Another 20 locks.

Thursday 22nd September, 2016 at Market Drayton.
Today was officially the first day of Autumn. Unofficially, it truly was autumnal although still quite warm and with a blue sky.

We had decided to make an early start as ahead of us were two flights of locks, the Audlem flight of 15 locks and then the Adderley flight of five locks. We hoped that by starting early, we would have the flights to ourselves and be able to go at our own speed. At 7:41, we set off and cruised very quietly past Rufford. Jenni's face appeared at the window to wave farewell to us.

Within a hundred yards, we approached the first lock of the day.

After the first two locks, we saw this beautiful old lock-keeper's cottage in the "Telford" style. So sad to think that in the 1960s, British Waterways emptied several hundred cottages like this of their tenants and let the houses decay and fall down because they didn't want to let people have access to them via the towpath. Just think what that property portfolio would be worth today!

As we passed this cottage, a moored boat started up and went into the third lock ahead of us. Our hearts sank as it meant that all the next 13 locks in the flight would be against us. Putting aside any disappointment, M went on ahead to help them through the lock. Unfortunately for them, their throttle cable snapped as they were leaving the lock, so they moored up above the lock. We offered to help but there was nothing that we could do. We felt very sorry for them as they were on a one week hire and the delay, waiting for the hire company to fix it, would probably cost them at least a day.
As a result, the next nine locks were in our favour and we sped through them with M doing a brilliant job of lock-wheeling - setting the next lock in the flight to be ready for MM. (note from M - R did a brilliant job too!).

As we approached the 13th lock, we found that there was a boat in front of us which had moored overnight in the middle of the flight. He was "single-handing" so M went ahead to help him through the last three locks, which speeded up his progress and so also speeded up ours.
After the 15th Audlem lock, there was a short pound of about a mile before the five Adderley locks. Again, M helped the single chap through, which speeded up our own progress too.

Finally, just four hours after starting, we went through the top lock and were able to moor up at last for a well earned breakfast (or brunch)! It was a lovely rural spot and a tractor crossed the bridge behind us as we moored up (a John Deere, M's favourite).

Beside the top lock, there was a local farm stall selling home made produce. It was unmanned, with only an honesty box for purchases.

Stalls like these are true gems and not that common. Among the goodies on sale (at very reasonable prices) were home cured bacon and ham, homemade sausages, pork pies and black pudding, lamb chops, T-bone steaks, free range eggs, a home made rhubarb tart and chocolate chip cookies.

M was sorely tempted by the rhubarb tart but settled for eggs, cookies (for R) and a pork pie, which she declared to be the best she had ever had.

The hedgerow beside MM was laden with sloes and, for once, they were easily within reach, although there were stinging nettles lurking at the bottom.

M gathered some sloes to make sloe gin for the winter.

After our breakfast/brunch, we set off again southwards towards Market Drayton. We are very familiar with the moorings there, having spent many happy times there over the years. Our first visit was with Terry Robertson on his boat nb "Shropshire Lass" when we were doing our Helmsman's Course eight years ago. Imagine our surprise as we arrived in Market Drayton to see Shropshire Lass in the private moorings! There was no sign of Terry, though.

We moored up on the visitors' moorings opposite Shropshire Lass and facing a very attractive terrace of town houses, one of which we seriously considered buying six years ago.

As the temperature had dropped significantly, we put up our glass panel on the back door to keep the cold out but let the light in. Through it, M photographed the sky as the sun set.

Today: 6 miles, 20 locks and 5.4 hours.
Trip: 420 miles, 302 locks and 297.7 hours.