A few days in Audlem

Monday 12^th, Tuesday 13^th, Wednesday 14^th, Thursday 15^th, Friday 16^th September

We have spent a few days in Audlem which has been really lovely.  Monday we did a few jobs in the morning then in the afternoon we went for a walk around the village and had a coffee in the café. 

Another Heron drying his wings

In we go

Market in Market Drayton

On Tuesday we moved from the bottom of the locks just up two locks and moored in the visitor moorings there.  We went up to the Co-op in the afternoon for a few things and the sky got really black so we headed back to the boat and just as well, as shortly after we got back the heavens opened and we had a storm complete with thunder and lightening so needless to say we didn’t go out again! 

Lovely evening with our friends

Wednesday we caught the bus from Audlem to Market Drayton where they have a weekly market.  It was a scorching hot day and the market was very busy.  We had a nice couple of hours looking around the market and the shops as there is a good variety of shops in Market Drayton.  We got the bus back and walked back to the boat. 

This evening Jane, Malcolm, Dave and Anthea are coming for tea so I did some cooking and we got things ready for them.  We had a really lovely evening together and as the weather was so nice and it was very warm we sat outside until after it was dark which is a great thing to do on an evening in September!  It was great to spend more time together and we had a lot of fun, as always.

Footpath to Hankelow

Thursday we decided to walk to the next village called Hankelow, you can walk along the main road or by the lanes and a wooded bit so we did that, it is a really nice walk about a couple of miles.  There used to be a really nice pub in Hankelow called The White Lion but unfortunately it is closed and all shut up and overgrown, a shame really as when we went there before we had a really nice meal. 

Poised and ready to whack!

We walked on up the main road to Brookfield Golf Club as they have a driving range.  We walked down the drive and came to the driving range first, there was a chap there who worked at the club so we asked him if we could use the driving range and if so did they have any clubs we could borrow, he said yes that was fine and showed us a cupboard with lots of clubs in and told us to help ourselves.

Whacking balls again

We went up to the club house and got some tokens for the ball machine then went back down and had a great time whacking the balls again, mind you today it was very hot and by the time we had used all our balls, I was ready for a sit down!

Little Brock

We then went up to the club house and sat on the terrace and had a drink and some lunch.  It is a really nice place and we shall definitely visit again next time we are here. 

 

Sheila, Tony & Brock

We walked back via the road and Malcolm’s parents Sheila and Tony live along that road so we stopped off to say hi to them and spent a lovely couple of hours with them having a cup of tea and a nice chat.  It was so lovely to see them again and they made us very welcome.  They also have a puppy called Brock, he is a Dandie Dinmont Terrier, we have never heard of the breed, apparently it is a Scottish breed and quite rare.  He was lovely but much more docile than Whirlwind Harry!!

Harry Investigating the pub

In the evening we walked up to the Lord Combermere pub in the village and met Jane and Harry.  This was Harry’s first time going out to a pub and he was very interested in all that was going on but after a bit he sat on my lap and dozed, he was really good and as he didn’t blot his copybook Jane says he can go again! Malcolm was working late, but he finished in time to join us for a drink so that was nice. 

Me and Harry

 

The pub had a gin bar with 17 different gins, so obviously Jane and I had to try some.  We tried three, Gin Mare, Saffron Gin and Opihr Gin, they were all really different but all very nice.  Jane says she now has to go back to the pub to try the other 14!

We had a lovely evening together and it was great to spend time with Harry as well, he is absolutely adorable.

Only 10 more to go!

A lot of water at this one

In we go

Passing the Shroppie Fly Pub

Today Friday, our friend Dave called round for a brew and we had a lovely chat with him, I really think he came by to check we were actually leaving today!!  It was great to see him and hopefully we will see him again soon. We have come up 11 locks and have moored at the top now.  There are two more locks in the Audlem flight but we will do them tomorrow.  We had some rain this morning but luckily it clearly away and we came up the flight in lovely sunshine.  There was a single hander in front of us so first of all that made our passage up the locks really slow but then a hire boat came behind us and one of the men from there came up and helped us and also helped the single hander by setting the locks and then a couple of boats came down so that helped as well.

Onwards and Upwards

After a couple of hours we were at the top and moored up but I think it would have taken us longer if the chap off the hire boat hadn’t been around, he was such a great help, it is surprising how much difference one extra person makes.

At the top

We are staying here tonight then moving on through a few more locks tomorrow.  We have really enjoyed our time in Audlem and seeing our lovely friends and spending time together.  They are all off on holiday to Tenerife next week but when they get back in a couple of weeks time, we should still be not too far away so hopefully we can have one more meet, but we will certainly see them next year as we are back up this way again.

Moored at the top of Audlem locks