Wendy and the cats were at Atherstone for just over a week while I was at
the "National". I came back on the (second) Tuesday evening, worn out after
the Festival
Wednesday 29th August 2007 "King's Head", Atherstone to Alvecote
Mike, Wendy, Cats Tilly & Mandy
We made a late start at 14:11 because I was still catching up on sleep from
the "National" and Wendy was still fairly groggy, with her ribs aching after
all the coughing. We had to queue for the water point below Atherstone
locks, but at least it wasn't raining! An angler at the water point told me
how he'd grown up on FMC and Barlow's boats.
We stopped at 18:10 on the "Samuel Barlow" pub mooring, at Alvecote Marina
having a conversation with Drew Burge as we tied up. (I had every intention
of visiting the pub later in the evening, but fell asleep after dinner, so
never did.
DAY'S RUN 6.5 miles, 6 locks in 3 hours 5 mins
Thursday 30th August 2007 Alvecote to Fradley Mike, Wendy, Cats
Tilly & Mandy
We set off at 10:29. There was a big delay at Glascote, where there was a
problem with the bottom lock. The problem was a damaged cill at the bottom
lock, which was supposed to have been put right during a stoppage a few days
before, but apparently hadn't been. BW was in attendance and insisting that
the top lock wasn't emptied until the bottom lock was full - presumably
because that was the only way they could get a level. We had a pleasant
conversation with the people off the boat behind us - Cutweb members and
friends of Terry & Sue Waldron. This canal is very silted, particularly on
the towpath side.
At Fazeley we joined B'ham & Fazeley section of the Coventry Canal, which
goes to Whittington Brook, where it becomes the detached section of the
Coventry proper. I managed to get a decent photograph of the boundary stone
between the B'ham & Fazeley and the detached section of the Coventry, which
appears to be the wrong way round.
We stopped at the water point immediately before Fradley junction and
struggled with a tap with a broken handle. I went to look for a mooring and
found a single 24-hour visitor mooring free between the swing bridge and the
junction, so we tied up there at 17:45.
DAY'S RUN 14.6 miles, 2 locks in 6 hours 57 mins.
Friday 31st August 2007 Fradley to Rugeley Mike, Wendy, cats Tilly &
Mandy
Starting at 10:23 and heading north on the Trent & Mersey, we found a lot of
traffic (not unexpected at one of the busiest junctions of the system) and
we were about fourth boat in the queue for Fradley Middle Lock. I'd
suggested that Wendy should walk round to the lock, for which she was
grateful as the lock mooring is terribly high, and the moored bots prevent
one from stopping anywhere else. We planned to stop for lunch at "The Plum
Pudding", Armitage. It didn't seem sensible to start a much-needed wash
until we were through the three locks, which meant that the drying hadn't
finished until we tied up at the pub, so Wendy didn't feel able to join me
for a pub lunch. The pub has moved up-market since we were last here (12
years ago?). The bar snacks were fine, and I enjoyed a good cheese
ploughman's, but the restaurant looked expensive.
Wendy steered after the stop, and had completely forgotten the long road
bridge at the beginning of Armitage ex-tunnel, with a curve before it which
prevents one seeing whether there's an approaching boat in the narrows. On
this occasion there was, but fortunately there was a dog-walker on the
towpath who warned us (not sure whether or not she was off the approaching
boat).
There were many strings of long-term moorings on the way, and we tied up at
17:10 at Rugeley. Rugeley has 14-day moorings between bridges 65 & 66, with
no rings but decent bank, and 48-hour moorings with rings between bridges 66
& 67 (nearer the town centre), so we chose the latter, but Tilly
wrong-footed us again by going walkabout.
DAY'S RUN 7.8 miles, 3 locks in 4 hours 7 mins.
Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd September Stationary at Rugeley Mike
Wendy, cats Mandy & sometimes Tilly
On Saturday Wendy shopped as soon as Morrison's was open. Not wonderful,
but better than many Tescos, and there was an independent greengrocer
opposite, and recycling bins nearby. The delinquent Tilly dashed in - and
out again - in the early evening.
When she came back, in the late afternoon on Sunday, we shut the cat flap,
which seemed unfair on Mandy, and hoped she wouldn't behave like an escaping
convict on Monday morning, when I needed to shop in the town to replace my
printer which seemed to have died. Not only had we overstayed on the
mooring, but we're desperate for a rubbish point, and water & a pump-out
wouldn't come amiss.
Monday 3rd September 2007 Rugeley to Stone Mike, Wendy, cats Tilly &
Mandy
I went in search of somewhere to buy a new printer, but with no luck. Then
we set off at 11:28. At Haywood junction we stopped to take on water and
dispose of rubbish. Had to queue for water. Before continuing northwards on
the Trent & Mersey.
It was a bright sunny day, and by late afternoon the sun was coming from low
on one side, making steering very difficult. For quite a bit of the day we
had a Challenger boat on our heels, whose crew were helpful at the locks.
We tied up at 18:58 about ten minutes' walk below the bottom lock, as other
boats moored there said (accurately) that there weren't any decent mooring
spots free further up. We walked up to "The Star" for a meal (very good),
and to meet Ian Cardinal for a few drinks and a chin-wag, which turned out
to be mostly about cats. A very pleasant evening. When we got back to the
boat, Tilly came to meet us, then leapt onto the boat's roof. There was no
sign of Mandy.
DAY'S RUN 13.8 miles, 6 locks in 7 hours exactly.
Tuesday 4th September 2007 Stone to Etruria Mike, Wendy, cats Tilly &
Mandy
Both cats were in when we woke up, so Wendy closed the cat-flap and gave
then their first breakfast. They had their second breakfast when we had
ours. They're getting a bit like the Wizards in Pratchett's books.
We set off at 10:59. It was another sunny day, much better than forecast.
We stopped at Stone Canal Cruisers for a pump-out and I had a good a chat
with the man who served us. They charged £12 for the pump-out, which is
good for this year.
We weren't very quick through any of the locks, as what down-hill traffic
there was didn't fit in with our timing very well. The Stoke locks were
deep and effortful, so we were glad to find a good mooring spot right by the
junction at 18:25. Just before dinner, Libby Bradshaw 'phoned to say that
our South London IWA colleague Dave Young had died. This was a great shock,
as totally unexpected.
DAY'S RUN 10.2 miles, 14 locks in 7 hours 7 mins.
--
Mike Stevens
narrowboat Felis Catus III
web-site www.mike-stevens.co.uk
No man is an island. So is Man.
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