Sunday 16/10. Hollybush Inn, Denford to Milton, Caldon Canal

Another late start, Tim and Mike are a bad influence! But it was raining and rather bleak when we all woke up. Eventually, around ten it stared to clear. The view from our mooring when the rain stopped

We set off at 10.30 and it wasn't long before we reached the Hazelhurst Locks. Mike and Tim worked AL through the locks while I tried to catch up on the blog.  At the top of the locks

The sun started to shine just before Park Lane

We stopped at the Park Lane Wharf Services 

and while we filled with water Mike and Tim used the bathroom facilities in the services block and Lawrence showered in AL leaving me to supervise the waterfill and dispose of the rubbish and leaving me the only grubby person on the boat.

Lawrence, so clean and sparkly, his computer wouldn't recognise him!

View just after Park La e

After heading off again it didn't seem to be long before we were at the Start of the Stockton Brook Flight of locks. After a slow start, waiting for a boat to come up through the second lock, we made speedy progress through the rest of the locks as Tom and Mike worked AL through the locks and I went ahead to get each lock ready for AL to enter.

The old pump house at the foot of the Stockton Flint, still awaits a new use and looks more derelict than when we went past in 2014

We stopped at the foot of the locks for a makeshift lunch.

Mike dealing with a lift bridge

We all held our breath as L slalomed AL through theses engine stopping weed hazards

Which he did like a pro.  We moored up on Milton (here we moored in 2014) a little after four. Mike, Tim and I walked up to the village to do a much needed resupply. While there we booked a table at the Spice Exchange, an Indian restaurant specialising in Southern Indian cuisine. L and I ate there in 2014 and it was the best Indian we've ever eaten.

On that note, I'm off to have a shower so I'm squeaky and clean like the others.

6mls, 9 locks, 2 lift bridges in 51/2 hours