Well done Tamworth and happy memories

I can't really recall the last time we cruised through Tamworth - I'll have to check my blog for that.... just did and it was when we were bringing Percy back in December 2012 after we'd purchased her. 

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Our old boat Comet is still lurking in the waters near Fazeley Junction - we last saw here at Great Haywood

Anyhow we set off from our noisy overnight mooring at Sutton Bridge and as we approached the Glascote locks it was evident there was a flipin queue ! As I walked up to see what the state of play was I was joined by a friendly local who also said he too was surprised as he'd not seen a queue at the locks for a decent while  ! All very happy boaters as we helped each other. 

We were soon on our way and were very impressed by the litter free canal, clean towpath and the lovely gardens all kept quite nicely for the nosey boater to gawp at as we cruised through. We alternated the walking deeply missing Leia who would have been on the towpath with us as we walked with the boat. Still very very sad but happy also she had such a good life. She would have been with me on the cruise back in 2012 as Rachel and Callum disembarked at the bottom of the Atherstone flight and I brought Percy home to Fradley on my own. 

A side note or side paragraph ...

I have just re read my post from 2012 linked above. Percy was a new boat to us, 60 foot with a vintage ( in design terms) engine. I had little hand over from Tony, it was in Early December and the canal had frozen over a night or two back...I did the trip back to Fradley in one from the bottom of the Atherstone flight about seven and a half hours in mid winter on my own on a new to me boat. I did it and no doubt saw it as a challenge. Spin forward 10 years and to be honest my confidence is very low for most things nowadays - is that how it is for others I wonder? The trip I did solo in a day in winter  we have done as a couple but over two days ! I am soft and sometimes scared and lack confidence, I wonder if thats age or retirement or just a general mental decline I'm 60 FFS !! 

Back to boat blogging the whole trip was very nice, the canal between Atherstone and Polesworth was beautifully wooded and the sun was shining so much we had put sun tan cream on ! We visited the services at the bottom of the flight and as all the armco moorings below the lock were taken we put pins in away back so Lilly could go exploring in the dark.