An April Weekend

Apologies to followers - it has been a while since I updated.

This is an update I drafted at the time but failed to publish earlier.

Friday 9th April 2010

Arrived reasonably early evening after a good run down the motorway from the North East and skirting around Derby with minimum delay. What a difference - travelling during the school holidays.

Wasted no time at the Marina topping up the water tank and pulling out of the marina with adequate time to cruise up to Tixall Wide and moor just beyond the Broad Water before dark. The nights are getting lighter again! Hip-hip-hurray!

Moorer just west of the wide water at Tixall

Saturday 10th April 2010


After an early start we fired up the engine to here that the domestic battery alternator belt to be squealing on the pulley. Very annoying. I guessed as it hadn't been called up to do any work for some time (this was the first time the belt was under load since before the winter break) it was groaning a bit. Although the noise could only be detected at tick-over it soon subsided.
Cruised up through Tixall Lock and Deptmore Lock to wind and moor outside the Moat House at Acton Trussell. After a walk around the village to admire the area we returned to the boat to firstly update our Nicholson Guide with the fact there is no longer a village store, and then set off back down the canal to moor opposite Stafford Boat Club Marina for the evening.
Elaine & I walked up into Wildwood to explore the local supermarket and drinking establishment - both worth the walk if not a little too far.

Sunday 11th April 2010

During breakfast the boat club provided plenty of entertainment with boats being winched back into the water and boats being pulled back up the slope of their dry dock. Obviously a great community as all hands were on the winders!

On the return back to the Marina, in the vicinity of the aqueduct, we spotted a buzzard that was soaring high on the thermals - an amazing bird that we had seen the day before but we were unable to identify it.

After a brief exchange of greetings with Ned from Cabincare, we arrived back at the Marina in time for lunch.