From Tim_Boddington@compuserve.com Mon May 3 18:56:46 1999 Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 05:35:47 -0400 From: Tim Boddington Reply-To: canals@blacksheep.org To: NGc canals contribute AA Subject: Trip report - Blue Heron part 4 (long) [The following text is in the "ISO-8859-1" character set] [Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set] [Some characters may be displayed incorrectly] DAY FOUR (10/5) Fradley to Grendon (Atherstone bottom) A cool day and cloudy with a cold breeze. We stopped at Huddlesford junction so I could take a few pics. The remains of the toll island has gone and I think the footbridge is new since '86. Does anyone know if this was replaced in the last few years? In the entrance to the moorings in the remainder of the Curley Wirly they have a superbly balanced rolling footbridge. I look forward to the day when we can turn up that road and make our way to Ogley, though I don't suppose the moorers are quite so keen. Appropriately, as we passed through the beautiful Hopwas Woods the sun came out and it was warm. This was not to last. Syd was still at work when we passed CORIXA II at 1.30. Sorry to miss you Syd. We passed Dunstall Farm with fond memories of bow hauling MIDNIGHT DIAMOND last August 16! The reeds are low at this time of year. One had to wonder why they were such a problem. By the time we got to Fazeley the sky was decidedly dark and it began to rain a little. As we motored down the straight towards the aqueduct it became heavier and there was lightening about. It became torrential at the aqueduct and I thanked the road builders for the ugly great road bridge just beyond. We waited under there in the cold for about 15 minutes while the storm passed. This whole area has changed unrecognisably since we came through in '86. It bears no resemblance at all to my out of date map. We soon arrived at Glascote and our first uphill lock. Darned slow aren't they. The bottom lock bottom gates leaked more water than the average open paddle. Time to do something about this BW. Actually I seem to recall the same problem 12 years ago. Have they really been this bad all that time? Vast numbers of new houses have been built near the canal along the next few miles. Nice to see the wharf at Alvecote back in use. Getting very cold by Polesworth and looking forward to mooring up at Grendon. Just before Grendon Bridge 49 first one and then a second skylark entertained us for several minutes, easily audible above the engine - slowed to listen. I later discovered that this bridge is known locally at Kitchens Bridge - because the canal builders had a central kitchen in the house nearby. We moored just before Bradley Green Bridge 48. Wherever I tried to moor during this trip the wind was against me and here I lost the front end which immediately crossed the canal to the far side. Blue Heron has rather short ropes so it was necessary to remove the centre rope and join it to the bow rope. The two were only just long enough to reach the tow path and pull her in. Luckily no other boat came by to watch this rather unskilful performance. There are no pubs close by here but I felt sure there must be something in Grendon (I'm looking at the Nicholsons map (previous version)) so after dinner on the boat I set off. The first discovery was Grendon church with a nearby road sign saying Grendon 1 1/2 miles. So I hesitantly set off - after all what is 1 1/2 miles when in pursuit of the essential pint? Well I can tell you it's a b.. long way when you're thirsty before you start out! Ultimately I reached a X road with a couple of houses on two corners, a car sales yard on another and the Red Lion on the fourth. I entered through the front door and was faced by six silent people, four seated round a parlour table in the middle of the room and 2 at the bar. They were patently not used to strangers. "Evening" said one of them. "Good evening" said I. It must have been the right password because everyone felt instantly safe and continued their own conversation. I moved to the bar. There was no barman. I became aware that the conversation was a discussion as to which of them should get up and serve this stranger. A decision was reached without a vote and a pint of excellent Marstons was duly served. I found a seat by the window that gave me the possibility to look outside the room, for all other seats faced inward. Two or three others arrived and immediately joined the parlour table. There were at least 8 crowded around this table within 10 minutes or so. They were all very middle class; country folk through and through. The conversation was entirely agricultural - sheep and lambs, grass ready for mowing, problems with a local poacher. I quickly realised that I was sitting in the midst of a typical episode of the Archers. You really couldn't tell the difference! As a countryman this was my kind of pub! It was a long way back to the boat. Look out for the next exciting episode when Tim makes waves on the Coventry Canal! Tim Boddington 'The Macclesfield Canal - 1998/9 Guide' Now published at UKP1.95 or UKP2.50 post paid in UK 'Preparing for BS 7799 Certification' Now published by BSI DISC at UKP27.50