31st July 2011 - I won, I won, I won!

It's currently 2300 ish and I've just finished dinner and I need to go to bed. There are no pictures today because I didn't take any! If you're all good, maybe tomorrow!

In a nutshell, I went to the awards ceremony, just in case, I was fairly convinced I hadn't done enough, then my name is called out. I'm really chuffed, ok, need a new anorak I know, but I've won the Inland Waterways Association, A. P. Herbert, Market Harborough Challenge Trophy 2011, for making the longest direct cruise on inland waterways to the Burton on Trent festival. Also part of this (but you're not sharing the prize!) were messrs Preston, Dunning and Jones, Penny and Son Dave. From what I can make out, this is the only award which has been running continuously from the first ever festival at Market Harborough in 1950!!

Then of course I went for a celebratory couple of pints, I've got people asking me what I won the trophy for (I'm carrying it around with me) I check out a couple of techy things for the boat, have a pork roast baguette for lunch and walk back to the boat, I can't stop smiling.

I near the boat and it occurs to me that not many boats are 'on the move' so I think 'I'm off' So just before 1400 I cast off and head towards Fradley. No queue at the first lock (Branston) but the wind blows the boat into the trees while I'm closing the gate on leaving. Straight into the second (Tatenhill) as a boat is coming down. Straight into the third because a bored bloke is working it!. Then I get to Wychnor and encounter four boats waiting to go up. Never mind, it takes an hour, but then things get spread out again, plus people are (sensibly) stopping for the night. I pass through Alrewas then on to Fradley, no further lock delays. I get some  passers by to shut the gate at Junction Lock for me so I can focus on turning left onto the Coventry canal, no problem, I pass through the swingbridge and take the opportunity to fill the water tank. This water point has the slowest tap in the world and it takes 30 minutes to fill up! It's 2030 when I set off again, looking for a place to spend the night. this happens 4 miles later in the dwindling daylight.

I have dinner, and we're back to where I began!!

Today: 12.5 miles -   10 locks -        7 hours
So Far:  602 miles - 473 locks - 306.5 hours