The sun woke us up early this morning and so we were off early only to find that Nb Jenny had the same idea and was in the first lock so we had to follow them all the way to Rode Heath where they stopped for breakfast. On the way down we passed Rob the Lock helping 3 single handers up the flight and he was his usual happy self.
We called in the shop at Rode for a paper and then carried on reaching the locks by the Romping Donkey. The cafe and shop at the side of the lock seemed to have closed and it looked to be a normal house now! We had a couple of unexpected short but sharp hail showers en route but I suppose that it is April still.
We passed a Hotel boat coming up the next lock and then went under the busy M6 Motorway. How nice it is to be pootling along rather than dashing at 70 mph. 
Lock 63 was always a narrow lock and required us to raise our side fenders (wash your mouth out) but C& RT were refurbishing the offside lock. It looked as though they had replaced the lower gates and paddle gear.
Nearing the bottom of the flight June was operating the locks and I was steering and here she is walking over the bridge to the arm which houses the Malkins Bank Canal Services Boat Yard.
We moored up just below the last lock and G & C came in for coffee.
Later we went to Barchetta, the Italian Restaurant by the services for dinner and had an excellent meal.
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