Finally leaving Loughborough

Loughborough Carillon 

Well as I am sure you are all aware that the rain just went on and on.  The River Soar went into flood and so we were unable to move on.  In the end we spent 12 nights at Loughborough.  A long time for us.  However that said it was a good place to be stuck in as there is quite a bit to do there.
With thoughts of our imminent return to dry land we went looking for beds and have ordered one to be delivered on 5th August.  So make it seem time on Falcon is coming to an end.
We also caught up with friends Dave and Joan who live in Birstall.  Dave is a model flying buddy of Paul's from when they lived in Plymouth.  Strangely so did we!
The river came off flood alert on Monday, but with more rain still forecast we remained in Loughborough until yesterday, making good progress of 9.5 miles and 6 locks.  Today has been more sedate with 1 mile and 1 lock!
So now we are moored at Birstall and Dave and Joan are coming to see us tomorrow.

Mould for the bell in St Paul's Cathedral

After a couple of nights here we will be continuing our southward journey as we have a good few miles of river to go yet!  A day of cruising will bring us into Leicester, so things seem to be going to plan, although a bit delayed!

Loughborough

Coot family, parents still feeding the chicks,
 unlike ducklings who have to fend for themselves!

We arrived at Shardlow on Monday and went for a meal in the Clock Warehouse.  Another lovely meal there.
On Tuesday we cruised a short distance to Sawley Marina so we could get a pump out and do the washing, only to find the chandlery was shut on a Tuesday!  So se moved across to moor on the towpath and wait until Wednesday!  When we found out there is an office which was open on Tuesday so we could have bought tokens and carried on!  Still never mind.

At Zouch Lock, before the rain started!

Canal and River Trust on the move.
Push me pull you!

So Thursday saw us moving on and turning right on to the River Soar which forms part of the Grand Union Leicester Arm.
We stopped that night at Kegworth.  With the forecast for rain we were keen to get off the river and back on to the canal at Loughborough.  So Friday saw us starting to cruise at 8am!  Usually we are still in bed at this time!  We managed about 2 hours before the rain started!  It hasn't stopped much since!  We did get rather wet but with 3 locks worked we arrived at Loughborough in time for a late lunch!

On Saturday one of Paul's RAF
mates, George, lives quite close and he came and picked us up and took us back to his place to meet his wife Ruth.  We ended up going out for a meal then they both came back here.
Yesterday we were walking into the town as these boats came under the junction bridge to turn a sharp right.  We are stood on the bridge.  The first and last boats are being towed by the little boat in the middle.  Not an easy manoeuvre, which they managed much better than some single boats manage! Just 2 guys on board.  Meanwhile we will stay here in Loughborough until the weather improves as moving on will put us back on the river until we reach Leicester.  The River Soar very quickly goes into flood so its a case of wait and see.

A while by Mercia Marina

We spent a lovely weekend in Alrewas Catching up with Paul's RAF entry.  On Friday we had visitors for lunch, and in the evening 13 of us met up in the British Legion Club

"The Gang" at the National Memorial Arboretum

for a meal and a
natter.  We were very blessed with the weather on Saturday for our visit to the Arboretum.  15 of us gathered for a wander around.  Photo is courtesy of George, so he isn't in the pic.  What a rabble!
Some more of the guys made it on board for a cuppa at various times, so all in all a very enjoyable weekend.

Since then we don't seem to have travelled very far.  Paul has had 2 vertigo attacks, but meanwhile we now have Falcon up for sale.  Just privately at the moment, but think we will probably end up with
a broker.  We pulled into Mercia Marina

The willow spiral at Mercia Marina

yesterday to buy a replacement gas valve, staying on their visitor moorings until Paul had fitted it, just in case he needed any more bits.  So with having lunch there it was about 4 by the time we left, so we moored for the night just outside.  Back there today to use the internet!

Hopefully tomorrow we will be making our way towards Shardlow.

Me in the centre of the Willow Spiral!

Arrived at Alrewas

Some planter!  Our washing can be seen in the background!

Well since the last update from Tixall we have been busy travelling south.  We have also been busy with Paul doing some painting and me some spring cleaning!  Falcon will be up for sale at the end of this month, so we want her looking her best! We did spend 2 nights in Rugely, although we did move a short distance on the second day to be closer to Tesco!

On Tuesday we pulled into Kings Bromley Marina for the night.  It was a lovely day and I managed to do lots of washing!  This is one of the few marinas that has washing lines so I was able to peg out!

The family of geese I had to pass to get back on board

There haven't been any locks for a few days, but made up for it today as we have worked through 8!
So we are now at Alrewas.  Paul's get together with his RAF buddies is at the National Memorial Arboretum this year and we are now walking distance from it.  We are hoping to welcome some of the guys on board.

Approaching Bagnall Lock at Alrewas.

Back in the days when our boating was on a time share boat we used to frequent this part of the Trent and Mersey quite regularly and in the picture below is the living willow arch at Bagnall Lock.  This was planted for the millennium and when we first saw it there were just small green shoots on it.

Expect we too have changed over the years!

Back to Tixall

Tixall Lock

Friday morning we left Tixall Wide with just 1 lock today.  Just after we had been through the lock we saw a moorhen with 4 tiny chicks.  They are so small and cute!  We arrived at Stafford Boat Club in time to have lunch and just before it poured with rain!
We have moored here before and their facilities are very good, including the bar!
Our friends Annie and Colin have a mooring here and they arrived back on Saturday morning.  In the evening the 4 of us went into Stafford to The Picture House, which is a Wetherspoons pub.

With Annie and Colin

 The building obviously used to be a cinema, and apparently they show old black and white movies on a Sunday.  The picture doesn't show how well they have done the decoration.

On Sunday Annie and Colin took us to Halesowen to Coombeswood Canal Trust open day.  Several days of cruising, but only an hour by car!  We are member of the trust, as are they.  The weather was perfect and we had a lovely day and caught up with several more friends!

Leaving Stafford Boat Club

Yesterday we moved on, back the way we came and are moored again at Tixall Wide.  Thankfully though this time the sun is shining.

Still in Staffordshire

We did move on on Thursday, 3 miles and 4 locks bringing us to the top of Stone.  We moored and made a cuppa, then as a boat went by Paul said the lady is waving at us, I think we must know them.  It turned out to be Sarah and Ade who we met last year in Stafford Boat Club and then they came to see us a couple of times when we were near Leeds where they live.  They were on their way back to

Getting there

their mooring. With some time to spare they moored in front of us and that evening we all went to The Star, the pub by the bottom lock at Stone, where we had a meal and a few jars.  The next morning they moved on whilst we were still in bed!  We followed them down more slowly later that morning, to moor opposite The Star so we could get some shopping.  Saturday morning there was a farmers market in the centre of Stone, so we had a look around there before moving on after lunch.  We moored at Weston on Trent, there is a pub there but we didn't visit!  Spent a couple of nights there catching up with some maintenance jobs.  On the Sunday afternoon a boat went past going the opposite direction to us.  It was Eli with Annie and Colin on board.  We first met them in Braunston in 2012 and have met them several times since.  The last being at Stafford Boat Club last year.  They were unable to stop as they were meeting up with friends, however we have booked to spend the weekend at the boat club so will probably catch up with them then.
We stayed at Weston until Tuesday when 2 locks brought us to Great Haywood.  We moored and had lunch then moved on to get water.  Just then someone was calling out to Paul and Rene and John from narrow boat Peregrine were walking over the bridge!  We met them when we were on the Huddersfield Canal about 4 years ago.  We cruised with them for several days before going our separate ways and we hadn't seen them since.  So last night it was off to the pub again for a meal and a natter.  We are now moored at Tixall Wide bow to bow with them.  So once again Peregrine and Falcon are back together for the time!
It is sad at times that these are our last few month on board, but also lovely as we keep meeting up with friends from different places. It has been a wonderful 7 years and we aren't quite finished yet.

Travelling through Staffordshire

Giant Tea Set!

Well Monday saw us have a safe transit through Harecastle Tunnel. The tunnel is 2926 yards long.  It is one way traffic with the entry to the tunnel controlled by CRT.  There are big extraction fans to remove the exhaust fumes from the tunnel.  It isn't quite straight so when you start out you can't see the end!  When we got there it hadn't long shut in the southerly direction so we had about an hour to wait before the boats from the northerly traveling boats to appear.  This was good as it gave us chance to have some lunch!
Yesterday we traveled down through Stoke on Trent.  Some very old building along the canal with the pottery kilns and warehouses.

Josiah Wedgwood mosaic made with plates

Unfortunately some of them are quite derelict.  We were definitely traveling down as we worked thorough 5 locks before mooring at Trentham for the night.  This morning we worked 1 more lock then moored by the Wedgwood Factory.  Although we have passed through here several times we have never visited.  So as this is probably the last time we will be in the area we decided to visit.  You pay for a factory visit but the museum is free!  We had a very nice lunch there.  Definitely worth a visit.  So much to look at.
Will be moving on again tomorrow towards Stone.  Hoping to be there for market day on Saturday.