2014 and our final cruise with Lily Pad for sale

 I had not realised I'd failed to close off last year's cruise, so a brief (you must be joking its Ian writing!) resume of why this is our last cruise. I'm also on a crusade to get everyone to wear a lifejacket when working a boat.....read on to find out why.

Wear a life jacket

Last year as we cruised to Trent Lock on the T&M I ran an incredibly high temperature, I had got a urine infection. Yes I was better the following day when I had the gigantic mixed grill I pictured but two days later when we got to Burton on Trent I walked to the hospital to get some pills, only to be told that generally men don't get them, its a female speciality, largely because of how we are constructed. The doc gave me a pretty thorough going over before he gave me some pills, but wanted me to get to a hospital to find the results of the culture tests a week later.......I wasn't sure how I would.

Back to Lily, Carol thought I'd eloped I'd been so long. Next day Barry & Cathy on Goldie drew alongside for coffee and cake, gluten free for Cathy, & I was due a test later in the month to see if I had developed this problem too!!! Two days later or so we had done the necessary at the CRT facilities at Fradley and Carol had moved Lily into the junction lock. I'd shut the bottom gates and walked to the top paddles when she called me to say one of the gates had opened. I turned to go and close it and disappeared from view and didn't respond to her calls.

Horrified she clambered on the the roof of Lily (a first for her) and then climbed the loft ladder (another first) and found me completely collapsed by the top gate! I had rather cleverly collapsed into the recovery position and had a pulse, but Lily was moving out the lock! Fortunately a car stopped alongside me on the road & asked if he could help and as he was a P.C. he had pretty good First Aid knowledge & could look after me whilst she sorted out Lily, and the landlady of the pub saw what was going on and volunteered to call an ambulance, and then a chap moored below the lock said he'd sort Lily out & look after her, letting Carol become a nurse again.

Well Burton on Trent hospital were fantastic, I had a night in coronary care, had test after test, including an MRI scan on my head, no stroke but the remnants of my brain showed up. Then Carol remembered I had previously been found to have kinks in my carotid arteries abut 10 years before, so it became pretty obvious I'd collapsed because I'd turned my head too far/fast & cut off the blood supply to my enfeebled brain.

The upshot was I had loads more tests over the following month at Burton but decided we'd like to get Lily back to Debdale, but how? Wonderful Barry & Cathy came along, asked what was amiss and immediately volunteered to amend their planned cruise and work us through the locks up to Watford. I donned a foam collar to prevent me from turning my head too fast and I started wearing my lifejacket all the time we cruise. Whilst the canal may only be 3ft deep but if you are dead to the world you can't put your feet down to stand up & your mouth will remain under the water......hence the lifejackets.
( A picture of our saviours will follow but it is in my old computer....did I tell you I hate Windows 8!)

Our immense thanks to Barry & Cathy for helping us home and to all the others who helped, and we have met them all this year. The lifejacket point has very topical importance this week following the death of a newly retired boater in the Harecastle tunnel. I spoke to the tunnel keepers on Sunday as we waited to pass through but as yet they don't know how he ended up in the water. However it is pretty certain that had he been wearing a lifejacket even if he'd fallen in because of a stroke he'd have floated and his wife would have been able to see him. Fellow Boaters please think about this!

OK after we'd done the doctor bits I was allowed on on a probationary cruise and we went to Oxford to pay a visit to our grandson who had just started his Architecture course, and I pretty well behaved. I don't step over from one open gate to open the other one, I use my boat hook instead to push it open or pull it shut. Because of me passing the test we are on a cruise to cover what we failed to do in 2013, ie Liverpool again and also the Macc which we've never done plus some other new bits before we stop. We might stop sooner than we actually want as Lily is listed on Apolloduck.com and if we find a buyer we will work to accommodate our buyer.

Tuesday May 6th 2014

Carol ready for the off, garden planted

So we set off with freshly polished paintwork, newly blacked bottom and really looking pretty lovely, or at least Carol & Lily were, and it was sunny & warmish as we left Debdale. Nothing special on our cruise to Watford except about 24 hours after we had unhooked from the mains we had an alarm squealing as we stirred on our second day. Urgent looking to see what it was, until I remembered our alarm is linked to the mains input when we are at Debdale so we know when the mains has tripped out, which is far from unusual and I've even rung the boatyard from Majorca before now to get them to sort out our power, saving ruined fridge & freezer. I needed to change it to battery power, problem solved!

Lily at Bottom of Foxton before our last trip up with her

Thurs 8th May we had arrived in Braunston the evening before having had several showery interludes on the way on Wednesday, but this morning I got rather wet walking to the shop to get Carol's newspaper and a few other little bits, It eased off by late morning but we had drizzly interludes on our way to Rugby, and over the next several days we didn't travel far each day but just enjoyed changes in the scenery.

Lovely Spring view on Leicester Summit

We also had a friend join us for supper in Polesworth on a lovely evening and the weather had got a bit warmer, in fact we didn't cruise on a lovely day as we were in Tamworth on Wednesday 14th and did an Orange Wednesday to watch Love Punch which we great;y enjoyed, sad people that we are! Whilst in Tamworth I walked to the rail station to get tickets to get us back to Narborough for the funeral of a long standing friend who had sadly been reduced to a shell of his former self by Vascular Altzheimers, it was a pretty long walk.


On to Fradley to give thanks to the landlady of The Swan and on to Gt Haywood where we happened upon the chap who sorted Lily out for Carol.

I visited Shugborough whilst at Gt Haywood

Lovely gardens and great time to view

We then had a family Sunday 18th on a fortunately fabulous day so that our niece, her husband & their two lively youngsters were able to see the canals at their best.

Mark brought Lily into a lock for first time

James helped me with steering

Natasha and Sophia on front deck as the lock filled

After they had left Carol needed some rest but we needed to be in Stone on the 20th to get to the funeral and I believe we just missed the retrieval of a youth's body from the canal in Stone. The standing around at the funeral & the follow on from hard work with the kids meant that we also stayed put on Thursday 22nd, celebrating my birthday with a curry.

Our Radio Leicester umbrella comes in handy

 We moored alongside Festival Park in Stoke for a couple of nights, and I really put the boat out for our anniversary on 24th as we went to the cinema. The weather was not good so it kept us out of the rain but isn't it typical that there really wasn't anything we wanted to watch, though Superman was OK. The next day, Sunday, we reached Harecastle and I quizzed the tunnel keeper about a fatality in the tunnel on 20th when a chap disappeared of the stern of his boat inside it whilst his wife was below comforting their child who was disturbed by the darkness. There are all sorts of stories going around about it, but the keeper said it will be best to wait for the inquest.

Carol did a bit of gardening waiting for our turn through Harecastle

We had a longish wait and got talking to others who were waiting, including Cat's Whiskers which we remembered from previous cruises. I'm not so good at remembering many things, but Roger from the boat reminded me we had met in Chester in 2012, recalling us trying to sort out Mazie's pram hood after a branch punctured it. They are on their way to Liverpool on June 20th.......as are we!

The forecast for Sunday was forecast to be wet but it was OK in the morning but was tippling down as we exited the tunnel! I confess to making a terrible hash of turning into the Macc, but after a bit of a wait we got through the stop lock before mooring at Scholar Green as the weather improved. I booked into the  for dinner after asking a few locals if the food was good, our Nicholson says it is, but it is 15 years old!! They assured us it was and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal after we'd watched the Monaco GP.

Sunny morning at Scholar Green

Monday 27th was a lovely day and we cruised into Congleton, on the way realising that our old Leics IWA friends lived not far away. We called them & they invited us for lunch to see their home they "downsized" into on Tuesday with David arranging to pick us up on his way back from seeing his physio. It was a long walk down to the town for Carol but the smell of a Costa dragged her in, but the haul back up to Lily was hard for her, but we had a lovely mooring just by the aqueduct at the old wharf.

We had a superb time with David and Lesley and a lovely meal, but for someone who read Maths at Oxford his spacial awareness failed him when the "downsized", save for the fact they lost a staircase in a lovely home. After they brought us back on a day that was forecast to be wet we carried on in the sunshine to moor just before the Bosely Locks, and with our friends saying they were coming to help work us up the flight of 12 the next morning, despite a truly foul forecast.

Boseley Locks, but what is off side handrail for?

Wednesday 29th May and it had rained heavily overnight and was pouring as we got up, hoping D&L would see sense and leave it to us, but bless them around 9.30 they appeared on the towpath having driven through sluicing rain on their way. Almost by a miracle the rain eased to a light drizzle and though it was occasionally a bit heavier, it did not warrant all the waterproof clothing we were wearing. I was so glad to have them as the locks have a pair top gates but no foot board and nothing for me to use my boathook on the operate the off-side gate with from the towpath side. Without them I would have had to keep walking to and fro each time! We had to run a bit of water down and had to wait for a few other boats but we were out of the top in 2 hours, filling with water and using the other services and then having some of Carol's delicious soup and sandwiches for lunch.

Rain easing towards the top

It was a fond farewell after lunch but not before we invited them to join us at Maghull on June 20th to experience the cruise into Liverpool, something they had never been able to manage on their time shared boat. We then cruised into Macclefield and squeezed ourselves into the spaced they had for us to moor in over the weekend whilst we train it to see the family in Chichester

Very crowded moorings, it took ages to fit Lily in!

Carol's garden is progressing but better weather would help

Just an aside (yes another!). I'd tried to buy our tickets in Stoke on Friday but a bit before I got to the booking office their reservation system had gone down. I had found an option that would have cost us just over £70 for the two journeys, though a return ticket was nearly double this!! I went to book in Congleton, but had looked up the prices before I went to find it would cost us around £110 for the two journeys, but then I noticed the trip down traveling First Class would only cost £3 more, though returning first class was about £20 extra. We have opted for this, but how do they come up with their prices??!!

So in 3 weeks of cruising we have slogged our way  140miles and 76 locks, all but 6 of these were narrow.....I'm exhausted!

Starting out again

Well we had intended to set off earlier in April but it just didn't work out, just too many things to do & people to see. As the start of May came & we were still tied up desperation was setting in. We rushed around putting things back into store, bringing other things out and generally trying to get away......but we still had a problem with our charging system. Around mid-March Debdale got around to making the fitting for the large alternator, not bad since they were told it needed doing at the end of September! The problem was that when I switched the engine off the warning light for the domestic circuit came on, and stayed on until either a small wire was taken off the alternator or the Adverc was unplugged.

There was much head scratching at the Marina, and also by Adverc. Mike & Steve tried several things, then they thought they had found the problem (some fancy stuff about it now being a self exciting alternator) and proposed something else, then at last Steve thought long and hard about it and on Thursday afternoon he came to Lily & sorted her out!!! 

Not wishing to defer our departure longer we set off at 4.15pm and cruised to just before Kibworth Top Lock for our first night of the year's cruise. The next day we pootled down to above Newton Top Lock and wandered over to the garden centre, or more particularly to the coffee shop!! The rest of the day gave us sun, strong wind, heavy rain, thunder and hail, a perfect Spring day! We cruised to Kilby Bridge where we arrived just before 4 other boats arrived, surprisingly good timing for us. We had only met a few boats during the day.

Sunday 5th. Now Carol enjoys her fix of coffee (preferably Costa) but I need my fix of the Sunday Times, so before we set off on this glorious day I walked into Wigston to get my paper........and coincidentally a takeaway Costa. 

Any idea why they have put coir rolls in front of piling?

We wanted to top up before the trip through Leicester and waited while Pete on Sunbeam finished, and said he'd wait for us at the lock which lead to a lovely day of cruising through to Kings Lock. We crossed with a few boats on the way, with one couple a bit too close for comfort as they rushed from Bush's lock! As we were working through Blue Bank a charming lady appeared and asked if we had any spare Stanley knife blades. She had rope round her prop and her blade was blunt. Pete & I said we'd sort it for her........she was 81 and working through single handed!! A lovely lady Anne on Double-U gives hope to us all and Pete dived down her weed hatch on her Sea Otter, but found my pruning saw (dirt cheap from Wilkinsons) was best. Soon he was pulling out rope, which being navy nylon looked very much like the others on her boat and sure enough it was one of her over long bow ropes that had been plucked off her front deck by an overhanging branch! 

Despite her problem she was more concerned about the boat that had gone through the previous locks with her and insisted I gave them her phone number. We found them near to Kings Lock with the shear pin on the drive of their outboard gone, no spare and no idea where it was!

We moored top side of Kings as I wanted to paint the mile post we had bought in remembrance of Carol's mum. It was a good job we did, we normally moor below the lock but there were already 3 boats filling the spaces and over night there were 6 boats moored there. In all the years we have boated & walked there we have never seen as many there. Managed our first BBQ.

Monday 6th and a cracking day. We set off with Sunbeam fairly late, all the other boats had gone before we left. A volunteer lock keeper helped us through Kings and we had a lovely trip to Leicester, saying farewell to Pete & Sunbeam as we tied up at Mill Lane bridge to buy a few fresh salad items. We were surprised that the Sainsburys that used to there is no more, so it was over to Tesco before we moved to Castle Gardens for a refreshment break. Coffee over on the lovely day we crossed quite a few boats on our way to Birstall where Carol counted 43 people watching us through.......but they had come to watch a Duck Race, not us. Restricted moorings below the lock as CRT are in the process of major towpath wall reconstruction, but we got a mooring enabling our daughter to collect us & take us for a superb BBQ at their home.

Tuesday 7th and another scorching day, but the forecast for the rest of the week is poor. Sally joined us for a gentle cruise to Loughborough. We stopped alongside Beryl, rboa secretary for coffee & to meet her new dog, Lister. A lovely dog from a rescue home after she lost Scumble, we enjoyed looking at her vast garden and catching up on news. 

Beryl & Lister at Mountsorrel

Away to Loughborough we prepared for John & Wendy Evans to join us for tea and home made goodies......Carol even does gluten free suitable for coeliacs. We stopped just before Chain Bridge and had another good chat.

Wednesday 8th & Carol was a bit crook from too much fun, her back objecting, so we spent the day in Loughborough, catching the latest Tom Cruise film (we wouldn't bother to watch it again) and giving her a rest, I washed the port side of Lily, letting the rain wash it off. On Thursday we set off after using the facilities but the weather had turned, getting cool, with strong squally winds and rain showers. I noticed one of my fingers had gone white with cold but we carried on till we were above Derwent Mouth Lock where we moored, alongside the sewage works but the wind was in the right direction! I wasn't feeling too good and got worse as the evening went on, got a good temperature over night, so we stayed put on Friday & I spent most of the day in bed trying to get warm, something that has never happened before. The weather was awful too! The first week's cruise was just 43 miles and 42 locks.

What an incredible year for dandelions

Saturday 11th and nearly fit again. I was not 100% and treated locks with care and the foul weather didn't help. We had strong winds, heavy showers including hail, so it was far from ideal cruising. We moved slowly on, but stopped to watch qualifying for the Spanish GP. This over we delayed our departure till after the downpour, only to get caught by several more. At Swarkestone the boat Club was about to race its "yachts" as we left the lock.

Swarkestone yacht race using polystyrene chip trays
A lovely range of ages taking part.

Through more squalls we carried on to the Radley Boat Stop where I shuffled a boat  along to let Lily in. We then ate in the restaurant which is not Cordon Bleu but just look at the platter I had as a mixed grill, and a proper one including kidney & liver. There was no way I could manage it all so I reckon we have meat enough for the two of us tomorrow!

A small repast that beat me!

I didn't mention previously that for the past winter I fitted double glazing to all windows in Lily. Last year I made them for the portholes and the Houdini hatch and they worked wonderfully, so last Autumn I bought a piece of 4mm polycarbonate plastic and had fun trimming it to shape. Having succeeded & found it fitted well,I then bought another 3 pieces and once trimmed to shape I attached a draught proofing strip to the plastic, put them into place & sealed round them with decorators caulk, which I used as it doesn't set solid. Come Spring by going round the panes with a palette knife and scooping out the caulk I was able to return Lily to having opening windows after having had a condensation free, drip free Winter. The polycarbonate is not cheap at about £50 a window but it made for a much more comfortable boat.

New Year blog

Happy new year to All.

I threatened I might get into blog again whilst at base and decided there were a few things to get off my chest so here we are.

It has been an incredible day today, sunshine most of the time with little wind and unseasonably mild......and a few weeks before Xmas several daily papers assured us we were to have an incredibly severe winter!!! Anyway I celebrated by getting one side of Lily polished & intend to do the other one tomorrow, the idea being to protect the paintwork from the sun & winter elements. Sadly of course we have suffered from the effects of the rain of the majority of 2012. We were lucky to get back along the T&M before it slid into the Weaver, unlike friend Masie we met in Chester, Sale and Northwich last year. She made it back via the Peak Forest which was hard work for a single hander but she went back to Salthouse Dock to use the Yellow Submarine boat that is moored there as a floating apartment where they had a family Xmas and raved about it.

Going on about slips just by Lily in Debdale soil has slipped down an embankment and into the canal, closing it to navigation. CRT engineers are to inspect it closely on Monday & Tuesday to come up with proposals to restore navigation. Because it is part of a SSSI they will have to agree what they do with Natural England. It seems that some time ago BW moved some reeds from the off side to the towpath side to enhance it and currently CRT are saying that changes in boat wash caused by this might have disturbed to toe of the embankment. Whatever it was, the embankment had stood for around 20 years since Debdale placed the spoil arising from the excavation of the marina extension. I attach two photos which show that it is hardly a catastrophic collapse, but the stuff that has slipped looks to be a terribly wet slurry that would drip through your fingers if you tried to hold some. I fear it will need a great deal of excavating and the field above the embankment was very “sloshy” as I walked over it.

We are returning to Liverpool for next summer to act as floating hotel for grand-daughter Hannah in June as she will be taking part in a cheer-leading competition in the Liverpool arena, just by Albert Dock. I think we will have to make out outward journey via the Peak Forest as the repair to the T&M might not be completed, but as we didn’t travel it last year it will be new water to enjoy, though it will be a lot harder work. After that we don’t know what to do, though as we will be hosting our youngest grand-daughters it might be a good idea to get south as they live near Chichester.Still it will give us something to ponder.

I mentioned in my last blog that our domestic alternator had gone wrong. It was sent away to the supplier who much to my amazement said it was beyond economic repair!! I found it hard to believe but ended up being relieved of £480 for a new one. It isn’t fitted yet as I am (still) waiting for Debdale to fit a new mounting. The old one is nearly right but the bore of the mounting is a metric diameter whilst those on the alternator are imperial size, it being an American made unit. We are anxious to get it refitted soon so we can go off for a bit of a cruise over the winter to check it is OK for our big cruise.

We were not done with power problems. Wh­­­ilst going over to fill with diesel I found that the engine could not be turned off and the ignition warning light was “on” and no charge was registered. I called RCR about this as I feared the rewound alternator they fitted last summer could have failed. Sam Matts from Foxton Boat Services was sent out which was a good job as Debdale have had poor experiences of RCR’s but they rate Sam & are prepared to let him work in the marina. We did not stay around whilst he sorted it, but gave him a cuppa & a mince pie (Carol’s are incredible!!). He found that the problem lay within the connector block on the umbilical cord from the engine to control panel. This is not the first time we have had this so I reckon the person that made the connections must have been having an off day. All sorted now, but another reason to want to go for a cruise.

The other week we went to Foxton to go into a lock. Very interesting, especially the flow splitter in wrought iron that splits the inrushing water from the paddle and stops, or at least reduces, the wearing away of the brickwork. That in the lower levels of the chamber was mostly original brickwork as was the wrought iron piece!

This next Thursday I am giving a talk to our local IWA branch about our trips into Liverpool. I’ve never done this before with “slides”, though of course it will be all digital and I am supposed to do it in PowerPoint, except I’ve only made one presentation like this before and also it is going to be presented off an Apple & it doesn’t like my Windows based show.....its a job for Monday when I go over to Mountsorrel to recreate it on Beryl’s computer on Wasp. Fortunately the Soar has now come out of flood, though I’m not sure that the derailment near to Pillings Lock below Barrow has yet been resolved, this too caused by excessive water flow. This link should take you to the report in the Leicester Mercury.

 http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Chaos-tracks-Leicestershire-freight-train/story-17701116-detail/story.html

Finally for now, I completed in November fitting double glazing to the saloon windows, having sorted it out for the port holes last year. I’ve bought 4mm thick polycarbonate sheet & cut it to shape (or nearly so!) with my jig saw & then finished the shaping with a “Surform” file. I placed window insulation foam around the inside edges of these sheets so this would rest on the metal frame. I then put the sheets in place and ran around the join between pane and frame with decorators’ caulk......which of course works on Lily as she has white window surrounds and the caulk is white. In spring I run around the edge of the panels with a palette knife, removing the caulk which never sets really hard, and ease the panels out....or at least that is the plan, but it worked on the portholes. In the meantime NO CONDENSATION!!! Cost £50 for each main window plus a few pounds for the foam and caulk.

I'll be back, perhaps, let's hope all the closures get completed in time for the cruising year!

From Loughborough back to Debdale

Monday 24^th September The rain that started falling during Sunday afternoon carried on all night and all through the day. The river Soar was obviously going to go into flood and we preferred to be tied up in Loughborough rather than being stuck at a lock. We did various things including catching the new Sweeny film using Orange Wednesdays, we enjoyed it, but it didn’t need a lot of brain power! I also saw another Spitfire fly over! We contacted Mike & Jo on Sarah Kate to find they were shut in at Zouch cut with the flood gates closed.

Thursday 27^th and we reversed into Loughborough basin to use the services and to top up with fresh fruit from an excellent fruit shop on ?Church Gate. As we got back to Lily, Mike & Jo arrived and we arranged to set off after lunch, though Mike added that Jo needed to do a quick (?) shop.

It was 2.15 when we set off, reasonable weather but some showers as we made our way to Mountsorrel where we stopped for the night and arranged for Beryl from Wasp to come over for a wine fuelled natter after we had eaten. The five of us had a really good chat and realised how much had passed since last we did so.

Above Mountsorrel Lock, Lily & Sarah Kate on towpath
Beryl's Wasp moored offside on her land

Friday 28^th we set off just past 9 as there was slight drizzle, and by the time we had travelled the short distance to Sileby Mill it was very wet! We stopped there to add 100 litres of fuel at 92p and then carried on to Leicester. We didn’t share any locks and only met a few on our way to mooring at Castle Gardens in Leicester. Our daughter joined us for the run from Thurmaston into Leicester, the rain having stopped by the time we arrived to pick her up.

Above Junction Lock a super quality towpath being built as part of
a Sustrans route, just further along work has started on a new bridge
at the river Wreake junction that is being built to a navigable height.

Saturday 29^th and a wonderful day forecast, with poor weather on Sunday, so we set off after a Costa by 10 and made our way up the locks. We found that the first 4 locks were against us and that the towpath gate was open......someone wasn’t shutting them! We caught them up at Kings Lock, before which we had crossed 3 boats, and another came down as we went in, but the other boat said they’d stop at Blue Bank for us to join them.

At Freemans Lock new landscaping replaces old brambles etc

The other boat crew were lucky they did catch them up as they had just collected the boat from Pillings Marina near Loughborough and were taking it to Bath. One of the men had a boat already and he had forgotten to bring a BW key and the locks from Kings Lock through to Kilby Bridge have many paddles locked, so they were not going to progress far. They said they had been shutting gates as the gates behind them......no they hadn’t, and they were clearly going to be yet other “Continuous Moorers” near Bath. The incredible thing was the one helming the boat was moaning to Carol about lack of maintenance, so she said it was significantly because so many people were not paying mooring fees or boat licences. For good measure she pointed out that they might have difficulty getting up Foxton Locks as their licence had expired 2 months before!

Big locks, big wash but the bow rope holds Lily from banging around.

In Top half mile Lock, lovely sunny late afternoon

We worked steadily with them to Kilby Bridge where they stopped to get milk & cigarettes, we carried on to Wistow where after 12 miles and 22 wide locks, and after walking I suppose 5 miles, we were very tired.

These cows greeted us as we reached our mooring

Sunday 30^th the last day of our annual cruise dawned overcast but far better than the forecast rain and wind! I was casting off as a Canal Time boat came past so I told them we’d catch up with them at the next lock. I don’t think they understood why I said what I did, they were three very pleasant members of an Afrikaner family and had not realised two boats could share a lock. We had a very pleasant time working with them, father was 70 he said, looked under 60, mother was petite and daughter a charming woman who had left her husband at home whilst she came to spend 3 weeks in the UK with her parents.

At Kibworth Top Lock we bade them farewell as they set off before us, it had been a pleasant way of working through the 5 locks. Sadly as we exited Saddington Tunnel, having just passed a day boat, I noticed a warning light on. I expected that we had again thrown a belt off our domestic alternator but investigations later show it is more serious & is going off for checking....thank heavens we got back and are able to stay plugged into mains power.

We execute a 180 degree turn into our home base at Debdale Wharf

So our trip ends, we covered 596 miles, worked through 463 locks and around 20 swing bridges. The engine ran for something near 700 hours, but when the engine alternator didn’t run the clock didn’t either so it is an estimate. We were away for 22 weeks

Finally I don't normally blog whilst at base but we intend to head out for short trips and also I've got quite a few photos I meant to put in during the cruise but managed to forget to do so. Look in every now and then. Next cruise proper should start in April 2013, thanks for looking.

From Fradley to Loughborough

Monday 17^th September Bright at first but not warm and showers by 5. We pushed across to the water point at first and had a pretty awful cup of coffee before we set off around 10.30, joining a line of boats descending and meeting boats coming up. Between Fradley & Alrewas we met Mo & Vanessa on Balmaha, moored up alongside and had a good natter with them & Mo’s cousin and wife who were moored with them. Mo’s coffee was much better.

Lily leaves Balmaha

It was a great chat but we had to get on, we had an appointment to meet Mike & Jo on Sarah Kate that evening in Burton on Trent. We had a bit of queuing at locks and it clouded over and the breeze got up but we made it to tie up with Sarah Kate just before the footbridge to the park in Burton.

Alrewas weir was not so well protected when we first went past it.

After we had eaten they joined us in Lily for a good old chat. There are two significant coincidences we have with them, the first is how we became aware of is their boat. Sarah Kate was launched, fully fitted, at Thurmaston boatyard on the day the shell of our second boat was also launched. In Mike & Jo’s care she has been much improved as well as growing quite significantly longer and she shows the love they have for her.

The second, and much stranger coincidence came to our mutual knowledge about two years ago. A schoolfriend of Carol right from the early years of her education joined the nurse training scheme at Leicester Royal Infirmary with Carol. Sadly through illness she did not achieve her State Registration until a year after Carol, having dropped into the following set of trainees. During a communication around two years ago she mentioned she had another old nursing friend with a boat called Sarah Kate! Yes Jo was in her set, what a coincidence.

Mike approaches his mooring spot.

I regret I forgot to take photos of both meetings, but Mo & Jo provided images, thanks both.

Tuesday 18^th Mike & Jo moved away quietly whilst I was doing my morning exercises, heading towards Nottingham to where they have never been by boat.

I've not seen one of these old Morris cars for I guess 40 years

The trouble with Burton on Trent as far as Carol is concerned is the smell of the brewing, but I of course love it, and we were moored near to Marston’s brewery. The other big problem is that it is a very long way from the canal to the major stores. In the past we have walked there and struggled back, but regrettably Carol’s back problems mean a walk like this is completely out of the question. However, just east of our mooring the number 3 bus runs every quarter hour down to the supermarkets & coffee houses. We have visitors coming on Thursday and Carol had another feast to prepare. We did some of the purchasing in the morning and after lunch I left Carol resting whilst I caught the bus to go to the National Museum of Brewing. 

The "brewery visit lets you see a sort of reconstruction of a brewery. I went on a
tour of Marstons during an IWA Festival, there we were in the actual brew house

It was very interesting, I spent well over 2 hours there and finished in their bar for my 4 samples of beer. I tried Worthingto E, Red Label, White Label and one from Rock in Cornwall. It was very interesting trying them as a tasting, the Cornish beer was not in the same league as the Worthingtons, the E was a drink I used to enjoy when much younger, but the White Label was by far the best of the four, if only you can find it!

The brewery a justly proud of their horse drawn vehicles

Wednesday 19^th and after getting fresh soft fruit we moved on to Willington, mooring just before the road bridge in a lovely spot and much further from the rail lines than where most people moor. Weather was reasonable but wet overnight, Carol prepared some of the dishes in advance for our guests on Thursday.

The old stone bridge over the river Dove

Thursday 20^th and it was damp at first but brightened so that I was able to polish the brasses before our friends arrived. We cruised down to Stenson and back before mooring up for a typically magnificent meal made by Carol. During the cruise the weather stayed dry but cool and overcast, during lunch it lightened, and as we chatted and played cards out came the sun! It was a most enjoyable way to spend a day.

Friends after they had eaten very well!

Friday 21^st A very wet day, but we had arranged to have some of our family for lunch on Sunday in Loughborough and we had to move on. We reversed back to the winding hole and went about, used the services and got cruising about 10.15. It rained with differing intensities all day and it was breezy and cool, even I had fingerless mitts on! Our first large lock since the few we did up the Rochdale on August 5^th was that delicate little one at Stenson! We met boats at most locks but only shared one and one of the top gates at Swarkestone was horribly jammed but fortunately in the closed position and the other gate did open. I reported it to C&RT, hopefully they soon got it sorted.

We carried on till we got to Red Hill when we’d had enough and we moored just before the flood lock at 5. Quite a big day for us, 9 miles and 9 wide locks, but 15 years ago I reckoned that on a long summer’s day we could get from Thurmaston to nearly Alrewas, but we never actually did quite that much! No pictures in the awful weather!

Saturday 22^nd and a lovely day after a cold night with big condensation inside Lily. We were away by 9.20 meeting with a fibreglass cruiser at Ratcliffe Lock and shared this and Kegworth with them. They had sold the boat after renovating it and were delivering it to Thurmaston. 

Carol passes Ratcliff Power Station

By the time were at Zouch sweater & jacket were off. 

The river past Normanton on Soar is lovely

At Bishops Meadow we shared with another narrowboat and then we stopped to watch qualifying for the Singapore GP, before moving on to moor just through Chainbridge. We had intended to moor in Loughborough Basin but two long broad beam boats and about 3 others had pretty well filled it, in fact if we had ventured up there I’m sure we’d never have been able to turn.

Sunday 23^rd started dry but overcast but it was raining by mid day and carried on doing so through till we went to bed and there were heavy showers after this. The forecast for Sun night/ Monday is awful with heavy rainfall and strong winds, perhaps we should have pushed on through to Kings Lock to get off the river. We didn’t as we had organised for our oldest daughter and family to come for lunch in late afternoon. It was off for a coffee first, quick shop to make sure this week’s chicken was totally fresh!

Very tasty & chocolaty!!

We had a lovely afternoon and evening, great food and several board games. It had been Hannah’s 15^th birthday the day before so we had some girly pink fizz at first and a very yummy cake Sally had bought for her later. Now if the Soar can just avoid going into flood!!!!

Slowly homewards, eating well

Monday 10^th September The weather was overcast most of the day and we were in sweaters. Intermittent rain and a downpour in the evening, not great weather. We set off to Leek tunnel but decided not to pass through it as it doesn’t really get you to Leek, so we winded and battled our way back around the twisty canal, rubbing on the bottom in many places, pretty but it would be better on  warm sunny day. We returned to Hazelhurst junction to find it crowded with boats, so we decided the defer our trip to Froghall until the spring and made our way back to Etruria. We stopped to pick up or water filter, noting that the cycle Tour of Britain was to pass on that road the following Thursday. 13 miles and 8 locks

This wonky horned beast was along the Caldon canal

Tuesday 11^th Very wet overnight, starting cloudy with a cold wind in the morning and we saw friends Mike & Jo on Sarah Kate filling with water at the water point in front of us. They being ready to set off & we having other things to do, we arranged to meet in Stone in the evening to talk over the 2 years or so since we last met.

By the time we were ready to set off there were boats everywhere. A boat had just gone down the top lock, I reset it, but a boat coming down from Stoke blocked us from turning in to use it, so we followed that boat down, and before we had left the lock 4 more boats had arrived! 

This structure alongside the canal in Stoke is a refuse incinerator,
 unlike those in Leicestershire it is still working

We met and followed boats all the way through to Stone, and started to hear Stone mooring were full!! Then Jo rang to say they had not found anywhere to moor in Stone and we would have to defer our chat! We stopped as soon as we reached the outskirts of the town in a lovely quiet mooring. 8 miles 10 locks

The problem with Carol's garden this year!

On the last three nights Carol has really excelled in the galley with excellent Singapore Noodles, brilliant Lamb Dhansac and a very good Chicken Tikka Marsala. All in wonderfully low fat format, giving Carol great pleasure in the cooking and both of us in the eating.

We saw many kingfishers this week

Wednesday 12^th A bright start with little wind and warming as the day went on. We shopped & coffee’d in Stone before getting away, but turning into Aston Marina to collect a porthole glass that had been delivered there, and topping up with fuel at 81.8p. We carried on for about half a mile before finding a lovely spot to stop. 3 miles and 5 locks.

Carol and her garden on a sunny day

Thursday 13^th A surprisingly pleasant day after a really cold night, shorts were on again! Away at 9.20, we caught up with 2 boats at the first lock, and 3 others arrived before we left, and boats came up too. We made steady progress, surprisingly the water point at Gt Heywood was free, so we topped up before we queued at the next lock before passing through easily to Rugeley where we stopped at 3.15 just before bridge 67. We then headed into Costa & booked a table at the Royal Harris, a Chinese restaurant as I though Carol deserved a break.

A home owner has a great idea for slowing down boats

The coffee was good, the meal pretty good, it operated on a buffet system, but where you order what you want & it is cooked fresh for you. The Shoulder of Mutton in Foxton does the same, and in our opinion is better, but we both ate well.  11 miles 3 locks

Friday 14^th Mostly bright with a cool strong wind. We stocked up for friends visiting for Sunday lunch, and collected repeat prescriptions. We didn’t rush as we only wanted to get towards Fradley but we had a pleasant cruise stopping for the night above Woodsend Lock. The heating was put on!  6 ½ miles.

Above Woodsend lock

Saturday 15^th A glorious day, and all we did was cruise down 3 locks and moored opposite the services block in Fradley. A volunteer was marshalling boats going down into the junction, and warning people about fresh paint on the lock gates. Volunteers from Coors Brewery had repainted them a few days before but sadly the paint was only dry on the surface but sticky and wet underneath!

After stopping we sample the cafes coffee (pretty good) and then Carol set to preparing food for Sunday lunch whilst I cleaned & polished. We enjoyed a walk around the nature reserve, picking some blackberries, and then a pint in The Swan. 1 mile, 3 locks

Sunday Disaster, the chicken had gone off!! It was in date but with this much pong we were not going to eat it!! Fortunately Carol had some chicken pieces she could interpret into a great meal. Our friends dined royally and we had a great day.