A Visit to the Show

We left Great Heywood last Tues and made our way down the Staffs & Worcester canal to the Inland Waterways Association's National Festival held this year at Pendeford at the head of the Shropshire Union canal.

Arriving at Autherley Junction there were several boats queing for the lock on to the Shropi, IWA helpers were controlling it, so we waited for their call to go through the lock, 2 hours later we made the turn and moved on down to a nice mooring for the night. Saturday we walked up to the show and spent the day looking around and spending money. At least the weather was warm. We moved on later in the day and are now out in the country on a quiet mooring.

Sunday we made our way down to Brewood and had Lunch at the Bridge Inn very nice too. we moved on a bit further and stopped for the night, on Monday we cruised on down to Norbury Junction which is where we are now. I'm hoping my engine problem will be sorted this week, I went to the Vitas stand at the show and spoke to them and it would seem that the engineer is iminent. we shall see.

Sorry no pics this week, will try harder for next week.

Tixall Wide, more like a lake than a canal. There are lots of Kingfishers here

Balloon leaving Shugborough Hall, several nights a week in the summer weather permitting so we are told.

Well, weather wise it's been a mixed bag again this week. We left Atherstone last Sat and cruised slowly up to Great Heywood, where we arrived Thurs pm and we are staying till Tues, waiting for tablets for Eiddwen and doing a bit of cosmetic work on the outside of the hull, these narrow locks take off more paint than the double locks on the GU, or maybe it's me!!

We are here on Tixall Wide, it really is a lovely spot, and a great favorite with many boaters. I'm afraid the picture doesn't quite do it justice. Tomorrow I have to go back to the junction to get diesel ( it's only a mile ), when we arrived in Great Heywood we moored on the 48 hr moorings, so had to move on Saturday. I couldn't get any on Saturday when we moved up here because it was change over day at the boat yard and they don't wan't to see any one then. It's the first time I have let it go down so far, I've only got about 20 litres left so a big bill this time!! Will let you know next week.

Changeable weather

Tucked up for Sunday





Well weather wise it's been a changeable week, Hot at the start and very wet at the end. We arrived in Atherstone on Weds pm, Eric had to go home to Newport so we moored up for three nights. Set off again on Sat in a real downpour, so did six locks and three miles and stopped out in the country just before lunch, and with a good signal for Sky we are nice and cosy for rest of the weekend ( The Eisteddfod is on S4C as well as the Olympics )



On Thurs a 30 footer moored behind us with a retired couple on board, they went shopping and locked themselves out, so I went over with some spanners and took their hatch off so we could open the door. Eiddwen and I then went shopping and when we came back there was a little thank you card pinned to our door, Now wasn't that nice of them, with people like that there is still hope for the rest of us!!

My engine problem still hasn't been resolved, however the correct people are in the know and I await their pleasure, in the meantime we are cruising slowly onwards.

Beware the Yellow Peril

End of the day

Sorry this is late, I couldn't get a signal on Sunday night.

Well I think this week has been hotter than last although this weekend the breeze has picked up, and we have had a little rain, it is still very close and muggy. We left MK on Monday pm and progressed through Blisworth and Braunston tunnels up to Braunston, (I hate tunnels, although we didn't have any incidents this time) arrived there late Friday, we left there Sunday pm and are out in the country at the moment a few miles short of Rugby.

Funny thing happened on Friday morning, I was checking the oil and water before setting off, when I saw a yellow thing on the floor of the engine bay, now the engine bay is painted white and the engine is yellow so it grabbed my attention. It turned out to be the Hex head of one of the cylinder head bolts, these bolts are stretch torqued and it looks as though there was a flaw in this bolt, you would swear it has been cut off with a hacksaw. I'm lucky in a way as it is the bolt between no's 1 & 2 injectors so the engine is still running with care, just as well as my calls to the engineer have still not been answered, I think he is on holiday. However I did take advice from one of the boat yards near by, they said it was a reasonable risk to keep going slowly untill I can get it fixed.

Hot, Hot, Hot.

Here are the boys

We are in Milton Keynes this weekend, arrived on Thursday pm and decided to stay till Monday, Eiddwen needs a repeat prescription so we have to hang around for a couple of days. You would think that the tablets she requires have to be paid for by the people running the surgeries !! it is getting harder and harder to find someone prepared to authorise them. This time it took a visit to two surgeries to get a signature. the problem is that the doctors will only give a months tablets at any one time, which is fair enough if you could get a repeat prescription without any hassle, but that is not the case, when you go into a strange surgery they treat you like a leper.

"ooh we can't do that here you must try somewhere else" What a way to run the NHS.

What a cracking week, it just got hotter towards the weekend. We left Bulbourne Junction on Monday am in fine weather and it just got better, such that we seemed to do less each day due to the heat. Martin, Sophie and the grandsons, Ethan and Ptolemy came over today for a visit, along with sophie's mum Sarah it was great to see them all. Sarah has been driving Eiddwen round the surgeries because living here she knows were they are. Thanks Sarah, your help has been invaluable.

Lots of Locks

Heading under the M25 near junction 20, Bendigedig in front of Shush.

This weekend we are at Bulbourne Junction near Tring, having passed Rickmansworth, Kings Langley, Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamstead on the way. The weather was fairly kind to us last week, keeping dry for most of the time, just as well, as this section of the GU is very heavily locked, 52 in 30 miles, we managed 14 one day, the girls were pretty tired that night, however it makes life easier being able to get both boats in at the same time.

Spent Saturday afternoon in the engine bay doing a fuel filter, engine oil and filter change. The engine has done 522 hours since launch last October, this is the fifth change i've done, it takes a while, due to the engine and gearbox being so close to the bottom of the boat, you have to suck the oil up through the dipstick tube with a small pump, works very well though.

Bye Bye London

London from the EYE !

Our visit to see Lisa, Emyr and the girls

Going up to the basin to turn

Waiting for Eric and Bendigedig to come through the bridge hole

Eric turning behind us

That empty space is where we spent our 14 days in Little Venice,

Bendigedig on the inside and Shush on the outside

Sorry there wasn't a blog last Sunday, we went up to Norwich for a couple of days to do a bit of business and see L & E and the girls. Eric & Elsie kept an eye on the boat for us, many thanks both. Whilst in the Capital we managed to get around a few of the sight, the Eye, Camden Market, shops for E and a couple of museums for me, and also one or two pubs. It still amazes me how quiet LV is considering it is surrounded by flats and one or two roads after 11.00pm ish we have not been disturbedthe whole time we have been here.

Well our two weeks in London came to an end, and on Friday we slipped our moorings went up to the basin and turned heading for Birmingham. We did the 13 miles to Tesco at Bulls Bridge, did a shop and spent the night on their moorings. Saturday found us heading for our first lock at Cowley, two more followed including a fill up with diesel at 82 ppl that's the best price for a long time. We ended up in the country near South Harefield. Today Sunday has been very hot all day, makes a nice change. This morning a voice on a passing boat hailed us in Welsh and asked Eiddwen what we were doing this far south, she said we were on our way back from London and what was he doing here, I live here he said have done for many years, nice to talk the talk again. Our dragons attract a lot of attention from ex pats.