It’s getting busy…

There were a fair few boats about this weekend, although we didn’t get too involved in the mêlée, just a short trip back towards Stone, winding in the exit from Aston Marina, then returning to moor near Burston. It’s a more pleasant spot here than above Sandon Lock, but Friday night’s mooring served it’s purpose; I got the final coat of paint on the left-side gunwale first thing on Saturday before moving.

No arguing with this girl!

Then I could get the counter fenders refitted, those I’d bought to protect the stern paintwork at Anderton.

The area they cover seems to take the brunt of any scrapes collected during bankside manoeuvring.
We’ll see if they make any difference.

Yesterday we sat and watched the boats go by, a few little jobs got done but it was a cooler, damper day than of late.

Today dawned bright and sunny, turned cloudy around midday, and has now brightened up again.

We decided to get off reasonably early, thinking that we’d beat the rush of boats leaving Stone. It worked, to a degree, we had a fairly easy passage to Great Haywood with boats coming up the locks leaving them ready for us. 

Leaving Burston

Mags finds someone to talk to at Sandon Lock

There’s not much to report about today’s trip, steady, keeping a sharp lookout for oncoming boats on bends and bridges.

Pitt’s Column just rises above the trees in Sandon Park

Erected in 1806, it’s a tribute to William Pitt the Younger, by the 1st Earl of Harrowby, the owner of the Sandon Estate at the time.
Pitt the Younger was Prime Minister, elected in 1783. He is renowned for being the youngest ever Prime Minister, aged just 24 when he took office.  “A sight to make all Nations stand and stare; a Kingdom trusted to a schoolboy’s care.”
Despite his age, Pitt was a successful leader, staying in the position for 17 years. He resigned in 1801, feeling that he’d lost the confidence of Parliament and the Crown.
In 1803, fearing a Napoleonic invasion, King George III asked him to form the government again, and he reluctantly accepted. He died in office, aged just 46, in 1806.

It’s that time of year again!

Get a room kennel!

Near Great Haywood Marina bank repair works are underway…

…here’s one we did earlier!

With the number of boats up and down I’m not sure they got that much done today.

We intended to pull onto the service wharf at the junction. I say “intended”; when we arrived they were breasting up, with other boats waiting. So we dropped into a spot just beyond the junction, initially to wait for the congestion to ease, then we thought we might as well have lunch, then I went shopping. The upshot is we’re still here.

It’s been interesting watching boats going forwards, backwards, sideways, as they jostled for position to get on the water point or under the junction bridge.
It’s a good job it wasn’t windy too!

Now then, Tom. The challenge you set me turned out trickier than I’d first thought. The problem is The Great Wall of China was built over several centuries in a variety of materials, stone, brick and even wood in places. So I’m just concentrating on the Ming Period, when disparate sections were joined up, and earlier derelict parts rebuilt. Still working on it…

Locks 3, miles 6½