And so to the top at Kingswood Junction (Lapworth)

One of those beautiful days on the canal.  It was a really crisp autumnal morning (especially at 6.45 when I took Barney for his early morning stroll!)

Unrelievedly there was no one ahead of us and the locks were mostly set in our favour.   If they weren't it was due to leaky top gates.

This is when we think we are really blessed....sun shining, lovely surroundings
Ahead is the lock with a bridge overhead carrying the M40...those poor commuters

and the hum of the traffic is quite loud.......

In fact we didn't see another boat until we met one coming down from the top lock.   It was manned by 5 men one of whom asked, me as he walked by Petroc waiting close to the bottom of the lock, if I was waiting for them to come out of the lock!!!!

The water point is directly as you leave the top lock and surprise surprise there was our second boat of the day!   There is not really room for two boats to tie up without blocking the entrance to the lock so we pulled in and waited patiently for him to finish.......he was washing his boat....very thoroughly!!
When he had finished and put his hose away he obviously had designs on a remedial cup of coffee so he asked me if they were OK for a while................................I was very polite with my reply...................Geoff told me afterwards that he had said to him that he was always getting disturbed when he was doing things like that so Geoff told him he should get up early in the morning and do it!!

We were not disturbed whilst watering but I could not persuade Geoff to treat our boat to a wash so after we had filled up with water we went round the corner and found our mooring.

This is where I depart for Cornwall tomorrow.  Geoff is planning some time here and also going up to the bottom of the locks at Knowle (just south of Solihull)

Total distance:2.15 miles 
Elapsed time:3h26m37s 
Locks:9
Bridges:7 
Average speed:0.62 mph (3.24 lock/mph)