From owner-canals@blacksheep.org Tue May 20 19:36:03 1997 id AA19523; Tue, 20 May 97 19:35:43 EDT Date: Tue, 20 May 97 21:55:19 UT From: "Andrew Dyke" To: canals@blacksheep.org Subject: Spring Holiday Evesham To Sharpness (Longish) Hi All Its such a long time ago now but this is the first chance I have had to report on our first holiday away this year.April 27th - Sunday.We left Evesham in sunny weather at 2pm. My son Brian is the only crew for this first leg to Pershore. Wendy has been on a 3 day course at Knutston Hall near Northampton to learn all about canal art ( the roses and castles type) and will be meeting us there. We stop to dunny dump,take on fresh water and buy a new bottle of gas and then off we go. Brian is helmsman for the trip and I relax in the bow watching the world go by,a few beers and reading the paper. The river is quiet and my relaxation is interrupted by the few locks along the way where I have to help. A levelly trip. We arrive at Pershore at 6.30pm and Wendy is there to meet us. Brian leaves in his car that Wendy has driven over in and tells all about her course which was wonderful.shows me the stool she has painted and the picture 'A Castle' she has done. I am impressed. We eat on board, Indian takeaway from the Shunangain the town. Very good food as always. Watch T.V. and bed at about 11.30pm.April 28th - Monday.I wake with a backache as usual!. We are trying a new mattress which is better than before but still not comfortable. We leave Pershore at 12 noon ish with Pat and Dave who I met on the trip down. A nice couple who are in a time shareboat from Stratford upon Avon. Our destination Tewksbury. The weather is fine and overcast. It rained last night and there is promise of more. We keep our fingers crossed. The trip much easier with tow boats to help each other in the locks especially as the wind is now quite high. We arrive in Tewkesbury after a pleasant chugg at about . Mooring at the Marina was fun as the wind is now 40mph. I Walk into town to get some drill bits and bolts for the T.V. ariel which would not stay in one position due to the heavy wind. On return fit adaption to ariel pole, all now seems o.k. Evening meal on board with left over curry, treacle pie and cream, smashing.April 29th - Tuesday.Woke early, less of a back problem but still not right even though I had an extra pillow to try and help. The wind was still high so we decided to do a bit of maintainance this morning and check the engine ect before going through Tewkesbury lock and onto the Seven down to Gloucester.We eventually leave at 12.30, the weather is now fine and bright and the wind has all but gone. Tewkesbury Lock can be a tricky one in the wind and we get in now with no problem. A short wait at the next large lock while the operator has his lunch and then off we go. British weather being what it is the wind now picks up again and at times is like being at sea with water breaking over the bow. many people said to me that the Severn is boring and uninteresting but I think its wonderful.Being on the Avon for most of the time, the Wide Severn has much to offer. Every time we have been down to Gloucester the river seems different. Few boats to wave at and little wildlife but somehow there is always something to look at. Near the bottom of the river, before the wier and the river narrows to a small channel there is a lovelly short stretch of about 1/2 mile where the trees lower themselves down tithe water and I always think they are bowing down in welcome. The narrow bit approaching Gloucester is full of mud and the level is very low. I am glad to see when we get to the lock that its open ready and we go straight in.This lock is very deep and the operator hangs down a hook to hang our ropes on. A gentle rise to the top watched by a few people takes about 10 minutes and then the automatic gates open and Gloucester Dock awaites. We moore up next to the lock gates as the usual place is unavailable due to dredging work going on. It's now 5.00pm ish and we tidy the boat have a shower and change. Tonight we are going to Berry's in Southgate Street. We found this fairly small restaurant last time we were in Gloucester and its fantastic. Its only about 5 minutes from the dock and well worth a visit. I have crab and prawn to start and Wendy has roes on toast, this is followed by steak royal for me and lamb kidney in pastry for Wendy all with fresh veg. Wonderful. April 30th - Wednesday.We decided in the morning to visit the Advertising and Packaging Museum in Gloucester dock and if you have got an hour to spare its well worth the effort. We then walked down Southgate street to a large shopping center where there is a huge craft shop and I mean huge. You name it and it's got it. Wendy buys a special type of paintbrush and a chinagraph pencil. We have lunch at Burger King and the back to the boat. We set off at 2pm. The road bridge opens as if by magic and we enter the Sharpness Canal. The canal is wide due to the large ships that still use it. The weather is hot and sunny. There are no locks on this canal just bridges. 3 of the bridges a narrow boat can get under. All the others are opened for you as you approach unless something is coming the other way or some problem exists that restricts passage.It makes you feel quite important as the road bridges open and a cheery wave is given by the operator. At each bridge the operator also enquires how far you are going and radios on ahead. Its comforting to know that an eye is being kept on you and also helps to speed traffic up and down the canal. Very few boats are moving but there are many moored on the canal and its interesting to look at the different shapes and sizes. We decide to press on to the end, it's such a levelly day and the canal is very high. The view is fabulous across the countryside. A short stop a Saul Junction to dunny dump and then we proceed to Sharpness arriving at 6.30pm. We moor up and eat on board reflecting on our day.May 1st - Thursday (Election Day)We wake early and the canal is covered in mist. Visibility about 10 feet and a very heavy dew. Today is forecast to be the hottest day of the year.By 8.00am I know they are correct. We walk the short distance into Sharpness. Now apart from the large sea lock, which is very interesting,there is little else in Sharpness. One post office/shop, one working mans club and a few houses and thats it. It is a shame that no large ships are going through the lock at the time we are there so we decide to to leave and chugg the short distance to Shepherds Patch. We leave at 12.30pm and wonder if we will make the 2 bridges at Purton by lunchtime when they close for 1/2 hour. We pass the funny little pub in Purton thats like a house. When you have purchased your drinks in the hallway you sit in the front room to drink them. We also pass some disabled people sitting in the sunshine having their lunch at the moorings in Purton. These people are part of a party taken there by The Willow Trust, a charity set up to give disabled people canal trips. They wave to us as we chugg by, and we wave back. We are in time and the 2 bridges open for us. We are advised to pass with caution as divers are in the canal doing repair work. by 2.pm we were moored up and enjoying the hot sunny day. I do some odd jobs around the boat and Wendy relaxes on the bank. 8.00pm and sun is going down to a glorious sunset. We walk to the local pub, the Tudor Arms for dinner. The food was excellent and very quick service. We return to the boat at about 10.30pm and Wendy goes to bed. I decide to stay up and watch the election on T.V. We now all know that Labour won with a majority of 179. Time will tell if the country made the correct choice. It was all over by 4.00am so I went to bed. Mat 2nd - Friday. Another hot sunny day. We leave at 10.00am our destination Upton on Severn. Chugging like this is fantastic. Not much traffic about. We stop at Saul junction again to dump the dunny and we have to wait about 1/2 half an hour or so because once again divers are in the canal working on the gates. Off again and Wendy takes the helm and I relax in the bow for the trip to Gloucester. We pass a dredger boat full of silt from Gloucester Dock going the other way to dump its load in the Severn at Sharpness. At Gloucester we have a short wait for the lock and then we are back on the Severn. The lockmaster asks where we are going and we inform him Upton. We know he will radio ahead to advise of a our arrival in a few hours time. The flow is now very fast and we make slow progress. Once out of the narrow channel onto the wide Severn we seem to speed up. We pas one boat and the bowing trees. We seem to be at one with nature. We chugg on everything is perfect. At 5.00pm we are only as far as Haw Bridge and we know we will not make Upton at a sensible time that day. We stop on the public moorings just under the pub. We shower, change, eat in the pub, which was very average and then by 9.00pm ready for my bed ( well I was up till 4.00am remember). May 3rd - Saturday. Not so nice today. Overcast but still very warm. We set off at 11.00am and head for Upton. As we got near it started to rain which spoilt an otherwise enjoyable trip. we had been told that mooring would be difficult because of the Folk Festival on in Upton that weekend. we moored in the Marina. Cheeky I know but the river was full. We walked into Upton town and could nor move for Morris dancers. How do they find so many people with the name Morris?. The atmosphere was fantastic, lots of music and dancing on every corner and outside every pub. Shame about the rain but it didn't seem to matter to the "morrisors", must be the cider. we get some provisions and head back for the boat. We see a chum in the marina who has just purchased a new boat. We wish him well and set off back down the Severn to Tewkesbury. It's now cold and wet, what a change since yesterday.The lock is opened as we arrive and we go straight in. If you have to wait at this lock, the wind can take you and make getting into the lock difficult. We have booked the riverside mooring in Tewkesbury and we arrive at 5.30pm. Fuel is the next order of the day. The boat takes 23.5 gallons at 1.32UKP. I decide to check the weed hatch, God knows why, I just thought I would. I take off the top cover lift off the internal cover and prop it up next to the hatch. Sticking my arm down to the propeller I knock the cover which goes splash into the water. What a prat. Prodding the water produces nothing. The top cover was still o.k. so I screwed it down tight and flashed up the engine. Slowly I increased the revs, still tied up tight to the jetty, and water started to seep through the hatch cover. I stopped and switched off. Nothing more could be done. We ate that night in the clubhouse. An excellent meal at very reasonable prices and a very good real ale, or 2. May 4th - Sunday. Today it's wet and cold and very windy, just what we need for a slow journey to Pershore. It was horrible. It was also necessary to have the engine cover off, so I could keep an eye on the weed hatch cover and mop up the water that was coming in, it was noisy as well. As we arrived at Strencham Lock we are followed in by a cruiser that hit the tiller and scratched all the paint. I am not a happy man. At Nafford Lock the wind and rain are getting worse and we have a hell of a job getting in with no power to speak of. Eventually we make it and on we go. We arrive at Pershore at about 5.00pm like drowned rats. What a day!. A hot shower warmed us up and the fire was soon roaring away to warm up the boat, somehow boating isn't that bad after all. Chinese takaway and an early night seemed like a good idea, so thats what we did. May 5th - Monday (Bank Holiday) The morning was brighter and dry. We slowly travelled the familiar river back to Evesham. We stopped at Sankey Marine for 'just the one' which turned into just the several. Lots of fellow boaters wanted to know of our travels and we had to here about the chap in the clubhouse the previous Saturday who had won 63,000UKP on the Lottery and had been to overcome to phone up, so the owner had to do it for him. We were told its not changed him at all, still wants to buy secondhand fenders. We arrive back at our mooring at 5.00pm Wet inside and out but what the hell we had a smashing trip. Don't Fall In Andrew Sorry about the spelling