The tidal bit

We left the excellent King's Marina at Newark this morning (£8 a night including electric and water - we definitely had our £16 quids worth).

 and swiftly approached a ready and waiting Newark Nether lock which was the start of today's 21 mile journey

 Not a great deal to see for much of the day due to the flood banks and (being Saturday) mile after mile of fishermen.

 Everything is silhouetted against the skyline

 You so wouldn't want to be looking for the needle.

 We had booked passage through Cromwell Lock at 1.00 to run down with the ebbing tide and arrived early so G could have lunch and I could walk the dogs. Yet again we had to throw the dogs up onto the bank.

 Muttley found and ate something disgusting which had dire consequences later on and bodes no good for tonight's sleep!!!

 The lockie at Cromwell is Les Heath who writes for Towpath Talk and lives on NB Country Rose. We struck up an instant rapport with a definite engagement to share a bottle of wine on the way back.

 This lovely memorial garden is dedicated to the 10 volunteers of the 131 independent parachute squadron of the Royal Engineers who died when they went over the weir in an exercise on 28th September 1975.

 Coming out of Cromwell Lock onto the tidal water

 Weather on and off all day - only one real dousing - I left himself to be doused whilst I did a few domestics

 MR reached the best speed she has ever mustered at 7mph - 1,800 rpm with a tail wind and the tide running us down. That cleared a few cobwebs!

 Glowering - the sky as well as himself

 The Trent Valley generates more than a quarter of all the electricity generated in England and Wales and, specifically, half of London's power.

 And here we are safely through Torksey lock on the Fossdyke Navigation with another lovely lockie who invited us to stay on his moorings (no other traffic today) and pointed us in the direction of the nearest real ale.

A very special day - survived happily (despite only having a little one).