Monday 8th July
It has been another lovely summer’s day today. Fortunately there has been more of a breeze making the heat more bearable. We have travelled 3.5 miles and 16 locks from Wilmcote to Stratford upon Avon and are moored in Bancroft Basin. We were lucky because when we arrived, at about 12 pm, there were only a few empty moorings and the rest were all quickly filled. People were having to go down on to the river to moor later in the day.
We had a good run down here, taking just under 4 hours including a water stop. I had my own personal volunteer lock keeper for 7 of the Wilmcote locks which was nice! There were 3 of them and they were all together at lock 43. I made a comment about them all being in a cluster and one came all the way to the bottom lock (50) with me.
We only met one boat coming up (at lock 43) until we got to lock 52 then everyone was getting out of Stratford so there was a boat coming up every lock which was handy as the tail gates on these locks are devils to open and close! There was a bit of a snarl up at the bottom lock because there was a boat moored on the upstream lock approach so the next waiting boat had to let it’s crew off on the offside (where you’re not supposed to) and consequently this made it hard for Ken to turn when he came out from under the Warwick road bridge. The next 2 waiting boats were just drifting about in the canal (one was actually in the offside hedge!) next to the boats on the 48 hour moorings outside The Red lion.
After successfully negotiating all this we emerged into Bancroft Basin and found a mooring. Obviously having done all those locks some refreshment was in order so off we went to The Golden Bee for a nice pint of cider!We dropped in to Boot’s on the way back to replenish Ken’s hay fever medications which are still taking a hammering!
We have spent the afternoon and evening lolling in the front deck or at the back of the boat people watching and chatting to the neighbours. We have very nice people on both sides of us and coincidentally both sides have gone out this evening for dinner and to the RSC to see As You Like It. We went to The Globe to see Julius Caesar a few years ago and we have seen amateur productions of Hamlet and The Merry Wives of Windsor but we are not particular Shakespeare fans.There was also a troupe of Morris dancers in the park which we had quite a good view of from here.
Tomorrow we are staying here and consolidating ready for our foray on to the river. We want to do a bit of shopping, Ken needs another fishing tackle shop and I want to find the launderette, which incidentally is called Silly Suds, brilliant!
