Monday 11th March – Day 233
It’s cruising day today and a new canal for us and The Plot. The boat batteries are back to how they were last winter as we’ve have no solar the last few days due to the weather and we didn’t cruise yesterday, so it’s up early as everything needs emptying and filling and we cruise into our first lock just after 8.30am. I walk ahead and set the lock and do a little bit of filming for YouTube as Chris cruises the boat and then it’s quickly into the second and last lock for a while. The first swing bridge announces our departure off the Trent and Mersey canal and onto Coventry canal and the start of our journey to London.
We cruise through the swing bridge and moor up to fill with water and do the usual boat facility jobs. ((wait you only emptied them the other day! You cannot be drinking that much wine!)) we only emptied one of the cassettes and the other isn’t full but you empty them where you can! Boating rule as well as filling the water whenever you come across a waterpoint. Chris seems to have sorted the problem with the travel pack and so I make the first coffee of the day! ((Wait! You mean you didn’t have a coffee in bed?????)) well, I did, sort off. It was one of those packet ones so doesn’t really count.
All emptied and filled up in the right order and it’s off we go! It certainly feels like the adventure and has started. As I’ve said before we aim to cruise up the Ashby ((Sounds like a Carry On film!!)) then down the Coventry so we will hopefully hit it right for the Oxford Canal being open again; if not it will be a change of plan.
We moor up for lunch as all this cruising and being in the cold has made us hungry. I cook the veggie sausages and Chris gets the fire going to get the boat toasty as just before we cruise we decide to use the washing machine for the first time not being plugged into the mains! It works very well and once done, hung up to dry and coffee made it’s back on the stern to cruise again. We don’t meet many boats but the ones we meet are naturally where other boats are moored on near bridges – basically anywhere where there is a tight space.
We eventually find a nice mooring spot as I have an online meeting at 4pm and tomorrow’s weather looks terrible, so we might stay put and cruise on Wednesday. It means I can have time to work on freelance stuff and get this weeks vlog created and uploaded signal permitting. We also promised ourselves a day of baking bread and banana and blueberry muffins! Day done .
Tuesday 12th March Day 234
We wake up to rain announcing it’s an inside boat day. I decide to enjoy the cosy feeling in the boat and carry on reading the kindle book I’ve downloaded ((I hope it’s the right one!)) haha, I’m never going to live that down. It’s not for book group it’s just book two in a series by D.E. White so I think I’m safe. Chris ends up getting up as he’s noticed that the bilge pump was on which only comes on when there is water in the bilge/engine bay. One thing you do not want is water inside the boat where it shouldn’t be! He sorts out that problem out and luckily we did’t sink. As a consequence it’s used some of our precious batteries so have to endure a packet coffee again. ((You poor thing)) I know.
Then it’s up. Breakfast. Shower and to the dinette to do a couple of hours freelance work whilst Chris investigates the problem with the bilge and sort the water pump out as the shower wasn’t draining properly. There is always something to solve and a job to do on a boat. Chris then makes the banana and blueberry muffins, well, actually they were supposed to be muffins but turned into cakes as we didn’t have a muffin tin. Then I’m allowed my first cup of coffee and a slice of cake – bliss.
After this I crack on with the vlog. The signal is shocking here and very random. I manage to download the vlog from my editing software canva I use but then it was taking way too long to upload to Patreon and Youtube and the signal kept dropping out so I gave it up as a bad job. We are moving tomorrow so hopefully I will have a better signal.
After dinner we decide to go for a walk to the shops through the muddiest and wettest footpath ever ,to the little village Whittington – not sure if it’s anything to do with Dick Whittington as it’s on the way to London. Milk and bread purchased we don’t quite make it back before it starts raining again. The cratch covers are a godsend in this foul weather as the very muddy wellies can be left outside.
I crack on with my jigsaw and listening to my audio book for a bit before making tea and we decide to make some parsnip, ginger, garlic and onion curried soup ready for lunches the next few days as we might cruise for a few days so it’s not only economical to make a batch, it saves the age old question ‘what are we going to have.’
This done. We have visitors to the duck hatch as a couple of swans have heard about all the baking! Then it’s back to the dinette to finish this ahead of watching a film. I started editing the canal book this afternoon as I really need to get a move on with the editing and whilst I’m waiting for the Jersey mystery book from my publisher and everything else is up to date I thought why not! Day done. Until tomorrow. X
P.S. my wordcount currently stands at 99,217 on the canal book so later this week I will have written 100,000 words since we left in July! ((That is going to take some editing!)) I know!
Wednesday 13th March Day 235
It’s a very early start as I wake up at 4am. I try to go back to sleep but stomach pains prevent it. Just another day in the life of being a woman! At 4.30am I decide, sod it, and get up and hot water bottle made and cup of tea and I plonk myself at the dinette and listen to my audio book and do my jigsaw. Around 7.30am I head back to bed for a couple of hours and then we have a lazy morning playing a board game, eating cake and drinking coffee. Very pleasant. That’s one of the benefits of working ((Peachy uses the term working very loosely!)) freelance from the boat. When I was back in the marina and working at a fixed place it would have been stressful waking up at that time; ye old trying in vain to get to sleep and then feeling knackered at work all day. Now I just think well, I will get up and work later.
It was a pleasant morning watching the sun rise, although it’s a very windy day today and when we set off after consuming our parsnip, ginger, garlic and curry soup it takes a few tries to get the boat off the bank as the wind keeps pushing it in. It’s a pleasant 3 mile cruise to Hopwas village and we find a nice mooring with rings to tie the ropes to; the Holy Grail of moorings along with Armco. ((Peachy didn’t say they nearly hit another boat)) Nearly, but we didn’t!
((You’re forgetting about the fire!)) Oh yeah, because it’s so windy we had a backdraft of smoke into the boat from the coal fire! I came out of the bedroom to the boat filled with smoke which set off the smoke alarm off! Good job it’s happened before, so we quickly shut the coal knob thingy which controls the airflow and even then it was still chucking some out! There is always something happening on the boat; but at least we have more experience now so it didn’t send us into a panic! Day done. until tomorrow. x
Thursday 14th March Day 236
We caught the bus into the market town of Tamworth for a wander around the charity shops and get some shopping with a little visit to Costa for a coffee. As with many towns and cities in the UK we have visited you can see the lack of investment and the clear vision for many of these places which are stepping away from shoppers to residential. There really has been a marked change since probably covid and lockdown, which is not surprising as many people’s shopping habits changed to online and without a push from people to get back into shopping in person it looks like many centres are going to suffer.
Back from shopping there is not much else to report today as we are staying put and not cruising today as I cracked on with the usual dinette work. I did finally have a few sales of my fantasy books – the book sales are very slow to come this year. It’s a bit disheartening after all the work and time that goes into writing a book but hey ho, not as if I’m going to stop writing so will just have to keep going and hope that hard work really does pay off because some days it just doesn’t feel like it. Day done. Until tomorrow. x
Friday 15th March Day 237
Hold the phone! We meet canal boat royalty today as we bump into Country House Gent or CHG! He’s one of the original vloggers we binge watched on YouTube during lockdown which ultimately led us to buying our narrowboat ((Are you sure you just ‘bumped’ into him??)) Yes! Totally random event which came about due to another set of events; let me take you back to this morning.
We set off from Hopwas at 9am with the idea of cruising about an hour to Frazeley Junction to make use of all the boating facilities only to arrive there and it’s moved onto the Birmingham canal ((Should have checked your guide!)) and there was only a water point which was being used and later another boater told us only one of the water points were working. Apparently, you can use the ones at the marina but that involves going down the Birmingham arm of the canal and we are not going that way. So, we carry on and try and figure out what to do. ((wait for it peachy is about to talk about the toilet)) Well, we do need to empty the toilet but should be okay until tomorrow so we decide to cruise as far as possible today and then hopefully we will cruise to the facilities tomorrow and then we have the Atherstone flight of 11 locks to do ((Oh, you got it right this time. Peachy kept saying 15 on her videos! Amateur!)) it’s a funny old weather day as one minute it’s raining and the next bright sunshine, coats off, sunglasses on and beautiful.
We ended up doing a couple of locks and then filling up with water so that’s one job done and cruised a total of 3 hours today before mooring up. It’s in a lovely area with the ruins of a priory so we wander up the towpath to have a look after dinner. Annoying the footage I took ended up being in slow-mo so we will have to go back! But on the way back from this we met Country House Gent – so weird seeing someone you recognise off the tele! We had a proper good natter with him and he’s a thoroughly nice bloke. Proper chuffed to have met him ((Are you stalking famous canal vlogger – remember Peachy met Fran and Rich from Floating our boat!)) Not on purpose but I suppose it’s inevitable we will meet these folk the more we cruise.
I have super, duper, speedy, fast signal again! Cannot believe it, so now it’s back to the dinette for four hours, watch today’s videos, edit and upload ready to create my next vlog. I even managed to sync to my icloud ((that means you cannot use going to the pub for the wi-fi as an excuse!)) it really does make such a difference having a good signal. Then book group. Shower and chill. A busy but fab day. Day done. Until tomorrow. x
6miles / 2 locks
P.s. I’ve just noticed I’ve passed 100,000 words on this blog. 100.458 words!!!!!!!!!
Saturday 16th March Day 238
What a glorious day as we wake up to blue skies. There is still a nip in the air but once that sun is out it’s wonderful! We decide to go back to visit the Priory. I’ve already explained why and I’m so glad we did. Not only was it a lovely morning walk as we also had the delight of listening to a woodpecker in the trees – how lucky to have seen and heard that, and it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t messed up the filming ((Don’t try and justify it Peachy!))
Back at the boat it’s 9am and we untie the ropes and off we go. We have the intention of stopping at the services and then possibly two locks but we get chatting to a couple on another boat we met yesterday and they advised it’s best to go through 6 locks as there are mooring near a pub and all the shops in Atherstone. They also said that once they moored in a small pound ((This is the area between two locks)) and someone must have left a paddle open and the water had all but drained in the morning so good advice.
I enjoy getting back into doing the locks and as usual, end up doing 2 of them twice as when I rock up there are some solo boaters and it’s a lot harder on your own as you have to climb up the ladder in the locks, so I always offer to do them. Also, the couple behind us have been shutting the gates for us so everyone is doing their bit and it’s nice to have a bit of a natter as we do them. We realise afterwards that one of the boaters is a chap we met at Beeston – he was the first boat we had moored alongside when we were waiting to use the water point and facilities ((Lucky him!))
Locks done and very pleasant day it is to cruise and we remark on we are now doing what we were talking about last year and cruising into Spring and seeing the buds and greenery appearing. We just get the covers up as it’s starts raining ((You’re so jammy!)) then we have lunch and I sneak off for a well-deserved power nap – it’s really nice to have a nap because I’m physically tired rather than being ill for a change. There is nothing better than slipping in the bedroom for a nap in the afternoon.
Nap level achieved we then wander into Atherstone which is a lovely place, lots of nice shops and the smell of takeaways tempting us but we have a quick nosey as it’s nearly 5.30pm so most of the shops are shut or shutting. We then nip to Aldi for essentials ((Wine and beer!)) before back to the boat to chill and watch tv. Day done. Until tomorrow. x
Miles 6 locks 6
Sunday 17th March Day 239
After a fab nights sleep – fresh air and exercise really is the key we are having our traditional coffee in bed and Chris sees an update on the Oxford canal landslip and uh oh… they have changed the date from beginning of April until mid-May! We were planning on going up the Ashby and down to Coventry and by then it would be open but we think that is too long to hang about even for us! So, we are looking at the alternative and going back up the flight which means I think finishing the last 5 before we have to turn around and do the lot again ((think of the muscles!)) we don’t mind. This is all part of canal life and one of the reasons we try not to have fixed plans.
It’s difficult to explain to people how difficult it is to arrange to meet up. It’s hard to know where you’re going to be at what time as in an instant something could change but that’s canal life or you might arrive somewhere but there are no moorings.
Right, off to get ready now. Chris is trying to get the bloody travel pack to work for the washing machine – why do these things never work when you need them too! Everytime we think we have sussed this out it does something it shouldn’t.
We end up deciding to cruise in the afternoon and have a wonderful cruise in the sunshine and tackle the last five locks of the Atherstone flight. There are beautiful daffodils at the sides of the locks and there are a few other boaters on the move who we have a natter with. One of them very kindly waits for us to come through as the lock was empty when they arrived so they opened the doors and let us cruise in and I left the lock gate open on the one we came out of so they could cruise in. proper boater etiquette in action.
We arrive at the top of the flights and it’s probably just the fact it’s beautiful sunshine and blue skies but it feels like a proper spring cruising day. We cruise under two bridges before finding a lovely mooring spot a little away from the really muddy towpaths at Tavener’s Bridge and it’s only a short walk into the other end of Atherstone town.
Fab end to the week. Next week we will hopefully be onto a new canal. Day done. Week done. Until tomorrow. x
Miles: 0.7 – Lock: 5
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