Through Atherstone, and the power of blogs

16th & 17th September

Since we weren’t going anywhere today, we could make a lazy start. This was particularly welcome, as I was feeling the effects of a cold coming on, and very happy to sit around doing bits and pieces like sorting through more of the huge wedge of post Elanor brought with her when she visited us at St Ives, and which has been lurking in heaps on the side berth ever since.

We were also glad not to be moving as the weather had become very breezy, and a certain amount of uninnocent pleasure was to be had watching people strive to cope with it past the moorings and into the bridge holes by the BW yard.

Elanor duly turned up just after lunch, bringing more post, and a boot load of logs, courtesy of Stuart’s family. We lugged this to the boat, rather than taking the boat nearer her car, in view of the weather. Sanity now has a pile of bags of Pureheat and various piles of logs on her roof, so you can tell it must be Autumn.

This was more of a trek than it needed to be, as a great chunk of the towpath between us and the bridge is reserved for disabled anglers. Now I’ve nothing at all against those less able than myself, and not much against anglers, even, but there are these facts

1) I’ve only ever seen two disabled anglers in 30 years’ boating
2) Local moorers tell me that they’ve only ever seen one (non-disabled) angler using this facility
3) This is not surprising, as it’s right opposite a line of offside mooring, and so not a good place to catch fish in the first place.

During the afternoon, Braidbar number 67, Hyperion, went by, but we didn’t make contact with them beyond an exchange of waves and smiles. Last time we met her, she was on her way to Streethay for a prepurchase survey, so hopefully that was the new owners we saw. If we catch up with them tomorrow, we’ll tell them about the Braidbar Owners email group.

Elanor stayed for dinner, then went off to feed the cats and prepare herself for the rigours of another working week (work, work? ... oh yes, I remember {shudders}).

This morning was another cool morning, but not so breezy at first. I steered to Atherstone, and we set off down the flight. Last time we were here, I commented on the contradictory signs on the sanitary station, but today the ‘suitable for pump out machines’ one had gone. Maybe somebody in BW West Mids reads this blog!

There was a fair bit of traffic on the flight, but we got down the first five locks in reasonable time, and stopped to moor by the big road bridge and go shopping. After a cup of coffee we set off again, still with loads of boats coming up, including Braidbar number 73, Langley. This meant I found myself well ahead of Sheila who was lockwheeling, as she stopped for a quick natter, but it didn’t matter as I had to wait for the next lock anyway.

We got to our favourite mooring two locks up from the bottom of the flight just in nice time for lunch, and spent the afternoon here, again with the fire lit against the effect of the northerly wind which had sprung up once more.

Another dozy afternoon, then (good for colds, you know). I did the blog, and removed the AdSense ads from the template – in six months, they’ve earned me about $10, and since they don’t pay you until you’ve earned $100, it could be five years before I see any money. Meantime, I don’t think they improved the look of the blog, so off they came.

Sheila had finished the jumper she’s knitted for Daniel, with press studs we bought in Atherstone, so we can post that in Fazeley tomorrow. Just as well – the rate he’s growing, much longer and he’d have outgrown it before he’d got it.