And we’re back!!

I must apologise to our regular readers(!!) for letting the blog get so far behind – we have been having fun, and internet has been patchy at times – and I just didnt get round to it!

So here we go with a brief version of what we have been doing since 6 March (is it really that long ago!)

We were on the Shroppie Canal, heading north, so as we passed through Wheaton Aston we had to fill up with diesel at Turners. (Never refuse cheap diesel!!)

and go through the Cowley Tunnel near Gnosall.

This bit of the Shroppie was obviously too hard to make into a cutting!!

A bit further on we headed onto the Shelmore Embankment by Norbury Wharf – such amazing feats of engineering along the Shroppie! We moored here for a couple of nights, so had chance to walk around and try to get some good photos!

That road goes under the canal – and that's us – the red blob high in the trees!

Leaving Norbury Junction we then passed through High Bridge.

Over yet more embankments and past the former Cadbury’s Wharf

Eventually we headed into Woodseaves cutting – where quite a lot of work was going on to keep it stable!

The bridge shows how deep the cutting is, and even the rock around the bridge needed supporting with bricks!

When we reached the 5 Tyrley locks it was quite a shock to the system having not had any for such a long time! Luckily for me there were a group of volunteers giving the locks a spruce up, which meant they also helped us through!

When we reached the last lock there was a bit of a problem – the lock was leaking so much it meant the pound above was getting really low – and you could see the rock that is usually under the water waiting to catch unsuspecting boaters!

We soon passed through and moored in Market Drayton – time to visit the shops again!

Now the locks were coming thick and fast – we had the 5 Adderley locks followed by the 15 Audlem locks – of course we didnt do them all at once!

Gary was getting used to the fierce bywashes on the Shroppie – going down is relatively easy, but going back up must be quite tricky!

We did the Audlem flight over 2 days.

Of course we had to pop into the Shroppie Fly for a drink whilst we were there!

and the next morning filled with water outside!

Our next stop was only a few miles away – but dont tell anyone – its a secret!

We moored up and walked up to the bunker – but as it was near closing time we left our visit to the next morning!

After a very chilling experience in the bunker we moved on to Nantwich – to hit the shops again ready for heading onto the Llangollen Canal at last.

So on 17 March we finally made it up the Hurleston locks and onto the Llangollen Canal!

We moored up just a couple of miles along and had a lovely sunset – at last we were ready for the great adventure and narrowboating in the sky!