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“We must have just missed you on the chug up from Fradley to Great Haywood - suspect we were a couple of days ahead," Sarah wrote. "Until we actually got to GH, we weren't sure which way we were going to go - Stourport had been touted but then we had a last minute change of heart and decided that we would go up to the Bridgewater and chalk up the Trent and Mersey as our latest 'done it all' conquest. All went well until Thursday morning when our all-singing, all-dancing loo went on the blink - oh how we wished we'd opted for the cassette instead! This started six days of hoiking out the toilet and working it manually, calls to Lee Sanitation to see if they could help, lots of frustration and cross words and basically, it took the gloss off a bit. Shame, as everything else was great — weather reasonable, people nice, boats slowing down past the mooring, Susie being feted by everyone (she survived falling in the tail of Colwich lock when Andy had to jump in to rescue her!).

Anyway, to cut a long story short, we coped by generally wiggling things around, which gave us three or four problem-free flushes before it stopped again - but at least we could go and only had to use the bucket once. Then, just as we thought things were looking up, we developed a horrible sound emanating from the engine room - definitely metal on metal and very worrying. This was on the Saturday and by Sunday the sound was akin to torture, even on tickover. Two visits into marinas elicited the opinion that it was probably the shaft wearing against the phospor bronze bearing and the sound would disappear in time after it had worn a new groove! By Monday we were really worried so we popped into Orchard Marine - they distinguished themselves by not even bothering to come out and look as it was the middle of their tea-break. I also noticed that they charged for water! So, on to Middlewich Narrowboats who had tried to help with our loo. And praise be to Ian, who diagnosed the problem very quickly and who sorted us out the next day. We needed a new coupling - some misalignment of the engine had caused the shaft and coupling to grate on one another.

We're not sure if the misalignment dates to the original installation or whether things have deteriorated over time but one thing's for certain — the boat is a different beast now. One thing I'd always been surprised by was the fact that we didn't seem to have a lot of oomph under way despite having a Beta 43 in a 57 ft boat. I was always reluctant to nudge it past 1600 revs as the engine was loud and felt as though it was protesting. Now it is fantastically smooth and at 1500 revs we bomb along without much noise at all - now I understand why I was always being tailgated by people. Not that we like to go fast but it's just nice to know we can turn it on when we have to ... and it feels right now. So every cloud and all that ... and to top things off, Andy got help from another of the Middlewich lads and together they completely dismantled the toilet, made various adjustments, regreased the seal and put it all back together. And what do you know? It's worked beautifully ever since - which made us laugh as Lee Sanitation had promised to send us over a new base when we got back to Streethay! Full marks to the boatyard - they were incredibly helpful, good humoured and lent lots of moral support when it was needed. Middlewich also had loads of pubs and some excellent takeaways and a simply brilliant tool shop just down from the yard.

In between these episodes, I managed to chuck the lump hammer in the cut and the cafetiere broke (the worst thing of the whole holiday in my opinion!). But despite all this, we did get on to the Bridgewater which felt rather like a different world although we didn't go far. The trip certainly confirmed my belief that the stretch from Middlewich upwards is one of the best bits of canal I've been on and very possibly one of the most underrated. I heard a lot of good things about the Weaver as well so might get that in our sights soon.

We're hoping to get out again at the end of September for a week. I think on balance that we won't come out in August again - it was very busy and while that didn't spoil our enjoyment, I like things a little emptier. Having said that, everyone we met was really nice - having Susie made a real difference as it sort of softened everyone up and Andy is always very relaxed if people are fussing the pooch. Susie also learnt an awful lot - she worked out how to get round locks and was happy to walk between locks on her own if we were both on the boat. She was pretty obedient most of the time and by the end, even knew that mummy untying the ropes meant she needed to get on board!

Best wishes, Sarah”

The exciting news we have for you is that we have another addition to the family - Arthur, a red fawn greyhound. We got him three weeks ago and he is absolutely lovely - a bit excitable at times but just a great dog. Even Susie is warming to him - albeit slowly. We did get up to the boat at the weekend in order to introduce him to the canal environs. He got off to a spectacular start by thinking he could walk on water - one step over the piling and splash! One wet dog! He did pretty well with being introduced to the other dogs as well. As with Susie back in the beginning, he needs to be socialised and to find his way round other dogs. He got rather carried away with a little Pomeranian late at night (my fault really because I didn't have a firm grip of his collar) and relieved said dog of a little bum hair. Thankfully the owner was very understanding and the Pom was fine.

On Saturday we cruised out (after having had a long introductory chat to Andrew Denny) and amazingly the two dogs worked out how to stand on the counter at the same time without shoving the other - or me - in the cut. You can just imaging the scene - a narrowboat chugging along with one greyhound head peeking out from one side, another head peeking out from the other.

Very cute.

Oh, I forgot to mention Arthur's party trick on Friday. We walked down the towpath and I let him off the lead but with his muzzle on. He was behaving very well but then discovered a little path up the side of a bridge which led onto a farm track, down which was a field entrance. He thought this was great fun and off he toddled. Susie wondered whether she should follow (like a good younger sister being influenced by a naughty older brother) and decided it was too good an opportunity to miss. I found them bounding round the field having the most enormous sport but bless him, Arthur did come back to me. I got them back on their leads and led them back to the towpath, whereupon I let them off again with a stern admonishment not to stray again. Thirty seconds later, good old Arthur found a hole in the hedge and went back into the same field, followed once again a mite reluctantly by Susie. Both of them tore round the perimeter having a good old canter but again, Arthur came back. Susie didn't but you can't win 'em all can you? I found her in the next door field being very recalcitrant indeed.

Best wishes, Sarah”

"Just caught up on your latest news and I have to confess that it's left me feeling a little sad! I'm not sure I want to think of the cut without Snecklifter tootling around it and for a couple who seem so happy living life afloat, you've got me worried that there are things about it that might take Andy and me away from it in similar fashion after a few years. You know it's been my dream to retire early and live afloat - I've always imagined myself having to be carried out boots first, having turned into an exceptionally eccentric old lady but maybe I'm seeing it far too romantically. I totally understand your rationale although you both strike me as so fit and healthy (in mind, spirit and body) that surely you could stretch it to another ten at least! I know we've got another two years (at least!) of your adventures, which have inspired so many people, and of the Friends of Snecklifter network and, hopefully, a few more lunches and pints together - but the cut will be poorer without you. And you'd be shocked at how expensive it is to run a house these days! Bloody energy companies.

Anyway, on to happier subjects. We're off to the boat next Thursday, after a trip to the vets to get the dogs blood-tested. We've taken the bold step of deciding to go and visit my mother in Carcassone in October avec les chiens, hence the passporting procedures. I think we may well check out the Canal du Midi while we're there...a season or two in the south of France would be cool (well, quite hot actually but you know what I mean). The Easter period itself will be devoted to cleaning the boat, inside and out - Andy is on brass and engine duty, I'm on the paintwork and stern greaser. We shall head off after the rush on late Monday, just a trundle up to Fradley. Then it's back to where Arcadia was born, Stenson, and if we're in the mood, we'll take on those horrible locks that run down to the Trent. They're okay going down, it's just coming back up that's a pain. If we've time, we'll then cruise down past Normanton, maybe get to Loughborough and then head back. Or then again, we may just turn at Sawley, who knows?

We're going to try to squeeze in as many long weekends as possible and then we've got to try and get a fortnight in before the kids break for summer. Last week in June, first week in July might be an option but we're a bit stuck as to where we will head. The original plan had been to cruise in the autumn to Llangollen but we're going to France instead - not sure I want to go Wales-wards so close to high season, so summer could see us either a) reaching the end of the Caldon after two failed attempts b) doing the southern Stratford, which somehow has eluded me till now c) doing the Worcester & Birmingham, Severn and Staffs & Worcs d) heading up to the Bridgewater and doing the Weaver or e) doing the T&M, Soar, GU Leicester line, GU mainline, Coventry ring. What I really want to know is how on earth I will make up my mind where to go when we're aboard full time? So much choice. With a fair wind, we might be able to do the South Stratford later in the year, so my bets would be the Weaver. We just love going north - don't know why but it's like going home. Maybe it's because everyone seems that much friendlier. Well, I do very much hope that our paths cross soon - even if we have to come out to you by car. It doesn't actually seem that long ago that we were enjoying that meal in the Plough but it is an age - we've added three dogs since then! All the very best to you for the forthcoming season and I really do hope you will reconsider - you'd be sorely missed by many."

Sarah