Sunken boats and beasts on the towpath

Sometimes the ability to gain access to the internet goes beyond me! Mooring yesterday at the top of Tixall lock we struggled to get TV and had no internet what so ever. So this morning we moved below lock and moored at Tixall Wide. Not only can we get TV but we have excellent broadband! So now I can do the post for Friday night and Saturday. 

 First I must say a big thank you to everyone at Stafford boat club who made us so welcome. Pete the harbour master couldn't have been nicer and, once we were booked in, I went to explore the site. It's pretty impressive and very well maintained.

Club house overlooks the site.

It hosts its own club house and docking facilities and it was later that evening, after Alan and Carol had joined us for a drink on the boat first, that we crossed the bridge to the club. I was very surprised at the amount of folk who turned up for a social gathering and it was lovely of them to gather us into their fold.

Ian and Alan in a meaningful conversation while Carol just looks bemused!

Before we knew it last orders had been called and with the final drink and natter, departed for bed well after midnight.

I had a bit of a hangover on Saturday morning having consumed nearly a bottle of red wine and a sherry or two and would have loved to just chill out and rest my sore head, but we had only booked in for one night and so we pulled pins and headed off toward Tixall. No sooner had we left when the rain started and with it high winds. As usual I was at the helm and really I felt quite anxious as small branches came falling down all around me. Ian did the sensible thing and stayed below and kept asking if I wanted to stop. I would have loved to but didn't find a mooring oppertunity. After 10 mins the rain stopped and with it the sun came out. Then rounding a bend I noticed a beast on the towpath. Turns out it was a young heifer having escaped from it's field.

It was a day of seeing unusual things because a bit further on a sunken boat came into view. Not sure how long it had been there as no 'aware' sign had been placed on it from C&RT. Looks a bit like an old Wilderness boat.

After an hour of cruising we arrived at Tixall and moored above lock only to discover the lack of TV or Internet. Thankfully we have other means of getting TV having a satellite dish and a proper aerial not just the omni. After all it was Strictly night and I couldn't miss that now could I.

View from the window.

Tixall Lock

Moorings above the lock

So this morning I walked to the Wide to see if we could get a space. Very surprisingly only three boats were moored and, having had an internet signal there in the past, we upped stakes to descend Tixall Lock and soon found a good spot without trees to moor up in. Now we sit and await the predicted storm. Everything loose has been removed from the roof ( apart from the logs ) so we are pretty confident we can ride it out without incident.