Southwards and through Penkridge

Today – Shutt Hill Lock to Otherton, S&W Canal, 3 miles 5 locks
Yesterday – Milford Bridge to Shutt Hill Lock, Staffordshire & Worcester Canal, 6.5 miles 1 lock

Pulling the pins yesterday morning, we had a very pleasant cruise southwards.  The weather was perfect and the girls were enjoying being out on deck spotting buzzards, kingfishers, herons and even a water vole.

Thought I would treat everyone for a lunchtime stopover at Radford Bank Inn, I heard on the towpath telegraph that they did a carvery every day, so thought that would be a good treat for us all.. WOW and it sure was..

As much as we could eat for just £3.50 each, £3.25 for the children.  There was roast beef, turkey and pork on the menu today, and it tasted absolutely fantastic.  If you have the carvery on a Sunday the price is £6.50 if I remember correctly, so midweek is the time to go!

Moving on after lunch we tried to find a suitable place for daughter Jennie, Phil and Molly to meet us to pick up Jessica, my youngest visitor.  She had done so well at 6 years old just.  For sure there was no homesickness for her, but she does visit and sleepover at her other granny’s house quite often, so she is a bit used to being away.  But, of course, it was the first time on Grandma’s Boat!

We had hoped at Acton Trussell, a wonderful name, to find somewhere to meet them, but it was all sort of housing estate, so arriving at the lovely named lock of Shutt Hill we had a look around at the road bridge that went over the canal and yep, perfect.  An ideal parking spot for the night for the car and an ideal mooring for the night too for NP.

So I was able to give the location and direction just as they set off from ‘dan saff’ to meet us, and the girls were allowed to stay up a bit later to meet the family as they arrived. 

Packing now three grandchildren into the bunkbeds, the adults enjoyed the rest of the evening chatting and partying as is per normal on NP when visitors arrive!

Today then Jennie and Phil took the car to Penkridge so they could have a cruise aboard.  They walked back up the towpath and met us just as we exited Shutt Hill Lock and here a short series of pics of todays action..

A lesson in operating the paddles correctly from Vic, and Kiera uses muscles she didn’t know she had!

Jessica looks on as Vic is giving someone what for!…. ha ooooops!  Jessica is well amused!

And here, Jessica and her little sister Molly hanging on to No Problem while we wait for a lock to be prepared..

But by this time we had not even had a cuppa.. We switched the gas on this morning, and nothing!.. No gas.. typical, we thought run out of gas.. change the bottles over.  We always have two bottles on board, so never running out of gas.. but changing over didn’t make any difference still no gas!

Good grief, no cuppa tea this morning, no toast no nothing.  We stopped at Teddesley Boat Centre to find a man who does gas.. and after an hour and half or so, he found the problem.  It was a bit of rubber, would you believe, in the regulator blocking the flow.. gawd knows how that got there… but we were away again, and we pulled in at The Boat at Penkridge for some lunchtime sustenance!.. Yum, once again a lovely lunch.. a treat this time from Jennie and Phil for us.. thanks you two!!

But soon it was time for Jennie and Phil to take the two grandchildren, Jessica and Molly home..

Here they are with Kiera standing on the gunnel.. we had a great day today.. although we had trouble with a gas cylinder.. but gas cylinders were also a problem for the family returning home.. a huge accident on the M40 involving, would you believe, gas cylinders meant they were stopped for a very long time, and it took nearly 6 hours to get home.. unlucky..

After they left we pulled the pins and got out of Penkridge to settle at Otherton just by the big Marina, it’s quieter here.

I am still looking for someone to put No Problem’s name on the side of our narrowboat.  Phil Speight was going to do it, but he is backed up with work since he has had a stay in hospital, he said, so he can’t.. I s’pose I could rename the boat “No Name”!