Easter holiday - day eight

This post has been posted a day late due to no internet connection last night. I think T-Mobile was down as the communication centre told me I had 4 bars of GPRS but it wouldn't connect! A very pleasant cruise yesterday to Shugborough, (just below the Great Haywood turn).

Started the day in shorts and T-shirt but the day got progressively colder as we went on resulting in the need for jeans, jumper, fleece and a roaring fire by the time we moored. Whistled through the 2 locks at Fradley junction and then somehow ended up on the back end of about 6 boats for the 3rd lock! Just as the boat in front were entering the lock chamber both they and us simultaneously picked up serious quantities of plastic around our props. Much amusement later and we were all cleared and through. I am pleased to report that Colwich Lock is now a fully functioning one and that the 16+ boat queues we are all accustomed to are a thing of history! 2 Two brand new shiny lock gates herald the work completed during the winter stoppage and the lock now fills at a perfectly respectable speed. Beware, however, that the bottom left hand gate is not well balanced and swings open before the top paddle can be drawn!

Moored up in the evening and were rewarded by the common sight of 2 large hot air balloons taking off and then flying directly, (and extremely low,) over head. I have posted a picture fromt he better part of the day of my flag fluttering in the sunshine and the picture below requires an answer please? What are these gates for? They can be found in many of the bridges on the Trent and Mersey between Fradley and Great Haywood. Our assumption is something to do with hay or feed for the horses but they could be for something much more mundane such as stop planks! Can anyone advise?