About Us

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In 1977 we hired our first narrowboat from Anglo Welsh at Market Harborough.From that moment our destiny was set. In 2006 we finally purchased our own brand new 57' narrowboat which we named 'Free Spirit'. Our aim is to travel the length and breadth of all the navigable rivers and canals of the UK. This will be our story as it unfolds.

Sunday 14 April 2013

The Mill welcomed us home


 I love the sound of bird song but not at 5 in the morning and right outside the bedroom window. All I could here was an insistent shrill tseep tseep sound. It invaded my mind so I could no longer think straight let alone try to get back to sleep. I could easily have throttled that darned bird. The chirping and trilling seemed to continue for ages and in the end I had to get up and find out what sort of bird it was. This was the culprit. A Dunnock! It stayed long enough for me to take a photo before flying off to harass someone else.



No more sleep for me and with both of us wanting to get away fairly early we felt we might as well get up. By 7. 45am we were ready to leave. The wind had picked up and tried to keep us against the side but we waited for a lull, and with me at the front pushing the boat with a pole, Ian managed to reversed out and we were on our way. The total journey time from Sawley to Langley Mill, 16 locks and 13 miles including a stop at Trent Lock to water up, took 8 1/2 hours. The wind was a big issue at every lock but Pasture lock was by far and away the worse. The top gates were open when we arrived and refused to stay closed. It took both of us, and cracking a paddle, to finally get them to stay shut.

Pasture Lock landing
Once back at Langley the electric cable was plugged in, areial put up and the bird feeder reinstated. It felt almost like we have never been away. Lets hope when Ian has his MRI in May that the outcome is positive and be able to leave Langley for good.

Radcliffe Cooling tower with a plane heading home to East Midland Airport.


Unusual to see two swan nest side by side.

More hanky panky. Coots this time.


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