Monday May 9th 1988
I arrived just after 10:00 having ridden straight up from Harwell night shift. Mum and Dad were here to greet me, fire going, engine running, coffee on, excellent. Mum and I took the boat down to the lock whilst Dad took the car. After filling the tank and emptying the bog, I set off down river having waved goodbye. I turned up the Erewash and up to Long Eaton. I arrived just after 12:00 and after winding moored outside the Barge Inn. I had a shower then walked into Long Eaton and did some shopping. When I got back Moggy was sat on the bank waiting for me. We took a slow run back to Sawley with Moggy doing all the steering, and hence up to Shardlow where we moored outside the Malt Shovel. I 'd just sat down with a pint when Pete and Tina arrived, they'd phoned Dad to find out where I'd be ( a good guess, eh?) and poled out to set the arrangements to this weekend.
Mog on n/b Collie II above Derwent Mouth Lock, Trent & Mersey Canal
Tuesday 10th May
After a lazy start we strolled up to the boatyard in a vain search for a new rope for the centre. Just before 11am we set off up the T and M, Moggy steering. Meeting up with another n/b just before Aston Lock we worked the next three with them before we stopped at Ragley Country Inn just after 2pm for a meal and pint. We set off again about 16:30 arriving at Willington just before 18:30 after a stop at Stenson Marina again hoping for rope. We spent the evening in the Rising Sun, who are having the Mikron on 24th May. A leaflet of this years tour is in the front of the log.
Wednesday 11th May
We left Willington about 8:30, it was cooler today, not sunbathing weather like yesterday. However still pleasant enough for a nice run back. We arrived at Weston about 11:30 and walked up to the pub, The Plough where we had a really nice meal. After lunch we chugged back to Shardlow where we tied up outside the Malt Shovel. A pint in the New Inn where they don't do food evenings, a pint and a meal at the Navigation (where they do) and back to the Malt Shovel for a piss up with Ceej and Wiz who drove out to see us. After the pub we retired to bed with the tv as Pink Floyd's The Wall was on.
Thursday 12th May
Left Shardlow about 09:00 to be back at Sawley for 10:00 to meet dad and an electric drill. It just started raining as we reached the flood lock. Dad arrived with the Black & Decker and we discussed plans for moving the boat to various rallies. After he left I made a mounting for the bilge pump sensor, drained the water tank, tightened the stern gland and refilled its greaser and fitted half the new rope. The water tank took about 2 hours to pump dry. We then motored to the lock, refilled the water tank (3/4 hour), emptied the bog and threw away the rubbish. When we got back to the mooring I dismantled part of the hot water tank casing which was damp. The tank has developed a leak along its seam and had leaked about 1 gallon into the bilges. As well as soaking a lot of carpets, Monday when we get back I shall have to drain off and remove. Pete and Tina arrived just before six and we set off down river and up the Erewash. We moored about 1/2 mile up the Erewash and marched to the Steamboat where we had a meal and much ale.
Friday 13th May
Awoke to a sunny morning and set off at 07:45. It was very nice and we stopped in Sandiacre for shopping about 09:30. At Stanton a BWB man told us the pound below Shipley Boat had been de-watered by kids and they were working hard to re-water but it might be a bit tricky. This could be disaster!! Fished a dead dog out at Gallows Inn Lock. We stopped at the Bridge Inn at Common Bottom Lock for dinner. The pound above was very low and a narrow boat just above the lock was sitting on the bottom. It was a short pound then the last one above to Shipley Gate, very long. We walked up to the next lock and emptied it then walked back. The pound had risen about 8". I started to work Common Bottom lock when a old weirdo (called Catweasel) appeared and leapt up and down and got a bit aggressive. After 1/2 hrs diplomacy Pete and I left to call BW. After 3 phone calls (call Freephone CANALS for nearest office) they said an engineer was on the way. This was good because the boat was moored up, half way up a lock . We got back just as a BW man turned up. It was the man we'd met earlier. After a chat he walked up and flushed the next lock then quietened down Catweasel and slowly let up the lock. We crept to the next lock and Pete and him walked up. He let us up the next then walked as far as the Bridge Inn with Pete, (Catweasel came with me, Moggy and Tina). It took two with ropes and two on the boat to get under the sunken bridge then us four crept on to Shipley Gate where we moored just below the lock. The canal was now refilling. It was now about 7.00pm so we went the pub, booked in, went to the marquee and proceeded to get very fall over.
Tina
Saturday 14th May
woken at 08:20 by the BW man telling us he was going to flush the lock to raise Catweasel and a BWB Boat. By the time we left for the basin about 11:45 all levels were about right. We had a nice run up and stopped just below the top lock then went in the Great Northern for lunch. The weather was again hot and sunny which of course meant lots of kids swimming at all the locks. We dropped below Shipley Gate lock again and re-moored. The air was still below the lock and we lazed about sunbathing whilst various friends walked over for a chat. Later we went to the marquee, then back for a meal, then back for the evening session.
Pete
Sunday 15th May
We were going to leave really early, but after chatting and walking round the field, and buying Moggy a silly scarf like mine as Angie and Phil had their 'Street Wize' stall there. We left just after tea and were having a really good run down till we got to Gallows Inn Lock. Just as we ran in another BW man turned up. 'I've some really bad news for you' he said: kids had drained another pound. We went through and moored up, then Ray the foreman that we knew from the weekend, arrived and they started flushing water through. We left Gallows about 2pm as the water was dropping fast. At Stanton we met 3 boats waiting for us and our water to come down. One of them was a newly lined shell going to Langley Mill for fitting out. We had no more problems till we got out onto the Trent. There were dozens of boats going round and round, up and down the river. Apparently there had been a rally at Cranfleet and they were having a boozers run..... Both locks were heavily used but we got up in the hydraulic one and reached the water point about 18:45. Back at the mooring Pete and Tina left just after 20:00 declaring the weekend a wonderful success. Moggy and I turned in for the night.
Kenn ............ and the scarf!
Monday 16th May
Spent the morning cleaning up and draining the hot water tank. The tank was removed and damp carpets put outside to dry. Mum and Dad arrived just after 4pm and after cleaning up and loading up we left. Another great holiday, but one more thing to fix.........