Heading home….

We decided yesterday that we hadn’t the heart to continue on this journey, so  after a horrendous day yesterday, the weather matching our mood, when  it dawned dry and clear this morning, we left Aston Marina and set off for home.  There won’t be many blogs over the next week or so, unless  something worth writing about occurs,  so this one consists mostly of photos of the flooded conditions we encountered today.  We are moored below Haywood Lock for the night, opposite Shugborough Hall, and as I write this, it has begun to rain again. 

Last night in the marina – the water rose about 6 inches yesterday.  Only another couple of inches and the pontoons would have been under water!

Nb Potty Bucket, moored a few slips along from us, with a huge list on before her ropes were loosened!

The Trent, which runs alongside the canal – usually not much more than a wide stream

Flooded fields each side of the river

Flood water pouring from the fields into the canal

The river at Weston – more like a lake!

The two photos above are taken from Essex Bridge at Shugborough

Haywood Junction in the sunshine

8.5 miles and 4 locks

Thank you….

Thank you to everyone who put a comment on my last blog – knowing you are all thinking about us helps a lot.  Using lots of tissues while reading them!

Night night Cassie….

 

It is with great sorrow that I write this blog.  Yesterday afternoon, while I was writing yesterday’s blog, Cassie snuck off the boat onto the pontoon, wandered along it to the gate, and somehow fell in the water.  We don’t know how she came to fall, but we suspect that she may have had a fit.  She was fished out fairly quickly, but her breathing was very laboured and a very kind family loaded her into the back of their estate car and took us to the local vet.  She was put on oxygen to try to help her breathing, but she deteriorated very quickly.  When it became obvious that she wasn’t going to recover, the vet suggested that the kindest thing was to put an end to her suffering, which we did.

So rest in peace our gorgeous girl.  You’ve crossed the rainbow bridge to doggie heaven where there are lots of feet to sit on and legs to lean against, and every narrowboat bow has someone on it to give you a treat.

Another soaking….

Trent and Mersey, Weston-on-Trent to Aston Marina

Having got soaked yet again yesterday morning, and having seen the weather forecast for the next few days we decided that enough was enough and pulled into Aston Marina for a few days.  I’ve used the laundry here to wash and dry bedding and towels – we have a washing machine and a dryer on board, but the dryer is a small one and although it will do towels, it takes ages as it’s a condenser dryer, and it’s a bit too small to dry a king size duvet cover, so it’s always nice to take the opportunity to use a big washer and dryer.  We sat out the rain yesterday afternoon, and this morning we got a taxi into Stone to do a bit of shopping.  Tomorrow is set to be very wet indeed, according to the forecast – the heaviest rain is due to be in Staffordshire!  Ironically enough, today has been dry, with sunshine and cloud, but very humid.

Aston Marina is quite large.  it has a Farm Shop and Bistro, and all the normal amenities.  The staff are very friendly, and at £10 a night, it’s not too pricey, as marinas go.

A new development of canal-side cottages at Weston, very sympathetically designed, we thought

All four above pictures are Aston Marina

6.25 miles and 2 locks

Boat spotting….

Trent & Mersey, n of Rugeley to Weston-on-Trent

It was still very dull and damp when we set off this morning.  We were soon queuing at Colwich Lock, but only 2 boats in front of us, so not so bad.  After Colwich we were in the run up to Hayward Junction, passing Shugborough Hall.  We spotted fellow bloggers nb Piston Broke, moored at Little Hayward.  We gave them a toot but nobody appeared. 

We continued on to Hayward Junction and stopped to fill with water, empty cassettes and try and get a new drive belt for the engine as the Anglo Welsh yard there are Isuzu dealers.  No luck, but they said if we phoned them a couple of weeks before our return journey they would order one in and keep it for us.  While hanging around waiting for them to look for the belt I spotted Beacon’s No 5 boat, Goldcar Lily, possibly waiting for an engine service or some-such. 

Again Joyce and Derek were nowhere to be found – shame, it would have been nice to see them again.  We set off again, under a darkening sky and decided that we’d moor up when we found a suitable spot.  Passing Great Hayward Marina, we spotted another Beacon boat there, but couldn’t see the stern to find out which it was, but it was in Beacon’s unmistakable livery of black, red and cream, as are we.  It had to be either No 4, Ethelron,       No 7, Seventh Heaven or No 10 Singing Hinny, as  they are the only 3 in original Beacon livery that we don’t know the whereabouts of. 

We found a nice little visitor mooring between Hoo MIll Lock and Weston Lock.  Nice and quiet and with only room for a couple of boats - just as we like it, and got tied up before the rain arrived.  We’ve had showers most of the afternoon, but not nearly as bad as yesterday.

Tonight’s mooring, and the view

4.25 miles and 3 locks

It’s raining–again!!!….

Trent and Mersey, Handsacre to north of Rugeley

Not a lot to say about today really, apart from it’s bloody raining again!  Getting fed up with it now.  We left Handsacre this morning, made a quick stop at the Morrison’s in Rugeley, and then continued on a while to a mooring we have stopped at before, near Wolsey.

5.2 miles and 0 locks

No luck at Fradley….

Hopwas, Coventry Canal to Handsacre, Trent and Mersey Canal

This morning we left Hopwas after saying farewell to a fellow blogger on nb Kanbedun Again.  We had a long chat yesterday evening, but it was only after we’d parted that I realised that I didn’t ask her name!  A lovely boat and a very brave lady single-handing around the country!

The plan was to moor at Fradley Junction, and we hoped we’d find a spot as we had worked out that we’d be there by lunchtime.  We spotted Beacon’s No 14 boat, nb Post Combustion moored a Huddlesford and gave them a toot and a wave.  The couple who own her came to have a look at Windsong and Serenity when we were moored at Bradford on Avon in 2010, when they were considering Beacon as their boat fitter – obviously they were impressed as Post Combustion is the result.

We spotted a new Marina being dug just north of Huddlesford, and before Streethay Wharf – it could do with one around there as there isn’t much mooring to be had.

New marina site

Streethay Wharf – always busy even on a Sunday

We have a lot of boating history around this part of the world and it’s always nostalgic for us to come this way, although not always in a good way.  We were towed to Streethay Wharf once in our old boat ‘Teasel’ after the engine conked out – the lads at Streethay took it out and sent it to Derby for a re-build – it wasn’t much better afterwards!

Soon after Streethay we arrived at Fradley and there wasn’t a spot to be had!  We were disappointed as we’d hoped to have Sunday Lunch in The Swan.  This is the first time we’ve EVER had to sail on by!  Mind you, we always try to arrive about Friday lunchtime and stay the weekend.

Fradley and The Swan

We turned to port at the junction onto the Trent and Mersey, and continued up the two locks, hoping to squeeze in on the moorings at the top – again no luck. We did spot our old Ownerships share boat at the top though – nb Kinver.

I think Fradley is her permanent mooring as we’ve seen her here before.

We continued on.  And on.  And on.  We eventually managed to find a mooring at Handsacre.  There is a chippy here, but again we are unlucky as it’s closed on Sundays.  It’s been one of those days!  Cold too, in the wind, with grey cloud and no sunshine until now.  We can’t believe that it’s the 1st July today and we were huddled up on the back with jumpers and fleeces on!

12.4 miles and 3 locks