Pretty uneventful day really. It was meant to be a scorcher, but high thin cloud took the edge off it and the chill wind is still there in the background. However, still sunburn weather. Expecting to find a queue at Atherston Top we were pleased to find only one boat waiting, but opposite direction traffic slowed us when we did get going. After the marina Pat was ahead as usual and was waiting at the pair of locks below. The bottom gates were open so I waited, it seemed for an interminable time - actually half an hour in the end. A boat was coming up, of course, and the excuse for the delay was that they couldn't get the top gate open in the lock below. Pat subsequently told me that the reason was that they had left a bottom paddle up a few inches and had half drained the intermediate pound in the process. We learned a while back - if the lock takes a long time to fill, check the bottm paddles. Been there done that! Actually, in spite of delays like that it is all factored in to the timing and we completed the flight in 2 and a half hours. Stopping for water at the bottom, we moved on to nearer Polesworth and should be in good position for Rugeley and a big shop tomorrow.
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