Monday 27th September
We have only come about 2 miles today but with the addition of 5 locks and a 3 lock staircase it took 3 and a half hours! We came through the first 2 locks with no hold ups and when we arrived at the first lock in Grindley Brook there was no queue so we were a bit chuffed.
However, when we got to the second lock there was a queue of 3 boats for the third one and a queue of 3 boats for the staircase. The lock keepers were letting 4 boats come down the staircase then 3 boats up and so on. We had to wait between locks 2 and 3 for the boats to come down and again between lock 3 and the staircase. All this took quite a long time but it’s all good fun.
By the time we had got through the locks and stopped for water it was past George’s pub time! So we went off to the Horse and Jockey. We had hardly sat down outside when it started to rain. Luckily we were allowed to take George in the pub. On the way back we called at the garage and the lockside shop for a few bits of shopping.
Then we met Jim and Sheena on Arlanza, coming up the locks. It is Jim’s birthday today and he is 30 (plus 28)!
Tomorrow we are going on to Ellesmere which is about 13 miles from here but there are no locks! We will probably stay there Wednesday and have a shopping and consolidation day as the weather forecast is bad.
