Homeward Bound

And we're on the move.
A really early start, at 6.30am, pushing through a large squadron of Canada geese on a blustery morning.
The weather was due to deteriorate, and we had 8 hours and 12 locks on the day's programme.
We were soon at Tixall Wide
with the Gatehouse looking lovely in the sunshine.
We passed the point where the Stafford River way group are trying to get the River Penk navigable for boats to reach the centre of Stafford.
A marina is being built as a first step and revenue producer. Wish them luck!
At each lock there would be a short queue in each direction as everyone got moving again: more sociable crews exchanging news and gossip. The weather increasingly squally with some real downpours.
The offending lock is safely negotiated.
Heading in the right direction then.
And very glad indeed to stop at 15:07 with another long slog tomorrow.

And good morning Staffordshire!
A straightforward cruise through the Narrows, an ex-tunnel,
past a fallen branch,
and down to Cut End, where Shropshire Union canal has its junction with Staffs and Worcester.
Through the stop lock and past the typical toll House, exactly as seen on the A5 too and for the same purpose.
Golly, you need a lot of kit to drown maggots.
A fishing competition setting up along the Shroppie.
As there are so few locks, we took turns today of one hour each at the tiller. The Shroppie is an amazing feat of engineering,  dead level and as few bends as possible,  all on one level for miles and miles, through cuttings and embankments and not many places to moor.  Quite boring to steer, but certainly efficient.
As a result we made good time, despite tiptoeing through the canal festival at Gnosall - good to see many familiar boats and faces -
before coming to rest at Norbury Junction after another 9 hour day.
Got the penultimate space, with the last one taken just as we were tying up.
Monday morning and  off again at sparrowfart. These two aristocrats of the cut came by yesterday evening, clearly to a pre arranged berth at the wharf. They are Saturn, the last of the Cheshire flyboats, and her motor Buckden.
We are the first boat to disturb the water
as the sun brushes the treetops.
Mixed weather again, but only light showers so far.
Plenty of birds about. I haven't had a heron pic this year at all so here you go.
Downright jungly in many places along here.
Turn and turn about at the tiller and down a succession of locks: through Market Drayton in a flash.
At last we were above Audlem and ready to stop for a bit. It's been three months since we started this cruise so time to celebrate, at the Shroppie Fly
and soon after, The Lord Combermere. 
 A pleasant walk up the flight and back aboard.

The last day and a lie in until 7.30am! 2 hours later, we were down the Audlem flight 
- some really leaky gates -

and then paused at Overwater for diesel and pump out. And thrilled to see John and Gwyn (from the BCNS Explorer Cruise) who moor there! 2 more locks and the reverse up the Arm, and we will be packing up.

However, more cruising to look forward to this year. Andrew will be single handing round to the IWA Lockwind at Cholmondeston Lock , then I'm off with mates in the 2nd half of August, leading up to the Whitchurch Festival.

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