Too stiff to undo

 Tuesday 28th

 What a difference a day makes. Today we woke to sunshine, still cold but a far cry from the rain of yesterday. We left late, hoping other boaters would have left the moorings at Shardlow, really needed to find a space and preferably by the New Inn pub. It was where we had arranged to meet our friends.

Shardlow lock was occupied, one boat coming up. The chap did say the moorings by the pub were full but plenty of room on the visitor moorings. That will have to do then!

5.30 pm we started the walk to the New Inn. Bloody hell, it was cold! One gets too comfortable and warm inside with the stove roaring away, so the shock to the system as we stepped outside was a real wake-up call! And gosh was it dark!!!!!  Glad of the torch, a small pocket sized one we actually found by the New Inn many years ago, with a very powerful LED light, better than any of our other torches on board. Once inside the New Inn the warmth immediately hit us, lovely, and Lynda and Tony arrived shortly after.  The meal ordered and arrived piping hot and very quickly. Curry for Lynda and me, Ham egg and chips for Tony and a Stilton chicken stack for Ian. All delicious and very reasonably priced too. Highly recommendable. By 9 pm, we braved the cold to get back to FS. The moon shone brightly, hardly a cloud to be seen, yep we reckoned it would be a very cold night.

Wednesday 29th

- 1 was the reading when we got up. A thick frost covered the ground as well as FS. By the time we set off for Sawley the frost still hadn't gone. In fact, undoing the ropes became a wrestling match. We laughed, debated what to do, I managed to release the stern rope, Ian had more of a struggle with the bow rope.

Got there eventually but trying to curl them up had us giggling like school kids!

So finally got underway, sailed past the New Inn, yep the moorings were still full and headed toward the floodgates,

  It was here our laughter turned to dismay, Red lights showing both the River Soar and Trent were closed.. Bugger!!!! I checked CRT emails this morning and nothing came up. I should have looked at yesterday's emails 'cos there it was, Cranfleet flood lock was shut and boaters advised not to travel!

So now what to do? Turn around and head back, or continue in the hope the moorings by Derwent Mouth lock would have some spaces. And we got lucky having decided to continue. So we stopped just before the lock, walked down to see what the height gauge was reading and sure enough, river in the red. Only just mind, but enough to not risk trying to make it to Sawley today.

 How long we have to stay is in the lap of the Gods, shame we have the sewage works as neighbours. So far the smell isn't too bad, long may it continue.

God give me strength!

 Monday 27th

We set off in mizzle and much earlier than planned. Weather was for heavy rain starting at 10 am, so to get a couple of hours under our belt seemed like a good idea. By rights, we would have hunkered down, enjoying the warmth inside and watching other boaters looking miserable going past. Our plan was to stop at Shardlow and meet friends Lynda and Tony on Tuesday so unfortunately for us, we had to leave. The forecasters were nearly right though. Not the 10 am on the dot but 15 minutes earlier and the heavy rain stayed with us from that moment on. 

We arrived at Stenson lock, it was full...goody...this is a deep lock which takes forever when ascending. Going down was so much quicker.

 

I found myself a nice bit of treasure at that lock. I happened to spy a rope fender complete with rope and handrail clip as I descended. Shame the clip had broken, but as to the rest, well it will replace the one we lost very nicely!

Such a deep lock

. Had it been left to me,  we would have stopped below the lock, but Ian was adamant the rain would stop soon so we should carry on. Fine, he can get wet...I don't mind staying nice and dry inside! I had settled down nicely in the warm, a coffee had been brought up to Ian, time was passing me by so engrossed was I in sorting photos when the doorbell rang making me jump. Ah, Swarkestone lock was coming up. Blast, now had to leave my cosy chair and get fully kitted up with wet weather gear and brave the cold again! 

The lock took forever to fill, in fact the gate paddles were usuless, only a trickle of water coming from the ground paddles. I was getting very wet just standing holding FS on the landing, so decided to secure FS and go see what was the problem. Took the two of us to open one gate and realised as I descended why!All four gate paddles culverts were chocker block with debris. Hardly any flow so the ground paddles had to do all the work.

 Anyway, getting ahead of myself again. Walking back at FS and three people came towards me with windlasses. Hmm, where did they come from? Turns out it was a RYA boat instructor giving his clients tuition on the workings of a lock. They had just bought a share in a boat and never having boated before had organised a boat handling course. Very wise and something certain people would do well in doing. I will tell you why later.

The chap in orange was the instructor

Ian got back on board, what great timing for us and beneficial to them to see a boat actually descending. We wished them happy boating and went on our way.

Another 30 minutes and I felt the rain was getting heavier. In fact, I went all authoritarian on Ian saying he had to pull over and stop. No objection was forthcoming, he was cold and very, very wet! A hot coffee and a slice of banana bread warmed him up nicely.

 

Lunch was had, still it rained but then a break, quickly Ian got the soggy wet weather gear back on and set off toward Weston lock. A boat was coming up, excellent. Also helping at the lock was a chap who had recently purchased the lock cottage at auction for a cool £250,000. Ian had a long chat with him and was told that the boat in the lock had been bought at Castle Marina yesterday and the four on board were on their way to Milton Keynes. What grabbed Ian's attention was they expected to be there in two days. Ha…someone hadn't done their research!

 I had hoped to share the lock, much easier with two boats in these big locks, and had a quick look back with fingers crossed.  No boat approaching, but what I did see was this.

Ian was most indignant when I mentioned he may have gone past that boat to fast! 

The chap who bought the cottage.

 

Lots of reeds to contend with too. These stopped the gate from opening.

 

So remember yesterday and those newbies on the wrong side of the cut? Well, it happened again today! Coincidence or maybe my theory of things happening in threes is correct. Yes I know only two things have happened...so far...but wouldn't it be uncanny if it happened again during this week!  So today, another boat did exactly the same thing. In fact, he pulled right across our bow, "Mooring are you! we shouted at him but no, and when we asked what the hell he was playing at, he had the audacity to say we were on the wrong side! A few swear words were said back to him, but there was no convincing that ignorant B. High on wacky backy no doubt or something stronger! He'll soon find out who is right and who is wrong by the next boater he meets!

Aston lock was ahead, it was full so instead of stopping above, we took advantage of it being with us and descended. Shardlow was now so close but with it starting to get dark, and with the rain beginning again, decided to stop on the first available mooring. Just past the lock actually, with only a wide beam moored further on. Then coming towards the lock, another boat. Headlight shinning bright, I wonder if he plans to continue in the dark?

And seen on route

More Pennywort

flooded fields.

Narrowboat indicators?

 Sunday 26th (yesterday)

 Getting diesel was the objective of today, and not far from the Morrison moorings was Shobnall marina. It's a bit tricky to get to the pump as a reverse is required and the entrance the width of a single lock, Worth doing for the price of £1.10 a litre. Our friends Fred and Lisa came over for a quick chat, they moor at this small marina, and we try to never go by without saying hello.

Busy place, Another boat reversing in to take advantage of the low diesel prices.

 Heading toward Shobnall Fields, a boat travelling erratically was seen approaching, and then a strange thing happened. Lights set into his bow flashed, like indicators, and toward the towpath. Okay, he's coming in to moor but no, I passed on the wrong side as he shouted that he was pulling in to let me pass! What??? No, said I, that is not how it works. As newbies, they were trying to be helpful, so I explained the procedure, and they went on their way, knowing a little more about which side of the canal they must stay on. I did wonder about those indicator lights and wondered if they might be a good idea for all boats to have them.  What do you think on that idea?

Shobnall Fields

Dallow lane lock, the very last single width lock we will be doing this trip. From now on, those horrible doubles will be our plight. None are easy, the gates extremely heavy and some a pig to fill. But thankfully none to do today.

 

We cruised past Willington, spaces were available, and we could have stopped, but the railway runs within spitting distance of the moorings.  Our preferred mooring was and always has been, by Mercia Marina just past the footbridge. The trains are not quite so noisy here.

Marina entrance

k

Oh dear, hope this boat is not on the way to sinking!

Pennywort. A horrible invasive water plant that can take over waterways.

And wildlife

A daily ritual.

 Sound carries, that we all know. Opposite this mooring and quite a distance away is the school/ college, or could it be a sports centre, well whatever the building was, there was loud music, screaming and shouting heard and continued into the wee hours of the morning. And to top it all, there was something rattling on the roof right above my head with the wind. And what of Ian, earplugs in, he never heard a bloody thing! Typical!

Our plan was to stay at Branston and not leave until Sunday, but it was the lack of internet that made the decision for us to move. Dire was the word to use. Took well over an hour to upload my photos for yesterday's blog, and the fact that I stream ITV to see 'I'm a celeb get me out of here' which continually stopped with that annoying buffering circle going round and round, it was me then that really insisted we move. Okay, yes, I could have watched it on TV, but Ian hates, no detests and cannot abide Ant and Dec, so to keep the peace he gets to chose which program he watches, and I sit with the computor and headphones listening to my program.  Worked a treat until last night!

 Gosh, today was cold. Temperature showed 0 degrees and the first slight frost of winter lay on the solar panels. The ritual of changing chimneys needed to be done before we left, and Ian was disappointed to see tar running down the cabin side. Blast, he obviously hadn't pushed down hard enough yesterday to seal it.

Blue crosses had been sprayed right by FS. We did think this most strange. It was only as we set off this morning that the reason was revealed. The towpath was being changed into a racetrack! Do I need to say any more?

One lock only today, Branston, and we were beaten to it by a boater setting off the same time as us.

 

 In a way, they did me a favour because I managed to get some photos of a Buzzard whilst waiting. In fact, look at this photo closely, and what do you see?

 

With a photo crop, this was revealed.

What amazing camouflage.

 Beautifully camouflaged, and I wouldn't have seen it if it hadn't flown from the tree to land. Ian had the lock ready and everything, and stood waiting for me to bring FS in. Well, so engrossed in taking those photos, he was completely ignored!

 

The mooring by Morrisons had room for us to squeeze in. Great because I wanted to take up the offer of two McGuigan's Black Label red wine for £11 at the supermarket.  This is one of my favourites and the price was excellent. 4 bottles purchased plus two McGuigan's Chardonnay white for Ian, hmm, there appears to be a discrepancy in numbers! Nah...you can tell who's the alcoholic in this relationship!

And the chimney ritual again as soon as we stopped.

 

So we stayed, TV good and internet excellent. I wont have any trouble watching Ant and Dec tonight!