Yesterday we stayed at Newbold and went to Rugby with Penny, as planned. We did a bit of shopping and then did iindeed end up in Wetherspoons, as planned. Later in the afternoon following a little nap Penny decided to move on because she is on a bit of a time limit to be back at Fenny Compton by Tuesday. It was lovely to see her again.
This morning after being way laid by Mitch (a chap we know from Willington) for a while we managed to get away about 8-30 am. Firstly we stopped at the water point just round the corner for a top up. While we were there I noticed an interesting sign advertising the Barley Mow’s facilities. These included the usual things pubs do but also a Bathroom Hire. It was almost worth stopping to see how much it would be for a bath!
We then proceeded through the Newbold Tunnel. It’s hardly a tunnel really being only 250 yds long and is easily negotiated. After the tunnel it is a straight 10 miles or so through to Hawkesbury Junction so I had plenty of time to be domesticated. I decided to remove all my blinds, clean them and the windows and frames. I then replaced the blinds upside down so they now pull up instead of down.
Why have I done that I hear you cry? Well, it was Penny who gave me the idea, she had seen it being done in a pub of all places! My port holes open inwards and I like to have them open, especially at night but they do tip forwards into the top of the blinds when they are down and some of them are getting damaged by the catches.
It was a bit awkward as you had to push the port hole glass shut with your hand (putting fingermarks all over it) close the blind then extract your hand from underneath letting the port hole glass open again. With the blinds now pulling up from the bottom you can leave a gap at the top for the catch.
If we want a bit of privacy but also want a bit of light we can pull them half up and because we sit in the bottom of the boat and people have to look down to see in we are covered by the blinds. Having the top open lets in fresh air too. Brilliant.
What with that little exercise and getting all the blossom out of the port hole guttering when I took the glass out, hoovering up the mess I made doing this, sorting out the wiring behind the new tv and doing a load of washing and drying, I filled in the 4 hours nicely.
I didn’t even have to get out at Stretton Stop to open the swing bridge. Usually the staff at Rose Narrow Boats, who use the small swing bridge to get across the canal as their site is on both sides, shut the bridge, go across, see there’s a boat coming and totally ignore the fact, leaving it closed. I have even known them to shut it on purpose as a boat is approaching! Today, however a nice lady opened it after she had used it and a nice bloke shut it after we had been through (not before as they usually do!)
When we arrived at Hawkesbury Junction we decided to drop down the 6 inch lock from the Oxford Canal to the Coventry Canal and moor the other side of the junction. There were quite a few boats moored before the lock and as Newbold had been chocker last night we were surprised to find it quite empty round on the Coventry and bagged a very convenient mooring right near the water point and the bridge over the canal.
After mooring we went to the shop for a paper and to look at the bus stop to get times for a trip to Nuneaton tomorrow. Then we went to The Greyhound of course but we didn’t exceed the stated dose today. We started off sitting outside because it was packed inside. Later on when we were fed up with listening to the CRT man strimming and we had got a bit chilly and the pub had emptied a bit we went in.
So tomorrow we are off to Nuneaton and if I can get in the door of the very congested hardware shop I will attempt to buy a new kettle.
