We moored in Penkridge for two nights as this is where Trev's cousin and her husband live. We went out with them for a meal on Wednesday, and they came for a Chinese take away meal with us on Thursday. I also got my hair cut, and had a couple of hours on the internet in Penkridge Library.

Whilst I was enjoying myself in Penkridge, Trev was slaving away, doing some Very Useful Jobs on the boat. He cleaned the non-return valve on the w.c. Yuk!! This is a valve which is supposed to stop the sewage coming back in to the w.c. pan, but some times it acts more like a return than a non-return valve. I don't think I need to say any more on that subject. But I think you should know that this boating lark isn't a bed of roses! Then he replaced some of the parts on the Whispergen generator, as it hasn't been starting too well lately. It's taken two or even three goes to make it start. And he fitted a new isolator switch on the batteries. This boy's found talents he never knew he had!

Friday, 15th October
Today we travelled down to Autherley Junction where the Staffs & Worcs canal meets the Shropshire Union. Here we turned right on to the Shropshire Union.



TURNING INTO AUTHERLEY JUNCTION

There is a stop lock just by the junction, and the difference in water levels is hardly discernible. These stop locks date from the days when canals were owned by private companies, and were to prevent one canal company benefitting from another canal company's water supply. As we travelled along, I cleaned the brasses on the roof, dodging trees and low bridges.

We saw a strange thing today. We were approaching Forster's Bridge on the Staffs & Worcs and passed a large construction site. There was a high wire fence around its perimeter, and on the top of the fence was a cable which looked like a heavy duty electricity cable. Except it had steam coming out of it at about two metre intervals, all the way along the fence. Enquiries on the waterways newsgroup on the internet elicited several theories as to its purpose. One was that it was to keep the dust down, another that it prevented noxious smells coming from the site. An even more inventive person suggested that the steam was scented and kept unpleasant odours at bay. Take your pick!

As we came through Autherley Junction, some people on a hire boat we passed said they'd had stones thrown at them from one of the bridges. So, as we approached the bridge, I got off, ready for a fight! Only there was no-one there....... We moored up in the country, a little way before Brewood. It poured with rain all evening and all night.

Saturday, 16th Otober
It was still raining when we woke this morning, but stopped eventually, and we set off for Brewood. I came over all domesticated on the way and made scones, a fruit cake and soup. Brewood is a pretty little village, with another good selection of shops. This is where I had my hair cut last year at a rather eccentric hairdresser's.

We continued on to Wheaton Aston, home of the cheapest fuel on the canal system--allegedly. We filled up with ninety-eight litres of fuel @ 32.9p per litre. And we bought two bags of coal. There was only one lock in the whole of today's cruising and so we made good time. The countryside was glorious, the rain held off and we even had a bit of sun in the afternoon. Still, we masn't gwamble, it's nice to see the sun!

We moored up at Norbury Junction, where, in days of yore, a canal went off to Newtown in Wales. Nowadays, there's only a short arm, and boats moor here. We moored next to a boat called Tranquillity with two enormous English Mastiffs on it. They were so big you could nearly walk underneath them! Fancy having two beasts like that on a narrowboat. They also had a very small dachshund! The owner and Trev discovered they both came from Bilston, so there was a lot of reminiscing and Black Country dialect!

Sunday, 16th October
We had a long day today and travelled as far as Market Drayton. This section of the canal has lots of high embankments and deep cuttings.There was a cold wind, and we felt pretty chilled when on the exposed embankments. In the cuttings we were sheltered from the wind, but they were very dank and gloomy. However, there always has to be an upside as well as a downside. The embankments afforded fantastic far reaching views--we could see the Wrekin and the Welsh hills. And the cuttings had luxuriant vegetation, rather like a rain forest. We also did the flight of five locks called the Tyrley Flight

As we pulled in to moor at Market Drayton, someone on the opposite bank shouted, "I'm sorry you can't moor there!" I was ready to ask why not, since there was a sign on the towpath saying "48 Hour Moorings", when I realised it was Trev's cousin and her husband, the ones we'd met in Penkridge! They'd come out for a ride with their granddaughter, and were going to Woody's for a cream tea. Woody's is a delightful shop and tea shop right by the canal in an old wharf, and we'd also decided we would go there as soon as we'd moored up. What an incredible coincidence! So, of course, we repaired to Woody's and tea and scones.

The more alert of my readers may have noticed that I said that the fuel at Wheaton Aston is 'allegedly' the cheapest on the canals. And the few of you who are finely tuned in to my writing style may be expecting a follow up to that! Well done, because there is one. Diesel at Ted's Boatyard at Market Drayton was 30.9 per litre! And his coal was 75p per bag cheaper. I'd told Trev this before we filled up at Wheaton Aston, but he knew best!

Monday, 18th October
We continued on our voyage north and moored at The Shroppie Fly pub. We did the five locks of the Adderley Flight, and thirteen of the Audlem Flight of fifteen locks. We were expecting cold weather; the forecast had been for a very cold couple of days. But today was a glorious Autumn day and we made good time. Now I can relax, knowing that we shall get to Nantwich tomorrow, ready for me to get the train to go to the dentist on Wednesday.

Trev broke his bicycle bell today! Quelle domage!He knocked it with his knee as he got on and the silver dome fell off! Now in the old days, that silver dome screwed on to the main part of the bell with a steel screw. Not so nowadays, it was only a plastic thread and he broke it. It's his birthday in two weeks, may be I'll treat him to a new one! After all, a bike isn't a bike without a silver bell to go ting-a-ling, now is it?

We had an excellent meal at The Shroppie Fly. The last time we were there was in September 2003, and we had Cherry staying with us. We weren't impressed with the food then, but it now has a new landlord and we had a great evening. One of the reasons for this is that on Mondays, local musicians gather and play. There was a harmonica, an accordion, two concertinas, a violin, a zither, lots of different drums, a resi-resi, quite a few guitars and a whistle. It was good fun, rather like an Irish ceilidh, I would think.

Tuesday, 19th October
We got to Nantwich at last. We only had six miles and four locks to do today, and we managed to avoid the rain. It was pretty cold on the back of the boat though. There is a real Autumn nip in the air, and I'm glad we don't have very far to go now. One of the joys of cruising at this time of the year is that we have the canals pretty much to ourselves. We can travel for a couple of hours and not meet another boat.

In less than two miles we turn left on to the Llangollen canal. Then we have about two to three days cruising to get beyond the locks which are going to be closed for repair work. Once beyond there, we have the whole of the Llangollen canal on which to cruise for the winter. That's thirty-four miles and no locks! We're hoping to be able to go down the Montgomery canal, which is an SSSI and is still being restored. At the moment, only the first eight miles are in water. Then there is a section which is currently being restored, followed by another, landlocked section which is in water, but not accessible. We went on it last year and found it to be one of the best parts of the canal system we visited.

But for now we shall stay in Nantwich for two nights. Tomorrow I catch a train toLeamington Spa, changing at Shrewsbury and Birmingham. In Leamington Spa I shall catch a bus to Kenilworth, visit the dentist, and then do the same journey back! I leave at 10..00 a.m. and get back to Nantwich at 7.30. All for a ten minute dental appointment! And next Wednesday, the 27th, I do the same thing again, except that I start from Whitchurch. But hopefully that will be the last time I shall need to go for a while.

So, when you read about our adventures next week, we shall be on the Llangollen canal, and may even be in Wales. Life is never dull. Some times when I wake up in the morning I can't remember where I am! And that's not because of excessive tippling the night before! Often I can't remember which way the boat is pointing, and which side of the boat is against the towpath........ One day, when the towpath had changed sides after weeks of being on the same side, I nearly got off the boat straight in to the canal!