From Wolverhampton Boat Club to Compton, Wolverhampton 21 and The Black Country Museum

Monday 23 June Wolverhampton Boat Club to Compton

Tuesday 24 June up the Wolverhampton 21 locks with Mike and Wendy

 Wednesday 25 June Wolverhampton to The Black Country Museum 

This sunny morning we motored steadily the six or so miles from Wolverhampton top lock to our usual moorings at The Black Country Museum. We saw lots of trains, a couple of Narrowboats, plus lots of lilies and weed: John needed to stop and reverse the engine to clear the propeller quite a few times. We passed lots of new housing developments, especially near Bilston.

Once winded and moored behind the museum’s Bottle & Glass pub, we had a walk round once the boat was sorted out, sealing the stern gland with grease, removing the shiny brass tiller, erecting the pramtop at the back and making the boat secure.

Once Liana’s brother David arrived, we enjoyed our 4pm trip on the Dudley Canal Trust tunnel trip boat, with the talk given by David’s son Ted, who now works for the DCT.

Later we had a lovely bbq and evening meal at David and Ashleigh’s house, where we left our car, before David returned us to Annie.

Thursday 26 June at The Black Country Museum 

Friday 27 June at The Black Country Museum 

After a rainy night, the clouds cleared and we entered the museum on the stroke of 10am. We admired all the shops at the bottom of the hill near the boat dock, and chatted to the shopkeepers before the crowds arrived. It was lovely. We watched the brick making demonstration on the way uphill for a coffee and cake in the new to us cafe up the hill.

South on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal

Saturday June 5 Stafford Boat Club to Penkridge 5 miles 5 locks

The sun was shining through the clouds at 0900 when we awoke after a rainy night. We set off, enjoying the fields of cattle and sheep. Several times, brief rain squalls made us consider stopping, but the rain soon stopped each time, so we wore our coats and carried on to Penkridge.

The market was still operating, but much of the stuff was rather tawdry. We bought nothing and finished up at The Littleton Arms for lunch.

Up the Trent & Mersey Canal to Great Haywood

Saturday May 31 at Willington

We started the day with a family video call from our girls. Granddaughter Hope (recovering from tonsillitis) wanted to show off her new skirt, t shirt and wand which we had sent her, plus her new necklace from auntie Sarah. 

After showering, we walked into Mercia Marina for coffee, cake and visits to the art gallery (very tempted by the Kimberley Harris flower pictures) and Midland Chandlers. We could not get a replacement 24 volt shower fan, but did get a spare fan belt and two 7 metre lengths of 12mm rope. John later made eye splices and back splices for each rope, ready for use; refitted the shower light and drilled holes in the tyre fender so Liana doesn’t get wet again!!

Sunday June 1 Mercia Marina, Willington to Shobnall Fields, Burton (5 miles 1 lock)

A lovely, sunny but very windy morning, with dark clouds! First, we emptied loo cassettes and rubbish at the nearby services.

The boat seemed to be working fine after our problems with gearbox. Following Silver Fern through Dallow Lane Lock, we had help from three local children, who had a windlass. The drive stopped working, so Annie bumped the lock a bit. Mooring after the lock, John found the throttle cable had worked loose, so tightening nuts sorted this problem!

We moored in a pretty setting at Shobnall Fields, just beyond. Walking from here into town later, we found a good Italian restaurant, the Venetziaa, well worth a visit.

Monday June 2 Shobnall Fields, Burton to Alrewas 7 miles, 5 locks

Mooring at the park here is very pleasant in the sun. Loads of families walk together here. We walked to Lidl to shop through terraced streets. The church and adjacent clock tower are impressive. Once we had stocked up with supplies, we bought a full gas bottle, 5l of Morris Marine oil plus filled up with diesel (81p per litre for domestic use) at Jannel Cruisers, Shobnall Basin. John had to reverse Annie in through the narrow old entry bridge ( the basin was once an arm down to the river). We also bought the new Pearson’s Guide to The Stourport & Black Country Rings & BCN.

At Branston Lock we met a boat coming out, hoorah! We passed NB Silver Fern from our boat club at Branston Water Park, a pleasant mooring on the edge of Burton. Lots of new housing opposite, where once it was an unspoilt valley.

Through Tatenhill Lock, beside the noisy A38, we reached Barton lock, passing two boats on water points. The Little Chef and CRT waste disposal have gone, sold to become a lorry park. The boat in front let us pass through first, so we carried on to Wychnor Lock and the lovely water meadows. Past rural moorings, we kept right at the river weir and crossed to Alrewas river lock. John avoided two oncoming empty working boats by pulling in to the side. They need the deeper centre channel.

We moored on the scenic bend by church and graveyard, then walked around the village in the sun.

Liana cooked us a hearty lunch of pork, apple sauce, mash and mixed veg.

Tuesday June 3 at Alrewas

It rained throughout the night, as predicted, so we are hiding inside, reading and writing our diaries. We should be seeing friends Michael and Wendy for lunch at Fradley, but they may need to pick us up from Alrewas if the rain continues! Torrential rain and cloud had left batteries at 82%, so John ran the engine for 50 minutes to bring them up to 98%.

Wednesday June 4

Thursday June 5

Friday June 6 

Saturday June 5 Stafford Boat Club to Penkridge 5 miles 5 locks

The sun was shining through the clouds at 0900 when we awoke after a rainy night. We set off, enjoying the fields of cattle and sheep. Several times, brief rain squalls made us consider stopping, but the rain soon stopped each time, so we wore our coats and carried on to Penkridge.

The market was still operating, but much of the stuff was rather tawdry. We bought nothing and finished up at The Littleton Arms for lunch.

Up the River Trent to Nottingham

 

Wednesday 14 May Torksey Lock to Newark

Thursday 15 May Newark to Gunthorpe

Friday 16 May Gunthorpe to Nottingham

Thankfully, it is a beautiful, blue sky morning today, albeit with a cool but gentler wind than yesterday. This section of the Trent past Burton Joyce is particularly lovely, with sandy banks, water meadows, sheep, lambs and lots of wildfowl. I saw oyster catchers, Canada and greylag geese with young, swans, mallards and white egrets. How lucky are we!

There look to be useable visitor moorings at the Ferryboat, a Hungry Horse pub.

A tern almost hovered over the water, after fish, as we approached Stoke Bardolph Lock.

At Radcliffe we saw oystercatchers and three herons in 300 yards, unusually, as they are usually half a mile apart.

As we approached Radcliffe railway viaduct I could smell bacon frying, and my bacon and egg butty duly arrived soon after.

The cheery volunteer helped us through Holme Lock in the sun. We continued up to Meadow Lane Lock, passing rowers, other Narrowboats, the Trent trip boat, Sea Cadets base, Millionaire’s Mansion and all the new blocks of luxury flats.

Meadow Lane Lock was slow: one bottom paddle was inoperative and one top paddle was really stiff. We used the Elsan facility, then Liana went “jeffing” to the railway station, to fetch our car from Torksey Lock and drive it to Castle Marina. I chatted to a lady walking on the towpath with her windlass. After mooring outside the law courts for a cup of tea, Liana rang, so I then operated Castle Lock, chatting to the diners eating their lunch. Mooring near Sainsbury’s, I brushed all the goose poo into the canal and sat down just as Liana arrived. We had a quiet evening watching tv.

Saturday 17 May 2025 at Nottingham 

Today is our middle daughter Joanna’s birthday! Congratulations, Joanna. She is mountain biking in Italy with Mark, so we are leaving Annie in the care of Castle Marina, visiting our other daughters Rachel and Sarah today, then heading south to take over baby sitting duties from Hope’s other Grannie, Julie. Happy Days! The gentleman in the Marina office was most helpful. 

Later, we visited Wistow Garden Centre with Rachel and Sarah in her car. Rachel’s plant purchases will be her birthday presents from us all! Later, John watched Crystal Palace beat Manchester City in the FA Cup Final. Sarah made us a lovely tea.

Foss Dyke and River Witham cruise

Monday 21 April at Saxilby Rain stopped play!

We left home about 1030 in the sun. Once at Saxilby, the rain started coming down, becoming torrential for most of the day. We stayed and watched tv, and read. Liana eventually walked Rachel’s dog Honeypie late in the day!

Tuesday 22 April Saxilby to the Woodcocks and Pyewipe Inns 3 miles 0 locks

John rang Chris Potts at Burton Waters to organise repairs to our cratch cover: A clip had come off and a zip was sticking, probably slightly crushed. He suggested we moor at the Woodcocks Inn, a short walk away from him, and ring. His son Ryan walked over, assessed the damage and carried the cratch away, recommending a marina place for lunch. When we got back after a walk and a coffee, the cratch was back, repaired and refitted! Liana saw Ryan when we moored at Burton Waters Marina to fill up with diesel, and he said there was no charge. What service from Chris and Ryan at Marine & Industrial Covers! Thank you so much.

While taking on diesel, John asked the office if a fitter could check the electrics, as our oil pressure gauge was reading maximum once the ignition was switched on. John thought it was an oil sensor connection, but hadn’t found it. Their fitter sorted it in ten seconds, with no charge, again! So with full diesel tank, mended cratch and oil pressure gauge, we continued to the Pyewipe Inn, just outside Lincoln. We enjoyed the sun, then ate a good meal inside (it is dog friendly). We thought both Inns were ok, if rather expensive.

Wednesday 23 April Pyewipe Inn to Lincoln

After a decent night’s sleep and shower, John took Annie through Lincoln Brayford Pool to the famous mediaeval Glory Hole, beneath High Bridge on Lincoln High Street, one of the few mediaeval bridges with houses on it.

We moored under the weeping willow beside The Witch & Wardrobe Inn, in the centre of Lincoln. Our daughter Sarah joined us for the afternoon.

Thursday 24 April Washingborough CRT Moorings to Bardney Lock 8 miles

We awoke to sunshine, so had a fry up breakfast followed by a walk into the nearby village. We were made welcome in the lovely church by the gentleman in the office, who put the lights on for us. They have an active ringing team to ring their eight bells, I believe.

We decided to enjoy the sunny afternoon by cruising to Bardney Lock, where we moored close to the lock. We emptied the loo cassettes in the Elsan facility there. The gentleman living in the lock house had been gardening and cutting the grass, and the lock area looked very well cared for. His dog was lovely, too. Honeypie was impressed when he gave her a treat. A 1.5 mile walk took us to the Old Angel Inn in Bardney, where John had a good pint and Liana had a coke. The decent butchers opposite supplied us with three sausage rolls and flapjacks. After a pleasant walk back, we settled in for the night.

Friday 25 April Bardney Lock to Lincoln and Torksey (18 miles, 1 lock)

The morning began very foggy, but the sun soon burned off this mist and we settled in for off back to Lincoln, passing swans and their nests, mallards and a couple of herons on the way. Clouds obscured the sun, so it was quite cool as we approached Stamp End Lock at Lincoln. We struggled to make it work, so two hours later a friendly boater had helped us sort it. Liana asked East Midlands CRT to check it.

After lunch in Lincoln, Liana and Honeypie walked to the Pyewipe Inn.

Preparing for our 2025 summer cruise

 11 April 2025 Getting Annie’s BSS certificate and her hull blacked

Last Monday 7 April, we had Phil Read, our BSS inspector,  check out Annie for her Boat Safety certification. We had spent a couple of days sorting out problems last week, so we were pleased when Phil said that Annie had passed with flying colours. This year’s cost was £200, a big increase. Thankfully, our next inspection will not be until April 2029.

This Thursday 10 April, we left Retford & Worksop Boat Club for possibly the last time, en route for her blacking at West Stockwith Basin. We enjoyed another beautiful blue sky day, not rushing along this shallow but lovely Chesterfield Canal.

There were three boats moored at Drakeholes, where we passed through the short tunnel.

NB Rosa Blanca left the visitor moorings before Walkeringham as we approached. Both boats moored at Misterton, where John popped to the excellent butchers and bought Lincolnshire sausages, Hog Roast sausages to try, plus a minty lamb pie.

 We then travelled the short distance to West Stockwith basin, to moor alongside the two hire boats, Robin Hood and Maid Marian.

John tried the homemade pheasant and pigeon pie at the White Hart, while Liana had their chicken and black sausage pie. Both were delicious.

We were up early on Friday 11 April, getting ready for getting Annie out of the water for her hull blacking.

Liana caught the early 0742 bus to go to RWBC and return with our car. She got back just in time to see John steer Annie above the articulated trailer, and the tractor haul it up the ramp and out of the water. John  certainly went up in the world!

We will leave Annie for a week. We have booked to descend the river lock on the flood tide at 0940 next Friday 18 April, to go upriver to Torksey Lock and Lincoln.