Saturday 30th March

A bit more packing to do, loading the car etc doesn't put us off having a cuppa in bed on the last day. Then back to the jobs. Defrosting the hose being the main one, after half an hour in front of the stove it started to make gurgling noises so we could top the water up. At about 9am Guy turned up and was having a chat with the owners of Dragonfly. We loaded the car as it started to snow again, this was settling nicely on the ice in the marina. Our vacuum bags seem to have lost all their sealability so the car was fuller than when we'd arrived. Final checks and a quick hoover before the lady doing the valet turned up at 10am and that was us done.

A little farewell to WD and then we were off in search of breakfast. When we used to finish at Elton Moss we'd head into Sandbach for breakfast at Peppers, but with no idea of where to head, we aimed for the M1 with the hope we'd find somewhere. Well there's a lot of Tesco distribution centres around but they weren't going to provide a full english. So on to brave the M1 speed and stop at a service station. The breakfast here was better than the one we'd had in Birmingham, a lot more expensive though. Our three weeks of peace and quiet was shattered by all the cars going by, conversations, cutlery on crockery, trolleys going by and the incredible sound of chairs being dragged across the floor! We couldn't help laughing at it all.

Then back onto the M1, M18 and M62 then across the wolds to home to unpack, start on the mountain of washing and collect Houdini (my cat) from her holiday. Normal life in a big house with more than four steps and passing space in the kitchen, Strange!



Our three weeks on Winding Down had been cold, cosy, quiet but excellent and a fitting way to say goodbye to her. Our share in her is for sale and our next planned week not til November, by which time we hope to have sold up and moved onto Oleanna our very own boat.

We would like to thank Father Christmas last year for providing us with pure lambs wool socks and heat holder socks. Other thanks should also go to thermal underwear, fleecy lined trousers, water proofs, gloves, hats, chocolate and banana loaf, boat biscuits and last but not least Taybrite coal!

In total according to canal plan we did
171 miles 3.25 furlongs
200 locks
9 moveable bridges
12 tunnels

Friday 29th March

Our evening with Lizzie had been lovely but had left me slightly fuzzy headed so the morning was going to be slightly slower. We had scrambled egg on toast for Breakfast and hoped that the ice might melt a little before we needed to be off. A cup of tea and the ice seemed to be moving with the water so we thought we'd risk it.

So through the bridge to fill up with water we crackled through the ice. As the tank was filling up we could hear crunching noises coming from down the cut, a boat appeared from Crick Tunnel cutting it's way through the ice. Phew we wouldn't be the first! As the boat drew closer we realised that it was Bittern another Carefree Boat and who was at the tiller.. Artie (who runs the company)! We had a little chat as he crunched his way past, he said he'd broken the ice all the way for us! At least it wouldn't be us making all the noise!
Off we set with the weather intermittently sunny and then snowy. It really couldn't make it's mind up. At the tunnel we couldn't see through to the other end which we had done yesterday, curious! Only got to see the light when we had about 150m to go. At times it made you wonder if there had been a collapse or something, but the air wasn't dusty, just misty very misty!

We kept coming across areas where the sun hadn't melted the ice as yet and Arties trail was still obvious. Turning a bend round a field of sheep the familiar sound of the M1 came back and there they all were zooming by overhead. I took the rubbish to the bin above the top lock and went to check in with the lock keeper,  there were plenty of chaps in the little office, but not the chap we needed. So it was time to walk to the bottom of the locks to find him. One boat was coming up and he asked us to stay above the top lock. Yesterday they were holding a boat below the top lock just before the staircase, but this lock keeper said they never did that. Well he's the boss. Mick went to help with the boat coming up, whilst I waited more lock keepers turned up. We'd been worried that with the increase of boats in the last few days that there would be queues here, as I think CRT had. Apparently last Good Friday they had 54 boats go through, today we were only the fifth.

The last lock of any holiday has a certain sadness to it, poor Lock 67 on the Trent and Mersey used to get called names and have an occasional biff from my windlass as we went up it back to Elton Moss. It was a bit hard to do that with a lock keeper stood seven foot away! Now it was chore time! How we love Fridays!

First stop Welton Hyth for Diesel, a pump out and a new bottle of gas. We introduced WD to Mike here who was very cheery, chatty and helpful. Everything took a little while but was done properly and with care. Then up to the office to pay, we did an 80/20 split on the diesel and then had an even longer chat with Mike's wife. This was all very lovely, but we not only had to do our chores today but also retrieve the car from Elton Moss. We eventually left the Marina with Mike giving us a helpful tug round on the bow rope, filled, emptied, replenished and with an electricity pod on board for the hook up.

The short pottle back to Welton Haven was far too short as it meant the dreaded washing of WD couldn't be put off any longer. At least we'd been out for three weeks and only had to do it once. We found a pontoon space between Dragonfly and  Willow started to wash one side. I always have to remind Mick how we do this and he then spends the next hour or so saying "have we finished yet?!".

Guy came and introduced himself and asked us if we could wind WD which we were going to do anyway to wash the other side and then we could hook up easier. He also had a pod for us for the Electricity.  So we swapped pods leaving him to return the one we'd got. Guy checked over other boats that had already been vacated whilst we carried on washing and rinsing. Mick was getting to the point where I would have to redo the bits he was doing, so it was time for him to depart and get the car. We gave my friend Lizzie a quick call as she'd offered to give Mick a lift to the station. It was now 4pm, later than planned, so I waved goodbye and rewashed the back deck!

After dropping Mick at Rugby Lizzie came for a nosy around WD and a cuppa, which meant I got a break from washing windows. My plan was to do my jobs first then work through Micks leaving the worst til last. Time on a narrowboat goes slowly, but not as slowly as when you are waiting for someone to return with a car so that you can get some food after not having had lunch! Five hours after leaving Mick returned, most of the jobs were done (apart from the worst ones!) and my stomach really wasn't happy. So straight into Long Buckby for a curry, which was okay. Maybe Lizzie had meant the other Indian restaurant!? The car was scary. "Too fast!!!! You're going too fast!!!!" I also didn't like being so close to the front of the car, everything was going by too quickly and far too close, another fifty foot away would have felt much better! Three weeks of 4 miles an hour, going at 30 was bad, what was it going to be like tomorrow doing 70!

Back to the boat for a final glass of wine to calm the nerves before bed.

5 miles, 7 locks, 1 tunnel