Retirement with No Problem

Market Drayton to Knighton, Shropshire Union Canal, 6 miles 5 locks

Late yesterday I decided to take a walk with Lucy and Meg which included a geocache find as well as to have a look at the way the water was swirling out of the bywaters at the bottom of each of the five Tyrley locks we were to do today.  Yesterday I was getting quite upset with the amount of water coming out of the bywaters at the base of each of the 15 Audlem Locks and the 5 at Auderley, surely there was a way of approaching the lock so as not to bang into part of the walls at the throat of the lock.

I walked an interesting field…

That is a common ol’ bamboo stick that most of you will use in the garden to prop up something or other, and this is where they start their life, or at least that is the plant that produces them.. I found this one lying in the field left over from last year..

Having found a difficult geocache.. it took me ages too, I went to look at the troublesome bywaters.  I came to the conculusion that the problem was No Problem!

At a long 67ft, there is no way that I can get the bow into the still water at the lock entrance without the water pushing out the back of the narrowboat, but studying the water flow, I decided I would try and go round the outside of the flow and let the back swing round while almost stopping No Problem in the throat to let the wall gently steer the bow into the lock itself.. It worked a treat, and more times than not, there was no bump at all, so I was much happier today.. This is a very pretty flight, firstly going up between a rocky cutting, then opening up to the countryside again.. Here is the third lock up…

We were lucky today, at each of the locks one was coming down, so we made light of the flight.. the top lock has some lovely cottages right beside it..

I wonder if the people in that house voted in the recent European Elections!!   I tend to agree with them, but maybe that is because I am retired, but I won’t go further on how I feel about that for fear of an out and out debate in the comments feature!

Woodseaves Cutting was magnificent today, so overgrown too, it was difficult for boats coming the other way, easy for me hugging the towpath side, stopping to let boats go by at the best places for them.. I fear a few have got the t-cut out tonight for sure..

We put the pins in at Knighton, a favourite place for me, I particularly like walking around here, it is managed woodland in part, but on a footpath I have travelled before, but only in the winter, looked very different today..

I need to head for those woods over yonder!!  Guide lines for landowners in Staffordshire say “keep paths clear of crops to ensure that they do not inconvenience users” This was shoulder high broad beans in flower, and the farmer has left no path through his field.  He is suppose to leave a one metre gap where a public footpath crosses.  There was no way of going around this field, so across we went.  I was more worried about losing Lucy and Meg and the only way I knew where they were was by watching the movement of the crop!

I kept talking to them though, but maybe I didn’t need to, they would have known where I was, but if a rabbit took their attention, then they might not have found their way back to me!

A fairly early start tomorrow, we are due at Norbury Wharf Boatyard for a couple of snagging items to be fixed since our refit there a month ago.. gosh has it been that long!