You wait ages for a blogger. . .

I wanted an early start this morning but first I had to walk over to Alrewas Co-op for some bread, milk and coffee. I could have got all of this last night, but if I left it until the morning I could get a newspaper as well. But not only did the newsagent not have a copy of the "i" (the cheapie version of the Independent) but as I'd left the paper till last I no longer had enough cash on me to buy one of the more expensive papers!

Fradley Junction and locks were very busy, but at least the queues meant that there was plenty of help around and I did very little actual lock work. Two volunteer lockies were speeding the traffic up on the top two locks, but there were still half-a-dozen boats waiting to come down at the top. It was while waiting for this lock that I met the first blogger of the day: Stein, the Norwegian captain of "Like Ducks 2 Water"

Stein. From his tee-shirt a man after my own heart!

The second blogger came along at the end of the day, after I'd tied up between Colwich and Great Haywood overlooking the parkland that surrounds Shugborough Hall.  I was just watching the launch of two hot air balloons when who should come along but "Captain Ahab". The captain and I both competed in this year's BCN Marathon Challenge and I learned that he came 10th, 9th, which reminds me that I must ask James and Amy (Lucky Duck), who organised the entry on Birmingham & Midland's Birmingham Boat Services' "Collingwood"  how we did.

Captain Ahab photographing hot air balloons before coming back for a chat.

When the captain arrived I was on the phone to my mum to wish her a happy 87th birthday and then it was nearly time to settle down for "Last Night of the Proms" - heard the only way - on the BBC Third Programme!  This means that summer is now officially over - and Autumn has begun.