A day at F1.....

......Sorry I meant the Stone Soap Box Challenge an event in Stone Festival 2017

Like the Isle of Man TT it is a time trial, taking place down the sloping High Street with a ramp/jump and chicane half way down it's length. A lot of time & effort had gone into most of the competitors carts which all had to pass through the scrutineering bay before being allowed to race.

A good turn out to watch the fun.

Holiday cart

Goldilocks themed outfit.

Lawrence (bar person from the Royal Exchange)  sits in a barrel

and flies over the jump.

Keeping us safe from jihadist's

Burston village.

There's a welcome improvement in the weather this week, hopefully summer has now arrived. Good to be out cruising again. 

After a couple of days chilling at Tixall we left the Staffordshire & Worcestershire canal and on to the Trent & Mersey canal and stopped at the pretty village of Burston.

Thought she only had two joy riders...

then another popped his head up.

Thirsty bovines

The village pond.

St. Rufins

Shady sheep

Blacking day 7

Apart from the less than perfect weather this week we have enjoyed the facilities at the boat club We were made very welcome by all that we met and wouldn't hesitate to dry dock FL here again.  

Getting a full week on the hard standing was a bonus, most boatyards give you the choice of a four or three-day slot.

Clubhouse 

Ex Hazaletrine Canal Arm.

Staffordshire & Worcester canal

Our neighbour for the week Duke is for sale.

Wet dock 

All done ready to be winched back in

Dollies

Here she comes

In she goes

Blacking day 6

Sue put a 4th coat of blacking on to the hull while I painted the bow flashes, tunnel bands and created some personalised non slip treads into the cratch.

Another coat to go on tomorrow 

Anti slip treads created with gloss paint and a dusting of sharp sand then more paint 

Happy Friday in the Royal Exchange

Blacking day 4 & 5

Wednesday was a wash out, not completely, I did get some black paint on to the only dry bit of FL that required attention - the Epping stove.  After this we had a good pub lunch with Roly & Bev while the clouds continued to empty.

Thursday - Our first sight of the sun this week and time for me to get going with the gloss for the gunwales and the tunnel bands while Sue put a third coat of Intertuf on the hull.

With the rain we have had I'm glad we have got this much done.

Blacking day three

Another coat applied in between showers

Blacking day two

Would you believe it, we've had hardly a drop of rain the last six weeks until now. It rained quite heavy this morning but in a three hour window we managed to get the first coat of intertuf on.

Sue did the port side 

While I did the other.

Blacking day one

Two years ago FL was hauled out for blacking, today is her next out of the water trip, this time up the slip at Stafford boat club. The clubs friendly 'Dads Army' do an excellent job of winching the boats out of the canal.

Up she comes.

Getting busy with the jet washer

Gunnel scars rubbed down 

Any bare metal got a coat of Aqua Steel by the end of the day, tomorrow the first coat of blacking goes on, weather permitting. 

There's a descent bar in the club house here, so a well deserved ale is on the cards later on.

National lottery

We won the lottery yesterday....

a  lucky dip to win naff all next week.

Country scenes

Things have greened nicely.