Onward to Kinver

Wednesday 19^th September

Awoke to a cold, bright, frosty morning with the autumn mist rising off the canal.

* Morning Mist

* Autumn Myst

We followed Nb Chance through the first lock and pootled after them as they were to take on water at Greensforge Services.

* The deligthful Nb.Chance with Doug and James entering a lock

 Just below the lock it is very narrow and we had to wait for a boat coming the other way because there were a group of boats travelling together moored along the towpath. As we passed them the last boat decided to release his mooring lines and drifted across the canal forcing to run aground. We managed to clear the obstruction but he then jumped in between us and Chance who only a couple of boat lengths behind. Neither of us were happy and he reluctantly let them through so that we could continue on together.

When we reached Stourton Junction we waved our goodbyes to Chance as they turned and headed up towards Stourbridge their next port of call.

* Stourton Junction

We carried on through some lovely country side with the canal cutting its way through sandstone rock until we reached Hyde Lock where Geordie Jim was waiting with the lock ready for us to go straight in. He cycles to the locks and helps boats through for the fun of it. A really nice and friendly chap.

* Lovely Canal

* Front Gates of House in form of a Lock

* Geordie Jim - Lock Assistant

As we entered Kinver we could see St Peters church high up on the Edge.

We moored up and after lunch took a walk around the village which has a couple of supermarkets, a bakers and numerous tea and coffee shops to cater for the tourists.

* St Peters Church

* Kinver High Street

Later in the afternoon I took Phoenix a walk up Kinver Edge and had fantastic views over the Malvern and Cotswold Hills. We then walked down to the holy Austin Rock where there are series of house cut into the sandstone rock. At this moment Phoenix decided to chew threw her extending lead and it zipped back into the handle leaving me leadless. As we had a mile or more to walk back to the boat along narrow lanes without footpaths I was in a bit of a pickle. However ingenuity came to mind and I took off my trouser belt and used that as a lead and walked back through Kinver with the dog on the belt in my right hand and holding trouser up with my left. I don’t know what the villages thought!

* Malvern Hills from Kinver Edge

* Rock Cave Houses

* Musical Logs in the woods.

When I got back to the boat Doug and James were having tea with June on Autumn Myst. Apparently their journey to Stourbridge had not been as successful as hoped and they decide not to stay there and came on to Kinver. It was  lovely suprise for us as we thought that we would not see them again on our trip and Phoenix went mad when she saw Doug as she idolises him. Just hope Oscar does not get too jealous.

We had a quiet night in listening to the Church Bells being rung.