‘Avecoat Marina

A phone call just before 9:30am, Sainsburys. Mick quickly put on his shoes and coat and headed to the car park, they were early. He and the delivery chap arrived with five crates of goodies for us. These were all put in bags and carried onto Oleanna. The fridge and veg bag both put out the back under the pram cover, well it’s as cold out there as in the fridge! The stowing of everything could wait for later as it would take time and we were wanting to head into town.

Mick headed across to the marina office on the other side of the canal. We’d originally booked in until today. We didn’t think they’d have a problem with us staying a few more days! Mick was told to settle up when we eventually leave. Bags of coal were ordered for delivery to Oleanna on Friday and a 24volt water pump would be ordered for us.

It’s a fifteen/twenty minute walk to the bus stop from the marina and with a bus only every two hours we really didn’t want to miss it. Over £11 return for the two of us, not quite as expensive as a taxi both ways, but far chillier!

We’ve not really explored Tamworth before, it’s set just that little bit too far away from the canal. There are many big smart buildings about the place. Today we’d come to do some Christmas shopping and hoping to find a small tree as it was market day.

Town seemed to be buzzing, maybe due to the market. No suitable tree to be found, only those six inches high sprayed with white stuff, not recommended if you have a cat. Mission Christmas tree failed. Mick and I went our separate ways to do secret things.

The usual cheap shops, Wilko, Home Bargains and numerous charity shops, but nothing to inspire Christmas shopping proper. I picked up things to plug present gaps but sadly didn’t find any nice independent shops.

It turns out that the Peel family had a lot to do with Tamworth. Robert ‘Parsley’ Peel moved here from Lancashire where his textile mills had been damaged in riots, he set up mills in Burton on Trent around 1790. His son, Sir Robert Peel, established cotton mills in Tamworth, one inside the castle. Textiles became Tamworth’s main industry, Peel established several banks and moved into Drayton Manor, he became the areas member of Parliament from 1790 to 1820.

His son also Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet is the one we’ve all heard of. He served as the towns member of Parliament from 1830 to 1850 becoming Prime Minister in 1834-35 and 1841-1846. In 1834 he unveiled his Tamworth Manifesto which created the modern Conservative Party. Whilst serving as Home Secretary he helped create the modern concept of the Police Force. A statue stands in front of Tamworth Town Hall.

In amongst the flower bed stands a pig wearing a policeman’s helmet. Tamworth pigs are also famous. The breed of ginger pigs also known as Sandy Backs or Tams, are a vulnerable breed in the UK with only 300 registered breeding females. But this is not why they are famous. Back in 1998 two pigs being taken for slaughter in Malmsbury escaped, squeezing through a fence and swimming across the River Avon. They became known as Butch and Sundance as the media followed them during their week of freedom before recapture. The Daily Mail paid for them and their upkeep until they reached old age, 13 and 14. This explains why there is a pub called the Crafty Two whos logo is of two pigs.

After a couple of hours I was in need of a sit down and something to eat, so Mick and I reconvened at Cosy, a cafe that seemed to be popular. Thankfully they had an upstairs and jacket potatoes on the menu. Collections of 70’s Spanish paintings, telephones and typewriters adorned the walls as we tucked into our lunch.

We’d maybe have explored a little bit more but the next bus back was due to leave shortly. Back on the same chilly bus we hopped off early in Amington. Here a shop was looking after two deliveries of yoga mats for me. The man really didn’t understand that the parcels would be quite big on matter how many times I told him. But he got there in the end!

Outside we summoned a cab via an app and were soon on our way back to the marina.

The Sainsburys shopping still needed stowing which meant finally getting to put away my paint brush bag under the back steps, well the wine cellar was about to be filled right up! Stocks of mince and sausages were repacked to take up less room in the freezer. A large chicken was jointed and bagged up for four meals, the carcus left in the fridge to make a stewy something in the next few days. The larder drawers were reorganised and an amazing amount added to them. Considering we’d had five crates arrive in the morning you could hardly tell where it had all gone to. This should last us a fair few weeks and we’ll only need milk and fresh veg to keep us going till the new year.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 marina well and truly frozen, 5 crates, 6 boxes wine, 6 bottles wine, 25% off couldn’t be missed! 2 chickens, 3 lots of sausages, 500g mince, 2 bags potatoes, 6 wraps not 4, 2 buses, 2 pigs, 0 Christmas trees, 2 jackets, 2 mugs tea, 5 bright green yoga mats, 100g neon green wool.