Back on the "Shroppie" again.

Monday 8th July, 2013 at Wheaton Aston.
Our old friend, the "Shroppie, is where we cut our narrowboating teeth, firstly with Terry Robertson when we did our three day helmsman's course on his boat "Shropshire Lass" in October 2008, then again in 2010, when we hired two boats from Napton Narrowboats.

There was a bit of congestion as we tried to turn on to the Shroppie from the Staffs and Worcs at Autherley Junction. There is a stop lock there with just a 6 inch change of level; it was installed by the original canal companies to stop one canal stealing water from the other. A stream of boats was waiting to get off the Shroppie, so much so that they were blocking the canal and we had to wait until a few of them had gone through before we could get through the lock. Just after the lock is the Napton Narrowboat hire base, from where we had hired our boats. We passed nb "Emma" moored to one side; she was the first boat we ever hired in the spring of 2010.  A darling little boat, she was too!

"Pegasus", which we hired in the autumn of 2012 with Annie and Paddy, was also moored there. Happy memories!

We moored up at the water point, started to fill up with water and walked back to the Napton yard and were delighted to see Peter and his lovely lady Annie there in the office.  It was Peter, who in  2010, had introduced us to "Emma" and given us our first safety briefing, which was the start of a very special week that helped to convince us that we really wanted a boat of our own. We joked with them that the fact that we had MM built was entirely their fault! Both of them walked back to MM with us to have a look around. We were so pleased to see them both again.

There is a Morrisons supermarket at Autherley so we walked the 10 minutes into the town as the gin supply on board was running low. It must be due to evaporation in the hot weather, we told ourselves!
When we returned, we were joined on board by a moorhen who, after being given some bread to eat, settled happily down in the sunshine for a nap for nearly an hour!

It was late in the afternoon when we finally got moving and the cruise up to Wheaton Aston was a joy, filled with more happy memories. Not least was crossing the A5, Watling Street, on the Stretton Aqueduct. Always a great opportunity to wave regally at those poor people confined to their little tin boxes below!

M did the lock at Wheaton Aston, the only lock on the first 25 miles of the Shroppie. R took MM through the lock, then turned her and brought her back through the lock again, where he moored her up facing south. The reason for turning was that our friends Jackie and Mick on "Zodiak" are coming south down the Shroppie after their marathon trip to Lancaster and we plan to meet up tomorrow and go back down to Brewood with them.
Today: 8 miles, 2 locks and 6.2 hours.
Trip: 204 miles, 179 locks and 167.8 hours.