Whitchurch ,Shropshire 07 April 20011

For the first time because of the direction we are going, I am going to pick the van up myself and then pick Martine up in town when she has finished work. I was slightly concerned because there is a quite steep junction to get onto Trippet Lane in Sheffield city center, and I had to time it right because i didn't want to be sat waiting in the town center.
I left myself about an hour and a half to get the van and get into town. Everything went according to plan till i got to the said junction and the lights were at red!!.No worries the beast coped easily with the steep incline and there was Martine waiting at the other end of the road.

As it turned out that incline was small compared to the Woodhead pass which again the beast easily negotiated. But what a nightmare at Tintwistle at the other end of the Woodhead. Must have took us the best part of an hour to get from there to the M67.
Although the motorway system around Manchester was busy there weren't any hold ups and in no time at all we were arriving at Canal side caravan site.http://www.canalsidecaravansite.20m.com/
It cost £57 for Thurs-Sun.

  We were soon shown to our pitch which was hard standing with grass.It was also fully serviced but earlier in the week I had been for some more drain hose but was confronted with multiple sizes and didn't know which size to buy so didn't bother with a mental note to fetch a piece home with me so I'd exactly which size to get , and guess what the hose I had was about 2' short . The water hose only just reached but it was connected so that was a task that didn't need doing .Each pitch also a had TV Ariel connection and the lady from the site lent us a lead and for once we had perfect telly.

We got everything connected and even put up the awning in a world record time of just over an hour (am getting Martine well trained now).

There were 2 ponds for fishing on the site and a go field at the top end solely for dog walking were for once the dogs can be let off the lead. There was also a back gate which lead directly onto the Llangollen canal which was handy for taking the dog as well. (both the main and this gate had a security lock on them which could only be opened with the correct code)

Across the road, and its quite a busy road (A41) there is the Horse & Jockey pub http://thehorseandjockey.webs.com/ .We got everything sorted and wandered across for a few beers and something to eat. There were loads of real ales on, tried a few and the best being Weetwood from the Eastgate brewery http://www.weetwoodales.co.uk/index.htm .they also had a good varied menu.

Next day Friday we ventured into Whitchurch which was about 10 Min's away in the car.
This was a nice market town and quite busy. We stocked up at tesco and then went to the weekly market which was a small farmers market.
There were also lots of pubs dotted around.

After returning to the van we had a walk along the canal towards Whitchurch. The weather was glorious and there were quite a few boats negotiating the locks (Grindley Brook) of which there were many. We walked as far as the staircase locks where there was supposed to be a cafe/bar but unfortunately it wasn't open till the following day.

We walked back  and had a leisurely late afternoon/evening just sat in the sunshine.

On Saturday we went abroad for the day .......well into Wales anyway, to Llangollen which turned out to be quite busy, and there was a steam gala weekend at the preserved railway which had a terminus station in the town http://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/page.php?id=1 .The railway and canal (Llangollen) was separated from the town by the river Dee. The town itself was small but busy with plenty of shops of all description, pubs and cafes. The river was quite fast flowing with lots of rock outcrops forming a lot of rapids which were being contested by canoeists, and quite a few were losing, ending up upside down inspecting the river bed.

On Sunday we were thinking about getting everything packed away, it was another hot day, if anything hotter than yesterday. Sod this lets see if we can stay another night. No prob, although the site has been quite full since Friday most people are preparing to leave. I don't have to be back at work till half 2 on Monday so there's plenty of time time to get home. so another £19 and we're sorted.
After breakfast we take the back gate to the canal, turn left this time where there's supposed to be another pub half an hour away. Sure enough we soon come across  the Willey Moore Lock Tavern, which does what it says on the label, a pub by a lock on the canal http://www.willeymoorlock.co.uk/ again there are plenty of real ales on offer and a good sized menu, though with having a late breakfast we're not really bothered about food at this stage.

We arrive about 10 past 12 and there aren't many punters in and we get a table outside by the lock in the sunshine, again the canal is busy with lots of boats coming through the lock. As the pub starts to get more busy, seats outside are at a premium and soon most of them are taken. More boats are passing and most of them on seeing loads of people sat in the sunshine drinking beer decide the task of emptying and filling the lock is too much and decide to join us !!! the only downside of this is that with lots of people milling about, Jazz is too giddy,thinks everybody is his best mate, and want to lick them to death so he has to be kept on the lead.
Unfortunately the pub stops serving food at 2 o'clock and closes at 2.30, around which time Martine decides she is hungry ........ so we decide to take a steady walk back and go to the horse & jockey for some snap.

As we approached the locks at Grindley Brook the was a advertisement for the pub, but this too said they stopped serving food at 2.30.......omg Martine not a happy bunny........an its all my fault for not read the thing on the way out !!!!!
We'll just have to wait till tonight.......but i decide (without saying owt to Martine) that I'll just nip across to see if they in fact still serving........Result they are .....
But when I get back, I find Martine has found a few left over snacks from Tesco and a pancake roll from last night chinky, so now its me that's hungry but will have to wait till later.
So I take the opportunity to take down the awning ready for an early start in the morning.
We later go in and have our tea and a few pints..

Up early next morning, get everything disconnected, and away for 8 o'clock, reaching Donny at about half 10 by way of the A50,A38,M1 & M18 this time.......