Gnosall to Wheaton Aston

Friday 27th November

Whilst James continued on the pens I took Dudley for a walk, I passed by the old dismantled railway on my way to the Post Office yesterday and thought it would be nice for a walk along there and it started out to be. The old railway is on an embankment with houses one side backing onto it for a while. Two chocolate Labradors appeared behind us but so sign of an owner, they were friendly, a bit too much and one kept jumping up at me - it was very muddy!! I was not happy, Dudley was though having two playmates on his walk. I assumed they had made their escape from one of the gardens as still after a while no sign of an owner walking with them, they had collars on but unfortunately no ID and they were insistent that they wanted to follow me. Then there was a lady walking towards me with a dog on a lead, the two labs ran off to say hello and did the same jumping up at her, by the time she reached me she wasn't happy that my dogs were running riot, I explained and told her my dog was Dudley, also on a lead and asked if she recognised the labs, she didn't, but said she hoped they stayed with me and didn't follow her - not very helpful, but they did stay with me. I was hanging around hoping the labs would get bored and return home, they didn't. Then a couple came along walking my direction, unfortunately they also didn't know the dogs. I explained I was heading down to the canal and didn't want them to follow, and didn't want to just leave them if they were lost, they said not to worry they would sort it. So off I went, when I got back to LJ James asked me if I had fallen over as I was really muddy.

A little bit later a guy walked by with three chocolate Labradors, I wonder if two of them were the escapees. On his way back I was out the back clearing up, he stopped and asked if I knew the dogs at all as he had found them and they followed him, so I guess the couple just left them. He then asked if we had some spare rope or anything he could use as a lead. He explained he had been walking along the old railway embankment when he heard a crying and whimpering sound coming from the canal direction, he went to to have a look and found the two labs in the canal not being able to get out, so he hauled them both out, which must have taken some doing as they weren't small, he was taking them home and would try and trace the owner but needed a lead as he would have to go along a busy road and didn't want them loose. So at least they would be safe and hopefully he found the owner.

After lunch we set off, we were originally heading for Brewood, but the forecast was high winds and rain for a couple of days so we would probably stay put and there are lots of trees at the visitor moorings there so we stopped just before at Wheaton Aston, there was one space left below the locks. 

Moored at Wheaton Aston

5.5 miles and 0 locks

TOTAL 710.5 miles and 554 locks