Photo post #3

Evesham photos

There was much debate (over drinks of course) about what this cloud looked like. I think the consensus was that it was animal (as opposed to vegetable or mineral) and that it had been shot, given the hole in its side. I will have to ask those with better memories for the absurd for further information - watch this space! Note also the static caravan park - there are a lot of these in this area. At home we'd have mobile caravans or baches - here it's static caravans. Julia tells me they are lovely inside. People were certainly enjoying their time there - fishing, BBQing, chatting. There was a caravan/motorhome park next to it - full over the weekend, possibly for the Morris dance convention that was happening in the abbey grounds.

From left: Drinks and nibbles in the shade - camera shy Julia, David, Mick and John. As they all have much longer legs than I do, when anyone came past, they all stood. I didn't need to - and I even had a footstool! We spent a fair old time here each day and evening, sheltering from the sun. It's the fear of melanoma, don't you know?

Spot the deliberate discrepancy. I guess it makes it easier to find the way home to the correct front door!

This set of terraced houses, known as Lock Cottages (?!) have a view over the lock from the other side. They did look rather nice.

Julia in Wetherspoons (The Old Swanne, I think, in Evesham)

For Joy and Grahame and for Hutchy - Evesham Golf Course, from the river as we were cruising towards Pershore.

And again - isn't that a lovely golf course? Hard to see in these photos, but it looked to me as tho it was built on the old ridge and furrow farm land. Must make play interesting!

Pershore photos

The trip down to Pershore was on one of the hottest days I have ever encountered - until the next two or three! Sunscreen was a must, regularly applied. I tried to wear a long sleeved shirt but it was too hot! And I couldn't hold the umbrella to shade myself and steer the boat at the same time!

Fladbury Lock and its surrounds were lovely. It was very warm there, but there was a bit of a breeze too - as it does in Wellington, the breeze always helps in the hot weather, even if its help is deceiving and ends with a greater degree of sunburn.

Filling the lock

The lock-side garden is well cared for.

Waiting for John to arrive so he could go in first. The solars are soaking up the sun's rays. No trouble getting to 100% that day, that's for sure!

The tall poles are for mooring on in flood conditions. In 2007 this river was way up, and many of the posts at all of the mooring places were extended later to make sure that the same issue of boats being stranded on banks did not occur again.

Big horned cow - she had friends who didn't make it past this culling of photos unfortunately! Sadly, this was the artiest shot with hazy hills, trees, cow, grass and water with bits on its surface. Sorry about that ...

A stunning day, in stunning countryside

See - it's lovely. And notice the cloudless sky? Summer - got it?

Just to reinforce - a lovely summer's day.

We started off in Pershore with the three boats breasted up - that was once Mick and Julia arrived. They had a 'mare of a time getting through Chadbury Lock - a boater they were sharing with left the lock paddle up so Mick was pushed back over the cill, he had no control to get away from it as he'd picked up a hoodie on his prop. Bugger! So a big job to clear the prop, and a bigger job to pop the rudder back into its cup. The next morning, Mick and Julia moved further down to get water and then moved into a clear space. The boat in front of us left, so John turned his boat by untying it from us, holding the front rope and then letting the breeze and the current turn it around. Sorted!

My possie for the time we were in Pershore was under the tree in the shade - the boat was far too hot to sit in! Temperature outside in the sun: 31 degrees, in the boat: probably 40 degrees, in the shade: 28-ish. There was apparently a lovely market in Pershore but I could not bring myself to go across the open sun-baked park to get to it! However, I did manage to get to the shops in the early mornings and bought long sleeved lightweight shirts from the charity shops: a Laura Ashley, a Viyella, and an unknown brand. Total cost £13.

David assembling the folding bike - I am glad we don't need it as emergency transport - it seems to take an age to construct each time. The following evening, during drinks and nibbles, there was a competition between David and John to put it together and ride around the field. John won by getting it assembled in less than half the time it took David. However, if it had been a computer programme, David would have been quids in!

David did not appear to appreciate the coaching he was receiving ...

Happily riding around the sun-drenched field.

An update on 29 July: While hunting for photos of cheese tart (baked in Nantwich) I found the missing photos of the fish that was caught by Derek from Birmingham; so here they are:

It was quite sizable for a fish (not carp) from the cut, but still a tiddler really. Derek was inordinately proud tho!

Derek and Bill fishing at Pershore - tough life, eh?

OK, I am getting caught up slowly. We arrived in Pershore a mere 10 days ago ...


If I get up early enough, I will blog again in the morning. But don't hold your breath as we are leaving here at 7.30 to get water and then head through the lock at 8am and cruising back to Tewkesbury for a night on our way to Worcester.