From Malcolm2.Jones@uwe.ac.uk Thu Sep 23 08:56:59 1999 Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 12:42:01 -0400 (EDT) From: "Jones, Malcolm2" Reply-To: Canals To: Canals Cc: Gwyneth Williams , Alvechurch Boat Centres , "Noseley, John3" , Christine Subject: Trip Report - Leicester Ring - Part 3 (long) Day 8: Burton to Hopwas. Heavy rain at about 06:00 hadn^Òt inspired anyone to leap out of bed to get the kettle on - the compulsory second action of the first person vertical. But in due course, off we trundle toward Fradley on a nice uneventful run. Even the rain stopped and we were enjoying brilliant sunshine by the time we reached Alrewas. The village was duly admired as we passed through; perhaps it was because we were so busy admiring it that we found ourselves with stem on one bank and stern on the other while waiting for Bagnall Lock to be set. Fortunately the situation was recovered tidily before the descending boat came out of the lock. Arrived at Fradley around lunchtime. Turned left at the junction and were pleased to see the swing bridge opened for us, only to find as we approached that another boat was lumbering toward us. Mair did a fine job of putting us through the bridge hole and passing the oncoming boat alongside moored boats. The skipper successfully fought with the foilage (as it is now known thanks to Laurence Hogg). Lovely sunny run. SWMBO took the opportunity of the lock free length to shower and so missed Huddlestone Junction, but as we had stopped to look last year, we merely paid silent homage as we passed. Corixa II and Infoclub were passed with no sign of Syd or Mary. Mair decided to walk through Hopwas woods, but briefly as she found that the towpath was thoroughly closed by the Water Wizards, who were drilling for oil (or core samples prior to bank stabilisation work). Moored for the night at Hopwas outside the Tame Otter (we remembered from last year that we wanted to tie up near a pub with some Otter connection, but nothing of the sort appeared in Nicholson). The galley slaves had a bit of a battle getting dinner cooked (the oven seemed to be on a go-slow) so they bottled out of doing pudding. When an excuse presented to get junior crew out of earshot (thanks yet again to Mair & Christine), SWMBO suggested (ordered) the skipper to check whether mine-host of the Tame Otter would sell us pudding without a main meal - he would! So after the washing up we strolled (all of 3 metres) to a nice table and the chief negotiator went to parley for drinks and puds, while one Welsh crew-lady found her teapot (again). Excellent puddings added to the delight of Hopwas, which has joined our list of favourite canal villages. Day 9: Hopwas to Hartshill. Uneventful run to Fazeley Junction. ^ÓRoyal Tern^Ô admonished by a private boater on the water point for not using the off-side water point we had apparently passed 500 metres back, but invited to come alongside by the hire boat also on the water point. Watered up when they had finished (also cleaned the duck/goose guano off the bollards and surrounding copings) while Mair & Christine shopped for milk & stamps. At 09:00 Christine walked to the next bridge to meet her friends Lesley and Stuart who were to join us for the day (Lesley and Christine had trained together, though I^Òm forbidden to say how long ago); they now live in Bedworth, so here was an ideal opportunity for them to get a taste of canals and right on their own doorstep; they had also brought with them lunch for eight!!. Once lunch was loaded aboard, Stuart set off to move their car to Atherstone and cycle back along the tow path to meet us (oops - contentious stuff here :-) ), while we set off, giving Lesley her first steering lesson as soon as we were clear of the moored boats near the junction. Up the Glascote locks and onward, until, among the several cyclists on the tow path, there was Stuart coming toward us - let^Òs find a bridge hole, without a boat coming the other way, or one too close up our stern, then we can pick up the man, stow his bike on the roof and initiate him into the art of steering. Tied up for lunch of home made celery & potato soup, quiche & salad and fresh fruit (Stuart & Lesley can come again!). Off after lunch and up the Atherstone locks with Ruth and Tim lock wheeling and the adults assisting where required. This was the first time I felt that the children had really got the hang of this locking business and they worked very efficiently (better than the crew ahead!) - perhaps it was showing off to there new adult friends! Spotted ^ÓIdleness^Ô somewhere up the flight, but no sign of Julian & Tina - we won^Òt tell you lot when and where we^Òre going next time so^Òs you can^Òt all hide! After the locks, Lesley & Stuart decided to continue with us all the way to Hartshill where we tied for the night. After Stuart had fetched their car, they went home to change, while we admired and photographed the architecture of the BW yard and spruced ourselves up for the coming evening entertainment, and had time for a chapter of Harry Potter. L&S returned at the appointed hour to collect us for the short car journey to Bentley where there was a hog roast and barn dance. Ruth enthusiastically dragged her auntie round the floor for almost every dance; the food was excellent and plentiful - in addition to the hog there was jacket potato and salad, followed by fruit salad and cream (the beer was drinkable - for keg!). At length we felt compelled to as Lesley to drive us back to the boat, but too late for another instalment of Harry Potter (much too frightening for the witching hour). Day 10: Hartshill to Shakerstone. A moderate start, after last night^Òs excesses, for a gentle run to Nuneaton where we stopped for shopping. Found Sainsburys relatively easily, tried all the free tasters again (except the watercress), nearly emptied the shelves, then found a quicker route back to the boat. I guess there must be nice bits of Nuneaton, but we^Òve never found them and the place don^Òt grow on me; it seems to have turned its back on its canal - only the well tended allotments relieve the boredom. Continuing toward Marston Junction we got into a discussion about bridge numbering which I shall post separately. At Marston, we turned onto the Ashby canal, and the weather deteriorated. Nicholson warned that the Ashby is shallow - believe it! Not only shallow but barely enough room between the reeds and weeds to pass another boat. Often I was tempted to turn back, fearing that we could get ourselves too far behind timetable. But we persevered through the rain to our scheduled overnight stop at Shakerstone, enjoying the sight and sound of steam trains on the Battlefield line near the canal from Bosworth to Shakerstone. What a delightful village Shakerstone is - yes it stopped raining as we tied up. Drinks at the Rising Sun, where it wasn^Òt only the junior crew who tried the adventure playground! Day 11: Shakerstone to Hinckley via Snarestone. An early start, even by our standards, with the intention of being nearly back to the junction by supper time. Well actually the early start was mostly so that we could get to the terminus and back before morning service at Shakerstone. In spite of a drizzly start we had a good run up to the terminus where, to the confusion of the fishing match and some other emerging boaters we winded and retraced our wake. At Shakerstone parish church, our arrival increased the size of the congregation dramatically, while reducing their average age; though the latter was totally negated by the arrival of the Vicar (who must be eligible for ^Ólisted Canon^Ô status). He delivered (certainly didn^Òt celebrate) Holy Communion (BCP again - is Leicestershire its last bastion); the lengthy preamble seemed to be largely an excuse for the lack of a sermon later. But the congregation were welcoming, and might spring to life when the Vicar goes to a higher place! Guess what it started to do as we let go. So we plodded on through the rain, only stopping at the friendly Ashby Canal Centre for pump-outs, etc., until the hot engine (the only hot thing that day) called an earlier than scheduled halt at the Watling Street bridge. Still there was lots of rain to cool the engine. Skipper discovered that a vital hose had split. Typically this was also the point at which the charger for the ^Ñphone had given up and the battery had run out. So after supper Anne & Mair braved the rain and went to the ^ÓLime Kilns^Ô to use the ^Ñphone (fruitlessly), but found out where the skipper could go in the morning (to ring!). Back to the boat for supper and more Harry Potter - the second chapter of the day. It all had to be carefully calculated so that we could finish 17 chapters in a fortnight, and the earlier than expected tie-up had given time for a chapter before dinner - gripping stuff. More to come. Malcolm ------------------------------------- Malcolm L M Jones, System Accountant, University of the West of England, Email: Malcolm2.Jones@uwe.ac.uk Tel: 0117 344 2733 --- The UK Waterways Network - http://www.ukwaterways.net/ * bringing the inland waterways community together * You are currently subscribed to canals as: george@adiva.com To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-canals-407N@ukwaterways.net