Freedom of the Cut 2019 - 17.

Onwards to Shardlow

Wednesday 14^th August

The rain just got more intense as the morning wore on, so it looked like a ‘stay where you are’ kind if day. Reckon the short River Trent section will be in flood today with all this rain anyway, even if I did want to return to Fradley.

The dirty clothes were piling up again, so time to do some more washing which will keep me occupied for a couple of hours. I am not bothered about drying it outside, because of limited space, so it stays on hangers inside for usually two days in the bathroom out of the way.

I had decided to eat out for a change tonight and walked to The Dragon. Surprise – there was only one large table free, because I had not booked. Although booking is advised, I though it unnecessary on a Wednesday as there were so many tables, but they were all full, which is of course a very good advert for any restaurant. So, there I was, feeling somewhat guilty at having so large a table to myself, that another guy with a pint of Coke was looking around for somewhere to sit and I asked him if he wanted to share the space, which he did. Not so surprisingly, he was also a boater and came from Lancashire, but trying to make conversation was like getting blood out of a stone – he was so dour, although I did get a laugh out of him before he left.

I am very prone to mussels when they are on the menu and they were too, in a Massaman curry sauce with folded light pancakes on the side. It was a large portion and enjoyable to the last, before I chose a white chocolate cheesecake with mango and passion fruit – pure indulgence to say the least and I was bloated. It is a long time since I have eaten so well. The full menu is worth drooling over and is here.

Thursday 15^th August

The day was chilly off to a start, but the rain had cleared at last, so time to move on. As usual, I did an engine check, only to discover that the header tank was almost empty, which after having new core plugs fitted and the system sealed, was most unusual. Searching further, I discovered a split Bowman rubber connection at the stern end of the engine, where it connected with the skin tank – not good news, as this is a restored 1970’s BMC engine of the type fitted to London Black Cabs and I could foresee it being difficult to source a replacement part.

Mercia Marina was about half a mile further on, so with the tank topped up, that was the next port of call. When I was through the entrance, there was no indication where anything was, so I moored up on a wooden jetty close to the shops and found the reception office. They advised me to try Midland Swindlers or the workshops of Streethay Wharf, which has a yard on site here as well as the one at Streethay. I found Midland and asked for a spare part, not expecting them to have any at all in stock, but to my surprise they did stock several different sizes, which I never realised how many there were. After returning to Stronghold and measuring and getting the serial number of the split one, I returned to find that they actually had one on the shelf, so I took it back and fitted it within the hour - job done. Sometimes things just fall into place, but this surpassed my dreams of almost instant success.

Well perished after 18 yrs!

The new Bowman connection in place.

To celebrate, I had a pint in the marina bar, but what shops were here on site were either cafes or gift related, which is not my scene at all. As there was a tap close to the mooring, I took advantage and filled the tank. I would not be at all surprised if I could have moored here for the night and no one would have commented.

Mercia Marina - more shops than boat services.

I exited the marina and cruised as far as the top of Stenson Lock, which is double width to take the barges originally to and from Burton from the River Trent. It is also very deep at 12’6”. If I am going to tackle that, it will be with another boat or volunteer only. There was one mooring space left here, so I got in quickly before someone else took it.

Friday 16^th August

Yet another wet day! This must be one of the worst summers for some years. I can probably count the really hot sunny days on fingers of one hand this year. Looking at the forecast however, the next week or two appear to be sunny spells every day in this area.

After a leisurely breakfast, it was time to write up this blog and I had a few days to catch up on. I also had considerable e-mails to read and reply to as well, which all consumed most of my day. While the rain continued to pelt down non-stop. I think there were only four or five boats that went through Stenson Lock all day, so the volunteer must have had a boring time of it.

12ft 6ins to the bottom.

A pint in The Bubble Inn was enjoyed later before the meal on board.

Saturday 17^th August

Another chilly start to the day, but it gradually warmed up as the morning progressed. I had a chat with a new boater behind me to see if he was going through Stenson Lock, but not so. I had been waiting around for another boat to either come down or up for forty minutes by now and decided that I was going to have to do it on my own. However, there was a bridge below the tail of the lock and although I could pull the boat through on a line as far as that and then let go, there was the bywash outlet to contend with at the bottom on the towpath side which would push the boat away from me and into the trees. I could not win without some help, so walked back to ask help from the previous guy on the moored boat. We walked back to the lock and then lo and behold another two boats appeared behind me and one at the bottom waiting to come up - just like London buses, nothing for hours then they all turn up at once!

Not the sort of cill to catch the boat on!

I was now on my way with nb Lock and Roll and we did the next three locks together. They were on their way back to Nottingham, so had to go on The Trent after Shardlow, but the river was in flood and Cranfield Stop Lock was closed, which meant that Shardlow moorings would be solid with boats waiting to go on the river. They decided to stop above Aston Lock until it was clear, so I followed suit and moored up astern of them and had a chat later, before walking down to the lock. I had been on the lookout since the beginning of the month for ripe blackberries and here they were, not very big but back along the towpath there were a few really large ones that I ate there and then. These I will cook up with the Granny Smith apples that have been waiting for a few days on the galley shelf.

Sunday 18^th August

Another dry day with sunny spells and another rest day. No news on the River Trent in flood, so Lock and Roll is staying put, but may have to move tomorrow as they, like me are running out of food. It would seem that there are no food shops in Shardlow. I decided that I would try out The Malt Inn at Aston, which was ¾ mile from the lock and I was surprised how busy it was, but then a several pubs are on Sundays. Tribute was on, which is one of my favourites. An interesting feature of this pub is that they have a Barter Board, with a few fruits and veg on and if you donate any of these to the kitchen, then they are worth a pudding or a free pint in exchange – unique I would think, but an excellent idea as growers often have a surplus at this time of year.

Terry, from Lock and Roll came up later to explain that they were not going to move tomorrow, as the Trent was still in flood.

I had a BBQ this evening, as I was well away from any other boat and the present charcoal smokes considerably on starting up. That is the last of my food stock, so it maybe a case of dining out later.

Monday 19^th August

Terry was kind enough to see me through Aston Lock and it was only my a short distance to Shardlow, where I expected difficulty finding a mooring, but that was not the case and I got one just below the lock and opposite a boatyard. There were several boats tied up here waiting for the river to subside. I had only been here an hour and heard a shout outside – it was Mark and Maggie Young on nb Forever Young. I grabbed a windlass and walked up to help them through the lock, catching up on their travels in the meantime.

On getting back to Stronghold it was time to do an oil and filter change, which was a few hours overdue – a messy business as the plastic milk bottle I used on the end of the oil pipe to catch any residue had split and was leaking oil. Lesson learned - not to use those in future. 

This barge can only go as far as Burton.

Being out of food now, I had to eat out somewhere, but finding a suitable place was not easy as most of them had inconsistent reviews on TripAdvisor. There was supposed to be a Thai Kitchen at 3 Wilne Lane, but when I got there it was a boarded up old house, so I went in The Navigation to see if they did food, as there was nothing published recently, although they did have a working kitchen some time ago, but the answer was no. I asked a couple in the garden and he recommended Smithys Marina Bar at Shardlow Marina, where he knew they did food, so I chanced it. It would not be a place I would naturally have gone for food, but they did a reasonable blackboard menu and I chose deep fried squid with a chilli and garlic salad, which was very tasty and served within a few minutes. The beers were Smithys Pale Ale and Doombar, which were priced at £2.70 as it was Happy Hour, so I did well in the end.

Just done a bit of shopping!

Shardlow is a very well preserved inland port, used for transhipping freight from the widebeam barges that came up The Trent from the docks, to narrowboats and onward to the rest of the country. The town has about 50 buildings dating from 1770 when Brindley developed the area, similar to his only other inland port at Stourport-on-Severn. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shardlow#Transport_hub

Restored crane for loading at the brewery bottling warehouse.

The warehouse behind the crane.

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.

Freedom of the Cut 2019 - 15.

Locking DownTo Polesworth

Thursday 1^st August continued.

It turned out to be an unexpectedly busy day later as nb Nuneaton came past with Kirk and Setarah steering, so I grabbed my windlass and set off for the top lock to assist with locking them down as far as Lock 5, after which the locks become too far between. Nuneaton is travelling to her home mooring for a while at Alvecote before having extensive repairs to the hull.

I walked back up the flight to bring Stronghold down next, but had to fill with water first at the top lock. It was my lucky day, as on the ground there was a very smart multi holed windlass with rotating handle, although nothing can beat my aluminium Double Dunton for ease of carrying and lightness. After reaching the moorings below Lock 5, I pulled in to the first available spot which was too close to the A5 bridge for comfort, because the noise of traffic went on all night and was not conducive to a good nights rest. By now it was 4.30 and I was to meet Eric at 5pm as well as have a much needed shower beforehand.

The road into town from here goes beneath the main line railway, but on the way there a lady on the towpath informed me that the road was impassable due to being flooded. I had heard of this previously, so tried a detour up the embankment of the A5. The barrier was quite high at the top, so I tried to follow a faint path through the woods until I came to a fence, so now had to climb the muddy 45º slope to the Armco and cross the busy A5, eventually getting onto Old Watling Street from where it was just a short walk to the pub, where Eric was sitting in the window seat waiting. He agreed to take me to Church End Brewery tomorrow, where I have been once before with my daughter. It will be an interesting visit for me, having been a home brewer in a past life and they are bound to have all their ales on tap there.

No way am I wading through this!

Another landmark for me Is that I quit my home mooring on the Wey Navigation, so Stronghold is homeless at the moment, but negotiations with Rugby Wharf are ongoing and that looks like where I will be in future. I look forward to the change of venue and only having to buy one licence for the whole year from now on.

He is trying to find the way in.

Friday 2^nd August

Not much of interest today and the weather had dried up at last, including the flood beneath the railway. Instead of meeting Eric outside the Kings Head opposite, He turned up at 4.15pm with Daisy the dog and knocked on the boat. It was rather an inopportune time as I was having another go at back pumping the water pipe to the main tank and there were tools all around, as well as a disconnected pump. I was aiming to complete the job by 4.45, when we were due to meet up and that is exactly how long it took, so Eric continued his walk until then. This time I pumped about 6 pints of water through. All was reassembled and the water pressure at the tap appeared to be the same as before, but I will have to wait for a shower to judge it more accurately. This I did the following day and there was a small improvement in pressure at head height.

Church End Brewery Tap is located in Ridge Lane, Nuneaton and the entrance is in the middle of a row of terraced houses, so any unsuspecting visitor could easily pass it by. The brewery is very modern with all stainless steel tanks and is visible from the large bar, but at this time no one was at work of course. There were several own brew beers on off, but no Stout Coffin, which was probably my favourite stout of all time, so I had to settle for Fallen Angel, which is just as good, but a strong bitter. Conversation ensued between us and I ended up buying another pub tee shirt to accompany my now rather worn out Anchor Inn one, that came from the Shroppie some years previously.

The bar with brewery behind the glass screen.

I bade farewell to Eric for the last time for a while when we got back to Atherstone. It was time to move on again soon.

Saturday 3^rd August

I set off for the remaining six locks of the flight, which I did solo, as the volunteers did not normally come down this far. Passing Baddesley Basin at Glascote, I got an enthusiastic wave from Jane and David on nb Rowan as they were taking a mooring there for a while.

Shortly after the main line bridge towards Polesworth, a passing boater told me that there was another River Wey boat moored around the bend, to which I asked if it was maroon and was assured that it was, so it could only be nb Cranley with Mick and Susanne and Lexi the dog. Sure enough I pulled in to have a long chat, but did not appreciate the stink from the local sewerage works nearby and moved on to Polesworth later, finding a good Armco mooring opposite a closed warehouse. Although it was next to a recreation ground, it appeared to be quiet, so I tied up securely for the night and set about doing the washing, as I now bereft of anything to wear, after which I went for an aperitif at the Royal Oak, close to Bridge 52; not that it was my kind of pub, but they did serve beer. 

I cooked up the last of the calves liver, which I bought on the Ashby on 25^th July and that was ten days ago! Although it was frozen at the time, it still smelled OK and I suffered no ill effects – delicious to the last.

Sunday 4^th August

Being a Sunday, there was no hurry to get anything done – just like any other day really! The morning was spent writing this up and checking the engine before it was run to charge batteries. The day began with sunshine, but then deteriorated to high cloud. TV reception was OK for some programmes, but  wi-fi is good at this location, so I had to catch up on Sky news on the PC.

After a spot of lunch, I took a walk around the town to see what shops were available and suss out a couple of pubs. The Spread Eagle was first and although they had Church End Goats Milk on tap, the pub needed some serious TLC. I popped my head in The Red Lion, but no real ale, so I left. The final pub was Fosters Yard, of just Yard and it was buzzing with motor racing fans watching the gran prix, I imagine. It was noisy, but that seems to be normal for a sports pub. This place had been converted to a pub from being a haberdasher’s and had a railway style canopy over seating at the front, so the building went back a few years. There was a Victorian coal fired wash boiler on display and a wood burning stove for colder days. After my last visit to Polesworth many years ago, it was time they had a reasonable place to drink.

Freedom of the Cut 2019 - 14

More Serendipity.

Thursday 25^th July

I was now on a mission to get back to Suttons at a reasonable time to get a good mooring, which at the latest was about midday. If I arrived much after 3pm then most of the decent moorings would be occupied. Again it was very hot and forecast to be the hottest July day on record. Although my shoulders were a bit sore from the sun yesterday, I had to remove my tee shirt again in the afternoon for a short while, because the cooling breeze disappeared when there were trees around.

Stopping off at Spinney Bank Farm Shop was difficult, as I had no option but to moor alongside working boat Corolla for a short period. My stern line was around the backend rail, centre line around a cross beam and ditto with the bow line. Fortunately the guy from Papercourt Lock on the Wey was there too, so assisted with the centre line to hold the boat in. All this palaver for a pot of cream and when I got to the shop there was no one to serve me, so I left the money on the counter.

Onwards towards Marston Junction, although I wanted to stop earlier if possible so as to give more time tomorrow to reach Suttons. Luckily there were moorings at Bulkington, where there was also a pub, which I walked to later. It was a Marston’s house and if you were reading this earlier, you will know what I think of them, but the beer was OK. Getting back, I had to do something with all the meat in the fridge, which had been there too long, so I rustled up a casserole with the few vegetables that were left and had to cook it in the oven for 90mins – all done in this heatwave! In the meantime the cooling fan was blasting warm air through the cabin to try and keep me cool.

Friday 26^th July

Although I was up early, there was no point leaving before 11am, so some time was spent writing this and surfing the net.

The turn at Marston was done to perfection, considering there was a gongoozler watching from the bridge. I had passed another boat on a corner very slowly and thought I recognised the steerer, and on giving it further thought, I think it was Snowy who works or used to work at Alvecote Marina. I was shortly back at Suttons and there was one space on the Coventry side of the turn, but I took a chance and winded in the turn, before reversing to the services to dump a load of rubbish and bottles. The previous dump was now closed and was relocated inside the building with a locked door to negotiate. I had left the Watermate key on board, but another boater loaned me his. It would appear that the previous site had been extensively used by fly tippers and the new system was supposed to prevent that.

The day so far was much cooler that the last two, which was a relief, but at that point it started to rain – just a little, but enough to get any books under cover and close the slide. Luckily it did not last long.

I returned to the watepoint where the tap was broken off, so had to use a pair of pliers to turn it on. The mooring space was still vacant, but I was not sure Stronghold would quite fit, however after leaving the tap a plastic cruiser was about to pull out of his space and there was no doubt that my boat would fit in there; I was home and dry now with time to spare to do some odd jobs around the boat.

I had a quick pint of mild in the pub and asked at the bar If I could plug in my PC, the reply being, “Yes, if you can find a socket.” Well I did find one and settled down in the corner. Shortly afterwards another one of the bar staff, who may be the shift manager told me that it was not allowed as the wiring was so old, but I reckon they plug in a 2kw vacuum cleaner there in there for the morning cleaning session, so it really is being very petty.

Returning later for the meal, we had lots to talk about and had a very good meal with plenty to eat as usual. The restaurant was full, as were the bars and patio at the front, so a very compatible atmosphere. We will probably repeat it again when I return from more northern climes.

With Toody in The Greyhound.

Gongoozlers Terrace at the front of The Greyhound.

Saturday 27^th/Sunday 28^th July

These two days were spent almost entirely inside sheltering from the rain. There was no shortage of things to do and keep me occupied as well as a couple of short trips to the pub. There were people cruising of course, but either they were hire boaters who had to make the most of their time on board, or they were on a tight schedule to get somewhere………finally they could just be nuts, like I used to be.

Monday 29^th July

At last the rain cleared and it was time to move on with the aim of Atherstone at the end of the day. It was nowhere near as hot as last week being a comfortable 25ºC. It was easy boating with surprisingly few boats about in the 4.5 hours it took me, although I did stop at The Anchor moorings in Hartshill for coffee and some lunch, avoiding the temptation to have a beer there.

I can remember when there were 

millions of these along the railway lines.

A vacant mooring in Atherstone was like hen’s teeth and some guy on the towpath said that the empty space I could see was taken by a boat gone up to the locks to wind his boat. I found out later that this guy frequents the towpath and is the equivalent of the village idiot, shouting out untruths to passing boaters. Luckily another boat was just leaving as I came alongside, but another one was following  and chaos ensued until he reversed to leave room. There was also a moored Tupperware boat on the offside to complicate things even further!

Shortly after I had secured the boat, October Morn came in behind and being only 36ft long, just squeezed in. I helped the lady moor up, for which she was most appreciative and we had quite a chat about things, one of which was that she was brought up I Surrey and knew of my home mooring. Another woman passed later and asked if the boat really was from The Wey, where she was born and bred!

After a shower, I hit the bright lights of Atherstone and looked in The New Swan, where I knew they served Church End Ales, but they only had Goat’s Milk on tap, so I moved on to The Angel Ale House in the market square where I came last year. Not only is it a CAMRA recommended pub, but it has been North Warwickshire Pub of the Year five times recently. Being a member, I got a 20% discount and there was a 1^st class section of beers on handpump, most of which I was unfamiliar with. This is also the only pub I had ever experienced with a selection of vinyl records available to play.

The Angel Alehouse in Market Square.

The bar with record deck to the right.

Tuesday 30^th July

There was more shopping to do today and I badly need a haircut, the last one being in Braunston more than a month ago. October Morn left this morning, but not until we had another long conversation about home moorings and I learned a few things from her.

I have had mixed feelings about moving from The Wey to Rugby Wharf ever since I had a temporary mooring there a couple of weeks ago. The biggest disadvantage of course is that it will take more than twice as long to drive to from home; the other consideration is that to get out on a cruise each year, I have to pass through The Thames and up the Grand Union to get to anywhere interesting, with appropriate licences for each. The National Trust who own the Wey Navigation put up their mooring prices every year without fail and are extremely fussy about the rules of navigation and how boats are moored on their navigation. Rugby Wharf on the other hand is offline, so no disturbance from passing boats, apart from hire boats moving to and from the end of the arm occasionally; mooring fees are half that of NT for the same facilities and there is more bankside available to me; there is a boatyard at the end of the arm, who understand narrow boats, showers and guaranteed parking spaces; shopping at the local Tesco and The Steam Turbine pub (Greedy King and Hungry Horse), but the beer is OK; I can easily get to Rugby Station for trains home; the site is also secure at night now since a few break-ins, which is better than my mooring down south. Finally, I have already made a new friend with Mick on nb Ragamuffin. Having now typed out this list, I think there are more pros than cons in my favour of moving.  

Rain was forecast again today, although sporadic and began at lunchtime, but again there were several boats on the move in it. Nb Tramper No.2 came past late morning and managed to stop opposite while we had a shouted conversation – funny really how we seem to meet up by chance almost every year ever since we met up in Sawley some years ago. My mate Colin bought their original boat several years ago and still has it at Stoke Golding.

Wednesday 31^st July

It really was time to get a haircut this morning as well as a bit more shopping. As I walked into town, I passed a guy who struck a chord so turned and shouted his name twice, at which he turned and was not sure who I was. I reminded him that we met at Ricky Festival earlier this year and it then all fitted into place. His name is Eric Naylor and we stood there and reminisced over the festival, as well as other things and it turned out that he lived in Atherstone. I mentioned that I had been to The Angel Alehouse where he normally goes too, so it is strange that I have not seen him in there. The outcome was that we would meet there about 5pm – I look forward to it.

And what a good evening it was too, with good company, conversation and first class beer. It was so enjoyable that we agreed to meet up and lead each other astray again tomorrow in the Church End Brewery, where Eric was prepared to drive.

Thursday 1^st August

There was a knock on my boat this morning whilst I was inconveniently on the pot! It could only be Eric taking his dog Daisy for a walk along the towpath. The arrangements had to be changed for this evening for Eric and we would go to the brewery tomorrow lunchtime instead. In the meantime the Angel was still on for later. I had plans to shift moorings further down below Lock 5 for a change of scene and also these moorings were supposed to be only for 48hrs, although there did not appear to be any CRT notices anywhere along the stretch, as I mentioned in the blog for 2018.