THE FIRST TWENTY MILES
Having traveled to the flat there and back by train and bus and having arrived on board about 4pm on Saturday 7th June all was found well with boat and butty. 

Batteries were on top whack. The cooler was fine although milk was down to a spoonful due to bad planning and the nearest bottle of milk was too far away so the question was asked

"Do I need to be here?"

My new glasses are being made in the optician's and may not be available for a week. I can bus back to Burton from Lichfield by express. Lichfield is on my voyage route so I have to go that way anyway. "Do I need to be here?" is answered.

Today's forecast was for frequent showers with thunder moving east clearing by evening. The sky is ominous but I had traveled from Leicester by Sky-bus and although we went through a couple of heavy dumps enroute I stayed dry.  So I dressed for bad weather, cast off and traveled in good weather.  

It was only two miles and one lock to Branston and one mile and two locks to Branston marina so in a thrice then this is what was done.  Actually the trip took quite a few thrices as I made stops enroute to clear the prop and explore the hinterland to little useful avail.  But I got lucky with all three locks. 

I overnighted on armco opposite Barton Marina and just upwind of Barton Turns Pub with almost no milk o board for morning coffee. Sunday dawned fair and again the question was asked.  "Do I need to be here?" 

I did make coffee and there was nicely enough milk for it with a wee sup over for the cat. 
 
Away at 7oc to see what the day would bring. 

The day itself brought Alrewas (oll syllables short accent the last one). I got all locks in favour although my last for the day at Alrewas itself meant heaving-to for almost two hours at the back of the landing as all the traffic was going in my direction each one leaving the lock full on departure. I wanted opposite direction which would leave an empty lock and open gates. 

Then of course two came together but I slotted between them and got topside and tied in short order. Later I walked off to find Co-op almost 3/4 mile away at the other end of Main Street and got some bargain salad and a pinta.  My milkless boat was now milked. 

"Today" refers always to the overhead date of the blog today being Tuesday 3rd June 2025 

I've been happily ensconced for some days now on the Shobnall reach of the Trent and Mersey canal while exploring Burton upon Trent and adjacent towns while an optician makes me a pair of glasses without which I find it a nuisance to function.  This morning I met two lads after me own heart mar a ndheirtear.

Robert and John are smiths with a rolling contract on canals: a very unusual contract where they restore or refurbish cast-iron furnishings with provinence.  Today they were working on the 16/86 mile-mark fornenst my current position.

Avid followers of this blog know I have been mile-marking since the beginning of the year locating and fixing exact positions as I go.  On the Trent and Mersey I have been noting the miles and can report with authority that thus far all are present and correct and I am able to read the data as I sail past.  For me the mrks are navigation aids.

At the risk of descending into moronic boredom I need to define a few terms. A milestone is, as it says, carved out of stone and I have found them here and there along my way.  A mile-mark on the other hand may be made of wood or iron or even be painted on a board.  Almost all the marks identified on the Grand Union and the Leicester Arm and the Soar have been cast from iron and on the Trent and Mersey canal that is also the case.  These T&M one were cast locally in 1805, 35yrs after the canal opened for business. A contract for 100 posts would be a tall order for a struggling smithy but, seriously, was probably the makings of them in 1805. They could borrow serious money on foot of an order like that and fit out their workshop, hire skilled smiths and ancillery staff and buy the raw material for the posts frrom the smelter.

A 'smith' makes things from molten iron in a foundry.  He may also use other metals and alloys of course but I'm specific in my canal interest which also includes aquaducts and bridge trusses.  John and Gordon are masters of this trade and many other associated disciplines.  I discover that they met while at college, both graduated in metals, and together they run a smithy in the West Country to which this hyperlink allows you access. 

Now that you have seen the range of abilities and experiences these two lads have you can understand my admiration for what they do.  I totally align with people who use their brains to work with their hands, something I have done in my life. 

Their contract with the water authority is a rolling one and they work specifically on items of serious historical interest including the Pontcysyllte aquaduct.  And I get to meet them and see them working right outside my boat.

I was in Leicester at Friars Walk last week on my narrowboat, and later moved on to overnight in Loughborough (say Luffbra) at two different locations while bussing it to and from Nottingham to figure out the city and its colourful transport system. For my pedantic apostropic friends I omitted the possessive at Friars intentionally as that is how twas writ when it was walked by Carmelites before Henry VIII reintroduced them to humility and poverty and nationalized tithe-gathering and begging.

I discovered that Trent Bridge is both a pub and a cricket ground and Nottingham County is a football team.  Nottingham City does have a football team but it is called called Nottingham Forest  and the City of Nottingham does not exist south of the bridge; it's Nottingham South.

The city has a substantial tram network called Nottingham Net which has nothing to do with football... Net stands for Nottingham Express Transport... and the local paper is not the Express; it is the Nottingham Post. "






In my last blog I was in Leicester at Friars Walk, since when I have overnighted in Loughborough (pronounced Luffbra) at two different locations while bussing it to and from Nottingham to figure it out and its colourful transport system. 

I discovered that Trent Bridge is. separately a cricket ground and a pub.  Nottingham County is a football team.  Nottingham City has a football team called Nottingham Forest  and the City of Nottingham does not exist south of the bridge; it's Nottingham South.

The city has a substantial LUAS network called Nottingham Net which have nothing to do with football... Net is for Nottingham Express... and their website is ... You've guessed it? ,,,  No you haven't...  try TheTram.Net. for very nice pictures and colours.  The local paper, unsurprisedly,  is not the Express; it is the Nottingham Post editor Natalie Fahy

All this was established from my Luffbra moorings where I was lucky to be able to visit an interpretation of Van Gogh in an old church I found near the mooring.  You don't get many starry nights in this part of the country.

My interim destination after Luffbra would be Trent Lock where the Erewash canal enters the big river but first I overnighted at Zouch Lock. 

In the morning early I went down a widening Soar to fetch up at Kegworth looking for a shop.  After a very long walk, mostly uphill, I managed to provision at a Co-op and then got a bus bus back to the boat because it was after 9.30am.  All found by 10.30, I let loose and passed through Ratcliffe-on-Soar with its by eight massive cooling towers and all those power lines.  Just beyond the power station I emitted onto the broad Trent at 12oc, executing a broad doughnut and sliding up to a ring in a howling gale to review my limited options. 

The wind was blowing 16kts on the nose and I would have no option but face it.  But a short rest allowed me to stretch my legs at Trent Lock. I had been going non stop since 6.30. 

A mile west was Sawley Lock which would get me off the river and onto canals.  The Erewash is one of the oldest canals in England the first survey being completed in 1775 and acquiring its Act (17 Geo. 3. c. 69) two years later. It opened in 1779 and has wide locks along its length. At one time you could get to Matlock high on the Yorkshire side of the Peak District following the Derwent which fed it.

Sawley Lock, which marks start of the Trent and Mersey navigation is electric and manned by volunteers.  Emerging at the top I happened to glance sideways into the face of an old friend,  young Ron Gooding, whom I had not seen since my Lee and Stort days.  Ron proudly showed off his recently acquired new home, Sawley lock cottage built in the 1770s under conversion to pub restaurant. Having spent most of two hours there, I took off at 3,30pm to try to make Sharlow which was only a couple of miles away but with the wind still strong  ...

I fetched up on bollards below the lock at  Derwent Mouth with my engine a bit hot and myself a bit bothered but having let the lump cool down I climbed the lock and this is where I overnighted Saturday.  It rained during the night but I heard nothing. 

Sunday morning made sense to leave early no matter what the weather.  Dry with a weak sun at 6.30am, I proceeded west through the massive marinas and boatyards of Shardlow to breast the lock and fasten the boat tightly on the top landing in a very strong wind.  I had taken the precaution of dressing properly before leaving Derwent Mouth and just as well because as I filled Sharlow the heavens opened. 

I have been here all day {well the boat has} I took a bus to Derby and being singularly unimpressed took the next bus out to Nottingham and by devious routes managed to include East Midlands Airport and Nottingham and Long Eaton and Derby and even Castle Donington

The following day it would all fall apart

I woke this morning in a cool cabin with Pentargon tied at a pontoon on the River Soar just ten minutes walk from St.Peter's Square the centre of retail therapy for the City of Leicester having bid goodbye to the Old Union Canal at Freeman's Lock which I gauged to be MILE00 and 35.5 miles from Norton Junction.

My progress since March 14th has been measured by Milestones.  Elsewhere I say I wanted to register the exact position of all the milestones on Leicester Arm of the Grand Union and largely the exercise succeeded. But right at the end I totally missed 3, 2 and 1 either because they were buried in weeds or had been dug up.  The photos of M5 illustrate lack of towpath maintenance  ...

Now on the Soar I will be going metric because I will be using the Open-Plan App. The river Soar is introduced gradually to the canal with the first weir appearing at Aylestone Lock 39. From Saint Mary's Lock we are on the Soar with another adjacent weir and at Freeman's Meadow there is a real weir beside Leicester's home ground.  The amount of water falling over the weir right now is negligible. It is 2km from Freeman's to a safe mooring at Friar's Walk with floating pontoons for maybe five boats at a push and water and mains electricity for them as needs it.

I feel bad about blogging away without any pictures but I caught sunsets and locks and boats and birds all of which deserve a place but not just yet. Kilby Bridge is a destination and a big CRT depot.  All facilites including a shower room where you can have hot and cold and very hot and very cold in an order decides by a faulty thermostat.

I arrived here on Friday9th knowing there was no Sunday bus.  Only one service goes through  49 which links Fleckney with Leicester Monday through Saturday.  Bus stops don't bother with timetables out here in the sticks so I rely on one photoed in Fleckney to provide intelligence. 

Buses should pass 17 to 20 mimnutes after the Fleckney departure and that translates to H+51-53.  I quickly learned to arrive at the stop at least five minutes early because with no timetable the buses race to get to a fag stop at Wigston Magna.

On Sunday 11th I discovered how remote the place can be.  I had run the boats right through the wharf half a mile back from Kilby Lock as I wanted to nail MILE8 which is right by the landing. Looking at OS maps and apps it appeared there was access from the lock across the fields over the railway line and via some side streets to a Co-op.  Well!  Yes!  But they don't tell you the pathway is not a right-of-way and the railway bridge is gated.

All the land is private property and all the little side streets beyond are cul de sacs and the actually distance footing it from the boat is well over one and a half miles. The legal way which routes out to the main road down to the Navigation Bridge is over two miles. 

On Monday12th  I caught the first 49 through and explored Leicester routes before returning to the boats to separate Wavy and take Pentargon on her own back to the wharf.  Subsequent 49s were missed in sequence until I copped what they were doing and arrived at the bus stop five minute before the due time and stepped right on. 

All this messing has its reasons.  By finding out what buses actually do rather than what they are supposed to do, or what others tell you they do,  I am tapping into primary evidence.

It was thus some weeks ago I discovered that if I were to take a bus from Haymarket to Uppingham I could connect within minutes with an R4 to Stamford which could then allow me to take a bus to Peterborough (via Bourne if I wished)

On Tuesday13th I caught the first 49 and then the LC7 to Uppingham to prove I could catch the R4 on the following day.  I then took the LC7 back to Leicester to further explore that city and complete a relaxing day by buying a watch a clone of my Seiko for £50 until I get mine fixed.

Wednesday 14th: traveling day with a bag of laundry

On Thursday15th  I woke in Orton refreshed and ready for laundry and to pay my respects for the little flat I hang my clothes in.  I spent the day bussing to and from Stamford to check if there was an easy and painless way to bus back to the boat. There isn't but by surfing a little net I got a train ticket for £8.43 one way taking an hour, and I will rest over til the morning then and iron some stuff to bring with me ...

I had long known there was a trip boat at Foxton which is one of the wide-beams used during the 2012 but it was a surprise to fine another fatbeam after leaving Foxton moored up battened down and obviously going nowhere soon. Because I had never thought about it I had not realized that now I was on double gate locks.  Examining Nicholsons I soon found that I would have a ten lock descent starting at Kibworth Top. 

My planned overnight had been Fleckney where a 15minute stroll across the fields unearthed a fine Co-op where I stocked with enough me to get to Leicester without starving ... Having stocked up and rested this was not a place I needed to stay and there was plenty day left so I thought to proceed to the top lock and see how it worked. Apart from cilling Wavy's nose on the top gate and having to refill the lock to release her I got down ok

I left North Kilworth (on Tue 6th) on discovering the wharf has no facilities to haul Wavy out.
Shot Bosworth Tunnel with tunnel lights but no whistle and arrived at Foxton Tues evening.
Managed to locate all the milestones between Kilworth and Foxton except one during Tuesday
Disconnected Wavy to do a backtrack and find 19, re-hitched and got the rig in the book about midday on Wed. descending the flight without incident in about one and a half hours.
Moored up on the lower level to prepare for another tunnel passage and log M17.
I overnighted on the furthest ring out to get away from the leisured class and left early.
Logged M16at the feeder before doing a recce of the tunnel entrance on foot.

This blog may be considered wip for the moment as there were many adventures which deserve telling ...

23rd April. I have reached Mile25 from Leicester. In the grand scheme of things I have managed to average less than a mile a day since Mile37 outside Welton Hythe on 13th March. Things were grand until I left Crick for Welford Junction intending to do it in one go.  All went well right up to  Yelvertoft Mile34. 

Beyond that the canal is infested, there is no other suitable word.  Weed is growing out of the bottom of the canal and dead reed chopped up by other boats and contractors on the towpath tipping cuttings in the cut. The dead stuff suspends in the water and the most I get without having to clear the prop is a mile. 

I am in no particular hurry to proceed. I want to have tunnel lights sorted before Bosworth.  I also want to try to get my ship's whistle whistling and that is proving VERY annoying. There is a very technical issue holding me back and it is a domino  effect going back all the way to the solar panels and the batteries and the lack of charging due to the lack of sunlight.

However ,,, this week is delivering dawn to dusk sunlight and I can now see 12.5v overnight. Tomorrow  (Wed30) I am going to the flat and the following day to the annual Mayday family gathering in rural Hampshire.

As quickly as the Phoenix tree was raised to the light it was felled.  By contractors.  On the day I completed it,  I later took off for an overnight visit to the flat coming back the following afternoon to find it gone.  The brainless cluts working to Canal and River Trust's brief transmitted to the cluts by their managers does not include using discretion and it is easier to cut down a vigorous and thriving sapling than a dangerous crack willow looking for trouble and hanging out over the cut

Elsewhere you will read how I repair stupidity and mend nature in my own way.  Early last year I was  behoven to route up the Leicester Arm to spend time in Market Harborough. This entailed going through Crick where I dallied awhile.  Noticing that the pathway down to the towpath at Bridge 12 was in rag order.  I took it upon myself to clean up the environs and excavated a huge ash stump which had been savaged probably when the recently erected pedestrian footpath was installed. The stump was now sprouting but in a totally disorganized way so I decided to do some work to help it knowing I would be back that way in the Autumn. 

Upon my return I again dallied and managed to develop the earlier work. Entirely by accident I now find myself back on the same mooring and again time is on my side so I have taken the stump project to the next level. Out of the chaos we now have a single stem coming from a stump which I estimate to be well over a hundred years old and possibly two hundred.

When photos are uploaded you will be able to see why it is called the phoenix tree an it is my earnest hope it will be 'protected' and allowed to flourish. Ash tree die back is decimating our national supply and the Phoenix Tee is fully healthy as of April 2025.