Normal service resumed

The Three signal was strong over the weekend, but the speed of the actual internet connection was appalling, so we've one or two days to catch up on. Went to join with those nice people at Brewood on Sunday morning…

and then pushed off to one of our favourite moorings on the Shroppie, just a mile and a half out of town.

Come Monday morning, we completed the rest of this canal down to Autherley Junction near Wolverhampton, and turned right for our date with some more nice people, this time at Oxley Marine.

We've visited them before – once for a non-functioning alternator, and again for a replacement tiller bearing. This time we'd decided they were the folk to fix the bit on the stove which had broken.

There's the broken-off half, and the two new ones I got Ely Chandlers to send in the post. They are the supports for the grate at the front of the stove.

15 minutes with Phil from the boatyard, and the new ones were in place, and he was even able to use the old machine screws. It wasn't quite the problem I'd thought it would be – I was fairly sure he would have to drill out the old ones, and that was one reason why we'd gone to them in the first place. But these are people I trust – to do a good job and charge a fair price. I told Orph Mable (the proprietor) I would let my readers know he was a gentleman!

We went on down the Staffs and Worcs a bit, winded at the junction with the Wolverhampton branch of the BCN, came back tied up just the homeward side of Autherley Junction. This morning we were trying to identify this amazing tree, flaunting its remaining upper white leaves in the morning sunshine.

For the last day days of October, it really was a lovely day for cruising.

We took it gently, enjoying the autumn warmth,

and eventually tied up at Gailey Wharf. Not quite as far as we'd thought we'd come, but now that the end is on sight, we're not sure we want to hurry!