Help needed in recovering stolen goods.

We left it a bit late to move on this morning. So quiet first thing with no boat movement other then at 6.30am when yet another speedy Gonzales thought it okay to wake us all up. All we could hear was the grating of FS bottom scrapping the canal bed as we moved forward and back. Even Jade wasn't happy shooting toward the bed shaking with fear. Don't know what is up with her just lately because the slightest thing out of the ordinary starts her off! Anyway we liased with Dennis and Margaret after breakfast and agreed to have tea and coffee together before setting off. That was a bad mistake because from then on boat after boat came past.

 In the end we pushed off by 9.25am when there seemed to be a lull in the boat traffic. First lock was Shutt Hill. As soon as we came round the bend we could see boats waiting. 4 to be precise. So Icing joined the queue followed by us. Had a real problem trying to get off because of the amount of uncut vegetation all along the approach to the lock. (See rant from yesterday) While waiting for our turn another boater turned up. Turns out he has a web site Canal Arts and supplies most of the Chandlers along the system. After introducing himself as Terence he then asked if we could keep an eye out for any unpainted Buckby cans, horse nose bins, milk churns, watering cans and any other canal related memorabilia because at the end of last month he had his lock-up broken into and all his stock was pinched. The Police were useless in their efforts to help so he has taken it upon himself to spread the word via Twitter and Facebook. I said I would also help by putting it on my blog. If anyone has any ideas of the whereabouts of his goods this is his phone number

Park Gate lock the queue went a bit quicker as no boats were coming down, but it still took 30 minutes before it was our turn. Dennis and Margaret hung back to wait and help us through and then we had the fishing rod salute as we went on our way.

leaving Park Gate lock

Finally at Longford lock we only had to wait for one boat before ascending and found a mooring before Penkridge lock. Will probably stay tomorrow and move on Thursday.