We start December with another cutting, Grub Street, not as narrow as Woodseaves but with a great bridge with it's own telegraph pole. Then good moorings at Norbury Junction.

I have to say that in terms of good visitors moorings, the Shroppie is the best. Credit to the Shropshire Union Canal Society for making their canal very welcoming to visitors.

We stopped in Gnosall Heath which is a great little town with a fine butcher. His roast beef was much appreciated by us and our son Christopher who came to visit.

Through the short but impressive Cowley tunnel and then we turned round and started to head back north. Back through the cuttings where we again played hide-and-seek with a kingfisher - magic. The forecast was for gales but we did Tyrley and Adderly locks in a dead calm and 14 degrees ! We then mored above Audlem flight in a wooded cutting in perfect silence - is it really December!

On the 11th of December we took up our mooring at Venetian Marina. We did some ice-breaking to ge there and pnce in it got even colder. The noises that ice makes when it breaks against the hull are amazing!

We decided the Atlantic was a bit much for nb-Charybdis so we took the plane out to Lanzarote for some winter sunshine and even had a go at scuba-diving on Christmas Eve - brilliant. We returned to England on the 28th, it was wet but much warmer than when we left.

We have had a cratch, and front and back covers fitted so we are quite comfortable.

Its been a wonderfull year, and we have enjoyed every minute of it. We will be visiting our friends Mick & Judy to say goodbye to 2007 in style.

See you all in 2008