Wednesday 17 December 2014

Canal on Saturday

Looking the other way

Sorry guys didn’t realise it has been more than a week since I’d written anything here.  By Wednesday of last week we had visited Stoke Golding and were once again back at Hinckley.  This so we could stock up at Tesco, followed by a busy morning writing Christmas cards and a trip to the post office.  On Friday we moved about a mile southward, filling with water and deciding to stay there for the night, when we hadn’t even had our lunch.  Saturday morning found us frozen in again! Tho’ once again we were lucky with a passing boat breaking the ice before we set off.  We turned eastward on to the Coventry canal back towards Hawkesbury Junction.  This was to meet up with friends Max and Lindsay at the Greyhound, where we had a lovely meal on Sunday.  Although the canal carries on into Coventry we thought we would catch the bus.  So Monday morning found us catching the bus into the centre.  We went to the Transport Museum, which was very interesting and spent a pleasant afternoon wondering around the shops and looking at the Christmas lights and decorations.  About 4 we were back at the bus stop for the ride back.  Unfortunately when we got off the bus we found we had gone in the wrong direction and were completely the wrong side of town!!  It had been dark so we couldn’t really see where we were going.  Luckily it was only 10 minutes until a bus into town and another 10 minutes for the connection back to Hawkesbury.   We finally made it back on board just after 7!!  Luckily there was still plenty of gravy in the chicken stew which Paul had left cooking on top of the stove!!  Yesterday we turned and made our way back once again to Hinckley, doing a good turn on the way.  We came up behind a boat which was going VERY slowly.  He waved us past and we ended up towing him for a couple of miles until we were turning off.  Seemed he had a small electric engine and his generator wasn’t working properly.  When we asked where he was going he said Llangollen.  Just hope he didn’t expect to spend Christmas there as it’s a long way yet.  Don’t think he had a map as he asked if the next junction was the Trent and Mersey!  We wished him good luck and waved goodbye!  Today we have been to The Lime Kilns for lunch to meet with Dave and Joan, friends from Birstall, not far from here by car.  Not seen them for a couple of years so it was good to catch up.  Probably tomorrow we will go into the marina, then on Friday we get the hire car ready to drive south on Saturday.  First to Paul’s cousin Alison and Paul in Taunton for one night, then on to Plymouth on Sunday until the new year.

So for now Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Tuesday 9 December 2014

The frozen canal we woke up to this morning
Well we got up this morning to see the canal is frozen over!  Sun just coming up through some clouds, very pretty.  Ice is not too thick tho’ as we have just had a boat go past us.  We did make it into Measham.  We cycled which was good as it was a couple of miles.  Came back a different way into the village of Snareston and so on top of the tunnel we had previously cruised through.  A week ago today we turned and started to make our way back.  Having a look around Market Bosworth on the way.  Friday saw us back at Hinckley where we went into the marina for a few nights.  There we had a couple of busy day.  Joan and Colin who we met on our cruise in January were visiting their son who lives in Hinckley.  So Friday they came to see us, their first time on board, with son Ian.  Saturday I spent to and fro the laundry catching up on the accumulated pile!  Sunday Joan and Colin came on board again.  This time with not only son Ian but his wife Julie and daughter Becky too.  Then all 7 of us went out for a cruise up to the winding hole and back to the marina.  Surprisingly we all fitted in quite well.  Ian was ‘made up’ as it has long been his dream to travel on a narrow boat.  He often walks their dog on the towpath and chats to boaters.  While we were briefly moored on the towpath his mate jogged by and Ian called out, pretending he had just bought a boat!  We are now back on the main canal, heading north once again to visit Stoke Golding before making another turn to head back to Hinckley.  Yes there is reasoning behind all this toing and froing.  We have decided we like Hinckle Marina and will leave Falcon there while we go to Plymouth, so we are just fitting in distance with plans.  Well having written this we don’t have very good connection here so will have to post later.


Joan and Colin visited us on Friday and again on Sunday