Big Trip Home Day 20 - Evening visitors and back to Shady Oak

Wow how time flies when you are having fun!  Poor excuse for no posts but we simply have not had any spare time to sit at the keyboard until now.  Yes I know lame excuse but I'm staying with it :-)

So where were we, ah yes, Tower wharf and a knock on the cabin....  a surprise visit from our good friend Kathy from the sailing club on her way home spotted AmyJo and called in to see us.  Sorry no photos as the camera was on charge with a dead battery at the time.  Kathy stayed for a good catch up and the royal tour and then said her goodbyes.

An hour later we got a call from two more sailing friends Steve and Liz who were planning to have a meal in Telfords and would we like to join them?  Of course we would, so the rest of the evening was spent wining and dining in great company.  Aftewr that we all retired to AmyJo for coffee.

This morning was an early start and we were under way just after 7am.  Today we were on a mission to get to the Shady Oak to pick up a bow fender from Ron on Rainbow's End who offered to supply one at a very good rate.  Ron is in the guild of knots men and makes very good looking fenders to order. We had seen his work and were impressed.

We climbed the Northgate locks on our own as no one in the basin were leaving until later today.  There was a fair amount of cloud about and at last temperatures were in the pleasant zone again.

Entering the bottom lock

Precariously perched but what a view from the terrace

Morning walkers see through the bridge of Sighs

The Mill hotel has two buildings spanning the canal via this walkway.
Their bar has an excellent stock of real ales and is open to all.

We met up with an Australian family as we worked the locks out of Chester who had the boat for four days then were returning to Oz via Africa.  Mrs Mum had the same GoPro camera as I, so in each lock I showed her how to use the time lapse function.  Ours, with an extender battery, has produced some great video that covers virtually the whole of our trip in stages.  I may post some of the more interesting ones when I get time.

After stopping at the old Trooper water point to top up we next made the slow march pass all the moored boats at Golden Nook and  this time one boat took our eye we missed the other day.  A 60ft black hull with unusual trimmings....

Grisly bow mascot 

The other half is hanging from the bows.   Think they put a new
slant on skinny dipping.

On arriving at Shady Oak we met with Ron and got our fender that I'll post a photo of when fitted.   We were invited to join them and their family for a drink or four so once again another late night followed.  Ron is off to the Black Country of a few weeks so we made a promise to catch up with them on their return

Our route today