Loved the Boat Inn food last night and all I can say was delicious. All homemade, piping hot and one place I would definitely recommend if you are ever in Gnosall. We even had dessert, (although really it was sheer gluttony) but ever sooo yummy. Drat...Bang goes the diet again!
Today was another 8.30 am get away. Seems to be the norm for us, to get an earlyish start. We cruised the Shroppie with its iconic high bridges and deep cuttings. Not a favourite of ours though. Lots of embankments with mile upon mile of moored boats and as for those cuttings, we were ever mindful that another boat might come along and force FS and Icing into the offside foliage. Not a problem if the channel was wide enough and if the vegetation had been cut back. Can't see that ever happening!
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| Miles upon miles of moored boats. |
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| So glad he stopped to let FS and Icing through. What a nice man! |
At Tyrley locks more hold ups. A broken down boat being towed which obviously took that much longer as the stricken boat had to be bow hauled through each lock. And the lady on the boat in front refusing point blank to exit the penultimate lock until the last lock had been made ready. This held everyone up and no amount of pleading would move her. But her stubbornness was foiled when the last lock couldn't be turned round in her favour as a hire boat was on their way up. This meant the boat being bow hauled went into the last lock and she was forced to exit because of the oncoming hire boat. We did eventually find out the reason for her stubbornness. She felt sure she would get stuck on the towpath side because it was too shallow and didn't like to hold the boat mid channel.
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| That's the boat on the lock landing. |
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| Volunteer lockie only at the top lock. Still, any help is welcome in my book especially when Margaret was also on hand. |
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| The lady was forced to exit much to her annoyance |
Felt sorry for these youths going for their Duke of Edinburgh award. Those rowing boats looked very very heavy! But I suppose it's all about character building and has to be achieved to get the award.
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| That's Icing with Dennis on the helm exiting the lock. |
Arrived at Market Drayton by 2ish and tagged on the end of a long line of moored boats. Shopping today for food and drink (most important) and tomorrow we look for an Argos to replace my defunct blender.
And seen on route,
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| Never have I seen such a small narrowboat. |
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| someone with a sense of humour. |
And wildlife,
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| We caught up with the Harris hawk boat. Those hawks were still on their perch.I wonder if they are ever flown? |
3 comments:
Hi Irene,
I can understand the woman not wanting to leave the penultimate lock until the bottom one was clear in the Tyrley flight - there is a rock shelf on the left (towpath side) and I got stuck there for about 5 - 10 minutes on our way down the flight. A guy we spoke to later said he knew of a boat that was stuck there for several hours ...
And coming up the first few of that flight isn't much fun either as the by-wash is a b*gger!
Now at Tixall with Jaq. Too much food and wine ...
Mxxoo
PS Tell Ian I think he is VERY clever, OK?
Hi Marilyn, shame c&rt don't put out some sort of warning about the shelf. I had no trouble as I hung about in the middle. I still feel there was no excuse to stay in the lock and not hover outside. That's just bad manners.
Not sure if I should tell Ian thats he's clever. Might go to his head and demand all sorts of privileges. Now can't have that, can I :) Xxx
Oh and say hi to Jaq from us. xxx
Hi Irene
We got quite snootily told off whilst coming down the penultimate Tyrely lock. The lady comming up (at that point they were below the bottom lock) felt we should have waited for them to traverse two locks rather than pass in the rocky pound. Of course we passed them with no problem.
Mick
NB Oleanna
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