On to Murder Bridge No 177

 Today started off well with me waking up at 5 o'clock! I tried to get back to sleep but gave up in the end and made some tea for us both. 

Here's the captain bringing the boat along to Kings Lock after me telling her that we spent the night moored in a winding hole. The canal is very wide at that point and I would have moved the boat had anyone needed to turn round. Luckily none of that was required. 

Because the lock was against us I helped a single hander through before we took our turn. 

While waiting for the lock to fill I thought that a picture of the fish and chips shop would be an excellent reminder of the wonderful meal we had last night. 

All around Middlewich various bollards have been decorated with knitted cosies. Must have taken ages. 

I'm back on the boat as there was yet another boat waiting to come through and they were happy to work the gates for us. 

Immediately after the lock is the Wardle Canal the shortest canal on the system being only 154ft long. 

Not all narrowboats have roses and castles on the doors, this one has icons. 

And a nostalgic photo for us of what used to be Middlewich Boat Hire. We hired several times from them. 

We then went through 3 more locks and stopped to go to Morrisons for even more food for the pantry. Including, of course, steaks as it's Saturday. 

A cormorant, which you're lucky to see as it kept diving every time I went to take the picture. 

After that we only went on a little further, found a nice shady place and stopped for the afternoon and overnight. This is a really lovely part of this canal and an opportunity for the captain to watch Wimbledon all afternoon. 

Oh, and it's just past Bridge No 177 nicknamed "Murder Bridge". It was named after the unsolved October 1967 murder of a Middlewich solicitor whose body was found in a shallow grave nearby. 

No sleep tonight then!