Going a bit further than we meant

Things seem to have gone to plan today, albeit that we modified the plan a bit… We made a cracking early start, having woken in very good time, and were on the water point by seven. Having eaten breakfast as the tank filled, just a bit of pottering was required until the water started coming out of the breather and we could get going again.

The weather has been very off and on, sometimes warm sun, sometimes short but heavy showers. It was an uneventful cruise back to Barbridge and the turn onto the Middlewich Arm, achieved without spectators and therefore faultlessly. It’s then a bit of a plod past the lines of moored boats but the cut was still very quiet and no-one was waiting above Cholmondeston. Once down the lock, I took it gently along the next stretch whilst Sheila got the washing machine going, finishing before we arrived at Minshull Lock.

It being a fine morning, we decided to carry on past our original planned stop at Church Minshull, especially as the wash load wouldn't be quite done, and to aim for Blackberry Wood. We thought of stopping short on the towpath, but there was nowhere quite as nice as the view from the SUCS moorings at the Wood. We did try to get into the side once, just before there, but it was too silty and we’ve ended up on the VMs anyway.

Amazingly, the rings are appropriately spaced for a 70 footer and the Armco is exactly the right height for our fenders. As we were getting sorted, I commented that it was all going so well there probably wouldn't be a phone signal, but Sod’s Law has failed to apply and we have 4G signals on both 3 and Vodafone.

It’s been another quiet afternoon. The weather isn't reliable enough to put the whirligig out but we’ve no complaints apart from that. We’ve even finished a Jigsaw Sudoku that’s been defying me for several days. In the end, I got Sheila’s expertise onto it but it still took a bit serious cogitation before the last numbers were triumphantly inserted.

We should have an easy day tomorrow, an amble along to Middlewich to do a thorough restocking from the choice of three supermarkets on offer, Tesco, Morrisons and Aldi. The day after will be a later start, too, as we need to get a pump out at Kings Lock.

Location:Blackberry Wood