A quick chase over to Cannock

22nd & 23rd October

The nights are cold enough now that the drips from condensation on the Houdini overnight are getting a bit much, so we’ve taken to sleeping with the cover over it. There’s still a bit of condensation, but it gets caught by the cover, which can then be dried out during the day. This also means that it’s much darker in the bedroom, and we are more likely to sleep in.

As a result, we didn’t get started boating on Monday until 9, though since we were only going a couple of hours up the canal to Penkridge, this didn’t really matter.

We got to the Midland Chandlers store at Park Gate Lock by 10, and went and spent some money. Since getting the fancy double skinned stainless steel chimney last winter, we’ve been avoiding cruising with the chimney on, which looks a bit odd, and means that the fire in the Squirrel doesn’t burn desperately well.

At MC we found a short plain black chimney to use for cruising. We also got a litre of FuelSet for adding to the diesel, and a new mat to go in front of the stove hearth for the coal scuttle to stand on. It’s noticeable that where you used only to be able to buy one kind of high absorbency door mat, the Turtle Mat at around £30 each, it’s now possible to find similar beasts for much less, in this case £8.

It’s cotton, thus making it a bit less hazardous in front of the stove than a nylon or polyester one would be. We’re still a bit haunted by the Lindy Lou fire report, I guess.

On we went to Penkridge, getting there by about half eleven. We went into the village to buy bread and the like, and to find out where the bus stop was for the service into Cannock that we needed to use today. We thought we’d identified the right one in the village centre, but then on the way back out realised that there might be one nearer the boat.

Elanor had the day off to visit the dentist in the morning, and came to see us in the afternoon. She had a bit of a hassle finding the right road out of the village to get to us, which subsequently gave Sheila an idea about yet other bus stops.

Elanor brought a load of post for us, and some more books, and left about mid afternoon. Sheila then went exploring, and sure enough found the best located bus stop, about 5 minutes walk from the boat.

We needed to get to Cannock today because Sheila had a hospital appointment just after 10. According to the timetable on the bus stop, there was one at 9.39, and sure enough a bus appeared at almost the exact time. It was only £2.40 return to Cannock, and it took around ten minutes on the bus. Cannock proves to be rather bigger than we’d expected, and would certainly repay further exploration on another occasion.

The hospital was as efficient as the Burton one, and we got back to the bus station just in time to catch a 10.30 service back to Penkridge. As a result, we were back in the village shopping before 11, and having coffee on the boat by half past – altogether a much more straightforward morning than we’d feared.

This afternoon we’ve taken advantage of the continuing good weather to come back to Acton Trussell for the night. The Penkridge mooring just before Bridge 86 was fine, and there were plenty of other boats there, but it’s quieter out here in the country, especially as we are a bit away from the M6.

Tomorrow we’ll probably go on to Tixall, and then start heading North for Harecastle and the Macc for the first half of the stoppage season.