Coventry Basin

Last night we treated ourselves. From the basin it is only about a fifteen minute walk to  the big blue and yellow building through the city centre, possibly the closest Ikea to a canal. We’ve been needing to replace some wine glasses for a while now so this gave us our excuse. It’s quite refreshing knowing exactly what you want so therefore being able to bypass all the living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens laid out and instead head straight for the marketplace. Only one impulse purchase was added to our yellow bag and that was some large bag clips.

We made it round the store, me pausing to check on prices of their smaller carpets, leaving enough time to head back to the top floor for some food. Our plates of meat balls came with Swedish flags stuck into them, we ate them whilst looking down over the many roof top car parks of Coventry, we know how to live it up!

Around the corner from Ikea is Spon Street. Originally it was a main route into Coventry where dyers worked their smelly magic, watch making took over in the Edwardian period which in turn gave way to bicycle and motorbike manufacturers. After the major bombing of the city during WW2 medieval timber buildings from around the city were relocated to the street in an attempt to preserve them as the city was redeveloped. Now the street is full of bars and restaurants up to where the ring road cuts it in half.

We’d heard that the Transport Museum was the place to visit in Coventry, so it was top of our list to visit today. We didn’t realise at the time that it would be the only place we’d visit today, it is vast!

During the 1850’s and 60’s the main industry in Coventry was silk ribbon and watch making. There was also a small sewing machine industry. The Coventry Machinists became the first place to build bicycles in Coventry and the first to mass produce them in the country. Factories were set up by pioneers who furthered the design of cycles from push along to Penny Farthings to Safety bicycles. The diamond frame, chain, gears and break systems all developed in the city.

By 1900 companies such as Swift, Rover, Singer, Humber were all experimenting with motorcycles and car manufacturing.

The first cars were expensive costing 100 times the weekly wage of the average man, cars needed to be cheaper to reach a wider audience. Standard released a car a quarter of the price and more than 2000 were sold. WW1 came along and the many factories that filled Coventry moved into producing vehicles and munitions for the forces.

Henry Ford started to mass produce cars and between the wars Coventry’s car industry followed suit. During the 1930’s private car ownership doubled to 2 million vehicles on the roads. Cars now could reach speeds of 70mph, the speed limit of 20mph was scrapped as it was hard to enforce. Deaths on the roads rose in number with over 7000 people being killed in 1934, style was far more important than safety.

Art Deco designs with angled windscreens, sweeping wing lines, curved roofs became fashionable, Jaguar were one of the first manufacturers to recognised the appeal.

With the outbreak of WW2 Coventry turned back to war work many companies working directly for the government. The many factories made Coventry a prime target for the Germans and on 14th November 1940 the city was devastated when 515 bombers dropped 36,000 incendiary bombs, destroying 4,300 homes and leaving around two thirds of Coventry’s buildings damaged. Even though a third of the factories were damaged full production was back in a few months.

Decimated Coventry was redesigned from a medieval city into a model of modern brutalist architecture during the 60’s. The car industry continued to grow, by 1950’s the UK had the second largest car industry in the world and was the leading exporter of cars.

‘Motor City’ attracted many workers from around the world, the average wage here being 24% higher than the national industrial average. But by the 70’s the Europeans and Americans had advanced their production lines and the British car industry took a slump in trade. By the 80’s many factories had closed others reduced their labour force by half. At the time unemployment in the UK was around 24%, in Coventry it stood nearer 47%.

The number of cars in the museum is vast, room after room of shiny bodywork. Buses, motorbikes and of course bicycles all stand side by side taking you thorough their history.

The displays are well thought out, just enough information to keep you interested. Animated displays fill you in on the history of each era.

You can decide which planes are friend or foe in the skies above Coventry (one lad did manage to shoot down Mick’s Dad’s plane though) and a ride around the city in the back of a black taxi shows you where the factories once stood with tales from the workforce.

The older cars have far more appeal to me, the deco lines of a Jaguar or Armstrong Sidley cannot be beaten.

We tried choosing a suitable sized car to have on Oleanna’s roof and ended up with a few possibilities, although we’d never get out of the basin here.

Mick spotted a few cars he’s owned and the previous model to our last Peugeot (the last to come off the production line) was on show.

Cars, bikes and motorbikes that have travelled the world, come first in famous races are on display. The final section is all about speed, the fastest cars ever built.

Thrust 2 and Thrust SSC are on display, basically jet engines with space for a pilot. The current land speed record stands at 763mph. The next car is in design.

0 locks, 120ft in reverse, 7 day mooring, (it’s still s**t!), 5577 cars, 243 bikes, 312 motorbikes, 5 hours full, 1 museum seen, 1 slightly noisier evening on the basin.

Mill Bridge 8 to Coventry Basin

More miles to do and some more work on Tuesday. My model may have been ready for my meeting but there were also sketch drawings to amend and photos to take. So whilst Mick pootled us along back to the junction I sat below trying to get everything finished before we were on to new waters. I popped out at the junction to check the way ahead was clear and only had four blobs of glue to add to my model ( to make a stubborn piece stay upright!) when we arrived at Hawksbury Junction. Here we pulled in and added our rubbish to the bins before pulling along a short distance for lunch. By now my model and drawings were packed up and ready for the morning, I was free to enjoy the cruise into Coventry.

Places have reputations, the arm into Coventry is one. The schools having broken up and it being sunny ups the odds of trouble. If you listened to all the stories then you’d never go anywhere and we like to see for ourselves and make our own minds up. It’s all comparative. If you only cruise around Nuneaton and the long flat section up to Hillmorton, the Ashby would be the prettiest canal on the system (with the minimum amount of effort). Don’t get me wrong, it is lovely, but we’ve been to far prettier canals with stunning views which of course involves lots of locks.

Heading into built up areas is better done in the morning, less chance of trouble, but we were setting off after lunchtime. We’d been warned of pieces of wood that kids put in the canal with string attached that get caught round your prop and the scenery that isn’t so good. Few cities have a beautiful route into them by canal, they were built to transport goods from industrial areas, so were never intended to be picturesque. We last ventured down the arm on Lillian to stock up at Tescos before we returned to Hawkesbury.

Our journey in was fine, we counted the ingredients of a Pina Colada floating past as we pootled our way along, one young chap offering us a coconut, we’d already seen eight others. No pieces of wood to foul our prop and we were lucky enough not to ride over supermarket trollies or have plastic bags slowing our progress. This was most probably due to all the plastic bags in the area having been used to collect rubbish and then being left on railings, handy for someone to collect, just not sure if they were aware though. Every footpath that came down to the canal had another collection of bags, at least someone was picking up the rubbish.

Where we’d winded four years ago there are new houses covering what had been wasteland. other new developments are being built and at Faraday Wharf the whole area has a modern spin to the old buildings. The steel structure left intact and then surrounded with new buildings. Here is a large digital and tech community which has start up offices and conference facilities. The grounds surrounding are well kept, just a shame nobody has adopted the canal side of the railings.

There have been all sorts of industry in Coventry. The most noticeable on our way in was weaving. Along side the canal stands a block of narrow three story high houses with tall chimneys, another block just around the corner. These were built by two brothers, John and Joseph Cash to house their weavers. Gardens to the rear, two storeys of house topped off with a third floor with large windows, where jacquard looms powered  by a central steam-powered beam engine, worked away producing ribbon. There were to have been 100 of these houses, but in the end only 48 were built.

A couple of big bends eventually brings you to the final bridge before Coventry Basin. There is a sign for a 24hr mooring just outside opposite the water points, but someone has made this their home with a tent pitched with a canal side view. Ducking in through the bridge the basin opens out with two arms. One is used by a hire company, the other has 7 day and 48hr moorings. There was space at the end for us and an ideal spot for a supermarket delivery.

We’d tied up, all three of us had a wander around when people in smart clothes started to arrive.

Then a VW camper turned up with ribbons on it’s bonnet, we’d moored up in the middle of a wedding photo opportunity! I turned my best side towards all the cameras and smiled my sweetest smile. Some little people even sat on my boat to have their photo taken, cheek! The reception was going on at a place just behind the basin, which meant we had some noise during the evening. More noise came from an expanding/contracting black van that parked up. A chap in the flats above didn’t like the heavy rock so after shouting for a while resorted to throwing a jug of water from his balcony, this got the drivers attention as his windscreen wipers started up. The music was soon turned down. After that we had a standard night in a city, some noise, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Wednesday morning and a walk across town with my model to the station. The canal basin lies just outside Coventry’s perilous ring road and the train station is on the opposite side. Here a concrete footbridge spans the speeding cars and gives you a good view over the top of the city. Then we walked in a straight line more or less through shopping areas, some seen better days than others, to cross over the ring road on the other side. The southern side is having quite a bit of work done to it, hoardings surround areas with quotes boasting why Coventry is so good. The next UK City of Culture in 2021, the area is likely to be on the up, new venues created, old ones refurbished, a lot of investment as happened in Hull. We wondered if Coventry will manage to get the city centre repaved in time for the year or would work finish in the autumn as it did in Hull!

Two trains got me to Banbury, the nearest station to Chipping Norton where I was picked up by Will the Producer, this saved me a bus ride. Today was what is known as a White Card Model meeting. Myself, the Director, Producer and Production Manager worked through the show scene by scene with the model. All very excited, thankfully, we just have to find a way to be able to afford it. The budget is reasonable but very tight, the scissors may have to be taken to parts of my design once we get prices back from builders. Gemma, the Production Manager and I had a good catch up not having seen each other in about twenty years, we both started work on the same show at The SJT in Scarborough in 1996.

Two trains back to find Mick and Tilly on board. A Sainsburys delivery had arrived to stock up the wine cellar amongst other things. We had new neighbours and Tilly still wasn’t impressed by our surroundings. It’s s**t round here! Even if I walk low it’s still pants! Luckily Mick and I don’t judge a place purely by the number of trees and hunting possibilities.

0 locks, 10.89 miles, 1 left, 1 straight, 1 rightish, 1 Ikea bag full, 1 ruck sack full, 9 coconuts, 5 lemons, 3 oranges, 1 carrot, 37 bags of rubbish, 3 extra wedding guests, 1 extremely noisy van, 1 pair headphones, 4 trains, 2 car rides, 2  smiling faces, 1 concerned face, 1 pair of scissors waiting for action, 1 very bored cat.

https://goo.gl/maps/3vQFGvwvFrj

Hook’s Bridge 36 to Mill Bridge 8

Sunday we woke to rain, not of the heavy variety, just the sort that is adamant to get you really soaked when you least expect it. Just as well I was having a work day, we’d bought suitable things for a breakfast, the Tour de France was arriving in Paris and that Tilly isn’t too bothered about rain. She is however bothered about wind and it was gusty. She had several excursions out onto the towpath to explore. When she returned towels were quickly deployed onto surfaces she wanted to sit on. I’m hoping my model survived a few near muddy paw prints as I’d taken over the dinette.

The rain kept coming until the evening, when the sun came out just before it was due to dip under the horizon. This produced the most vivid of greens in the reeds opposite and picked out the purple flowers.

Today we needed to be making a move again, I’ve a meeting this week and still had some work to do. So with Mick at the helm, waterproofs ready just in case and Tilly asleep on the bed we pushed off.

First thing they untied the outside and let it go, they do this quite often, it’s not unusual. It drifted off into the distance. Every now and then she would go outside and they’d tie up the outside to stop it from getting away. There were several of these outsides, but we didn’t stay long at any of them. The first one was hard to hold onto as another boat was passing through ‘Too quick!’ The hose was connected here and the wet box under the floor at the front filled.

Then they let this outside go replacing it with another a while later. This one had more promise, trees, sideways trees, a bit of friendly cover, but I wasn’t allowed out. I’d have appreciated it more than them, they just sat inside and ignored it! What a waste. They let this one go too.

The next I wasn’t too sure about. It took a bit to tie it down, there was a man complaining about it, don’t blame him, it smelt! I stayed looking out of the bedroom window ready to persuade them to let this one go too! She came in to find a cheque book, apparently the last time it was used was when they bought me from the rescue centre two and a bit years ago. Luckily they gave up on this outside and pushed it away and kept on moving.

How long before the outside was fully changed? It was getting boring inside. She was inside most of the time, not keeping me company but doing interesting things. In between snoozes I kept an eye on what she was doing. Putting things in and out of boxes. Two boxes, just my size. One had lots of little bits in it the other had thin obstructions stopping me from gaining access. She kept putting more and more things in it from the other box. I watched just in case one of these became empty enough to make room for me, but that didn’t happen. In the end I decided to make space for myself. I scooped out a little thing. Hey this was similar to finding a friend, I could have loads of fun. She didn’t agree, she was angry.

Tom got close to an outside and as she went to tie it up she said ‘If you touch anything, I mean anything, you will die!’ Blimey, maybe these little things were poisonous. I decided to watch her instead. Once the magic music had been played and she’d written down the numbers of this outside the doors were opened up. I was given two and a half hours and if I could come back with a new model chair that would be good.

0 locks, 10.35 miles, 1 big sigh from nature, 1 very soggy day, 1 full water tank, 0 recycling done, 2 bags rubbish, 1 lunch break, 1 rope bridge, 1 frontcloth, 5 flown pieces, 1 squashed chair, 1 white card model complete, 1 poisonous toy, 4 outsides, 93.5 litres diesel, 75p, 1 bored Tilly.

https://goo.gl/maps/cNmRrozruMy

Former Railway Bridge 34A

Time for a day off work and time to explore. This did however mean that Tilly wasn’t allowed shore leave this morning, it was my turn to venture away from the boat.

As we were getting ourselves  sorted to go out (sun cream, water etc) a familiar bow came past. It was The Blue Boat, Pat and Roy were stood on the back heading towards Market Bosworth. They are easily recognisable to us due to the design Pat painted around their porthole at the bow, but we disappear into the crowd now, no longer being yellow. Sadly I didn’t manage to get out the front quick enough to say hello, hopefully we’ll be around when they come back. Seeing them means that our summer is now complete, as our paths have crossed the last three years.

Being moored by the old railway line we walked up over the bridge and towards the Bosworth Battlefield Centre. Following the course of the old tracks meant we had plenty of shelter from the sun on what was to become the hottest day of the year, so far. Boards along the track described what happened back in 1485 when King Richard III lost his life at the battle of Bosworth.

The walk took us past a spring that King Richard may have drunk from on that fateful day in August, a cairn was erected over the well in 1813. Today it was damp, but we didn’t fancy a drink preferring our bottle of water.

Bosworth Battlefield Centre was set up in 1974 at Ambion Hill Farm. Based on written theories this was thought to have been the site of the battle on the 22nd August, 1485. Exhibitions were first on display in cow sheds, these gradually expanded and in 1985, the 500th anniversary the new display was visited by the Prince and Princess of Wales. In 2005 Heritage Lottery Funding was given for a survey to try to work out where the actual battlefield was.

This survey took five years to complete and brought together written, topographical and field research. A huge area was covered by metal detectorists and core samples were taken to try to find Shakespeare’s Marsh (yes he’s even here!).  The results proved that the battle actually occurred a mile south west of Ambion Hill, an area covering both sides of Fenn Lane was found to have numerous lead cannon balls.

In 2010 the new exhibitions were put in place regarding the actual location of the battlefield. You can visit the actual site on a guided walk from the centre, £17 for the day but bring your own packed lunch and drinks! A commemorative sundial was put on the top of Ambion Hill to mark the battle and the Battle of Bosworth Trail was opened. By the end of the day we’d walked around the trail, other than the sun dial and spring, it is just a walk with boards telling you about the battle. It doesn’t actually take you to any sites that were associated with the battle, because it wasn’t here, however you can nearly spot the actual site from a good vantage point near the sundial.

The exhibition was very good, it boasts that it is award winning. Modern with flaps to lift and buttons to press.

A detailed description of the actual battle using re-enactment footage, a 3D map, suits or armour and coats of arms has to be the centre of the display.

You can see how far you could fire an arrow, dress up as knights, watch four accounts of what happened, that Stanley chap was a bit of a wimp (I know his elegancies were split but!).

Plenty to see and you get to vote for who you thought was the best King, Richard or Henry. With our York connections we had no difficulty in our decision.

Bosworth was the last major battle in the Wars of the Roses between the houses of York and Lancaster. Richard III reign began in 1483 after his brother died and Edward V was declared illegitimate and therefore ineligible to be king. Edward and his younger brother then disappeared from the Tower of London never to be seen again and Richards popularity started to decline. Henry Tudor from the House of Lancaster took advantage of Richards difficulties and challenged the throne landing in Wales and drumming up support as he marched is army towards London. Richard mustered his troupes and intercepted Henry near Market Bosworth. It was here that Richard was killed on the battled field, his bloody naked body taken to Leicester and processed through the streets before he was buried in Grey Friars, to be found  500 years later under a car park.

Lunch in the Tithe Barn before we continued our walk around the site of the none battlefield. This brought us down to Shenton Station on The Battlefield Line. Sadly the last returning train had already left and at this end of the line there were no engines to look at, just the station. This has been taken over by two glass artists. Inside on the hottest day of the year was a lady demonstrating how to make a keep sake memory glass stone. The one she was making had bubbles in it which were created by  adding ashes, the ashes she was using today came from a Yorkshire Terrier and was a commission for it’s owner. There were lots of lovely bowls and vases, I nearly bought baubles for Christmas presents, but glass is not the easiest thing to post and space on board is more limited than normal at the moment.

Returning to the boat the doors were opened so that Tilly  could explore for the remainder of the afternoon. Our shady spot and closed curtains had managed to keep the interior of the boat coolish, but the temperature soon rose to join that of outside with the doors open.

Tilly came and went a few times but then was gone for a bit too long! Before we ate I did my mad cat woman impression walking up and down the towpath calling and meowing into the hedgerows. After we ate I did the same, then an hour later. The wind had picked up, could she no longer find her scent trail back to the boat, was it the presence of the Blue Boat (this happened on the Macc a couple of years ago). I hung a jumper of mine out the back to give her a familiar smell to follow if she was lost. I’d have also put her litter tray out but it was fresh. The sun dropped below the horizon and we stayed calm, watched TV and waited. I was just about to put shoes on and get the big torch out when there was a thud on the stern, a very hungry Tilly was home, Phew!

It was a long walk to the real battlefield and as they weren’t going to find it I had too! Just some fields, nothing to see really, quite boring.

0 miles, 0 locks, 1 day off, 1 blue boat, 0 battlefields, 1 spring, 2 kings, 1 amputee, 1000 dead, 4 stories, 240m, 2 jacket potatoes, 2 late for trains, 1 very hot lady, 1 alarm, 1 hot boat, 3 hours turned into 6! 1 battlefield, 1 familiar smell, 1 very hot day.

Bulkington Bridge to Former Railway Bridge 34A, Ashby Canal

Both of us were awake before the alarm clock this morning (it’s not set very often), so instead of trying to get back to sleep we had a cuppa in bed and then made ready to move. Our plan had been to set off early to try to beat the heat of the day and we succeeded to start off with.

After pushing the bow out I walked along the towpath. My legs and waistline wanted some exercise after sitting at the dinette table for days model making. At 6am we passed Avril’s school soon followed by Charity Dock. Here the only signs of life were the cockerels wanting to come out from their shed, they were quite adamant about it! Jumpers were certainly needed, but we’d both refrained from putting on long trousers.

Mick crept Oleanna past all moored boats, the early morning water ahead showing the bow wave that she pushes. This is the reason you should slow down as you approach moored boats, not just as you pass them. Hopefully nobody stirred from their sleep, I tried to keep on the brittle yellowed grass to quieten my footsteps.

A stretch of legs on such a morning was lovely and it gave me the opportunity to check that the way ahead was clear at the junction. It of course was, the sun rising directly above the Ashby Canal.

Mick swung Oleanna’s bow round the tight turn, having to reverse a little to get lined up for the narrow bridge hole and what once was a stop lock.

The sun was blinding but stunning. A water vole startled that it wasn’t on it’s own swam across the cut in front of us, reaching up the wooden boards to clamber out. This is the third one we’ve seen in the last week, not having seen one before other than on TV.

Our aim now was to find a suitable mooring for a few days. Temperatures set to be high again tree cover was needed. Last night we’d decided to head for the old railway bridge but if there was anywhere suitable before hand then we’d stop sooner.

I headed below and got my model out from it’s cupboard. Time to set up scenes and see where I’ve got to. The last week has been spent drawing things up and making them, but due to the lack of space it has been hard to have the model box out to look at things in situ as I make them. With such a small model, getting to look at it from a suitable height can be tricksy, so some elevation was required. None of the shelves on the boat have enough depth so in the end a couple of empty wine boxes found themselves with a new purpose. They did the trick.

My hour or so of looking meant I had quite a few things to alter or adjust. Sadly the Dames tuperware cruiser needed remaking, at least I now knew how to make it. Was it possible to make it narrow enough to fit through a narrow auditorium door? Or was it going to have to arrive in several pieces? Would the box office table get in the way? All things you wouldn’t have to consider in a bigger theatre.

Outside Mick gradually warmed up at the helm and poolted Oleanna along. The water point by Watling Street was free so we tied up and replenished Oleanna’s tank whilst having breakfast. A shady spot showed itself by the Farm shop, but the depth was far from enough for us. Even nudging back and forth we still couldn’t get close enough to the edge, on we went.

At Stoke Golding we pulled in just after the wharf and bridge. Not totally to the side and the sun would soon be behind the trees, this would do. The doors opened and Tilly was let out to explore. We soon realised our mistake. The local ducks were adamant that we’d give them some white sliced and we were grating along the bottom. The odd noise is fine in such places, but here we just had to breath!

Tilly seemed to be enjoying herself, but luckily she returned for a drink and the doors were quickly closed behind her. Onwards. Now the sun was at it’s height. Mick covered in a layer of sun cream steered us on, a couple more miles and we dropped off our rubbish. Not far now to the old railway bridge, but would it have been taken by someone else? I stood on the bow hoping it would be free and that the depth would be sufficient. One boat was moored a short distance away but the bridge was free. Wonderful shade from most sides. We pulled in, I hopped of the bow just as it started to scrap along the bottom. The stern was a bit out too. We tried going forwards a bit, then pulling back again to try to find a position where we would touch the bank. This wasn’t going to happen. But as we were a suitable distance from the bridge and the canal was wide enough we decided to call it a day. We only scrape the bottom as boats come past and the shade is very good, it’ll do us nicely.

0 locks, 12.72 miles, 6am cruising, 3 cockerels, 1 confused cat, 1 right, 1 rising sun, 3rd mooring, 2 outsides, 4 hours turned into 6, 1 new playground, 2 repurposed wine boxes, 11 hours working day, 2nd tuperware, 2 more scenes to go, 1 full stage watched, page 30 passed!

https://goo.gl/maps/Y296pL8HkLx

Deepest Darkest Frank Country, Bulkington Bridge 14

It turns out that we are moored in the middle of where our friend Frank grew up. In the past he has pointed to the maps in Nicholsons, his sisters school, where he used to go and watch the trains, where he and his friends used to play alongside the cut. We took notice but never really clocked where these places were. Well just around the bend in front of us is Avril’s school and the Co-Op in Nuneaton is where Frank got his first football boots from, his parents lived near our current mooring and he would cross the bridge behind us to go watch the trains. We are in deepest darkest Frank Country

A couple of days of work for me. In the mornings the drawing board has come out from it’s slot so that I can draw up the set for a couple of scenes, then it’s put away to make space for me to make the model of those scenes in the afternoons. Sunday morning Mick managed to keep himself enough space to sit at one end of the sofa and watch The Great St. Trinian’s Train Robbery which just happened to be on. It’s still rather funny even if you are only listening to it.

In the afternoon Mick had to relocate himself to the towpath for some space. He’s even opened up a book to read, we’ll see if he gets further than page 30 before it joins the other part read books onboard!

During the morning  plenty of boats came past, nothing unusual in that, it’s very busy along here. However one was strange. As it came past I waved at a lady inside the cabin, she waved back. I then looked up to see that there was nobody at the helm. Maybe they’d just bobbed inside to grab something? No the back doors were shut. It must have had remote control as the tiller was moving and the boat was in full control as it passed us and the other boats moored up. Early last year we shared Calcutt Locks with a chap who steered his boat from the lock top with a remote control. It’s just weird seeing a boat steering itself, like a ghost boat.

Late morning a boat pulled into the gap behind us. As he moored he spotted Tilly on the towpath, he’d keep his dog on a lead. The pram cover comes in handy for such moments. If I lie close to it, I can spy woofers along the towpath, but they find it hard to see me, only my head visible, even then most don’t see me.

A catch up with my family in London on the phone informed us that there was quite a lot of post. Some of it important for Mick’s pensions. So instead of us finding somewhere for it to be posted to, Mick decided to have a day trip to London to pick it up. After helping me get the drawing board out Monday morning he headed off to Bedworth Station to catch a train to Nuneaton and then into London. There was quite a bundle of post, some reminding him that he hadn’t filled a form in, other envelopes included items that needed to be included with the form, so the trip was worth it.

I made use of his visit by giving him a shopping list of items I could do with for my model. 4D is a great model shop in the East End, they sell just about any variety of tree so long as it’s to scale along with plenty of other scale things. I was after some lengths of wood and dowel and they were just the place to get them from.

Tilly and I kept ourselves busy, she came and went having a drink on every visit, whilst I got on designing some boats. Two in fact, one for our romantic lead to woo his lovely princess in and the other more brash the Dame’s gin palace cruiser. Whilst I toyed with angles to create a suitably sized tuperware, numerous boats cruised past. I was surrounded by boats. Today has been one of the hottest so far, yet this didn’t deter the masses from cruising. Only about a third hire boats making the most of their holiday. There were several who pulled in for lunch taking advantage of the overhanging trees. One stayed for several hours, their big black poodle shouting as they moored up followed by smelly smoke every now and then.

Our mooring did well. Only about an hour of direct sunlight mid afternoon, which did heat up the cabin somewhat and necessitate me closing the hatch so that I could see what I was doing. But the rest of the day was nearly pleasant.

Once Mick was home and my model stowed away again we sat out on the towpath and enjoyed the burgers and kebabs we’d bought in Nuneaton. A suitable way to celebrate living onboard full time for four years. I so hope the bears are still alright guarding our possessions in the attic in Scarborough.

0 locks, 0 miles, 214 boats, 2 at 1:25, 2 days work, 5 trains, 2 tubes, 2 buses, 5 pension letters, 2 birth certificates, 1 pyramid that isn’t there, 1 papyrus ground row, 1 sarcophagus, 1 nice woofer, 1 good vantage point, 1 smelly noisy woofer, 2 hole days of work, 2 burgers, 2 kebabs, 1 very slow cooking bbq, 2 corn, 4th home grown salad, 4 years of floating along full time.

Cat Junkie Mooring to Hawkesbury Junction to Bulkington Bridge 14, Coventry Canal

I like work. It is great!

It means that I get to spend all day everyday out doing what I want to do. But having said that after four days and a couple of previous visits to this outside I had just about used it all up. Being outside all day everyday is exhausting. It would be stupid to come back inside when still allowed outside, so for the odd little snooze I decided to make myself comfy in the pram cover.

There were still friends to be found and I brought them back to be near to Oleanna, not inside as I’d have had to introduce them then and that would shorten play time! So a rustley area in amongst the trees was a great place to play, not too much friendly cover so I tended to win at hide and seek.

Tom must be getting bored, he even did some more washing of Oleanna! That’s three days running he’s had the buckets out. She’s hoping that he gets very bored and washes the pram and cratch cover soon.

Out of the four days we’ve been here I managed to get nearly three days work done on my model. A rough plan of what to make each day means I know when I’m falling behind, modelmaking always takes longer than you think. Luckily my plan has six spare days worked into it. By the end of Friday I’d almost got to where I wanted to be and managed to have a chat with Gemma the Production Manager, there is a lot to catch up with as we worked together twenty years ago in Scarborough, I suspect we won’t run out of conversation before the show opens.

Saturday morning arrived and the need for some fresh veg, a newspaper, some water, a rubbish bin and a different outside for all of us meant we had a boating day. It also meant that Tilly wouldn’t get chance to make acquaintances with a Water Vole we’d spotted a couple of times. This morning it obliged us by sitting munching on grass opposite our bedroom picture window. Tilly was the one who spotted it first.

We let the morning rush hour pass before we ourselves pushed off and pootled to the winding hole just ahead of us. Here we winded and headed back past Springwood Haven heading for Nuneaton. The canal skirts around the town and other than visiting supermarkets we’ve not really had a look round. Today we moored up by Tuttle Hill Bridge and walked into town.

It being Saturday there was a market which was busy and far bigger than I’d imagined. We managed to buy quite a bit of the fruit and veg we wanted on the stalls but a few bits meant we’d still need to visit a supermarket to fill the gaps. My supply of tracing paper was running low, WHSmiths only sold A4 pads so we hunted round for Staples which luckily came up trumps with a pad of A3. I should be able to fit most of my drawings onto these sheets. It means more sheets of drawings, but they are a lot easier to get copied at this size. I also won’t have a huge roll of drawings knocking around the boat for weeks.

Amongst the none descript buildings of Nuneaton we spotted quite a few rather nice Deco buildings. The Co-op, sadly no longer a Co-op looked very fine with it’s name boldly displayed on the fin.

The Ritz Cinema also looks like it was once a gem. Frank did you ever visit it on a Saturday morning? (Our friend Frank comes from these parts and his Father is possibly the only person to have ever be sent away from Coventry). Sadly now closed the cinema is Grade 2  and was designed by Verity and Beverley for the Union Cinema Circuit in 1937. According to the Historic England website, you would enter the building on the curved corner into a foyer with a grand staircase, which led to a single large auditorium with a balcony.

The decor is highly coloured incorporating Art Deco, Neo-Egyptian and Chinoiserie. A link to some very colourful photos here. Large fretwork panels of lotus leaf motifs and coffered ceilings suggest it was once a wonderful magical place to visit. Sadly the building is boarded up awaiting a new life, whether that involves being converted into a theatre (I know of one of those in Scarborough) or the owners are just waiting for it to fall down and the site then to be redeveloped, who knows. But certainly some of the locals loved this place. A mural on the doors reminds you of kids Saturday mornings at the flicks and pictures of film stars below the canopy conjure up the atmosphere. Not seen a picture of Johnny Weismuller in decades.

Last port of call on the way back to Oleanna was at Frank Parkers Butchers. I’d spotted it from the car the other day and on our walk into town the queue meant it was definitely worth a look inside to see if their boasting of being a Butchers of Distinction was correct. It was, so a pork and stilton pie along with a couple of burgers and steak and haloumi kebabs made their way into our shopping bags for a barbecue tomorrow.

After lunch we pushed onwards Southwards. We needed water if nothing else today and the nearest tap was at Hawkesbury Junction a few miles away. On our route we made note of possible moorings again. If the forecast for the next few days is correct we’ll be wanting tree cover again. Today we noticed for the first time the amount of very plump ripe Blackberries, the best were around allotments in Nuneaton. Frank would have insisted on us stopping so that he could do his mountain goat impression to pick plenty. Maybe I’ll make some jam this year. At the junction with the Ashby we carried straight on, we may head back up there later in the week for a change of scenery, but we hoped today we’d find somewhere to moor ahead of us.

Any boater who has passed this way will have seen Charity Dock. Here there is a boat yard which has scrap piled up behind all the cruiser boats which block the entrance to the dock. Then along the linear moorings the residents have been creative with shop mannequins and all sorts. I was ready with my camera to play ‘Where is The Stig?’ The display changes quite frequently, around Halloween cobwebs and witches hats are added. Plenty to look at and today was the first time we’ve really noticed the tree covered in wooden masks.

Hawkesbury Junction seemed busy but the water points were free. The pressure on the tap was tiresome so we made use of the time to chat to NB Timewarp who sell tillerpins and very tasty fudge. We’re hoping to get our old tillerpin of a cat chromed so enquired if they knew anyone. Limekiln chandlery at Stourport was our best bet, shame we didn’t know that when we were stuck there earlier in the year!

Once the tank was full we headed to the junction, winded and reversed to the loading mooring. We were going to off load but we didn’t think it would be a problem. Once all the packaging from the solar panel along with our waste was in the bins we were ready to find a shady mooring. A couple of miles back we’d noted a tree covered cutting with armco where there was space with another boat and we were soon tied up ready for whatever the next few days brings us.

0 locks, 9.73 miles, 5 stalls, 1 stretch limo, 2 water voles, 15 minutes of proper rain, 1 cat tucked up inside, 2 straights, 2 winds, 2 burgers, 2 kebabs, 1 pomegranate, 1 pork pie, 2 colours of cherry tomatoes, A3 tracing, 2 bags fudge, 1 shady mooring, 3 whole days, 2 hours stretched into 4, 1 exciting new outside.

https://goo.gl/maps/oK5Kfp2ZqT92

Cat Junkie Mooring

With breakfast and the morning rush hour over I sat out to read Act 2 of panto before setting up the dinette for another day of work.

Mick gave the roof another quick wash and we waited for it to dry. Where better to store the solar panel other than on the roof. We laid it roughly in position.

Our original panel sits above the bathroom, just fitting between mushroom vents, the second one fits just behind it nestling between more mushrooms and the chimney. The box that connects the panels to the boat electrics was positioned so that we could add a second panel, so this now sits between the two of them.

Before anything else could be done Mick wanted to check that the panel worked. Nothing worse than sticking it down to discover it was faulty. The volt meter came up with the right answer and we could proceed.

The panel was positioned centrally between mushroom vents and between the grabrail and chimney, leaving what we hope is a suitable gap for water to drain along the grabrail. Then we drew round it so as the know where to put the silicone sealant to fix it down.

A wide band of masking tape was put down with the hope of containing any excessive silicone and giving us a neat clean edge once we’d finished. My concern was would the first bits of silicone start to skin over by the time we were ready to lay the panel on top. We’d avoided buying instant grab products so that we would have the chance to give the panel a bit of a squidge around before final positioning. A test was needed, not totally scientific, but worth doing. Some of the packaging was put on the roof in the sun and a bead of silicone applied to it and left for the length of time I thought it may take us to apply it to the whole area. Mick watched a stop watch and I made us wait, every few minutes checking on the sample to see if it had skinned over. After ten minutes I deemed that we’d waited long enough and there was no sign of a skin forming, so unless applying it to the roof rather than cardboard made a difference I thought we’d be safe and not end up with a lumpy bumpy panel. The panel we have is a flexible one, but that only really means that it is not rigid, there is only so much flex it is capable of, sitting on a curved roof is fine, but pulling it off when half stuck would not be good.

Silicone applied with a constant bead around the outside (hopefully to keep any water from creeping underneath, then a wiggle to help hold it in position and a few more across the centre for good measure. We lifted the panel onto the roof. Once in position we worked any air out from the centre before rubbing down the outside edge. Happy with position and adheardness (not a word until now) I tidied up the excess that had squidged out and then removed the masking tape. All very nice and neat.

During the afternoon I got on with making my model whilst Mick decided to connect the panel. The box that covers the connecting wires was unscrewed from the roof. The panels come with connectors on the ends of their wires, but these are bulky. Finesse when installing our first panel had removed the connectors and joined the cables with chocolate blocks which were then protected by the box from weather. A quick call to Photonic Universe to check that this wouldn’t affect a warranty on the panel and all was okay. However the cables were thick, too thick for two to go into each block. Springwood Haven provided Mick with some spade connectors which he then crimped onto the cables which fitted better. Bigger chocolate blocks may be needed, but for now this would do.

All of the fittings that are attached to Oleanna’s shell have a layer of what I call Black Tack. We used to use it every now and again at the theatre (can’t remember what for now, Ali would know though) and I believe it is a product that is used to hold car windscreens in. It’s black sticky and never dries out. Mick tried to save what had been under the box, but deemed it wasn’t suitable anymore. So with some of the silicone he made sure that the cables into the box wouldn’t allow water in and gave around the base a good amount to help seal this too.

I requested that I should be the one to tidy up afterwards, it should be a boy job, but patience for such things doesn’t come too easily to my boy. I had an inkling that it was already too late for this part of the installation to be as neat as the first part. The problems with clear silicone is that it is hard to see, it gets everywhere, onto everything and then onto other things as well! Mick had applied it to his arms as well as his hands, he was pretty waterproof. I quickly discovered that whilst it was wet it would gradually work off with white spirit. Next time I’ll be masking out the whole roof and putting Mick in a paper disposable suit before he is let loose with silicone again!

0 locks, 0 miles, Act 2 read, 1 solar panel adhered neatly, 1 new strip chocolate blocks, 1 waterproof Mick, 0.4 litres of white spirit, 1 cleaner roof, 2 tormentors, 2 treads, 1 front cloth all not finished, 14 hours!!! Yes you heard correctly, 14 hours, 2 friends brought to the playground, 1 brilliant day all day, 2 showers, 1 barbecue, 1 thirsty conpooperatedly tired cat.

Cat Junkie Mooring

Nichola and Andy were up and off early, we were still in bed! As we are moored with our picture window overlooking the canal we could wave farewell to them from under the duvet. Our paths may cross again later in the summer depending on where we end up loitering.

Today work had to get serious and my 50th Birthday present of a drawing board came out from it’s purpose built slot between the dinette and galley. The stools that normally get stored in there will move for the time being making it easier to access my work things. Poor Mick was left with very little space in the main cabin. Two thirds of the dinette table was taken over with the drawing board, the rest covered in plans, laptop sat on the end of the sofa with a stool to perch on and most of the dinette seats ended up being covered. Once the solar panel is on the roof there will be a bit more space, still not enough for Mick though! Good job it’s still not raining.

Yesterday we’d discussed how the solar panel would be fitted and bought suitable adhesive. It will need two of us to stick it down, so a break from panto for me in the next couple of days. But first the roof needs a good wash down. Mick agreed that this was needed. The conversation went back and forth for a while until he conceded that he’d have to be the one to wash the roof, not me. Over the last few years Mick has managed to gradually extricate himself from the chore of washing boats. When we were on NB Winding Down he would turn into a seriously grumpy g*t on a Friday afternoon, boat washing time. Each time buckets and cloths came out he would have to ask how we do it, hoping that one day I’d just relent and let him avoid the job. Over the years he has succeeded, now he makes me feel guilty for wanting a clean boat!

So today once the process had been explained, again, he picked up buckets and cloths and gave one side of the roof a good wash down, I made sure I was inside so as not to hear any chuntering that might be going on. This is the first time he’s ever washed any part of Oleanna! I know it won’t become a regular thing.

By mid morning all the boats that had moored up around us yesterday had departed. Plenty of boats came past in the morning, then the lunchtime lull, followed by a few in the afternoon. These were mostly hire boats, we nearly had a full set go past us in an hour. A Black Prince boat came past, the people at the helm deciding to pull over to let another boat pass them. As their stern came level with our side hatch the reason was obvious, an Elite boat was tail gating them. Black Prince started to pull over behind us, all the time being assisted by the Elite boat that was almost pushing them across the cut, no safe stopping distance there!

A new draught of the panto script was emailed through in the afternoon, this needs reading in case I need to make any adjustments to what I’ve already got. I now have a proper scale groundplan that I drew up which I can work from and the basic dimensions of the set are worked out. A few more plans to do and then I can get the glue and card out.

All day! Bloomin brilliant!! There is still lots to do here, although I couldn’t find many friends today, no one seemed to want to come out and play! I made sure I came home for the odd comfort break, but kept off the roof! At dingding time I was quite hungry so came home and the doors were closed behind me. It had been such a brilliant day until she had to go and spoil it. As I snoozed my collar was taken off, quite nice but it does mean no shore leave, then as I was dozing she put that chilling stinky wet stuff on my neck. Eeurgh!! Yuck stop it! Make it go away!! You evil uncaring *dgfufe/**ch!!!!!

0 locks, 0 miles, 50th birthday present used for the first time, 1:25 groundplan at last, 8 sketch groundplans, 2nd draft, 1 sofa covered in holes, 0 space for Mick, 2 buckets, 1 reluctant boy, 0.5 clean roof, 11 hours, 0 friends, 1 flea and tick treatment for her own good! 1 rather tasty chicken and bean salad.