A 10 hours day today.

24th April 2019

Himself was up and set off while I dozed on. The sun also struggled to get up today, it was past noon before it made an appearance and shone on us. There used to be a golf course or similar on the offside just North of Alvecote marina, now its an enormous building site.

We passed through Glascote locks and headed North through Fazeley, Hopwas and Whittington towards Fradley junction where we turned left onto the T&M. The weather decided to rain as we approached the swing bridge immediately before the junction and remained on and off for the rest of the afternoon.

As we were ascending the first lock at Fradley, a grandma and granddad accompanied by a young girl were watching us pass through. Grandad was trying to explain how everything worked to the young lass but was a bit out of his depth. We offered them all a lift into and through the second lock which they accepted. Having briefed them and settled them into the front well deck Graham explained things as we passed through the second lock before disgorging them above the lock and continuing on to Woodend lock.

By the time we arrived at Armitage the weather had turned to shipping forecast style ‘squally
showers’ (aka bank holiday weather :^) We continued on past this shed at Rugely which appears to be gradually collapsing to eventually moor for the night at Wolseley Bridge.

Graham was amused that the special reserved swan area at the Taft was being completely ignored by the swans who had made a nest at the other end of the moored boat. Obviously they cannot read the sign.

A ten hour day to do 29 lock miles.

Tonight's dinner was a chicken and veg curry; the Pataks butter chicken jar was dated best before 2015 but was still OK; was it OK to accompany it with Staffordshire oatcakes and call them Roti Staffs?

Brenda