Category Archives: Narrowboat Life

Two Out Of Three. 17th August

Fradley Bridge 90 to Bridge 55, Trent and Mersey Canal

Plenty of boats had passed us before we pushed off this morning, but we timed our departure with a gap. Half an hours cruise to Fradley Junction, the morning had started bright but it started to turn grey.

A hire boat was pulled up on the bridge landing, poles, hooks anything available was being used to try to find something, a wallet had sunk into the murky depths. The bridge an easy push to open so I operated it and then rather than walk round to the locks I hopped back on board.

A For Sale sign! This may well be my property of the year!! Junction House has for as long as I can remember had piles of wooden stuff outside the front door, suggesting an interesting owner and interior. Today I spotted a bell hanging in a tree, not sure when it gets rung. Looking at the house from the junction it doesn’t seem half as big as it actually is and with around an acre of land, just a shame it doesn’t have it’s own mooring. The estate agent photos confirmed my theory of an interesting owner, the first interior photo does not disappoint. If anyone would be willing to give me the £800,000 and maybe a touch more to give the building some TLC I’d be very grateful. Thank you.

Oleanna was turned left towards the east, the first time we’ve been on this stretch of the Trent and Mersey since June 2019. As ever there was a queue, but how long was it? A boat had just pulled into the lock landing, another going up in the lock. We crept along the line of boats, a chap quickly making us aware that there was a queue and he was in it despite being tucked in amongst the long term moorers. So third in line we trod water, waiting for our turn, the blue shirts of volunteers visible at the two locks ahead.

**Hello T&M little arched lock bridges**

I’m missing working locks and with volunteers on hand I decided to pick up the windlass and help, I just needed to get off Oleanna first, a rather big step off the stern when we reached the lock landing. With stick in one hand and windlass the other I went up to help reset the lock.

**One of the forty volunteers who man Fradley**

The full compliment of volunteers at Fradley now numbers 40, but today it being summer their numbers were depleted due to holidays, so only three were on duty, thankfully the two we were to pass through had volunteers. I lifted and closed paddles and gates, the top gate could wait for the volunteer to join me. At Shadehouse Lock the volunteer did however leave me to carry on pushing the top gate open and went to lower the paddle, I’d imagined that would be my job, the gate maybe a little too heavy for my knee, but I managed.

HS2 was going to cross the canal shortly before the southernmost bend to the T&M, but that was the stretch that was cancelled. A mound of earth sits close to the canal, will this be left for nature to reclaim and boaters in years to come say ‘that was once going to be HS2’ or will the land be flattened out? Round the bend however is different, this length of HS2 will still go ahead meeting up with the existing line between Lichfield and Rugeley on the Trent Valley line. The trees along the canal bank are still there but then comes the earth works behind.

Wood End Lock moorings are fenced off and look pretty unsafe, the lock cottage also fenced off. We pulled in behind the boat ahead to wait our turn, Mick wondering why the chap didn’t pull further along to make bollards available for us. I already knew I’d not be working this lock, the bent beams on the bottom gates require some umphing!

Moving up to leave space behind us for the following hire boat, I waited for our turn, then gave the bow a touch of bow thruster and off I went…. except Oleanna was stuck on the bottom again! After much pushing with a pole and engine revving we got her off the bottom and slowly into the lock. Maybe this was why the chap in front of us hadn’t moved his boat forward to give us a bollard!

Now to find a suitable mooring. Past Kings Bromley Marina towards bridge 55, we hoped for a space. It was pretty full, but there was a space, would we fit. We breathed in and shoe horned ourselves into the gap, most probably left by a 57ft boat. The boat behind us didn’t offer to move up, well he was mid painting his cabin side.

Ah wet paint. Cat. Ah!! I’d just given Tilly the rules and the news of four full hours of shore leave, but hadn’t opened the door yet. A conference. The boat behind the tacky wet painty one had a dog roaming too. The chap painting said he’d be moving off at tea time back to the marina. That Tom had better have his tea at 2:30! He finally moved off at 17:30, sorry Tilly.

Knitting needed catching up on, I finished off the first sock on pair 33 and got the toe knitted of the second one. A much simpler pattern that should mean I can catch myself up again.

Sad git’s meatballs tonight. I usually cook them in a pan and add sauce to them, but tonight as Autumn seemed to have arrived I opted to cook them in the oven, helping to take the chill out of the cabin.

3 locks, 3.7 miles, 1 left, £800,000 a bargain, 1 jaunty Mona Lisa, 5 years, 4 0 hours shore leave, 1 painty boat, 1 roaming woofer, 1 bored cat, 1.25 socks knitted, 12 meatballs for heat, 1 more Dr Who to go.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/yhbeBeexKiawxraz9

Casper The Cormorant. 16th August

Tamhorn Park Bridge to Fradley Bridge 90, Coventry Canal

A lovely sunny morning, Tilly was allowed an hour whilst we did all our morning things. Then with her back on board we made ready to push off. I was just about to untie when a boat came into view, we waited. I untied, another boat came into view, followed by two more! We pushed out quickly before the next one could come into view.

Approaching Whittington a lovely old car came past, too quick to get it’s photo. Then the row of terraced houses ‘Sunny Side’ followed by my all time favourite weathervane the Grey Fergie.

Two new houses stand by the canal. One for sale the other for refurbishment. Refurbishment? It’s only just been built!

Reeds encroach on the canal, some bridge holes hard to see through. At one bridge on a bend we narrowly avoided a head on collision. Neither boat had seen the other one, both going at a slow speed, but both boats having to slam on the breaks to avoid contact.

We passed the boundary stone between the Birmingham and Fazeley and the Coventry Canal. Then on to Huddlesford Junction. Here we slowed, a handy post box just by the pub suitable to pop a couple of pairs of socks in. Mick loitered in a bridge hole whilst I did the honours, a lull in canal traffic meant Oleanna had stayed put.

I got my knitting out the hope of getting a heel turned today, plus I needed a photo of me knitting for Dementia UK. Out of several that Mick took this is the best, however you can’t see what I’m knitting, which is the whole point! We’ll have another go tomorrow when there is more of a sock to see, hopefully the sun will be out again.

Pretty soon we had company, a cormorant. We’re quite accustomed to Terns following our wake diving for fish, but this is the first time we’ve had a cormorant doing the same, but at water level. It dived into the swirling water, bobbing back up really quite close to our prop at times. Was it aware of the danger our prop posed to it? Obviously the possibility of catching fish was far too good.

Sadly I didn’t manage to get many photos, as it would only surface for about 10 seconds before diving again and you have to play a guessing game as to where Casper would reappear.

The long thin garden, fenced off from railway and canal towpath, it’s four foot width stretches on for ages before it widens out towards the house. It’s obvious where they stop cutting the grass. Casper continued to follow, only Bell Bridge getting in its way requiring him to fly on ahead of us. But soon he was back to fishing in our wake. Two, no three fish caught in quick succession. Surely that was enough food for a while, but no he carried on diving.

A long length of armco, a track to some houses, one boat moored up. We pulled in, quickly Casper realised his fishing companion was stopping, he flew on into the distance looking for another boat. The bottom was too close to the top. A lady came from the moored boat walking her woofer, they’d be moving off in a few minutes if we wanted their spot. We tied up and waited for their departure then back up, much better, we were into the side more or less.

Almost four hours of shore leave for Tilly and a late lunch for us. Time spent selecting a foodie Congratulations on getting into Uni and extra Happy 18th Birthday present for Josh. He may have to survive on baked beans whilst being a student but at least he’ll be able to jazz them up!

Our mooring wasn’t quite so good. Boats passing at more than tickover made Oleanna grind on something below despite having the wheel fenders out. Oh well at least when it got dark there’d be no boats, apart from a cruiser who was going slow because it’s light was pretty poor!

0 locks, 6.1 miles, 1 straight, 2 pairs posted, 2 miles being followed, 3 fish at least, 3.75 hours, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval, 1 whinging woofer, 1 big woofing woofer, 1 boat moving on in the morning.

https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m17!1m12!1m3!1d2408.2211448936696!2d-1.7703327568764968!3d52.715509727076586!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m2!1m1!2zNTLCsDQyJzU1LjMiTiAxwrA0NicwNS4yIlc!5e1!3m2!1sen!2suk!4v1723886171386!5m2!1sen!2suk

The Pitter Patter Of Tiny….. 15th August

Pooley Park Nature Reserve to Tamhorn Park Bridge, Birmingham and Fazeley Canal

Acorns! We had acorns falling on the roof off and on last night. At least it was better than the cockerel at Atherstone at 4am sounding like someone was trying to throttle it but not succeeding.

Today was going to be windy. Mick wondered if we should push off before breakfast to hopefully miss the worst wind around lunchtime, but that just didn’t happen. As we got ready to push off another boat had pulled in, ready to jump in our grave. Hopefully they would be able to pull in to make the most of the solar unlike us, but then we are quite deep.

Not far round the bend to Alvecote, one day we will coincide with NB Harnser and actually get to meet Brian and Diana to talk to rather than just passing.

We pootled on through Tamworth. I wonder which house it was that the lady would wave at us when we were in area for Tilly’s first jabs when she was a brand new boat cat. The garden with the immaculate lawn and ornaments hadn’t been out to hoover up the few leaves that had fallen overnight, I suspect there would be more before the day was out.

What time is a reasonable time to wait to hear about exam results when you are an aunt? GCSE’s I think I lasted into the afternoon before enquiring. Today I lasted till just before 11am. Josh, my nephew, replied quarter of an hour later. A*, A and another A! He’s been accepted to Manchester University. Brilliant! Well done Josh! I quickly asked if he’d be willing to help us with the Rochdale 9 next time. I haven’t mentioned as yet the Ashton Canal, or the Rochdale up to the Rose of Lancaster or even helping us up Wigan, but there’s three years worth of nephew boating duties on the cards. Needless to say Andrew and Jac are very proud parents, I’m also rather proud of him too.

Under the last bridge before the Glascote Locks, we pulled in for an early lunch avoiding joining the queue and I bobbed up to the co-op for a couple of things. Our pause was perfect as a boat was just exiting the lock as we approached, so we could go straight in, the wind now a touch extra blowy. A boat arrived behind us, our timing even better as now there was someone else who could open and close a bottom gate.

The bottom lock required filling luckily the wind just allowed me to pull in, then a lull allowed me to get back on board before Oleanna was pushed to the off side. The lock cottage has scaffolding up, the owners aiming to restore it to it’s former Georgian glory.

Thankfully the throat of the bottom lock is quite long, so Oleanna could lurk without the wind catching her as Mick closed up behind and lifted a paddle to start filling the lock for the boat behind us.

Two years ago we’d been iced in at Alvecote Marina and when we eventually escaped, the worst of the ice remained over the Tame Aqueduct. Today nothing of the sort, just wind constantly trying to adjust our line. At Fazeley Junction we carried straight on, or is that actually a right? At one point last week we’d considered a route up the Curdworth Flight and up the Tame Valley, Perry Barr, Rushall, the Curley Wurley to Wolverhampton, but right now that isn’t possible because of the chemical spill near Walsall, the canals closed to contain the pollution. We’d decided against it anyway as the rail links wouldn’t be helpful.

**There’s a reason for not mooring right by bridges!**

We now wanted a mooring without much tree cover and suitable for Tilly. Hopwas maybe, the woods, too woody. A little further on we found some armco, the depth was good, we pulled in a big gap between trees. Tilly was given the rest of the afternoon shore leave just as it started to rain!

**They obviously don’t want people looking in, so click the photo to see what’s behind the wall!**

The amount of friendly cover kept her busy. So much so that when she did return for some Dreamies it almost looked like she’d taken a dip! It rained for much of the rest of the day, proper really wet rain. Glad we’d stopped when we did.

***A touch soggy this outside, it’s still pretty good***

Sock photos taken, packages packed and labels printed ready for the next post box. I could now move on to cast on this weeks pair. A lady from Dementia UK has been in touch wanting to know if I’d like to write something about my fund raising to be added to a page on their website. Just need to catch up with myself first.

A little after we moored Mick spotted that the passing boat was NB Scholar Gypsy, not Simon on board. This will be the third time we’ve been passed by them this year.

2 locks, 8 miles, 1 right, 62 acorns, 3 red onions, 1 blowy day, 2 many trees, 1 firing range firing, 1 soggy moggy, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/cxX1ZQjouMYiTwFw7

Pinning The Edges. 14th August

Atherstone Visitor Moorings to Pooley Park Nature Reserve Wood.

It was raining when we woke. This wasn’t deterring others from being on the move, all of them heading downhill. Oh well we’d have to reset locks and hope that we’d meet a few coming up the flight.

The boat ahead of us had not long left lock 6, Mick reset it and we were soon on our way down. The sign alongside the lock makes me laugh. Atherstone Locks 5 minutes walk, yet I’m in one of them! With the lock empty Mick had a go with my technique of opening the bottom gates, pushing them apart and then kicking one back into it’s recess whilst holding on to the other. I think he needs a bit more practice.

A boat was coming up the next lock, too late for the lock above to be left open for them, but at least it was being reset for us. As Oleanna left lock 7 a boat appeared behind us, the lady gave Mick a hand with the bottom gates.

Lock 8 we waited for one to come up, by which time the boat behind us was closing in. The Atherstone flight take quite a while to fill, but are quick to empty. The gap between 8 and 9 is only small and a boat was coming up in 9. Mick passed the information on to the lady following us, she looked at her watch, were they in a hurry? Hopefully this would make a gap between us as I’m not one for being pressured at locks especially when I’m at the helm. As the bottom gates of lock 9 opened I could see another boat arriving, ideal we could leave the gates open for them and hopefully give ourselves a bigger gap.

Here Mick hopped on board, time for a sit down for me. The super dooper painkillers have just about warn off now and I suspect the gel I’ve now got isn’t quite as good, so a sit down was a good thing.

**One of them ran back to say to leave the gate open**

We met another two boats at the last two locks of the flight making life easy for both us and them. Now we hoped there’d be space at the services. One boat which was just about to leave, brilliant. We pulled right back so another boat could pull in infront they’d just had a delivery of new batteries which are heavy beasts so to be able to pull up right alongside where they’d been delivered on the bank would help.

Water, yellow water, rubbish and a refresh of Tilly’s box we were good to move on ourselves just as another boat arrived. We paused on the towpath a little bit further on for lunch before continuing.

Jules Fuel boats were in the dock and the sign writing on Bream was being finished with a 0 on the inside of an engine hatch door.

Round through Polesworth, under the M42, no HS2 bridge here, this stretch was cancelled. Then alongside the wood. Last time we passed here it was all wonderfully golden with autumn, we’d made a note of it. Just far enough away from the motorway we pulled in, tried a few times to get to the bank, trying to not be under the trees for the solar, only half succeeding.

Tilly was awarded tree climbing time, she sampled a few. A wonderful dead tree down in the gully looked like it was about to come to life in a childrens novel.

Time to get the latest pair of socks finished. I’d opted not to carry the yarn across the back in the round, but to go back and forth to create a motif, this would hopefully keep the sock stretchy. Yet I now needed to seam up the edges I’d created, without loosing stitches in a seem. I’ve watched several youtube suggestions, none of which would help. Then I decided to basically add a stitch to hold the two sides. Pinned out on a strip of foam I was able to weave in yarn between the two sides, then with a crochet hook these were made into stitches. Not quite invisible, but fairly good. If Lucy or Cheryl, or anyone else knows of a better way to join two edges together that isn’t going to loose me a stitch like mattress stitch does please let me know. The remainder of ends were woven in in front of the TV, another pair of socks completed, the next pair will be much easier!

6 locks, 5.3 miles, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, 2 hoses confused, 1 clean pooh box, 1 boat in a hurry, 3 golden retrievers, 1 wood all to herself, 2 many walkers! 1 dancing tree, 1 gold leaf to visit next time, 4 awkward seams, pair 32 finished.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/sT9WRtbpyqbdX9FQ7

Sleeping With The Fishes. 13th August

Cat Junkie Mooring to Atherstone Visitor Moorings

Every morning, as we put the cross bed away, we are finding fish in our bed! Of the cat nip variety. Nobody knows how they are getting in under the duvet every day and no-one is claiming responsibility either!

Before anything else this morning I needed to contact my doctors surgery. Unfortunately the pain killer I’ve been on for nearly a month has brought back an old problem, extra medication was prescribed last week to help with this, but it was a touch too late. I filled out the forms, had a phone call from a receptionist asking if I could go to the surgery this afternoon! I explained about being away from Scarborough for the summer, when asked when I’d be back, ‘Well I don’t know, it might be 8 weeks time or it might not be until the New Year’. But if I did need to see a doctor I could be there tomorrow. She went away to hand it back to the doctor.

Half an hour later another phone call from a Paramedic Practitioner who listened to everything. She was surprised that I hadn’t been given the extra medication to start with. Pain killer to be stopped, keep taking the new one for three months to settle things down and she prescribed some Ibuprofen Gel to be rubbed into my knee which should help with the pain. She nicely prescribed me two months worth of everything so I wouldn’t have to request them again, also saving on the prescription costs. All sorted within an hour! I made sure I thanked her for saving me a trip to Scarborough.

Our departure had obviously been delayed this morning. The sun was out and the Carefree Cruising crew next door were busy polishing out some scratches before returning to base.

Past the Rothern Base, plenty of boats in there. Past the Hartshill Yard with it’s lovely clock. The canals level obviously down as we passed spillways that were bone dry and the water a good six inches too low to flow over into them.

**Mafting, Yorkshire for a touch too warm!**

This family must have been mafting this morning on the outskirts of Atherstone. A neighbouring house for sale.

**For Sale. I personally don’t get the GREY thing. Click photo for details**

The Hat factory above the locks looks even more dilapidated, there was a fire here recently. Kay from Welford, as she cruises around the network selling her canal ware, posts interesting bits of history about the areas to her face book page. One of the latest was about the hat factory.

I recently passed by the old Britannia works at Atherstone. Each year it looks a little sadder as more windows are broken. For so many years this hat factory, and so many others in Atherstone, reflected the twists and turns in society, global events and local life.

Many of the hatmakers on the factory floor were young women – often still teenagers, working long hours in the factory. Legislation through the Victorian era and into the 20th Century offered some protection for these women, especially when the local government factory inspector turned up to check everything was legal.

In this account in the 1930s the factory owners were fined for the excessive hours the girls were working. 14 hour days, rather than the legal 12 hours. Interestingly the court was asked to take this as a first offence for Wilson and Stafford (the owners of the Britannia works), however a dig into the archives reveals a fine for a similar events in 1912, when Wilson and Stafford were fined over issues of excessive overtime and not displaying the legal requirements on the walls of the factory.

The excuse of the owners for the 14 hour oversight is, through 21st Century eyes, quite bizzare. Basically they claimed the introduction of new machines was so exciting to the young women no one wanted to stop working! Though interestingly the factory inspector notes that other factories in the town were sticking to the 12 hour working day.

Factory work was, for some women, a way to escape the drudgery of domestic service where young women went to work, and often live, in their employer’s home, taking on all domestic work and often child care. However, work in a factory was far from easy and long hours, often in noisy, dusty environments was hardly an easy way to earn a living, especially when the employer added another 2 hours onto an already long working day.

As we approached the top of the locks we could see three volunteers, then a forth, a boat sat in the lock with the top gate open. We trod water for quite sometime. Was the owner the person chatting to a volunteer, looking at a map on a phone? No it was the chap looking through the books and DVDs by the volunteers station. Eventually he’d chosen what he wanted and started to move out of the lock.

Two volunteers helped Oleanna down, sending Mick on to open the next lock. They then refilled the top lock to send some water down the next pound looking quite low. Down the second lock, a boat was ascending the third. I pulled over to hover towards the bank, stopping about 2ft out, grounded, this pound was low too. The uphill boat came past with a volunteer, I hoped their movement would help drag Oleanna off the bottom, but it didn’t.

Reverse, HARD reverse, nothing! Forwards, nothing. Mick came and pushed with a pole, first the stern then the bow. Some movement then a sudden stop. A chap came from a boat below, the two of them now pushing. Oleanna was sat on something, the bow would move but not the stern. Mick walked back to the lock above, the volunteer having left the top gate open, no downhill boat in sight. Mick closed it then lifted a bottom paddle. The wave from above along with the other chap pushing the stern got Oleanna off what lay beneath. Another volunteer walked past, ‘think we’d best let some water down’. Yep that would help!

Finally we were in the lock and descending again. Into the fourth lock, below a boat on the water point another boat facing uphill a fifth or was it now sixth volunteer by the fifth lock. Crew walked up, then walked back to their boats, finally someone thought to walk up to help with opening the bottom gates.

Here I could pull into the side, the boat on the water point had gone down. Mick had peeked ahead as much as you can do under the road bridge and not seen anything coming. The person at the helm of the down hill boat hadn’t said anything so gates were closed, only for a chap to turn up two seconds later wanting to bring his boat up. Gates were opened again, boat brought in. I decided to tie up and wait. I’ve been refraining from doing this as much as possible, but now it would be wise to do so.

Too much chatting with volunteers and not enough paddle operation going on. The lady at the helm didn’t give Mick the thumbs up to lift his paddle, then eventually she got through to her partner and got him to lift a paddle, she’d spotted that we were waiting, he was oblivious!

I also don’t push the bow out at the moment, the bow thruster can do that job for me. This meant I got a disapproving look from the lady going up hill. Well I suppose I comment on people steering with their bow thrusters but that’s normally when they go into locks and they must have a fixed tiller and not be able to use it to steer. Today I used the thruster to get away from the bank without wincing with pain, my super dooper painkillers now starting to wear off.

Down the last lock of the day, two spaces on the moorings, we needed one so grabbed it quickly an uphill boat found another space. After lunch we walked into Atherstone. Time to find a shop that would sell me an 18th birthday card for my nephew Josh, whilst I spent time selecting Mick headed on further to pick up my new prescription. We then found a bench to sit on to write cards and popped them in the post.

The Co-op is now a Tescos, Aldi is still Aldi and opposite. We worked our way round Tescos stocking up for the next week. Only one check out was manned so we used a self service one which really was stupid. It couldn’t cope with things being put in the bagging area, I don’t know how many times we had to call someone over to help us! Mick did very badly at avoiding a Geraghty strop!

**I’m getting bored of reading these, but just as well I did with the last pills!**

Back on board Tilly was given a hour and a half. It’s not a very interesting outside this one! Well until she came in still with half an hour to go, the woofer from the boat behind was being taken inside, Tilly could have the rest of her shore leave. At 6pm, cat curfew she wasn’t back. Mad cat woman on the towpath. Half an hour later more calling and meowing. Another half hour later more shouting! I gave up. Mick took over and of course he took all the credit as Tilly appeared from just the other side of the hedge! Where’s my dingding!?! Not sorry for being late!

5 locks, 4 miles, 3 boats swapping, 7 maybe 8 volunteers, why don’t they have a volunteer at each lock, be easier to monitor levels and problems that way, just saying, 200g Fenbid, 56 more pills, 2 cards in the post, 3 bags shopping, 1 Geraghty strop, take cover! 1 stop out cat.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/PqwMqk1782baJea16

Newdigate 12th August

Cat Junkie Mooring

Our mooring had been planned with today in mind. With the temperatures forecast to reach the 30s we wanted to stay put in the shade. No working through locks getting over heated, the only one who might be doing that would be Tilly. 8.5 hours of shore leave were awarded and off she went.

Exercises, pills, breakfast, blog writing all the usual things that happen on Oleanna in the morning. Cloud cover kept us cool for much of the morning, but when the sun came out it did get a touch hot.

The chairs came out onto the towpath in the shade. What we thought was going to be an unpleasant day turned into quite a pleasant relaxed one. The knitting came out and a heel was turned before lunch.

As we’d come through Bedworth the other day I’d sent our friend Frank photos. Frank grew up in the area and has told us tales of playing around the coal boats at Black Bank wharf. Today he gave me a bit more information.

‘A little bit of history of the wharf it was common to find as many as 12 pairs of narrow boats awaiting loading at the wharf on a Sunday only two boats could be loading at a time, the loading was done by hand by a small gang of about 4 men, in 1937 they were paid penny 3 farthings per ton per man’. ‘Black bank was connected to the Newdigate Colliery which was 2 miles west of the Coventry Canal’

This got me looking at the side by side maps of the area at The National Library of Scotland. Several collieries were shown, but could I find Newdigate? A social club still exists, but nothing obvious. Then I spotted it Coll, a railway leading to it from Black Bank.

**The line of trees across the centre was the Mineral Railway, canal on the right, colliery top left**

A six inch map gave me a lot more detail. On the modern map you can see exactly where the Mineral Railway was by the obvious line of trees. Frank also pointed out that his family lived just south of where the railway crossed a road. Below is a link to the side by side map

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15.6&lat=52.47974&lon=-1.50687&layers=6&right=ESRIWorld

**Newdigate Colliery after it had closed**

Newidgate Colliery was formed by Sir Francis Alexander Newdigate in 1898, two shafts were sunk known as Frank and Lilah. By 1914 underground fires had meant the mine was in serious trouble and was sold off to Newdigate Colliery Ltd. The old pit bottoms were sealed off and new ones constructed 115ft above, productivity remained low until in the 1920’s when it was decided to only mine the top section of the Warwickshire Thick coal seam, it then became profitable. In 1966 Newdigate became the first colliery to produce 7,000 tons of coal from a single coal face. In 1982 the colliery had exhausted it’s workable coal reserves so ceased production. More info can be found here.

Thank you Frank, I like looking at old maps and don’t do it often enough, but having a reason today kept me busy for a good hour.

**The cows came for a paddle and drink**

Tilly stayed by our chairs, tree climbing a little bit too much with her fur coat today. A boat that had moored up in the afternoon was a Carefree Cruising boat, they had two dogs on board, both on leads. We chatted as the lady walked to the marina, she’d be keeping her dogs tethered as one of them would have liked Tilly as a snack.

When it was ding ding time Tilly quite happily retreated into the shade of Oleanna, after a mouth or two of food she became our temperature gauge. It was long cat hot!

A barbeque this evening of marinaded turkey steaks with veg and haloumi kebabs. I’d requested fewer coals today as we’d had enough to cook three times as much food at Long Buckby. But today with lack of window kindling the coals weren’t quite enough. The great kebab rest had to be abandoned and the kebabs laid on the grill, the old fashioned way to get nearer to the heat. At one point I even lifted the grill and all the food off for the coals to be given a tousle to increase the heat. This worked but sadly the turkey steaks being quite thin had dried out with the slow cooking. They were tasty but a touch dry.

The only downside of this mooring is the chap on his electric bike. Yesterday he passed us several times in turbo mode, sorry did I say passed, rocketed would have been a better description! Dressed in black with a scarf over his face, was this to stop him swallowing flies or more likely worn as a disguise. This evening he went past at a considerate speed, with people on the towpath I think he had little choice. I’m relieved Tilly wasn’t out when he’s passed in rocket mode! At the other end of the cycling spectrum there is one cyclist who has been past twice now, who stops and gets off his bike to walk it past us. Very considerate.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 Carefree Cruising boat, 0.75 of a sock, 3 paws, 1 slow day, 6 inches to the mile, 1 history lesson, 1 Frank shaft, 1 long cat, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval, can somewhere get three? 0 flying ants, 2.5 turkey steaks, 4 veg kebabs, 2 slices blackberry and lemon drizzle cake.

No We’re Not Affected. 14th August

This morning we’ve had several friends and readers contact us checking to see if we are alright and if we are anywhere near to the major chemical leak on the Walsall Canal near Pleck. Thankfully we are miles away. Thank you all for your concern.

I hope no boaters find themselves stuck in the area. The amount of dead fish and wild life is just awful.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/major-incident-declared-after-walsall-29734130?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawEpiARleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVTBxfUTJtzXsoVAnIRvX_oZqk-XuwybTmG7nJMjvornkb4XEuNzSyaDyw_aem_fhqUBGgD2Np8CZmSUrKgig

A few days ago we’d considered going this way, but train links were not so good on the Curley Wurley so we decided against it.

C&RT have closed off the following lock flights and are urging the public to avoid all the towpaths around the canal as contact with the spill poses a serious risk to public health.

Walsall Lock Flight
Ryders Green Lock flight
Rushall Lock Flight
Perry Barr Lock Flight

How do you get rid of sodium cyanide?

Oooooooo! 11th August

Cat Junkie Mooring

Last night we were treated to a wonderful sunset. Over the last few weeks sight of the evening sky hasn’t been too good, so I’m glad we carried on moving to this mooring as there’s a bit more to see outside.

**Breakie wasn’t going to be a cooked one, but ended up being so**

The Geraghty zoom with breakfast. Subjects covered included spring chickens, under pinning, hang glider commuting and pollarding.

Boats came past for much of the day. Hire boats and plenty of Historic boats heading to Alvecote Historic Boat Gathering. It’s hard to find any information out about it on the internet, well we’ve not had much luck. We believe it will be on the Bank holiday weekend. We should be through there by then.

**Great view, sadly I didn’t fancy the walk back down the hill so missed out.**

Low on milk Mick walked over to the marina to see if they had any basic supplies. Only being asked for milk every six months or so, they don’t bother. So it was up the steep hill to find Budgens at the Texaco garage. Great views across to Bosworth Battle Centre and Stoke Golding on the Ashby Canal.

***A brief moment of bathroom floorness***

I pottered about whilst Tilly enjoyed a sausage day, a Chorizo kind of day. 9 hours had been allotted and so long as she didn’t find the ants nest and get off her t**s she was guaranteed to have a good day, just hope she doesn’t use it all up today!

I needed to get on with knitting, so other things were left until later in the day when it might get too hot for wooly things. This pair are a little behind where I hoped they’d be, but I’ll get there.

Across the way cows came for shade under the trees. A nosy at us sitting inside seemed to be on their to-do list. One cow wanted a drink, instead of moving to where the bank is lower it tried to drink from on top of the roots. A lean a touch too far whilst still being nosy meant a stumble and a quick recovery stopped it from falling in.

NB Olive, Taylors Aboard have recently posted three vlogs about the Basingstoke Canal. We don’t tend to watch vlogs but when you’ve met someone who makes them and travelled with them then it’s an interesting watch. When Josh first mentions us, he is a little bit worried that we might be ‘know it alls’, thankfully that changes. In a later episode he remembers a tale I told him wrongly, but if you were that boat you and I know the true details. There must be at least one more episode to come. If you are interested here’s a link to the first one that we are in, just wizz through the bits about vans and belts etc and get to look at the lovely canal in the sunshine.

Late afternoon we got the chairs out on the towpath. Tilly stayed close in case it was food time. When a new neighbour came past with their Dachshund we took Tilly inside. After all she’d made use of all but half an hour of her 9 hours shore leave today and she was exhausted! Good job really as the occupants of the ants nest we’d moved to avoid, they all decided to set off for a flight. It was like a plume of smoke coming up from the nest and plenty more to follow.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 weather station not working, 1 weather station to be added to the Christmas present list, 1 confirmation, 9 hours, 1 exhausted cat, 46783653268 ants, 1 sock completed, 1 quiche, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval, 1 closing ceremony.

‘A’ Team Refresher. 10th August

Ansty Visitor Moorings to Cat Junkie Mooring, Coventry Canal

No shore leave before breakfast, just exercises. No matter how much she practices she still can’t get her leg behind her head! Rubbish!! We were soon setting off a bit of dampness in the air.

I had a look for information on Ansty yesterday, Wikipedia. ‘Ansty has been cited as “the most boater-hostile village on the canals” because of the huge number of “no mooring” signs.’ Very true. Other information found was that before 1066 the main landowner was Lady Godiva and St James Church dates back to the 13th Century but in 1856 Sir George Gilbert Scott rebuilt quite a lot of the building. It’s a shame I wasn’t in the mood for walking the 1.3 miles there.

**These are around every fifteen feet along the embankment**

We tried to pull in at the water point just through the bridge. Quite a strong wind pushed the bow right over the canal and Mick found it hard to get the stern in. Oleanna was doing a Suez! I had a rope coiled all ready to throw round a bollard at the bow, but I was too far away to guarantee hitting the bollard and my rope wouldn’t have been long enough to get back to me. A boat approached, they slowed right down, no option with the canal blocked. A chap walked past from the moorings, he told us the canal was filled with rocks where we were trying to get in. We gave up as a bad job and quite quickly got ourselves facing the right way again, reopening the navigation.

Didn’t there used to be a field with Showmans caravans in it, or interesting trucks? I only caught the glimpse of one truck behind the trees. Then a decorated archway, a marquee giving shelter to tables laid out most probably for a wedding. Just round the bend the car and VW camper van graveyard is extreamly overgrown, just rusting roofs visible amongst the tall grasses.

Pylons fill the sky all buzzingly heading for the big electrical substation (for want of a better name for it). Then round the last bend to Hawksbury Junction. Here we pulled in for water and remembered that we should have pumped out the yellow water when the towpath was on the port side! A volunteer helped boats through the lock, more heading onto the North Oxford than the Coventry Canal.

The A team were going to get a touch of a refresher at the lock, so I was glad that the volunteer seemed to be on their lunch break. A paddle needed lifting before the gate would open. Pain killer aided pushing of beams, hands loosing their windlass callouses and Mick at the helm for his first narrow lock since Isis Lock in Oxford. We made it through without difficulty, well the lock is only 10 inches deep!

Lots of room to moor once we’d turned right, we had a pause for lunch. A lady pulled in as we were pushing off again, she’d been on the Ashby ‘it’s low up there!’ The Ashby is at the same height as this stretch of the Coventry, but it is quite a shallow canal.

We pootled along. Spot the difference since last time at Charity Dock. Don’t remember Richard Carpenter and his partner or the pink rodeo pair with the merry-go-round horse. Was the queen there last time? At the end of the run the cruisers seemed a little bit more organised, maybe the dry dock was in use and they’d been shuffled round to gain access.

Across Marston Junction, the Ashby not in our cruising plans this year. A glance at our Waterway Routes map showed us just how much canal used to stretch off to the west. The Coventry Communication Canal, Arbury Canals, Seeswood Canal amongst others. Frank do you remember these as well as the arm south of Bedworth?

Should we stop sooner than planned, good tree cover for a stretch, we carried on, there was somewhere better for Tilly further ahead. The new building we saw going up a couple of years ago has huge windows and a roof garden and it looks like they’ve added access to the next bridge across the canal, looking after their workforces well being.

Through Nuneaton, busy with moving boats. Someone had hired a day boat for their 60th, much raucous laughter and singing from it as it returned to base, a balloon trail left behind it. Sweetcorn was growing in the allotments alongside the canal. We don’t remember seeing signs for the local green spaces before. We also don’t remember scraping the bottom so much!

Nearly every bridge hole needed gliding through. We caught the bottom whilst being a few feet out from the towpath, I could hear drawers inside Oleanna opening. Two boats came past, both with high revs giving them only slow propulsion forwards, turning the canal a very dark brown. The level was low.

Soon new hirers came towards us, Springwood Haven is now an ABC hire base. We pushed on just past the marina, some moorings we have stopped at before already occupied, but up ahead with trees on both sides was the Cat Junkie Mooring. We pulled in, adjusted our position for the optimum amount of shade, thankfully avoiding a big ants nest. This will do us whilst the temperature rises.

Tilly was quickly out exploring. Trees, friendly cover, a good dusty path to roll on, perfect. So perfect she stayed out half an hour after cat curfew! It didn’t matter too much as having the doors open was handy whilst I did some cooking.

A quinoa quiche base was baked ready for use tomorrow, new style chicken curry sat on the stove top bubbling away and to make use of the mass of blackberries Mick keeps picking I baked a Blackberry and Lemon Drizzle Cake. The recipe suggested icing it, but I refrained as there was way enough sugar in it already. We had a try of it for pudding this evening, very tasty it was. Click on the photo for the recipe.

1 lock, 10.9 miles, 1 right, 1 straight on, 1 full water tank, 1 low canal, 1 cake, 1 curry, 1 quiche in the making, 1.5 hours shore leave, 2 taken! 1 Mrs Tilly’s stamp of approval.

Visible Scars. 9th August

Barley Mow Moorings to Ansty Moorings

No need for an alarm this morning, but we were still awake early. Time to enjoy a cuppa in bed before getting up, exercising and having breakfast, Tilly was allowed an hour of shore leave then the doors were firmly shut, time to move onwards.

Through Newbold Tunnel, hardly worth turning the tunnel light on for, but we did. Then we managed to pull up outside Armada Boats, in between boats passing by. The last time Mick had stopped here it was snowing! A few days ago one of our gas bottles ran out so it’s always best to replace as soon as you can so that you don’t get caught out! It would be hard for us to get caught out as we carry three bottles, but best to replace that empty bottle.

£42 for 13kg of gas, a top up of diesel at £1.08 and two filters for the next service at £9 each. Thank you Dave Scouts for reminding us to stop here.

Three miles or so. Normally I’d have got my knitting out the back, but the current pair of socks are a touch too complicated right now, so need to be concentrated on so that I don’t get lost!

There were spaces where we’ve stopped before, but not far enough for todays cruising schedule. A hire boat had managed to get into the side under some very good shade, we’re hoping for a mooring like that in the next couple of days.

At Easenhall Lane Bridge 34 a yellow sign can just be seen instructing you to slow down, evidence of a small landslip right by the brick work. A fence with a gate in it means business, cutting off the towpath. The extra piece of fence that’s meant to stop people from getting round the edge has been pushed out of the way as they always are, the undergrowth worn away through use. The towpath is officially closed, but other people know better!

Back in early February there was a major landslip in the cutting. Tons and tons of earth (estimated at 40,000 tonnes) slid down and into the cut fully blocking the navigation until May when it was opened at certain times so that C&RT could continue working at the site. Today the canal is open, there had been two landslips, large areas of raw earth are very visible scars at the moment. I wonder how long before nature reclaims the cuttings and what else C&RT intend to do here. Some gabions line the edge of the bank, but the towpath is very muddy. We kept our speed to the minimum, the bottom of the canal hitting the base plate at one point, respect for this cutting has always been needed, but now more so. Maybe I’d not been looking for the slow down signs, or been busy doing something else, but I hadn’t noticed them.

Boats moored just before a bridge opposite a skip boat caused a bit of a log jam as a boat came the other way. Then it was our turn through the narrows, nowhere to step off the stern of Oleanna to work the bridge due to all the hire boats being at base. A chap gave the bridge a big push, it swung perfectly out of the way for us. I hopped off the bow so as to close it behind us. Beeping of a truck reversing could be heard and a crowd had gathered. On the back a short skip boat complete with greenery was being backed down to the narrows, it must have been going in here.

We’d done our cruising for the day, so looked for a mooring away from the railway. Through Grimes Bridge 26 is a length of armco, which was full, including a C&RT work boat. Volunteers packing up for the day removing equipment and going home for the weekend. There wasn’t enough armco for us, the boat in front was doing it’s best to moor up, but the sloping stone bank of the North Oxford canal means you’d be a long way out. We carried onwards, tried a bit further on, but soon gave up hoping the next moorings would have space for us.

Under the M6 the railway running right alongside. Eventually we reached Ansty, the straightened route of the canal a good few miles shorter than the original. Here there was space for us. We pulled in as far away from the road bridge as possible. A deja vu moment. A footpath goes through the hedge and two large water containers sit with the tops removed waiting to swallow up a curious cat. Oleanna was moved onwards to rings further along midway between road and water butts.

Tilly came and went and was ecstatic when the lid of the Dreamies pot came off showering the table and floor with it’s contents. We were too busy picking up from the floor to notice her sterling work on the table!

A sketch book came out. Reference collected yesterday was used for some basic ideas , photos taken and emailed off. A little project for a friend, I’ll be able to share the result with you later in the year. I got approval, so onto the next stage in the coming days.

Quesadillas this evening. I tried using a tin of beans in a spicy tomato sauce, it was a touch too runny so I added some cooked rice which helped. Just a shame the spicy tomato sauce wasn’t as spicy as I’d imagined, they lacked a bit of a kick.

0 locks, 7.9 miles, 1 gas bottle, 21.3 litres, 2 filters, quite a few straight ons, 3.5 hours shore leave, 2 big brown ski slopes, 1 slow poot, 1 swing bridge, 3rd mooring, 2 sketches, 1 thumbs up.