Braunston

Saturday - Conditions were bright and cool as we set of for Hawkesbury Junction, a seven mile, lock free run passing through Nuneaton, passing the entrance to the Ashby canal before skirting Bedworth to the junction with the North Oxford canal.

Took on water before making the 360 turn under the bridge and into the stop lock in one go (no wind today). We did plan to stop at Hawkesbury Junction but as it was such a good day for cruising we pressed on to moor at a favourite spot opposite Thorns farm beside All Oaks Wood.

Passing the Ashby Canal

Tending her eggs.

Sunday - I think we were up before the larks, 06:00 FL was moving away from the bank, the farmer was already at work, the air was still, cold and damp. A mist was swirling across the canal and through arched bridges. Best part of the day, a superb time to be veiwing the natural world at 3mph, pristine countryside all the way to Newbold tunnel, and we have it all to ourselves... for a while.

Rugby and Brownsover are through the tunnel, we arrive at the three Hillmorton locks as the volunteer lock keeper is clocking on. Eased up the locks we are into perhaps the finest country views this canal has to offer and they stretch all the way to our destination at Braunston.

Misty early morning start.

Rain cloud passed over head .

Arrived in Braunston at midday just in time to go for a Sunday carvery at the Boathouse. Braunston in the past, was a place for the working boatmen to meet up and enjoy each others company... the leisure boaters continue the tradition.

Nana Nap.

My lord it was cold as we set off at 09:00, the thermal vest was on underneath jumper, fleece and jacket, hat and gloves too. Atherstone's eleven locks were ascended in two & a quarter hours.

Just six miles travelled.

Rapeseed

Bluebell wood.

We have just come back from a Happy Friday lunch time drink with Roly & Bev in the Anchor at Hartshill so I will cut this short and publish, a nana type nap is in order.

Andy, Roly, Bev & Sue

Happy Birthday Madge.

Thursday

We left the Fradley mooring at 09:00, fleece's on to keep out the chill, the sun is out in a blue sky so all good. The landscape is rural for most of the route to Fazeley Junction. The Coventry canal inexplicable dissolves into the Birmingham & Fazeley canal the only evidence are the nameplates instead of numbers on the bridges. 

A quick service stop at Peel's wharf to fill up the water tank and get rid of the dumpables before we are passing through Fazeley Junction where the B&F heads off south under Watling street bridge towards Birmingham, we are now back on the Coventry canal heading east through the two Glascote locks, two college students film our progress through the locks. The canal continues on a north easterly route past the suburbs of Tamworth before heading south under the M42 through Polesworth and back out into the countryside, where we moor behind Klara, Roly & Bev were out on the towpath, we joined them for an ale to celebrate the Queens 90th.

Name plated bridges.

Stop planks are housed behind the bridge storage door.

Watling Street bridge tow path getting repaired.

Lots of Union Jacks hoisted today, this one on Pooley Hall.

 MotorX track at Polesworth.

Huge geese or small horses.

Change of canals

Played the what time is it game when we woke this morning ... getting on for 10am ! 

The sun was up with no cloud or wind ... no fleeces required for the cruise today. Tea & bacon banjo's were taken on the rear hatch as we bimbled along enjoying the Staffordshire countryside - reminding ourselves why we love this life style so much.

We stopped at the fuel boat for coal - seems ridiculous buying coal when the day is so warm, we had to wait while the small holding owner amusingly had to recaptured three escaped piglets. Once they were back in the pen she passed over two bags and we were on our way.

Soon we can see the huge Rugely power station built in the 60's next to a handy coal pit (the coal pit is long gone). We stop for supplies at a huge canal side Tesco, there is a large Morrisons store on the opposite bank, evidence of this growing town.

Armitage is the next town passed through, here the huge bog factory sits beside the canal blocking out most of the light and warmth from the sun.. we shiver for a while.

An old milk factory at Kings Bromley wharf used to pong a bit according to L.T.C. Rolts book Narrowboat. 

At Woodend lock we looked for distant views of the three spires of Lichfield Cathedral but we couldn't spy them. Two more locks and we are turning off the T&M and on to the Coventry canal at Fradley Junction, here we moor till tomorrow.

Herd resting beside the river Trent

Power station at Rugeley.

Large brood or a 'paddling' of ducks, if they were on land the term 'twack' can be used among others!

The gorse in the hedgerow is colourful

The old milk factory at Kings Bromley Wharf.

FL disappears into Woodend lock

Moored at Fradley Junction.

Old Nag

A fine warm day for the first day cruising southward. We travelled ten miles and worked five locks to moor at Shugborough.

Leaving Aston lock.

Aggressive swan trying to tear down our flag.

I lost £1 betting on this old nag in the Grand National..

Moored at Shugborough..... the river Trent runs parallel with the canal here.

Back out on the cut

Finally we have detached FL from the grid and moved out of the marina.

Not cruising far, an hours cruise including two locks to an appointment at Canal Cruising Co. to have the side hatch hinge welded back into position. With most of the their hire fleet in front of the dock it took a bit of jiggery pokery to get FL to a position to be worked on.

FL in between two dry docks.

Charlie the welder.

All sorted... more painting for me to do.

Glad to have that sorted out quickly, we were concerned the top hinge might snap too and we'd lose the door in the canal!

We have now moored in between Star lock and Yard lock. We are going to see some chums in the Royal Exchange for an au revoir  ale.

Weighed myself in Boots today the machine printed this certificate as proof that I am a fat bas*%#d have become portly. I was only 14 and a bit stone in December the downside of three months in the sun for those like me without any willpower. Interestingly I've grown 0.7" over the winter too.

Only once in my life I have dieted, I tried to loose 10 lbs in a year ..... after 6 months I still had 13 lbs to go.

It's 28C here.....

......sat by the fire.


Came back to a warm boat thanks to Jim who had got the stove alight for us earlier in the day.

We went to Tesco superstore  at Rugely  to stock up the galley. Klara was moored up in town so we popped aboard for a chat with Roly & Bev, we enjoyed  best bone china cups of tea with biccies as well as a good catch up.

As we left Klara  NB Moriarty was moored behind ... no sign of Martin & Cathy who must be the quietest moorers on the canal, a quick phone call to find out their position and we were off to the pub for a bit of dinner and a pint.

Last time we saw M&C it was in Mojacar.....R&B will be heading for the dry next winter. Two more members for the Mojacar Canal Club.


It's tipping down in Stone as I finally exchange the faulty domestic alternator on the engine. It took me longer to find a socket and a nut & washer I dropped into the almost unreachable dark places in the engine bay than actually doing the job.

I managed to snap one of the hinges on the side hatch doors... it had seized and while trying to free it with a bit of brute force and ignorance the weld gave way. Peter at Canal Cruising in Stone will hopefully get it sorted for me on Monday.

Tonight we are off to Stafford to meet up with Gordon & Dot they are blacking EHC at the boat club, a Happy Friday drink and a meal in the Wildwood is the plan for this evening.

It's at an end...

...our time in Mojacar that is, we have really enjoyed ourselves, we must have, we extended our stay twice!

We invited our dear friends and a quartet of new chums from an obscure place named 'Medicine Hat' in  Canada, around for for Sunday lunch. Not roast but curry as it was a cool 22C outside.

Pre dinner drinks on the veranda.

Five flavours of curry on the table

After dinner party hats.

Paul & Elaine

Frank & Brenda.

Wendy Barry & Sue

Bob Wendy Marley

Elaine wabbit face. 

Yours truly 

After clearing the plates away we adjourned to the pub to watch Spurs demolish Manu.

Spurs 3 Manu L

Monday was another go-carting session, this time I didn't end up with the wooden spoon or get lapped, I managed a 6th and a 7th place out of a grid of eight.

Tuesday - today is our last day, out for a last supper with the above gang tonight, Easyjet to Gatwick tomorrow morning, staying with friends in Shepperton then back to Stone Thursday.

We need a holiday to relax after all the partying and veranda sitting we have done, what better way than a cruise on a narrowboat to unwind.

A tale of two city's

Monday- The weather being a bit overcast was an ideal day to check out Almeria, a large city dominated by the fort of Alcazaba. Unfortunately and disappointingly  Alcazaba is shut on Mondays as was the Cathedral  we tried to visit..  

Alcazabar.

Indoor Market.

The large indoor food market was open and Casa Puga a Tapas bar first opened in 1870, here  we met up with Paul & El for lunch.

Part of the interior of Casa Puga.

Cathedral

We had plenty of rain overnight with very strong winds. On Tuesday we woke to grey skies with showers. A drive east was our plan to visit Aguilas a port city to the east of Mojacar.

Aguilas

Not sure why this is sitting by the harbour.

Aguilas harbour.

Gammy logo providers

Woke up this morning with a gammy knee, all was fine when I went to bed the night before but come this morning I could hardly walk on the dam thing as any bending caused stabbing pains around the joint.

After hobbling around the apartment for a while I thought the best idea would be to exercise it with a stroll along the prom. We needed bread and tea bags so off I went in the hope things would  click into place or at least loosen up..

As I struggled down the two steps from the supermarket a pretty young thing approached me in a skimpy pink top emblazoned with an Avalon logo. She asked  if I knew anything about 'Avalon' while pointing to her left breasted logo. While trying to think and not to dwell too long on that part of the anatomy that held the logo, I was asked another couple of quick fire questions before it was decided I wasn't part of the demographic she was after.... mainly because I don't live in Spain.

On the painful journey up a steep hill and a few flights of stairs back to Sue I wondered about Avalon, what the girl was selling and why I was singled out, I would google it when I got back.


Back in the apartment the painful knee went as quick as it had come, as for Avalon I must have looked a real old crock ...............they are funeral plan providers.