Monday 23rd May to Tuesday 7th June
Monday 23rd May
Today has dawned bright and sunny and, since there’s nothing much we
want to do here at Shackerstone, we’ll move along to Snarestone. While we are
there, and assuming the weather is kind to us, we plan on emptying the bow
section, rubbing down and priming all the green paintwork, readying it for a
couple of topcoats of green. This is the most important area to get painted,
although the maroon panelling on the outside, all needs doing too.
Unfortunately, all red colours seem to fade more quickly than other
colours. This means that, although we already have the correct shade of red,
rubbing down and repainting those areas that are damaged, still won’t blend in
well. What those sections really need, is a complete re-paint, preferably by a
professional. So, all we can do, is rub down and treat with a good rust
preventative and wait until we have the cash to get it all done properly.
From Snarestone, we’ll make our way back to the Coventry canal and make
our way up to the Macclesfield canal. Alan and Chris don’t arrive in Blighty
until the end of June, and we know they have things to do when they get here,
so we’ll just have to wait and see how that goes before we can meet up.
After that, and although we had planned to go on to Birmingham, we
won’t really have enough time, so we’ll probably save that for next year and do
the Llangollen instead. We missed it last year and we do like that canal. I
don’t think we’ll get to Llangollen itself, but we’ll be happy if we make it as
far as Ellesmere, before we have to turn around and make our way back to Market
Bosworth for the winter.
There’s one huge bonus to staying on the Ashby canal; the Internet and
mobile phone signals, are both good and strong.
Tuesday 24th May
We had a really glorious start to the day, with wall to wall sunshine.
So, after disposing of rubbish, we made our way back to Market Bosworth, where
we settled in for a cup of coffee. After which we strolled up to the village
for supplies of comestibles and the strolled right back to the boat.
This certainly seems to be the best time of year for cruising the
Ashby, because there aren’t too many boats out there yet. Come next month I
dare say that state of affairs will change, by which time we’ll be long gone.
Thursday 26th May
We didn’t bother walking into Market Bosworth yesterday morning,
because we were going to head for Stoke Golding, where we knew we could get the
Mail. Instead, we set out at 8 am, topped up with water and arrived at Stoke
Golding at about 10.30, when we had our usual cup of coffee and then walked
into the village for the Mail, bread and milk.
Most surprising to us was the fact that, when we arrived there was only
one boat moored there. Any other time of year, we would expect to just about
find a mooring spot. Which just goes to show, that this time of year is best
for cruising the Ashby.
Now, back in February, I embarked on a diet which, I hope, will
eventually see then end of my Type 2 Diabetes. However, as I explained at the
time, I had no intention of following Dr Michael Mosley’s recipes (Yeuk) and
neither was I going to weigh myself every couple of days, as he also suggested.
The result so far, of following the hairy Bikers recipes, along with
other light snacks is that I have lost a total of 17lb. I am now down from 14 stone
9 pounds, to 13 stone 6 pounds. However, although my blood glucose readings are
much lower on average, I am still taking my long term Insulin, but, instead of
taking it at night, before bed, I am following my nurse’s instructions, and
splitting the dose between morning and night.
Obviously, I still need to lose more weight, which I am continuing to
go for. But it is taking longer than expected. But, I did have quite a lot to
lose and, considering that my normal, healthy weight is about 12 and a half stone,
I still have some way to go.
Saturday 28th May
Yesterday was fine and bright all day and, after another bus trip into
Nuneaton; this time for loads of dog food; we managed a couple of good walks
and ate very lightly.
Today we’ve moved along to Lime Kilns, only about half a mile away and
which gives us the opportunity to visit the eponymous pub, which sits across
the canal from our mooring point. This is a really welcome pub and it has a
large garden to whit.
We’ll stay here until Monday morning, when we’ll top up with water and
head off to Bridge 3, from which point we’ll head for the Coventry canal, turn
right and head for Atherstone. The difference this time, will be that we’ll
moor up above Atherstone locks and walk into town from there.
Tuesday 31st May
On Sunday we stayed at Lime Kilns and took advantage of the pub garden,
where we sat and enjoyed a couple of drinks, on a warm and sunny lunchtime.
On Monday morning, after topping up with water, we headed off for the
five miles to bridge 3, which is a very quiet spot, about a mile from the end
of the Ashby canal. So, this morning, assuming the wind doesn’t turn gale force
and, of course, it doesn’t rain, we’ll set sail for Springwood Haven marina,
which is about another five miles, but on the Coventry canal, heading for
Atherstone, which is where we’ll be tomorrow, all being well. Phew!! Some
sentences do get rather long, what with all the commas dotted here and there.
Thursday 2nd June
Atherstone moorings were virtually empty when we arrived yesterday
morning. Only three miles from Springwood Haven, this trip took about one and a
half hours, mainly due to lots of boats moored along the route. It’s only
polite, when passing moored boats, to slow down, so as not to rock them and
thus shatter sleep, or delicate ornaments.
So, we arrived at Atherstone at about 10 am and settled in for our
usual cup of coffee. Soon after that, we noticed another boat, that had just
come up the locks, had pulled in in front of us. There was a woman at the bow
of their boat, tying off the mooring line and she was wearing a red jacket;
very much like the one worn by a fellow boater named Annie, at Crick Marina.
So, I said to Wifey, “Who does that look like, mooring that boat. It
looks very much like Annie, to me.” “Yes,” she said, “That’s because it is
Annie.” After big cuddles and handshakes, we soon joined them for a cup of tea
and a gossip. It’s really great when we come across someone we know, and with
whom we can have a good old chinwag.
After our chat, we walked into town for some shopping and, later in the
afternoon, off we went again, this time for a long walk and an attempt at
buying a new radio aerial. Unfortunately, the first place we tried didn’t sell
them, and the second place; which was way down at the other end of the High
Street; sold them but, since they didn’t sell many, they had to order them in.
So, not much luck there.
Yesterday afternoon I tried setting up the TV aerial and tuning in. Of
the 200 + channels that are normally available on Freeview, we managed a grand
total of 39, and none of them was a BBC channel. The top of these locks is not
where we would normally moor up. We would usually stop off about five locks
down. But, as experience has shown us, TV reception is marred by the constant
interference from passing trains. At the top of the locks, the situation is
much worse and that could be because there’s a huge, great, monstrosity of a
building, across the other side of the canal. We just can’t win here. However,
we do have to stay another day, because we have booked Alex in for his booster
jabs, with the local vet.
Some weeks ago, soon after we left Crick, I received a message from
Annie. In it she told me that they, too, would be leaving Crick, but not until
much later in the year. However, she did ask me not to reveal this to anybody
else. That’s OK by me, and I told her so and, since we haven’t seen anyone else
who might be interested, that particular secret was easily kept. However,
unfortunately for Annie, the secret already seems to be no longer a secret.
Apparently, Noel, the manager of Crick Marina, has already spread the word. So
much for keeping secrets. As one wise person once said, “A secret is only a
secret, if just one person knows it.”
Sunday 5th June
Up until yesterday, June was not living up to its name of “Flaming”.
Yesterday however, after leaving our moorings at the bottom of lock 9, we arrived
at Polesworth to glorious sunshine, and there it stayed all day.
After our usual coffee and walk to the shops, we settled in and opened
all windows and other orifices, so as to allow the boat to cool down. It didn’t
make a lot of difference, but we at least gave it a try. We also made the
decision to allow the fire to go out, something for which I suffered this
morning, because it was quite chilly in here when I got up. However, rather
than put the heating on, I donned my new cardigan; that’s the one I bought when
we spent a few days at Rutland Water.
We also watched the Ladies Final at Roland Garros, in France. To see
Serena Williams lose in two straight sets, was something to behold. Having also
watched her in the semis, it was plain to see that she was not playing at her
best. Still, that doesn’t detract from the skill of her young, Spanish opponent
yesterday, who played a real blinder of a game.
Today we’ll stay here at Polesworth and, since there is no time
restriction here, we may stay on Monday and catch the bus into Tamworth.
Monday 6th June
It’s a funny thing about the canal system because, depending upon where
you are moored, and if there’s a breeze, depends upon how hot the inside of the
boat will be. Yesterday morning, when I got up, it was quite cold, but not
really so cold as to need the heating turned on. Instead I wore my cardigan.
This morning however, and despite the high temperature during
yesterday, the heating definitely needed to be turned on.
Now, we’ve moored here at Polesworth on numerous occasions, and we’ve
never had a problem with TV reception. Last evening was really quite awful and,
despite re-tuning the set, we had constant interference. Sometimes this was on
account of aircraft flying overhead, at other times it was passing boats. We
even noticed the picture braking up when people walked by.
The thing is though, our TV aerial; which is one of those oblong, flat
box things; is supposed to eliminate such problems. Plainly, it doesn’t.
Anyway, instead of going into Tamworth this morning, we’ll be going on
to Fazeley Junction and taking the bus into town from there.
Tuesday 7th June
After walking into Polesworth for the Mail, we left there at 8 am and
headed for Fazeley Junction. This is five miles away and includes two locks at
Glascote. Now, these two locks are, for some reason, really slow to fill up and
empty. However, our progress through these locks took much longer than normal,
due to the fact that there was already one boat going down the top lock and
another waiting to follow. We also discovered that, when the one already in the
lock had left it, the next one to come up didn’t have an engine. Which meant
that the people on that boat had to tug it along, with bow and centre lines,
until they finally lugged it into the lock. All of which took up quite a lot of
time.
So, the trip from Polesworth to Fazeley took about an hour longer than
the expected two hours and we arrived there at 11.30.
Today we’ll be taking the bus into the big, out of town shopping centre.
Sheila will be looking for a couple of pairs of jeans, whilst I will be hoping
to find a new radio aerial. On Wednesday we’ll be taking the bus into Tamworth
for shopping and then, on Thursday morning we’ll be moving on. Somewhere in
between we’ll try to get the chimney cleaned, now that we’ve let the fire go
out.
And that, dear friend, finishes this blog.
Take care and enjoy the rest of your week.
Dave, Sheila and Alex.
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