What a palaver at Filance Lock Penkridge, so we do a Basil...

Great Haywood to Calf Heath, Staffs & Worcs Canal, 14 miles 13 locks

My newly painted Buckby Can!   Painted by Carol Kirby of NB High Calypso and butty Fox.  Carol has done all the roses and castle artwork on board No Problem, I had left the can with her last June, but we were unlikely to meet during this year so she kindly left it at the Cafe at the Gt Haywood Lock for me to collect.. wonderful job Carol, thankyou so much!

A late morning start today, not only was there a Buckby Can to pick up but pumpkins as well from the Farm Shop at the junction ready for the grandchildren to decorate next weekend when they will visit.. Plenty of pics of that later..

Tixhall Lock in the pleasant sunshine.. and Vic looks forward to a boat arriving.. hey hey hey I spy….

Bloggers Pip and Roger with NB Windsong.

You would have had a huge laugh if you had been with us at Filance Lock at Penkridge.. It has a long tunnel like bridge just before the lock, and as per usual going uphill I stepped off the back to join Vic at lockside as No Problem let herself into the lock, but I didn’t give enough Umph on the throttle and she stopped half in and half out!  It’s not that I could get on the back, the boat had gone under the ‘tunnel’ and I couldn’t get down the ladder either as the boat stopped just short of it at the front of the lock.. we waited and waited.. she went forward a bit.. “Yes she is going in” “No she isn’t, now she is now going back”!

There was nothing for it but to find a branch of a tree to reach down the 8ft or so to try hook one of our ropes.. I was so pleased nobody was about, but Vic and I were laughing and laughing looking around for a branch.. it reminded me of the sketch on Fawlty Towers when John Cleese did just the same thing to look for a branch to smack his broken down car with..

After much searching we found one and carefully hooked it under one of the ropes balancing it on the branch hoping it would hold till it got to hand.. easy peasy after that to bow haul the narrowboat into the lock!

I think we were worn out with laughing more than anything else.. I am so pleased that will not be on Youtube!!

I wonder how many of these pictures I have in my collection now.. tis the classic picture of Gailey Lock that every narrowboater takes as they pass..  I did leave the camera on board thinking that I had enough of this scene, but it is definitely compulsory not to pass without doing the deed!

Then look at this!!…..

‘Tis our old boat No Problem1 with Denis and his mate making their way to Stoke on Trent.. gosh she looked so small.. I thought as the boat came towards me that it looked familiar!  We stopped mid canal for a brief chat before going our opposite ways..

Not so many locks tomorrow.. good… I am a bit stiff tonight!