Solace: Day 9

Toady we're getting towards the end of the Four Counties Ring journey. Were going past some beautiful villages, expensive houses with their own mooring and weeping willows. Actually, this one ought to have been trimmed. It's trailing branches were a threat to the things stored on the roof of the boat. You certainly have to duck down from your driving position. This was probably taken near Stone.

It was on this stretch that we encountered a driftingwork boat. As we approached it we thought its bow rope may have come undone. We gently slid past and found that it had, our wash dragged the vacant boat across the canal towards the boats on the other side.

Quick thinking Chippy reversed our boat and left The Man in charge while he jumped aboard and, carrying the bow rope, made his way along the canvas-topped boat (not as easy as on a normal narrowboat) so that he could throw the rope to someone on the towpath who had stopped to help. He then had to reverse his steps to get back on ours. Very tricky! Well done Chippy!

The place we chose to tie up at night was next to a small nature reserve on the Trent where otters and kingfishers have been seen.

We saw neither but it had been summer today so we took the chairs and table onto the bank for our evening meal.