ALREWAS or OLREWUS

Alrewas village was a nice o`night stop on the way back from Burton upon Trent. It was mentioned in the Domesday book and the village has many 17th century timber framed buildings.

The butchers shop has been in the same family since 1867 and is now since 1962 owned by Peter & Anthony, father /son. Anthonys son is 8 yrs old and told me he wants to be a butcher so the name will live on another generation.

This building at the rear of the shop was once the slaughter house. Can you see the rail above the window, this was for hanging slaughtered animals. To the rear of this building is a very modern slaughter house where the family run a very busy slaughter service for local farms.
Anthony was saying that when he visits cattle markets he bids against buyers from Morrisons Supermarkets.
A very pleasent half- hour chat and he would show us around if we came back a less busy day when they were not slaughtering.
Moving around the country i have noticed people are much more friendly and relaxed, i suppose they don`t have the pressures of big city life.


Coming soon on this blog: Sailing on the canal? & Hot air?

BURTON ON TRENT

At Fradley Jct. coming off the coventry a left onto the Trent & Mersey was intended to meet up with family for a w`end in mid August, but as there was plenty of time in hand a right turn towards Burton on Trent and a visit to the Coors visitor centre. This used to be the BASS museum of brewing but re-named to align with U.S. parent company Coors.

Admission includes a half pint in the bar and on entering the museum was asked "are you retired" answer yes (truth) so was given senior citizen rate. Now i am not one to argue with a attractive lady so took the £2 discount, after all it ended up in the bar till.

It was a very interesting visit and if you are up Burton way bridge 32 is the place to moor it`s also shown on Nicholsons guide as a winding hole with facilities. Horninglow Basin is full of permanent, stern moored boats and as the bows of some almost stretch into the main line winding is not easy with 58`.

Several forms of transport are on display horse drawn as above also lorries and vans including a flat bed small truck in the CORONA livery. Hands up who remembers Corona delivered to your door and getting money back on empties.

Three shire horses are on site and are used for displays at the museum and at shows.

FRADLEY Jct.

This is the Brit. Waterways office at Fradley Jct. In days gone by it was a toll hse, carpenters workshop, a forge and stables. Now it serves as a B.W. office with water point plus rubbish& elsan and part of the site is used as accomadation.
Opposite the office is the entrance to a reservoir built by the Trent & Mersey Canal Co.to save their water being lost to the rival Coventry Canal co. It served as an overflow storage and could be fed back as and when they needed it.
The reservoir is completely wheelchair friendly all round and has many small jettys so all can get close to the waterside.

The hide is very well constructed and inside can be found pictures in full colour of all the different species to be seen. Some like the Kingfisher might mean a long patient wait.

All in all not a place to miss if you pass by and not a single sign of vandalism to be seen.

After publishing this blog i realise that the pictures are appearing out of sequence. Sorry will try to sort it for future blogs.

TO BLOG OR TO HOT TO BLOG

Phew! it sure has been hot lately. In fact to be honest i have been so hot i just could not find the energy to blog. I do like the beautiful weather of the past week or so but cruising with the sun beating down does tend to get me very over-heated and in the last 9 days i have covered 30 miles and 13 locks in very short stages spending long periods seeking the countryside and shade.


At Hartshill i passed the Brit. Waterways yard comprising some very old buildings topped by a wonderful clock tower.

This is Fradley Jct. coming off the Coventry canal through a swingbridge (i am standing on) and onto the Trent & Mersey Canal. Pictures not quite in order if any one thinks i am travelling back and forth.

This is Fazeley Jct. where the Coventry Canal meets the Birmingham and Fazeley canal.The picture shows the Brit. Waterways office on the site of Peel`s Wharf. The office is on left of picture and flats are to the centre and right. Must have been a nice little earner when B.W. developed this site.

Leaving here i am heading up the Birm. & Fazeley past the firing range at Hopwas on through Whittington where the canal suddenly once again becomes the Coventry Canal. All down to running out of money and the canal being built by a rival company, the Birm. & Fazeley, only to be puchased later by the Coventry. They had originaly planned to reach Fradley till the cash ran out.Anyway this journey takes me to Fradley Jct. Where there is a very nice nature walk but i will blog that next.

STOP ME AND BUY SOME

Sitting under my sunshade after returning from a walk across the fields to the town of Bedworth i looked up and saw one of the many old working boats that now service boaters needs all over the canal system. In just a small stretch he stopped at 4 boats and finaly moored alongside the boat in front of me. As he needed to get near the boats fuel tank he moved forward and moored partly alongside NB VALERIE after asking me if it was ok. This boat is owned and operated by a young couple IAN and ALISON. On board they had coal, firewood, toilet chemicals, b b q coal and plants to name but a few. Also they had that most inportant boaters need DIESEL. Look at the picture you gas guzzling road users and eat your hearts out, 51p a litre. Sadly Ian did not carry bottle gas, mine having just run out after 12 weeks 3 days, but as this is the couples 1st year they might in future add it to the stocks. Still no panic as narrowboats have twin bottles and with 12 weeks use plenty of time to replace the empty.
Ian & Alison service boaters needs on the Oxford from Rugby to Hawkesbury jct and upto Fazely on the Coventry. So boaters their phone number is 07913761871. Sorry road users boats only, strictly illegal in your vehicles.

HAWKESBURY JUNCTION

Standing on a bridge with the Oxford canal coming through the stop lock into the basin. A boat is coming under the bridge from the Coventry canal. The Greyhound pub is out of sight to the left.

Viewed from Coventry canal the basin under bridge. Left onto the Oxford Canal. Where i am standing was once a boat yard but like so many places on the system it has now given way to housing.

Again from the Coventry, Greyhound pub across the basin and toll house between the canals.

The actual jct. of the Coventry & Oxford canals was originally about a mile away at Longford on the way to Coventry and upto this this point the canals ran parallel. It was not untill some 8/9 years later that Hawkesbury jct. as in the pictures came about thus cutting out the extra mileage of the original route. The toll office was for a long time manned by generations of the Sutton family and so the boatmen called the jct. SUTTON STOP. The Greyhound pub at the edge of the basin had a feed store and stable at the rear for the horses that pulled the boats. So mybe they should have a diesel pump to feed my horses! Will check tomorrow.

Amazing the things that have gone on while i have been living my previouse life. This is like going back to school, so much to learn not just from the canal. Coventry City was an eye opener, the amount of industry once there and what they produced also the bombing and how the city became what it is today. The canal routes zig zagging until they were straightened all for speed to compete with other canal companys. Suppose a bit like our road system till they built those straight direct motorways, and two i can think of have toll houses. Like the fashions of the past all going full circle. Hope all this full circle lark don`t mean i end up at work again......no chance to much to see yet and I`ve only just begun-song there somewhere, answers on comments please but no prizes.

Well after coming off the Ashby with my mate John i am having to stay at Hawkesbury Jct. for a while as sadly John has had to go back to London for a funeral so i am looking after his boat as he did mine when i went home, no the boat is home, i visited family. The weather is not to good at the moment had some rain, wind and plain dull day.

INSIDE THE BOAT

Just sitting checking my e-mails and have one saying can i blog a picture of the boat interior. As i had a similar request sometime ago and forgot(sorry ) i thought i woild take a couple of snaps before i forgot again. So the top one is looking forward and i am standing with my back next to the bathroom door. Past the kitchen unit on right it`s 18` to the front doors.
The bottom pic i am standing in front doorway looking towards kitchen and beyond that lies bathroom and bedroom.
Just happened to pick up a copy of Towpath Talk (june 1st issue 5) and an article on blogs. So being a blogger i took time out of my busy schedule....and had a read. At the end of the article was a list of ten boat blogsites and yes there was mine, blimey i felt chuffed.
Anyway at mo am just moored at Hawkesbury Jct. after coming off the Ashby and taking a few days to catch up on bits and bobs i have meant to do e-mails etc , just chilling out and why not it`s the way i live. If i want and when i want.

W`END HOME

Well folks these are the 2 main reasons i popped back south for on the top TEO age 12 days and on the bottom KEIRA 1 month. I did pop back short time ago when keira was born. Of course the other g`children JACKKIERNAN were on my visit list especially Jordan who is an age i can have a nice conversation with although Jack is not far off a good chat as well.

The transport this time was a hire car from Enterprise who collected me and dropped me back at the boat on monday. So a 3 day hire was £60 inc cdw ins. Brand new car 700 miles on clock meant i could visit a lot more friends and family than when i used train last time. No cabs and buses.

Short blog to-night just off the Ashby had a thunder and heavy rain this evening after a very hot day.Still it only lasted half hour and it is still sticky.

ASHBY CANAL

Back in time, the tearoom on the inside

Tea shop Market Bosworth

End of navigation

Shackerstone railway stn.

"VALERIE" moored at Shackerstone

Have now been on the Ashby for 6 days and what a wonderful experience it`s been. The canal is navigable for 22 miles upto snarestone. About 5 miles further on the canal is in water at Donisthorpe for about2 miles and there are plans to join the 2 sections once again.

The canal is mostly small villages and the largest place must be Hinckley so keeping the food cupboard filled is a must as most moorings -the best anyway- are remote. While in Hinckley i noticed on the map a greyhound track, that`s track not stadium just 800yds and it`s yards not meteres as i am old and english, from the canal. Now the one and only time i went to a dog track was 30 yrs ago so as i am retired and doing things i fancy off John and i went on a saturday night. Yes i am still with John, he`s a nice bloke and we get on ok pleasing ourselves if we stay in or go out no hassle. Well this track turns out to be a flapping track, that is it`s un-licenced.All it consisted off was a circular track of grass and sand with floodlights on poles that looked as if a dog collided with them they would crash to the ground. A small box on stilts was the control tower and a small bar area. Three bookmakers were on site standing on a long bench with their large bag and an assistant writing down the bets. I estimate the attendance was approx 150 punters so how they made money is beyond me. The bookies had the tote as competition. On the tote you could only bet 50p upwards on 1st and 2nd dog so you had to pick the two best dogs, but you could do a reverse bet so your 2 dogs could finish 1st or 2nd. Gonna stop on that as i am not other than the lotto now and again a gambler. Was a good night though.

The Battlefield Line is a steam railway of some 9 miles in length between Shenton and Shackerstone. The remainder of the railway ceased in the sixties and all that remains is run and maintained by steam enthusiasts.

Market Bosworth is a typical village along the Ashby and it was here the small tearoom was discovered up a small courtyard between the buildings. Going inside for a cuppa was like going back in time.It was crammed full of victorian bits and bobs and some intersting pictures of the village in the past, also on the walls lots of the old metal advertising signs.

So still on the ashby but i am going back to see family for the w`end as i have in the last week been made a g`dad again so must go and cuddle Teo my 7lb g`son. The name Teo is Turkish as my son steve is married to a lovely young Turkish girl Ozlem. For the trip i have hired a car this time to make sure ican visit a lot more people. The car co. will collect me canal side and drop me back on monday.

COVENTRY

Inside Coventry cathedral

The first bike i owned at 16

A small corner in The museum of transport

This s/steele structure erected to commemerate Whittle the jet engine genius

Coventry basin well lit at night

Well as i said in last post the the trip into Coventry was not very nice but the basin with it`s close proximity to the city centre made it a worthwile. The basin it self was well lit at dusk and very quiet even with a pub just a short distance away from the canalside. On arrival boats are met by city rangers based in an office within the basin who give out a small welcome pack including a very usefull map listing all the touristy type things and also laundrette, post office etc. From just outside the basin a footbridge takes you over the ring road and you are then 2 mins walk to the centre of this very interesting city. The museum of transport is very much a must see venue featuring cars, buses,lorries, pedal cycles and motorcycles amongst which i found the exact same model of a Francis Barnet 197cc that i owned in 1964 at the age of 16.

The museum was a wonderful experience lasting some 3 hrs for the princely sum of nowt.

Outside are the two steele arches to commemerate Frank Whittle the jet engine genius.

Moving across the city i noticed the huge modern shopping centre both indoor and outdoor the former being mostly under glass canopies so dry shoppers are happy shoppers, so what do they do........spend more. Clever these planners eh. The indoor market came next built like a giant roundabout, ok for you long time boaters that`s like a giant winding hole, me being new on the cut i can still remember them. Anyway the roof of the market was a car park(mooring).

Although not a religous person i felt i had to see the both the bombed and new cathedrals. I must say i was quite impressed by the sheer size and workmanship of this building from the stain glass to....well all of it.

Walking on came to spon street,not spoon, where although some of the buildings dating hundreds of years were on their original sites some had been dis-mantled during the re-building of coventry following the 1940 bombing and re erected to form a street to give some idea of coventry past.

All the walking around was spread over the two days allowed for mooring and this was monitored by the rangers so 48hrs and off heading to the Ashby canal i have read about on Sue`s blog RETIREMENT NO PROBLEM check this site out it`s better than mine but please come back here now and again. Link to Sue is on left of my blog. Sue does all fancy links in the text, i can`t get the hang of yet, and also Sue has photo albums go on check it out as i have finished for now.

It`s been a cloudy day today and i was very surprised it did not rain, in fact it finaly rained at 9pm but `VALERIE` was alredy moored in Coventry basin just a 4 min walk from the city centre. Will be out and about tomorrow looking for amongst other things the transport museum and the old cathedral. The cruise up here from Hawkesbury Jct. was not pleasent as the canal went past a mainly industrial scene some factories long closed down. Also the amount of rubbish in the cut was disgusting. At one point i had to stop to push a large tree trunk and part of a wooden fence to one side as they were right across the cut. Still the basin is well lit and clean and where else could you park so close to a city centre for free. Want to watch the England match tomorrow but picture not good as surrounded by buildings, but heh you can`t have it all.

RUGBY

The present tunnel with 3 colour lighting

The original tunnel

Hillmorton locks

The decorated bridges

Arrived at Rugby Thursday after passing through Hillmorton locks. This was my first experience of this type of lock and as you can see in the pic they are 2 single locks side by side so if it`s not busy you can use either and you might be lucky one of the two might be in your favour. The picture was taken from my boat and Tina/Andy plus John working their boats through ahead of me. Also you can see some newly aquired logs on my roof, they`ll be nice and dry by winter. There are three sets of these twin locks between us and Rugby.
We all made a night stop at bridge 58 Brownsover just on the outskirt of Rugby. This was a convenient mooring for Tesco and a retail park that much to Tina`s delight had a shoe warehouse. A lot of the bridges along here have been decorated canal side and make passing under them a pleasent change from brick arches.
Left early friday to get upto present location Newbold on Avon ( g`children get mum to mark your map) . Have moored just short of the illuminated Newbold tunnel(250yds long) as Tina/Andy have freind staying the w`end--hi des-- and i have arranged for Beccy to do some more paintwork on sunday, just some scroll work between windows.
While typing this blog a chap stopped by asking if i was the Valerie he had been reading about it seems for sometime. Nice to people who read the blog so if any one passes by please say hello.
While out walking managed to find the original Newbold tunnel that was in use before the canal company many years ago cut some 13 miles off the journey by re routing the canal thus cutting out the twists and turns which resulted the present tunnel going straight through the high ground not around it.

On my travels have caught site of a bird of prey being worked by a chap in a field right next to the canal and at 4 mph had agreat few minutes entertainment also a fox mid day trotting across a field. Nice to see foxy where he belongs running free un-like the urban fox dodging cars and people. OK folks that`s all to-night HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL YOU DADS OUT THERE.

WAITING FOR ENGLAND MATCH

Lunch with a view

Spotted these canoist`s at bridge 73 on the Oxford canal where we had stopped for the night to take advantage of a verychildren friendly pub/restaurant called the hungry horse. If you stop with kids be aware the downstairs soft play area leads straight onto the canal bank SO WATCH THEM, it`s a fire reg that the door has to be open in an emergency.

Just sitting on front deck with TV turned so i can watch the match in the fresh air and was doodling some figures and thought someone looking to be a boater might be interested so decided to blog before the ENGLAND game starts.

Started off N.B. VALERIE was a new boat and upto a week ago had done just over 200 hrs, yes i also before i became a boater didn`t realise engine hours NOT miles as on a car were the record of the use a boat has had. So for those 200 or so hours i have used 222 litres of fuel @ an average of 51p a ltr, so about 1 litre an hour. Don`t ask how many miles i have covered as i don`t record it. But if you delve back in the blog you can get an idea. Roughly...............

Hemel Hempstead to marsworth twice down to London back upto Braunston onto Crick and Mkt Harborough back through Braunston to present location RUGBY. Quite a lot of miles and a lot of nice scenery.

Have changed the engine oil twice at a cost of £23 a time and Gearbox oil once at £9. The engine oil filters are purchased through car spares outlets at a much reduced price than chandlery`s in fact half the price in some cases. Fuel filter changed at cost of £6.

So 51p per hour fuel and £61 maintenance. Licence for my 58` boat cost £547 Insurance varies but £250-£350 will get you a fully comp policy that includes contents. Just remembered changed my gas bottle at cost of £17 after 9 weeks use.

So hope that helps someone out there and if you want an honest answer from a virgin live -aboard e mail me. As time goes by things will need replacing such as water pumps in the boat but hopefully later rather than sooner, but of course i have a warranty to full back on of 1 year and the engine is for 2 years. Continuse cruising as i do is much cheaper than running a house. While cruising you generate electricity and lovely hot water. No rates, no tv licence. Burn logs-picked up as i travel- Free heat. Central heating boiler runs off boat fuel 51p ltr but not used much as logs heat boat well.

Anyway i love this life. Where did you eat your lunch today. my typical lunch view is in pic at top.

SIGNWRITE/NEW G`CHILD/SUMMER

Keirnan 1yr old after a hectic crawl around the garden finds a nice resting place

Keira, my latest grandaughter

A nice job made by the signwriter Beccy

Having secured a mooring in the Mkt. Harborough basin Beccy arrived on saturday morning to start on signwriting the boat. Now i know it was going to be called SELEUS as in les/sue in reverse but following the amicable parting of sue and myself and now being on my own i have called the boat VALERIE after my late wife. Anyway Beccy worked over the w`end and come sunday lunchtime she had completed the bow both sides and one side of the rear. As she wanted some time with family she decided to finish off on monday so i turned the boat in the basin and moored ready for her to arrive monday. I connected the electric hook-up that came with the mooring charge as i was going to be away for a few days visiting family.The good thing with the hook-up is not having to worry about the batteries going flat while away and my freezer thawing, also it gives me a chance to use the washing machine to my hearts content. Normaly i would put washing on as i cruise to maintain battery power.So off i went catching a train at Mkt. Harborough station and ended up standing all the way to luton as midland mainline for some un-known reason had put on a 4 coach inter city instead of the usual 8 coach. One of my sons met me at the station and within 10 mins i was cuddling Keira my newest grandaughter who entered the world 2 wks ago at just over 9lb. Managed to get down to Watford and see my other son Andy and his wife Bev and of course g`children Jack and Jordan- Hi there kids. Then back to luton and more visiting of freinds. Unfortunatly did not see my son Steve and his very pregnant wife Ozlem as she was not feeling to good. Will see you both when i next visit by which time i will be a grandad again.

So where am i now? I left Mkt Har` on thursday and caught up with andy and Tina on their boat YTENE and John on TUI at the bottom of foxton locks for a route meeting over tea of course. It was decided Andy/Tina would head for Rugby and John and i fancied Coventry so we all would cruise together for a while. So up the foxton flight we went one by one me in the middle. Now the way to go up a staicase flight, that`s where the gate you exit becomes a gate for the next lock is to let the person in front clear the lock and shut the gate before you do anything to enable your boat to enter. Now for reasons best known to John he decided to start winding the paddles before i had got half in to the next lock let alone shut the gate with the result i had no water under me and ended up hi and dry on the floor of the lock. Well we soon got it sorted but the lockeeper was soon down from the top of the flight wanting to know who drained the middle pound wasting his preciouse water. Poor John he had to own up.So at the top lock the ice creams were on him. That reminds me at the top lock as i was about to exit 2 young boys with parents wathing decided to get a bit to close to a swan and her young with the result out of the water came mum, they retreated quick but soon again moved forward towards mum who was between her babes and the boys. The wings flapped and the hissing started and as the boys parents did nothing i got off the boat and got them back from the swan, the problem was there were 2 elderly people next the boys and if the swan had attacked the boys would have moved quick but that would have left the elderly couple right in the line of attack.

After a rest we cruised for 2/3 hours and stopped the night in the middle of nowhere, hot sunny peace. After the wet days spent at the crick show it would appear summer is here as i sit under the sun umbrella typing this. As we are re tracing our previouse route from crick i am sitting back at crick where just 2 weeks ago boats were breasted up for the show, not so now moorings for all. Will stay the w`end as Tina/Andy watching motor racing on tv sunday, John has visitor sunday and i am just re-laxing and enjoying this wonderful life.

CRICK TO Mkt HARBOROUGH

TINA, ANDY & JOHN

FOXTON STAIRCASE FLIGHT OF LOCKS

MUM & DAD OUT WITH THE KIDS
Mkt. HARBOROUGH BASIN

John & i left crick at 8am on wednesday after using the water point, rubbish & elsan facilities ahead of us 16 lock free miles to foxton locks. Our final destination being Mkt. Harborough as i have arranged for a lady,BECCY, to signwrite the boat. I met Beccy at the crick show and saw some of her work and felt confident she will do a nice job on the boat. Andy & Tina who i have been moored with at crick had left the day before as they are booked in at Debdale wharf to have their boat blacked and were worried about getting through foxton flight as after crick show there can be very long delays. We came across them some 5 miles out of crick and it was a good excuse to stop for a cuppa and a chat. As there boat was not due out for blacking till monday we teamed up to foxton and stopped a couple more times taking it in turn to play host for tea and cake. So three boats en route to foxton, got ourselves a convoy. On route i stopped at North Kilworth to re-fuel and took on 132 litres at54p(how does that compare with road prices) . On we go through Husbands Bosworth tunel(1166yds long) arriving at Foxton locks at about 3pm. We contacted the lockeeper as you cannot enter the flight unless he says so and he said we would have a couple of hours to wait, we had 2 boats in front of us and he had 2 waiting to come up. So a stroll around the locks and more tea soon passed the time. Also gave me time to look at my central heating boiler that refused to start at 6am this morning so i could shower it was to early to run the engine for hot water. Had a prod about and it seems to have been sooted up and now works fine but as i have a tank of really hot water from all day cruising it won`t be needed at the moment. Last entry into the locks was 6.15 but the lockie assured us we would be in before this and true to his word in we went one by one at about 5.15. I was last of our convoy and the others were waiting at the bottom and we all moored in the Mkt. Harborough arm for the night and retired to the pub. Thursday morning and setting off at about 11am we cruised for a couple of hours into the basin at M. Har. and tied up on the 48 hr moorings. We walked down to the Brit. Waterways office and i booked a basin mooring for friday morning after speaking to beccy about the signwriting. As Andy & Tina are walking towards me i now am going to the pub.

AT THE SHOW

The show has gone ahead despite problems of rain and fire. Saturday was a very wet day and coupled with the heavy rainfall in the week before the show the problem visitors had was leaving the show car park that had become a mud bath in places. Many had to be towed out despite several lorry loads of aggregate being laid at variouse points around the ground. But this was not the problem facing visitors on sunday, most of them could not even get to the car park owing to a large fire that started late saturday night in a very large food processing plant on crick industrial site near to jct. 18 of the M1 the main entry point to the show. The fire brigade started pumping water from the canal in the early hours of sunday and as i type this 11.45 am monday water is still being pumped to the site of the fire. Hoses laid from crick bridge down the road have prevented acces to the show site from the M1 leaving only access from the east by way of the small lanes that rapidly became grid-locked. The result was crick village became a car park as did any piece of grass verge in the surrounding area. At the height of the fire 100 firefighters were at the scene. In spite of all this there was a noticeable increase of visitors to the show on sunday and after a very quiet wet thursday a nice sunny day made everyone forget the problems of getting to the show. The entertainment at the end of the day was very good but by far the best was a rock band sunday night called " The Platforms", my head is just recovering but it was a good night spent with some of the boaters i had met during the last few days here.
I last came to the show a year ago looking for a boat and spent a lot of tme talking to builders and was surprised to be recognised by a builder from last year who even remembered my name. It has been very pleasent here in the run up to the show watching the site change from an empty field to a boat show. Water and electricity laid on then marqees being put up, and boats arriving by road and being craned in. Some boats going straight on to site as land based displays.
Next port of call will be Mkt. Harborough and a trip home for a few days to see family and my latest G`child who arrived a week ago, baby girl Kiera weighed in at just over 9lbs.
Well it is just about to rain again and as i am on the front deck blogging to get a good signal i must now stop as my laptop is not waterproof.

Part of the 2 miles of hose from crick bridge to fire site.
The smokey sky 12 hrs after the fire started.
Fireman pumping water from canal at crick bridge.

A view of the marina and some of the many new boats on display.
Sunday night the entertainment provided by a rock band "The Platforms"

CRICK- PRE-SHOW

Now every boat show has to have some form of organisation and this year British Waterways have enlisted two undercover mooring wardens.

These two are among many being craned in over the last 2 days.

Above two of the more unusual crick visitors.

Well have been here at Crick for 10 days. It has been very quiet and wet apart from today the sun has been out all day. While i have been lazing about have at least managed to do a few boaty things (not to much you understand----narrowboaters do it s l o w ) At least the boat has had a good clean and the engine oil changed. Also had a bus ride into Rugby and looked in on the museum of rugger. A good day out dodging the showers. Lots of boats on the reserved moorings that they have paid a lot of money for are getting into the party spirit with bunting hanging from bow to stern and of course the barbie is set up, all they need is the weather to stay dry. Had a few walks via the show site and i can warn any car drivers arriving for the show you could be in for a hard time on the car park as the field it`s on is very muddy. If the weather stays wet as forcast then it could be a big problem by sunday/monday as i am sure cars will get bogged down.

Will try and get more pics if our two mooring wardens let me near the show site.

Crick marina have put in a planning application for 83 more berths, these to be on the site of the adjacent now closed down garden centre.