Shardlow

The weather certainly changed today. As we got up this morning, the wind was blowing the tiny conkers off the tree we'd moored under last night with such a force that it sounded like someone was throwing stones at us. 

It's been the Spanish Grand Prix today and we couldn't get any TV reception where we were moored opposite the marina so we had to move. We tried to turn the boat round in front of the Clock Warehouse pub but the wind was just too strong and it was impossible without hitting the moored boats, so we went back up the lock and moored in the same spot as Friday night. Later on we watched another boat trying to turn round there. He obviously didn't care about the moored boats as he rammed 3 of them whilst turning his boat round. 

The satellite picked up the signal with no problem but the wind was so strong that the picture kept flickering because of the movement of the boat. We've never had that problem before, but if I say that we had to have 4 mooring pins and ropes out to stop the boat banging about (we normally have 2) maybe that will give you some idea of the wind strength! The waves coming down the canal were huge and some even had 'white horses'.

Even though the wind was so strong, the sun shone and it was too nice to stay indoors after the race finished, so we set off with both dogs for a nice long, slow (because of Charlie) walk. This van was parked beside the lock but Scooby Doo was nowhere in sight (it says Mystery Machine in case you can't read the sign)

Just beside the first bridge is the old salt warehouse. This is where the salt was stored when it was unloaded from barges bringing it from the Cheshire salt mines in Middlewich, Nantwich and Wheelock.

Charlie did really well and managed to walk down past the automatic stop lock. When the river goes into flood the red lights flash and the gates close.

The wind continued into the evening getting stronger & stronger and blew one of the planters off the roof. Luckily it blew onto the towpath rather than into the canal but we decided that all the pots had to come down before we lost any. They're now residing in the cratch and shower.

To Sawley and back

It’s been another beautiful sunny day. This morning there were 2 alpacas in the field beside the boat. Their smell must be very attractive to dogs as every one that went past was totally distracted and just wanted to linger and sniff.

My sister and her family came to visit this afternoon and we took them for a cruise down Shardlow and Derwent Mouth locks as they’d never been through locks before. Nephew Matthew steered the boat out onto the River Trent and at quite a speed under the M1 to Sawley Cut where we turned round and headed back the way we’d come. It was a very pleasant afternoon which we rounded off with a meal in the Clock Warehouse pub.

the M1 bridge

the monster of Shardlow?

We’re now moored opposite the marina in the centre of Shardlow. We were lucky to get a mooring spot as it’s very busy with lots of first-night hire boaters out of Sawley Marina.

Shardlow

At Stenson the locks change from being narrow, only taking one boat at a time, to double width. To save water it’s always best to try and share with another boat so this morning we set off early along with the guy who was moored behind us last night.  The lock beams are twice the size on a wide lock, and also twice the weight!

The top gates of Stenson lock leak really badly and the view if you were entering the lock to go up is quite scary, especially for hire boaters.

Filling an empty wide lock is quite a spectacular sight.

We’re now moored just above Shardlow Lock ready for visitors tomorrow. It’s a long time since we were here so we just had to pay a visit to the Malt Shovel pub, which is one of our old haunts from the days when we used to go cruising with Ann & Richard on ‘Milty’. The pub’s been modernised but I’m pleased to say they’ve kept the tiled floors and the fires, and the draught Pedigree and Merrie Monk mild were pretty good too.

About 50 yards from our mooring is a stable with a mother and baby alpaca inside.