Pottering around Alrewas and environs

26th & 27th September

We had a few medical things we needed to get sorted, so at 8.20 I phoned the surgery and after only about five redials got through and made appointments to see our favourite GP. These were for 9.10 and 9.30, so were soon dealt with. It’ll mean some follow up stuff, but nothing that’s likely to keep us here longer than anticipated anyway. The doctors are very good at coping with our lifestyle, and at getting prompt appointments for us (see why we like Alrewas?).

It was a fine morning afterwards, so we went for a stroll along the river section of the canal, just to stretch legs and get rid of the stiffness from Tuesday’s exertions. This took us past Rebel’s field, and we were sorry but not surprised to read a farewell poem pinned to his fence. Rebel, it seems, has finally passed on to the great green pasture in the sky.

On the way back, we stopped to chat to a couple at Alrewas lock. It turned out that they were on their first trip on a Shakespeare Classic Line boat. They were finding it hard going they said, particularly in the stiff breeze we’ve been having. They’d also succumbed to the biggest danger for a first timer, that of trying to do too much, and becoming exhausted.

We did our best to reassure them, but I’m not sure that they were likely to come back. Hopefully the rest of their week will be better for them.

Yet again we gave way to the temptation to buy pasties for lunch, and whilst eating them gave some thought to how we are going to fill the time between now and the next appointment on Monday. We’ve decided to take a run up to Rugeley to shop and see how Elanor’s chimney is getting on. We can refuel and get a pump out at Fradley as we go past.

In the rest of the afternoon we acknowledged the fact that Autumn is with us by swapping the clothes over. We got the big sports bag and stuff sacks out from under the bed, and changed shorts and tee shirts for long sleeved shirts and jumpers. A few items failed the two summers test (have I worn this at any time in the last two summers?) and were put out to go to the recycling bin.

First thing to do this morning was to reverse through the bridge to the winding hole. It’s Sheila’s turn to steer today, and she said that she wanted to get this bit over with before the cut got busy. Accordingly, we made an early start, and she backed us past four moored boats, round the bend and under the bridge, and then winded and moved onto the lock mooring.

I then nipped into the village to drop the clothes off in the recycle bin and buy a paper whilst she single handed up Bagnall Lock.

Once I was back, we had a straight run through to the water point by the BW office in Fradley. It was running slowly as usual, and we had to wait for another boat, Blue Buzzard, to finish before we got onto it. About half an hour later we’d filled up and run most of a wash load. Then it was up Junction Lock, and wait to get onto the service mooring, which at Fradley is an old BW work flat.

We took 157 litres of diesel, so not before time, but this time at 54 pence per litre, rather than the 59p we’d paid in Ely. The pump out at Fradley is average. The rinse you get is one flush down the pump out hole, rather than using the rinse out hole that flushes the length of the tank. None of the marinas round here do a specially good job, and the only service point approved for self pump out is the one at Horninglow Basin in Burton. This effort, though done in a friendly way, didn't manage to get the green 'empty' light on on the tank guage. Good job it only cost £10 (without blue)

All done and paid for, we set off to go up the next two locks, but had to wait for those as well. Queuing is rather the way of life at Fradley when it’s busy. We found a space on the visitor moorings above Shade House lock, and stopped for the day.

Elanor’s coming to see us again this evening, so will have a bit of a walk when she gets here. The nearest car park is at the bottom of the flight.

This afternoon’s highlight was my second attempt to cut Sheila’s hair. It went better than the first, but there’s still room for improvement.

Later in the afternoon, Braidbar 61, Shiraz, went by, but we were too slow to realise, and didn’t have a chance to chat.