What a difference a week makes.

It is a week since my last post and the weather is a lot different. Last Sunday I was painting the roof of the boat in sunshine. Today I am watching the rain come down in buckets. We stayed at Penkridge till Monday morning, then we moved on to Acton Trussel. On the way there we called into a boatyard for then to look at a bracket that had come loose, infact the bolts had sheared off. The rest of the brackets were still holding it but I thought I should let someone look at it. As it was they couldn't fix it and recommended that I take it to Shobnal Marina in Burton on Trent. On Tuesday we moved to Rockford Bank the nearest mooring to Stafford where we had an appointment at the bank on Wednesday. It was nice and sunny Wednesday morning so we walked the mile and a half into Stafford,after doing some shopping we presented ourselves at the bank at the appropriate time. It took two hours to get everything sorted out,we were gagging for a warm drink. While in Stafford we visited Vodaphone and up graded the dongle to an iPad this has made it a lot better to get on the Internet . Returning to the boat (by bus) we moved on to Tixel wide where we moored for the night. Tixel wide is a place where I assume the canal at one time broke it's bank and flooded, it is now a very pleasant place to moor. Passing. Through Great Hayward Junction on Thursday we carried on passed Shugborough Hall until finally mooring at Rugeley for the night. Friday we carried on heading for Fradley Junction where we were going to stop for the night, however when we got.there all the moorings were full so we carried on to Alrewas. Today we are hoping to go to the Alrewas Show if this rain ever stops, or even slows down. There are no pictures today as I am not sure how to upload photo's from the iPad.

Very Heavy Rain.

Before I start this post I must tell you about something I forgot in my last posting. Coming up the Staffs and Worcester we kept seeing faces on trees and posts. Some body had been very busy.Slipping our mooring early we moved back down to Autherley Junction and watered up while we had breakfast, well that was the plan. In the end we had had breakfast and both of us showered and still the water tank wasn't full. After an hour and a half it finally filled to the top.It was quite a nice morning so we passed through the stop lock and turned left onto the Staffs and Worcester canal. At about 12-o-clock the heavens opened and we moored where we were, even so we both got very wet. The weather never really got much better so we stayed where we were for the night.
Next morning the rain had passed, leaving our mooring just north of Coven Heath. After four and a half hours we moored at Penkridge a lovely little town not far from Stafford. Walking down town to do some shopping we once again got caught in heavy rain but it was short lived. Today I replaced some tiles that had dropped of round the wood burner.Later we took the bus into Stafford and made an appointment at the bank for Wednesday to review our accounts.At lunch time we had a meal and a pint(or two) at Weatherspoons. The pub used to be a cinema and still has the tiered seating areas and the bar is where the screen used to be.Today's pictures are some tree and post faces and Autherley Junction.

Another National Trust House.

Leaving Kinver on Thursday morning we did 10 locks plus a 2 lock staircase. This brought us to Wombourne, we moored at the visitor mooring for the night. On Friday morning we arrived at Bratch locks, Not a staircase but very similar. I emptied the first of the 3 locks, that was my big mistake the lock keeper was not impressed as there were two boats on thier way down. I went back to Marlene and moored the boat to wait. When the two boats cleared the bottom lock it was our turn to go up.
I will try and explain the way these locks work,if I can. Each lock has a top and bottom gate but between the top of one and the bottom of the next is just enough space to open the gates. You then have blue paddles which allow the water to go sideways into a side pound when you empty the lock above with the red paddles. Then when you need the water to refill the lock the water is retrieved from the side pound. when you get to the top lock it is just the same as a normal lock. That may seem very complicated but when the lock keeper shows you how it works it is simple. We moored at Wightwick where we were meeting Pamela and Archie who were coming for the weekend.
On Saturday we all visited Wightwick Manor(National Trust)which has some lovely gardens. In the evening we went to the Mermaid Inn for a meal which was great. After a quiet morning we walked to the nearby locks so Archie could see the boats come through and help with the gates,then Pamela and Archie went home.
Moving a short distance to Compton we moored so we could find a doctors, our three month prescriptions were running out. While Marlene did some washing I found a surgery and made an appointment for 8-45am Tuesday for us both to see a doctor for a new prescription.
Up early Tuesday we kept our appointments then Marlene went for her hair cutting while I took the new prescriptions to the chemist to be filled. Today we left Compton after queueing at the lock,Then in very heavy rain made our way to Autherley Junction where we turned left through the stop lock onto the Shropshire Union canal. We only travelled to bridge five then we turned round and moored for the night.