Stenson, Swarkestone and return to Branston Water Park (14 miles, 3 locks)

Plan A - We need to get back to Lincolnshire by about mid September to go back to work, so we can do this all again next year.  That way, the shop doesn't need to do anything spectacular, just pay it's overheads and we are happy with that.  There can be no Plan B.

Swarkestone would be the turning point of this leg, enabling us to retrace our journey perhaps to Great Haywood junction and then return properly for the final countdown to a winter of toil!

Back at the Findern,  a bit of a sharp corner on the road and consequently the bollard in the foreground didn't make it!

Considering all the offside trees were hacked back during March when we first set out, they have grown again well.  That'll be all that rain.....

We moored at Willington for a few days again, and had an evening of pool and drinks at the local pub with Sam, John, Beth and Dave again as they began their final journey back to Lincolnshire.   Reluctantly, they left   the next morning, but at least safe in the knowledge that the Trent would be behaving itself!

I flung open the side of the butty and did a roaring trade on the Sunday, but oh dear, I need to do a lot more painting to replenish my stock now!

Monday, Richard's Mum and Dad came up to run us to Cheshire to view another butty for sale.  So disloyal of us to think there could be a butty which could suit us better than Echoes, but this one was longer and had a back cabin fully fitted out ready for any visitors we may encounter!
Ok, better the devil you know. Our beloved butty is solid, welding done by our resident mechanic and fits our purposes nearly totally.  All that needs doing is stretching it another 15 feet; to gain another discount on our trading licence and enabling us to attach it more securely to the motor (breasting side by side), and we need to fit out the back cabin.....
Yes but it (the butty for sale ,which we drove half way across the country to see) was 'a nail', so we walked away.

Sometimes, it's easy to chuckle, even in the rain!

Stretton on the outskirts of Burton is very pretty, but because of the depth of the water at the edge,  mooring here is not an option.

Now that's a good name for a boat, better than the 'Black Pearl' which seems to be as common as muck!

Don't do it!

Geese everywhere!   Anyone know any good recipes?

Pulling up back at tiny Dallow Lane lock in Burton, we braved the storm and took both boats up through the lock.  We moored past Shobnall Fields as before, but this time just to stock up on food.

This year's young seem to be doing well.

Continuing on to Branston Water Park, we moored for the night, hoping that we may see a glimmer of sunshine the next day............................

Alrewas to Stenson (14 miles, 5 locks)

Dropping down 3 locks, we decided to moor at Branston Water Park for the night.  The weather was at last behaving as it should in July, and Scooby was starting to flag.

Luckily, the Water Park (flooded gravel workings) had provided a 'dog-dip' where he had a cooling, albeit brief, paddle about before returning to the boat.

The next morning, Richard had found out that our friends Sam and John (nb Fairies Where Boots) and Little Dave (nb Mon Ami) were about due to get into Burton on Trent later that day.   Our engine fired into life, and we set off earlyish, to get a decent mooring in Burton.
Things turned busy suddenly, as Branston lock was looking like a big traffic jam, where a multitude of boats had arrived in quick succession to come up through the lock.  We helped the hire boater up and dropped the motor through.  Richard had to stop someone further back in the queue, below the lock, giving instructions to 'move up'.  There is always an impatient busy body!  If they had come up, on foot, to the lock, perhaps, they would have seen we needed to pick up our butty.

Hey hey! it's Sam on the front of her boat coming through the bridge at Horninglow, Burton.  We hitched a ride and guided them to where we had moored back in the town.  Dave followed closely behind on his tiny narrowboat.  Both boats had been stuck waiting for the Trent to recede, delaying their holiday by a few days.  The relief on Sam's face, to get onto the canal, was clear to see!  (Although not on this picture, sorry, technical difficulties!)

Dave's boat is in the foreground, us behind with Sam and John behind us.

Shobnall Fields moorings on the offside.

Richard, Sam, John and Dave went for a guided tour around Marston's Brewery the next morning.  A reservation has to be made, as a dedicated guide is brought in to take visitors around the factory.  This was a detail unbeknown to us a few years ago, when we had the boys with us.  Richard said he would take them, if they were interested, as he said it was well worth the trip (and he came away with a goody bag!)

Later that day, Matti and Kathy on their beautiful old boat 'Old Friends' arrived unexpectedly and we got them to parallel park against us.  A mini banter ensued, unplanned and very civilised!

We said our goodbyes the following morning, and dropped down through the last narrowguage lock on the Trent before the doubles start at Stenson.

Over the aquaduct at Egginton Wharf with the river Dove below us.

An observatory in the attic!

Mooring outside the pub at Willington, I opened the shop and had a lovely couple of days painting and talking to other boaters and villagers alike. Richard's parents spent the Friday with us, halfway through their family royal visit to all the relations in the region!

This is called sunshine!!!!!!!!!!

Our old friend Andy on his way to Manchester!  You bump into everybody eventually on the canal!

Nice bridge at the Nadee Indian Restaurant......yes Richard, please look where you are going!

We moored for the weekend at Stenson, nipped into Derby via the bike, then the bus and back and sat out the rain! Again!!!