This is the lock at  Alrewas where you leave  the river behind ,  just after going under the M1 

Moored near the Anchor Inn just past Atherstone getting the boat tidied up ready for  her visit 

to Springwood marina .

 We came up the Atherstone locks last weekend with the help of Two CRT volunteers very nice people doing a grand job , it really does speed things up the only trouble is you get to where you where going sooner than planned and have to go to the  pub earlier or do something useful like cleaning the boat or taking pictures oh well .

This could have been the trials for the latest weed control system on the Nottingham canal it does appear to            be based on a ride on mower but it apparently failed due to moisture in the ignition system

                                                    Fighting our way up the Trent

                                           
                                                  A pretty view back from the Sawley cut
    

                                         

                                          Underneath the arches and into our first narrow lock

Sybil is now safely moored in a marina near Nuneaton while we travel back home for a few days the journey was first a taxi , then two trains the first a local packed solid then a better one on to Nottingham all in all a new and interesting experience , then a half mile walk to collect the car followed by a two and half hour drive home.

we think next time we go down we shall leave the car at home and  `train`it all the way straight to Nunneaton and then get home from where ever

We are moored in Alrewas tonight . Had a walk out to the National Memorial Arboretum which involved crossing the A38 dual carriageway now that was  a really challenging experience felt like a rabbit or perhaps a hedgehog ! but it is a real must see .


Still struggling with the pictures will have to wait till we get a better signal
http://www.thenma.org.uk/

don't rely too much on the Google tracker I have just checked it and it says we are in a field  half a mile away not as we are at Barton Turn on the canal Big brother is watching even if he is a little cross eyed.

Well its Wednesday night now We have covered around eighteen miles and I don't know how many locks We have done the massive river Trent ,the Trent and Mersey broad  canal and are now on the narrow locks , much quicker to work. we have spent some time travelling with a boat from Nottingham council "captained" by two nice ladies and crewed by a group of Duke of Edinburgh  Students on a five day trip.
Sun stroke is a distinct possibility , the weather is so good  but will it last ?
will try and add  pictures later , have now now got a 4G thingy Thanks to Mohamed  , (Mo according to his badge)  at PC World.

Ok it`s Monday evening and we are now under way  full of fuel  and water ,
three and a half days , five locks ,and  nine miles under our belts .we are now moored up on the cut just outside Sawley.
Who said it was going to be rapid progress ?
More Photo,s to follow maybe tomorrow or maybe the next day.
Apart from the boring scenic ones might have some of the CRT `s new weed control methods !!