Pig Vandals Spotted!

Hooray! A day free from rain (more or less). Leaving our very peaceful mooring at the bottom of the Baddiley lock flight we headed down towards Hurleston for the last part of the Llangollen Canal. We had an easy run down the lock flight at Hurleston. All of the locks were set against us but they are all close together and so it was easy to walk ahead and set them ready for the
boat.

We turned left onto the Shropshire Union Canal once again and then right at Barbridge Junction on to the Middlewich Branch. The sun came out and is still shining on us as I write this. We are trying to eat everything in sight now so that there's not much to take off of the boat and we are succeeding. Having said that we now have nothing on the boat for dinner so we will have to stop
at a pub for the night... oh dear... what hardship!

We've been teaching Freddie to steer the boat this week and he's been doing OK. He's nine years old and has trouble seeing over the boat cabin but I must admit he has not sunk us. With guidance he has steered us into a few locks with only a minor bump here and there and has taken to it really well. A few people have suggested to him that he needs a box to stand on or a little step so we know what he will be building the next time he goes to his Gran's.

It was as we dropped down through the lock at Church Minshull that we spotted some vandals hard at work. A pig and several piglets had escaped from their farm and were digging massive holes in the towpath. You can see from the photo the damage they had done when we arrived. As I wandered up to take a photo the pig turned and gave me a look that said, " You come any
closer and it'll be the last thing you do". I'm fairly sure I also heard the pig saying "Do you feel lucky punk?" but to be honest that could just be my over-active imagination. We phoned the yard to ask them to let British Waterways know that there was a maniac pig on the loose and hopefully they will have contacted the farmer... or employed the pig to do some dredging at the very least.



Once again we passed through Middlewich and turned onto the Trent and Mersey Canal heading back towards Preston Brook. We are either going to moor at Broken Cross or near to the old Lion Salt Works and have a pub meal. Oh, I've just looked out of the window and seen us go past Broken Cross so I guess we are not going to that pub then. The Salt Barge it is then. Failing that,
does anyone have a spare Pot Noodle they can send me?

Tomorrow is our last day and we will have a few hours cruise back to the base. Hirers are normally due back at 9:00am but as this boat is not going out next week we are in no hurry. Next week will also give the yard the chance to iron out a few little niggles we have with the boat so that it is ready for the seaon ahead. Well I'm off now to moor this boat and then go to the pub. So night, night, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite... unless you are into that sort of thing you cheeky thing you.