Wednesday, 11 June 2014

Gnosall to Norbury Junction (Shropshire Union Canal)



 Sunday 8th June

We are setting off today.  It was a bit overcast, so we thought we would wait for a bit before we walked up to the butchers and good job we did as the heavens opened and there was the mother of all thunder storms, it took a while to go over, then it brightened up, so we went up to the butchers, a really nice shop and the meat looked really good, bought a couple of things, then went to the local shop to get some strawberries which come from a farm just on the edge of the village and are picked fresh everyday, they are yummy!

Back to boat and chugged off, we had just left the mooring and Kev stopped to let a boat come through the bridge, there was plenty of room for him to pass and he came through the bridge okay, then instead of passing us, he decided for some reason to increase the revs and ram us into a moored boat, three bottles of wine fell off the rack, but luckily didn’t break, Kev said a few choice words to the driver, but he didn’t reply, never even said sorry, he was in a world of his own, probably high on something. 

Went on up the canal with no further incidents and moored at Norbury Junction.    A boat came in for diesel with two chaps on it, they had just picked up the boat and didn’t have a clue how to steer it!  One jumped off and the other chap eventually got the boat near to the diesel point and threw the chap on the side a rope, if you could call it a rope, Kev has longer and thicker shoelaces than that rope!  Somehow, they managed to get in and tie up, one of them was wearing a Rush t-shirt, well that explains it all really!!  They set off without too much difficulty in the opposite direction to us, thank goodness!

It was a beautiful hot sunny afternoon, so we went up to the Junction and sat outside the café with a coffee and watched the world go by. 

When we were at the cafe, a swan family came for their afternoon tea at the cafe.

This is the first swan family we have seen since we have been on the narrow canals.  Went back to boat and chilled out.  Staying here until Friday.


Tuesday 10th June

The sun was shining again today, which was good as my friend was visiting us today.  Gill arrived and we set off up the canal for a chug, it was lovely and warm so Gill and I sat in the front and Kev was our steerer.  Turned the boat around, then stopped in a lovely rural place and had lunch.

Set off back to Norbury Junction and guess what, there was another thunder storm, but Gill and I didn’t get wet, only poor Kev, never mind, he had a brolly!  It stopped in time for us to moor up and the sun came out and it was a lovely evening.  Walked down to the car park with Gill, it was really great seeing her again and catching up.  Hopefully we are going to meet up again when we are in Chester as she can get the train to there from where she lives, so that will be good.

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