Mon 31st Aug

President and Kildare had spent the Summer Bank Holiday 2009 at the IWA National Festival at Red Hill Flood Lock, River Soar. The return trip to the BCLM with 6 crew members was planned to depart the site on Tuesday morning. With 240 boats attending the festival it was decided to depart on the Monday evening to get ahead of the fleet that would leave on the Tuesday morning.
The boats were moored on the inside of a floating pontoon. For our departure we had to wait for the pontoon bridge to be dismantled and two other boats leave. Winding the boats to leave proved interesting. As the turns were in progress the unattached floating pontoon drifted across the river moving the goalposts. We were on our way to Shardlow for a night stop.
Dusk found us moored opposite the New Inn, Shardlow. The captain had decided to cook the evening meal and the driver had to put the engine to bed for the night. This left the remainder of the crew with nothing to do, so we went to the pub! Beer in the pub, a good meal and wine on Kildare proved to be a good team building exercise.

Tue 1st Sept

Tuesday morning we departed Shardlow with 7 crew members. As we had not been overtaken by 239 boats we must have been ahead of the fleet. Thunderstorms were the order of the day as we travelled through Swarkeston, Willington, Burton Upon Trent to Braunston. The pub here is the Bridge. It was very popular serving mainly Italian food of pizza and pasta.

Wed 2nd Sept

Wednesday was cold and hot depending whether we were in the sun or shade. We travelled through Alrewas. Where have all the continuous moorers gone? Fradley Junction was a breeze both with the wind and lack of other boats. Armitage brought plies of toilet pans. It looks as though white will be popular colour for a while. Late afternoon brought the rain, lots of it, as we tied up at Great Haywood. We ate onboard again and as it was so wet outside nobody went to the pub!

Thu 3rd Sept

Thursday morning it was still raining, is that why we were late to depart? The gods were with us now, it stopped raining. As the boats crossed Tixall Wide the waves showed it was still windy. Today was the day of running aground, lots of times. The first was entering Tixall Lock, pushing, pulling, forward revs, reverse revs, rocking, flushing, eventually persuaded President into the lock. This was the day where we must have been in front of the fleet from the festival, there may not have been 239 boats behind but there were several. Where were we going to stop for the night? On and on we travelled Stafford, Penkridge, the boat did not stop but we re-supplied the boat with food and booze, then Gailey, surely here, but no, on and on, past Hatherton Branch and the marina. It was dusk again. The crews were running out of steam just past the marina, we stopped. The supplies purchased in Penkridge were now consumed, they did not last long. Not being far from the marina three volunteers made a walk to Misty’s Bar and Restaurant to see if it had improved, the news was good, yes it had.

Fri 4th Sept

Friday saw the boats travel from Hatherton Junction to the Black Country Living Museum. Another hot cold day. (Depending whether you are in the ole or not I presume! – Ed) The Narrows, Autherley Junction, the smallest real narrowboat were all passed and on to Aldersley Junction. The 21 locks of Wolverhampton were next. The crew numbers increased, more helpers to do the hard work, they came especially to do the locks! Two hours and forty minutes it took President beating Kildare by ten minutes, but of course we must not race and Kildare started five minutes behind and did not have a steam engine. At the top 2 crew members departed, something about looking at a baby, or was it the bow-hauling? Only 6 miles to go. Never a dull moment this narrow boating, running aground, a large solid object, rocking of the boat and an unshipped rudder, all events before we arrived at the BCLM.
A meal in a local pub, the last night on President, and the inevitable cleaning the following day brought an end to a fabulous trip. One thing not mentioned so far was the enormous amount of food, tea and coffee the captain supplied. If an army marches on its stomach then President and Kildare swim on their victuals.     
Rod Fox