Sunday 25th August
We had a good run today from Penkridge to Tixall beating our usual time for the journey (5 hours) by 30 minutes. It is a trip of 11 miles and 7 locks and we thought that 4.5 hours was pretty good including a sanitary station stop. We only got held up at the last lock, at Tixall, where there were two boats queuing.
During our journey Cathy texted us and told us how many free spaces there were here. By the time we arrived I think we got the last one! The boat in front of us, Robyn’s Retreat, moved back to us later to make a larger space in front of them which was soon also filled.
After we got ourselves sorted we went off and met up with Cathy and Mick who are moored quite a bit nearer to Great Haywood than us. We all walked up to the farm shop where we got some lovely veg. Then we went to The Clifford Arms (where else?) for a restorative pint of Broadside at 50p a pint cheaper than Southwold!
It was quite late when we returned from the pub, not because we had exceeded the stated dose but because it was quite late when we went in there in the first place! When we got back we got chatting to Ken and Carol on Robyn’s Retreat and before we knew it it was dinner time. As we were having the soup Ken made earlier and bake yourself baguettes it didn’t take long to get the dinner.
Tomorrow Ken is doing his batteries and I am cleaning the starboard side of the boat – again!
