So now it's back to Gnosall..

Norbury Junction to Cowley Double Bridge, Shropshire Union Canal, 3.5 miles

Well it was a bit more than that because we had to go down to High Onn to wind (turn), which actually made it another 3 miles to cruise today.

No Problem is a big narrowboat to turn especially at the winding hole at High Onn.  There are a couple of tupperware tart carts (GPR cruisers) in the actual winding hole.. we have noticed that there are one or two ‘private’ winding holes on this canal, where land owners actually own the ‘hole’!  So I suppose they sell or rent out the ‘hole’ bits on their land to boat owners.. but tupperware vs steel torpedos is not a good idea, especially 67 foot ones!

But we got round, much to the interest of some gongoozlers on another narrowboat.. takes more time on No Problem than the previous boat we owned, but I don’t mind that, just as long as I don’t hit anything or damage our own narrowboat!.. In any case, I am not the best person at turning a boat, but for sure I am learning fast with this one..

Before we left Norbury Junction we called in at the boatyard to see about changing the prop..

Very knowledgeable lot here, and Simon Jenkins came to take a look.. “Yep, you need to go to a 17 inch prop by 12 inch pitch.. Black Prince always put on props too small to stop the hirers charging round the waterways” .. for those not in the know, our narrowboat is an ex Black Prince hire boat.. I was pleased he thought that, well she does seem to be struggling along compared to others.. a change of prop will make a big difference.

Only problem is that he is not sure whether he can drag No Problem up the slipway and out of the canal with his tractor thingy!  “Biggest boat I have dragged out is a 60 footer.. but I will try”.. I told him I would do some exercises this weekend and give a helping push.. a wry smile was returned!  It seems the dry dock is too busy for No Problem until October, so that is the only way we will get the prop done this month.. so remains to be seen in a week or so’s time.

‘Spose you are wondering why we are going in the opposite direction now?.. Well, I am off to see Elton John’s Red Piano Concert at the Millennium Dome mid week next week, and need to catch a bus to Telford station.. Gnosall is the place to do that!

The tunnel at Cowley is awesome..

It’s only a short tunnel, but cut out of pure rock, and today I got a pic which shows it off well.. you know something?  I just love this canal, it is fascinating!

I spy at High Onn

I knew this narrowboat would be there!.. Unfortunately..

It’s Starcross!

But a broken down Starcross at the moment, so nobody aboard to say hi to..

The latest post by Jim Davies says it all..

Starcross, therefore lies at High Onn until the weekend when I can get her back to base and start contemplating what to do about what at this stage appears to be a fairly major mechanical failure.

Base is Norbury.. Good luck Jim, hopefully you will get her going and will see you pass us at the weekend!

No Problem is officially No Problem at Norbury Junction

Grub Street Cutting to Norbury Junction, Shroppie, 2 miles-ish

It’s done…

Phew.. a named narrowboat at last with a BW number too.. out goes the stupid vehicle style ‘plates’ hooray!

Celebrated in style tonight in the Junction here at Norbury.. trying hard now not to put in too many typos.. sheeeeeesh I will sleep well..

OK, so I wasn’t overly enthused about the letting on the bows, something was amiss with it, it was too stark… refer to yesterday’s pic of the bows.. I said to Trevor “Needs something in front and behind the name.. nothing fancy though, just something..” He thought about it.. then suddenly called me “Hey look what I done is it OK?”.. “DONE!!! Hey wadda ya mean DONE!”.. But Trevor learned about me and what I like.. so he was confident that what he DID was OK!

It was too..

Just two diamonds just set the name off perfectly on the bow, took away the starkness of the written words.

Freehand again with the diamonds.. amazing stuff

I was on the radio today.. BBC Radio Shropshire no less, live it was too ..

“What is it like retiring to the waterways?”.. “How long you on air for?”.. well what a silly question to ask!!  But I had fun talking to errrrrrrr… Brian or was it Ken or Keith this morning about what it is like to retire on a narrowboat.. I mean, lets face it, it isn’t difficult.. just you need to be brave and DO it!

Might get the prop changed this week.. Ha yet more changes eh?  

Grub Street Cutting

High Offley to Grub Street Cutting, Shropshire Union Canal, 1 mile

Funny name, Grub Street.. There is a ghost who lives here you know.. hope he is not around tonight as we are moored right in the middle of this awesome cutting.  It almost echos my footsteps as I walk the towpath through it, but the 80ft deep cutting is alive with wonderful wild plants, ferns of all sorts and I noticed wild clematis along the banks.. but ‘tis a creepy place especially as the light faded.

But of course we are here for a reason!

Freehand completely, just the way I had hoped No Problem would be painted, vinyl lettering was my last resort for the narrowboat name .. .  During most of my working life everything I did was straight rows and perfect circles, calculations down to the cm, now I hate straight lines and strict uniformity.  Not that I don’t like things tidy and in order, you see, just don’t like things to be absolutely, absolutely perfect, well I know what I mean!

Doing the bow was going to be a problem for No Problem.. Trevor found a way though..

Gotcha Trevor!   This is ‘the punt’!

Once again with boats going by far too fast.. poor Trevor.. but a perfectly steady hand soon had No Problem proudly displaying her name.. In fact one narrowboat came by when he had only got as far as ‘No’, and Blog reader Maureen called across “Is it Sue?”.. Ha well done Maureen for recognising narrowboat “No” as NP!

So we have one back panel done today, and the opposite side bow.  Tomorrow we will wind (turn) just a few yards in front of where we are for Trevor to do the other sides.

No, the flowers are not just about to fall off the roof by the way.. I had to move them over so that I could see this morning and forgot to put them back.  That pot full is a bit high.. I notice by the plant label, that I didn’t put in a trailing variety of petunia.. I am very loathed to let them go though. 

Can’t get a phone signal here under the canopy of trees either, and each morning I do actually do a bit of work for the family business for an hour or so, and need to use the phone.. I had to walk up the track here to get a signal and tried to describe to daughter Wendie just where I was phoning from..

Here you go Wendie.. not quite the office.. just a Series 2 Landrover from 1959 being very useful as my desk for the morning!..

That brought back a few memories too.. travelled many a time in the back of one of these bone shakers in my younger days..

OK a dreadful internet reception here so fingers crossed that I can post this on the internet before midnight!  I have managed to get the pics on the server so it might go..

Bits and Bobs day at High Offley

Moored High Offley, Shropshire Union Canal

My blog is was getting a big ragged, well it has been going now for over 3 years it needs a bit of a revamp, so I have made some changes on the left… you may or may not notice them though!

Anyway, I have just finished, so no time to blog about much all else.  If you have a link on this blog can you just check that it is still working on the new link at My Narrowboat Blogging Friends.  If you would like a link here and you have a narrowboat blog let me know and I will happily stick it on.

Sign Writer is going to put No Problem on tomorrow!.. Hoooooray!!

Laying low at The Anchor, High Offley.. Wonderful..

Bank Holiday Weekend – Moored The Anchor, High Offley, Shropshire Union Canal

Not exactly hiding, but tied securely on our pins here on the rather nice 14 day moorings near the fantastic Anchor Pub.. some have said is the best pub in the world!..

We have a double spring on the ropes, both bow and stern.. boats are moving quickly one behind the other this weekend, all hoping to ‘do the ring’.  There is a line of narrowboats from here for about 3 miles towards Market Drayton.. they can’t do tick-over past all that lot, they would fall asleep at the wheel!  So tying No Problem up well is important so I don’t have to shout!  But I did at one hire boat.. gawd.. he was causing a white wash on the far bank so fast he was going.. our pins nearly gave up on him.  The narrowboat further up was not so lucky, and it wasn’t long ‘till I was up the towpath giving a hand to retrieve the stern end from the far side of the canal..

The next boat was trying to come through.. “Wait!”.. sheeeeeeeesh madness!  Still they are on their hols and need to hurry to get round the 110 miles and 94 locks in two weeks. That is getting on for 200 or so ‘lock miles’.. working that out, ie divide that by 3mph to get the number of hours.. errrrrrrrr 7 hours a day?.. oh and that’s not counting having to slow down or ‘queue – queue’ at busy locks.. so you can see why they are in a hurry!.. but here they are missing out on the most fantastic pub, more of which I will write about later.. but it has just won the Staffordshire in Bloom Award 2007.. heh, only the fourth time in a row they have won that..

Mikron Theatre Group last Friday getting ready to perform out in the garden.. they started a bit late, well the queue for the bar stretched to the canal.. everyone wants a beer.. but here they are in full swing..

Just four actors/actresses and the change of characters done on the fly with a different hat or clothes.. absolutely fantastic.  This particular performance was about Thomas Telford and depicted the history as well as the modern day narrowboater using his canals, the Shroppie of course was one he engineered!

Lovely to meet Christine and Paul again with Waterway Routes, and I was delighted to invite them both for dinner.. we had plenty to natter about as usual.. Waterway Routes is to feature on the front cover of October’s Issue of Canalboat, and there is an in depth report on this very unique dual power narrowboat inside.. Paul and Christine’s narrowboat runs either on power via electric motor, almost silently, or on diesel engine power. Awesome.

Over dinner we discussed a sign close by….

Non towpath side this one.. wonder why it isn’t on the towpath side?  Here is the very nice house whos owners love to be by the canal but don’t like narrowboats!..

You can see the sign in the centre.. Now then, is this a British Waterways official sign?  If it is then why is it not on the towpath side where all can see it?  Or have the owners of the house gone tongue in cheek and tried to get away with a sign and logo of BW to stop people mooring in a nice location?  Shall I send it to BW to find out?..

We have our opinion.. I might just send it to British Waterways and ask the question!

It’s getting late, but before I finish for this evening I must show you this pic.. here we have three bloggers’ narrowboats together (is that a record?) No Problem, Moore2Life and Waterway Routes..

I Spy at High Offley, and I spy again..

Well,well!  It’s Paul and Christine Balmer with Waterways Routes on their final lap of the Four Counties Ring and Cheshire Ring done in a figure of eight..

But look closely, it’s Mike with Globetrotter from Newbury!   Mike used to write a blog, but he is not writing at the moment. But it was great to see you again Mike even if I can’t enjoy your blogs anymore.

A Signwriter at last and Mikron surprise us

Norbury Junction to The Anchor, High Offley, Shropshire Union Canal, 2.25 miles

We pulled the pins fairly early this morning planning to put a few miles in today.  We enjoyed the 48 hour moorings and wished we could have stayed until Friday when the Mikron Theatre Company were to be performing at the pub at Norbury.

Passing that lovely bridge .. High Bridge..

With that odd telegraph pole in the centre, we slowed near some boats in Grubb Street Cutting, there was someone on the bank on the non towpath side, I shouted over “Hello.. do you know where Trevor Council lives” “Yes.. right here, in fact I am him”!!

The question was asked, and “Yes I can do ‘No Problem’ for you next week” Hooooorayyyyyy!!   At last someone is willing to paint No Problem on No Problem!  There is a winding hole (place to turn in the canal) about 2 miles to the north and one about half a mile to the south, so he will paint it at Grubb Street where he has a hard standing.  We won’t have to go far for us to turn and for him to paint the other side. Many thanks to Jim Davies who told me of a sign writer at Grubb Street via the comments on the blog.

So quickly rearranging our plans, we decided to put the pins in at Anchor Bridge, well daughter Wendie’s labs will be collected at the weekend after their holiday with us, and at least there is a road here that they can get to.  Then just as we moored who should come by…..

The Mikron Theatre Company Narrowboat!

They are performing at the Anchor Pub this evening out in the garden!   So we will see them after all.. better hurry and post this blog, it starts at 7.30pm

What a find - The Shrewsbury & Newport Canal

Moored Norbury Junction, Shropshire Union Canal

A lazy morning this morning and first thing was a welcomed phone call from daughter Wendie telling me her plane had safely landed back in the UK from the States.  We all just get on with our lives with all the terrorism and crime in the world, and it doesn’t stop us worrying about our loved ones aboard planes and out of the country and things.  I remember well the day of 9/11, Wendie and the family were in Florida.. it was impossible to find out if they were OK no phones etc.. My mind ran riot all day wondering if they had taken a trip to NY..

But they are back safe and sound today after having a wonderful holiday.

Picked out a nice walk based here at Norton Junction, starting firstly along the towpath and alongside Shelmore Woods, once again a very rural area.. here the dogs enjoying a bit of freedom..

And for once, no narrowboats in view! And no rain!

Got told off by a farmer today for going in a field via a gate instead of walking a further 20 yards along the road to a stile!  He really gave me some stick.. I will forgive him, for sure he has had a bad summer with his crops, not that I was going to interfere with them but comments like “You should not walk across countryside that you do not know” left me thinking.. Ummmmmmm.. Well having walked it today, I suppose I now have a right to walk across it because NOW I know it! Teehee!

“Put those dogs on a lead.. you should not be walking dogs on a public footpath off the lead”.. OK OK.. Dogs went on leads.  Wide open fields by the way and not a farm animal in sight.. I always put them on a lead when there is a farm animal in sight.. with Lucy on her own she stays to heel.. “Don’t you know there are young pheasants running about in the fields”.. Errrrrrr no I didn’t know, there were no signs to say keep dogs on leads nor any signs to say that there were young pheasants running around.  “You have to follow the footpath signs”.. but there are none, in fact on today’s walk the farmer had changed the course of the footpaths to suit himself!

Umph he didn’t need to be so nasty.. I did ask him nicely not to talk to me like that, but he just was so rude.. Ah well..

But… further on during the walk we crossed a stone bridge, and I had a feeling that this didn’t look like an ordinary bridge, and when I looked over the parapet, sure enough it looked just like a canal bridge.. so I looked at the map, and noticed it was on a black dotted line on the OS map.. it was a bridge on the old Shrewsbury & Newport Canal.. even better, it was Oulton Bridge. 

When I scrambled down the bank to have a look I also found an old lock..

This is where the lock gates would have been, now trees grow out of the brick work.  This canal was abandoned in the 1940’s, and although there has been efforts to restore it, there has not been much enthusiasm to do so, but all the structures and bridges are officially listed, so those that are left will remain.. maybe one day.. but it was a wonderful find today.

The winter stoppages from British Waterways are out, here it is on pdf (2MB). It looks favourable for us.  We might stay to the north of Birmingham in the first part of the winter maybe returning slowly to Braunston some time in March probably making our way to our favourite haunt over in East Anglia next summer…

England got beat tonight at Wembley.. we could do with a win at our new stadium, a win always cheers us all up too!.. It is going to be a nice bank holiday weekend so they say.. I am just wondering where to hide No Problem!!

And so to Norbury Junction

Gnosall to Norbury, Shropshire Union Canal, 3.5 miles 0 locks

We pulled the pins this morning reluctantly from this lovely mooring near Cowley Double Bridge, and cruised the short distance to Gnosall, just past the bridge by The Boat Inn.  We went through Cowley Cutting leading to Cowley Tunnel.. it is a most amazing cutting, so very deep, and it is equally amazing how the navvies of the canal building years managed to cut into the rock with none of the modern tools we use today to do much the same on new motorways. 

We just travelled under 3/4 mile to the bridge, leaving just after 9am, we still managed to meet five narrowboats coming in the opposite direction!!

At the bridge, just about to moor when Mr Tesco phoned to say he was just 2 minutes away.. good job we got there 10 minutes before our timed order!  As I went up on to the bridge to find a handy place for him to park, so Tim Salt of Staffordshire Canopies arrived.  He was there to put the cratch cover on Moore2Life that he had made for them.. here Vic admiring his handywork on Moore2Life ..

But that was at the next bridge where there are two water points and yet another pub.  I went to the butchers just down the road from bridge 34, and everyone I met had a “Good morning!”, Such a friendly village.. the name of the village by the canal is Gnosall Heath, there used to be a Post Office here, but it has now closed, and the closest one is in Gnosall itself.  Wandered over there to the Post Office, and sent my father’s birthday card and present for his birthday at the weekend. 

We didn’t have lunch in Gnosall after all, and had some cheese topped baps from Mr T instead while we waited for much needed water to fill the tank.  Then onward..

To Norbury Junction and the British Waterway services.  Rubbish to dump here.. lots of it!!  Well the last time we dumped rubbish was at Wheaton Aston last Monday!  On then through the bridge and some very nice moorings on the left with a good line of sight to the dot in the sky for the satellite tele.  Got a bag of coal, would you believe, and tonight we lit the fire.. even more unbelievable!  

The dogs were brilliant today, and Wendie’s two labs who are on holiday with us while she holidays in the States, are really getting into this life style aboard No Problem, and have learned to ‘go see Vic when Vic has cake’ .. You can tell who spoils the dogs.. and just to prove it…

Lucy, on the other hand, is looking to the picture taker to see if there is any chance whatsoever of a walk!!

Well there was after tea this evening, and we enjoyed a few miles around this really nice junction.. We shall explore more tomorrow..

Enjoying life south of Gnosall

Weekend – Oscote Barn Bridge to Cowley Double Bridge, 3/4 mile 0 locks

I feel we are frauds!  Just 3/4 mile in 4 days on one of the busiest ‘rings’ on the waterway system.  Narrowboats are coming past one after the other on this, perhaps the busiest week of the year.

Still though we enjoy just pottering this very rural and remote area.  The bridge behind us, for instance is called Cowley Double Bridge.. and no boats are stopping to find out why.. but take a look at this on the top of the bridge..

Now it becomes obvious why it is called a double bridge!  In fact it is a dual carriageway for cows.  Well a one way dual carriageway anyway.  The idea is that the two ‘lanes’, which are separated by a lovely stone wall, are there so the farmer can either put the cows in the left hand field or the right hand field on the other side, using the gates to direct the cows.

It was lovely to meet bloggers Eric and Elsie with their narrowboat Bendigedig over the weekend, and they came aboard for coffee and a good long chat after an invitation from them to have a walk through of their new boat from Northwich Boat Company.  Continuous cruisers like ourselves are the two E’s, so we had plenty to chat about.. I really enjoyed meeting you both, and hope it is not too long ‘till we meet up again.

Blog readers too giving us beep as they went past.. Sue and David (Hope I am right David) with their narrowboat Doinmein and narrowboat Andante who’s crew I did not get the names of.. but blog readers from Cornwall.  Hopefully comments will be left when they get home so I know your name!..

The tally of dogs going ‘walkies’ has now gone to 4 dogs, as our friends Chas and Ann with their narrowboat Moore2Life have now caught up with us after having to wait at Braunston for appointments.  The locals round here are getting used to seeing 4 dogs along the lanes, everyone is so friendly in the hamlets, and we have really enjoyed the many walks in the area.

We are still doing some odd bits and bobs on No Problem.. well I say”we”, I guess I have opted out of my share at the moment with my responsibilities focused on the dogs (for those who do not read my blog regularly, I have daughter Wendie’s 2 large labs while she holidays).  Vic is doing a ‘job a day’ at the moment, and so far over the last week the flooring strips that need putting down that go between the different types of flooring have been done.. the brass step, so that I can get on the roof from the side of No Problem has been put on.. the curtains on the two windows at the front have been put up… actually that was my job.. etc etc.. Oh and we now have a hand made chimney hat!.. I must take a photo of that for you to see!

Off to do a massive one mile tomorrow to Gnosall itself.. might have lunch in the Boat Inn before moving on to Norbury Junction.. well maybe we will do that..

I spy at Cowley Cutting

Somebody with lots of goodies for the canines….

Hey, hey!  It’s the two ‘E’s’..

Blogging friends Eric and Elsie aboard Bendigedig!

Sign Writer wanted!

We chose Phil Speight last April to put “No Problem” on our narrowboat, but now that I have contacted him again, he has a backlog of jobs, and is just too busy to be able to do that right now. 

It isn’t a difficult job that is needed.. just “No Problem” on the back on both sides and “No Problem” on the front bows.. can I get someone to do that.. nope!

I could if I took it somewhere miles away and wait for a month.. but we don’t do ‘miles away’ we only do ‘a couple of bridges’.  We could find a nice towpath location for the steady hand of a good sign writer though.

9 letters x 4 = 36 letters.. a days work?  I don’t need a scroll, have roses instead.  I don’t want anything fancy, I do want shadow though, so that is two colours.. still a days work?

Does anyone know who would like a days work? .. think of all the good advertising it will generate when it is proudly displayed on this blog..

*Sigh* .. I am fed up with bits of paper in the back window with the faded words of “NB No Problem”

Remote and Isolated around the Onns

Little Onn to Oscote Barn Bridge, Shropshire Union Canal, 2 miles 0 locks

Delightful, that’s all I can say about the last week or so.  We are dawdling along with no particular mission in mind totally enjoying the remoteness and isolation of this area. 

There are a lot of hamlets in this beautiful countryside, and walking out has found many of them.  Meeting the locals too has been nice, they have all been most welcoming when they have seen me walking the three dogs along the narrow quite lanes.

I met Ann and pony TC along one lane.  Look at the handmade sunflowers along the house frontage.  Made by the children from what looks like sacking for the stems..

Ann was just about to turn TC out in his field, so we walked together down the lane and chatted. In the field next to TC’s field I met Ted and Wilf ..

Ha you never know what is round the next corner!

So a very quiet time for us at the moment, not a lot to report, the dogs have settled into life aboard No Problem, and they are behaving themselves well.  We will be just moving a couple of bridges for a new garden every other day or so until daughter Wendie returns from holiday, but then that suits me while everybody else is seemingly rushing about!

A good day at Little Onn

Moored Little Onn, Shropshire Union Canal

It’s a lovely name, Little Onn, and today the farm here has been busily getting in the huge round bales of straw from the dampened fields, bringing them back over the little canal bridge just in front of us.  It did rain a lot last night, and yesterday’s dusty bridleway that goes alongside the canal on the other side of the hedge was today quite muddy. But the dogs enjoyed!

There is a boat moored behind us, and meeting the chap yesterday, he was telling me that he works in Gnosall, a village not far up the canal from here, doing odd jobs.. “Not finished paying for the boat yet so got to do a bit of work” says he.  Well today he was walking back from the bridge with a huge tray of eggs.. the dogs went bounding down the towpath to greet him.. Oh No!!!!

He balanced the eggs well with one hand while trying to stroke all three as they stopped his progress.  I called them back, and thank goodness they responded, phew!

“I got part paid in eggs today”.  “It was too wet to do the lady’s garden that I had arranged, so I washed the butchers windows and he pays me plus gives me a tray of eggs for that”

Then I was invited to get a box, and he gave me six of them.. I was told that they were free range.  Our friend from the boat behind only eats free range eggs so he tells me!

I have updated the picture albums today, would you believe there were about 108 pics in the July album in the end, and looking through them it is unbelievable just how bad the weather was that month.

This afternoon I managed to get Vic out on a walk with me.. just a mile and half, but we both really enjoyed.. I think we are feeling quite relaxed at the moment with our slow pace of life.. I hear on the Trent and Mersey it is very busy at the locks with queues of eight boats waiting to go through not uncommon, so I am glad we have slowed for a while.. for sure there are a lot of boats going past us.. and a lot in a hurry too. 

People are in a hurry to get around this four counties ring, and there are just so many boats moored they really don’t have time to slow right down to tick over, tending to go past a tad too fast, but I can understand that, and as long as they don’t take my books off the shelf I am OK with it.  I just need to make sure No Problem is secured well to the bank using double ropes front and back to hold her firm.

Life in the slow lane along The Shroppie

Today – Wheaton Aston to Little Onn, Shropshire Union Canal, 2 miles 0 locks
Rest of week – Moored Lapley Wood or Wheaton Aston

We are just moving extremely slowly at the moment so the dogs can relax in the remoteness of the area.  It is great just to be able to let them roam out on the towpath instead of constantly having to watch them and call them aboard.  They are all so very friendly, that is the trouble, too friendly and greet every other K9 as a long lost friend!  This can, of course, get them into serious trouble!

If you are not a regular follower of this blog then the reason I say dogS is because I have two visitors at the moment, joining Lucy, the labradors Tilly and Buddy while their masters (daughter’s family) are in the USA on holiday.  Most days have been taken up with strolling across the countryside with them…

Buddy is on the right, and you can see just how remote it is at Lapley Bridge too .. ha I remember when I first saw him he walked along the gunnels he was that small, not any more though.. a right ‘ol teenager he is now!

The funniest moment so far with them is when I was trying to get through a farm gate with them all on a lead, Lucy as well because there was cattle about.. anyway trying to get three dogs on leads to do exactly what you want is quite impossible, and as I went through I had no hands left to shut the gate, and it sprung shut with a ‘klunk’.. that made the choc lab Tilly jump and she pulled me over in a load of cow shi.. manure.  I screamed at her, and bless her cotton socks what did she do?.. She picked up the now dangling lead in her mouth and carried it back to me whinnying!.. She was so terribly, terribly sorry!.. So I had to laugh, covered as I was in mucky stuff and stinking too!

Sunday lunch at the Hartley Arms was £5.50 for a carvery, not bad, but not as good as a carvery at Radford Bank a couple of weeks ago for £3.50 I think it was.

The last few days has been very quiet for us.. Vic has done a bit of fitting-out while I have been walking, we still have some odd bits and bobs to do to No Problem yet, today I was in Stafford again getting some dental work done.. YUK!, then went into Penkridge Boat Centre on the way back to see the guy who fixed the gas problem a week or so ago, we seem to be getting the same symptoms again, we might have to change the gas regulator and pipework.. another YUK for that!.. Well WE won’t change it… figure of speech.. we will find a nice corgi man to do that for us if the need arises..

The bus from Wheaton Aston to Stafford is quite adaptable, he will stop anywhere you want between the two.. so I hailed him down at Penkridge to continue on my way back to boat..

Not been back long when I spied what I thought was going to be good fun out the front of the boat.. One trying to turn at the winding hole in a very stiff breeze and one trying to get past at the same time.. oh, and who was trying to get past?.. Ha it was Andy..

We had a good natter for an hour while he filled with water, and Lucy and her pals got to meet Simba too.  Would you believe there are 8 waterpoints here at Wheaton Aston!

Mark asked “Where is a pic of Simba”.. Well Simba made pals with Tilly, much to the annoyance of Buddy who kept on barking at her antics.. they went off somewhere playing Mark!

Talking of waterpoints.. we pulled back from our mooring slightly to put on water and giving the boat a quick wash before we were off late this afternoon.. bearing in mind that left seven other waterpoints, one other of which was being used further up from us, when a very grumpy boater had a right go because we watered the plants and started washing No Problem… “Don’t you even know that you don’t pay your licence fee to be able to water your plants or wash your boat?”.. I am afraid he got no reply.. he didn’t deserve one, he was disappointed with that and kept staring and pointing us out to all other boaters as he filled with water at the point in front of us.. ‘Spose being so cheerful keeps him going…. Ah well..

Moored this evening in a remote location again.. Blog reader Dave Elcome knows this area around High Onn well, I was feeling quite tired after a busy day, but guess who wanted to go walkies?…

I spy at Wheaton Aston

A gardener supreme for sure!….

Well I never!  It’s Andy Edwards with his narrowboat Khayamanzi ….  ..

Dog proof stiles are a problem near Wheaton Aston

Last couple of days – Moored Lapley Wood

It is very quiet here.  But narrowboats are going by one after the other during the day, I am amazed that there are so many boats on the waterways now.  There are an awful lot more than there was three years ago when we were on the canal system in the summer.  The last two summers we have spent over in East Anglia, and for sure, next summer will more than likely see us over there again.

There were some days last summer that we never saw one boat all day, and I remember we didn’t see a boat for three days when we were moored on the River Lark!

Still we are here now, and to be honest I suppose I have got used to narrowboats passing continually, but we are moored in a very remote place.. it’s great for the dogs, Lucy and her friends Tilly and Buddy are spending the day out on the very wide and grassy towpath.. although going for walks is the highlight of their days at the moment.

Yesterday I spent the day in Stafford, catching the bus from the lovely village of Lapley straight to Stafford along the extremely narrow lanes.. full of pot holes too, and I had to hang on to the seats in front.. The bus drivers both ways scared me to death.. I don’t think I ever went that fast down single track country lanes at those speeds!

I managed a couple of hours out walking with the dogs when I got back last night, and today went on a five mile hike across the countryside testing out my troublesome legs.. things seem to be getting slowly better.  For sure, I still think it was a virus that I caught last Christmas that has made my legs struggle trying to get rid of lactic acid.. Anyway, we met this lot…

A gaggle of geese no less!.. and there were more, this is about half of them!  Lucy is pinging the stiles now after her terrible accident in May 2006, and Buddy has learned how to scramble over, but Tilly.. nope, and she weighs a ton.. a big choc lab she is.  Could she jump stiles, nope.. she couldn’t even think how to get over them.  Most today were stock proof stiles with no way for dogs to get through.  I do wish the farmers would make provisions like some do with a little lift up bit of wood to poke your dog through. So I had to lift her up and over.  To be honest I don’t know how I managed to do it, but I think it was a matter of having to!.. The result of these non-friendly dog stiles is that the footpaths are not well walked in this area, here you can see the path that I need to take across this corn field.. the path is towards that white speck (a dove cote) at the end of the hedge to the left of the house.  No path in fact, just a virgin walk through the corn..

Farmers are suppose to leave a one metre path through corn or other planted fields for public footpaths, but seemingly because no-one walks them, or people are deterred from walking them (dog proof stiles) then they don’t bother. 

We are going to have to move soon I suppose because we need water.. pity, I like it here..

Searching for suitable moorings at Brewood

Today – Moored Lapley Wood
Weekend – Bridge 8 to Lapley Wood, Shropshire Union Canal, 4.5 miles 0 locks

We moved on Saturday up to Brewood to find somewhere for Wendie and the rest of the family to join us for the weekend.  It had to be a pretty good place because overnight on Saturday the van would contain all the luggage for going to America and Disneyland for them.. Gawd, I felt sick at the idea of someone nicking the vehicle..

On the way is this fantastic bridge.. Bridge 10 this is, Avenue Bridge,  you can’t tell by this pic, but it actually curves round at the sides, it is one of the most splendid bridges I have seen on the waterways …

Kiera and I went walking and actually crossed over this bridge.  It is really wide, wider in fact than a normal road, but there is no road, just a beautiful grassy footpath over the top.  The footpath goes through an avenue of trees.. hence the name.

So we moored at Brewood, but the canal is in a cutting and the pub is well out of sight, so Kiera and I walked up to the next bridge to see if that was any better, and sure enough it was.  On the opposite side of the towpath by the bridge were British Waterway long term moorings with a good pull in alongside just off the bridge, and it was deep enough for No Problem to moor close-ish to the bridge on the towpath side.  I asked one of the boaters on the moorings if it would be OK to park there for the night, he gave me the nod saying it was very safe..

It is often very difficult to find places for visitors to park their cars, and I feel a real sense of responsibility when I choose.. last summer I chose, and my other daughter Jennie’s car got broken into while she was visiting us.. put a real downer on the weekend that did..

Wendie and Co found us OK, and we had a lovely evening aboard followed a relaxing morning..

Before they all left yesterday for the Airport Hotel ready to fly out this morning ..

Just got a text from them… they have just arrived in the US.  Oh and I have new visitors, their two huge labradors.. Tilly and Buddy..

And so to the Shroppie..

Moat House Bridge to Bridge 8 (Close Brewood), Staff & Worc and Shropshire Union Canals, 8.5 miles 1 lock

We pulled pins fairly early this morning to meet up with Mr Tesco somewhere around Cross Green by 11am, and we eventually moored just a smidge past the Fox & Anchor pub.  A perfect place with a pull in right opposite where we moored.  We were only there 10 minutes when Mr Tesco phoned for final directions, and soon the groceries were aboard….

Just a matter of putting it away now.. blimey, the grandchildren for the week almost ate me out of house and home, we sure were short of supplies!

Onward then with no particular place in mind to moor for the evening, although Kiera and I would be looking for an ideal spot so we could go out walking this evening with Lucy..

We were extremely lucky at the half mile narrow cutting known as ‘Pendeford Rockin’ as we neared the junction with the Shropshire Union Canal..

Quote “Pendeford Rockin' or The Narrows was known to generations of boatmen.  Here, on either side of Forster Bridge, the early navvies met an outcrop of Keuper Sandstone which was enough of a problem to their primitive technology to force them to dig a shallow, narrow cutting.  Stretching for about 600 yards, it is only about ten feet deep but is only wide enough for one boat.  Three passing places were dug out, one by the towpath side and two on the off side.”

Nobody coming in the other direction, and here looking back..

We are in ‘cutting country’ now, and we shall be meeting places like this very often.  High banked sides cut into the stone, and extremely narrow in places allowing only one narrowboat through at a time.  There are some passing places like on a quiet country lane, but they are not very big, and I wondered if No Problem would actually fit in one.. heh, no doubt I will find out!

The outskirts of Wolverhampton followed soon after this, and the urban sprawl with lots of rubbish in the canal, although, to be fair, there is a lot of nice landscaping down to the towpath, but soon it was the dreaded right turn into the Shropshire Union Canal.  I say dreaded, I am not yet used to the 67ft length of No Problem, and am having trouble turning, but today I got it smack on much to my amazement, and I didn’t know it, but it was not a 90 degree turn, it seemed to come back further than that on a dog leg.  Then I was faced with the stop lock of just 6 inches.. poor Vic couldn’t tell which gates paddles to open, should he fill it or empty it? Teehee, tis impossible to tell!

But here we are safely in the lock much to the annoyance of a boat coming the other way.. I think we pinched the lock of 6 inches of water.. well for sure there was no way I was going to back out of there and out onto the Staff and Worc again!

The stop lock is there so the two canal companies could not pinch water from each other, and of course to collect their tolls for using the canal.  No tolls for us today though, but I wonder if ever BW will start charging for using canals as well as a British Waterways Licence.  Oh there has been a bit of talk about that for sure!

It was odd to see a hire base of Napton Narrowboats here at the wharf.. but ice cream was on the cards today so we pulled over.

We found a VERY nice mooring for the evening, and Kiera and I took Lucy on a lovely round trip walk of some 3 miles.. sheeesh that gal sure can walk.. she is very clever too, she can walk 3 miles and talk for 3 miles at the same time!.. She has crashed in her bunk tonight though, while my ears take a well earned rest! ..

Gailey on our way, and the delight of an owl this evening

Otherton to Moat House Bridge, Staff & Worc Canal, 5 miles 5 locks

We pulled the pins mid morning after a leisurely breakfast followed by a stroll across the countryside.  We didn’t have anywhere in mind to moor this evening, the day was getting better after early cloud and overnight rain.  Locks appeared quickly this morning..

And although the M6 was fairly close it was well screened by trees, so this was a very pretty cruise today, very remote too if you could discount the motorway!

Kiera is 9 years old and well capable now of doing the locks for herself, she managed to shut most of the bottom gates, and wind the paddles.. I was surprised just how strong she was!..

It was nice to see her and Vic chatting away about this and that while waiting for the locks to fill..

Vic is loving teaching the kids all about canals and the odd “In the old days”.. but then they want to know, and have been very interested in the working boats that have passed, starting long discussions about how the children lived and were educated in them as they travelled the country.

Here a classic pic opportunity at Gailey Lock as we reach the summit level of the Staff and Worcs.  This was built in the 1800s and used to be the lock keepers cottage, ‘tis now a gift shop, but it is lunchtime and it shuts for that, so the promised ice creams all round did not materialise ….

There are some pics that are a ‘must have one taken of that’ which are seen in many publications.  It is a challenge to get that classic picture with one’s own narrowboat featured in it!

A very handy stop for water just after this lock with a very generous spread of 4 water taps here, so there is not a lot of waiting, and while Vic and Kiera sorted the water I made some lunch which we had out on the deck before setting off again to find somewhere nice to moor for the evening.

Just as we found a place Kiera spotted an owl sitting on a fence.. she is always spotting various wildlife along the way that I miss, and we moored quickly and quietly and crept back to see if he was still there on the fence post, and sure enough…

There he is.. between us all we guessed he was a tawny owl, but Kiera suggested ‘googling it’, so now we think it is a Little Owl.  Whatever, a very unusual sight, he sure was keeping a good eye on us, although he was on the other side of the canal the camera did a fairly decent job for me.  This seems to be his territory as we have seen him around for most of the evening.. lovely.

With the washing hung out and the bbq lit, Kiera and I went off with Lucy for a walk.  It really is very nice around here, extremely quiet considering we are not far from Wolverhampton.  I have arranged for a Tesco delivery in the morning a couple of miles away.  I haven’t been on this canal for years and years and can’t remember it at all, so I am hoping that the bridge I have chosen has access to the canal!

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”!