Two Days into One and a Day Off for Good Behaviour! 30th April to 1st May 2019

Tuesday 30th April 2019
Tixall Wide to Stone
10.5 miles, 4 locks

We woke to a very atmospheric mist surrounding us, but it soon burned off and we were on our way.  First stop, the water point as we turned off the Staffs and Worcs onto the Trent and Mersey.

Whilst Chris dealt with emptying and filling as required I crossed over to the other side of the canal to visit the Farm Shop which has undergone a recent makeover.  Last time we were here I am sure the shop and the cafe were in the same building as below

Now the above building is just the cafe with many more tables and the building below is to the right of the cafe and is now a much larger shop.  It was always worth a visit, but is even more so now.  The vegetables looked wonderful and there is a great range of meat and deli products.  I parted with some money!  The only thing sampled so far were some radishes at lunch time - they actually tasted like radishes used to with a good peppery bite.

 As the weather was warm, dry and sometimes sunny we decided to go for it and do two days in one and get to Stone rather than stopping somewhere near to Weston.  It was a day of following boats into locks, but with no great delays.  There was quite a bit of chatting at locks which is always good.  At one I discovered that the lady on the boat behind us grew up in the same town I did and went to the same school, albeit about 9 years after me.

It is a very pretty stretch of canal with cows, sheep and lambs a plenty.

There were a few boats coming towards us, so quite a few gates could be left open and Monty and I could hop back on board

 I am not too keen on opening and shutting the gates where you have to stand on the dropped down edge.  It is safer I am sure than I feel, but it does make you look where you are putting your feet.

 Just before the final lock of the day we passed Aston Marina where nb Cleddau spent the winter

Heading for Aston Lock - the last of the day

Monty and I walked the last mile and a bit - I am very taken with this patio - a glass wind break, which does not interfere with the view.

We managed to find a mooring just where we wanted to be - on the five day moorings, by a dog box with rubbish bins behind the hedge along with a car park which will be important for our plans for our day off.

As we were tying up a boat came in behind us and we discovered that the man on board had been a teacher at one of our son's schools!  It is a small world.

Wednesday 1st May 2019
Stone

Our good friends, Jane and Chris, arrived around 09:00 to scoop Monty up to take him with their dog and a neighbour's dog for a run on The Downs - a NT area they frequently visit.  That left Chris and I to strip the bed and sort out a few other bits and bobs before they came back to collect us.  Back at their house the washing was begun.  I managed to wash and dry the bedding, the towels and a load of general clothes - a real bonus with the April showers we have been experiencing.

Next stop was Tesco where we made the most of replenishing the 'heavy' essentials before we had a pub lunch.  Then it was back to their house where we spent a very pleasant afternoon chatting and watching some afternoon television - a real treat.  Finally Jane made us some dinner before Chris took us back to the boat.  They are non boating friends who fully understand the needs of boating people!  It was a perfect day - thank you both very much. 

Monty also had a fabulous time.  He and Kiera are both seven - they never play like this with any other dog, but always have an absolute ball when they meet up .  There are definite rules to the tugging game - when you manage to win the object you have to pretend not to give it back, all the time waiting for the other one to catch it and start tugging again!  They first met when they were very young - Monty 20 weeks and Kiera about 10 months which is why, we think, they get on so well together even though they only meet up a few times a year.