Still around honest!!

Hi everyone, yes we are still around!! I sort of gave up blogging because i didn't have much to say but decided it was time I did an update only to discover that my last post back in August hadn't posted.

Anyway, we slowly made our way to Market Drayton for August Bank Holiday, spending some time with Kit and Mike on the way and travelling with them for a while. After that we made our way up to Ellesmere with a minor crisis on the way when the repair to our heat exchanger failed and we had to find ourselves a new one, or rather a secondhand one. That sorted we made it to Ellesmere, met up with Kathy, Scott and Kaia who we hadn't seen for ages then slowly made our way back to our mooring.

We had a minor incident on the way back at Nantwich when Ray forgot we were moored with the left-hand side to the bank after a long time moored with the right-hand side to the bank and stepped off the wrong side of the boat in the dark! Luckily the canals aren't very deep and he could stand up and with some help from Jennie and Paul who were moored next to us he was hauled back on board. That delayed our travelling for a bit but we got home at the beginning of October.

We had one more excursion for a brief holiday with the Hobbins clan, travelling down to Alvechurch then back a little way along the Stratford canal before heading back 'home' for the winter.

Apart from any minor excursions we are probably here until March as virtually every route off the Birmingham plateau is either closed or due to be closed because of maintenance.


Since my last post we have travelled 230 miles, 158 locks, 14 lift bridges and 13 tunnels

This year we have traveled 425 miles, 334 locks, 2 swing bridges,17 lift bridges and 23 tunnels

In 2013 we traveled 459.1 miles, 434 locks, 7 swing bridges, 15 lift bridges and 31 tunnels

In 2012 we traveled 876.9 miles, 675 locks,  55 swing bridges, 22 lift bridges and 31 tunnels

In 2011 we traveled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels

During 2010 we traveled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels

Since Ray retired we have traveled 2962.7 miles, 2529 locks, 120 swing bridges, 92 lift bridges and 125 tunnels