Well, we waited until Thursday came around and Dave’s micro pub opened! Had a few delicious beers & then gave Toby a swim. By this time our chums on Raven (Steph, Midge & Mike) had walked up from Trent Lock to sample the beers. It is a special place.
Nice selection of beers!
Viv tries an oatmeal stout – very tasty. Meanwhile, back on the boat Steve prepares his signature dish , Paella!
Helped by some Tesco finest Rioja . . . the secret with a good paella, apart all the proper ingredients (here, a medley of fish – salmon, smoked haddock & cod plus a seafood mixture (prawns, squid, mussels) plus extra prawns, chicken, peas, paellero powder, pepper, fish stock . . .) is to stop the cooking when almost done. Put the lid on and chat for another 10 mins by which time there’ll be no water left around the rice – simples.
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Friday, we were up and off by 8, over for a pump out at Sawley Marina. Take on water then down the lock to meet up with Raven. Down to Cranfleet cut:
And here’s the mischievous Midge! What a poser!
We wait at the exit . . . and out onto the Trent .
All nice & serene now, hardly any flow at all
Lots of geese – in a sort of creche convoy
It wasn’t long before Steph & Mike caught us up – showing us how powerful these little tugs are . . .
And then around to Beeston and back to canals. We’d emailed Castle Marina about a mooring but had no reply. Coincidentally and as it turns out, serendipitously, they sent a reply as we were en route – £12.50/night didn’t seem bad for a few nights – inc. elastic trickery. We were half expecting Jenny to travel up to see us and this would have been pufick!
Fairly safe haven & lots of amenities plus close enough to the city for our needs
