Our previous week (or so)

So we have had a varied 12 or so days.  After taking 8 days to get from Loughborough to Stourbridge (including our rest day), it took us only 4 hours to get back by train and that was including waiting between links.  Gives you some idea of the speed at which we travel on the canals, absolute light speed of snails :-)

After picking up the car, saying some goodbyes to new friends (for Michele anyway) we headed back towards Stourbridge, by way of Hartlebury to return the car. Thanks to Margaret and Neil for the loan of a car for a few months and dropping us back at Stourbridge.

The Stourbridge Canal Boat Rally was something to see, I believe there were almost 100 boats at the rally, a real sight.  There were also some historical steam engines, cars and motorbikes on display and some original fairground organs.
The Stourbridge Rally was also a meeting point (banter) for a fair number of Canalworld Forum Members. Andrew and I were glad to finally put actual names and faces to some of the forum members that Andrew has been chatting with over the past 5+ years. I can't believe that there were 22 people on Tawny Owl on Saturday night for fish and chips. Who would have thought that you could fit that many bodies into a narrowboat dining area at the same time!

Monday after the event we started making our way to Stourport, to pick up the washing machine still stored at Neil and Margaret's, as this was the closest we could get by water. While on our way we were told that the excess baggage we had sent from NZ was also going to arrive on the Wednesday, perfect timing as we arrived in Stourport on the Tuesday afternoon. So we were able to get everything tidied up and sorted and now we can really get started on our extended holiday. Although there was some interesting 'manouvering' on the towpath as Andrew worked out how we were going to get the washing machine from the towpath and into the boat, never mind once in the boat into the correct place :-) For now it is on and sitting in the front of the cupboard door, until we get enough energy back to actually fit it in the cupboard and plumb it in.  As for me I can't wait to not have to work out where I can next get the washing done and not having to lug it all too far!

But for now we are on our way back from Stourport and heading towards Birmingham and the start of the Grand Union Canal where we will spend most of winter. Oh, I forgot to mention that we have decided not to spend a small fortune on an annual mooring but will remain as CC'ers ( Continuous Cruisers) for the year. So instead I spent half the money on a new lens to go with all my other new camera gear.  So I am more than happy, Andrew not so much, with the new lens that is ;-)

So tomorrow we head for our first long flight, the Stourbridge 16 Locks and then not long after that the Delph 8. I guess at some point I will just have to take the tiller, or we might end up stuck somewhere in the middle !  With 0 degrees forecast for the morning, could be some great photos !  Or I might just stay snugly under the duvet