First This Year

With the visit of Pete and Michelle from Reading, Quidditch got her first sailing of 2007.

In fact astonishingly this was the first time we had ventured beyond the marina since ending our Summer 06 tour in September. What greeted us was a shock to say the least! The traffic on this stretch of the canal system seems to have increased 5 fold. We knew that the newly increased size of Calcut Marina (200 extra berths) would have an impact but where have the rest come from? Who knows what it's going to be like when Vetnor Marina eventually launch their extra 200 berths?
While having breakfast at bridge 103 on the Sunday morning it was like being on the canal version of the M25 motorway. This section of the system already known as 'Tick-Over Alley' has certainly earned it's name. For us I'm afraid it's taken away the tranquillity of mooring at bridge 103 our favourite local spot, gone are the days when one or two boats would drift by enroute to Braunston.
Nevertheless, Pete and Michelle thoroughly enjoyed their short stay and insight into the boaty way of life. Pete goes away with the unfortunate accolade of The Quidditch All-Time-Top-Snorer!!
Dee and I now look forward to the end of May when our Summer 07 tour begins, late this year due to our 3 week Scottish camping and twitching trip.

Tour 06 Ends

Our final trip of Tour 06 was to take Quidditch to Welford for hull blacking. We’d booked our dry dock from Monday September 25th.


Located at the very bottom of the Welford Arm (Leicester section of the Grand Union) we estimated that the journey would take 2 days sailing. Setting off from Wigram’s on Friday 22nd we moored overnight just 40 minutes down at bridge 103, one of our favourite short trips. This would give us a head start come Saturday. This would also be a new stretch for us, as we’d not as yet ventured the other side of the Grand Union past Braunston locks.
Setting off around 9.30am Saturday we arrived at the 6 Braunston double locks and locked thru’ with NBAnnie from Braunston Marina, completing the top lock at around midday. NBAnnie was well off for crew so Dee had a reasonably easy transition.
Next came another first as we completed the 2042 yard Braunston Tunnel. This was the first time we’d completed a two-way tunnel and after passing several boats within, including a working boat being towed, we emerged into a wooded cut 20 minutes later.
At Norton Junction we turned north on the Leicester section heading towards Crick. From here the canal meanders through light woods and rolling fields before the motorway (M1) and railway takes over, the canal literally passes the back door of Watford Gap services!
Arriving at Watford Locks we were presented with a small queue of 5 boats and a 90-minute delay. After negotiating the locks, which includes a staircase of 4 single locks (this the reason for delays), we continued on navigating the Crick tunnel at around 4.30pm. 1528 yards long, the tunnel was opened in 1814. All tunnels built in this area suffered great problems in construction. Quicksand’s caused the route of the tunnel to be changed and greatly affected work. Stephenson found similar difficulties when building the nearby Kilsby tunnel for the London to Birmingham Railway.
We moored for the day overlooking Crack’s Hill, a curious looking tree topped mound!
Sunday we had a leisurely journey and after turning onto the Welford Arm at Welford Junction we arrived at our dry dock at around 4pm, passing thru’ the one 3ft lock at Welford, the only lock of the day.
Leaving our dry dock Wednesday 27th our work complete the journey back was excellent with no delays at Watford Locks and making good time we moored at Ball’s Bridge (N0.3) for the night. Thursday 28th we set off around 11am arriving back at Wigram’s at about 4pm our journey complete. The one event of note on our way back occurred just as we emerged from the Braunston tunnel when 2 hire boats collided head-on within! Fortunately no serious damage but we were sure glad we passed the oncoming boat outside of the tunnel!!

Claydon and Back!

Once again we're back in port for the weekend having returned to drop off an old friend of ours who's visiting from Dubai.

Don't let the picture put you off!!!

What a contrast! From Villa to narrowboat! Still, we'll be enjoying Dave's hospitality when we visit him for the whole of October.
Our trip up to Claydon was uneventful with the odd exception.
As we approached lock 11 of the Napton flight I was surprised to see the gates, left open by the exiting boat who'd clearly spotted us, closing as we approached. Despite sounding my horn several times to alert the nice lady to our impending arrival, alas it was to no avail, once again we'd had the lock turned on us! A waste of water and bloody annoying. When I asked the question 5 minutes later 'WHY' it was the old chestnut 'I didn’t see you'. Well that's interesting I said I certainly saw you. I was then told as they departed the lock that I was a very rude man! Personally I can't think of anything ruder on the waterways than turning a lock against an approaching boat. Unfortunately there seems to be less and less consideration as more boats appear on our canal system. I'm still unsure whether to name and shame.
Anyway Dave was amused and all in all I think he had a real good time. Although he did complain on departing this morning about aching muscles he never knew he had.
Claydon from Napton is actually a good trip to complete over 5 days. Plenty of locks, good views at bridge 130, the Bygones museum and even a medieval village to investigate at Wormleighton. It gives your guest a good idea of what life is like aboard a narrowboat. Lots of physical work at the locks, the great outdoors and plenty of food and wine. A stop at the Wharf, Fenny Compton for lunch is also a nice treat.
The weather was excellent apart from yesterday morning when we had torrential rain. Having said that I was at the tiller for the duration while Dee and Dave enjoyed the comforts of the cratch cover! Mind you they worked hard later as we completed the return trip thru' Napton flight. A 13-boat queue from the top lock resulted in a 4 hour stint before reaching the bottom lock in bright sunshine and almost cloudless skies.
Despite being the middle of September there's still very little sign of the tree's starting to loose foliage. This years yields of fruit are astonishing. Blackberries, Sloe and Elderberry are in abundance with some bushes keeling over from the sheer weight. Dee's baked here 3rd blackberry and apple pie this month, not that I'm complaining. Lots of Swallows are still visible but we haven't seen a Swift now in over a week.
We're heading off again on Tuesday 19th in continuation of our Autumn Tour.

Monthly Log ( August)

Well unlike the fantastic weather in July, August has seen spring, summer and autumn all rolled into one.


There’s not been one evening this month where we’ve been able to sit out and enjoy the late summer sunshine, let alone BBQ!
During August we’ve continued our journey south down the Trent and Mersey Canal, once again completing the Harecastle Tunnel and navigated the beautiful Caldon Canal (See earlier post ‘Caldon Canal’). One note of advice to anyone planning to visit the Caldon is to fill up on fuel. Stupidly I decided to forgo a top up as we passed thru’ Stoke-on-Trent only to discover that the Caldon has nowhere to re-fuel. Well there is one unofficial place but we only discovered that on the way back down! Situated in-between bridges 28/29 you’l find an extremely well stocked farm shop and very helpful owners who will happily sell you diesel from jerry cans at 52p a litre, we bought 60, a lifesaver. The home made steak and stilton pie was also very delicious.
After exploring the Caldon we returned to the mainline Trent and Mersey Canal progressing south and mooring at Stone for shopping and lunch on the 21st. Continuing south down the Trent Valley we reached Great Hayward Junction where the Trent and Mersey meets the Staffs and Worcester Canal on the 22nd and moving on passed thru’ unattractive Rugeley, mooring a couple of miles north of Fradley Junction. On the 24th we took the turn onto the Coventry Canal at Fradley and moored for a walkabout and lunch, moving on later in the day.
Over the final week of August we’ve completed the Atherstone flight of 11 locks which only took a couple of hours this year. Last year we took over 4 hours to complete the same stretch due to a water shortage in the filler pools! On the 29th and in torrential rain we made the turn onto the North Oxford Canal, the home straight for Wigram’s Turn, our home marina! From here we’ll be moored on Monday September 4th our main Summer 06 tour complete. Were has the time gone?
Over the month we’ve reached 2 milestones, firstly, ‘Quidditch’ reached her 1000th cruising hour and secondly, on the 26th we reached our 100th day out on tour.
This month we’ve lost my favourite hat, Dee’s favourite umbrella and a portable table. Don’t ask how we managed to loose a table! Today the 30th we were hit for the first time this year by a passing boat, while moored and nothing else around! Always baffling and made worse by the reaction of the other idiot!
The wildlife has been as interesting as ever with large numbers of Buzzards and we’ve even spotted several Quail feeding in open view! Swallows, Swifts and Martins are becoming fewer as the days move on obviously an early migration back to Africa. Who can blame them!
Peacock and Meadow Brown butterflies have also been numerous this month. Finally for the first time this year we managed to spot a Barn Owl, in 2005 we saw many but very absent this year. The trees and bushes are yielding vast amounts of fruit with large numbers of blackberries to be picked and pies to be made. And the autumn looms ever nearer.
(Pictured Above... Dee at Consall Station on the Churwell Valley Steam Railway. The Caldon Canal is literally just below the platform to the left.)

'Quidditch' Milestone

After breakfast (Friday 18th) we set off to cover the remaining section of the Caldon Canal and then back onto the Trent and Mersey main line.

It turned out to be a very long day.
Having navigated the un-savoury part of the canal we got held up for at least 90 minutes at Etruria staircase lock in a group of 4 boats. These locks are extremely slow on filling and the top lock has to be re-filled before another boat can proceed. The Etruria lock is the only one of it’s kind in Staffordshire, thank goodness!
Turning South back onto the mainline Trent and Mersey ‘Quidditch’ reached somewhat of a milestone recording her 1000th hour of cruising. We decided to progress thru’ the built up area of Stoke-On-Trent in the late afternoon. At around 6pm we finally moored for the day just North of Trentham after an 8hour stint.
Our plan now is to gradually make our way back down to our home base at Wigram’s where we need to moor for a week to attend some family events. Then we’ll be setting off again for another 3 weeks out. Where has the Summer gone? We can’t believe that last night we had to put the central heating on as the temperature plummeted! August weather has so far been a disappointment.
Over the weekend we laid up at the visitor moorings just after bridge 104, a stones throw from the Wedgwood Factory.
On Monday we continued down the short distance towards Stone and gave up around 1pm having been forced to queue at every lock. This time of year is one of the busiest with holiday boats and particularly on this stretch with boats completing the Four Counties Ring. After mooring we cycled into Stone for provisions and lunch. On our return we met one of the holiday boats who'd been behind us earlier at a lock still in a queue only 2 locks on, we'd been gone 90 minutes!
Tuesday afternoon we took a steady pace down the Trent Valley mooring just prior to Great Haywood Junction where the Staffs and Worcester Canal connects.
Wednesday started off not too bad despite the forecast of rain but deteriorated quite rapidly as the day wore on. We moored eventually at around 4.30pm in torrential rain and thunder around a mile from Fradley Junction. Tonight (Thursday 24th) we’re moored just north of Tamworth having taken the turn onto the Coventry Canal at Fradley, stopping briefly for lunch. Amazingly there's not a cloud in the sky!

Caldon Canal

Since our last post on August 10th we progressed south down the Trent and Mersey Canal and last Friday August 11th we completed the 2926 yard Harecastle Tunnel.

After mooring at the southern end overnight we continued South picking up our next turn onto the Caldon Canal at Stoke on August 12th.
Today, Thursday August 17th we’re moored just short of bridge 28 on our return journey back towards the Trent and Mersey main line.
The Caldon Canal – or, more correctly, the Caldon Branch of the Trent and Mersey – was designed as an outlet on to the canal system for the Caldon limestone quarries near Frogall. It was opened as a single branch to Frogall in 1779, tramways being constructed to bring the vast quantities of limestone down from Caldon low quarries a couple of miles to the east. Eighteen years later the Caldon’s owners, the Trent and Mersey Canal Company decided to build a secondary branch from the Caldon Canal to Leek. When you approach Hazlehurst the canal divides. One stretch heads towards Leek the other to Frogall. When you first turn onto the canal at Eturia your first thoughts are ‘my god we’re are we heading’ the area is very built up and should I say very ‘uninviting’ in parts but once bridge 19 is reached the canal breaks out and becomes more rural. Trust us it’s well worth it! We chose to complete the Leek stretch first crossing the main line over a large aqueduct and the scenery was breathtaking. After completing the 130yd Leek tunnel only a small stretch of this section remains so we turned back thru’ the tunnel and moored overnight at a beautiful and idyllic spot within a lagoon.
Returning to Hazlehurst we turned to complete the Frogall stretch, this time navigating under the aqueduct which 2 days ago took us up to Leek. The main line to Frogall is superb and mostly enclosed by steep and thickly wooded hills, totally unspoilt! We passed Cheddleton where the Churnet Valley Steam Railway (pictured...) begins it’s journey down to Frogall, the canal actually runs within yards of Consall station. Here we moored for 2 nights next to the lime kilns and explored the area spending the whole of Wednesday riding the train. This morning prior to torrential rain and thunder we set off on the final length turning at Flint Mill Lock and mooring back at Consall. We then completed the final stretch of canal by cycle. Frogall tunnel is only 4ft 4 inches high and cannot be taken by Quidditch.
Well that’s our week on the Caldon. The canal itself is a difficult one to navigate, low bridges, very shallow and narrow in places and takes good skills when passing other boats. The scenery at the top end of both stretches is breathtaking, the best so far. Totally unspoilt and you definitely get a sense of being completely cut off from the rest of world. 10 out of 10. Tomorrow, Friday 18th we continue heading back towards the T and M main line.

River Weaver

Thursday August 10th.. After spending an interesting week on the River Weaver we are currently moored on the Trent and Mersey Canal at Elworth, just west of Sandbach.


During our week on the river we completed the full navigable stretch from Winsford Flash on the south end to Runcorn and the industrial section to the northwest. Winsford Flash is a large expanse of water in an attractive setting among wooded slopes which was created by subsidence following salt extraction in the vicinity. The rivers navigable length is only 19 miles and has 5 manned locks. It rises in Peckforton Hills and proceeds via Wrenbury, Audlem, Nantwich, Church Minsall and Winsford to Northwich and Frodsham and is just over 50 miles in total. Originally a shallow and tidal stream, it was long used for carrying salt away from the Cheshire salt area.
The mineral was carried down by men and horses to meet the incoming tide. The sailing barges would load at high water , then depart with the ebbing tide. In 1721 three gentlemen of Cheshire obtained an act of parliament to make and maintain the river as a navigation from Frodsham to Winsford and is still navigable today. Maintenance appears to be an issue for us! The locks are badly out of date and the huge Vale Lock is till operated manually. Moorings on the river are few and far between and from Dutton Lock on the northern end be careful of the shallow banks and rock when approaching anything that looks moorable. However, the scenery on this stretch is beautiful, no houses or roads are seen for long periods.
The industrial top end of the river to Western Point won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but we found it fascinating. After passing the giant ICI complex you reach Weston Marsh where there is a lock down (pictured Above...) onto the Manchester Ship Canal, well worth exploring. Beyond, the navigation runs right along side the Ship Canal from which its separated by a tall bank. Eventually, after passing the entrance lock up onto the now abandoned Runcorn and Western Canal you arrive at a low 5feet swing bridge and unless your pre-booked and certified to enter the Ship Canal this is where your journey ends.
On Sunday we moored unexpectedly overnight at Dutton Lock which failed just as we were about to enter, the repairs took most of the afternoon. On the Monday we booked passage on the Anderton Boat Lift for 4pm and cruised up to Northwich first for shopping and lunch. By 5pm Sunday we were back ont the canal system.

Monthly Log ( July)

Well there’s one main headline for July and of course it’s been the weather. July was extraordinary.

However, writing our log this morning (August 2nd) in strong winds and rain situated on the River Weaver it seems long gone.

Over early July we entered the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal at Stourport moving off the River Severn and made our way North. 26 miles, 33 locks and 5 days later we moved thru’ the stop lock at Autherley Junction and onto the Shropshire Union Canal. The Staffs and Worcester Canal didn’t disappoint us once again and remains one of our favourites. On route we visited Stourport, Kidderminster and the rock houses at Kinver.
On entering the Shropshire Union we continued North over the coming weeks stopping at Wheaton Aston, Norbury Junction, Market Drayton and Audlem. The highlight was our visit to Hack Green Nuclear Bunker, once completely hidden and secret but opened to the public a few years go. Well worth a visit - If you can find it!!!!
Prior to the middle of the month our plans changed. We decided to forgo our planned visit to the Llangollen Canal for the 2nd year in succession. The recent breech on the canal and the time of year – (Lots of holiday boats) – had put us off. This canal is probably best completed out of season.
We turned East onto the Middlewich Branch of the Shroppie and moored at Cholmondeston on July 13th. Here we would stay for 7 days. While Dee visited a friend in Reading for a while over from Barbados I took the opportunity to hire a car and visit my old mum in Liverpool who wasn’t too well. A week later we turned about and set off for Chester and Ellsmere Port. This turned out to be a good and bad decision! (Read our recent post ‘The Badlands’). After returning from ‘The Badlands’ we moved back onto the Middlewich Branch eventually turning North onto the Trent and Mersey and on towards the River Weaver.
So July has been an excellent month with one exception and our tans are progressing nicely too. The wildlife has been good with the exception of Barn Owls. Plenty last year but none this! We’ve increased our knowledge of wild flowers, butterflies and birds and look forward to the coming month. The adventure continues....
Pictured... Dee at the Anderton Boat Lift.

Anderton Boat Lift

After leaving Billinge Green Flash on Sunday July 30th – (Sunday! What were we thinking!) – we continued on towards the Anderton Boat Lift on an extremely busy stretch of the Trent and Mersey Canal.

Having gave way to 3 oncoming boats moving thru’ bridge 181 just after leaving we were stunned when a holiday boat decided to overtake us throwing the whole procedure into chaos! I won’t repeat my reaction to the person on the helm, sufficed to say that he got the message! We eventually moored at bridge 196, Marbury Country Park, on a very frustrating day. Later in the afternoon we cycled the mile up to the Anderton Boat Lift for a sortie of what was required for tomorrow.
Monday morning 31st July and in rain and wind we made our way to the boat lift (pictured). This is an amazing and enormous piece of machinery built in 1875 by Leader Williams (later engineer on the Manchester Ship Canal) which connects the Trent and Mersey Canal to the River Weaver 50feet below. Having booked passage for 1pm ‘Quidditch’ was lowered the 50feet onto the Weaver Navigation. The whole amazing procedure took around 30 minutes. Turning West after leaving the lift we moored for the day. It was an incredible experience we’d recommend to any boater.
Tuesday August 1st and we moved off up the Weaver to Northwich. After stopping for a stroll and some shopping we left Northwich and completed Hunt’s Lock at around 1.30pm. Vale Royal lock for a 3.15pm passage was our next destination, this lock has timed entry and exit to conserve water. As I write this post we’ve just moored, the only boat in the vicinity, at 4pm after locking thru’. The lock keeper told us that we’ve been the only boat thru’ today and the last, ours was the last passage of the day. From here and just up a nearby hill is the remains of the old Vale Royal Abbey (believed to have been founded by Edward I and later dissolved by Henry VIII, who else!) Well worth a visit.

Rural England

Having had a good and uninterrupted nights sleep on the outskirts of ‘The Badlands’ we set off at 8am as planned and made for the staircase locks of Chester on our return journey.

Passing thru’ the locks after only a half hour we moored in the town centre and went for a walkabout. There’s actually loads to see in this Roman city. You can walk right around the city over the old city gates and past the defensive turrets, including King Charles’s Tower above the canal. We also walked down to the River Dee and past the old amphitheatre which was being excavated. There is also a Tesco supermarket 500yds from the mooring which enabled us to fully stock on food and drink.
At 2.30pm and after treating ourselves to a McDonalds we set off up the 5 locks and out of the city. We completed the stretch after around 2 hours. Although we enjoyed the city we were glad to be back in rural England and this lovely stretch back towards Beeston Castle. Our intention was to moor just after Waverton in a lovely spot we’d stayed in on our way down but unfortunately the spot, quite capable of handling 2 boats, was taken up by a single craft who’d selfishly moored smack in the middle. Another example of a thoughtless idiot. I must remember to name and shame these selfish sods!!
Sufficed to say we soon found an equally inviting mooring with ample shade. Tonight (Tues 26th) was the hottest this summer with the temperature at 10pm still in the high 20s.
Moving down on Wednesday we spent the evening once again with Mel and Trish, NB-Chardonnay, still moored at bridge 109 and barbequed.
On Thursday we continued South stopping at Chas Arden for diesel, Elsan and water, turning back onto the Middlewich Branch and mooring once again at Cholmondeston at around 5pm.
Friday began with a breakfast treat at Venetian Marina Cafe and then we moved on eastwards heading towards the Trent and Mersey Canal. Friday night we moored in a lovely spot with superb views to the west over the River Weaver and Winsford Top Flash.

Today Saturday July 29th began at around 10.30am locking thru’ onto the Trent and Mersey at around 1pm. Turning North towards our next destination of the Anderton Boat Lift which will drop us 50feet down onto the River Weaver. We continued thru’ the 3 locks at Middlewich arriving at a wide 14foot lock. This used to represent the beginning of a wide, almost lock-free navigation right thru’ to Preston Brook, Manchester and Wigan (very convenient for the salt industry when it shipped all of its goods by boat), but this long since redundant. We moored at 3.30pm in our first rain for almost a month just prior to reaching Billinge Green Flash.
The above picture is of a recent unknown visitor to Quidditch!!

The Badlands

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Ahoy!

No we haven’t got lost we’re up and running again! Computer problems!

The journey continues...

Departing Wheaton Aston we continued towards our next destination of Norbury Junction. Just prior to leaving we saw the cheapest diesel so far at 43.7p (Tavern Bridge 19). It makes you wonder how prices of 63P are achieved on the Gloucester and Sharpness!
After passing under Cowley Tunnel, (This short tunnel was originally designed to be much longer – 690yds – but most of it was opened out at an early stage during construction – 1831 – because of dangerous faults in the rock, and now only 81yds remain), we stopped briefly at Gnosall for shopping.
Passing over the huge Shelmore embankment we reached Norbury Junction. This is where the Newport branch used to lock down from the main line. Here there are excellent moorings, chandlery and coffee shop, not to mention the pub. We made the decision to lay up for the weekend having got a satellite link for the impending finale to the World Cup. Later in the day we had a long walk to Loynton Moss Nature Reserve, (bridge 39). This is a floating bog with an interesting plant community. We saw Spotted Flycatcher amongst other things and many Meadow Brown butterflies. Watch out for the horse flies! Dee got bitten several times but unusually I wore jeans instead of my customary shorts and survived.
Leaving Norbury we continued on, over-nighting at Market Drayton and after completing the 15 locks of the Audlem flight we visited the famous Shroppie Fly pub. This is a converted warehouse on the canal side, the main feature being the bar, which is shaped like a narrowboat. The most disappointing thing is the food price. I resent paying an amazing 12.95 for Gammon and chips!!! The whole menu was extremely pricey for a pub! We ended up having a portion of chips each.
After Audlem we moved down slightly to just North of bridge 83, Coole Pilate, where there is an attractive picnic and barbecue area. From here we cycled to and visited Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, (pictured). This is an excellent and unique day out discovering the world of ‘Nuclear Government’. I found the whole thing really sinister!
Last Thursday July 13th we passed thru’ Nantwich and bypassed the Llangollen Canal Turn making a right shortly after and headed east along the Middlewich Branch, mooring at Charlmondeston Lock at around 2pm. Here we remain until Next Thursday 20th. The plan is to hire a car for the weekend and for me to visit my old mum in Liverpool who’s not too well at present. Dee has made off to Reading to visit her friend for a few days who’s over from Jamaica. The plan this Thursday is to turn about and head for Ellsmere Port.

Shropshire Union

Thursday July 6th @ Wheaton Aston. After leaving Whittington Lock at around 10.30am on Monday we continued on thru’ Kinver.

This section of the canal is shrouded by delightful scenes. On both sides are cottages, pretty gardens, moored boats and a very low bridge! Tall steep hills rising to over 250ft appear on the east bank. The canal then leaves this damp, mossy area and bends round to Kinver Lock. Continuing on we pass thru’ the charming and diminutive Dunsley Tunnel a rough-hewn bore carved out of the rock, with overhanging foliage at either end. The next lock is at Stewponey, accompanied by a toll house. We pass the Stourbridge Canal turn at Stourton Junction which would be the first of many locks that carry this canal up towards Dudley and the Birmingham Canal Navigations. Not on our list for this year.
A few miles on and just prior to Rocky Lock in 33 degree heat we decided to moor having found excellent tree cover in idyllic surroundings. The rest of the day was spent crashed on the bank. In the evening we were entertained by an array of bird life in the woods opposite which included Nuthatch, Sparrowhawk and Tawny Owl’s.
Over the next few days we plan to navigate through Wombourne and the outskirts of Wolverhampton, not the most auspicious of areas but nevertheless pleasant in parts. After passing thru’ Wombourne on Tuesday we moored at Dimmingsdale Lock, luckily just prior to a thunderstorm. On the Wednesday we progressed north on the Staffs and Worcester, stopping at Compton for diesel and water. At around 2pm we entered onto the Shropshire Union Canal at Aldersley Junction. We then completed a very long day, mooring at Wheaton Aston at around 5.30pm last night. Today, Thursday, we laid up for the day having been woken by a thunderstorm at around 5.30am and torrential rain. Dee stayed aboard and I cycled some 8 miles into Pentkridge for a few provisions. Tonight we’re having a curry take-away.

Monthly Log (June)

Well it’s just on a week now since our last post at Gloucester Dock and already I find myself writing our June monthly log too.

(Pictured.. Quidditch moored at Slimbridge with Dee's dingy).

In brief June was spent primarily on the rivers. We arrived on the River Avon at Stratford on June 1st and progressed along the whole extent of this beautiful river progressing thru' onto the River Severn at Tewkesbury. After arriving at Gloucester Dock on June 9th we moved onto the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and here we stayed to explore, visiting Sharpness, Saul Junction and Slimbridge, until finally returning to Gloucester Dock. On June 27th we headed out and northward. The weather was exceptional apart from the odd torrential downpour and not too busy until the build up towards the Saul festival this weekend. We now leave these waters for the 2nd year in succession perhaps to return in a future year but for now we say farewell.
Since leaving the dock on Tuesday (a day late due to torrential rain) we progressed out of Gloucester and onto the River Severn mooring for the night at Tewkesbury once again. After leaving Tewkesbury on Wednesday morning we had a brief stop at Upton on Severn Marina to empty our Elsan toilets, (Gloucester was unfortunately broken!) and continued on thru’ Worcester mooring at the extremely attractive Bevere Lock at around 5pm, one of our longest days. This is the 2nd time we’ve passed straight thru’ Worcester! In our opinion Worcester council does nothing to attract the boater. The moorings are poor. You have a choice of mooring right under a busy road bridge or alongside Worcester race course, which at the time of passing had a race meeting in progress. Well maybe some peoples idea of a dream mooring!
We eventually arrived at Stourport on Thursday and moored river side, surprisingly the only boat there overnight. We’d completed the 43 mile Gloucester to Stourport stretch in 2 days as planned.
On Friday morning we locked thru’ Stourport Basin taking on drinking water and thus returning back onto the narrow canals.
Today we’re currently moored at Whittington Lock on the beautiful Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal just short of Kinver. We arrived here yesterday in 30 degrees and managed to achieve a tree sheltered mooring and satellite signal, only to have our hopes dashed by yet another England shootout! Lets not dwell. Here we stay until tomorrow when we move off northward heading up towards the Shropshire Union Canal which we hope to enter later in the week.
P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATTIE XXX

Return Leg

Friday June 23rd 10am. Gloucester Docks.
We arrived into Gloucester Docks yesterday on our return leg of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal at around 12.30hrs.

Pictured is the friendly Gloucester lock keeper John... The main feature over the past few days has been the strong wind. Unusual for this time of year and when your moored next to an estuary you really feel it too!
We’ve now completed this lovely canal and will stay in the docks until Monday. We then move thru' Gloucester Lock and off onto the River Severn for a 42 mile stretch, entering the Staffs and Worcester Canal at Stourport later in the week. We see the River Severn, although an attractive river in parts, as purely a means of getting from A to B. The Severn unfortunately has high banks on either side for many miles thus preventing a view of what is probably lovely rural landscape. Severn moorings are also extremely scarce and is therefore to our mind an unattractive proposition. This year are timing is slightly out as a Jazz Festival this weekend at Upton compounds the lack of moorings even further. Our reason for not leaving until Monday!
The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.... Having completed this section 2 years in succession it’s fair to say that we’ve explored the area fairly well. However, there’s still more to do and see, but that’s for another time. Dee’s dingy has once again been deflated and back in the hold! This year we considered attending the Saul Festival but decided that that too is for the future. We enjoyed our visit to the WWT-Slimbridge once again, (a large section of the grass had been cut on our return, see earlier post) and as ever we enjoyed our break from the locks, the G and S has only swing bridges which are manned. That said we’re now looking forward to returning to the narrow canal sections and our journey northward.Later we're off to see the Devinci Code...