A Lazy May

By Heather Bell, Posted on May 22, 2024

Our hero, Hollie the motorhome on the Isle of Harris

It was time to get back to the boat, but our planned lazy May began with a rather expensive hiccup. After the trip to the Hebrides, Hollie the van/motorhome was due some serious TLC. Time for a full service and MOT plus new tyres and a look at the injectors that had caused some of the problems during our trip. We had intended being back on the boat the following day, but Hollie was proper poorly and was being kept at the garage. The poor mechanic couldn’t believe her engine even started, let alone had driven us the 1500 miles around Scotland. As Hollie is also our accommodation when we’re visiting our hometown, we ended up sleeping on a fold out bed for three nights in Grandma’s study while Hollie got fixed!

A corona of the Northern Lights over Cheshire

Eventually they let Hollie out with a caveat (come back if she’s struggling again) and we are hoping it was all a ruse to keep us in Congleton for a few extra days. The highlight of that extra time was spending an evening watching the Aurora Borealis in the back garden with our family. Sadly, the colours weren’t strong enough for everyone to see but we could all spot the moving shapes and we agreed that I’m a bit bonkers. I get really excited when I see the lights dancing!

Now we can finally make it back to the boat and it’s Heron’s turn for some TLC. During June she’s going to be lifted out of the water, have her bottom washed (hull gritblasted) and a new black coating applied (2-pack epoxy – the boat version of an expensive waterproof!). The water tank is also going to get cleaned and painted with the same stuff, it’s only 17 years overdue! So, we are on a mission to get Heron to the boatyard by June 3^rd. We could probably do the whole distance in four days as it’s only 44 miles and 26 locks but we have three weeks. So we’re taking our time and enjoying the scenery! We’re on stretches of canal that we’ve cruised many times before with very familiar locks, tunnels, bridges and pubs to mark our way. In fact, it was in this area, some 35 years ago, that we hired our first boat from Jannel Cruisers in Burton upon Trent and fell in love with narrow-boating and canals.

We’ve had a few days on Tixall Wide then headed south along the Trent & Mersey Canal (T&M) to Fradley junction. The only disaster so far has been to run out of coffee beans. This was quickly remedied by Ian and the dog doing a 2 mile round trip to the nearest convenience store. In all the time we’ve been boating, this is the first time that we’ve actually stopped and had a meal at The Swan at Fradley Junction. And despite how strange it sounds, Ian definitely recommends the chicken burger with curry sauce!

The infamous Swan pub at Fradley Junction

It’s been lovely to experience some dry weather. The hot sunny days have brought out the flowers; the May blossom is dusting the hedgerows with white snow and the yellow irises are reflecting sunlight onto the water. The whole place is bursting with new life, there are mallard ducklings, moorhen chicks and cygnets everywhere. Sammy and the Barefoot Boater have been for some longer walks, and in the evenings we’ve relaxed outside to the sounds of Song Thrushes having a sing off with the Blackbirds and watching the moths being chased by bats. Whilst in the cabin, the spiders (big scuttling things that watch you and drop down onto your legs) are planning a takeover of the boat. The wide grassy towpath has given us space to set up deck chairs and burn a few logs in the fire pit; me happily burning marshmallows and Ian sipping his favourite malt. I should admit it – I had some of his whisky too!. It is nice to be home, to be lazy and to stay “still” for a while before our next adventure begins!

Long days

By iangbell, Posted on August 6, 2017

No blog posts for the last two nights. We have been doing some long days to make up some time, so evenings have been more about snoozing in the armchair than blogging.

Friday was mainly the Atherstone Flight on the Coventry Canal. Yesterday, was Fradley Junction, Great Hayward and the return to the Trent and Mersey, not as many locks but quite a few miles. Today was fairly frequent locks, and getting through a very busy Stone. We are now moored up just past Barlaston. We originally thought we might sample Neil Morrisey’s Plume of Feathers at Barlsaton. But we’ve decided to go with home-made lasagne instead, a far superior choice according to Chef Heather.

There have been a lot more boats about in the last few days. That has made the locks a bit easier, as there are usually more people around to help. Which is good, because Heather has been banned from getting off the boat since she completely messed her knee up at the top of the Atherstone flight.

Here is our pictorial record of the last 3 days.

Interesting Boats

Pedal Power – effectively a pedalo with sleeping accommodation

Don’t think this one has moved in a while

Interesting architecture

Salt Bridge – not the usual brick bridge on T&M

Sunsets – At Last

The Ring begins

By iangbell, Posted on July 23, 2017

For us, the Leicester Ring begins at Fradley Junction. It has taken until late today for us to get to it.

Yesterday I wrote that we were aiming for a favourite spot at Tixall Wide. We had already heard that there were no mooring spots at Great Hayward. That didn’t bode well. Tixall Wide is a favourite spot for many narrowboaters, and it was a summer Saturday evening. Tixall Wide is just a short jaunt up to Staffs and Worcester from Great Hayward Junction. We turned under the attractive junction bridge and took our chances. Well let’s say we moored on the narrow part of Tixall Wide. Not what we wanted but a decent spot. It didn’t really matter in the end. The heavens opened almost as soon as we stopped.

This morning, it was the reverse of the short jaunt back to the junction to turn south on the Trent and Mersey again. The Staffs and Worcester passes over the River Trent just before the junction, yet another reminder that this end of the T&M shares it’s route with the river. Hayward Lock was followed by Colwich Lock and then almost 10 miles of lock free canal through Rugeley and Armitage. You can really tell the holiday season has started in earnest. Lots of boats about. That can be good and bad. Good, because it makes locks faster when there’s lots of help about. Bad, because the rude and inconsiderate boaters are out as well. But more of that later. (Warning: rant coming)

When entering Rugeley, the canal goes over the Trent again before passing the site of the Bloody Steps. The body of murdered Christina Collins was found in the canal at this point and was carried up these steps. She was travelling from Liverpool to London by canal boat and two boatmen were convicted of her murder and executed. This true story became the basis of the plot of and Inspector Morse story.

This part of the canal network is one which we have experienced often, but not so much in the last few years. My sense of familiarity keeps being jarred. I passed this way last year and commented about the number of new housing developments next to the canal. Between Rugeley and Armitage was further

evidence that these changes continue. I suspect further changes are to come. The route of HS2 will also share this part of the Trent Valley.

The Armitage “Tunnel”, used to be a tunnel, but the roof was removed. Now it is just a very narrow section of canal passing under a main road. It is only wide enough for a single boat to pass through, and it has a kink in it, so you cannot see all the way through. Considerate boaters check to see if anyone is waiting their turn to go through and considerate boaters respect convention that the boat waiting the longest goes through first. They don’t just sound their horn and power on through just as the boat in front is leaving the narrow section. And to the two successive boats that did this to me today, with no apology or shame, that’s why you didn’t deserve the cheery greeting I reserve for considerate boaters. Rant over.

After Armitage, we are back in glorious English countryside on the way to Fradley Junction. The straight section at Ravenshaw Wood on the run into Wood End Lock is another favourite mooring spot. We remember mooring there on our first canal holiday, one October half-term in the late 1980’s on a hired boat from Burton on Trent. Perhaps we’ll stop here on the way back.

Fradley Junction is always busy, and today was no exception. Lots of boats passing through the locks watched by gongoozlers. The junction to turn onto the Coventry Canal is right before one of the locks and right in front of a famous canalside pub, The Swan. They have cunningly-placed tables outside, so beer-drinking gongoozlers can watch the entertainment. Today it was provided by Pippa, the little black dog who decided to bark at everyone and everything, and sometimes nothing!

Since leaving the locks at Fradley we are now on the Ring proper. We have only been round the Leicester Ring twice, the last time was 10 years ago. This means we are suddenly on much less familiar waters. We’re having to resort to looking at the map to know what’s coming next. I do enjoy cruising familiar canals, but there is something special about not knowing exactly whats around the corner.