Atherstone and Alice

Thursday August 13

We had planned a prompt start so that we could go up half the Atherstone flight to the bridge by the A5 and do some shopping before the scheduled arrival of Alice - staying on board for the rest of the trip. However: a slow boat ahead of plus a couple down that insisted on drawing water from in front of us. That is, filling an empty lock when a boat is ready to come up, but for the want of a couple of minutes waiting. So, despite Mike setting off to set the first lock even before Christine had dried her hair, it was over half an hour before we could actually make a start.

On the way we realised that the boatyard where Joanna had planned to meet us was on the wrong side with no access to the towpath or to a lock. So, Christine went off to reconnoitre and sent a 'complex' text message with alternative instructions. As a result, we arrived at the road access only just as the Oxford party arrived - Jessica making very good progress walking along the towpath to the boat.

Meanwhile, Mike had rescued another moored boat whose mooring pin ahd been pulled out from the soft earth by a boat passing by. The only problem was that he knelt in something in the long grass that he rather wished he had not!

Christine then went off to the nearby Co-Op supermarket whilst the others had a drink. Joanna then left us, along with Jessica, leaving Alice to our tender mercies!

As went climbed slowly up to the top lock, alicer made a good start on her craft magazine: colouring, cutting an pasting. Some of the first creations were aliens and different sorts. Later she decorated the fridge door and also made a cat/dog (ask her how it can be both!)

We were now rather behind schedule so lunch was 'on the run' but with no locks (or rather slow boats) to impede progress we continued through Nuneaton and Bedworth, with just a short rural stretch in between.

A lone, stark disused telegraph pole stands as a reminder of past technologies now superseeded. We did try to locate a replacement part for the front fender, but the marina weher we stopped had sold out. Alice declined the option of an ice cream, much to Mike's dismay, on the grounds that it was not hot enough. Clearly she is in search of the Sahara! Eventually - with the day still a brilliant, warm and sunny day, we reached Marston Junction and then Hawkesbury.

Whilst Mike filled up with water and completed the other usual services, Christine and Alice went to explore the basin and the stop lock. (Filling up with water was not straighforward as the points had all been vandalised and Mike managed only with the help of some pliers!)

With time running out and dinner ready, we moored immediately after the stop lock.
Afterwards, Mike and Alice went along the towpath in search of blackberries. Granny was very pleased with the ones that Alice very carefully carrried back in her hands as as a present. Alice also enjoyed a 'bath' in the base of the shower - an important new discovery.