An extra day at Atherstone, courtesy of the ice

7th & 8th December

We woke yesterday to about a quarter inch of ice across the cut, so decided that movement would be unlikely. This had the merit that we could have a really lazy start, appropriate to a Sunday morning.

I ambled up to the Co-op well after it opened at ten (it's a very big Co-op) to get a paper, and a loaf of bread. Sheila having been very pleased with the roast turkey, baked spuds and sprouts I'd cooked the day before, I got some more baking potatoes and sprouts so as to repeat it last night, only with cold turkey. (I'm practising for Christmas).

On the way back, I had a natter with the gent on Moore2Life, who was tied at the other end of the pound from us, nearer Lock 5. We agreed that moving would be impractical, and he told me how much better they'd found Nuneaton to be this time through. Apparently they've cut a lot of the offside trees back, and there was very little rubbish in the water.

If this is the case, it's good news; until now Nuneaton has been a bit of a blot on an otherwise pleasant section of canal.

Back at the boat, we ran the engine and a wash load, and spent the rest of the morning reading the paper (Bruce) and crocheting (Sheila). After lunch, feeling the need for some decent exercise, Sheila found a geocache not too far away, Twinings Micro.

Fortunately it made a pleasant walk, as we completely failed to find the cache. It's a micro cache, that is just a film canister, and the heavy overlay of dead leaves in the target area meant that we spent a good bit of time rummaging around in a style which would have suited the four legged inhabitants of either Indigo Dream or Greygal's boat.

I'm coming to hate micros, especially ones in locations with a lot of tree cover, where the GPS cannot be as accurate as it can't see all the satellites.

Back in the warmth of Sanity, we had a cup of tea, and I gave the engine a second run whilst I had a shower and ran the Eberspacher, so as to take a bit of load off the batteries. At this time of year, the heavy use of lighting, and using the Eberspacher twice a day, puts a fair load on the electrics. I try not to end up with the resting voltage below 12 volts first thing in the morning, when they are at their lowest ebb.

The evening was spent in cosy cosy fashion, with plenty of wood and coal ready to hand to keep the Squirrel going despite the cold outside.

This morning, things were distinctly milder. Ice had reformed on the cut a bit, but was clearly melting. After a quick sally forth to get a paper, I came back to the boat to find it all ready to cruise. Sheila set off to set the lock whilst I unloaded the shopping and changed from my respectable, going to the shops fleece to the scruffy, steering the boat one, and off we went again.

The lockkeeper for the flight, Tony Wright MBE (as he signs himself on his notices) was buzzing up and down the towpath on his garden tractor, but didn't deign even to acknowledge us. I don't know if it's the MBE or the tractor, but he seems a lot less approachable than formerly, and certainly not much help.

All the locks were with us, and we were being followed up the flight by a BW tug and work flat. I guess Tony might have been irritated that we were taking their good road, but it still would have speeded things up if he'd shoved the bottom gates open on the odd lock as we approached it.

Be that as it may, we got to the top in good time, and went onto the water point to top up and run another load of washing.

Sheila then retreated below whilst I steered on to Hartshill, where we've stopped for the night. The weather was technically warmer than yesterday, but a raw wind made it much less pleasant, and I was glad that the canal here is reasonably deep, so that you can make steady progress, except when passing the odd moored boat.

We took a bit of time to investigate the state of Dobbies Garden Centre this afternoon, and managed to get at least one Christmas present there.

Tomorrow Sheila plans one of her flying starts, with the aim of getting to All Oaks Wood. This might enable us to catch up the day we've lost from the cruising schedule, by getting to Newbold in time to go into Rugby that afternoon, rather than the next day. We shall see; there's more cold weather forecast for later in the week, so we may well get iced in again.