Gailey does it.

After our visit to Shugborough Hall yesterday we went back to our mooring at Tixall Wide and had a BBQ.  We found we had a few neighbours when we got back so we didn’t feel quite so lonely!

Luckily the wind was just perfect to blow the smoke into our boat and nobody else’s!  We enjoyed our BBQ with a spectacular thunder storm doing its thing over Cannock Chase and it was kind enough to wait until we’d finished eating and packed things away.  After that the storm paid us a visit - heavens opened on us and we were treated to a wonderful display of lightning for 1/2 hour right over our heads.

Not to do things by halves, nature finished her evenings’ entertainment with the best sunset we think we’ve ever seen.  The sky was scarlet with a perfect reflection in the mirror-calm water of the Wide.  What a treat!

This morning was another early start and we enjoyed a peaceful cruise with the canal to ourselves.

This is the wonderful cross-over bridge at Milford, where the towpath changes from one side of the canal to the other.

Deptmore Lock is no narrower than any of the others but James managed to get this photo at the same time as he shoe-horned ‘Chance’  in through the bottom gates.

Further along the canal, we always love traveling through Acton Trussell – partly because of its great name and partly because virtually every property is perfectly cared for.

Lawns like billiard tables……..

……. and gardens which could win competitions.

Not many narrow boats around today but we passed this family having great fun, having just pulled their beautiful rowing boat through the lock and then climbing aboard for the next leg.

Our next excitement was going under the M6…….

…….it’s very low for a motorway bridge!

Then we got a free “wax and wash” in Longford Lock before stopping briefly in Penkridge for some lunch and to visit their Saturday Market.  Strangely, we had a hiatus at Filance Lock at Penkridge with a wait of 40 minutes as boats (from nowhere) queued to get up and down. After that they all seemed to disappear again!

Motoring on from Penkridge we decided to moor up for the night at Gailey.  This is us with Gailey Lock and the Roundhouse in the distance.  The weather’s been good today and we’re now spending a quiet afternoon doing “not very much”.