Professional anglers and a chance meeting

After a wet night this morning was dull but dry as I opened the front cabin doors to take Meg out. Sitting there, calm as you like on our front rope, was this little chap.
After all those blurry shots of kingfishers I’ve taken over the last seven years here was an opportunity to get a good one; and the only thing at hand was my phone! I didn’t dare move in case he took flight. So I finished up with another out of focus, poorly composed photo. In my defence, it was taken through the glazing on the cratch board, which was spotted with raindrops and partially obscured by a large cobweb. The focus kept latching onto the glass instead of what was on the other side.
Still, it’s the closest I’ve been to a live one!

I took Meg up to the the Co-op for a paper, then we played ball in a small park on the way back.
Our route took us up the “Bloody Steps”, up which the body of the unfortunate Christina Collins was carried, after being dragged out of the canal. Christina was travelling by boat in the summer of 1839 to join her husband in London when she was raped and murdered by the three crew. She’s buried in Rugeley Parish Churchyard.

Meg checks out the Bloody Steps
The perpetrators were quickly caught, tried and two were executed while the third was transported to the colonies.

We got off around half past ten, under the bypass bridge and on towards Wolseley Bridge.
Just around the corner there was this guy standing there, not moving a muscle as we approached and passed.

He was completely focussed on breakfast, which he caught just as I switched the camera off. Typical, no co-operation.

We filled up with diesel at Taft Wharf near Bridge 86, still cheap at only 76p, picked up ½ a dozen free range eggs at £1, then pressed on to Great Haywood.

Wolseley Bridge, carrying the A51 over the Trent.

Autumn colours…
















Near Little Haywood we spotted a familiar boat and pulled in to have a chat to Tony and Jacquie, NB Timewarp. Tony has painted a lot of boats and gave me some tips before I started Seyella, so I wanted his opinion on my work. He was politely complimentary, liking the way the colours work together.


Tony and Jacquie and Callie the dog
They’re shy….

Colwich Lock had been ready for us, a boat was just leaving as we arrived, and this should have been the only one today as we intended to moor on the straight across from Shugborough Hall. But try as we might we couldn’t get close to the bank even though we’ve moored here regularly in the past, so we went up Haywood Lock and pulled in on the visitor moorings. It’s pretty quiet here, only another three or four boats tied up.

This boat pulled out behind us, but didn’t get far before pulling in again. Something seriously wrong, or maybe he’s expecting enemy aircraft?

Into Haywood Lock….

….and talking to visitors













Locks 2, miles 3¾