A Four Counties There and Back Again - and Back Home.

 Friday 2nd October 2020 back at Aston Marina.

We had promised ourselves breakfast at the café at Great Haywood opposite our mooring. It opens at 9:00am so, with five minutes to spare, we set off to walk across the bridge. 

They have a large marquee, where we have eaten before, and a mobile catering facility, where you order your drinks and food. It works very well.

We had invited our friends Bridget and Peter from Weston to join us for breakfast and fortunately, we were allowed to eat inside the café as it was very windy. As ever, the food was excellent and very welcome. And the company was brilliant! We laughed so much together.

After breakfast and a very enjoyable catch up, we set off to do the last eight miles and three locks back to Aston. On the way, we passed their house and tooted loudly, but it seems they were not yet back at home.

It had been forecast to rain heavily but we were lucky and the rain held off all the way. Finally, after just over three hours, we arrived back at the marina and turned in through the entrance. It always feels like coming home.

The wind was blowing quite hard from the east, which meant that it was just in line with our mooring pontoon as R turned MM in order to back her into the bay, A22.

M photographed the clock for the record as we arrived. Guy was still staring out the window, hoping for a banana....

So, MM was safely back in her home mooring for another year. Let's hope that 2021 brings a bit more freedom to cruise through the summer and possibly to return to Guildford and the Wey & Arun Navigation. We can but hope!

On our way into the marina, we had noticed a recent arrival opposite MM's mooring - a narrowboat called "Zodiak" which used to belong to our good friends Jackie and Mick, so we walked around and photographed her for them. We have very fond memories of Zodiak from trips with Jackie and Mick.

There is a very well known circular route on the Trent & Mersey and Shropshire Union Canals called the "Four Counties Ring". In going down to Braunston and Wigram's Turn we had done, not a "ring", but a Four Counties "There and Back Again" - going through Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

So, another year's rather truncated cruising comes to an end. MM lived up to her name as we met so many friends on our travels and, despite the breakdown, we had a great time with brilliant weather. While we live in "interesting times", we count ourselves as very blessed being able to travel the waterways of England.

Now we look forward to next year and hope to see you then! Meanwhile, our warmest good wishes to all those of you who take the trouble to read this! Please stay safe!

Today: 8 miles, 3 locks and 3.2 hours.

Trip: 207 miles, 58 locks and 99.7 hours.

Since MM's Launch: 4,239 miles, 2,695 locks and 2,946.7 hours.

An Early Start and a Long Day.

Thursday 1st October 2020 at Great Haywood.

As agreed, Jenni met us on the towpath with coffee at 7:30 - at least, we were on the towpath but Jenni stayed on Rufford. Ed and Will preferred to have a lie-in!

A long day lay ahead of us, so we set off immediately after. It was quite cold but the weather had brightened up a bit by the time we arrived at the Fradley swing bridge three hours later.

A volunteer at Fradley Top Lock said that HS2 is scheduled to go across the canal about 300 yards further along. 

He said that the centre line of the track was marked by a blue post in the ground and the orange marks on the trees showed which ones would be cut down. Every tree for a hundred yards had an orange mark. The red arrow points to the blue post.

HS2 will cut across the canal right through this lovely peaceful woodland.

Wood End Lock is isolated in the middle of nowhere.

But not for long, right alongside the lock is a massive area being set up as a construction base for HS2.

We tried (not too successfully) not to dwell on this prospect and to concentrate on enjoying our last full day of cruising in the sunshine. M loves these isolated trees in the middle of fields. These probably mark an ancient field boundary before farmers were paid to rip out the boundaries to make bigger "more efficient" fields. Now, of course, they are being paid to widen boundaries and replace hedges. Clearly, "Yes Minister" still rules.

Armitage "tunnel" used to be a tunnel until the roof caved in! Now it is just a very narrow bit of the canal where two boats cannot pass. We have been through it in both directions many times before without meeting another boat coming the other way. We held back and watched the boat in front of us as he rounded the corner into the tunnel and then had to go into reverse rapidly as there were two boats coming the other way! By the time we could take our turn to go through, we had a convoy of three boats one after the other.

We made very good progress and arrived in Great Haywood at 4:30 to find a group of policemen standing on the bridge. No idea what they were doing but they were in deep discussion about something. They took no notice of us as we cruised quietly past.

Very unexpectedly for this late in the afternoon, there was a free mooring space opposite the café. So, breakfast tomorrow morning is a must!

Today:20 miles, 5 locks nd 8.2 hours.

Trip: 199 miles, 55 locks and 96.5 hours.