Little Chick

 Hissing Sid , and when I chased him for a pic, he did actually HISSSSSSS

Trying an arty shot 

  John Bates, a shed for you, just your colour. !!!!

  Lovely Birmingham

 Oi, gerrof. !!!!!

 Divine Dudley - Merryhill Centre

 

This is a week or more old now.

A few days in the Saltisford Arm at Warwick.   Magic.   What a fantastic place to spend time.

Wednesday at about 8.45 we started on the Hatton Flight ( 21 locks). we finished at 12.30 ish.  And there was a volunteer helping on the last few.  Found a nice mooring and called that it. Phew. !!!!

Thursday onwards up the beautiful Lapworth flight.  And again a smashing mooring,complete with pretty grass snake, basking in the water.  Mick reckons it was about 18ft long. !!!!!!

 

Now tonight, Friday we are in Brum until Monday m orning. I love this place. Makes a change from all the rural canals.  However, rural is still  “the best” for us. So a mooch about tomorrow and look for a nice restaurant for Sunday.   Chinese ? Indian?  Who knows.

Well, we had an extra day here and Trundle met her big sister, now called Riverwood.  Originally she was called Riverweed, and this was the nb that we had a holiday on, to make sure that we were still “into” this narrowboating lark.  The folks who now own her are called Dave and Elizabeth Wood, South Africans, who go home in October.  So they have just started their boating odyssey, but it looks like we will be in the same area next year, we did a mobile phone swapping of numbers, so that we can have a catch up. A really nice pair.

Before we left Wonderful Birmingham, wow-city, we took Finlay for a walk, and found some grass for him to sniff.  There was a dusky lady with her 2 dogs, one of which was a tripod.!  The story unfolded, and when this doggy was 3 months old it ran in front of a car, and had to have its leg removed.  Now at 9 months, he was racing about and in fine fettle.   Anyway, this nice lady was droaning on, so as we wished each other a good day and happy times.   I meant to say “en joy your doggies”.   Guess what I ended up saying?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   “ Oh well, Happy Dogging”.   I hope she doesn’t know what “dogging” means.  I can’t believe I said that…..

.  Mick can. Jim can. Maralyn can…………..

Tuesday was away day.   Couldn’t go Wolverhampton, as a lock is being repaired.  Couldn’t go Minworth as a bank collapse is being repaired.  So we decided to go through the Netherton Tunnel to DUDLEY , Brierley Hill Flight, and eventually the Stourbridge 16 locks.  However, we hadn’t reckoned on doing them in one day.   Bit of a foul up.  Left Brum( wonderful Brum) at 7.30am, and I was drinking and Icy San Miguel at 6.30pm,.   !!!!!   what a long day.

We came across the Merryhill Centre in Dudley, and that’s where we should have moored for a while.  Moorings are Excellent and very much geared up for boaters. A;lso great shopping for those that need it.

 

Now we are on the Staffs and Worcs. Canal.  Great. Tomorrow, AFTER it has stopped raining, we will do a self pump out. !   whey hey. And then onwards and slowly towards Great Heywood.

Well we have only seen Royal Leamington Spa.from the canal    And there’s nowt Royal about it I can tell you. !!!   The outskirts are dross.  However…………………the first LIDL in ages.  Hurrah.  And 15 mins later a Tesco.   So we have had a good shop/stock up.

 

Whilst sitting on the back having our  lunch, I noticed an old chap who had been reading, was all of a sudden slumped on the bench with his head right back.  Mick went to have a look and said to call an ambulance.  By the time I got there another lady had called 999, we comforted the gent, who was un-responsive, cold and clammy. At one point Mick and I thought he had passed away.  Anyway, with the help of a brawny young man, we got him on his side and into the recovery position, which I vaguely remember from St John Ambulance days( many years ago when I first started work , one had to train as a first-aider !!!). Almost immediately, he was able to tell us who he was and plenty more info for us to give to the paramedics. He apparently had a pace-maker, maybe not working quite correctly.

Had a couple of nights in the Saltisford Arm, this place is just wonderful.  Its at the bottom  of the Hatton Flight, first night is free and then there is a small charge.  But, with this heat, the shady trees are a god-send, and it’s a really easy walk into Warwick.

Went off to the Cape of Good Hope( a lovely old boaters pub), which we always visit for beer and chilli, rice and chips    . alas it had been re-invented and whilst the food is nice, the soul of the place seems to be missing. Hey ho.  And we had an extra day and night in this lovely canal arm, due to a massive thunderstorm. Off up the Hatton flight of 21 locks Wednesday am. !!!!!

 Shed for John Bates

  Mooring at Wedding Bridge.

  Here you go, Ger, Mick barby'ing mit vino tinto!!!!!   happy now ????

So, we had a wonderful time in Banbury.   I accidently threw my prescription sun glasses over the side of the boat. !  Specsavers have helped out to the tune of £79.  !!!!!

Gerry and Pauline and Peter and Jean take note.   By the side of the canal there is a social club called L and G general foods.  They are very boater friendly.  The clubhouse is lovely. and air conditioned and better still beer is £1.65 A PINT and wine( decent glass) is £2.55 !!!!!!   Didn't get to try their food, but apparently very good.  But Mick and I did go to the dance after our Wonderful indian meal at THE JAI PUR .   There was a sixties band on, that was also up for more up to date music. We had a good time, and if Mick had been wearing trousers we would have had a dANCE.   I hasten to add he was wearing shorts. The only bloke in there that was.  Worth a visit..

The Auctioneer -  we went there on sunday for sunday lunch _ excellent. £8.95  however the very good beer was £3.50 a pint. 

Now below Cropredey , on a lovely towpath.  Its hot.  Mick is fishing.  I am getting confused with all the specs I have now accumulated.   They didn't do Bi focals, as I would have had to wait for 10 days. Sooooooo, I have an Orange pair solely for reading.  If I put my head up and look at owt else, I feel as if I have drunk about 3 litres of wine.   The other pair (lime green), is solely for driving and distance.  If I try to read I can't see a bloody thing.  I did find my old bi-focals.  If I choose to wear them I have to hold whatever I am reading at arms length, and with my nose in the air.  ( makes me look slightly snobby ).  If I choose to wear my clear specs( and I do NOT), they work fine but make me look about 100 years old.   Oi, I heard that !!!!!

I will let Mick know your comment Gerry, and the next time he is barbying, I will make sure that he has a glass in hand.

Yes Melva, it was on the water.   No probs mit your eyes, m'dear.

Now just above Nells Bridge.   Very hot.  Mick fishing. Finlay and I trying to stay cool. Banbury for the w/e.  and out at The Indian Rest on sat night.  cor.

  Chris, here is a bloom from our "Silvy"

.

 Wondeful mooring at Somerton Bridge.

 Man make fire. Man cook for wifey, tonight !

 

The mooring spots are now coming thick and fast and are all smashing.   This is such a lovely canal.   and we will be back. 

 

at 11.21am today( Tuesday) we re-entered the canal system at Oxford. !!!!  whey hey.   The last few days on The Thames were fab.   great weather and many things to goggle at etc.  Have been a bit re-miss with the blogging, but its soooooo darn hot  !!!!!!

Going through the back side of Oxford was great , and there would have been some lovely moorings, however, we had only been going a couple of hours.  We  would like to be at Banbury for week-end ,as our chums have rellies visiting.  Poor old Jim, is improving slowly, but having had an ear infect, which has left him with vertigo ( and I know Chris Frost will sympathise.), his recovery is going to take time.  Being on a moving boat is not going to help in our opinion.

Wow, the internet,and phone connections are mega fast. What a change. !!!!

 Abingdon.

 First strawberries off the top of Trundle.

 A trip boat

 "Silvy ". our silver wedding rose bush.

 Abibi the Lebanese? cat.  theres Siamese, Burmese and whats the other one.  ???   anyway she's having a hiss at Finlay.

 swimming dogs on The Thames

 Sandford on Thames

 This bloke was a hairdresser, and yes these are his dogs.  one has a heart prob and the other is just lazy.

 Shed for Batesy-Boy.

 Melva, these two were artist's studios.  I did manage to see some artwork, but couldn';t get a clearer pic for you

 real cool shed for batesy-Bpoy.

  Mick took this for Batesy-Boy.   shed on water

 Theres a cow in my rose bush !!!!!  tha\t could be a song title.

 The kites were fantastic on The Thames, they swooped so close.

Photos of Reading etc.