Change of plan means sore feet

We'd originally planned to boat as far as Marston Junction (where the Ashby Canal joins the Coventry), today, then come on into Coventry tomorrow. But I had an email from Dave Ballinger this morning, with a couple more entries for the Braidbar Owners' Pub Guide, and he mentioned that he'd stayed in Coventry Basin last night and was going to stop there tonight as well.

So we decided to boat on a bit, and come all the way into the city today. This we've done; it's the first time we've been here since the mid eighties, and I must say the canal is much improved since those days. Indeed, when we first came here, in 1976, the year of the big drought, it was such an effort, the Coventry Canal Society gave you a certificate for making it.

Some stretches of the water are still full of junk, but it's no worse than much of the BCN, or indeed much worse than the run through Nuneaton; in the old days, drunk yobbos would throw things at you from the towpath. The Ballingers' boat, Load of Hay, is indeed here, and we're planning to pop over there for a glass of wine later. (Speaking to Elanor on the phone at lunchtime, she complained that we set a very bad example to our children with all this merrymaking.)

/dignose

Meanwhile, when we were chatting to the Ballingers on arrival, they recommended the Museum of Transport, so we've been there this afternoon. For a free museum it is indeed very good, and we got quite sore feet going round it all. There's also a Sainsbury's nearby, so we may use that, rather than shopping at the enormous Tesco Extra which is canalside on the way in.

We're going to stay here for the two nights allowed, so as to have a duvet day tomorrow. It's quite secure, as there are CCTV cameras and a security patrol. Mind you, when we came back from the museum, Sanity Again's bowline had come off the bollard, but it's not clear whether that was  a passing humourist or just a slack line.

/hmm

Either way, I've re-moored her with a turn of the line round the bollard at both the bow and stern, and I've put the centre line through a ring.