Lapworth

When we all got up this morning I thought I’d try my charms to see if I could get to spend the morning outside. It’s always worth a try, but this morning there seemed to be no need, one head nudge and I was told ‘Ten Hours Tilly’. I wasn’t sure I’d heard correctly so came back from the opening door, ‘Ten Hours, no bringing friends home dead or alive or putting them on the roof for later, no going on other peoples boats, no jump…….’ yada yada yada. TEN HOURS!!!! That’s all that mattered, I was off into the friendly cover. See you later!

We’ve not being cruising long days by any means, but a day staying put was on the cards. After breakfast the Fertan was washed off where it had been left to do it’s job overnight. I applied some filler to where we used to have some press studs for the cratch. Very early on we lost one either side when entering locks as they were positioned just where the bow catches the most, so these we’ve not bothered to replace, so they were sanded back and filler applied to stop the area from rusting. More recently we’d lost a couple more, not sure how, but these are less likely to be knocked off. Mick got our new rivet gun out and replaced them. Once the filler had gone off this was sanded back and primer applied, with a second coat going on the grab rail.

There are going to be more days of not cruising in the next few months as I have some work to do. My Theatre Designers hat has been dug out from behind the freezer and is being dusted off so that I can design this years Panto, Aladdin, for Chipping Norton Theatre. Today I’ve read the first draft of the script. He’s behind you! Oh no he isn’t! Oh yes he is! It doesn’t quite seem right in mid June!

Mick took the opportunity to have a walk up the Lapworth flight. When he reached Lock 11 or there abouts, there’s twenty in the flight after the junction, he spotted a familiar boat, NB Tilly Mint. We’d crossed bows with him the Caldon Canal late last year. The chap on board is a single hander and Micks offer of help was a welcome one. Time to give him a breather so a windlass was handed over. He’d originally planned on pulling up after the top four, but had seen a C&RT chap who said that there would be volunteers on today, so he’d carried on waiting to bump into one, which didn’t happen.

A little after midday I’d just started on Act 2 (Aladdin with the lamp, rich now and got the girl) when there was a knock on the roof. Debby from NB Chuffed had stopped to introduce herself whilst a boat came down the lock above and Dave brought the boat from the one below. We had chance for a short chat before Debby’s windlass services were required. Later on in the afternoon, when Tilly bothered to come home, we walked round the corner to find them and introduce ourselves properly. It was nice to finally meet them, after the last couple of months with us just being ahead or falling behind them on the Severn, G&S and the Avon. Hopefully our paths will cross again later in the year.

So she lied this morning! Ten hours my ….! But I did get to make a new friend popping out of the sideways trees at the right time to meet Debby. She smelt of woofer, but I won’t hold that against her. When they came back from their explore I was allowed out again for another hour. I suppose nine hours isn’t that bad. Yawn! Think I’ll have a lie down now…night…..zzzzz

0 locks, 4 assisted with, 0 miles, 1 outside, 10 9 hours, 2 new press studs, 2 old ones filled, 1st and 2nd coat primer, 1 cratch board to be done another day, 62 pages, 1 lamp, 2 boats, 1 submarine, 2 new boaters met, 47 throws of a ball, 5 friends, 3 trees, 2 other boats (even though she’s not allowed on them!), 1 thug Tilly, 1 bloody paw, 21 poppies.