Big Brown Scouring Pad...

Yesterday I changed our blog profile photo. The previous one was taken when we had a few days off work last September when we were suitably coiffured. Well before the last suit went in the bin I put it to friends at work and family as to whether I buy some clippers and keep everything short and neat or let it all grow. I was quite surprised by the unanimous vote for letting it all grow with Pip even voting for dreadlocks. I must say that I am not bothered either way.

'After' photo to follow

My last shave was 29^th March, my last haircut about the middle of January. Looking in the mirror a face stares back through a big brown scouring pad. Its time for a trim, nothing drastic, just a rewind by a few months.

Tamworth was a bit of a surprise when we went in a couple of days ago. We had picked up the Bongo after the docs and stopped briefly on the way through to our newest parking hidey-hole. For some reason I had put Tamworth in the same category as a lot of Birmingham suburbs that I had heard of but never been to, Wolverhampton, Solihul, Edgebaston. I do hope when we eventually travel through those that they are all as nice as Tamworth.

Some of the tick list for a nice town to visit or live in have to be – a good mixture of shops with a pedestrian area, a good degree of historic buildings, open parkland, clean and tidy, countryside close by (within a mile or so), good value places to eat and drink, plenty for kids to do (either entertain you own, or keep everyone else’s off the street corners), out of town supermarket/leisure complexes, river/lake/coast. Now a lot of towns have all these and more. Poole has a lot although very spread out with no room for any more because it merges straight into Bournemouth, then Christchurch. Ok the upsides are the Purbecks and New forest within ten miles or so but that is further than ideal.

Castle and Gardens

Bandstand overlooking the Anker

What I really liked about Tamworth it that it is all so central. There is a pretty castle overlooking the river Anker. Why did towns expand away from their castle rather than keeping it central? The shopping precinct has large glass doors that provide access directly to the pleasure grounds, castle and river, the older part of town runs parallel to the precinct so everything is central. Across the river bridge is more parkland, kids play area, tennis courts and skate park. There are the usual names for eating and drinking which are as popular as ever but an independent place that looked worth a try if we go back was a 99p café. Everything was 99p – tea, coffee, baguettes, jacket spuds (plus a further 99p for any two toppings) – great idea but subway still had a queue of holidaying youths spilling through the door waiting to spend £3 on their chain brand sarnie.

The Old Market Hall

One of the many little side streets

Even Thomas Guy had a hand in some of the local architecture, building a terrace of almshouses in the centre of town. Not as well known as his London hospital but still very pretty and still used as it's intended purpose hundreds of years later.

Housing firstly seven poor women and extended to home seven poor men.

  

Some of the showers have been really sharp over the last few days and we have been lucky to escape them. Never passing up an opportunity we had our foray into the woods to scout for wood. Of course we don't need any right now but if we find some nice fallen oak, ash or beech then it's worth replenishing the stores.

Deb weighs up the afternoons tasks

Today, among other little jobs we sawed, chopped and stored the majority of our collected wood supply. Harder work than previously when the sun is out. The canal has been much busier than the last few days, as I type this ready to post later an old 70ft British waterways working boat and matching butty have just chugged by under the boughs of the crack willow trees.

We will move on a couple of miles later. Although it is a nice spot, we have been here a few days now the trees are blocking a lot of light from the solar panels and blocking the satellite reception so we have been making use of BBC’s digital Olympic radio channel.

Tomorrow, painting out the battery compartment - or maybe the day after, no hurry J

Back to Polesworth for my monthly check-up...

We decided to leave ourselves a good bit of time to get from LJ to Polesworth for my check-up. Misjudged it slightly as we covered the couple of miles along the footpath and had arrived in the village in just over ten minutes. Never mind, time for a look around and let the blood pressure settle.

It really is quite a nice village. It should never get any bigger as Tamworth is only about four miles away. Most villages that I have seen recently are property rich and facility poor. Not Polesworth though. There is quite a bustling little highstreet with only a spar and co-op provided from the corporate crowd. Post office/diy store, pub, small butcher and a flower/veg shop - even a small (and very friendly cafe). Any bigger and it would have a super market and another housing estate and be regraded as a town. It has got some history as well with old Egbert building another nunnery (think he had a bit of a thing about nuns) in the 9th century with the site of the old gateway still there!

Originally just a wall with a pedestrian arch, rebuilt 13th C to gateway

'Modern' extension to the side is from the 1500's 

Between us and Polesworth is another colliery spoil heap nestled quietly between the canal, the M42 flyover and the railway. Its not a small one this one and it was a bit of a hike to get to the top. It also looked quite a struggle for the silver birch tree's to stay put as well - not much in the way of top soil.

Far reaching views from the man made mountain

The M42 and Polesworth in the distance

To celebrate their achievements an obelisk looking like it was manufactured out of matches adorns the summit.

Not matches though 

Although it looks like a pile of matches sticking out of a spoil heap. It is in fact made out of metal.

Tower of tin

A local canal association 'The Neighbours of Nuneaton' collected approximately 2.5 million Tennents Super cans from canal verges between 18th April 2012 and 18th April 2012 at teatime, to facilitate the construction.

Tomorrow onto Tamworth... and Deb Googles how to cut curly hair.

New Flag Required!!...

It was time to continue our journey and go through the final pair of locks on the Atherstone flight.Our departure was slightly delayed due to the rain, we were ready to go but then suddenly a downpour, so we sat it out before the clouds parted and there was lovely sunshine again. We weren't far from the first lock and with only two I left my bike onboard this time. We got through the locks in no time as luckily they were both in our favour, although as has been the case on the whole flight, the locks leak water through the bottom gates so top paddles had to be opened to allow the gate to open. Fortunately for me on both locks boats were waiting to come up so I was able to leave the gates open and jump back aboard as James and LJ passed through the bottom gate, that saved me having to run and catch up and James having to hover whilst I do so. 

Next was a stop off at the water point to fill the tank, although we have been very conservative with the water and still had half a tank, I started the washing machine going once through the locks so we could go on with a completely full tank. On the way to the water point James notice an over hanging tree had stolen my Team GB flag and it was hanging in the branches, I was getting ready to make a grab for it as we passed under but unfortunately it fell before we got there and was floating in the canal, so instead I was going to have to try and pluck it from the canal as we passed, James slowed right down, I was in position to grab but my reach wasn't long enough and it went by, James then reversed but with the all the water moving around the flag disappeared so that was it. New flag now required!

We stopped off at the water point I started the fill, the pressure on this one wasn't too bad and as we only need half a tank it shouldn't take too long, there are also rubbish binstoo here , this isn't always the case though,. Whilst all this was going on the washing machine finished so I hung it out on the front deck as it was lovely and sunny with a slight breeze - perfect for washing drying. Meanwhile James was preparing a snack for us on the move. The downside to this perfect set up was the look of the sky in the direction we were heading - very dark clouds! Passing by the Bongo we headed off for a new location.

A little snack to keep us going

Bet there's rain in those clouds!!!

Watching all the boats going past

After only about 10 minutes of leaving there were the first few drops of rain, inside I went closed the side hatch, moved the washing inside and closed the front doors just in case it got heavier - good job too because it poured down - with waterproofs ready I took the tiller as James got into his and then my turn, and there was lots of rain. We had a little patch of sunshine before the rain came again.  

There are good moorings for stopping off in Polesworth but we carried onto through Pooley Fields Country Park, the canal runs right through it and there is even a mooring point if you want to stop off at the visitors centre. Pooley Fields is a SSSI and has several pools created from mining subsidence.  We also passed Pooley Hall which is a Tudor brick mansion from 1509 and according to our canal book (thanks Mum) is possibly the oldest occupied building in Warwickshire.

Pooley Hall through the trees

And a distant view 

Once out of the tree lined canal we moored up, so least if the sun does come out the solar panels can do their work.