10th June '12

Brilliant nights sleep! Love being out on the cut. We went for a walk last night and discovered a group of young lads with a tent up across the tow-path set up for a nights fishing. They were really polite and sweet, checking that we could get around them etc. Saw them again this morning and don't think they caught a lot but they seemed to have enjoyed themselves. I will never understand the alure of fishing....

I walked Paddy to the first lock, about 1.5 miles while John brought the boat up. It was lovely. Sun shining and air warm - such a change from yesterday.

We got onto the river section at Wychnor to Alrewas and it was running very fast and high, against us and it was as much as the boat could do to get through it. John chatted to a chap at the lock who said his (much older and less powerful) boat struggled to get through and he was worried that he wouldn't make it at one point. THAT is why I don't like rivers.

We had amazing luck on the locks today. I think we did 9 and only one of them didn't either have a boat just coming through it or people there to help. It was great. Actually proper Canal and River Trust volunteers on two of the locks at Fradley Junction. Hence we have done over 8 miles and the locks in a bit over 5 hours - a record for us I think!

We are now at Handsacre - a favourite with us. Readers of last years blog will remember the pub 'The Old Peculier' (yes it's spelt wrong - so's the pub name). We plan on paying a visit later but I am so excited to have a good internet connection that I had to do this first.

The sun is still shining and things are still great.