Bridge 80, Shropshire Union Canal

We started off this morning at 0700 in glorious sunshine. We were moored just as the heavens opened and the wind was blowing just 3 hours later!

All the Audlum locks were against us (including No 9 - no eggs, flowers or fruit in the box today).










Then at Lock 10 my fantasy home. I always imagine how I am going to convert these old stables into a comfy home. Electricity from the wash behind the canal (haven't worked out running water or sewerage yet). And I could sell my cards and ice cream from one of those shuttered windows to passing boaters.

I nipped into Audlum for a newspaper and found a new Co-op shop. Very handy. . We always used to have breakfast at the Old Priest House but we have not stopped here for a couple of years now as the village seemed to be going downhill shopwise. It was looking interesting today though and I didn't have time to explore it as David was doing the lock outside the Shroppie Fly by himself!

As we hit the bottom lock (figuratively speaking) the sun disappeared and the wind came up. We just managed to get ourselves moored up before the storm began. What a change in the weather!

Here is the other card that I made with a tennis team. The same, but different.

Bottom Adderley Locks, Shropshire Union Canal

The only drawback of being in the middle of nowhere is that there is probably no mobile telephone or Internet connection. The bottom of Adderley locks is one place where neither our Vodafone or O2 will work. It is lovely and quiet though.

When I walked past this boat I could not understand the question. It is often fun trying to work out why people have named their boats and it was not until I posted the picture that I saw the wine bottle and glasses on the left. Now it makes sense. Bet they are happy with the proposed drinking restrictions due to come into place soon.

Set off at 0830 as we wanted some coal from Victoria Wharf, so we were late in starting, but not going very far. The five locks at Atherly were pleasant and we met 2 boats on their way up. By 1030 we were safely moored at the bottom of the locks in time for the football at midday. At least the satellite dish works in the middle of nowhere - just need clear sight of the satellite.

While selling my cards at the IWA festival last year a lady asked me for two cards with a tennis theme for her ladies tennis club. Of course I didn't have anything suitable but found a shop on the Internet which made these polymer clay figures. So with a couple of toppers and some mulberry paper I came up with this.

Market Drayton, Shropshire Union Canal

OK sort this one out.

As we usually travel very early in the mornings and moor up for the day (and consequently overnight) anytime between 9 and 10am. Does this mean that we couldn't moor here today? And if so, why? Are the moorings full of boats coming to the market on Tuesday and Wednesday? Is the market that good? We've always managed to miss it. There are boats moored herringbone fashion on the opposite bank. So if they cannot get out when boats are moored on the bank, they must be pretty miffed if they want to leave on Wednesdays.

We left Norbury under a sharp frost but when the sun came out it was quite warm. There were quite a few boats out (mainly through Tyrley Locks), but the locks were all leaking really badly there was not much advantage in travelling in the opposite direction to the other boats.

Shopping in Market Drayton, a very expensive hot chocolate and Victoia sponge cake in the cafe, lots of miserable shoppers, chaos in Morrisons and the taxi firm said they had no taxis!!! Fortunately the supervisor phoned another firm for David (we'd forgotten our telephone) and we had a lovely lady drive bring us back to the boat. So now we can eat again for a few days.

I love this picture of Mr David all shiny and new moored up in Millwall Docks with Canary Wharf behind it just after 1 January 2000. I made the card using an old plastic bag which is sort of holographic and matted it onto red card. The picture I also matted onto red card and then added two photo corners and some navy ribbon before fixing it all to the card. I sent it off to one of the card magazines and they printed it!!

Norbury Junction

David set off at 0630 this morning while I stayed in bed. He got cold. I didn’t.

We got to Norbury Junction at 0900 and moored up for the day.

Saw this plate on a bench by the canal. I want to know more. Who are the guys? Are they still around? What was the name of the boat? What is the West Riding Narrowboat Co-operative? What has it got to do with Norbury Junction?

We had dinner in The Junction pub along with a couple of boat crews from co-owner boats. One crew came from Cornwall and the other from Cumbria. The couple from Cornwall were on an ex-Challenger boat. Their syndicate had managed to find another operater so they are carrying on as before the Challenger Synicate went down.

Now a plea for help.

We have a Mastervolt inverter, Mastervolt battery charger and a Mastervolt MICC remote controller on our narrowboat.

The batteries are new but the remote will not allow the batteries to charge to 100%. Each time they are charged they go lower 97% then 91% then 83%; they are now at 76% and will not go higher. We were able to run our washing machine whilst on the move and the batteries higher than 80% but no more. The inverter gives a ‘low-battery’ reading.

The Mastervolt rep has visited twice reset the Mastervolt remote and has gone off to think. We have e-mailed Mastervolt in Holland- no reply! The rep cannot find the solution, do you have a solution? Have you heard of any similar problems with battery charging whilst cruising?

Most grateful for any pointers; we have tried most ideas (letting the batteries go below 50% and recharging, a different battery charger all no good); there’s lot of beer for a solution, (well a beer).

And finally the card

One I made for Caroline when she started her new job (almost a year ago, where does the time go? I used backing paper stuck to ¾ of a square card with a pink gingham ribbon down the join. A topper with sentiment at the top and a handbag and boot topper. I added a bit of ribbon and a gem on the bag and three gems on the boot and used rub-ons for the sentiment down the side.

Wheaton Aston, Shropshire Union

We have been out of range with our Vodafone dongle thingy for a couple of days so this post and the next one are backdated.

A beautiful sunny day. We set of at 0830 and arrived at Wheaton Aston at 1000. Only 2 boats on the water points and one on the pumpout station, but he was moving off. We did a pumpout and then moored on the first available 48 hr mooring by the winding hole.

A walk into the village to see if the French Restaurant was still there – unfortunately not, but the local shop was going strong (last time we were here it was closing down).

Moving on - A slight contradiction in terms? – securely moored on a ½ hr waterpoint mooring – though it did move on later on in the afternoon, so perhaps not.

A decoupaged card for a new mum. She actually looks spookily

like my niece who had a baby last January!

Park Bridge, Shropshire Union Canal

A very early start (6.30) to get down the locks before the rain set in.

A hot bacon and egg banjo (army term for sandwich) at the stall between locks 9 and 10 and then surprise, surprise, a new bridge at lock 17. Thank you BW for thinking of the poor lock worker having to cross the lock hanging onto a wet paddle shaft by one hand and carrying a windlass in the other.

Oh! no they haven't. It is for their non-fee paying customers to help them cross the lock without balancing on the wet paddle shaft by one hand. Sod the boaters. You can't even get through past the open lock gates.

We managed to make it to the mooring before the rain really set in, and boy did it rain. I was oblivious to most of it though, I slept most of the afternoon. 22 locks are much harder than they were 10 years ago!



A very pretty card which is a stamped and hand painted iris mounted onto yellow and lilac card and lilac organdie ribbon.

Broad Street Basin

WE DID IT!!!!! We pulled the electricity plug out at 0945 this morning and set off for Wolverhampton is glorious sunshine, but a cold wind.

And Oh! what a wonderful sight. A dredger on the main line. Maybe on the way back we'll be able to do all the left hand side narrows without getting stuck.

David only had to go down the weed hatch once and we scraped over a couple of big things along the way.

We have moored up at the top of the locks with an Anglo Welsh hireboat behind us. Let's see who gets up first tomorrow to do the locks.

A card for a middle-aged couple's engagement. I printed the wording, with a red background, onto card and stuck this onto silver card. I made a couple of small holes in the red and silver card and threaded the red ribbon through with the heart charm and tied a knot. I then stuck this down onto a white DL card. Nice and easy. One day I'll be able to cut out the letters on my CraftRobo, but I'm not quite there yet.