July 10th moored at Coven near Cross Green on Staffs & Worcs canal  - in the wet, wet, wet rain

         196 miles, 196 locks, 3 swing bridges and 12 tunnels from Dunham Massey

Tuesday 10th July

Still raining this morning so another wet dog 'walk'. Decided to move on anyway and got underway up Compton Lock (the last of the uphill locks onto the summit pound). Just the Captain and Mac on deck for the next five rain drenched miles through Tettenhall and past Aldersley Junction (for Wolverhampton 21 locks into Birmingham) and Autherley Junction (back onto the Shroppie) mooring up just after the Fox & Anchor for lunch on board but decided that we would stay for the night if the rain persisted and it did!  Noticeable how many more boats are on the move this side of the junction.  All those intrepid souls 'enjoying' their 'summer' holidays on the Four Counties Ring.  Pity someone hasn't told them that the slow down past moored boats rule still applies in wet weather.  One has just gone past and yes I admit he would have been moaned at for going too slowly - if he had been motoring down the M1 - but on the canal 2mph is plenty fast enough past moored boats thank you.

The afternoon was depressingly grey and wet and Bridie suggested a fire might be in order.  Now we have only lit the fire once since we came on board that is how bad it was!  But don't you wish some days you had never got up? 

I put the chimmney on and tried to open the fire door but it had welded itself shut and the handle would not budge, so I used the supplied fire door tool.  Result - door handle came off in my hand. Now resorted to removing the two pins that hinge the door - door removed.  Took door out onto wet towpath to apply some brute force to door catch which was 'welded' in place.  In about an hour I had succeeded in loosening this catch but had dislodged the rope seal - so this would require glueing back on.  Then fairly predictably (in hindsight) I broke the glass.  To add to my woes I stood up from my crouched position and did something to my back.  Now feeling nauseous and light headed I had a bag of broken glass, sundry tools on towpath and back deck, no fire and Bridie now had dinner ready.

Monday 9th July

Made a reasonably early start in dry conditions and just cruised about a mile and a half to Wightwick bridge
where we moored up again.  Left dogs to guard the boat and went to explore Wightwick Manor.

A most enjoyable visit well worth repeating in the future.  The house and decorations are fabulous although the pre-Raphaelite paintings leave me a little cold, just too pretentious for my liking.

 The gardens and lake were pretty too, although a little wet still.

After visiting the kitchen garden guided round by this chap we had soup in the small cafe before we headed back to the boat and moved on through the two Wightwick locks to Compton.  Spotted 'Warrior' on the moorings, fuelled up with 80 litres of diesel and purchased another gas cylinder at Limekiln chandlers and then went back for a chat with Ian and Joan (our neighbours at Rufford).  They are in trouble and under tow with friends heading to Stoubridge to have their Gardner engine dismantled.   We headed to Oddfellows (a large Marstons pub) for an excellent meal deal (2 meals for £10).  For once it was real value as well, anyone heading for Tettenhall should try it out.