Freedom of the Cut 2019 - 16.

Monday 5th August

It was time to stock up again in town, so getting there now by way of the park alongside the towpath was more pleasant the by the road. Just previously I had walked to the nearby petrol station to buy 2 galls of petrol to run the generator. With all these short trips along the cut, the batteries were not getting enough charge, so better to keep the fuel level up and some in reserve. As usual, I spend the morning procrastinating and surfing the net, so by the time I got to the butcher's shop, he had closed for the day at 1pm. After getting a few items, I paid a visit to The Bull’s Head just see what it was like. It was quite a surprise after the last time I had been there many years ago, when it had just reopened after a long period of closure. Not only was it clean, tidy and well kept, but they had three ales on tap and an Indian Restaurant upstairs. Having perused the extensive menu with my pint, I made the decision to eat there for a treat later that day. In which case it would be better to moor up closer and I could see that moorings were available.

After a shower, I walked up to The Bull’s Head, ordered a pint and enquired how to get up to the restaurant and guess what? ……they were closed on Mondays! Nowhere was this advertised, not even on the menu, so I was very disappointed to say the least. Anyway, back on board I had some crispy duck left from the night before, which was still good and some compensation.

Tuesday 6^th August

It was necessary to go and shop this morning, if I was moving on towards Alvecote, except that it began to rain heavily at 10am. I decided to get wet and went as far as the butchers which to my amazement, also sold homemade cakes. Apparently it began as a cottage industry, but as the lady also worked in the shop, she decided to sell them there and it proved to be very successful.

It continued to rain throughout the day, so I put my feet up and had a day off. For the first time ever, I completed reading a book in a day and did some cooking in the afternoon, which was very satisfying.

Wednesday 7^th August

Time to make a move, although it only took half an hour to Alvecote and the weather had changed for the better. The first port of call was to the yard to fill with diesel, then wind the boat for a pump out. For the first time the tank had held out for 60 days, which goes to prove that the pump out machine at Pyrford Marina is not up to the job, as it only lasted about a month after that.

Howard Williams and his wife were moving nb Hampstead into the marina and a brief exchange took place between us. I moved back to the towpath opposite The Samuel Barlow and moored up to have a pint in the pub and recharge the laptop, as well as write this up. The menu is no longer chalked up on a board, but written out on clipboards, but apart from that not much else has changed, although there is now more choice of beers. Strange isn’t it, that I used to pass this pub by in the early days of boating up here, dismissing it as being too modern. Since joining the Narrow Boat Trust 7 years ago, when we always came in here after a day working on the pair, I will now never miss it out because it revives so many memories of those days and the good times and laughs we had.

After a while surfing and writing this, it was time for a shower and change of clothes to go across the cut for a meal at The Barlow. I had already selected a fish dish from the menu and was looking forward to it. After ordering a pint, I picked up the menu only to be told that the kitchen was now closed, as it was 8pm. I had done it again! Had I looked more closely at the top of the menu, it did state the times there. So back on board, I had sweet and sour chicken that I had cooked yesterday.

Thursday 8^th August

A warm day ahead, but I felt the need for another rest day coming on. Mostly reading the latest Towpath Talk and then surfing the net and wasting time generally.

I set about writing a few e-mails and organising some files on this new laptop and then made a big mistake of saving one file on top of this blog on Word. I should explain that I write up the blog in MS Word, before copying and pasting it into Blogger when the time comes to publish. Up till now, I had not saved it anywhere, but unknown to me it had been saved automatically in OneDrive and it took about an hour of searching before I could find and restore it. So, I got it back at last and it was hidden away after all!

Time to move on tomorrow, but looking at the forecast, it is going to be raining heavily in the morning.

I had admired this boat Zulu many times when passing over the years.

Noah Hingley was a famous chain and anchor forger that 

appears in my book about chain making in Brirmingham.

The Samuel Barlow, Alvecote.

Friday 9^th August

It was not as bad as the forecast predicted, so I set off through Tamworth and towards Glascote, where there is a waterpoint on the Top Lock layby, which is not well planned at all. A boat was going down ahead of me and another rising in the lock below, so I waited for it to arrive, by which time there were three waiting boats, so I had plenty of assistance through both locks. A lady helping with the bottom gate was one of my blog readers, who are few and far between on my travels.

It was an extremely windy day and only one light short shower, but as I approached Hopwas the heavens opened and despite throwing on a waterproof coat, I got saturated, it was tremendous squall with strong winds to back up penetration of clothing. Having to moor up in the middle of it made it possibly worse.

Now being wet on the outside, I decided to get wet inside as well, which prompted a pint at one of the two pubs here. The nearest was the Tame Otter and as the name suggested a Vintage Inns establishment to me, similar to the Coy Carp at Harefield, that is exactly what it is. Had I been told that it was the Coy Carp, it was impossible to tell the difference from the interior.

Later I paid a visit to The Red Lion on the other side of the cut and the difference was like chalk and cheese. This was a real locals pub, with blokes having just finished work and three of my favourite beers on handpump; I was spoilt for choice, but only had one. There is another bar, which appears to be mainly a restaurant. The menu said that all food was home cooked and it certainly appeared that way. Maybe a place to eat tomorrow, if I stayed. The outside of the pub would seem to have been a police station in times past, because it was built on the Victorian style and had what could well have been a blue light on a wrought iron bracket over the entrance. But I could find no evidence of that.

Saturday 10^th August

Winds today were forecast at 40mph and boating past moorings could well have been difficult without running alongside other boats, so it was time to just sit it out. TV reception and wi-fi were both good here and I had begun a new book, so there was no shortage of things to keep me occupied.

Another visit to The Red Lion was made in the evening, just to see a few people.

Sunday 11^th August

The winds had eased during the night, so it was time to let go at 09.20. All was going well until a shower a little later, but it did not last long. I spoke too soon, because shortly after it became much more prolonged, although this time I already had wet weather gear on.

As I approached the small swing bridge at Fradley, I began pulling on to moor, but a passing boater told me that there were plenty of spaces below Junction Lock, which I knew to be a far better place than this. There were plenty of gongoozlers at the lock and there were even two of them sitting in their deck chairs to watch the fun. I made the turn in front of the pub and pulled into the lock layby and set the lock in my favour before exiting to the water point on the right and empty the trash. The places were filling up fast opposite, so I had to be quick and get one before another boat got in and this is only 1pm, so no chance in the afternoon.

Even two Gongoozlers in deck chairs!

A trip to The Swan (aka The Mucky Duck) was in order as I had not been here for a couple of years. It had been taken over by Everard’s Brewery a while ago, so things were looking up after all the problems this place had had in the past with dirty kitchens and food poisoning. Of course, the beers were Everards, although I later spotted a Mild and Titanic on tap in the other bar. The service from the kitchen and behind the bar seemed very efficient. It certainly was a change for the better.

Monday 12^th August

A bright and sunny start to the day for a change, but the week ahead is going to be changeable, so not good cruising weather to look forward to. I was desperate for some shopping and beer tokens (cash) and was advised that there was a Co-op in Alrewas, so that was were I headed. There were plenty of mooring spaces above Lock 13 and above and below Bridge 48, so I got the essential shop done, before visiting the butcher, where I also got advice about the best pub to drink in – William IV, rather than The Dragon.

Continuing on through Alrewas Lock, I was now on the River Trent for just short of a mile until Wychnor Lock where the cut resumed. I did intend mooring there, but for the A38, which was incredibly noisy. Eventually I got to Branston Lock and there were moorings above there next to The Water Park, so that was where I pulled in for the night.

I had just locked up the boat and was on my way to The Bridge Inn, when I heard someone shout “Hey Ray.” I turned around to see Andy Belton on nb Would It Be So Bad shove his boat into reverse for a chat. He used to moor close to me on The Wey Navigation at Pelican Wharf, but moved up to Nottingham last year. He is, or was also a member of the Narrow Boat Trust. Small world! We chatted for a while about moorings and his new job, before he moved on. His home mooring is Alvecote Marina, where I was a short time ago.

The Bridge Inn nearby is much more an Italian restaurant than a pub, with only Pedigree on tap and nowhere to sit inside, because despite it being Monday, all the tables were laid for service and reserved. A good indication of how good the food is. It is possible to eat outside in the garden, if unreserved, but obviously not in inclement weather. If this place wanted to increase its clientele as a pub, an extension is the obvious next move.

Tuesday 13^th August

I let go about 10.30 on what was a chilly morning for August. Although I had shopped previously, the Co-op stores around here seem to stock so little compared to what I am used to and to get what I really want, I am going to have to find a Tesco or similar big supermarket.

I was doubtful about stopping in Burton until I had a good look on the way through. As is frequently the case in large towns, the canal enters by the back door and is hidden away from the busier parts by trees and shrubs along the length. I passed Marston’s enormous brewery and the Bass Museum with recommendations for mooring places, which appeared to be fairly safe, with other boats moored up there, so I may well stop at one of them on the way back.

Coming up to the Old Mill at Stretton, I asked a pub guy if there was a supermarket across the cut and he said that there was and it was quite big as far as he could make out. I pulled in on rings outside the pub and walked up to what was another Co-op and it was tiny inside so I hardly bought anything. Returning, I went into the Old Mill, a Greedy King Hungry Horse, which says it all in the title and not my kind of pub, but they sold beer, so I had a pint. The barmaid, who I suspect is also the manager kept calling me ‘Mate’, which I dislike intensely. I am not her mate and never will be, so do not appear so familiar with customers. Another gripe about this place is that the moorings are opposite a very wide reed bed, which cuts down the ability to pass easily on the offside. Obviously the pub cannot do anything about this, but CRT might make the channel wider.

I pulled in at Horninglow Basin for water and had to get at right angles to the main line to get close enough. The basin was extremely small, with room for about eight boats and also beneath the A38 which bridged the cut here also. Once again there is no place for waste disposal and CRT seem to be reducing these everywhere I travel and yet they have a survey running asking boaters to report large gaps in their service, which appears to be farcical to me.

Horninglow Basin.

Moving on towards Willington alongside the busy and noisy A38 all day, I eventually approached the village and was now well away from the main road. With three pubs and yet another Co-op, it had plenty to offer the boater in the way of refreshment as could be seen by the number of moored boats already here, as well as permanent moorings on the offside. The towpath is very wide here and seems to be a popular promenade for strolling and walking the dog. The only snag so far is from the freight trains every few minutes on the other side of the towpath. The day had begun to warm up about midday and was now very pleasant as I pulled in to moor up.

I went for a walk to the nearest pub, The Dragon and although it dates back to when the T & M was built 150 yrs ago, it has been sympathetically extended and restored to what is now a pub with all modern conveniences and very efficient staff. The interior is enormous and most of it is fitted out for dining, but the front garden, which overlooks the canal, is also huge with the addition of a complete glass verandah. The beers are mostly of their own brew – Boot Beers, which is Good for the Sole apparently. I had a pint and it does exactly that! Unfortunately, of seven handpumps only three were activated at the time.

The Dragon at Willington.