Yet more frost and ice ...

Thursday 3rd February we woke up to ...

 ... another frosty day with ice on the canal again, but a promising sky ...

 ... everyone has gone!... 

I had wanted to speak to Julia and Mark but I later learned that they had a date with a coalman and had had to leave early - sorry to have missed you but am certain that the opportunity will present itself again, hopefully in the not too distant future.

 Seyella has gone on ahead as they also need to stop for services at Kinver, George pulled our pins and off we go ...

 .... the overflow from the pound above Hyde Lock appears to go under the Lock House ...

... which has miniature lock gates as well .... gates!

 Looking back from Hyde Lock is a very nice property!

 This is the reason we had problems on Thursday with low water in the pound above, because the wash from the overflow below the lock was washing away the bank and had to be repaired by a diver in the water. You can see that the bank has been made stable using sandbags containing cement which of course hardens quite quickly.  I wonder if the boat is there to also help the repair to stay in place?

 We arrive at Kinver services and fill with water ...

 ... before setting off again to Kinver Lock which has another of those unusual overflow ...

 ... going down the lock - see Wilsons of Kinver there (our bed setee came from here)...

... we passed Seyella, pulled in and moored up; this is the view from the galley window - very pleasant.

I had a doctors appointment the following morning and we (hubby George and I) walked into Kinver.

 Kinver village is very pleasant indeed  ...

 ... small arcades, inviting you to venture in ...

 ... pretty settings with a good range of shops ...

 ... as well as on the High Street ...

 ... and some very old ...

 properties looking in good condition too.

 Church Hill

 Oh .. that looks interesting built up on the sandstone cliff.

 the River Stour runs past the gardens

 and we arrive back at the moorings for lunch and then upped sticks once again - long journey this afternoon ..

This butty is a big project for ....

... any enthusiast but I hope he/she hasn't taken on more than they can handle - it is so full of holes and old repairs!

Approaching Whittington Horse Bridge ... what's that white I can see in the tree? ...

... spring blossom ... fab! ...

... and into Whittington Lock - what a beautiful lock cottage - Geoff and Mags remember this being up for sale the last time they were this way.  The owners appear to be living upstairs whilst renovating the ground floor - it will be a great place to live!
We cruised under Whittington Bridge to the excellent visitor moorings and put in pins just past Seyella