Setting out

The Trent and Mersey Canal near Rugely

Virgin Express disturbs our peace for a few seconds

We had a good trip driving round the notorious M25 even though there was an accident in the fast lane. We drove by before the police closed the road to move the cars onto the hard shoulder. Paul filled the boat with water ready for us to cruise but didn’t shut the front doors first. The pressure from the water surprised him, the hose leapt out of the mouth of the tank and sprayed inside the boat soaking me, the sofa and cushions. Thank goodness it was a lovely sunny day as we soon dried out. It was a lovely afternoon for cruising, so nice not to be wearing a jumper today. The Trent and Mersey canal was tranquil, swans, ducks and bird song. We rounded a corner and the canal squeezed between the road and railway. The cars blared down the road and an ambulance squealed by siren blaring.

At the same time trains passed each other on the nearby embankment. Within five minutes we turned away from the railway the road headed away and it was peaceful again, just us, birds singing, lambs and blossom drifting down from the trees like fine snow.