Challenge

 

We pulled pins at 08.15 and proceeded past about a mile of errantly moored boats and got to Shebdon Wharf just before 09.00 . Tony of Bethsaida Covers was there and waiting for us . He wasted no time in getting to work on our cratch cover. We needed a new zip and a plastic side window fitting which Tony said would take a couple of hours to do . Of course Carolyn couldn’t sit back and watch,she gave Tony a hand to line up the new zip.

We used Tony last year when we came this way to do our last zip repair.The good thing is that unlike many cover makers Tony double stitches everything and his workmanship is superb . At £25 for a zip and the same for the side panel we were more than happy, that’s half the price we paid for a zip in miidle England. He works from his boat on the canal and will always help out anyone passing..

Pressing on after fitting our cratch cover back we soon pass a factory that seems to be in the middle of nowhere . The factory was opened by Cadbury in 1911 where milk was brought from local farms and then mixed with Cocoa and sugar crumb to make raw chocolate.I was then transported by boat to Bournville to be finished into chocolate. . The factory which is now owned by Premier foods is now used to make Bird’s custard .

It’s then onto Woodseaves cutting which at over 100 feet deep in places is a delight to travel through . In places there is only room for single traffic . Luckily we only met one boat coming from the opposite direction.

As soon as you come out of the cutting you are at the top of Tyrley locks (pronounced Turley). Its a flight of five locks with the notorious pound between locks 4 and 5 where there is a very fierce by-wash and no way of pulling in because of the rocks under the water.

Here we are in the pound and you can see me fighting to stop Inca being swept into the rock wall on the off side. I know a lot of boaters don’t like experiences like this, but I just love it .The more challenges the better !!!

 

The guy entering the lock after we left struggled to get in and gave his boat a bit of a bump as he entered .

After a stop in Market Drayton to replenish the cupboards we pushed on to the next flight of locks which was Adderley. Guess what was at the top lock ? . We have bought from this farm shop several times before and his produce is very good. We ended up with Bacon,Sausages ,cake and of course my favourite Pork Scratching's..just the ticket !!!!

After 10 hours from setting off and 12 locks we eventually picked up a mooring above lock 3 on the Audlem flight of locks with the guys above as neighbours . Tomorrow we will drop down the remaining 13 locks and hopefully chill out for the rest of the day with a BBQ at another one of our favourite moorings after bridge 83 .

                                                                                                Happy Days