The Jam Butty and Doughnuts.

 Saturday 12th September 2020 at Handsacre.

A lovely early morning greeted us.

Breakfast at the CanalSide Café was irresistible! The café was busy later, but we were the first order of the day when it opened at 9:00. Many of the customers were cyclists pausing on their travels to load up with calories.

Mel had highly recommended the homemade doughnuts at the Farm Shop, so we felt duty bound to buy a couple for later. They proved to be delicious - one stuffed with jam and the other (our favourite) stuffed with custard. M had been tempted to greet the baker by saying "I hear people come from miles around to admire your doughnuts" but thought better of it....

Great Haywood has two water points and the Anglo Welsh service bay, so we topped up with both water and diesel before we left. While R was in the shop paying for the diesel, he seemed to trip over a couple of Magna! Our first ice creams of the cruise.

On the way down to Little Haywood lock, we passed the Jam Butty, a narrowboat trader that we know well. Helen and Andy Tidy make and sell the most amazing jams and marmalades using fruits that they gather along the waterways. M was about to go and buy some when she discovered that we still have some jars of their Whisky Marmalade (delicious) - but she went to chat to them anyway. They sell the jams from their little butty boat, hence the name - the Jam Butty.

They are a lovely couple, both of them write excellent columns for canal boat magazines. M had a great catchup with them before rejoining R and MM below the lock.

Helen is now also making knicknacks from recyclable materials and, to M's horror, she asked M to model a pair of earings for a photograph. M in front of the camera - very rare! M is hoping the photo will never go to print...

Colwich Lock comes next; today there were no cows ambling across the bridge and watching our progress. M has always had a hankering for the cottage beside the lock.

We passed another narrowboat turning in the winding hole. No prizes for guessing their favourite band.

These lads were having great fun playing football on the towpath along Brindley Bank. Inevitably the ball ended up in the canal - and they ended up jumping in to retrieve it!

This view of Rugeley power station always makes us smile - it looks as if the houses have outsized chimneys.

We moored up about 4:30 in a lovely spot with just oak trees for company and we had tea with the doughnuts!

As always on a Saturday evening, we tuned in to watch Randy and the Rockets. This week they were celebrating Duncan's birthday (the drummer). They all dressed up in costumes that Duncan has worn over the last 26 weeks. Matt looked wonderful in the Scooby outfit particularly when he bent down to play the keyboard.

 Today: 9 miles, 2 locks and 3.8 hours.

Trip: 36 miles, 13 locks and 23.6 hours..