The Nanny State

Yes here we are shortly after dawn,  tea was served by Nanny by way of a hurry up and get up device. It sort of worked....

David pulled the pins and off we went towards Atherstone which we estimated was 90 mins away.  

On arrival bikes out, rubbish out, I had grabbed all the weekends newspapers that had been spilling all over the lounge but got shouts from David “I haven’t read that yet…”  

So I took him bits back then us girlies started off the first lock which was in our favour.  

All good.  

Off to the next one.  This lock too in our favour, David was calling that one of us should go ahead and prep the following lock, I politely called back that we hadn’t seen each other for ages and ages and had a lot to talk about.  

Third lock was against us, bah.  

Then a chap walked past with a Co-op bag, so I asked him where it was and it was close by.  We wanted his Nibbs’s newspaper and lots of Bramleys.  Leaving David in Amanda’s capable hands, I whizzed off to make those purchases.  

No Bramleys can you believe it Reader….?

One of the eleven locks at Atherstone, no idea which though.

Locking Nut in action.

Back onside again and the next few locks needed filling too.  Then as we came to the penultimate lock, three boats pulled out in front of us.  Luckily we were on the bikes and didn’t hear the swearing.

Three had pulled out in front of us but here only two of them in view.

I stayed at the locks helping, as they seemed to be a bit of a slow bunch, well they would be wouldn’t they, they had only just got out of bed.  Amanda went back to WaL to hold the ropes and David went to cook breakfast, so it worked out well really .

She actually rode the bike holding the tea mug.

Nanny presenting porridge with peaches and blueberries.

Last locks done and off we went again.  A bottleneck at Tamworth, but Amanda stood gazing at Mr Hudsons Boats at Glascote Basin from the bridge overlooking his yard. 

Hudsons boatyard at Glascote Basin Tamworth.

Now here is a question, how do you keep a garden in the Midlands in bloom all summer?

Nice huh?

Me doing the Gate Trick, learnt form Vic on NB No Problem.

On we went again.  Heading for Hopwas.  A nice pub there, and we all had a date tonight, I had never been through Hopwas and there been spaces to moor up but today we were lucky, a few boats in front of us but we moored up easily with space behind us (Rest assured we didn’t leave any annoying gaps).  

Its a tad on the narrow side and as we tied the ropes, some Idiot comes past us too fast and disregarding the oncoming boat when the Idiot had plenty of room to wait behind us till he had past.  But no he keeps coming and ends up almost cleaving the boat in front of us missing by inches, now I know its a contact sport however why go so very fast past moored boats on a narrow section instead of waiting 45 seconds  for a gap? 

Incidentally yet again the Idiot was a private boat owner and not an inexperienced Hirer.

Supper at the Tame Otter, a great place to meet friends John and Louise the former owners of NB Blue Moon, and now proud owners of 

NB Fiona A.  HERE 

From L to R Author, John,  Locking Nut Amanda, Nanny (Aka David) and Louise

Totally delish meal here, yes all desserts were polished off too.

Oh answer to the gardening question... They were all plastic, trees, window boxes, shrubs and grass.  Each to his own in a free country I say.