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Today we Become Continuous Cruisers

Posted on July 20, 2019September 6, 2019 by Steph

1st July 2019

Today we officially move permanently on board our narrowboat Hang Loose and become continuous cruisers.  We have given up our mooring on the Erewash Canal and we are going on our adventures!

For the first couple of weeks we moored at one of our favourite places – Weston-on-Trent and then Shardlow.  We stayed local so that we could finish off clearing the house and getting everything we need on board.

Our journey begins
Bench with a portable BBQ next to it
BBQ in our favourite spot
Field with a sprinkler going
And the view of the other side

Also, more importantly, I had a night out to go to with my random friends to celebrate our lovely Mary’s 70th birthday

Photo of 3 ladies having a drink
Happy 70th lovely Mary

and we were waiting to meet our friends to cruise up to Willington with them.

Man on back of narrowboat
On our way to Willington

A brilliant time was had on both occasions ?

Shardlow

We moored right outside The New Inn at Shardlow for a couple of nights.  It was great – they open for breakfast at 10 so one morning we had a full English there.  It was delicious- and only 6 quid!  If your going through Shardlow it’s a lovely village, some great walks and pubs – worth mooring up there if you can.

Two boats outside a pub
Lady between two dogs
Me, Tilly and Winston

Let the journey begin

The first Canal we want to visit is the Caldon Canal.  We went in a walk to the Churnet Valley last year and loved it.  We sat at a pub called the Black Lion, looking over the canal where a boat was moored, dreaming about owning our own boat, and said that when our dream came true this would be the first canal we went to – so that’s where we’re heading.

We have been on a few cruises already Cruising Down the River Soar, Cruise to Tixall Wide, The Erewash Canal which were all fab.

Angry swan
This was a very angry Swan – even though I was feeding it!

After we left Willington our next mooring was Whychnor.  This was a lovely quiet mooring with just 3 other boats moored there.  We moved on the next day and cruised to Fradley Junction.  There was no room to moor there so although we were wanting to moor just after Shadehouse Lock (no room) – we carried on and moored just after Woodend Lock.  This was a lovely spot – very busy lock though.

On our way to Fradley Junction we stopped in the beautiful village of Alrewas.  It’s well worth a visit, there’s 3 good pubs, a fabulous butcher and a Co-Op if you need to stock up.  You really are spoilt for choice at the butchers – love it.

Butchers
Fab butcher at Alrewas
View of canal from bridge
Moored at Alrewas
Man at helm of narrowboat
Happy

We spent the next day mooching around Fradley Junction, doing a bit of gongoozling, which was great fun.  We had a lovely lunch in the    laughing duck cafe and then a pint at The Swan – brilliant pub, as already talked about in Our First Proper Cruise from Weston-on-Trent to Fradley Junction on the Trent & Mersey Canal.

Lady with 2 pints of beer
One pint was Paul’s – honest!
Man and woman at Fradley Junction
Gongoozling at Fradley Junction

Wolseley

Our next mooring is Wolseley, a little way before bridge 70.  We can’t hear the road where we are so it’s perfect for Tilly – she really doesn’t like traffic!

There is a very nice pub just down the road called Wolseley Arms – so we had a couple of pints of Wainwright’s – well we had to try it out didn’t we.

2 pints of beer
Wainwright’s ?
Plaque
Plaque on The Wolseley Arms

We have stayed here or a couple of days – partly because the weather isn’t great – but also because someone fell in the canal and lost their glasses and injured their knee!! Not me!  So we had to walk back to Rugeley to buy Paul some reading glasses as a temporary fix as he can’t manage without them.  And no – I didn’t get a video or picture of him in the canal as I didn’t even know he’d fell in!  I was busy putting my pyjamas on lol.

2 horses in a field
View from our mooring

Oh, and a major highlight is that we have bumped into Jono – if you’re into you-tube boating vlogs then you will know who I mean! We have seen all his vlogs and it was lovely to meet him – great bloke. If you haven’t seen his vlogs then go watch them – Journey with Jono!

See ya later.

Sunset
Sunset view from pub

 

 

 

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6 thoughts on “Today we Become Continuous Cruisers”

  1. Urwah says:
    July 20, 2019 at 1:37 pm

    I love this post and the pictures are amazing and makes it so enjoyable to read!

    Reply
    1. Steph says:
      July 20, 2019 at 2:00 pm

      Thank you so much x

      Reply
  2. Anne says:
    July 24, 2019 at 2:05 pm

    Love what a adventurous soul,and the pictures are amazing, good luck and best wishes on your journey

    Reply
  3. Heena says:
    July 24, 2019 at 3:23 pm

    Lovely read. Congratulations to you. Your dream of getting a boat came true in short time and you are living what you wished for. I could just think of how exciting is to live on a boat and enjoy the nature. I am happy for you. I always dream of being on Cruise vacation with my family.
    Heena
    https://travelandhikewithpcos.com/

    Reply
  4. Karen Ryan says:
    September 2, 2019 at 11:17 am

    Interested to read your blog. We’ve just finished cruising the Trent&Mersey and Staffs&Worcs canals on holiday. Hoping to spend longer on the canals in the future.

    Reply
    1. Steph says:
      September 2, 2019 at 11:36 am

      Thank you – it’s such a wonderful life – we only got as far as Tixall Wide on the Staff & Worcs but looking forward to doing all of it at some point

      Reply

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