Sunshine, Shroppie, seeds and silence

What a difference the sun makes – the first warm day of May. The Shrophire Union canal (the Shroppie) glides its way north-west through a rural landscape, interrupted by the occasional village. The air is full of gently blown seeds, birdsong and … nothing. Absolute silence as we had our usual soup and bread lunch. Tonight we've moored up on the edge of Knighton Wood, with a ploughed field through the hedge on one side, and the brilliant yellow of a field of rape on the other. As last night, the mobile has no signal. The birds are the only thing to be heard.

The day held its usual mix of contacts, of course. Helpful people at Norbury Junction to advise on a slipped fender and sell us some diesel and some solid fuel for the fire (the evenings are chilly). A couple with a pram hood cover on their cruiser stern to chat about the pros and cons of getting one for Erin Mae. A wave from those coming the other way and a greeting exchanged with the fishermen and the moored liveaboards. But very little moving traffic.

In fact, perfect conditions for listening to Test Match Special as England put the first one to bed.