Sunday 1st May
Today we stayed at Branston and I finally got out there and touched up the paintwork. It didn’t take long, reinforcing my theory that little and often is best!
Ken spent the morning wrestling with his interior lights and the tunnel light which had to be reconnected and fitted on the new cratch board. We now have the old light back up in the engine room. The new one Ken had bought, thinking it would be brighter, made a Toch H lamp look like the Blackpool Illuminations!
We also now have a light in the display cabinet. There was one in there originally but we nicked it temporarily (about 6 years ago) to replace one of the ones in the kitchen which had gone wrong and which we have since replaced again!
And the tunnel light is up and running although the only tunnel we are going to encounter this year is Newbold which is no more than a large bridge and you don’t really need a light to go through there.
After all this painting and lighting work it started pissing down (again) so we trundled off to the pub to watch football (again).
Monday 2nd May
We have been travelling again today, 5 miles and 4 locks, from Branston to Alrewas. We are moored at the top of Alrewas Lock. On the way here there is a very narrow bridge with a large quantity of our red paint on it! Apparently I ignored the command to not walk through the boat while we were going through said bridge and rocked the boat into the side!
Anyway, while we were stopped for water at Barton Turns Ken rubbed down the affected area and I applied red oxide. Next time we are moored the right way round I will go over it again with the red. Ho hum the joys of travelling!
After mooring up we went in to the village and investigated the local ‘jam lady’s’ wares. Mmm Gooseberry, lovely. We then went to the Coop for a paper and a packet of scones jumped off the shelf into my basket, how lucky was that?
This afternoon we just got back to the boat when the weather took a turn for the worse and it hammered down again.
Tomorrow we are making an early(ish) start and heading for Whittington via Fradley facilities.
