A Crocketed Spire

Meadow Mooring

Morning Jotters

Are you feeling a bit flat after the excitement of the Platy Jube, as one very annoying presenter referred to it? I loved every minute of the coverage, although we never did find the jubilee bunting. I had to make do with one string of red and yellow flags and some colour changing solar lights, which do look rather pretty when they switch on at dusk. The boating world has exploded into action following the festivities - I think it may be half term, and from our mooring just below Hillmorton Locks on Friday evening, we counted a bakers dozen of hire boats leaving Rugby for the bright lights of a weekend in Braunston. We timed our arrival so that the majority of them had left town by the time we arrived this morning, and we slipped into our favourite mooring spot by bridge 89. Carl used chain and rope to stop us banging about and Tricky wandered up to the next boat to see if they had any ‘Magic Water’. The lambs, that were gambolling in the field the last time we moored here, have moved on to pastures new and I miss their antics. The crocketed spire of All Saints Church stands guard over the canals and I take just one more photo to add to the many that I have taken over the last 14 years. The church is called the Cathedral of the Canals and it’s easy to see why.

Cathedral of the Canals

This week we have travelled from Alvecote on the Coventry Canal, up the locks at Atherstone, made the turn at Hawksbury onto the North Oxford and enjoyed a slow chug through Rugby and up the 3 locks at Hillmorton. My windlass has hardly been out of its holster all week! We’ve moored in all of our usual spots along the way, revisited the nice cafe in Atherstone for coffee and browsed around Tescos superstore in Rugby for strawberries and a new wireless mouse because I'm fed up of looking for the battery cover for the old one. It’s so annoying when the batteries keep falling out (as the usherette said to the courting couple) Carl was dubious - the packet had been ripped open and sellotaped up so he was sure that the little Bluetooth widget would be missing. I stumbled across it (the widget) quite by accident, hidden under the battery cover and we were amazed when I plugged it in and the cursor started blinking away merrily. It feels like a real victory when you buy a new gadget and it actually works first time!!

Atherstone Locks

I’m still recovering from a very frustrating phone call to the Canal and River Trust on Wednesday. I wouldn’t normally bother ringing them, as it usually ends up with me needing to lie down in a darkened room for an hour. I couldn’t avoid it this time as we had passed a motorbike, upside down in the canal. I was thinking that it would be leaking all sorts of noxious fluids into the water. I rang the number and listened to a long list of options, trying to decide if I should do the ‘star, star’ thing I had heard about on some consumer affairs program. I decided to play fair and pick a location from the list of options and chose ‘East Midlands' before I really thought about it. Surprisingly, the phone was answered quite quickly. ‘Result!’ I thought but after trying to describe my location to someone who was obviously still in their pyjamas and watching Trisha or Kilroy or whatever passes for entertainment these days, it became clear that I had chosen the wrong area. There was a click and I was passed through to ‘London and the South East’. No! No! No! Even I know that Coventry won’t come under that heading! But it was too late. A very nice lady, who had obviously combed her hair and only had half an eye on ‘Homes under the Hammer’ while she talked to me, located Coventry on her Waterways map and told me to select ‘West Midlands’ when I got back to the menu. No - she couldn’t put me through! Finally, I spoke to a very cheery chappie with a broad Brummy accent, it was music to my ears. I hope he was as good as his word and passed the details of the abandoned Suzuki to the ‘Local Team’ to deal with. (Hopeful face emoji). I remember the days when I used to enjoy talking to people on the phone, now it’s mostly a chore and I think I must find out how to use Twitter, as that seems to be a lot less of hassle.

Tricky looking for the Magic Water

I have spent a bit of time this week going back over some of my old ‘Jottings’ and thinking about the wonderful times Carl and I have had on our travels. I have really enjoyed writing about our adventures, but all things must come to an end and I think the time has come to put down my keyboard and retire. Thanks to everyone who has supported and encouraged me, including Carl who is very patient with me and never makes a fuss when I use up all the battery and need the inverter on (if you live in a house with mains electricity, then that last sentence will mean nothing to you!)

Signing off with much love and hugs

Linda and Carl xx

Early Morning Peek through the Hedge

Atherstone Locks - Steep Steps

Braunston Bridge

Bye Bye Everybody