The Atherstone Flight.

Monday 8th June 2026 at Polesworth.

The weather forecast turned out to be correct and the rain started early in the morning. To pass the time, we walked into Atherstone to post some cards. M in particular was very upset to see that the old historic hat factory was now a very large pile of rubble. Atherstone was famed for its hats, which were exported all over the world. We had seen the old factory deteriorate year by year, with the windows all smashed etc.  Another bit of canal history lost ...

The huge jaws on the digger on the left were particularly scary; it looked like a prehistoric monster. Nobody seemed to know what was planned for the site but, talking to locals, the general opinion was that it would be more apartments. Such a shame that it wasn't converted to apartments while it was still in good condition. 

Around midday, the weather cleared so we decided to tackle the 11 locks of the Atherstone flight. C&RT volunteers set the first two locks for us and we encountered several boats coming up the flight so almost all the locks were in our favour. A "Good Road", as the working boat people used to say, and with M lock wheeling to set the lock ahead, we did all 11 locks in just one and a half hours.

M always loves this grass covered bridge with its footpath disappearing into the distance. It seems to call you to follow it ....

It seemed that we had hardly started when we reached the bottom lock with its lovely "lock gate" bench under the trees. The field behind was often planted with potatoes (for which Staffordshire is well known) but this year it is wheat.

MM nosed into the last of the Atherstone locks for the final time and still the sun shone on us.

The pretty lock flight is two miles long, so we only cruised another two miles before the weather again became threatening and we moored up in Polesworth as the rain began. Later, however, the blue skies returned so M was able to get a good photograph of our mooring. For an urban area, it is a very quiet and pleasant spot to moor up.

 Today: 4 miles, 11 Locks and 3.1 hours.

 Trip: 111 Miles, 79 Locks and 54.3 Hours.

A Very long Day to Atherstone.

 Sunday 7th June 2026 in Atherstone.

 Today, the weather is forecast to be fine but tomorrow rain is predicted almost all day. As a result, we decided to do a long day today so that we could relax and not travel far tomorrow if the forecast proved to be correct. We set off at about half past seven, leaving Rugby behind.

At Brinklow, there is a very narrow cutting built by Thomas Telford when he straightened out much of Brindley's original very circuitous contour canal. The bridge before the cutting was receiving some attention.

 

The cutting has always had problems with land slips and when we came through last year there were two major ones which had buried much of the towpath. Since then, the whole side of the cutting has been cut right back to prevent future problems where each of the landslides had occurred. Major, and expensive, work.

There was only one lock today, the six inch "Stop Lock" at Hawkesbury Junction designed to "stop" the North Oxford from stealing the Coventry Canal's water. This was common practice when rival canal companies competed for trade. For the same reason, there is a former Toll House at the junction.

 

M has always admired the garden next to the lock but today it looked  a tad overgrown and neglected. Some weeding needs to be done! It was still pretty, though.

 

The turn from the North Oxford on to the Coventry Canal is renowned for being a very tight 180 degrees but MM went round without any problems (thanks to R's excellent skills, says M!)..

 

 Most of today was just cruising, so not a lot of photographs or drama. At the junction of the Ashby Canal we had to hover to allow a boat to turn into the Ashby, another tight turn, especially when approaching from the south..

This nostalgic sight is a relic of a bygone age and now stands alone, unconnected to any friends. In its heyday it might have carried twenty-four telephone conversations alongside the canal. Today, it is all fibre optic cables buried below the towpath capable of carrying tens of thousands of calls at the same time. 

The site of Roman Mancetter is believed to be the last battle of Boudica against the Romans, which took place c.AD 60-61. A sign identifies the spot although with a ? in the title to acknowledge that many other places also claim the same!

When we eventually arrived at Atherstone, we were told that a floating market had taken all the visitors moorings, so we moored in the last available spot half a mile from the town after nearly nine hours travelling.

Today 24 miles, 1 Lock and 8.7 hours.

Trip 107 miles, 68 Locks and 51.2 Hours.

Orchids and the Maori Silver Fern.

 Saturday 6th June 2026 in Rugby.

 Early on Saturday morning we tackled the three Hillmorton Locks. Rain was forecast and had already started but it stopped just as we arrived at the top lock and held off until we left the bottom lock. Very good timing!

 

At the bottom lock pair at Hillmorton, several years ago, M had seen that there were orchids growing between the two side-by-side locks and remarked that they should be protected. There is now a notice to stop people disturbing them.

 

 These orchids are the "Early Purple" variety and there are dozens of them in that small area.  It pleased us enormously to see that they are being protected. It was interesting that, next day, M spotted the relatively rare Bee Orchid growing unnoticed on the towpath near Nuneaton. It has probably survived because passing folk are not aware of what it is.  We also saw some Common Spotted Orchids, the same variety as pops up year on year in our lawn back home!

  

We continued on to Rugby, where we passed nb "Inkling" again, moored opposite the park. 

 

Our favourite mooring is next to the Park under an old willow tree. Initially we had to squeeze in next to another boat nb "Te Ara Wei" and we fell into conversation with David, the owner, who was delightful. We then went out shopping and were very pleasantly surprised to find that, while we were out, they had moved across to the other side of the canal and had very kindly re-moored MM under the willow for us. Boaters are like that - they help each other!

 

David and his wife on Te Ara Wei had spent 13 years in New Zealand before coming back to the UK and moving on to their narrowboat. The name in Maori means "The Way of Memories" or "Waterway" and the symbol underneath is the "Koru", the Maori Silver Fern that symbolises new beginnings. So very appropriate. 

In 2012, our friends Grant and Katy, originally from New Zealand, were visited by Grant's parents, who came for a trip on MM and gave us a tile representing the Maori Fern; it still hangs on the wall in MM's kitchen. That was another celebration of new beginnings and we have decided that the fern should stay with MM to welcome her new owners.

Today: 3 Miles, 3 Locks and 1.6 hours.

Trip:83 Miles, 67 Locks and 42.5 Hours.

Visiting Jan and Abi.

Thursday 1^st and Friday 2^nd June 2026 near Hillmorton.

On Thursday, we travelled back to MM but by public transport this time. A bus and three trains later we found ourselves at Long Buckby Station which is a tiny local station and has no taxi rank. And it started to rain too!  But while R was looking up numbers for taxis, a bus went past and stopped just round the corner! We checked with the driver, who had kindly waited for us, and found that it went to Daventry. So we quickly hopped on. At Daventry, we had a 45 minute wait for the bus to Braunston. The first 10 minutes of this time were spent sheltering from a huge thunderstorm (with lightning too!) but after that R went for a coffee in Costa while M went to Waitrose for a "few bits". So time well spent, as it meant we arrived back at MM with provisions for several days.

At the marina, we took MM out on to the cut, where we stayed the night on the same nice mooring that we used last Sunday.

 

 On Friday morning, we set off towards the North Oxford canal but soon paused when we spotted nb “Inkling” moored up opposite the pub. Inkling used to belong to our friends Mel and Peter and was bought four years ago by Steve and Caroline. It was a pleasure to meet them and we hovered in order to chat for a while.

 

At Willoughby, just north of Braunston, we stopped, moored up MM and walked into the village to visit our good friends Jan and Abi, We had got to know them at Mary Arden's Farm where they were the Falconers. We hadn't seen them for about five years.  During that time, they have completed the lovely house they have built themselves and which is also entirely "off grid". They have also acquired three gorgeous and (boisterous!) dogs called Willow, Briony and Flossie. 

 

Sadly, Mary Arden's Farm is no longer open, which is a major disappointment as it was the best thing in Stratford because it featured re-enactors in costume actually doing practical tasks of that period instead of the static displays that you get in all the other Shakespeare venues. It seems that real people and real farm animals were too expensive so the bean-counters shut it down. There is an active movement to get it re-opened but it is a hard task - and meanwhile the farm and its period buildings are not being maintained and so are gradually deteriorating.

 We could have spent hours with Jan and Abi but needed to get on our way once more. Setting off again, we passed the famous old signal gantry, a relic of the Great Central Railway, still waiting for the "Master Cutler" express train to Sheffield. It is so nostalgic; a memory of the days of steam travel.

 

 We moored up just before the three Hillmorton Locks, which we will tackle tomorrow morning.

  

 Today: 7 Miles, 0 Locks and 2.7 hours.

Trip: 80 Miles, 64 Locks and 40.9 Hours.

There and back, and There and Back Again!

 

Tuesday 26^th to Sunday 31^st May at Braunston.

We awoke on Tuesday morning to find that the process of removing the infrastructure of the show had already begun. Men arrived to start taking the KG and Lakeland marquees down and R had to remove the contents of the KG tent rather hastily as they had not been taken away last night. It was amazing how quickly everything disappeared and the marina began to look normal again.

 

As an exhibition boat, MM could stay in the marina until Friday without charge so we decided to go home for a few days to recover; four days of intense heat, activity and emotion had taken their toll. We were exhausted and M had lost her voice! We drove home on Tuesday afternoon via Aynho and KG at Enslow.

On Friday, we drove back to Crick, picked up MM (not literally!) and took her out on to the cut having said a huge “Thank You” to the staff at Crick for all their help. The weather was still hot and sunny but we were fortunate to find a shady mooring almost immediately  beyond the road bridge.

 

On Saturday morning, we set off early to go through the seven locks of the Watford flight, helped by some very cheerful volunteers.

 

We moored up at Norton Junction for lunch before setting off again, R and MM headed through Braunston Tunnel while M decided to walk over the top.

 

Like last time that M walked over the tunnel, she got lost on the first half of the former horse path which has been obliterated by a large new housing development. However, the second half, down towards Braunston, proved to be as delightful as usual with far reaching views of the pretty village.

 

Going through the six Braunston locks, we teamed up with a couple on their “liveaboard” boat “Reynard”. Coincidentally their names were Dan and Erica (with a C not a K). At the bottom lock we rewarded ourselves with well deserved ice creams.

We moored up on the canal outside Braunston Marina while R took a taxi back to Crick Marina to collect the car.

 

Breakfast in the Gongoozlers’ Rest floating café was a “must” next morning; we were very happy to see Avril still there and as cheerful as ever. She remembered not only us but also the name of our boat. Sadly, these days they only open weekends but the staff are busy during the week doing outside catering.

 

Later, Scott, Paula and Amelia came to visit and we went off to have lunch in the Admiral Nelson pub by Braunston Lock 3.

Back at MM, we took them for a short trip to move MM into Braunston Marina, where she is booked in for a few nights while we have to go home yet again for a few days.

 

We are due back on Thursday 4^th when we will finally start our “Last Hurrah” cruise up to Tattenhall Marina near Chester.

30^th May: 9 miles, 13 locks and 4.4 hours.

 Year to date: 73 Miles, 64 locks and 38.2 hours

The Crick Narrowboat Show 2026.

Friday 22nd to Monday 25th May 2026 at Crick Marina.

Tiffany of Kingsground, builders of MM, had asked us if we would exhibit MM as a 15 year old boat next to one of their new boats at the huge annual narrowboat show at Crick, in Northamptonshire. The idea was to demonstrate that when Kingsground builds a boat, it stands the test of time so well that it is hard to tell the older boat from a new one. We had delivered MM to Crick on the 12th and gone home for a few days. We came back to Crick on Monday 18th and spent the next few days polishing, cleaning and de-cluttering MM to make sure that she looked her very best. When we arrived on the Monday, there was no indication that a huge national show was just four days away. Initially, MM was there by the marina office in splendid isolation! Two days later, she was joined by her sister Kingsground boat "La Sorciere II" and for a while, we were almost the only boats there. Keith and Helen, the owners of La Sorciere II, were delightful and we became good friends over the course of the show.

Gradually, other boats started to arrive, some by water and some by being craned into the water from a flat bed truck - always an exciting sight which brings back happy memories of the day that MM was launched at Enslow.  

Our brokers, Lakeland Leisure, arrived and set up their marquee so we had the opportunity to get to know them all. Some of their advertising was very amusing:

It was a very emotional moment when the "For Sale" sign appeared on MM's roof.

Next door to Lakeland was the Kingsground marquee, both of them were directly in front of us. The show always takes place over four days from Friday to Monday on the Whitsun Bank Holiday towards the end of May. It runs from 10:00 to 5:00pm each day and this year was attended by 28,000 people. About 600 of them came to see round MM over the four days.

Friday the 22nd was the "Trade Day" with a limited number of tickets available to the public. Nonetheless, it was absolutely full on.  When the gates opened, a tidal wave of visitors poured through the gates, making a beeline for the boats. Fortunately, we had discussed with Ant of Lakeland, a system for showing visitors round the boat. Sonia, one of his staff, showed one small group round while Robin took another.  Meanwhile, M sat on the stern of the boat, doing a sort of "meet and greet" routine and keeping the waiting queue of visitors "entertained". Below is a photo of the queue waiting patiently for a tour of MM.

 

It was incredibly hard work in temperatures reaching well over 30 degrees and in blazingly hot sun but also a great pleasure to see all the visitors having such a good time. The highlight of Friday for us was the visit of Jim Sparkes, who built MM's steel shell and who retired last year. 

Our reward to ourselves that evening was to walk up to The Wheatsheaf pub in the village for dinner.  It's a lovely pub and the food was excellent.

Saturday was even busier but at least we knew what to expect! It was wonderful to see Simon, who was our engineer during MM's build. At some point, Ant called us into the Lakeland marquee to introduce us to a lovely couple who were prepared to offer the full asking price, plus a hefty deposit, to buy MM. We would have gladly agreed to the sale but unfortunately, they had a house to sell and, since the house had already been on the market for 2.5 years, it wasn't realistic. 

Sunday was much the same; neither the temperature nor the flow of visitors eased! Once more, Ant called us into his marquee to meet a couple who wanted to put in an offer. Originally they had come to make an offer on the Aqualine boat next door to us and were downcast to find it had just been sold.  Ant suggested they come to see round MM instead and it turned out that in fact, MM was far more what they were looking for.  They too have a house to sell but their position is such that they should be able to complete very soon  So the sale was agreed.  It was a highly emotional moment for us both as the "For Sale" signs were removed from MM. M retired briefly to the KG marquee to have a bit of a cry. 

 

That evening we had a small celebration with all the Lakeland people, plus Tiffany and the Kingsground crew. Clearly, having Champagne to hand is one of the benefits of having a cellar on MM!

 

Monday was thankfully a quieter day. We even had time to spend with some very welcome visitors. In the morning, we were thrilled to see Jon Atwood, MM's cabinet maker, with his wife Panutcha and little daughter Isla.  We hadn't seen Jon for about ten years. Later in the day, Scott (M's "second son") arrived, along with our friends Andy and Michelle, and we were able to take some quiet time with them in the Kingsground marquee. 

 

During the show, the public are invited to vote for their favourite boat as "Best in Show". All the boats, including MM, had a poster inviting people to vote for them.

 At 2pm, the results were announced, as voted for by the visiting public.  We were delighted to hear that KG's La Sorciere II came fourth. We had been extremely touched by the number of visitors to MM who said they would be voting for us.

The show officially closed at 3pm, but visitors continued to ask to see over MM until 6pm. What a rollercoaster of a weekend! It was incredibly hard work but also incredibly rewarding because, without exception, the visitors were absolutely enthralled with MM. None of them could believe she isn't brand new.  Time after time, we heard the words "stunning, amazing, beautiful, outstanding", sometimes it brought tears to our eyes. On Monday evening, we sat quietly on MM with a glass of wine and contemplated the events of the weekend as the sun slowly set. Such a lot to think about. 

 

Lakeland Leisure was our chosen broker for the sale of MM and their whole crew were a delight throughout the weekend and so supportive and helpful. They made a very emotional weekend into more happy memories and we cannot thank them enough. We would especially like to thank Sonia, who helped us to "show" MM over the four days.

We are so very grateful to Tiffany for giving us such a superb opportunity to display MM at the nation's biggest boat show. She, and the entire KG team, worked tirelessly for the whole four days in the unrelenting heat.  We could not have done any of the above without them.  We had no idea how the show would go and whether we would have any interest in a fifteen year old boat but, in the end, we could have sold her at least four times over! Thank you, Tiff, so very much!

We now have to move MM up to Tattenhall Marina. near Chester. where the sale will be finalised.  This is wonderful for us, as it gives up the opportunity for one last cruise on our beloved boat. We are calling it our "Last Hurrah". It will be a very emotional journey ....

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A Broken Paddle and a Dry Pound.

 Tuesday 12th May 2026 at Crick Marina.

 M arose early again at 4.30 to go and sit outside on the stern deck in order to listen to the dawn chorus. It was magical. By sheer good fotune, she captured the rising sun through the bridge at the junction. And to make it even more special, a waning moon was also rising as its current phase means it is in the sky during the daytime.

As it got lighter,a pair of swans with no less than ten cygnets swam by in the hope of some breakfast.

It was a very chilly morning and the cygnets were obviously feeling the cold as four of them were competing for a space on Mum's back under the shelter of her wings.

 Next to the junction between the Grand Union and the Leicester Arm, this house is for sale. It is the left half on the market for £425,000, three bedrooms and beautiful inside. We thought that it looked a lovely place to live as we turned past it on to the Leicester Arm.

Two miles along the canal is the Watford flight of seven locks, four of which are of the "staircase" variety (not M's favourite!). As we approached it was clear that there was a queue and when we walked up to Lock 1, the reason was obvious.

 A completely dry pound, not what you want to see. It turned out that the ground paddle (on the right in the photograph) would not close properly. Engineers were there and had found that the plastic strips that act as a bearing for the paddle were too thick and were binding, so had sent them away to be planed down. We were told that there would likely be a wait of three or four hours.

The winch over the hole is necessary in case the engineer is overcome by fumes or gas and has to be lifted out of the hole in his harness. Safety first. 

Looking down into the hole you can see the large square paddle sitting at the bottom. The entire pound had to be drained so that the C&RT chaps could access the paddle.

Finally the two strips of plastic arrived back and were displayed with pride (and some amusement) by the chaps. Within an hour the pound had been refilled and boats started to move. MM was fourth in the queue so had to wait a bit longer.

Eventually we started to go through the staircase locks with the help of two very cheerful C&RT volunteers. M regards this type of lock with suspicion and so was very glad of the professional help!

A couple of miles further on we went through Crick tunnel. M has walked over this in the past but decided to stay on board because it looked like rain. This may not have been the best decision as there was a lot of water falling from the tunnel roof and when we came out, the sun was shining. We actually got wetter inside the tunnel than we would have done outside in the rain!

And so we have finally arrived at Crick Marina where the narrowboat show will be held from 22nd to 25 May over the Whitsun weekend. A very helpful lady in the office showed us where our space is for the show and we moved MM in. Just for now we have no neighbours but by the time the show starts every mooring slot will be taken, the banks will be lined with tents and marquees and thousands of visitors will be milling around. It felt rather strange being here on our own and with it being so quiet!

 

Tomorrow, R will take the bus back to Braunston to collect the car and bring it back here before we go home for the weekend. We will be back around Monday lunchtime and spend most of next week making sure that MM looks her very best for the public.

Today:5 miles, 7 locks and 3.1 hours.

Trip: 64 miles, 51 locks and 33.8 hours.