Hawkesbury and a Broken Throttle Cable

Saturday 29th May 2021 in Rugby.

 Hawkesbury Junction, known to the old boaters as "Sutton Stop" after the family who used to manage the lock. It is the meeting place of the Coventry Canal and the North Oxford Canal. We paused here briefly to take on some water, and R and Peter did the stop lock (just a few inches deep, designed to stop the Coventry Canal from stealing the Oxford's water). Note: we were still wearing several layers of clothing - summer had not yet arrived in Warwickshire!

In its heyday, Sutton Stop was where the boats waited for their orders, where they picked up coal to take down to London. This was the energy distribution centre of the Midlands, supplying coal to the capital. It is still the energy distribution centre - only now it is distributing electricity instead of coal. Progress?

Passing Brinklow, MM's engine suddenly died back to idle power. After ten years of service, the throttle cable had broken. We pulled in to the bank (by shere luck there was a space) and R disappeared down into the engine room. By pure chance, Mel and Peter on "Inkling" had a spare cable and R was able to fit it, although initially he couldn't work out how to connect it to the Morse control. Peter supervised, offering helpful advice!

So R improvised with a pair of mole grips to keep the revs up! It worked!

  

After we moored up, R was able to talk to Simon, our lovely engineer. R then worked out how to connect the cable to the Morse control, and we were back working normally again.

 

The buttercups have been amazing this year with whole fields a mass of gold.  Beautiful.

We moored up in Rugby opposite the park and went shopping in the big shopping centre. Such a warm feeling to have the fridge full of goodies!

Today: 13 miles, 1 lock and 4.8 hours.

Trip: 65 miles, 21 Locks and 26.4 hours.

Gnomes, Atherstone and Boudicca's Demise

Thursday 27th & Friday 28th May 2021 near Sutton Stop (Hawkesbury Junction).

The Tamworth Gnomes are still there. Last time we came this way, they had been decimated by vandalism but it seems that they are making a come-back!

Hopwas Woods look idyllic, and they would be if they were not a military firing range! No mooring allowed here (maybe that is why they are so idyllic?).

Fazeley Junction, where the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal goes south west into Birmingham. We didn't go that way this time.

The "Piggy-Bank Locks" at Glascote, so named because they are very slow to fill but quick to empty.

We overnighted at the bottom of the Atherstone flight of locks and it was here that the weather suddenly changed. Up to now we had been wearing multiple layers of clothes to keep warm but today the sun came out and the main worry was if we had enough sunscreen on! The rise in temperature was matched by a rise in our spirits (which were pretty good anyway) and we celebrated with gin and tonics in the evening sunshine.

An early start to go up the Atherstone flight. All the locks on this canal are narrow so we have to go through one at a time with the two boats. Each helps the other as far as possible but it usually means that the boat behind has all the locks against and has to empty each one in turn after the first boat has gone though. However, we made good progress.

Just south of Atherstone is Mancetter, which is reputedly the site of the final battle of Boudicca in AD59 or 60.  Here a very disciplined Roman army defeated a much larger but (according to the Romans) more disorganised rabble of  Angles (i.e. us!). 

Hard to equate the surrounding peaceful countryside with such slaughter.

Thirsty cows.

A relic of a previous age of communications. One pole like this could handle as many as 24 conversations at once!

Two Days: 27 hours, 13 Locks and 12.1 Hours.

Trip: 52 miles, 20 Locks and 21.6 hours.

A Last Glimps of Rugeley's Cooling Towers and the Blight of HS2

Tuesday 25th & Wednesday 26th May 2021 at Streethay.

 The geraniums are back (much to R's despair, as he can't see where he is going!).

Breakfast at the Great Haywood Café was irresistible. 

Last night Bridgett had said that she was meeting old friends for coffee at the Great Haywood Café and, to our delight, she was still there when we arrived. There she is, on the left, chatting to her friends.

At Brindley Bank, we found Mel, Peter and "Inkling" waiting for us (with Inca, their Hungarian Vizsla dog and Tonic, their cat).

Mel had generously offered to cook for us - a great treat!

On Wednesday morning we stopped off in Rugeley for a "few bits" in Tesco.

For years Rugeley has been defined by the huge power station in its midst. Each time we have passed we have been amused by the sight of small houses that seemed to have huge chimneys sprouting from their rooftops.

Sadly, this is the last time we will see this view as on 6th June, these cooling towers are scheduled to be demolished and the site redeveloped for housing.

Even sadder was the sight, near Fradley Junction, of the destruction of ancient woodland to make way for HS2.

The woodland on the facing bank illustrates what the other side used to look like and this too will soon be flattened in the name of "progress"?

It looks like these close-packed, plastic wrapped infant trees have been planted as part of their "planting two trees for each one cut down" pledge but how few of these close-packed trees will survive? And what about all the wildlife those woodlands supported?  Can that be replaced?  It makes you weep.

Tonight's mooring was one of our favourites between Streethay and King's Orchard Marina. Now a quiet backwater but HS2 will go roaring by just a hundred yards away. Still, a beautiful sunset.

 Two days: 20 miles, 6 locks and 7.9 hours

Trip: 25 miles, 7 locks and 10.5 hours.

Off at Last on our 2021 Summer Cruise.

Sunday 23rd & Monday 24th May 2021 in Weston-upon-Trent 

Well, finally here we are, about to set off on our 2021 Summer Adventure! Although, we have to admit that this posting is a bit delayed as we have been quite busy!

We left Reigate in the rain and it was still raining at Aston when we arrived. We parked the Touran next to a very handsome Tesla.

Unloading the Touran took a while and stowing everything away took even longer but Mel and Peter very kindly drove over from their house nearby to help us.

The four of us had a very welcome dinner together in No.26 to mark our joint departing (Mel and Peter also keep their boat "Inkling" at Aston and we plan to travel together down to Surrey). So nice finally to get to dine in a restaurant!

The following morning, we set off into Stone to get the fresh provisions at the local M&S, which had a café - so we started with breakfast, of course!

We were back at the Marina just in time to run up on to the bridge to see Mel and Peter on nb "Inkling" start off. Like us, they are thrilled at the prospect of setting off for our summer cruise. We will catch up with them at Brindley Bank, on the outskirts of Rugeley. The plan is for the four of us and the two boats to travel down to the Wey & Arun Navigation to Godalming, the southernmost point on the canal network.

Unpacking all the provisions took a while but then we moved to the service bay for fuel, water and a pump-out. Nick, the Marina Manager was there to wave us off.

Always a special moment as we turn out of the Marina, the start of yet another adventure.

The rain was there to greet us as we left, but at Sandon Lock the rain stopped just long enough for M to do the lock and keep dry.

Clearly, this is the very best way to travel! Warm in your Mum's embrace.

The rain returned as we carried on towards Weston-upon-Trent. Typical!

Our friends Bridgett and Peter, who live beside the canal at Weston, had kindly invited us to join them for dinner and provided the best fish pie that either of us had ever tasted. Delicious! We passed a truly lovely evening in their company. A lovely start to this cruise.

Today: 5 miles, 1 lock and 2.6 hours.

A Four Counties There and Back Again - and Back Home.

 Friday 2nd October 2020 back at Aston Marina.

We had promised ourselves breakfast at the café at Great Haywood opposite our mooring. It opens at 9:00am so, with five minutes to spare, we set off to walk across the bridge. 

They have a large marquee, where we have eaten before, and a mobile catering facility, where you order your drinks and food. It works very well.

We had invited our friends Bridget and Peter from Weston to join us for breakfast and fortunately, we were allowed to eat inside the café as it was very windy. As ever, the food was excellent and very welcome. And the company was brilliant! We laughed so much together.

After breakfast and a very enjoyable catch up, we set off to do the last eight miles and three locks back to Aston. On the way, we passed their house and tooted loudly, but it seems they were not yet back at home.

It had been forecast to rain heavily but we were lucky and the rain held off all the way. Finally, after just over three hours, we arrived back at the marina and turned in through the entrance. It always feels like coming home.

The wind was blowing quite hard from the east, which meant that it was just in line with our mooring pontoon as R turned MM in order to back her into the bay, A22.

M photographed the clock for the record as we arrived. Guy was still staring out the window, hoping for a banana....

So, MM was safely back in her home mooring for another year. Let's hope that 2021 brings a bit more freedom to cruise through the summer and possibly to return to Guildford and the Wey & Arun Navigation. We can but hope!

On our way into the marina, we had noticed a recent arrival opposite MM's mooring - a narrowboat called "Zodiak" which used to belong to our good friends Jackie and Mick, so we walked around and photographed her for them. We have very fond memories of Zodiak from trips with Jackie and Mick.

There is a very well known circular route on the Trent & Mersey and Shropshire Union Canals called the "Four Counties Ring". In going down to Braunston and Wigram's Turn we had done, not a "ring", but a Four Counties "There and Back Again" - going through Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

So, another year's rather truncated cruising comes to an end. MM lived up to her name as we met so many friends on our travels and, despite the breakdown, we had a great time with brilliant weather. While we live in "interesting times", we count ourselves as very blessed being able to travel the waterways of England.

Now we look forward to next year and hope to see you then! Meanwhile, our warmest good wishes to all those of you who take the trouble to read this! Please stay safe!

Today: 8 miles, 3 locks and 3.2 hours.

Trip: 207 miles, 58 locks and 99.7 hours.

Since MM's Launch: 4,239 miles, 2,695 locks and 2,946.7 hours.

An Early Start and a Long Day.

Thursday 1st October 2020 at Great Haywood.

As agreed, Jenni met us on the towpath with coffee at 7:30 - at least, we were on the towpath but Jenni stayed on Rufford. Ed and Will preferred to have a lie-in!

A long day lay ahead of us, so we set off immediately after. It was quite cold but the weather had brightened up a bit by the time we arrived at the Fradley swing bridge three hours later.

A volunteer at Fradley Top Lock said that HS2 is scheduled to go across the canal about 300 yards further along. 

He said that the centre line of the track was marked by a blue post in the ground and the orange marks on the trees showed which ones would be cut down. Every tree for a hundred yards had an orange mark. The red arrow points to the blue post.

HS2 will cut across the canal right through this lovely peaceful woodland.

Wood End Lock is isolated in the middle of nowhere.

But not for long, right alongside the lock is a massive area being set up as a construction base for HS2.

We tried (not too successfully) not to dwell on this prospect and to concentrate on enjoying our last full day of cruising in the sunshine. M loves these isolated trees in the middle of fields. These probably mark an ancient field boundary before farmers were paid to rip out the boundaries to make bigger "more efficient" fields. Now, of course, they are being paid to widen boundaries and replace hedges. Clearly, "Yes Minister" still rules.

Armitage "tunnel" used to be a tunnel until the roof caved in! Now it is just a very narrow bit of the canal where two boats cannot pass. We have been through it in both directions many times before without meeting another boat coming the other way. We held back and watched the boat in front of us as he rounded the corner into the tunnel and then had to go into reverse rapidly as there were two boats coming the other way! By the time we could take our turn to go through, we had a convoy of three boats one after the other.

We made very good progress and arrived in Great Haywood at 4:30 to find a group of policemen standing on the bridge. No idea what they were doing but they were in deep discussion about something. They took no notice of us as we cruised quietly past.

Very unexpectedly for this late in the afternoon, there was a free mooring space opposite the café. So, breakfast tomorrow morning is a must!

Today:20 miles, 5 locks nd 8.2 hours.

Trip: 199 miles, 55 locks and 96.5 hours.