Wednesday 19^th September. What a day this has been … complete the well-known song in your own words! It rained all morning and so we have travelled only 6 miles today but it only took around 3 hours (remember yesterday, 7½ miles in 7 hours). As you can see, we’re really moving along BUT in the rain! Also, we only had to work 6 locks today. Working the locks does slow you down considerably, especially if they are all against you and you have to fill them with water first before you can go in just to empty all the water out again. As we cast off this morning, a passing boater advised us to use the right-hand lock at the next pair of locks since the bottom gates of the left-hand lock wouldn’t open. He shouted across to us that he didn’t want us to fill the lock, empty it, find that the gates wouldn’t work and then have to fill the lock again, reverse out and repeat the whole procedure with the right-hand lock. If that had happened I would not have been a happy bunny! Anyway, after our 3 hours travelling we arrived at Middlewich and to console ourselves had lunch in The Kings Lock pub. One of their specials was 2 sirloin steaks for £12.95. Well, being fed up with the rain – did I mention the rain? – we went for the steaks and they were delicious. Whilst sitting inside for lunch, the sun decided to appear outside and has stayed out all afternoon.

This has meant that we could do some shopping, rub down bits of the boat ready for painting, have a general clean round and have a break for an hour or two.

Made the mistake of looking at e‑mails but no one need know, eh? I can reply in a day or two … or three … or …