We had a slightly leisurely breakfast, unfortunately watching boats heading south which meant that the locks would be against us, but hey that's this trip! The chap on the boat that we'd helped through several locks yesterday headed off into the distance too.
Pooteling along through Little Stoke past all the very new houses there was a dog who was having such a great time on his walk that his tail was about to lift him off the ground it was going round so fast. At Aston Lock we came across a share boat heading up, so we leant a hand. It seemed like they'd not been boating much before. But everyone has to learn. Down the lock and a sharp turn into Aston Marina. It took us a little while to find the pump out and diesel which are located under a bridge in the middle of the marina miles away from the office.
So off Mick went to get a token for the pooh sucky machine and to get someone to fill us up with diesel. When he returned I decided that it was all mens work this, so headed off to investigate the farm shop and butchers. The shop is very lovely and I was tempted by many things yummy to eat, but managed to restrain myself into only buying some Staffordshire cheese and some pork and black pudding sausages. These weren't the cheapest but looked very nice. Quite glad that the syndicate decided not to move there as all our pockets would have been much lighter!
After Mick had filled and emptied WD, he then had to go out back onto the canal to then come back in to get to the shop and pick up coal. Snow looks like it's forcast and we've already got through a bag and a half in a week. As we left there was a boat at the pump out which we managed to squeeze past at the bridge, they were filling their water tank with the rinse out hose from the pump out, Eewww!
Back out on the canal heading south we passed quite a few very smart houses, they seem to really like their tall chimneys round here.We passed a hire boat that had got stuck on the side, three chaps pushing on their barge pole, we offered to tow them off, but they declined. At the next lock they caught us up and helped closing the gates and paddles. The hire boat we'd seen training yesterday in Stone was having it's cruiser stern mopped as we went past. One of their dogs was sea sick! It did look miserable! Wonder if that'll have any bearings on whether they buy a live aboard? We stopped shortly after for some lunch, it had been a while since breakfast and it seemed that all the locks would be against us anyway. The hire boat and a couple more passed us whilst we tucked into the Staffordshire cheese.
The afternoon was really quite sunny and the threat of rain earlier on in the day hadn't materialised. We pootled on through Weston upon Trent and passed the hire boaters returning from a pint at the Saracen's Head. At Weston Lock I started to fill it when another boat appeared behind us followed by the hire boat and then shortly after that another boat. Queue! At least we were at the front of it! Now even though there were all of a sudden an awful lot of people at the lock it seemed like Mick and I were going to be doing it by ourselves. So I started to walk back to close the gate behind WD with Mick saying in a loud voice "Don't worry I'll close the gate". this seemed to work and a lady from the next boat in the queue came to help close it for us. She seemed knowledgeable, but then asked some very strange questions like " Oh are the paddles down already?" when they obviously were. "What's this? Does it make it quicker if you use this?" referring to a ground paddle (there was also a gate paddle at this lock). On we went and at Hoo Mill Lock they only just caught us up to help close the bottom gates.
At one point we passed a field that looked like it had travellers ponys in it and sure enough they must have been as there was a traditional caravan just by the canal. From Stone southwards I hadn't done before. A few years ago we had done the Four Counties Ring, but I had had to go to Hull for one day to work and had missed this stretch. Mick had Tixel Wide in mind for tonights mooring so we turned onto the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal and pootled until it obviously came into view. We moored up shortly before the sun was going to set, made a cuppa and wondered at how we would cope with no fair at our side for the night. All this peace and quiet.
There is a rather wonderful Elizabethan Gate House across from the canal which apparently you can rent out for a night or four. The original house really must have been something if this was just the gate house. As the sunset a swan came pecking at the boat demanding food, so I obliged. It really is a beautiful spot, we'll have to come back in the summer sometime.
Sausage and Roast Veg finished off a rather lovely evening.
10 miles 4 locks
At one point we passed a field that looked like it had travellers ponys in it and sure enough they must have been as there was a traditional caravan just by the canal. From Stone southwards I hadn't done before. A few years ago we had done the Four Counties Ring, but I had had to go to Hull for one day to work and had missed this stretch. Mick had Tixel Wide in mind for tonights mooring so we turned onto the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal and pootled until it obviously came into view. We moored up shortly before the sun was going to set, made a cuppa and wondered at how we would cope with no fair at our side for the night. All this peace and quiet.
There is a rather wonderful Elizabethan Gate House across from the canal which apparently you can rent out for a night or four. The original house really must have been something if this was just the gate house. As the sunset a swan came pecking at the boat demanding food, so I obliged. It really is a beautiful spot, we'll have to come back in the summer sometime.
Sausage and Roast Veg finished off a rather lovely evening.
10 miles 4 locks
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