Handily to Handsacre

Although the weather's cooled down a bit, it's been another good day's boating, with a half seven start. It took three and a half hours to get through Alrewas, up the locks to Fradley and then ever upwards to Shade House, which is for sale again.

But then, HS2 is planned to come right past here and on to Woodend, boo hiss.

It's a case of enjoy it while you've got it, I guess.

Still, it was a glorious morning's boating once I'd realised that the alarming cracking noise wasn't an engine bearer breaking, but the lid of the steering step suddenly shifting.

We found a mooring just beyond the winding hole at Handsacre and settled for the day. There was too much breeze to rig the whirligig, so we've been drying today's washload in the engine room.

Elanor and Sally came across for the afternoon; they'd had a run on the Washlands first thing this morning so Sal's been kipping most of the time.

Tomorrow, an early start as we want to water at Spode House and then shop in Rugeley before going on to the Pig Farm, sorry, Taft Wharf for the night.