Avon Aqueduct

A negative result this morning meant I’d be seeing how my calf muscle was faring after a week of not walking anywhere other than around the boat. Our mooring here is about a mile away from Rugby Station, half of the walk through a park the other half along quite a busy road. My calf muscle seemed to be improved, the original problem having been rested away, however I’m still aware that I did something to it a week ago, avoiding going down steps and walking too far sensible precautions.

Today I headed into Birmingham, catching a tram up to Brindley Place from where I had a bit of time to kill before my appointment with the dentist. If it hadn’t have been for HS2 closing the Curdworth flight we’d have come by boat, today there was plenty of room for us to moor.

Three people were stranded on the island at Old Turn. A Christmas tree had been erected and wreaths were being added to pots for some sparkle. I hope someone returned for them as it’ll have been a touch chilly out there in the shade.

My dentist did a one stop shop for me. A check up, followed by hygienist, then a half hour wait for a little bit of patching up where I’d lost part of a filling. All done and dusted in under two hours and I could be on my way again with a much lighter wallet.

The next tram wouldn’t be for a while so I took my time walking back into town to have a nosy at the Christmas market. This meant I got to see the glowing statue of engineers Boulton, Watt and Murdock. I didn’t recall ever seeing it before, but that’s because it was only put in it’s current position in April this year.

The big wheel, ice skating ring were back. A chap sat on a crate playing his squeeze box I did it my way a song from Dick Whittington I couldn’t help but sing the changed lyrics in my head. The sky was blue, as it quite often is when in Birmingham, and the Franfkurt Christmas market seemed to be busy.

Food and drink outlets in the wooden huts with reindeer and fairy lights, I was hungry but nothing attracted me to fork out the prices that were being charged. All very festive though. I hobbled down to the station where I could buy myself a slightly cheaper sandwich.

A group huddled round someone, many taking photos. What was so interesting? Keir Starmer at a White Ribbon day event. An aid was gesturing to him to move on, I took my photo and headed for my platform only to find the lift ‘Out of Service’. By the time I’d reached the platform another huddle of people stood around Keir on the platform alongside my train. How had he beaten me? They’d certainly not come past me on the stairs. Ahh, that would be why the lift was out of service!

Mick met me again at the station, my leg a little bit sore now, maybe he’d have been willing to give me a piggy back back to the boat! Our reasons for being in Rugby were all ticked off, we could now move on. But instead we decided to stay one more night, today had been a busy day and the sofa was calling.

I made up a beetroot risotto and decided to have a go at cooking it on the stove top, imagining it might take a couple of hours. Everything was heated up in my cast iron pot and the lid put on, I normally do this recipe in the oven for half an hour. The stove proved to be good, saving gas. I lifted the lid after an hour to give what I thought would be still crunchy rice a stir. Well the rice was already cooked, over cooked in fact. A very early evening meal.

Afterwards I wanted something sweet, we still had a box of chocolates from when the London Leckenbys had visited. Mick said he’d thought of giving me them as an advent calendar, but the box is only 22 chocolates, 2 chocolates short for advent. Here’s hoping there is something suitable for him to buy in Tescos tomorrow.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 trains, 1 tram, 2 hours in the dentists green world, 3 stuck on an island, 1 market, 1 Keir, 1 lift out of service, 45 minutes not 2 hours, 1 cold much improved, 6 monthly wormer, 1 harumphy cat.