28th Sept 07

Went swimming this morning when I got back the post had arrived and the Insurance for the motor home had come so we went down to Mendip Caravans with the insurance so they can tax it ready for the 1st Oct. While I was there I took some photos

Back home we started emptying our caravan as we have some one interested in it what a task all the boat stuff now all the caravan stuff good job we got a big house. Sorting boat and caravan stuff to now put into motor home and the charity shop can have the rest.

25th 26th 27th Sept 07

Tuesday 25th Sept 07
Today we were up and on the road by 8am on our way to Whilton Marina to sign the boat over and pick up the cheque. We arrived by 11am and all paperwork done and cheque handed over by 11.15 saw us on our way back home. We had torrential rain on our way back when we were on the M5. arrived back home and went to the bank to deposit the cheque. we were back at home by 4.15pm
Tonight early hours 1.30am we are taking Lynda & Richard Son and daughter in law to Cardiff airport they are going to Greece for a week and we are looking after their two dogs Ellie a Yorkshire Terrier and Zak a German Shepard. This done we got into bed around 3.30am.

Wednesday 26th Sept 07
No swimming this morning got up to late. Went to Mendip Caravan Centre this morning to only LOOK at motor homes and ended up buying one got a beautiful ACE Firenze motorhome just 6 months old with all the extras like Awning. reversing camera, 12volt microwave, and walnut trim beautiful so put a deposit on it and it will be registered on 1st Oct so we will have it some time next week

Thursday 27th Sept 07
Swimming today then took mother shopping had a call from the Hosp to go and collect a prescription for Bern then mother came down for dinner after that we had a quiet evening and so to bed

Sunday 23rd & Monday 24th Sept 07

Sunday 23rd Sept 07
Quiet day today pottered around finding places for all the stuff we brought from the boat, Mother came down for dinner and we had a quiet evening.

Monday 24th Sept 07
Went swimming in the morning and a general clean up around the house rest of the day

Friday 21st Sat 22nd Sept.07

Friday 21 Sept 07

Today is our grand daughter Katie's Birthday she is 12.

Happy birthday Katie

Today saw us cleaning the boat Bern & Cliff washed and polished the outside and touched up all the paintwork while Pam and myself gave the inside a good clean. Then it was showers at the marina block and we were picked up by Bill Pam's nephew at 5.30 and taken to his home where we met up with Yvonne Bill's wife and Morse the German Shepard puppy. We had drinks and then went off to a rather large hotel for a very nice meal then back to Bill's home for more drinks then we were taken back to the boat where we had a nice cup of coffee then bed.

Saturday 22nd Sept 07

After breakfast we packed all our belongings and Bill came to pick us up at 9.45 to take us back to Barton Turns to pick up our car we loaded up his car and headed for BT

We arrived back home by 3.30pm.

The Last Cruise on Madasa-Soles

The new Waterfront pub at Barton Turns Marina

Monday 17th Sept 07

Left home for Barton Turns Marina for the last cruise on our narrowboat Madasa-Soles. We are taking it to Whilton Marina to be sold. It is with regret but health wise we need to do it. Bernard had a stroke 2 years ago although he made a full recovery he gets his bad days and the journey from home to the moorings take at least two and a half hours up the M5 then M42 and A38. and we are finding it quite taxing.

2pm we left the marina had a good run up through Fradley all 7 locks were with us then onto the coventry canal through the swing bridge and moored at the Plough Inn bridge 84 at 5.45.

Tuesday 18th Sept 07

Left the plough moorings at 8.30 and on to the two Glascote locks where we were held up for an hour and a half once we got going we reached the top of the Atherstone flight by 5pm we moored at the top and had a nice fish and chip supper from the local chippy.

13 locks today.

Atherstone Locks

Atherstone Top Lock

Wednesday 19th Sept 07

Left Atherstone top at 8.30 carried onto Hawkesbury Jctn

The engine house at Hawkesbury Jctn

Through the stop Lock and onto the North Oxford canal and stopped at the Tesco Mooring bridge 58 Rugby at 5.30.

Thursday 20th September 07

Left Rugby bridge 58 at 8.30am

Carried on down the North Oxford canal to Braunston through the 6 broad locks which we shared with two very nice gentlemen on Nb Ken and Taffy(the dog) on through the braunston tunnell

We turned right at the junction of the Grand Union canal towards Whilton and down 7 more broad lock which we shared with 3 lads who just didn't have a clue or was that convenient on their part

We arrived at Whilton Marina at 4.30pm

Tuesday 4th Sept 2007

Left LLangollen Basin at 9am and another beautiful crossing over the aqueduct. .

Then into the Churk Tunnel and over the Churk Aqueduct

We carried on to Ellesmere where we moored up for the nigh

Wednesday 5th & Thursday 6th Sept.2007

Left Ellesmere saw more kingfishers and this beautiful buzzard

Cliff lifting the bridge for the boat to go through

We arrived onto the Middlewich branch and moored up for the day.

Friday 7th Sept.

Left the Middlewich and onto the Trent & Mersey We did the Heartbreak Hill locks 29 Locks today.

Also Passed the Salt Mountain British Salt Factory

Moored up at bridge 43 on the T & M so we could do a shop at Tesco Sat.

Saturday 8th Sept 2007

Left Bridge 43 after doing a shop in Tesco and made our way to the Harecastle tunnel a steam boat was waiting to go through so the tunnel keeper said it had to go through on its own so we were waiting almost 2 hrs before we went through

We moored opposite the Wedgewood Factory at Stone for the night.

Sunday 9th Sept 2007

Left Stone 8.30am carried on down the T & M to Great Hayward went through the lock and moored up opposite Shugborough Hall once again. Had nice BBQ.

Monday 10th Sept 2007

Left Shugborough moorings at 9am and carried on down to Alrewas where we moored up.

Tuesday 11th Sept 2007

Left Alrewas 9.45am it was a very nice misty morning

We made our way back to Barton Turns Marina.

Wednesday 12th Sept.2007

Today we cleaned and tidied up the boat packed the car up with our belongings we went to the Alrewas butchers to pick up the meat we had ordered (half a pig and a whole lamb) should see us ok for a while. we arrived home around 6.30pm.

A very enjoyable holiday

Four Counties Ring and LLangollen

FOUR COUNTIES RING AND LLANGOLLEN.

Friday 24th August 2007

Today we left home picked up Pam and Cliff & Jake the lab and set off to Barton Turns Marina arriving around 6pm

We loaded all our belongings onto the boat had a nice meal and a wander around with the dogs and settled for the night

Saturday 25th August 2007

We left Barton Turns at 9.45am stopped at Alrewas to stock up with meat at the famous Peter Coats Butchers then off we went up the fradley flight and on to a nice mooring at shadehouse lock where we had a nice BBQ.

The Swan at Fradley

Mooring at Shadehouse Lock

Sunday 26th August 2007

Left Shadehouse and had a good run up to Colewich lock where we were held up for 2 hours. We stopped on the moorings opposite Shugborough Hall and had a nice BBQ.

Shugborough Hall

Monday 27th to Thursday 30th August 2007

Carried on up through Gt Hayward onto the Staffs an Worcs then at Autherley onto the Shropshire Union Canal Stopped to take some photos of the gardens at the Anchor pub they won first prize for the blooms again this year.

On through Norbury Jctn where I spotted a beautiful kingfisher

Past Market Drayton and on to Nantwich where we stopped for the night

Friday 31st August 2007

Left our moorings at Nantwich and onto the Hurslreston Jctn carried on to Wrenbury where we moored early and had a rel;axing afternoon.

Saturday 1st to Monday 3rd September 2007

Left Wrenbury at 9am had a good cruise Grindley brook was clear went straight up . Went over the Chirk Aquaduct and through the tunnel and moored Just before the Aquaduct on Sunday so we could have a nice early crossing of the aquaduct Monday morning and it was brilliant. We arrived at the Llangollen Basin at 11.45 where we booked in for the night.

Cliff and I decided to walk from the basin to horseshoe falls some 5miles round trip it took us approx 2 hours we passed the horse drawn trip boat.

We also had a walk into LLangollen

TO BE CONTINUED