A short day

As planned, we had a fairly relaxed start and then went shopping to Tesco. The remainder of the shopping opportunities here are severely curtailed for the moment, as most of the retail park opposite is under redevelopment as Elliot's Field. Only the Halfords is left, but is due to be joined by Marks and Sparks, Debenhams and a variety of other clothes shops.

We got most of what we wanted and carried it all back to the boat in our daysacks as usual. Having stowed it, we got ready to set off; Martin came back for a further chat and planned to pull Ice Breaker back to use the space we were vacating.

It's a short half hour from Brownsover to Clifton Cruisers. They were in turn-round mode for their hire fleet, but cheerfully did us a pump out whilst Sanity Again was breasted up oustide one of the hire boats. It's an adequate rather than outstanding pump out; a powerful pump but no rinsing undertaken, so the outcome was much as we achieve at Mercia. It cost £15.

Another short run brought us to the foot of Hillmorton, where we've tied on the new Armco before the final bend, as usual.

This afternoon saw us take a walk up the flight. The towpath side bottom lock is still stopped for repairs, so only one side of the usually double flight is available. On the way back we had a towpath natter with the crew of The Cat's Whiskers, fellow Mercia moorers and soon to be fellow lodge owners, having bought plot 5 in front of Walnut.

It will be another half seven start tomorrow, it being about three hours from here to Braunston, where we should arrive around half ten, the optimum time for finding a mooring when the cut is as busy as it is this week. I just hope that the weather continues to be as pleasant as it has been today.