29th & 30th March
Shortly after I'd finished last time, Elanor showed up for her deferred haircut. I was a bit nervous about doing it, as she's understandably more concerned about her appearance than we are, but she seemed pretty pleased with it when I'd done.
Yesterday started with boat cleaning in readiness for the invasion later in the day. Since Daniel is now crawling, it was important firstly to get the floor as clean as possible, and secondly to try to anticipate what items would now fall within his reach.
Once done, I went round to the butchers, buying chicken fillets for the night's meal, duck fillets for a treat for Sheila and I for tonight, and a pork pie to add interest to the sandwich lunch.
Cathy, Graeme and Daniel arrived in good time, having had a quick run across from Lincoln for once. It's just amazing how much difference a few month's makes in the first year of life. When Daniel looks at you now, there's a person in there contemplating you, and so much of his behaviour is purposeful and exploratory.
After lunch we went to the National Memorial Arboretum. Graeme was particularly keen to go, although the weather was atrocious. It's a very moving place, and we must make a return visit on a better day. It will be a while (say twenty years) before the trees are doing themselves justice, but it's still worth a decent visit now.
Back at the boat for a welcome cup of tea, we were joined by Elanor for dinner, so we had the whole family aboard. Daniel was remarkably good under the circumstances, although he protested quite a bit about being confined to the cot-sided side berth when we were clearly still enjoying ourselves.
This morning it wasn't Daniel who woke us, however, but a pair of ducks on the roof. Yes folks, it's that time of year again when flirtatious ducks lure their prospective swains onto the top of the boat, emitting that special quack that is the ducky come on signal, and engaging in such amusements as log rolling with our spare firewood.
It was a bright and breezy morning when we surfaced, and we all staggered around eating porridge. Cathy, Graeme and Daniel set off at around 10.30 BST to call in on Elanor on their way home. Sheila and I have spent the remainder of what's turned into a very pleasant day pottering around.
The boat is pretty well back to normal, and only one bib has been left behind by the visitors.
As I write this, Elanor has popped in again in search of a little more haircut – it seems that when she washed it, it became apparent that one side was slightly longer than the other, so she'd like it done again properly please.
Sunday, 30 March 2008
Friday, 28 March 2008
Eye tests and pies
27th & 28th March
The only problem with mooring at Shobnall is being driven mad by the delicious smell of mashing wort from one brewery or another. We had a peaceful night, and made the trek into town at nine, stopping off at the Council tip that's just behind the marina to dump our recycling on the way.
After visiting Sainsbury's and Julian Graves, we rolled up at the opticians in good time for our appointments, and spent most of the morning there. Main cause of delay was waiting for me to have my photo taken, or rather photos of my retinas. This means having your pupils dilated, and so having to sit around in a world slowly growing fuzzier until they are wide enough to take the shots.
I mustn't complain – it's a neat service, as the pictures get sent to the local eye clinic to check for signs of diabetic retinopathy. At least this time I remembered to take a pair of dark specs with me; as last year, it was a bright sunny morning. Last year I'd not got the shades with me, and Sheila pretty well had to lead me, eyes screwed shut and watering, back to the boat.
This year, I could see where I was going, although not read print or anything. Sheila promptly took us into the Thornton's choccy shop, though only bought a few bars of marzipan choc in the end.
Back at the boat we had a coffee and then lunch, and then Sheila steered us to Branston Water Park for the night. There's been a short discussion on the canals list recently about the merits and keeping qualities of Fray Bentos tinned pies. One result of this was that I discovered that Sheila is quite partial to these traditional items. (Come on, we've only been married less than 37 years, you can't find out everything about each other straight away.)
We'd bought a couple at Sainsbury's and had the steak and kidney one for dinner, with new potatoes and some lightly steamed cabbage.
Today we wanted to get back to Alrewas, where we'll be for the next week, finishing off the various medico-dental stuff. It's been a long haul this year, partly because we got here earlier than originally planned as a result of our dental problems.
Anyway, we got away at eight, and Sheila carried on steering, since she'd had only a short trick yesterday. It wasn't as windy as forecast, well not at first, but it began to rain in a most unpleasant way. I was glad to be able to lurk in the cabin, only popping out for Tatenhill, Barton Turn, Wychnor and Alrewas Locks, and to help at the water point at Barton Turn.
The cunning plan had been to arrive at Alrewas at around ten, when others would be setting off, and with a full water tank. If we got a mooring between the lock and the water point at Alrewas, this would mean we could last the weekend, pull onto the water point on Monday and then go through to one of the other moorings for the balance of our stay.
The only problem was, the weather was so foul, no one had moved at ten, so we came through the first bridge and tied just the other side. I'll just have to reverse Sanity back through the bridge when we need water. Hopefully, the wind will have dropped a bit by then – this afternoon it's been quite blustery, and we're glad to have stopped for the time being.
A quiet afternoon followed – Cathy, Graeme and Daniel are coming to see us tomorrow, hopefully. Last time we stayed with them, they lent us their copy of the Four Weddings and a Funeral DVD (we just missed it at the cinema), so it was a good excuse to sit and watch it so that we can give it back when we see them.
The only problem with mooring at Shobnall is being driven mad by the delicious smell of mashing wort from one brewery or another. We had a peaceful night, and made the trek into town at nine, stopping off at the Council tip that's just behind the marina to dump our recycling on the way.
After visiting Sainsbury's and Julian Graves, we rolled up at the opticians in good time for our appointments, and spent most of the morning there. Main cause of delay was waiting for me to have my photo taken, or rather photos of my retinas. This means having your pupils dilated, and so having to sit around in a world slowly growing fuzzier until they are wide enough to take the shots.
I mustn't complain – it's a neat service, as the pictures get sent to the local eye clinic to check for signs of diabetic retinopathy. At least this time I remembered to take a pair of dark specs with me; as last year, it was a bright sunny morning. Last year I'd not got the shades with me, and Sheila pretty well had to lead me, eyes screwed shut and watering, back to the boat.
This year, I could see where I was going, although not read print or anything. Sheila promptly took us into the Thornton's choccy shop, though only bought a few bars of marzipan choc in the end.
Back at the boat we had a coffee and then lunch, and then Sheila steered us to Branston Water Park for the night. There's been a short discussion on the canals list recently about the merits and keeping qualities of Fray Bentos tinned pies. One result of this was that I discovered that Sheila is quite partial to these traditional items. (Come on, we've only been married less than 37 years, you can't find out everything about each other straight away.)
We'd bought a couple at Sainsbury's and had the steak and kidney one for dinner, with new potatoes and some lightly steamed cabbage.
Today we wanted to get back to Alrewas, where we'll be for the next week, finishing off the various medico-dental stuff. It's been a long haul this year, partly because we got here earlier than originally planned as a result of our dental problems.
Anyway, we got away at eight, and Sheila carried on steering, since she'd had only a short trick yesterday. It wasn't as windy as forecast, well not at first, but it began to rain in a most unpleasant way. I was glad to be able to lurk in the cabin, only popping out for Tatenhill, Barton Turn, Wychnor and Alrewas Locks, and to help at the water point at Barton Turn.
The cunning plan had been to arrive at Alrewas at around ten, when others would be setting off, and with a full water tank. If we got a mooring between the lock and the water point at Alrewas, this would mean we could last the weekend, pull onto the water point on Monday and then go through to one of the other moorings for the balance of our stay.
The only problem was, the weather was so foul, no one had moved at ten, so we came through the first bridge and tied just the other side. I'll just have to reverse Sanity back through the bridge when we need water. Hopefully, the wind will have dropped a bit by then – this afternoon it's been quite blustery, and we're glad to have stopped for the time being.
A quiet afternoon followed – Cathy, Graeme and Daniel are coming to see us tomorrow, hopefully. Last time we stayed with them, they lent us their copy of the Four Weddings and a Funeral DVD (we just missed it at the cinema), so it was a good excuse to sit and watch it so that we can give it back when we see them.
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
One day for relaxation, and one for boating stuff
25th & 26th March
With no plans to move the boat yesterday, we were able to make a relaxed, not to say lazy, start. At around 10.30, Sheila went off to take part in the Willy Walk, and I stayed behind, as I had to be at the Surgery at 11.20 for a blood test.
I wasn't bored, though: first of all Graham and Beryl from Priscilla looked in – unfortunately it was not long before I was due to go out, so we had to settle for a chat on the towpath. Then, just as I was climbing into my going to the doctor clothes, Sheila's sister-in-law, Jennie, rang to say that they'd been able to get hold of a copy of the Shropshire Star in which Phil Hynds article about us had appeared.
When I got back from having a nurse stick needles in my arm, I found a comment on the canals list that led me to the web version of the same article – it's not at all bad, with only minor errors, which is a relief.
Then it was off to the pub for lunch – a merry session which went on until 3 o'clock, just about. A quiet remainder of the afternoon followed, while we ran the engine and did a washload.
Today was a complete contrast. We wanted to get down to Horninglow on the other side of Burton to pump out and water, and then come back to moor at Shobnall for the night, as we have optician's appointments tomorrow.
We woke early without having to set the heating to come on, and were away just after eight. It was a fairly uneventful trip, though the canal is noticeably busier than the last time we were down here less than a fortnight ago – the 'cruising season' has clearly started.
As we got to Horninglow, just after 11.30,a Canaltime was manoeuvring onto the service point, so I winded Sanity at the other end of the moorings, and we waited patiently on the towpath for them to finish.
However, whilst their water tank was filling, three of the crew went off across the road bridge in the direction of Burton town centre. Oh well, we thought, they've left two behind – no doubt they will move the boat off the service mooring when they've finished.
But oh no – they filled the tank, wound up the hose, and disappeared into the boat. Sheila trolled over there, and was told that the other three, the older members of the crew, had gone to the pub for lunch, and the two left behind, being younger (we're talking twenties here) weren't allowed to move the boat.
"Do you want me to fetch someone?" asked the young man.
"Well, yes" replied Sheila.
After a further wait, one of the others came back from the pub and rather grumpily moved the boat onto the towpath.
All in all, it was 12.30 before we could start operations ourselves. Let me be clear, I don't expect first time hirers to be skilled in boat handling or in the lore of the cut, but if you are tied at a place which says in big letters "Mooring for Services only", it's just discourteous to go off to the pub when you can see someone else waiting to use the facilities.
By 1.15, we had finished up, and pulled across onto the towpath ourselves to get a late lunch
After that we followed a couple of other boats back up Dallow Lane Lock and tied at Shobnall. I popped into the chandlery to pick up the light switches we ordered the other day, together with a replacement for the duff LED bulb we bought there last time. I also got a couple of bags of coal.
At this time of year, it's a bit of a gamble. We don't want to run out before the weather warms up properly, but on the other hand, we don't want to be left with bags and bags of coal on the roof all summer. All they had was Taybrite – not my favourite smokeless fuel, but a lot better than nothing.
With no plans to move the boat yesterday, we were able to make a relaxed, not to say lazy, start. At around 10.30, Sheila went off to take part in the Willy Walk, and I stayed behind, as I had to be at the Surgery at 11.20 for a blood test.
I wasn't bored, though: first of all Graham and Beryl from Priscilla looked in – unfortunately it was not long before I was due to go out, so we had to settle for a chat on the towpath. Then, just as I was climbing into my going to the doctor clothes, Sheila's sister-in-law, Jennie, rang to say that they'd been able to get hold of a copy of the Shropshire Star in which Phil Hynds article about us had appeared.
When I got back from having a nurse stick needles in my arm, I found a comment on the canals list that led me to the web version of the same article – it's not at all bad, with only minor errors, which is a relief.
Then it was off to the pub for lunch – a merry session which went on until 3 o'clock, just about. A quiet remainder of the afternoon followed, while we ran the engine and did a washload.
Today was a complete contrast. We wanted to get down to Horninglow on the other side of Burton to pump out and water, and then come back to moor at Shobnall for the night, as we have optician's appointments tomorrow.
We woke early without having to set the heating to come on, and were away just after eight. It was a fairly uneventful trip, though the canal is noticeably busier than the last time we were down here less than a fortnight ago – the 'cruising season' has clearly started.
As we got to Horninglow, just after 11.30,a Canaltime was manoeuvring onto the service point, so I winded Sanity at the other end of the moorings, and we waited patiently on the towpath for them to finish.
However, whilst their water tank was filling, three of the crew went off across the road bridge in the direction of Burton town centre. Oh well, we thought, they've left two behind – no doubt they will move the boat off the service mooring when they've finished.
But oh no – they filled the tank, wound up the hose, and disappeared into the boat. Sheila trolled over there, and was told that the other three, the older members of the crew, had gone to the pub for lunch, and the two left behind, being younger (we're talking twenties here) weren't allowed to move the boat.
"Do you want me to fetch someone?" asked the young man.
"Well, yes" replied Sheila.
After a further wait, one of the others came back from the pub and rather grumpily moved the boat onto the towpath.
All in all, it was 12.30 before we could start operations ourselves. Let me be clear, I don't expect first time hirers to be skilled in boat handling or in the lore of the cut, but if you are tied at a place which says in big letters "Mooring for Services only", it's just discourteous to go off to the pub when you can see someone else waiting to use the facilities.
By 1.15, we had finished up, and pulled across onto the towpath ourselves to get a late lunch
After that we followed a couple of other boats back up Dallow Lane Lock and tied at Shobnall. I popped into the chandlery to pick up the light switches we ordered the other day, together with a replacement for the duff LED bulb we bought there last time. I also got a couple of bags of coal.
At this time of year, it's a bit of a gamble. We don't want to run out before the weather warms up properly, but on the other hand, we don't want to be left with bags and bags of coal on the roof all summer. All they had was Taybrite – not my favourite smokeless fuel, but a lot better than nothing.
Labels:
Alrewas,
Horninglow,
Shobnall
Monday, 24 March 2008
Water, diesel, and back to Alrewas
23rd & 24th March
When we woke yesterday morning, it had been snowing overnight, and there was a sprinkle lying on the ground, but by the time we were up and about it had all gone. Nonetheless it was still chilly, though the wind had dropped away.
We pottered round to the water point outside the BW office at Fazeley, and set the washing machine running whilst we refilled a pretty empty tank. The pressure at this water point is so good, it had managed to fill around 570 litres before the wash cycle had finished heating. The odd thing is that the other water point nearby, opposite the junction, is so slow we'd probably have finished the entire wash load, including all the rinses, before getting the tank full.
As it was, I stopped the machine, turned the rotary control on to beyond the heating bit, and restarted it, so that the TravelPower wouldn't cut out trying to deliver enough juice for the heater whilst passing all the moored boats at tick over. Just shows again the virtue of the simpler control for our purposes.
I then made a slight bog of the turn into the Birmingham and Fazeley. It's a tricky turn at the best of times, with the bridge that carries the main road across the junction awkwardly placed, and I hadn't made sufficient allowance for what wind there was blowing up the stern and pushing the boat forward. It was only a case of using a bit of reverse helm and prop to ease Sanity round the turn, but it was enough to give Sheila an excuse to wind me up.
I did a better job of getting into Fazeley Mill Marina, I'm pleased to say, which is also a tricky turn, though fortunately sheltered from the wind on this occasion. We filled up with diesel, although the price was quite wince making at 80 pence per litre.
I then managed the reverse out of the marina reasonably well (I am informed by Sheila). Then it was back to the Sutton Road Bridge mooring briefly, in order to get a paper and a loaf of bread for lunch from Sainsbury's. I had thought of stopping at the junction – there's a Tesco Express by the road junction there – but the bread from Sainsbury's is nicer.
The only problem was, the Sainsbury's was shut. It seems they don't open at all on Easter Sunday, though we'd seen no signs up about it whilst shopping there during the week before, and they'd certainly been open on Good Friday.
There was nothing for it but to set out to get to Whittington in time to get bread at the Co-op there, which we managed to do, arriving at 12.30.
The afternoon was taken up in cleaning the boat in anticipation of Des and Gill's visit. It was a good evening, with the meal and wine and gossip all flowing freely. After dinner, I admitted I'd been pleasantly surprised that Sod's Law hadn't manifested itself – the current gas bottle must be getting low, I said, but it hadn't run out in the middle of cooking dinner.
This morning I got up at a relaxed hour, put the kettle on for tea, revived the fire in the Squirrel, walked back to the gas stove, and guess what: the gas had run out. Rather than half dress to go out into the cold morning to switch the supply over, we decided to do without tea in bed for once and got up straight away, sorting the gas as soon as I was dressed so that we could have coffee with breakfast.
We got away around nine, and Sheila steered back to Fradley, where the Bank Holiday had brought chaos in its wake, as per spec. There were boats all over the place, and a goodly crowd of gongoozlers, despite the cold weather (later it snowed), and BW had decided this was the ideal time to cut the grass. There were a Flymo and a guy with a strimmer, mixing it with all the visitors.
Who would have thought there'd be so many people around on Easter Monday, eh? Come to that, what's a supposedly cash strapped operation like BW doing paying double bubble on a Bank Holiday for routine maintenance work?
Our trip down Fradley locks was of course a bit slower than usual, especially as up ahead there were a couple of guys working an aged and definitely unconverted motor boat towing a pair of even more scruffy looking GRP minicruisers, aboard which one of them was living, seemingly.
One of the boaters going the other way coined the best description – "It's a skanky boat towing two more skanky boats" she said. Finally though, we got through even Bagnall Lock and tied by the bowling green for a very late lunch.
We were just finishing when Dan and Lesley Love made themselves known to us. They were boating past in the boat on which they are living whilst waiting for Kala, their new Braidbar to be finished.
We had a good chat on the towpath – they want Sheila to make some porthole doilies for Kala, which is to be this year's show boat at Crick.
Just as we were finishing our natter, Graham and Beryl came past on Priscilla. Priscilla is moored in Barton Turns Marina, and Kala will be in Shobnall, so there's a cluster of Braidbars building up in this neck of the woods.
Tomorrow we stay put – I've got an appointment at the surgery, and Sheila is going on the Willy Walk, then on Wednesday we are off again down to Burton for eye tests on Thursday.
When we woke yesterday morning, it had been snowing overnight, and there was a sprinkle lying on the ground, but by the time we were up and about it had all gone. Nonetheless it was still chilly, though the wind had dropped away.
We pottered round to the water point outside the BW office at Fazeley, and set the washing machine running whilst we refilled a pretty empty tank. The pressure at this water point is so good, it had managed to fill around 570 litres before the wash cycle had finished heating. The odd thing is that the other water point nearby, opposite the junction, is so slow we'd probably have finished the entire wash load, including all the rinses, before getting the tank full.
As it was, I stopped the machine, turned the rotary control on to beyond the heating bit, and restarted it, so that the TravelPower wouldn't cut out trying to deliver enough juice for the heater whilst passing all the moored boats at tick over. Just shows again the virtue of the simpler control for our purposes.
I then made a slight bog of the turn into the Birmingham and Fazeley. It's a tricky turn at the best of times, with the bridge that carries the main road across the junction awkwardly placed, and I hadn't made sufficient allowance for what wind there was blowing up the stern and pushing the boat forward. It was only a case of using a bit of reverse helm and prop to ease Sanity round the turn, but it was enough to give Sheila an excuse to wind me up.
I did a better job of getting into Fazeley Mill Marina, I'm pleased to say, which is also a tricky turn, though fortunately sheltered from the wind on this occasion. We filled up with diesel, although the price was quite wince making at 80 pence per litre.
I then managed the reverse out of the marina reasonably well (I am informed by Sheila). Then it was back to the Sutton Road Bridge mooring briefly, in order to get a paper and a loaf of bread for lunch from Sainsbury's. I had thought of stopping at the junction – there's a Tesco Express by the road junction there – but the bread from Sainsbury's is nicer.
The only problem was, the Sainsbury's was shut. It seems they don't open at all on Easter Sunday, though we'd seen no signs up about it whilst shopping there during the week before, and they'd certainly been open on Good Friday.
There was nothing for it but to set out to get to Whittington in time to get bread at the Co-op there, which we managed to do, arriving at 12.30.
The afternoon was taken up in cleaning the boat in anticipation of Des and Gill's visit. It was a good evening, with the meal and wine and gossip all flowing freely. After dinner, I admitted I'd been pleasantly surprised that Sod's Law hadn't manifested itself – the current gas bottle must be getting low, I said, but it hadn't run out in the middle of cooking dinner.
This morning I got up at a relaxed hour, put the kettle on for tea, revived the fire in the Squirrel, walked back to the gas stove, and guess what: the gas had run out. Rather than half dress to go out into the cold morning to switch the supply over, we decided to do without tea in bed for once and got up straight away, sorting the gas as soon as I was dressed so that we could have coffee with breakfast.
We got away around nine, and Sheila steered back to Fradley, where the Bank Holiday had brought chaos in its wake, as per spec. There were boats all over the place, and a goodly crowd of gongoozlers, despite the cold weather (later it snowed), and BW had decided this was the ideal time to cut the grass. There were a Flymo and a guy with a strimmer, mixing it with all the visitors.
Who would have thought there'd be so many people around on Easter Monday, eh? Come to that, what's a supposedly cash strapped operation like BW doing paying double bubble on a Bank Holiday for routine maintenance work?
Our trip down Fradley locks was of course a bit slower than usual, especially as up ahead there were a couple of guys working an aged and definitely unconverted motor boat towing a pair of even more scruffy looking GRP minicruisers, aboard which one of them was living, seemingly.
One of the boaters going the other way coined the best description – "It's a skanky boat towing two more skanky boats" she said. Finally though, we got through even Bagnall Lock and tied by the bowling green for a very late lunch.
We were just finishing when Dan and Lesley Love made themselves known to us. They were boating past in the boat on which they are living whilst waiting for Kala, their new Braidbar to be finished.
We had a good chat on the towpath – they want Sheila to make some porthole doilies for Kala, which is to be this year's show boat at Crick.
Just as we were finishing our natter, Graham and Beryl came past on Priscilla. Priscilla is moored in Barton Turns Marina, and Kala will be in Shobnall, so there's a cluster of Braidbars building up in this neck of the woods.
Tomorrow we stay put – I've got an appointment at the surgery, and Sheila is going on the Willy Walk, then on Wednesday we are off again down to Burton for eye tests on Thursday.
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Windbound at Tamworth
21st & 22nd March
Although we'd planned a quick visit to Kingsbury Water Park this weekend, the weather effectively ruled that out. The night before last was very windy, and the storm continued pretty well unabated through the day. 'Wild and woolly' is the note I've made for this blog, and I can't think of a better now.
Our kip was a bit disturbed by it, and by the fact that we had the new, thicker pillows on the bed. It was nothing to do with having entertained Elanor the night before. She actually came over to get me to trim her hair, but first we sat and nattered, and she suddenly said "As you're half way down your second pint, I'll leave the hair cut for another day, I think". Oops.
The rough conditions didn't stop a variety of boats coming past in the course of the day. Some of these seemed to be handling the conditions without a problem, whilst others really struggled. As in other aspects of boating, you couldn't sort the displayed skill by type of ownership, or smartness or otherwise.
Similarly, some felt it necessary to go by far faster than usual for passing a moored boat, whilst others slid by at a slow tick over. We are tied just before a bend, and the shift of wind pressure involved caught some out.
There was one quite new boat, complete with all modern aids such as a bow thruster, but also fitted, to its undoing, with a pram canopy over the steering position. Why the guy persisted in keeping it up is a mystery to me – it was taking the wind and hugely complicating his task, such that as he came up to our mooring, the bow fell away into the offside bushes. With much whining of the bow thruster and revving of the engine, he tried to back out, but no sooner had he pulled clear than another gust blew him back in.
He ended up travelling in reverse back round the corner, when the different angle of the boat to the wind at last enabled him to regain the channel and come charging past us.
In the other direction, an old GRP cruiser came by with a wrinkly blue sheet of polythene tied across it, like a head scarf over curlers in the early days of Coronation Street. One corner of this sartorial eccentricity had come free, and was blowing out sideways like an unsheeted sail, but the steerer seemed quite unfazed by it, and went off down the cut as if boating in a flat calm.
Our own exertions were confined to going over to the retail park for yet more shopping, to the point where it would be hard to get much more into the cupboards (though it's amazing how, no matter how thorough you are, as soon as you start preparing a meal, you use up one ingredient or another and the shopping list begins growing again).
In the afternoon we did a bit more wood cutting, but the bow saw blade (which, it will be recalled, we had intended to replace at the now defunct branch of Focus Do It All) was finally too blunt to do any more, so we will have to be content with what we have cut now until we can replace it.
Today was a grey, miserable sort of a morning. We took the old pillows to the recycling bank in the car park of the retail park, and bought milk and a paper at Sainsbury's on the way back, but apart from that we've sat tight, watching the weather, and yet more hardy souls making the most of their holiday by boating in tough conditions. The forecast was for snow flurries, but at times it was 'sno flurry, they were proper showers (sorry).
It is one of those situations where it's hard not to feel a smugness about our situation amounting to a temptation to Nemesis; all we need to do is sit tight and wait for the weather to improve. Whenever it comes, we'll be boating.
In fact, we will need to move tomorrow, since we want to get back to Whittington by tomorrow night, as we've invited Des and Gill Barnard for a meal on board. Meantime, we've occupied ourselves with tidying cupboards (partly as a result of all these supplies we've bought), surfing the net (good connection here) and reading. Oh, and giving Sheila a hair cut.
Although we'd planned a quick visit to Kingsbury Water Park this weekend, the weather effectively ruled that out. The night before last was very windy, and the storm continued pretty well unabated through the day. 'Wild and woolly' is the note I've made for this blog, and I can't think of a better now.
Our kip was a bit disturbed by it, and by the fact that we had the new, thicker pillows on the bed. It was nothing to do with having entertained Elanor the night before. She actually came over to get me to trim her hair, but first we sat and nattered, and she suddenly said "As you're half way down your second pint, I'll leave the hair cut for another day, I think". Oops.
The rough conditions didn't stop a variety of boats coming past in the course of the day. Some of these seemed to be handling the conditions without a problem, whilst others really struggled. As in other aspects of boating, you couldn't sort the displayed skill by type of ownership, or smartness or otherwise.
Similarly, some felt it necessary to go by far faster than usual for passing a moored boat, whilst others slid by at a slow tick over. We are tied just before a bend, and the shift of wind pressure involved caught some out.
There was one quite new boat, complete with all modern aids such as a bow thruster, but also fitted, to its undoing, with a pram canopy over the steering position. Why the guy persisted in keeping it up is a mystery to me – it was taking the wind and hugely complicating his task, such that as he came up to our mooring, the bow fell away into the offside bushes. With much whining of the bow thruster and revving of the engine, he tried to back out, but no sooner had he pulled clear than another gust blew him back in.
He ended up travelling in reverse back round the corner, when the different angle of the boat to the wind at last enabled him to regain the channel and come charging past us.
In the other direction, an old GRP cruiser came by with a wrinkly blue sheet of polythene tied across it, like a head scarf over curlers in the early days of Coronation Street. One corner of this sartorial eccentricity had come free, and was blowing out sideways like an unsheeted sail, but the steerer seemed quite unfazed by it, and went off down the cut as if boating in a flat calm.
Our own exertions were confined to going over to the retail park for yet more shopping, to the point where it would be hard to get much more into the cupboards (though it's amazing how, no matter how thorough you are, as soon as you start preparing a meal, you use up one ingredient or another and the shopping list begins growing again).
In the afternoon we did a bit more wood cutting, but the bow saw blade (which, it will be recalled, we had intended to replace at the now defunct branch of Focus Do It All) was finally too blunt to do any more, so we will have to be content with what we have cut now until we can replace it.
Today was a grey, miserable sort of a morning. We took the old pillows to the recycling bank in the car park of the retail park, and bought milk and a paper at Sainsbury's on the way back, but apart from that we've sat tight, watching the weather, and yet more hardy souls making the most of their holiday by boating in tough conditions. The forecast was for snow flurries, but at times it was 'sno flurry, they were proper showers (sorry).
It is one of those situations where it's hard not to feel a smugness about our situation amounting to a temptation to Nemesis; all we need to do is sit tight and wait for the weather to improve. Whenever it comes, we'll be boating.
In fact, we will need to move tomorrow, since we want to get back to Whittington by tomorrow night, as we've invited Des and Gill Barnard for a meal on board. Meantime, we've occupied ourselves with tidying cupboards (partly as a result of all these supplies we've bought), surfing the net (good connection here) and reading. Oh, and giving Sheila a hair cut.
Labels:
Tamworth
Thursday, 20 March 2008
To Tamworth for some retail therapy
19th & 20th March
Sheila wanted to be away by eight yesterday, and we nearly made it. I set the heating to come on at seven, but we didn't in fact start getting up until we'd had the cup of tea in bed. Nonetheless, by nine we were at Fradley Junction. We'd planned to fill up with diesel at Fradley, but the service flat had been pushed across to the towpath, presumably either to fill her diesel storage tank, or empty the sewage tank.
So we went round the corner onto the Coventry and stopped on the water point there to fill that tank instead (note, there's a choice of two places to water at Fradley – on the Trent and Mersey outside the BW office, or on the Coventry, just by the swing footbridge. For some reason, the Coventry one has decent pressure, whilst the T&M one is so slow, we've been known to run virtually an entire wash cycle whilst trying to fill the tank.)
Once we'd got the hose set up, I took our rubbish round to the bins by the office. On the way, I noticed that they were now moving the service flat back to its usual place, presumably having finished whatever they were doing. Oddly, Sheila, whose turn it was to steer, didn't fancy reversing Sanity back through the footbridge, onto the service flat, then reverse again and turn back onto the Coventry.
Instead, we'll have another go at getting diesel at Fazeley Mill marina, if it's open this time. Of course, that means I'll be steering, and will have to do the turn into the marina and manoeuvre onto their service point in what's forecast to be a strongish wind... Oh well, that's the luck of the draw.
By 10 we were on our way again, chugging along a familiar bit of canal through Streethay, Huddlesford, Whittington and Hopwas to the mooring by Sutton Road Bridge. It was fairly uneventful, on a bright but very cool day.
We lunched on the way, the first time for a while we've done that, and by 1.30 were tied on the rings that are unobtrusively provided here. Only one other boat was here at the time – it's one of those moorings which is either full of, shall we say basic, liveaboards, or virtually deserted as now.
Later in the day, another boat, Bohemian, turned up and tied just a couple of boat lengths away. It's always nice to have a bit of company on a mooring, even one as normally unthreatening as this.
As soon as we'd tied we made an expedition to the retail parks which are the raison d'être for stopping here. We'd planned to get some new bow saw blades at the Focus Do It All, but it's gone! Well, the building is still there, obviously, but the store is no more.
We went into the Halford's next to it (I wanted some stuff for sorting the rust on the well deck) and the cashier there told us the Focus had shut just before Christmas. Nice for the staff. Apparently it's to become a Homebase, so there will still be a DIY store, just one of the others.
Back at the boat, and with the forecast due to deteriorate, we did another wood cutting session before settling with a deserved sigh into the warm saloon. The only disturbance later on was some kids on a trail bike and two up on an all terrain buggy charging to and fro along the towpath.
Today we had a relaxed start, then returned to the shopping fray. We wanted some towels and pillows, and I wanted another long sleeve thermal vest, figuring that this end of the season is the time to look for one a bit cheap.
Went to Black's but the only thermals they had were pricey Peter Storm stuff. Must say I'm not surprised Black's are struggling – the place didn't feel like an outdoor shop at all, despite the small displays of boots and tents and stuff. It felt much more like a fashion outlet, with prices to match.
So we went across to Marks and Sparks, looking for the towels and pillows. They didn't have any (huh?) but they did have a thermal vest at a better price.
So we went to Sainsbury's after that, to finish food shopping, and there we found... yup, the towels and pillows. "Is it me?" as Wogan would say.
We've spent the rest of today inside, happily out of the increasingly cold wind and sleety showers. Tomorrow we plan to go on to visit the Kingsbury Water Park, hopefully after getting diesel at Fradley Mill on the way.
Sheila wanted to be away by eight yesterday, and we nearly made it. I set the heating to come on at seven, but we didn't in fact start getting up until we'd had the cup of tea in bed. Nonetheless, by nine we were at Fradley Junction. We'd planned to fill up with diesel at Fradley, but the service flat had been pushed across to the towpath, presumably either to fill her diesel storage tank, or empty the sewage tank.
So we went round the corner onto the Coventry and stopped on the water point there to fill that tank instead (note, there's a choice of two places to water at Fradley – on the Trent and Mersey outside the BW office, or on the Coventry, just by the swing footbridge. For some reason, the Coventry one has decent pressure, whilst the T&M one is so slow, we've been known to run virtually an entire wash cycle whilst trying to fill the tank.)
Once we'd got the hose set up, I took our rubbish round to the bins by the office. On the way, I noticed that they were now moving the service flat back to its usual place, presumably having finished whatever they were doing. Oddly, Sheila, whose turn it was to steer, didn't fancy reversing Sanity back through the footbridge, onto the service flat, then reverse again and turn back onto the Coventry.
Instead, we'll have another go at getting diesel at Fazeley Mill marina, if it's open this time. Of course, that means I'll be steering, and will have to do the turn into the marina and manoeuvre onto their service point in what's forecast to be a strongish wind... Oh well, that's the luck of the draw.
By 10 we were on our way again, chugging along a familiar bit of canal through Streethay, Huddlesford, Whittington and Hopwas to the mooring by Sutton Road Bridge. It was fairly uneventful, on a bright but very cool day.
We lunched on the way, the first time for a while we've done that, and by 1.30 were tied on the rings that are unobtrusively provided here. Only one other boat was here at the time – it's one of those moorings which is either full of, shall we say basic, liveaboards, or virtually deserted as now.
Later in the day, another boat, Bohemian, turned up and tied just a couple of boat lengths away. It's always nice to have a bit of company on a mooring, even one as normally unthreatening as this.
As soon as we'd tied we made an expedition to the retail parks which are the raison d'être for stopping here. We'd planned to get some new bow saw blades at the Focus Do It All, but it's gone! Well, the building is still there, obviously, but the store is no more.
We went into the Halford's next to it (I wanted some stuff for sorting the rust on the well deck) and the cashier there told us the Focus had shut just before Christmas. Nice for the staff. Apparently it's to become a Homebase, so there will still be a DIY store, just one of the others.
Back at the boat, and with the forecast due to deteriorate, we did another wood cutting session before settling with a deserved sigh into the warm saloon. The only disturbance later on was some kids on a trail bike and two up on an all terrain buggy charging to and fro along the towpath.
Today we had a relaxed start, then returned to the shopping fray. We wanted some towels and pillows, and I wanted another long sleeve thermal vest, figuring that this end of the season is the time to look for one a bit cheap.
Went to Black's but the only thermals they had were pricey Peter Storm stuff. Must say I'm not surprised Black's are struggling – the place didn't feel like an outdoor shop at all, despite the small displays of boots and tents and stuff. It felt much more like a fashion outlet, with prices to match.
So we went across to Marks and Sparks, looking for the towels and pillows. They didn't have any (huh?) but they did have a thermal vest at a better price.
So we went to Sainsbury's after that, to finish food shopping, and there we found... yup, the towels and pillows. "Is it me?" as Wogan would say.
We've spent the rest of today inside, happily out of the increasingly cold wind and sleety showers. Tomorrow we plan to go on to visit the Kingsbury Water Park, hopefully after getting diesel at Fradley Mill on the way.
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
Two quiet days
17th & 18th March
It's been a quiet couple of days, both in terms of the weather and our activities. Yesterday morning, Sheila wanted to see if she could get an appointment with the GP we usually see, and started ringing the surgery at 8.15 as soon as the lines opened. Getting engaged every time, she kept redialling until at 8.30 she got through, only to be told that there were no appointments left for the doctor she wanted to see. Since you can only book appointments on the day, unless you want to book about 14 days ahead, this meant she had to leave it for another day.
I trotted round to the dentist for my crown prep – not too bad at all, and I was on my way back to the boat within half an hour of the dentist starting work, with the temporary crown in place. Unfortunately, in the course of eating lunch, the crown broke up, so at two I was back there having a replacement fitted, which to date seems to be more inclined to survive.
After that we settled to pottering in the boat for the afternoon.
Today I went into the health centre first thing, and organised appointments for my routine blood test and follow up with the GP, and an appointment for Sheila – still couldn't get the preferred GP, even at a fortnight's notice. She's obviously getting too popular, or else the whole practice is becoming oversubscribed. Not surprised mind – it's a very friendly and relaxed place, unlike some we've experienced.
My foot has been playing up ever since I overdid a walk last Wednesday, and although it's getting better, I thought I should not push my luck by going on today's Willy Walk. Accordingly, Sheila went off on her own, and I trolled round to the William IV for one o'clock to rendezvous with them. It still made a pleasant sort of day – I loafed in the boat, surfing the net and stuff all morning, and then we had a merry lunch with Will and Jane.
Naturally, that's resulted in another quiet afternoon, but we're planning a trip round to Fazeley tomorrow, staying there until the weekend, so it's an early start tomorrow, Sheila tells me (it's her turn to steer, so she's in charge).
It's been a quiet couple of days, both in terms of the weather and our activities. Yesterday morning, Sheila wanted to see if she could get an appointment with the GP we usually see, and started ringing the surgery at 8.15 as soon as the lines opened. Getting engaged every time, she kept redialling until at 8.30 she got through, only to be told that there were no appointments left for the doctor she wanted to see. Since you can only book appointments on the day, unless you want to book about 14 days ahead, this meant she had to leave it for another day.
I trotted round to the dentist for my crown prep – not too bad at all, and I was on my way back to the boat within half an hour of the dentist starting work, with the temporary crown in place. Unfortunately, in the course of eating lunch, the crown broke up, so at two I was back there having a replacement fitted, which to date seems to be more inclined to survive.
After that we settled to pottering in the boat for the afternoon.
Today I went into the health centre first thing, and organised appointments for my routine blood test and follow up with the GP, and an appointment for Sheila – still couldn't get the preferred GP, even at a fortnight's notice. She's obviously getting too popular, or else the whole practice is becoming oversubscribed. Not surprised mind – it's a very friendly and relaxed place, unlike some we've experienced.
My foot has been playing up ever since I overdid a walk last Wednesday, and although it's getting better, I thought I should not push my luck by going on today's Willy Walk. Accordingly, Sheila went off on her own, and I trolled round to the William IV for one o'clock to rendezvous with them. It still made a pleasant sort of day – I loafed in the boat, surfing the net and stuff all morning, and then we had a merry lunch with Will and Jane.
Naturally, that's resulted in another quiet afternoon, but we're planning a trip round to Fazeley tomorrow, staying there until the weekend, so it's an early start tomorrow, Sheila tells me (it's her turn to steer, so she's in charge).
Labels:
Alrewas
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Moroccan catering in Alrewas
15th & 16th March
In expectation of a late night, we made a relaxed, not to say lazy, start to the day yesterday. The major task, such as it was, was to clean the boat; it's an advantage of inviting people for a meal that it encourages us to do more than a quick sweep through of the cabins.
So we turned to and swept, dusted and Dysonned right through, and much better Sanity looks for it.
After lunch it became seriously wet out, the rain having arrived rather earlier than expected in the forecast. I spent a bit of time making chicken tagine and setting up the veg to go with the cous cous.
At seven, we rendezvoused with Will and Jane, who took us by car to try the new pub attached to Barton Turns Marina, the Waterfront. For a completely new structure it's remarkably pleasant, with a decent area in which to sit and drink, as well as a large restaurant. The venture seems very successful, judging by the numbers in there on a wet Saturday in mid March.
Elanor drove across from home and joined us, then we all went back to Sanity for the meal.
For safety's sake, I'd turned the oven off when we went out, but the tagine had continued slow cooking, and it was just a case of popping it onto a ring to come back to the simmer, whilst heating the stir fry veg and water to a boil before adding the cous cous. Wait ten minutes, and there's your meal.
After we had a fresh fruit salad Sheila had knocked up in the afternoon, washing it all down with a couple of bottles of red wine kindly provided by our guests.
Suddenly it was midnight, and Will and Jane tottered off before turning into some variety of small rodent or large orange vegetable. (It was very good wine.)
This morning I must admit to feeling a little dehydrated, but otherwise remarkably fit and well (good food, you see). The only downside was that the Eberspacher timer took the huff again, and refused to turn on. Once we'd got up and dressed in a cool boat, I cured it by the same disconnection strategy as last time, but it's a bit worrying – there's no rhyme or reason for it suddenly misbehaving like this.
High spot of the morning was Sheila looking idly out of a porthole in time to see a sparrowhawk make a strike at something in the towpath hedge just outside. She gave a great shout, but of course, it being a sparrowhawk, it was away before either Elanor or I had a chance to see it.
We spent a good chunk of the day at Elanor's, doing some DIY jobs like replacing the hinges on her kitchen cupboards, the old ones having succumbed to alloy fatigue, in exchange for running a couple of loads of washing. This saves us water, so we can sit on this mooring for another couple of days without worrying about needing to get back to the water point to top up.
By three we were back at the boat for the daily engine run, and a bit of peace and quiet after all this excitement.
In expectation of a late night, we made a relaxed, not to say lazy, start to the day yesterday. The major task, such as it was, was to clean the boat; it's an advantage of inviting people for a meal that it encourages us to do more than a quick sweep through of the cabins.
So we turned to and swept, dusted and Dysonned right through, and much better Sanity looks for it.
After lunch it became seriously wet out, the rain having arrived rather earlier than expected in the forecast. I spent a bit of time making chicken tagine and setting up the veg to go with the cous cous.
At seven, we rendezvoused with Will and Jane, who took us by car to try the new pub attached to Barton Turns Marina, the Waterfront. For a completely new structure it's remarkably pleasant, with a decent area in which to sit and drink, as well as a large restaurant. The venture seems very successful, judging by the numbers in there on a wet Saturday in mid March.
Elanor drove across from home and joined us, then we all went back to Sanity for the meal.
For safety's sake, I'd turned the oven off when we went out, but the tagine had continued slow cooking, and it was just a case of popping it onto a ring to come back to the simmer, whilst heating the stir fry veg and water to a boil before adding the cous cous. Wait ten minutes, and there's your meal.
After we had a fresh fruit salad Sheila had knocked up in the afternoon, washing it all down with a couple of bottles of red wine kindly provided by our guests.
Suddenly it was midnight, and Will and Jane tottered off before turning into some variety of small rodent or large orange vegetable. (It was very good wine.)
This morning I must admit to feeling a little dehydrated, but otherwise remarkably fit and well (good food, you see). The only downside was that the Eberspacher timer took the huff again, and refused to turn on. Once we'd got up and dressed in a cool boat, I cured it by the same disconnection strategy as last time, but it's a bit worrying – there's no rhyme or reason for it suddenly misbehaving like this.
High spot of the morning was Sheila looking idly out of a porthole in time to see a sparrowhawk make a strike at something in the towpath hedge just outside. She gave a great shout, but of course, it being a sparrowhawk, it was away before either Elanor or I had a chance to see it.
We spent a good chunk of the day at Elanor's, doing some DIY jobs like replacing the hinges on her kitchen cupboards, the old ones having succumbed to alloy fatigue, in exchange for running a couple of loads of washing. This saves us water, so we can sit on this mooring for another couple of days without worrying about needing to get back to the water point to top up.
By three we were back at the boat for the daily engine run, and a bit of peace and quiet after all this excitement.
Friday, 14 March 2008
To Horninglow and back
13th & 14th March
Sheila wanted a prompt start yesterday, so we set the heating to come on at 7 and shortly after 8 I was ready to pop out to get a paper before we left. I found that a sore ankle which had been troubling me a bit after my walk the day before was now seriously painful, so it took a while to hobble to the shop and back.
We finally got away at half eight and boated down Alrewas, Wychnor and Barton Turn locks in fine style. Whilst we were watering below Barton, a BW tug and hopper came through and set off ahead of us – we'd seen the crew getting ready to take her from above the lock as we went down. The crew-cabbed 4x4 pulled up, the guys got out and two of them had a contemplative cup of coffee whilst the third opened up and started the tug.
Down Tatenhill we went behind them, but they stopped at Branston Water Park, so we got down Branston Lock ahead of them. It became apparent that whilst one steered the tug and hopper, the other two were riding from lock to lock in the 4x4. Chatting to them, we learnt that there was a tree down near Horninglow, and they were on their way to cut it up.
This raises the question, why did it need three of them to lock the boats? Why not have two guys on the boats, and leave the third to drive the vehicle direct to the site? No doubt there's some Elfin Safety reason, but it's a bit of a puzzler.
We stopped at the Morrison's mooring on the outskirts of Burton just before lunchtime. Sheila went off to buy bread, so as to save my aching ankle, and whilst she was gone, the BW crew arrived, moored nearby and took their lunch break. At this rate, it was going to take them all day to move a boat from Barton Turn to Horninglow.
In the afternoon we had another wood cutting session, then settled to a quiet end of the day.
This morning was calm, though a bit grey, but nonetheless a pleasant change from the storms of the past week. We got away by nine, and went straight down to Horninglow, where I had my usual struggle to wind Sanity and reverse her onto the sanitary station mooring. I forget every time that there's not really room to do it at the obvious end of the moorings there, and you have to wind at the first bit you come to and then reverse down and round onto the service mooring.
However, thanks to Sheila's hauling on the bow line from the towpath we got there in the end, and whilst I set up the pump out gear, Sheila went off into what she subsequently described as darkest Horninglow, eventually returning with a newspaper. She commented that you can tell you are not in the posh end of town when every other advert on the roadside is for some new drug that helps people cope with the after effects of smoking skunk cannabis.
Pump out completed, we set off back, stopping again at Shobnall to go into the chandlery there. This proved to be a good move – not only did I get some of the approved oil for the Beta, but they also had the new First Mates Guide to Birmingham and surrounding canals, and they ordered the light switches I've been looking for. They were quite happy to keep them for us until we get back to Burton after Easter.
We stopped at Branston Water Park to eat lunch, then decided that since the weather was now very pleasant, we'd go all the way on to Alrewas today.
Barton Turns Marina was busy with Shakespeare Classic Line boats setting off – next week is the start of the Easter holiday, of course. At Alrewas, there were only four boats tied between the water point and the lock, where there's room for five, but unfortunately Montmorency and Sunbeam had moored with gaps between them such that there was no way we could get Sanity in as well.
So we watered, muttering a bit, and then came on to tie outside the bowling green. I nipped into the village on my much improved feet and bought some stuff at the butchers, including pasties to have with chips from the chip shop tonight. (This is decadence by our standards.)
Elanor looked in on her way back from work – she too is looking and feeling much better. We're planning a social evening with Will Chapman and Jane Howarth tomorrow, and Elanor has decided to join us, so should be a good laugh all round – watch this space!
Sheila wanted a prompt start yesterday, so we set the heating to come on at 7 and shortly after 8 I was ready to pop out to get a paper before we left. I found that a sore ankle which had been troubling me a bit after my walk the day before was now seriously painful, so it took a while to hobble to the shop and back.
We finally got away at half eight and boated down Alrewas, Wychnor and Barton Turn locks in fine style. Whilst we were watering below Barton, a BW tug and hopper came through and set off ahead of us – we'd seen the crew getting ready to take her from above the lock as we went down. The crew-cabbed 4x4 pulled up, the guys got out and two of them had a contemplative cup of coffee whilst the third opened up and started the tug.
Down Tatenhill we went behind them, but they stopped at Branston Water Park, so we got down Branston Lock ahead of them. It became apparent that whilst one steered the tug and hopper, the other two were riding from lock to lock in the 4x4. Chatting to them, we learnt that there was a tree down near Horninglow, and they were on their way to cut it up.
This raises the question, why did it need three of them to lock the boats? Why not have two guys on the boats, and leave the third to drive the vehicle direct to the site? No doubt there's some Elfin Safety reason, but it's a bit of a puzzler.
We stopped at the Morrison's mooring on the outskirts of Burton just before lunchtime. Sheila went off to buy bread, so as to save my aching ankle, and whilst she was gone, the BW crew arrived, moored nearby and took their lunch break. At this rate, it was going to take them all day to move a boat from Barton Turn to Horninglow.
In the afternoon we had another wood cutting session, then settled to a quiet end of the day.
This morning was calm, though a bit grey, but nonetheless a pleasant change from the storms of the past week. We got away by nine, and went straight down to Horninglow, where I had my usual struggle to wind Sanity and reverse her onto the sanitary station mooring. I forget every time that there's not really room to do it at the obvious end of the moorings there, and you have to wind at the first bit you come to and then reverse down and round onto the service mooring.
However, thanks to Sheila's hauling on the bow line from the towpath we got there in the end, and whilst I set up the pump out gear, Sheila went off into what she subsequently described as darkest Horninglow, eventually returning with a newspaper. She commented that you can tell you are not in the posh end of town when every other advert on the roadside is for some new drug that helps people cope with the after effects of smoking skunk cannabis.
Pump out completed, we set off back, stopping again at Shobnall to go into the chandlery there. This proved to be a good move – not only did I get some of the approved oil for the Beta, but they also had the new First Mates Guide to Birmingham and surrounding canals, and they ordered the light switches I've been looking for. They were quite happy to keep them for us until we get back to Burton after Easter.
We stopped at Branston Water Park to eat lunch, then decided that since the weather was now very pleasant, we'd go all the way on to Alrewas today.
Barton Turns Marina was busy with Shakespeare Classic Line boats setting off – next week is the start of the Easter holiday, of course. At Alrewas, there were only four boats tied between the water point and the lock, where there's room for five, but unfortunately Montmorency and Sunbeam had moored with gaps between them such that there was no way we could get Sanity in as well.
So we watered, muttering a bit, and then came on to tie outside the bowling green. I nipped into the village on my much improved feet and bought some stuff at the butchers, including pasties to have with chips from the chip shop tonight. (This is decadence by our standards.)
Elanor looked in on her way back from work – she too is looking and feeling much better. We're planning a social evening with Will Chapman and Jane Howarth tomorrow, and Elanor has decided to join us, so should be a good laugh all round – watch this space!
Labels:
Alrewas,
Burton,
Horninglow
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Storm and Dentist bound at Alrewas
11th & 12th March
Yesterday dawned bright and breezy again, like so many mornings this month. Sheila went off to the dentist first thing, and duly returned repaired, scaled and polished (well, her teeth were). At 10.45 we were waiting in the car park of the William IV for the start of the Tuesday morning walk, which set off in good time.
We went down river to below Wychnor Lock, then followed a route along minor roads to a track which leads back to St Leonard's Church by the Wychnor moorings, and so back along the towpath to Alrewas.
On the way, Will Chapman and I spent much of the time discussing the Save Our Waterways campaign, and exchanging gossip about the other volunteer groups involved with the canals and rivers of the UK.
This continued to a degree during our pub lunch as well, partly as a result of which I agreed to become involved in the SOW committee – just hope it doesn't become too much of a boar (bore) (sorry).
Back at the boat, despite our best endeavours, Sheila and I dozed off for a while. Elanor dropped in on her way back from work – she's still feeling doped by her antihistamine meds, but had got through the day on caffeine.
It became progressively stormier during the evening, and as a result we both had a restless night. The wind was rocking the boat around even more than on Sunday, and although neither of us had much anxiety about the situation, just the noise was enough to keep us awake for a good bit of the time.
As a result, today was a quiet day. It was my turn to see the dentist, this time about the tooth I broke before Christmas. As I expected, it needs a crown, so I'll be going back on Monday, and then again in a fortnight's time.
Elanor looked in for lunch, and afterwards I went for yet another walk in the wind. It's very exhilarating to walk in such a storm – no rain, plenty of sun, and masses of gusty wind. I went round a cross country route from Alrewas to Fradley Junction, and so back along the towpath.
Tomorrow we're boating again, down towards Burton with the aim of pumping out at Horninglow on Friday, so I should have some more to write next time.
Yesterday dawned bright and breezy again, like so many mornings this month. Sheila went off to the dentist first thing, and duly returned repaired, scaled and polished (well, her teeth were). At 10.45 we were waiting in the car park of the William IV for the start of the Tuesday morning walk, which set off in good time.
We went down river to below Wychnor Lock, then followed a route along minor roads to a track which leads back to St Leonard's Church by the Wychnor moorings, and so back along the towpath to Alrewas.
On the way, Will Chapman and I spent much of the time discussing the Save Our Waterways campaign, and exchanging gossip about the other volunteer groups involved with the canals and rivers of the UK.
This continued to a degree during our pub lunch as well, partly as a result of which I agreed to become involved in the SOW committee – just hope it doesn't become too much of a boar (bore) (sorry).
Back at the boat, despite our best endeavours, Sheila and I dozed off for a while. Elanor dropped in on her way back from work – she's still feeling doped by her antihistamine meds, but had got through the day on caffeine.
It became progressively stormier during the evening, and as a result we both had a restless night. The wind was rocking the boat around even more than on Sunday, and although neither of us had much anxiety about the situation, just the noise was enough to keep us awake for a good bit of the time.
As a result, today was a quiet day. It was my turn to see the dentist, this time about the tooth I broke before Christmas. As I expected, it needs a crown, so I'll be going back on Monday, and then again in a fortnight's time.
Elanor looked in for lunch, and afterwards I went for yet another walk in the wind. It's very exhilarating to walk in such a storm – no rain, plenty of sun, and masses of gusty wind. I went round a cross country route from Alrewas to Fradley Junction, and so back along the towpath.
Tomorrow we're boating again, down towards Burton with the aim of pumping out at Horninglow on Friday, so I should have some more to write next time.
Labels:
Alrewas
Monday, 10 March 2008
Sitting out the storms
9th & 10th March
Despite the foreboding weather forecast, yesterday dawned bright and calm. We spent some time in the morning cutting wood and stacking it on the roof, in anticipation of not being able to do much outside for a few days.
As I came back from the village with the paper, I found Sheila chatting to a couple off Mr Moonlight who had just tied behind us. They'd spent the night tied on the towpath by the Bowling Green, where we had been until we came down to water the day before. They'd had an unpleasant surprise in the morning when they'd discovered that someone had sprayed graffiti over their name panel.
I've never heard of any trouble like that in this village in all the years we've been mooring here. Fortunately, the paint had come off with white spirit: it just shows how wise it is to keep the sides polished, so that anything like that can't get a grip on the layers underneath.
They'd been on their own on the mooring (again unusual for here) so had come down to join us by the lock for safety in numbers.
Later in the morning we were visited by our good friend Jane Howarth, who was walking their two dogs and thought she'd come and see how we were. We had a good natter, catching up on gossip, and will be seeing her again (presumably with Will, if he's not too busy with SOW) on the Tuesday morning walk from the William IV pub.
We had a quiet afternoon – Sheila spent a chunk of time doing stuff on the computer, and I took a walk in the now breezy sunshine up to Fradley, just for the exercise. Fradley was trading well on this early Spring Sunday, with good crowds outside both the BW cafe and the Swan pub.
Overnight the storm duly arrived, getting going in the small hours and rising to a peak at about 6 in the morning. We suffered no real damage – the bay tree in its pot on the roof fell over at some point, and in the morning some kind soul had stood it back upright, though the saucer which was underneath it had long gone.
This morning Sheila went back to the dentist for her root treatment, which went as well as such things can be expected to do, and then we went and found Elanor at home to return her car.
On the way back, we called at the council tip and unloaded more recycling, including the oil from the last oil change, and then went to the Marston's Brewery Shop to stock up before the Chancellor puts the cost of alcohol up on Wednesday.
Then it was round to Morrison's to take advantage of having motor transport by getting in as much in the way of food supplies as we can store on Sanity.
Elanor's dermatitis is improving, but sadly it means that she will have to miss the first week of the WRG camp she'd been planning to go to – at least she'll now have an opportunity to come boating with us for some of the time instead.
Despite the foreboding weather forecast, yesterday dawned bright and calm. We spent some time in the morning cutting wood and stacking it on the roof, in anticipation of not being able to do much outside for a few days.
As I came back from the village with the paper, I found Sheila chatting to a couple off Mr Moonlight who had just tied behind us. They'd spent the night tied on the towpath by the Bowling Green, where we had been until we came down to water the day before. They'd had an unpleasant surprise in the morning when they'd discovered that someone had sprayed graffiti over their name panel.
I've never heard of any trouble like that in this village in all the years we've been mooring here. Fortunately, the paint had come off with white spirit: it just shows how wise it is to keep the sides polished, so that anything like that can't get a grip on the layers underneath.
They'd been on their own on the mooring (again unusual for here) so had come down to join us by the lock for safety in numbers.
Later in the morning we were visited by our good friend Jane Howarth, who was walking their two dogs and thought she'd come and see how we were. We had a good natter, catching up on gossip, and will be seeing her again (presumably with Will, if he's not too busy with SOW) on the Tuesday morning walk from the William IV pub.
We had a quiet afternoon – Sheila spent a chunk of time doing stuff on the computer, and I took a walk in the now breezy sunshine up to Fradley, just for the exercise. Fradley was trading well on this early Spring Sunday, with good crowds outside both the BW cafe and the Swan pub.
Overnight the storm duly arrived, getting going in the small hours and rising to a peak at about 6 in the morning. We suffered no real damage – the bay tree in its pot on the roof fell over at some point, and in the morning some kind soul had stood it back upright, though the saucer which was underneath it had long gone.
This morning Sheila went back to the dentist for her root treatment, which went as well as such things can be expected to do, and then we went and found Elanor at home to return her car.
On the way back, we called at the council tip and unloaded more recycling, including the oil from the last oil change, and then went to the Marston's Brewery Shop to stock up before the Chancellor puts the cost of alcohol up on Wednesday.
Then it was round to Morrison's to take advantage of having motor transport by getting in as much in the way of food supplies as we can store on Sanity.
Elanor's dermatitis is improving, but sadly it means that she will have to miss the first week of the WRG camp she'd been planning to go to – at least she'll now have an opportunity to come boating with us for some of the time instead.
Labels:
Alrewas
Saturday, 8 March 2008
Pottering at Alrewas
7th & 8th March
First thing yesterday morning the water tank was down to 20% of capacity, so the first job after breakfast was to boat through to the water point just above the lock onto the river section to fill up. There weren't any spaces on the bit of visitor mooring between there and the lock moorings, although two of them were taken by a Canaltime and a Challenger, so likely to become free later in the day. Whilst filling, we met a couple who proved to be readers of this blog, and the owners of the boat Ben Harp currently has in build and which is planned to be his show boat at Crick.
After we'd filled up, I backed Sanity through the bridge to tie on the towpath just the other side. This was just in front of another Canaltime, Pansy Potter, and no sooner had we done so than the Canaltime moored near the lock set off. Since those moorings are nicer – more open, and not in front of houses to be disturbed by engine running, we unmoored and went back through the bridge to tie just off the end of the lock mooring. This proved to have been worthwhile – both phone and modem have better signals out here.
Whilst I went into the village in search of a loaf of bread and a paper, Sheila checked the email, finding one to her from brother Peter, telling us to look out for a Canaltime called Pansy Potter, as its current crew were friends of his.
Meantime, on my way back, I had had a chat with yet another Canaltime crew .
When I finally got back to Sanity, Sheila popped back to Pansy Potter to see if anyone was about, but did not intrude as they were at breakfast. Later on, just as we'd finished lunch, Jenny from Pansy Potter came and found us, and we had a merry session. First we showed Jenny through Sanity, then went back to meet John and Pat on PP, whilst she was on the water point.
A small libation was consumed, though slightly interrupted by a guy from BW who, seeing that the hose had been put away, rather peremptorily told John that he shouldn't moor on the water point. Accordingly we moved PP to just behind Sanity, the boat which had been tied behind us having moved off. After we'd shown John and Pat through Sanity, they tore themselves away, as they had to get into Burton to meet the fourth member of the crew, Andrew, who was car shuffling.
After all this excitement we settled down for a quiet afternoon. Main tasks were joining the Save Our Waterways campaign, which has now converted itself into a membership based organisation. I also changed the Seagull IV water filter, only splattering myself with it once.
In late afternoon Elanor came across to see us. She's currently taking antihistamine to treat some dermatitis, and is feeling quite doped by it, so she's going to leave her car with us over the weekend rather than try and drive about the place whilst affected.
We went back with her to her house, and I gave her a lift to the vets with Kato, the remaining cat, for a post op check on his dental work. Then we all came back to Sanity (OK not Kato) and went to the William IV for a meal. Must admit I indulged myself with the mixed grill again, the second time in six months, it's getting to be a habit.
Today we spent mostly at Elanor's. Whilst she was struggling to treat Anrheg and clear up after her, the other housework had inevitably fallen rather behind, so we had a blitz of washing up, tidying and taking things to the tip.
Sheila and I came back to the boat after lunch, leaving Elanor in peace, and we've spent the afternoon running the engine and... well, running the engine, mostly. Tomorrow we can actually go out by ourselves in the car – haven't had so much excitement in ages.
First thing yesterday morning the water tank was down to 20% of capacity, so the first job after breakfast was to boat through to the water point just above the lock onto the river section to fill up. There weren't any spaces on the bit of visitor mooring between there and the lock moorings, although two of them were taken by a Canaltime and a Challenger, so likely to become free later in the day. Whilst filling, we met a couple who proved to be readers of this blog, and the owners of the boat Ben Harp currently has in build and which is planned to be his show boat at Crick.
After we'd filled up, I backed Sanity through the bridge to tie on the towpath just the other side. This was just in front of another Canaltime, Pansy Potter, and no sooner had we done so than the Canaltime moored near the lock set off. Since those moorings are nicer – more open, and not in front of houses to be disturbed by engine running, we unmoored and went back through the bridge to tie just off the end of the lock mooring. This proved to have been worthwhile – both phone and modem have better signals out here.
Whilst I went into the village in search of a loaf of bread and a paper, Sheila checked the email, finding one to her from brother Peter, telling us to look out for a Canaltime called Pansy Potter, as its current crew were friends of his.
Meantime, on my way back, I had had a chat with yet another Canaltime crew .
When I finally got back to Sanity, Sheila popped back to Pansy Potter to see if anyone was about, but did not intrude as they were at breakfast. Later on, just as we'd finished lunch, Jenny from Pansy Potter came and found us, and we had a merry session. First we showed Jenny through Sanity, then went back to meet John and Pat on PP, whilst she was on the water point.
A small libation was consumed, though slightly interrupted by a guy from BW who, seeing that the hose had been put away, rather peremptorily told John that he shouldn't moor on the water point. Accordingly we moved PP to just behind Sanity, the boat which had been tied behind us having moved off. After we'd shown John and Pat through Sanity, they tore themselves away, as they had to get into Burton to meet the fourth member of the crew, Andrew, who was car shuffling.
After all this excitement we settled down for a quiet afternoon. Main tasks were joining the Save Our Waterways campaign, which has now converted itself into a membership based organisation. I also changed the Seagull IV water filter, only splattering myself with it once.
In late afternoon Elanor came across to see us. She's currently taking antihistamine to treat some dermatitis, and is feeling quite doped by it, so she's going to leave her car with us over the weekend rather than try and drive about the place whilst affected.
We went back with her to her house, and I gave her a lift to the vets with Kato, the remaining cat, for a post op check on his dental work. Then we all came back to Sanity (OK not Kato) and went to the William IV for a meal. Must admit I indulged myself with the mixed grill again, the second time in six months, it's getting to be a habit.
Today we spent mostly at Elanor's. Whilst she was struggling to treat Anrheg and clear up after her, the other housework had inevitably fallen rather behind, so we had a blitz of washing up, tidying and taking things to the tip.
Sheila and I came back to the boat after lunch, leaving Elanor in peace, and we've spent the afternoon running the engine and... well, running the engine, mostly. Tomorrow we can actually go out by ourselves in the car – haven't had so much excitement in ages.
Labels:
Alrewas
Thursday, 6 March 2008
Hooray, it's Alrewas again!
5th & 6th March
Needing to get to Alrewas as soon as possible for Sheila to get an emergency appointment at the dentist, we got away at 8.15, and worked steadily down the remainder of the Fradley flight. Sheila chose to ride the bike for this stretch, as she often does, as it means that when we get to Alrewas she can check ahead for moorings in the village before the boat has worked down Bagnall Lock.
Her last attempt to ride it a few days ago had resulted in her abandoning the effort after one lock, complaining that she had become wholly unfit over the winter. Investigation, however, showed that it was the bike tyres which had become flabby, and some vigorous work with the pump magically restored Sheila's muscle power.
We got to Alrewas at 9.30, having crossed with just one boat, our first moving Canaltime of the year, at Common Lock. There was plenty of space in the village, although many of the usual suspects of continuous moorers were around, mostly near the bypass bridge above Bagnall.
An exception to this was the "Hotel Boat" Montmorency, which as usual was taking up a space on the village moorings. At this time of year, of course, they might have a winter mooring there, as BW doesn't always issue mooring permits for short term moorers, but we've seen this boat hanging around here whenever we've been around ourselves – it never actually seems to go cruising, which is a bit odd in a hotel boat.
All very well, you may say, and live and let live, but it's the behaviour of boats like this that gives the rest of us continuous cruisers a bad name, and provides ammunition to those members of APCO who would like to see us paying an inflated licence fee.
Sheila was able to get an appointment at the dentist for later in the morning, and came back from it with a prescription for antibiotics and a follow up appointment for root treatment on Monday. This exposed an aspect of Denplan cover they don't mention in their advertising – it doesn't cover prescriptions, so it had cost £26 at the dentist, and a further £4 at the pharmacy.
Meantime, back on the canal, we saw a steady trickle of Canaltimes going by – it must be Spring.
After lunch, I took a walk along the river, Sheila not feeling in the need of further exercise after her biking in the morning. Later on we had a brief run in with the time clock for the Eberspacher central heating, which refused to switch the boiler on. It seemed basically to have got itself into a state of microprocessor confusion, and in the end I had to disconnect the thing at the battery and reconnect it, after which it behaved perfectly.
Elanor dropped in to see us in the evening – it's one of the advantages of being here that we are on her route to and from work.
Today we had a relaxed start, apart from being woken at 6 o'clock by ducks shouting their fat heads off about how it was Spring and morning and anyone got any bread? We managed to doze off again, being rewoken by the Eberspacher starting up at 7.30 as proof that the time clock is fully recovered (I hope).
We've had a generally lazy day, apart from cutting some wood for the fire, and doing various bits of office work that had been put to one side whilst we boated down here.
Whilst cutting the wood, local resident Harry Arnold stopped for a chat, having noticed my WRG hat. Together with the late, great Graham Palmer, he was a crucial figure in the early days of the Waterway Recovery Group, and later went on to edit Waterways World for many years.
He still has one of the major collections of waterways photographs, and remains active in the IWA. Andrew Denny wrote about him the other day in his Granny Buttons blog.
Elanor is taking tomorrow and Monday off to use up some leave before the end of the month, so we shall have the use of her car over the weekend – it'll be interesting to see if I can still cope with a high performance hatchback!
Needing to get to Alrewas as soon as possible for Sheila to get an emergency appointment at the dentist, we got away at 8.15, and worked steadily down the remainder of the Fradley flight. Sheila chose to ride the bike for this stretch, as she often does, as it means that when we get to Alrewas she can check ahead for moorings in the village before the boat has worked down Bagnall Lock.
Her last attempt to ride it a few days ago had resulted in her abandoning the effort after one lock, complaining that she had become wholly unfit over the winter. Investigation, however, showed that it was the bike tyres which had become flabby, and some vigorous work with the pump magically restored Sheila's muscle power.
We got to Alrewas at 9.30, having crossed with just one boat, our first moving Canaltime of the year, at Common Lock. There was plenty of space in the village, although many of the usual suspects of continuous moorers were around, mostly near the bypass bridge above Bagnall.
An exception to this was the "Hotel Boat" Montmorency, which as usual was taking up a space on the village moorings. At this time of year, of course, they might have a winter mooring there, as BW doesn't always issue mooring permits for short term moorers, but we've seen this boat hanging around here whenever we've been around ourselves – it never actually seems to go cruising, which is a bit odd in a hotel boat.
All very well, you may say, and live and let live, but it's the behaviour of boats like this that gives the rest of us continuous cruisers a bad name, and provides ammunition to those members of APCO who would like to see us paying an inflated licence fee.
Sheila was able to get an appointment at the dentist for later in the morning, and came back from it with a prescription for antibiotics and a follow up appointment for root treatment on Monday. This exposed an aspect of Denplan cover they don't mention in their advertising – it doesn't cover prescriptions, so it had cost £26 at the dentist, and a further £4 at the pharmacy.
Meantime, back on the canal, we saw a steady trickle of Canaltimes going by – it must be Spring.
After lunch, I took a walk along the river, Sheila not feeling in the need of further exercise after her biking in the morning. Later on we had a brief run in with the time clock for the Eberspacher central heating, which refused to switch the boiler on. It seemed basically to have got itself into a state of microprocessor confusion, and in the end I had to disconnect the thing at the battery and reconnect it, after which it behaved perfectly.
Elanor dropped in to see us in the evening – it's one of the advantages of being here that we are on her route to and from work.
Today we had a relaxed start, apart from being woken at 6 o'clock by ducks shouting their fat heads off about how it was Spring and morning and anyone got any bread? We managed to doze off again, being rewoken by the Eberspacher starting up at 7.30 as proof that the time clock is fully recovered (I hope).
We've had a generally lazy day, apart from cutting some wood for the fire, and doing various bits of office work that had been put to one side whilst we boated down here.
Whilst cutting the wood, local resident Harry Arnold stopped for a chat, having noticed my WRG hat. Together with the late, great Graham Palmer, he was a crucial figure in the early days of the Waterway Recovery Group, and later went on to edit Waterways World for many years.
He still has one of the major collections of waterways photographs, and remains active in the IWA. Andrew Denny wrote about him the other day in his Granny Buttons blog.
Elanor is taking tomorrow and Monday off to use up some leave before the end of the month, so we shall have the use of her car over the weekend – it'll be interesting to see if I can still cope with a high performance hatchback!
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
Serious boating for once
3rd & 4th March
It was a bright morning, but a bitterly cold wind. Having topped up the water tank, we set off at around 9.15, getting to Penkridge by lunch time. Sheila's toothache was getting worse, especially in the cold wind, so we decided to make a long day of it and boat right through to Tixall, thus getting to Alrewas a day earlier than planned.
We made another brief stop below Park Gate Lock to pop into Midland Chandlers. We found a replacement roll flat hose, and I got another oil filter – I don't like not having a spare in the engine hole, and I'd used my last doing the last oil change.
Then it was a case of steadily on and on, arriving at Tixall at 5.15, after a day's boating that reminded us of our hire boat days. On the way I discovered that nbsanity.net had gone down again, although it had seemed to be working yesterday (thanks to John Campbell for alerting me to its vanishing trick).
Some research in its control panel today demonstrated that the whole configuration for the website has disappeared, although the email is still working. I sent an email to their support people yesterday, but just got one back today to say that everything should be OK, when it patently wasn't.
So I sent another, in the circs quite restrained, email giving the current symptoms, and got this in reply:
Must say I don't see why I should have to phone an 08 number from my mobile (no landline on a boat, of course) when I've told them exactly what's happening. In any event, I haven't had a chance to try it, as by the time we stopped boating today it was after 5, and they don't man their suppport phone outside working hours.
You can see why I'm changing my provider. Meantime, please use the new domain, nbsanity.me.uk, both to visit the website and for email.
Meanwhile, we made another reasonably prompt start today, getting away by nine on another cold day. The wind had at least dropped a bit, and indeed the weather continued to improve all day. There wasn't much moving as we worked down Haywood and Colwich locks – it's be very different there in a couple of weeks' time when the hordes are out for Easter.
We got to Rugeley by 11; just before we arrived, Elanor rang with some bad news. Her cat, Anrheg, has been under treatment for a stubborn fur ball, and today they did an X-ray, planning to intervene to sort it once and for all. Only it wasn't a fur ball, it was a tumour which proved to be inoperable.
So suddenly, out of the blue, Elanor is missing her favourite cat – she was called Anrheg because she was a birthday present from us to her nine years ago. We did what we could to console her over the phone – at least we will be in reach for visits for the next few weeks while she gets over her loss.
We did the usual shop/lunch/shop routine at Rugeley, and then set off again for Woodend and points East. By 3.30 we were in sight of Woodend Lock, and decided to go on down and look for a mooring above Shade House, ready to make the run into Alrewas tomorrow. Mistake – Shade House moorings were completely full, so on we went to below Junction Lock, where we found a solitary mooring left at the end of the 48 hour ones, finishing at 4.45,making it another long day by our standards.
Tomorrow, Alrewas and hopefully Sheila will get in to see the dentist and get some relief from her aching jaw.
It was a bright morning, but a bitterly cold wind. Having topped up the water tank, we set off at around 9.15, getting to Penkridge by lunch time. Sheila's toothache was getting worse, especially in the cold wind, so we decided to make a long day of it and boat right through to Tixall, thus getting to Alrewas a day earlier than planned.
We made another brief stop below Park Gate Lock to pop into Midland Chandlers. We found a replacement roll flat hose, and I got another oil filter – I don't like not having a spare in the engine hole, and I'd used my last doing the last oil change.
Then it was a case of steadily on and on, arriving at Tixall at 5.15, after a day's boating that reminded us of our hire boat days. On the way I discovered that nbsanity.net had gone down again, although it had seemed to be working yesterday (thanks to John Campbell for alerting me to its vanishing trick).
Some research in its control panel today demonstrated that the whole configuration for the website has disappeared, although the email is still working. I sent an email to their support people yesterday, but just got one back today to say that everything should be OK, when it patently wasn't.
So I sent another, in the circs quite restrained, email giving the current symptoms, and got this in reply:
The email response was sent out to everyone who has been affected by this issue. Mainly to filter out those who still have an issue and those that are resolved.
It does say in the email "If you have any questions or queries, please call us on 08710 624 888"
Can you give the guys in support a call and they will able to put a final resolve in place for you.
Must say I don't see why I should have to phone an 08 number from my mobile (no landline on a boat, of course) when I've told them exactly what's happening. In any event, I haven't had a chance to try it, as by the time we stopped boating today it was after 5, and they don't man their suppport phone outside working hours.
You can see why I'm changing my provider. Meantime, please use the new domain, nbsanity.me.uk, both to visit the website and for email.
Meanwhile, we made another reasonably prompt start today, getting away by nine on another cold day. The wind had at least dropped a bit, and indeed the weather continued to improve all day. There wasn't much moving as we worked down Haywood and Colwich locks – it's be very different there in a couple of weeks' time when the hordes are out for Easter.
We got to Rugeley by 11; just before we arrived, Elanor rang with some bad news. Her cat, Anrheg, has been under treatment for a stubborn fur ball, and today they did an X-ray, planning to intervene to sort it once and for all. Only it wasn't a fur ball, it was a tumour which proved to be inoperable.
So suddenly, out of the blue, Elanor is missing her favourite cat – she was called Anrheg because she was a birthday present from us to her nine years ago. We did what we could to console her over the phone – at least we will be in reach for visits for the next few weeks while she gets over her loss.
We did the usual shop/lunch/shop routine at Rugeley, and then set off again for Woodend and points East. By 3.30 we were in sight of Woodend Lock, and decided to go on down and look for a mooring above Shade House, ready to make the run into Alrewas tomorrow. Mistake – Shade House moorings were completely full, so on we went to below Junction Lock, where we found a solitary mooring left at the end of the 48 hour ones, finishing at 4.45,making it another long day by our standards.
Tomorrow, Alrewas and hopefully Sheila will get in to see the dentist and get some relief from her aching jaw.
Labels:
Fradley,
Gailey,
Great Haywood,
Penkridge,
Rugeley,
Tixall Wide
Sunday, 2 March 2008
North to Gailey
1st & 2nd March
To carry on from where I left off, the sausages were wonderful! In my experience, sausages are often disappointing, even so-called premium ones, but these came out of the pan intact, well browned and were bursting with meat. Two each were quite sufficient for us, eaten with crusty bread and some braised onion and white cabbage. Full marks to the Kinver butchers.
We spent Saturday morning boating steadily back up the Staffs and Worcs, calling at Swindon again to shop and stopping by Wombourne Bridge to eat lunch.
On the way we did our community spirited bit by reporting a tree that had come down across the towpath just below Rocky Lock. The cut was in general full of bits of branch and loads of leaves – it's surprising how many survive through the winter to come down in the spring gales.
Possibly as a result of all this detritus in the water, we had a bit of a problem at Hicksford lock. One of the bottom gates refused to close up to its cill, so I reversed Sanity back down the lock and prodded around along the cill with a boat hook. After a couple of goes, the gate consented to close properly; I'm not sure whether it was the prodding, or just all the prop wash from manoeuvring the boat around that did the trick, but anyway, it worked.
By early afternoon we were at the top of the Bratch; we'd expected it to be busy with gongoozlers, but there were only two couples about – I bet Foxton was busier than that yesterday and today.
Today we made an earlyish start, getting away by 8.15, as we wanted to get right through the dodgy area around Aldersley/Autherley before stopping for the night. In addition, the forecast was OK for today, but is less good for tomorrow, so it made sense to boat whilst the sun shone.
By 10.30 on a bright but very breezy day, we had reached Compton, where we stopped for a coffee and to get a few stores. Sheila stayed on anchor watch whilst I shopped, so that we could get a wash load started.
By 11 we'd had coffee and the wash cycle had finished heating, and we set off again. Compton Lock is the last on the climb up to the summit pound – after Gailey it's all downhill to Great Haywood.
In fact as usual the so-called bandit country looked no more threatening than any other suburban stretch. BW are doing a major towpath refurbishment through the Pendeford Rockin', the narrow cutting through a sandstone outcrop just north of the junction. Possibly this is an early sign of the kind of tidying up that bringing the IWA National Festival to an area can stimulate.
By 12.30 we'd stopped at the Hope and Anchor at Coven to eat lunch. That took us up to 1.30, when we set off again, arriving at Gailey by 3.15. In view of the cold snap that's been forecast, we thought we'd better get some wood sawn up for the Squirrel, so one last effort was made before we could relax.
Tonight we are going to have the other half of the sausages, with mash this time, as I bought some spuds at Compton. Tomorrow we may sit tight if the weather is bad, or else we'll go on to Acton Trussell.
To carry on from where I left off, the sausages were wonderful! In my experience, sausages are often disappointing, even so-called premium ones, but these came out of the pan intact, well browned and were bursting with meat. Two each were quite sufficient for us, eaten with crusty bread and some braised onion and white cabbage. Full marks to the Kinver butchers.
We spent Saturday morning boating steadily back up the Staffs and Worcs, calling at Swindon again to shop and stopping by Wombourne Bridge to eat lunch.
On the way we did our community spirited bit by reporting a tree that had come down across the towpath just below Rocky Lock. The cut was in general full of bits of branch and loads of leaves – it's surprising how many survive through the winter to come down in the spring gales.
Possibly as a result of all this detritus in the water, we had a bit of a problem at Hicksford lock. One of the bottom gates refused to close up to its cill, so I reversed Sanity back down the lock and prodded around along the cill with a boat hook. After a couple of goes, the gate consented to close properly; I'm not sure whether it was the prodding, or just all the prop wash from manoeuvring the boat around that did the trick, but anyway, it worked.
By early afternoon we were at the top of the Bratch; we'd expected it to be busy with gongoozlers, but there were only two couples about – I bet Foxton was busier than that yesterday and today.
Today we made an earlyish start, getting away by 8.15, as we wanted to get right through the dodgy area around Aldersley/Autherley before stopping for the night. In addition, the forecast was OK for today, but is less good for tomorrow, so it made sense to boat whilst the sun shone.
By 10.30 on a bright but very breezy day, we had reached Compton, where we stopped for a coffee and to get a few stores. Sheila stayed on anchor watch whilst I shopped, so that we could get a wash load started.
By 11 we'd had coffee and the wash cycle had finished heating, and we set off again. Compton Lock is the last on the climb up to the summit pound – after Gailey it's all downhill to Great Haywood.
In fact as usual the so-called bandit country looked no more threatening than any other suburban stretch. BW are doing a major towpath refurbishment through the Pendeford Rockin', the narrow cutting through a sandstone outcrop just north of the junction. Possibly this is an early sign of the kind of tidying up that bringing the IWA National Festival to an area can stimulate.
By 12.30 we'd stopped at the Hope and Anchor at Coven to eat lunch. That took us up to 1.30, when we set off again, arriving at Gailey by 3.15. In view of the cold snap that's been forecast, we thought we'd better get some wood sawn up for the Squirrel, so one last effort was made before we could relax.
Tonight we are going to have the other half of the sausages, with mash this time, as I bought some spuds at Compton. Tomorrow we may sit tight if the weather is bad, or else we'll go on to Acton Trussell.
Labels:
Compton,
Coven,
Gailey,
The Bratch
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