Merrily on towards Alrewas

We'd meant to make a relaxed start this morning, but found ourselves awake at six anyway. Despite taking our  time about getting going, it was still just nine o'clock when we arrived at Rugeley, where at least there was plenty of choice on the moorings. By the time ten had arrived, and Morrisons had opened, things were much busier, so perhaps the early start was worth it.

We did a couple of shopping runs, it being around ten days since we had had the Waitrose delivery at Norbury, and we took an early lunch before setting off again. We did think about lunching on the move, but what with bridges on blind bends and the Armitage Tunnel, the stretch from Rugeley to Handsacre really benefits from having a look out on the bow.

I meant to take another photo in the Morrisons car park, but forgot, drat. It was of a sign on the ticket machine, explaining that parking was free today as the machine was out of order. It concluded "We apologise for any inconvenience".

It's always so annoying to find that you've got your money out and now don't need to spend it, I guess.

The cut is very busy today, as you'd expect, so rather than stop by The Crown in Handsacre, on a rather narrow tight bend, even if it is an official length of Visitor Mooring, we've come on a bit further to a towpath mooring by Bridge 56.

Main task of the afternoon was sweeping the Squirrel flue, which the use of house coal, particularly, had made very sooty. The flue brush we bought from the hardware store in Rugeley the other week did the job very well, I'm pleased to say.

A previous commenter expressed surprise that we'd been burning house coal, when Morsø strongly discourage it, even threatening to withdraw the warranty if you do, and I imagine that this sooting up of the flue is the reason. On the other hand, Morsø also recommends a 4.5 meter high chimney, and we certainly can't deliver that on a boat, nor do we season any wood we burn  for two years, another strong recommendation.

Having tried it, I have to say that we wouldn't use house coal again unless desperate for something to burn; it's just too messy, both with the smoke and the deposits in the flue, but burning green wood is probably just as bad, if not worse.

Tomorrow, on to Fradley.

Two personal items; hello to the crew of Stanley, readers of this blog who passed us in Rugeley, and congratulations to Adam and Adrian, new owners of Braidbar number 76, Briar Rose. Adam's blogging about her already.