Travelling up the night before, Louise Lear the Radio 4 weather presenter, was particularly excited to talk about the ‘return of winter’, with arctic blasts and wintery showers spreading south, mid-week. I was starting to feel a bit under-prepared, although it was the end of March and unusual weather.

I was leaving my car at Martin’s a fellow long distance runner and cyclist from the 90s. The last time that I left a car in his drive it was unexpectedly there for 3 months as my secondment in Hong Kong got extended by 8 weeks. Neither of us wants that to happen this time (if that’s not tempting fate….).

Part of the deal of leaving the car was a shuttle service to the Pitstop cafe, a short walk from the start of the T&M canal. It very reminiscent of airport parking but without the £15/day charge (yet). Thanks Martin.

It was good to finally get going after being in my calendar for a while. And with various last minute uncertainties it would be nice to focus on one thing for a few days.

After passing Lock No.1, the canal entered Shardlow, a pretty canalside village with a marina, lots of moored boats and quirky features. The Union Jack painted seat felt more patriotic than some of the strategically hung flags seen elsewhere in the country. Some of the boat names were intriguing and far more imaginative than in the old days.

Having had a couple of days off my legs felt ok. I reached Willington after 12 miles and had the option of a coffee, but decided to push on to Burton where I was targeting a pub stop. Leaving Willington the tranquility was soon replaced by the sound of traffic on the busy A38 which soon ran alongside the canal (and did so intermittently for the next 12 miles). However the bird life remained.

There are several breweries in Burton upon Trent which is known as the brewing capital of the UK. I stopped at a pub called the Navigation but it wasn’t doing food on Tuesday and so I ended up at the local Coop with a meal deal eaten on the hoof. A disappointment, but at least it was still trading unlike so many pubs which have gone under.

After ‘lunch’ the northerly (head)wind picked up making if tough going as my legs started to tire. There were also long straight stretches of canal, occasionally broken up by passing narrow boats and locks.

Along here I passed a guy lobbing a three-pronged hook over to the other side of the canal and trawling it back. I knew that it was an official activity as he had a lifejacket on. Having a chat with him, the Canal and Riverboat Trust (a charity) had received a report of an underwater obstruction “in the area”. He admitted it was a ‘needle on a haystack’ job but was there anyway. Probably some retired boatowner hit his prop on a bike or a shopping trolley and felt the need to complain.

After more long straight sections the canal started interfacing with the River Trent just before Alrewas, another pretty canalside village.

A few miles on Fradley Junction (with the Coventry canal) marked marathon distance. I was hoping for a coffee stop here, but the lease on the cafe had finished 2 days before and hence it was closed. Not having much luck with refueling stops today.

I finally made it to bridge 58, the turn off to my accommodation at the Old Peculiar pub where of course I had a beer of the same name with my Fisherman’s Pie listening to the rain battering the windows. Ominous. It was pleasing to have completed 31.5 miles and 67,000 steps without wrecking myself before another 2 hard days. For a canal enthusiast it had been a reasonably interesting day, but I can imagine non-ethusiasts may have found it less so. As I’ve said before you never know what’s round the next corner but today it was probably another long straight.