Ray experienced some of the difficult parts of the Trent and Mersey as we cruised past Armitage Shanks and a single file tunnel which has been cut through rocks.

Tonight we are moored Rugeley after taking on supplies.

After finally getting the batteries sorted, Ray joined us at Burton on Trent for his annual stay with us.
We cruised to Fradley Junction where we met Rita and Scooby and had a meal and drinks together.

After many false starts C.A.R.T finally opened the Trent and Mersey to boat traffic at 12pm.
So at 1.30 when the news finally reached us we set off and we reached Ragely Boat Stop which is in fact a pub with moorings which we have passed many times but have not managed to get moored.

 Yesterday we had to get off the Trent and Mersey as the water levels in the canal dropped so much that the nearby marina was being effected.
So they were going to padlock lock 1 which meant we couldn't go forward or back because of problems in the next pound.

Last night was our last night together with Dianne and Peter and we moored on the junction of the Soar and Trent.
We had a meal and drinks in the pub at Trent Lock before we said our goodbyes this morning.

Whilst we have been in Nottingham we have had to have an engineer to check our new batteries as they were not holding their charge.
So last night we went into a marina to go on electric hook up to charge the batteries but alas tonight it has made no difference.
So feeling like the guy in the bottom picture.

 Whilst in Nottingham we had a drink or two in England's oldest Pub.
The pub is built into the rocks below Nottingham Castle and serves a good selection of real ales.

We made it Nottingham and one of the things tells you have arrived is seeing the Brian Clough Football Stand.
We leave the Trent for a short while and travel on the Nottingham and Beeston Canal.

Today we cruised some of the wider parts of the Trent and what comes with wide rivers come extra large locks.
Tomorrow we head for Nottingham.

We were hoping to spend a couple nights in Newark but being a Saturday all the moorings were full.
So after a couple of hours shopping we moved off and moored at Hazelford Lock

The first picture shows the view from the galley window tonight.
As we are moored on the Muskham Ferry Pub moorings we had a belated anniversary meal for Dianne and Peter's anniversary in the pub tonight.

 Ruby was totally P****D off today as she was not only kept inside whilst we travelled the Trent but also made to wear a life jacket.

 We have made it to the River Trent and are booked to go through the lock on to the Trent at 6.30am.
The trip was boring apart from seeing a manned railway crossing, a field of poppies and a railway bridge that had to be opened to let us through.