...by our standards, anyway. We'd usually take two days to get from Kings Bromley to Tixall, but today we did it in one move. I got up and started boating by half six, whilst Sheila made a more leisurely rise. Once we'd both had breakfast, it was half seven and we were threading through the wilds of Handsacre and Armitage.
By nine we were in Rugeley, and found a mooring just in front of Tony and Sue on Jenny Wren. Seemingly, they originated in that town, and have never had problems overnighting or leaving the boat there. One word of advice to those with longer boats; the visitor mooring is bendy, the uncontrolled stuff is straight.
We had a good shopping trip, visiting the butcher, Wilkinson's, Morrisons and Lowndes the fruiterer. By now it was after ten, and there was a lot more traffic about. It took a while to get going, but once away, steady progress was made. Sheila had to hold back to allow the converted working boat Hawkesbury to wind at the deceptive winding hole beyond Brindley Bank (it looks really good, but is well filled up with mud, as Sally reported the other week) and then we followed him through to Great Haywood.
We had to queue for a little while below Colwich, and for longer below Haywood, but then had no problem finding a mooring on Tixall. We'd been going from 6.30 to 13.30.
After a very belated lunch, we made an expedition to the newly reorganised canalside farm shop. It's a changed place, and well worth a visit, though still rather pricey. There's a serious butchery, and the greengroceries have been expanded and much improved from the rather sad display we saw over the winter.
Call in if you're passing.
We've now collapsed on the boat, rather, though Sheila's given the flowers a good seeing to. Another early start tomorrow, and on to Stafford BC for a couple of nights.
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