Rules must be obeyed!

We changed our minds and decided to stay at Warwick today. It meant we could get the laundry done here (though much cheaper than last week, it only cost £2 for 2 loads of washing), and also go into the Library and download an insurance claim form and photocopy the details of receipts for Barry’s recent trip to NZ. We need to get it all sorted and posted off and hope that they really will refund us!

Barry went for a long bike ride this morning and got chatting to all sorts of people as usual. He even got shown around a house that's on the market for £2.6million! He also got some fantastic pictures of the Castle from the bridge that he wouldn’t have seen if we hadn’t stayed on. http://www.warwick-uk.co.uk/useful-info/summary.asp

Hire boats moored under the main bridge of Warwick

Warwick Castle taken from the bridge. Timed it nicely and got about 30 seconds of sun on the castle

The railing on the bridge - note where all the other photographers must have stood and worn it down over the last 400 years

A little street I found overlooked by the castle, where all the tradesmen, etc lived.


The view up from the street - you wouldn't want their slops bucket emptied on you!


Barry spoke to the guy who'd just inherited the house in the middle which ued to be the Armourer's/Blacksmith's house. The one on the right was the bridge keeper's

This house is on the market for £2.6million - doesn't look much from the front but was very impressive inside. The iron gate lifts up to drive in.


The rear of the house

Another view of the rear, amazing character to it. All oak beams inside with huge fireplaces and staircases.

After the great fire of 1694 most of the town was rebuilt in the Georgian style. For more information go to:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bobjay99/gfw.htm

It’s been a perfect day weather wise, and we got our washing dry this afternoon/evening (we had to put it all on the front of the boat. Barry found a hardware store to buy a clothes line, and some pegs from Sainsburys. We tried to get it out on the line in the sun on the towpath, but got told off by the camp commandant! It’s a lovely mooring here but there are many rules to be obeyed, very English, though the putting out of washing to dry wasn't in the pamphlet we were given, it must be a new rule!.

Tonight we sat out on the towpath for our evening meal and played half a game of scrabble (sad I know!) before it got too cold and we gave up (only because Sandra was losing!).

Definitely going to move on tomorrow, we’ve recovered from the 21 locks now, Lol!

Hatton locks – a long time for a short journey!

We spent all day going down from Hatton to Warwick – 6 hours, 21 locks, and only around 2 miles! I did 13 of the locks (with some help from Barry I must say) and then decided that I had the hardest part and would give the driving a go instead – luckily it wasn’t too hard and I didn’t scrape the boat at all! I still find it really challenging to keep the boat in one place and straight when we have to wait in between locks that are close together, but I probably just need more practice rather than avoiding it - like most challenges in life they're best met head on. The plague of greenflies is back with a vengeance, a very muggy and warm day, and my hay fever is making my eyes sore and watery which is making life rather unpleasant for me :-(!

The daunting look of only part of the 21 locks ahead

The insect life was enormous! (An amazing looking stainless steel sculpture)

This one's for Lee. (You can just feel the hard work involved in restoring this!)

Got a little congested at times. You're meant to pair up with another boat to travel through. We waited for some time but nobody came along. Must have known it was us! so we went alone. Easier with two boats because you can share the workload.

The view back up the flight. Stopped here for lunch and a rest

Lot's of people walking or cycling the towpath.

This little fella chirped and danced around us at one of the locks. Beautiful yellow. Not sure what he is though

Quite imposing locks. Some required a bit of energy to operate

This gate looked like it needed the lawn mower on it

The last lock. Pity this guy, just starting up the flight. Only 20 to go...

Very Relieved

We’re moored on a little arm of the canal here, Saltisford Canal Trust (http://www.saltisfordcanal.co.uk/ or email info@saltisfordcanal.co.uk), and met a fellow Kiwi (John) from north of Auckland who's here for 4 months and has been doing what we're doing for the past 3 years. He and his wife initially came to England for 6 months in 1995 and bought and sold a boat during that visit, but then had a boat made and have a permanent mooring here.

Very Friendly

The two hotel boats that were in the last blog on Saturday

The red & yellow boat belongs to the fellow kiwi

We had a stroll into Warwick and tried to see as much of the Castle as possible, but it’s mostly hidden behind walls! As it’s £19 each entry and looks more like a theme park than a castle, we won’t be partaking of its inner pleasures! A well kept town, with some nice looking buildings but a lot of through traffic – then again we did see it at rush hour but I suspect it is busy much of the day. A trip to Sainsbury's just up the road, and the food cupboards and fridge are well stocked once more.

St Mary's church in Warwick

Nice little Tea rooms in town. You can just see part of the castle in the background

The most we got to see of the castle without paying out the hard earned cash

Sandra out on the town. She'll have builders whistling at her next!

A couple of doves that live in holes in the blockwork at the market square. Guess their ancestors have chipped out the hollows over the past few hundred years.

Must be an easy place to live. You don't have to do any thinking yourself. There's always someone there to help out. Dah!

Lord Leycester Hospital built in 1400, now used as housing for retired ex servicemen and their wives. Still is apparently. (That may be one out walking)

We’ll probably leave tomorrow and try and get a better view of the castle, travelling towards Royal Leamington Spa and beyond …

You shall go to the Ball ...

Saturday 20 June
I took the train from Lapworth to Four Oaks and caught up with my oldest sister Kath, my nephew Mathew, niece Vicki and her partner Phil. Of course I also got to spend time with my ‘great’ niece Ria-May and what a great Aunt I was! Isn’t she just gorgeous? I forced the proud parents to go out for an hour so I could have her all to myself!!

www.visitbirmingham.com

Leaving Barry alone in Lapworth for the weekend ...

Proud great aunty Sandra and Ria-May

Proud parents Vicki and Phil and Ria-May

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It was then back to Kath’s to get ready for the Ball – it was a great night, I love to dress up now and again and go dancing - it doesn’t happen often and it’s not really Barry’s cup of tea. It was fun catching up with some old school mates though embarrassing that the current headmaster of our senior school from 1971 to 1976 announced that someone in the audience had come all the way from New Zealand and could she please put her hand up! Ah well, attention seeking as usual without even knowing it! I did of course inform him that I hadn't come all the way across the world just for the school Ball!

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You shall go to the Ball Cinderella!

At one stage I had 3 drinks to choose from - Baileys and Malibu (yes both in the same glass, delicious!), red wine and vodka, soda and lime - no signs of intoxication or a hangover!!

The Willmott Crew - Russ, Sarah, Dave, me, Steph and Rich

Barry spent the day walking around the canals, retouching his photos, meeting up with fellow narrowboaters, as well as visiting a few public houses! He managed to visit 'The Navigation', 'The Boot Inn' AND 'Tom’O the Wood' where he spent a very enjoyable evening with Peter & Tina from narrowboat 'Apollo'.

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Another Piccie of Lapworth Junction locks

Lovely canal side house and garden next to the bridge to 'Tom o' the Wood' pub

'Tom o' the Wood' pub

Hotel boats passing 'Northern Pride' in the background

The rear boat is towed (it has no engine)


Shrewley Tunnel. The little tunnel above was for the horses to cross through. It leads up to one of Shrewley's main streets, between the two houses below

Looking back down the tunnel towards our boat

Sunday 21 June

I stayed the night at my friend Sarah’s parent’s house and then got the train to catch up with another friend in Erdington, Arlene where we had a couple of hours catch up girlie chat - fabulous for the soul!!

I continued onto Birmingham where I managed to miss 2 trains (they were every 2 hours on a Sunday!) and spent over 4 hours at Moor Street Station before getting on the train to Hatton where Barry had moved the boat to – I was so engrossed in the book I was reading (The Kite Runner) but managed to finish it which is good. I so love having the time to read books again, when you’re working full time it becomes a luxury that you rarely afford yourself.

Barry moved the boat up to Hatton Park next to the railway station. Then spent the rest of the day cycling round the area and checking out the towpath ahead.

Tomorrow we'll be travelling to Warwick – 21 locks between here and there so that’ll be a big day with plenty of fresh air and exercise for us both!!!

Lounging around in Lapworth

A very quiet and chilled day reading, embroidering (is that a word? I think not!) and internetting - no travelling by boat only by foot. We’re staying in Lapworth so I can get the train to Sutton Coldfield via Birmingham tomorrow. Barry may drive a little way up the canal – we went for a long walk and found a rather nice looking pub called the 'Tom ‘o the Woods' on the canalside in the direction we'll be travelling on Monday, so I suspect he may be a customer of theirs on Saturday evening!

Sandra chilling and blogging. Note the new curtains!

Another shot of the new curtains

The long walk


Lapworth Junction

The view from our boat

One of the visiting ducks which came on board today

The Navigation pub in Kingswood. We stopped here for a drink two years ago on our boat trip

On Monday we have 21 locks in a row to get through to get to Warwick so we probably both need a weekend off them; they do get a little tiresome after a while. We found a canal shop today and bought all the maps we should need for our journeys over the next 3 months – they include details of all the pubs along the way which is handy, lol.

I’m going to visit my great niece ‘Ria-May’ tomorrow, so that'll be cool. She’s just over 2 weeks old now, so I hope her poor mum is feeling a little more human. Then I’m off to the Ball with Sarah, in a long black dress I bought 6 years ago and have worn only once – I just hope it still fits me!!!!

Barry's changed the tick boxes at the end of our postings today, just to keep you all on your toes - it's always reassuring to find a few ticks there when we log on and know someone out there is interested in our ramblings!!