Saturday - off to Lichfield to see the moon

I said we were busy!

Saturday saw us using our bus passes to catch a bus into Lichfield. Our first stop there was the cathedral where they had the museum of the moon.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, enjoy the pictures we took.

Narrow alleyway.

St Chad's chapel

Tried a bit of retail therapy but there really wasn't much that we wanted to buy. We've already got mobile phones, we don't want a mortgage, the clothes are too skinny and young looking and our galley on the boat is well provided with utensils and gadgets. Both Argos and Debenhams are no more in Lichfield so, on the bus and back to the boat. 

Cheered ourselves up with steak, mash, onions and mushrooms for supper. Wonderful.

Catching up - Friday

Apologies all round, no blog for 3 days, we've been busy. 

Friday, we walked into Polesworth and stopped off at the hardware shop where I always buy something, even though I didn't realize I needed it. Then on to the greengrocer, the freshest veg anywhere we know. Next the butchers for some lovely meat and a gossip. Lastly to the convenience store for some of the basics. We always spend a fortune in Polesworth but that's because the shops are good. 

Also, the sun is shining. 

Shortly after setting off we went past Pooley Park.

There is a great mining heritage in this area and the park has many items on display. Even the bridges have drawings associated with mining.

Next, the remains of Alvecote Priory.

In earlier years you could see much more of the stoneworks but the trees and bushes have grown considerably.

How about one of these in your garden? Or even…

Both pictures from the same garden, believe it or not.

The canal then snakes around the backgardens of the houses in Tamworth. It's lovely to see what individuals have done to make their garden different. Some have mini bars at the end of the garden, others have decking with plush seating, some just have weeds. 

Here we are at Glascote locks, the sun's shining and the captain's steering.

The bottom lock is a slow filler and there is a poem to read while you wait.

The canal then sweeps round to the right over the River Tame.

And then on to Fazeley Junction.

Sorry if you've seen this 100 times before but this is Fazeley.

The Three Tuns Pub, not much to look at but we had a marvellous Sunday lunch here some years ago. 

I had to take the next picture, just for the name of the bridge.

Bonehill Road Bridge. 

Many of these bridges have storage tunnels in them where planks are kept so that the canal can be stopped off in the case of a breach or if a section of the canal needs to be drained. 

At last, we have arrived at Hopwas. Supper tonight in The Tame Otter, another favourite pub of ours. Now you know what I mean when I said we'd been busy!

Thursday 22nd - Polesworth for supplies

We set off from Hartshill passing several places marked on our map as sites for good mooring. Four of them in the space of a mile, two with stars against them. Then came the alpaca farm but no photo as they were too far away and there were too many fence posts in the way. 

And then, after a couple of miles, Atherstone top lock.

Look who's driving!

The lock keepers keep a tally of the boats up and down the flight. 

One lock down, ten to go.

Top marks here, with a lockie watching the captain made a textbook entry, not a bump or a scrape in sight.

After 2 1/2 hours we take a look back at the bottom lock. Not a bad time, it has taken us longer. 

Made a brief stop at the Grendon services to empty the loo. I know, too much information but these things have to be done.

And then past Grendon Dock a good old-fashioned service area.

We arrived at Polesworth just before the heavens opened and managed to get the cover secured at the front and the chimney cover in place. Lamb chops for supper and then bed. It's been a long day.

Wednesday 21st - and on to Hartshill

Well, another fairly long day today. 

We set off through the stop lock at Hawkesbury Junction. It's only a drop of 6 inches but it was put in to stop the Oxford Canal Company stealing water from the Coventry Canal Company. 

As you may have guessed, we're now on the Coventry Canal. And here's a view looking back towards the junction.

The early parts of the canal are fairly straight, running along the back of Bedworth. We pass the bottoms of gardens and a reasonable size school and, of course, Charity Dock. 

There are different mannequins every time we come this way.

Some people say it's a mess but we love it. Many bloggers also comment on the rubbish in the canal around here but we've never noticed that. Further on through Nuneaton possibly so but not here.

Now we're passing the entrance to the Ashby Canal.

It's a tricky entrance because you have to make a 100° turn, not an easy thing to do. 

Goodness gracious, what's this?

A gigantic factory/storage facility on the outskirts of Nuneaton.

I took this picture to show the scale of the building. There are two men on the roof somewhere to the right of the crane. But even I have a job to see them. The building is humongous! 

One thing I do like about Nuneaton is all the allotments. 

No shortage of water for them with the canal close at hand. 

For some time we have been following a boat that plods along very slowly. Now, we're not in a rush but, sometimes, slow is not fast enough. 

Anyway, he made frantic signals that he was going to turn his boat around.

And here he is stuck broadside across the canal. We helped him to get unstuck and, after that, managed to increase speed a bit. 

We journeyed past some lovely places where we have moored in the past but we wanted to get to the old BW Hartshill Yard.

It's a little bit of canal history which is still in use today. Moored for the night just through the bridge all ready for sausages in cider. Yummy.

Tuesday 20th - on the move again

Woke up to a sunny day.

It does make such a difference when the sun's shining, so much so that - guess who's driving.

Yep, the cap'ns got the helm. Doesn't she look happy.

Here we go, sailing past Brinklow.

It's always a popular place and it's a good job that we didn't want to stop as there's not much room. 

I love this little mooring.

We remember it being dug out in the first place. It would be lovely to have a mooring like that.

Onwards past a long line of moored boats. It's very windy up here but there is a good view over to Coventry.

Now then, a picture of a field and a farmhouse.

And a tractor and some other stuff. This is where, some years past, we called out to the farmer that one of his cows was swimming in the canal. It's amazing what you remember.

Another field, but one with a difference. For as long as we can recall there has always been a lake in this part of the field. We've even noted it on the map. But this year, look at it. A hot enough summer to make it a muddy brown patch. No doubt it will recover soon.

Yet another field, but this one full of cars. There are VWs, camper vans, trucks, all of which have been there a long time.

Some are even becoming part of the garden itself.

At last, after 5 hours driving, moored at Hawkesbury Junction.

Home of the famous Greyhound pub.

Not for us this time round. We're having a chicken risotto tonight and a glass of wine to celebrate.