Hurleston reservoir, not viewed from the canal.

Having hardly put a foot on the bank for five days, owing to the weather and the amount of snooker on the box, this morning we felt it was time to stretch our legs. We've been moored at Hurleston since Wednesday so we set off to take a closer look at the reservoir.

The Welsh Canal empties itself into the reservoir at the top of Hurleston locks.

All that water ready for the use of the good people of Crewe and the surrounding area.

You do get a different view of the locks and the junction from the top of the reservoir embankment.

A few moments of excitement as the two boats try and work out which way the other is going, they missed each other in the end.

Armadillo, from a distance. As is true of so much of the Shroppie the dreaded ledge extends along the moorings here. Well we used to have two wheelbarrow wheels that we used as fenders to hold us clear and on arrival I duly deployed them. Later we noticed that we were banging on the ledge and on investigating we discovered that one of them had mysteriously disappeared. Now there was no way it could have slipped loose so we can only conclude that some lowlife had nicked it. Luckily we had an old twenty litre water container so with a length of line and a spare hook we have pressed it into service as a temporary fender. As my old gran would have said, "Needs must when the devil drives".
Last two sessions of the final coming up. Shaun Murphy is one frame ahead of Stuart Bingham at 9 - 8. Promises to be a gripping session.

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