While Starwoman cooked dinner Brian and I took a stroll down from our overnight stop in Shardlow to see the impressive new footbridge over the Trent where the canal meets the river. (photo c. Graham Hogg)

It's quite sight. And so, for rather different reasons was the spectacle at the first lock on the canal. Like all of them today it's a big, heavy double lock. And it's also the first one that hire boaters coming up from Sawley encounter on their holiday.
To be honest, this lot didn't have a clue. I can sympathise - it was their first time in a narrowboat and their first lock. If they had had any instructions well they must have been at the back of the class talking to each other and not listening to teacher. So headmaster Starman decided to give them some coaching.
Boat one was just going in; boat two needed so encouragement to believe it could also go in. Quite a bit of bashing and banging later it discovered it could. Then it was the full works: ground paddles before gate paddles, this is how you raise them, this is how you lower them (repeated several times for benefit of gormless teenage son) etc etc.
But we all had a laugh, they hopefully got the hang of things and with a bit of goodwill from us fellow boaters they'll have a good holiday.
As, I hope, will we!