Hedgerow Jottings: What3Words: Walking,Cheese,Tricky

Alpaca on guard

Hello again,

We couldn’t wait to set off, once we arrived back at the boat on Tuesday, and there was much discussion about what to do with the car. We finally decided to leave it at the moorings and get the Lady Aberlour over the Trent as quickly as we could before the heavy rain arrived on Wednesday - any dawdling would mean that we might be stuck on the wrong side of Wychnor Lock, waiting for the water levels to drop. Transferring our gear from the car to the boat as quickly as we could, we struck up the engine and cast off the ropes ready for the trip to Willington to turn round. Getting in and out of our mooring spot is always a test of the Captain’s skill and patience. He stepped ashore to do the muscle work while I tried to steer us away. I revved the engine and swung the tiller and we trawled uselessly backwards and forwards for a while, churning up the muddy water until finally, we inched our way over the silt ‘bar’ that was blocking us in. At last! We were off and the sun was shining down hotly as we chugged along, with the gentlest of breezes to ruffle our hair. Tricky was in her usual place on the hatch so I slipped below to make us a brew and and a cheese sandwich to fortify us for the trip ahead. The various ukulele bags, boxes and rucksacks we had brought with us were scattered everywhere, so I left Carl up top while I unpacked the cool bag and piled everything else in the space at the end of the bed. Unpacking would have to wait - there were 6 locks and several hours of chugging to do before we could get over the Trent to the safe haven of Alrewas village. It was after 7 ‘o’ clock when we finally tied up that evening and Carl took pity on me and nipped to the chippie so that I wouldn’t have to cook and Tricky settled into her bed and snored the evening away - too tired to eat her kibble.

Tyre Art

The rain came on Wednesday, as promised, but it was a light drizzle so I put on my new Craghoppers coat (a bargain from Frost’s garden centre, labelled ‘waterproof’ which is always a lie!) and set off for the village to stock up with supplies. I popped into Coates butchers for the obligatory 14 sausages and then onward to the Co-Op for milk and fruit. I do love this time of the year, sweet nectarines, plums and peaches fill my bag along with strawberries and raspberries and a teeny pot of cream (Licking Lips Emoji). I’m keen to get going so I ignore the drizzle and suggest that we set off before the heavy rain starts. We made it through two locks and my waterproof coat was repelling the raindrops nicely until the drizzle turned into a steady sheet and the water ran off my coat and soaked my jeans and leaked into my trainers. (Note to self, waterproof coat is working, now look out for some waterproof trousers!) Oh well, once you’re wet, you may as well keep going, so we continued on through Fradley and turned onto the Coventry and chugged along looking for our friends on the Naga Queen, who was somewhere up ahead. We found them lurking near the Kings Orchard Marina and settled in behind them for a good old catch up.

Skinny Bridge 36

It was a trifle damp underfoot on Thursday morning but Tricky, Pat and I walked along the towpath towards Huddlestone Junction, Malc and Carl chugging along behind us and the freshness of the new day putting a spring in our step. There were a few boats in front of us at the ‘Tamworth Two’ Locks so we ate our lunch on the hoof as we waited for our turn. Carl decided to water up at the top so the Naga Queen went on ahead to find a suitable mooring spot to sit out the heavy rain predicted for Friday. I went off to the Co-op (yes – again!!) Carl collected me from the next bridge with another big bag of supplies to go in the ‘emergency rations’ cupboard. I’m calling it the ‘Hard Brexit’ rations - I’m hoping I never have to live on the stuff I’ve got in there. Did anyone ever eat tinned Pease Pudding?

Trent looking very blue

Thursday was as long as the rest of the week rolled into one, we chugged around the the outskirts of Tamworth, past Pooley Park, where two boys were chasing a runaway ‘Gnasher’ dog and onwards towards Polesworth. On and on we chugged, hoping to find the Naga Queen moored up but Pat and Malc gave us no quarter and it was late afternoon before we spied them just opening the lock gates at the bottoms of the Atherstone flight. They waved us into the lock ahead of them and Pat called out to ask me if I was ready to moor up. Was she joking? ‘I was ready to moor up about 3 hours ago’ I called back and chugged into the lock without bumping the sides, which made me feel a little better.

Boating in the rain

Friday was wet and windy, so we stayed put and had a house-keeping day. I finally got to unpack all the bags and during the usual game of ‘hunt for a new crevice in which to store a ukulele case/a knitting bag/large cool box/a suitcase that folds flat but still takes up an exorbitant amount of space, I found a stash of towels that I’d put away to make more room in the airing cupboard drawer. I was looking everywhere for towels at home, It seems that I have the entire stock of Dunelms, safely stored in scented vacuum bags, under the boat bed. Now the question is, when I pack up to come home in October, will those towels make it home?

Three Little Ducks

It was on Friday afternoon that I glanced out of the window and saw a man wearing a large rucksack – he was stooping down, as if in pain. We helped him into a deckchair and made him a cup of tea and he told us he was walking to Wales. He was a man down on his luck, although I couldn’t really fathom out the truth of what had happened to him, but I listened and made him a cheese roll and did him a pack-up to take with him on his long journey and wished him well as he went off down the towpath. I gave him directions so he could catch a bus into Lichfield, hoping that he could find a bed and maybe get a travel pass to get home. I’m grateful every day for the happy life I have and I never take it for granted. I hope the Walking Man makes it home safely.

Garden Boat

So my dear friends and family, that’s all for this week. I have to go and find Tricky who has run away to live on the Naga Queen. She really is the most ungrateful dog!

More next week
Love from
The Floating Chandlers

Ps If you’ve not come across What3Words before, its a clever way of sending your location to someone who is trying to find you. We’ve had a lot of fun with it this week - tonight we are at saves.chemistry.fall - see if you can find out where that is. Prizes are front row seats for my debut ukulele performance, please bring your own ear-plugs!

Pps. Saw some very strange skies this week. I’ve posted the best photos on the blog but they hardly do it justice.