New Recruit.

 After our visit home for the opera, which was excellent and a nice contemporary staging of it all, we were getting ready for our visitors to the boat. Friday night we had No.1 daughter and No.1 granddaughter to stay overnight at home. First thing on Saturday we were off down to Kings Bromley. We loaded up the boat and filled with water and then we were off.

From the right; granddaughter, grandmother and daughter (Aunty Mammy) doing the business at Wood End lock

She was soon wanting to do it all herself, and on some of the gates she could. Even had a go at winding the paddler gear but not quite so successful there. Not bad for 4!

Further instructions from the professional.

After the trip to Shade House Lock she decided to show me how to get in and out of the lock, and once again her way was obviously better, as it worked.

We went down through the locks to moor by the visitor centre having received information that there was plenty of moorings.

Our spy was non other than the No1. Volunteer Lock keeper at Fradley who had been working in the visitor centre and had waited of us to arrive. It was great to catch up again as it has been over a year since we had got together.

After tea it was out and about for a walk round the reservoir and a ride on the dragonfly whilst we were all thinking of 'How to Train your Dragon'.

The footpath was edged with cowslips, daffodils and violets and was a lovely end to the day, especially as we had it all to ourselves.

The fishing platforms made great playgrounds and gang planks etc. The bird hide opposite had two duck nesting on it's roof when we got round that side.

The dinette was transformed into a bed and made up. This impressed her and she was excited about going to bed. I'm not sure that Aunty, who was sharing, was looking forward to it quite so much, but after 5 minutes she was in deep sleep and slept through until 0530 when a fox was making a hell of a row by the boat and woke us all up. We collectively nodded off again until 0800.