I checked our time schedule, and found out that we would be in Warwick way too early. So there is a change of plans. We’re not going on the Avon to Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick. No, we go back to Worcester, do the Droitwich Canals (tick off), the Tardebigge Flight (again) and go to Birminhgam (again). … Read More →
It’s Lawrance on the tiller; and we face 15 swing bridges and one lift bridge. Guess who has to do the bridges? Wrong! All the bridges have bridge keepers! Procedure? Red light flashing: bridge keeper has seen us and started the sequence. Green light: go through bridge. But first we moor at the Sainsburys Pontoon. … Read More →
It’s an easy but boring run to Upper Lode Lock. The lock keeper gets a call, and the lock is ready for us. Beyond this lock the Severn is semi-tidal. Yes, and? The lock keeper asks: “Do you know about the tide?” “Tide? Eh, no. Why?” It turns out it was spring tide yesterday, so … Read More →
We’re on the river Severn again. We leave the beautiful blossom-lined canals, to face the uninteresting banks of the longest river of the UK. It’s hot, the moorings we plan to stop at are full, and we end up in Upton-upon-Severn. After seven hours of cruising I had breakfast at 06:15 hrs, and manage to … Read More →
A staggering 101 locks we did, after my last post on this blog. And 75¼ miles. In 12 cruising days. That’s one lock per 1.34 miles, or 8.42 locks per cruising day. It didn’t leave me much time for doing other things than steering the boat or doing locks. So today is B³ day: Bread … Read More →
As happened before, all the posts, from the moment we left the marina, are written today, and not in Stone, but in Stafford. There is not enough time to write, when one has to steer the boat, or do the locks, make bread, make pasta, cook meals… And if there is time, there is no … Read More →
Swansong told me HE planned to head for London. And I told her SHE planned to do the Llangollen. But in the end me and her meet at Etruria.~ Best laid plans… Well, before I meet Swansong, Magda and Lawrance want to tick off another canal: the Caldon Canal. I told them I’ve been there … Read More →
Leaving Middlewich the weather starts getting even worse than before. Now it is cold, and we have rain. The towpath is very muddy, the locks very hard, and one day, when we decided to call it a day at one o’clock, we get a deluge, no water proofs would have withstand that. The next day … Read More →
Did I say we didn’t have rain, so far? Well, when we leave Runcorn it is raining. Guess who’s on the tiller? With all that spare time we can afford to stop at the Lion Salt Works. An old ‘salt factory’ turned into a very interesting museum. Just the kind of thing I like. Lawrance … Read More →
Yes, we’ve left the marina. And changed our plans completely. The Llangollen Canal will have to wait till next year. We will go down the Trent& Mersey. Stop at Stafford Boat Club to enable Lawrance to go to his army reunion, and replan after that. We have heaps of time to get to Stafford, so … Read More →