there were by-washes but no so very fierce today.  

I walked up from way back as I did remember (I never much) that the lock landing is tricky here.  Today it was thick mud as expected.  What I like here at Tyrley is the complete change of scenery in such a short time.  You work the first couple of  locks in thick trees then it opens out into glorious countryside.  

Here I am doing the old paddles up and down trick to help David in without damaging the new blacking.

You can just see WaL's nose under those trees as I had prepped the third lock leaving those flipping trees behind.

Now this is Chris.  He lived in Spain for a good many years and came back.  His wife Anne saw the CART ad in the paper and suggested it.  He jumped at it and has been here for the past eight or nine years.  Today he is helping boaters and rubbing down the lock gates to be painted.  He has a car boot full of tools to do jobs with and loves it.  I thanked him profusely on all our behalf.   

Tyrley Top Lock, and just look whats coming ..... three days worth of flipping trees.

Started off not so badly as there was one sunny spell.

But then it got worse and worse and I have to tell you Reader that the Shroppie is now amongst my least favourite canals and I have asked David if he could remember to go back down to Great Haywood next time via Heartbreak Hill.  

These trees remind me of Eeyore Gloomy Place.

One bit of excitement was the report of a fallen tree, two boaters said we should get past okay but in the end it was a fallen branch.  Boredom returned.

They are repairing the towpath here, I guess they had to but how much has it cost and whoever wants to spend time walking here??????

Now for the first time we moored up in Gnosall for the first time.  Rubbish signal all the way down this canal, well for us it was on EE and 3.  I wanted to watch the World Championship Netball, two of our daughters played netball at school and went on to county level, Verity was part of a team that won a national competition when at school (She was watching it in NZ too)    If you haven't watched it you should give it a whirl, its a very exciting sport.  
Sadly England lost to the holders Australia.  The next morning was England v Nigeria in Women's football.  I have little interest in football as for the main part its played by wimpy men and don't start me off on FIFA, corruption and Sepp Blatter.  But now I'm enjoying England's women.  Here in Gnosall we had signal so that was that.  We walked up to the old village and counted the pubs, we went in one which was a micro pub George and The Dragon.  A warm welcome and full of locals all talking, no one on phones.  A very lovely place. 

Well we departed after the football, England won but played poorly, had a player sent off, Nigeria dominated the game and I was very sympathetic for them.    

Oldest building in Gnosall I saw

We stopped at Norbury Junction for fuel but he's not the cheapest by far any more.  Maybe Reader if you are passing this way use the fuel boats instead.  They too need the trade.

Clear waters.

Well glossing over the journey back.  I thought it very very Deadly Dull.  I'm sure the weather didn't help being wet almost every day at some point.

 We got back onto the beloved Staffs and Worcester and were amazed how many boats there were on all the places we wanted to moor at.  We ended up right opposite the now tractor dealership but used to be an old racketedy farm I always said "Where the Grundy's farm"  that Reader is an in-joke for farmers, see The Archers.  That night suddenly the field with long thick grass was full of nice looking Suffolks, so that was pleasant. 

We often moored here looking at the English Longhorns, the owner keeps them as a hobby, three there this am but he's now developed the moorings smartly with water and leckkie, I wouldn't want to moor there as I've lived next to cows and their accompaniment of flies.   

Dropping down at Gailey

Nice reflection this going on here.

Boggs Lock and my goodness look at this leak.

A pleasant run down to Penkridge, the sun came out and to cheer me up David took me to The Littleton Arms.  Its under new ownership, we had a fabulous meal good service and good value for money.

We had moored up in what I call Kew Gardens.