Thursday, May 18, 2017

A rather better day…

Bright sunlight woke us this morning, and the day kept up it’s promise, with long sunny spells as we headed to Stone.

But first we had to say goodbye to Dave and Dilys, who got away about 25 minutes before us. We didn’t expect to see them again, but we did… briefly.

Dave, Dilys, Sadie and Puzzle with Mags and Meg this fine sunny morningIMG_4549

Leaving Barlaston – NB Trundle…
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…then us.
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It’s about 40 minutes to the top of the four Meaford Locks, passing through pleasant countryside but with the fairly busy railway line up to Manchester running alongside.
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Meaford Top Lock
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No-one waiting to go down, which was a surprise, but there was a hold up at the next one down Lock 33, as it is filling very slowly.

We caught up with Trundle here we arrived at the L33 as they were going down.IMG_4563

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Yeah, right.

By the time we’d slowly brought a boat up, then dropped down ourselves, they were out of sight near the bottom lock so that’s the last we’ll see of them for a while.

We had boats coming up both the lower locks so they didn’t need to be set or filled.

Passing in the pound above the bottom lockIMG_4569

We were intending to moor on the rings above Limekiln Lock, but the stretch of grassy towpath on the straight below the locks was inviting in the sunshine, so we pulled in there instead.IMG_4571

I think the damp weather yesterday hasn’t agreed with my camera. There’s a blurred blob in the middle of the lens, very visible in the photo above, and I sometimes get an error message after it’s switched on, with the zoom not extending properly. There’s dust inside the lens housing as well, after three years of being carried around in trouser and jacket pockets, so I think it’s time it had a graceful retirement. It’s replacement will probably be something similar. It’s a Canon Powershot SX170 and it’s given good service through quite a rough life.

Not sure what we’re doing tomorrow. The weather seems to be settling down again to sunshine and showers over the next few days, and we can cope with that. Five gentle days will take us to Fradley by the middle of next week to keep an arranged rendezvous.

Locks 4, miles 2½

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