We have just spent a very pleasant weekend at Fradley Junction. This is where the T & M and the Coventry Canals meet. We were going on to the Coventry Canal so we did 3 of the 5 lock flight and turned on to the Coventry. The wind was absolutely horrendous on Saturday! It got up to gale force in the afternoon so the decision to moor up as soon as we got on the Coventry was a good one. We struck lucky with another end mooring, as we had at Alrewas, near the water point and not too far to walk to the pub (for George naturally!) but a bit of a hike to the elsan disposal. As I thought to myself on the struggle there and the easier trip back, while Ken was fishing, we must have a rethink of the division of labour on this boat!
Unusually for him, Fat Dog was in a walking mood so, after we had been to the Swan Inn, we managed to get him to walk round Fradley Pool, a lovely little nature reserve in the woods. This served as an opportunity for us to do some ‘twigging’. ‘Twigging’ is the practice of gathering wood for kindling (and larger bits if you can carry them) whilst out walking. That afternoon, armed with a good supply of kindling, I lit such a good fire that we had to have all the doors and windows open! It was so hot in the boat we nearly had to sit outside on the towpath!
Sunday we got up late, this was not to do with the amount of beer we had drunk the night before! Again we managed to get Fat Dog round Fradley Pool (more twigging) and to the shop to pick up Ken’s paper. Unfortunately he showed us up outside the not open yet pub by refusing to go past! Onlookers were amused as we dragged him away! Needless to say we managed to get him back to the pub, when it had opened, quite successfully! As it was REALLY busy, being Sunday, we sat outside the pub, a bit chilly but highly entertaining on the gongoozling front!
Another fantastic fire Sunday night (actually it’s still alight now, Monday afternoon!), a pork pie from the famous Alrewas butchers and we fell asleep listening to a play on Radio 3 (still no tv), bliss.
By the way, Ken did manage to catch a zander at Alrewas, I however, managed to make a total pigs ear of the photo, so you’ll just have to believe me!
Cheers B.
