And home again

Morning Reader, I know you must despair of me but in the meantime we have been home, I've seen my mother and she is chirpy, I've helped my daughter paint bedrooms for imminent arrival of their new baby, had my hair done which some will say is shocking, but in late middle age (when does late middle age become old age?) if you can't shock then when can you?

So here we are back onboard, a whole host of jobs to be done that I don't want to do.

So to recap, we had a fortnight's holiday on WaL, we sauntered down the Trent and Mersey as far as Stenson Lock and back again, Loitering in Alrewas then moving between Alrewas and Fradley in the sun....

 

We moved on to here, it took us about 25 minutes to get here at just the other side of Alrewas.  A few boats went passed but only a few.

There was a bench next to the boat on which we sat having coffee, butterflies fluttered  around in the sun and the birdsong a delight.

Hawthorne I think.

David enjoyed cycling around the area, it's largely flat and he remained in striking distance of the small bakery in Alrewas, I can recommend the pain au raisin, almond croissants, cheese scones and something else delicious that I can't quite remember.

We went to the Mucky Duck pub for a drink, we had plenty of food on the boat that would not travel home so absolutely did not intend on eating, so we shared a starter of spicy cauliflower florets.  The sun shone, as we sat I inwardly judged the passing boats and everything in the garden was rosy.

 

Guess what's under here...?  Yes that's right, a water point.  There wasn't one here as 14 years ago, we knew someone who moored here on the CART moorings here, it was pricy moorings and without electricity or water.  Fortnightly he'd have to go through 6 locks to Kings Bromley for fuel and pump outs, then 6 locks back again. 

Cherry scones

Cheese and chive scones

Leaving Shadehouse Lock and heading for home.

The new shoots with the sun coming through was just gorgeous.

Out of sequence, but this is a camper van, parked on the private track that goes to the few houses here, he didn't care and the volunteer said he had no idea who it was.  I suggested letting a tyre down.  Good thing not everyone choses to park like that!

The Mucky Duck Pub on the right.

Now these are the trees planted after HS2 had cut down mature trees, they have taken but will need thinning out for sure.

 

After I got back onboard David was grinning , telling me a passing woman had told him he had a big one.  

Honestly schoolboys.

The next minute we were at Colwich Lock, a mother and two charming teenagers were engrossed in the lock action, a short chat proved they were Americans, they had never seen anything like a lock before...  The young man helped me wind the paddles and do the gates, I gave a very condensed history of the locks, (They hadn't heard of the Industrial Revolution), so I said would you like a ride on up to the next lock, they were delighted and hopped aboard.

Turned out they were on a trip to Europe to see the countries of their heritage, England, Italy, France and Spain.  

I said if you are impressed with the age of Locks and canals you must see the fabulous Essex Bridge (and Shrugborough Hall exterior).  The mother was widowed last year and on this trip she had left her other 8 children at home with their grandmother and the other 4 adult children who no longer live at home.  That's right do the maths, 14 children, her husband died when the youngest was one year old.  

Quite and experience meeting such a gorgeous family I just wish I'd taken their photo.

This sight means back at base for me, it's the very beginning of Cannock Chase, how fabulous in the sunshine, soon the new growth will obscure the view.

We are back again so normal service will be resumed shortly.

So glad we fitted in here.

 Off this morning to Alrewas.  David and myself have been practicing pronouncing Alrewas.  A local told us to lose the R, and yet others heavily pronounce the R.  

It's a real tongue twister.

Pink Footed Geese, perfectly acceptable to my mind,  (not the poxy Canadian geese mind) I don't believe I've seen a breeding pair with young before.  

A bit out of sequence but these two impressive buildings right on the canal caught my eye.  

I'd hazard a guess at mid victorian in age.  

And this one but it's right on the horrid A38 road.  Very big farmhouse if that what it was.

It was the most lovely sunny day, I did get quite hot so I hopped back onboard at the section.  We wanted to moor in Alrewas, it does get full, as we came out of the lock there was a WaL sized space so we just hopped on that.

That in the distance is the lock onto the short section of river.

We stayed a couple of nights here and met up with the fragrant John and Louise.  Frequent Flyers here will remember that they used to be boaters and indeed John did blog too, but now they have thrown all that in and gone diving, deep sea diving!

Stupidly I forgot to take a photo.... again.

We ate in the nice pub here and had a afternoon of playing cards.  

Fine Company and a tractor.

We spent a night on this mooring miles from anywhere, I have to say to any would be Boaters that the railway line is very close, as it is we slept absolutely fine, but we are both a bit deaf.

A chilly start but off we headed towards Willingdon and were delighted to fine the Service Point empty, it is a busy one here as lots of moored boats (Many well overstaying I have to say) but Willington has shops, pubs, a post office and cafes too.

We jumped onto the service point, filled up the water and added our rubbish bag to the mountain of overflowing mound of bags.

A chap popped up, he was a Boater but delivering his rubbish in his car, he said that it is always like this here.  The next rubbish point from here is Fradley, miles away, there was a rubbish point between here and Fradley, but it has been taken out and not replaced...

David says I am obsessed with rubbish Reader but I tell you that at home we take out the bin liner every 3 or 4 days, we eat a lot of fish and to have to keep their wrappings in a warm kitchen is too much to ask.  I must email Mr Campbell Robb and tell him about fish wrappings.

100 years ago we met the wonderful John and Louise here and a very good Indian restaurant it was too, John what year was that?  (John has a photographic memory)  Today its a pub.

Now I don't know about your taste in boat livery, but mine does not stretch to brown, I should add that I do have handbag boots and shoes in chocolate brown.

Rather striking mural.

This image above taken from a pair of very attractive murals in Burton-on-Trent depicting the history of the town reminded me instantly of the Columbia Pictures film company image, I have tried to "Steal" that image but it must be protected from theft, so if you follow this link fingers crossed you will see it.  I thought instantly of that Columbia icon.

HERE

Out of Burton again and we did moor at Branston again, very pleasant moorings and a particularly good Italian right here by the bridge out of sight of this photo.

 

The new-ish sports centre here

So a recent housing development here but I was surprised by this.... 

Yes this.  A John Deere but not so many on housing developments.  Maybe the Range Rover does not hold enough kudos for the owner. 

The Italian here was fab and busy!  Supper for me was Lasagne and David scored highly with a prawn pasta dish.  Very reasonably priced and very good.

Off early tomorrow as we have Fine Company visiting.

   

To there and back again.

We only stayed the one night in Willington, I had written a note to my mother so as I walked down into the village to post it I took my life in my hands crossing several roads, it's on a route into Derby and the cars zip about in three directions.  However letter posted and milk brought from Co-Op back I trotted to WaL and away we went.  

I was walking this morning, I'm keeping up with my walking although I have happily dropped the work outs that I adopted a year ago associated with a regime when I did lose my target weight, I like the walking bit and do that at home on the seafront most mornings when David is away hitting small white balls with sticks, I am a keen follower of current affairs but frankly World Events are heartbreaking, complex and rather suffocating so this morning I had rock music playing in my headphones.  

In places it was a most attractive walk, here is a large reminder of this area's industrial heritage.  I thought these were gradually being demolished.

Wild Garlic?  I have lost part of my sense of smell from Covid.

Both the Primroses and the Cowslips are a real reminder of home for me, both growing on the farm, I thought they were only found on chalk Downlands but here they are.

Although David had thought we would make it to Swarkestone and turn there to retrace our steps, today we had decided to turn above Stenson lock about 4 or 5 miles short of Swarkestone.  I got there first on foot and phone David to say that there was a widebeam moored up and I thought we could happily moor in front of him.  But as I got alongside him the helm appeared and began to cast off.  I told him that WaL was coming along and that it was my estimation that they would meet on that first bend....

Alright duck (or douk) he said.  He was quite small in stature, I feared he may not see fully, I called David back quickly and told him that the widebeam was under way and headed for him.

Well true to my expectations the widebeam headed straight for him only pulling over at the last moment, he called to David that it was too shallow for him over there, but that's big fat bullies for you, they will plough through. 

Words fail me.  

When the widebeam had gone and David had calmed down again I said to him that he ( the WB) had been moored on a stretch with a bold No Mooring sign as it was right opposite the wee marina here, so that's alright then.

So while David turned around, or winded, I hopped onboard to use the loo, handy having a loo half way into a walk.

Looks tight but no boats or walls were damaged during the filming of this manoeuvre 

This is where the widebeam was moored.

We would have aimed back for Willington had David not have noticed coming along a single mooring on concrete with a long unbroken rubber protection half way back, I hadn't seen it as much of my walking is looking at the ground in front of me to prevent my customary tripping over a matchstick.

It was still free so we hopped on it.  It was pretty chilly and windy by now so the heating went on, coffee was served and later supper was sausages, chips and peas.

Much later the small gale had ceased and this happened. 

A swan, a wolf and an expresso martini.

In the morning, not early, we are on holiday after all, off we set towards Willington, but immediately having Burton-on-Trent to get through.  I remember when we came through for only the second time in 14 years a year or two back how very pleasant Burton is.  The canal largely is though a residential area where the residents keep their gardens looking pretty, neat and tidy and nearly every one has mowed the wee bit of verge on the outside of their property to the towpath.

Then of course is the nasty section of the canal right next to the oh so busy A38, I don't like driving on it let alone boating next to it. 

We pay the ridiculously overpriced M6 Toll road at £10.50 now  and that is not even for the whole length, but enough of that world of driving when we are on holiday.

Ghastly A38 on top of the canal

But look the other way and its so attractive, but remember you can't hear the traffic.

See these prints?  This is the gunwales shore side of WaL this morning, I reckon they are either a Fox or a Lynx possibly a wolf.

Got to be a wolf 

What say you?

This building is actually called Branston Locks.  Its parallel to Branston Lock, I wonder what it is.

Horrid swan breeding.

Below, this was the only shot I could get of a hint of Burton-on-Trent's history of brewing ..... Its of empty beer barrels.  I wonder just how many microbreweries have opened in England in the last ten years?

Well I have put that question into Mr Google and it seems that by 2021 a record number to reach 2,400 start ups had opened then many got clobbered by COVID.  By January 2026 there were or even are 1,578, evidently a net loss of 137.  

Gosh aren't figures boring. 

Empty beer barrels for your delight.

Now this was my view of the rather wonderful Monks Bridge.  Been here since the early 1200's, although much of what you can see here only dates from the 1400's so pretty modern.

 

Now this view is from the other side and I wish to thank Mr Wikipedia for the kind loan.

Well Reader I have to say that the rest of the run into Willington was rather Deadly Dull.

As we came into the town it seemed full, but as we passed the service point and associated men from CART on ladders who looked to be fixing the gutters of the Elsan Point, the overflowing bins were a bit of a horrifying sight.  But just over the way was a WaL sized slot on the two day moorings.

Brilliant.

There was a bit of lolling about, I brought three books with me and I have read 1.5 of them, luxury.  The weather turned cold, cold for me that is.

We walked down to the Dragon, a large pub with several areas to eat in plus a covered but open to the elements area, that was busy as was the pub!

Table for two please....?

Have you booked? Gawd, we looked around at the packed pub, yes here we are.

I text my son-in-law Leon who is from the Midlands well south of here, asking him if I am officially in the Great North, I knew I must be as women were dressed in tee shirts and off the shoulder tops.  

No Lisa that's the Midlands!

Astonishing, I had on a coat, a vest, a top, a sleeveless jacket and a wool wrap on.

Supper was lamb shoulder steak, with mash, braised red cabbage and and  red wine gravy followed by sticky toffee pudding.

Then these;

But in case you think I overindulged, relax, mine was a decaf.

A short walk back to WaL and strangely I had warmed up. 

 

I've not been called too posh before.... have you?

 I set off walking the next morning.  I'd left David to untie the ropes alone meaning to be ahead of him to set the lock.

This first lock into Alrewas is an absolute brute, when I arrived one bottom gate was open, it's a swinger, I closed it using every ounce of my strength and ran to open the top paddle thus getting water into the lock, holding the gate shut before the gate had a chance to swing open again.

A brutal start to the day.

I'd passed a moored up boat immediately before the lock with a man sat in the cratch, usually boaters routinely greet each other but he avoided eye contact, fair enough, free country.

When David came into the lock laughing and told me that when he passed the man, he said down his phone to his caller 

"Hold on I'll call you back"

He then called to David "That boat is too posh to be a narrowboat"  Now David didn't know if he was serious, being sarcastic or saying it in jest, but he wasn't smiling.

David just laughed.

The prettiest cottage I saw from the tow path.

We filled up at the water point.

I wish these historic mile markers could be restored.

 

Look at that brickwork and chimneys.

So from the end of Alrewas is a small section of river, when we got to the lock onto the river the warning board was yellow, there are three categories Reader in Alaska, light traffic lights, Green is go with gay abandon, yellow; Proceed with caution  and red; Absolutely no go, plus your boat is not insured on Red Boards.

I was going to walk anyway, David was perfectly happy so off he went.

And off he went onto the river section.

My first sightings of Red Robin, Ragged Robin, Robin of the Hedge, that was from my children's book of wild flowers, otherwise, its  known as Campion.

I had a bit of trouble keeping up but even then he said the current wasn't strong.

I did walk on for a chunk but got back onboard after doing my steps for the day, I have to say the bit I walked was deadly dull, in part away from the A38 but mostly a green tunnel.

We finally moored up at Branston Water Park.

Supper was fish and chips and a good long read.