May 28th moored at Norbury Junction on the Shropshire Union 
         64 miles, 36 locks and 3 tunnels from Dunham Massey

Monday 28th May

A nice gentle cruise today through Market Drayton and Tyrley Locks (5) as far as Norbury Junction.  Passed a boat in each pound between the five locks and sailed into an open lock each time. Again hot and blue sky was the predominant weather though we saw more cloud and it looked and felt a bit omninous as we settled down to an outdoor meal at the Junction tonight!  The good weather may be coming to an end we will have to see. As it is we have travelled for a week and I have not bothered putting the TV ariel up once, even for a weather forecast!

Sunday 27th May

Up early today and underway by 8am.  Another sunny and warm day ahead so trying to clear the flight before it gets too hot.  In fact we moored up about 1:30 just beyond bridge 67, the change over bridge above Adderley locks which meant we cleared the Audlem and Adderley flights, 18 locks, before lunch!  We had a bit of help from someone on the Adderley flight preparing locks before we got there which helped.  Rest of day spent chilling out on the towpath with a bit of shade from some trees but too many flies about to be perfect.  Choosey aren't we?

Saturday 26th May

Decided to stay put today and chill out enjoying the warm weather. Watched lots of weekenders passing up to the winding hole at the bottom of Audlem flight, coming back twenty minutes or so later. I made use of our time off from cruising putting up the new kitchen blind after lunch.  Then, with a slight change of plan, we decided to break cover and see how far we needed to go up the flight before finding a better mooring.  We were bumping about on the cill where we were and had our pins ripped out by boats passing on rather more than a tick over.  As it happened we only moved through two locks and managed to squeeze onto the end of the moorings for the night - about five foot of boat beyond the BW mooring sign (If both boats in front of us weren't leaving gaps on the moorings we would have got in properly!)  Justified it on the basis that it was hardly likely any more boats would be up or down tonight (in fact two did) and we would be making an early start on the flight in the morning.  Anyway new mooring placed us within sight of the The Shroppie Fly so we called in on the way to the Co-op for a drink sitting outside with the dogs watching the world go by.  Bumped into a friend Andy and his wife whilst out walking the dogs.  He has now retired and is also planning on using his boat more. 

Friday 25th May

Onward with temperatures soaring and only a gentle breeze to give us some respite. Along the rest of the branch with a few more boats on the move today. Left hand down at Barbridge Junction and onto the Shroppie, past Hurleston Junction, no sign of boats moving up or down the flight as we past. Headed for the services at Nantwich passing Barola as we approached. Brief encounter with the crew, just out after a winter sojourn at Great Haywood, looking as fresh and lovely as their boat (!) on their way to the Montgomery for what sounds like too much exercise (for us anyway!)
         
We moved on through Nantwich (too warm for a walk into town today) through the two locks at Hack Green to the annoying cacophony of gunfire from a local pigeon shooting range, passed Cool Pilate (too noisy to moor here) and finally moored up just beyond Overwater marina entrance.

Thursday 24th May

Moved on mid morning in a short convey of boats (2 ahead) to Middlewich on another sunny day.  Stopped just above Big lock, under the trees for a bit of shade, while we left the dogs on board to go for a Tesco shopping trip wth Molley the Trolley!  Then after a bite to eat we pressed on through the three locks to the Junction, through Wardle lock and onto the Middlewich branch.   Cruised on through Stanthorne lock to Clive Green and moored above top flash on the River Weaver.  Spent a warm night with windows and doors open for fresh air letting in the noise of the trains flying up and down the West Coast main line after an evening with all the local farmers competing to get the most from the dry weather, cutting turning and gathering the grass with all the noise that todays mechanical processes make.  Oh for the days of horses and hand tools!