Last night we had a really lovely carvery at the Eagle and Sun with Phil and Rosie, Adam and Aneka. Oh and Buster and Woody came along too! After the meal Adam and Aneka went home and Ken and I had a couple of wines on the back of Phil’s boat, as you do. A very pleasant evening was had by all and it was good to see them again.
This morning at about 7-30 am Phil and Rosie went off to the marina. We left the moorings about 8-30 am thinking we were just going to have an easy day, travel a few miles with no locks and moor at Tibberton. We really need to get to a shop or Post Office as we have nearly run out of money! There is a store at Tibberton according to the Nicholson’s so that was the plan.
As I filled in the locks section of my boat log this morning with a 0 I thought I may be being a bit premature. And as it turned out I was!
We arrived at Tibberton quite early, too early as it turned out. We tried to moor about quarter of a mile before the pub moorings but after some titting about trying to get the back end in and Ken nearly getting savaged by an alsatian we gave it up as a bad job and decided to carry on to the pub.
However, when we got there none of the boats which had been moored there over night had left yet. Actually had they have been a bit more considerately moored there would have been plenty of room for us to get in but there you go.
We went past the row of moored boats and spotting some more mooring rings a bit further down the canal we decided to try and moor again. But again we were thwarted by the shallow water and after another bout of titting about we gave up.
The further we went the nearer to the next lot of locks we got. In the end we had to do them. This was the Offerton locks of which there are 6. After our last unsuccessful mooring attempt we had pulled out in front of an oncoming Black Prince so when we got to the locks I got the top one ready then asked them if they wanted to go first. The chap was really surprised that I had asked but said it was ok as he was a bit slow.
Just as well they didn’t want to go first because we had done the six locks, moored up, made and eaten sandwiches and I had hung the washing out by the time they reappeared!
Having done 6 locks today this means I have only 10 left before we get to Worcester, yay! After this we will be on the Severn and the locks are operated by Lock Keepers. Then we will be on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal so I will have a lock free time. What ever will I do with myself?
Well, since I have been busy with the locks for the last week there’s the hoovering, mopping, dusting, window cleaning and external cleaning to do. Not to mention the European ironing mountain!
