Mon 21st - Armitage to Stone

The annrow stretch of 'Armitage Tunnel' - was a tunnel, now a glorified road bridge.




I woke up early, so left early, shortly after seven, so passed through & beyond Rugeley to the accompaniment of the Today programme and a John Shuttleworth show found on BBC7.



Swans that know their place (you might need to click for the big pic for this to make sense):



At Great Heywood I forsook the turning to Wolverhampton and a shorter trip home... For the rest of the day there were occasional locks, but when I got to Stone itself there were four deep locks, all requiring driving the boat in and climbing up the ladder - more of a trial due to mud on clothes than anything else. I avoid this in double locks as the boat tends to wander off from under you, so it at least feels safer in single locks. I couldn't pull the baot in after hopping off on the way in due to bridge across the mouth, and one one instance there wasn't anyhwere to get off. The other boaters were the usual mixture of very helpful people and people who didn't know what they're doing... the former included two women on the boat behind who kept on catching up with me, and would finish off the lock for me (then working another boat down or emptying it s they could use it), which was lovely of them.

I've moored at the top of the locks, in what hopefully are two week moorings, as that's what I'll need... heading back to London tomorrow to finish off a PA system, amongst other things. It's going to be a shock, after more than a week continously on the canal, and two weeks travelling in total. August should see at least three weeks on the water, if not more.

Stone's an interesting place, with a fiendish one way system and a station that trains don't stop at (frustratingly). They take their football (Stoke City, of course), seriously around here, though, even in the violin makers:



Once back, I'll head up to Stoke on Trent and branch off up the Caldon canal to Froghall, then back down, and on up to Harecastle tunnel (followed by a shedload of locks, according to the guide) and Middlewich, where I start heading south again on a section of the Shropshire Union. Then of course the Llangollen there & back, back on to the Shropshire, then Wolverhampton & Birmingham. After that back to Braunston, where I can choose to do the South Oxford & thames again - the upper Thames is tempting too, but I do need to see how time goes - I will be almost certainly be back at work by then, and whilst I'm happy to canal sections on long weekends, I'd rather do the Thames in one stint (cost of extra licence, and overnight mooring being significant). We'll see...

Sun 20th July Polesworth to Armitage (as in Shanks?)

Another lateish start and lateish finish - a shame, as I do like early mornings on the canal - thankfully evenings can be just as pretty, and I'm amazed that everyone seems to be moored up by six, mostly, anyway.

Tamworth was fairly long and tedious (as were the indecisive showers), lots of bog standard houses backing on to the canal - nice for them, obviously. The new flats alongside the two Glascote locks are built on the site, of the Reliant car factory, I was told by an oldish guy, who used to make deliveries to Brentford in his working days. A little further on, just before the Tame viaduct, I passed Andrew Denny on Granny Buttons, optimistically in shorts and t-shirt whilst I was still in wet weather gear after the morning's rain. On up through the Coventry canal (or was it Birmingham & Fazeley - there's a certain amount of identity crisis around here), stopping off in Whittington for food at the co-op, then passing Streethay boatyward without anyone suggesting I stretch my boat, despite their reputation.

All I remember about Hopwas (great name) was a line of shiny canal boats all occupied by people doing jigsaws. Whether this is or isn't representive of the place, I'm not sure.

Somewhere in a line of moored boats was this one - a recurring nightmare for us all:



Fradley Junction took me on to the Trent & Mersey canal - still an 'old' single lock canal - and a very bizzare experience. There's three locks going up out of the junction, and a bit of a queue, especially by the top one. I was third, and helped two hire boats up and one down (one of the hirers attempted to sink their boat by opening the gate paddles on to the bow, but confounded by the fact that it was a 'Canaltime' one with no front deck). As I was finally working my own boat through (another hire boat waiting behind) an old guy who had been hanging around started issuing orders to the kids from the hire boat. 'Sorry mate, it's my boat in the lock' I said, ansd which point he turned on me, told me I was a 'very selfish man' and how I was holding 'everyone' up. I couldn't quite believe this, especially when he then warned me not to go too fast past his boat, which had been sitting moored above the lock showing no inclinations of wanting to come down at any point. I'm 'selfish', and yet worked through three other boats, and he'd helped nobody.

I suppose my point is that people on the canals are generally so great, that behaviour which might not get a second glance in a city is completely out of place here. He's the kind of guy who isn't going to see anyone's viewpoint but his own, he's got a right to enjoy the canals just as much as, say, the Daily Mail has to exist or Westlife have to make records, sadly - but it's the old liberal conundrum. I just wish he chose to enjoy canals 'his' way somewhere else.

More generally, I'm finding I'm surprised how many people don't have clear in their mind the concept that the crew of the boat in the lock are in control, say when paddles are raised etc (and which ones as well) etc. I suspect this is more crystallised for single handed boaters than others (who won't ncessarily see what's important to us and what isn't), but it's still a fairly fundamental rule in my book, even for hire boats - who I'm trying very hard not to get bigotted about. ;-)

Sat 19th july Hinckley to Polesworth

With a little sadness I left the Ashby canal behind me...



... and bypassed Nuneaton, alhough I did finally meet a boat called 'Hare' - sadly charging out of a bridge on a blind bend, I'd sounded my horn but hadn't heard theirs - we got away with it, wind notwithstanding.

Atherstone is a sweet little market town full of charity shops (four lovely carpentry books for a pound, in my case) and pound shops in all but name, and a one way main street. Not having studied the journey ahead in great detail, I hadn't realised the Atherstone flight consisted of 11 locks in approx 2 miles - for the last few I knew there was a boat behind me so I was backsetting them as I left, which of course made my steady single-handed lock progress even slower, but they never really caught up. I'm reluctant to backset a lock (start refilling it after leaving it, leaving a paddle or two up as I go) without knowing they're definitely behind me and no-one is coming the other way, but it does help if it works out.

Half way down I passed a lovely 70 year old woman bringing her new pride & joy - a 26' Springer - home, and loving every minute of it. Whilst most people are friendly on the canals, some are distinctly po-faced, and some are loving every second. But that's another post, one day...



Gratuitous evening swan shot:



I moored for the night in Polesworth where a mention of music 'in church', turned out to be a stage behind the church, complete with bar & food stall - and very happy vicar (very sweetly called 'Phil' by all & sundry). Got there, they told me the box office was closed but let me in anyway. Didn't take camera, but I saw the 'Polesworth Rythm and Blues band' - must have been 12 piece plus, all apparently local musicians put together for the event every year. Chatting to the viacr I suggested he put up a banner or poster for passing boaters to see - so many must have passed through or moored up that weekend without knowing anything about the weekend festival.

I walked back to the boat (past the fire station hosting a quiz night, apparently being taken very seriously from what I could see) still appreciating that full moon, lighting up canal from the clear sky - there's something quite magical about moonlight shadows (and the Mike Oldfield soing isn't that bad, either).

Fri 18th July Snarestone to Hinckley

Going back along a route already travelled is fine - familiar with the same landmarks, but different, like looking out of a train window backwards, you see different things. I also had more of a chance to get a picture of this ornamental boat quay, just before going back into the tunnel:



On the way down to Hinckley there's a railway bridge where they haven't restored the track for the steam railway - I tried to moor up against piling to walk up and have a look, but sat the boat on gravel a few feet out - the guide warns against this, I managed to shove off again but didn't get to go exploring.

I made it into Hinckley town in tiem to buy some small storage boxes (much needed) and some fresh veg (always welcome. The town centree I found frankly a bit dull, but that evening I met up with Lee, ex of Willowtree, who pointed out the only decent pub (the Wharf) and curry house (Simla) were next to each other and a short hop from the canal (and Trinity Marina). Lovely food, and a good old natter mainly about the problems of dealing with old-school bigotry, neatly rounded off by bumping into Graham I'd met in the pub in Stoke Golding, who neatly provided a few examples. ;-(

(38l diesel at Stoke Golding)

Thurs 17th July Stoke Golding to Snarestone

Before heading off I walked back into the village to look at the Church. A sign on the locked door promised me I'd find the key outside No 4 of the cottages beside - it wasn't, but a jolly old chap I'd seen through the window listening to something on a huge hifi opened the door when I knoocked holding it. No pictures, as I used a proper old SLR with black an white film (as seemed only fitting) and they need chemicals, and time...

Once on the water I spotted a boat called No Problem, but not the famous one (and they're obviously elsewhere anyway). There'll be a post full of boat names to come at some point, I'm sure...

Speaking of which: here's 'Hare' hammering out of a blind bridge at a rate of knots, appropriately enough;



I was fascinated to see 'real' bullrushes in the banks, and wondered if I'd only ever seen them before in children's books. That can't be the case, surely?



They also seem to grow walkers in the fields round here:



Stopped at Market Bosworth for a breif explore; the road up into the old square seems to be mostly new houses being built. The steam railway passes through but there's no access to the (closed) station. Further up at Shackerstone the [steam railway] station wasn't technically open, but a guy working on carriages (also a director of the line, an ex BR railway fitter and owner of 5 shirehorses) showed me how to climb in and was quite happy for me to have a look around and peer in windows:



Life's hard for a volunteer run steam railway; they only really make money, he said from the 'Thomas' theme days, and they're run on such a tight franchise it's hardly worth doing. More exciting for me are the 'Ivor the Engine' days that happen occasionally, although they can surely only appeeal to the parents, not the children?

There's also this sign nearby, which I have no idea about, but I like the bitterness of it... The pub in the vollage, the Rising Sun, was closed weekday afternoons (takes me back, that does) so I took a photo of Tortoise through the trees, and carried on.



and then ran out of canal at Snarestone (dreadful flat picture, it was raining, but symbolic nevertheless):



In the evening I got to know a few of the 'residents' (which kind of explains why someone wopuld need to run a generator on a 48 hour mooring), and rewired my batteries with the new cables done for me at Midland Chandlers - much tidier now. Later I walked back along the towpath and over the tunnel to the Globe pub, walking back by the lane in the moonlight.

Weds 16th July Rugby (Newbold) to Stoke Golding

On the way into the library I'd spotted a proper picket line at a council depo, on the way out I got chatting to a good old fashioned reporter-with-notebook and photographer combo scouring the streets. I also found a few charity shops, inevitably.

Newbold tunnel is short, with a towpath - to make it more pedestrian friendly is was floodlit with coloured lights - difficult to photograph without going into manual settings, but I gaveit a go (it felt a lot more light than this, it's just that the floodlights were so bright and confused the camera):



On the way to Marston junction I passed a boatyward that looked like a pile of boats; this was spotted in a corner:



I turned on to the Ashby canal at Marston - it instantly felt slower, quieter - I was dithering whether to do this diversion, but I was soon glad I did.



There was even a boat which would be perhaps more in keeping with my political leanings...





I passed through Hinckley, knowing I was stopping there on the way back, and went on to Stoke Golding, where I continued my habit of wandering into the public bar of the local at 10.30 at night.

Weds 16th July

Still in Rugby, in town to find some internet to post the past few day's entries, some of which will get fleshed out a little more in the future. The ebay treo has complete crashed & wiped itself, even, so no more mobile internet, I'm afraid.

There's a council workers strike here - saw a cheery picket line near the station on the way in to town, takes me back. In other good news the Co-op are buying Somerfield - more fair trade stuff in Brentford, then, as my local supermarket - a smallish Somerfield - has always been decidedly lacking in this regard. I'm also fond of the random special offers they seem to do on electrcial goods - the big DAB radio I have on the boat was £20, for example.

15th July - Weedon Bec to Rugby (Newbold)

Passing through Braunston Tunnel I got the trumpet out, it sounded great - this one you can see both ends, so I knew I had the tunnel to myself. Can't help wondering if it was audible either end, though. The idea of daily practice to see what lip I can get back hasn't happened, but it's fun to have along.

I shared Braunston locks with a friendly holidaying family from Nuneaton - various locals hanging around tried to yell instructions at the son, which was annoying - no-one gives instructions but those responsible for the boat in the lock, thank you very much. I ambled past the shiny 'replica' boats in Braunston, but stopped off at Midland Chandlers and had some battery cables made up before the turn onto the North Oxford - a significant moment as I'm now away from the route I've taken previously, where I carried on and headed on to the south Oxford instead. A few miles in there was a line of four or five boats all moored up a good few boat lengths apart, in the middle of nowhere - obviously not together, so why moor up near each other? If it's too save other boats slowing down so much for them, they could be a little closer... one woman pointed out there was a prison close by, but I'm not sure that in much of a reason. ;-)

I decided to carry on through Rugby - first single locks on the journey, too, with a little help from a local who was sitting on the beam as I arrived, and moored up weill after nine just before Newbold Tunnel.

Some more natural topiary - what do you see?



The guide book advertises two good pubs by Bridge 50 - 'The Boat' has closed down, so I went to the other one, who cliamed it had closed down due to the new management of their pub. ;-) very sweet locals in there - all chatting & debating sport quiz questions - where was the football world cup held in 1954, anyway? Various community singing of old hits, too, and from the accents I'm definitely in the midlands now. ;-)

Mon 14th July - Cosgrove to Weedon Bec

Stoke Bruene locks (pre-setting last one, grumpy lock keeper) Blisworth tunnel, Helen, Plume of Feathers food, Neil & wife doing up boat.



Topiary just before Weedon (I think it was there, anyway)



(more to add on this one)

Sun 13th July - Wolverton to Cosgrove (!)

A useful morning of pottering & tidying, as Carol was coming up for the afternoon to Wolverton station, having worked late the previous night. Once collected, we did the short trip to Cosgrove and had a long lunch in the Barley Mow, before walking Carol back to Wolverton for the train, bring my bike for a quck journey back. In the evening Mike drove up from Milton keynes and we tried out the Navigation for more beer (for me) - very much a two miles, one lock and two pubs day. Good to do.

Before Mike arrived, I had time to mount the horn properly, and also temporarily wire in a headlight - essential for the tunnels coming up.

I'd spotted previously that the screws holding the centre line T had started to sheer and had stopped using it, so I was able to drill, tap & remount that. I tried mounting it futher forward, 1/3 along the boat as I'd read somewhere - as it turned out, a failed experiment, as it's far too far off centre to hold the boat securely with only one rope - nice to pull the boat along on, though. part of the reason for moving it in the first place is that I'd realise I'd put the stove more less at the same centre point, leaving the chimney in the way. I'll try remounting it a little forward of the original point, so it ends up wrapped around mushroom vents instead. ;-)

I moored up close (but not too close) to the stone bridge - pretty at night, too: