Wilmcote-back on the canals

Much as I love the canals, it was very sad to leave the river this morning.

last bit of the river.......goodbye Avon...up into the basin.

Good bye swans

It was only 8.15 in the morning so there were not many gongoozlers around but we were delighted to see Toby and Iris again, who had come to say goodbye on their way to Iris school.

The bridge leaving the basin onto the canal is a bit low so we had taken the precaution of removing the satellite dish

After 3 locks we moored to do a Tesco run.  We are expecting Emma and Dave at the weekend as our crew for the Hatton flight and this is the last big shop before Warwick.
We had a heavy load in the wheelie basket coming back.......so Geoff had to wheel it.......serves him right for buying this new black job and insisting I get rid of my flower power one.    This one is bigger so holds more but then becomes to heavy for me to wield!!!!
Soon after setting off again, there was a clunk from the engine and guess what.........

A big thick sweater........

At the last lock before Wilmcote we had gongoozlers galore.........

A school party of 54!!

They delighted in helping with the gate as we left.

We moored in Wilmcote with no trouble........not huge numbers of boats around, yet the weather is still holding.
It is very strange to be back on the canals and I am having slight withdrawal symptoms from leaving the beautiful Avon.    I have to say we were so lucky with the weather which meant the river was behaving itself. If there had been lots of rain and a danger of it flooding I would have been only too glad to get back into the relative safety of the canals.........

3.82 miles, 17 locks, 6 hrs 30min