Oh gawd will we be able to moor.... anywhere?

We stayed here a couple of nights.  South facing, wide towpath sunny weather and nice views.  

Easy decision.

When we did leave, Lesley and I set off walking with the wee doggies, Tucker and Marsha.  All the way to the water point where both boats filled up and lesley and I took the rubbish to the grounds of the pub The Lime Kilns on the opposite side, after trying to negotiate the A5 I think it was we abandoned that and returned to the starting point, the towpath and there were steps up to the otherside of the main busy road.  Death adverted we got aboard and continued.  

Un petit convoy.

We eventually came to bridge 22 and a place we have moored at previously, there are moorings marked on the opposite side too, however a trio of scantily clad ladies were seated on chairs on the grass, the wooden panels were mostly broken on both sides and almost full.  WaL tried to get in to the off side moorings much to the amusement of the reclining ladies, got her back end in the mud and after a bit of whooshing thought better of the whole idea.  

As David loitered mid stream and elderly man walked along to us and called over did we know Duck Corner?  He and some other boats had left there this afternoon and it was free.

Well Reader while we were moored at bridge 3 it seemed that so many boats had arrived on this canal, remembering that it's a dead end so they all have to leave past us again but hardly any left in comparison.  We are here because of all the stoppages so all these other boats had done the same?  Would we ever be able to moor anywhere?

Nervous times.

After a quick stop at the farm shop at Bridge 23 where the lady no longer sells condiments she does however sell highly recommended sausage rolls, meat generally and milk.

Well we chugged onto Duck Corner and unbelievably it was free.

Hogarth moored up snuggly behind WaL

   

WaL in too if only everso slightly on a curved bend.

It was a lovely spot, we have stopped here in years gone by.  A wide verge, a layby for our car.  Also stopping there was a nicely fitted out van conversion who went off to work in the  mornings and appeared back after all the dog walkers and other locals had gone home.

Joe barbie queued the farm shop sausages we brought that afternoon, we sat outside until late in the warm evening golden light listening to the birdsong.

Everything was delightful.

Old friends and new boat.

The next morning fairly early,  I set off walking, it was pretty rough underfoot for fast walking but I did.

Me setting off.  I brought this fleece back when WaL was new, 2012, I think I could have a new one.

Wild violets

A pretty pinky one.

Passing Hartshill.

So this has partially sunk, abandoned now I think, so what happens next?  Can this situation be prevented from a pollution point of view. 

Can't quite see but its the well know telegraph post, not showing up so well.

I walked all through Nuneaton, it's not a pretty town, a bit of rubbish about but way less than I expected.  Almost out of the town I hopped back onboard.  

Coffee and a sit down through what was empty rough ground but a zonking great building has gone up, empty last year but operational this year with new houses adding to the mix,  the outskirts of Nuneaton are much nicer than the centre or I should say where the canal goes past.

Marston Junction, the gateway to the Ashby Canal.

We have never managed to get onto the moorings near bridge 3 on here.  But our luck had changed and the advanced party had saved us a place.

Plain ones but lovely to see original mile markers.

Moored up and sat in the sun.

Here are the advanced party.  Lesley and Joe on their new boat NB Hogarth

Lesley and I walked the wee doggies Tucker and Marsha.  We went over two fields and then onto an unmarked lane.  Cars  ZOOMED past us, one red sports car literally aimed for us only serving at the last minute around and hooting us, driven by a woman too.

Fabulous to be with "The Yars" again, we travelled together previously for the whole of 2015 when we plus two other boats did a mammoth cruise including going over The Wash.  Now that was a great adventure.

HERE

This was when we met up with NB Yarwood (Lesley and Joe) ten years ago for an awfully big adventure.

Supper was on WaL with the fine company, we brought up with us the leftover turkey from Easter and I made it into a pasta dish with tomatoes and beans.

Its going to be a fun trip. 

We took flight.

Would you just look at that sunset.  I just love good weather when I'm away from home, sadly they too had this sort of a sky, I know that as my mother told me so.

So next morning I decided against walking down to the first lock or even the service point at the bottom because we'd had a smattering of rain and my trainers would get wet.

Red at night, shepherds delight.

Curiously at the service point a dustbin lorry turned up, he was looking to empty the recycling but there wasn't a recycling bin there!  He asked David to see him reverse out of the narrow track and turn without ending up in the canal.

David is so clever.

Well I wasn't expecting to see this here!

WaL exiting the first lock.

This bottom end of the locks is my favourite, I like the open views, but a fellow crew that day said she disliked it for the same reason....

The sky was bluer than the photo implies.  Gorgeous day.

I got chatting to these CART chaps, one said we at CART like digging 'oles, then we fill them up with something else.  It turned out that this paddle was "Wobbly", 

Had it been working I asked?

Oh yes but the volunteers were moaning a lot about it so it's been fixed.

But the paddle on the Colwich lock (Near to our marina) has been out of action for over a year says I, can you fix that one?

It's not my area..

There's a lesson in there somewhere for someone.

Men digging an 'ole.

A stir had been caused on the flight.  It upset several boaters who we followed.  A vintage boat had come through with a non motorised butty, the pair had been allowed, to turn the lock for the butty much to the chagrin of the waiting boaters, I believe the volunteer had instructed the action.

Is there a policy on Butty's at flights?

Almost there.

It was a very pleasant two hours odd, especially as I had only turned one lock.  Marvellous.   

At the top we moored up temporarily I was delighted that the knitting shop in town is still trading.  David planned to nap while I went there and brought some primrose yellow cotton yarn to make that Kiwi baby a not to warm cardigan for next winter, I'm hoping to make some booties too although her mother says no socks needed, her father is often without shoes! 

I'll still knit them.

Back again to WaL, David hadn't slept, he's awake at 5am most mornings, Reader I have tried to retrain him after a lifetime of early mornings and night work for that matter to no avail.

We headed out for a lovely mooring we had stopped at last spring but the armco was full of boats,  we tried to get on the back of the row but that was shallow, went on again, David pretty tired and a smidge grumpy by now.  Finally managed to moor up with lovely views and afternoon after rescuing a Day Boat from the mud on the offside.  

They were very very grateful.

Supper was salmon, pasta, cheesy spinach bake.  

 

Pills and Boxes

So here's my last tryout with a new font.

The weather was bright but cold.  It called for my windproof trousers, (basically plastic) but they did the job but a bit of an annoying rustle!  

Off we went about 10am after D returned from popping the car into the next county.

I was on and off the boat, walking when the tow path was smooth otherwise I'd turn an ankle! 

Though the woods then later on right though Tamworth.

So then some farming news, here is a field being prepared, cultivated, we would have thought for maize, it used to be a dairy farm but no sign of cows now so it might be for a veg crop.  If we pass again later in the year I can put you out of your suspense.

He had no idea I took this, deeply engrossed in his radio via his bluetooth hearing aids. 

Curious this field, I thought a field margin but David says its far too wide for that.  Could be an error.  Old farmers just love spotting other farmer's mistakes...

First of three Pill boxes I spotted today walking, I couldn't identify this one.

Bluebells in the firing range, doing so well I guess as they are undisturbed.

Second Pillbox, an A Type-24 for those buffs interested.

 I think a Crab Apple blossom

This third of the day at Fazeley.

 I was helped by an oncoming boat at the Tamworth locks, the two boats crossed over in the adjoining pound, nice and neat then onwards for a long while mooring up again at Grendon, just short of the Athelstone locks.

Grendon mooring.  All on our lonesome. Nice.

We'll do them tomorrow, crack of dawn or later in the day when more chance of meeting boats....?

Decisions.

Supper was the leftovers of the chicken dish. 

Leaving Rugeley

Morning all, 

Another change of font here, I'll see how we go....

We set off this morning a bit on the later side, David had moved the car onwards and I, well frankly Reader I was reading a really good book so stayed where I was, snugged in bed.  

However, on we went, through the drag that is Rugeley apart from mooring on the northern outskirts we haven't yet in 13 years stopped in Rugeley.  

So this regime I'm on involves walking.... I'm having a bash at doing 10,000 steps a day.  This is quite new to me, I am usually to be found sitting chatting to my one true love (He often has his hearing aids switched to bluetooth and listening to the cricket, football or some podcast).

So heading south I hopped off of WaL before the permanent moorings on the offside before Plum Pudding not getting on again until the woods started, I then got off again from Shade House lock  

I'm a fairly brisk walker it seems, David is much slower so I am happy with my headphones, my podcasts and no rain.

We headed out of Rugeley and onto Fradley, nice volunteers who said they hadn't been that busy, we turned at the junction onto the Coventry canal.  Although the moorings were full at Shade Lock with boaters many of whom knew each other and were out helping a new arrival who was mooring up completely in the rough and using the boat in front of him to secure himself onto, the visitor moorings on the Coventry were almost empty, something I haven't seen in years.

Lots of colour along the way, I'm very partial to a purple Beech. 

Bit fuzzy as it was breezy when I snapped this Hawthorne/Blackthorne is it?

Pretty Blues

The first Bluebells I saw but plenty since

Gorse but still a nice burst of colour.

I was trying to capture the bright greens of the new leaves coming out.  In the sun they were vibrant.

Shade House Lock.  The cottage still looking sad, it is supposed to be let again after HS2 is completed and its access road reinstated.

You don't often see Mallards on a house roof.

WaL coming around the bend again.

I know this as Red Robin.

We carried on without stopping to Willingdon, it had made quite a long day for us finally mooring up about 4pm.  I couldn't wait to put the heating on and we almost lit the Lockgate.

Supper was a pasta cheese spinach and chicken dish!  It was delicious even if it does not sound it.  

  

New Adventure ; cancelled or just postponed

Welcome, welcome Reader,

Its been a while I know but here I am.  Actually there are fewer and fewer of me left.... Bloggers I mean to say.  All my old favourites have ceased blogging (Not died) but I keep tapping away, I do wonder how "Vloggers" manage so much work, 

I'm far to lazy.

Now for my birthday "Month" in March, I used to have a Birthday Week but now it's been upgraded, we went to my favourite hotel in Buxton for a couple of nights (Highly recommended if you want to curry favour with your wife) afterwards we nipped over the hill on a most beautiful scenic drive to our marina to meet the mechanic who serviced WaL and then luckily the weather was FAB so we took her out on a jaunt on our favourite pub run northwards.

Fabulous spa hotel in Buxton, can't wait for my next birthday.

The turn at Aston marina was interesting as one of the bow thrusters had failed of course this was when the breeze picked up.  I offered and offered to hop off either the front or back (Stern or bow for purists) but after only a couple of clunks darling made the turn.

We met up with the gorgeous John and Louise who motored over from their home (Remember now boatless...?) and had a lovely lunch at The Dog and Doublet at Sandon, followed by an evening of cards, apricot tart, champagne and just a few beers.  

Anyway back to now.

We had planned a super trip to Gloucester and the Sharpness canal but it's all to cock, that caused by all the closures, the Tardebigge Flight, The Stratford canal, a bridge on the Sharpness and sadly The Macclesfield not that that one effected us such a pity as we were to have been a three boat convoy.

The Yars, the 'Ex-Boat Sharers'.  For those new here The Yars are Joe and Lesley, we go back a long way to 2010 I think when their new build NB Caxton was exhibited at Crick when we were looking to have our boat built.  Lesley and Joe so called Yars to us because their second boat was NB Yarwood, however after a break from boating, buying another home they have completely redecorated they have come back to boating and now own a very gleaming and comfortable boat NB Hogarth.

Now the Ex Boat-Sharers Amanda and David now own NB Caxton although several other owners have had her in between. 

Got all that?

Well the Caxton owners are delayed in France with a new bathroom so while we all shuffle our collective feet, we set off to rendezvous with the Yars.  

Perhaps they should be renamed The Hogs but somehow I prefer Yars.

Always a joy to see natural Primroses.

Someone has been busy, could be the National Trust as this bit of laid hedging, can you see how the expert has partially cut through the tall stems and bent them over?  Long may the practice continue as I personally hate tall hedges but we all want solar power these days. 

Great Haywood lock is just out of sight to the right but goodness another leaning tree.

Just before Colwich lock these gardens are gorgeous and reclaimed over recent years.

We pootled down towards Rugeley, hoping to get onto a charming single mooring out in the countryside but not this time so ended up in the outskirts of Rugeley.

Supper was Haddock in breadcrumbs with green veg.

I'm on a new regime..... more of that next time.