No more leaks from the shower at Atherstone

Yesterday’s blog and marital discussions after it meant we didn’t move off for water until about 12.30. The tap was just around the corner, so a very short trip, fill and then move on. David made cheese on toast for my lunch, and just as it was ready we arrived at the Glascote locks. There was a reasonably long wait there, as a singlehander we had let pass us on one of the straights was waiting for a boat coming down, and while I was eating my lunch, another three boats lined up behind me. David came back to tell me the bottom lock was quite slow filling.

Eventually we were in and had a wait in the bottom lock while the top lock emptied to release its inhabitants, a crossover in the short pound, and into the top lock. The people waiting above the lock did the wheeling for David and when we came out their boat was still happily on the waterpoint. I gently noted that the now four boats behind us would appreciate their getting through in reasonably short order, but they stayed on the waterpoint as we moved off to moor after the Galscote Dock entrance. However a boat came down the cut towards the lock, so they hastily stowed the hose and went in … Did make me giggle, esp as I wasn’t on the receiving end of their slowness.

We moored up as the weather looked a bit threatening and we have to make the decision re where to moor today for the shower glass fitting. The better options looked a bit far for us to get to and still have a chance of a nice mooring, so we quit while we were ahead.

As the starboard side of the boat is still on the towpath side, I got out the primer and painted the pieces I had treated with Firtan the other day. We now have a boat with a case of acne. I am not sure what disease it will be suffering from when I undercoat in mid-blue, but I will research it. I also need the towpath to change sides before too long so I can apply the equal opportunity principle and acne up the port side of the boat. See, I am nothing if not fair!

Acne!!!

I was a bit concerned that this mooring may be unsavoury at night given the large amount of foot and cycle traffic in the evening, but my prejudice has proved to be just that.

This morning we wanted to move on to Polesworth as people on one boat in the locks yesterday told David it was a lovely place. If we get there early, have a look round and then move on, we should be able to get to somewhere pleasant, rural and near a road this arvo. So once again, it’s up and at ‘em, Atom Ant!

The bridge on the far side of Polesworth

 

Plans changed yet again this morning:

From the first communication with the shower glass guys from Profile Glass saying they’d be with us after 2.30pm, they phoned at 1pm to say they were on their way.

Given the 2.30pm arrival, we had moved on from Polesworth without exploring it, thinking we’d get to the top of the Atherstone locks before the guys arrived. The trip through the locks was lovely and they are far more quiet and rural than I thought they’d be apart from a few that are very close to the railway and, more noisily, the A5 Watling Street.

The fields and trees are changing colour

Ducks on the weir after Polesworth

On the hill in the distance outside of Polesworth

Sauce for the goose comes to mind

Sylvan glade

On the same property as the geese and the sylvan glade

This photo shows why the ass was made to be significant for christians

In one of the Atherstone Locks - I am off the boat and David is on - what is happening to the natural order?

A peaceful boatyard

I think that's the A5 above

This pheasant was on the lockside with a friend - first time I have seen one of them near the canal.

 

Once the Profile Glass guys phoned to say they were on their way, I scurried to find a good place to rendezvous. Given I was on my own at the time, as David was at the next lock, it was a bit frantic especially as it is harder to nail down intersections between the canal and the roads in urban areas than in the countryside.

After we’d moored almost under the A5 and I’d walked up to a nursery school to ask their postcode, we found each other and the guys did a brilliant job fitting the channel and the glass. Their reward was a cup of tea and a couple of gingernuts (don't worry, Lesley, your gingernuts are safe, for the moment ...) before they and we were on our respective ways.

The shower curtain will nestle behind the glass, so water on the floor and in the bilge will be a thing of the past - yay!!

  We headed up the rest of the locks, got water (while waiting, I scraped, sanded and rust treated a couple more areas on the roof) and decided to moor up on the 48hr moorings just through the next bridge. The next 4 photos are totems of Atherstone above the top lock ...

Totem 1: tomorrow I will investigate what this is about

Totem 2: I will also check the provenance on this tomorrow

Totem 3: This one I know about - at last I have seen a Maffi totem in the flesh, so to speak!

Totem 4: I gather that this derelict factory has been in this state for a number of years. They need a leaf out of NY's book of No Broken Windows, I think.

One of my pet rants - gaps between boats ...

 

I walked along the moorings after we’d tied up and realised there were two much nicer spots, neither of them near the derelict factory with at least 100 200ish broken windows, so we untied and moved up to just before the next bridge. Where we are now is much quieter and with nice houses on each side of the cut.

The baking potatoes are par-boiled and in the oven to finish off cooking, the tuna and veges and mayo are mixed and ready, the chardonnay and cider are already being consumed and we are sort of watching the news. Time to relax after a very busy day!