From owner-canals@blacksheep.org Mon Aug 18 20:15:36 1997 id AA07771; Mon, 18 Aug 97 20:15:14 EDT for canals-nonews@blacksheep.org (canals@blacksheep.org) To: canals@blacksheep.org Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 00:32:38 +0100 From: Mike Hutchinson Subject: Trip Report S&W/T&M/Cov/B&F I have just returned from a week's NB hire and offer the following in case it is of interest to anyone. Boat: 'Tricia' 70ft from Teddesley Boat Co, Penkridge, S&W - hired through Blakes. Dates: 9 to 16 August 97 General: Teddesley Boat Co very friendly & efficient - boat reasonably laid out but not as good as others I have hired. I'm still scratching my head trying to match the layout plan in Blakes' brochure with the reality of the rear cabin! Places: Sat. Night - The Moat House Bridge 92 Acton Trussell - NO food available on a busy Sat. night in August. What I thought to be the 'nice moorings' described in Nicholsons turned out to be private (mild bollocking received - humble apologies). In spite of the trees, the noise from the M6 was very unpleasant Sun. Lunch - The LockHouse Restaurant, Gt. Haywood, South on the T&M by first lock - reasonable set Sunday lunch with choice of Ham or Turkey or both incl. dessert. Sun Night - Plum Pudding, Armitage, Canalside W of Br 61, T&M - good food and beer. Mooring outside pub for patrons - rather noisy from A513 running close alongside Mon. Lunch - Swan, Fradley Junction T&M/Cov - food quite good but they stop serving at 2.00 (in fact lots of the places we stopped at had fairly limited hours of food service) - good beer. Very busy at this time of year and no mooring nearby. We had decided to go down the Coventry Canal and moored some way down and walked back. There is supposed to be a Water point by the Swan but we couldn't get near it. Lots of NB's queueing for the locks either side of the Swan. Mon. Night - Tried to moor in Hopwas, B&F but no room (one space available but not big enough for 70ft). Lots of bank work past Hopwas and very shallow - eventually found enough water to overnight near Dunstall Farm Bridge. Nice quiet spot. Eat on board. Down to winding hole near Bonehill Bridge and turn back to Hopwas. (There is a new major road across the canal between Sutton Road Bridge & Bonehill Bridge not shown on my Nicholsons) Tues. Lunch - Tame Otter, Hopwas (was Chequers) - Excellent Pub, good beer and splendid food and good mooring alongside if you get there early enough. Tues. Night - Back to Swan, Fradley Junction - Food still good but shortage of Baked Potatoes! Unable to moor as before so had to go past Lock 19 and lots of other NBs. Moored in very shallow water as unwilling to go any further. Wed. Lunch - Return to Plum Pudding Armitage as food good - lots of things on Menu not available on that occasion. Wed. Night - Wolseley Arms, Bridge 70 east of Colwich - short walk along busy main road from good quiet moorings. Excellent Pub from same chain as Tame Otter. Very friendly and helpful staff - they divided one meal on to two nicely presented plates for two not very hungry people and provided two wine bottles of drinking water for us to take back to the boat as we were running low. (Small things but they made an impression compared with the service at other places) Thurs. Lunch - Stopped at Gt Haywood Junct for shopping and stayed on for lunch on board. Thurs. Night - The Boat, Br 86 S&W - Beer Ok but food mediocre and service very slow & poor - Baked Potatoes again a problem! In spite of them being on the Specials Board we were told they were not available in the evenings. Fair enough until other dishes were offered with a choice of Chips, New OR Baked Potatoes. Nice mooring north of Br 86 though ground is very soft and mooring stakes need careful attention (take chains if you can). It was very quiet Thursday Night. Fri. Lunch - moored south of Gailey Wharf after taking on water and shopping - lunch on board. Down to bridge 77 intending to wind there - absolutely no chance for a 70ft boat. Small hole tight against the bridge. Stretch between Br 78 and 77 passes a chemical works which is foul and a scaffolding pipe bridge belonging to the chemical company which obstructs the canal. Shamelessly lazy & inconsiderate of them. Headed for the Marina at Hatherton Junction as Plan B for the turn but managed to wind in the wide bend just before it. Fri. Night - return to moor north of Br 86 at Penkridge - again nice mooring but tonight lots of Motorway roar! Why? Discovered later that there had been a major accident and the M6 had been closed for 24 hrs - hence the peace the night before. Declined The Boat and walked a bit further through the village past The Star (no food at night in spite of sign board) to the Horse & Jockey. Good Pub - nice pint of Bass but the guest beer Saddlers was excellent with good food. General Note - very few of the Pubs we tried would take credit cards for payment for the meals - take plenty of cash. Incidents 1. Approaching lock 19 at Fradley, canal about three boat widths, fence sticking out into canal about one boat width, take centre line going slowly having passed moored boats. Two boats coming from lock, first decides to moor, second pulls out to pass her right in front of me - 70fter now full astern and manage to avoid the overtaker who, oblivious to my discomfort, says "they're waiting for you at the lock, you know". My reply is not fit for publication. 2. Approaching Lock 35 S&W (I think) pulled into side to let crew off to work lock which was set in my favour. Cyclist appears, empties lock and opens gates and sits and waits for his boat to appear - about ten minutes later. When other boat eventually passes through lock I speak to skipper about wastage of water and lack of consideration. I don't think he was terribly interested! I enjoyed the week although these were not the most peaceful stretches of canal that I have visited. Hope that some of this is of some interest to somebody. Rgds Mike