Diary Entry from Sunday, 11 October 2015

Douglas diary Sunday 11th October 2015

Market Drayton did not seem too bad in the sunny light of another beautiful day. I suspect their memories of a good meal last night cheered them. I took my bearded one for his walk along the tow path early and met lots of my kind from all different tribes and it was indeed remarkably warm and rather attractive. Perhaps when we arrived last night we were all rather tired.
We set off in a happy mood and ready for the last five locks ahead of us for a couple of days. All went well for the first couple and then we found ourselves in a lock that was not filling as fast as it was emptying, we solved this problem after a while by releasing an obstructive log from the lower gate paddle and so proceeded on our way up the flight and it was truly beautiful as was the weather. Such were the conditions they felt they had to stop at the top of this small fight of locks to paint another picture. They were all at it while my long kennel was replenished with water and so I just watched, got bored and fell asleep. Then it was lunch for them, I got nothing and fell asleep again. After lunch I took my long haired one and Sheila for a really long walk as my bearded one and Bob steered my long kennel along side us through the very beautiful landscape of Shropshire and into Staffordshire. Then we arrived at The Anchor!
A little house all on its own in an otherwise empty landscape, the oldest pub on the system! Mr Wadworth 6x was there. It was a fascinating visit, it was just the front room of a house selling beer and wine. (See picture). No music, no fruit machines, no food, no gimmicks. We sat around with just six other folk in front of a coal fire chatting including a boatman recalling his working youth and a couple who owned seventeen antique buses. Lovely. Love Douglas

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