Retirement with No Problem

Acton Trussell to Milford, Staff & Worcs Canal, 6 miles 2 locks

The only thing that spoiled it was the wind… Such a lovely mooring close to Shutt Hill Lock, in fact we were mesmerised yesterday by three buzzards searching the field next to No Problem.  They were there for a good couple of hours very close to the boat.. wonderful.  The wind spoiled the peace though, it was in the north bringing the sound of the M6 right across us…

Down it came again last night, we were worried that we would miss our carvery at Radford Bank today.. but we need not have worried too much as a boat came past before we pulled the pins this morning and left a nice path through the not too frozen in canal..

My pleasure to do the first lock today.. but sir has to do something doesn’t he, and while I grab the camera for a quick pic he dives off the boat and shuts a the gate!!  “Hey I am s’pose to be doing this one””..

The lock cottage is very run down now and has a notice of planning permission on it.. presumably and hopefully for restoration.. but it has no access road to it that I can see, in fact we met the lady who used to live here back in February 2008.. “Lived here for 40 years” she said.. this was her mode of transport…

Down the cut to Radford Bank to catch the bus to Stafford.  But she is not there any more, nobody is.

Our target was also Radford Bank, and the carvery was absolutely superb, although there was no beer today.. their air had run out, so no beer on tap nor soft drinks.. how unusual, “We were suppose to get an emergency delivery of gas today.. but it didn’t arrive because of the snow”… OH WHAT!!!! Any excuse!!

It wasn’t quite a pub with no beer though, and vic had a Bud while I had a glass of very good wine.. lubbly dubbly..

Pity…. The narrowboat that had broken the ice earlier must have been moored at Radford Bank last night for now it was us who would be breaking ice towards Great Haywood this afternoon.. but it was beginning to get much thicker … and thicker..  and thicker!

We gave up just after we passed Tim of Staffordshire Canopies who was watching out the window probably wondering who the heck it was trying to cruise the ice bound canal.. waving as we passed we realised that it was pretty useless going much further and we might get stranded in the centre of the cut.. enough was enough for today!