Three dogs in a boat - the detail

So, we met John, Carrie, Prince and Bailey on Thursday 17th July for a long weekend on Waterlily. They had a wedding reception to go to on Friday in Newton Solney (Near Burton on Trent) so we pointed Waterlily Shardlow wise and set off.

The Weather forecast was OK, showers giving way to better weather as the weekend progressed. This was a very good forecast http://www.metcheck.com/ I'd recommend them for your boating trip weather checks.

Branston Water park was our first overnight stop. This really is the first good stop from Fradley - we could have stopped at Wynchnor just past where the Trent crosses over but the A38 starts its intrusive relationship with the canal about here and if the wind is in the wrong direction the tranquility of the cut is lost.

We had a lazy Friday start as our destination was Willington. We arrived early PM and found a nice mooring just off the visitor moorings which allowed the dogs some freedom.

Willington negatives point 1......

I started fishing and within half an hour was approached by a bloke who asked for my permit - I enquired Rod permit and he said no - Pride of Derby permit. I said I did not have one and he then asked me to stop fishing. Totally unnecessary in my book. He told me how much the Pride of Derby permits were..... and I told him I had just paid BW over £1100 quid and would be paying them another £600 in a couple of months. He then proceeded to take a Canaltime fisherman to task also. To my mind the point could have been made and let us fish on (if we had shown our Rod license, which I have) but the fact we were not seriously set up for a session, just a rod off the back of the boat made the challenge very unnecessary. Being from Derby' Pride of Derby' seemed wholly inappropriate.

John and Carrie left for their Wedding reception and we dog sat. John and Carrie's dogs like to be wrapped up in the evening so Leia had to join in....

Prince

Bailey

Leia

We had had a nice romantic evening in with candles. John and Carrie had 'had a few' when they returned and we sat and talked at the dinette over a coffee. John casually announced he thought he was on fire and turned to show us his shirt in flames !! He had lent back over a candle and set himself on fire. Carrie took the opportunity to 'beat' the flames out...how lucky for it not to have been much worse and a lesson to all over candles

Willington part point II....

Just after John and Carrie returned we walked the dogs to find some low life scum had nicked one of our (first time used) solar lights. They were only a Pound each from Morrisons but it was the principal.

Next day we set off for Weston on Trent (the Shardlow one not the Great Heywood one) and arrived in good time for another nice walk with the dogs before we walked the longish walk to the pub in the village in the evening. A friend, Tony, joined us and much beer and chat was enjoyed.

We winded Just before Weston and set off back on the Sunday and arrived back in Branston for a nice boozy meal (we drank all what was on the boat)

Monday saw us return to Fradley in perfect weather

John and Carrie at the tiller

The new marina road bridge at Willington - now full of water

Prince and Bailey were about equal in the falling in stakes, (three or 4 each) but we suspect Bailey enjoyed it more. Leia never went in once, I think that is the whippet side of her....

We got back at 2'ish and saw John and Carrie away. We than lazed about for a couple of hours, cleaned the boat and headed off home.... all in all a great weekend (apart from Willington)