Sideswiped!

Through the bridge at Norbury and more of the hire fleet in. It's a Monday change over with the short breakers (Friday to Monday) returning.

It's been a bit of a monotonous journey to Autherley Junction. Shroppie canal is my least favourite due to those dark cuttings, long boring straights and miles of linear moorings, oh and those vicious bywashes..... The offside overgrowth is pretty bad as well although this can be said for most of the canals today. No more 'veg pledge' so trees and shrubs are left to go wild. This was oh so true earlier today when a boat was coming toward us in a narrow bit. I'm keeping right, I had the sun in my eyes, tree branches stretched out well into the canal and instead of continuing blind and ploughing through those branches I stopped. That approaching boat came at such a pace and sucked me out toward the middle. This time though and this is purely down to his speed, his stern dug into the silt by the bank, his front swung out and FS was sideswiped hard enough for my photos and plates to end up on the floor!. And all I got from him was 'Did you have a problem?. Yes mate, you were the problem...for goodness sake slow down when boats have deliberately stopped to allow you to pass!

This made me and Ian laugh though. These bullocks had managed to get on the wrong side of the fence and were precariously close to the water. Not sure how they were going to get back to the field. Turning space was non-existent so the only way would be to back up. Are they that intelligent??? Wonder what the outcome was???

Never going to get past that fence post????

How did it manage that? Looks like the gate on its side. Must be where they got through.

 Only two locks today and one doesn't really count in my book. Autherley stop lock at the junction has a drop of just 6".Below is Wheaton Aston lock which leaks like a sieve from the bottom gate. We did stop at Turners for diesel again and was pleased that his price was still the same at 70.9p ltr
.

How many recognise this boat. The author Terry Darlington owned it and one of his most famous books, Narrow dogs to Carcassonne was a must-read for canal enthusiasts of the time. The boat was badly damaged by fire in 2009. Looks like it may be being refurbished by Stretton boatyard

Stretton Aqueduct

A5 beneath

 Arrived at Autherley junction a tad before 4pm. If the predicted wet weather and high winds arrive tomorrow we may well stay. I don't fancy doing the Wolverhampton 21 in driving rain and gale force conditions.

Moored Autherley Junction

And seen on route,

Love the didi narrowboat.

Having a spot of trouble???

Right by the lock totally oblivious of what was going on.

One of the very MANY spiders we have on FS.