So a great opportunity today to go to see them and buy some more excellent cheese.
The only problem was that the market closed at three o clock and we are 6 to 7 hours away according to the very flowery Pearsons guide.
We managed to set sail at 8:10 and made it through our last lock on the Trent and Mersey and successfully made the turn on to the Stafford and Worcester Canal.
First place of interest was Tixall Wide. The canal becomes a lake at this point.
The gatehouse is the only part of the original Hall that is left.
With cheese time quite limited we pressed on, but at every lock we had the same three boats in front of us and suffered delays at each one.
We were just in time to make the last 30 minutes of the market at the last lock before Penkridge when the boat I front of us jammed a fender on the way in and was well and truly stuck. The skipper of this craft had cleaned his roof this morning and was reluctant to walk along it up free the fender.
In our haste I volunteered to climb down the lock ladder at this deep lock, free the fender and then ascend Dibnah style afterwards. It worked, we got through, moored in record time and have purchased cheese and wine for tonight.
At Penkridge we found another horse tunnel.
A park for the children
And a place to recover from the stresses of the day.
We are still smiling, and in those moments when we find that we aren't, all we need to do is say "cheese".
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