Day 15 – Back to Loughborough

With rain forecast later (we aim to avoid boating in the rain), we set off from Trent Lock at 0840 and steamed from the Trent to the Soar … Kegworth Deep Lock, Normanton, Zouch (pronounced Zotch, we’re told) and back to our mooring right beside the Albion pub.  We gave Toby a decent walk into town via the Organ Grinder (a Blue Monkey Brewery pub – we had some Infinity (quite good) and some Marmoset (OK) – a great place!) and then the Queen’s park.  A beautiful park with magnificent flower beds, a bandstand and even an aviary. We also got Toby’s blue ball stuck in a tree (how does Steven do that??). We asked a kid (Assim?) to help with his small football but no luck – we even got that stuck too – really embarrassing!! Then a group of students came over and some lads climbed onto one another’s shoulders and pulled bits of tree down until the ball fell . Cheers, guys.

Time to return to boat to chill …

Viv takes the helm … not much she can hit, she says on the wide river Soar

Seems to be a pecking order here – seagulls on top, ducks below

We passed Pinxton Roses – all safe and snug at the Soar Boating Club!

Day 14 – Back at Trent Lock

Has it really been a fortnight?  Seems more like a whole month or two?  Had a slight lie in – didn’t start up until 0840. Just a short 2 -3 hr trip from Sandiacre, down the Erewash to Trent Lock and moor on the Trent for the night.  A pint in the Steamboat (oo err, 3 times in a week??) to say Goodbye to Bob & Carolyn – won’t be the same without them!

looks picture – postcard

a happy Viv & dog (both off the boat!)

Not long before we see the power station hoving back into view

Ah, Trent Lock and already the crowd gathers . . 

Could it be the Steamboat pub?  They had Dragon Slayer and a Double Stout (Nottingham brewery and 7.3%). Plus a Turkey roast dinner for £7.95. Time to say our farewell to Bob & Carolyn and moor up for the night.

a very windy spot and a lee shore but nice to be next to a great expanse of water again.

Day 13 – Langley to Sandiacre

Time to head back down the weed-strewn, shallow canal. Plan to take it easy. Moor at the scenic Sandiacre cottages by the weir.

always time for  tea & biscuits

There goes Mr Robert (Bob) Harding in Pinxton Roses – our travelling companion for the last few days.

why can’t all pubs be like this one?

Viv & Carolyn take a stroll to view the famous Bennerley viaduct

After struggling back through all the weeds and unwieldy locks, we arrive back here, a nice serene spot. And the site of the former entrance to the Derby canal.

26 degrees! A hot day but music to the solar panel’s ears:

All charged up and on float – despite all the cloudy & rainy weather, we’ve still put 131 Ah’s into the batteries, which is nice.

End of Erewash – Langley Mill

Still travelling with our lovely companions: Bob & Caroline, we agreed a set off time of at 0845 and travelled with some trepidation as the outskirts of Ilkeston were supposed to be a bit, well, dodgy.  However, it all seemed fine to us. Still finding all the locks very heavy, hard to shift and paddle gear that refuses to budge. Bob’s magic ratchett windlass managed to shift em all.Some very low bridges and the final stretch above Eastwood lock was a mass of green – covered in weed and propeller grabbing reeds underneath. Very slow progress – African Queen stuff indeed but we made it and even managed to fit in the wee basin at the end.  This is the end of the Erewash but the start of what was the Cromford canal and Nottingham canal. Not a very scenic spot but very handy for Asda, B&Q and a great pub: The Great Northern.

An unusual sign – looked around for em but didn’t see any.

The start of the green stretch …

The Great Northern Basin

Nice meal in the pub (2 for £10! Plus Oakham beer …) and then the trek back tomorrow … .

Erewash Canal

Yesterday was spent retracing our steps back through the Nottingham canal (pitstop at Sainsbury’s – again!) and then back up the Trent to Trent Lock. So confident was I that Viv was in control of the boat, that I took a shower and left Viv on the helm for this river trip. Magnificent. More rain overnight but beer back at the Steam Boat Inn, nice.

Today we started off in the drizzle but it soon cleared as we actually passed thru Trent Lock and into the Erewash Canal.

Not a great deal of boats come this way as it is a dead end; about 12 miles and 15 locks to a basin …  and then back again!  It’s all D.H. Lawrence country  . .

lots of houseboats

and mills . . 

Sandiacre lock cottages

Steve operates the lock & Viv drives …

Quite an ordeal, to be honest, with shallow canals full of weed … but we made it to Potter’s Lock – just before Ilkeston (or Ilson as they say). two-thirds the way with just 5 locks and 4 miles to go. We met a lovely couple on Pinxton Roses – both pensioners and a treat to share locks with.  They made the journey all the more easy.

This is a piccie for Jenny – a baby Coot eating blackberries!  I do hope you get some roofing felt. Cheers!

Back at Trent Bridge – on match night!

Yes, we is back. Solar panels ON. The Chinese restaurant we’d heard so much about (the Orchid) was closed for a week. So we went to the Trent Bridge Inn, a Wetherspoons pub but it was match night, Forest v. Charlton! And it was heaving. Still we had a good mooring down from the bridge.  Might not be so quiet when the match finishes! Panels look neat.

We faced this boat all last night – needs a catchphrase, like:

“Staring Eternity in the face”, “Facing the whole of Eternity” . . 

Day Ten – Solar Array Installation

Tim turned up from Onboard Solar to fit our panels as arranged and it drizzled all morning – poor chap.

A very professional job – all panels placed on deck and aligned, holes drilled, marine sealant applied …

This is a 400 Watt array with the MPPT controller – all very neat:

Unfortunately, this was the weather!  Typical. Not good for Tim and not good for a demo of what the panels can do either. Still it had put 20 Ah’s back into the batteries, which was nice.

Still, the rain did stop and they look cool and fairly discreet too.

Time to return to Trent Bridge – a bit easier mooring.

Day Nine – Out onto the Trent

A later start saw us move Adagio all of 1 mile further into the city of Nottingham. We moored opposite the famous Fellowes, Clayton and Morton warehouse (now a pub) and walked into town. We visited Gauntley’s: https://cigars.gauntleys.com/uk  Steve’s favourite tobacconist and bought a new blend “Bootlegger’s Delight”. They had turned the entire main square into a beach, with sand, amusements etc – bizarre!

Back on the boat … and the short journey down to the Trent.

bit of a dingy route …

and the final Meadow Lane Lock … huge and stiff

out onto the Trent and Notts Forest F.C … . we remember Brian Clough!

look hard and you’ll see the flood markings of past years … all calm today

photo of the day – driving under Trent Bridge! Cricket ground off to the left

no pix of the river cruise, which was about 40 mins down the massive but tranquil Trent and then sharp right towards Holme Lock. Beside this they take off a bit of the river to feed the white water, canoe slalom course … nothing was stopping us from taking a right turn and down onto this …

this is where the course between those red & white posts leads to:

a large boom across the weir . . 

you can see how close we are to the course! The youngsters in the boats go down this course, drag their boat out and then paddle up the river (past us) and then back down again.  Such fun!

We’re a bit low down in the water here but ideal for Tim Davis of Onboard Solar to visit us tomorrow and fit solar panels! Yippee, no more worries about batteries and running the engine to top em up.

This will be the turning point for our cruise – we will head back Tuesday and retrace our steps but we’ll visit the Erewash Canal for a few days – quite a lot of industrial heritage there I believe.

That’s all folks!

Day 8 – The Mighty River Trent

After a wonderful evening ..  .  G&T, bottle of Rioja Reserva and a homemade chilli (yes, Steve’s little tree gets used at last), we had a good night’s rest and were ready to bimble on to Nottingham. We lived here, in Keyworth for three years (1990-3) and were keen to re-visit old haunts.

We waited at Cranfleet lock for another boat – Twilight, to share the lock. Then out onto the Mighty Trent for a swift but serene trip:

So strange to be out on a giant river – it flows! But with the sun out, it was sublime.

Time to go to warp factor 9 – not too keen to over do things – it is SO different when the boat is actually yours and not a hire boat.  Our stern gland is a water jacketed one, not a grease one, which is the usual case.  It means we don’t have to faff about greasing our glands (no, not a euphemism) but the faster we go the greater the chance of spraying the engine room with water.  Still we did get the old girl sprinting along.

After nearly an hour of river cruising, Beeston hoves into view and it’s time to get back onto a canal.

A different type of water user is found here.  Her coach was shouting encouraging remarks from the towpath – on his bike.

Our final resting point for the night – looks very tranquil does’t it? But it is probably the nearest mooring to Sainsbury’s, on a busy cycle/footpath, 500 yds from a big gastro pub and then there’s a major road t’other side – Castle Boulevard. But it’ll suit us tonight.

Tomorrow’s lock – right in the centre of the city

Best wishes to all our readers!

We’re changing our email – losing all the @vivatek.co.uk ones soon and sticking with the gmail one, narrowboatadagio@gmail.com

Toby sends his regards too …

Trent Lock – Day 7

Moved off from Loughborough around 9. Enjoyed a nice evening with a kind visit from my old University friend, Dean Onyon.  Hadn’t seen him for 23 years, so good to catch up. Thanks for coming over. We teamed up with the boat Anchilla and made friends with John & Jill from Sileby, who were out for a 4 day trip. At last we get to share a lock and they even waited for us whilst we took on water – cheers guys!

After the day of rain, the sun came back out and we had a marvellous sail down the river Soar.

Past the lovely villages of Normanton, Zouch & Kegworth.

We passed many large boats – maybe this is the one Chris should have bought (phone number’s on the window!). And then on to meet the mighty river Trent. This must be the largest expanse of water we’ve encountered:

Easy to spot where to go:

Two pubs here, the Trent Lock (biggest and serving Doom Bar & 6X) and the smaller (Steamboat, serving Triple Hop, Liverpool Styrian and 3 others!) – no contest!! This is a great grockle spot and it is Saturday and so every man & his dog was here – gongoozling!

We moored 200 yds round the corner a nice quiet spot until a dozen other boats turned up, well it is Saturday night. Here’s our “room with a view” photo:

And of course Toby got his reward – dozens of swims in the river . .

Sunday is another beautiful day and we’ll head off “cruising down the river on a Sunday afternoon …” to well, Sainsburys in Nottingham.