An unexpected stoppage - 20th - 23rd August 2020

 Thursday 20th August 2020

Tixall Wide to Great Haywood

1 mile, 0 locks

After all that rain yesterday we woke to glorious sunshine and could actually see the view from our saloon window

plus our watchful neighbour

Our plan today was to head to Great Haywood, get diesel from the Anglo Welsh Basin, use the water point and services round the corner leaving the Staffs and Worcs behind us and joining the Trent & Mersey.  Our destination was to be Stone, but it proved to be impossible.

I mentioned at the end of my last blog that I had had a bad night.  I had developed a kidney/bladder infection and spent the night up and down to the loo.  I also had stomach and back pain, so knew is was not something I could ignore.  I felt so ill in the night that I started to worry about being a good mile from the nearest road access and what would happen if I became really ill in the night.  I know it was unlikely, but irrational fears are always worse at night.   We knew we had to move to at least Great Haywood where there is good road access, but it was only a mile and no locks, so once we had pulled pins I could sit and relax.  However, even untying defeated me.  For the first time ever as I untied the bow rope; I lost my grip on the 'nappy pin' and it dropped into the cut.  Chris came to my rescue with the trusty magnet and thankfully it appeared on his second go.

Once at Great Haywood we pulled in to get diesel and whilst there got rid of our rubbish and yellow water.  Our main priority was a mooring - there was nothing under the bridge opposite the farm shop and cafe, but I spotted one Chris could reverse to on the right as he emerged onto the T&M. It was too convenient a spot not to take.

I had called our surgery before left Tixall and a doctor called me back as Chris was preparing to leave the diesel point.  She agreed with my diagnosis and prescribed antibiotics.  Thankfully we have very good friends who do not live too far from here and they had agreed to collect the tablets from their local pharmacy and deliver it to us on the boat.  To cut a long story short, I retreated to bed for the rest of the day and had a slightly better night.

Friday morning our friends were expecting a Tesco delivery for us which they had agreed to deliver to us - this should have been at Stone, however they made the longer journey to meet us at the water point at 10:00.  We moved to take on water at 09:30 hoping against hope that 'our mooring' would remain empty until we had finished.  It did, so we made it safely back again and once again I retreated to bed.

Now decisions had to be made. Due to medical issues Chris cannot easily work locks, so I have to be fairly fit before we go anywhere.  In the end we made the decision that we would do something we have never done before - overstay our 2 day limit.  I sent a message to C&RT to ask permission only to get an automated response that said they would get back to me in 4-5 days!  However, we had asked and we had no choice but to stay.  I did receive a lovely email from them on Monday thanking me for letting them know and to get back to them if we needed more time.  It is good to know they are there to support us in a time of need.

Saturday was a better day, but even a gentle walk required a rest on my return.  Two walks and some boat internal cleaning and tidying was managed on Sunday.

We have never moored overnight at Great Haywood and now know just how busy it is with boats coming and going from 7am to 8pm every day. Despite all the coming and going everyone was motoring in a very considerate manner to all concerned.  Well apart from one who continued forward past us tooting and tooting his horn with no signs of slowing down despite a boat heading his way and another emerging from the Staffs and Worcs.  He even had the nerve to say to the emerging boat (who was entirely in the right) 'don't mind me'!  Thankfully most people have more consideration and are happy to wait.

On a more cheerful note we had visitors on Saturday.  Back in 2014 when we crossed the Wash for the first time there were three boats in the convoy - us, nb Cleddau (that we travel with regularly) and nb Chouette.  The six crew members have become friends and stayed in touch.  We knew Chouette was heading our way.  They called us as they approached the junction and then reversed back and breasted up with us for a 15 minute chat.  A brief visit, but it was good to see them both.

Our local walks with Monty took us to the lock behind us and then left into Great Haywood

where we found a letter box with this sign in the house window next to it

The local Spar provided us with our Sunday paper today and appears to be a well stocked shop.

If you turn right at the lock you will cross over Essex Bridge - this is the longest surviving packhorse bridge in Britain.  It is a Grade I listed structure.

It crosses the River Trent:

and to the left is where the River Sow joins the Trent

Continue on over the bridge and you come to 

with an amazing view of the Hall itself.  We have visited here in the past (from land) and will again, but not this trip.

To the left is some woodland - a little bit of Monty heaven!

The weather has been very mixed with sunshine and showers and we even had a very brief rainbow.

We have also, of course, visited the farm shop (at Great Haywood junction)on a few occasions!  So as I said in the title, this has been an unexpected stoppage for us and the decision has been to retrace our steps home down the Staffs & Worcs rather than completing the Four Counties Ring.  All we have to hope now is that the River Severn behaves as we really do not want to have to go through Birmingham.

I am pleased to report that I am definitely on the mend and we moved off on Monday.