Acquaintances Old & New

3 Locks, 9.69 Miles, 1 swingbridge Now moored at Fradley Junction

It was a take it as it comes sort of a day with it being unseasonably mild again. We had nothing definitely planned other than stopping at Rugeley to pick up a few things at Morrison’s. With the boat club rally at Tixall Wide and school holidays coming to an end there were plenty of boats on the move heading north.

Realistic looking Scrooge at the Spode Moorings on the Trent and Mersey Canal

Now the tree’s are loosing all their foliage the wildlife are becoming more apparent. In the past few days we have seen a Mink, Jay’s, Magpies, Robin’s as well as the usual waterfowl. The funniest, for which no camera was at hand, was a Grey Squirrel with a corn cob from a recently harvested field. He had it sideways in his mouth making him as wide as he was long but he was very determined to get it into his winter cache of food.There would be quite a few days supply for him with that sized cob.

When is a tunnel not a tunnel. When it's Armitage Tunnel which was opened out due to mining subsidence.

After leaving Rugeley we were just pottering along enjoying the day when another boat came into sight. Not taking too much notice of the lady walking close by with a dog which it turned out to be Anne & Chas on Nb Moore2Life. Well we both hove to and the kettle was soon on the hob. After not seeing each other for the best part of a year there was plenty to catch up on. Well time stands still for no man so we had to say farewell and get under way again to find a more suitable mooring before we ran out of daylight. Darkness is now upon us by about 5pm.

Chas, Anne and Molly Nb Moore2Life.

We had hoped to moor between locks 19 & 20 but when we arrived there the last available mooring had been taken by a boat that passed us while entertaining Anne & Chas. Ah well, C’est la vie. We pushed on through to Fradley Junction and turned on to the Coventry Canal where initially it appeared that no moorings were available. Just after passing through the small swing bridge across the entrance to the Coventry Canal our attention was drawn to a couple waving and calling out. We were puzzled as to who they were waving to as we didn’t recognise them. It transpired that they were fellow bloggers Roger and Pip on Nb Windsong who told us that there was a mooring available behind them which worked out perfectly.

Fellow bloggers Roger & Pip with their pride and joy.

2023 locks, 3907.16 miles, 76 tunnels, 130 swing bridges and 54 lift bridges since Nov 2006