Yelvertoft

A quick dash up to Yelvertoft Marina today for a boat test.  It was snowing quite heavily when we arrived -- that's snow on Crack Hill in the background.  It wasn't the ideal weather for a test, but we got it done!

Cheshire, Stoke, and Hatton

I had a boat test to do in Stoke on Trent today, so we made a weekend of it.  Yesterday we drove up to Cheshire to see my sister and her family, and other friends who live up that way.  We stayed overnight near Crewe.

This morning it was just a 20 minute drive to Stoke.  We met the boat at Westport Lake, and fortunately the sun shone for the next half an hour or so, which was great for the photos.  Walking back along the towpath, some of the old industrial buildings looked quite atmospheric.

We were on the road back home at a reasonable time, so decided on a lunch stop.  The cafe at Hatton Locks isn't far off the motorway and is always worth a visit, so we went there.

Mirabilis on test

The February edition of Canal Boat is out, and includes my boat test of the Braidbar boat, Mirabilis.

End of Year Cruise: Day 4

Actually, not so much of a cruise, as we didn't actually go anywhere.  This morning, all the ice had gone, but it was a miserable day -- dull, damp, and blowing a hooley.

We had a relaxed start to the day, then Adrian headed home mid-morning, as he's back at work tomorrow.  I've pottered around clearing up, and had a sleep this afternoon as I start my night shifts tonight.  I'll be heading to work shortly, and will go home from there tomorrow morning.

We might not have been anywhere, but we still feel we've had a good break for a few days.  We've had quite a social time, meeting family and friends.