Shropshire Union Canal:Bridge 47

We left our moorings and reached the bottom of Tyrley Locks.   No other traffic evident.  The locks start up in a dismal rock sided cutting.  The bywashes as usual awesome.   The middle of the 5 locks gave us a little trouble as Pat had difficulty closing her bottom gate.   Evidently something stuck against the bottom seal.   I roped the boat up to stop it moving and then we opened a top paddle enough to get a gentle flow through the half open gate.   This worked and we were soon on our way into the deep Woodseaves cutting.  There we met another Cutweb member on nb  Peddler on his way to Liverpool, excuse for a brief chat!    The towpath in this cutting, previously very muddy and almost impassible has been made up with ballast and now looks really tidy.   The cutting is unstable and there is evidence of recent work - piles of cement mix bags holding back the mud.  Further on we came across a fishing competition getting set up, but no fishing until the whistle blows at 10:00.  Good bunch of folks with some banter even.  Further on it was getting cold and the sun hidden, so we stopped short again at a 48 hour mooring (with rings) just before bridge 47.    Poor phone reception but good TV.   Later about 8 boats came by in the other direction one after the other, described as a "parade" by one jovial american sounding boater.  I warned him about the fishing competition - not sure they would appreciate a flotilla disturbing their meditation.  Then President & Kildare came by, the second time we have seen this heritage steam boat this trip.