Friday 21 June 2019 Day 56: near Kings Bromley Marina - Barton Turns Marina

Wouldn't you know it, our last day of cruising dawned sunny and (a bit) warm! We set off at 8.35am on the last leg of our narrowboat journey, down through Ravenshaw Wood

At the top of the flight leading down into Fradley Junction we passed  NB Tabitha Twitchett, a bespoke Aqua Narrowboat, the owners of whom we met in 2016 when Tabitha was only two weeks old.  They were still as proud of her today. Luckily there were volunteer lockies on call to help Mike with the lock work as the Tabitha Twitchett owner walked down the flight of locks with me as we talked.

Coming into Fradley Junction

As we walked between locks we passed  boat selling boat bling

At the next lock we waited as NB Riverside, another bespoke Aqua Narrowboat came up the lock, making my mouth water all over again.

And at the very next lock what should be coming up - yep, you guessed it, another Aqua boat, NB Dolly Blue this time.

All three owners had high praise for Justin and the quality of his work and asked up to pass on their regards.

We stopped in Alrewas for lunch, quiche and the last of the salad makings.  Going through Alrewas makes you realise you are definitely back in Biscuit Box country

Next up straight after Alrewas Lock was the short river (Trent) section that was closed for a week during the rains. It opened again Wednesday afternoon and was still on yellow (caution) because of the strong flow.  Boats we met coming up had warned us to be careful.

And while the flow did double our speed

Lawrence kept A.B. well clear of the weir barrier

Another pastoral scene

There was still quite a strong flow until we passed the secondary weir.

One of the 6000 and something nesting pairs of Mute Swans

Coming to Wychnor Lock our last for this trip

Mike and Tim have wound up the bottom gates paddles to drain the lock

And here she comes

Making the turn in the marina

I forgot to mention yesterday that we had a little incident and Lawrence got a right bollocking from an incensed boater. Well today he excelled himself. The turn into the marina could not have been bettered.  Then we had to hover in a gusting breeze waiting for a boat at the services wharf to finish before we could get on. To make it even trickier there were boats moored  sticking out at right angles at either end of the wharf and the space to moor in would have only been 10 to 12 feet longer than the boat. He nosed in gently, Tim attached a springer line (or was it a reverse springer?)  at the bow and L brought A.B gently into the wharf. Sooooo impressive. After filling with diesel and having a pump out, L got us back off the wharf by using a stern springer (or reverse springer) and then executed a 180 to get us onto our mooring.  Tricky stuff, let me tell you. And he did it perfectly. And was there anyone around to see this virtuso performance - not a one!

After a cup of tea and the last scone - Thank you Jean for the delicious fruit cake (gone days ago) and the wonderful scones, they were very much appreciated, especially during the cold and wet weather - we started the big clean out :(  However it wasn't too long before we sort of gave up and the boys went for showers while I showered on the boat and then we sat around and decided an all out effort in the morning would be far more producive than what we had been doing.

Having said that I should away to bed as we have to be up early in the morning before Tim and Mike whisk us off to a luxe B&B for tomorrow night.

Finally some statistics
7 miles, 10 locks, 5 hours 45 mins

Overall:

344 miles, 423 locks, 8 lift/swing bridges, 10.8kms of tunnels in 55 days -jeez louise, no wonder we're buggered

Thursday 20 June 2019 Day 55: Tixall Wide to Kings Bromley Marina, T&M

Our view in the morning sun. The Tixall Wide Gatehouse (all that remains of a former stately) is owned by the Landmark Trust and one can rent it from GBP480 for 4 nights - not bad. The Americans we met down near Kinver had stayed in it for a week before renting their boats. Fantastic they said.

We tried to cast off a 9.15 but were somewhat hampered by this swan who wanted a feed in return for letting us depart.

Pulling out to commence the last little bit of our journey along the Staff&Worcs Canal

However the mute swan was not easily giving ground

Last view of Tixall Wide

Crossing the Aqueduct over the Trent. You can see she'd run a banker during the rains

Coming up to Great Haywood Junction

We had to hover before the junction whilst a boat out on the T&M was performing a 360o turn with another boat pushing rudely through to get onto the waterpoint.

When the coast was clear, L performed a perfect righthand turn onto the Trent & Mersey, applauded by our acqaintances on Wea.rytired who were moored up on the corner.

After working down through Haywood Lock we cruised passed the Shugborough Estate

and passed the occasional folly in the park

The very pretty Colwich Lock

A truly bucolic scene

Told you there are lots of Canadian Geese. According to the Royal Bird Society there are 6,000 and something Mute Swan nesting pairs in England and there are 57,000 pairs of Canadian Geese!!!!

The CRT boys hard at work, not in the pic is the man on the sit upon lawnmower - they only have 2,000+ miles of towpath to mow!

Power station at Rugeley hard to see through the misty drizzle now falling

Not even on the canals is one safe

Odd place for a narrow boat

We moored up for lunch just before the aqueduct over the River Trent, which is still running fairly full.  The section of river we have to traverse further down only opened again yesterday afternoon.

Going through Rugeley and the sun was shining again

Out again, into green glades

 Through Handsacre

Gleaming emerald in the sun

We travelled a mile and a half further on

And moored up just before Kings Bromley Marina at 4.40pm

10 miles, 2 locks, 6hrs 25mins