nb Bridge Street

Tuesday 26 th February 2019 We were up at 6:30 and, after a substantial breakfast, were on the move by 8am. We went as far as the service point, watered, emptied the loo, dumped rubbish and then started on the locks after familiarising ourselves with which end of a windlass to use. The morning had been cold to start with frost on the grass but as we progressed, more and more layers came off. The first three locks were against us but a lockkeeper had set the fourth lock and we met boats coming towards us so the remaining eight locks were with us, there being eleven in all, and we made good time. Not that we were in any rush whatsoever, we were thoroughly enjoying the day. We saw lots of birds, it’s a good time to see them with plenty of buds to feed on but no foliage to hide. Blue, Great, Coal and Long-Tailed Tits, Chaffinches and Goldfinches, numerous birds of a prey, reed buntings and, long after we heard him, a Green Woodpecker. ...

Monday 25 th February 2019 We decided to go off exploring Atherstone and its surroundings after breakfast. We walked down the first five locks of the flight. The first five are quite close together with short pounds in between, after this they become well-spaced out. The locks used to have functioning side pounds, a method of conserving water, however, while they are still present, they are no longer used. One of the locks we passed have a very unusual round weir.   All the lock flight is very well maintained and is a real credit to the volunteers who keep it that way. We then came off the canal and headed off to see if we could view Merevale Hall, the seat of the Dugdale Baronets. No chance. The hall is not open to the public and is guarded by a high wall around much of its perimeter. That we saw, all the entrances are locked and gated and even the lodge houses look forbidding. Not to be put off, we walked up the road for a ½ mile or so to visit Merevale Church and ...

Sunday 24 th February 2019 After a full English we went for a long walk down the first five locks of the Atherstone flight, finishing up in the town where we had a coffee and a look around the shops.  Martin and Michelle left us after we returned to the boat. Again, great to see them, but again, we felt flat with people leaving. In the evening, we went out for a Sunday carvery. We chose the Red Lion, an old coaching inn. The food was OK but the service diabolical. We were in the place for 5 minutes before we saw any staff at all in the restaurant, bars or hotel reception.

Saturday 23 rd February 2019 Early on, we moved the 200 yards down the canal to the service point before boats started moving. Watered up, emptied the loo and dumped the rubbish, we had so much. Then reversed back to the mooring. The service point is at the top of the locks, a lovely location. I was talking to the guy that lives at the top lock. There used to be two wharfs here, one either side of the canal, both now filled in and one with housing on it. One used to supply the town and the other the gas works, now gone. AtherstoneTop Lock At the gas works wharf, the stable block survives and at the town wharf, what used to be a farmhouse then a pub still survives, although in an abandoned state, apparently the building is listed, makes you wonder if they are not just waiting for it to fall down.                            ...

Friday 22 nd February 2019 The fog first thing this morning was so thick you could see no more than 50 yards. A harbinger of a nice day it turned out. We were on the move by 8am for the mile run-in to Atherstone and we moored just before the top lock near a road bridge that is very convenient for the town. We are opposite the derelict factory of Wilson and Stafford. This was a felt hat making enterprise that made hats that were exported all over the world until closure about 35 years ago. Apparently, slaves on the West Indies sugar plantations all wore hats made in Atherstone. The factory is a blight on the town. It has been sold several times for housing development and would make desirable apartments. The frontage of the building is listed but the problem lies inside. There are many chemicals absorbed into the fabric of the building including mercury, a heavy metal used in the making of hats and asbestos. It would cost a fortune to demolish or develop, including clos...

Thursday 21 st February 2019 We had a role reversal this morning. I stopped in bed, a very rare occurrence, and Brenda got up with the dog. I even got a cup of tea in bed. After breakfast, the hull sides were blackened. It looks so much better, and painting on the tiller was started, to replicate the black, red and cream of the roof top tools, which we had always intended doing. After hanging out more washing, we walked the mile or so into Atherstone, more to suss the place out before Martin and Shelley arrive for the weekend. The place has a really nice feel to it. It seems such a long time now, since we have been anywhere we have got a nice feel for. You didn’t spend too much time looking around but had a walk down the High Street and visited a few shops. We will leave exploration for another day. Back on the boat we did a few things and then sat in the front cratch with the odd glass of Prosecco. All day, in our short sleeves, we have been pinching ourselves to r...

Wednesday 20 th February 2019 We had run out of bread and were getting low on milk, and it was over a mile to the nearest shop. So we had pineapple for breakfast and then, later, Brenda made scones that we had with cheese and strawberry jam. I washed and polished the starboard side of the boat. It was probably October that this was last done. It was well overdue and the boat was looking poor for it. It is bloody hard work but rewarding, when you look back at it. The very next lot of people that passed on the towpath, commented on how nice she looked. Mind, I have always said the boat is not going to age well and there are a lot of, at the moment, very small rust marks and blisters in the paintwork which is very disappointing. The hull side was also washed and the few places where the paint had been rubbed away and had started to rust, were sanded down and primed prior to painting. We started the engine and did two washes. However, now that Kevin has set up the batte...

Tuesday 19 th February 2019 A full moon last night, which I photographed and also photographed the reflection in the water. The reflection showed up much more detail whereas the actual moon itself was too bright.  The boat behind us, with a guy on his own on board, is broken down and waiting repairs by the marina here. It always amuses me somewhat when somebody choses to live on the canal and knows hardly anything about them or their boat. Surely you would want some knowledge of the technicalities of your own boat even if you didn’t necessarily work on it yourself. It was one of things I respected about my mother. After my father was killed she became convinced that garages were ripping her off, so she went to night school and took a car maintenance course. As for the canal system, this guy didn’t know where he was in the country or any of the system, not even the route into Birmingham from here or the fact that you could get to Oxford. There is a windm...