Tuesday 7th June to Tuesday 28th June
Wednesday 8th June
Another sweltering day yesterday and we took the bus to Ventura Park.
We had hoped to buy some new jeans for Wifey but, unfortunately, Dorothy
Perkins didn’t have the ones she likes. So, apart from other shopping, a wasted
journey.
This morning we’ll be going into Tamworth, this time to buy my puzzle magazines.
Thursday 9th June
Diet update: It has been two weeks since we weighed ourselves and so
out came the scales. Once again I am 2 lb lighter, which means I am losing an
average of just 1 lb per week, which suits me very well. I now weigh 13 stone 4
lb and, at the rate I am going, I will be down to 11 stone 12 lb by the time we
reach Market Bosworth. However, my normal fighting weight is about 12 stone 8
lb, so I will see how that feels when I reach it and make a decision about how
much more I want to lose.
As for the diabetes, well, I’m still taking a low jab of the long term
Insulin, both night and morning. Whether I will be able to dispose of that
also, remains to be seen.
After our trip into Tamworth yesterday morning, we decided to move the
boat along a bit, top up with water, dispose of rubbish, and moor up again
opposite the water point.
We had quite a lot of heavy rain later in the day, but all is calm and
quiet this morning, so we’ll probably make our way to Whittington.
Saturday 11th June
We travelled up to Fradley Junction yesterday morning, after walking in
to Whittington shops for the paper and milk. Arriving at Fradley at about 10.30,
we sat down for a coffee and then took Alex for a walk around the Nature
Reserve, after which we sat down outside the café and enjoyed an ice cream.
Later in the day though, the weather changed to a right downpour.
Happily, it looks OK this morning, so we’ll head off to Handsacre this morning
and stay there for the weekend.
Sunday 12th June
We had lots of rain yesterday, but not until after we arrived at
Handsacre and walked to the shops.
A couple of weeks ago, we met up with Annie and Dave, who live on their
boat and are moored at Crick. During our brief visit, Dave loaned me a book
called, “Red Notice”. The book is about a guy named Bill Browder and what
happened to him and his colleagues when he upset Vladimir Putin. If you can get
your hands on a copy, I would seriously recommend that you do so. This book
will really open your eyes to the true nature of the Russian regime.
Today we’ll stay here at Handsacre and, hopefully, it will be fine
enough for us to sit in the local pup garden. Cheers!
Tuesday 14th June
We left Handsacre yesterday morning and, after shopping at Rugeley, we
went on to the Pig Farm; one of our usual stopping off points. Sadly, the day
turned into a disaster weather-wise, so we watched tennis at Queens.
This morning we have more rain, so we could be stuck here today also.
However, if the weather brightens up later, we head off to Great Haywood.
Thursday 16th June
Well, we’re half way through ‘flaming’ June and it still ain’t
‘flaming’. Like most of the West Midlands and beyond, we had plenty of rain
yesterday, although it was still mild. We did manage to get to the shops and
take a couple of long walks, without getting wet, but it wasn’t a very pleasant
day at all.
Today, after getting The Mail, we’ll be off to Weeping Cross, or Acton
Trussel, whichever of them has a space. Sometimes Weeping Cross is full, so we
carry on to Acton Trussel and moor up outside the main village.
On Saturday morning we’ll move on to Penkridge, which is a very big
town, with several pubs and Market Day on Saturdays, so we’ll stay there for
the weekend.
Friday 17th June
Yesterday we made our way from Great Haywood to Weeping Cross and,
along the way, managed to get another soaking. Passing the fields just outside
Weeping Cross, we noticed that much of the land was flooded. Just short of
where we moored up, there’s a wooden bridge, which seems to be there so that
people cutting through that field, and on to the town, don’t get their feet
wet. This is, in fact, a very long walkway and is raised well above the grass,
so we assume that those fields are a flood plain.
This morning we’ll take a walk up to the nearest shops and buy The
Mail, then it’s on to Acton Trussel, where we’ll stay the night and then, on
Saturday morning, we’ll continue on to Penkridge.
Saturday 18th June
Yesterday passed almost without incident. We left Weeping Cross at 9 am
and, after a couple of miles and one lock, arrived at the outskirts of Acton
Trussel. We had no problems with bad weather along the way, which made a
pleasant change after recent downpours.
At about 1.30 pm we switched the TV on, to watch the tennis from Queens
Club in London.
Now, as you are probably aware, we have one of those new-fangled oblong
shaped box aerials, which requires a 12-volt DC supply. Up until recently this
unit has given us very little trouble. However, yesterday was a nightmare, with
the slightest thing; such as passing boats and overhead helicopters; breaking
the picture and sound up.
Past experience has shown, that the problem might lie in the connector
to the 12-volt unit that connects to the back of the set. Indeed, I tried
re-wiring these connectors, all to no avail. So, we watched what we could under
these difficult circumstances, trying all I could think of to improve the reception.
Later in the evening – still trying to improve matters – I decided to
take a look at the other end of the system, the aerial and, lo and behold, the
co-ax cable at that end was ever so slightly loose. Why I hadn’t thought of
this earlier, after dragging our old, spikey aerial out of its hiding place, I
can’t imagine, but I had completely forgotten that part of the system. But,
better late than never, I suppose, and the rest of the evening remained
reception good, stress levels down. Hopefully, that’s another problem solved,
in my usual roundabout way.
Tuesday 21st June
The weekend went as well as can be expected, although, for some strange
reason, there weren’t many boats moored at Penkridge. Anyway, we paid a visit
to the local market on Saturday morning, and spent a pleasant hour in the pub
garden on Sunday. Other than that and the persistent rain, all went well.
This morning, since every boat imaginable turned up yesterday, we’re
hoping to get away early and be the first one through the first lock.
Wednesday 22nd June
In a huge break with our normal practices, we left Penkridge yesterday
at 6.45 am and didn’t bother with breakfast. Why did we do this? Well, we had
seven locks to go through before reaching Gailey, and the first one was immediately
ahead of us. What’s more, during Monday almost all available moorings had been
taken and most of those boats were pointing in the same direction. In addition
to those reasons, above the first lock are the facilities; such as water and
waste disposal; and we didn’t want to have to wait whilst someone else used
them. So, a really early start.
In light of our early leaving, we arrived at Gailey at 9.15 am, still
having time for breakfast. The rest of the day remained dry and calm but, with
tall trees on both sides of the canal, we lacked sunshine. However, we did
enjoy a walk back to the last lock and the Roundhouse, where they sell all
sorts of goodies, including ice creams. Yeah!!
Today we’ll move along to Cross Green and walk into the village for the
paper and other stuff.
Thursday 23rd June
I’m disappointed. My weight has only fallen by 1 lb in the past two
weeks. I’m now down to 13 stone and 3 lb. It must have been the roast chicken
on Tuesday evening. Gotta try harder!!
We watched some more tennis from Queens yesterday and it looks like our
girl, Jo Konta is going to go a long way. Unfortunately, the BBC, in its
infinite wisdom, showed her match against Kvitova last, so we only saw part of
the first set. This means we won’t know the result until we get the paper
today. It’s not really the BBC’s fault, but the way the matches are fixture for
the day. Still, it’s a shame not to be able to see it all.
Today we’ll be heading for the Shroppie and stopping a short way before
Brewood. Ordinarily, we would go into Brewood and moor up there, but the
moorings are so dim and dingy, that we now stop outside and pass through on the
following day.
Friday 24th June
A great day today, the UK has voted to leave the EU, but by a very
narrow margin. But, will the powers to be overturn the decision, by the
electorate, and decide to remain in the EU? Only time will tell.
Saturday 25th June
Yesterday was a good day weather-wise, well, for the most part it was.
A short spell of rain in the afternoon, but nothing to worry about. We left our
wide open moorings just after 8 am and arrived at Wheaton Aston at 10 am, after
five miles and just one lock.
Today we’ll top up with diesel and then head off for Gnosall, where
we’ll stay for the weekend. The village boats several pubs and other shops,
including a very good butchers, so we’ll shop for a decent meat pie and bread.
An hour in one of the local watering holes on Sunday, will round off our
weekend quite nicely.
Sunday 26th June
We arrived at Gnosall at about 10.30 and immediately trotted off to the
local shop for bread. This is one commodity that we have to be wary of running
out of. We have to be aware of where we might be when it does run out and time
it so that there’s a shop where it can be bought. We then have to ensure that
we arrive there early enough to buy some before they run out. We only buy solid
bread, not those packets of cardboard that most people seem happy with. Even
thick sliced stiff still seems inedible to us.
On the way to the shop we intended to drop in on the local Butchers
shop, but that has now closed. Gnosall is quite big for a village, with housing
spreading out around the centre, so they were probably getting enough trade.
Perhaps they decided to retire and couldn’t find a buyer for a going concern.
Who knows?
Tuesday 28th June (Wifey’s Birthday and our 36th
Wedding Anniversary)
Yesterday we left Gnosall for Norbury Junction, which was only two and
a half miles away. We left a wee bit later than usual, say around 8.45 or so,
and arrived just at the right time to brew a cup of coffee.
A short while after that, who should come cruising by than none other
than Bill and Babs, our old friends from Keckys’s Farm in Sawbridgeworth. We
only saw them a few weeks ago, so it was a pleasant surprise to see them again
and exchange gossip. There’s nothing we boaters love more than a good chinwag.
Today we’ll probably celebrate our special day by walking down to the
pub for lunch. Bon appetite, as they say in Swaziland, or is it France. Don’t
remember. We’re so used to foreign languages in Britain now, that it’s hard to
tell them apart. LOL.
Ah well, six pages now, so I’d better post.
Cheers one and all.
Dave, Sheila and Alex.
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