Richard joined me on Sunday evening to say goodbye to Pete, Maurice, Arthur and Michael. After watching a Samba band on the stage that evening, we went to bed ready for the return home. Monday brought the time for us to carry on along the Trent and Mersey Canal from Burton-upon-Trent and so we woke up bright and early to be able to set off before the last 200 boats that were left, but fortunately most weren't heading our way.

We set off 8.30am hoping to stop somewhere where there was a pub and so we ended up at a familiar spot that we had seen just 2 months earlier - the junction of the River Trent, River Soar, the Trent and Mersey Canal and the Erewash Canal.

Once we got to this point we were pretty hungry. It was about 6 o'clock so we decided to go through the lock onto the Erewash Canal to stay overnight and visit The Steamboat Inn.

Tuesday brought us moving down through the lock and back onto the non-tidal Trent.

We even passed the water skiing part of the river where a fast power boat and skier passed us a couple of times (it got a bit bumpy). We tried to stop at two of the locks before Newark-on-Trent, which we were told had to be manned by a Lock Keeper as the electricians were working. Eventually, after a longer trip than intended and not been able to stop where we wanted on a pontoon with easier access than a five foot climb, we gave in and stopped at Farndon Marina.

Look at how big these locks were and this was the smaller door side, Imagine having these on the Chesterfield!

Eventually we went past the familiar sight of Newark Castle while going through Newark-on-Trent....

....and onto the easier part of the tidal Trent ending up at the fantastic Torksey Lock. After meeting the lock keeper and mooring up on the Fossdyke Navigation we had a cup of tea at the waterside cafe. We then walked to the first of the pubs named Swan we'd visit on the way home.

Look forward to the next blog which will be about the VERY tidal Trent with Michael and Arthur joining us as crew and Python finding its way back onto the Chesterfield Canal.

Written by: Thomas Flewitt