Summer arrives at Dutton!

We stayed on at Moore for an extra day as Bridie had pulled a leg muscle after pushing the boat out from Thorne Marine.   Mac and I spent the afternoon exploring the nature reserve across the Ship canal over Moore Lane Swing Bridge.  The weather was at least dry but it was mainly depressingly grey and not very warm although it brightened a little in the evening.  Saw lots of rabbits and water fowl, not much else but did hear a cuckoo.

Today we moved off the Bridgewater and back into BW waters at Preston Brook where we entered the Trent and Mersey Canal.  We set off about 10:30 again it was grey and fairly depressing, several boaters commenting on lack of sun and a certain coolness! After about two miles we past Claymore navigation and soon arrived at the entrance to Preston Brook tunnel at almost spot on 11:30 which was perfect.  There are only ten minutes in any hour you can enter the tunnel and going south as we were it was between 30 minutes and 40 minutes past the hour (on the hour until 10 minutes past if heading north).  As it was two boats had just come north as we approached and a boat was just heading into the tunnel as we came into view of the entrance, perfect no having to moor up and wait.

Once through the tunnel and the stop lock at other side we proceeded for just two miles and moored just past a winding hole before bridge 211 another favoured spot.   Once moored up and lunched we took the dogs for a circuit down past the Dutton lock on the River Weaver (over the new approach bridge rebuilt earlier in the year) and through Dutton Park back via bridge 213.

It was at this point about 3:15 pm that it happened, first we noticed blue sky, then the sun appeared and by the time we got back to the boat it was definitely a sunny summers day!  Chairs and drinks out and a very pleasant two or three hours enjoying the bird song, including frequent calls from a peacock at Dutton Hall and responses from a far off cockerel (who had got the time of day wrong).