Breaking Ice to Tixall Wide

After checking the weather forecast, we decided to move from below Great Haywood lock and move onto 'the wide' for a couple of days.  Although we had to break some ice from the junction to the wide, a path had been carved for us, and the forecast is for wind and rain, so hopefully, all the ice will have disappeared by morning.  The last thing we want to happen is to get ice bound here, as we're turning round and heading for Stone and need to get through Weston Lock before the stoppage starts on 7th Feb.  After reading "No Problem's" blog spot, it appears we've just missed them - they were here yesterday.   http://noproblem.org.uk/blog/.  It was very nice to be able to off load the recycling at Anglo Welsh at the junction.  We've been able to recycle at Fazeley, Fradley and now here.  I just wish it was available in more places.  Another thing I should mention about Great Haywood before we move on, is the Clifford Arms.  Good choice of real ales, and great food at reasonable prices.  Well worth a visit.

I must change the date on the camera - we're 2 days out - and the time is wrong! 

It is lovely to be here again, and with a 3G signal.  It wasn't that many years ago when Dave would have to stand on the roof of the boat just to get any kind of mobile signal.  We were very pleased to see a pair of grebe here, but as usual, the photos didn't come out.  We are almost out of earshot of the trains, we've been within earshot of the west coast main line for months - being stuck in Atherstone, then the railway follows the line of the canal .

Oops.  I wonder how long that boat has been there....

I didn't post the following photo of what must be one of the muddiest lock approaches on the system - Colwich.  I knew it would be bad so thankfully I put my wellies on.

 And here's one of Nia and Iona when we all went out to Chirk Tandoori on Friday night.  I'm back on the boat now, after running for train connections yesterday and the bus from Stafford back to Great Haywood.