A Milestone today!

Today we registered 40,000 hits on this site since we started 18 months ago.  Thank you to all of you who read about our escapades – there is obviously some interest in the tosh we write about!  We know some of you are not “canal” people so we occasionally explain things about the canals (and occasionally get things wrong- which is when our canal friends correct us!).

We did a round trip today, leaving our mooring, going up the Welford Arm and then back to the same mooring as last night.  The 5 hour trip allowed us to get two loads of washing done and the batteries charged. Yet again the canal seems very quiet and very few boats around at present.

The Welford Arm is only about 2 miles long and ends at Welford (funny that).  It’s quite narrow in places but very rural.  Notice the newly painted gang plank drying in the sun.

There is one lock on the arm -three quarters of the way along and in a pretty little setting.  British Waterways are having to pump water from below the lock to above it in order to keep the levels up.

At the end is Welford Wharf – not a lot of space to moor!  Just one space along side the Dutch barge so we didn’t stop.

Back through Welford Lock.

Just had to take a pic. of this Hawthorne tree – as mentioned in the last blog, the blossom this year is fantastic but this specimen was exceptional. 

The old and the new – bridge 30 (back on the main canal) and the bridge carrying the M1 in the distance.

Back on our mooring with washing blowing in the breeze.

James’ painting of the gang plank, which he finished first thing this morning, has now blistered in the heat of the sun! but at least the washing is dry.

We’re having another evening of industry when the boat is in the shade and we’ll leave the gang plank for another cooler day.