Dark red

In my limited experience, not all paints are equal. Having been delighted with the green undercoat from Craftmaster which I used when starting to paint bits of Erin Mae, I decided to stick with this make for the red bits as well. I'm in the process of covering up a slightly corroded bit before the ravages of winter strike, and I thought I had some. Not so!

Our own marina is a Craftmaster stockist, but they didn't have the Dark Red paint in question. The next nearest three stockists are all about an hour's drive away, and only one of them had it – our old friends at Kings Lock Chandlery in Middlewich. I would spend more on diesel getting there and back than I would on getting Craftmaster to send me some, but I'd get it today and, hey, it was a lovely afternoon for a country drive.

Well, the M6 bit didn't count as a nice country drive – stretches were uncharitably full of snarled-up traffic. Once we left the motorway, however, everything was fine. The last two miles of the journey were rather odd, as we drove alongside a stretch of the canal that we have done several times in Erin Mae. Nigel at Kings Lock, as ever, was very helpful, and even gave me a discount on the paint.

After a quick visit to the supermarket it was decision time – which way back to Great Haywood? We decided on the pretty route and went via Nantwich and then the A51 to Stone. We were very happy with the decision. The late afternoon sun was shining, the roads were relatively empty (and no, it wasn't that all the traffic was queueing up behind us!) and we had an enjoyable run home. At one point we passed over the M6, and its condition confirmed we'd done the right thing.

Now I've got the paint. All I've got to do is use it. Tomorrow looks as thought it will be a washout. I could probably have had it in my hands by Friday if I'd ordered it from Craftmaster, for less than I spent on the fuel today.

But it was a very nice drive home!