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

And We're Off!

New Paintwork Gleaming at Gayton Junction

Hello Jotters

It’s Sunday afternoon, we've been to the Greyhound for lunch and I’m feeling a bit jolly. I’m not sure if that’s the cider I had before the meal or the Baileys I had afterwards. The food was excellent, the service was first class and the company (Richard and Mel) was exhilarating. It was just what we needed after a busy week of boating. We’ve been hanging around for ages, since we picked up the boat from he boatyard in Blisworth. The Lady Aberlour has had a full repaint and we are thrilled with the results. Mind you, we hadn’t even left the boat yard before we had our first mishap - the bows drifted under the quayside at the boatyard and scuffed up the diamonds on the bow return - I’ll post a picture so you know what that is. There was a bit of a silence as me and the boatyard bossman inspected the damage. It was fixed without too much trouble and we were hustled off the mooring before anything else could occur. 2 weeks later and we have already sustained several mysterious blemishes, which make us wince and mutter curses about overhanging brambles and birds with purple dysentery.

Diamonds on the Bow Return

The reason for us hanging about for so long once we finally got back aboard was due to the fact we both caught Covid while we were home and we only tested negative on the day that we were due to pick up the boat. It seemed like a very long 2 weeks waiting for the negative test, we weren’t very ill, thank goodness, but it did leave us both feeling very tired. In order to recuperate, we found a nice spot and stayed there for a whole week while we got the boat straightened up. Every surface was covered with dust and grit from the shot blasting and it took several days of sweeping, dusting and polishing till I was happy. We rehung all the curtains and polished all the brass rails - that took a whole day! The solar panels required repairing after they were blown off the top of the boat earlier in the year and the top box needed repair and repaint - that kept Carl busy! We had the car with us which was handy for shopping and endless trips to B&Q for screws, hinges, trunking etc etc...and when the heat got too much for us, we abandoned ship and went home for the weekend. I know that sounds a bit wussyish but we were waiting outside Heyford Fields Marina for new batteries and a new fridge to be delivered so we couldn’t move to a shady spot. By Thursday evening we were being cooked like a Fray Bentos pie in the heat of the afternoon sun so we loaded up the pushchair with the contents of the fridge and set the Sat Nav for ‘Home’. I spent the whole weekend in front of the big fan, cool as a cucumber - bliss!

Morning shade at Nether Heyford

I am blaming Covid for the long list of things we left at home after our recent stay - the main one being my IPad which I thought I could manage without but actually, I couldn’t. Before you ask, yes - I did have a list and I did check things off as I packed them, but somehow the iPad didn’t make it to the car. I’m usually quite organised so I think I must have had brain fog. It took us both a while to shake off the effects of Covid - we were both very tired and also lost our sense of smell and taste. Carl soon bounced back and I am down to one nap a day now so my energy levels are returning (lying eyes emoji) and I can smell really pungent aromas again. I know this because I caught a waft from Tricky as she lay quietly parping on the mat.

New Porthole Bungs

This week we have set off on our travels again, leaving Nether Heyford on Tuesday and getting to Hawksbury Junction early this morning, we are on our way to Stourport. Gary and Dave from Boating Leisure Services helped us with the new fridge and delivered 4 brand spanking new leisure batteries to go with it. I can highly recommend them if you’re needing work done, we’ve been dealing with them for many years and they never let us down. I set off in the car on Tuesday morning while Carl chugged up to Weedon for water, fuel and a new gas bottle. I parked up at Kings Bromley marina and called a taxi to take me to the station in Lichfield. I caught two trains and a bus to meet Carl at Tesco’s in Weedon - it took most of the day and I was very glad to see the Captain and Tricky coming along the road to meet me. Even though it was late afternoon by then, we cast off and chugged off to a nice mooring and got tied up just before the rain finally came. It thundered down on the roof, drowning out the radio and driving me to an early night. I was so exhausted from my travels that I fell fast asleep and only woke when Tricky wanted to go out around midnight. The rain was still hammering down and Carl and Tricky got very wet, even with the brolly up. The water had all gone by the morning, the ground is so hard that it just runs off and the water levels on the canals are at an all-time low- we may not make it to Stourport, unless we get a lot more rain soon.

Sunset at Nether Heyford

I was back to lock wheeling with a vengeance on Wednesday. Luckily, we paired up with a very experienced boater and his son for the journey up the Buckby Locks. We were held up for a short time at lock 11 but, with the help of the crews from 2 boats waiting to go down, we managed to operate the lock without too much difficulty. The commodore from the boat behind us came marching up with his yachting cap set to ‘I’m in charge’ and tried to get things moving quicker but Lock 11 will not be hurried and I spotted him marching off back to his boat in a high dudgeon. I was relieved to get to the top, my post-Covid nap was approaching and I was flagging as I got to the pedestrian tunnel that takes the towpath under the A5. It was very wet in there after the previous nights heavy rain and oh! The smell was appalling. The septic tank for the services at the top lock had overflowed and I had to paddle through the mess to get to the lock. We moored by Welford Bridge, near Braunston tunnel, ready for an early start the next morning.

Early Morning Walk 

It was 5am on Thursday when Carl put the kettle on for a cuppa. He wasn’t risking meeting a boat in the tunnel and we were off just as it began to get light. We roared through the tunnel, emerging into the early morning mist before the day had properly begun. Tricky was very confused and went back to bed and I thought that was a good idea so I went too. We were planning to wait til after 9am to tackle the 6 locks down into Braunston but a hire boat behind us set off at 8 so we went with them. It wasn’t a good idea and I could see that the first pound was almost dry - no water! The lock-keeper arrived at 8.30, when I was doing my best to send some water down the locks and reprimanded me (gently) for taking the law into my own hands. He made us wait for 40 minutes while he sorted out the levels and we set off again. All was going well till we got to the last but one lock where we met a boat going up the flight who had decided to turn round and go back the way he came, causing havoc as he blocked the whole canal and brought everyone to a halt while he shunted back and forward, trying to turn. It was 10.30 by the time we got to the last lock, only to find that there was a work boat in the lock, scraping weeds off the lock gates. I was glad to get back aboard and chug away from Braunston, usually one of our favourite spots and we moored overnight at Olney, where we were entertained by the tinkling of bottles being thrown into the skip and cars driving by on the other side of the hedge. The new marina, Dunchurch Pools, is a very noisy neighbour! 

Hillmorton Locks were buzzing with people attending a McMillan event by the bottom lock. A cake stall was doing a roaring trade and a live band was setting up to play for a fairly large crowd. We would like to have stayed to listen but Tesco’s in Rugby was calling to me and the new fridge needed replenishing so we carried on, stocked up and moored by Falls Bridge Wharf, under trees and in the shade which is unusual for us. When we awoke the next morning, it was positively autumnal in the boat - 16 degrees and I shivered as I brewed the tea and huddled in my dressing gown. After all the heat of the previous week, this chilly morning is very welcome.

New Signwriting

Captain Carl is very happy to be on the move again and so am I. The fields are shorn and await the plough, the hedgerows are thick with blackberries and sloes, the hawthorn berries glint scarlet in the sun and everywhere seems to be breathlessly awaiting the rain, which must surely come soon. The soft night skies descend too early and we are reminded that autumn approaches with the fading light. I hope you are enjoying the summer and getting out and about. I’ve missed you all, so I’ll write more soon.

Lots of love from

The Floating Chandlers

Ps. We are sad to say that our boating buddies are retiring. Pat and Malc are selling the Naga Queen and we will miss them greatly. There have been many jolly evenings spent putting the world to rights and we have travelled many miles together. Tricky will miss them almost as much as us - she is out on the towpath every night looking for their boat for a dish full of ‘magic water’ and a snooze on the mat. We’ll see you both soon I hope but our boating adventures won't be the same without you.

Our Boating Buddies