Home James, home, AGAIN!

 Will you just look at that sky Reader, it was a bit chilly, but I needed my sunglasses.  Just a short potter along to the top of the Curdworth Flight this morning.  Almost there when I spotted this chap.....

A bloke up there with a screwdriver.

However does he get up there?

So he has a mate too just visible, makes my knees go funny just looking up there, its as wrong as going up in a hot air balloon.

He's perched on a ladder tied on with string.  Hope his wife has a good insurance policy on him.

They were both jolly and waved.

Then the first lock, I thought it was in tribute to our friend 

"Lesley Kimantas" of NB Yarwood fame, but David pointed out to me that it is likely to be simply for Lock 1......  nah.

For your honour Lesley.

So we changed places as I had backache again, its slightly possible that I did one or two too many locks yesterday, so David and Amanda joined ranks and were soon giggling together.  Its lonely at the back of a boat when your best friend is giggling and leaving you out.....  But can you see Reader, there is only one gate at each end.  Makes locking totally joyful.

Amanda on camera duties this am.

We had a lovely interlude just here, by meeting up with NB Halfie    HERE   We last saw John & Jan we think 16 months ago in Braunston.  So great to have seen you both again.

NB Halfie just behind me.

 So I have heard David say how pleased that I am now driving the boat, he says he hardly thinks about me driving in the locks........  

Seeing his expression below I am not convinced, are you?

Some pretty craft work here

We had been told that the Curdworth Locks here on the Birmingham Fazeley canal are beautifully cared for and I have to agree.  Amanda took these very pretty flower shots.

Pretty but I'm not keen on pink and red together.

Last Lock

 We finished the canal and it was definitely the way we would choose to go into Birmingham again.  Single and nicely working locks all the way with great views over farmland, the Hatton Flight are deadly dull as you can hardly see anything.

We turned left at Fazeley Junction and headed towards Kings Orchard Marina again, the scene of David's upset a few days ago when he couldn't locate the marina in the car to meet Amanda.....  Its much much easier to find by boat!

We had a lovely rural mooring for the last night when we saw these tractors working, can you see the dust blowing?  No chance of that now, The lower flatter machine is operating heavy discs to break up all the ploughed ground and the other tractor with the big red machine on the back is a seed drill... i.e. planting the seed for next years wheat....  Not your thing? Well the pictures I suppose they were really for David Lewis left at home alone....

The next morning early we pootled along the hour's trip to the marina, moored up, packed up, loaded up and driven home for another ten days.

See you later