Sunday 17th June - Fathers Day We left our overnight mooring at 2 minutes to the Archers and travelled down to Countrywide Cruisers, hoping to get diesel. It's funny how priorities change. Having been unable to buy diesel yesterday at Wheaton Aston, it's now the most important thing in the world. No luck here, closed. A chap informs us that we will be able to get some at the junction. I feel better now. Brewood is a nice place, not that we stop today but I remember from last time.We wend our way through the pretty glades and under interesting bridges. 2 Boats follow us but there is not much other boat traffic about. It's dry that's the main thing, apart from getting diesel of course. Under the M54 and I sort of get my bearings again. The canal does that to me, half the time I have not got a clue, actually where we are. At the Napton Narrowboats base at the junction, we can get diesel. Hoorah. 204lts to be precise. Only down side, it's 50ppl. Still full tank now. There must be a moral here. Trying to save money, I let the tank run low. Ended up paying out more. Planning ahead, that's the answer. Wendy gets chatting to a chap at the stop lock, as you do. Turns out to be Beekies or is that Staffies, next door neighbour in Stourport. They think he is quite a nice chap. Funny old world, init :-). Turning left onto the Staffs and Worcs, past Oxley boatyard. Lots of boats moored, including Sarni, but no sign of Orf or Jan. At Compton we hit locks again. They are too spaced out for the bike and anyway boats are coming up, so most of them are with us. At Wightwick Mill lock, Wendy seems to remember it leaks from the walls. We close all the side hatches and put the cratch cover down, just in case. Sure enough it does leak and water showers the boat. How did she remember that? Funny old world init. The weather is still fine and a passing boat tells us that Bratch has no queue so we press on. Sure enough, Bratch is boat free apart from one coming up. Hoorah again. The helpful locky gets us straight in and even sets the locks for us. Were through in 15 minutes, never done that before. Now we can moor up. We are recommended the Waggons and Horses at bridge 43. As we arrive there is little room but a moored boat pulls back so we can get in. What a nice chap. It's 5.15pm I walk to the pub, all of 2 minutes, and book a table for 7.30pm. Have been on the telephone quite a bit the last couple of days. We are heading for the River Severn and with all this rain about, I wonder if it will be OK for us to travel down. Seems it is high but still open. The River Avon, is high. We have been lucky and have dodged most of the rain, lets hope the levels are OK when we get there. Goodness only knows what we will do if not!
Regards Andrew & Wendy from The Cut
