Police presence in Sawley and we get second place as editors for ECP&DA magazine

Last night, just before the England v France rugby match, a phone call from Howard the ECP&DA AWCC representative. We had received runner up status as editors of the ECP&DA magazine from the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs. They do a competition every year to find the best club magazine and to come second was a great honour.  Talk about stunned and delighted. Last year we had a highly commended and a certificate This year we have a plaque to hang on the wall. And maybe next.....

Last night around 11pm we had a Police presence in the shape of a hovering helicopter. For 15 minutes it circled the marina here at Sawley before departing. This morning more Police arrived and two boarded a small inflatable and headed off for the marina entrance. Maybe all this activity was because of the missing lad, hence the helicopter and more searching today. The family must be going frantic awaiting news. My heart goes out to them.

After Howard arrived with our plaque we pulled pins around 11.30am, a tad later then anticipated. The weather turned out warm, a far cry from yesterday. We made good time right up to Swarkstone lock when on the exit I thought we had run over something. A horrible noise from the prop in reverse and forward made us think something had wrapped itself around it and sure enough we were proved right. Not something coming up from the bottom of the cut but our own centre rope that had somehow slipped from the cabin top. Mooring up pretty quickly Ian was straight down the weed hatch and pulled up about 1.5 mtrs of the thing. Moral to this tale...must be more vigilant!

Some photos of our journey,

Shardlow stop lock

Shardlow lock

Now I wonder what this would be used for.

They look like plastic pigeons and was in a field full of swans

Wildlife on route