Frantic Fradley

We got here yesterday after a very pleasant run from Whittington. We've stopped on the Coventry at the very start of the visitor moorings, the 14 day section, as we want to stay here until Wednesday. The weather continues to be flaming June, very like last year, and Fradley was chock-a-block with gongoozlers and ice cream scoffers.

Elanor and Sally turned up around four o'clock; Sal was ecstatic to see us which is always rewarding. Elanor had brought a bag full of stuff for us, drugs, parcels and letters and stayed for a thorough natter. She and I took Sal for a stroll along the towpath a bit later.

Sally's technique for keeping cool is to wade into the cut from time to time and slurp some up. She likes having the water just up to her undercarriage and is careful not to shake it off when she gets out.

This morning we had a lazy start, but made up for it by walking to a new Co-op whereof we had been told by a passing walker yesterday. It's in Fradley Park, the new development to the SW of the canal. We walked back to Bridge 90, fifteen minutes from the moorings, then crossed the canal and followed the road to where it joins the main road which has crossed the canal by the new bridge.

Turning left, we followed our noses along the road, then a pedestrian and cycle way until we found a new parade of shops including a chippy, a pharmacy and the aforementioned Co-op. It's another ten minutes walk from the canal, so a total of 25 minutes from the moorings, about the same as the walk to Alrewas, in fact.

The Co-op is about the same size as Alrewas, too, so not much gain, though if you moored at Bridge 90 it would be well worthwhile.

This afternoon we took an amble round the Fradley Pool. It feels very pleasant and is clearly full of wildlife, though there's rather less variety of birds than Mercia. It still made a very good excuse for a walk.