Beautiful Churches Along the Way

 

Such a week in our country’s history cannot be captured by my scribblings. Others have spoken eloquently of her years of dedicated service, of her warmth and love of family. I saw a woman of strength that never shirked her duty even when faced with difficult times. I have watched many hours of footage this week and have been reminded of the beautiful girl she was, and I watched until, at last, that lovely sense of humour was allowed to shine through. How fortunate I feel to have been born into the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

The last time I wrote we were travelling south along the Staffs and Worcester Canal, hoping to get measured for our new cratch cover. I am happy to report that the Lady Aberlour is, at last, wearing her splendid new cover and we are finally water tight. In the nick of time, it would seem, for the mornings are turning chilly and I am once more required to deploy my elbow and prod Carl to get up and light the stove. The log basket needs filling, so I am wood spotting to find suitable deadwood to add to our logbox. We do have central heating, a diesel heater called an Eberspacher, which is very efficient when it's working but the flipping thing has gone on the blink now that we are miles away from the Battery Boys. They are the lads who fitted it for us and who service it, when necessary. We should have had it serviced when we were there in August, having the new fridge fitted but we didn’t and now it won’t fire up, so annoying!!

Shiny new windows in the new cover

Now that the topside of the boat is so smart, Carl is catching up with the less obvious places to paint. There is a small space at the pointed end (bows) with a lift up lid. Inside are the two gas bottles that supply the cooker and they have to be hauled up and off the boat in order that Carl can reach the floor of the gas locker to remove the rust. It’s a very small space, even for Carl and he came up coated in dust and sweat, clutching a bag of rust, like he’d found gold. Today is day five of the Gas Locker renovation, I will be glad when it’s done as I cringe with fear every time I hear those gas bottles clinking in case they or Carl fall in. So far, so good!

Stourport Mooring

We arrived in Stourport on a dreary day, found a space on the visitor moorings in the basin and collected our rucksacks for a trip into town. Stourport is charity shop heaven, if you like that kind of thing, which we do. Tricky tagged along, looking glum as usual and was most put out to find that she wasn’t allowed into most of the charity shops. She is used to going in with us and being made a fuss of,so she wasn’t happy to be sitting outside, especially as it began to rain heavily. We sheltered under a nearby scaffolding until the sun came out and we sloshed off down the High Street in search of something hot to warm us up. We would have liked to have stayed in Stourport longer but my phone pinged with a message from Keith (the cover maker) to say he was ready for us. We were surprised as we had been let down so often by the previous man that we had completely lost faith and expected to be hanging around for weeks waiting. We arranged to be there on Monday morning and set off back along the canal, pottering slowly, enjoying the sunny interludes and shivering in the chilly morning mists. We moored outside Tescos in Kidderminster, very handy for the town centre as it turned out. We joined the Saturday shoppers thronging through the street market and called into M & S for something tasty for tea. It was fine and sunny so we carried on through Kidderminster Lock and took another photo of the very splendid church that overlooks the canal. There are visitor moorings along here but we prefer somewhere quieter, so we moved on through Wolverley Court Lock and tied up.

Kidderminster

St Mary and All Saints Church, Kidderminster

Tricky developed an itchy ear last weekend so I rang the vet in Kinver and got an appointment for Monday afternoon. It was a good walk from the canal and quite a warm afternoon although showery. By the time I arrived, I was wringing wet, the sun came out and my waterproof jacket made it’s own thermal climate. I was cooking slowly but couldn't really start stripping off in the tiny room that passed for the Vets Consulting Room - it was very intimate for 3 adults and a little dog. When we were finally released and presented with the bill, I broke out into a different kind of sweat! It was such a relief to find out that Tricky just needed some drops and Janet, the vet, was really kind about Tricky’s terrible haircut (I’m worried that it hasn’t grown out and poor Tricky still looks like a mutt). On the way back through Kinver, I glanced up at the church that stands high above the town and thought it would be nice to stroll up and take in the view. Carl strode up the steep gradient carrying the rucksack of shopping while I puffed along behind, pushing Tricky in her buggy and trying not to alarm Carl with my wheezing for breath . The church was just closing as we arrived but they took pity on us and stayed open long enough for us to get the guided tour from one of the flower ladies. I was thankful that I hadn't climbed that hill to find the doors locked.

Kinver Church - Etched Glass Doors

Kinver Church Stained Glass Window

Kinver Church

We have enjoyed our trip down to Stourport and I’m sure we will be making it part of our regular cruising route as the narrow locks are so much easier than the broad locks of the Grand Union. We have a few weeks left before our autumn cruise is over so we turned onto the Shropshire Union and moored with a long line of other boaters. It was a late afternoon by the time we arrived and Carl bashed in the pins to tie us up and we were lulled to sleep by the owls hooting.

Moonlit Mist

Beautiful Morning for Chugging

We nipped to the Co-op in Brewood then chugged to a spot where we could get full sun on the panels and get a good charge ready for the funeral today. Tomorrow, Radio 2 will be back to normal - did anyone else really enjoy the more subdued programmes? No shrieking or rap, just really good music. I watched for most of the day, singing along with the hymns and I said my own goodbyes as the lone piper played from aloft.

That's it for tonight, I'll write again soon

Love from

The Floating Chandlers

Falling Sands Lock

ps In the last few days we have seen three kingfishers, such a relief after so long without seeing a single one.

Dunsley Tunnel

pps  I forgot to write about Wolverley but the pictures tell their own story

Wolverley Village

Wolverley Church

Wolverley Village Church Gate

Tricky looks interested!

Found this secret door set into the rocks

Charming Cottages

Woverley

Wolverley Lock

Sunny spot for coffee

Prayer Tree in Wolverley Church

Wolverley Church

Sytewponey Lock

Stourton Bridge

Rocky cuttings on this canal

Fingerpost at Stourton Junction

Right Between The Eyes!

Bratch Locks


Hello again Jotters

It’s a wet Sunday afternoon so what else would I do but dash off a few lines to you, my loyal readers. It’s been a dawdling along sort of week - from the tranquility of an overnight mooring by the church at Acton Trussell to the much busier towpath mooring around Penkridge. On towards Autherly Junction with the M6 roaring alongside, brushing by Wolverhampton and reaching Bratch on Friday evening. From here the canal descends through wooded, rocky cuttings to Stourport on the banks of the River Severn. The whole canal, from Great Haywood to Stourport, is 46 miles and 43 locks long and there is time between locks to boil the kettle for a brew. There is nothing we like more than watching the seasons unravel around us while we chug along with a mug of Twinings finest and ‘Popmaster’ on the radio.

Lunch in Littleton Arms

Tuesday was my actual birthday and, considering I live on a boat without a postal address, I had lots of cards and presents to open. To make the day extra special, Elaine, Jean and Eric arrived with a special delivery of birthday apple cake (delicious as always Jean-Bean) and we dined in style at the Littleton Arms. Now the party is really over and I am officially an Ancient Mariner!

Sisters

Thank goodness for the cooler weather, not quite time for boots and coats yet but the the early mornings are dewy and fragrant with rain. The mangy old cratch cover won’t keep out even the lightest of showers now and we are still banking on getting it replaced in Kinver. We said we would be arriving in July, and, even by boating standards, we are late so I’m hoping they can fit us in. Now that the outside of the boat is looking so smart, there is much to do inside. The carpet in the living quarters has a doggy aroma that I can no longer hide with a joss stick. I lost my sense of smell when I had Covid and have been living in blissful ignorance of the smells that are usually associated with boating. It’s a smell that you never forget, diesel and loo blue with a trace of last nights supper. Luckily, we have lots of doors and hatches and can get a good airflow through the boat as we chug along. I had freesias for my birthday and they have been gorgeous, I’m so glad I could enjoy their perfume.

Botttom Lock at Bratch

Does anyone else have a phone that makes a film of their photo and puts it to music? I opened my phone to find a message from google saying that had a ‘Memory’ for me and up popped a selection of my best photos entitled Summer 2022 set to a little tune. I’m sure the young people (that’s most of you I expect) will know all about it and I have seen it before but it did make me smile to see them pulled together without any help from me. It’s magic!

Watering Up at Greensforge

Wednesday is market day in Penkridge, usually a favourite of ours and we set off into town with Tricky, for once, trotting smartly along with us. It’s a narrow towpath in places below Penkridge Lock and we met a group of anglers pushing their tackle in big barrows which took up most of the width, forcing us and other pedestrians into the nettles. It was a terrible place to go fishing, they set up in between moored boats and I could hear them grumbling because boats were moored where they wanted to be. I’m not sure what the answer is. I sympathise with the anglers, but it did seem a daft idea to have their meeting on a market day when more boats than usual moor up. I was disappointed with the market, there wasn’t the usual variety and hardly any selling fruit and veg. We were looking for Vic plums but none to be had. The fruit shop in Penkridge was on our way back so we filled the rucksack and were soon back home and setting off up the locks towards Gailey. It was nice to leave the motorway behind us and we settled on a spot just through Long Moll’s Bridge. I wonder who Long Moll was?

Garden Ornament

We paused briefly at Autherley Junction, mainly for Tricky’s benefit and to drop off yet more rubbish. We will miss our trip down the Shroppie this year, we would normally be chugging up towards Nantwich for the last breath of summer and to enjoy the glorious autumn colours but wherever we are, the leaves will fall from the trees to cling in sodden lumps to our prop and Captain Carl will chunter and engage hard reverse to spin them off. The daylight is fading already and the rain, which cleared up for a time, is now pattering on the roof again. There is a batch of pasta sauce bubbling on the hob ready for tomorrow’s Spag Bol and Tricky has finally stopped doing her Oliver Twist impression and settled into her bed. I changed her dog food to Lily's Kitchen, outrageously expensive and ludicrously appetising. It smells good enough to eat - not that I would, being practically a vege/pescatarian! My Mum reminds me every year, on my birthday, that she was skinning a rabbit the day I was born. (Horrified face emoji)

Canalside Garden

The locks at Bratch are always a favourite with us and there was a very helpful volunteer lock-keeper on duty to help us down the 3 lock flight. I’m normally working the locks alongside the lock-keepers but he insisted on doing the last lot of paddles and gates for me so I had a ‘ride’ to the bottom. It was a chance to take some photos from the stern deck and I think they came out OK. We moored in Swindon (Staffordshire not Wiltshire) last night and our neighbour in front had a radio on rather loudly, all evening. We could have moved but it was almost tea time when we moored up and I had my heart set on a ‘chippy’ tea. Mr Smith’s famous fish and chip shop is just along the road and we couldn’t let the opportunity of battered chips pass us by. I don’t think I’ve had battered chips anywhere else - they are delicious. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside - perfect. The radio played all night but we were lulled by the patter of raindrops on the roof and slept like babies.

Teasels

Today, we had a very short cruise to Greensford to the services and then down the lock to moor up by the Ashwood Marina. We’ve managed a walk to Rocky Lock between the showers and collected some nice dry firewood ready for the cooler evenings. Carl is keeping me topped up with cups of tea while I tap away on the keyboard and I have a Countryfile and Antiques Roadshow to look forward to later. It’s a simple life here aboard the Lady Aberlour.

We send our love as always and I’ll write again when I can

Love from

The Floating Chandlers




Bratch Top Lock



PS. Carl was doing a horrible job which involved getting right into the weed hatch and scraping off the rust. Somehow, the windlass, which lives on a hook on the stern deck, fell off its perch and smacked Carl on the nose, right between his eyes. He’s going to have a right pair of shiners I think and I’m going to look like a husband beater!! 

Birthday Freesias


follow this link to read about our last trip along here
Sunnies On

Is It Too Early For Baileys?

Evening mooring Acton Trusell

Hello again Jotters

We’ve had a very busy boating week, racing down through Rugby, skipping down the Coventry and popping out on the Trent and Mersey at Fradley. It was a relief to find some deeper water for a while as we swished through Rugeley and moored at last in Great Hayward to await the Shropshire Horde. arriving to celebrate my birthday. It’s a big number this year and the DVLA wrote to congratulate me and reissued my new licence on the understanding that I can now only drive at 25mph, with my fog lights on, to the supermarket and back.

Reflections

Monday morning was fine and sunny, a little breezy but Carl and I were down to tee shirts after the initial morning chill had worn off. It was quiet for the first hour and I had just opened my big mouth and said “not much moving today” when we met a boat at a blind bridge. We were half way through the bridge hole when the oncoming boat came into view and strictly speaking, it was up to him to move over and let us pass but I could see that wasn't going to happen. There were 3 ladies in the bows, clad in sari’s and flapping their hands like colourful butterflies. I couldn’t see the driver, I think he had abandoned ship! Their boat was across the canal, grounded at the stern in very shallow water and with another boat close behind them. Carl reversed out of the bridge and we waited patiently for the two boats to sort themselves out and get by, it took a while but everyone was smiling and waving as they went on towards Nuneaton. Good deed done for the day! We put a few more scratches on the paintwork but that’s life buoy as they used to say in the old days.

The Battered Hat

We usually stop for shopping in Atherstone but there wasn’t much water in the pound at the bottom of the first five locks so we went on through 6 & 7 where there was even less water. We carried on through 8 & 9 and moored in our usual spot just before the little white bridge. I half expected to wake up in the morning and find no water under our hull but it was ok and we tootled off towards Fradley to meet up with Bill and Ruth (the previous owners of Lady Aberlour) for a natter and to show off our freshly painted boat. They live beside the Coventry Canal and we always call in to see them whenever we are passing.

Bill and Ruth

We’ve had glorious weather this week, except for Thursday when it rained for hours. We didn’t mind as we were moored up for the day with our friends Pat and Malc. It’s been a while since we saw them so there was lots to talk about, especially as they have now sold Naga Queen. Pat arrived with a gift of Alrewas sausages for us and a bottle of Magic Water from the filter tap on Naga Queen. Tricky always loved to get on their boat and would sit by the sink waiting patiently for them to fill her dish with ‘Magic Water’. Such a kind thought Pat - we will miss you and so will Tricky.

Armitage Tunnel

It was such a nice evening after Pat and Malc left, the rain had cleared up and the sun was out and there was just a gentle breeze ruffling the water. We’d been cooped up in the boat all day, so we set off towards Fradley, thinking we could water up, get rid of the rubbish and get up the locks before darkness fell. The first part of the plan went exceedingly well. The water point was empty, I made a quick meal to eat as we were chugging along, and we set off up the locks. There wasn’t room for us to moor at Shadehouse, so we cruised along, past the dreadful scar that is HS2 and up through Wood End Lock. We like to moor there if we can but, as it was so late, we couldn’t squeeze in anywhere. There was still lots of daylight left as we passed our marina at Kings Bromley and carried on towards Armitage, pausing at bridge 56 to try to wriggle in behind the Little Chimney Boats - they have a beautiful stainless steel tiller arm on their butty and we were just too close for comfort, so we set off into the growing dusk with our fingers crossed for a mooring in Armitage. At last, we found an empty stretch of armco, hove to and tied up at bridge 57. We marked the spot on the Nicholson’s map book no. 3, which is now dotted with dabs of pink and orange marker pen, so we remember where to moor next time.

Dying days of summer

We were up and off early the next day, but got stuck behind a b.o.t.o. (Boat on tick over). It didn’t really matter as we were mooring up in Rugeley for a trip into town and a browse round the charity shops for more reading material for Carl. I spied Victoria plums for sale in the fruit shop in the arcade and that was the highlight of the trip really. Rugeley looks more and more dejected each time we visit. They are doing some work to increase the mooring spaces by bridge 66 and there is a new ramp from Tesco’s bridge down onto the towpath. Initially, I thought it was an improvement until I saw the two trolleys by the hedge that had been fished out of the canal. It seems that the local brat packs have been using the ramp too!

Fabulous skies 

We’ve had some early starts and longish days in order to get to a suitable spot to meet up with the Shropshire crew. We were aiming to meet them in Penkridge but in the end, we only made it to Great Hayward. It was the perfect spot for a family gathering. There is a place below the packhorse bridge,on the Shugborough Estate, where families can splash about in the river on hot days. Oakley (4) loved it but it was too chilly for me. Once the whole gang had arrived, we set out the dining table beside the boat and had a buffet picnic, complete with collapsing chairs and lots of laughter. It’s the best unbirthday I’ve ever had!

Best Beloved Boy Oakley

I was going to write yesterday but I was glad of a day off after all the excitement of the towpath party on Saturday. We did manage a walk to the Farm Shop Cafe for brunch then I was happy to sit out in my new comfy chair and pass the time of day with the chap on the boat in front of us. Carl was in his ‘shed’ (the back deck) painting some doors and Tricky was, for once, content to sit in the bows, watching the world go by.

Giggles with Great Grandma

Today we have turned onto the Staffs and Worcester Canal, skirted round Stafford and moored just through Acton Trussell, ready to hit the bright lights of Penkridge tomorrow. There will be more visitors and more celebrations and I get to open a very intriguing parcel that has been travelling with me ready for the big day. I wonder what it can be! (Intrigued face emoji)

Happy Days

I hope you’ve had a good Bank Holiday - how the weeks are flying by. We'll be chugging on towards Kinver this week, hoping that we can get our new cratch cover fitted before we moor up for the winter. I'll write again soon.

Love from

The Floating Chandlers

 

Ps I have started having Baileys in my morning coffee, is this a slippery slope? It feels so wrong but tastes so good.

It's only tea in that mug - honest!

Anyone for celery?

Towpath Picnic

Oakley makes friends with everyone 

I'm thinking about mischief!

Jess and Oakley