A bit of catching up, and Sally on the Chase

Today, we went to Morrisons, and later on walked Sally on Cannock Chase with Elanor. The walk was very entertaining; Elanor drove us round to Brocton and up into the Chase, and we did a circular walk from there. Sally was hilarious – she was very excited, having had comparatively limited exercise during the week now that Elanor is working, and spent a huge amount of time initially bounding up and down through the heath and heather.

We came down to the stream and walked along it to the Stepping Stones site, and so back up the ridge to the car park. We did about two miles, but Sal must have clocked up at least four times that.

I'm looking after her tomorrow, as Elanor is off to see Riverdance with some fellow dog trainers, so I'll make sure she gets some more walking then.

That's about all about today, so a couple of items of catching up:

First off, a while back, I was asked about the route from Branston to Morrisons, and never got round to answering properly as the IWA Festival happened. So here it is:

From the towpath by the Bridge Inn at Branston, walk up the steps onto the road and away from the canal into Tatenhill Lane. At the end of the road, (*) go through the underpass beneath the A38 and carry on until you come to Main Street. Turn left and walk past the little parade of shops (includes a PO and a newsagent/stores) and the pub to the main road.

Cross at the pedestrian crossing and turn right, still on Main Street, which is now a busy road. After a few hundred yards, turn left into Clays Lane and walk quite some distance along it on the right hand side until you pass a grassy play area. At this point the street bears left, but you go straight on along a footpath which leads into the back of the Morrisons car park.

If you are tied on the Water Park moorings, you can walk through the park, keeping to the left, until you come to another entrance to the A38 underpass, then carry on from (*) above.

Secondly, regular readers will recall our attempts to get our money back on the Gelert folding chairs which came apart on us. I'm sorry to say that despite letters, Bromley Hayes Garden Centre by Kings Bromley marina has declined even to enter into discussions about repaying us. An email to Gelert got nowhere either, so it looks as if we shall just have to write this one off to experience. At less than £50 for the two, it's not worth even going into the Small Claims court.

I can't recommend that Garden Centre, needless to say.

/omg