Another restless night for us for some reason but nevertheless we were up and moving by 8.15. It was already quite warm when we set off and we made reasonable progress in the morning sun. We saw that Streethay Wharf was open so we pulled in to see if they had a replacement belt for the Travelpower. They did and I bought one, although at £22.50 it was more than twice the price of the same articles on ebay. I’ll be investing in a full set when we get back.

When we reached Fradley junction we were able to get on to the water point where we filled the tank and dumped the unmentionables. The slow running tap is a nuisance but with the other facilities some distance away around the corner, it all works out alright.

With the services done we popped through the swing bridge and joined the throng of boaters at the junction. There was the usual wait but it wasn’t too bad given that it was a sunny Sunday in August at one of the busiest canal junctions in the country. We eventually got through all three locks and made our way north on the Trent & Mersey until we reached bridge 58 at Handsacre where we tied up for the day.

We had both showered along the way so once we had Caxton’s lines secured we took a walk over the bridge to the Crown Inn, it didn’t really appeal so we walked up the road past the world famous (well, boating world if you believe Pearson’s guide) Michael’s fish bar but since it is closed on Sundays it is impossible to comment on its wares. We ended up at The Olde Peculiar, a nice looking pub a few hundred yards up the road. The clock in the bar is one of those back to front types and the taps in the gents are reversed so that hot is cold and cold is hot, all adding to the olde peculiar theme. Naturally I felt obliged to try the namesake beer from Theakstons even though it is many years since I last had one. It was a well kept one and hadn’t changed from my memory of it but it’s an acquired taste and one that I don’t intend acquiring.

We wandered back to our mooring after that drink whereupon I proceeded to fit the new drive belt to the travelpower. It’s not a difficult job but it involves a bit of straddling the engine, awkward at the best of times but there was still a lot of heat in the engine making it a bit uncomfortable for me. It all went well and we will test it properly tomorrow as we travel to our next mooring. 

With that work done, Sue started making dinner for us on this lovely sunny evening.

9 miles and 3 locks today.