Hi Everyone
As you can see we are back up and running Gregg has once again breathed new life into the lap top and I am on the blog again one thing I will say here is if you get email from someone you don’t know delete it, I paid the price of curiosity
My last blog was I believe was just after we set off for Stratford upon Avon I will start as we left Anderton travelling down the Trent and Mersey to Middelwich then through aunty Maureen’s lock onto the Shroppy link on through Barbridge, Nantwich, Market Drayton, Audlem, down to Auderley junction up the Wolverhampton flight, then to Birmingham through Farmers locks cracking on to King wood Junction joining the Stratford canal from here it’s a straight run into Stratford upon Avon we managed all that in a matter of 8 days now considering the
Weather and other problems we had on the way. 118 miles 126 locks and 2 lift bridges in 8 days is pretty good going for two pensioners
The weather was bearable, I do not know why people get so worked up over it our skin is waterproof and though it was wet it was still very warm. The cruise as far as Auderley junction was great even the Audlem flight only took a couple of hours as we got all the locks for us with a boats coming down, filling up with fuel, water, gas and a pump out at Norbury was over and done with in 45 mins we were on fire then we hit Auderley junction as we all know the stop lock there is a bind especially with boats hitting it from three directions but here you have the added problem of Napton boats who in their infinite wisdom have moored all their hire fleet right up to the lock gates, reducing all alighting points for your crew to get off and work the lock, and all access to the lock, I had to go direct bow onto the lock wall with bow button touching the lock wall Noreen did her impression of a acrobat and swinging from a overhanging branch landed on the lock wall. Having explained the problem to Napton Boats in my normal composed voice and charming manner, their reply was Tough S--- we have the right to be here. I left leaving them in no doubt at my displeasure over their attitude to boaters, and others matters referring to their hospitality that I shall not bore you with only to say they are not on my Christmas card list
Other that that episode (which did not really detract from a great day) We did Norbury to the to of the Wolverhampton flight in one day the next day we were in Birmingham; moorings again were very scarce yet we again struck lucky by a very nice young man waving us into a mooring under the bridge outside Waterworld he said it belong to one of the water taxi’s but it was in dry dock so we had a good mooring for a couple of days were we ate in restaurants did some washing, shopping and running repairs. Now leaving Birmingham is always a problem especially when you use the Farmers Lock route they are awful almost as bad as Manchester However we are use to them and know enough to take things very slow
Soon sailing through Solihul one has to realise that it is still waiting to join the rest of the world in the twenty first century though its nice to see that they are clinging on to traditions especially the festival of throwing old Christmas trees into the canal How sweet is that????????
The rest of the run into Stratford was pleasant enough and Stratford itself is very nice well worth a visit we had intended to go onto the Avon up through Tewksbury then on to Stourport BUT I was too tight to pay the £50 they wanted to go onto the Avon which I consider to be a complete rip off what makes the Avon so special that you have to pay twice.
The return trip we decided to change the route by going through Kings Norton then up into Birmingham via the University and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (just to pay our respects) So from Stratford upon Avon to Anderton in seven days I know we are Go
As this was our third attempt to get to Stratford we should call this trip a success as we have got there and back with both of us unscathed and the boat intact unlike the first two attempts. We met lots of old friends and made lots of new ones on the way All in All a very good trip
I will post this now and catch up later now I have the PC back
God Bless
Buggerlugs
As you can see we are back up and running Gregg has once again breathed new life into the lap top and I am on the blog again one thing I will say here is if you get email from someone you don’t know delete it, I paid the price of curiosity
My last blog was I believe was just after we set off for Stratford upon Avon I will start as we left Anderton travelling down the Trent and Mersey to Middelwich then through aunty Maureen’s lock onto the Shroppy link on through Barbridge, Nantwich, Market Drayton, Audlem, down to Auderley junction up the Wolverhampton flight, then to Birmingham through Farmers locks cracking on to King wood Junction joining the Stratford canal from here it’s a straight run into Stratford upon Avon we managed all that in a matter of 8 days now considering the
Weather and other problems we had on the way. 118 miles 126 locks and 2 lift bridges in 8 days is pretty good going for two pensioners
The weather was bearable, I do not know why people get so worked up over it our skin is waterproof and though it was wet it was still very warm. The cruise as far as Auderley junction was great even the Audlem flight only took a couple of hours as we got all the locks for us with a boats coming down, filling up with fuel, water, gas and a pump out at Norbury was over and done with in 45 mins we were on fire then we hit Auderley junction as we all know the stop lock there is a bind especially with boats hitting it from three directions but here you have the added problem of Napton boats who in their infinite wisdom have moored all their hire fleet right up to the lock gates, reducing all alighting points for your crew to get off and work the lock, and all access to the lock, I had to go direct bow onto the lock wall with bow button touching the lock wall Noreen did her impression of a acrobat and swinging from a overhanging branch landed on the lock wall. Having explained the problem to Napton Boats in my normal composed voice and charming manner, their reply was Tough S--- we have the right to be here. I left leaving them in no doubt at my displeasure over their attitude to boaters, and others matters referring to their hospitality that I shall not bore you with only to say they are not on my Christmas card list
Other that that episode (which did not really detract from a great day) We did Norbury to the to of the Wolverhampton flight in one day the next day we were in Birmingham; moorings again were very scarce yet we again struck lucky by a very nice young man waving us into a mooring under the bridge outside Waterworld he said it belong to one of the water taxi’s but it was in dry dock so we had a good mooring for a couple of days were we ate in restaurants did some washing, shopping and running repairs. Now leaving Birmingham is always a problem especially when you use the Farmers Lock route they are awful almost as bad as Manchester However we are use to them and know enough to take things very slow
Soon sailing through Solihul one has to realise that it is still waiting to join the rest of the world in the twenty first century though its nice to see that they are clinging on to traditions especially the festival of throwing old Christmas trees into the canal How sweet is that????????
The rest of the run into Stratford was pleasant enough and Stratford itself is very nice well worth a visit we had intended to go onto the Avon up through Tewksbury then on to Stourport BUT I was too tight to pay the £50 they wanted to go onto the Avon which I consider to be a complete rip off what makes the Avon so special that you have to pay twice.
The return trip we decided to change the route by going through Kings Norton then up into Birmingham via the University and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (just to pay our respects) So from Stratford upon Avon to Anderton in seven days I know we are Go
As this was our third attempt to get to Stratford we should call this trip a success as we have got there and back with both of us unscathed and the boat intact unlike the first two attempts. We met lots of old friends and made lots of new ones on the way All in All a very good trip
I will post this now and catch up later now I have the PC back
God Bless
Buggerlugs
