We survive a night at Kidderminster.

How I love the bucolic charm of the English countryside, especially the bit that says mobile 'phone signals are an optional extra, but you don't get the option. So a brief update.
We thoroughly enjoyed our fish supper at Kinver and the next day headed of to Kidderminster and a top up of the store cupboard. Sainsburys' took a hammering and after raiding all the charity shops in town for reading material we decided, against all advice, to stay overnight. Being next to Sainsbury's car park is not the most scenic mooring but next morning we awoke, throats not cut, mooring lines still secure and roof accoutrements still there. So merrily we set off for Stourport, the sun shone

and even the usually dour church above the lock positively glowed. Mind you,if you look the other way at the lock

it's a whole different ball game. Unusually there were three boats moored by Tescos, generally considered a no go area but they had spent a peaceful night; is Kiddie in danger of losing its reputation as the wild frontier?
Having seen all the publicity about the dangerously low fitting of the new handrails at Falling Sands Lock we were almost disappointed to find that

a modicum of common sense had prevailed and there was now plenty of headroom.
We moored at the Bird in Hand, just opposite the cemetery. Definitely our preferred mooring at Stourport.
It's about a ten minute walk to the town and as we had two objectives we soon set off but, as is a must, we made our first stop the canal basins.. The old power station basin has been redeveloped as des. res. with plenty of moorings, presumably available for the occupants.

Pity none of them are taking advantage of the facility.

The locks and basins are as attractive as usual, the river was just in the green then but the level has gone up and today, once again, the Severn was closed..

I sometimes feel that Stourport Yacht Club is trying to give all we narrowboaters an inferiority complex.
First stop in town was Allcock's Outdoor Store for a fishing tackle top up, it's a fact, more anglers than fish have been caught by gaudy floats.
Next stop was Gough's butchers in the high street, cherry smoked local bacon, home made sausages and real local meat. We will eat well for the next few days.

Spot today's anomaly, canalside signs could get quite interesting in the near future.
We're now heading back up the Staffs. and Worcs. Kidderminster was back on form,

took this lot off the prop. just by Tescos and on setting off again bounced off of what felt suspiciously like a submerged supermarket trolley.
Tonight we're at Wolverley and, as I write this, overhead are two visitors.

We now have a booking in the paint dock at Norbury Junction, I've given up trying to paint the roof, at least their dock is covered. So it's a trip back to the Shroppie.

Watch this space....................