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Preparation done, now ready for the paint.
1st

It looks really long now it is out of the water, but I am getting used to the extra space. An extra ten feet of covered accomodation, easily big enough to have a workshop inside so that I can make things and who knows, someday I might sell something.



Doesn't that look good?.
2nd

Wow, all nice and new looking, bright and shiny, I like bright shiny things. That's why I keep buying little pieces of tat from the charity shop.
A day to let the paint dry and I'll be out in the great big world again. Must try very hard not to scratch anything at least for the first day or so.



Outside the dry dock.
3rd

Today's the day. This is where I will be when I leave the dry dock. The proceedure is to let the water in via a sluice gate and when the two sides are level the boards that damn the dry dock are removed and I can use the engine to exit the dock.


5th Wheelock 6½ miles 8 locks

Heading back the way we came


6th Halsall Green 3 miles 10 locks

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7th Kidsgrove 4 miles 13 locks

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8th Etruria 5 miles 1 tunnel 3 locks

Actually West port where another boat crashed into me!


9th Trentham 5 miles 6 locks

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10th Stone 4 miles 5 locks

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11th Weston-upon-Trent 7 miles 6 locks

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12th Tixall Wide 5 miles 2 locks

I want to get to Baswich early in the morning to organise some timber to make a new bed so stopped comparatively early.


13th Baswich 3 miles 1 lock

Moored up close to the timber yard and the joiners. Purchased a couple of sheets of ply, one at 18mm thick and one at 5.5mm to make a new bed for myself, I don't like the current one and D'fer has already fallen down the back of it once. I got out of bed and left him there. The bed wasn't latched open so it folded up on him leaving him behind it, jammed up against the wall. I had to grab his collar and lift him out, no mean feat at his weight.
The timber yard delivered the ply next door to the joiners who put it on their really big saw table and ripped it down to the correct sizes for my design of bed. All this was accomplished by shortly after lunch time


14th Penkridge 5½ miles 5 locks

Moored up opposite Toms Moorings. Made good use of the facilities.


15th

Cannot go through Penkridge without calling in at Jaspers the bakers, best bread for miles around, then on to the market where all good things are found, including a piano hings for the bed.


16th Coven 8½ miles 6 locks

The ply was all cut to size for me so I simply had to assemble all the pieces and screw them together, it still took a couple of days. Now to dismantle the existing fold away bed and install my version of a fold away bed.


17th wtw

Making the bed.


18th Weaton Aston 8½ miles 2 locks

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20th Cheswardine 8½ miles 2 locks

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21st Market Drayton 14½ miles 5 locks

While on my way to the supermarket I passed a funeral parlour which was, unfortunately. right next to the Spare Body Parts shop. I had to look in the window just to make sure that the parts really were for cars.


23rd Hawksmoor Bridge 4 miles 5 locks

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25th Audlum 2 miles 12 locks

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This is a real car, look more closely and
you will see that it is made of bits and pieces.
26th

Audlem Festival of Transport & Historic Boat Gathering, it was an interesting day out and the rain showers made it a little more exciting.

 

 

 



I love Punch and Judy
27th

The aftermath of the Audlem Festival, everybody else had packed up and gone home and the puppet show was about to, but at least we got pictures of it before they departed.



What a lovely sunset.
28th 3 miles 5 locks Baddington

With views like this of an evening who needs to go abroad?