Happy New Year (and introducing our new crew member)

Best wishes to everyone for a good cruising year in 2014.  We have had a busy Christmas, settling in our new crew member Meg …



She is a four-year-old collie, smaller than dear old Tess, and full of energy.  She is a rescue dog but had clearly had a loving home before her family’s circumstances meant she had to be rehomed through the Blue Cross. Here she is with her new family (apart from Deb behind the camera) -



We are so looking forward to our first cruise this year!

Chuffed’s 2013 Summary
Waterways cruised

Droitwich canals	River Severn	Staffs and Worcester	Stourbridge canal
Dudley nos 1 and 2	Birmingham Main Line	Worcester and Birmingham canal	Stratford canal
Grand Union canal	North Oxford	Coventry canal	Ashby canal
Trent and Mersey	River Trent (T&M to Soar Mouth only)	Soar Navigation	Grand Union Leicester Line
Welford Arm (Leicester Line)	South Oxford	River Thames	River Kennet/Kennet and Avon canal

Stats
351 cruising hours, 552 miles, 369 locks, 59 moveable bridges
A total of 93 days (8 not cruising) over 8 trips; 3 months over elapsed time of 8.5 months
Marinas stayed at
Droitwich Spa, Ashwood, Stockton Top, Springwood Haven, Fenny Compton, Froud's Bridge and Caen Hill.
Places visited
Worcester, Droitwich, Stourport, Kinver, Windmill End, Birmingham (NEC), Kings Norton junction, Kingswood Junction, Hillmorton, Coventry, Market Bosworth (and battlefield), Atherstone, Fradley Junction, Shardlow, Sawley Cut, Loughborough, Leicester (and Richard III dig), Foxton, Welford, Crick, Braunston, Fenny Compton, Banbury, Thrupp, Oxford, Abingdon, Wallingford, Reading, Aldermaston, Newbury, Hungerford, Crofton, Caen Hill flight, Bradford-on-Avon, Bath.