At last, after an enforced layoff from boating since early September last year we actually managed a two-day trip from Kings Bromley to Tixall and back, Yippee! seven hours sailing plus the inevitable waiting at Colwich Lock. Apart from a crocodile of five boats close together just before Armitage (non)Tunnel we saw only one boat on the move all the way up to Great Haywood, very unusual for that stretch of water, and especially so on a gloriously sunny Saturday. There were lots of tiny ducklings to be seen, numerous lambs in the fields and two pairs of swans sitting nests. One nest just on the northern outskirts of Rugeley had two tiny cygnets nestling under the parent swan alongside unhatched eggs. the other nest at 'The Taft' near Wolseley bridge contained six or seven eggs. However on our approach to Gt. Haywood, just before the Anson Bridge we were halted by a boat firmly aground. Well, partly aground - bow jammed between two trees on the off-side of the cut and stern stuck firmly in shallow water against the tow path. Apparently an elderly gent (single-handing) had been taken ill on the move and lost control of his boat. Five of us managed to manhandle the stern of the towpath and pull the wedged pointed end out of the trees. Incidentally both locks on the way to Tixall were in our favour (sod must have been taking a day off, normally locks are never in my favour). In the evening I was chatting with a chap who said he had had enough and was giving up the canals at the end of the season, though he had built his boat (including welding, not just fitting out) - and it was a nice job too, he said the people on the canals weren't the same any longer attitudes had changed, there were too many boats and the 'real' boaters were all being priced off the water. Our Sunday morning return found us fourth in line at Colwich Lock (I was once seventeenth in the queue here one lunchtime and emerged as darkness fell). This is one of the worst locks on the system, in wet weather you have to paddle across a muddy track from a farm, the bottom left gate was carefully constructed such that a pair of yoked oxen would just be able to provide the appropriate effort to open it, and once open it would spring shut unless someone was on hand to open the top gate paddle quickly. I say gate paddle because the ground paddle appears to be largely ornamental with no discernible water flow with the paddle fully lifted. On the positive side, the balance beams are beautifully painted and the ratchets well greased. When it eventually came our turn to use the lock, the crew of the boat waiting to come up made no move to help with he locking, though as if by magic the crew member who had been conducting a vitally important and protracted telephone call was available the very second the lock was empty and the bottom gates opened (with great difficulty). There were three boats behind us waiting to descend, having been there for around an hour. After we had left the lock and passed by the boat waiting below the lock, the steerer leisurely started to untie the mooring rope and proceed carefully, slowly and neatly to coil his rope. As we passed out of sight (about 200 - 300 metres away) I looked back to see he was still on at the bankside coiling up his rope, I don't think that the people waiting were very pleased. A quiet trip back to our mooring including a lengthy siesta under the shade of a tree, noting on the way that the two cygnets were now five. All in all a very pleasant way to spend a weekend, hopefully we shall be able to do it more often! Arthur Naylor nb SpringBankProjectPainting(the Boat)IHope
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