Up the Staffs and Worcs

In the continuing fine weather (who says we never have a summer?), we've come up the final locks onto the summit of the Staffs and Worcs. On the way we passed Otherton Boat Haven, where we left Sanity on one occasion to take a train across to Lincolnshire.

It doesn't look to have changed very much; I commented at the time that it was no more than average, with not particularly welcoming staff, and limited opening hours in the office. One of the more laid back operations, I said; ramshackle would be another word for it, frankly.

We'd been warned that Rodbaston Lock was leaking badly through the top cill, but when we got there, a share boat steered by Alan Sensicle was just coming out of it, and he shouted across to me that they'd had an emergency stoppage yesterday and fixed it. It was indeed no problem today :)

On we merrily chugged; I was lockwheeling and walked the last few up to Gailey, where we found a Fire and Rescue crew practising pumping water out of the cut and then squirting it back in again. The canal was very congested past the mooring above the lock; Viking clearly don't have many boats out yet either.

Then it was a case of the gentle cruise past the chemical works at Four Ashes to the mooring by Long Moll's Bridge that we've used before. It's just a bit before Hatherton Junction, where the pub is still trading, but doesn't seem to have moved on past the advertised Stage 1; the "temporary sign" is still promising all sorts of goodies like a shop and boatyard services, but there's not much sign of them yet.

We took a walk past there this afternoon; if you go on to the next bridge, you can follow a farm track across to the minor road that leads to Long Moll's and so back to the boat.

For the rest, we've been sitting out on the bow, drinking tea, reading and enjoying the sun. Sheila at one point threatened to change into shorts, but we agreed that this would constitute "casting a clout" and there's no sign of hawthorn blossom yet. (I believe in the floral rather than the calendular interpretation of the saying.)

We've also filled in most of our census form on line; I'm just waiting to see if we do indeed end up at Market Drayton on Sunday as I've predicted before submitting it.