Down to Coventry basin...

Down to Coventry basin...

We hadn't expected it to be quite so cold over night. It got down to less than -2°C and left the canal with another skin of ice. Luckily by about 8.30 a couple of boats had been through and done the ice breaking. 

We left pump house visitor (winter) moorings by about 10.00 and passed Mark on fuel boat Calisto waiting on the wharf for more diesel.  The going was slow in places and I am sure there will be plenty of delights waiting for me down the weed hatch. Not all of the approach to the city centre was full of rubbish and there were some really nice parts towards the end. The hundred houses (link) were about all that remain of any real character in amongst the vast swathes of dismantled warehouses and factories. 

The narrowest and lowest of bridges takes you into the basin where we were surprised to see a nearly full house. Two boats followed us in (about 15ft behind us most of the way) to take the last two spaces. Deb has a birthday treat of a professional stylists hair cut (although I thought I was doing OK) tomorrow morning, I had chosen Ruby Tuesday's (link) as it is right in the basin here. 

After a quick stroll out to Medieval Spon street and a look around the haunted watch museum it was time to head back to LJ for a late lunch of (my version of)  slow cooked beef and pork chili. By the time that we arrived back the basin was bathed in sun and we decided to make use of the table that I recently made and sit out in the sun. 

Coventry basin with the entrance bridge in the background

That's a daft sign, this is the end of the canal, everything is in that direction

Brindley contemplates the stupidity of the sign

Old Spon street

Last of the triple decker houses

Right in the thick of it

Lunch al fresco, Deb is not being antisocial she has my iPhone with a hard of hearing app (no excuse for pink socks and cow pattern slippers though!

As the sun starts to dip down I think about going outside to preserve the fenders that I made a few weeks ago (only thinking mind you) whilst Deb and Jess take a break from the sun to face up to each other on the chess field. Not a bad day eh

This time last year I was sitting in my temporary office (I had been moved out of mine smartish once I'd handed in my notice) wondering how I was going to get everything done in the next three weeks)