Tuesday 20th August
We discovered why we were Billy No Mates on the moorings we were in last night. This morning at 3-45 am the road works on the bridge nearby started up! Honestly, we couldn’t believe it, there was a generator or a water pump going and hammers banging and chaps shouting to one another! Great!
Fortunately, today was a relatively short and easy one travelling wise as we have come 6 miles and just 2 locks from Compton on the Staffs and Worcester canal to Brewood on the Shropshire Union Canal. We are moored on the rural moorings between bridges 7 and 8 about a 30 min walk from Brewood.
Our plans for the rest of the year mean we have a few days spare at the moment because we don’t need to be back in Willington until the second week of September. So we are going to spend them on here going down to Wheaton Aston to get some cheap diesel and have a couple of days chilling. I have some cleaning to do (inside and out) as I have not been able to do much lately with all the travelling and locks I have had recently.
Actually I was going to do some dusting this morning on the way here but I only managed the hoovering and mopping. Just as well as it turned out because there has been some harvesting or something going on in the field opposite the boat this afternoon and the whole thing is covered with and full of this white dust which looks like ash! I would have been rather peeved if I had just cleaned!
When we resume our journey back to Willington we are hoping to meet up with Mick and Cathy, who are finally leaving Mercia tomorrow, with Mick now recovered from the operation he had in June, somewhere, probably Great Haywood.
We want to avoid the National Fishing Competition which is being held between Rugeley and Burton on Sunday 8th Sept so are planning to go through there after that day. We are then going into Mercia Marina for a week during which time we are going to Gunthorpe and staying at the Unicorn with Mum and Dave for a few days.
Then we are going back down to the Gloucester and Sharpness via Birmingham and the Droitwich Canal. That is the current plan any way.
Back to today, after mooring up we walked up to the village and went to The Bridge for a couple of pints of Cocker Hoop, one of our favourite beers. We spent some time chatting to a couple we have been leap frogging for a couple of days. They had just had lunch and were supposed to be going for a 5 mile walk but when we passed their boat on our way back they hadn’t gone and he was fishing!
Also on the way back we met a couple walking, who have nearly completed walking the length of all the connected canals in England. It has taken them nearly 30 years and they will finish doing it next year.
This afternoon we both had to have little kip, what with the early rude awakening, an hour’s walk to the pub and back and the Cocker Hoop. This evening Ken has been fishing for the first time in ages. He actually caught a nice roach while he had the rod brought in to the side while a boat came past.
Don’t really know what’s happening tomorrow.
