Locks, Tunnels and Fate

This is Braunston Tunnel and i was pleased to see some work being done on the landslip that has
been causing problems for boats entering/exiting the tunnel for some considerable time.

Fate is a funny old thing eh!, there i am waiting to start the Braunston flight of double locks hoping for someone to follow along and make the journey easier when just as i had entered the first lock along comes a boat. And here started the most enjoyable 2 days for a while because the boat that will remain nameless was crewed by a solo lady who will remain nameless for reasons of her privacy, well you know what the towpath telegraph is like and as she was so nice i wouldn`t want to cause any embarrassment.

After the Braunston flight we stopped for a cuppa and after doing just the top lock at Buckby we retired to the New Inn for a drink and so comfortable was i in her company offered to cook dinner and to my delight she accepted. Sadly we parted company at Weedon so if you read this my new found friend please e mail from the "my profile" bit over on the right.



Now another tunnel this time Blisworth and as i had a friend on board for the trip through i can
show the following pics taken from up front where the tunnel light lit up the tunnel.
above the picture clearly shows the concrete segments used back in the 1980s to reline the near collapsed middle section. It is in fact today the 25th anniversary of the tunnel re-opening and i am at Stoke Bruerne for the celebrations but more on that next time.

DRIFTING ALONG

So onward through Hawkesbury Jct. stop lock and the Coventry canal leads onto the Oxford canal and takes me evermore towards London. Rounding a bend the Elephant & Castle pub, ok
so i know i`m pretty laid back and lose all track of time but surely i can`t be in London already.
No all is ok through the bridge and open fields so it must be another Elephant & Castle.

Just a bit further on what looks like a gallows and i`m wondering if BW intend to hang boaters who have no licence or could it just be the pubs sign that usually hangs here. Maybe i might
e mail the picture and my hanging suggestion and see if they have a sense of humour.
A nice growth of Fungi on what would have been a boring dead tree halfway through the Hillmorton locks. Maybe the boat that usually moors here is called Fungi and this is a living sign.
Moored at Braunston and along comes amongst the all day procession of boats one i recognise
it`s Pip & Roger on Windsong. Nowhere to moor as usual so just a quick hello and until we meet again enjoy.


Mike Perham is on his way home from his solo round the world trip. The 16yr old is crossing the Atlantic homeward bound and i for one hope he gets a big reception for what he has achieved

ARBURY CANAL? COLLYCROFT LOCKS?

Looking through the bridge at Hartshill towards Nuneaton the hill in distance is man made of rock and spoil from the stone quarries. Granite was a common product in this area and the spoil was piled high to limit the amount of land taken up. From Hartshill Quarrymans walk is a series of signposted walks that take you past the now mostly un-worked quarry`s although as you get nearer Nuneaton some are still working.

Another attraction in Hartshill is the 13c Castle or what remains of it.
and not so old or big are these miniature horses that passed Nb Valerie on their daily walk.
Below is the old entrance to the Griff Arm and as is usual with me i had a `Google` and was amazed to learn that this didn`t just go off to service Griff colliery but in fact joined a network of canals built by Sir Roger Newdigate between 1769 & 1796 to transport coal and produce around the Arbury Hall estate. The canals were fed by streams and pools in the grounds and stretched for 6 miles with 13 locks of 40`x6`.

These canals and tramways and in later years an amazing complex of railways served collieries, brickyards and quarries.
There were 2 connections to the Coventry canal, the Griff Hollows canal (Griff Arm) in use until 1961 when the pit closed and the Coventry communications canal near Bedworth Mill more towards Bedworth. Must try in the future to locate this as the only other arm i have found is the Newdigate arm by brdg 13 but i`m thinking this might be to far down.

Click the images below to see the map enlarged and the text bottom of map.




Amazing what you pass by as you cruise who would have thought behind this overgrown corner existed such a complex system and i have made a mental note to get the walking boots out next time i pass and see what remains of it all.

Below is the Turnover bridge that enabled horse drawn boats to enter the arm. The existing towpath is on the left and the horse could walk over the bridge without un-hitching the towline to the towpath that can still be seen leading into the arm behind my position taking the pic.

POLESWORTH TO ATHERSTONE

Must say hello to Gilbert & Jude from New Zealand who aboard NB Mair spend each summer cruising the canals. it must be 2 yrs since we last met so it was good to catch up over a coffee on board NB Valerie. Gilbert you have left your hat on board so when we meet possibly on the Gd. Union i will trade it for a coffee.
Below the River Anker flowing through Polesworth has breached the bank at the bottom of a garden. In the past i have seen the water halfway up the garden towards the house. I spent a few days at Polesworth as the rain decided to keep falling and i see no pleasure getting wet when i have the rest of my life so "there`s always tomorrow" is my view on rain. With time on my hands i decided the galley worktops after nearly 4 yrs could do with some TLC and set about stripping the old varnish and below with just a bit more sanding the worktop by
the cooker will be ready for a coat of wood stain and 2 coats of lacquer giving the finish below. The problem i had was the 16/24hrs drying time between coats and so the dinette became a temporary work surface and the plates etc piled up while the sink area opposite was given the same treatment.
Atherstone Station built Jacobean style in 1847 still stands following local campaigners saving it from demolition in 1980. It is now used as a veterinary practice who will sell you a flea treatment but not a train ticket.
The top lock of a flight of 11 at Atherstone is always a relief for those coming up with the thought of a long length before any locks need negotiating. I left Polesworth at 7.30 as the weather turned sunny and i wanted to do the 11 before the sun got to hot and as i started at the bottom 3 other boats followed me up possibly with the same idea.

CHILLING OUT

After being away at the wedding it was time to move out of the Marina and get used to living without an electric hook-up and also it was nice not to have a boat moored just a few feet on each side. Can`t imagine how people living in marinas put up with being hemmed in like that but i suppose they are working and living on a boat for reasons that suit them so each to there own, live and let live is my thought on the subject.

I chose to leave the boat in Gt. Haywood Marina following recomendations from other boaters and i would encourage others to moor here as the staff were both helpful and friendly. The only niggle i had was i had to remove my winter stockpile of logs from the roof to the cratch as the rules say no untidy roofspace. The chap in the office was very nice explaining that if he let me in with the roof wooded then the residents would kick up even though i was just a temporary moorer. Still rules are rules and it took just 25mins to put the logs into the cratch area.

So exiting the Marina and the plan was to head for Rugely and re-stock the galley but the weather had other ideas and as i entered the first lock at Gt. haywood the heavens opened and before i could reach inside for a coat i was soaked and i mean as if i had fallen overboard so sudden and heavy was the rain. So the plan that was now wasn`t anymore and after leaving the lock i squelched up i mean moored up and a change of clothes and a cuppa led to a night stop.

The next day i set off for Rugely and got to Colwich lock all of a mile into my journey and as i approached the sight of 3 boats queuing at the lock sounded alarm bells as before i set off i had a cuppa on the front deck and not one boat passed so i knew there was a problem with the lock. Walking down i discovered one boat stuck in the lock 4 of us behind him and 2 more waiting to come up and BW`s arrival imminent. An hour later the queue of boats had grown in number to
13 with a grp cruiser and a day boat turning back the delay was almost 2 hrs and all for a bit of wood stuck under the gate, oh well that`s boating.

Seems to be a lot of police biking the towpaths nowadays and if they all smile like this one i`m all for it. Back at Stone a couple stopped and i refreshed them with a cold drink, yes it was hot and sunny then and the way the weather is of late i`m thinking that was summer.

Passing Alvecote Marina a few working boats were moored outside the Samuel Barlow pub and not having seen them before i can only imagine they are returning from a show or going to one .

This made me smile....

and this made me angry.

So my plans are now to head south and go through London and onto the Rivers Lee & Stort but that might change have to see how it goes.

I nearly decided to stop blogging as i wasn`t seeing much just the open fields and not much in the way of, history i`m told by other boaters is my blog style, things to delve into that others might find of interest. But for now i`ll just see how it goes and maybe add in some other bits and pieces.

Must say hello to the crew on 4Evermore and Shipperke who called out they read the blog as they cruised by.

Mr and Mrs

Well here i am back on board after the wedding and a very nice time spent with all the grandchildren. I stayed longer than intended as one of the downsides of a life afloat is not being able to see the changes in the little ones as they grow up so perhaps a few more visits might be on the cards in future and with this in mind i will be changing my intended cruising plans.

The happy couple Kev & Joanne

Me and Jo, maybe i`ll wear the waistcoat while cruising.

Daughters- in -law Bev, Jo and Ozlem, i couldn`t wish for a nicer trio.

GONE AWAY

Just to let you all know NB Valerie is having a holiday in a Marina while i travel back down south on the train to attend the wedding of my son Kev.
Might blog something while i`m away if not see you on my return.

STONE

Just been lazing about the last week or so as i will be leaving the boat soon to go down south on the train as one of my boys is getting married. So it`s been a very slow journey spending a few days here and there moored up.
Well there comes a time now and again when the galley needs re-stocking so a move into Stone
gives access to plenty of shops and walking around town i noticed the Somerfield s/mkt is now a Co-Op, the one at Middlewich has been taken over by Tesco and as i`m sure they still advertise on TV they haven`t ceased trading. Anyone know the reason?
Nb valerie dropping down through the bottom lock outside the Star Inn. The restaurant one side and the pub the other attracted big crowds over the w`end i was moored just below the lock so boaters had to very professional in front of a large audience. I came down the flight early to avoid the heat so my skills were not on show.

Don`t remember this seat here on previous visits and as there is nothing to explain what it`s all about i can only guess the ceramic tiles were down by local schools.

The pedestrianised high street had not only the general market but also a farmers mkt and the following day an Italian theme made for a busy w`end.

Just along from my mooring these over 55s flats caught my eye as the block on the left and those out of sight to the right were modern looking compared to the two in the middle and me being me had to find the answer. Good old Google came up trumps and eventually i found links to the picture below. The pic was taken in 1989 and shows the buildings of Stubbs & Co. corn merchants & millers with the arched entrance for loading boats still in the pic above. The timber extension was demolished when the site was developed.

Talking of Google, on the Stoke on Trent blog the second to last picture i discovered used to look like the pic below. The bricked up openings just above the canal were used to load pottery products directly onto boats for shipping to London or Manchester and onwards across the globe.
I just love the Internet one big electronic history book, imagine in the past looking at book after book in a library to find the answers to what is now just a few key presses on a pc with the ability to share the books pictures and info to the world instantly.

Now the history behind the picture below is that Eric and Patsy e mailed me many moons ago after reading the blog as they had the intention of a life afloat following a long period touring the USA in an RV. After about 200 e mails, well ok a lot of e mails over a long time, they finally set off on the maiden voyage and we met at Barlaston.

A smashing couple of people and i look forward to us all meeting again sometime along the cut but until then happy cruising on NB Ezzyduzzit. Think that's the spelling.

STOKE on TRENT

The only thing about coming off the Maccie canal is that after passing through Harecastle Tunnel and spending a very pleasant night moored alongside Westport Lake the depressing journey through Stoke on Trent is ahead.
All the way through old factory's and Kilns that once made Stoke the china capital of England but now they stand dirty and empty providing homes for the local pigeons and in one case a group of travellers and their caravans. Just a few of the hundreds of chimneys still stand to attention the remains of a defeated army.




Small canal arms that once were busy with working boats fetching coal to feed the furnaces and taking away china products that would end up all over the world.
Above all that`s left of the Etruria factory built by Josiah Wedgwood in 1769 now home to a local newspaper and below what it looked like in 1936. In 1940 the factory moved to Barlaston and a station was built and named Wedgwood to serve the factory. Now even the trains just rush through having been replaced by a bus service.

In 1986 Waterford Glass bought out Wedgwood and early this year Wedgwood went into administration and some fancy investment company is to pump in 100 million euros and move production to Asia. A Wedgwood factory in Indonesia already employs 1,500 so another nail in the coffin of British manufacturing.

Wedgwood founded in 1759 was 250 yrs old this year and i bet poor old Josiah Wedgwood is shuddering in his grave as these events take place.

At least below the Bone & Flint mill built in 1857 still stands and is part of an industrial museum.
It used to grind Bone, Flint & Stone for the pottery industry and the steam powered machinery can be seen on specific days working.

The Mill cheered me a bit but not for long as below more signs of the past
and further on signs of the present in the form of graffiti. I came across an interesting article in one of the online national newspapers "Why i weep for Wedgwood" by a Mr A N Wilson who`s father was Managing Director of Wedgwood in the 1950`s. It`s a bit long but is very interesting, " Stoke on Trent had never been a pretty place but it was thriving and it had a purpose" is one quote from the article another is "it is now a wasteland and a dump"
Give it a read HERE it is very interesting.