Thursday 14th June
We woke to the pitter patter of rain and the motivation to get out of bed and get going, is just not there. A few cups of tea and coffee later, the rain looses it's pace and we eventually leave at 10.45am. It's that sort of fine rain. Down through Nantwich with boats all over the place. I remember being here before but not much else of the canal. Mind you last time we were going the other way. Once across the aqueduct and a couple of twists and turns, we start the long straight bit right out in the countryside. There are a few boats around going both ways and that helps us at the 2 locks. There is a really nice picnic and 48 hour mooring area, with tables and benches before bridge 83. The view here, as with most of the section from Hurleston Junction, is really quite spectacular. What the shame the sun has decided not to come out and play today. Although the rain has stopped. Just before bridge 80, real excitement. A green balloon with a tag, bobs in the water. 15 minutes later we catch the damn thing. The tag is a care charity in Stoke. We will send it back as requested. If that was not enough excitement for one day, after the bridge was another one. We picked that one up too. I know, I can hear you, sad pratt. Audlem locks were busy and full of water with the bywashes spewing out before each lock entrance. We had previously decided to moor here, 4 locks up, between 11 and 12. We found another of those annoying underwater shelves and had to pull LT once more some distance before it disappeared. A short walk to the village with a good range of local stores for provision shopping. Even a proper butcher that had T bone steak. We had decided to eat at the Shroppie Fly but guess what, no food tonight! There are two other eating establishments in the village. We settled for the Lord Combermere. Good range of beers, I sampled the Spitting Feathers and Bombardier, both very tasty. The food was excellent,Wendy describing her cod as beautiful and my lamb shank was gorgeous. It has stared to rain hard again. TV picture is rubbish, only BBC 1. Regards Andrew & Wendy from The Cut
