Friday, July 08, 2016

On towards Stone




We moved on from this mooring the next morning. The countryside really is lovely. Gentle hills, broad sweeps of crops, and fields and fields of sheep and cows.



Colwich Lock




A very short, stubby balance beam here








Great Haywood Junction is the meeting of the Trent and Mersey Canal with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire (Staffs and Worcs). We stopped here for services, and a quick, vain visit to the chandlery.




A young couple came along in a 60 foot narrowboat, and tried to wind before pulling in at the services. The water was plenty wide enough, but the helmsman clearly didn't have much experience, and had a fairly strong wind against him, too. It took him a good fifteen minutes, and a lot of poling-off to rescue the boat from the shallows on the far side. He did it eventually. Pulling a wry face as he floated past, the guy called out, "There's a right way, and a wrong way - and there's my way!" The young lady rolled her eyes.

Lunch here


Hoo Mill Lock
We passed a lot of Himalayan Balsam growing enthusiastically on both sides of the canal.
photo - www.kleerkut.co.uk
It's a beautiful plant, but unfortunately not native to the UK, and very invasive, killing off other plants in its spread. I reported it to CRT, as they ask boaters to do.

Time was getting on now, and with the weather looking as if it might take a turn for the worse at any moment, we took the first available mooring space in Weston Upon Trent. And here we stayed until morning.




2 comments:

  1. Enjoying the blog. Last few days interesting because I am slightly ahead of you also heading for Liverpool. (I'm booked in for 2nd week in August.) Your photo at your mooring in Stone above Star Lock shows my boat on the lock landing in front of you! Just thought to mention the photos captioned "Haywood Lock" are actually of the lock before which is Colwich Lock.
    John, NB Samsara.

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  2. Yes, John, I remember Samsara. We'll keep our eyes open for you over the next few weeks! Thanks for the correction of the lock name - I've just put it right. I'm glad you're enjoying the blog. Have a good day!

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