Yet another update - Part 1

I really should make more of an effort to keep the blog updated!!

Shackerstone to Snarestone

4 miles

Once we had watched to parachute display on the Sunday afternoon we decided to head off for Snarestone and the current terminus of the Ashby Canal. We arrived just before dark and wondered if there would be any space available on the visitor moorings at the end, there was and we were really surprised as it was completely empty and we spent the night on our own. 

Another section of the canal has been watered since we were last up here and we walked down to the bridge which is currently being re-built. It is an accommodation bridge and when this section was closed the original bridge was flattened, they managed to recover most of the unusual bricks and the new bridge is being built much wider and stronger to be able to take the modern machinery the farmers now use. It is now constructed of concrete for strength but is being faced with the original bricks to keep the traditional look. We couldn't walk any further up the canal as it was all fenced off at the bridge. 

The new bridge under construction

Looking back on the newly opened section

On Monday and Tuesday we got on with some more jobs on the boat, first James did an oil change on both the engine and gear box, then I spent the rest of the day scraping and washing the engine 'ole ready for painting, and I managed to get a coat of red primer on followed the next day with grey bilge paint. James was inside re-sealing all around the tiles and work surface in the galley, as well as a few other jobs. 

Snarestone to Hinckley

16 miles

We set off on Wednesday heading for Trinity Marina as James had ordered some replacement glass for our stove, the old one was very pitted and we didn't think it would last another winter, it also looked a bit of a mess too and as we had re-blacked the stove itself it needed a new piece of glass. James had been told it would be in on Wednesday but we arrived after they closed so we moored up outside the pub in a stretch signed as visitor moorings.

First thing Thursday morning James popped to the marina but the glass hadn't arrived but it should be coming today by courier and they were one of the last on the delivery round so it wouldn't be until late in the day. Late afternoon James popped in again, still no glass.

Friday morning still no glass so they said they would phone their supplier and come and let us know what was happening, they didn't so James went to find out, when he was told it now wouldn't be in until Monday. We decided we weren't going to hang around that long, we already felt we had wasted a day there. James found a glass supplier on a nearby industrial estate and we could go a get a piece cut to size. It was, surprisingly more expensive, but at least we could get on our way again. 

Little and large

Hinckley to Gypsy Lane

7 miles

We had lunch in the pub then headed off, turning right at the junction onto the Coventry Canal. We've enjoyed our trip up the Ashby again.

Bye Bye Ashby Canal

Right to Nuneaton

Just before Gypsy Lane .... again

Gypsy Lane to Atherstone

7.5 miles

The moorings, were as usual, very busy and we managed to get onto the end. On Sunday we walked down to Aldi to stock up but walked through town first, we thought it would be pretty quiet being a Sunday and nothing much open, but we thought we would have a stroll down the High Street anyway. It did seem surprisingly busy and then we both noticed some old cars parked up, then up in the main square we stumbled across the Historic Motor Show. We had a stroll round looking out the models of cars we have owned over the years! Time really does fly. 

Harts Hill Yard

Moored at Atherstone

Historic Motor Show

The main square

Atherstone to Polesworth

5 miles and 11 locks

We left Monday morning and went down the pretty Atherstone flight, it was very busy coming up and we met a boat at every lock. We continued onto Polesworth and arrived to very busy visitor moorings in the rain where we tagged onto the end.

Moored at Polesworth

Polesworth to Alvecote

1.5 miles

We did the short trip to Alvecote and moored up opposite the Samuel Barlow pub. In the afternoon we popped in to see Ade of A P Boat Building, he restores and repairs wooden narrow boats and where James managed to get the pieces of nb Birchills and nb Dane last year. Ade had let James know he had come across a piece of nb Saturn which he would let us have, this is great news as it's quite a well known boat as it attends a few shows and is based at the end of the Llangollen Canal. This will be made into pens and as with Birchills and Dane 25% of our profit will be given to the custodians of the boat to help with its upkeep.

When we arrived we noticed the area by Samuel Barlow's car park was empty, there are normally a couple of historic boats there, this looked an ideal spot for our new sofa to be delivered. I spoke with Matthew at Samuel Barlow to ask if it would be ok to move over in the morning to take delivery, of course, he was happy for us to do this and was grateful that I had asked. So early Wednesday we moved across and just as we were tying up Glen from Elite turned up dead on time at 8am.

Opposite Samuel Barlow

By the car park, ready for a delivery

And in place

Alvecote to Fazeley

4 miles and 2 locks

After receiving our delivery we headed straight off for Fazeley we had few ebay deliveries to pick up at Argos on the retail park. It is great that you can now do click and collect at Argos. 

Fazeley Junction

Moored in Fazeley

Total 534.5 miles and 426 locks

Whilton to Shackerstone

Whilton to Welton Wharf

It was up the Buckby flight again, we were lucky as a few days later it was closed as there was a problem with lock 12, again. We did the first two locks on our own and then waited for another boat to join us up the remaining 5. We carried straight on at Norton Junction and moored up just before Braunston Tunnel in the rain.

3 miles and 7 locks

Welton Wharf to Braunston

A short trip through Braunston Tunnel and then down the Brauston Locks, no one to share with on these but not as bad going down on your own, there were plenty coming up so we thought they would be a few spaces to moor up in Brauston, as it was we took the only one available, but there were plenty of comings and goings throughout the rest of the day, it is literally being in the right place at the right time to get a mooring here.

Entering Braunston Tunnel

And leaving it

That's the locks done

3 miles and 5 locks

Brauston to Hillmorton

We stopped at the top of Hillmorton Locks for a couple of days getting on with a couple of boat maintenance jobs, James was working on the back deck and me the front.

6.5 miles and 0 locks

Hillmorton to Rugby

Down the three Hillmorton locks and at last back to narrow locks, so much easier. These ones are paired and a few were coming up so we didn't have to wait long, we continued on to a very busy Brownsover, to do a Tesco shop and pick up a delivery James had arranged to Rugby Post Office, both successful so the next day we were on our way again.

3 miles and 3 locks

Rugby to Hawkesbury Junction

It started off a cold damp day and then after Newbold Tunnel the rain came Dudley seemed to enjoy sheltering with me under my umbrella, he doesn't like going in on his own even if it is pouring. We continued on through Brinklow and stopped at Ansty by this time it was raining heavily and we were getting cold and wet, we had some lunch and dried out then the weather turned so off we went again stopping at a very quiet Hawkesbury Junction, on the Oxford Canal side of the Sutton Stop Lock. We popped into the Greyhound pub and Bank Holiday Monday, well it would have been rude not too and were even lucky there and got the window seat, it soon got busy later in the afternoon though.

12.5 miles and 0 locks

Hawkesbury Junction to Near Nuneaton

Back through the stop lock and then right turn at the junction, which as usual James managed perfectly, onto the Coventry Canal we stopped off just before Gypsy Lane Bridge as we needed to get up to the retail park and Axminster Tools and Screwfix to pick up some more paint as they had an offer on the Red Oxide.

3.5 miles and 1 lock

Nuneaton to Limekilns

We continued up to the winding hole and then it was about turn back to Marston Junction where we turned left down the Ashby Canal, we haven't been down this way since 2012. We carried on stopping just before Limekilns Bridge 15.

7 miles and 0 locks

Limekilns to Sutton Wharf

We were really lucky the mooring on the wharf was free, Mark on Callisto arrived shortly after as he had arranged a delivery for the next day, once he had received that we got a few bags of coal as it seems the weather is turning colder.

6 miles and 0 locks

Sutton Wharf to Market Bosworth

The moorings here were fairly quiet a bit of a difference to when we last passed through, we couldn't get moored then, maybe it's the new marina that has recently opened in Market Bosworth.

3.5 miles and 0 locks

Market Bosworth to Shackerstone

Neither of us could really remember the moorings here, we were booked in for the festival so had a reserved spot, we ended up moored between bridges 49 and 50 so a great spot for festival field. 

2.5 miles and 0 locks

TOTAL 489.5 miles and 413 locks

Spot The Difference...

Pic 1

Pic 2

THAT'S RIGHT

THERE

IS 

NO

B****Y

DIFFERENCE!!

 

Richard came over within 10minutes of calling with the rebuilt geni, a new box of bits and a shiny new coat of paint. Unfortunately the geni was outputting nearly 320 volts (ouch!) and wouldn't adjust down using the magic box of bits. The only way we could get it to 250 volts was to adjust the engine revs right down (we should have just two options 950 rpm and 1500 rpm. We adjusted it down to 950 rpm and 1150 rpm) by the time the voltage was right the geni wasn't pushing enough current so we had no power still to the cooker! A quick call to his boss confirmed Richards thoughts that the rectifier from USA was duff. So looks like we are here for another ten days at least!

Good job we like it here - off to the marina tomorrow to pay some more money and see if they will give us a couple of bob off.

Fingers crossed

CAN'T STOP RICHARD IS ON HIS WAY!...

JUST HAD A CALL FROM RICHARD AT COX ELECTRICAL. THE PARTS ARE IN FROM USA, HE HAS BENCH TESTED THE GENI AND HE IS ON HIS WAY OVER!!

RESULTS TO FOLLOW...

How noisy can it get in a steel boat in a hailstorm?...

Well after today....VERY!

In fact I am about to go out and survey the damage (to boat and camper)

It was forecast on XC Weather  (great iphone app that shows quite a lot of detail) that it would be a day of sunshine and showers and high humidity that will bring thunder storms in the afternoon. We had a lot of wispy  low cloud with a solid dark grey bank above it. High up you could hear the rumble of thunder but no sign of the lightening. The rain was only coming down in spits and spots at this stage and the odd boater and dog walker was out and about. Deb was trying to get a top coat on the bilges whilst we have got some room to maneuver before the geni goes back in (probably Monday or Tuesday next week) but I could see that the cloud was darkening severely to the Southwest. I guessed that we had only a short while before it bucketed down so we closed the engine hatch and headed inside. I took a quick piccy to send to Jess (she is not too good with thunder bolts and lightening) but the rain soon turned into hail.

Swapping my phone for the video camera just in time to get some footage of the storm that lasted quite a while. Needless to say I am glad we were not out cruising in it as I think it could have caused some real damage. Its a couple of minute video that I tried to take through a crack in the front doors so sorry in advance for the funny angles and door frame close ups!

Now that's what I call a big hailstone. What are the chances of my nice new solar panels still working after that?

On the plus side my homemade hummus went down very well for lunch and we even managed to get a satellite signal back to watch the tennis!

Still at Hinckley!!

Yes we're still at the marina in Hinckley, which is quite nice - it's the circumstances that aren't.  Richard the engineer didn't come bearing good news about the broken generator, but as always in these situations it never is good news.  Anyway basically the generator needs re-building and it is sourcing the part which is the hold up, Richard had managed to track it down but from America with a two week delivery time, then he will do whatever needs doing when he gets the part and then get back to us to fit it back on the engine.  And we will then have to part with a great deal of money!!

Anyway we are making the most of our time and the marina is in a very convenient location.  We have ventured into Hinckley itself twice, it's only about a mile and a half away, once on the bikes and the second time we had a stroll there, it's quite a good size town with all the usual high street shops.  About a mile the other way from the marina is very handy Aldi which we have visited a couple of times.  So in all a very convenient location.

As we are going to be here for a while we thought we'd better catch up with the Bongo again as it had been almost a month since we left it at Hawkesbury Junction.  So getting a route from Google Maps it was on the bikes for a 9.5 mile cycle to get it, hoping that after all this time it would still be there and start!!  We arrived at Hawkesbury in good time, and the first hurdle was over - it was still there!  So James took the keys (I must have checked I had the keys at least a dozen times before leaving - image all that way and forgetting the keys!!), he put the key in the ignition and turned - it fired up straight away, why I even doubted it I don't know because the two years we have had it, it has never let us down, I think it was the thought of a wasted journey.  So the Bongo is back with us at the marina.

We have also, at last, started our maintenance program in the time we have been here.  I started by clearing out the front two lockers and painting them out and the difference is amazing, and it will also protect against rust.  James has spent the last few days inside sanding down all the window surrounds and the roof light surrounds, lots of dust but well worth it, the first coat of varnish went on today and what a transformation - wish I had some before and after photos, must try to do that in future.  As it has been raining today I have spent the day at the sewing machine.  I was lucky enough the other day to 'be in the right place at the right time' and managed to get some off cuts of foam, these are to do some port hole bungs as the wooden ones we have do the job but not particularly well, these are instead of curtains or blinds on the circular windows in the bed and office area. So today I was making linings for them so at least we can use them until we find some material for the proper coverings.

I also spent a lot of yesterday down the engine bay getting the water out yet again, we have finally discovered how the water was getting in which is actually down through the pumps as these are plumbed into the drainage holes so with a very short term solution the overnight rain ended up in strategically placed buckets rather than in the bottom of the engine bay.  I have already had a few comments from people on our pontoon about how much time I have spent 'down the hole'.  Am I becoming obsessed with water in my bilges???

Back to 'inckley...

Pip arrived nice and early yesterday morning, closely followed by a front that changed the drizzle to rain. Not as heavy or persistent as was forecast but rain none the less and without a break. Of course we had the fire going for our morning brew and toast so LJ was cosy and warm. We didn't have much to offer our visitor to go with a cuppa so another batch of welsh-cakes was soon on the go. Lunch soon drifted by and I started to make some homemade crumpets for the next days breakfast. It's something I have been meaning to try for a while as when ever we buy a packet they always seem to go out of date before we actually eat them. I think this post is going to continue on the 'rainy day = foodie theme' kind of thing. The crumpets were very easy to make but cooking on the stove was a bit tricky. The BBQ griddle I was using is just too big to get a constant even heat when it's on the stove, better would be to use the BBQ (rain put paid to that idea) or use the hob (broken generated put paid to that idea as well). They were ok, definitely identifiable as crumpets but a bit doughy (hmm can you buy part baked crumpets?) Once Deb and I had fought over who was using the square foot of awkward stove space I started sorting dinner. I had declined another cuppa and welsh-cake trying to leave some room for dinner. Pip, and us, are curry fans and I am trying to get my favourite, a dansak, as good as the takeaway so I can teach deb to make it for my Friday night treat! Just in case it was going to be too spicy I made an aubergine and sweet potato korma as well. To go with it all deb had sorted some nice sticky rice and some homemade chapattis. Our last bottle of wine along with the heat of the curry and fire saw us through until the clock struck 'tomorrow'.

Only a short run to the Marina in Hinckley today and before berthing a much needed top up of diesel and a VERY much needed pump out of the loo tank.

Not too long after we had arrived Richard the geni engineer was at the gate. The generator wasn't the one he was expecting, this one is bigger unit made in America. He has worked on them before though and as soon as he had contorted himself down into the bowels of LJ he soon found a semi bunt out wire in a box of tricks that I hadn't opened. It looked a possible cause but he forewarned me that it 'may have taken something else out'. Replacing the dodgy connection didn't solve the problem so the whole unit and it's control boxes were extracted for further examination back at base. Tomorrow we should hear the answers to the three required questions.

1) what's wrong

2) how much

3) how long to get the parts

I look forward to the call (not)

A rather heavy engine now 50kg lighter

Nice to be dry again...

A couple of nice dry days has come just in time. We are still where we were but its great to get out and about and not have to worry about waterproofs all the time.

The wood collecting was hard work the day before. We had spotted a couple of large piles in a nearby field that was the result of a bit of thinning out alongside the canal. The field was quite badly flooded and the mud was clinging hard to our boots. The good sized pieces of wood were also well and truly buried by smaller branches and sticks. We cut away what we could but the piles were a good ten feet high and the wood was heavy with a week of rain and clods of clinging mud.

Yesterday we had a pleasant bike ride back up to the village of Stoke Golding before continuing via Dadlington to the British Waterways facilities at Sutton Wharf. As the weather was good and our water supplies getting low it seemed a good idea to use their showers rather than ours. At nine miles round trip it was about as far as I would like to go to have a shower without needing another one when I got back to base.

Pip is visiting us tomorrow (no doubt with more armfuls of post) which will be great and is stopping for her first 'overnighter' as well. Supplies were dwindling again, only the essentials, so another quick cycle to Hinckley was called for. The bike rides are getting noticeably quicker and the six miles to Morrison's did actually feel like a quick pop to the shops!

The interim times have been spent with both me and the solar panels soaking up the sun. It seems amazing that only a few weeks ago we were running the engine for a good three hours a day to keep the batteries charged and today we are having another day diesel free.

The Canadian goose thought the race was in the bag but as he stretched for the line, out of nowhere came that pesky moor hen.

The Lilliputian armarder  had delusions of grandeur, but after realising that  we didn't have much to pilfer they retreated. 

A video for Jess bellow, we've been trying to get her a clip of 'water skiing' ducklings for ages! 

Bottoms up ;)

A taste of winter storms...

The weather is really pinning us down at the moment. Our ‘ships log’ hasn’t recorded a minute of movement for a good few days now; the hatches are firmly battened down. Solar still provides a trickle of power and the wind gen is whirring its little heart out but we are on our version of survival mode; the loo tank is getting fuller and the fresh water tank may have enough to see us through the weekend if we are careful.  We have managed the odd foray to scout for the next suitable pile of wood and are waiting for a break in the rain to tog-up and head out to do a collection run with the trailer. Luckily we are moored away from any of the deadly crack willow that lines the canal system. We have passed a few big heavy trees that have fallen across the waterways over the last few weeks and, let me tell you, you don’t want to be under one of those when they go down.

Due to the fact that we are in a bit of a communications black hole (it has taken ages to find a signal to make a couple of calls) I have started writing my blog in a word doc so I can copy and paste as soon as we have a data signal and can get on line. We quite often get a signal if we put the internet dongle on the kitchen window ledge but as soon as the computer is started it disappears.

We now have a firm appointment with the guy’s at Cox automotive from Atherstone. They are due to meet us back on Hinckley marina some time Tuesday lunchtime, not as soon as I would have liked but we will just have to sit tight until then as we are only an hour or so away. Marina costs are not something we planned for but for £10 per night we will have fresh water at the end of the boat, shower blocks and electricity available so no major plan needed to get the next cup of tea. We don’t know how long the work will take but I suspect that if it is nothing too obvious the geni will have to be removed for testing back at the workshop. It will be a nervous couple of days waiting for the results!

Jess’s 21^st birthday is only a few weeks away and we are looking forward to a couple of nights not only ‘on the tiles’ but sleeping under some as well. Her house mates aren’t around full time so hopefully there will be a room free! Either that or tent in the garden (at least they have a kettle!). At the mo Jess is planning on coming back up with us after her birthday visit so hopefully we will see a return of the hot and sunny weather that seems a more and more distant memory. 

Newsflash!...

In a survey carried out today 98% of ducks asked said “quack,  quack quack quack… QUACK!” which roughly translates to, no we do not like the ***** rain either IDIOT!” A spokes-duck added nice weather for ducks, as you lot so often try to quote, is actually warm and sunny with a slight south-westerly breeze.

Remember folks, ‘nice weather for ducks’ isn’t wet and windy and I kind of got to agree with them. We managed to keep out of the worst of the early rain that was forecast until 10ish, but as soon as torrential gave way to merely wet and dismal we made tracks to get closer to Hinckley and a bit more civilisation. The northern Ashby is beautiful when the weather is with you but a bit bleak when not, not that there is anything intrinsically wrong with that just that we had spent all Mays shopping money a while ago and the supplies were getting short. Not the nice to have bits and bobs but the essentials – bread, veg, meat chocolate etc. etc. and with the four day weekend her shopping was a priority.

We only had a short way to go before we would arrive at a suitable mooring place and after an hour and a half we had arrived and were battling against the wind trying to get LJ back parallel to the canal. Rough ropes, cold wet hands and a strong wind made the going very tough but manageable, just. Once inside and drying off a bit I felt a muscle tighten into a knot in my neck, whether it was the pain that made me feel sick or the memory that last time it happened was at Christmas just as one of my arteries decided it had enough of pumping blood, resulting in a spell in Poole hospital stroke unit, I’m not sure but I was rather relieved that with a sit down and a warm towel round my neck the pain subsided to a more manageable headache.

We didn’t have time before we left in the morning to have anything to eat or drink so I rustled up what I could as Deb lit the fire. (Still no genni but hoping to get it sorted after the bank hols) Homemade pot noodle was the order of the day and it actually tasted a lot nicer than it sounds. By now it was well after noon and the shopping trip loomed. We didn’t know what would be open or closed Monday or Tuesday so it really had to be today. The good news is that I miscalculated in a previous post and from our mooring to Morrison’s was only going to be about a 6/7 mile round trip. With full waterproofs and soggy walking boots back on it wasn’t something either of us were really looking forward to, particularly me as I looked through the drips running off my hood at the bike/trailer combo I was so proud of a couple of months ago wondering if I could get it up the hills to the supermarket and not even trying to think about the return journey with a full load of shopping. We arrived at as late as we dared as they were shutting at 4.00. The plan was to stop at their café before shopping so I could have the cup of tea that I felt I so desperately needed, no time for that though and unfortunately they were shut by the time we were leaving the checkout. All the shopping is away now and its Deb’s turn to cook J

There is loads going on tomorrow in Hinckley for the Jubilee but unless there is a break in the weather I think I’ll charge up the batteries and do a bit of TV watching instead. We’re not one of the boats with flags and bunting adorning our boat, I’m happy to ‘get in the spirit of things’ but getting up to our budget in Morrison’s (other super markets are available – though not as good, 18 fresh rolls baked in store for £1!!) it was either flags or chocolate – no contest!

19 seconds of the Ashby canal...

What do you know, easier than I thought....Sick bags at the ready??

I will try and slow it down next time ;)

A nice nurse put a smile on my face this morning…

OK you at the back of the class, enough of your smutty thoughts! She had actually taken my blood pressure so I could get this month’s prescription and, good news, my blood pressure has gone down by about 10 years and that was after the bike ride to get to the surgery!

The only day they could fit me in at the docs was today (Friday). Measham is a small town/large village so I thought that the medical centre would be a one doc kinda place. It turns out that it also services most of the outlying area as well. The busy waiting-room had one of those red LED signs to show your doc (about twelve to choose from) was ready to see you, and along with other info it stated that on an average morning between 8.30 and 9.30 they received 168 calls (so please call later). It was also a hive of Jubilee activity with raffle tables and a coffee and cake stall, even one of the doctor’s was mounting framed black and white photos of ER in a display area all very cheery and patriotic (a great little community)

Measham would have been a bustling canal side village back in the day with one of the biggest pottery manufacturers supplying the boats (a style of pottery that is still popular today). But sadly, since the canal here has closed (and probably with several decades of other reasons) it has declined a little and is a bit tatty round the edges. The canal is due to be restored soon and I think anyone buying a place to live or business close to where the canal will be going may be on to a winner. About 250m from the proposed route there is a pub for sale, it looks a good size, has a pretty decent beer garden and a small car park. Ok so it would need a refurb to get it back into this decade but the asking price is £195k, about the same as a good nick ex-council house from where I come from!

We were back from the docs by 10.20, about two hours door to door with the bike rides so not bad at all. We set about getting the boat ship shape and headed back off down the Ashby aiming for Hinckley by Saturday as there looks to be quite a lot going on in the way of jubilee celebrations. I also want to be back close to the marina after the bank holiday weekend so I can try and arrange the engineer to come and have a look at the generator. If he needs to take anything away for testing at least we will have the mains hook up available. We have coped well without the generator though and haven’t had to resort to jam sarnies three times a day. On the contrary I think the more you have to think about how you are going to cook the more organised and prepared you become, the result being spaghetti bolognaise, orange and cardamom rice pudding and another batch of Welsh cakes cooked on top of wood burner last night with pots of coffee to wash it all down with. As long as you don’t need anything too quick its ok (I think I may fancy a cuppa tea in about three hours – kind of thing). Even the cob BBQ is working ok now that I have realised a bucket load of burnt sticks wont cook anything and have bought a sack of proper lumpwood charcoal and as well as the usual bangers has produced biryani with home-made chapattis, and a rather nice three cheese pizza, all from a few leftovers.  

Very fresh pizza

That's a first...BBQ'd Tea!

Back to the Ashby (or Ashby de la zouch) canal; the northern reaches are the most rural we have seen so far, even the ducks seem to be wary of the boats. In fact during our four and a half hour plod today we only passed two boats coming the other way. I guess it’s a bit like going for a walk; do you really want to go from A to B and back to A along the same path when there are loads of circular walks available? Still, I am glad we made it to the top and by the end of next week we should have completed our first whole canal. To give you a flavour we have set the video up on a time laps so we could condense a couple of hours into a couple of minutes, unfortunately it was a bit experimental and the couple of hours lasts nineteen seconds!! It is a bit like a canal roller coaster, still I will have a play around with it over the next couple of days and try and post it in the blog.

Back to Hinckley tomorrow and another ten mile round trip to get some shopping. We will however cycle this time as last time Jess was with us and I don’t think she will ever forgive us for our ten mile hike with armfuls of shopping bags.

What a lovely week

As James has previously mentioned Jess arrived with us on Tuesday 22nd May with the plans to leave on Saturday, so a good four days aboard with us.  As soon as she arrived it was pretty much off with Mum and John also aboard for our picnic lunch.  When we got back to the marina early evening I spotted some huge fish swimming around the boat and called for Jess and James to have a look, they were apparently Carp - some of them must be a good 2ft - 2.5ft long and very wide, like barrels.

Half a huge Carp

On Wednesday Mum and John headed off for a day trip whilst we stayed at the marina - I needed to catch up on the washing!! so with the poor washing machine working overtime and the gorgeous weather it was done, dried and put back away in no time at all.  We wandered over to the pub to break the day up for our lime and soda and watch the boats going by.  Mum and John joined us shortly after, we hadn't realised they had been inside having a late lunch/early dinner.  John had kindly bought a bottle of wine for our anniversary, which went down very well.  After a few hours we headed back to LJ so I could finish the washing and get dinner sorted - Mum and John joined us later for coffee and cookies made by Jess.

On Thursday 'Solar Man' was due, so it was up fairly early and breakfast of tea and toasted muffins with jam, just as the muffins were ready James, who had been keeping a look out of the kitchen window, announced "the engineer is here", unfortunately Phil (Solar Man / Engineer) couldn't get through the security gate to us and only had James' phone number which had no signal - so was just wandering up and down hoping we would spot him and James did.  Jess and I moved off the boat onto the pontoon to eat our muffins so the boat didn't move when Phil was looking to see where the panels were going.  After that with books and papers in hand we all wandered over to the pub for coffee leaving Phil to it.  Again we met Mum and John over there and spent another few hours in the garden, with the occasional visit back to LJ to see how Phil was getting on.  As Mum and John were heading back home we had an early lunch (thanks Mum the carvery was lovely), then off they went.  We went back to LJ where Phil was about 20 minutes from being finished.  Then it was out of the marina for us and heading north on the Ashby to the end.  We stopped off at the same spot we had stopped on Tuesday for the picnic, it was a nice location and just on the edge of Hinckley and we needed to top up on food supplies before heading on into a very rural location with nothing around.  Morrisons was only about 2 miles away so it was a hike there and back with a full bag load of shopping each - a bit of a struggle in the heat but we made it!  So burgers for dinner cooked on the Cobb BBQ and then Jess' first night on LJ not on a marina.  It is very different waking up to views of fields one side and the canal the other and boats going past.

Friday was a bit of a rest day, most of it spent reading books!  Then it was a move further up the Ashby and stop over at Stoke Golding.  We walked up into Stoke Golding where the small village there has three pubs, a little convenience shop, post office and a church.  We were interested in the history of the church so went up to go inside - it was all locked up but a notice said where the key was so off we went in search of it - a bit like a treasure hunt.  Then I spotted it hung by someone's front door, probably the biggest key I've seen, you would need a big pocket to keep that in!  So back we went to the church for a look around.  Back at LJ whilst waiting for the BBQ to heat up we were watching the wild life - right opposite us was a moor hen family with tiny fluffy black babies, and we were also lucky enough to spot a water vole, the guide book had said to listen out for the 'plopping' sound as they entered the water but as they are very rare you don't usually see them.

Stoke Golding

Saturday we walked up to the next place we were planning on mooring, we wanted to check it out as it seemed like it could be a busy place, with organised boat trips.  It was a very hot day so after a stop off in the cafe for a lemonade it was a slow plod back to LJ.  After a bit of a rest we headed off to the next stop.  Sutton Cheney Wharf, where Jess fed mummy duck and her 11 ducklings.

Proud mummy duck

Jess had decided to head back home on Sunday instead, but then we realised that the buses in the little villages we were near don't run on Sundays so she wouldn't be able to get to the train station.  So after a quick check with her boss at work her holiday was extended by a day leaving on Monday instead.  She booked her train ticket and we had to get her as close to Market Bosworth as possible for the bus leaving at 12 noon.  The moorings at Market Bosworth were packed, but we managed to sneak in on the end with it all overgrown to the path.  We walked up into the centre of the village to check out where the buses stopped and to see how long it was take to get there, just over half an hour.  Also we noticed a sign on the bridge saying fish and chips on Sundays - yum.  Unfortunately the chip shop was closed so the sign on the bridge was a little out of date - so a quick check round the pubs etc for an alternative found not one of them served food on Sundays - looks like there could be a business opportunity there!! We had noticed a chinese take away so it was back there for sweet and sour chicken for three.

Monday James and I pushed our bikes up the hill to see Jess off on the bus, a quick stock up on food supplies at the co-op and a leisurely, downhill ride back to LJ where we stayed for another night.  Tuesday, after doing a 'spring clean' we headed off for the end of the canal with a stop off for lunch.  We had planned to moor at Snarestone just before the tunnel which has turned out to be a lovely spot, and the solar panels are certainly doing their job - with all this sun we shouldn't have to run the engine today - excellent.  Yesterday evening we wandering to the end of the canal to look at the restoration work that was going on.

Present terminus of the Ashby Canal

During Jess' visit we seemed to have spotted more wildlife than usual:- lots of swans with their cygnets, ducks with their ducklings, moorhens with their chicks, terrapins, water vole, huge carp and something that looked like a slow-worm but it was swimming - so if slow-worms swim it was that, if not it was something that looked like it!!  Oh and I nearly forgot we had a visit from a warble fly (according to our wildlife book - thanks Mum) - it looks like a 3cm wasp, it certainly got Jess moving she was out the door before James and I realised it was there!  Apparently their larvae feed just under the skin of cattle producing a swelling - doesn't sound too pleasant.  Unfortunately it didn't stay around long enough for a photo.