Into the middle of nowhere

We were down to our last bag of coal this morning and didn't know of anywhere to buy it until we get back to Tattenhall Marina. Roger went on the internet to try and find somewhere in Ellesmere Port we could pick up a bag of fuel. He found this company Golden Coals which sell biomass fuels and deliver for free.  By phoning them we were promised a delivery of 3 x 15kg bags of wood briquettes at 1pm and dead on the dot they arrived. Total cost £17.50. The only draw-back we can see so far is that they have to be kept dry as they swell up on contact with water, which means we have to store them in the cratch rather than on the roof. I've just tried them for the first time and using just 4 briquettes has given us a nice hot fire. The manufacturer claims they are 100% carbon neutral and you can even add the cold ashes to the compost heap, or in our case the nearest hedge.

As soon as we'd stowed the bags of briquettes we set off again. This morning the weather was dreadful with hail, rain and strong winds, but this afternoon it's been lovely.  The wind was still cold and gusty but we've had plenty of sunshine and clear blue skies; no sign of snow round here!

We're now moored in the middle of nowhere, on one of the excellent lengths of 48hour moorings provided by the Shropshire Union Canal Society. Thanks guys! We joined the society a couple of years ago. It's only £10 a year and helps towards the upkeep of all these mooring spots.