Friday 15th June Overnight it rained, hard and noisy. Amazingly, at 8.30am this morning it stopped and there were bits of blue sky. A walk into Audlem to pick up a paper, breakfast and away at 10am, quite good for us. The first 2 locks in the flight were against us and we were following another boat. The bike was out and I was ready for action. Then boats started to meet us coming the other way and it stayed like that till the top. Good flight this, well balanced gates and paddles that easily go up and down and walkways :-). The only problem are the byashes, or more specifically, where the bywashes enter the canal. Yup, right in front of the lock entrance. LT takes a few knocks on the way up. The sun comes out on occasions and it's quite hot. We soon reach the top and I zoom off to Adderley and the next small flight of 5 locks. Once again boats are coming down but oh, those bywashes! Before folding the bike up I tighten up the front folks where it connects to the main frame. There is a long bolt with no nut to hold it in place and it comes loose. It happened once before and the whole bike came apart, while I was riding it! I have mentioned it to the importers and they did supply me a new bolt, free of charge. We have climbed a fair way, 20 locks and well over 100 feet. The view across England's pleasant land is quite magnificent. What a lot of green there is. It's now my turn to steer and lunch is on the hoof, so to speak. Market Drayton is looking good, with newish buildings in the basin. Mintball is there as is Raven. Mr Hearmon, I need a work with you about your button :-). This is a big Challenger centre and their boats are moored all over the place. Onward and the canal closes in and we enter a long glade before the next flight at Tyrley. I take a photo, with the sun streaming through the trees it looks wonderful. No boats coming down and a singlehander in front. Out comes the bike again. Towpath is very wet and muddy. I ride up to the next lock to help the one man crew but he is an expert and has set the next lock and walked back as I get there. I close the gate for him anyway. A hire boat is following us and as I look back to the previous lock, I notice the top gate has swung open and the boat crew have opened the bottom paddles. Fearing the gate might shut, smashing it to bits, I race back to warn them. "it's ok, we are coming up" says the Scottish person with the windlass. "But the gate is open" say I. "Well I'll close it then" says another Scottish person. I explain we should shut the paddles first, turning while talking. All is now well and I return to LT. At the top lock, we meet not 1 but 2 boats coming down. Oh joy. The canal narrows even more and we slip slowly through Woodseaves cutting. Lovely through here, trees and bushes overhang the canal and we can see where the channel has been cut through the rock. Spots of rain start to appear and the sky looks angry. Time to pull in. We moor up between bridges 55 and 56 as the heavens open, thunder and lightening flash and bang all around. Opposite is Bangur Ban, looking splendid but no sign of Mr Skyner. We have been here 90 minutes and it's still the same. If it doesn't stop soon, I will have to get soaked putting the TV ariel up!
Regards Andrew & Wendy from The Cut
