Seems a long time ago now, but at 7:00am on Good Friday morn we slipped away from our temporary morning as the historic clock chimed 07:02. We wanted to get into the country on the north side of Kidderminster before scrote-oclock, not that trouble is very common thereabouts but we had to get used to all this narrow canal malarkey.
All seemed like 2nd nature as the JP3 almost idled along again kerlicketty tappeting and chuffetty puffing as in years of old and now with the short exhaust with the splitter so no more smoke rings. Forgot to mention after the long haul up the Severn the JP did take the hump and wouldnt start after 2 days sulking in Stourport. Soon fixed thankfully by bleeding the fuel system up to the injection pump but could not find any reason for the air ingress. Put it down to pining for the G&S from where it was theoretically possible to get glimpses of the former R A Lister foundry chimney. If only it hadnt been demolished 20 years or more back. Anyway, back to the S&W, where we arranged a Friday lunchtime brief mini gig with Steve & Hedda (nb Just Heaven) at The Vine, Kinver. We then kept in SMS touch as we made our separate progressions. We dallied in Kinver longer than they did but we did catch up with them at Ashwood. On Saturday we had a comparative lie in, Just Heaven was off before 7:30 (we think) whereas we were an hour later. We only got as far as Swindon where we stopped for the newspaper and breakfast. Then around mid morning we pottered on through Bratch around 1pm and gave up for the day not long afterwards just above Dimmingsdale Lock. Just Heaven had by now passed Gailey. After an overcast start the day turned out sunny and warm. Early start again on Easter day around 7:00 for the passing of Wolverhampton and the narrows up towards the M54. Then a stop at Cross Green (for a newspaper at Coven) but no breakfast it had been consumed en route. Sunny again, quite a few boats about, and some fisherfolks as we moved on throughout the middle of the day, stopping again around 3:30 after Gailey Lock. I think that was for lunch. And then we did another couple of hours to Penkridge. And so to bank holiday Monday more gentle cruising following a respectable start time. More sunshine, quite a few boats but not enough to interfere with progress or cause any lock rage spectacles. Set up a lunch time towpath bevy stop in Acton Trussell with the Heavens now on their way back south after reaching Tixall. And finally stage 2 of the journey ended at Stafford Boat Club where Uncle Mort will reside for a short while preparing for the big push to reach the north, via The Shroppie, we think. Beeky PS reading this through, the trip seems to only just border on purposefulness. Which, on reflection, maybe the correct approach.
