Wednesday 16th March 2011
I’m back! Hurrah I hear you cry/ Oh no I hear you groan (delete as appropriate)!
Today we finally embarked upon this year’s cruise. As with last year, we have got off to a fairly rigorous and exacting start and have travelled all of about a mile and a half! In fact we have only got as far as Stenson! No point in over doing it on the first day we thought and it is still a bit chilly! It is nice to look out of the window and see something different to the boat next door it has to be said.
So what of this year’s cruise? Well, at the moment our plans are, to go down the Trent with Barry and Barbara, we are meeting them at Trent Lock on Saturday. On the way down the Trent we will take in the Chesterfield and the Witham and Fossdyke canals before leaving at Keadby and travelling, via the South Yorkshire navigation and the Aire and Calder to the Leeds and Liverpool canal, where we and Barry and Barbara will go our separate ways, or more aptly our different paces.
When we finish the Leeds and Liverpool we will be going down the Bridgewater canal back to the T and M. Then there may be a possible diversion on to the River Weaver via the Anderton boat lift. Then back down the Shroppie with another possible diversion up the Llangollen as far as Trevor again. And finally back to Mercia for Nov 1st. Phew, that’s a bit of a trip!
Tomorrow we are planning to get to Shardlow which is 9 miles and 5 locks from here. I am a bit out of practise with locking etc so it could all take some time!
