A short run to Fradley for a family meeting

27th & 28th December

I'm grabbing a moment whilst Graeme, Cathy and Daniel are outside feeding the ducks to do this post, so it's going to be a bit terse!

Yesterday we set off at nine after a quick trip to the shops to buy a paper and a supply of bread. We were just too late setting off in that a Canaltime that appeared from further down the village was just in front of us, but after working up Bagnall, they stopped to go shopping and let us by.

We had a steady trip up to Fradley; there's still not much traffic about. As we came up Keeper's Lock, we could see plenty of room on the visitor moorings, but the Cheese Boat was on the water point. Accordingly, we went on up Junction Lock into some merry chaos above.

A boat which had just come off the paint dock was trying to reverse onto the lock landing to pick up crew. In the end, he gave up and settled for resting his stern against the top gate whilst the crew, some waving Union Jacks, clambered aboard off the footboard. A few other folks stood on the towpath, also energetically waving the red white and blue.

Despite all this audience, I managed not to disgrace myself winding Sanity in the junction for once, and we dropped back down the lock. By now, the Cheese Boat had finished watering and we were able to take their place.

Although the cafe and offices are closed, so that there was no other demand on the supply, the water point was as slow as ever. We ran a sock load in the washing machine, and just about managed to fill the tank before the machine wanted to start rinsing.

Having done all this, we pulled across onto the VM a boat's length in front of the Cheese Boat, and I walked back to natter to its owner and to buy some cheese for lunch. Tied just behind him is Sanity?, aka the Fudge Boat, but it looks as if they have sold all their stock.

A quiet afternoon followed, until Elanor joined us for a while. She took me shopping in Morrison's at the end of the afternoon, then left us to while away the evening.

Today we had a really lazy start, finally getting up around nine, running the engine and a washload, and being joined by Graeme, Cathy and Daniel at the end of the morning. We had a good lunch in the Swan; being Sunday, it was a carvery at £9 for main course, pudding and coffee. Daniel ate some of his parents' meal, and all were well satisfied with both quantity and quality.

Afterwards we went for a short stroll round the nature reserve, being joined by Elanor towards the end (she'd been riding this morning).

The afternoon has passed in family chat and entertaining Daniel, including feeding the ducks. In a bit, they'll go off to a Travelodge for the night – at eight months pregnant, Cathy's feeling a bit ungainly for sleeping on the saloon floor, as who could blame her.

Tomorrow, they'll park in Alrewas and walk up the canal to rejoin us for a trip in the boat back down the canal.