Tuesday 16th July
Today was our last day on the Avon and what a lovely week it’s been with fab (if a little too hot) weather and good mooring locations. Some of the facilities are not very good (the elsan disposal at Strensham Lock this morning left a lot to be desired) but all in all our return to the Avon has been excellent.
So, we have travelled 7.5 miles and just the one lock from Eckington to Tewkesbury and are moored just before the lock. We winkled ourselves in between Festina Lente (a boat we have been ‘stalking’ for some time) and a cruiser with a lovely couple on who liked a chat.
We arrived just at the optimum time to go to the pub so we went off in search of The Royal Hop Pole Hotel, which is a Wetherspoon’s Hotel. Today they were hosting a lunch for a group of people who were something to do with Tewkesbury in Bloom, organised by a local Dairy owner and town benefactor. We met the Lady Mayor and the Town Cryer who is on red alert for news of the royal birth. As soon as he receives a call from the local vicar regarding the matter he is to hot foot it straight to the top of the tower at the abbey and shout out the news! We haven’t heard anything as yet. Apparently, if it occurs in the middle of the night he can wait until the morning to deliver the tidings.
We could have done a touristy thing this afternoon and visited all the places of interest but we didn’t. There were 3 reasons for this – a) Ken had a pressing engagement with his batteries, as he wanted to check them before we go on the Severn. b) It was really too hot to traipse about the town anyway. c) I visited the abbey with Alan last time we were here. I would like to have a better look round the town but that will have to wait until a later date when we have more time and it isn’t so hot!
So following our session hob nobbing with the local dignitaries we returned to the boat and Ken did indeed check his batteries and I did some more washing. This good drying weather means the ironing pile is now nearly up to the roof (well, slight exaggeration) and I will have to stop using the ‘It’s too hot to iron’ excuse and do some ironing before we run out of clothes!
It’s the Severn to Gloucester tomorrow and as the next few locks we encounter will be manned it’s time off for me, hurrah! But I’ll probably have to do the ironing, aargh!
