Friday 23rd August 2013

After our guests left Graham and I set off on the journey home. It was a warm day with only a few spots of rain until we moored for the night. At one point we were going faster than the M6 motorway which was running along side us. Whatever our speed we certainly couldn't match the Virgin train.

I liked this reflection of a swan near Tixall Wide.

This stretch looks lovely and would be great to moor at on a beautiful evening. I think that you have to get here early though as every inch of space was taken. A bit like finding somewhere to sit on Bournmouth beach on a sunny day!

We turned right at Haywood junction and were lucky to get a mooring spot just before the lock in Great Haywood.

After a quick visit to the shop and a look around the churchyard we returned to the boat as the rain started and it was set in for the next few hours. In the midst of all the rain we realised that there was a man in a canoe and 3 girls on the bank trying to entice the swan and cygnet into the lock. Apparently the mother has a fishing hook in her mouth and they were trying to catch her in order to remove it.

The swans won and the rescuers will have to try a different tactic tomorrow.