Hedgerow Jottings: The Wonder Boob

Tricky looking for the gangplank

Ahoy there landlubbers!

Oops sorry about that, I've come over all piratical. Being afloat does have that effect on me sometimes, especially when I look in the mirror and find I am missing a tooth at the front!! (Scream emoji) Fortunately for me, I have an excellent dentist, who has somehow managed to keep me smiling for the last twenty years. The only pain I feel when I visit him is the pain in my purse which is still stinging from the cost of the last disaster. I'm back to my normal smiling self, so there's no need for the 'yo ho ho' speak - my inner pirate has been banished.

Rainy Fradley

The car is safely tucked up at home and the '2 trains and a bus' journey back to the boat went fairly well until the 'Invasion of the Marauding Schoolkids' set my nerves jangling. Two teachers ushered the mob aboard, then skipped off gleefully, leaving me and the bus driver to suffer the ear shattering screams and thunderous pounding of 40 or more teenage feet all trying to get to the best seats on the top deck. Some had beards that would have done credit to a Yeti, which was the only way you could tell the male marauders from the female marauders.

Whittington - still a grey day

It was a grey and overcast morning when we set off and chugged up towards the first lock. As usual, Tricky and I went ahead, but our plans of an early start and a quick scoot up to Fradley were scuppered at the first lock. As I rounded the bend, windlass in hand, I could see there was a boat already going up in the lock, and another was moored on the lock landings, waiting to go through. They were travelling together as a pair and we would be queuing behind them all the way to Fradley. I tried not to be glum, but they were very slow and then the rain started! By the time we reached Fradley and started to water up, the rain had set in for the day. I went below and the fire had gone out, the boat was cold and I was wet. The butter wouldn't spread for our cheese sandwiches and the water tank was taking an age to fill. 'Let's call it a day' says I and Carl built a roaring fire and we watched an episode of 'Car Share'.

Yellow Nettle - is it wild?

Friday morning dawned bright and fair and Tricky and I trotted along the towpath, in company with the couple from the boat behind us who were taking their border collie for a walk. We exchanged potted histories, as is usual when you meet up with other boaters. They were on there way to Foxton and hoped to arrive by June, which is a very slow pace, even by our standards. We parted company at bridge 90 and I tried to get back on board for the usual morning coffee and chocolate hobnob (just the one - we're cutting back!) Instead of leaping lithely up from the towpath and ducking under the tiller arm, to resume my rightful place on the stern, I tried to step up with Tricky wriggling under one arm and the end of the lead trailing in the water. Luckily, a siren went off in my head - Warning! Stupid, dangerous manoeuvre underway - Abort! Abort! I made a very inelegant scramble back to the shore, still with Tricky tucked under one arm. No harm done except to my pride.

Little Dog - Big Trouble

We arrived at Streethay Wharf and tied up by the diesel pump. Carl humped some extra bags of coal onto the roof and we filled up with diesel - it's always a good feeling to be ready for whatever the weather can throw at us. Streethay Chandlery is full of interesting boaty bits - batteries and loo blue in amongst the brass hinges, chimneys, filters and fenders . I shouldn't think this place has changed much over the years, some of the beams are covered in layers of dust, some of the boxes look like they were first priced in pounds, shillings and pence but somehow that's very comforting when you need a widget for the oojermaflip - somewhere in this maze of shelves and cupboards, they will have exactly what you need and the know-how to fit it.

Fazeley Junction

Picky Tricky is very choosy about her food and will only eat one brand of tinned dog food - Sainsburys own brand Turkey and Chicken. We moored by Venturer Park (a big shopping complex in Tamworth) and set off with the big rucksacks to Sainsburys for Tricky's food then into Wilko's for Carl to purchase yet more paintbrushes! The final item on the list was a new bluetooth speaker so that we could listen to our new radio programme 'Bubblegum and Cheese' - a recent treasure Carl found on BBC Solent, it's 3 hours of pure nostalgia on a Saturday morning. The search proved more difficult than we expected. We tried Argos and Currys - they didn't have what we wanted and we were met by the usual wall of complete disinterest when we tried to get some help in Currys. I suppose we did look a bit dubious in our wet weather coats and walking boots, laden down with rucksacks - thank goodness I had my tooth fixed or they would have thrown us out. More in hope than expectation, we walked over to the new John Lewis store and I left Carl outside with Tricky while I went in to check out the goods. I was deeply engrossed in reading the blurb for a Wonder Boom when a little patter of tiny feet made me look up to see Tricky and Carl heading my way. How lovely! A shop that lets dogs in and even makes them welcome. The 'Partners' were delighted to see Tricky and made a fuss of her, which she ignored in her usual haughty fashion. They didn't seem to notice that we were dressed like ramblers when everyone else was in 'Going Up Town on a Saturday' smart casual wear. We were even made welcome in the cafe. Great service John Lewis - a great shopping experience. We bought the Wonder Boom but it will be forever referred to a the 'Boob' as I misread the name on the package and almost embarrassed myself at the till; I think I got away with it!

Captain Carl left me in charge - I hit the bridge!

I've wittered on for far too long and I've not told you about today's mooring at Kinsgbury Water Park yet. I'll post the pictures for you and write more about it next week.

Love as Always

The Floating Chandlers

PS – you'd think Black Headed Gulls would have black heads wouldn't you. We did a bit of twitching today and the 'Bird Chart' in the Twitching Hut had a picture of a BHG with a plain white head. Now, can anyone explain that? Were we looking at Terns or BHG's?

PPS The bluebells are out already but still no sign of the ducklings here on the water. The New Inn at Hadnall however, has had a family of ducks outside in the car park waiting for happy hour. Who'll pay the bill – quack quack!