Friday, May 10, 2019

Three day catch-up

Thursday 25th April 2019

Back to normal April weather today. We stopped at Great Haywwod junction for a water-fill. The flow was initiallyslow as another boat was filling from the other tap but once they’d finished it sped up. The service area was covered in notices advertising a local launderette only 10 minutes away. This could be usefull for our extended cruising plans. We googled the postcode and yes, it was 10 minutes away – by car! We wont be lugging all our dirty clothes that far for a wash.
Today, we only had hot cross buns as bread. Graham’s home brewis very good for making bread so I looked in “Cut & Pastery” and decided to use up some of our aging ingredients and make Bannock, whilst also steering as the locks arrived quicker than expected.
At Hoo Mill lock there were three distressed ducklings at the entrance of the lock, mother was no-where to be seen. As we entered the lock we found a solitary duckling in the lock.Having decided not to try and ascend with said duckling accomapnying us so we managed to shoo it out using the boat hook to join its siblings.
As we travelled between locks, Graham found that the solar panel controller had packed up and so he rigged a diode in place to ensure the batteries were kept charged as we are planning to leave the boat for two weeks in Stone.

As we approached Stone the skies darkened and as there was no space on the 14 day moorings below Star lock, we hoped to get through the locks before the rain started. We didn’t and had to pass through  one lock in a thunder hailstorm.

We moored up at the top-end of town and then had to move as our chosen mooring was only 5 day – no signs were obvious as you head north but Graham found one pointing back towards where we were moored when he went to investigate the area. We then moved a further 20 metres to be on the 14 day moorings.

We walked to the station and caught the train back to Rugby to find the car at Brinklow. On our way we found the Southernmost 5 day mooring sign that we obviously missed as we passed – I wonder why?

Thursday 9th May 2019
We returned to Jannock in the drizzle, after a cold week at home, with the knowledge that the central heating was not functioning due to a leak below the floor. With the low single figures predicted for night time temperature I hope we can get it fixed quickly before we get frostbite.

We hit Morrisons at Stone for groceries before going to the boat. Luckily Brenda treated herself to a new at Asda at Wheatley and not relied on Morrisons’ as they had nil stock. Food of the day was Morrision’s doughnuts as they have a really good filling, nice powdery sugar on the outside and a lovely light dough.

We set off as the rain was seeming to stop but HaHa – April fool in May. We made our way up the Meaford flight in cold drizzle following a hire boat up the locks. I walked up to the top lock to find them sat in the lock having dropped their windlass into the cut above the top gate. To speed things up I gave them a replacement windlass from our fishing stock and then used our sea-searcher to locate theirs as we ascended the lock after them. Fair exchange!

As you approach Barlaston the graffiti on this bridge says it all ;^)

On through Barlaston and Trentham lock to finally moor at one of our favourite peaceful mooring just past the bridge in Trentham.

In the evening I removed all of the skirting boards to inspect the heating plumbing and found that we had a leak in the pipes that cross under the floor in the bathroom.

Friday 10th May 2019

Brenda had a cozy night under her new duvet accompanied by her new ‘best friend’ – a hot water bottle. We set off from Trentham under an overcast sky and managed to complete the Stoke flight and moor up just past Festival park before the rain appeared.

I loved the figurehead on a boat we passed.

I then cut open part of the floor and replaced the two pipes that cross under it whilst Brenda went off to explore the local shops and find B&Q to get some contact adhesive with which to stick the carpet back down with.

The major surgery was a success and the heating is now working again. We celebrated our success with dinner at the Toby Carvery,Festival Park before returning to a warm boat.

Graham & Brenda.

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