Jamie and Alex arrive.

There was very heavy rain all night but it had stopped by the morning and soon after the sun came out.
A couple walking by on the towpath remembered MM from the Canal Boat Magazine article last year. It's the first time anyone has recognised us!
We walked into the village centre and found it to be charming, just as the guide books said.  It has won the "English Village of the Year" award for many years running.  We had Hobbit's second breakfast at the "Old Priest House", which not only served an excellent breakfast but also had a wall of old fashioned stoppered sweet jars behind the counter. It brought back many happy childhood memories of the old traditional sweetshops selling such delights as barley sugars, sherbert lemons and the dreaded "gobstoppers"!

Sara arrived with Jamie and Alex all the way from the Isle of Wight about lunchtime. Lovely to see them all again. R showed them round the wharf and Mill shop while M popped to the Co-op for a "few bits".

Sara left mid afternoon and, after topping up with water, we set off down the three remaining locks of the Audlem flight.

Both boys helped with the locks and tried their hand at steering.

We moored up in a remote spot in  the countryside where the silence was almost tangible. The boys immediately got their fishing rods out and within minutes, Alex had caught a 7inch Roach!

nb "Tilda" was moored up behind us and Alex saw that the chap on board was also fishing. In characteristic Alex fashion, he trotted off to speak to him and came back bearing a dish of maggots! The gentleman even came over and helped the boys to set their lines up with the maggots. Alex only caught one more small fish before dinner.
Both boys (after washing their hands!) helped chop onions and garlic for the "spag bol" which they then wolfed down.
All the excitement of boating and fishing meant they were showered and asleep by 9:30. So were we!
A beautiful moon shone in on us through the windows as we fell asleep.  A great day.
Today: 1 mile, 3 locks and 4.0 hours (3 power).
Trip: 248 miles, 205 locks and 209.1 hours.