Last evening we wandered into Market Drayton to visit the Red Lion, Joules Brewery tap house. A lovely pub, good food as well it seemed although we didn’t eat there. The Mouse Room was wonderful with carved panels by – the Mouse man.
As we left Market Drayton this morning, our planned water-fill at the service station was thwarted by two boats already there and one tap apparently out of use. Never mind we’ll fill at the top of Tyreley flight.
We passed one of the more filthy, unkempt, run down boats that are all too common. Curtains and contents the colour of coffee, white and bright no longer a concept. It makes you wonder if some of the worst slum accommodation in our country is now on the canals where there are no agencies readily available to help those who want, need or deserve it.
We approached Tyreley locks with trepidation after our 2019 experience of fast flowing by-washes. The bottom lock outlet has been fitted with a corrugated baffle and it proved no problem. The stonework opposite shows that someone has had a worse experience than ours was. Is this what it takes before remedial action is taken.
At the second lock two blokes with bicycles were helping a boat down. The ‘official’ CaRT vo-lockie said that they were not part of CaRTs organisation but just liked helping. As Jannock left the bottom lock heading for the second, they opened all the top paddles in the 2nd lock
– to reduce the by-wash effect they claimed. Graham shouted at them to drop the paddles. Doing that is very dangerous because if one of the bottom gates had started to close then there is a possibility that the lock could have been taken out of action with a knackered bottom gate with the water from 3 fully open paddles against it when it hit the cill.
Out the top lock and onto the waterpoint to fill the tank. The cottages here are always a pretty sight as they, and their flowers, are very well maintained. Onward to Shebdon where we pulled in alongside nb Wandering Snail for a catch up with Anne and Olly. While here we noticed that our old Brinklow neighbours, Graham and Frankie, were moored just two boats away so had a chat with them as well.
The promised rain arrived as we were approaching Norbury Junction. A moored boat had two little girls fishing with their nets off of the back deck.We asked if they had caught anything – not even a mermaid apparently. Then the next northbound boat we passed had a lady aboard sporting long locks of many bright colours so we asked her to tell the two girls that she was a mermaid. She smiled and agreed to.
We continued on to Gnosall Heath and moored before the bridge (35). In the evening we did a quick recce for likely parking spaces and a suitable place to get the Di Blasi off of the towpath – that would be a bridge 34 then.
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Today HRH Queen Elizabeth II died. Yesterday she was working, making sure Boris finally left and welcoming Liz Truss as PM. She had sat alone at her husband Philip’s funeral because of Covid restrictions brought into law by Johnson, who himself then flagrantly ignored them and continued partying at the same time. Rest in peace with your beloved Prince Ma’am!
G&B
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