Jungles of Borneo

I walked on the next day for the rest of the canal.  Quite a few branches hanging over and the ground was slippery from the rain but I carried on and it got very much worse.

This was last nights mooring, the evening suns golden rays on the grasses here caught my eye but they were very much more golden than here.

Lovely mooring.

Here he comes at Barbridge Junction.

Bit tight but he didn't hit.

Second burnt out hull of the day.

I was way out in front of David but the towpath got narrower and worse.  I slowed down and David fielding a phone call from home, WaL went past me and David oblivious, carried on.

So below is a snippet of the condition of the path here, the canal edge is hidden, the path sloping down to the water, the bushes overhead were roses with associated thorns and my feet were wet.  I called David , engaged, I called again and again, finally he rang off and I got through to him, he was out of sight

"For God's sake STOP" said I gently and lovingly.  

I had everso nearly slipped into the canal a couple of times and by now was having a serious sense of humour failure.

Unlike me I can hear you saying.

I would advise others not to follow in my footsteps.

As I dropped off rubbish at Calveley a hire boat passed us, the chap called over would we like to pair up a the locks?
Oh definitely.

Sadly when we got to the lock a share boat was on the lock landing waiting for another boat.  We were left behind and off went the pair together.

Bunbury staircase locks, and the two disappearing boats.

This is a very attractive stretch of canal for several miles.

Well despite me being alone, we caught them up very quickly even though a boat had passed them so they had the advantage.  Part of the slowness could have been connected to the paddles not being fully opened when they were emptying the lock with the boats in it....

When I got to the next lock, a paddle was still up, the following lock a gate was open.

Well not many judgements from me until at the next lock, there was a bit of a bun fight between the hire boat and a boat owner ascending.

"We know what we are doing you know!  Just because it's a hire boat we do know what we are doing"

I managed to keep my counsel, David says that doesn't happen often.

This is where we ended up, moored up at The Shady in the shadow of Beeston Castle.

We walked over the bridge and had a drink in the pub.  We accidentally ordered supper, Peri Peri chicken and salad, I gave David my chips.

I like it here.